Tumgik
#and they were all swooning over cool looking male and female celebrities
Text
11 year old me learning about bi people but having no idea of aces: I believe this qualifies me as a bisexual person.
13 year old me joining tumblr and learning about aces: Okaay, so you know how I thought I was attracted to both....turns out I'm actually not attracted to either.
5 notes · View notes
amphxtrite · 3 years
Text
Tumblr media
cedric diggory x fem!reader
warnings: smut, alludes to innocence kink, experienced cedric and first time reader, oral (both male and female receiving), praise kink, daddy kink, use of pet names, alcohol, fluff at the end.
do not read if you are uncomfortable.
summary: the reader has never been with anyone when she transfers to Hogwarts for her last year, what happens when a party, fire whisky and a game of ‘never have I ever’ push her to ask the infamous playboy how to love?
a/n: hey everyone, it’s been a while! bear with me this ones still being edited but I finally finished it so here you go!
hope you enjoy!
———————————————————————————
Sunlight streams from a window into Cedric’s eyes, slowly waking him from his slumber to throw a stabbing headache at him, a consequence for his activities the previous night. Sitting up and glancing around the room that was not his, the blue and gold accents decorating the four posters made it obvious which dorm he was in, and glancing down at the mess of black hair beside him, who’s was it?
“Fuck, not again.” Cedric murmurs, standing and tugging on his trousers and buttoning up his shirt, walking out the doors as the girl in the bed begins to stir.
After winning the Triwizard tournament Cedric had become almost a celebrity in the wizard world. He was handsome, smart, and now a champion of the deadliest competitions in the world. He gave Gilderoy Lockhart a run for his money at Witch Weekly’s Most Charming smile. The fame was everything he wanted and more, and with the girls practically throwing themselves at him, it wasn’t long before he became a notorious play-boy too, rumoured to give the best anyone ever had, before disappearing the next morning.
Sitting down at the hufflepuff table, next to his mates, Cedric reaches across the table and grabs an apple from a basket in the centre of the table and takes a bite, nibbling slowly as a headache pounds through his head.
“Hello there Diggory.” A voice laughs, dropping down beside the hufflepuff. Cedric turns his head to see Zacharius staring at him with an eyebrow cocked.
“Y-Yeah, what’s up Smith?” Cedric sighs, turning his head and massaging his forehead.
“Oh don’t tell me you were drinking again cap’n!” Zacharius groans, taking a swig of milk from his cup. “Doesn’t matter.” Cedric shrugs, shaking his head.
“We’ve got a game today!” The blonde exclaims, poking Cedric in the head.
“And we’ve got it! I’m only a little hungover.” Cedric smirks, pushing Zach back with his elbow.
Zach rolls his eyes and pulls his wand out of his pocket, “this should clear your head a bit.” He states, tapping the tip to Cedric’s forehead and muttering a soft spell.
Cedric smirks, instantly feeling the cool feeling of the drink’s impact being brushed away.
“Thanks mate.” He sighs.
“No problem Ced, now let’s get down to the pitch captain, we’ve got a match to win yeah?” Zach laughs, grabbing a slice of toast.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Cedric grins, standing and walking out of the cafeteria with Smith beside him.
“Wake up sleeping beauty!” The giggle and squeal of your new roommate wakes you, followed by a pillow to your face.
“Ah- Brinley!” You groan, sitting up immediately, and grabbing the pillow before she tries to throw it again. “Today’s tour day and then a surprise!” Brinley laughs in a song-like voice.
“W-What time is it?” You sigh, bringing your hand to your eyes and rubbing away the sleepiness.
“Doesn’t matter, it’s the weekend and Hogwarts is huge!” Brinley smiles, falling onto her own four-poster and closing her curtains.
“Get changed y/n, then the tour will commence!” She declares like a quidditch commentator.
“I got it, I got it.” You call out, throwing your covers off of you and quickly getting changed, eyes still barely opened as you pull a sweater over your body and call out to Brinley.
“Brin ‘m ready.” You sigh, standing up from your mattress and tucking your wand into your pocket.
“Finally, c’mon!” The brunette cheers, throwing back her curtains and grabbing your hand to lead you out of the dorm and out the common room.
You spent the rest of the day running from class to class, from courtyard to ‘special corridors.’ Seriously, where did this girl get all her energy from?
“Oh and there are some house ghosts! Oh- over here is the Charms classroom!” Brinley continues, tugging harder on your arm and stopping abruptly.
“Brinley what the-”
You’re cut off by Brinley’s sigh of content and legs practically melting beneath her.
“Look.” She smiles in an almost dream-like voice.
Your eyebrows furrow but you follow your gaze over to a group of boys in yellow robes, laughing and shoving each other about, you note the design as quidditch uniforms, they must be a team. You glance back over at the awe-struck girl to see her smirking with her finger in her lip.
“Cedric Diggory, tall brunette with the perfect smile.” Brinley giggles, nodding at the boy in the centre. “Playboy, school golden boy, Hogwarts champion…” She sighs, leaning against you.
“He’s absolutely stunning. There’s a rumor he can get a girl’s knickers off minutes after he pulls them away.” She breathes with glee, undressing the brunette with her eyes. You smirk at her and find your gaze following the hufflepuff’s frame.
Your eyes trail up with chest, taking in his toned shoulders and strong arms before admiring his long digits underneath his tight fitting gloves, how they flex and stretch as he walks.
Finally your eyes fixate on his face. Piercing grey eyes that seemed to stay serious even while he was smiling, the colour of storm clouds over a forest, calm but strong.
Moving downwards you trace down his defined jawline and cheekbones, sure to have anyone crawling on their knees for him. Soft pink lips almost gave the illusion he was innocent, but as soon as they pulled up to reveal a smirk, you could tell he was experienced, daring, the kind of person up for any kind of challenge, even if it meant jumping in harm’s way.
It was a face everyone in the wizarding world grew to know, the handsome hufflepuff that had not only survived, but won the triwizard tournament, he’d managed to get the entire world swooning for him.
“Hey there captain, where are you heading?” Brinley calls to Cedric once he’s close enough to hear.
“Back to the common room, can I help you sunshine?” Cedric murmurs, stopping for a moment.
“I’d like you to meet my new friend, Ceddy, this is y/n.” Brinley smiles, taking your hand and pushing you forwards.
“Well hello there y/n, say that’s a pretty name.” Cedric smirks, reaching out and taking your hand.
“O-Oh, thank you.” You smile, shaking his hand gently as he raises your fingers to his lips to press a kiss to them.
“What do you say we get away?”
“We just met Diggory, don't get cocky.” You laugh, watching his smirk grow.
“Oh, so the kitten has claws?” Cedric teases at your sudden change in tone.
You blush, and Cedric chuckles softly. “No worries, nice to meet you kitten.” Cedric nods, walking off with the rest of his team.
You’re frozen for a moment, feeling the heat grow in your face and in between your legs, did that really just happen? You blink, turning back to Brinley who has a huge grin on her lips.
“Oh I can see this…” She murmurs, glancing back and forth at you and the hufflepuff.
“Didn’t you just say you like him?” You laugh, raising an eyebrow at her.
“I said he’s hot, not that I like him, there’s a difference, kitten.” She smirks smugly, putting emphasis on your new nickname.
“Haha sunshine, any chance we could go get something to eat? I’m starved.”
“Why would you need something to eat when there’s a full course meal right ahead?” She jokes, winking at you with a playful smirk.
You roll your eyes and she slaps you gently on the shoulder.
“Hey! I’m teasing, come on it’s almost lunch anyways.” Brinley giggles, grabbing your arm once again. “After lunch I’ll show you the pitch, I have a feeling you’ll love your surprise.”
Lunch is quick and uneventful, you manage to sit down long enough to grab a sandwich, but as Brinley glances around at a clock her eyes widen and she takes your hand.
“On second thought lunch can wait, your surprise starts in ten minutes and we need to get good seats!” She laughs apologetically, placing a sandwich into her mouth as she pulls you away, luckily with yours still in hand.
“Let me guess, the surprise is a quidditch game?” You question, catching up to Brinely and walking by her side.
“You got me, just thought it would be nice for your first day.” She shrugs, walking out the door of the castle and starting across a grassy field.
“Sounds fun, who’s playing?” You ask.
“Hufflepuff, obviously, and Ravenclaw, bound to be an exciting one.” Brinley squeals, swinging her arms back and forth. “Oh?” You add.
“Ever since Cedric and Cho broke up their games have been pretty interesting.” She elaborates with an awkward smile. “Some people say they still sleep together, but everyone knows it’s because they both get hot and bothered when they’re drunk in the same room.” Brinley hints, raising both of her eyebrows.
“They sound… serious?” You joke half-heartedly as the brunette beside you breaks into a fit of laughter. “Both of them have made it crystal clear they do not want to be together, both of ‘em seem to be impossible to tie down.” Brinley giggles, catching her breath to calm herself before the two of you get to the stadium. “Exciting.” You shrug, beginning to climb a flight of stairs up to the seating area with Brinley close behind you.
“Oh that’s Hogwarts for you.” She sighs playfully, pushing you further up and forwards to find a seat.
“Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you!” Madame Hooch calls to the two teams facing off at the centre of the pitch, every player nods to the referee and she throws the quaffle up into the air, signalling the beginning of the game.
“Here it goes.” Brinley smiles excitedly, practically bouncing in her seat.
You watch in awe as the chasers fly skillfully across the pitch, passing the quaffle with speed and perfect aim, only for it to be cut short by another player who then goes zooming in the other direction. The quaffle is in possession of hufflepuff, then is stolen by ravenclaw but taken back again. Every moment is filled with suspense and when Ravenclaw scores the first goal the section of the stadium filled with blue goes wild. Up above the beater’s are hitting bludgers back and forth, defending their teammates before sending it off to the other side again. Their movements are smooth and strong, hitting every swing on the dot. The keeper’s are positioned defencefully at each end of the stadium, using tactics to save the quaffle you had never seen before. They maneuvered themselves back and forth quickly and forcefully, even taking quaffles right in the stomach to stop them. You winced more than once trying to watch the Keeper’s save each goal.
Finally, up above were the seeker’s flying up, down and around the pitch in full alert for the snitch, both Cedric and Cho had their goggles pulled down over their eyes and their heads snapping back and forth every second. You could see the competitive nature in Cho with her teeth gritting everytime Cedric dove a little too quickly or turned to try and trick her. If Cedric was having fun with this he wasn’t showing it. His lips remained sealed in a tight line and by the looks of it his jaw was clenched, both of the seeker’s hair were blowing behind them even though there was almost no wind, almost blurs compared to the other player’s a little ways below. A yellow blur here and a blue blur there was all you could see, then they would stop, scan for a moment and wait. You nibbled on your bottom lip as the scores began to grow, each team displayed new tactics the other didn’t know and soon Ravenclaw was leading 170-130. Even the golden snitch wouldn’t be enough to help them win, and you could tell there was some slight hesitation on Cedric’s face as he kept scanning.
As if he knew you were staring, Cedric’s head moved for a moment, glancing down over in the direction you were sitting in and among the sea of people, he found you. Neither you or Brinley were wearing any house colours other than the colours blue and yellow painted across both of your cheeks, guess you couldn’t make a decision, he chuckles, flying a little closer to the booth you’re sitting in, and in a teasing manner he removes the outer jacket of his quidditch uniform and drops in down, right onto your lap.
“Hold onto that for me won’t you kitten? It’s getting rather hot.” He shouts, pushing back his slightly matted brown hair and throwing a wink your way. He watches you nod bashfully, before chuckling and turning back to the game. Teasing you was so fun, how could he resist.
Turning back for a moment he catches Brinley nudging you gently with her elbow and your eyes roll as your cheeks go a light shade of pink.
He grins, but then sees it, the score has changed in his favour and as his smirk rises, he dives.
Your eyes widen as you watch Cedric plummet towards the ground. Did he spot it? Did he see the golden snitch? Cho seems to notice this too and begins plummeting down in Cedric’s direction from the other side of the stadium. You lean over the edge of the railing with Cedric’s uniform still in your arms, eyes zipping about trying to find the familiar flash of gold when, out of nowhere, Cedric looks up, and pulls the front of his broom forwards and skywards again. A loud uproar erupts from the crowd at the stunt Cedric manages to pull, leaving Cho gritting her teeth harder and stopping for a moment right at the ground before pulling up again.
Up above where Cedric was heading, you saw it. The golden snitch flutters above the stadium moving from left to right, up and down. You look over at the scoreboard and your mouth drops. 170-150, Cedric had spotted the snitch at the perfect time right as he had distracted Cho into thinking he was diving for it. You’re sitting on the edge of your seat as the chase begins. By now the sky was already changing colours, the bright azure had faded into a mix of baby blue and pink, creating a very serene backdrop for such a heart-racing chase. The snitch was as mischievous as ever, dropping down, moving to the side, up and then running away with Cedric right behind, his fingers just grazing the back of the shining snitch before losing touch again.
Cho was beginning to catch up and her gritting teeth changed into a smirk as she began to tail Cedric. Her arm raises and she begins to push herself further, almost neck and neck with the hufflepuff when the snitch jumps up suddenly, pausing for a moment as if to watch the two seekers practically leave it behind.
To it’s dismay however, a hand wraps around it at the last moment and grips it tight. The whistle is blown and every stand erupts in cheer.
Cedric sat on his broom, panting and throwing his fist, containing the snitch up into the air over and over again. A huge grin is plastered on his face as he cheers in victory and his team swarms him and starts patting each other on the back. The group of seven touch down and cheer in unison as the stands begin cheering a mix of “hufflepuff” and “Cedric” You smile, watching the seeker high five his team mates and push back his hair once again.
You don’t even realize you’re clutching his quidditch robe right against your chest until the scent wafts up into your nose and your eyes slowly drift downwards.
At first all you can smell is faint hints of citrus lingering for a moment, but taking a deep breath the soft but powerful mix of musk and sandalwood cologne fills your senses, you smile. The earthy cologne suited Cedric. Glancing around, there seemed to be no eyes on you, so you raise the fabric closer to your nose and get hit full force by the sweet aroma. It was just strong enough to make your knees go weak, but not enough to be overpowering, perfect. You smile to yourself, but feel a pair of eyes looking at you. Looking down at the pitch again, your eyes meet a pair of sharp gray ones and you know he has caught you. Cedric smirks tracing his tongue over his teeth before turning and walking into the changeroom.
“Hufflepuff won so you know what that means!” Brinley squeals, taking your hand gently and helping you stand. “What?”
“Party in the common room tonight dummy, come on!” She exclaims, tugging you off again.
“But the ro-” You interject.
“You can give it to him at the party, now hurry up!” Brinley cheers, cutting you off and running with you in tow back to the castle.
By the time Cedric and the rest of the hufflepuff team reached the common room, the area was already filled with dancing students, drinks and people making out left and right. Cheers and applause went up for a moment as the winning team stepped into the busy room, before stopping again so the partying could continue.
Your eyes had been scanning the entrance ever since you stepped in, so as soon as you saw the familiar gray eyes and brown hair you stood to get to him but Brinley, already a couple fire whiskeys in, grabbed your hand.
“Don’t h-he’s gonna go take a shower now, don’t wanna talk to him, he stinks.” She murmurs out in between giggles. You roll your eyes and look back up again, but sure enough Cedric has disappeared and you sit back down.
“You sure you don’t want to- drink some?” Brinley asks, lifting a cup to your nose.
“Brin I need to be sober enough to give it back to him, later okay?” You smile, pushing the cup back to the brunette. She mutters a short ‘suit yourself’ in response.
For a while you simply sit on the couch with your leg bouncing nervously up and down, you keep glancing back and forth at the clock and the robe in your hands and as you finally begin tuning Brinley’s drunk rambling out, Cedric emerges from the boy’s staircase in a casual white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Standing again, you weave your way through the crowd and tap Cedric on the shoulder to get his attention. He turns to face you and a playful smirk lifts his lips.
