#ink spots (Anna!)

[just-some-random-blogger]

i was reading your fics, and was reading one where daemon is going up against cregan a little bit. i got this idea, cregan giving the reader a direwolf puppy as a gift. daemon makes a snide comment about it and cregan just turns to him, telling him that your enjoying your new pet, and who knows, maybe one day cregan will give you puppies.

daemon seethes as cregan walks away, acting as if he didn't just imply he was gonna breed you.

Puppy Love

Daemon Targaryen x Reader + Cregan Stark x Reader

Summary: Ever since you came of age, you became the jewel of the court and your father turned down proposal after proposal, knowing if the man didn't want your massive dowry, they wanted to claim and corrupt your beauty and kind nature. And the only reason why your father hasn't chewed up the all too friendly dragon prince, was because he was doing most of his job for him. And anyway, your father knew you were too kind to think his attentions to you were anything more than friendly.

Word Count: 2k+

Warnings: Fem!reader, 'too kind' reader, jealous!daemon, smitten!cregan, fluff, typos, etc.

A/N: first of all, i have written quite a few fics were I've added cregan as uh an opponent for daemon so HAHHAH im not sure which one you mean, though I have an inkling it's Wish I Was Her (this is not a p2 of this btw) second of all, /: cregan dumb for giving away a direwolf to some rando dafaq. third of all, i really want do a take on a 'traditionally feminine reader' since i normally dont do that lol so im tryna make reader fit the period more, without making her a damsel in distress. wish me luck Tagging: @pinksirensong @aralezinspace @deniixlovezelda @targaryenmoony

You straighten the brown paper in one hand while you fiddle with the wax seal that was on it moments ago. You snort through your nostrils, beaming at the ink on the the letter, eager to both reach the end of the page, and not wanting the words to end at all.

Daemon, who had been walking with purpose, forgets where he was going along the way when he spots you. You, the giggling lady, sat comfortably on the stone blocks that separated the garden and the hall.

The prince's stoic demeanor melts into an expression similar to yours when you smile at what you were reading. What were you reading? A letter? A letter from-

Quickly, the realization of what kind of letters a lady such as yourself would be receiving that would cause you to giggle like that makes his expression splat into annoyance.

With twice as much purpose, he struts over to you and calls out your name. You immediately avert your gaze, smile widening at the sight of him.

Good.

"My prince," you speak, bowing your head just as Daemon reaches you.

Daemon raises his brows and drops his lips, eyeing the paper in your hand, "a good read?"

You release a chuckle at the expression he pulls, "a very good read. I say Alaric is as good with the quill as he," you point to the paper, "harks to me how good he is with the blade."

He grunts, "Alaric." Where has he heard that tatty name before?

You chuckle as you watch Daemon stiffen. He places his hands behind him, slowly walking to the other side of the block you were sat on, sitting there across you, "which moronic suitor is he again?"

You drop your letter on your lap, tilting your head at the fuming prince, who now had his arms crossed. "Alaric," you start with a chuckle, "is my darling cousin, Anna's, son."

Ahh, Daemon blinks, that's why his name is familiar.

You snort, "he has merely just turned ten and one, your grace."

He clears his throat.

"Do you not recall rejecting my offer to attend the boy's nameday?" you speak through an amused grin.

"I've never cared for namedays," he trails off, crossing his arms.

You laugh. He turns to you because of it. How could he not when your laugh was like that? Your being beams in amusement, glowing like a star. It makes the prince emit a soft chuckle.

"If I didn't know any better," you say in between catching your breath, "I'd you were jealous of a child, my prince."

You catch the small smile on Daemon's face as he pretends to be offended, "and I'd say you've been reading too much."

Very suddenly, you gasp and point at him, making him pull his head back and his expression drop. His concern drops when you say, "is that a blush I see? Ooh!"

Daemon's arms loosen at your words. As if eager to make your words true, he begins to feel his body burn. Damn body.

You gasp the second time before throwing your head back in laughter, "I do say," you sigh, "scarlet suits you well."

Daemon rolls his eyes and shakes his head as he stands from his spot.

"Well, I mean, it is one of the colors of your house."

"Yes," he drops his hands to the side and walks over to you, "and I should well ought to make it your own."

And though Daemon smirks when he says this, your brows furrow at the thought. His vanilla baby.

"It would be pointless to try and convince my father to change anything about our house."

He sighs as you refold your paper, trapping a waxen seal in its center, and move to stand next to him, "in our actual house, I had to argue with him to change our drapes."

"No," Daemon says in shock, as if he actually cared.

"Yes!" you shake your head, "it was terrible! I had to remind him that I was now the woman of the house."

"Oh, that does sound terrible," Daemon huffs, eyes widening. He watches you as you believe in his empathy. He watches as you smile at his disingenuous words. Two beasts rip at him from within.

Normally, naïveté and slow-wittedness were traits that repelled him, especially in its womanly form, as it was drawn from the sheltered nature ladies like yourself were bred into. The dragon in him found this dull and all too conforming. He liked the burn from the whores, who would snarl if you took more than what you paid for.

Yet this personal brand of innocent on you was dizzying to him. One beast wanted to protect the purity within you, while the other wanted to taint it until all remained was him.

"And yes-" you take a moment to continue, "those were my mother's beloved drapes but... they had not been changed since her passing."

Daemon presses his lips together when you turn to the ground with a solemn expression. He does not get a moment to share the semblance of comfort in which he was capable of, because you quickly smile at him the way you always do and comfort yourself, "it is good to remember those who have passed, but they would not want for us to mourn them too long."

For once, he responds with honesty, "they would not, no."

The moment you smile at his words, your attention is taken from the prince.

You are called by a servant, who tells you there is a man waiting for you in the main hall. You courteously thank the servant and turn to Daemon, "thank you for ke-"

"I will escort you to your visitor," Daemon smiles, though not a real one.

You return a genuine one nevertheless, "I am grateful, but I do not wish to bother you, nor take up more of the time you already so graciously offered me."

Daemon takes your hand and pulls you near him with little regard, "you dare dictate what I do and do not with my time?"

You press your lips as you body collides with him.

"As though you were my wife?"

You clench your jaw, unintending to overstep, "my prince, I did not mean for it-"

"Yes, well," he cuts you off, "let us meet this moron who wishes to meet you."

"You know," you smile, "it may well not be a suitor."

Daemon chuckles, "I'm surprised you even caught onto that."

"Well, how could I not?" you chuckle, "when you were just jealous a child!"

He loses his smug expression. He scoffs into a chuckle as you laugh at him. "Oh very good," Daemon rolls his eyes and slowly claps his hand, "I'll give you credit. I did not expect that."

But what he very much did expect was that your audience was sought by a suitor; one large, slobbering dog of a suitor.

Very truly, Daemon's grumbling was merited, for why were you so enamored by the wolf-man and this overgrown rat-pup he bought with him?

He scoffs as you coo at the furry creature for the hundredth time, and for what? For doing absolutely nothing but expose its incompetence to walk in a fucking straight line?

And what's more, for every time the degenerate baby wolf toppled over, you tugged at its master's arm and pointed, leaning into him as you laughed and expressed jovial sentiments over the creature.

The prince rolls his eyes from the armchair he was sat on.

What was so impressive about a dog? There were dozens of strays outside the walls. He could get you twenty right now. A dragon egg should have elicited such a response from you, not this.

"Oh, dear Cregan-"

Gods, dear Cregan, she says.

"-your pup is a ray of sunshine on this chilly day," you speak.

Daemon watches you smile angelically at the large man with muddy dark hair and wiry curls. He watches as the cretin bares his teeth at you like a wolf does its prey, and you mistake it for genuinely, as always.

"If you are cold, my lady," Cregan says, removing the brown pelt on his shoulders, "then allow me to warm you."

Daemon straightens where he was slouched.

You recoil at Cregan's generosity, raising your hands as you shake them, "oh, my lord, I could not possibly accept the clothes on your back."

You watch as Cregan's rosy cheeks pull up with his smile, "then would you prefer I give you one your own?"

Cregan put on his fur again. You open your mouth to speak, but it is Daemon's voice that sounds, "she would rather you fuck off back to the North, dog."

You still at Daemon's words, promptly turning to him with a hardened expression of disbelief, "my prince-"

"And you best take your defective animal with you," he adds, grimacing at the wolf-pup chewing at a ball of wound fabric.

"Prince Daemon," you call tersely.

Daemon turns to you, expression unable to melt with the presence of that oaf on your side.

"Please do not speak for me as though your sentiments and mine own are one and the same," you calmly say.

Daemon scoffs. Cregan chuckles.

You turn to Cregan with a guilty expression, "I apologize on the behalf of ill-contrived words against you, Lord Cregan."

"No, you don't," Daemon quips as he stands, "don't fucking-"

"I appreciate your sentiment, my lady," Cregan ignores the whimpers of the lizard prince, "though you needn't worry yourself, for I am not wounded by words from the likes of him."

"The likes of me?" Daemon sneers as he storms over.

You turn to Daemon, suddenly at your side. Your eyes widen at the fury on his features. You hands instinctively come to his arm when he appears as though he is about to lunge at Cregan.

Cregan watches you do this, watches you calm the hot blooded fiend. Part of him burns in a shade green at your shared familiarity, but he is more amused by the fact you turn to him with a concerned look, nonverbally expressing your concerns that you, in fact, to not want him to pound your prince if he attempts anything. And so he laughs.

Cregan laughs and takes a step back, allowing you to step between them and push Daemon away in return.

Daemon's ire is fueled further, "what, you halfbreed?!"

You grunt as you turn back to Cregan, relieved he was smiling and not partaking in the hotheadedness the other man was.

"Did you fuck your wolf yourself to offer the pup to her?"

You recoil at the grotesque notion. You cannot stop yourself from calling out the prince's name in anger and bewilderment, "Daemon!"

Cregan laughs. It draws your attention. You sigh, "Cregan, I beg your par-"

"No!" Daemon barks, peering down at you, "he's come here on the intent of you bearing his pups, girl, and you'd so readily drop on your knees for him?!"

"He's brought one pup, Daemon!" you quip pulling away from him as you shake your head, "and I have no intentions of keeping the little wolf," you turn to Cregan, "for I have no such capabilities nor capacities to care for one!"

Daemon grinds his teeth. You heave.

Good enough.

The prince finds slight catharsis in your words. His anger does not fade however, because Cregan's grin is as wide as ever.

"Actually," Cregan raises his hands casually, "I have spoken to your father about the pup and he said he would accept it, for I am also giving you one of my servants as an aid."

The two men watch as you perk at the idea.

"Oh!," you gasp in disbelief, "so..." you break into a wide smile, "I can keep the wolf?!"

Cregan laughs as he nods, "and even better, you can name it."

Daemon is appalled by your next actions.

You run and throw yourself onto Cregan, sealing him into a hug for a moment before pulling back in realization your actions were most indecent.

Cregan however prevents you from pulling away too far, hands coming to your waist as he smiles down at you. He speaks with a lopsided grin, "I have been meaning to bring you the pup ever since we spoke about my pregnant wolf when you visited me in the North."

When you what?

"Will your dear Luna not mourn the loss of her puppy?"

LUNA?

Cregan chuckles, pulling his hands away from you, not because he wanted to, but because, between the two of them, he was currently the more amicable in your eyes, and he was not about to ruin that, "I assure you, she will fair fine, as she is preoccupied with three more at home."

You frown, stepping back from Cregan to turn to the pup, not at all seeing the twitching face of your prince, "still... I must not let him be forgotten by her mother and likewise."

