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sofiaaaaaaaa03 · 3 years

Text

Comms

Title: Comms

Pairing: Din Djarin x GN! Teen reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Rating: PG

Warning: Cursing, mention of wounds, blood, scared Mando.

Description: In an unexpected raid, Din finds himself unable to find his foundlings and searches for them.

Request: Hey! I love your stories and thought that I would submit a request myself. So this is about Din having a teen foundling/adopted child. They’ve known each other for a little over a year now and even if they don’t show it a lot they’ve grown attached to each other. So this particular story would be about the foundling nearly dying and Din being a scared Dad (I hope you get what I’m going for. Kind of a fluff/Angst story with comforting afterwards😅)

A/N: I'm so sorry this took forever to write, I've been travelling and my computer has been messing up so I have not had time to write at all. Anyways, here it is! I hope it's to your liking. It took me awhile for inspiration to hit but I am pretty happy with how it ended up. Enjoy!

....

“Okay kid, what do we do when we get in trouble?”

“Call for help and signal our location.”

Call for help and signal your location. That was all you were supposed to do, the one rule Din gave for you before he took you along with him anywhere outside of the safety of the Razor Crest. He considered himself lucky that you rarely wandered off without letting Din know where you were going, and that you always seemed to be able to handle most dangerous situations on your own. Maybe it was because you fretted to be too much of a bother for Din, seeing as he took you in almost a year ago when he could have easily left you. Din didn’t see it that way, if he was honest. You were valuable to the group, taking care of Grogu and the ship when Din could not, and he believed it his duty to protect all on the ship. Only once or twice did you call for him, and he was quick to come to your aid.

He did not think that today would be the day where his timing risked your life.

The Mandalorian found himself aiding a local trading village with a raider issue in exchange for information about a bounty he’d been pursuing. He’d led a group of men over to what they’d suspected to be the raider’s hideout and set up for an ambush. The Entrance of the cave’s dunes felt barren, and only after the mens’ legs grew sore from crouching and backs ached from huddling in the dark was it that Din began to suspect something was wrong. The quiet environment was abnormal behavior to the raiders he’d encountered before, no doubt this specific group would be any different.

“They’ll see you!”

Startling the men surrounding him, Din shot into the air and stalked the vicinity. The dunes’ walls stretched for meters long as he kept his piece raised, occasionally scanning weak spots for life forms or any piece of equipment. He paused, frowning a moment when his scanner detected nothing.

That was the first sign that things weren’t going as planned that day.

“...hiss…”

“...m..do... v.llage... here…”

There was the second.

Din raised his arm to speak into his comms.

“Y/N?” Nothing but static came back from the comms. Din fidgeted and smacked it a couple times before grunting in frustration.

Damn, comms were jammed.

Wait, they were jammed.

And in a moment of a horrible realization, Din was quick to grab the men and make their way back to the village. When they arrived they found the village in chaos- buildings were burning, villagers running, and materials and pieces and bodies strewn across the ground. For a moment, Din froze in fear and worried that you were on the ground as well, your comms still ringing static and Grogu taken from you, lost to the raiders, or worse, the Empire.

Din quickly made his way throughout the village, barely rounding the first corner when a group of raiders assaulted him. He threw punches at the first raider, using their momentum to kick them hard into another. After several dodges and shots from his blaster, most of them were dead aside from one that laid on the ground and clutched his blasted leg.

Din marched over and pressed his blaster against the wound. “Where are the hostages being held?”

As it turned out, the raiders had no plan of keeping hostages. When Din finally tracked the building where captives were supposedly held, he was unable to remain collected when he found that you and Grogu were nowhere to be found. Instead, he stood before raiders responsible for the attack, their blasters disturbingly put away as they argued amongst one another. Din didn’t bother listening, he looked around but saw no sign of his foundlings.

“Wrong door.” He said simply before taking out his blaster and shooting the raiders.

Pocketing his piece Din ran out of the stronghold and went outside, calling for you and Grogu. He thought about the worst possible scenarios that could have happened to you two as he took out the raiders pillaging the village, until all but one remained, the leader. He found him in the main courtyard of the village, his face hidden though his body seethed with labored breaths. He stood there for several moments before Din heard one last labored breath before the leader’s legs buckled beneath him and he slumped to the ground with a sickening crack of skull on stone. Hm? Din didn’t know what to make of this, and further stalked over, hand on blaster, examining the body. Upon closer look a blaster wound to the stomach was made more visible. So, someone got to the leader before Din could. That leaves the question… who?

A quick look around the area pointed out a trail of blood.

The Mandalorian followed this trail without any real reason behind it.

He found the remainder of the villagers at some point along the way. Sullen masses of faces mixed together, mourning the loss of their villages and lost ones but kept busy with treating the wounded. Women sat in huddles cooking with what food was salvaged and children sat quiet. One stood out apart from the rest in Din’s eyes, a large male leaning over a group of medics. Din recognized him as Cyrukee, the villager’s chief, who noticed the lone bounty hunter from the corner of his eye and stood up. In his arms was the most beautiful thing Din had seen all day, Grogu. The baby gurgled in joy as he walked up to the chief.

“There you are.” Din didn’t realize that he was holding his breath when he sighed in relief, taking Grogu into his arms.

“Sir.” Cryukee barely got a word out before Din turned to him.

“I’m looking for a youngling- my kid. Have you seen them?”

“Sir, please.”

“They’re this tall,” Din rears a hand near to your height, “they were with this little green baby. Your husband, he took them to the school. Where is he?” The Mandalorian made a full turn around to look for the red robed headman who was last responsible for your care. He reached for his comms and tried to reach you again. His voice rang back at him, and in a terrible moment of realization he realized that that was your comms.

“Where are they?”

“Sir, let me explain.” Cyrukee wore an exasperated expression and looked as though he was about to speak before one of the medics from the group he was with requested to speak with him. He spared a glance at Din as though he struggled whether or not to say something. And then, Din followed his arm towards the medics he was just with. Din didn��t know what to make of it, not able to recognize any of them. The Mandalorian took one last look at the chief, whose grave expression gave him reason to worry, and slowly walked towards the group of medics. He buzzed through the comms, trying to pinpoint your location. As he got closer he heard medics speak in soothing voices and their patient hyperventilating. Had it not been his own voice coming from the center of the personnel he would have moved on, instead he could not find the will to move. Grogu looked at him expectantly.

One medic in particular took notice of the beskar-armored man. He and some others quickly got up and pushed Din away before he could force his way through the medics to take a look at you.

“Hey, wait-wait-please.” Din grunted at the force and staggered several steps back. He took a moment to collect himself and Grogu sneezed in his arms. Dust must have gotten into his nose during the scuffle. “Please, my ward- my kid. That’s my kid.”

“Just a moment,” one of the bloodied nurses kept her hands on Din’s chestplate longer than he would have liked. He didn’t push her away though.

“I need to see my kid.” Din looked her in the eye, hoping that she could see his desperation through his helmet.

His kid. When Din looks back on this he would think about how he’s never referred to Y/N as his own before. He would have liked to think he said that so the nurses allowed him to pass easier. But deep down, he knew it was because of how much he cared for them.

“I understand but please let me explain. Sir, Sir!” Din retreated in defeat on his second attempt to get past her and the other nurses. She stared into his eyes and patted his shoulders, Din didn’t know whether she was trying to comfort him or control his movements. “They’re traumatized enough right now, and you moving around in that armor of yours will only make it worse.”

“What happened to them?”

“They had an encounter with Jetwal,” Din’s blood boiled at the recognition of the raider’s leader who’d died before him. “according to the children, your child was leading them to the outskirts when he found them. They killed him, he was threatening the children, and they shot him. Now, listen to me. They did get injured. Several blaster wounds to their limbs and upper torso- sir, listen please I cannot allow you to go to them just yet- they’re still panicking right now but I assure you their wounds are being treated right now. They’ll be fine, but disrupting our work will only inhibit us from treating them properly.”

She watched his gaze linger to the sound of your crying. “How much longer until I can see them?”

Din was not pleased to find that he was only allowed to see you when the nurse came for him herself. Reluctantly he walked a little farther away from the medics when asked to give them more space, and sat down with Grogu bouncing on his knee next to a young Twi’lek running their hands over their lekku to soothe themselves. Between glancing at the medics to keeping Grogu entertained, Din didn’t realize how much time had elapsed before noticing the nurse had come to his side to collect him.

She took a seat next to him. “They’re hurt very badly, but with time their injuries will heal. All they need to do is rest. You can see them now.”

Grogu giggled and played with the nurse’s finger that was threateningly wiggling on his little tummy. “Can you take him for a moment?”

Din stood up and gave Grogu a pat on his little head and rubbed his large ears out of habit. Something you used to do to calm the little green alien down after a terrible meltdown. Even under his helmet Din smiled at the alien before dredging towards you. You laid on a pile of fabrics that functioned as a makeshift cot, but you looked like you had a pile of fabrics on you with the amount of bandages that wrapped your body. You didn’t notice Din approaching you as you stared straight into the sky. Din wondered what you were thinking. What could you be thinking? From his knowledge, this was your first time dealing with major injuries from blasters. It must have made this whole ordeal so much more frightening to you.

Maybe Din was too light on his feet, recoiling instantly when you jolted at his touch and groaned in pain.

“It’s me, it’s me.” His voice was soothing, even more than normal which surprised him.

A sort of wheeze escaped your lips and you coughed. “Mando.”

“Hey kid.”

“I tried calling for you.” A gasp. “They jammed the frequencies.”

“Your message barely came through, kid. But it made us realize what was going on. We got here before more damage could be done because of you.”

Your form relaxed. “Good, good. Grogu?”

“With a nurse.” “The one with the sweet voice.”

“Yeah.”

“I liked her voice-” A cough. “Sounds like my mom’s. She was nice. She helped calm me down.” At this point Din had stared at you long enough to realize how puffy your eyes were from crying. He didn’t stop himself from reaching over to brush your H/C hair out of your face. You leaned into his touch.

“I’m pretty fucked up, huh?”

Your eyes were already locked onto his when he met your gaze. A tick passed, and Din’s eyes fell to the wounds you were referring to. He shook his head. “No, kid. That’s not what you are.”

“Feels like it.” Din scowled at your words.

“There are too many fucked up people in the galaxy, kid. You´re not one of them.” You look at him with a raised brow. “Y/N, you barely have any combat experience yet you took on Jetwal? What were you thinking?”

And you said something that surprised him.

“I was thinking of you.”

And Din couldn’t find any words. He cleared his throat and you continued, “We were alone and I had no idea when you’d come, I was scared something had happened to you because I couldn’t get a hold of you through the comms and that guy was coming at us and-” You inhaled sharply, wincing at what Din assumed was a jab in one of your wounds but he didn’t know how to help. You calmed a moment later, closing your eyes and furling your brows together. “I thought about what you would have done if you were there. You always looked like you knew what to do.”

To say that Din was proud of you would have been an understatement, he was beaming wonders underneath his helmet but realized that you couldn’t see through the beskar.

“I thought I’d lost you both.” Din admitted. “But I’m very proud of you. You saved lives, Y/N. That’s no easy feat for someone of your age.”

You grinned at him and laughed. “Did you do something like this when you were my age?”

“Yes, but I didn’t end up as fucked up as you did.” “Hey!” Din laughed and raised his forearm to block your playful hits.

A moment of silence falls between the two of you before you look at Din again. “Do you know how long we’ll be here for?”

“With your injuries, no clue. I’ll talk to the medics and Cyrukee to see what is to be done.”

“Okay.” You nodded, your fingers twitching involuntarily. Din’s hands find their way to your hair again. “Mando, I’m tired.”

“Rest. I’ll be here with you.” He watches you half-heartedly nod at his words and doze off in a matter of seconds. The injuries have taken a toll on your body, Din suspects, and he pulls a sheet over you. He sits with you, watching villagers talk amongst themselves, speaks with those who come by to thank him for his help, and accepts Grogu from the nurse when she comes over, thanking her for all she’d done for you. She told him that a thank you was not owed to her, and that if you were to need anything she was only a call away.

And when he was finally left alone, Mandalorian took one look to take account for his two foundlings. They slept soundly and with luck, heads full of dreams. Most importantly, they were safe in his care once again.

Din realized he’d been holding in a breath, and exhaled a sigh of relief.

.....

Taglist:

@kiara-is-gay @pcotato @sagedgeek

#din djarin x teen!reader #din dijarin fanfiction #din djarin x y/n #din djarin is a dad #din djarin imagine #din djarin x reader #din djarin #grogu #mandalorian and grogu #star wars x y/n #star wars requests #star wars x you #star wars x reader #star wars reader insert #star wars fanfiction

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beneaththetangles · 3 years

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Reader’s Corner: Bofuri, The Catlords’ Manservant, and Chasing After Aoi Koshiba

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 8

Love Me, Love Me Not is a simple story. The characters are basic, and though they have their struggles—as do all teenagers—theirs are not overly complicated. The obstacles they face are moderate, and growth feels attainable and realistic. I think that’s part of what makes this series special—it doesn’t overreach in any category. Io Sakisaka has settled into a comfortable, appealing tale where 95% of the focus is on the four major characters, and it plays out well for most of the volumes, this one included, as Christmas nears and Rio and Yuna start their relationship together, while Inui and Akari remain somehow both connected and distant. With the former couple now dating, the spotlight is on the latter, and Sakisaka lovingly and patiently develops their story with an authenticity that is marked by the best chapters in this series, while using a Christmas setting, the stress of arguing parents, and the expectations and dreams of impending adulthood to create both romance and nuance in the characters’ growth, particularly for Inui, who after eight volumes receives the fuller development he deserves and is a mystery no more—just in time, perhaps, to receive the love of a girl who’s become more mature and ready to give love than she even realizes. ~ Twwk

Love Me, Love Me Not is published by Viz.*

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 1

I loved the Bofuri anime that aired last year, so I was eager to try the light novel. It is…exactly what you’d expect if you’ve seen the series. Maple’s friend talked her into buying a new VRMMORPG, but then the friend gets grounded and Maple winds up starting the game on her own. Through a series of stupid and/or brilliant choices, she ends up creating an insanely OP character. Silliness and adventure ensue. In contrast to the many stories that put a dark spin on the concept of the VRMMORPG, Bofuri is a lighthearted romp through the game’s fantasy world. The light novel does explain a few things better than the anime does, but in return, you lose the visuals, which I tend to find especially beneficial for a highly comedic story like this one. Of course, the greatest flaw of this book is that it doesn’t include the unfathomably adorable flying turtle, Syrup. I can only hope Syrup shows up in volume two! If you’re only going to do one—either watch the anime or read the light novel—I’d recommend the anime. But since I loved the series, and the novel is giving me details I missed there, I think I’ll happily continue with the next volume. ~ JeskaiAngel

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense is published by Yen Press.*

I’m the Catlords’ Manservant, Vol. 1

Different than I expected in that it felt more like a slice-of-life but in a SCHOOL setting, volume one of I’m the Catlords’ Manservant was an interesting read! It follows the indigent Yukihara as he’s given room and board by shape-shifting cats in return for being their servant. With that setup, I also expected more shenanigans at the house, and while I felt a little disappointed in that regard, this is still a captivating starting volume. The mangaka does an excellent job of introducing readers to each of the cats and making their personalities shine (Susumu is by my favorite and would say Miyako would be a close second, while Akira has something fishy about him, especially given things that happen near the volume’s end). I was fairly surprised at how loving Yukihara is towards everyone given the circumstances, but I think that is probably why he is a hero you find yourself drawn to because despite NOT being happy about his circumstances—I felt bad for him more than once—he still wants everyone to be happy. I was unsure if I would want to continue this series, but I feel this is a good one to continue now that everyone has been introduced. The ending is a chilly cliffhanger that also had me glued to the page and wishing volume two was already available. ~ Laura A. Grace

I’m the Catlords’ Manservant, vol. 1, is published by Yen Press.*

The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 8)

Not all Haruhi Suzumiya novels are created equal—some are more meaningful, some are more complicated, some are funnier, and some are more plain, that last of which unfortunately applies to The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya. With a first half ensconced in a daily life / school club story, with the student council finally cracking down on the SOS Brigade and the group coming together to avoid losing the literary club classroom by putting together a publication, everything seems to come to a standstill, including, unfortunately, character growth and the story at large. There are some interesting bits here, though, including the unusual and perhaps troubling piece that Nagator writes and Kyon’s cute “love story,” but the better portion of the novel is the second-half investigation of a frightened dog caused by perhaps the next supernatural entity in the universe—a ghost. More “classic” in how it involves mystery and sci-fi, continuing to propel the franchise forward, it helps balance out the more soporific first half, though regardless, Haruhi fans will enjoy reading more about their favorite club from the narrative voice of Kyon, who brings life to even the more tepid stories in the franchise. ~ Twwk

The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya is published by Yen Press.*

And Yet, You Are So Sweet, Vol. 1

While I felt slightly frustrated in the beginning due to desiring a little more depth to Kisaragi (I also didn’t like how she kept calling herself ugly), I found that I really enjoyed volume one of And Yet, You Are So Sweet, which was, well, very sweet! I’m a huge fan of the trope where popular boy becomes friends with said unpopular girl and a romance begins to unfold. The manga introduces this in a unique way; I wouldn’t say I find reading the same trope boring (it’s my favorite for a reason), it felt creative and had me especially engaged in this volume. It probably didn’t help that Chigira is one of my favorite kind of male heroes: quiet, sort of “out of it,” athletic, and a kind person once you get to know him. I was bummed when the manga ended because it was fairly fast-paced and found myself getting caught up in these characters lives. It seems like there are quite a few after school activities, and I enjoyed them as settings for a variety of situations (especially the library!). I LOVED the ending, too, but that cliffhanger had me groaning. I’ll just have to wait to see what happens next, and am excited to read more! ~ Laura A. Grace

And Yet, You Are So Sweet, vol. 1, is published by Kodansha.*

Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance, Vol. 1

An absolutely fantastic volume, I did indeed felt “swept away” in this unfolding Yokohama romance! Maria, a young woman who dislikes her appearance, is instantly a character my heart went out to. And while I don’t think the potential object of her romance, Rintarou, is a bully, I do think he’s a major tease. On top of his teasing, Maria’s mother is the WORST (The last time I reallyyyyy disliked a parent in a manga was Kazehaya’s father in Kimi ni Todoke)! She is harsh and cruel, using words that bring her daughter down and which don’t show any kind of love towards her. I strongly dislike her and am thankful that Rintarou (and Maria’s grandmother!) is there to spread some love into Maria’s heart. While I wouldn’t say I was expecting a “fluffy” read when I first started, I was fairly surprised at some of the topics that are presented, including prejudice (even within family), lack of self-confidence, loneliness, and a near-assault (Thankfully someone intervened on that last one!). I think as a result, these more consequential events made Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance a very heart-stirring and relatable story and helped lead to a very strong first volume. I’m super eager to keep reading this series and hope there are wonderful things in store for Maria! ~ Laura A. Grace

Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance is published by Yen Press.*

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, Vol. 1

The intrigue at the center of Chasing After Aoi Koshiba is why don’t the two main characters—the beautiful and popular Sahoko and the athletic, confident, titular Aoi, get together? The initial chapter shows Sahoko and others after several years have passed, establishing that she and Aoi have lost touch, before diving into their high school days when earlier, desperate to maintain a high level of popularity after being a “side character” during middle school, falls quick and hard for the latter, whom she admires for displaying the authenticity she lacks. Shown from Sahoko’s perspective, the early chapters of this yuri romance are at once funny and romantic, capturing well the awkwardness and energy of youth, and feature a protagonist whose inner monologue is quite captivating. Sahoko’s desperation for Instagram likes and passing comments about her beauty could become annoying, but instead she comes across as both self-aware and sweet, the type of character whom the audience is excited to see as she matures, while the archetype tomboy Aoi is fleshed out with surprising energy. The two are joined by an intriguing group of supporting characters, and all are drawn in a sharp and beautiful style—as pretty as any series I’ve seen. The artwork by FLY is stunning. And altogether, that leads to an exciting opening volume of what could be a special, special series. ~ Twwk

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, is published by Kodansha.*

Your Lie in April, Vol. 11

I have finished my reread of Your Lie in April! The final volume hit me like an emotional truck. It deals with Kaori’s surgery, the aftermath, and the finale of Kosei’s amazing musical performance. I’ll mostly avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read it, but I’ll also note a few things. First, this manga is gorgeous and facilitated the wonderful journey as I reread it. Second, the emotions it evokes with the art, characters, and story are top notch. Third, the language used in the manga by the characters feels more like actual angsty teenagers than in the anime, which upped it a little bit, making it closer to a Dawson’s Creek level of pretentiousness. And finally, the concluding volume puts some lovely touches on characterization, with Kosei seeing Kaori’s flaws, but loving her anyway, and with this volume also showing all the people touched by both characters throughout the story (and their lives). This series isn’t perfect, but it is wonderful for exactly what it is—an emotional series following Kosei’s musical journey to work through his own grief. You are intended to feel these emotions as you read this series, and on that front, it succeeds brilliantly. Sorry…I think it just got dusty in here while I’m writing this conclusion… ~ MDMRN

Your Lie in April is published by Kodansha.

=====

Reader’s Corner is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works their reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works and older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

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rengokus-eyeliner · 4 years

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Hello!I want to request a short fic. Set in different AU where Rengoku is a demon.He was never a slayer and now has fire powers. Since he lost his memory about his previous life, his demon life centers around becoming stronger, battling slayers and demons alike to gain power. He still retains his burning passion and mischievous personality, only now with a dangerous glint. SO has stumbled upon demon Ren, who toys with her a little before letting her go in the end. have fun and happy holidays!:)

How Well You Know Me

Demon Kyoujurou x Fem!Reader

THANK YOU FOR THIS REQUEST! Something about twisted demon!Kyoujurou with a loose moral compass has me feeling a certain type of way… I hope you like it ;3

Side note: Kyoujurou was voted No.1 in Yumejoshi's top 100 male characters popularity poll, which isn't surprising considering how popular he is in Japan. Nevertheless, I'm glad to see many people love him as much as I do^^

"You're no fun." Kyoujurou says mockingly, looking down upon the cowering demon at his feet. "What were you thinking? A weakling like you, contesting my territory? Leave, before I change my mind and let you roast under the sun."