“Well hello there kitten.” He teases softly.
“Hey Ced, h-here’s your robe.” You manage to stumble out, words getting caught in your throat as glistening beads of water slipped down from Cedric’s damp hair down his cheek.
“I don’t know, you seemed pretty attached to it after the game.” Cedric chuckles.
“Oh, t-that. That was nothing just-” You’re cut off by another voice.
“Y/n, they’re doing a drinking game, come on we have too!” Brinley laughs. “Oh hi Ceddy, would you like to join?” She asks, taking both of your hands.
“Sure sunshine, lead the way.” Cedric shrugs, ushering you forwards and nonchalantly placing his hand on your waist.
The three of you take a seat on the couches again and are handed a cup by another student.
“What are we playing?” You ask, turning to Cedric.
“A muggle game called ‘never have I ever.’ You just take a shot if you’ve done something they say.” He explains, thanking the person who begins filling up your glasses.
You nod and take a deep, trying to focus on your drink and not Cedric’s hand resting on your hip.
They start off with generic questions, “never have I ever broken a bone,” “never have I ever broken up with someone,” “never have I ever lost a bet.”
Soon at least everyone had taken at least one drink, you included.
“Alright, never have I ever had sex!” Brinley questions smugly, watching as one by one everyone threw back their drink with a smile, only to stop on you.
Her eyebrows furrow, “aren’t you gonna take a drink y/n?”
“Oh- aren’t the rules if you have done it?” You question, worried you had been playing the game wrong.
“No-no it is. But you’ve never ‘done the deed’ before?” She asks, tilting her head in confusion.
“Well, no.” You state, shrugging.
“Honey, are you saying you’re in your last year of school, and you’ve never had a good shag?” She giggles, losing her filter with the amount of drinks she had.
“Brinley!” You scold, burning up with embarrassment.
“Aw, y/n!” She coos, wrapping you in a tight hug as if you were a lost puppy. “You’re so innocent and sweet, it’s adorable.” She slurs, giggling and turning back to the game.
Your lips purse and your eyebrows furrow. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to do it, you just never had the chance. You kept repeating it over to yourself as if that would change anything, but your mouth remained sealed and your eyebrows furrowed.
Cedric notices your change in demeanor and leans down closer to your ear.
“Are you alright kitten?”
It may have been the alcohol giving you a boost in confidence, or maybe the teasing you couldn’t stand, but you squeezed your legs together shamelessly right for Cedric to see.
Glancing up at the brunette you shake your head and stand from your spot, you extend your hand out for Cedric to take and he obliges, allowing you to lead him down to a more secluded area next to the boy’s dormitory staircase.
“Is everything alright?” Cedric asks as you cut him off.
“C-Can you help me?” You stammer out, wringing your fingers together.
“With what y/n?” Cedric implores, tilting your chin up to face him.
“Y-You’ve done it before right? A lot?” You continue, feeling your face grow hot.
“Listen kitten, I can only help you if you tell me what it is.” Cedric states firmly.
You swallow your pride and feel your knees buckling under his intense stare, with all the courage you can muster, you take a deep breath and murmur.
“Can you show me how to do it, c-can you fuck  me?”
Cedric’s eyes widen and he has to blink the shock out of his eyes. He’d never been asked to help someone through their first time, he found it surprising you would ask him of all people, but at the same time, it was no secret he had done it all when it came to this and your request had his cock hardening in need.
“Alright kitten.” Cedric smirks, taking your hand into his and leading you up the stairs to his private head-boy room. “If you want a lesson, I’d be happy to give one.” He chuckles darkly.
You can already feel the arousal from his words alone dripping from your core to your panties as you nod slowly. Cedric pulls you into his dorm, shutting the door behind him in locking it.
“Now be good darling, and let me teach you.” Cedric smirks, pinning you against the wall and lifting your chin up to him. “Y-Yes…” You respond shyly.
“Yes, who?” Cedric teases, leaning closer to you and ghosting them right over yours. “Call me whatever feels right, kitten.” Cedric smirks, noticing you deep in thought.
“Yes daddy.” You respond meekly, almost like a question. Cedric’s eyebrows raise and his mouth begins to water at your words.
“Say it again, louder.” Cedric teases, placing his hands on your hips and squeezing tightly.
“Yes daddy!” You repeat louder, watching as Cedric’s sharp gray eyes go dark and his lips are on yours. Cedric groans as your lips mould to his, and he takes the lead, moving you in sync with his movements and tilting your chin for better access.
The brunette had never had a lover call him any nicknames before, they usually stuck to his name as he fucked them, but Merlin was this better.
His hands fly to the hem of your sweatshirt as he breaks the kiss for a moment to throw it off before connecting your lips again, slowly prodding his tongue along your bottom lip as you submissively open your mouth to give him access.
Cedric glides his tongue against yours gently swirling it around, taking in the taste of strong firewhiskey essence left on your breath and the sweet smelling perfume on your skin.
His hands travel down your chest and onto your hips as he drags your pants down by the waist, leaving them in a pool around your legs, leaving you only in your bra and panties.
Not taking his lips off yours, Cedric takes your hands and places them at the hem of his white shirt and you get the message, slowly, you take the soft fabric in between your fingers and tug it up Cedric’s chest, pulling back to maneuver it over his head and dropping it on the ground beside you. Taking your hands into his again, Cedric guides your hands to his torso and chest, inviting you to touch him as he deepens the kiss once again.
You oblige and place one hand on his toned shoulder and the other finds its place around Cedric’s abdomen and on his lower back, pulling you impossibly closer to the hufflepuff.
Your breath hitches as you feel the brunette’s hard length pressing against your lower stomach and you pull away from the kiss for a moment to look down and gulp nervously.
Cedric looks down at you teasingly, watching your eyes go from excitement to anxiety.
“What’s wrong kitten? Do you want to get on your knees for your daddy?” Cedric chuckles, placing his nose against your ear and whispering in a hushed tone.
“Y-Yes daddy, but-”
“Shh, daddy has it covered, kitten.” Cedric smirks, bringing his long digits up and placing two in front of your lips.
“Now show me what you want to do, and then we’ll put those lips of yours to real use.” Cedric nods, doing his best to keep himself upright as you nervously open your mouth and take his fingers down to the knuckle, Cedric swallows his urge to just fuck you right there and bites back a groan as your tongue begins swirling around his fingers. Your movements are slow and timid at first, but you move your hand up to hold Cedric’s fingers in place and begin moving your head back and forth, moving quickly but taking your time to drag your tongue up and down Cedric’s long digits.
“Fuck that’s perfect kitten.” Cedric smiles weakly, feeling his cock begin to throb in desire.
“Does it feel good daddy?” You ask, pushing Cedric back a bit so you have room to get down on your knees. “Yes, so good.”
You smile and pull down Cedric’s sweatpants by the waistband and his hand finds its way into your hair, softly at first, but as his length finally springs free, his grip tightens and you smirk knowingly.
Taking Cedric’s shaft into your hands you begin teasing the hufflepuff’s tip with your tongue, running it up and down his thick shaft as his grip on your hair tightens and soft groans leave his lips. You pause for a moment, and Cedric, sensing your fear, places his other hand on your jaw and gathers your hair into his hand.
“You’re doing so well, kitten, making daddy feel so good.” Cedric sighs contently with a grin. Your smile returns to your face and you nod, taking Cedric’s length into your mouth as far as you could and using your hand for what you can’t reach, and like with his fingers you begin swirling your tongue around, testing the waters and glazing up to see Cedric’s reaction.
Eyes closed, mouth agape, and incoherent curses spilling from his lips, you feel your confidence grow and you pick up the pace, bobbing your head back and forth and slowing down to tease his tip. You grow daring and attempt to go deeper, and as Cedric feels his tip hitting the back of your throat he lets out a low groan and feels his hips rolling gently.
With tears pricking your eyes you take Cedric’s cock as the arousal in your pussy grows and with eyes clouded by pleasure, the gray-eyed hufflepuff smirks.
“Use your finger kitten, and make circles around until you find the right spot.” Cedric instructs, watching your hand travel down past your stomach and into your panties.
You experiment around, slowly moving upwards until you feel it, a sudden burst of pleasure hitting you right in the perfect spot..
“Mmh!” You moan, moving your fingers faster against your clit, finally feeling the need in your lower stomach being satisfied.
Your moans send vibrations up Cedric’s shaft and send the brunette doubling over in pleasure with one hand on the wall behind you for support.
“T-That’s it kitten, fuck.” Cedric sighs, watching your hand move back and forth against your clit while your tongue swirls addictively against his cock.
For a moment, with his eyes practically rolling into the back of his head Cedric forgets ‘the lesson’ and delves deeper into the pleasure, his eyes train on your lips wrapped around him and your fingers moving innocently, still too nervous to go deeper, the feeling of you gagging was enough to get him to snap out for a moment and let go of his grip on your hair.
“W-What’s wrong daddy?” You ask, looking up to Cedric with wide eyes.
“N-Nothing, it’s just time for our next lesson.” He explains, helping you up and leading you over to his bed.
Pushing you backwards onto the bed, Cedric watches intrigued as your eyes fly about his room instead of looking at him and he bites back a smirk.
“That’s enough kitten, lay back.” Cedric commands.
You oblige immediately, slowly lowering yourself onto the soft bed and wringing your fingers together over your stomach.
Cedric pauses, dragging his eyes over your body and taking in every curve, you feel the insecurity bubble in your stomach and you move your hands to hide it, when Cedric grabs them and whispers a simple, “don’t, you’re beautiful.”
Your face flushes red and you allow Cedric to place your arms at your side before hooking his fingers on the sides of your soaked panties and pulling them down.
The full scent of your arousal hits him full force and the sight of it glistening all for him made the wish to just drop to his knees now unbearable.
“Okay kitten. I want you to spread your legs and play with your clit again.” Cedric orders, stepping back and crossing his arms.
“W-What?”
“Spread your legs and fuck yourself with your fingers, kitten.” Cedric repeats, watching in amusement as your eyes widen and your lips purse nervously, legs spreading and fingers finding themselves on your clit nevertheless.
“L-Like this daddy?” You ask, gently teasing your fingers down your slit.
“Faster kitten.” Cedric replies plainly, smirking to himself.
You gasp suddenly as your digits begin to pick up the pace, moving in circles around your throbbing clit. “L-Like this?” You pant, throwing your head back gently as the pleasure
“That’s perfect darling. How does it feel?” Cedric smirks.
“Good. So-So good!” You squeak, curling your toes at the euphoria rushing through your abdomen and through your veins as you push your fingers faster and faster.
Your hips buck upwards and your panting grows heavier as your thoughts and movement begin to grow erratic. Cedric licks his lips and steps forwards, lowering himself down onto his knees and prying your hand away, he watches in delight as your eyes widen in confusion at him, your mouth opening and closing as you try to regain your thoughts.
“Just relax, kitten.” Cedric coos, inching closer and licking a thick stripe up your core, lingering seductively on your clit as he pushes it around with his tongue.
“O-Oh fuck.” You moan, tightening your grip on the sheet as you watch Cedric suck gently on the sensitive bud. His large calloused hands massage your thighs as he works, gently caressing them as they shake in pleasure.
He shifts his attention downwards, letting his tongue slide down until he reaches your slit and then, agonizingly slowly, he begins to dip the tip of his tongue in and out, again and again, watching you shake and whine impatiently, waiting for you to break.
You try to pull him closer to you by burying your hand into his hair and tugging on him, but he keeps his pace, no matter how hard you buck your hips or grind down on him he persists until finally you beg.
“Please daddy, please. I-I need you! Fuck go faster.” You cry in pure need.
Cedric smirks to himself victoriously and obliges.
“Whatever my princess wants.”
As if a switch was flipped Cedric begins darting his tongue out as quick as he could, going in and out and lapping up and down.
The hufflepuff moves his hand from your thigh and begins slowly teasing you as his tongue swirls around your clit. You whimper at the feeling of his fingers sinking into your slit and grind your hips instinctively at the feeling. Your core clenches as Cedric’s digits pick up the pace, your mouth parts over and over again, trying to find your voice, but no words come out. You couldn’t think, couldn’t move, all you could feel was Cedric fingers thrusting in and out of you and his tongue sending delicious shockwaves up your stomach it was too much, but it felt so fucking good. You could feel your body clench and something tightening inside you that kept tugging everytime Cedric’s fingers slammed back into you.
Cedric chuckles to himself, sending even more vibrations up your core. He knew what was coming. Your breathing was growing erratic, your hips were bucking and you were squirming around in his grip.
“Do you feel that kitten?” He smirks, watching as you nod vigorously.
“Let go, darling. Relax.” Cedric hushes in a soft tone.
His fingers don’t stop as you finally give in, white flashing your vision as you cry and feel your release, crying Cedric’s name over and over again as he helps you ride out your high.
“Beautiful darling.” He murmurs, cleaning you off with his tongue as you whimper in response.
“How are you feeling? We can stop if-”
You cut him off.
“No! P-Please daddy, it feels so good I want more.” Your eyes widen at your own words and your face flushes a deep shade of red, you look down.
Cedric’s eyes widen for a moment before his grin returns and he nods.
“Very well then.” He murmurs, ditching his sweatpants that were wrapped around his ankles and climbing onto his bed.
Pushing you back gently he positions himself above you and takes his lips into yours in a soft kiss, waiting for you to return it.
Your eyes close and you tilt your head to the side, allowing Cedric to part his lips and tease his tongue along yours.
You breathe sharply in through your nose as the taste of your pussy still lingers on Cedric’s lips, but you find yourself moaning at the sensation, wrapping your arms around Cedric’s neck to pull him closer to you.
His hands move to your back where he skillfully unclips your bra, breaking the kiss for only a second as he pulls it from your arms and tosses it away.
Before you even realize it his lips are on your again, harder this time and far more passionate, he moves his lips slowly but fully, making you moan in satisfaction.
You feel your arousal grow again as heat builds up in your core, you swing your legs impatient around Cedric’s torso in a wordless plea to fuck you.
Cedric smiles into the kiss and without removing his lips from yours he uses his hands to loosen the grip from your legs and place them back on his bed. He pushes them apart and gets himself into position, before slowly pushing his length into you. You drew a sharp breath as he pushed deeper into you, but the sharp feeling went away almost immediately as you shifted yourself into a more comfortable position.
Cedric has to restrain himself from starting as he waits for your permission to start. Being your first time, he didn’t want to accidentally hurt you, or start before you were ready.
He lets out a breathy groan, you wrapped around him so perfectly, he had to pull away from your lips for a moment to bite his lip.
You capture his lips back into yours and whisper softly for him to start, Cedric doesn’t hesitate and begins to roll his hips in and out, building speed with each thrust of his hips.
“Fuck kitten you feel so good.” He moans, moving his lips to your neck and sucking on the sensitive skin as you sigh in pleasure.
Your breathing came out in rough pants with each thrust from Cedric’s hips, mixing with moans of ecstasy as he filled you up each time, hitting the spot deep in you that had your toes curling and your head lolling back.
“Faster daddy please!” You cry as Cedric nods and quickened his pace making shallow but thorough thrusts and sent vibration all the way up your body and through your veins.
“F-Fuck right there.” You beg, holding onto Cedric’s back like your life depended on it.
“You’re doing so well for me kitten, f-fuck.” Cedric praises causing light shivers to go down your spine.
You whimper softly.
Cedric chuckles softly as he buries his neck in your neck again and bucks his hips, burying himself fully causing a sharp gasp.
“Kitten you feel so good wrapped around my cock, Merlin I could fuck you for days.” The brunette murmurs darkly.
Your face darkens even more and you can only squeak out a small ‘thank you’ before Cedric begins snapping his hips back and forth again.