Cregan smiles at the sentiment, "you have a kind heart, my lady," he takes your hand, "I would be glad to bring my wolves to your home whenever you want."

You are horrified by the notion, "oh please, it would be much better if I came to you."

Cregan nods, lips in a smirk, "I shall await then."

You seemed to be caught off-guard by the fact you unwittingly just made plans with the Stark.

And you had meant to explain you could not simply agree to his offer, but you were distracted by the string of High Valyrian being spewed into the air, paired by the loud sound of the prince marching out of the room.

#daemon targaryen fanfic #daemon x reader #daemon targaryen x reader #house of the dragon fic #house of the dragon fanfic #daemon fanfic #daemon targaryen #house of the dragon #cregan x reader #cregan stark #cregan stark x reader #cregan fanfic #cregan stark fanfic #cregan stark fluff

[vintagelasvegas]

New Town Tavern, 600 Jackson Ave, Las Vegas, in 1967. Photo by Clinton Wright. One of the oldest clubs in Las Vegas, destroyed by fire 10/15/2023.

Town Tavern was opened Jul. ‘55 by owners Marie and Earl Turmon, locals who lived at nearby 708 Madison. In its heyday of the late 50s the 24-hour bar, casino, and coffee shop was central to Westside’s nightlife scene. After the closure of the Moulin Rouge in Fall ’55, Town Tavern became the main Westside destination for black performers who were headlining the segregated Strip hotels.

Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Cab Calloway, Arthur Lee Simpkins, Bob Bailey, Dorothy Dandridge, and the Ink Spots all performed in a single night during an NAACP cocktail party in Dec. '55. Review-Journal columnist Forrest Duke wrote of another night when, “Pearl Bailey and her Flamingo gang sashayed over to Earl Turmon’s Town Tavern Wednesday night, and the joint was, to put it rather mildly, jumping.” Another columnist’s blurb describes an employee’s going-away party with music by jazz musicians Christine Chatman (singer, piano), Al Morgan (bass), Chuck Hampton (drums), and Bob Bailey as emcee, “there with his lovely wife Anna who dances in the Pearl Bailey’s Flamingo show.”

The club became “New” Town Tavern in late ’59 and operated more or less continually until 2013. Westside's nightlife scene deteriorated in the 60s – the unplanned byproduct of integration was the decline in black gaming establishments, but Town Tavern remained. Florence Elmore owned the club in '70-71. Danny Curtis & Elijah Green bought the club in '71; Green was still the owner in the 80s, renovating and enlarging the club after a fire in '81. In the 90s it became “Ultra New” Town Tavern and continued operated under this name until closing.

Town Tavern originally had a top hat-shaped sign. Its second sign with "Town Tavern" in a ribbon and "Casino" in a circle, was installed in the early 60s and remained until 2023. In 2016 the words "Town Tavern" were replaced with "Tokyo" for a casino which ultimately never opened. The sign was removed from the building on 8/16/2023.

1967 photos from Clinton Wright Photographs (PH-00379), UNLV Special Collections & Archives.

Sources: "Opening.” Review-Journal, 7/6/55; “NAACP Plan Party for Sunday.” Review-Journal, 12/24/57; Forrest Duke. Review-Journal, 1/16/59; “Take Pickets Off Westside Casino Beat.” Review-Journal, 9/7/59; J. Berger. Black casinos flourished during days of segregation. Review-Journal, 11/10/75; “Arson suspected in tavern fire.” Review-Journal, 5/25/81; “West Las Vegas Casinos Have New Look – And Dreams.” Las Vegas Sentinel Voice, Vol. 4, Issue 25, 10/20/83; C. Drummond. 'It's a legend gone': Fire destroys Historic Westside building, and Clean up of Historic Westside building destroyed by fire. News3LV, 10/17/2023.

Note. Prior to Town Tavern, this corner 1400 F St. was the site of the earliest known Westside casinos. It was Shady Rest Barbecue, licensed for slot machines on 9/17/42, and Club Alabam, aka Smokey Joe's Club Alabama the following year. Fuller's Index of Nevada Gaming Establishments says the Club Alabam was licensed for 21 from 5/1/43 to 7/2/43. City Commission Meeting Minutes of 7/2/43 (p97) states that the liquor and gaming license of Joe LaDue at Club Alabam was denied. The club burned down 9/29/43. Liquor License. Review-Journal, 9/17/42; Westside Club Burns, Officers Say Incendiary. Review Journal, 9/29/43.

#1967 #Town Tavern #Westside

[magicshopaholic]

Never Have I

Summary: During a break in Seoul, Jimin runs into Sooah - and she’s not alone. Meanwhile, Hoseok sees a different side of Chaeyoung’s life.

Pairing: Jimin x OC, Hoseok x OC (different OCs)

Genre: Exes; humour, banter, flirting, bickering, angst

Word count: 11.3 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: language, a lot of alcohol, peer pressure, shady characters

A/N: It’s happening! Jimin is back to dealing (or profusely not dealing) with his baggage when it comes to his ex, and Hoseok is back to being a pain in the ass for his best friend’s little sister - just a day in the life 🖤 Takes place a couple of months after A Phone Call and about six months after Movie Night.

Tagging: @bbl32 @quarter-life-crisis2 @meirkive @dreaming-with-happiness @confessionsofamarshlily @jiminjhang @xjoonchildx @tarahardcore @infinitehobi @handfullofcandids

Listen to: “anna (go to him)” by the beatles

jimin masterlist | hoseok masterlist | main masterlist

Sooah checks her phone as she steps out of the building, squinting slightly at the sunlight. The battery is depleting fast; she hopes it’ll last until she gets home. She considers plugging it into her scooter, when she remembers. Whipping around to run back into the building, she halts in her tracks when she spots her target jogging out of the building in Sooah’s direction.  

“Hey!” The younger girl - for she has to be younger; no one her age still has bag tags with fur on them - waves and stops in front of her, panting slightly. “Sooah, right? You forgot this.” In her hand is Sooah’s power bank, slightly frayed on the edges but still sturdy and reliable, her name written in the corner in silver ink.

“Right, thanks.” Glad she doesn’t have to go all the way back inside, Sooah tucks her yoga mat under her arm and smiles. “Your phone good and charged?”

“Yes, thank God. You’re a lifesaver,” adds the other girl, rolling her eyes dramatically. “I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on the class at all if my phone had died.”

“You concentrated alright, from what I could see,” remarks Sooah. “That was a hell of a backbend.”

Her smile brightens and she looks almost shy, as though she isn’t used to getting compliments. “Thanks.” She tilts her head up towards the sun, her long hair shining in the brightness. “Any plans for the weekend?”

Don’t start. “I did have plans but then my boyfriend got called into work which is where he’s going to be all weekend.” She shakes her head, trying not to sound too disgruntled. “Unless something goes really right and he gets a couple hours off tonight, I’m probably going to sit around with no one but myself for company the entire time.”

The girl winces, and Sooah gets the impression that she truly understands. “Well, I mean, if you’re not doing anything…” she begins, shrugging, “my roommate and I are having a party tonight. If you want to come?”

Sooah squints and frowns, somewhat amused that this girl doesn’t seem to realise she’s invited a total stranger to a party at her house. She asks the first question that pops into her mind. “You, uh… where do you live?” 

“Hongdae,” she supplies. “There’s going to be drinks and music and dancing… I mean, only if that’s, like, your thing,” she clarifies suddenly. “Totally cool if it isn’t.”

“No, it’s… it’s definitely my thing,” murmurs Sooah honestly, realising she’s actually considering it. “I - will your roommate be okay with you inviting someone she doesn’t know? Or he?”

“Oh, no, Sungmi is cool. We both have free reign to invite whomever we like.” She leans in a bit then, lowering her voice. “To be honest, I won’t know a lot of people there,” she confesses, looking a bit sheepish. “So I just thought a familiar face would be nice. But, no pressure. Obviously.”

“Of course.” Sooah nods. “I’ll let you know if I can.”

“Sure.” She smiles again. “I’ll give you my number; you can text me in case you decide to come.”

“Cool.” Sooah dictates her number as the girl saves it. A moment later, she hears a ping from her own phone. “Got it.” As the girl waves and starts to leave, Sooah suddenly remembers. “Hey, uh… what’s your name, by the way?”

She looks confused for a second before her eyes go wide. “Oh, God, I’m such a ditz. I’m Chaeyoung,” she says, skipping back over and sticking out her hand for Sooah to shake. “Hope to see you tonight, unnie.”

—

The sun is just setting beyond the horizon when Jimin exits the elevator of the Big Hit building into the basement, with a spirited young idol who’s apparently just made his debut.

“... saw you in Wembley, too,” he gushes, in step with Jimin. His youthful face is full of energy and wonder, and his smile is the exact kind that Big Hit looks for to plaster on billboards everywhere. “My group was in the audience - we couldn’t believe it. The stage was just on fire.”

Jimin grins, a mixture of gratitude and pride. Next to him, Hoseok cracks a bashful smile. “Oh, come on. We all saw your debut. You guys are fantastic - you’ll be at Wembley in no time.”

The younger idol - Alex (“half British, half Korean”) - almost chokes. Even taller than both of them, certainly Namjoon’s height, he looks almost deferential. “We’re just learning from you, hyung,” he says humbly. “Even the hours in the studio are crazy - but it’s worth it.”

“Make good use of the free time you have then.” In a sweet yet clear way that they must now part, Hoseok pats him on the back and waves. “Have a good evening, Alex.” He and Jimin walk towards their car as Alex goes in the other direction, his shoulders clearly reflecting the tiredness Jimin remembers from his own debut days.

“Shit, I feel for them,” he muses, watching him until he disappears behind a pillar before turning to Hoseok. “Remember when Jungkook tried to sneak us that half bucket of fried chicken and got caught?”

“And put the blame on Taehyung?” Hoseok chuckles at the memory while Jimin laughs. “Man, we really had to beat some sense into that kid.”

“Still a work in progress,” remarks Jimin as he climbs into the shotgun seat of the car. While Hoseok adjusts the rearview mirror and straps himself in, Jimin checks his hair and smirks at his reflection. “The blond really suits me, doesn’t it?” 

“I can’t believe we have to go to this,” grumbles Hoseok, sighing and reversing out of the parking spot. “Such a bad idea.”

Jimin deflates, realising that this tirade of it’s such a bad idea that had been a constant during their recording session just now, was only going to continue throughout this car ride. “Hyung, I’ll say it again. We don’t have to go.”

“Yes, we do,” mutters Hoseok, driving out of the private exit at the back of the building. “Chaeyoung invited me - because I invited her to my house. If I snub her invitation, she’ll probably go running to her brother or something.”

Jimin squints skeptically. “Really? She’ll go running to her brother if you don’t attend a house party thrown by her roommate?”

“You don’t know her like I do, Jimin.”

He rolls his eyes at Hoseok’s serious tone, unable to understand what it is about that girl Chaeyoung that riles him up. “Fine. Can we listen to music?”

“Knock yourself out.”

Jimin connects his phone to the stereo and puts it on shuffle, easily bopping to the music while Hoseok drives with a scowl on his face. Finally, he speaks again. “Hyung? Seriously, what’s wrong?”

For a moment, Jimin thinks he isn’t going to answer, but then Hoseok sighs. “Nothing.” His fingers tighten on the steering wheel. “I just don’t know how to be around her. She’s different and grown up and… we were never really friends.” He shrugs uneasily. “It’s just weird.”