He sighs as the demon scampers off, turning to walk through the dense forest until he reaches the cliff edge. From there, he can see a cluster of lights, stretching in a line down to the foot of a small mountain. Judging by the crowd and the loud cheers, it must be a celebration of some kind.

Kyoujurou muses on whether or not he should go and take a look. He has made it a point not to eat any of the humans from nearby villages, lest it raise suspicion and send any of those pesky little demon slayers his way. He's always up for a challenge, but he quite likes this peaceful little area he's secured for himself.

He decides he deserves a little break between the continuous fighting and killing, so he begins his descent down the mountain, humming a tune to himself the entire way.

Kyoujurou wanders through the hustle and bustle of the night festival, taking in the sight of humans indulging in their merriment. He's hidden his markings and claws, taking on the form of an everyday villager simply dressed in a yukata. He plays with a coin between his fingers, striding between booths selling toys, candies and masks for little children.

He weaves between the crowd, genuinely captivated by it all, when he feels a tap on his back. Kyoujurou turns around, greeted by a pretty, mousy girl.

"Um…excuse me. I think you dropped this." You hold out the coin pouch that had slipped from his grasp, not expecting such a handsome man to be its owner. Suddenly, you feel as though your styled hair and yukata saved for special occasions isn't enough.

"Thank you very much!" You're met with an equally beautiful, deep voice. The man retrieves his pouch from your hand, and you don't miss the way his touch lingers on your palm. "I'm Kyoujurou, and you are?"

You're stunned. He wants to know your name? You manage to stutter it out, and his rich chuckle rises above the din of the surrounding festival-goers.

"Well, let me treat you to something nice. Please? As a way of thanks." Kyoujurou gives you a gentle smile, and you can't bring yourself to say no. He returns with a stick of mochi, which you accept with thanks.

"What is a beautiful lady like you doing here alone, hmm?" You blush at the casual compliment, but decide to shrug it off as meaningless pretty words.

"I'm just here to enjoy the festival. What about you?"

"I'm here for the same reason." His gaze on you is flustering, so you attempt to fill the silence with conversation.

"What do you work as? A merchant? I've never seen you around the village before."

"I'm a travelling…illusionist, if you could call it that." He hums, smiling abashedly. When you tilt your head and look at him quizzically, he turns and presents his hands to you. "Let me show you."

With a snap of his fingers, a small, red and black flame dances across his palm. Your gasps of awe tickle him, and he gives you yet another boisterous laugh.

"How did you do that?" You take his hand into yours, running a thumb over where the small plume of fire had manifested itself out of nowhere. His skin is unblemished, no signs of trickery in place. You quickly retract your hand and mumble an apology.

"It's a secret!" He winks, sending another flush of red to your cheeks. "You finished your mochi? I'll buy you another. Being a magician is a surprisingly well paying occupation, you know."

You and your unlikely companion continue to walk through the festival grounds, occasionally stopping by game stalls to participate in them. Conversation with Kyoujurou flows easily, you ask him about his travels, the places he's been to, and he describes them in great detail. Any prying questions you have are deflected with a tease or a question for you in its place. You can't help but be fascinated by the passionate, yet enigmatic man that is Kyoujurou.

After you admire the small fireworks display with Kyoujurou, the crowd begins to thin out. Families and couples returning home, eager to get to bed after the long night. Your heart drops a little, while you do want to turn in for the night, it would mean saying goodbye to Kyoujurou. And there would be no guarantee you would ever see him again, given the nature of his job.

"Thank you for your company tonight. It's been fun." Kyoujurou says a little wistfully, or was it your wishful thinking playing tricks on you? All around you, workmen are busy dismantling their stalls and putting out the lanterns that line the street. A shadow casts itself over Kyoujurou's face as he smiles at you, and you swear you see the glint of sharp teeth peeking out from beneath his lips. "Truth be told, I lied to you."

Kyoujurou still has that wide smile on his face, but you can't help but see a hint of malice that wasn't there before in his eyes. Was it the darkness clouding your judgment?

"I am not actually an illusionist."

"Then…what do you work as? Why did you lie?" Was this another one of his roundabout jokes?

"I think you're smart enough to find out eventually, doll. Have a good night!" He abruptly turns, leaving you flabbergasted, struggling to turn thought to speech. You blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.

"Will I ever see you again?"

That stops him in his tracks, and he acknowledges you for just a moment.

"I would like to."

You watch as Kyoujurou walks down the bare path, away from the village. A stripe of black contrasting his pale skin peeks out from underneath the sleeve of his yukata, and you wonder how much you don't know about the passionate, enigmatic man that you had just met.

#i kinda wanna write more demon kyou #rengoku kyoujurou x reader #rengoku kyoujurou #kny #kny x reader #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #kimetsu no yaiba imagine #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer rengoku #demon slayer imagine #demon slayer

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overthinkingkdrama · 4 years

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Exit Review: My Country

Synopsis

This drama is set in the transition between the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, and follows turbulent friendship turned fraught rivalry between Seo Hwi and Nam Seon Ho. Seo Hwi’s late father was the greatest swordsman of Goryeo, but after being framed for embezzling military supplies he was executed as a traitor, a stain which hangs over Hwi and his sister’s lives. Seon Ho is the illegitimate son of a powerful state official, but due to his mixed parentage he can never fully belong to his father’s world and has an insatiable ambition and bitter resentment toward his father which drives him.

Hwi and Seon Ho have been close since childhood, but when they end up going head to head in the state military exam a tragedy follows that will drive a terrible wedge between them. Eventually circumstances will force them to pick sides between General Yi Seong Gye (the first King of Joseon) an his ruthless son, Yi Bang Won, in the fight which will give shape and purpose to a newborn country.

Review

Story: My Country is a difficult drama for me to review objectively, in part because I loved it so much. Watching this drama was a truly absorbing and gripping experience for me, and it plays to so many of my story preferences. I was unequivocally obsessed with this drama from the premier to the finale, but during the weeks between airings I couldn’t help but feel like I was arm wrestling with the script.

It was characterization more than anything that gave me fits. I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse the show of giving us thin or two dimensional characters. To the contrary, each of these characters has a fully realized matrix of conflicting desires, loyalties and ambitions that inform their choices and alignments. However, it is often difficult to sift through those murky motivations and draw a clear line between a character’s internal desires and their external actions.

This drama starts out with an incredible cold open that raises all sort so questions about who these characters are and immediately invests you in finding out how they ended up in this situation. It’s truly masterfully done, and I probably rewatched it upwards of 10 times through the run. It kept me asking those questions all the way until the pay off. But because the writers were so invested in keeping their cards close to the chest, clear characterization was sometimes lost in the shuffle.

That said, this drama really is one beautiful, tragic escalation after another. Just taking the first two episodes in isolation is quite a ride. I really thought after the first few weeks, or hell, the first half, that the drama would get bogged down in plotting and politics or have nowhere left to go, but to my great joy it really doesn’t let up a single moment until the finale.

Acting: Where to even begin with the acting in this drama? All three of the main male leads: Yang Se Jong, Woo Do Hwan and the inimitable Jang Hyuk are perfectly cast and give inspired performances. Everything from posture to voice to subtle microexpressions is so stunningly on point.

I came into the drama already a big fan of both Woo Do Hwan and Jang Hyuk as actors, having followed them through other projects, so it wasn’t surprising to me that I liked them both here as well. However, what did surprise me was the extent to which they were able to show off their range and talent. As a long time Jang Hyuk fangirl, I would confidently argue that this particular rendition of the Yi Bang Won character is him at his absolute best. I also went into My Country relatively indifferent to Yang Se Jong, or at least not overly familiar with or impressed by his previous work. I’m happy to announce that that is no longer the case, as his performance of Hwi is one of the most memorable of the year for me, and his sheer level of commitment to the role is awe inspiring. There’s a video of him talking behind the scenes about a moment early on where he actually yelled himself hoarse embodying a moment of panic and grief, which made me appreciate the level thought and effort he put into playing this character.

I don’t want to limit my praise to just that trio of actors either, because the entire cast is incredible. I didn’t know much about Seolhyun before this role, but I thought she was really strong as well, though her character doesn’t feature as heavily as one might like or expect from the promotional material around this drama. The villains too are captivating, especially the detestable Nam Jeon played by veteran actor Ahn Nae Sang. Wow, you are really going to love to despise this guy. I just cannot say enough about the performances from top to bottom, because we would be here all day. The acting is really what makes the drama, especially the stunning chemistry between the characters, and more specifically the chemistry Yang Se Jong has with all the other leads.

Production: There is some movie quality cinematography throughout this drama. It just looks very, very good both in the way it is shot and the attention to detail, the props, the costumes the sets. There is a beautiful long tracking shot following Hwi through a battle field in episode 3 or 4 that was just jaw dropping. It really felt like they were flexing, honestly, and it’s refreshing to see this kind of cable quality coming out of South Korea and ending up on American Netflix for people to watch and appreciate.

I love the music in this drama. Some of it can come across a bit camp, like the electric guitar and strings heavy instrumental “My Country” that accompanies many of the sword fight scenes, but I loved Bang Won’s wailing violin theme music every time it showed up, and the OST definitely sets a mood.

One of the more distracting choices the drama made was to allude to certain historical characters like Poeun, Sambong and Choi Young but never have them actually appear as characters, in the present or in flashbacks, opting to address certain important events and philosophies through fictional expys such as Nam Jeon and Seo Geon instead. They even resort to filming certain scenes in strange oblique ways so that we understand Sambong is in the room but we don’t see his face.

The only thing I can figure is the writers wanted to use the audience’s familiarity with these historical figures without chaining the story too closely to the actual flow of historical events. Or perhaps they decided to exclude these characters in order to avoid too much direct comparison to the critically well-received and highly rated drama, Six Flying Dragons, which covers much of the same time period.

Feels: For me My Country watches like a bitter-sweet tragi-romantic melodrama centering on a toxic love triangle with a historical backdrop. And when I say “love triangle”, I am 100% referring to the interplay between Seon Ho, Hwi and Bang Won (my sincere apologies to poor Hui Jae) because that’s how the entire drama is structured. My Country is one of the most purely homoerotic things I’ve ever watched. If it weren’t for a few limp attempts to imply Seon Ho’s romantic interest was in Hui Jae and not his former friend, I would say “unapologetically homoerotic” but alas, South Korea isn’t quite there yet.

The romance between Hui Jae and Hwi never quite caught fire for me, though lord knows they were trying. It always felt like a side dish to the main course that the drama really wanted to serve: namely the star-crossed relationship of Hwi and Seon Ho. (And this is not meant as a dig toward those who liked the Hui Jae/Hwi romance. This section of the review is just about my subjective experience.)

There were moments where I worried, or couldn’t quite tell where the drama was taking us with regard to Seon Ho and Hwi, or where I feared everything was going to end in senseless destruction and they couldn’t successfully bring the plot to closure in just 16 episodes. But for the handful of issues I had with the writing of the drama, its final resolution was poetically, heart-wrenchingly, perfect.

My Country just pushes so many of my narrative and aesthetic buttons and plays heavily to my id. This is a drama that I’m going to be thinking about for a long, long time. I will definitely be watching it again and I will try to get as many other people to watch it as possible. I liked it that much.

Would I recommend My Country: The New Age? Yes, oh god yes. Please watch it. Watch it and then come talk to me about it. Definitely one of the best of the year.

9/10

#my country #my country: the new age #woo do hwan #yang se jong #jang hyuk #kim seolhyun #kdrama reviews #exit review

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thefinalcinderella · 5 years

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Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Prologue

It’s finally here! Another note that this book translation will probably take a while and not update all that regularly. Hopefully it will not take another year (who am I kidding, it will). I haven’t watched the anime but I probably will while I’m translating to avoid the work of figuring out how to translate terminology make sure I’m getting things right.

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Loop Line No.8 is a road in Tokyo.

2. Edokko means someone who was born and raised in Tokyo. As for why I left this word untranslated, see the below note.

3. Yamanote and Shitamachi are the traditional names for two areas of Tokyo. Yamanote is the upper-class area and Shitamachi is working class. They are more divided by class and culture than geographical boundaries. Shitamachi was the center of Edo, the old name for Tokyo, and the two terms gradually got conflated, so Edokko can also refer to those who are born in Shitamachi.

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Even in this place, which was only about twenty minutes of walking distance away from Loop Line No.8 (1), the air was perfectly clear at night. One would find it hard to believe that announcements warning of photochemical smog constantly played on the mornings of days where the weather was nice. In the residential area, where small detached homes were lined up in rows, had a few scattered streetlights, and it was completely quiet.

As he followed the complex and narrow one-way roads, Kiyose Haiji looked up at the sky. There was no comparing it with the starry skies of his hometown, Shimane, but even so, there were certainly fine grains of light there.

Even a shooting star would be nice. He thought that, but the sky stayed still.

The wind blew across the base of his neck. It was almost April, but the nights were still cold. The chimneys of his usual public bathhouse, Tsurunoyu, rose on the other side of the low roofs of the houses.

Kiyose stopped looking at the sky, tried to tuck his chin beneath the lapels of his padded kimono and sped up.

The waters of Tokyo's public baths were incredibly hot. Like all other days, Kiyose soaked in the bathtub after he washed his body, but then got up immediately. An old man, a plasterer who was a regular of Tsurunoyu, laughed at the sight of him from the washing area.

"You get in the bath way too quickly as usual, eh, Haiji!"

Though he paid a hefty fee, getting out just like that was also an annoyance. Kiyose sat down on the plastic chair in the washing area once again. He looked into the mirror and shaved with the razor he brought with him. The plasterer leisurely passed by him from behind, then groaned as he soaked into the bathtub.

"They say that since the old days, for a true Edokko, (2) the temperature of a bath is just right when the water just about bites at your ass!"

The plasterer's voice echoed in the high-ceilinged tiled room. There were no signs of life from the women's bath. In the attendant's booth, the owner of the bath had been pulling out his nose hairs for some time, as though he had a lot of free time. It seemed that the only patrons there were Kiyose and the plasterer.

"That saying, I've always thought it was clever, but I do have a doubt."

"What's that?"

"This isn't Shitamachi. It's Yamanote." (3)

Kiyose finished shaving and approached the bathtub again. While restraining the plasterer with his gaze, he twisted the faucet and added water to the boiling bath. The liquids with different temperatures mixed together as they swayed. After confirming that, Kiyose submerged himself into the bathtub. He took a position next to the faucet and stretched his legs out in the bath, now at a safe temperature.

"Being able to tell the difference between Shitamachi and Yamanote means that you've gotten used to living here."

The plasterer seemed to have given up on the recapturing of the faucet. He avoided the water that was getting tepid and moved all the way to a position diagonal to Kiyose.

"It has been four years now, after all."

"How's Chikusei-sou? It seems to be full this year, yeah?"

"There's still room for one more, but who knows."

"Being full is good."

"Yes."

It really is, Kiyose thought. This is the last year. And so, the greatest chance comes around. One more person. He scooped up the water with both hands and rubbed his face. I need one more person, no matter what.

The water stung his cheeks, perhaps because he got a rash from shaving.

Kiyose and the plasterer exited the bath together. He leisurely walked on the street at night with the plasterer, who was pushing his bike along. Thanks to the hot bath, he didn't feel cold at all. Just when Kiyose was wondering if he should take off his kimono, he heard distant sounds of jumbled footsteps and angry voices from behind.

When he turned around, he saw the figures of two men on the other side of the narrow path. To shake off the man who was yelling about something-or-other, the other man ran towards him with a precise stroke. That man approached Kiyose and the plasterer in the blink of an eye, and just when Kiyose saw that he was a young man, he immediately passed by them and ran off. After a considerably long delay, the man in a convenience store apron chased after him.

The young man who brushed against Kiyose's shoulder wasn't out of breath at all. Without thinking, Kiyose tried to run after him, but the voice of the plasterer, thick with reproach, dampened his momentum.

"Man, these shoplifters sure are awful."

When he said that, sure enough, Kiyose realized that the male employee chasing the young man was yelling, "Catch him!" But Kiyose's ears weren't able to recognize those words as meaningful sounds.

It was because he was completely captivated by the running of the young man who was sending his legs forth powerfully, like a machine.

Kiyose snatched the bike handles from the plasterer and wrested it away from him.

"I'm borrowing this!"

Leaving the astonished plasterer behind, Kiyose pedaled standing with all his strength, pursuing the traces of the young man who had disappeared into the dark.

It's him. The one I've been searching for a long time for…is him.

A fire of conviction ignited in Kiyose's heart, like magma wriggling out of a dark crater. He couldn't lose sight of him. On that narrow road, only the running path of that man shined. Like the Milky Way that crossed the night sky, like the scent of sweet flowers that enticed insects, it showed the lingering Kiyose which way to go.

Struck by the wind, Kiyose's kimono swelled. The running man was gradually illuminated by the bike's light. Every time Kiyose pedalled, the circle of white light shook left and right over the man's back.

His balance is excellent. Desperately suppressing his excitement, Kiyose observed the man’s running. It seemed like a straight axis was passing through his spine. His limbs beneath his knees stretched well. His shoulders were not uselessly stiff, and his flexible ankles caught the impact from landing. Though light and supple, it was a powerful run.

Seeming to feel Kiyose’s presence, the man turned around slightly beneath a streetlight. Kiyose, seeing that profile that emerged from the night, let out a small "ah" sound.

Was it you?

A feeling that even he didn't know if it was joy or fear swirled in his chest. He could clearly foresee that something was just about to begin.

He sped up on his bike and came next to the running man. Like he was being manipulated by something that was far away. Like he was being driven by a call that came from a deep, deep place within him. The question was uttered from his mouth before Kiyose noticed, independent of his will.

"Do you like running?"

The man suddenly stopped running and froze, turning to Kiyose with an expression that was both troubled and angry. A pure light dwelled in his completely black eyes that hid an intense passion and directed a question back at him.

What about you? Could you answer that question?

At that moment, Kiyose realized something. If happiness, beauty or good things existed in this world, then for me, they would take the form of this man.

The light of conviction that hit him continued to illuminate his heart for a long time afterwards. It was like the glow of a lighthouse cast onto a dark and stormy sea. A single beam of light continued to indicate Kiyose's path.

Constant, without changing.

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#kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru #kazetsuyo #kazetsuyo translations #run with the wind

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fatgirlwritesscenarios · 4 years

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Belated Happily Ever After

((A/N: Hello again, all! I’m finally getting back around to uploading the rest of the stories...kind of. This one I can say for certain was a request.))

Pairing: DKxReader

Genre: Angst/Fluff/Friendship

Word Count: 7,962

Summary: You fell in love with the sun...but it turned out the sun did not love you back and couldn’t fathom loving you back, so you fell off the face of the Earth. Luckily, the sweetest sometimes-tiger, sometimes-hamster you’ve ever known was there to catch your fall until you were ready to face the sun again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Your professor had a way of making time fly despite the class itself being over two hours long You had never been much of a history buff, the multiple dates you had to recall always being the enemy, but this history course was so interesting and engaging, it was easy to lose track of time. Hence, why you and most of your classmates didn’t even notice that the lesson was supposed to be over about 20 minutes ago, the next class crowding the door and waiting to take their seats.

“Time really does fly when you’re having fun,” you mumbled to yourself, finishing up your notes and storing your materials into your backpack before rising to make your exit.

“Remember to read Chapter 13 for homework, everyone! We’re going to have a very involved discussion next class meeting,” the professor announced, waving at the retreating students before welcoming the next class.

You pulled your planner from your bag with the intention of recording the homework and rifled further for a pen. Exiting the class and quite distracted, you never had a chance to prepare for-

“Finally!”

“ACK! Soonyoung!”

-the energizer bunny that wrapped his arms around you from behind and spun you around, his ecstatic laughter ringing loud in the hall.

“I’ve been waiting forever for you , Y/N,” Soonyoung laughed, setting you down on your feet and ruffling your hair, “What took the class so long?”

“Cut it out!” you demanded, batting his hand away from your hair and readjusting any stray strands, “What is it with you guys and messing with a girl’s hair? Anyway, I guess we all just got really into the lesson and lost track of time.”

“I wish my classes were that interesting…or maybe it’s because you’re just really smart and like the subject, so it comes easy to you!”

“I hate history.”

“Well, whatever! The fact is that we were waiting a long time for you and I’m starving!”

“We?”

“Seokmin was waiting with me, but went ahead to buy our lunch,” Soonyoung elaborated, turning you around by your shoulders and guiding you out of the building, “He should already be with the others, so let’s go! Hurry! Hurry! My stomach’s caving in!”

“O-Okay, okay! I’m going!” you replied, grateful that you were able to conceal the red of your cheeks, but very much aware of the heat burning beneath them.

Seokmin did that to you. Even just the mere mention of him; the sound of his name, the sound of his voice, a simple thought centered around the Child Development major known as Lee Seokmin had your heart galloping through fields of daisies and poppies. It had been one full year since you came to terms with your infatuation for him, but that didn’t keep the butterflies from swarming or your palms from dampening. It just made you an expert on hiding it from him.

With Soonyoung practically dragging you along behind him at a full run, the both of you eventually made it to the university quad, finding your friends lounging in the green not too far away.

“I brought Y/N!” the dancer announced, coming to a stop and smoothly pulling you next to him before slinging an arm around your shoulders like he always did, “Her history class ran longer than usual because they were having too much fun.”

“I thought you hated history,” Joshua mused with a smile, watching you struggle to catch your breath.

“I hate history…but I love…the professor…” you panted with your hands on your knees, eventually keeling over into the grass between Joshua and your roommate/friend, Miaka, “Soonyoung tried to kill me.”

“You were walking too slowly and I’m really hungry,” he whined, dropping down on the other side of Miaka and groaning dramatically.

“You were Sonic-running and I don’t appreciate the forced exercise,” you mumbled, laying stomach down on the grass and willing your breath to even out while remaining oblivious to Soonyoung’s pouting at being scolded.

Just as you were starting to feel better, your heart settling and your breathing steady, another attack came upon you in the form of fingers dancing up and down your incredibly ticklish side.