“Oh- oh fuck.”
“You like it when I praise you kitten? Tell you how perfect you feel while I fuck you.” Cedric taunts, pressing hard kisses down your neck.
“Yes daddy, I love it!” You shout, tightening your grip on his back as Cedric thrusts faster and harder
The tight sensation in your stomach was back and it was getting harder to hold in your climax with Cedric thrusts still hitting your core perfectly.
“D-Daddy, I’m so close.” You pant, arching your back and dropping your head into the pillows below you.
“I-I’m almost there kitten, you’re doing so well.” Cedric breathes, moaning in pleasure as you clench suddenly, trying to keep your release at bay.
“It’s alright darling, cum for me love.” Cedric murmurs, connecting your lips once more as his thrusts grow slower. You nod firmly, arching your back and feeling your eyes roll back as ecstasy pulses through your being.
The shockwaves from your release and the sound of your voice shouting his name pushes Cedric over the edge and after one final thrust his vision flashes.
“Oh fuck y/n.” He moans, slowly rolling his hips to ride out his high.
Cedric smiles as he finishes, collapsing gently beside you.
“How was it, kitten?” Cedric asks teasingly, placing his hand on your cheek.
“W-Wow.” You mutter after a moment. “It was perfect Ced, I learned so much.” You smile.
“That's great kitten, you did… amazing.” Cedric smirks, finding his voice getting caught in his throat as he speaks.
You glance out the window and see darkness pouring through the glass panes.
“M’ getting tired Ced.” You sigh, getting ready to throw the covers off and try to get back to your room.
“Hey, hey. It’s alright. You can stay here, I’ll clean you up.” The hufflepuff insists, sitting up suddenly and grabbing his wand.
You nod and close your eyes for a moment, he murmurs a spell and when you open your eyes again you are cleaned off and Cedric was walking towards you with clean clothes, wearing his sweatpants again.
“Here, I-I’ll get you some water.” he smiles, laying a large t-shirt and a pair of his boxers onto the bed.
You nod meekly and sit up carefully to grab the clothing.
Shrugging on the shirt, you watch as Cedric makes his way to his door.
“Thank you by the way.” You sigh hoarsely, smiling to yourself.
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be back in a moment.” Cedric nods, opening the door to his dorm and leaving.
“Godric…” Cedric sighs to himself as he leaves. For a moment he leans on the door and just breathes. This was just supposed to be a ‘lesson.’ A one night thing where you’d be together one night and forget. But, how was he going to forget? The way you touched his skin, said his name, called him ‘daddy.’
Fuck.
By the time he reached the common room the party had died down to only the hufflepuff students who were either passed out or cleaning up.
The refreshments table still had a few pitchers of water no one had touched so Cedric grabs one and two cups before turning and walking towards the stairs.
When he returned you were half passed out on his bed, your eyes flutter lightly as he walks in and Cedric can’t help but smile. You look so beautiful lying there, exhausted, but absolutely stunning.
“Hey, I brought you something to drink.” He whispers, pouring you a drink before helping you sit up.
“Mm-” You nod, taking the cup from his hand and drinking it.
The cool water feels amazing down your dry throat, you smile and thank him again before handing the cup back to him and collapsing back into bed.
“I-I’ll sleep on the floor.” Cedric mutters, placing the cup onto his bedside stand.
“No- Can you stay with me, please?” You murmur out suddenly, shifting to the side of the bed and snuggling yourself into his blanket.
“Yeah, of course.”Cedric smiles, sitting beside you before laying and getting situated in the covers.
You turn as soon as he’s comfortable and cuddle yourself into his chest.
“G’night Cedric.” You yawn, feeling your fatigue pull you into unconsciousness.
“Goodnight y/n.” The hufflepuff murmurs, wrapping his arms around your torso and resting his chin over your head.
There was something soothing about your breathing, the scent of your hair, the feeling of your skin against his. Something about you felt right, you felt perfectly sculpted against him.
Almost, ethereal.
But you deserved so much better than him. More than a playboy that has used every trick in the book. More than someone who could barely remember his nights because of alcohol. More than him.
You were innocent, more or less, compared to him. You still had a chance.
He sighs, pulling you closer to him.
For tonight though it didn’t matter, you were asleep peacefully in his arms and he was there with you. You could make the choice in the morning. But for now he was here, with you.
And that was all that mattered.
1K notes · View notes
fanficshiddles · 3 years
Text
Trust, Chapter 18
Tumblr media
Loki had to conjure up earplugs during the night when Darcy started snoring. It had been that or shove her out of the bed, luckily for Darcy he had gone for the former.
He was awake before her and took a moment as he looked at her. She was a peculiar mortal. Unlike the others she wasn’t vain and always worried about her looks, even around the likes of him. Being a God and all. What you saw was pretty much what you got with Darcy. And he liked that about her, there was no bullshit.
What he didn’t like, however, was the fact she was drooling on one of his pillows. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he slipped out of bed to go for a bath.
When he emerged, dressed and ready for the day, Darcy was awake. Her hair dishevelled and her eyes slightly puffy. It took her a little while to wake up though, unlike Loki who looked bright eyed and ready pretty much the second he opened his eyes.
Darcy stretched with a groan as her muscles started to wake up.
‘You were snoring again.’ Loki said as he folded his arms over his chest. ‘And drooling on my pillow.’
‘Geez, good morning to you too. It’s just moan, moan, moan with you. I’m sure you can just poof it clean.’ Darcy shrugged and got out of bed. ‘Besides, I’m sure you’ve had far worse bodily fluids on your bed.’ She patted his chest as she walked past him to the bathroom.
Loki rolled his eyes but did smirk a little.
Loki and Darcy joined Thor and Jane for breakfast in a fancy golden room, Thor called it the mini hall, even though in Darcy’s eyes it was pretty huge. There was a full buffet for them with various fruits and meats, Darcy thought she had truly died and gone to heaven as she stuffed her face.
Frigga came in not long after they were finished eating.
‘Just coming to see if you ladies are needing dresses for the celebration tonight?’ Frigga asked Darcy and Jane.
‘I still have my dress from last time I was here.’ Jane smiled.
‘I actually took something with me to wear tonight.’ Darcy said, looking at Loki slightly uncertainly.
‘You can’t wear a dress from back home, Darcy.’ Jane said quickly.
‘If you have something you wish to wear, that’s no problem. Some Midgardian flare isn’t a bad thing.’ Frigga said kindly, making Darcy grin.
‘You may regret that, mother. I have not even seen what it is she has taken.’ Loki said, amused.
‘Well, a nice surprise for us all.’ Frigga winked at Darcy, who couldn’t stop grinning.
‘She’s glad to have you home.’ Thor commented to Loki after, when they were showing Darcy and Jane around the gardens.
‘It is nice to see her again.’ Loki said with a nod, looking straight ahead.
‘You should speak to father. I’m sure you can patch things up with him.’ Thor tried.
‘He is not my father. Never was and never will be.’ Loki snapped. ‘If he wants to patch things up then he can come to me. I will not be going to him and grovelling for forgiveness when it’s his fault in the first place.’
Loki swiftly walked away from Thor and caught up with Darcy, who was having a look at a huge plant that was like a Venus fly trap, but deadlier…
‘Do not ever put any part of your body on there. It is not like the ones on Midgard. It will cause your flesh to melt and will rot your bones instantly.’ Loki picked up a small stone and threw it in one of them. It instantly snapped shut and dissolved the rock within a second.
‘That’s SO COOL! Let me try!’ Darcy then proceeded to chuck various objects she could find into them, making Loki chuckle.
‘Think I could get Jane to stick her finger in?’ Darcy said quietly to Loki.
He smirked. ‘Come now, I doubt you truly want her to hurt herself to that extent.’
Darcy shrugged.
‘Besides, she is smarter than Thor.’ Loki said.
‘Has Thor ever touched them?’ Darcy looked up at Loki, eyes wide.
‘Yep. Took years before his finger healed and grew back properly, with many potions and spells from mother. Of course, being a God helped. But he is so gullible.’ Loki laughed at the memory.
After wandering around the city for a few hours, it was time to get ready for the celebrations. Obviously, it didn’t take the Gods long at all. Mere seconds to change into their royal armour.
But Darcy was taking ages in the bathroom, Loki was getting bored waiting. He ended up engrossed in a book when Darcy finally emerged.
He hadn’t been sure exactly what he was expecting. But he was slightly blown away when he turned around to look at Darcy.
She was wearing a low-cut black dress that went down to her mid-thigh on one side and slightly lower on the other, but it had a dark green, light and airy, under skirt that went down to just above her ankles. But the dress really pushed her breasts up and out more, showing her figure better. Her hair was up in a messy bun with some strands down.
‘Well, what do you think?’ She asked as she spun around, her dress flowing out beautifully.
‘I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you in a dress, you pull it off rather well. You should wear them more often.’ Loki smirked and walked towards her.
Darcy put her hand on her hip and glared at him. ‘Don’t get used to it. Oh! Wait!’ She ran to her suitcase and rummaged through it. Loki still couldn’t quite understand why she had packed so much stuff, for just two nights away.
She pulled out a pair of black high heels and slipped them on. Gaining a few inches, but when she squared up to Loki, she pouted as he still towered over her. ‘Damn. I was hoping to get much more height.’
Loki laughed and put his arm out for her. ‘You’re just fine. Now, shall we?’
‘Hell yeah, I’m ready to be a princess for the night!’ Darcy grinned as she took his arm and they made their way to the main hall.
‘Nice touch with my colours, by the way.’ Loki said on the way.
‘Ah you noticed. I thought it would add some extra flare and get the people talking, like we planned.’ Darcy swished her dress about, making Loki laugh again.
As soon as they turned the corner into the hall, there was screeching came from a group of girls who were dressed over the top in green. They rushed towards Loki, but stopped a few feet away when they saw Darcy on his arm.
‘Ladies.’ Loki nodded politely to them as he strolled on by with Darcy.
‘Are they some of the desperate Asgardian commoners?’ Darcy asked, loud enough for them to hear.
Loki was delighted having someone that was up to his par with being mischievous. ‘They are indeed.’ Loki replied in the same tone, hearing some gasps from the girls behind them as they followed the two towards the table where Loki and Darcy both picked up some wine.
‘Well, they better keep their hands off my man or I will smite them with my taser.’
Loki almost choked on his wine as he was mid sip. The girls swiftly dispersed upon hearing the threat. Not knowing what a taser was.
‘Loki, where are your manners.’ Frigga said as she approached the two, having seen Loki spit some wine back into his goblet.
‘Apologies. Darcy is just far too funny.’  
‘Indeed. You have caused quite a stir already. Though I must say, you look absolutely stunning.’ Frigga said as she gently cupped Darcy’s cheek.
‘Thank you. I’ve never been to anything like this before. It’s quite fun being dressed up for a change.’ Darcy couldn’t stop swishing her dress around.
‘Make yourself at home and enjoy. But don’t get up to too much mischief, the both of you.’ Frigga said knowingly as she wandered off.
She went over to her husband and joined him at the head table.
‘What is it with the Prince’s of Asgard courting Mortal women.’ Odin grumbled.
Frigga laughed and put her hand on Odin’s arm. ‘Come now, love. You know Thor loves Jane and vice versa. Loki and Darcy are not together, but they are putting on a show tonight. I think to spare Loki from the swooning commoners. But even if he was courting Darcy, I like her. She’s good for him.’ She said fondly as she watched Loki and Darcy drinking plenty of wine.
It wasn’t long before Loki started pulling pranks, mainly on some of the higher royals from other realms. Things such as adding the odd super-hot pepper to some of the food, causing the unsuspecting royal to need to rush off to the bathroom with a bright red face. Childish things really, but they made Darcy laugh too.
As the celebrations continued into the night, Darcy and Loki proceeded to get more drunk on the Asgardian wine. They were certainly turning some heads as they danced together, Loki actually spinning her around so much she almost fainted from being so dizzy. Everyone thought they were together, and many talked that they had never seen Loki seem so happy and jolly for a change. Instead of just lurking alone in the shadows with a sullen look on his face as he was badgered by commoners.
At the end of the night, Darcy and Loki stumbled back to Loki’s chambers. Darcy was glad to get her heels off, Loki smirked and stood tall on front of her. ‘That’s better, back to your usual height.’ He teased, patting her head.
‘Shurrup.’ Darcy playfully pushed at him.
She was drunk enough that she didn’t care if Loki saw her naked, she just wanted to get into bed. So she just took her dress off at the side of the bed, with Loki watching with an eyebrow raised at her boldness, especially since she wasn’t wearing a bra.
Loki decided to just remove his clothes too. Within seconds, of course, using his Seidr. Darcy looked over at him and her eyes widened when she saw the state he was in.
‘Bloody hell, Loki! You’re hung like a fucking horse!’ She said in surprise, making Loki laugh.
‘Well, forgive me for being in this state. But I am a male after all, and seeing a beautiful woman with such luscious breasts on display is going to affect me in such a way.’ He winked at her.
‘Are you... are you flirting with me?’ Darcy asked, narrowing her eyes at him, hands on her hips.
‘Perhaps.’ Loki shrugged, smirking.
‘Wanna get it on?’ Darcy asked, biting her lower lip.
Loki’s eyes darkened slightly. ‘Are you sure? You are not just in some drunken state?’
‘Yes, I’m drunk. But I’m female, you’re male. And judging by the look of you, we are both horny. So why not?’
Loki didn’t need any more convincing as he leapt onto the bed and crawled over towards her with a predatory look in his eyes.
84 notes · View notes
joontella · 3 years
Text
achromatic.
Tumblr media
Yandere!Kim Namjoon x Female Reader
Word Count: 11.1k
Genre(s):  Angst, Slight Fluff, (HORRIBLY WRITTEN) Smut
Trigger Warning(s): Mentions of religion or lack thereof, blood, murder, idk how the human body works, (unknown) consumption of blood, manipulation, stalking, male masturbation (again, horribly written), Namjoon is an asshole, and musical terms because i play music rip, minor character death, slight gore. it gets really shitty towards the end. i’m sorry
Tumblr media
Merry Merry! It’s Peppermint! Your gift is finally here, @exhausted-joy​! I’m sorry for the wait. I had to make sure that it was perfect. This is my first time doing this, and I really wanted to give it my all. Please forgive me, and thank you for putting up with my antics in the server. I hope you enjoy it!
I also want to thank Saniya (@smeraldos-blog), Mari (@joheun-saram), Hannah (@spicykoreantatertots), Ley (@pars-ley​), Avery (@ksmuttherapy​), and everyone else who tolerated and/or helped me out! I love you all and thank you so much for the help and support! I’m so happy to have met you all!
Tumblr media
ach·ro·mat·ic /akrəˈmadik/
adjective
without color.
“Damn. There goes my chance of starting my winter break with a passing grade.” One woman groaned.
“What the hell are you talking about? You have a solid ‘C’! I’m literally failing everything!” Her friend responded, as her arms waved in a cartoonish rendition of exasperation. “And whose fault is that?” “Not mine! This semester was nothing but a months-long depressive episode. How could I focus with everything that’s going on?”
He so desperately wishes that they would shut up, or at the very least, take their obnoxiously loud conversation elsewhere. Namjoon twirled the ink pen in his hand with a practiced precision only years of being hunched over paperwork could provide. However, those were nothing but pipe dreams as the two students turned their attention over to him. “There’s Kim Namjoon! He’s had the top spot for years now, way before he was enrolled here.” One began babbling quite loudly whilst pointing to the man in question. “I bet he came out of the womb with high marks. I heard that he scored in the 99th percentile for his newborn screening tests.” The other swooned in response to her own musings.