Jimin nods, not quite understanding the extremity of his friend’s reaction. Still, he tries to be supportive. “Well,” he begins, shifting lower in his seat, “speaking as a person who just met her, she’s pretty nice. Fun. You’ve met her a couple times, too, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, at that shoot for Vogue - but she was only filling in for someone,” says Hoseok. “We didn’t really get an opportunity to say anything to each other except a hi.”

“It’s a good start.”

Hoseok cracks a smile. “Thanks for coming with me, though. I know I probably hijacked your Saturday night.”

“Nah, not really. I didn’t have plans.”

“And now your plans involve hanging with Chaeyoung all night.”

“I don’t mind. She’s cute.” When Jimin gets no response, he looks up and does a double take when he sees Hoseok staring at him. “What?”

“She’s cute?”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “Come on, hyung, don’t be weird about this,” he says dismissively. “She is cute. Jungkook thinks so, too,” he adds casually.

“Do I need to put a leash on you two or something?”

He snickers. “Kinky. Do you think Chaeyoung would -”

“I will drive us into a tree,” warns Hoseok, “and I won’t regret it.”

“No, you won’t,” he retorts, unimpressed. “This is Suga hyung’s car. And I was going to say: do you think Chaeyoung would mind that you brought me along?” Jimin clicks his tongue. “You’re being really high-strung about this. Do you have a crush on her or something?”

“Ugh. Let me know if you see a tree, yeah?” When all Jimin does is hum in response, Hoseok sighs. “I don’t think she’ll mind. She said herself that she won’t know a lot of people there, so she’ll probably be glad to see a familiar face.”

“You’ll be one of those familiar faces, too,” points out Jimin. “That’s probably why she invited you.”

“I guess.” Hoseok is quiet for a minute. “I know she’s not going to complain to her brother. It’s just easier to think that because I don’t know what she’ll do otherwise.”

“Here’s an idea: get to know her.”

Hoseok makes a choking sound. “Let’s not get carried away here. We’re not friends.”

Jimin is about to point out that they can be, but for some reason he feels as though the suggestion would be lost on his friend. He therefore leaves Hoseok to his pensive thoughts and stretches in his seat, feeling like he’d rather enjoy this impromptu weekend plan than sit around and decipher his friend’s many sounds and sighs every time Chaeyoung is brought up. In fact, if he’s learnt anything since he was a wee rookie, like that Alex they just met, it’s that free time cannot be treated callously.

With that thought, they reach Chaeyoung’s apartment twenty minutes later. The sun has now fully set and the buzz of a Saturday night is all around Hongdae. Hoseok parks a couple of buildings away and both of them keep their heads low as they pass the crowd, smoothly making it unseen.

“Jesus,” breathes Hoseok, when they step into the building. His tone betrays nothing except that of something unexpected, and Jimin can’t help but agree. Chaeyoung’s apartment is meant to be on the second floor, but it’s no matter since the entire building seems to be in party mode. It looks like how college dorms are portrayed in movies, with young adults bustling around in various styles of clothing, a thin haze of smoke permeating every corner, and thumping music that seems to be playing through the walls.

“Are you sure she lives here?” Jimin asks as they gingerly step in. He dodges a couple sharing a cigarette and grinding to the music at the same time. “Maybe you should call her.”

“No, this is it,” replies Hoseok grimly, snaking his way around a bunch of guys chugging huge mugs of beer. “Come on, I can’t wait to see how this generation parties.”

As it turns out, the aforementioned generation parties alright. The door to Chaeyoung’s apartment, while open, is still on a floor that’s less crowded. There isn’t as much smoke and most of the partying seems to be happening indoors. 

Hoseok and Jimin pause at the door, peering in hesitantly. Jimin, at least, recognises no one - although he sees a couple of people do a double take at the sight of him. He smiles back charmingly while next to him, Hoseok gets on the tips of his toes, as though hoping to spot Chaeyoung in the middle of the party.

“Let’s just go inside,” suggests Jimin, and pulls Hoseok with him by the arm. The apartment is small but lively, seemingly held together at the seams, but has the unmistakable air of cool. Jimin can tell, especially when they walk further into the apartment and he catches a glimpse of someone familiar.

“What the -” 

But she’s disappeared. Jimin frowns, knowing it’s too much of a coincidence for Sooah to be at this party, this awfully random party, but also knowing that he’d recognise her face anywhere. “Hey, hyung, did you just see -”

“Chae!” Hoseok’s voice is filled with a mixture of exasperation and relief, and Jimin turns to see Chaeyoung making her way through the crowd towards them, a glass of dark liquid in her hand.

“Hey, you came!” She sounds bright and cheerful, not to mention rather relieved as well. “And you brought Jimin! Hey,” she adds with a light laugh, reaching up to give him a one-armed hug. Jimin raises his eyebrows at Hoseok’s stony face over her shoulder and stifles a laugh.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he says cheerfully, straightening his jacket and running a hand through his hair, trying not to make it too obvious that he’s still searching for the face he knows he saw. He forces himself to look at Chaeyoung. “Nice party.”

“My roommate’s party,” she corrects, shrugging and looking around. “I unfortunately don’t have friends cool enough to smoke out of rolled up bills and still be doing body shots in this day and age.” She chuckles, but doesn’t sound judgmental. “It’s fun, though. You look great,” she adds, fingering the lapel of his jacket.

“Hey, thanks. You, too.”

“Thanks,” she replies sheepishly, sounding slightly self-conscious. “You look good, too, oppa,” she says after a moment, turning to Hoseok.

Hoseok, who’d been watching this exchange with no signs of amusement, takes a moment to realise he’s being spoken to. “Oh, uh - thank you. So do you,” he says a moment later, glancing and immediately averting his eyes from her bare legs under the short skirt she’s wearing.

Chaeyoung seems satisfied with this level of small talk. “You guys should meet Sungmi - she should be here somewhere…” She trails off, peering at the crowd.

“And Sungmi is… your senior?”

“Yeah, from college. Her boyfriend is here, too,” she adds, turning back around and taking a sip of her drink. “He’s pretty cool. Kind of quiet. But his tattoos are rad.”

Hoseok raises his eyebrows while Jimin makes a noise of appreciation, still subtly searching the crowd for her. “What, uh, what kind of tattoos?” asks the former.

“Nothing much. A tattoo sleeve on his arm, a bunch of stuff on his back,” she supplies, her head bopping subtly to the music. “The usual. His cousin’s are even cooler.”

“His -”

“Yeah, they hang out here a lot. Oh, there he is!” She points to the far end of the living room where a guy in his late twenties emerges out of a hallway, a tall girl swaying to the music beside him. His hair is a frozen blue, and Chaeyoung seems to have missed his most important tattoo - the one on his face. “That’s Ice, and Sungmi with him.”

Even Jimin lets out a low whistle, glancing over at Hoseok who looks scandalised. Neither of them bother to ask if his name really is Ice.

“How, uh -” Hoseok swallows. “And, uh, where - where did she meet this gentleman?”

“A concert.”

“Yeah? What was he doing at the concert?”

Chaeyoung gives him a look. “I don’t know. What do you do at a concert?”

Jimin snickers while Hoseok narrows his eyes. “I perform. What does Ice do?”

“Oh. Duh.” She lets out a light laugh. “He was just in the crowd. She met him while he was filming the mosh pit.”

Hoseok chokes just as the most familiar face comes back into view for Jimin - and this time, she spots him, too. “Of course,” he whispers, his heart already racing as her eyes light up with recognition.

Next to him, his friend seems to spot her, too. “Hey, is that Sooah?”

Chaeyoung frowns in surprise and turns around as Sooah makes her way over to them. In a shimmery top and black jeans, she looks, once again, like she just heard about this party and turned up to it, dressed to perfection for the occasion. 

“Guys, hi!” She sounds more relieved than any of them at the sight of familiar people and immediately reaches up to give Jimin a hug before moving to Hoseok. “I had no idea you’d be here,” she adds, sounding slightly breathless and turning to Chaeyoung.

“Yeah, same here -” Jimin starts to say, but Chaeyoung beats him to it.

“Wait,” she says, pointing to Sooah and Jimin, “how do you two know each other?”

“Oh, we’re -” She catches Jimin’s eye and gives him a small smile. “We’re old friends.” She looks at Hoseok. “How do you guys know each other?”

“Same,” replies Hoseok, gesturing to Chaeyoung. “We’re old… neighbours.”

Chaeyoung wrinkles her nose. “Smooth.”

Hoseok makes a face while Jimin swallows, feeling the familiar rush of excitement and anticipation at seeing his ex-girlfriend. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he says.

“I didn’t either,” she agrees, taking a sip of her drink - a whiskey, from the looks of it - and nodding. “It was shaping up to be a pretty shit weekend in all, but then someone -” She throws a friendly arm around Chaeyoung’s shoulders and squeezes it “- invited a practical stranger to a party at her house.”

Chaeyoung chuckles, a faint blush spreading to her cheeks. “You’re not a stranger. Today was our fifth class together,” she points out. “But I’m glad you know these guys,” she adds, pointing at Jimin and Hoseok. “I was feeling a bit guilty, thinking you’d only have me and your boyfriend for company.”

Jimin’s mind does a double take but he can’t immediately pinpoint why. When he notices Sooah’s gaze flicker to him, he remembers.

I was a bit nervous to tell you that I’m seeing someone, if I’m being honest.

He’d balked at the word “seeing” but thankfully, Chaeyoung’s remark answers a question he didn’t think he’d be able to bring himself to ask - at least, not without letting Sooah think he really cared.

“You guys should meet him, too,” she says lightly after a moment. “He’s really great.”

“Of course,” he says, glad to hear his voice sounds normal, for if he really thinks about it, he doesn’t mind. 

As he thinks about it, he scans the crowd, automatically wondering which one of the guys in this room could be Sooah’s new boyfriend. There’s the one in the middle of a circle by the sofas with a charming smile and a girl on either side of him; if this were high school, this guy would be Jimin’s first guess. But if she doesn’t know anyone at this party then neither does her boyfriend, so Jimin moves on.

There’s another guy by the dining table where all the drinks are, wearing ripped jeans and a leather jacket - in the summer: also potentially Sooah’s type. Then there’s one by the balcony, not really standing outside but not standing inside either, smoking a cigarette while he stands alone. Not quite Sooah’s type of boyfriend, but definitely Sooah’s type of distraction.

Jimin’s brought out of his surveillance when Hoseok nudges him. “I’m going to get a drink,” he says, somewhat pointedly. “You want one, too?”

“Um…” He meets Sooah’s gaze, who gives him an innocent smile. Fighting one of his own, he shakes his head. “You go ahead. I’ll, uh… I’ll think about what I want.”

“Okay.” Hoseok shrugs and turns to Chaeyoung, his tone shifting. “Alright, what have you kids got to drink here?”

She clicks her tongue as they walk away. “Sungmi is, like, two years younger than you, oppa…”

Jimin watches them, fully aware of Sooah taking a couple forward until she’s right next to him. He catches a faint whiff of her perfume, something like roses and sugar.

“You look great,” she says, giving his frame a quick once-over.

He tries, for a moment, to think of something witty to say but gives up. “Thanks. You, too. But you know that,” he adds.

“I hoped.” She nudges his shoulder softly. “I’m really glad to see you.”

“You are?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Sooah holds his gaze for a second before her shoulders fall slightly. “Come on, Chim. This isn’t going to be awkward, is it?”

Jimin flushes, suddenly feeling rather juvenile. “Of course not. It’s really good to see you, too, Sooah,” he says after a moment, realising he means it.