“AAHH! Nonono! Who?! Why?!” you shrieked, flipping over onto your back and curling up to prevent the onslaught, “Stop it!”

The laugh that hit your ears made your whole body tingle, the sun blocked by your attacker’s head as his smile took its place lighting up your world. In the exact moment your eyes locked with happy brown ones, you swore the birds sang sweeter, the wind was cooler, the sky was bluer and the grass felt like feathers. Everything felt so wonderful that if you died right then and there, you wouldn’t even mind it.

“You’re funny when you’re tickled, Y/N,” Seokmin stated, running a hand through his black hair, messing up his side-part a little bit.

“There is nothing funny about torturing me,” you answered, hoping against hope that the blush on your cheeks and the slight stutter you released wasn’t too noticeable.

He laughed again and held up a white, plastic carton along with a cold can of soda, “I got your lunch. I’m pretty sure I got what you usually like. Soonyoung’s better at remembering your order than I am.”

‘Oh, he’s just the sweetest!’ you gushed mentally, wanting to squeal, but instead sitting up and taking the items that he offered.

“I’m sure it’s fine. I eat just about anything, anyway.”

“She’s like a trashcan.”

“I’m sorry, did the bottomless pit over there say something?”

The whole group sat in amusement at the playful bickering between you and Soonyoung, Seokmin lowering himself down right behind you with his own food and laughing at Soonyoung’s expense. He was sitting rather close, almost forcing himself between you and Miaka with his legs on practically either side of your hips. Again, your heart did somersaults and the color in your cheeks deepened.

“Anyway, how much do I owe you for buying my lunch?” you asked him, beginning to rifle through your bag for your wallet.

Seokmin stopped you with a gentle touch to your arm, shaking his head once he had your attention, his smile beaming at your face, “You don’t owe me anything! It’s on me.”

You just gazed at him for a beat, wondering what good deed you did at any point in this life or others to deserve a person like him in your life. Even if he was just a friend…even if you wanted to be more.

It was hard to tell when this maddening crush of yours on Lee Seokmin actually started, but it felt like it’s been present ever since you entered University. You met both him and Soonyoung at around the same time, both becoming your best friends, but it was the sun-shiny man with a voice as beautiful as a song bird’s that captured your heart. He was playful yet considerate, positively hilarious, and so positive that you felt you could never have a bad day with him around or continue to mope after having a bad day. He made your dark days bright and your bright days even better. He was everything to you…and you wished you could be everything to him, too.

“Hey, Seokmin. Seungkwan. Why don’t you two sing us that song you were practicing? Let us hear how it’s going,” Jun, one of the oldest in the group, spoke up suddenly, disrupting conversations and forcing all eyes on the two mentioned males.

You blinked curiously, looking back at Seokmin, “You two are practicing a song? How come?”

Seokmin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “We were bored and heard a song that we wanted to try harmonizing on. I think Joshua was playing it on the guitar.”

“And look at this! Said person just so happens to have said guitar with him!” Seungcheol proclaimed from his spot beside Joshua, nudging the other’s arm with his elbow, “You should play it and you two-” he pointed to Seungkwan and Seokmin, “should sing it!”

“Yeah, sing it for us!”

“Come on you, guys!”

“Sing it! Sing it! Sing it!”

Soon, the whole group was chanting for the two vocalists, Seungkwan eventually calming them down with an exasperated sigh of ‘fiiinnne’. The two of them prepared themselves while Joshua tuned his guitar, you focusing on your food while they did so. Soon, the first riffs of the song drifted through the air, followed by the second and third…and then, they were singing.

Voices mixing and blending so beautifully, Seungkwan and Seokmin captivated the group, as always. Their powerful voices snatching every ear; it was both a blessing and a curse to be sitting so close to your crush at this point, struggling to not stare at him too hard and yet wanting to memorize the expression on his face while you still had the chance. He absently played with the back of your hair while he sang, a rush of tingles dancing down your spine. He smiled at you and you smiled at him, nodding your head along to the song and wishing you could melt into his arms…without it being weird.

At the end of the performance, the last note fading out, the trio received a round of applause from their friends, though you smiled the biggest and the brightest at Seokmin.

He leaned in closer to you, whispering playfully, “How did I do?”

“Amazing, as always. I don’t even know why you bother asking me,” you play-whispered back, reaching up to fix his side-part and melting when he smiled at you with a little touch to your arm as thanks.

Suddenly, the campus clock tower started to chime and you froze when you realized how late it was actually getting. “Crap! What time is it?!” you hissed, pulling your phone from your bag and cursing when you saw that it was just turning 3 PM, “My last class starts in 15 minutes and it’s across campus. I have to go.”

“Don’t worry about your trash. I’ll take care of it,” Seokmin offered.

You smiled nearly bashfully, but shook your head, “You don’t have to, Seokmin. I can do it. It’s fine.”

“Ah, you’re so stubborn.” His eyes narrowed into a playful glare, his tongue clicking in ‘disappointment’, “It’s fine to accept help, Y/N. It’ll be one less thing for you to worry about! I don’t want you to be late for class, so I’ll take care of your trash!”

To show that he meant business, the man took the pile of trash from you and reached over to put your backpack in your hands. He then ushered you up and pushed on the small of your back until you took two steps away.

“Go, go! You’re losing time! Make sure to pay attention!”

You stared at him for a beat longer, a silly smile touching your lips as you nodded, “Alright…thank you!”

After bidding good-bye to your group of friends, and promising Miaka that you’ll clear the night to help her study, you took only two more steps before Soonyoung was calling out to you.

“Wait, Y/N! I’ll go with you!” he said, stuffing the rest of his food into his mouth and then moving to stand up.

“Your class is in the opposite direction of mine, Soonyoung ,and it’s going to be starting soon, too!” you objected, frowning when he gave his trash to Seokmin and asked him to take care of that, too, which he happily agreed to.

“So?” the dancer retorted, hopping next to you with a big, cheeky grin on his face, “I want to walk you; make sure you get there safe.” You rolled your eyes as he bid his farewells, shoving his shoulder when he started pushing you in the direction of your class, earning a giggle from him.

“Good luck in class, Y/N!”

You looked back to see Seokmin smiling and waving after you, the dazzling brightness of his grin leaving you breathless, yet re-energized. You returned the gesture and called out a thank you, beginning a light-footed trek to your class with Soonyoung hot on your heels. Not even his teasing could make the smile fall from your face after spending time in Seokmin’s presence, your mind too occupied with his warm smile to even think of good, witty comebacks. You just…floated to class, drunk on infatuation and high on his beautiful voice.

~*~*~*~

It was right around 8:30 PM when you returned to your apartment that evening, mentally drained but feeling rather accomplished. After your last class, you joined a few of your History classmates for a study group and then went to get dinner with them, making sure to leave in a timely manner so you could have enough time to help Miaka study that night, as promised.

You sighed in relief when you got inside, classical music drifting pleasantly in the air; Miaka liked to study to the sound of an orchestra. She said it helped her to focus more.

“I’m home!” you called, toeing off your shoes and moving into the living room.

“And just in time, too!” Miaka greeted, never looking up from the index cards she was working on at the coffee table, “I’m just about done making my flashcard for my biology terms and then you’ll be able to quiz me on them for the test.”

“Sounds good,” you replied, throwing your coat and bag down on sofa behind her before throwing yourself down at the coffee table in front of her, “How many do you have?”

“118.”

“Do you plan on sleeping at all tonight?”

“Nope and I hope you don’t either.”

You rolled your eyes loudly, giggling when Miaka stuck her tongue out at you in retaliation. To entertain yourself while she finished with the rest of her cards, you picked up the already completed ones and started to look over them. A moment of silence passed between you two.

“So, how was your last class?” she suddenly asked, still focused on the cards.

“It was decent,” you answered.

Miaka glanced at you, smiling mischievously, “What, it wasn’t spectacular after being blessed by Lee Seokmin’s wish of good luck? You weren’t floating on air? Hearing angels sing? Citing romantic haikus?”

You stared at her flatly, clearly unamused, “I hate you.”

“You love me,” she shot back.

“I hope you fail this test.”

“And I hope you embarrass yourself in front of your dream man.”

You groaned at her last jab, setting the cards down before flopping back onto the carpet, “Why are you being so mean?!”

Miaka laughed, completing the last card and then reaching over to add it to the pile, organizing them in the process. “Honestly, why don’t you just tell the guy that you like him? What’ the worst that could happen?”

You popped back up, “I could make a fool of myself. I could ruin a perfectly good friendship and possibly lose Soonyoung in the process. I could make him feel so uncomfortable around me that he never wants to see my face again. The list goes on!” Another groan and another flop back onto the carpet. “God…why does he have to be so perfect? Why do I have to have a crush on a guy that’s never going to like me back?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘never’.”

You returned to your sitting position, staring your friend straight into her soul, “What are you talking about?”

“Look,” she started, pausing to choose her words carefully, “It might just be me, but I think he likes you, too.”

“HA!” You laughed incredulously, Miaka narrowing your eyes at you. “Oh, you’re funny, Miaka.”

“But I’m probably not wrong.”

“But you probably are.”

“But I’m probably not,” she insisted, “I mean, look at the way he treats you! He buys food for you without making you pay him back. He’s always encouraging you. He’s always trying to sit really close to you. He asks for your opinions before anyone else’s. He offers to do things for you that’ll make your life easier! The man is practically establishing himself as your boyfriend. All you two need now are couple’s outfits.”

As much as you wanted to argue with her- because you vaguely remember Soonyoung doing a lot of the same things from time to time- that niggling of hope deep in your soul started to work against you. Big time. You started to think…maybe she was right? Did Seokmin like you? Were you more special to him than you allowed yourself to believe?

You chewed your bottom lip thoughtfully, brow furrowing in worry, “But…I don’t know, Miaka. If it’s true…and he likes me like I like him…then why hasn’t he said anything? Why hasn’t he confessed?”

The other woman shrugged her shoulders, smirking triumphantly, “Maybe you’re the one girl that makes him too shy to do it.”

You froze, giving her the chance to continue, “Maybe you should be the one to confess.”

“But…Me? How?! I can’t…H-How would I even-”

“The next time you two are alone.” She interrupted you, holding a finger up, “Conditions are never going to really be perfect, but take advantage of the next time you guys aren’t being bothered and tell him how you feel. He’ll probably be super relieved that you did!”

“I…I don’t know. It’s not exactly the romantic confession I imagined,” you mused, pouting slightly, “I always wanted to be the one that someone confessed to.”

Miaka clicked her tongue before pursing her lips in disapproval, “Do you want this man or not?”

You hesitated…and then nodded.

“Then you know what you need to do,” she finalized, handing you the finished and organized stacks of index cards, “Now quiz me. We can talk about your repressed love life later.”

You glared at her, but took the stacks and set them up on the coffee table, starting to go through the different categories with her. While you worked hard to remain in study mode for Miaka’s sake, you couldn’t help the little voice whispering in the back of your mind: how long would you have to wait before you could confess?

The answer…

*~*~*~*

Not that long at all, actually! About two weeks if we’re going to try to be exact and it was Seokmin himself who gave you the opportunity.

You remembered the Monday afternoon that brought you to this moment, the shriek that filled the apartment after you told Miaka how Seokmin had texted you and asked you to go to a movie with him. She had then started raving about how ‘This is it!’ and ‘This is your chance!’ and ‘He’s totally asking you on a date!’. This was followed up with her planning your outfit for your Friday night outing with him, from your shoes and accessories to what you were going to do with your hair. You had tried to tell her that it was just a movie, nothing big, so a nice pair of jeans couples with a pretty shirt and some cute sandals would work fine.

She wasn’t having any of that, though, and immediately took you out shopping for the perfect outfit, declaring that you couldn’t make a proper confession without looking drop-dead gorgeous first.

“I mean, more gorgeous than you already are,” she had added, giggling girlishly while pulling a multitude of dresses and skirts from the rack at your favorite store.

All of her primping, polishing, encouraging and hyping were what helped you to get through the week without losing your mind in excitement, to Friday night…to this moment here. She truly made you believe that this really was it, that this was the moment you confessed and it would end in happily ever after. Even the ‘date’ itself seemed to solidify it: he bought the popcorn and drinks at the movies for the both of you, draped his arm around your shoulders, he took you to dinner after, got you your favorite dessert. He complimented your whole look more than twice that evening and you even caught him staring from time to time, that giant grin of his ever present.

The night had been a success and this was now your moment, the both of you walking down the pathway through the park, trekking towards the bus stop that would take you home. This was it. Now or never.

“Hey, Seokmin…”

He looked at you expectantly, warmly, while you slowed to a stop with him facing you. “I, uh…I have…something…that I need to tell you,” you stammered, heart pounding relentlessly, cheeks flushing and palms nearly drenched.

His brows furrowed now, his hands hovering over your shoulders, as if preparing to catch you if you fainted, “What’s wrong, Y/N? Are you feeling okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. I mean…I-I will be if I can just…j-just get this out.” You took a deep, shaky breath, fiddling with your fingers and staring at the concrete while Seokmin eyed you carefully, “I’ve been…wanting…I’ve been wanting to tell you this…for a while...and now seems as good a time as it’s going to get.”

Another deep, shaky breath and you forced yourself to lock eyes with him, “I like you, Seokmin. A lot. A lot a lot. I have for a while, now…and I was hoping, after tonight, we could try to make it a little more official. Maybe go on another date?”

He stared at you, dumbstruck. You stared back, sweating bullets, worrying your bottom lip. Your heart was beating out of control and you felt like you were going to vomit from the anticipation. Then Seokmin smiled. It was small at first, then bigger, then bigger still until it was fully, shining smile that you loved so much. It warmed you, comforted you, and you were so sure that he was going to confess back.

But then…he was laughing and you were confused.

“That was a good one, Y/N! You really had me going there!” he said between chuckles, his hand over his heart.

Your brow pinched together in confusion, “W-What?”

“You were so believable!” he said, “I almost fell for it, too! You having a crush on me? Oh, man. Did Soonyoung put you up to this? You two are always playing tricks on me!”

What was happening? What is this? He thought this was a joke? Your own heart was stuttering now, your mind panicking to try and make sense of this situation. How do you salvage it? What do you do?!

“Seokmin, no, I…I wasn’t joking…” He stopped laughing, stopped smiling, and stared at you. “I really do…like you.”

You both were quiet again, but the world was unbearably loud. You could clearly hear the cars passing on the street, the electric buzz of the lamps that lit the pathway, the sounds of the evening bugs. Your ears felt hot, but your fingers felt cold and your heart was pounding so hard you could swear it was just as audible as the cars on the street.

There was still a chance. There was still hope…until there wasn’t.

“Oh…Y/N,” Seokmin sighed, frowning and rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably.

Oh no…

“I’m…I’m sorry, but…”

What have you done?

“I don’t feel the same way. I like someone else.”

Your heart came to a screeching halt and then dive-bombed right into your stomach. Your hands felt clammy in your own grip as you tried to keep yourself from falling apart.

“O-Oh,” you muttered, dropping your gaze to your feet, “I-I just thought that…maybe…I-I mean, you were always so…sweet to me. Always buying my lunch and encouraging me and going out of your way for me…and asking me to go see a movie with you…”

“We hadn’t gotten a chance to just hang out in a long time and no one else wanted to watch this movie with me,” he explained, looking away from you as well, “And of course I would do all of those other things for you. You’re one of my best friends! But I would never like you in that way. I mean, it’s you. Why would I like someone like you?”

The coldest of winds passed over you and you felt like crumbling into nothing. That’s how you felt now, anyway…like nothing. Seokmin seemed to realize how harsh his words sounded and started to panic.

“Oh, no, Y/N! I didn’t mean it like that!” He took a step towards you, but you took two back. “Y/N, please. That was an asshole-thing for me to say and I’m sorry! I just meant that-”

You held a hand up and when you lifted your gaze, Seokmin could’ve sworn he had been hit in the gut by a train. The unshed tears in your eyes were things he never wanted to see, let alone be the reason for. The smile painted on your lips looked painful and he wished he could turn back time to keep this all from happening.

Regardless, you still continued to smile and took a deep breath through your nose, “It’s okay…Seokmin. I understand. I’m not the one you like and I looked at everything all wrong. It’s my fault for seeing things that weren’t there.”

He had no words, watching you dab at the tears that escaped and streaked down your cheeks, attempting not to smudge your makeup. You composed yourself as best you could, shaking your head.

“I think…I’m going to go home by myself,” you whispered, looking past him to avoid seeing the pitiful look he cast at you, “I can’t be around you right now.”

“Y/N, please don’t be like this. I don’t want to lose my friend.” He reached for you desperately when you walked past him, “I can’t let you walk home by yourself!”

You avoided his touch and stopped just three steps ahead of him, “…You can and you will. Good night, Seokmin.”

And then you left, not once looking back for fear of breaking down. You weren’t exactly sure how you got back to your apartment without breaking out into tears first, but when you arrived, you heard what sounded like Miaka and Soonyoung having some kind of battle from all the shouting you heard on the other side of the door.

You closed your eyes. Soonyoung…you didn’t have the strength to fake happiness in front of him right now, even though you knew how much he hated to see you sad.

With a deep sigh, and zombie-like movements, you walked inside and closed the door. The sounds of Mario Kart met your ears followed by Soonyoung shouting about how Miaka could ‘eat his tail’; his character must be Yoshi…he didn’t like Bowser very much. You slipped off your shoes and took off your coat, wondering how fast you could walk to your room without alerting the other two that something was wrong.

“Hey, Y/N! You’re back!”

Oops…too late. You were already spotted.

Miaka put the game on pause and hopped up from her spot on sofa just as you shuffled into the living room, “So how was it?! Was it romantic? Everything you dreamed of? Did you-”

She stopped once she got a good look at you, her own heart dropping at the broken state you were in.

“Y/N…Y/N what happened?” she asked you, her face contorting into worry just as Soonyoung rushed over to you as well.

You said nothing and it didn’t take long for Miaka to do the math, “You told him…and he didn’t…”

With slow movements and your body shaking with your repressed tears, you shook your head.

“Oh no…Y/N, I’m sorry,” Miaka sighed, but before she could comfort you, Soonyoung beat her to it.

He slid his hands onto your shoulders and made you face him, even as you refused to meet his eyes. The wall of tears built higher and higher, you struggling to keep them at bay; it killed him inside to see you trying so hard not to cry like this.

“Y/N…” he whispered, cupping your cheek, feeling you shaking, “I’m here…I’m right here.”

And that was all you needed, the tears pouring freely and Soonyoung gathering you into his chest. He hated to see you cry, but tonight, he wasn’t going to try and force you to stop. For that, you were grateful…for Soonyoung, you were grateful. He wasn’t the man you wanted, but he was the man you needed right now.

You held him tighter and he never let go.

*~*~*~*

It was four whole months before you had the nerve to even answer any of Seokmin’s texts again. You went from being heartbroken to being embarrassed and avoided the man like the bubonic plague. Unfortunately, that also meant avoiding your other friends as well since there was a chance that you could run into him at any outing they invited you to. Your only saving grace, aside from Miaka, was Soonyoung. He had always been by your side, but ever since the fiasco with Seokmin, he became more…constant, not that you were complaining.

In those four months, he named himself your official caregiver, making sure that you were eating well, resting well, and taking necessary breaks from studying. He would clear his weekend evenings to be with you or take you to hang out with other friends once it was confirmed that Seokmin was not going to be anywhere near the vicinity. The both of you spent long hours cuddling, still teasing one another, and going on little impromptu ‘dates’ where Soonyoung wouldn’t let you pay for a single thing. He complimented you more, texted you and called you, made it his life’s goal to always make sure that you were smiling and laughing. In those four months, he became more than just what you needed. He became what you wanted.

At the start of the fourth month, you were both official after a sweet, quiet, and red-cheeked confession from Soonyoung in the glow of the TV during one of your movie nights. Thinking about it now, a whole month into your new relationship, made you giddy and giggly, especially when you thought back on the kiss you shared that very same night: sweet and tender and a little bit playful, just like Soonyoung.

“Hey, princess.” A pair of warm arms encircled your shoulders from behind, warmer lips pressing a kiss to your cheek.

You giggled and wrapped your fingers around Soonyoung’s arm, turning your head to kiss him in return, “Hey, Soonyoung. How was class?”

He started whining as he plopped down in the seat beside you at the kitchen table, “Long. And boring! I just wanted to be with my jagiya! You should switch classes so we can always be together!”

“It’s too late in the semester, Soonyoung.”

“You’re right, you’ve put too much work into your classes to change them now, so I’ll change mine!”

“We’re not even in the same major.”

“I can learn!”

You giggled at his antics, Soonyoung puffing up proudly at the pretty sound. He lived to see you this happy and giggly and loved the fact that it was because of him your eyes shined so bright. He reached over and took your hand, giving your fingers cute little kisses of affection. You just about melted and begged him to stop making you blush.

“But you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed!” He pinched you cheeks and you made a face at him. “Anyway, what are you doing?”

“Studying,” you sighed, gazing down at the books and papers strewn across the dining table.

Soonyoung hummed, “Did you have lunch already?”

You shook your head, absently reading through your notes. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked.

You paused and stared at him blankly. After a few moments too long, you said, “I…I don’t remember.”

“Princess!” he exclaimed, looking horrified.

“I had to study!” you defended yourself.

“All of that studying won’t mean anything if you die from starvation!” he scolded you, standing up, “I’m ordering us food and you’re taking a break!”

“Alright, alright, fine,” you caved, watching him go into the living room where you and Miaka left the take-out menus.

You smiled to yourself at how caring your boyfriend, your thoughts interrupted by a ding on your cellphone. Checking the screen, your heart lurched momentarily when you saw that you received a message from Seokmin.

‘It’s been almost five months, Y/N. It’s time to get over it,’ you thought to yourself, opening the text.

‘Hi, Y/N. How are you? It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken to each other…I miss you.’

You took a deep breath, steadying your shaking hands as you replied, ‘Hey, Seokmin. It has been a while, huh? Sorry for avoiding you.’

‘No worries. I understand. I was harsh to you that night and I’m sorry,” he responded.

A flashback to that night crossed your mind, his question of why he would like someone like you ringing in your head…but not as clearly as it did a month ago. The sting of it had dulled itself, that you thanked Soonyoung for.