Obviously, these two were much more idiotic than he had originally thought. It didn’t take an expert to read his body language: the way that he twirled his pen faster, as if that could speed up the agonizing conversation he was being forced to bear witness to; the way his jaw clenched so tightly that it could easily break a metal wire; and the position his shoulders held, resembling an animal coiling in preparation to strike or flee. He pleaded to gods he didn’t even believe in for the duo to be quickly eradicated with a swift strike of lightning. According to the calculations he made swiftly in his head, the chances of something like that happening were infinitesimally small. How unfortunate.
Deciding that the best course of action to take would be to leave the two neanderthals to their devices, Namjoon did just that. He quickly snapped his book shut with one hand and a loud, meaningful clap as the pages suddenly collided with each other. If that didn’t make the nuisances jump in surprise, his words would.
“Although I’m a source of inspiration and wonder to many, it’s degrading to hear someone so openly refer to me in a way that one would to an exotic zoo animal,” He began. Namjoon’s tone was cool and even, carrying an air of regality all the while retaining a bitter edge of contempt and disdain for both the conversation and the mere existence of the two original party members. 
Finally, the two felt the brunt of the consequences their crimes on Namjoon’s ears had to offer. They both visibly wilted, reminding the tall man of his mother’s daisies being roasted and withering under the dry summer heat. Normally, this would have been more than enough to diffuse the situation and lift him of his auditory burden. However, his heart ached for more. His brain so desperately yearned for more stimulation and a rush of dopamine.
He decided to twist the knife, so to speak.
“Also, you too could rise to the top.” Namjoon said as he began to turn away.
Out of his peripheral vision, he could see the two wilted flowers gain new life and their faces brighten with newfound hope. The loudest of the two even had the audacity to whimper a pathetically optimistic, “Really?”
Twist. Twist. Twist!
“Of course~.” Namjoon purred, deciding to turn to face his victims’ satisfying demise. His heart threatened to beat in double time in anticipation.
Although their anxiously awaiting smiles made his stomach turn, he couldn’t deny the mirth swirling alongside the disgust in his belly.
“First off, instead of blaming your inadequacies solely on the tumultuous events of this year, take responsibility for your shortcomings. Only children avoid blaming themselves.”
He could hear the glass shattering as their faces fell in a tandem that most would find heartbreaking. He found it utterly amusing. Now, he would take his leave. After receiving the reaction he desired and more, Namjoon wanted nothing more than to leave the duo to stew in their humiliation. Yet, one last thing lingered. He had yet to land the finishing blow that would ensure that he wouldn’t be bothered by these two pieces of scum ever again.
Twist. Twist! TWIST!
“Before I forget, avoid talking so loudly. As you may or may not have noticed, I was trying to study. You know, one of the things that facilitates good grades? I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but your incessant bantering made it increasingly difficult to do so. Might I suggest that you follow my example and do the same? Maybe then, one day, you could take my place at the top.”
Namjoon wasn’t even facing them anymore. His back was to the two women, further solidifying his dismissal of them. With a simple and curt wave of his hand, he simply uttered,
“Ladies.”
And he was on his way.
Tumblr media
“Exam results will be posted this afternoon. I trust that you all scored high enough marks to keep our university in high regard.” Your professor droned from the front of the lecture hall. “I know that many of you despise the fact that a standardized test is still administered in college, but so far, it is the only way to ensure that Mugunghwa National Academy is churning out bright students worthy enough to contribute to society!”
The students in question couldn’t care less about their scores or the school’s prestige. All they were worried about was getting the hell out of there after two hours of examination and stifling silence. They all stood from their seats and slung their bags across their bodies. A disgruntled murmur rang throughout. Quite frankly, you were no different.
As you hugged your notebook close to your body, your professor stopped you as you reached the lecture hall door.
“Ah, Miss (L/N). A word, please.”
Surprised, you let out a soft, “Sure.” and walked over to the podium where your professor started to neatly stack and organize his papers.
“As you know, Miss (L/N), you are one of the two best students we’ve had at this academy recently.”
You shifted your weight awkwardly at the sudden praise. You felt heat rise to your cheeks as you began to speak. “I mean, I guess? I wouldn’t go that far, but I suppose that records and the numbers do suggest that I’m performing quite well.” Your professor scowled at your response. You were a bright young woman. You deserved to flaunt it and soak up the praise every once in a while, right? He folded his arms and sighed deeply causing your brain to go into overdrive on how you could rectify the situation. “While pride does come short of a fall, you should learn to take compliments when they’re given, (Y/N). I promise you that you won’t become an egomaniac anytime soon as a result.” He said gently, causing your nerves to subside. Right. Maybe you should just accept compliments. A little self esteem boost never hurt anybody, right? “Thank you, professor, but may I ask why you’re telling me this?” You asked, trying to move the conversation along as politely as you could. You had an hour before you were due to go to the college’s radio station and prepare for this evening’s broadcast. Hopefully, your professor would get to the point so you could quickly grab a bite to eat before you started airing.
“Oh yes, of course! I’m sorry! I said all this to tell you that I have your exam results already. Seeing as how you are the brightest in your class, you finished early, giving me enough time to grade yours while your peers were working. I think that you’ll find the results to your liking, Miss (L/N).” He grinned, handing you a white manila envelope with the school’s insignia printed on the front.
You quirked a brow and opened it. You were then greeted by the name of the school, its motto, and yet another print of the school emblem on the header. Your (E/C) eyes scanned the page until you found what you were looking for:
𝑴𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒘𝒂 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝑨𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎 
𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆: (𝑳/𝑵), (𝒀/𝑵) 
𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓: 𝑱𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 
𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎: 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 21 
𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆: 98/100 
𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒌:
1 𝒐𝒇 300
You stood there, dumbfounded. The paper you once held gingerly and timidly was wrinkling and threatening to tear under your now iron grip. You were now number one. Somehow, some way, you managed to best Kim Namjoon. Mugunghwa’s already carefully balanced and fragile ecosystem was crumbling around you. What have you done?
“I take it that you’re in shock. I’ll leave you alone to celebrate.” Your professor said smoothly as he slung his coat over his shoulder. “Congratulations, (Y/N). Please enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Uh huh… Will do…” You uttered dumbly.
Mugunghwa National Academy ran on strict rules, but most of them were unspoken. For the sake of your sanity and that of the rest of the student body (and let’s face it, staff, too), you intended to follow those sacred and silent rules to the letter.
Rule Number One: Don’t look in the janitor’s closet near the athletics facilities. You may not come out the same way as you came in.
Rule Number Two: If the cafeteria serves meatloaf, avoid it at all costs. Only eat it if you want to get sick and purposely miss class.
Rule Number Three: Kim Namjoon is the best at everything. He is to be number one until Hell freezes over.
Rule Number Four: In order to keep peace and balance between the nations, (Y/N) (L/N) must always come in second. This is the natural order of things.
You were content with being in second place. To be frank, you preferred to leave the pomp and circumstance of being the top dog to Namjoon. He was more equipped to bear the burden, after all. Besides, it wasn’t like your future career was depending on you being the best. You could skate by with a silver medal and leave Namjoon with the gold. You preferred the look of silver, anyway.
Now look at what you've done. There’s no doubt that the records have been updated by now. Your professor did grade yours early, and it’s reasonable to assume that Namjoon’s was as well. You’d inadvertently torn a hole in the gossamer fabric that was Mugunghwa National Academy. With one exam, you signed the collective death certificate of every other person besides Kim Namjoon himself. 
May God have mercy on your wretched soul.
Tumblr media
“Young Master, your father would like to have a word with you in his study.” The head butler of the Kim mansion stated simply.
For the second time that day, Namjoon clenched his jaw tightly. He shrugged off his coat and handed it to the older gentleman who was automatically waiting at his side to collect the article of clothing. He hadn’t even gotten through the door and already his father wanted to speak with him. This didn’t bode well.
“Seokjin, did he mention why he’d want to see me?” Namjoon asked dryly. Seokjin simply shook his head and hung his coat on the nearby rack. 
“He only mentioned that it was urgent, so I suggest that it would be in your best interest to make it there expeditiously.”
This certainly did not bode well. Kim Joonho was a man of few words. Most would say that he’s the very definition of “actions speak louder than words”. Whenever the CEO of Kim Industries did something, people watched in equal parts starstruck awe and fear. However, when the CEO of Kim Industries deemed something important enough to speak on, there was no choice in the matter. You either listened intently or you perished in more ways than one. This was no different for Joonho’s family. In fact, he was worse to them. Working under the guise of caring for his family, Joonho was more stoic to his wife and children.
Regardless of his debatably righteous intentions, it sent the Kim family into delicately managed dysfunction. Simply put, Kim Joonho never spoke to Namjoon out of wishing to connect with his son on a more personal level. Namjoon was the next heir to Kim Industries. Being his son was an unfortunate side effect.
“Sir, I know that I did implore you to hurry, but-”
“What?” Namjoon growled. His nerves were shot to shit today. Anything that impeded his meeting with his father and his goal to quickly get it over with was met with hostility.
Seeming to understand this, Seokjin cleared his throat and motioned a gloved hand towards the mansion’s threshold.
“You know better than to walk in the house with your shoes still on,” The Kim butler began smoothly as he made his way over to Namjoon to collect his shoes. “I do understand that you are upset, but you shouldn’t let your emotions cloud your judgement so drastically that you forget such basic cultural conventions.”
Namjoon sighed sharply and bit back a retort that was bubbling in his throat. Arguing with Seokjin was pointless. As per usual, he was correct. Engaging in such petty conflicts would only worsen things.
“Right. I suppose I was quite hasty. Thank you.” Namjoon sighed whilst peeling off his shoes.
“I do believe that an apology is in order, Young Master.”
Namjoon was already halfway across the foyer, about to ascend the grand staircase leading to the upper floors when Seokjin’s cheeky remark reached his ears. He felt his blood begin to simmer in his veins and his muscles stiffen.
“The fact that I haven’t fired you by now and ruined any chances of you gaining any further employment should be enough of an apology. You’re treading on thin ice, Seokjin. Remember your place in this world.”
With that, he continued his journey to the final boss room within the Kim family mansion: his father’s study. The last he heard of Seokjin was a sly chuckle and the clicking of his polished leather shoes against the floor. Staff were not guests. Therefore, they were not allowed the privilege of removing their shoes. They were expendable. They needn’t get too comfortable.
Despite how much he detested it, Namjoon couldn’t deny that cold chill of anxiety that frosted his entire body. His father never wanted to talk to him. Ever. He could count on his hands the times that Joonho requested his presence. He could count on only one hand how many times Joonho requested his presence to celebrate his son’s successes. Their relationship was solely professional. There was no love to be found, no matter how hard you read between the lines. Even in as high of a position as Namjoon is in, he is still subservient to his father.
That’s the natural order of things.
“Come in, Namjoon.” Joonho’s voice rang from behind the large mahogany doors.
Almost cartoonishly, the hinges squeaked like Namjoon was uncovering the entrance to a haunted crypt. Namjoon decided long ago that was an eerily apt way of describing his father’s study.
Naturally, Namjoon obeyed his father and entered the room. Dead center, there sat Kim Joonho on his throne. Sitting with perfect posture behind the large oak desk, Joonho stared his son down with cold eyes filled with disdain. How Namjoon desperately wished he could gouge them out with his father’s prized letter opener.
“Don’t waste my time. Have a seat. I don’t have all day.” Joonho snapped.
“Of course. How are you today, father?”
The CEO’s eyes narrowed at his son’s inquiry. “Spare me the niceties, boy. Sit down. We have business to discuss.”
Before Namjoon could interject, Joonho was already reaching into a drawer and produced a white manila envelope. Upon closer inspection, one could see Mugunghwa National Academy’s insignia emblazoned on the front. Once Namjoon was properly seated, he reached out and grabbed the parcel.
“May I ask what this is?” “You may not. You have eyes, boy. Read it for yourself.”
The frigid chill of anxiety was soon being replaced with the molten heat of fury. Some tiny part of Namjoon’s mind was concerned that he would develop a fever at the sudden and constant shifts in his body temperature. That wouldn’t do. He couldn’t afford for his health to decline. That would be another thing for his father to berate him for.
“Of course. My apologies, father.” Namjoon whispered as he undid the envelope’s fastening. Once he did so, he pulled the paper out with an air of nonchalance. Surely, it must have been another letter from the school to congratulate him on some academic achievement he didn’t even realize existed. However, in his eyes and in the eyes of his father, it was the exact opposite.
 𝑴𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒘𝒂 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝑨𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎 
 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆: 𝑲𝒊𝒎, 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒋𝒐𝒐𝒏 
 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓: 𝑩𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 
𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒓(𝒔): 𝑩𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚, 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 
 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎: 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 21 
 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆: 96/100 
 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒌: 2 𝒐𝒇 300
For the first time in a long time, Kim Namjoon’s world fell apart before his very eyes. Suddenly the sturdy and imposing columns holding up the large study appeared to crumble around him. The fire that crackled in the fireplace was reduced to nothing but pathetic cinders. He felt the ground split beneath his feet and his father… His father grew to a monstrous size in comparison to his surroundings, suddenly hunched over his son in preparation to strike.
“This must be some mistake! The results must have gotten mixed up! I-”
“Enough!” Joonho boomed. He swiftly slammed his hand down on his desk, successfully frightening his son into silence. “Only children avoid blaming themselves. I thought I taught you to accept responsibility! How dare you blame your inadequacies on the people who made them apparent?!”
Namjoon clenched his fists tightly in his lap and pushed down the urge to go through on his original plan of plucking his father’s eyeballs out.
“Can’t you see? Whoever graded my exam was clearly incompetent. If they had a brain stem, they would know that I am only capable of producing top-class work! Just like you should not be blamed for one measly employee’s mistake, I should not be blamed for the mistake of someone beneath me!” Namjoon exclaimed. Once he finished his spiel, he found himself standing up, but he didn’t remember willing his muscles to do so.
“This entire conversation is pointless. It’s inefficient at best and mind-numbing at its worst! For someone who values time and money more than his own family, I find it quite curious that you’re willing to waste both so frivolously.”
Now, it was Joonho’s turn to clench his jaw and his fists. Despite the utter disdain he felt for the situation, the patriarch had to admit the merit in his son’s retort. His pride would never let him express the sliver of admiration that stirred within him at Namjoon’s courageous display.
Nobody dared talk back to Kim Joonho. That was the natural order of things.
“Regardless of who’s truly at fault, find this (Y/N) (L/N). She usurped your throne, Namjoon. She deserves to be punished for her transgression.”
“Of course. She’s public enemy number one, but she won’t be number one ever again.”
With that, the young master of the Kim household turned his back on the old master and shut the door to the crypt behind him.
Tumblr media
“Aaaaaand now, we’re back after our break!” Your co-host chirped from beside you.
The red on-air sign glowed warmly overhead, creating a sense of coziness and heat in the otherwise cold station. You wrapped your cardigan closer around you before adjusting your mic.
“And we’re about to go into our winter break soon. How fitting!” You posited, trying to match your co-host’s energy.
“That’s right! Mugunghwa exams are finally over, and the scores and ranks have already been updated for some! Care to talk about that, (Y/N)?” Taehyung, your co-host, wiggled his sharp eyebrows in his quest to prod for information.
Normally, his rectangular grin and bright eyes would warm your heart. Today, however, you wanted to punch that devilish smirk right off of him. You should have known that Tae would have suddenly caught wind of your latest academic achievement. He’s the university’s most involved (read: nosiest) student. 
“Not really… But you won’t shut up until I do, so…” You sighed as you spun around in your swivel chair. Once you stopped your cycle, you scooted closer to the microphone and cleared your throat. “I got a 98 on the exam. My professor stopped me after class and told me the news.”
Not that anyone but you and the sound director, Yoongi, would see it, but Taehyung’s impish smile turned into a disappointed pout. “Ah, listen to our (Y/N). Always dodging the important questions. Such a tease!”