“Great.” Sooah nods in what he imagines is sympathy. “I would… really like for you to meet him.” There’s no need to specify who “him” is referring to. “If you’re okay with that.”

“Of course. Sooah, come on, I know we were… fooling around,” he says, and they share a sheepish smile, “but we haven’t dated in years.”

“Five years, to be exact,” she remembers softly.

He swallows. “Yeah. We’ve both dated since then. It’s not a big deal,” he adds, not fully sure if he even believes it himself.

Sooah watches him for a moment before nodding. “That’s true. I guess we’ve just never been friends while dating someone else. This would be the first time.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

She laughs and squeezes his shoulder. “I have faith in you, Chim.”

“And I have faith in you. Which is why I hope that I didn’t get replaced by a guy wearing metallic buckles in his jacket.”

She immediately turns in the direction he’s gesturing in, before snorting. “God, no. It would be so difficult to take off,” she adds cheekily.

“That’s what I thought.” He taps his temple dramatically. “The guy with the red hair, though -” He points at the makeshift bar, “he just drank the foam out of the mug while he poured his beer.” He lets out a low whistle. “Come on, that’s got to be impressive.”

“Everything a girl looks for in a guy,” she agrees dryly. “Any other guesses?”

Jimin grins, for this exercise feels like a crash course in Sooah’s romantic past - the one list Sooah has admitted in the past that was topped by him. 

“Oh, I don’t know. How about that one over there? We all know how much you love facial piercings.”

“A real winner.”

“And he’s got one of those cool wrap-around earphones. Sooah, you may just have hit a jackpot with -” He breaks off when he sees Sooah’s gaze shift to something behind him.

“All worthy guesses, Chim,” she begins, clearly trying to suppress a smile, “but it’s time you met the real one.” She pats his shoulder and grins. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Jimin takes a second to process this abrupt change in topic but turns to watch her wade through the crowd, only to reach -

“Fuck.”

The word falls out of his mouth before he can help it, and he hasn’t a clue what it means. All he knows is that when he sees Sooah reach up to hug debut rookie half-British-half-Korean Alex, he almost wonders for a moment if coincidences really do occur in the universe or if the universe just enjoys fucking with him.

As Sooah brings Alex over, Jimin is suddenly conscious of his hands. They hang by his side uselessly before he quickly stuffs them into the pockets of his jacket, just as Alex catches sight of him.

“Jimin sunbaenim!” Alex exclaims, loud enough that a couple of people even turn to look. “Sorry,” he mutters sheepishly. “I didn’t know you were going to be here, too! Sooah, do - do you know him?”

Sooah doesn’t speak for a moment. She looks up at him and nods before, with what looks like an enormous effort, she turns to Jimin. “Yeah, we know each other from school,” she says to Alex, while her gaze bores into Jimin’s, as though daring him to say something.

Jimin, for all his self-control, gives her a wide smile. “It’s true,” he agrees. “Sooah was the most popular girl in our class.”

“Really?” Alex grins down at her and they seem to share a momentary private joke. “Somehow, I can believe that.”

“And Jimin was the best dancer in our class,” she adds, nudging his arm. “And the best at math.”

“I can believe that, too. The dance part, not the math,” corrects Alex immediately. “I mean - I’m sure you were good at math, too, hyung.”

There’s a moment of awkward silence before Jimin chuckles. “It’s okay. You didn’t tell me this was your night off.”

“Big Hit must have gotten more lenient over time,” offers Sooah, giving him a knowing look.

Alex doesn’t catch on. “We’ve been rehearsing for three days straight so they gave us tonight to go home. But I haven’t seen Sooah in a while, so…” He shrugs and puts an arm around her shoulder. Jimin is surprised to see the smile that involuntarily appears on her face, when Alex continues. “You would know what that’s like, though, hyung.”

Jimin doesn’t say anything for a moment. “It’s the price of debuting,” he says finally, slowly looking over at Sooah, whose smile fades slightly. 

“Seems like it’s worth it.” Before Jimin can process why this response stings something ancient in his heart, she turns to Alex. “Let’s get you a drink?”

“Oh…” He winces apologetically. “Sorry, noona, I can’t drink tonight. We have that shoot tomorrow…”

“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.” She bites her lip before linking her arm with his. “Alright. Why don’t you come with me while I get a drink? You should say hi to Chaeyoung, too.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll see you around, sunbaenim,” he says to Jimin, eyes shining, before he and Sooah leave for the drinks’ table.

Years and years ago, when Jimin had first accompanied Sooah to one of their high school parties, he had wondered for the umpteenth time whether they even made sense together. When they were alone, they did. They laughed, bickered, kissed in empty classrooms and texted all night underneath the covers. Beautiful, popular Kim Sooah was goofy and silly and funny and adorable, and Jimin felt like he’d won the lottery at sixteen.

But out in public, Kim Sooah was Kim Sooah, and Jimin was the boyfriend that everyone subconsciously frowned at momentarily before smiling and introducing themselves. Sooah hadn’t left his side, though, not even when her friends had called her over, not when the drinking games had commenced. She’d given him his first drink - a vodka - a little hesitantly.

“This doesn’t make me a bad influence, does it?” 

She’d bit her lip, red and plump, as she tugged her tube top up her chest. Jimin, who’d been fairly curious about alcohol anyway, had only one answer in mind.

“Of course not,” he’d said, smiling and taking the glass. “I need to fit in with your friends eventually, don’t I?”

“Don’t worry about them,” she’d said dismissively. “It doesn’t matter what they think. You don’t have to drink that if you don’t want, Jimin.”

He appreciated it, but Jimin knew he had a rare opportunity. Boys like him didn’t attract the attention of girls like Kim Sooah; if he had any hope of sustaining this, he needed to prove he could fit in with the cool kids.

Across the room, Sooah mixes herself a gin cocktail, hands moving with ease. Next to her, Alex reads the label of a soju bottle before muttering something to her that makes her laugh and nod. 

“Wow, you’re Jimin, right? From BTS?”

Startled, Jimin turns to see a girl about his height, her face flushed as she takes in his appearance. 

“Um -” He clears his throat. “That’s right.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it,” she breathes. Behind her, a couple of more people spot him, their eyes going wide. “Can I take a selfie with you?”

“Uh, sure.” Before he knows it, she’s leaned over to him and raised her phone, clicking a series of pictures in succession in which she’s pouting and he’s just about registering what’s happening.

“Thank you,” she gushes, reaching over and giving him a half-hug that he returns hesitantly. “Find me later,” she says in a low voice before stepping away. “If you’re still here.”

It takes Jimin a moment to gather his bearings, even as a lightness spreads through his insides. Suddenly confident, he struts over to where Sooah is standing next to the mantle, this time by herself. 

“So,” he begins, leaning against the wall next to her as she scrolls through her phone, drink in her other hand. “Where’s my biggest fan?”

Sooah doesn’t even look up. “Probably in a dark room somewhere, stalking your flight schedule?”

“Not him,” says Jimin, unfazed. “My other biggest fan.” He leans closer to her, his bangs brushing hers. “Noona.”

“Don’t start, Jimin.”

He laughs. “What? I thought you hated being called noona.”

“I don’t hate it.”

“Really? You threw a piece of chalk at Taehyung’s head when he called you that once.”

“That’s because he was fucking with me,” she clarifies, finally looking up at him and holding up a finger. “Secondly, it’s a little hard to get annoyed by it as you get older. There’s too many people calling you that all of a sudden.”

“Including your boyfriend. Where is he, by the way?” Jimin asks, scanning the crowd briefly.

“He ran into someone he knew.” Sooah turns to face him, leaning sideways against the wall. “Jimin.”

“Sooah.” He grins down at her, his gaze involuntarily flickering to her red lips. “Did he mention that I ran into him at Big Hit?”

“No. Was he supposed to?”

“Fans do that sometimes. How have we never been introduced before? I mean, we seem to have a lot in common.”

Sooah scoffs. “This might surprise you, but you are not first in line of the people I want to introduce my boyfriend to. But wait a second,” she adds, straightening up slightly, “weren’t you dating a girl, too? When do I get to meet her?” She looks around, as though hoping to spot her. “You didn’t bring her?”

Jimin frowns and it takes him a second to place the name. Ahnjong. The name, still one of the sweetest he’s ever heard, swims through his mind, as does the disastrous ending to their date two months ago.

“Yeah, that…” He rubs the back of his neck. “We, uh… we decided to see other people.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Not like, say, your boyfriend.”

“Jimin,” she repeats.

“Sooah.”

She sighs. “God, you’re cocky.”

Jimin chuckles as she rolls her eyes. “Hey, I love my fans, alright? They are what keep me going, Sooah. You should be more respectful of that.”

“Shut up.”

“What? You used to be one of them,” he reminds her.

“Yeah, and now I’m dating one of them.” She holds his gaze. “He’s my boyfriend, Jimin.”

“He’s a rookie.”

Sooah raises an eyebrow. “And?”

Whatever Jimin had been about to say goes straight out the window in an instant. “And…” He pauses, desperate suddenly to change tacks “… where does he find the time to date?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. Where did you find the time to date?”

“I didn’t,” he points out forcefully. “That was the problem, apparently.”

“That was not the -“ Sooah breaks off abruptly, exhaling. “No. No,” she mutters, shaking her head before looking up at Jimin. “You really want to do this now?”

“You’re the one who brought it up,” he shoots back, even as his heart races. All it takes is a momentary lapse of emotion for them to fall back into the darkest pits of their history, and Jimin isn’t sure she wants that. Not with her new boyfriend in the vicinity.

Sooah sighs and looks away uncomfortably. “Look, aside from the girl that I met at yoga class today for the first time, I don’t know a single person here. Except for you.” She tilts her head and frowns slightly. “Can we please not do this now?”

A vision of teenage Kim Sooah, soft cheeks and sparkling eyes, whining cutely at him for the first time clouds Jimin’s mind. Even sweaty after volleyball practice with her hair unbrushed and tumbling down her shoulders, she was irresistible.

“You know Hoseok hyung,” he points out after a moment, mimicking her position.

She shakes her head. “Doesn’t count. He’s busy. In fact,” she continues, just as Jimin opens his mouth “word on the street is, he’s been prowling around the apartment and was last seen in the kitchen, taking pictures.”

He frowns. “What? Like, selfies?”

“No, pictures of the kitchen.” Sooah drops her hands from her hips to her sides. “I mean, I’m sorry to tell you this, Jimin, but your friend might be a crazy person.”

None of this makes a jot of sense to Jimin. He stares at her before clearing his throat. “Okay, we’ll - we’ll circle back to that,” he says quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So… what? We’re going to play drinking games until your boyfriend joins us?”

“Yes,” she answers, looking relieved. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.” 

“Fine. Twenty questions.” He smirks.

Sooah rolls her eyes. “Oh, God. Okay, twenty questions. But I’m warning you, you may not actually want the answers to some of your questions.” Her gaze darts to something over his shoulder and Jimin turns to see Alex wave back as he talks to a girl. “Do you mind if he joins us?”

Do I ever. “Hey,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I am all for hanging out with -“

“Do not say my biggest fans.”

Jimin scoffs. “I was going to say… I’m all for hanging out with my ex-girlfriend’s… new boyfriend.”

Sooah gives him a look before chuckling. “You are so transparent, Chim.”

Jimin laughs. “What? You can invite him if you want.”

“Nobody should play drinking games with you,” she states, poking him in the chest. “Not without supervision.”

He nudges her shoulder playfully with his. “You’re supervising me, aren’t you?”