‘You weren’t that harsh, Seokmin. It’s okay. Thank you for apologizing, though.’

He didn’t respond right away, but when another message came through, it was a bit of a surprise.

‘Can we meet up? I need to talk to you about something. I feel like you’ll be the only one to understand.’

What did that mean? You stared at the message for longer than necessary, reading it over and over again. You knew this day would eventually come, where you would have to see Seokmin face to face. You imagined it a little differently, though, where you would meet him by chance out on the University grounds, probably in passing and you two would have an awkward moment of forced laughter and ‘how are you?’ questions before finally coming to terms that you were okay and ready to be friends again. What you never imagined was Seokmin asking to see you to talk about something very important, it looked like. That’s what swayed you in making your decision, but first…

“Soonyoung,” you called out, hearing your boyfriend shuffle from the living room and back towards the dining table, one hand clutching a take-out menu and the other holding his phone to his ear.

He stared at you expectantly and you gestured for him to hang up the phone. “What’s up, Princess?” he asked, taking his previous seat.

“Seokmin just texted me,” you answered, earning a stare back in return as he waited, “…and I answered him this time.”

“Oh…how did that go? Are you guys okay?” he ventured, worry lines appearing on his forehead, which you instinctively reached out to smooth away with your thumb.

“I think so. I mean, I’m pretty sure we are, but…he asked if we could meet up. I think he wants to talk to me about something important.”

Soonyoung blinked in surprise, but brushed it aside to study your expression. You didn’t look anxious or nervous. From that alone, he didn’t see a reason to try and persuade you not to go. He placed a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it gently as your eyes trained themselves on your phone.

“It has been four months, Y/N, and I know that he still wants to be your friend. He always cared about you and still does. I think he also just wants to know that you’re okay and actually hear it from you this time. He usually asks me.”

Soonyoung’s comforting gesture eased the butterflies in your stomach and only solidified the decision you already made. “So…you’re okay if I go to meet him?” you asked.

“Of course! We’re all still friends and you’re mine now, so I’m not worried about anything,” he answered cheerfully, pinching your cheek.

You giggled and playfully swatted his hand away. He only grabbed yours and laced your fingers together, watching you carefully.

“Do you want me to come with you? For support?”

You didn’t even need to think about it, shaking your head confidently, “No, I’ll be fine on my own. I think this is something we need to do by ourselves, anyway.”

With that, you picked your phone back up and texted him back, telling him that you would be happy to meet up with him. About 30 minutes later –this must be really important whatever he needs to talk to you about- you were waiting for him outside the campus food court at one of the outdoor tables. You sipped on a smoothie you had ordered, an extra one you bought for Seokmin sitting in front of you.

You weren’t going to lie and say that you weren’t nervous. The apprehension was making fidgety, your leg bouncing up and down as you gnawed on the end of your straw. A small part of you thought it was ridiculous now to be this afraid. Like Soonyoung said, it had been four months! The night was over, the embarrassment was over, and you were over the whole thing.

“Y/N!”

You whipped around just in time to see Seokmin jogging towards you, barely giving you time to stand up before he was throwing his arms around you. Frozen, you allowed him to hug you, the man swaying you both back and forth as an involuntary chuckle filled your ears.

“Sorry, sorry. That was impulsive and I probably shouldn’t have hugged you so suddenly, but I’m really happy to see you,” he explained once he let you go.

“Oh, um…sure…no problem.” You gave a small smile and took your seat again, Seokmin doing the same on the other side. Remembering the smoothie you bought for him, you picked up the cup and reached over to give it to him, “Here, I got this for you. It’s your favorite.”

His smile reached from ear to ear as he accepted it, “Thank you! What do I owe you?”

“Nu uh,” you shook your head, playful smile touching your lips, “This one’s on me. Think of it as a little payback for all the times you spotted me for food.”

He chuckled, but nodded his head, “Alright, then.”

Silence reined one more, the both of you trying to figure out what dynamic this was now. Some tension remained, but not nearly as much as you thought there was going to be. You took the time to study him, just as he was studying you. Your eyes roamed the planes of his face, searching for any dark circles or ghost-white pallor. You saw nothing, but the healthy Seokmin you always knew and found yourself hoping that he found happiness with the girl he liked the way that you found happiness with Soonyoung.

“It really is good to see you, Y/N,” Seokmin stated, breaking the ice as the warmth from his smile matched the light in his eyes.

“I missed you, too, Seokmin. I avoided you for a long time and I’m sorry about that…but I just didn’t know how to face you after that night,” you answered, gaze dropping to your smoothie cup.

“I understand,” he voiced lowly, fiddling with his straw, “I was worried, though…I thought I had lost you as a friend. That was the last thing I wanted to happen and it killed me to think that it actually did. I…was scared that you wouldn’t want to meet me today…or at all.”

You were astounded, your eyes transfixed on him. How were you supposed to respond to that? How did you want to respond to that? The answer came naturally.

“You were never in danger of losing me as a friend, Seokmin,” you said, voice filled with conviction.

It was his turn to stare at you incredulously, letting you continue, “I did, however, entertain the idea of not seeing you today. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, yet, but it sounded like you needed to talk to me about something important. Is everything alright?”

Here, he avoided your gaze, a nervous laugh bubbling up in his throat. This had you curious, your head tilting to the side.

“Everything…kind of hurts.” And for the first time since you had known him, Seokmin let his smile drop in front of you, hitting you with a sadness that made your heart clench.

You sat up straighter, leaning forward with your eyes fixed on his face, “Seokmin, what happened?”

“What happened is…what I did to you that night, someone else did to me.” You were confused, Seokmin leaning back in his chair. “The girl that I liked, she didn’t return my feelings. I thought we were hitting it off really well. We spent a lot of time together, had a lot of fun…but when I confessed, she told me that she would never date someone like me and that she never wanted to talk to me again.”

How familiar? You would never wish that kind of embarrassment on anyone, not even the person who made you feel like that in the first place.

“Seokmin…I’m so sorry,” you said, reaching for his hand and holding it, “I’m really, really sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Y/N.”

“I’m not saying it because it’s my fault. I’m saying it because you’re hurt.”

He smiled sadly at you and squeezed your hand, “After she told me that, I couldn’t help but to start thinking if that’s how I made you feel. Like I never wanted to see you again.”

Oh…that made sense and, if you were being honest with yourself, that had been a prominent thought the first few weeks following what happened. You were so sure that he wouldn’t want to be around someone who had made things so uncomfortable between you two and that’s what fueled your need to avoid him at all costs.

“Truthfully, Seokmin, I did think that way for a little while,” you said, releasing his hand to sit up again, “But, I guess I didn’t have much to worry about.”

“You didn’t have anything to worry about. You’re one of my best friends. I was going to fight for you.”

You laughed, as did he, and this time, when things got quiet, it wasn’t tense. It felt…serene. At last, after all these months, the full weight of this situation finally fell from your shoulders. You and Seokmin made up, had closer. You breathed the deepest sigh of relief you’ve ever released and felt relaxed.

“I’m glad to see you doing so well after all this time,” Seokmin added, pulling a silly little grin from you.

“I have Soonyoung to thank for that.”

“I’m glad about that, too! You make him really happy, Y/N. He’s been in love with you since the day he met you!”

“Okay, now you’re exaggerating,” you rolled your eyes.

Seokmin shook his head insistently, “No, it’s true! He told me himself two days after he met you. He said that he met the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with, but as time went on and we all became friends, he got too scared to tell you because he didn’t want to ruin the friendship he had with you.”

You stared dumbfounded at Seokmin, cheeks flushing and heart pitter-pattering against your chest. Suddenly, you released a loud, disappointed groan, throwing yourself back against your chair. Seokmin blinked at you.

“What? What? What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Poor Soonyoung! I must’ve drove him crazy talking about my crush on you all the time,” you groaned again, digging the heels of your palms into your eyes, “It was non-stop!”

“Wow, you really did like me,” he mused, making you glare flatly at him.

“I did. You have that kind of effect on people,” you replied, sitting up and sighing, “I’ll have to make it up to him.”

“I doubt he cares much at this point. He has you now! I’m sure he feels all the torture was worth it.”

You giggled and nodded your head, looking at Seokmin and then at your smoothie cup before lifting it up towards him, “Friends?”

He paused momentarily, grinning soon after and lifting up his own cup, “Best friends?”

Your smile grew all the wider, “Best friends.”

You both laughed and took a sip of your smoothies, sealing the deal. Now that the storm of your life had fully passed, you gave Seokmin an apologetic look.

“It was good seeing you again, Seokmin, but I should be going. I promised Soonyoung I would get back to the apartment with enough time for lunch and a movie before studying. Knowing him, he probably hid all of my books to make me keep my promise.”

“I don’t think he’s at the apartment,” he told you, catching you off guard.

“Huh? What do you mean? How do you know?”

“Because he’s trying to hide behind that tree over there.”

You processed his words a second too slow, but when you whipped around to said tree he was pointing at, you found a very familiar figure trying to duck behind the thin base. Your mouth dropped open and you stood up.

“Soonyoung!” you called.

He peeked out from behind the tree, donning a pair of sunglasses and a hoodie in an attempt to look ‘inconspicuous’. Realizing his cover had been blown, he pasted on the biggest, cheesiest grin and meandered over to you.

“Hey, Princess! Seokmin!” he greeted, popping a kiss on your cheek.

You narrowed your eyes at him, making him fidget, “Feel proud of yourself for spying on us?”

“Nooooo! Princess, don’t say it like that!” he whined, taking your hand in his, “I wasn’t spying on you. Okay, maybe I was a little bit, but I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

“I told you I was going to be fine,” you reminded him.

“I know, but then I started thinking what if it didn’t end fine,” he explained, his gaze never leaving you, “I didn’t want you to have to walk back to your apartment alone and sad if the worst happened.”

Oh, how this man made your heart stutter. You couldn’t stay cross with him, your expression falling into a smile as you cupped his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. He laughed childishly afterwards, embracing you right after. Once he let you go, with his arm slung over your shoulders, he looked between you and Seokmin, eyes flashing with worry.

“So are you two okay now? Like, completely?” he asked, almost fearing the answer.

You and Seokmin looked at each other, similar smiles spreading across your faces; “Yup, we’re all good!” you answered.

“Best friends again,” Seokmin followed, the both of you startling when Soonyoung released an excited shout.

“Oh, I’m so happy! I hated seeing you both so unhappy because of each other!” he gushed, cuddling you into his chest, “Let’s celebrate with lunch! I’m starving! And you, missy, are supposed to be taking a study break anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, Seokmin, before he starts rushing us.”

Seokmin stood up beside you and before you could start your way into the food court, he grabbed you in a hug and squeezed you gently. This time, you were a little more prepared and hugged him back.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem,” you whispered back.

When you pulled away from each other, and you looked at him, you no longer saw the man that you had the biggest crush on and experienced the most painful rejection from. You just saw Seokmin, your best friend. His smile still made you warm, but didn’t cause butterflies. His laughter still made you grin, but didn’t mesmerize you. His touch was still gentle, but you didn’t crave it. Soonyoung was that man for you, now. Soonyoung was your happily ever after.

It took some time coming, but it got there and that’s what really mattered.

#seventeen #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #DK #DK scenarios #DK imagines

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kaffeinic · 5 years

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How to Start Your Own Writing Blog

This is more centered on a kpop/requesting blog, but the basic principles can still be applied to any other writing blog. Feel free to change or omit any of these steps. These are just what I’ve found to be the basics. Here is a link to my blog, @kaffeinic. You can check it out if you have trouble understanding anything here or you’d like to ask me a question. Asks are always open!

Step One: Naming Your Blog

This seems pretty self-explanatory and plainly obvious, but I’ve seen so many people start up a blog with a name that’s unoriginal or mundane, or just something they don’t like.

If you’re planning on capturing people with your writing, you need to be willing to make a name for yourself. Let’s say your blog picks up some good traffic, and you suddenly change your username. Your readers will be extremely confused until they click on your blog. Some readers - like myself - might even unfollow if they don’t recognize you.

Moral of the story: Pick a unique name that you love.

Step Two: Masterlist/Navigation

This should be - and I cannot stress this enough - your first post. You can take a look here at my main masterlist. Note that I write for multiple bands and have made separate masterlists accordingly. Always link your masterlist in your bio - it’s best as the first link - for easy access.

If you have sub-categories such as myself, then it’s best to make headers separating different styles of writing. It helps your readers to find exactly what they want to read. Some people like headcannons, and some people like to read full-length fanfictions. You can use this method to separate different forms of graphic art as well. Here is an example of how I’ve divided my work into digestible categories.

Step Three: About

This one isn’t completely necessary, per se, but I’ve found most people like to know more about the author of their favourite literary pieces. Even if it’s just a simple list of basic facts about you, make a post for it. Link it in your bio for easy access. In my About page, I’ve added these items as my starting point.

Name: (If you’re comfortable sharing it.)

Pen Name: (If you have one.)

Personal: (If you’d like to provide your personal blog, I would put it here.)

ID: (She/He/They/etc. This one may seem odd, but I’ve been referred to as male when I am very much not a male. It just gives your readers an idea of how to speak to you.)

Age: (If you’re comfortable sharing it. Be sure to check it occasionally, or after a birthday to make sure it’s still up to date.)

Languages: (Very useful if you speak more than one language and want your readers to know.)

MBTI: (Completely optional, not really necessary. I’ve added mine because it gives people a somewhat general idea of what I might be like.)

Below this, you can add a Q&A section - which is what I did - or any other bits of information. It’s all up to you!

Step Four: FAQs

Another completely optional post, but if you’re tired of getting asked the same question over and over, make yourself a FAQs page and link it to your bio. Here’s what mine looks like.

Step Five: Rules

This is mainly for requesting blogs, but it’s always good to have some ground rules for how you do things. Be very clear on what you want and what you will and will not tolerate. Here is my Rules post, linked in my bio as well.

Step Six: Settings

Here’s a few things you might want to set up in your settings.

Are you creating a requesting blog? (Where other bloggers ask for something specific for you to write.) Make sure you have your asks turned on. Decide if you are willing to accept anonymous requests and toggle the setting accordingly. Note that you can also edit the ask box text.

Would you like to integrate your followers’ ideas? Turn on submissions. This allows another blogger to send in a post for you to approve or disapprove of before posting.

I’ve found that it’s always a good idea to allow Tumblr to pin your most popular posts to the top of your blog. It gives readers a general idea of what you write and can captivate them as well, if they see something they like. This can be toggled in the settings.

Step Seven: Taken Anons

I wouldn’t bother with this one unless you have anonymous asks turned on, but if you do, it’s become common practice on Tumblr for someone to name themselves anonymously, such as the 👽 Anon, Happy Anon, etc. Here is my Taken Anons page. It’s just a simple bulletpoint list of names people have claimed.

Step Eight: Create a Format

Nothing bothers me more than looking at two similar posts on a blog and noticing that the formatting is messy, disorganized, and/or inconsistent. I may be wrong, but I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way.

Creating a format adds a cleanliness to your blog and gives you a template to add your posts to. My basic format is as follows:

[Title]

[Ask box submission] (If there is one. Never be afraid to write something no one has requested. Your blog is your safe haven of creativity. Use it as you please. As a side note, most blogs don’t have requests when they first start out, so many of your first posts will be of your own accord.)

- [Sender]

[Divider] (I use these: ~ )

[A/N or Notes] (Optional)

[Divider] (If notes were added.)

[Gif]

[Text] (The actual writing piece I’ve done.)

[Divider]

[Disclaimer] (Mine just claims ownership of the writing, but dismisses ownership of the gif/photo that was used in the post. Never, ever, EVER forget this.)

[Divider]

[Taglist] (If you have one. Make sure Tumblr has actually linked the blogs to the post or your tag list won’t be notified.)

As always, feel free to change it up. Your formatting is your choice. I would just recommend you remain consistent with each post by using a format.

I actually have a post in my drafts at all times that outlines each of my formats just for my own personal reference. It’s very useful and I highly recommend you do the same.

Step Nine: Other Posts

You’ll probably end up adding more posts to your bio the longer you have your blog, such as a queue, prompts list, or other social media. I also keep a VIPT list (VIPs & Taglist.)

Step x: How to Add Links to Your Bio

I’m just going to address this here so that I’m not asked a million times, because 1oRd kN0wS I had a hard time, and I even studied HTML years ago. I was so annoyed when I used the correct coding and nothing happened. Smh

Moving on, here’s how:

To add a link to your bio, you must use a computer/laptop, or - I do this - request the desktop site from your mobile device. It’s typically under the settings in most browsers, labeled as “Request Desktop Site.”

Click on your blog and choose “Edit Appearance.”

Browse the menu under your header and profile until you see “Edit Theme.” Select it.

Copy and paste the exact text in black to your bio: <a href="YOUR LINK HERE"> YOUR LINK TITLE HERE (Example: Masterlist) </a>

Make sure that the quotations around your link are straight, (") not curly(“). This is vital. Your link will not work otherwise.

Click the “Save” button at the top and test your link.

For line breaks, use this code: <br>

Personally, I can’t think of anything else to add. My fellow Tumblr writers, feel free to reblog with more information! Happy writing, everyone~~~!

* DISCLAIMER: I do not own any gifs/photos used in this post. I do own the written content. Do NOT repost/edit. *

🏷 @a-toxic-galaxy • @hoshithehamster

#kpop #writing #masterlist #faqs #anon #new blog #how to #link in bio #help #stray kids #bts #exo #blackpink #seventeen #skz #fanfictions #headcannons #reactions #ships #hours #blurbs

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sailingsoo · 5 years

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December Overview

Monthly Drama Review: December 2018 Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov

warning spoilers!

Completed:

Hymn of Death: I was really curious since it was based on a true story, turns out the male lead actually had kids so him jumping off the boat because he didn’t like his job was just? In all honesty, the person I felt the most pity for was the female lead and the wife. I loved how it was filmed though!

Dance Sport Girls: I heard this was also based on a true story which made it even more realistic. It was a short drama, but they ended it perfectly. I love how it shows a slow healing relationship between the mother and daughter. It showed lots of perspectives too. The only thing I wanted was a happier ending for Hye Jin. One of my favorite dramas of all time, really everyone needs to watch this.

Ongoing:

My Only One: It’s gotten better this month! I feel like we’re actually getting somewhere now that everything is settling in. I’m getting scared though, because we still haven’t reached the dad is a murder part. I’m pretty sure he was the one that “murdered” Da Ya’s father. Things have finally gotten better for Do Ran ugh. I heard they might add more episodes, but I don’t think it’s needed or else it will feel dragged.

Dae Jang-Eum is Watching: I am this close this close to dropping this drama. It’s so cringy and Yuri could have done better than this show tbh. The only reason I’m watching it now is for the younger sister and her boyfriend’s story.

The Last Empress: Things are getting spicy! Sure lots of the plot twists can be too much, but it’s definitely addicting. Despite hating Min Yura, I kind of don’t want her to go just quite yet. I want her to know the whole truth before she goes. The same for the mother and the emperor. Can’t wait for the ending where Oh Sunny revamps the entire constitutional monarchy.

SKY Castle: One of my favorites ever. I heard it’s doing extremely well in Korea, so I hope even though it’s a bit controversial parents and students learn from this show. It seems we are at the point where none of the parents can do anything for their children with the exception of Soo Im’s family. Yeh Suh’s mind is already captivated by the Coach and although I hate her, this was just the way she was brought up. I hope she can change. I love Hye Na alot, but I really hope she doesn’t go to far. She deserves happiness and I hope Woo Joo and his family can help her more. There’s alot more I can write, but I’ll wait till the finale!

My Strange Hero: I love Son Soo Jeong’s character, but it just makes me so annoyed she ruined Bok Soo’s life just because she didn’t like the rumors spread about her and the fact that she waited 9 years to clear up this misunderstanding. Bok Soo is too soft for this, I cannot. Whatever, they’re both very cute together so I’m glad that this whole misunderstanding was cleared up in the end. Now for the revenge part.

Memories of Alhambra: I don’t really know what is happening right now, but the cinematography is amazing. I need more Park Shin Hye tho.

Dropped:

Fluttering Warning: I just got really bored of it sorry /:

Less Than Evil: I wasn’t interested in it in the first place.

Clean With a Passion For Now: I didn’t like the male lead, he just put me in a sour mood while watching. We are leaving angry men for no reason behind in 2018.

Encounter: I tried watching the first episode, but I got bored. In my opinion there were more interesting dramas airing this month than this one despite have Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Ko

Fate and Furies: I liked the first two episodes, but again I was too caught up with the other airing dramas to continue.

Upcoming:

The Crowned Clown: Not into historical dramas, probably will skip.

Left-Handed Wife: Yeah I’m already watching My Only One, so I can’t deal with another 100 episode heart wrenching drama.

Best Chicken: The plot seems very simple, but will watch because I like chicken. Also, love that there are lots of new actors and actresses lately.

My Lawyer, Mr Jo: Not interested in at the moment.

The Dragon King Protects: ^

Liver or Die: It looks really interesting, but I don’t know yet ahh.

Touch Your Heart: Ah so they listened to the viewers and are giving us a Sunny and Grim Reaper centered romance. Wasn’t a big fan of Goblin, but I really liked when they focused on Sunny and the Grim Reaper, so I'm a little excited. I can’t say the same for the plot though.

Spring Must Be Coming: I liked Room No. 9 with the whole body switching concept, but I don’t know if I’ll like this one.

Romance is a Bonus Book: I don’t know sounds like a normal romcom. Maybe if I’m in the mood.

#dramaland thoughts #i cant believe i did an entire year of drama reviews (although this is late LOL)#i'm not even gonna tag because tbh i didn't write that well whoops

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sammys-lil-monster · 6 years

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"Gilthunder," Your voice is like the wind, soft and faint, whistling past his ear. For something with such tone, it did nothing to calm him but instead sent chills down his spine. "I'm right here," Your voice was teasing, you spoke like a child playing tag, ducking and diving every attempt of Gilthunder. "Catch me if ya can, babe." It takes almost all he has inside of him to not blush, the word babe throwing him for a loop. "Oh!" You giggle, landing in front of his wondering eyes. "I'm right here!" Gilthunder recovers and swings his sword at you, he wasn't as into it as he should've been and so his sword didn't have any chance against your speed. "I hope you aren't feeling tired already!" You mock him, jumping into the air to disappear again. "If you're going to catch me you're going to need to give it your all!" You growl and land behind him, pushing him onto the ground, his sword falling from his grasp.