You shoved him gently and laughed at his comment before shaking your head. “This guy… To everyone who dreams of dating him, work with him first. You’ll see how much of a horrible person he is.”
“Yah! That’s slander! Aren’t journalists supposed to avoid that?”
“I’ll kick your ass.” You licked your lips and began to answer the original question in further detail. “Yeah, so… Anyway, I got a 98 and I guess that warranted me becoming number one…?”
Both Taehyung and Yoongi’s faces dropped. From his booth, you could see Yoongi grimace and in your peripheral, you saw Tae stiffen.
“Up next is Still With You by our resident golden boy Jeon Jungkook. We’ll be back soon. Stay tuned.” 
Suddenly, the on-air sign was turned off. The song began to play and Taehyung immediately gripped your shoulders.
“You what?!” Taehyung nearly screeched. “(Y/N), do you have any idea what this means?!” “That I took Kim Namjoon’s place and sent the fragile society of Mugunghwa into ruin? Yeah, I do.” Tae blinked for a moment. “No… Although, that does make sense. That seems way more important than what I was gonna say. Huh.”
You were actually going to punch the shit out of him. “Dude, what?”
“Listen, this is your chance! You can finally get recognized as the top-tier person that you are! As long as you were under Kim’s big, goofy shadow, you were going to be pushed aside! Now you can show everyone here how cool you are!”
You felt your throat tighten. That all-too-familiar sensation of a goose egg being lodged in your esophagus rose. You were going to cry. How you desperately wished that you could view the world like Taehyung did. How you longed to see the silver lining of every situation just like he did. All you saw was destruction and despair. All you felt was guilt for damning the entire student body to some cruel fate that only Kim Namjoon could dish out.
“Tae, I love you, but you don’t fucking get it! I’m screwed! We’re all screwed! I broke two of the sacred rules of this school! Kim Namjoon must always be first! I must always be second! I just sentenced everyone to death!”
Taehyung raised a brow, as if what you were saying were the incoherent ramblings of a mad woman. “You describe my cousin like he’s some heinous demon.” Even the usually passive Yoongi had to straighten his spine and widen his eyes at this revelation.
“He’s your cousin?!”
Tae leaned back in his seat with yet another smirk. This time, you couldn’t put a finger on the emotion this specific lift of his lips held. “Isn’t the resemblance obvious? The Kim line has some strong genes. It’s been that way since the Joseon era, I’ve been told.”
Ignoring the historical implications for why such strong genes would still be present thousands of years later (assuming that Taehyung was actually serious), you hurried the conversation along. Jungkook’s silky voice had faded away a while ago, leaving the two of you with little to no time left before it was time to open the floor to callers. This was your last chance to get some useful information about Namjoon before you were dragged into what you knew was going to be a relentless storm of phone calls and incredulous screeches at the news.
Like you had said before, you’d damned everyone. Who wouldn’t want to yell at the person that had the audacity to send an entire population into ruin?
“Get to the point, Taehyung. You’re telling me that you’re related to Satan himself? And I’ve been your co-host for how long?!” You near screeched.
Tae’s ambiguous smirk was now replaced with a blank expression. “I didn’t think it mattered, (Y/N). Why does it even matter now? If there’s a bigger issue here, I think you’re dodging it.”
You froze. He was right. For as long as you knew him, Taehyung had this uncanny ability to pick people apart and leave them vulnerable in an instant. This was especially effective on you, you’ve come to realize. The funny thing was that you hadn’t realized that you were employing tactics to postpone the inevitable inundation of accusatory and furious phone calls being thrown your way. Deep down, you always hated confrontation. Until Taehyung uttered those words, you hadn’t realized how deep that hatred and aversion was ingrained.
“Damn. You’re...good… I guess I am avoiding things. Let’s just get this over with. If we hold it off any longer, things will get worse.” You muttered as you looked towards Yoongi’s booth, motioning for him to put you both back on air.
Taehyung placed a comforting hand on your shoulder and flashed his signature boxy smile. “You don’t even know what they’re going to say. Who knows? News of your latest accomplishment may have brought the (Y/N) (L/N) Official Fanclub out of hiding. I bet that there are going to be several callers professing their undying love for you!”
“Their what now?” You asked dumbly.
Taehyung placed a hand on his heart and slipped into a persona reminiscent of the male protagonist of one the many romance dramas that were plastered on television nowadays. His deep voice rumbled the soundproof padding on the walls and wrapped you in its velvety embrace.
“(Y/N), I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I’ve struggled with these emotions for so long, but news of your success has given me the courage to confess them. I can’t quite make heads or tails of them, but I want to explore them all with you…” Not that anyone but you and Yoongi could see the exchange, but Taehyung gently cupped your chin with his large hand and looked longingly into your eyes. “That is, if you’d let me.”
Silence. Then raucous laughter from you and Taehyung. (Yoongi was visibly cringing in his booth.) You expected nothing less from the theater major, but you couldn’t help the delicate fluttering that began in your stomach. Was this the fabled Taehyung Effect at work? The two of you turned to your microphones and opened the floor to callers, as per usual for this segment of your show. What was highly unusual, however, was the heartfelt “confession” that was unwittingly broadcasted to everyone tuned in. Unbeknownst to everyone, the red on-air sign shone above your heads, serving as a beacon or perhaps an unfortunately ignored warning. A warning that your lighthearted joke wasn’t going to be a joke to some.
A warning that the harbinger of doom himself was listening in… A warning that he had now collected leverage over his new enemy… A warning that he was going to destroy you, even if he had to use his own relative to do it. He would surely add this to his rapidly growing arsenal of schemes.
Tumblr media
The next day, the very air at Mugunghwa was different. Somehow, despite being the enigmatic second-place student, everyone instinctively knew to distance themselves from you. Biologically speaking, humans were still animals, despite the staunch separation that was created over time. There was still a basal instinct to survive. In this case, that instinct screamed, “Get away from the brainlet that dared to tip the scales and anger Kim Namjoon.” You didn’t blame anyone for their decision. You couldn’t. You’d be the world’s biggest hypocrite if you did, and you didn’t want “hypocrite” to be engraved on your tombstone next to “cold-blooded killer”.
Everywhere you walked, people watched you intently with eyes filled with either fear, confusion, or disgust. You could hear thinly-veiled whispers as you passed your fellow students. 
“There she is.”
“She’s surprisingly pretty. I expected some ugly broad to be under Namjoon’s shadow.”
Ah, yes. You had forgotten your previously fairly secretive life before the shoe dropped. You were content with living under the radar. After all, it kept the vicious rumors of the poor girl who by hook or crook got her way into an elite university on a full-ride scholarship at bay. As long as you held the number two spot, nobody cared about you. News of your arrival and subsequent theories surrounding it were just a fad that most people shortly moved on from. The drastic and sudden change from peaceful irrelevance to hostile notoriety made you nauseous.
The cold air nipped at your flesh while you made your way to the library. Fresh snow made its satisfying crunching sound as you sped towards your destination. Wait. Sped? Only when you looked down at your feet did you realize that your steps were quicker than usual. Needless to say, you were confused at this revelation. Were things really this bad? Why was your body subconsciously hurrying you along when no danger was immediately present? Then, it hit you: If the Kim Taehyung Effect caused your insides to flutter and your heart melt with glee, the Kim Namjoon Effect caused everyone to cower and hide in pure horror. Maybe it ran in the family. After all, the two were related. How that crucial detail managed to slip past you was beyond human understanding.
Soon enough, you made your way into the campus library. Warmth enveloped you and thawed your chilled skin with each step into the large building. The tall bookshelves that towered over you and the other patrons made you feel safe. The walls of knowledge served as barriers from the predatory glares that were shot your way anywhere else. Here, while not entirely forbidden, hushed insults and remarks were more so. The library was your sanctuary when the dormitories weren’t, and with all the girls and even your RA avoiding you like the plague, it was safe to say that your dorm wasn’t very inviting right now.
Whatever it took, you needed to get your mind off of the Namjoon business. Sitting down in the warm silence served to do just that. You absentmindedly wandered through the various sections of the building. The nutty scent of someone’s morning brew filled your nostrils on your journey, easily putting you at ease in an instant. The rhythmic click-clack of someone's fingers against a computer keyboard kept your body grounded to the Earth. It served as a nice tether and protection from your thoughts that threatened to whisk you away into the stratosphere with every step you took.
Your feet took you past the reference section, the nonfiction section, and even the genealogy section before making its final stop at the fiction section. When you first started college, you found it odd that a library carried such books, but you soon came to realize that an escape into another world was appreciated by everyone. A love for fiction did not have an age limit.
You found yourself engrossed in a high fantasy novel by one Bang Sihyuk. (A very talented author, you decided. You made a note to look into some of his other works when you weren’t staring death in the face.) The sweet sound of yet another page turning and revealing more of the lore slowed your racing heart. The subtle smell of ink and glue softened your muscles, willing them to relax into the plush chair. The floor lamp next to you glowed softly and turned the usually stark clash of pitch black lettering against white pages into a mellow brown against cream parchment.
Even if you knew you had to face the wolves outside your sanctuary eventually, you still savored the solace you had in that moment. What you never considered was that those halcyon days were going to soon fall into utter ruin and despair with a singular human-shaped silhouette.
Tumblr media
Everywhere Namjoon went, eyes followed. The air around him crackled with apprehension, but he couldn’t care less if he tried. This was natural. The pitiful prey animals around scrambled away for dear life, functioning solely on the fleeting notion that sticking around would spell their demise. Most of the people here were college students beginning their prime. They couldn’t afford to wither away… Not yet, at least… And certainly not here.
Stifled gasps laced with fear and admiration threatened to strangle the poor Kim heir. How he so desperately wished that they would all shut up! The constant buzzing murmur felt like mosquitoes tiptoeing across his skin during the hot and balmy summer months. It was highly annoying, to say the least.
His piercing mocha eyes landed on a target. A mousy figure was dwarfed by Namjoon’s taller and muscular frame. Pair the size difference with his steely and—arguably murderous—gaze fixed on the piteous male before him, both parties were surprised that the smaller student didn’t go into cardiac arrest.
“I would stay to chat, but I have important business to attend to,” Namjoon began. The timbre of his voice seeped into the small man’s bones and rattled them with each syllable. “You obviously know something, or else you wouldn’t be so pathetically fearful.”
The other male gulped audibly. His dull brown eyes stared into Namjoon’s vibrant cocoa ones. His pupils contracted as a cold sweat formed on his forehead and neck. Deep down, he knew that one wrong move would send him spiraling into horrors unimaginable. This was Kim Namjoon he was dealing with. He only had one chance. 
“I don’t know w-what you’re talking about…” He squeaked.
Namjoon narrowed his eyes with clear annoyance and disgust for the situation and the animal shivering before him. This caused the mousy man to gasp sharply.
“Tell me where (Y/N) (L/N) is. It’s a simple request. Even someone of your calibre should be capable of such a mundane task.” Namjoon stated simply. Disdain bled through his words into his tone and seeped into his prey’s already paper-thin psyche.
With a trembling arm, the rodent (as Namjoon decided to call him) pointed in the direction of the campus library. Of course you would be there. It made his blood boil to think that you’d already be in the library after receiving news of your latest feat. Anyone else would be a fool to risk losing such an honor. Studying was the only way to cement your new station as Mugunghwa’s new number one.
Without so much as a half-assed utter of thanks, Namjoon strode off in the direction of the large building. He was so hyper-focused on cutting you down and ensuring that you wouldn’t be a problem again that the signature thud of a body against snow missed his attention completely. The concerned and shocked gasps of onlookers didn’t affect him either.
Soon enough, he was at his destination. The same book-filled shelves and walls that greeted you greeted him at the entrance. Upon seeing his figure, the librarian at the circulation desk straightened in order to greet Namjoon properly. ‘At least one person here knew their place.’ He thought to himself.
“I’m looking for (Y/N) (L/N). It’d be in your best interest to point me in her direction as quickly as possible, Jimin.” Namjoon stated coolly with a tinge of nonchalance. Although he was painfully aware of the importance his little scouting mission served, his seemingly apathetic tone was the result of having said the same thing over and over like a broken record. The sooner he found you and got you to bend the knee, the sooner he could return home to his own studies.
The librarian, Jimin, nodded and swiftly pointed towards the fiction section. His mug of hazelnut coffee threatened to spill at the sudden and crisp motion. “She went that way, towards the fiction books.” He stated plainly. Namjoon couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his features. Jimin was always such an attentive servant. 
Ever since that little incident before Mugunghwa’s annual recital, the dance major felt a deep sense of allegiance towards the older male. He had to. Namjoon was the only reason Park Jimin was able to continue his dream of becoming a world-class dancer, and it was made abundantly clear that what Kim Namjoon giveth, he can just as easily taketh away. Poor Jimin had no idea why you were being sought out by the most powerful student at the university, but he couldn’t help but suppress the gnawing sensation that he was leading you to a painful end.
Once again, forgoing a thank you, Namjoon began the final stretch of his arduous journey to find you and finally set things right in the world. The only issue was that he had no idea who he was looking for, exactly.
Oddly enough, despite your status, you had managed to keep a low profile. Very few people actually knew what you looked like. Hell, your student profile didn’t even have an image of you posted. In fact, the only way people outside of your direct circle of cohorts started to gather what you looked like was because the web connecting (Y/N) (L/N), radio show host and journalism major and (Y/N) (L/N), former number two was finally starting to weave itself. As far as most of the student body was concerned, you were nothing but a faceless placeholder image against a drab gray background. It wouldn’t have surprised Namjoon if you actually walked around with the words, “NO IMAGE AVAILABLE” permanently marked on your body. What he saw, however, was beyond his own comprehension.
There you were, his enemy, his prey. You sat idly in the large cushioned chair with your book nestled delicately in your hands. For the moment, you were blissfully unaware of the danger that loomed nearby. This was almost too easy. Almost as if your presence unlocked a vault to all his plans to destroy you, you looked at him.
And then his world changed. He almost felt sick at the sudden rush of sensory input his brain was forced to parse through. The previously unsaturated hall roared to life with colors he hadn’t even seen before. Warm browns, reds, and hues of every other name shot into Namjoon’s retinas upon gazing at your graceful form. This was (Y/N) (L/N)? This hidden gem? He was meant to demolish this?
He couldn’t. He shouldn’t. He wouldn’t. For the first time in a long time, Kim Namjoon was rendered speechless. His heart began to beat in double-time. If his biological functions were a musical piece, this specific section’s tempo marking would be prestissimo. Beyond vivace, beyond presto.
He couldn’t take it, so for the first time ever, Kim Namjoon ran away.
Tumblr media
You didn’t dare move. Fear wrapped its spindly fingers around your heart and clutched it in its icy grasp. You didn’t have to move your eyes off of the page to see who the shadow cast onto it belonged to. Deep down, you knew. 
Goddamn it.
You just knew.
Just when you gathered the courage to face your doom head on, he was gone.
“What the fuck…?” You whispered. Your fantasy novel fell to the ground on its spine with a soft thud. Was this it? Were you officially losing it? Was stress causing you to hallucinate and see literal shadow people?! That was it.
Not wanting to have a literal breakdown in the middle of the library, you honed your senses in on the now cold-smelling coffee nearby. The faint hazelnut blend managed to at least tether you down to reality once more. You took a deep breath. Everything was now in focus. You had to leave, you decided. So that’s what you did.
If the library’s other patrons noticed the shocked, glazed over look in your eyes, nobody said anything. You had just come in contact with the menace. You were lucky to be alive. There’s no need to add insult to injury by inquiring about your current situation. Wordlessly, you ambled out of the library door. Jimin’s small eyes followed your every movement until you were finally out of his line of sight.
Soon enough, you made it to your dorm room. Oddly enough, it felt like you’d walked through a wormhole and warped to the private space. It appears that moving effortlessly through time and space was an eerily common theme that day. Not wishing to dwell on it any further, you plummeted onto your bed and let a dreamless sleep whisk you away from all your troubles.