“And we both know I’m a really good influence.” She taps his shoulder and grabs his arm, steering him to the drinks table. “Go on, choose your poison. Oh, wait, I know your poison,” she chuckles, grabbing the vodka and cranberry juice.

Jimin snickers as she makes him his drink, taking sips of her own from next to her. When she hands him the pink cocktail, smelling like just the right combination of sweetness and youth, he suddenly feels as though the entire night was leading to this: a wild Saturday night with Kim Sooah.

“Cheers.” She clinks his glass with his and watches as he takes the first sip, grinning when he dramatically smacks his lips.

“You can become a great bartender,” he tells her genuinely, his face already feeling warm from the vodka. “If this entire event planning thing doesn’t work.”

“It’s worked out well so far,” she says serenely. “I get to meet a lot of pretty cool people that way.”

Jimin bites his lip, remembering the last time he’d attended an event she was working at. He wonders if she’s truly being so bold as to bring that up, when he remembers that a work event is also where she’d met Alex. His drink seems less pink all of a sudden.

Sooah doesn’t seem to notice. “Okay, I’m going to go rescue Alex now,” she says. “I’ll be right back.”

“For twenty questions?”

“Or something.” She rolls her eyes but smiles, already taking a step in Alex’s direction. “Don’t make me regret this, Chim.”

Jimin simply raises his glass in response as he watches her go. Across the room, Alex doesn’t seem at all like he needs rescuing; his smile is the smile, the media smile that’s drilled into every trainee as he nods at the girls speaking to him. 

It’s not quite Sooah’s move, he reflects. Jealousy had never been part of the many issues they had dealt with, which made sense given that there had never been another person that had entered their relationship. Just the two of them had been enough for it to implode each time. 

As she reaches Alex and joins the conversation with ease, however, it occurs to Jimin that his data points are limited to their relationship only - and just because she wasn’t jealous with him, doesn’t mean she doesn’t get jealous at all. 

The realisation confuses him to no end, as does the annoyance that comes with it. He gives her a proper once-over; she’s as gorgeous and sexy as ever, still somehow the life of the party despite not knowing anyone, but the attraction ends there. There’s too much baggage that prevents him from going further and the fact that one of them is in a relationship can finally signal the end of their ambiguous connection.

Sooah leans into Alex’s side then and he puts his arm around her shoulder. Jimin rolls his eyes, deciding he can’t watch this anymore; just because they’ve moved on doesn’t mean he needs a front row seat for their honeymoon period. He turns around and heads into the kitchen, only to be met by Hoseok with his phone pointed at nothing in particular.

“Uh, hyung?” Jimin steps in gingerly. “What are you -”

“Look at this,” interrupts Hoseok, not taking his eyes off the screen until he clicks a picture. He points to something in one of the lower cabinets and Jimin peers over his shoulder to check it out. “Look at how close the gas line is to that plug point.”

“The -”

“What if it sparks?” Hoseok shakes his head, eyes wide and manic. “The entire apartment could catch fire!”

“That’s a bit unlikely,” points out Jimin hesitantly. “And… why are you taking a picture of it?”

“I’m sending it to her brother,” he mutters, going back to examining the offending gas line. “God, this is so typical of Chaeyoung. So irresponsible.”

“So your solution is to tattle on her?”

“Well, she’s not going to listen to me.” Hoseok scoffs, turning and pointing to one of the upper cabinets. “Look here. Do you see that?” he asks, tapping a splintered piece of wood jutting out at his eye level. “I almost knocked my head on it.”

Jimin raises his eyebrows. “Well… she’s about six inches shorter than you so it’s probably not as much a problem for her?”

“Irrelevant,” he dismisses immediately. “Anyone could get hurt. Look, I don’t like having to take such drastic measures, alright?” he continues. “But believe me, she is going to resist every single suggestion that either of us -“

At that moment, a shorter figure comes barrelling into the kitchen, leaving a faint flowery scent in her wake.

“Oh, God, it’s true,” she exclaims with dread. Reaching forward and snatching Hoseok’s camera, she gasps as she sees the picture on it. “Jesus Christ, oppa, why do you have to be such a freak?”

“I’m the freak? Look at your gas line!” 

“There is nothing wrong with -”

“Chae - do you have any idea how dangerous it is to have it so exposed that it’s -”

“It doesn’t even matter! It’s not my apartment,” she reminds him, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. “It’s Sungmi’s, and I can’t go around changing things without discussing them with her.”

Hoseok glares at her before exhaling through his nose, apparently trying to calm himself. “What about this?” he demands, pointing at the broken cabinet.

Chaeyoung raises her eyebrows “What about it?”

“Do you need her permission to get things fixed, too?”

“Um, kind of, yeah,” she answers, looking a bit incredulous now. “I can’t afford to get things fixed by myself in any case. And besides,” she continues, reaching up and tapping the piece of wood, “neither Sungmi or I can even reach this.”

“I’m sure Chan will be more than happy to help you out.”

Even Jimin, who hasn’t known Chaeyoung very long at all, knows from the way her eyes widen that this was the wrong thing to say.

“Oh, of course you think Chan needs to come to my rescue!” She scoffs and places her drink on the counter with a loud thud. “You really don’t think I can make it a second without my perfect brother, do you?”

“That’s not what I meant! I just - okay, I’ll pay for it,” he backtracks hastily. “I don’t mind, really, just as long as you -”

“Seriously? I don’t even know when I’ll be able to pay you back.”

“You don’t have to -”

But Chaeyoung cuts him off. “And you’re overreacting, oppa,” she informs him, folding her arms across her chest. “The only person who can even reach this is Ice, and he’s never brought it up in all the -”

“Ice? How often is he over here?” He whips around to look at Jimin, as though expecting him to have the answer. Before Jimin can stutter out a response, however, someone else joins them in the kitchen.

“Hey,” a voice drawls, sounding like it’s coming from miles away. Everyone turns to see the aforementioned Ice, blue-grey hair, facial tattoo and crooked smile on full display. In one hand is a glass of whiskey and in the other, a joint between his fingers. “Thought I heard someone say my name.”

“Oh… hey, Ice,” says Chaeyoung, taking a step back.

“Hey, hey,” he replies, swaggering into the kitchen with that distinct aura of speaking from far away. “Everyone having fun?” he asks, reaching down to hug Chaeyoung without warning, who simply pats his shoulder as he steps away. 

Ice doesn’t seem to realise, drifting sideways to hug Jimin next. “It’s a party, yo,” he informs them, raising his joint. “Come on in, man,” he says to Hoseok, apparently waiting for a hug. When he doesn’t move, Jimin suppresses a snort, immediately burying his face into his glass. 

Ice frowns, looking mildly confused. “No?” He places a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder. “I like this one,” he says to no one in particular.

Hoseok, clearly speechless, simply stares at Ice’s hand before looking back at him, and then at Chaeyoung as if to say Really?

Even Chaeyoung shrugs, looking somewhat embarrassed until a few more people enter the kitchen and Ice is successfully distracted. 

Jimin, who had been greatly enjoying the episode between Hoseok and this girl from his past who irritated the life out of him, takes this opportunity to intervene.

“Alright, who needs another drink?” he asks in a low voice so only the two of them can hear.

Chaeyoung turns to him as though just realising he’s there. “Jimin,” she states, “will you please tell Hoseok that he’s being insane?”

“Oh, grow up, will you?” Hoseok snaps back.

“You grow up -“

“Okayyy, tensions are high,” interrupts Jimin soothingly, “because everybody’s too sober.” He turns Chaeyoung around by the shoulders and steers her out of the kitchen. Hoseok follows without a word, rolling his eyes.

They reach the drinks table again where Sooah seems to have successfully rescued her boyfriend. 

“Sooah!” Jimin points at Chaeyoung and Hoseok frantically. “We have a sobriety emergency for you.”

“On it,” she replies, without missing a beat. “Cosmo for you and… Hoseok? For you?”

“I’m driving,” he answers sullenly.

“We’ll get Suga hyung to pick us up,” interjects Jimin hastily. “He’ll have tequila,” he tells Sooah.

“Perfect.” She bustles around the tables, gathering her paraphernalia and mixing a row of drinks with precision. Jimin watches with admiration, amusement and a bit of nostalgia while stealing glances at Hoseok and Chaeyoung beside him, both of whom glare in opposite directions.

“Alright, drink up, everyone.” Sooah passes a drink each to Hoseok and Chaeyoung, followed by one for Jimin. “You need to freshen yours up, too,” she adds with a smirk.

He holds up his half-finished drink. “But I’m not -” He breaks off when Sooah clinks her own half-empty glass with his. “Right.”

“Bottoms up, Chim.”

Both of them guzzle down their drinks in one go before emerging, warm and flushed. Jimin’s face feels like it’s on fire and his throat burns. But when he spots Sooah shaking out her hair and reaching enthusiastically for her fresh drink, he rallies.

“Cheers, guys,” he says, turning so that Hoseok and Chaeyoung can clink their glasses, too, when he notices something amiss. “Alex,” he adds, raising his eyebrows. “No drink for you?”

Alex, standing a step behind Sooah and smiling as he watched them drink, looks surprised to be spoken to. “Oh, I - I have rehearsal tomorrow.”

“And?”

“And… well, I don’t – I don’t want to be hungover during it.” He chuckles sheepishly. “Yeonjun hyung will kill me.”

“One drink won’t get you hungover,” says Jimin dismissively, reaching for a can of beer on the table and tossing it to him, which he catches at the last moment. 

“You don’t have to drink that, Alex.” Sooah cuts in. “Jimin.”

“What?” Jimin half-chuckles, but there’s suddenly far less humour in it. “He can’t be the only one not drinking. They’re called drinking games for a reason.”

“I don’t mind,” says Alex quickly. “It’s just one drink, noona. And… beer doesn’t have sugar,” he adds a bit uncertainly, glancing at the label.

“Exactly. And he’ll work off the carbs at practice tomorrow, anyway.” Jimin grins. “Been there, done that.”

Sooah fixes him with a steely look that he returns innocently, taking a sip of his vodka drink. Behind her, Alex’s face seems to crease at the mention of carbs. 

“Just one,” he mutters to himself, before holding it a few inches away and cracking it open. A bit of foam overflows and drips on the floor, but he takes a big gulp anyway. “Good beer,” he says after a moment.

“We also have breezers -” Chaeyoung starts to say but Hoseok catches her eye and shakes his head an infinitesimal amount, causing her to fall silent.

“Alright, now that everyone has their drinks,” continues Jimin, deliberately not looking at Sooah, “we can begin. Twenty questions, you said?”

“You said. And drinking games are perfectly possible without alcohol,” adds Sooah, apparently not about to let this go. “Remember your first drinking game?”

Jimin’s smile fades a bit as flashes surface from the recesses of his memory: a crowded house, a glass of Coke - and laughter from his classmates. Sooah hadn’t rushed to his defense this quickly then. 

“Yeah, I remember,” he replies after a moment. “Just making sure Alex doesn’t make the same mistake.”

“That’s not your call, though. He can decide what he wants to do.”

“Wow, did you hear that, oppa?” Chaeyoung pipes up. “Sound familiar?”

Hoseok scoffs. “Seriously? How is what I said similar to this?”

“It’s the way you said it, like you think I can’t do a single thing right.”

“That sounds familiar,” mutters Jimin into his drink, just loud enough for Sooah to hear.

“Oh, God, Jimin,” she snaps, rolling her eyes. “Now you’re just reaching. You can drink if you want, but you don’t get to tell others how to -”

“It’s a party! Let loose here because you can’t anywhere else - remember when you told me that?”