"Leave him alone you creepy little pink princess," Ban growls, hands grabbing your figure and throwing you across the field. "You may be fast but you're not faster than me." Ban's cockiness will forever and always be his downfall as he saunters toward you, instead of making quick work while you were down. "I really don't like hitting pretty girls but if you can dish it out you can take it," Ban hovers over you and goes to hit you only for you to disappear. "You've got to be kidding me! Come out and fight me you-" His sentence is cut short by you wielding Gilthunder's sword against him, his head rolling across the field as your body had done earlier.

"He talks too much!" You giggle, knowing your actions would have no long turn effects on him. "Now back to you," You pick Gilthunder up and take a few steps back. "Do you wanna keep fighting or are you gonna admit that you really like me and don't wanna hurt me?" You smile a blinding smile and Gilthunder almost falls victim, his heart swooning for you. "Come on!" You giggle, circling his form. He towered over you but he was weak against your power. "Admit it Gilthunder! You want me," You reach up and grab a fistful of his pink, luscious hair, pulling his head back toward you. "It's okay to want the enemy, no one's gonna blame you," Gilthunder whimpers at the feeling of your fingers in his hair, "Especially when the enemy wants you too," And with that, you're gone and just in time because Ban had recovered and he was pissed.

"There's no point," Gilthunder picked up his sword, cleaning the hilt of it from Ban's blood. He gingerly rubbed his scalp, you had really done a number on his hair, he wasn't used to such roughness. "She's gone," Ban stopped looking for you and let out a frustrated yell. "Yeah, I'm feeling the same way," And there the two of them were left alone, miles away from the kingdom, the others probably having a drink at the tavern.

"Let's head back, that damn pink princess is bringing me to my wit's end." At this Gilthunder chuckles and starts his way back to the kingdom, Ban in a close pursuit. "Well ya gonna tell me what happened while I was out?" Gilthunder growls in response, waving his sword through the air to silence the older male.

"I don't mind lugging your body home, especially when you're quieter that way."

The trip back to the tavern was long and exhausting, you had put a bigger strain on their bodies than they thought. They were thankful they were welcomed back with drinks and food, not cooked by Meliodas.

"He totally had his ass handed to him, I stepped in to save him but-"

"He totally had his ass handed to him as well," Gilthunder laughs, slamming his stein down onto the bar's table. "She's small but she's powerful," Everyone looks toward King, the words describing their foe reminding them of their smaller friend. You were about the same size as King but you were twice as powerful and could read through all his moves which is why it was a good thing Ban had been there alongside Gilthunder.

"I heard she isn't too bad looking either," Meliodas says nonchalantly, taking another swing from his stein. This makes Elizabeth sigh, her cheeks burning red as the two of them became the center of attention from Meliodas' unknowing flirting. "What?" Elizabeth shies away from the attention and hides her face behind her drink. "I'm just being honest, tell em Gilthunder," Just like that the attention is turned back to Gilthunder and Ban and everyone is interested in their evening all over again.

"I don't understand why we just don't leave her alone, we're not after her, we're after-" Ban cuts Gilthunder off with a snort that would put a pig to shame.

"You're just scared if we meet her in battle again she'll make ya cream your pants!" Ban laughs, slapping the table, everyone staring with shocked faces.

"Was it really that bad?"

As they sat and had their story time, you and your sister sat in your room, your sister worried about your adventures.

"If father finds out you went out and battled with Gilthunder and Ban he's going to freak out." Your sister, Melanie, exclaims, throwing her hands over his head in distress as you tell her about your day. "You can't tell anyone besides me." She looks toward your door, making sure it was locked so you two would have no unexpected guests. "So..." She scoots in closer, she hadn't been outside the castle since the whole ordeal had started and she had not been blessed to see the enemies as you had. "Were they cute? Tell me about them, please!" She clasps her hands together, shaking them at you like a beggar on the street.

"Well...yes!" You grab her hands the both of you squealing like a group of schoolgirls. "Ban the undead is just like the rumors say, he's tall, taller than the other one and he has this cool, icy blue hair. He wears this leather outfit and the jacket is way too small for him, it was so sexy!" Your words make your sister smile and nearly faint, that was a sight she needed to see. "And the other one, the holy knight Gilthunder. That man was not only blessed by God himself but by the Gods themselves. He has pink hair and he towers over me, which means he'd tower over you. He has shoulders for days and his smile could make you with child."

"I've got to see! Next time you go you've got to take me!" She begged and you rolled your eyes letting go of her hands.

"First you tell me not to go out and now you want to go." You shake your head at her antics, softly giggling. "I'll think about it. If I'm caught by myself my punishment will be less severe but if I drag my little sister into it then dad will really freak out!"

You give her a small smile but it wasn’t long before you had no choice but to drag her into battle anyway.

"So we meet again," Gilthunder poses imperiously, holding his sword to the center of your chest. "I will not be bested this time." He's so sure of himself, and this makes you giggle.

"I told you he was cute," You look over at your sister who was more worried about being held captive by King. "There's the other one," You looked toward Ban who was battling against your father's guards, "I guess now isn't the time to worry about such things." You turn back toward Gilthunder and take a step forward, Gilthunder's sharp tip cutting through your fabric, the cool metal pressing against your skin. "We are in the middle of a battle after all," Your words bemuse Gilthunder, how were you so nonchalant in the middle of the battle? "You really want to keep that thing pointed at me?" You take another step and this time it draws blood. "I thought we had something special." You click your tongue and shake your head but have no time to further tease him as King pushes his chastiefol through your body.

"King!" Gilthunder drops his sword and takes your body into his arms. "Why?" The way he screams at his comrade touches you, it almost sounded like he cared. "She had no interest in hurting any of us, she's just protecting her father." Gilthunder tears the chastiefol from your body and throws it to the ground, his hands moving to cover the wound that would be, should be gushing with blood but the injury had already healed.

"Gilthunder!" King pays no mind to Gilthunder questing him for hurting you instead he was focused on your hand approaching Gilthunder's face and the words you were whispering that made the pink haired male fall onto the ground. "Gilthunder!" King yells again but it's no use because shortly after putting Gilthunder to sleep you're gone, Gilthunder with you.

"You can stay here," You roll off his lap, leaving the sleeping man on your bed. "I won't be too happy if you're hurt because my father can't keep his mouth shut," And just like that, you're gone again. "Did ya miss me?" You're behind King, sending him flying across the town's square, his body flying through a few buildings, each of them collapsing in his wake. Your eyes turn a glowing pink and you bare your teeth, "Because I sure missed you guys!"

"Wait! What? Where the hell am I?" Gilthunder wakes up, rubbing the back of his head as he had hit it when he had fallen from your spell. "It appears to be a room of that of royalty but who's?" Gilthunder doesn't have time to wallow in his questions and hops out of the bed, moving toward the window with such speed he gave himself whiplash. He could see the town's square from here which meant this was King Miodine's castle, which meant this was one of his daughter's rooms, but which ones? Gilthunder shakes his head and comes to the realization that the fight had ended and there lay nothing but bodies of fallen soldiers from both sides.

"Oh, goodie! You're finally awake." You wave your hand not holding up your towel through the air to close the curtains, making Gilthunder lept backward. "I think I might've put a little too much behind my sleeping spell, you were asleep for most the fight. No worries though," You drop your towel and Gilthunder's eyes nearly pop out of his skull.

"Erm, your majesty!" He picks up the nearest item and covers his eyes. "Maybe you would like to put some clothes on?"

"If you insist-" You pull one of your many silk gowns over your head, the fabric coming mid-thigh. "Though I'm sure we could have more fun without them." You pulled the item from in front of his face, winking at him. "You're such a gentleman."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, why am I here? Why was I pulled from the fight?" He was so rowdy, having a plaything that was rowdy made everything so much better.

"King hurt me during battle and you saved me," You lifted your gown, exposing your secret flesh to his eyes once again. "He hit me right here," You pointed to a small black dot between the valley of your breast, “It didn’t really hurt but I don’t know if you remember the big deal you made of it, almost made me think you cared!” You mock him with a small pout and dropped your gown. “Anyway you were brought here because I wouldn’t have been too happy if you were hurt in the battle, not with a body like that!” You run you hands over over his amor-clad shoulders, running your tongue over you chapped lips at the way he reacts to your touch.

“No! I need to leave this instant!” You frown, dropping your hands to your side. “I’m not going to be a toy of yours. I don’t know why you brought me here, I would’ve been fine with being hurt in battle.” Gilthunder looks back toward the window, “And I don’t care about you, I just think it was unnecessary for you to be penetrated like that.”

His words are meant to sting but all you can do is smile, turning him and pushing him down onto your bed. “If I wanted you to be my toy, I wouldn’t have to do much work but I like for people to do things by their own freewill.” You leave him alone on the bed, moving around your room to get your things together. “I don’t know if you knew but I do have the power to intensify lust.” Gilthunder’s eyes follow you, he certainly doesn’t trust you but he knows he’s attracted to you and if you could do what you said you could he needed to get out of there. “Don’t worry, I won’t use it against you, you’re more than free to leave.” You join him back on the bed and rest your head against his cool amor.

“I-I really should be, I should be going,” Gilthunder doesn’t sound too convincing to himself so he could only imagine how he sounded to you. “I mean, we are of two fighting kingdoms,” You make an unreadable face, clapping your hands together.

“I didn’t tell you? We called a truce! I had my father apologize because he was in the midst of one of his temper tantrums and now all is well.”

“He just listened to you? No complaints?” You nod, biting on the tip of finger, batting you lashes at him. “Are you trying to use your power against me?” You quickly shake your head and drop your hands to your lap. “Then what are you doing?”

“I’m not doing anything but-“ You swing one leg over his lap and push him back into the bed, “We’re not rivals anymore, I find you attractive and I feel you find me attractive too,” You tap twice on his amor and the thick layer is gone, “We’re both adults so why not have some fun?” Your arguments were becoming more compelling and he was sure you were now using your powers against him.

“No! I don’t think this is the right thing to do.” He pushes you from his lap, “You’re not so modest for a princess, in the last hour you’ve sat on my lap and exposed your body to me twice and I haven’t even known you for a month.”

“I like the have fun!” You simply shrug, “If you don’t want to have fun with me just leave, there’s no point in you staying if you’re just going to sit there and be a bore,” You lean back onto the palms of your hands, arching your back just a little as you continued to pout. Your breasts were plump and luscious, straining against your gown, Gilthunder could see your hardened nipples poking against the soft fabric. “Go ahead,” You nod back toward your door, doing it on purpose to expose your neck, the soft skin becoming so tempting. “What are you waiting for?” Gilthunder is at battle with himself and he’s starting to lose. “Go ahead, go ahead and leave me all by myself,” you run a hand over the mound of your breast and give it a squeeze. “I wouldn’t want to hold you back or anything, they’re probably waiting for you back at the tavern.”

“God,” Gilthunder’s hand takes place of yours and without anymore hesitation he’s caved in. “You are so beautiful,” Gilthunder places a random kiss along your jawline. “So tempting,” He squeezes your tit and runs his thumb over your peak. “As you said we’re both adults,” His hand leaves your tit and he grabs his face turning your head to face him. “So let’s have fun like adults,” He slams his lips against yours and it’s enough for you to know that everything was set in motion.

“I knew you’d come around,”

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writerleo86 · 3 years

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Terravenger Season 5 - Part One: Episode 352 (Do Not Copy)

At the dining room of the Noxpannon fortress, long white strings rose before the two young man -- Victor Martin and Jack E. And another individual walked to the center of the pair.

A smiling Victor lowered his head and greeted "Hi Siro."

The newcomer dressed in white informed the other students who stood before him "I must apologize for the troubles my teammate may have caused here tonight. This will never happen again."

The tails of his coat returned as if they were liquid. And the gloomy boy turned away.

"We will be leaving now," He told his teammates.

And Iris yelled "Just a moment!"

Then she stepped forward and asked "Who are you? What is your name?"

The mysterious boy turned his face to her and answered "I am Siro... Siro Verzweiflung."

He finally walked off as his two classmates followed.

After that, someone else hurried to the group with anger in his eyes.

"I wanna fight now!"

This was a large young male with fair skin, blue eyes, and cut brown hair. He had on a white shirt with a thin blue collar. He wore a pair of red pants and white shoes with light-blue at each center. And a long white scarf was worn around his neck that had two thin red lines at each end.

He ran toward both Tai and Cheetah as he roared "I'M GONNA HURT YOU BOTH!"

Yellow electricity covered his body as the obese boy continued to the pair. And two small balls made of blue light soon shot at the front of the boy's feet.

The obese boy stopped as the energy around him faded quickly.

"What the hell!" He yelled.

The young group along with Tai turned around and spotted two more individuals standing at the opened doors of the large room.

Episode 352: The White Rose Blooms Again

A female voice asked "Must you start this before the exams even begin?"

One of the newcomers that stood at the right side was Prisma Todd. She was a young girl with light skin, shiny brown eyes, and black eyebrows. The outer parts of her hair were blond as the inner parts were brown. And the back of her hair was tied into a high bun. She had on dark-brown eyeliner and peach lipstick. She wore a sleeveless white top underneath a pink blouse that had long sleeves. She had on a pair of tight green pants that had dark outlines of leaves printed. She also had on a pair of long brown boots with high heels. And placed on the left side of her chest was a pale-violet badge that had the shape of a star with a circle behind it.

The other was her partner Aiden Rose. He had clear blue eyes, fair skin, and short gray hair. And his body was well-built. His outfit consisted of a pale-blue formal coat and white dress pants. He had on a white shirt underneath with a pale-violet necktie around his fine collar. And he had on a pair of white dress shoes.

The sharp-eyed Aiden held a white rose in his left hand as he faced the large attacker.

And he asked in a calm voice "How is that we must deal with someone as gruesome as this during this great gathering?"

The large boy yelled "Do you wanna face me, Pluto?"

Before the large boy was able to charge, Prisma placed her hands together. She soon threw her hands onto the ground.

"Grass Release!" She called. "Egotist Binding Technique!"

Long green vines appeared around his legs. And the obese boy fell face down on the ground.

After that, Prisma stood up and faced her captive.

The other individual -- Aiden -- stood by her right side and took a small whiff from his bright rose.

He said "I will give you gratitude for not using extreme force."

"Why waste that on this guy?" Prisma replied. "He is not worth the trouble. He isn't as fearsome as he thinks anyway."

Tai hurried toward them and he cried "Whoa! That was incredible!"

Then another person walked toward the head of the obese boy.

This was a younger boy with purple eyes and fair skin. But the color of his face was lighter than his neck. He had long brown hair with the front part covering his left eye. And he had on black eyeliner. He wore a long black shirt with long sleeves, long black pants, and brown shoes with black laces.

He went down to his knees and stared at the large boy as a surprised grin was on his face.

"Really Hawk?" The boy asked. "You didn't want to wait until the exams to expose that power?"

The large boy turned around and began to remove the wrapped vines from his ankles.

The slender boy said "I wouldn't want to be you when our commander hears about this."

"Oh shut up Dusty!" The large boy yelled. "The loud boy with the spots on his hair looked at me the wrong way! It was my duty to rearrange his head!"

"Wat?" cried Cheetah. "Dat guy came after me wit' no warnin'!"

The gloomy boy stood up and told his partner Hawk "Let's get you back to our dorm before the Commander and Crane find out."

He added while his head was lowered "I shouldn't had let you out of my sight for a moment."

"No one told ya to babysit me!" yelled Hawk. "I could take care of myself!"

The gloomy boy called Dusty placed his right hand on his forehead as he said "The Commander told me to look after you. And Crane knew that you would make a spectacle of yourself. Now look where we are."

After he unwrapped the last of the vines from his ankles, Hawk stood up.

"Hey Cinna!" Prisma informed Dusty. "Keep your beast on his leash for now on!"

Hawk turned to her and he yelled "Why you!"

Dusty looked up as he scratched the back of his head using his left fingers.

And he implied "I am always the one that has to look after him while Crane does whatever. This is not fair."

Then he began to pull the left wrist of Hawk as he directed "Let's go Hawk. It's time to get out of here."

And Hawk was forced away as he yelled to both Tai and Cheetah "I'll get you two! Mark my words!"

Tai hurried to the other pair and yelled "Hey! Thanks for savin' us!"

Aiden faced Tai as he still carried his rose.

And he informed the students of Midas City "I would use the time you have here to examine everyone around you. You never know if they will be your opponents at the Exams."

And the pair finally walked off.

"Who were those guys?" asked Cheetah.

Paige shook her head and said "According to what the large one said, the two who saved us are from the Pluto Armed Forces."

"Pluto huh?" repeated Tai.

Inside a large room at another part of the fortress, both Beau Ravenstone and Mercury found themselves at another gathering.

Beau had worn a collared white shirt with a green tie, his pinstriped gray pants, and his leathered black belt with his MAF badge as a buckle. And he had on his pair of black boots. But he also wore a brown dress coat that had long sleeves.

Mercury had on a collared white shirt with a light-blue necktie. He also wore a pale-blue suit and a pair of white dress shoes. And his MAF badge was placed on the front left side of his coat.

The men continued walking forward until a voice yelled "Well, if it isn't my old friend!"

Mercury faced his left side and spotted someone walking toward him.

It was an African-American woman that had brown skin, dark-brown eyes, and puffy black hair. She wore a short teal-colored dress that was styled from the country China. She also had on dark leggings and short brown boots. And a red badge with two golden symbols was placed on the left side of her chest.

She stared at Mercury before she finally gave out a soft smile.

"Asia Monroe," Mercury claimed. "I have not seen you since I as an Armor Champion had fought against the Dark Lord on Planet Marinear Bay."

Asia gave out a quick laugh and said "I didn't think you'd remember after this whole time. Then again, you were one of the main champions that protected me and the other potentials that long ago."

And Mercury asked "Are you a commander for one of the the other nations?"

"Yep," Asia answered. "Of the Cinna Armed Forces."

Then Mercury informed his commander "I shall meet with you later. I would like to continue with the Cinna Commander."

"You know Commander Monroe?" asked Beau.

Mercury shook his head and answered "I do. Asia and I met during my time on Planet Marinear Bay that long ago."

And Mercury hurried off as Beau searched around.

"Well, well, well!" A male voice cried. "The Midas Commander finally shows himself!"

Beau was soon joined by two familiar people.

One that stood at the left side was the commander of the Arctic Armed Forces -- Steven Ban. He was an older man with short gray hair, blue eyes, and peach skin. He wore a light-blue shirt with a fine collar and a dark-blue necktie. He also had on a white suit and white dress shoes. And his silver AAF badge was placed on the front of his coat on his left side.

Both Beau and Ban shook hands as Beau asked "How are you these days, Old Friend?"

"Brilliant thus far," answered Ban.

And Beau was delighted as he saw the other commander, Eudial Koel. She was a beautiful woman with a slender body, fair skin, and long blond hair. She had silver eyes with blue pupils. She also had on black eyeliner and red lipstick. She wore a long red dress with long brown sleeves. On the left side of her chest was her silver GAF badge. She also had on dark leggings and long black boots. And she had on golden earrings.

"Hi Raven," She greeted in a calm voice.

"You look great," Beau told her.

And the three of them were happy once they spotted another person walking toward them from the doors.

This was a younger man with brown eyes, fair skin, and a well-built body. And his head was nearly bald. He wore a collared white shirt with vertical black lines. He had on a blue suit and black dress shoes. And his golden badge which was the shape of a triangle was placed on the front of his coat on the left side.

After the two men shook his head, the newcomer gave a soft hug to Commander Koel.

"You look just as handsome as ever, Patricius," Koel told him.

And the man said "Not as great as you Eudial."

"Is this the whole gang?" Ban implied. "Or is he on his way too?"

Then another male voice cried "Not quite!"

The group soon found the person walking slowly from the door as he held a long silver cane with his left hand.

Beau gave out a large smile as Ban yelled "The whole gang is finally here!"

This was an elderly man with dark skin and a thin body. He was also a tall person with brown eyes that was covered by a pair of black eyeglasses. He had slick gray hair that went down to his neck. And he had a thin mustache. He wore a collared black shirt with a purple vest and a long purple necktie. He also had on a long black coat and a pair of black dress shoes. And a Neptune-themed badge was placed on the left side of his chest.

"The Teacher has arrived at last!" cheered Patricius Kelly.

Koel hurried and gave a warm hug to the elder. Meanwhile, both Mercury and Asia Monroe had joined the group.

"Counselor Mercury!" Ban greeted. "It is great to see you as well!"

Then the caring Koel helped the elder onto a chair. After that, Beau stood before him with a soft smile on his face.

"Counselor Mercury," Beau introduced. "This is Rubeus Finley. He is the commander and principal of the Neptune Armed Forces. He is also a dear friend of mine as well as one of my mentors."

Mercury gave out a proper bow and said "It is a privilege to finally meet the person who my commander has always looked up to. You are known as the God of Teachers among the knights of Morah."

"Morah?" questioned Finley. "Then I take it you're a son of Artirius?"

"Yes sir," answered Mercury. "Artirius Fakinos was indeed my father."

Finley placed his left hand around the young counselor's right hand and told him "Your dad... He was a great and honorable man."

And Finley informed the group "Sir Fakinos and I knew each other from our time in Norway. That guy knew his stuff! He would have done well as a commander for one of our nations."

"I am honored that you would say such as a thing about my father," said Mercury.

Finley soon turned to Beau and replied "That was a little before I met Captain Prestley Sidney in Midas."

Beau informed Mercury "That was before both Commander Finley and Sidney's father went to a war and fought side-by-side. Then Finley founded the Neptune Armed Forces soon after."

A shaken Mercury turned to Finley and asked "He was the one who started the Neptune Armed Forces?"

"Neptune," Patricius responded. "This is one of the later nations on this planet. But this city was just as fierce and loyal as the others."

"But the first one..."

Another individual walked toward the group and folded their arms forward.