A month had passed since your clandestine encounter with Namjoon. Surprisingly enough, after the first week or so of living in terror, the foreboding feeling of doom had all but disappeared. Like a colony of ants rebuilding their anthill after a sudden rainstorm, so too did Mugunghwa National Academy rebuild anew. As Thanksgiving rolled into Christmas, the student body had learned to accept that you were now at the top of the food chain. The status quo had shifted in your favor. Students that would previously mutter curses after you passed by would suddenly wave amicably once they noticed your presence.
While the sudden lack of hostility was appreciated, you couldn’t help but notice how shallow the whole situation was. A faint sense of disgust settled at the pit of your stomach. Or was it foreboding, after all? After your encounter with Namjoon’s shadow at the library, the Kim Industries heir had disappeared suddenly. He had disappeared without a trace. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. His scores were still updated regularly; his name was still in the mouths of every man, woman, and child that walked across campus; and you swore that you saw his tall figure slither like a snake behind buildings and shrubbery one time after class. While there was solid proof that he still (at the very least) resided within this plane of existence, Kim Namjoon had achieved cryptid status. Just a month ago, he was the dark overlord that ruled Mugunghwa with an iron fist. Now, he was merely a relic of the past, a name synonymous with the Boogeyman. Kim Namjoon was now used to scare freshmen like tales of a monster under one’s bed were used to frighten young children.
The truth, like all things are, was much more complicated than that. After he met you, his goddess, at the library, Namjoon spiraled out of control. Nothing was the same for him. At first, it was a fleeting rush of endorphins, he had decided. Perhaps the sense of victory he felt after finding his long lost rival caused his brain to go into overdrive with glee. With that in mind, he returned home to lick his wounds and rewrite his battle plans.
The next day, everything seemed normal enough. His world was in grayscale once more. Individuals who weren’t of direct importance to him retained their distorted, blob-like features. His senses were mostly dulled once again… Until you appeared. You walked across campus with grace that put the supermodels that his father regularly “worked with” to shame. To be honest, they looked like pitiful crows with snapped legs when put up against your stork-like elegance.
His previously unsaturated world regained its color. His heart rate increased, warmth filled his veins as a result. Everything was crisply in focus when it came to you. For the first time in a long time, Kim Namjoon was terrified… But that’s what intrigued him all the more. Once you left his sight, however, the blooming colors vanished. Everything was blurred again. The warmth had died and left him empty, hollow, and cold. After a few days of this occurrence, Namjoon made his biggest realization yet: he was in love with you.
He was quick to write it off as pure lust. After all, remaining at the top didn’t leave much time for him to indulge in more carnal pleasures. Hell, the only thing he could remember slamming on a table on doing all night long was homework, as old and pathetic as the joke was. Namjoon was a dashing, intelligent young man beginning to reach his prime. Abstaining from such a primal and basic need wasn’t good for him. With that in mind, he immediately began his conquest.
First, it started with the models his father would fuck behind his mother’s back. Despite how carefully manufactured their appearances were, they didn’t quench his thirst. In fact, they enraged Namjoon to the point where it wasn’t uncommon for the women to leave his bedroom bruised the next morning. This charade went on for much too long until he’d had enough.
No other woman could set his heart aflame without even trying. No other woman could bring life to his distorted and achromatic world like you could. So he tried a man. Several men, in fact. He got so desperate that not even his little Park Jimin was safe from his ravenous clutches.
Nothing. Nothing had worked.
Now, as the clock struck midnight in his grand bedroom, Namjoon sat in his bed with his hand wrapped around his cock. He’d been so on edge for the longest time, yet nothing he did could stir him. So, he did the only thing he knew how… Thoughts of you filled his mind as he ghosted a finger across his limp member. The warmth he felt was returning once more…
“Namjoon! There you are! I’ve been so lonely… Don’t you know that I’ve missed you?” 
There you were in the Kim manor’s living room. A black silk robe hugged your form perfectly as you bounded over to him. Golden sunlight filtered through the curtains and cast you in its heavenly warm glow. Your (E/C) eyes peered up at him with such admiration, lust, and most importantly, love. Before he could even properly process the scene, you had him enveloped in the warmest hug imaginable.
Namjoon felt a rush of lust and blood shoot straight to his dick.
“I know, darling… But I’m here now. We can be together. I’m all yours from now on.” He replied smoothly.
Namjoon didn’t even think it possible for your eyes to shine any brighter, but they did. And they were all for him. Your eyes, your beautiful eyes, for his eyes only… He gently caressed your cheek, careful not to mark it. The time for leaving marks and bruises would come later on… 
“Really?” You asked. Your entire face lit with hope and wonder. “You mean it? Please don’t tease me, baby~. I don’t know what I’d do if you had to go so soon…” 
You buried yourself into him, as if you knew that your home was within his embrace. He relished in it. He really did…
Namjoon felt feverish. His hands got to work immediately. Visions of you nestled against him, starlit eyes gazing into his, your form undulating beneath him as he pounded into you with everything he had. Your ecstatic moans and gasps filled his ears and mind, creating a carnal symphony only you could compose.
Sweat beaded on his temples, his arms beginning to burn with exhaustion as they continued to bring him to completion. Musical, “I love you, Namjoon”s and “Please! I’m so close, baby! Fuck me!”s began to crescendo rapidly. The world around him went from a gentle warmth to a blazing inferno. Colors reached their maximum saturation. Namjoon’s heart began to beat erratically. This was it. This was it! This is what he needed!
“Yes, (Y/N). You’re so good to me! Take it! Take it!!”
With an animalistic roar, Namjoon shot his seed. It coated his body and even his blanket that he pushed aside in his lustful fever. The fireworks came to a close. His jagged breaths began to even themselves out. The angels stopped singing. He was alone once more… But he wouldn’t be for long.
Tears filled Namjoon’s vision as he looked at his clock. Time wasn’t important anymore… But you were. He was going to have you, and he was going to become number one again. Kim Namjoon was going to be your number one.
Tumblr media
Just like that, the year of terror had come and gone. Now, a new year was upon you and another December along with it. You stared up at your dorm room’s ceiling with a dumb smile etched on your face. After all, that was the only expression you could possibly muster, given the circumstances. 
“Damn… What the hell happened to me?” Was all you managed to say as you turned onto your side. Your phone in hand, you scrolled through your photo gallery almost absentmindedly until you reached one particular photo. There you were at a carnival with the Devil incarnate, Kim Namjoon. Your eyes bright with glee at the large plush you held in one arm as you posed with Namjoon for a selfie.
You chuckled and zoomed in on the image with a wistful smirk. While you stared ahead at the camera, Namjoon stared at you with an expression that you didn’t even know that he possessed: pure, unadulterated admiration. You were almost inclined to call it love.
The past year and some change was a whirlwind. Your earliest memory of it consisted of finally coming to terms with the ecosystem at Mugunghwa, only to be faced with Namjoon and your whole world coming down. Students and staff alike scurried away from the dining area, not wanting to be a witness to a crime. You had gained new friends over the course of these months. They simply couldn’t stand to see your last moments on this earth in complete agony.
However, your death never came. Namjoon stood proudly in the now empty cafeteria, as if he relished in the fact that he could clear a room without uttering a single word.
“(Y/N) (L/N). It’s so good to finally put a name to a face… And what a lovely face it is…”
If Namjoon wasn’t going to kill you, the water lodged in your windpipe at his words would. You sputtered, hands waving as you choked on your water. Suddenly, Namjoon came behind you and swiftly patted your back. Once you could breathe again, you wiped at your tear-filled eyes and peered up at him. “I’m sorry… What?”
Namjoon returned to his original position in front of you with a smirk. Pulling out a chair, he sat down with the practiced air of a businessman about to make a deal. “I called you beautiful. I do hope that wasn’t too forward.”
Now, you were suspicious. Satan himself had saved you from choking and was now calling you attractive? Were you dead? Did you imagine Namjoon helping you as a last-ditch effort to survive somehow? Was that the image your brain created as you slipped away into the world of the dead? But this was reality. Something deep down told you that you weren’t dying or dreaming.
“Forgive my skepticism, but I highly doubt that you came to exchange compliments. What do you want, Kim Namjoon?” You asked icily. The male in front of you visibly recoiled at your tone, as if he didn’t factor in the possibility that you could speak with such a tone. He quickly recovered, however, and he began his pitch.
“You’re half right, (Y/N). I didn’t come here to only compliment you, but I came here to have a discussion that is long overdue. At my core, I am a businessman. I make deals, I negotiate. That’s what I’m here to do.” Namjoon stated simply. Looking deeply into his eyes, he didn’t show any signs of insincerity, but that’s to be expected. He’s been trained his entire life to hiding his true intentions behind an amicable facade, regardless of how nefarious his plans may or may not be.
“I see… What is it that you wish to discuss? I’m afraid that I’m not as well-versed in business etiquette as you, so please forgive me for any mistakes or slip-ups that I may make. That being said, this is not an invitation to walk all over me. I may be inexperienced, but I am by no means an idiot.”
Could you be any more perfect for him? A beautiful face and body, poise and grace, and the courage to hold her own in a negotiation? Not to mention, the colors were swirling around you and blooming delicately in such a comforting fashion. He was absolutely smitten.
“I wouldn’t dare make the mistake of calling someone who replaced me as top dog an idiot. Give me some credit. I’m not as vile as the university’s tall tales make me out to be. I’m sure that my cousin, Taehyung, could vouch for me.”
You bristled at the mention of Taehyung. What had he done to him? Did something happen? No, that couldn’t be. You had just finished your show with Tae only a half hour ago. Surely, that isn’t enough time for him to get into any trouble, right?
“Calm down, (Y/N). Nothing’s happened to him. I can see the wheels turning in your head. My cousin is safe and sound. I can even call him up for you, if you don’t believe me.” Namjoon said smoothly, already fishing his phone out of his designer coat’s pocket.
“No, that’s fine…” You swallowed and regained your composure. Once you were calmed down, you returned Namjoon’s gaze. “I’m sure he’s alright. If anything, I’ll call him later. Right now, this is more important.”
Namjoon put his phone away and leaned back in his chair whilst giving a dismissive wave of his hand. Hopefully, the display of nonchalance would mask the sheer excitement and feverish nervousness he felt from being so close to you. Hearing your voice was like hearing the soothing melodies of birdsong in the morning. His heart soared at the mere act of being in your presence.
“Very well. I came here to apologize. You see, I’m well aware of the distress to you and everyone here at Mugunghwa that I’ve caused, and for that, I’m sorry.”
You could have died right there. Kim Namjoon? Apologizing? And apologizing to you, no less?! The infamous heir to Kim Industries, known for the downfall of any and everyone who dared impede his goals was apologizing to you?!
“Please, (Y/N). Forgive me. It’s just that losing to you has put my life into perspective. Yes, I was the head of our class, but what did that mean? Why was I fighting so hard to keep a title that in the long run, means so little? What was the point if I had no one to share it with?”
“What the hell are you getting at, Kim? I fail to see what this has to do with conducting business.”
As precious as you were to him, Namjoon despised your tone. If you were to be his, that sharp tongue would have to be dealt with. Besides, in that instant, you reminded him of his lowlife father. That certainly wouldn’t do. His queen should never adopt the mannerisms of Kim Joonho. Never. Ever. You were to whisper sweet nothings into his ear while he reciprocated. You were to never take such a tone with him ever again.
“I was rambling, so I’ll forgive that insolent remark of yours just this once. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Namjoon stated darkly.
Not wanting to push your luck, you relented. You were actually talking to Kim Namjoon. You couldn’t afford to ruin an opportunity like this.
“Right.” He resumed “The truth is that I’ve been watching you for quite some time. Honestly, that’s all I can ever do anymore. You’ve occupied every inch of my mind, and I just wanted to ask if you’d be mine, (Y/N).”
You sat there, slack-jawed. Was he serious?! What was happening?
“You’re joking… There’s no way that you could be serious. There’s no fucking way!”
“I am. I’ve done some soul-searching recently, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you are what I’ve been fighting for all this time. Not a damn class rank. I’ve been fighting for love, affection, understanding… And I believe that I can find all of that in you.”
“You… What…? I- How?”
“February 14, a dozen red roses were waiting for you on your desk in your dorm. With them, was a card addressed to you from a secret admirer. March 14, a diamond necklace was gifted to you for White Day by a secret admirer. And now, these.”
Namjoon produced a stack of envelopes bound by a black silk ribbon from his jacket pocket.
“These are from me. You’re a smart girl, (Y/N). Can you tell me who your secret admirer is?”
That was April. After a few talks with your co-host and having to sit through embarrassing stories of their childhoods, you finally took the leap and went out on a date with Namjoon… And you were the happiest you’ve ever been. The large stuffed animal that Namjoon had won you sat on a bookshelf, next to several other trinkets he had given you over the months you had dated.
You chuckled to yourself at the memory and closed your photos app. After which, you opened up your messaging app to shoot a quick text to Namjoon. That was until, you got a notification reading,
KIM INDUSTRIES CEO, KIM JOONHO FOUND DEAD IN HIS WINTER ESTATE.
Without thinking, you dialed Namjoon’s number and was greeted by a somber moan answering the phone.
“Namjoon, baby, I’m so sorry… I just saw the news.”
A sniff. “Hey. So the news outlets already published the story, huh? I should have known that it wouldn’t take long… They could at least have the common decency of letting his corpse grow cold first before they publicize it.” Namjoon chuckled humorlessly.
You didn’t know what to say. You couldn’t imagine going through the sudden shock of losing your parent, only to deal with the press soon afterward. You sensed that Namjoon needed some time to himself to grieve, and you were more than willing to give it to him.
“Yeah, it’s shitty what they’re doing. And to think that I’m going into that profession. It’s crazy.”
“It is what it is, (Y/N). Besides, I have faith that you’ll be one of the good journalists that don’t try to weave everything that they hear into lies and defamation.” He said earnestly.
Something about the way Namjoon spoke was unnerving. He didn’t sound like someone who was mourning their late father, but then again, he might have been in shock. His apathetic demeanor on the matter must have been a coping mechanism. After all, losing your father so suddenly is a lot to process.
All you could do is hum in response. “I’m glad you think so.”
“I know so, dear.”
A pregnant pause.
“Hey, (Y/N). I know this sounds horribly insensitive, but, can we still have our dinner date at my mansion? It’s just that I can’t bear to be alone right now, and you’re the only person I’ve been able to trust lately. It doesn’t have to be a date. I guess I just want you to come over.”
Your heart shattered into smithereens. He was alone and scared. Namjoon had no one to trust or turn to in his time of need, yet he found it within his heart to ask you. Who were you to refuse?
“Alright. I’ll go. Same time?”
He didn’t have to say a word, but you could hear his dimpled smile some out to play.
“Y-yes, yes, of course! Same time! Thank you so much, (Y/N). You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“Alright, see you soon. Bye.”
You hung up the phone with a sigh and faced your closet. You had exactly two hours to get ready for dinner. You had two hours to prepare…
And so did Namjoon.
Tumblr media
Once again, Namjoon was summoned to his father’s study. He was expecting it sooner or later. His class rank hadn’t improved since his father sent him to take his top spot back by any means necessary, but you were number one now. Namjoon wouldn’t dare dethrone his goddess from her rightful pedestal.
What he wasn’t expecting, however, was upon opening the large doors a swift slap coming across his face.
“You useless, useless brat! You can’t even eliminate a simple girl?! You can’t even reclaim your title?! How am I supposed to leave my estate and company in such incapable hands?!”
Joonho was fuming. His once pride and joy had betrayed him and disappointed him. How dare he? Namjoon sat on the floor, gingerly rubbing his cheek. He was sure his father’s handprint was burned into his flesh.