“I remember that that was in the context of you worrying about your math homework at a party, Jimin.” 

Jimin gasps, his cheeks growing hot. “Never have I ever worried about my math -”

“Oh, are we playing Never Have I Ever?” A voice interrupts them, sounding incongruously excited. Everyone turns to see Sungmi and her boyfriend Ice in tow, holding a drink and a joint respectively. When no one responds, she frowns. “No? Damn, this party must be going worse than I thought.”

“We can play Never Have I Ever,” offers Chaeyoung, turning to the others. “I’ll go first. Never have I ever… poked my nose in someone else’s business,” she finishes, looking straight at Hoseok.

He gives her an unimpressed look and takes an exaggerated sip of his drink, wincing slightly. Meanwhile, everyone else in the circle takes a sip as well, some sheepish, some shameless and, in Jimin’s case, with a bit of guilt. 

“Your turn, Jimin,” says Chaeyoung, sounding satisfied.

“Okay, um…” Jimin wracks his brain, the alcohol suddenly making his mind swim. “Never have I ever dated a carbon copy of my ex.”

He watches as all the expression leaves Sooah’s face, but he turns away, looking questioningly at everyone in the circle. Hoseok wrinkles his nose while Chaeyoung snorts and shakes her head. Sungmi tilts her head thoughtfully and takes a sip, however. Across the makeshift circle, Sooah deliberately places her glass on the table while, to Jimin’s surprise, Alex takes a small sip of his beer.

“Alright, your turn, hyung,” says Jimin after a moment.

Hoseok’s eyes widen as he scrambles for a question. “Um, never have I ever… been to a party where I don’t know a single person apart from the host?”

Every single person in the circle takes a drink, including Ice, who takes a sip of his girlfriend’s. 

“That was a good one,” remarks Sungmi, smiling with humour. “Okay, I’m next - and we’re going to make this exciting now,” she adds, rubbing her hands dramatically. “Okay, never have I ever… had a sex dream about someone in this room.”

A sort of silence seems to spread through the circle. Swallowing, Jimin takes a hesitant sip of his drink, glancing as quickly as he can at Sooah. She takes a sip, too, her eyes on the contents of her glass the entire time. Apart from them, Alex takes a sheepish sip, and Sungmi and Ice both take turns as well. Jimin feels something move next to his elbow but ignores it, eager to move the game along.

“Babe, that was an easy one,” drawls Ice, winking at the circle. “We’re all people, we all love, we all dream,” he rambles, taking another long puff of his joint. “I’ve had dreams, too, you know? I’ve had dreams about my lovely lady here -” He pulls Sungmi to his side by the waist and kisses her neck “- I’ve had dreams about my tattoo artist, I’ve have had dreams of Sungmi and my tattoo artist, Sungmi and her roommate -”

“Wait, what did you say?” Hoseok begins sharply, but Chaeyoung immediately interrupts him.

“Okay, no, the game, the game! Uh, Ice - it’s your turn, I think,” she adds hastily, stepping closer to Jimin. But Ice waves a hand good-naturedly.

“Nah, I’m good, sweetheart. I live here, in the mind and the -”

“Okay, moving on,” interrupts Sungmi, and Jimin guesses her boyfriend has finally made her uncomfortable as well. “It’s, uh - your turn,” she says, pointing at Alex. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Oh, I’m -”

“This is Alex,” says Jimin brightly. “He’s Sooah’s boyfriend.” Sungmi’s blank expression tells Jimin a moment later that she obviously has no idea who Sooah is either, but she shrugs eventually.

“You go, Alex.”

“Um -” With his wide eyes, full and parted lips, and his hair falling effortlessly over his forehead, he looks like every label’s dream idol. Jimin taps his foot impatiently, an act that doesn’t go unnoticed by a few others.

“Okay, uh, never have I -”

“Make it a good one, Alex,” warns Sungmi.

“Ah, I’m sure he will, unnie,” snickers Chaeyoung, raising her glass encouragingly. “Come on, Alex, the pressure is on!”

“- ever - okay -”

“They’re just kidding, babe,” murmurs Sooah with a smile, squeezing his arm.

“Only a bit,” adds Jimin, winking and ignoring her frown.

“- lost my virginity to someone in this room!”

Everyone processes this before a few chuckles break out. “Alright, that was a good one,” allows Sungmi. “Not one I can drink to, unfortunately.”

“Yeah, we may have gone into historic territory here,” agrees Chaeyoung, “but you just made the game a lot more interesting. Cheers.”

No one seems to notice Jimin and Sooah lock gazes for a moment before quietly sipping their drinks. Memories that Jimin had always treasured threaten to resurface, but there is nothing he wants to be reminded of less at the moment. 

“Your turn, Sooah.” Alex nudges her gently. 

“Right.” She clears her throat and stares at the floor. “Never have I ever lied to someone while breaking up with them.”

Jimin scoffs audibly but it fortunately gets drowned in a sea of agreement, with almost everyone taking a sip of their drink. He doesn’t, however, shaking his head slightly at Sooah. A part of him is unsurprised; this had to happen eventually. There was seldom a time when he and Sooah got together and didn’t begin descending into their history - and it was never pretty.

“My turn, then,” chimes Chaeyoung. Her drink is almost over now and she stumbles slightly next to him. “Um… never have I ever been cheated on.”

Sungmi rolls her eyes and drinks, as does Hoseok. Across from the circle, Sooah lifts her drink to her mouth and pauses for a moment before drinking. Her eyes flicker to Jimin before looking away.

His heart thuds in his chest. Nothing would ever be good enough for Kim Sooah. Not two years of a relationship, not how much they meant to each other - none of it. All that would ever matter to her would be how they broke up - even if part of it wasn’t true.

“Jimin?”

He comes out of it, chewing the inside of his lip. “Never have I ever…” His eyes dart up to Alex, who seems to be realising that something is awry. “... dated another idol’s ex-girlfriend.”

No one drinks, predictably. Jimin ignores the “huh?”s and the joking groans, his gaze solely on Alex who, frowning at Jimin, slowly takes a sip of his drink. Next to him, Sooah closes her eyes. 

Jimin waits to feel victorious, for it’s clear that Alex now knows about his and Sooah’s shared history. But a deep-seated bitterness creeps through instead. New boyfriend in, old boyfriend out.

“Okay… who’s next?”

“Oh, that’s me, I think,” says Hoseok distractedly, reaching out to steady Chaeyoung. “Um - I don’t know. Can I pass?”

“I’ll take your turn.” Sooah’s voice rings out, calm and sharp. She looks at Jimin through steely, heavy-lidded eyes; standing next to a tall and handsome boyfriend, Jimin can almost imagine this is high school once again - but in a parallel universe where she would ever look at him with anything but affection.

“Never have I ever caused a friend’s break-up.”

There are scoffs from around the circle, with Sungmi and Ice both taking a sip each. From next to him, Chaeyoung takes a sheepish sip as well, while Jimin glares at Sooah. The cranberry and vodka drink suddenly looks vile in his glass and he feels like he could throw up.

“Think I need some air,” he mutters, turning around and leaving the circle amidst the mild chatter. He places the glass on some surface on the way as he nudges his way through the crowd of drunken young adults. He just about exits the apartment when he realises he has no plan whatsoever of where to go, but he knows he can’t go back. So he carries on, reaching the end of the hallway where the warm summer breeze of the night gives him some respite from the haze of smoke at the party.

He hears footsteps behind him then, right on cue.

“Storming out, Jimin?” The footsteps stop abruptly. “Really?”

He doesn’t even turn around. “Don’t start, Sooah.”

“Jesus Christ. You have to grow out of this.”

“Grow out of this?” Jimin finally whips around, momentarily surprised to see her standing so close to him. Goosebumps have erupted on her bare shoulders but she doesn’t seem to have noticed.

“Yeah. It’s been long enough.” Sooah gives him a distinctly unimpressed look, as though this fight isn’t worth her time.

“You know what? Why don’t you just go back to your boyfriend?” Jimin says scathingly.

“I will, just as soon you stop - okay, no, you are not walking away from me right now.”

Jimin rounds on her the moment he hears footsteps behind him again. “You completely attacked me in there!” he blurts out accusingly.

“Because you attacked Alex!” Sooah sighs in frustration. “He’s my boyfriend, Jimin. You can’t go there - you know that.”

“You’ve known Alex for three months. And you’ve known me for six years, Sooah,” he reminds her, knowing deep down that it hardly matters. But the words spill out like they’ve been pressing up against his vocal chords, desperate to get out since the evening began.

She’s quiet for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. “Yeah, well.” She gives him a look that’s part firm and part sympathetic. “Unfortunately, current boyfriend trumps ex-boyfriend. I’m sorry, that’s just the way it is.”

Jimin scoffs, ignoring his stomach sinking. “What happened to old friends?” 

“You are an old friend, but you’re also my ex. And boyfriend trumps -”

“Yeah, I got it,” he interrupts her, rolling his eyes. “I thought it was all in good fun,” he says after a moment, looking away from her. 

Even without looking, he can hear the skepticism in her voice. “Really?”

“Yes. I - I may have gone a bit overboard in the end,” he admits, swallowing as he remembers Alex’s confused face, the realisation dawning on him. “I just… didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” Definitely not with someone.

“Jimin, it’s been five years,” she reminds him in a low voice. “We’ve both dated other people since then; it can’t be a surprise that -”

“I don’t care that you’re dating him,” he interrupts her again, realising as he says it that it’s true. He doesn’t care, not really. Not like that, anyway. “You and I dated in high school. I never expected us to end up married or anything. Okay? We’ve all moved on.”

Sooah doesn’t say anything, just continues looking at him, a small frown on her face. She’s confused.

Jimin can relate. It’s immeasurably frustrating not being able to put his finger on the problem. “It’s just weird… seeing it up close,” he finishes lamely, knowing it’s the best he can come up with right now.

“Even now?”

“Yeah. I mean, the last time I saw it up close was…” He shrugs. “... when we were sixteen. With Daehyun.”

Sooah’s eyes widen right on cue. “Oh, God,” she exclaims, taking a deep breath.

“Come on, you know that -”

“If you bring up Daehyun one more time -” 

She’s interrupted by the door to the apartment thudding open. A couple of people spill out, loud and drunk. Sooah turns back to him.

“Alright. I’m done.”

“Are you?”

“Yeah. Because I can’t have this conversation one more time, Jimin.” She shakes her head. “I’m going back inside.”

“Yeah, you do that.” Jimin watches her walk back inside, steps quick and steady, despite how much she’s drunk all night. Just as she enters, two people pass her by. Jimin realises with a start that it’s Hoseok and Chaeyoung.

“- only came here to criticise me!” Chaeyoung’s voice is loud and shrill compared to Sooah’s low one. 

“If you think this is criticising, then you’re missing the point,” says Hoseok loftily, rolling his eyes. “I just don’t want you to kill yourself, okay? Sorry for being the only adult around here,” he mutters, striding down the hallway towards Jimin.

“Oh, please,” she snaps, scoffing. “You’re just programmed to find something wrong with everything I do.”

“And you’re just programmed to be a brat!”

“Great! Now you sound like my dad. Why don’t you call him and have drinks over it?”

“Seriously? I’m looking out for you because you’re my best friend’s sister,” he points out, turning around to face her. “I didn’t have to spend my Saturday night with Fire and Ice, you know?”

“Oh, because she has red hair? Clever.” Chaeyoung crosses her arms across her chest. “And you know what? Your best friend,” she continues, “doesn’t give a shit, alright? He knows I’m not twelve anymore. If he doesn’t care, why do you?”