This was a tall man with brown eyes and fair skin. His head was completely shaved. And his left arm was burned badly. He wore a sleeveless dark top with a long white collar. He had golden armor around his waist with a long white cloth below. He also had on black pants and short brown boots. And a badge that was shaped as a green globe was placed at the bottom of his neck.

He told the elder "We of the Green Opal Forces... We were the first to be called an official nation by the Council. But our name is placed at the bottom of the page for the lowest of the soldiers to be produced. We were the laughing stock of the planet!"

Patricius informed Mercury "If you think of the nine nations as the Twelve Olympians, the Green Opal Armed Forces would probably be the Hades."

"We have been treated badly for many decades!" The newcomer continued. "And who is at the top of the seat? None other than Pluto? Pluto this, Pluto that!"

"That may sound accurate," Beau implied. "The Pluto Armed Forces have always been known as the greatest at completing missions, especially if they were stealth."

Then the newcomer informed the other commanders "Well, this year's going to be different. I, Barbarus of Green Opal, will see to it that the score of my nation -- our status -- does not stay at the bottom!"

Ban asked "Are you the new commander over there? At Green Opal?"

"Yeah!" Barbarus answered. "As well as a graduate. I have always kept up with what goes on around our planet like some of you. Opal will not lose the Exams this time around. We will be victorious!"

Suddenly, Barbarus grew irritated after he stared at each of the commanders.

"Neither of you are Pluto huh?" He replied. "No matter! I'll take you all out at the Exams! I have the right team that will take all of yours out easily!"

Then he responded after he spotted Beau "But you! You're the Commander of the Midas Armed Forces! Your nation has somehow been moved to the second in the bracket! That means you're a threat too!"

"Enough, Green Opal Commander!"

The angry commander turned around and found another person standing by the doors.

"By the gods!" cried Beau. "What is this?"

It was a male individual that had short dark hair with the sides shaved off. He also had a muscular body. He wore a turquoise tee-shirt underneath a sleeveless gray flak-jacket. On the left side of his jacket was a four-fingered hand printed while a pale-pink bird-like figure was at the bottom right side. The purple star-like badge was at the front on the left side of his jacket as well. And placed on the left sleeve of his shirt was the Ravenstone crest. He also had on gray pants and long black boots. And he had a tattoo of a long flame drawn on his left arm.

As he walked toward the group, they all noticed the individual had worn a white mask that had large green eyes, a small golden horn on the forehead, and large red lips that were closed below.

"Is that you, Commander Darkholme?" asked Patricius.

The masked man responded in a calm voice "Commander Darkholme had retired at the end of last year. I have become the new commander of the Pluto Armed Forces."

"Now that I have a close look," Finley implied. "I know for certain that this is not Commander Darkholme."

"And this man is of Commander-Rank," added Ban. "Otherwise the security would had noticed an intruder immediately."

Koel stared at the masked person for a moment. And she responded "That mask. I think I've seen it before. But from where?"

"I think I have as well," said Beau.

"Commander Beau Ravenstone," The masked man replied. "You of all should remember this mask. Well, not this particular mask. It was made exclusively for my mother long ago by someone you know, and quite well."

Beau stared at the mask that the man was wearing for another moment. Then he responded "Yes, I do remember that style. This type of mask was a hobby that was done by a child of my late mentor."

"Wait!" cried Ban. "You are right Beau! Sidney's son, was it?"

"I remember it too," said Koel. "It was Ethan Sidney. He used to make these masks and wear them for stealth missions. He was one of the few bests at making the masks perfectly."

"Yes Commander Koel," The masked man claimed. "But this mask... It was made for my mother by Officer Ethan Sidney before he was sent on a mission. And that was when he was not seen again."

And Beau thought to himself for a moment.

Beau's thoughts:

At the Forest Area which was at the top of the Midas Academy building, the team of three -- General Erich Sidney, the witch Sirene, and the resurrected Nathan Reed -- had faced the devious lord himself, Sirbo Kaballa.

"Well done," Sirbo informed them. "I would expect this great amount of attempt from you and your team, Teacher."

After that, a dark mist rose from behind Sirbo. And two figures came out from the mist.

One of them was a young man with short gray hair, blue eyes, and bright skin. He wore a pale-blue uniform with a silver belt around his waist. He had designs of different colors around many parts of his outfit. He also had on a pair of black boots. And a MAF badge was on the left side of his chest.

The young man stood by Sirbo's left side as Sidney cried "No! What did you do, Sirbo? He has nothing to do with your fight against me!"

Then a tearful Sidney stared at the young man once again and cried "That boy... He is my son."

Beau soon took a few steps from his group.

"You cannot be him," He implied. "General Sidney's son... Ethan Sidney... He died long ago while serving as a guard for the Council."

"I never said I was him Commander," The masked soldier responded. "But you should look at my sleeve. This should be familiar to you as well."

Beau looked directly at the crest that was attached on the left sleeve of his shirt.

"Is this possible?" He cried. "It is you! You were able to replace the great Charles Darkholme after all?"

"What is this, Raven?" asked Ban. "Do you know exactly who this guy is?"

And Beau responded.

"You are not Officer Ethan Sidney. You were that boy I met in Pluto City exactly twenty years ago. Yes. You were the thief that tried to steal a priceless item from me back then."

The person finally took off his mask. He was revealed as a young man with blue eyes and a strong face. And he had a thin beard.

"His face!" replied Koel. "He looks very familiar!"

Ban stared at the face of the individual and cried "This guy... He looks exactly like the Man of Many Faces! He's a dead-ringer for Sidney's boy!"

Beau looked at the face of the mysterious commander and said "So, it is you!"

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crimsonrevolt · 6 years

Photo

Congratulations Haley you’ve been accepted to Crimson Revolt as Cassius Mulciber.

↳ please refer to our character checklist

Welcome back Haley! It’s always so nice to be able to welcome back previous members and we’re absolutely thrilled to have you back in our little family! It’s so clear that you have such a strong connection to the character and interpret him so well. We can’t wait to see what you do with him now that you’re back with us! *your fc change to Chris Wood has been accepted. Please note that it is not our usual policy to switch poc faceclaims to a white faceclaim but an exception was made as it was an old member returning to us.

application beneath the cut

OUT OF CHARACTER

INTRODUCTION

Haley, 21, She/her, EST, America

ACTIVITY

Like most people in the group, I work and go to school but I have lots of free time around those things. 7/10

HOW DID YOU FIND US?

Alexis told me about the roleplay forever ago and then I was in it for a while and had to leave, now I’m back again.

WHAT HARRY POTTER CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST?

Remus and Sirius, I truly identify with them both equally. I’ve always been the weird, quiet kid who seemed too secretive and was bullied. But I also am a rebel who eventually learned how to stand up for myself and others. I’m like the stereotypical parts of both their characters combined.

ANYTHING ELSE?

I can’t think of anything else. :)

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER

Cassius Mulciber

Cassius: derived from Latin cassus “empty, vain”.

Asmodeus: From Hebrew Ashmedai, which itself is derived from Avestan aēšma-daēva meaning “demon of wrath” (this is my headcanon for his middle name)

Mulciber: the architect of pandemonium, taken from Paradise Lost

FACE CLAIM

Okay, so I know you all have Cassius’s FC listed as Christian Navarro. I’m aware he’s a POC FC, but I wanted to ask if there was anyway I could go back to Chris Wood since he was my original Cassius and to me, he fits the character the best. I feel it would vastly help my muse to have Chris Wood as the FC because I’ve always written him better with that face. I understand if you don’t want me to make that change and if I need to keep Christian Navarro, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask.

REASON FOR CHOSEN CHARACTER

Cassius and I have a history. He became my muse in September of 2016. I picked him up as a character originally to challenge myself because I didn’t usually write dark characters. I used to love writing the anti-hero or heroic characters who did horrible things for good reasons. I found a new love in writing darker characters. There’s a certain power in a character who has no morals. He would slit a man’s throat and then fuck someone next to his corpse without a second thought. He has no boundaries. There are no lines he won’t cross. The things he does, he does for himself. He’s a Death Eater but I believe he made the decision to join the group because of what they do, not who they follow. I will play him more in that light than as if he was another completely blind follower of Voldemort.

Cassius is a complex and deeply conflicted character. I made the comment before that I believe he has bipolar disorder, though of course it is undiagnosed due to the nature of the era and the wizarding world’s lack of science. (I have bipolar disorder and it has leaked it’s way into my writing.) His lack of a conscience and ability to charm his way out of all situations, started when he was young. His father raised him to be that way, frequently using pain as a teaching mechanism. As stated in his bio, he fits into the war like he was born for it. In another life, maybe he wouldn’t have been so perfectly formed for war but with the way his childhood went he was destined to fight this battle.

PREFERRED SHIPS // CHARACTER SEXUALITY // GENDER & PRONOUNS

I have no specific anti-ships and the only ship I have is Cassius and Augustus, but chemistry is the biggest thing for me. Because he’s a purist he wouldn’t be with anyone who wasn’t pure blooded. He also wouldn’t be quick to jump into a relationship. He’s generally more of a one night stand type person, however, he develops attachments to people and will continue having a friendly/sexual relation with them. Whenever things get too serious though, he backs off.

As far as sexuality, he is pansexual. He doesn’t care what genitals a person has or how they identify themselves, what he cares about is if the person is attractive and if they interest him. His pronouns are he/him, if you can’t tell by my extensive use of them already in this application haha. He is a cis male.

CREATE ONE (OR MORE!) OF THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR CHARACTER:

I have a lot of things on my blog (this will be the same one I use for the rp if accepted).

IN CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE

♔ If you were able to invent one spell, potion, or charm, what would it do, what would you use it for or how would you use it? Feel free to name it:

“I want a spell that causes people to drop their guard. I’m sure there are a multitude of potions that do the same thing, but I’ve always been bad with potions. A spell would be so much more convenient. The spell itself would be “fiduciam” which is Latin for trust.”

♔ You have to venture deep into the Forbidden Forest one night. Pick one other character and one object (muggle or magical), besides your wand, that you’d want with you:

“Augustus Rookwood, he’s the only person I would trust to be alone in the forest with me. As for the object, I know it may sound odd but I would take a gun. They’re surprisingly useful considering they’re muggle made.”

♔ What kinds of decisions are the most difficult for you to make?

“Decisions that revolve around my emotions. Some choices are easy, they’re clear and precise and the logical answer seems almost the only answer. As soon as the heart is involved, however, it becomes difficult to decide because no matter what the logical answer is, it’s hard to hurt yourself to do what needs to be done.“

♔ What is one thing you would never want said about you?

“That I was weak. I am many things but weak is not and will never be one of them.”

REACTION TO LAST EVENT DROP

Cassius is thriving. Firstly, it’s the first time in a while that his friends (or himself) aren’t being held captive or tortured. He has never hidden his disdain for non-purebloods, so the plan to cleanse them from the planet pleases him. What doesn’t please him however is the sinking feeling he has in his stomach. Things are going too well for them and he’s waiting on that to change because nothing ever stays positive for long. For the time being I feel that he’s just going to enjoy himself in the Death Eater ruled world and take some time to be happy that his friends are alive and healthy and NOT captured. Though he’s constantly gonna be looking for things to go wrong.

WRITING SAMPLE

July 3rd, 1974

Cassius stood in the frigid night air, waiting for his father to join him just outside the Mulciber Estate property line. He knew this was death eater business, but beyond that he didn’t know anything about what they were doing that night. His father had made promise after promise that they would soon take the required steps for Cassius to receive his dark mark, but so far they had done nothing. Eyes focused on the stars in the sky above him, he didn’t hear Gerard Mulciber walk up behind him and the hand placed on his shoulder caused him to jump slightly. Thankfully his father’s grip on his shoulder was tight as he apparated the both of them away from their estate.

The dark alleyway formed around them, coming into focus as they reached their destination. Gerard turned, walking through a doorway hidden by magic, he absorbed into the brick the way students did as they raced to board the Hogwarts Express. Cassius followed behind him, pulling his wand from his pocket just in case he had occasion to use it. As he emerged into the room he was taken aback by the sight before him. The girl magically bound and gagged in a chair at the center of the room caught his attention first, but it didn’t take long for him to notice the masked figures that stood against the walls. Their dark cloaks pulled heavily towards the ground, eerily quiet as they remained still and unmoving, no rustling to be heard. Cassius suddenly felt tiny, insignificant, he felt surrounded and closed in, despite the fact that there were only four death eaters in the room, including his father.

“What is this?” He said with an angry glance towards Gerard.

A stinging pain ran through his head as Gerard smacked him on the back of his skull. “The fact that you’re too idiotic to figure it out on your own should be the first sign that you’re unworthy of the mark. Unfortunately, they don’t agree,” Gerard spat angrily, gesturing towards the death eaters who stood around them. Cassius’ eyes traced around each figure trying to identify any of them, but he couldn’t. A hand gently rested against his back, the feeling was almost as shocking as the smack had been. “The girl,” his father said as he gestured towards the poor girl in the middle of the room, “she’s a muggleborn, so are her siblings.” As if on cue a large cloaked and masked death eater walked through the door, a young girl on his left and a boy on his right, neither could be older than eight. “You’re going to kill her in front of them.”

Cassius’ blood ran cold and he couldn’t stop the chills that ran across his skin. He’d done many terrible things while at Hogwarts but murder was not anywhere on that list. “I know this is supposed to be a challenge for me but shouldn’t I be allowed to decide what I do? Since the whole point is for me to prove myself?” His voice was shakier than he anticipated, but he just hoped his father wouldn’t take notice.

“Fine, do what you want, but the end result must be the same. The girl will die and you will be the cause.” Gerard shoved his son forward viciously, forcing him towards the girl.

Cassius tightened his grip on his wand, acting as if all of this was perfectly normal. He couldn’t show weakness, couldn’t show how terrified he was. There had to be a way for him to do this and flaunt his strength while trying to keep calm. He took a calming breath before allowing the incantation to slip from his lips. “Imperio,” the familiar spell came out easily, the motions flowing through his wrist naturally. It was a spell he had used often at Hogwarts during his free time. The unforgivable curse canceled out the weaker spells that bound her to the chair and Cassius watch with satisfaction as the girl rose from her seat and walked over to stand in front of him. He pulled a small folding knife from his pocket and gave it to her before forcing her to turn and move to her siblings’ side. She moved the knife to rest against the other girl’s throat.

For a moment, Cassius felt guilty. How could he do this? How could he force someone to kill their sister? But he knew he had no choice. Trying not to linger on bad thoughts he flicked his wand and the girl dragged the knife across her sister’s throat. She crumpled to the ground hands around her throat but he didn’t dwell on her despite the fact that she would live for the next several minutes. Moving his puppet over to stand in front of the boy, he had her drop the knife and pull out her wand. With the tip pressed against her brother’s chest, it didn’t take a genius to know what he would do next. As the killing curse slid from the girl’s mouth, a flash of green lit the room and the boy collapsed onto the ground. Cassius felt disgusted with himself. He was dizzy and ill and didn’t know if he was going to make it through this without being sick.

He pushed his illness aside, knowing he still had to kill the girl. He had to get creative, no simple killing curse was going to satisfy these men. They wouldn’t accept the same method of killing twice. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he forced her to turn her wand on herself a small incantation falling from her lips. “Incendio.” As the flames quickly engulfed her body, Cassius realized this had been a mistake. Her screams filled the small room drowning out all other sound and thought. Quietly, praying his father wouldn’t hear him, he hissed out the killing curse, the flash of green hidden within the flames. Her body dropped to the floor and he flicked his wrist, putting out the flames.

“It’s done.” It had lasted no longer than two minutes, but he felt like it had been a lifetime.

Without comment or even gesture, all the death eaters apparated from the room, apparating the bodies away with them. Cassius was left standing alone in the empty room with his father. Pride and excitement filled his chest. Was that it? Had he passed their tests? Did he get to be a death eater now? As he turned to face Gerard, his stomach dropped, dread and panic replacing his earlier emotions. Gerard glared down at him, anger and disappointment painting his features. “You didn’t kill anyone. She did and when you finally had the balls to kill her it was only to put her out of her misery. You are pathetic and weak. If it were up to me I would never make you a death eater.” Cassius kept his mouth shut allowing his father to finish. “You had better promise me that from now on you’ll kill without mercy and without fear. Otherwise, you will have something new to fear.”

Swallowing his pride, Cassius bowed his head slightly, “I promise, Father.” Little did he know that promise was going to haunt him for years to come.

#lsrp #chris wood fc #accepted app

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us2dinosaurplanet · 3 years

Text

Ultimate Story 2: Dinosaur Planet-Chapter 17: The Quest for the Last Spellstone

I hate to spoil the surprise but compared to the other floating lands, Dragon Rock was the most unpleasant. The rough landing should prove it, first of all. As Fox was landing his Arwing, the electric bolts coming out of the top of the strange structure zapped Fox. When Misty, Bubbles, and Peach saw what was happening they went down to help out. Misty and Peach rescued Fox out of the Arwing while Bubbles did the same with Tricky. Unfortunately, they were zapped, too. Rayman and Banjo went down to try and help, too, but just to get zapped, themselves. Finally, they all fell to the ground, unconscious. As for the Arwing? It blew up in mid air.

You now see them lying on the ground. Suddenly, they all woke up. Fox: “Whoa…what happened? Is everyone OK?”

Misty sat right up. Misty: “I’m OK.” Bubbles: “I’m OK, too. Are you OK, Tricky?” Tricky: “Yeah, I’m OK, too.” Peach: “I’m fine but I think I broke a nail.” Rayman: [“I’m all right. At least I landed on my head.”] Banjo: “Ow! I think I broke a joy pad.” Kazooie: “You don’t even know what a joy pad is, so how do you even know?” Banjo:” Oh, right. Fox, what’s a joy pad?” Fox: “Banjo, that’s not important right now. What IS important is what in the name of Star Haven just happened?”

Just then, Peppy’s hologram projector turned on. Peppy: “Peppy here. You’re probably wondering why Blossom contacted you earlier.” Fox: “No, we’re wondering the heck happened to us.” Peppy: “Well, you were most likely attacked by Dragon Rock’s security system.” Fox: “You mean the electric bolts that nearly zapped me and my friends to death and blew up my Arwing? We were barely able to survive long enough to say anything about it.” Peppy: “Oh, no, I was afraid of this. Well, it seems to me that you guys are stranded on Dragon Rock until someone can somehow find and destroy the security’s main powers. Right now, you guys should be OK as long as you remain on the ground.” Fox: “Will do, old timer.” Peppy: “Be very careful. Peppy out.”

Peppy’s hologram turned off. Kazooie: “Stay on the ground, eh? I know the perfect egg for a situation like this.”

Kazooie fired a clockwork Kazooie out of her mouth. The clockwork ran far away from Kazooie and the others.

20 seconds later, some explosion occurred at a far distant. Fox and friends went to investigate, they saw that the clock Kazooie bomb created a hole in a giant that held an Earthwalker. Earthwalker: “Who goes there?” Fox: “Um, my name is Fox McCloud and these are my friends.” Earthwalker: “So, you guys must be the heroes who have come to save Dinosaur Planet. Well, I’m glad to see that you guys have made it this far, but there are others.” Fox: “Yeah, I know. Your Thorntail friend told us all about it.” Earthwalker: “I’m glad to hear of his safety but the Hightop isn’t so fortunate.” Peach:” Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to help it?” Earthwalker: “Well, there is 1 way: you see, it is being held captive within that tower, over there and is being closed off by 4 patrolling robot. With their shields, they are unstoppable. However, each one has a shield generator hidden nearby. If we can destroy these, the robots will be defenseless.” Fox:” So what do you expect we should use?”

Fox pulled out his staff and held it out. Fox: “This?” Earthwalker: “No!”

Misty held out both of her fists. Misty: “These?” Earthwalker: “NO! (Referring to himself) This. Now, get on my back, you 2. Let’s do some damage.”

So, Fox and Misty climbed on to the Earthwalker and rode it out of the cage.

Finally, after a few minutes, all the generators were destroyed with the help of Misty’s x-ray vision and the Earthwalker’s hard head. Then they rode the Earthwalker back to where they found it.

Afterward, Fox jumped off it and grabbed Misty by the hand as she was stepping off. Then, hand in hand, they ran off to destroy all the sentinels until a gate at a far off distance was opened. They ran to where the gate was opened and found the Hightop that the Earthwalker was talking about. Misty grabbed on to Fox and quickly jumped on to a ledge in front of the Hightop. The poor dinosaur tried and tried to break free but the ropes were holding it back. Misty used her laser vision to cut through the ropes but even her lasers couldn’t break them, either. Then Fox noticed that each rope that was holding the Hightop back had switch. So, he took out his staff and shot them all in a flash.

Afterward, the Hightop told them about a Cloudrunner that was also being held captive in the area. The Hightop also told them to protect it from the strange structure’s fire. Hand in hand, Fox and Misty jumped on to its back and rode it out of the chamber. As it traveled through the land, missiles started flying out of the structure and towards them, just like the Earthwalker said but with Fox’s fire blaster and Misty’s laser vision, the Hightop was unharmed. It was like a Disney ride with a fire blaster and lasers. (Lame!)

Later, the Hightop stopped in front of a giant metal door. Then it entered some kind of code with its face and opened the door. Then, Fox and Misty jumped off the Hightop and it walked away as they entered the giant door area. They soon ran to a chamber to the right and found a Cloudrunner trapped in a cage hanging on the ceiling by a normal rope. Fox: “That Hightop wasn’t kidding when it said that there’s a Cloudrunner here. Hmm…Misty, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Misty: “Oh, yeah! We should let Kazooie handle this one.” Fox: “Let’s see if she’s good enough to be the Cloudrunner princess.”

Then Misty made a secret bird call of her own; a bird call that Kazooie responds to all the time. A few seconds later, Kazooie came running in, followed by the others. Kazooie: “I came here as fast as I can. So, what’s up?”