“I swear, you’re incompetent just like your brother! He disappointed me, and look at where he is now! I should have known that it was too good to be true.”
At the mention of his brother, Namjoon’s body stiffened.
“All of this. You’re ruining your life and your career all for some girl?! You’re willing to throw away what I’ve essentially bred you for, all for some lowlife pussy?!”
At the mention of you, Namjoon began to see red.
“I suppose I’ve been too lenient on you. I should have known that you would flounder. Maybe I’ll get rid of (Y/N) myself. It’s clear that she means a lot to you. Maybe you’ll get back in line once she perishes.”
That was the final straw. With pure rage fueling his every cell, Namjoon sprinted over to his father’s desk and grabbed his letter opener.
“Say it again, bastard! Say it again!”
Now, Joonho’s figure was dissolving into a crimson blob. All of his human like features were gone in a furious red haze. Kim Joonho wasn’t his father anymore. He wasn’t even human. 
He was the enemy.
Without giving his father a chance to speak, Namjoon plunged the letter opener into the older man’s eye sockets. After that, it was a blur. Hours had seemingly passed and Kim Joonho was nothing but a human pincushion. Stab wounds littered his body, and blood was oozing out of every one. With a satisfied grin, Namjoon stood and cupped a crimson hand to his face.
“Seokjin! Seokjin! Come down here!”
The head butler rushed in the study and into the carnage. The older male was mortified at the bloodbath before him, but he couldn’t help the relieved smile and tears of joy forming in his tear ducts.
“Brother, come help me clean up father. Unless, of course, you have some words for him?”
Seokjin carefully approached his father’s corpse and smiled wickedly. He placed a gloved hand on his eyeless face.
“You’ve disappointed me, Joonho. And now look where that’s brought you. My transgressions against you warranted that I were to be stripped of my place in the world as your son, only to become your servant. Your transgressions warranted your death at the hands of your prodigy. Isn’t that poetic justice? Sleep well, father.”
Tumblr media
“Master Namjoon will be down in a moment.” A maid stated as she had you seated.
A white cloth napkin was folded and placed on your lap while you got comfortable in the antique dining chair. Staff hurried to and fro to finish preparing for your meal, and it was almost amusing seeing them rush around like busy worker bees instead of the esteemed staff of the Kim Manor.
A few moments ticked away before Namjoon made his appearance. He was elegantly clad in a designer Armani suit, giving a regal and princely appearance as he made his way over to you from the grand foyer.
“Please forgive me, dear. I had some business to attend to.”
Namjoon outstretched his arms, motioning for you to give him a hug. You happily obliged.
“Namjoon! There you are! I’ve been so lonely… Don’t you know that I’ve missed you?” You cheekily giggled. If you ignored the whole dead dad situation, the whole scene would appear wholesomely domestic. You decided to indulge in that notion.
Namjoon’s breath hitched.
“I’m sorry that I’ve kept you waiting. I hope that we can make up for lost time during dinner, yeah?”
You nodded and sat down in your chair. Namjoon was seated right beside you. As if on cue, the staff brought in your dishes. A classic Christmas dinner, consisting of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, ham, and vegetables was placed in front of you. On a small dish nearby, some cranberry jelly sat. You tried to hide the grimace at the red jelly. You were by no means a fan of the garnish, but you didn’t want to appear picky or ungrateful, especially considering the reason why you were having dinner with Namjoon in the first place.
Ever the attentive partner, Namjoon was keen on noticing your inner turmoil. “Is something not to your liking?”
“Uh, it’s just… I don’t really like cranberry jelly… That’s all.”
Namjoon looked utterly dumbfounded before letting out a joyful, booming laugh. “That’s all? Oh, (Y/N). You had me worried! I thought that I’d ruined the whole meal for you!”
His fork stabbed into a piece of turkey and he dipped the meat into the red gelatin.
“But, please do try the jelly. My brother and I, we made it for this occasion. I promise it’s nothing like the canned slop they sell in grocery stores.”
Namjoon made this? Now, this you had to try.
“Alright. Since you went through the effort of making it, I’ll give it a shot.”
You copied Namjoon’s actions of taking a slice of turkey and dipping it in the cranberry jelly. With the expression of a chef on Chopped, Namjoon eagerly watched as you placed the food in your mouth.
“Mmm! This is delicious! Namjoon, you should sell this! This is amazing!”
Another laugh came from Namjoon, although, this one had an arguably maniacal lilt. “Why, thank you, but I’m afraid that this specific batch is one of a kind. Besides, cranberry jelly isn’t the most profitable market out there.”
Little did you know that you had just ingested Kim Joonho’s coagulated blood. Perhaps that was why his cranberry jelly was one of a kind.
Merry Christmas.
92 notes · View notes
Text
Lovin’ Lover: A Taylor Swift superfan’s review of Lover
Lover moved me so that I had to write a review of it. Figured it belonged on here just as much as it did on my personal blog. I hope it speaks to some fellow Swifties and maybe even someday Taylor herself. 
I’ve identified as a Taylor Swift super fan for an appropriate 13 years now. I specifically recall being in the seventh grade, checking my hot pink iPod Nano at 11:00 PM sharp to listen to the launch of Fearless single “You Belong With Me”- the first of many times I would come to dance this dance.
As much as I know she has meant to so many of the young women who have grown up with her, I have to admit I still sometimes feel as though there is something special about the bond we share as artist and fan. Something almost cosmic or spiritual. There are so many similar, specific ways that we both seem to interact with the world. Something in the way that melodies and words and storytelling keep us moving forward. Something in the way we analyze the complexities of the lives we’ve found ourselves in and the way that can feed anxiety if we’re not carefully waiting for it. Something in the bubbly personalities, the love of cats and vintage fashion. Something in the golden hair and indigo eyes.
Something in the way that we LOVE love.
This album is arguably Taylor Swift’s most mature, personal analysis of love of any of her albums thus far. It’s not just snakes transforming into butterflies and paper rings and golden hours. It’s an inside look at the rainbow spectrum of ways that love can manifest itself in real lives, not just in storybooks. And that moved me to the point where I had to (literally) take a note out of Taylor’s book and write about it. So here we go:
“I Forgot That You Existed”
Taylor has described this opener as the track that transitions the listener out of her previous Reputation era. It’s sonically very bright and buoyant, with perhaps the melody that most easily rolls of the voice. And it settles in the emotion that most are striving for when recovering from drama or a betrayal: indifference. Some will call this song ‘petty,’ but I challenge all who listen to think back to the first time they thought about someone who wronged them after months, or maybe even years of occupancy in their minds and thought, “Oh- I forgot about them.” Is there any stronger sense of relief?
“Cruel Summer”
Littered with sharp imagery and cutting lyrics, this is (in my opinion) the album’s most epic track. I don’t have a particularly eloquent way of explaining this, but the production sounds like neon- ala the intro music to HBO’s Sharp Objects. And the story is one that 20-somethings know, excuse the joke, all too well. This story is one of a summer fling that you find yourself wanting to grow up into something real, and the very real fear that you could get cut when you let the other person know. When TS said, “I’m drunk in the back of the car, and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar. Said I’m fine but it wasn’t true; I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you,” …I felt that.
“Lover”
I can’t say enough glowing things about this song. It’s a waltz that sounds straight out of the 60s and uses some of my all time favorite words. Words that sound straight out of a Jane Austen novel. Between “there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear” and “my heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue; all’s well that ends well to end up with you,” wedding related Instagram captions are set for the next couple of years. As beautiful as this song is, I admit that it really is a song meant for lovers. You love it more when you are in love yourself.
“The Man”
I’ve yet to hear a song quite like this yet, which is surprising given the time that we’re living in. It’s even more striking coming from Taylor Swift, a woman who was named this past year’s highest paid celebrity. Period. It’s a fascinating observation that many of the things that Taylor Swift has been attacked for over the years: dating a handful of high-profile men, being outspoken about musicians’ financial and artistic rights, engaging with and strategically planning for a wildly intense and devoted fanbase, are lauded when done by men in the industry. Additionally, NO ONE seems to want to write about how incredibly wealthy TS is. As though it will make the reader uncomfortable. But journalists have no problem writing about the wealth and affluence of male celebrities. Food for thought; this song should be required listening.
“The Archer”
“The Archer” is a song that I truly listened to death upon its early release. I was particularly struck by the line, “And all of my heroes died all alone. Help me hold on to you.” As bizarre a connection this may be, it reminded me of one of my new favorite shows The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the way the heroine wrestles with wether or not greatness in her art equates to a life lived alone, as she begins to achieve success with her stand-up comedy career. This isn’t all the song is about- it’s truly a very wide range of introspection, but it is what stuck with me the most as a creative who also dreams of one day falling in love and having a family.
“I Think He Knows”
Okay- this song truly fits the modern day definition of a BOP. This is probably the song on the album that most frequently gets stuck in my head upon listening.“Wanna see what’s under that attitude,” is a totally swoon worthy line. There’s also a bridge that reminds me of “Treacherous,” one of my favorite songs off of her album Red. With that song we start with “Nothing safe is worth the drive, and I will follow you, follow you home,” and end up at “Lyrical smile, indigo eyes, hand on my thigh we can follow the sparks, I’ll drive.” in Lover. I’ve said it once but I’ll say it again, “Treacherous” ran so “I Think He Knows” could SPRINT!
7. “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince”
I truly have so many thoughts about this song. I would argue this is the album’s smartest song, as it likens America’s current political climate to the world of an American high school- with popularity contests, school spirit chants, and clique mentality. The first time I listened to it I went, “…is this about Hilary Clinton? No…wait?” Lines like “I’m feeling helpless, the damsels are depressed. Boys will be boys then, where are the wise men?” and “They whisper in the hallway she’s a bad, bad girl. The whole school is rolling fake dice. You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” were screaming 2016 election to me. The song really encapsulates the moment you realize that American politics is filled with people who manipulate the system- and how that can lead to the conclusion that the prize isn’t real either.
“Paper Rings”
“Paper Rings” has grown on me since my first listen. It’s got a slight British pop-punk vibe that I wasn’t sure I was that into at first. But the more I listened, the more I fell for all of the specific, tiny details of the love that she’s found for herself. The line, “Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet. Now I’ve read all of the books beside your bed,” held so much weight to me as an amateur Internet sleuth and a lover of the written word. I found myself going “Woah- look how far they’ve COME!” It’s also just plain fun and will be awesome to see live.
“Cornelia Street”
It’s pretty incredible to know that Taylor Swift wrote this massive, sweeping song all by her lonesome. But it’s just a reminder that underneath all of the awesome production on this album, there’s just truly great songwriting. This track really leans on the idea that memories can become attached to places, impossible to separate. Ala her Red era masterpiece, “All Too Well,” TS so vividly paints a picture of the memories made on Cornelia Street that once she says “I’d never walk Cornelia Street again,” you immediately understand why.
“Death By A Thousand Cuts”
There’s a pretty amazing story behind this track. Long story short, Taylor was inspired by an incredible (and completely underrated) Netflix Rom-Com called Someone Great to write this song. But BEFORE that, a film-maker named Jennifer Kaytin Robinson was inspired to write Someone Great after soothing a heartache with Taylor’s album 1989– specifically the iconic song, “Clean.” So this tune already carries the legacy of art made by powerful women. Additionally, I find that it has some of the most tragically relatable lyrics. “My heart, my hips, my body, my love. Tryna’ find a part of me that you didn’t touch,” and “Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand. Paper cut stains from our paper thin plans,” so well articulate the paper-cut pain of the dissolution of a once cherished relationship.
“London Boy”
“London Boy” is by far the cheekiest song on the album. It’s clever as all get out, and a welcome buffer between tracks 10 and 12. An interesting observation by country singer-songwriter, Ryan Hurd: “Feels like it’s written like a country song, but it’s all dressed up like a pop song. Super cool.” As a massive country music fan, I can attest to this. “London Boy” has a crystal clear story, extremely bright lyrics, and it spends most of its time listing the best parts of a particular place- all lovable tropes of the country music genre.
“Soon You’ll Get Better”
So I have yet to make it through this song without crying…and I’ve probably listened to the album at least seven times now. I often think of skipping it, but it is sonically catnip to me. A collaboration with the Dixie Chicks, this track is entirely acoustic, has tight female harmonies, and violin- what am I to do? This wildly personal song is about Taylor’s mother’s battle with cancer and the denial and grief she’s experienced around that so far. The song is stunning and more than anything, universal. Come to it prepared.
“False God”
Saxophone in a Taylor Swift song? Yes. “False God” sounds like it belongs specifically in a Speakeasy. It’s got breathy vocals, a slightly rambling melody, and extremely sexy lyrics. It’s not the most relatable song on the album; most of us aren’t superstars managing bi-continental relationships. But I like the world that it sucked me into.
“You Need to Calm Down”
Not only is this song pure Pop fun, “You Need to Calm Down” addresses three whole categories of internet haters. Those who make a habit of shooting mean tweets at celebrities and people they don’t know first thing in the morning, those who are anti-LGBTQ equality, and those who constantly pin female artists against each other- as though people don’t have the capacity to like more than one at a time. In the context of Lover, this is the song that most enforces “Spread love; not hate.”
“Afterglow”
I’m of the opinion that “Afterglow” has been a bit underrated since the arrival of the album. It’s a simple melody, but what’s incredible about this song is that it is notably the best her voice has ever sounded. Her instrument really shines here. It’s also one of the first Taylor Swift songs I’ve ever loved despite not relating to the content in the slightest. TS writes here from the perspective of someone who is tending to a relationship she wounded by relaxing so much into it that she lets anxiety get the better of her and lashes out. It’s a very specific relationship milestone that I’ve yet to ever reach myself, but she sings about it with such passion that I’m totally invested.
“ME!”
“ME!” is truly a Dr. Seuss book come to life. Not just because of the cartoonish joy in the video, but because of that same cartoonish joy that comes through in the vocals of both her and Brenden Urie. It’s not the most lyrically complex or dynamic song of the album, but by gosh it’s positive and catchy and it makes people happy. It also serves it’s purpose post Afterglow beautifully- acknowledging that even when she is a “handful,” her lover loves her still.
“It’s Nice to Have a Friend”
My favorite thing about this song is the ghostly background vocals and string instruments, both of which were provided by students at a not-for-profit after school music program in Toronto. Proceeds from the track are going to support the program and help keep arts education afloat. Knowing this took this song from a song that I liked to a song that I love. The song also truly captures the hope of the beginning so well and in so few words. “Twenty questions, we tell the truth. You’ve been stressed out lately, yeah me too. Something gave you the nerve to touch my hand, it’s nice to have a friend.”
“Daylight”
“Daylight” sounds like a sunrise. It makes you feel as though her life is finally beginning as this album is ending. The most enjoyable part of this song is the bridge where she compares what she once thought true love would be to what she knows it to be now. She calls back to her old self by singing, “I once believed love would be burning red, but it’s golden.” It’s simultaneously the most nostalgic track on the album and also the most hopeful, and I breathe with her when she sings “You gotta step into the daylight and let it go.”  To quote her past life, “…in the death of her reputation she felt truly alive.”