“I - I don’t!” Hoseok sputters, going red in the face. “You know what? Fine. Hang out with that Ice and his group of Neanderthals - I don’t even care.”

“Great,” she says sarcastically. “Now you sound like the Hoseok I grew up with!” With one last glare, she turns around and stalks back into the house exactly the way Sooah had a few minutes ago.

Hoseok stands motionless for a moment before turning to face Jimin, eyes wide. “What the hell just happened?”

Jimin shakes his head, lost for words. “I have no fucking idea,” he mutters. “Do you want to call Suga hyung or should I?”

—

The doorbell rings and startles Namjoon, who spills a couple of drops of milk on his t-shirt.

“Damn it,” he mutters, dropping his spoon back into the bowl of cereal and holding the t-shirt away from his chest. “Can you get that?” he asks Jungkook, who’s sitting across from him at the breakfast table.

Jungkook nods and heads towards the door as Namjoon disappears into his room, opening it to see someone he hasn’t in a while.

“Sooah?” He chuckles in mild disbelief. “Um - hey, noona. Didn’t expect to see you… here.”

“Yeah, I know,” she says lightly, biting her lip. “Is Jimin here?”

Jungkook’s pause before he nods tells her that he knows something happened last night. “Come on in. He was pretty drunk last night so he went straight to bed,” he adds, shutting the door behind her and beckoning her inside. “I’ll just get him.”

Sooah nods as he shuffles inside, hearing a door open and him softly calling Jimin hyung. “He’ll be right out,” he says generously, coming back out from the hallway and going back to the kitchen table. A minute later, Jimin emerges from the same direction, his hair messy and eyes still a little droopy. He doesn’t look wholly surprised to see her.

“Morning,” she says after a moment. “How’d you sleep?”

“Crap.” He gives her a quick once-over. “Are you hungover?”

“Not in the least. You?”

He shakes his head, frowning a little at the movement. “Nope. Not at all.”

“Right.” Sooah falls silent, glancing surreptitiously at Jungkook as he scarfs down his breakfast. Jimin copies her, and they stare at him until he looks up from his phone.

“What?” he asks through a mouthful of cornflakes.

“Hey, Jungkook,” she begins. “Um, do you mind if…” She trails off, biting her lip when Jungkook simply frowns.

“Leave us alone for a minute?” Jimin prompts, and Jungkook immediately nods.

“Oh. Yeah, okay. Right.” He climbs off the chair, gathering his bowl, a plate of toast and a bowl of ready-to-eat kimchi, with his phone piled on top of the bread. “I’ll just… finish inside,” he mumbles, balancing everything and precariously walking inside.

Jimin turns back to face her again. “So… what’s up?” He frowns as she throws something to him, catching it easily. “Hangover pills?” he reads off the label. “I told you, I’m not hungover.”

Sooah shrugs. “Just keep it. For some other time.”

“Okay,” he says, slipping it into the pocket of his track pants. “Thanks. Was that it?”

Without his hair styled and his expensive clothes, he looks… young. His cherubic face, even with a straight expression and tired eyes, stirs an old, innocent adoration in her.

“I wanted to talk about last night,” she says. “Sober.”

Jimin shakes his head. “We don’t have to. I was - I was a bit of a dick, I know.”

“Yeah… but so was I.” Sooah’s eyes flicker to the floor. “I got defensive when you were picking on Alex and… I may have said some stuff I didn’t mean to.”

He nods slowly. “Guess I didn’t know what it’s like on the other side,” he says, cracking a half-smile. “I’m sorry if I… did I get you in trouble? When he found out that we used to…” He gestures between the two of them.

“No, you didn’t. He was a little surprised, yeah, but… kind of impressed?” She shrugs. “He really looks up to you.”

“That’s nice of him, I guess. He seems like a good kid.”

She chuckles. “He’s not that much younger.”

“No?”

When he doesn’t say anything further, Sooah sighs. “Jimin… I didn’t mean to say all that stuff last night.”

“No, you were right. Current boyfriend trumps ex-boyfriend,” he repeats, swallowing. “You weren’t the only one thinking it.”

“No, Jimin, that’s not true. Okay, fine, it’s true if I have to choose between them,” she amends, rolling her eyes. “In that case, I’m forced to choose my boyfriend over my ex.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“So don’t make me choose.” Just as she’d expected, Jimin’s shoulders relax, as though he hadn’t considered this. “Jimin, you are my ex but you don’t have to be just that for the rest of our lives. Come on, we’ve been broken up for longer than we were together - isn’t it time we actually became friends?”

“Friends?” He says it like it’s a foreign word. “I - Sooah, I get what you’re going for, I really do, but…” He takes a deep breath, like he’s bracing himself to say something. “I don’t know how we’ll do as friends, honestly.”

“Why? I can be a good friend,” she says, a little defensively. “I had a pretty good circle of friends, you know?”

Jimin chuckles. “No offense, but that is not a group I want to join. Come on, you’re talking about your high school friends, right? Sooah, they were awful,” he confesses, shaking his head. “Those girls didn’t have a shred of loyalty - they’d sell their mothers for gossip. And those guys you hung out with?” He exhales in disgust. “They weren’t friends. They were complete jerks and they just wanted to get with whichever girl would give in first.”

There’s a moment while Sooah processes this. “Right,” she says. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he says immediately, the regret audible.

“I know you didn’t,” she assures him. “I know, Jimin, because you’re a good guy. You were the best person I knew,” she admits, hoping he believes her. “That’s why I fell for you, and not any of those other jerks.”

Jimin says nothing, his eyes falling to the floor. 

“You still are one of the best people I know,” she adds after a moment. “And I don’t want you to just disappear from my life because I’m dating someone. I’d rather have you as my friend than this - this guy from my past I hook up with a couple times a year.”

When Jimin still doesn’t respond, she sighs.

“Fine. Whatever. I’m still your friend.” Sooah stares at him, hoping for something, anything. “Bye, then.”

“You really think it’ll work?”

“Yeah, I do. We get along pretty well, in case you haven’t noticed. We can try at least,” she adds when he continues looking doubtful.

“You’re sure you won’t fall in love with me?” he asks seriously.

Sooah stares before snorting. “Jesus, Chim,” she says admonishingly as he bursts into giggles, “don’t say whatever pops into your head.”

“Sorry, I forgot you’re dating another idol now. Probably not a big deal for you,” he allows.

“It wasn’t a big deal when I was dating the first idol either.”

“Not even with his abs?”

“I preferred his calculus notes over his abs.”

Jimin makes a face. “Some friend.”

Sooah smiles back. There’s still something resembling hesitance in his expression, but she hopes it’s temporary. It’s unchartered territory for both of them, but a necessary change. She suspects it was what scared Jimin last night in the first place.

“I should go,” she says after a moment. “I just came to…”

“Ask for my forgiveness?”

She rolls her eyes. “Sure.”

Jimin grins, and she breathes a silent sigh of relief. He walks her to the door and for the first time in a long time, Sooah looks forward to their common future.

“By the way,” he asks, just as she’s stepping out, “you - you don’t actually think that I cheated on you. Right? When we broke up?” he clarifies.

Sooah frowns. “Um… no. Why - oh, the game? Last night?”

Jimin nods, his lips pursed. “You drank.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” She shakes her head and pats his arm comfortingly. “That wasn’t about you. Like you said,” she adds with a half-chuckle, “most of them were jerks.”

—

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[ramcharantitties]

Ch 3- Ram's investigation

bandook meri layla

Ram rocked left and right on his chair, staring at the gun in front of him. In today’s conference, the officials gave him a case- confidential and probably a suicide mission. And to his bliss, he was specially assigned the infamous Art Expo case. Find out why Gangarao died and who killed the two partners. Name, identity, everything about the murderer. 

Babai sat on the edge of his bed, going through magazines and newspapers that might hold information on the organization in the art expo. 

On his personal note, Ram already knew many things. Like a woman is involved in all this, the guarded painting probably had the bomb, there was no “buying” party, and a huge organization will be in spotlight because of this. It could be a terrorist attack, a riot, anything.  

Ram closely dismantled the gun. Nothing out of ordinary, the same metal and hinges. But what caught his site was the ink print on the inside of the frame. A RC was printed in tall fonts with a circle around it.

 “Babai!” Ram called out and Babai scrambled to stand up, hurrying towards Ram. “The gun has RC printed on it.” Ram announced. 

“But, wasn’t the RC name of the organization the art expo was all about?” Babai asked, recollecting the information given to him. 

“And Jenny has been following them for so long- it’s not possible that they were a con, building a fake identity so soon.” Ram muttered, standing up. He crossed the room, a hand on his waist.

“That only means that whatever RC organization had been operating under covers for so long, nobody had a clue how big of a threat they are.” Ram said. “The way they beat you up to protect their secret from being exposed, I am sure it is a big threat,” Babai said, looking at Ram’s scar on his forehead. 

“But shouldn’t they be having tougher security? If the country’s most powerful people are meeting, how could they conduct it at a place where civilians were asked to come?” Babai asked and Ram looked up. 

“Because the plan was something else, the explosion was a casualty.” Ram connected the dots. 

-

Ram got to know a man who might help them with finding out about the print on the gun. 

Across the roads of Delhi, Ram made his way to the crowded streets of Chandni Chowk. The hustle and colors of this market resonates with him- the million stories in every store blurring his own, the crowd making his identity disappear. For a while, he feels out of body, he feels good. Ram feels as if the boulder on his chest melts by the chattering. 

    He feels like that with Akhtar too. The innocent, doe- eyed man has made a home in Ram’s stone heart. Akhtar’s chatter and understanding of the world, his hunger for knowledge and Ram's stories and experiences, Ram smiled thinking about him. As if a fictional cue, he heard the familiar voice of his friend in the crowd. 

“Anna!” Akhtar spotted Ram, running towards him. Ram’s eyes followed the voice, to find the bearded man making his way. “What are you doing here?” Akhtar asked. “I was just here for some work” Ram nodded and Akhtar stared at him. ”Are you going somewhere?” Akhtar asked and Ram nodded. “Can I come with you?” The excited punctuation of Akhtar’s question stopped Ram in tracks. “It’s work related” Ram said and Akhtar’s smile fell. “So what? I won’t bother” Akhtar muttered, and Ram smiled, swinging his arm around Akhtar’s shoulder. “Chalo fir”. 

They went through broken building blocks and empty, shady spaces. Under the bridges and over the stepping stones, the boys entered a grim looking store. Ram knocked on the door, and a man in his 50s appeared out of a room. He was balding from the top, white gray beard making its way till his neck. Ram nodded and leaned on the counter, with the man sitting down on his chair. Ram took the frame out of his pocket and placed the part on wood. The man raised his eyebrow, looking out of the window. Ram stood up, alerted. “You will die, you know” the man said and Ram smiled. “Is it really that bad?” the man chuckled. “Of course it’s bad- it's a woman. They always bring bad news” Ram didn’t have time for all this bullshit.

 “What else do you know?” The man gulped, standing up. “Nothing else” he said, picking up the part. “How do you know that it’s a woman?” Ram asked nonchalantly. “Inside news” the man said, stepping back. “And who gave you the news?” Ram made eye contact with the man, before the said man sprinted towards the front door, pushing Akhtar out who was outside in the process. Akhtar, startled, looked at Ram and followed the man. Ram made his way through the back door and followed the parallel path to reach the man. Before Ram could get his hands on the man, he was already trapped in Akhtar’s strong grasp. Ram smiled, snatching the man’s collar. 