Misty pointed up to the Cloudrunner in the cage. Kazooie looked up. Kazooie: “A Cloudrunner trapped in a hanging cage. What do you want me to do about it?” Fox: “Why are you asking us? You’re the princess. You’re supposed to rescue it.” Kazooie: “Rescue it? Why do I even bother want to waist my time just to rescue a helpless Cloudrunner?” Fox: “Are you saying that you’re too good for your own subjects?” Kazooie: “Exactly!” Fox: “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Kazooie, you foolish, misguided bird. Don’t tell me that you don’t know what it means to be princess.” Kazooie: “Oh, and what makes you know more about being a princess than me? You’re only male.” Fox: “Like I said before; I have a best friend who has been princess way longer than you. She even told me that a princess helps out those in need, not having to be better than anyone else. Right, Peach?”

Peach nodded. Peach: “Even a prince needs to know this.” Kazooie: “What? You’re bluffing.” Fox: “Rules are rules. Peach just lives by them, not make them.” Peach: “Uh, huh. To be honest, I enjoy them more than living by them.” Fox: “And if you don’t believe it, then I guess don’t deserve being crowned honorary princess of the Cloudrunner tribe, after all.”

Kazooie became furious. Kazooie: “What? Why you…I’ll show you, Fox McCloud. I am good enough to be crowned princess of the Cloudrunner tribe. I can prove it. I’ll rescue that Cloudrunner from that cage, right now.”

Kazooie positioned herself like she always does when she’s about to fire one of her eggs. Fox and Peach whispered to each other. Peach: “Very cunning, Fox.” Fox: “It gets her all the time, although I should thank you for this one.” Peach: “Don’t thank me, that’s what friends are for.”

Kazooie was about to take aim, but before she did, she turned her head to Fox while making an angry face. Kazooie: “I hate you.”

Fox smiled at Kazooie again. Then Kazooie turned her head back to the Cloudrunner trapped in the cage, aimed directly at the rope that’s holding up the cage and shot a few fire eggs to burn the ropes. Then the cage fell and the Cloudrunner was finally free. Kazooie: “There, I saved the Cloudrunner. Happy?” Fox: “Yeah, but you would have done better if the queen was here.”

Kazooie’s eyes began to tear. Kazooie: “(Whispering) Your majesty…”

Fox centered his attention on the Cloudrunner. Fox: “Are you OK?” Cloudrunner: “I’m fine. Thanks for helping me out. Say, are you guys friends of Krystal’s?” Fox: “You know Krystal?” Cloudrunner: “Of course, I do. I helped her fly to the Krazoa Palace. Then I was captured by the Sharpclaws and was put into this cage. I have been stuck here ever since. Why don’t you climb aboard? I need to stretch out my wings.” Fox: “I don’t think you should. Dragon Rock’s high voltage security system nearly killed me and my friends as we were landing here.” Cloudrunner: “Not to worry, the high voltage security system on this place only works on unidentified objects. I can assume dinosaurs like me are definitely not one of them.” Fox: “Well, that’s a relief…” Cloudrunner: “However, this place has special security on the 4 spires that generate the security system. That’s why I need you to climb on my back so you can take down the spires that generate them.” Fox: “OK, then. Let’s go.”

Fox mounted on the Cloudrunner. Misty: “Wait!” Fox: “Huh?”

Misty ran towards the Cloudrunner. Misty: “You’re not doing this alone, Fox. I’m coming with you.” Fox: “Misty, are you serious?” Misty: “Yes, Fox. I don’t want you to go alone after what happened last time. I was worried sick for you.” Fox: “Misty, don’t worry, I’ll OK. But if you really want to…”

Suddenly, Fox grabbed Misty by the hand and pulled her up. Fox: “Then I’d be more than happy to let you come.” Misty: “Oh, thank you, Fox.”

The Cloudrunner took off.

Now, Fox and Misty are on their third ride. This ride was just like the Hightop, only faster, never-ending and in the air. Also, in this ride, they don’t just have to shoot the missiles heading towards them they also have to shoot the spires that the Cloudrunner heads to each time it turns. Fox concentrated on shooting down the missiles while Misty concentrated her laser eye beams on the spires. It was like a Disney ride only you get to decide when it ends. (Cool!)

After destroying all 4 spires, the Cloudrunner landed on top of the structure. Then Fox grabbed on to Misty, like they did in the old days and flew down into the structure. When inside, Fox and Misty met a mutant dinosaur named Drakor. Unfortunately, Drakor didn’t like visitors; so instead, he made the welcome a whole lot warmer by attacking them. Then it started to test them by having Misty chase it throughout the entire chamber of the structure. As Misty chased after the monster, she and Fox worked together to fight the monster. She would hold Fox with one arm as he shot out at it with his Fire Blaster. She would sometimes toss him so that he would fight it while using his athletic fighting abilities. Of course, she would always be there to catch him before he fell.

The battle was tough, but after a long time, Drakor was finally defeated. And then, as Drakor was falling into the lava, he dropped the final Spellstone. Then, Misty, with her incredible speed, flew down and grabbed the Spellstone, then she flew herself and Fox out of the chamber.

You now see the 2 of them sitting on the edge of the structure, side by side with Misty holding the Spellstone on her lap. Fox: “Misty, can I you something that I would regret saying in front of the others?” Misty: “Go ahead, Fox. I’m all ears.” Fox: “Misty, I really enjoyed riding on the dinosaurs with you.” Misty: “You do?” Fox: “Yeah. We did do a good thing for them, but what I really enjoyed about it was the fact that we were riding them together, not with the others. Not with Bubbles, Peach, Rayman, Banjo, and especially not with Kazooie. It was just you and me and not anybody else. Thank you for sharing those moments with me.” Misty: “No need to thank me, Fox because I have something to say, too. I enjoyed riding those dinosaurs with you, too.” Fox: “Really?” Misty: “Uh, huh, and I would do it again if I had the time.” Fox: “You would?” Misty: “Uh, huh.” Fox: “Wow! I’m really glad to hear you say that, Misty.” Misty: “And I’m glad, too, Fox.”

Then they gazed into each other eyes deeply and happily again. (Oh, brother! They would have figured it out by now, but it still remained a secret to them. I hope they figure before this story ends. Speaking of which, this story will never end unless I get back to it, right away.)

Later, Fox and Misty landed on the ground and found the others waiting for them, especially the 3 dinosaurs that they rescued earlier. Just then, another Arwing landed right in front of them and Slippy’s hologram projector turned on right after it landed. All: “Slippy!” Slippy: “Hey, guys. Sorry to surprise you, but Peppy detailed me on what you guys have been through while landing, so I had Rob send down a spare Arwing, right away.” Fox: “Thanks, Slip. I was so glad that we were able to shut down that security system while trying to retrieve the last Spellstone.” Misty: “We sure did, now we’re free to leave this place and go back to the planet.” Slippy: “Oh, by the way, Misty, Bubbles, Princess Peach, I became very concerned after hearing the bad news from Peppy. Are you 3 OK?” Misty: “Yep.” Bubbles: “Fine.” Peach: “Never better.” Slippy: “Good! Now, Fox, be careful with that Arwing because that’s the last spare I’m giving you. I need the other one to work on Project-Back Seat Riders.” Fox: “I’ll try, Slip.” Slippy: “OK. See ya, Fox. See ya, girls. Slippy out.”

Slippy’s hologram turned off. Fox and his friends got ready to leave Dragon Rock while saying goodbye to their new dinosaur friends and took off.

#Ultimate Story #Ultimate Story 2 #Dinosaur Planet #Starfox Adventures #Fox McCloud #Misty #Bubbles #Princess Peach #Rayman #Banjo-Kazooie #Pikachu #Prince Tricky #Dragon Rock #Clockwork Kazooie Egg #Peppy Hare #Slippy Toad #SpellStone

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alabastertouch · 7 years

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Idle

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Characters: Park Chanyeol x Reader x Oh Sehun

Warning/s: None

Summary: Okay, so you are hopelessly in love with your best friend... Guess it’s not a bad thing that there’s an enormously handsome guy quietly waiting?

A/N: This is to compensate for months of not posting... and because my friend told me to post this (I d k if she’d like it if I tag her tho!) Anyway enjoy some Chanyeol and Sehun time!

And that title was thought of last minute okay

“Yeah!” Chanyeol has called you again, drunk, and basically coerced you into staying with him throughout the party Baekhyun has so conveniently thrown in a school night.

You do love parties… you really do, but when you’re busy studying for your upcoming exams and finishing papers that won’t finish themselves, you don’t appreciate a rowdy distraction.

“Chanyeol, it’s time to go. Jongdae oppa said you have a big presentation tomorrow!” You mutter through your teeth, trying to be reprimanding yet at the same time not wanting to be a killjoy. Chanyeol himself has had a fair share of saving your intoxicated ass in the middle of the night as well, but not when you have responsibilities to take over.

“Come on, Y/N! No worries! Miss Gong is nice~” You don’t appreciate the goofy smile at the end of his sentence, either. You’ve heard enough from Baekhyun about the new teacher… that she looks younger than her actual age and that she has captivated most, if not all, of her students in all genders.

“Miss Go’s hot!” Baekhyun remarks, finishing his vodka tonic off. “I thought you like Chaeyoung, Yeol?” Baekhyun’s tipsy self almost falls, but successfully holds on to you before he can fall. You can feel his smirk, which means that he knows exactly what he is doing and he is doing it to prove something.

Byun Baekhyun is provoking you.

“Ha,” you airily laugh. “Tell me more about this Chaeyoung. Tell me why Chanyeol here likes her so much, that he’s redder than his usual drunken self.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at your subtle bluffing. He knows how you’ve been liking Chanyeol for such a long time, and like another bystander, he is itching to find out the ending of your love story with Chanyeol.

“She’s Australian,” Junmyeon comments from the side, contributing to the conversation as minimal as possible. When it comes to the matters of the heart, Junmyeon is the last one to be asked. That’s a story for another day, though.

“Oh, I didn’t know Chanyeol is interested in international affairs,” you snap at Junmyeon, who then raises both of his hands in surrender. “Why does it matter if she’s an Aussie?”

The tips of Chanyeol’s ears are now crimson, face buried on one of Baekhyun’s throw pillows. You harshly pull it out, revealing his giggling form. He topples on to your lap, a gushing fit that resembles you whenever he does something unconventional directed to you.

“Ah, Yeol, you must really like this Chaeyoung girl,” you speak, not realizing how monotonous you sounded. Baekhyun chortles in laughter, masking his making fun of your misery. Your eyes successfully shut him up and he turns to his drink in order to avoid your blazing gaze.

“She’s pretty,” Chanyeol neither confirms nor denies the accusation you made, but judging by his compliment (which he rarely ever does, because only his mom and his older sister are pretty to him), she is hella lucky.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” you mess his hair, taking out your frustration on the brown locks.

“Y/N! Stop!” He laughs once again, uncontrollable this time. After a few minutes of cackling, even after you have ended making him your outlet, he falls asleep in exhaustion.

You are, undeniably, in love with your best friend, and for whatever it’s worth, you’re willing to make him happy even if it costs you your happiness.

“Hello, my dear,” you can hear the girls’ exasperated sighs behind you as Oh Sehun once again hands you a chilled banana milk.

Cliché, but Oh Sehun is the resident tsundere. He almost resembles Naoki Irie from that Japanese manga… only that Sehun doesn’t have an IQ of 200, but rather has a personality of a six-year-old.

Even if Sehun acts like a cold-hearted male all the time, he is your moronic buddy when you’re downcast. You barely spend time with each other out of class, since he is busy with his freelance job as a model in different companies, and you are teaching English in a tutorial center nearby.

Still, that does not stop Sehun from always accompanying your Chanyeol-moping ass.

“How are you and hyung?” Sehun innocently asks, genuinely unaware of your situation. He was absent last night during Chanyeol’s drinking episode, thus not being updated with the events that occurred.

“How’s your math grade?” You purr at him, and his eyes widen as he turns to you.

“Hey, that’s a foul!” He points at you accusingly, and you just shrug him off. Anyway, you gave him an answer without directly telling him.

“Your question to me was a foul as well!” You sputter as you try to look for a reason not to hurt Sehun’s feelings.

“Whatever,” he sips on his strawberry milk. “Help me with the English exam, please?”

“What do I get in return?” You try to make a negotiation with him.

“The pleasure of my company,” Sehun motions to his body, earning himself a jaunt on the stomach coming from you and your powerful elbow. “Y/N, stop being violent!”

“So, stop making stupid remarks!” You return to your book, ignoring Sehun’s attempts at being cute. You hear the girl from the other table jeer at you as she eats a large chunk of her mac and cheese, which only makes you chortle while drinking.

That night, Sehun heads to your apartment, bringing his notebook, pen, and “glorious self” along.

“What do you mean I is a pronoun?” He looks at you as if you’ve grown two heads. “I am a pronoun.”

And you give him the equally unabashed look.

“Sehun, listen to me for a while, okay?” You heave out, once again beginning to teach him when the knock on the door interrupts your tutorial.

“I’ll open it,” Sehun volunteers and lifts himself off the floor, complaining his numbing butt and his lack of learning for the night. When he opens the door, he gets silent.

“Sehun? Who is it?”

“Hyung? Why are you here?” Sehun sounds puzzled, and when you see the visitor’s identity, you almost want to push Sehun out of your apartment.

“Sehun? Where’s Y/N?”

“Ah, Chanyeol! What’s up?” You stand up, managing to not trip along the way. Sehun looks at you disapprovingly, which takes you aback. “What?”

“You promised to teach me this language, and you’re not gonna ditch me for hyung!” Sehun mutters, thinking his voice is inaudible to Chanyeol.

“Ah, Sehun! No worries, I’m just here to ask if Y/N can lend me her car,” Chanyeol sheepishly asks. “I’ve a date tonight.”

And you want to crash your car on his perfect stature. Sehun cautiously looks at you, seeing the rise and fall of your chest as you think of a response that will not show you’re hurting.

“Yo, Y/N! Don’t worry, I’ll gas it up!” Chanyeol thinks it’s the issue, but it actually is far from that. You are thinking of ways to tell him to shut up and try to listen, but maybe you really are the girl that guys befriend.

You are friends with the undeniably good-looking ones, yet not one has ever fallen in love with you. Not to mention, your best friend is blind to your own feelings.

“Yeah, sure. You know where to get the keys,” you allow him, and his silly smile brings you down instead of what it usually did to your heart.

“Ah, you’re the best!” He kisses your cheek and heads to your room, leaving you wondering why you are stupidly nice to the guy who’s breaking your heart.

You look at Sehun, seeing his pained expression. You’d expect that he’ll mock your heartbreak, as he is the most mischievous among every one of your friends, but his empathetic smile wavers you.

“I’ll bring it tonight safe and sound!” Chanyeol promises.

“Ah, hyung, just bring it to uni tomorrow,” Sehun speaks. “I’m taking Y/N tomorrow. Just take care of her car.”

And you stare Sehun down. Did he just give Chanyeol permission to stay the entire night with his date?

“Oh, okay,” you aren’t sure if your ears are deceiving you, but it seems to you that Chanyeol is a bit disappointed. “I’ll go off now.”

And when Chanyeol leaves, you and Sehun are still left in that silence.

“Way to go, Sehun,” you huff. “That totally gives him all the privilege to sleep with his date tonight! Not to mention, he might even do it in my car!” You lash out at the poor guy who is only trying to be nice and to ease your hoping heart.

“He won’t!” Even Sehun himself is panicking. You can see.

“Let’s just finish this whole thing, okay?” You sigh as you reopen your binder, showing him the notes you’ve been religiously taking. Sehun watches you carefully, studying your every movement as you explain things to him one by one.

And it bugs you.

“Oh Sehun, you’re not listening!” You reprimand him, but his stare holds you back from yelling at him further. “What?”

“Will you promise not to hate me after doing what I’ve been wanting to do?” He whispers lowly.

“Just as long as it isn’t illegal, then fine.”

And he caresses your face, planting a kiss on your lips softly. He doesn’t move, but pulls away minutes later once he sees the shock written all over you.

“I’ll go now,” Sehun stands up and fixes his stuff, leaving you frozen with your internal battle. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

And with those words, he’s gone.

It only leaves you tossing in your bed all night. Oh Sehun likes me? It’s the question that has been running on your mind all night long. He never showed it, though. You try to recall everything that he has done for you and trace when all of it had begun.

The night you told him about liking Chanyeol? Had he been feeling this way since then?

In haste, you take your phone from the bedside table and press on your messaging thread with Sehun.

You | 2:05 AM You awake?

Sebooty | 2:06 AM Yeah. Why are you still awake?

“The audacity to ask!” You sit up as you begin typing aggressively.

You | 2:07 AM Because of what you did, dumbass!

You | 2:07 AM Since when? Or are you just messing with my head?

Sebooty | 2:08 AM I would never do that to you

Sebooty | 2:08 AM And to answer your question, way before you told me you liked hyung

Now that you have one of your questions answered, you have a lot more that needs immediate response.

You | 2:09 AM You shocked me

“Wow, very witty,” you murmur to yourself after hitting send.

Sebooty | 2:09 AM Well, I shock most people

You | 2:10 AM HAHA, funny. Don’t go kissing other girls okay? Wouldn’t want to shock them

Sebooty | 2:10 AM Why, jealous? ;)

You feel your face getting warm by his remark.

You | 2:12 AM Are you flirting with me?

Sebooty | 2:12 AM It took you two minutes to reply?!

Sebooty | 2:13 AM And yes, I’ve been doing that for the past year. Thanks for noticing.

“Oh, this little shit,” and you find yourself enjoying this… texting Sehun and laughing at his flirtatious words that come every once in a while. It seems like he is feeling the same, because he continues replying just as quick as you are doing.

You | 4:01 AM Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?

Sebooty | 4:01 AM As should you, princess

You smile at the cheesy term of endearment.

You | 4:02 AM We still have four hours before our class, Sehun. Go to sleep.

Sebooty | 4:02 AM Rest now, Y/N. Good morning!

You | 4:03 AM Sweet dreams, Sehun

Finally, you tuck yourself under your blankets, feeling warm with both your body and your heart with the thought of a friend you are now seeing in a brand-new light.

Instead of waking up with your usual alarm tone, a clinking ring tone gets you up and has you grabbing your phone quite violently.

“Hello?” You groggily answer.

“Yo, it’s 7:30,” your eyes widen after hearing the time from the caller. “I was pretty sure you were still asleep.”

“Shit!” You run to the bathroom, phone still held close on your ear. “Look, Seul, I have to hurry up because Sehun is picking me up soon.”

“Sehun? Oh Sehun?” She asks, a little laugh in her tone. “Ooh, what’s going on between you two?”

“Nothing!” You defensively respond. “I’ll text you later, okay? Bye! Love you!” And you hang up and throw your phone on the bed.

After a five-minute shower and throwing a quick makeup look (you choose a reddish lip tint today, surprisingly), you finish with dressing up in a comfortable sweatshirt and black leggings.

The knock on your door stops you from checking yourself out longer in the mirror.

Once you open it, it reveals Sehun wearing his usual clothing, but you had failed to notice how he undeniably looks like he just came out of a Balmain photoshoot.

“Ready to go?” He asks, a little bit shy.

“Yeah, let me just put on some shoes.”

You ride on the shotgun seat of his car right after.

You spend the way to school in comfortable silence, singing to the songs playing on the radio and stealing glances at Sehun once in a while.

“Stop looking at me all weird,” Sehun speaks, not taking his eyes off the road. “That’s the last thing I wanted to happen.”

“Well, that’s the consequence of kissing me,” you roll your eyes at me.

“Look, you don’t have to feel obligated to spend time with me if you feel too awkward, Y/N. I understand that you like someone else and I’ll give you your time if you want it. But after that, I’m hoping we’ll still be as close as we were.” Sehun explains, pleading you in a way. You find his sincerity endearing, and you find yourself hiding a smile.

“Sehun, no. I’m not going to stay away from you,” you clear up, surprising him. Once he has parked, he looks at you in surprise.

“We’ll talk about this later, okay? We have class,” You climb down his car. “Let’s go.”

As you enter the classroom, Mrs. Go has not luckily arrived yet, but unfortunately, Seulgi is there, wiggling her eyebrows at the scene of you and Sehun entering at the same time.

“What’s with the eyebrows, Kang?” Sehun sasses.

“What’s with you and my bestie arriving together, Oh?” Seulgi spats back with a teasing tone.

“Just me being a nice guy,” Sehun shrugs.

“You? Nice?” Seulgi snorts as she looks at him. “You’ve finally found your balls, huh?”

“Yah!” Sehun exclaims. “Stop!”

“What? It’s about time you quit bitching about seeing Y/N and Chanyeol oppa together,” Seulgi cackles and leans closer to you. “Did you know he threw a sissy fit when he found out you picked Chanyeol oppa up from that party? He was complaining to me and Jongin about it!”

“What’s the problem with me picking him up? He was drunk!” You ask Sehun, who ignores your question by looking out of the window.

“Because he’s jelly,” Seulgi winks. “And there’s nothing wrong with Sehun, right? Apart from the fact that he whines a lot, he’s an okay guy.”

“He’s a great guy,” you impulsively say, pursing your lips afterward.

“Aha!” Seulgi points. “I’m totally shipping!”

“Shut up, Seulgi, or I’ll tell Jongin that you’ve been liking him since you were fifteen!” Sehun blackmails the orange-haired girl.

“You wouldn’t!” Seulgi gasps.

“I will if you don’t stop bugging me and Y/N!”

After three hours of Mrs. Go explaining complicated Calculus equations and Seulgi’s unexpected silence, lunch time has arrived.

Since Seulgi has something to look for in the library, you and Sehun are the first ones to grab your lunch. You head to the cafeteria together, where you see Chanyeol with Jongdae and Baekhyun, poking fun at Kyungsoo’s newly shaved head for the school’s play.

“Hey, guys,” Sehun greets first. You wave at them, to which they reply with a chorus of hellos.

“Hey, here’s your key,” Chanyeol throws, and you successfully catch them in your hands. “No scratch at all. It’s safe and sound.”

“Wow, what a miracle,” you sarcastically smile. “I’m getting food. Let’s go, Sehun!”

Once you return to the table with your trays, Jongdae starts bombarding you with questions.

“Are you finally going out?” Jongdae gushes, and Sehun is all ready to deny it before you speak up.

“Not yet,” you take a sip from your bottle of water. “He hasn’t asked me out properly yet.”

Sehun almost chokes on his ramen, and Chanyeol looks at you with wide questioning eyes.