Here’s a link to the blog post in case you wanna share with other Swifties <3
 https://annalehnhoff.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/lovin-lover-a-taylor-swift-enthusiasts-review-of-new-album-lover/
1 note · View note
wanna-17 · 6 years
Text
kang daniel first meeting! AU
summary: in which kang daniel happens to be your boss’ son
length: 1.4k
a/n: omg i keep bringing in parents into my scenarios but nevertheless i hope you guys enjoy this one. i personally enjoy writing it bc daniels my bias (if that wasn’t obvious enough already lmao) but i can see this happening like hes so shy and cute and awkward and beautiful and precious and his relationship with his mum seems really cute~ as per usual pls let me know how you found this and the series! and let me know which member you want next ;) 
Tumblr media
during the semester you worked at a pet shop 
you adored animals and you enjoyed looking after them during the semester
it was a great way to distract yourself from uni worries like exams and friendships and internships 
you only worked once a week but you were super familiar with the shop and the owner aka mrs kang loved you and said that you were her favourite employee
you loved both cats and dogs and it was impossible to choose which one you liked more because it was equal
mrs kang had two cats - rooney and peter 
when you first met rooney and peter you couldn’t help but fall in love with them
mrs kang had explained that her son had got them from the animal shelter and named them rooney and peter without realising that they were actually females 
but it was already too late to changes names bc the cats were already used to their given names
you’d already worked for mrs kang for half a year and she was a nice lady but you had been quite curious about her life
she had a son but why was he never around?
mrs kang was a woman who kept to herself so you didn’t want to pry into her life 
she was super sweet to you, paid you well and sometimes baked you cookies so that was enough 
meanwhile, daniel was actually on produce 101 s2 and thats why mrs kang’s son was hardly around 
you had no idea of course
you didn’t even watch the show as you were so busy 
occasionally your friends would talk about it so you were vaguely familiar with it 
“park jihoon’s wink is such a killer!!!!!!”
“kang daniel is like a puppy” 
“jonghyun is the nation’s leader” he is fight me if u disagree lmao 
so you knew some faces here and there and had seen some clips that your friends had made you watch but that was it 
one day, mrs kang asked if you could watch over the pet shop for a weekend 
she said that she had personal matters to attend to in seoul and that she needed to pick up his son along the way 
you usually worked on saturdays so it wasn’t a big problem for you to work on sundays as you exams week had ended and mrs kang also promised to double your pay
time skip to the weekend mrs kang is gone which also happens to be the week of p101 s2 finale 
you just didn’t get the link here lmao 
that saturday you closed down the shop yourself and went home to eat ramen for dinner 
you settled down on your sofa comfortably and realised that the finale for p101 s2 was airing live 
your friends were also sending  live updates about the show on the group chat you guys used 
you decided to tune in and watch the finale as well 
and you couldn’t help but be in awe of how talented all the trainees were and you honestly thought they all deserved to debut  
you even unknowingly shed some tears during some parts
you watched as boa slowly revealed who the top 11 were and you were pretty happy with the results even though you didn’t know any of the trainees too well 
you thought it was cool how kang daniel had gotten no 1 and he was one of your friends favourites 
your friends were pretty salty about samuel and jonghyun and youngmin SAME not making it  but you couldn’t feel them too much bc you hadn’t watched the show LOL 
so next day you open up the shop and set everything up and feed the pets lmao i have no idea how a pet shop works so forgive me 
at around noon you are sitting at the counter when the bell rings and the door opens signalling a customer 
“welcome” 
it was mrs kang and a tall built male followed behind him 
“y/n! thank you for helping me over the weekend!” beamed mrs kang happily 
“no worries mrs kang!” you replied
“also this is my son! does he look familiar to you?” asked mrs kang in a proud voice 
mrs kang stood aside and pushed her son forward
the guy rubbed his neck nervously as he chuckled, “mum don’t be like that!” he said cutely 
you smiled awkwardly as you squinted at him 
why did he look so familiar? maybe he was someone you had walked past on the street? someone from uni?
the ash blonde hair, the cute eyesmile, black stussy sweater and the broad shoulders why did he look so familiar?
“mum she probably doesn’t know me, it’s okay mum!” said the guy to mrs kang 
you looked at him and you tried to recall why the face was familiar 
THEN IT SUDDENLY HIT YOU 
“wait! aren’t you the guy who won on the really popular show?” you blurted out 
“ummm” 
“YES y/n! that’s my son, he came 1st place on produce 101 and is going to debut very soon!!!!” squealed mrs kang proudly hitting daniel on the back 
“muuuuuum” whined daniel cutely
you couldn’t help but swoon over how cute he was and how cute his relationship with his mum was 
“omg kang daniel right!?” you asked as you finally remembered his name
he nodded shyly, “yes i’m kang daniel, nice to meet you y/n, my mum has told me a bit about you!” 
he extended his hand for a handshake and you gladly accepted it 
“wow i’m shaking hands with a celebrity” you joked 
and he laughed
and his laughter was like rainbows?? flowers?? you didn’t know but you felt electricity run up your arm when you made contact with his big soft hands I CRY I HELD THEM TWO WEEKS AGO
“mrs kang why didn’t you tell me your son was on the show? i would have voted for him every day if i knew!” you said 
“it was so hard to keep it from you y/n! i really wanted to ask you about it since you’re young so i thought you’d be watching the show too but i had to keep it a secret” replied mrs kang 
“oh i see, i did vote for daniel a few times as i have friends that are big fans of him...they’re going to be so jealous if they find out my boss’s son is kang daniel!” you joked 
daniel and mrs kang laughed along with you
“well kids i’m going to buy some lunch for us, you guys get to know each other and chat amongst yourselves” said mrs kang and she left leaving only the two of you in the shop 
it suddenly got awkward without mrs kang and daniel got quiet even though he had a bright smile on his face 
so you broke the silence
“so how do you feel about debuting soon?”
“honestly it feels surreal, almost like a dream, i’m just so thankful to everyone that’s supported me even though i messed up so much” 
and from there daniel talked a lot about how he felt, his experiences filming the show and how sometimes it got tough
he asked you about your life and you told him about uni, your friends and the stresses of finding a stable job after you graduated
you guys clicked so well and talked about everything and anything
time went by so fast and mrs kang came back with takeaway boxes for lunch 
after lunch, daniel and mrs kang left to go home so he could rest and catch up with his mum which you understood completely as he had barely been able to see him mum for the past 4 months
when he left it was just a simple goodbye
a part of you for some reason felt sad as you wondered if you’d ever meet again 
time skip to a week later!
you walk into the pet shop and mrs kang is already at the counter
“good morning y/n! this is for you” said mrs kang while handing you a slip of paper
you looked at it and it seemed to be a mobile  number
“whose number is this?” you asked mrs kang curiously
“that’s daniel’s, he was too shy to ask you for your number so he made me give this to you. he’s busy but he’d definitely be motivated if you texted him,” said mrs kang cheekily 
you nodded and smiled to yourself as you safely placed the slip of paper into your jacket pocket 
other members: daehwi (x), sungwoon (x), woojin (x), guanlin (x), jisung (x), jinyoung (x) 
masterlist: (x)
reminder that mtl requests are open!
157 notes · View notes
Link
A tear has appeared in the fabric of the fashion world, and it’s unlikely to be mended any time soon. Last Friday, during Paris Fashion Week, designer Hedi Slimane presented his debut collection for the revered French brand Celine. The clothes themselves weren’t particularly shocking — they embodied the same rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic Slimane promoted during his last job as creative director of Saint Laurent. What incensed Celine fans was the ruthlessness with which he disposed of the Celine that came before.
To understand why Slimane’s designs caused such furor, you have to understand his predecessor, Phoebe Philo. During her decade at Celine, she created clothing that was wearable and sophisticated but never boring, a uniform for a certain kind of worldly woman. (In the ultimate branding coup, Philo got Joan Didion, at age 80, to pose for a Celine ad in a black knit shirt and sunglasses.) Fit for club kids, Slimane’s first collection didn’t sit well with many.
This is a significant moment in fashion, throwing a spotlight on the question of who is best equipped to design clothes for women, and what those clothes should look like. It also not only reflects the male-dominated nature of the fashion world, but comes at a time when women are mobilizing against the male-dominated nature of pretty much everything.
Phoebe Philo’s fall 2013 Celine show. Stephane Cardinale/Getty Images
Philo arrived at Celine — then known as Céline, before Slimane struck the accent — in 2008. After a widely-lauded stint as creative director of the French brand Chloé, she had taken a few years off to raise her children and recover from the exhaustion of commuting between Chloé HQ in Paris and her home in London. Her first collection at Celine was a critical winner, balancing tailored tuxedo jackets and overcoats with the loose elegance of a draped silk shirt.
“One look at the designer’s confident, spot-on debut collection for Céline and it’s clear how much we’ve missed her,” wrote Vogue fashion critic Nicole Phelps at the time.
Philo is known as a “woman’s designer.” Truly, it’s hard to find a profile or review of her work that doesn’t mention her knack for intuiting what adult women want to wear and giving them just that. What women wanted during Philo’s reign at Celine — at least what her devotees wanted — were quietly powerful clothes: baggy trousers, luxuriously thick sweaters, and streamlined skirts that kicked out just past the knee.
Like Jenna Lyons at J.Crew, Philo was her own best model. After fashion shows, she often took her bow wearing a simple sweater, loose pants, and sneakers (she basically put Adidas Stan Smiths back on the map). Women everywhere swooned and followed her lead.
“[Philo’s] specialness lies in synthesizing how women want to dress with how they actually live their lives,” wrote Whitney Vargas for T Magazine in 2014. “And how we want to see ourselves: sophisticated, knowledgeable, not victimized by fashion. Increasingly, comfort is the ultimate commodification of luxury.”
The filmmaker Sofia Coppola, interviewed by the New York Times, offered this assessment of Philo’s Celine: “It’s not based on some weird idea of what a woman should be.”
Philo takes a bow after her fall 2011 runway show. Michel Dufour/Getty Images
Philo gets called a “woman’s designer” in part because the powerhouses of women’s luxury fashion are mostly run by men. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Valentino, Saint Laurent, and Gucci all currently have male designers at the helm (many of whom, it should be noted, have legions of adoring female fans). There are certainly female creative directors in the mix — at Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, and Dior, as well as at numerous smaller brands — but it remains one of the truths of modern fashion that men, overwhelmingly, dictate what women wear.
Plenty of male designers could have carried on Philo’s work making subtle, elegant, sometimes weird clothing and accessories. Hedi Slimane is not that guy. His style is so radically different from Philo’s that for Celine fans, the handoff didn’t just mark the departure of a beloved designer; it represented a fundamental shift in the nature of the brand.
A look from Slimane’s Celine. Getty Images
As the creative director of Dior’s menswear line and, from 2012 to 2016, the creative director of Saint Laurent — he changed the name from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent Paris, to much outcry — Slimane became known for clothes that are super skinny and very rock ‘n’ roll. Designing women’s clothing at Saint Laurent, he favored tiny dresses (silky, sequined, or lace) paired with leather jackets and blazers. His final collection for the brand was filled with exaggerated ’80s shoulders, big belts, and microscopic hemlines.
Slimane also did wonders for Saint Laurent’s bottom line. In four years, he “roughly tripled” the brand’s revenue, pushing its annual sales past the $1 billion mark. Celine’s parent company LVMH no doubt saw Slimane as a potential cash cow. When the conglomerate announced Slimane’s appointment in January 2018, it said that he would launch couture, fragrances, and menswear for Celine. Cha-ching.
Slimane’s debut at Celine confirmed what fashion fans already suspected: Phoebe Philo’s Celine was effectively dead. With its preponderance of leggy, glittery clothing, Slimane’s first Celine collection was a classic Slimane affair — so much so that the Instagram account Diet Prada, a widely-followed knockoff watchdog for the fashion community, posted a roundup of Celine looks that closely replicated Slimane’s work at Saint Laurent. (The men’s line also seems truly antithetical to Philo’s project.)
Slimane’s Celine has plenty of minidresses. Yanshan Zhang/Getty Images
A male model walks the runway at Slimane’s Celine debut. Yanshan Zhang/Getty Images
It’s wrong to say that Slimane doesn’t know what women want. His sales at Saint Laurent clearly disprove that. What’s happening at Celine is the replacement of one vision of womanhood — the comfortable, grown-up kind that often gets called “intellectual” — with one that prizes youth and unkempt cool. Slimane has a completely different interpretation of what women aspire to than Philo does; his Celine is typically provocative, a different kind of power dressing.
During Philo’s tenure, Celine was regarded as prime feminist fashion, a feeling that radiated from the fact that Philo designed from a place of kinship with her customers. There are, of course, many ways to be a feminist, and one can certainly be a feminist in Slimane’s designs. But to the women who followed and bought Philo’s work, Slimane’s Celine debut said, quite plainly: “This is not for you anymore.” There will be no more chin-high turtlenecks or furry shoes to cocoon oneself in, and gone too is the queen of the sisterhood of Celine.
And so, the rage set in.
My last note on Celine because I have more important things to dedicate my rage to – what a day to present such a tone-deaf, ignorant, belligerent, narcissistic show.
— Lou Stoppard (@LouStoppard) September 28, 2018
I really thought this week couldn’t get any worse news wise, and then I saw Hedi Slimane first collection for Céline and was filled with such an intense rage I crushed my soda can with one hand. pic.twitter.com/RXgdKUZRez
— Kara (@thebostonista) September 29, 2018
i wouldnt be mad except he did this to celine, which like….. he turned it from this sort of thoughtful exploration of womanhood into, that
— Mrs. Millie (@Nyathescurial) September 30, 2018
For many Celine fans, Hedi Slimane’s erasure of Phoebe Philo’s work couldn’t have arrived at a worse moment. Coming up on the one-year anniversary of the Harvey Weinstein allegations that kicked the #MeToo movement into high gear — and the two-year anniversary of President Trump’s election — this is a time when women are fighting hard against the forces that would silence them by speaking out against sexual predators and running for office. Only a day before the Celine show, Christine Blasey Ford recounted her memories of an alleged high school sexual assault on national television; only four days later, Trump mocked her testimony at a rally.
Fashion often isn’t intended to be overtly political, but it’s impossible not to see what we wear through the lens of what’s happening around us. Clothes reflect the times. They’re how we armor ourselves to move through the world.
Slimane did what he does best, what he’s been doing for years. But the context has changed; he didn’t read the room.
Responding to criticism of his Celine collection, he argued that women should be able to wear miniskirts if they wish, telling a French television program, “The young women in my show are liberated and carefree.”
Slimane continued: “For some in America, I also have the poor taste of being a man who is succeeding a woman. You could read into that a subtext of latent homophobia that is quite surprising. Is a man drawing women’s collections an issue?”
The finale at Philo’s spring 2017 Celine show. Patrick Kovarik/Getty Images
Business of Fashion’s Lauren Sherman reported that on the day of Slimane’s Celine show, a group of women — high-profile fashion editors and department store buyers among them — gathered in Paris to celebrate Philo’s Celine.
“The dress code? ‘Strictly Céline, not Celine,’ read the invite, laid out in a typeface not unlike the one embossed on the label of the sage-green, broad-shouldered blazer stylists Yana McKillop and Natasha Goldenberg were both wearing,” writes Sherman.
And the mourners are shopping. In the five days following Slimane’s debut, Celine sales on the RealReal rose 51 percent (relative to revenue between September 1 and 27), according to a rep for the luxury resale site. Search traffic for Celine on the RealReal was up 36 percent. Clearly, people were after vintage (read: Philo’s) Celine.
On Wednesday night, I stopped by the Celine store in New York’s Soho neighborhood. The space was serene, all cool concrete, colorful marble, and tall potted plants. While pawing through a rack of dense, pillowy turtlenecks and nubby trousers, I overheard a woman on her cell phone say that she, too, had come to say goodbye.
That store is closing today. Tomorrow, Celine will reopen in a temporary space while the main location is refurbished according to Slimane’s specifications. By the time I made it out for a visit, Philo’s presence in the Celine store was already a ghostly one: Her last collection landed on shelves in June, and the fall 2018 collection, presented after her departure, was designed by her studio, not the woman herself.
Lest we forget, Philo left fashion for a spell after her run at Chloé, only to return in full force at Celine. Fans can only hope she’ll pull the same move twice.
Want more stories from The Goods by Vox? Sign up for our newsletter here.
Original Source -> A man takes over a feminist fashion brand. What happens next?
via The Conservative Brief
0 notes