“Yah, I thought I taught you better!” Baekhyun hits Sehun’s head. “Ask girls properly and with respect!”

“Wha—You said we’ll talk about it later!” Sehun sputters.

“Later is now!” You reason out. “Let’s talk about it now!”

“With them?” He motions to the four older guys around you.

“Hey, we’re your hyungs!” Kyungsoo scolds him.

“Yeah, hyungs who’ve been making fun of me for not confessing!” Sehun cries out.

“Are you going to ask me out or am I going to be the one to do it?” You ask him, seemingly bored. He stands up all of a sudden, taking you aback.

“Let’s get out of here.” Sehun takes your hand and leads you outside of the cafeteria. Once you are in a secluded area, he faces you with an unsure look.

“Are you messing with me?” He asks you with a raised brow.

“I wouldn’t do that to you.” You return his words with a smile.

“Movies at 8?” He slyly proposes.

“I’d love that,” and you climb on his tall figure and kiss his cheek, leaving him a giggling mess in the school garden.

Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Kyungsoo watch Chanyeol as he eats his tonkatsu silently, which is quite a contrast from how he was before you and Sehun came and left.

“You okay, man?” Baekhyun queries, earning an absentminded gaze from Chanyeol. He finally snaps out of it and realizes that he is being questioned.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Chanyeol tries to convince his friends.

“Chaeyoung’s right, huh?” Kyungsoo says. “About Y/N?”

Chanyeol’s date last night went awry after Chaeyoung made it clear to him how he really felt, because she had noticed that all Chanyeol had talked about was you.

But now, he knows that it’s just a thing that will never happen, because as he watches yours and Sehun’s intertwined hands upon returning, he knows he has missed an amazing opportunity.

“She’s right.” Chanyeol coughs.

He’s too late.

#chanyeol scenario #sehun scenario #chanyeol angst #sehun angst #exo angst #exo scenario #oh sehun scenarios #park chanyeol scenario #oh sehun #park chanyeol

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insanelink-blog1 · 4 years

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trey-ff · 7 years

Text

02.

DANE

Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed that it was extremely packed. People, both patrons and employees, were swarming about, fraternizing and enjoying the laid-back yet lively ambiance. They must have really wanted to see this bottle-tossing competition.

Remembering what Janice had instructed for me to do, I made my way towards the cherry-wood bar that was stationed in the center of the restaurant. Scouring the inside, I spotted two bartenders, one male and one female, but neither Janice.

“Hey,” I beckoned, reaching my hand out to halt the female bartender who almost whisked past me, “I’m looking for a woman by the name of Janice. She works here.”

“You’re Dane, then? She was expecting you,” she smiled knowingly, “I’ll go get her. Need anything before I go?”

“No, I’m fine.” I assured, leaning against the edge of the bar while she sauntered away in search of Janice. About two minutes later, the red-haired, buxom bartender returned with Janice in tow. As soon as we made eye-contact, we both broke into smiles. She looked good, even while donned in a work uniform.

“Hi, I’m glad you could make it,” she sang, swaying towards me with wide, inviting arms, “I give hugs.”

Due to her bubbly and comfortable mood, along with that invitation for a hug, I assumed that her night-job as a bartender brought that out of her. She seemed a lot more sociable and outgoing than I’d thought she’d be on our second encounter. But, I liked it.

Grinning, I embraced her in a hug that was honestly, too short-lived for me. However, I didn’t want to be too excessive and forward by prolonging it so, I allowed it to end when she did.

“How are you?” I smiled, happy to be before her after so many days. I had been thinking about seeing her again since the minute we parted ways at the gym.

We had only spoken once after she told me about her bottle-tossing competition. That time, she had called me. The conversation wasn’t revealing nor invasive; we just talked about casual things. One conversation about what the other was watching on TV branched into endless topics revolving our favorites and whatnot. While we had some things in common, what really impressed me about her was her depth of knowledge on certain topics that I didn’t believe she would care to be aware of, like politics and the current societal issues. Furthermore, I was in awe at how long she had the ability to captivate me with conversation. There was never a dull moment; I hadn’t felt a connection like that in a while.

“I’m feeling good. You?” she returned with a grin.

“Better now that I’m here.” I smiled, watching as I effortlessly made her blush. She was so damn beautiful.

“You’re such a charmer.”

“Glad you could take notice,” I smirked before licking my lips, “so, when does this competition start?”

“In about ten minutes or so. We can sit at the table in the meantime. My friends are already here.” she said, motioning for me to follow her lead through the hustle and bustle. As I did so, I mentally prepared myself for this encounter with her friends. Again, I knew that their opinions held weight if she wanted me to meet them this soon on. They couldn’t be too hard to win over.

When we approached the heightened, circular table that was cluttered with appetizers and drinks, four people were occupying the wooden stools. Only one face was familiar.

“Okay, so you already met Clayton. This is his lovely fiancée, Angela,” she introduced as he threw me a head-nod and she waved politely, “this is Rochelle, my best-friend who I’ve told you about. This is Asad. And, we’re currently waiting on the two lovebirds, Bianca and Brandon.”

“I’ve heard many good, likeable things about you, Sir.” Rochelle simpered, extending her hand towards me. Flashing a smile, I shook it.

“That’s good to know.” I said, chuckling smoothly as I glanced at Janice, whose face had flushed for the second time tonight.

I could get used to making her do that.

“Here. let me get you a chair.” Janice offered, preparing herself to snag one of the available chairs from another table. I halted her hand.

“It’s alright, I got it.” I assured, doing the honors. I stationed my seat at the table right beside where Rochelle was seated. She seemed to be the only one who sent off positive and welcoming vibes. Angela was neutral, while Clayton and Asad could care less about my presence. While I picked up on that, I didn’t really mind. I wasn’t there for them, I was there for Janice.

“Do you want me to get you anything?” she pondered once I was seated comfortably. Humming, I tucked my lips inward and shrugged my shoulders.

“What do you recommend for me?”

“For you,” she smirked, pointing at me, “hmm. Either the Lynchburg Lemonade, or the Long Island Iced Tea. Those are my two favorites.”

“Bring me whatever you think I’d like. I’m easy.” I chuckled. We held each other’s gaze for a moment before she cleared her throat and placed her attention on her people.

“Do you losers want anything else?”

“Wow, we don’t get the same courtesy as Dane,” Rochelle asked jokingly as I snickered, “how rude. You know me, though, I want another one of these bad-boys.”

“Do not get drunk, Ro. Please.” Janice warned, pleading with her eyes. That proved to me that she was a little reckless when the liquor hit her system. Noted.

“Don’t worry, J. She won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Asad spoke, sending her a reassuring smile as she returned a polite one.

“Anybody want anything else?” Janice asked, folding her arms across her chest. Everyone either shook their heads no, or sent her a verbal no before she whisked away to get the drinks. Clearing my throat, I adjusted the sleeve to my black button-up before clasping my hands together. The table was dead silent until Clayton took it upon himself to speak.

“So, my sister says you’re an architect.” he sighed, making an attempt at small-talk. I nodded.

“Yeah, and she tells me you fix up cars? What do you specialize in again? Is it auto-body, auto-mechanics?”

“Both,” he replied shortly as I nodded impressively, “I own my own auto-shop.”

“That’s dope. Your family really has a business state of mind, huh?” I said, referring to their desire to own their own businesses.

“Yeah, we were raised to be self-made.” he shrugged nonchalantly. It was quiet for a moment before Rochelle did the honors.

“Janice also says you’re from Virginia.” Rochelle stated, slipping her straw into the corner of her mouth.

“Yup. Lived there until I was eighteen and then, I moved to New York. That’s kinda where my love for architecture came from. The buildings, the city… it was all new to me.” I smiled. She smiled, too, and was about to add another comment, but Clayton cut her off.

“Any brothers or sisters?” Clayton asked bluntly, driving off-topic. I couldn’t help, but to laugh.

“This feels like an interrogation.”

“Yeah, Clayton, calm down,” Rochelle agreed, fanning her hand at him, “you’re making him nervous.”

“Never that,” I snickered, “it just feels real formal and calculated. I’m not here for that.”

“Then, what’re you here for? Janice did tell you that her brother and friends were gonna be here, right? I need to see what you all about before I just allow this.”

I furrowed my brow, praying for his sake that he used the wrong verb.

“Did you by chance mean approve, or maybe accept?”

“Nah, allow.” he reiterated, forcing me to blow out a low breath and snicker. I understood him being a protective older brother, but this was just overbearing. She wasn’t his woman. Like noted, I had plans to pursue and there was no way her older brother was wedging between that. Or, anyone else for that matter.

“Clayton, chill out,” his fiancée warned, somewhat calming him, “he’s just really overprotective. You can understand that, right?”

Shrugging, I released a light chuckle.

“No, and I’m not really paying it enough mind to understand.” I blatantly admitted right before Janice arrived back to the table, drinks and appetizers in tow. Her eyes danced around at everyone’s expressions; tension was noted.

“How’s it going?” she asked nervously as she placed the drinks down in their respective spots.

“Fine.” Clayton and I both pitched at the same time and in the same dismissive tone. She seemed to sense that something was wrong, but didn’t want to spoil the night by addressing it.

“Okay…” she sang unconvincingly before making eye-contact with Rochelle, who made an uneasy expression to confirm her suspicions. But before she could question it any further, a duo arrived at our table, the woman surprising Janice by hooking her arm around her shoulder.

“Hey, girlie,” the woman said, speaking directly to Janice before scanning her eyes around the table and stopping at me, “and, who’s this?”

“This is Dane, I told you about him. Dane, this is Bianca and her boyfriend, Brandon.” she introduced, instantly reminding me that she did mention two more guests joining us.

“Nice to meet you guys.” I simpered, reaching for my drink and taking a long belt. At first, I didn’t mind that her friends and brother would be attending, but I couldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t bothering me. Clayton had already become unbearable, the others were unimportant, and I barely had any real contact with Janice throughout the whole night. But, I knew that I needed to deal with it if I ever wanted any real contact with her.

JANICE

Considering the fact that the occasion of the bottle-tossing competition didn’t exempt me from work, I couldn’t stay at the table with Dane. I almost regretted inviting him out due to my absence throughout the night. Even more than that, I noticed the tension stemming from him and Clayton, which I knew was because of something that my brother said or did. I warned him before Dane arrived to behave, but I could only expect so much cooperation from him

“Are you nervous? ‘Cause I am.” my fellow bartender and friend, Roxanna, chuckled in reference to the bottle-tossing competition. We were both first-time participants.

“Very,” I emphasized, grabbing the three shakers that I would be using to make my Tropical Trifecta, as I’d named my entry, “but, it’s not only the competition that has me nervous.”

“It’s that guy, huh? Dane?” she asked knowingly. I had informed her about Dane so that she could tell me when he arrived if I wasn’t on the floor to greet him.

“Yeah, I really like him… I just hope the feeling’s mutual, you know? We barely spent any time together tonight, he’s been with my friends and Clayton. And, I know my brother said something ridiculous. I sensed it when I checked in on everyone. I don’t want Clayton interfering and pushing Dane away already.”

No, I wasn’t in love, but I wouldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t fathoming about what things could become. It was the first time since my last relationship that I met someone with potential. He seemed like the perfect man all across the board and I didn’t want to jeopardize anything. There was undoubtedly a brewing connection there and I didn’t need Clayton ruining the possibility of that this soon on.

“Listen, girl, if he’s into you as much as you are him, nobody is pushing him away. He would be a coward to let your brother get in-between what ya’ll got going on and basically, force him to leave you alone. And, honestly, just from a glance, he doesn’t seem like the type to go down without a fight.”

“Yeah, I hope not,” I murmured, “but I do need to make it my business to talk to Clayton.”

It was never easy getting through to Clayton; he was as stubborn as a mule. Once he had negative associations with something, it was hard to shift his perspective. So, nothing that I could say would make him change his warped view, or behavior towards Dane, but I would be a fool not to say anything at all, especially if it bothered me. Things were too fresh for him to be forming an opinion, let alone, allowing that opinion to fuel how he treated Dane.

“Just let him know that he needs to fall back. We know he’s just being a big-brother, but c’mon. Does he expect you to be alone all your life? He won’t like every guy you date, but he should always like seeing you happy,” she commented before taking a pause to contemplate, “on the other hand, though, I honestly think he’ll come around, Jan. It’s still too early and you know, he’s just on defense-mode.”

I knew Clayton better than she did to know that that was bullshit. Ian never endured this treatment, even after we broke up. But instead of boring her with my constant worries, I nodded in agreement and waved a hand for us to return to the front for the competition.

“I’m so nervous. I really hope we don’t embarrass ourselves,” I admitted through laughter while grabbing my equipment, “well, here goes nothing.”

-- -

“Dane, you didn’t have to buy all my drinks,” I giggled as I made it to the table, “why’d you spend all that money on nothing?”

As antsy as I was about this bottle-competition, it went extremely well and was actually super fun. Surprisingly enough, there were a lot of bidders who were willing to pay upwards of one-hundred and fifty dollars for my drinks. What was even more surprising was that Dane outbid them all with two-sixty just to win the drinks for himself and my people.

During all three rounds, Dane upped the ante. A bidder would confidently raise the bar, only for Dane to raise it even higher. I kept sending him hand-gestures, shyly begging for him to stop while he was ahead. I didn’t want him spending all that money, though, part of the earnings went to me and no one could deny more money in the bank. But, me telling him no only egged him on; he would smirk and then, go even higher.

“That li’l bit of money wasn’t nothing. Plus, I wanted you to win.” he grinned, taking a sip of the drink that I had made. I couldn’t contain the smile that ensued; he was so charming.

“Is it good at least?” I asked nervously.

“Perfect. It’s too bad I didn’t get to try them all, but you can make them for me another time, right?” Dane smirked, briefly licking over his lips as he cupped the cylinder-shaped glass in his hand.

“If you’re lucky.” I said through a coy smile.

“Here’s to hoping I get lucky, then.” he chuckled before finishing the rest of the pineapple-flavored drink. In no way did he appear drunk, but he definitely seemed more bold and flirtatious when the alcohol hit his system. But, I liked it. Hell, I liked everything about him.

Even though our time around one another this evening was minimal, I was really feeling him. Aside from being devilishly sexy, he wreathed in confidence, masculinity, and control. Beyond being such a captivating sight, that demeanor of his made him even more attractive in my eyes. He just exuded such a great sense of self; he had it all together. He was a real man. Every single last thing about him was intoxicating and irresistible.

“You just might.” I murmured, watching as he raised an eyebrow and grinned at me.

“That’s good to know.”

It was at that moment that Clayton returned from the bathroom, his eyes diverting between Dane and I as he retook his seat at the table. Honestly, that reminded me that the others were still there. For a moment, it felt like it were just Dane and I; he was just that captivating.

“Good job, sis.” Clayton muttered, smoothing down the front of his shirt. Smiling at him, I batted my lashes.

“Why, thanks.”

“So, what do you get for winning this competition?” he pondered, examining the pink-colored guava and lemon-lime drink before sipping some and sliding it to Angela.

“Well, a portion of the money from the highest bidder,” I smiled as I glanced at Dane, “and, of course, the recognition of being the winner. My manager says that should keep the tips coming in ‘cause people are gonna’ want to try my drinks. Not even five minutes out of the competition and I had people asking me to make them something.”

“Not too shabby for a first-timer. You did great tonight, Janice.” Asad complimented through a smile, in which I returned.

“Thanks, Asad. It sucks that you guys didn’t get to try any of them, though.” I murmured, referring to him, Bianca, and Brandon.

“Yeah, Rochelle wasn’t tryin’a share.” Asad said through a playful chuckle as he nudged her arm. She shrugged before removing her lips from the straw.

“Hey, if I drink, I’m drinking for us all.”

“You’re such an alcoholic,” Bianca snickered, “well, Janny, you can always make up for it by adding these drinks to the menu for Brandon’s birthday-party.”

“No problem.” I smiled. In three weeks, Brandon was entering his dirty thirties and of course, I was called upon to cater the event. It was the first casual gathering that I was catering in a long time so, I was excited for it.

“Alright,” Dane sighed, stealing my attention before anything else could be said, “the night may still be young for some, but I’ma get going. I have an early morning tomorrow.”

To be honest, I wasn’t ready for this date--if that was what it was even considered to be at this point--to end yet. We had been out for three hours, give or take, and maybe a half-hour of that involved actual interaction between us two. I just hoped that we could get in more time together.

“Okay, let me walk you out.” I offered, standing up from the table along with him. Nodding, he grabbed his black leather wallet from the table before patting his jean-pockets, probably in an attempt to make sure that he had all of his belongings.

“It was really nice meeting you all. Hope to do this again sometime,” he simpered as the females replied with positives words and the men simply nodded their heads uncaringly, “aight, have a good night.”

As he turned in the direction of the exit, I glared at Clayton, who reacted with a shrug. Though I knew better, I was expecting more than a head-nod from him. I hated that he was being so cold towards Dane, especially on their first official encounter. I couldn’t understand the reason for his behavior, but I made it a mental-note to get to the bottom of this attitude after I said my goodbyes with Dane.

When we approached the doubled, glass front-doors, he grabbed a hold of the golden door-handle, pulled it back, and waved a hand for me to go through first. I smiled, entering the warm vestibule. As I attempted to reach for the next door-handle leading to outside, he moved my hand aside and did the honors.

“Uh, uh, uh,” he sang, “I open the doors.”

“Well, okay, then,” I giggled shyly before walking ahead of him and through the threshold, “thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

A quiescent silence filled the air as we sauntered towards his car. The moment was not at all awkward for me, but I felt the need to say something. Without wanting to zero in on Clayton specifically, I presented my next words with caution.

“Dane,” I began, catching his attention during our stride, “I hope you weren’t overwhelmed by everyone being here tonight.”

He sighed, seemingly in a tinge of disappointment, before replacing that expression with a mild smile.

“No, it was really cool to meet your friends and brother… again. I do want for us to have some alone-time, though. Not like that, but you know, just me and you. I feel like we couldn’t really connect tonight with the competition and other interferences.” he admitted as we approached his car and he leaned against it. Chuckling because I had been thinking the same thing, I nodded in agreement.

“I could see why you would feel that way. Since I pretty much arranged this outing, you can choose the next one. I’m game for anything.”

“Yeah?” he asked with pure amusement, as if he were already planning the most out-of-the-box rendezvous.

“Well, not anything,” I drawled, earning laughter from him, “but, I’m open to having a good time. It doesn’t have to be the typical dinner-date, you know?”

“Okay, I’ll be sure to think of something good.” he promised, licking his lips as he opened the car-door after using the keypad to unlock them.

“Alright.” I grinned, pursing my lips together. Without uttering a word, he widened his arms for me to give him a hug.

“I give hugs back.” he joked, earning a giggle from me before I accepted his courteous invitation. After our embrace, he threw me another handsome smile and jumped inside his car, leaving his door open for us to share some last parting words.

“Be safe.” I simpered. He turned the key, forcing the engine to roar to life before making intense eye-contact with me. Then, he broke into a smile.

“I will. You do the same, alright?”

Nodding, I allowed him to shut his door and reverse from the parking-space before walking back towards the restaurant.

“That went good, Janice.” I whispered before breaking into a content smile. As shy and timid as I was, I figured things would be awkward, but they were the opposite. I was proud of myself for taking that push out of my comfort-zone to even invite him out tonight. Progress.

Though it was very well past midnight, people were still swarming the place. As I approached our table, my friends were still seated, relatively calm compared to the other patrons.

“So,” I sang, grabbing their attention before smiling widely and clasping my hands together, “what did you guys think of Dane?”

“I think he’s strange,” Clayton grumbled, forcing me to kiss my teeth in annoyance, “and, I’on trust him.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause he don’t trust nobody with his baby-sister. Aww.” Rochelle sang sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t.” he admitted.

“While that’s cute and all, women need dick every once in awhile, Clay. Yes, including your sister.” Bianca intervened, forcing me to muffle my laughter at how Clayton cut his eyes slim at her.

“Chill.” he grumbled.

“That’s not my intent,” I declared before taking a brief pause, “at least, not my sole intent.”

“Janice. I’on wanna hear about that.” he warned as we cracked up laughing at his serious expression.

“Okay, okay. All jokes aside, though, what do you think of him, Ro?” I smiled, fanning my hand towards her.

“I like him because you like him. He seems like he has major potential to make you happy. And, at the end of the day, that’s all we want for you. Ain’t that right, Asad?” she asked, nudging his arm.

“Of course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that what makes you happy is what’s right.”

I furrowed my brow.

“So, that must mean you don’t like him, either?” Angela asked, pointing towards him.

“I haven’t seen enough to like him.”

“And, Brandon?” she sighed, seeing if all the men had the same perspective of Dane.

“I’on care enough. Plus, we all know Janice gon’ do what she want anyway, regardless of what anyone thinks.” he grumbled, earning a pretty-much shrug from me.

“See, and I know that. That’s why as your brother, I can only warn you. I can’t control you and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to. You’re an adult who is allowed to make her own mistakes.” Clayton added through a shrug, slyly indicating that Dane was a mistake.

“Clayton, why are you so against him after this one encounter? You barely know him.” Angela exclaimed at his stubborn attitude. At this, I folded my arms across my chest, awaiting his response to my same question.

“And, whose fault is that? He thought meetin’ me on the serious tip was gon’ be a walk in the park? Nah, and plus, he wasn’t really makin’ the effort to begin with. He seemed disconnected. Like, this shit was just a waste of time to him. He made no real impression on me and I’m no longer interested. Period.”

Silence surrounded the table as everyone digested what Clayton said, probably waiting on my response. But, to be honest, I wasn’t even upset about it. I knew how my brother operated so, this behavior was expected. Still, I was headstrong about not letting him ruin things for us.

“Well… thanks for the feedback, guys. Only thing I gathered from this is that I will not be inviting him out with us again. Clayton might successfully scare him off next time.” I snickered, trying to lighten the mood a little. To that, the others chuckled while Clayton simply shrugged his shoulders.

While I valued the opinions of my friends and family, I knew that ultimately, it would be up to me to make the final verdict regarding Dane. And, though the reception was pretty underwhelming, I had to admit that I liked Dane and I planned on seeing more of him.

#me4u

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