After some beating, Ram took the part of the handle back and the crying man held up his joined hands. “I don’t know anything” he cried, and it only angered Ram more. “Fine” he said, and took the dirty brick lying nearby. “Wait!” the man yelled, already in a defense position. “Near the market of Qutub Minar, there is a shop. It’s on the inside, behind pillar 15. They might know something” 

Ram left the collar of the whimpering man, swiping his bloody knuckles on his trouser. “If someone asks you, or saw us, tell them we are your debtors” The man nodded vigorously, and they left the place with new information on hand.  

About three hours later, Ram stared at the RC sign on the frame, rolling on his chair. If there was an arms deal happening in the expo, no one from both the buying and selling party should know about the outcome- then why was the bomb set? And even if it was decided that the bomb will explode at failing of the deal, as he heard through the walls, it was life threatening for members of RC too. What was the point of the explosion? 

In the middle of Ram’s brainstorm, Babai bursted through the doors in panic. Ram sat up, worried. “You went to that store right? Where the dons get their guns mended?” Ram nodded, and Babai sat down on his bed. “Someone burned him and his store.”  

tagging- @dumdaradumdaradum @voidsteffy @infusedchaos @nerdreader @thewinchestergirl1208 @bishh-kanya @yehsahihai @nyotamalfoy

#bml #ghungru #ram charan #rrr #rrr movie #fanfic #desi tag #rambheem #rrr tarak charan #bandook meri layla

[thebirdandhersong]

getting to know you tag!

tagged by @permanentreverie <3 thank you!! :D (also this is the first time I've ever responded to a tag in like three months I am so sorry)

favourite colour: yellow! (the warm, buttery gold, like sunlight in the evening!) and lavender and green and BLUE (like the sea).... am also a big fan of peachy pinks and deep reds now!

currently reading: A Room With A View by E.M. Forster. I started this one a while ago and gave up very quickly because Forster's work has never really stuck with me (I had mixed feelings about Howards End, and I STILL have no idea what I think about it) so I'm giving this one another shot. Also reading The Cultivated Life by Susan Phillips and Revelations of Divine Love by Bl. Julian of Norwich. That's leisure reading... am currently reading Anna Karenina in preparation for class, too!

last song: The Way You Felt (Alec Benjamin), All Ways (Elliott Park), Marjorie (Andrew Osenga), I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire (The Ink Spots), As the Deer (Steffany Gretzinger)

last series: Extraordinary Attorney Woo--finished it last week! What a charming and thoughtful show. Definitely a lot to look forward to in season 2! (and have started Hometown Cha Cha Cha. The main character is decidedly harder to love than Youngwoo but I do love the villagers. and Seon-ho's character is VERY impressive)

last movie: uhhh The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (started)

currently working on: unpacking my boxes from the community house and packing my boxes for student res (crying)

tagging: if you want to, consider yourself tagged!!

#songbird again #thank you <3<3

[specialshinytrinkets]

You know WHAT?! I wuv you UwU *drops kicks this at you*

1. The "pastor" type of guy!! These serve Asamäkhn – the Goddess Of Life – at the top of the mountain in their shrine. It's also where the burials happen, to get closer to the divine beings

2. "Main shepherd village. Rare houses. Meadow. Middle-traders. Main traders village"

This is where differently-colored Sheps (from "shepherd") live, on their own "levels", with symbols. Brown, black and red coloration happened due to the mutations in usual white.

Due to predators spotting such sheps, the survivors came up with the idea that their colored peers were "cursed" by Asamäkhn to not even survive. They – supposedly – shouldn't exist, and their souls are bound to the earth after death.

So, patchy sheps moved from peak of the mountain with constant snow to the lower step, and, because of that, started to work on their trading skills with the outside world. This caused them to believe they have unique purpose and abilities (like selling crappy wool).

The reason why the lowest have bare face is because it's hotter than on the middle ground and definetely on the peak, so less fur=better temperature control

3. [NO LONGER CANON.]

An alphabet! I'll make a language (well, try to), these are the sounds

4 - 5. You can try to translate it, if you want. It's in Russian tho. So use an online one for that (hope it will make sense)

6. "How to summon a dead one's soul for a communication by the request:

Take dirt out of the place of the burial ( ! put the dirt away, do not toss it out, return after the ritual ! )

Make a small bonfire (take it out after the ritual)

Put it on fire

Put a necklace around the tombstone

...

Profit ( ! throughout the ritual slightly bang on the tambourine ! )"

A ritual. It's made up. I do not wish to make fun of or appropriate anybody's beliefs though, believe what you believe in

7. <note: the translation is a fixed, intended version> "Tärlamäkhn. Patron of lifestock. Translates as "the goat creator".

Is dressed in traditional shepherd coat (sinam). Carries a yarlyga on its back, with which controls goat herds.

This creature watches over every shep out there by silently climbing on the cliffs. Tärlamäkhn sees everything and punishes for the actions done for ill will by making the goats run off or drying up the grass in the meadows.

According to the legends, created the mountain fauna and gave some sheps a yarlyga. Shepherding is passed down the generations.

Shepherds must pray to him and bring part of their collection to the temple."

(Inspired by @squiddy-ink-s creature designs) (sorry for bothering you, but I wanted to list the inspo)

8-9. Aaaand baby Steven and Anna, his sister!!

I STILL HAVE STUFF TO SHARE BUT IT'S IN ANOTHER SKETCHBOOK AAAAAAAAAAA TT_TT

Half of these are old (2, 3, 7, 8 and 9), but still accurate. I just wanted to open the floodgates somewhere other than DMs w/ friends!! And when I say I have more stuff to share, I mean even more text and photos! Some is still undecided, even, it's all developing!!!

And I'm excited to tell more!!!!!!!!!!!

#Young Mr Small_village #THE START OF THE TAG LET'S GOOOOOOO #i REALLY WANNA #RAMBLE ABOUT IT #maybe i should make a video of me just.......... talking a #about this #tawog #the amazing world of gumball #sketch #concept sketch #deity

[wantcn]

open starter, do not reblog ( m: lily adams - also available: anna, olivia )

plot: my muse joined a penpal program where her letters were sent to an inmate in a randomly picked jail and they could decide to continue their conversation if they both wished. they did. only they never really told each other too much about who they were. they talked about their deepest needs, their fears and wishes but never told each other their real name or any personal information. except now she came to visit him...

open to: m, age gaps welcome, tab*o welcome!

WEARING HER PRETTIEST DRESS might have been a too obvious choice for the situation, but Lily tugged at the hem of it to reach a bit further down her thighs as she walked past the tables filled with inmates meeting with their loved ones. she did not meet their scalding gazes as she made her way across the rather large room to the one available spot where she sat down. she was doubting herself now, it was such a wild idea to even come here in the first place. she should have thought it through a little bit better - but the thought of finally seeing him was too much to construct much more of a rational thought. the brunette looked down at the table top where she placed the last letter she received, fingertips delicately tracing the ink spelling out the nickname that he signed it off with. Lily thought it irresponsible to let the other person know anything personal about her so she came up with a nickname for the letters. Daisy. they didn't even know each other's names and yet here she was - dressed up to impress, showing off her best assets and eager to meet the man who had charmed her through his written words & spicy promises. Lily did not even notice when the door to the room opened, only the sound of shuffling feet and handcuffs catching her attention and with a gasp she looked up "---hi." she managed to whisper, hazel gaze shyly looking up at the tall man "i'm Daisy, i guess it's nice to finally meet you."

#;( im thinking something hella nasty for this ya know ) #;( like him serving a sentence for soemthing he dEFINITELY DID ) #;( maybe lying to the guards about lily being his gf/wife so that they can have a private room for a few hrs.... ) #indie smut rp #indie kink rp

[thebellamybarnesarchive]

Manchester Pt 2.

Place: Annalise’s mansion for her sister’s baby shower. Who: @nicholasbaudelaire​​ Synopsis: Bella introduces Nicky to the British Witch who helped her through her first vampire break up, she warns Nicky that something may go wrong on their trip.

The baby shower was, of course, the first stop. It was actually the reason Bella had left on the day she had because technically her meeting was not for a few more but Annalise had begged her to come and be her date for the baby shower, which had then meant Nicky was her date's date. Bella didn't mind, she knew Annalise would probably be better behaved with entertainment anyway, and her parents would appreciate the young witch not ruining her sisters day.

It was certainly an...odd shower. Unlike most it didn't feature baby decor, or focus on hues of pink and blue. Rather the place was filled to the absolute brim with flowers yet to bloom, buds on almost every plant. "Annalise said," Bella told Nicky as they walked through the grand entrance to the gothic estate along with the myriad of other guests dressed as formally as they were, "that the flowers are tied to the baby, as it grows they'll bloom and predict when she goes into labour."

Ready to tell Nicky as they followed other guests through the entrance hall and out into the large stone balcony that overlooked an orchard that perhaps they should grab a drink at the bar and then find Annalise the woman was assault with the loud clicking sounds on marble of the young red headed witch rushing at them in her Zuhair Murad dress, a complete contrast with it's deep black and brilliant purple to her hair. "Baby Belle!" she squealed, rushing to her friend and immediately kissing her, deep purple lips staining the red matte Bella wore. The kiss was closed lipped and could have been considered nothing but perhaps the influences of her travels over Europe but Nicky wouldn't have got much time to think on it before the pixie like witch had grabbed Nicky's lapels and pulled him down to stain his own clean lips with the purple on her own.

"Oh!" Nick grunted in surprise as the red-head reached for his lapels and pulled him down so she could appraise his cheeks with her purple stained lips. He giggled as he straightened back up, running a hand over the lapels she had just pulled on. To say his cheeks were flushed was an understatement but the confident grin on his chops indicated it was not embarrassment that altered his natural colouring, but delight at being greeted so warmly.

"Hi, nice to meet you Annalise" he greeted her warmly, amusement dancing in his eyes when he spotted the mixture of colour on Bellamy's lips. He presumed this excitable red-head was the woman Bella had described just from what his girlfriend had told him of her. "I appreciate you having me here, sharing your date"

Bella snorted a laugh when Nicky seemed to specifically move so that Annalise's kiss that went in for his lips missed and hit his cheek instead, licking her own lower lip where Annalise's purple lipstick and her own red had mixed. It was sweet Nicky had done his best to avoid her advance, even if Bella didn't think much of it, well, she didn't think it would be designed to steal Nicky away at least.

"You're my date too," she insisted, flattening out his lapels with the palms of her hands. On them were various black lines done in some kind of ink, running from her nails over her fingers and then the back of her hand, wrapping around her wrists. "We share Bella, Bella and I share you, you and Bella share me," Anna continued. "I think it's going to make the dancing a lot more enjoyable, especially since Belle has two left feet."

Bella laughed, leaning into Nicky as Annalise took her hand. "Is your sister around?" Bella asked her and Annalise nodded, pointing to a girl out on the edge of the balcony who look like a more put together version of Annalise, her dress more refined, her hair perfectly straight even in it's same red shade, and a gentle bump to her stomach because she had only just begun to show.

"Let's go to the kitchen though, I'm so hungry, Belles, and you said your boy has to eat like fifty meals a day," she commented, an obvious effort on her part to make Nicky feel included, and the more she spoke the more obvious it was that she was not from Manchester, her accent actually rather vague, a mix of many since Annalise never seemed to want to stay in one place. "You hungry, Nicky?"

huh Nicky thought to himself. The red-head was very much the type of woman he would have melted for only a few months ago, but now he was just very conscious of looking too intrigued by what Anna was suggesting. Sure, it had been a fantasy that he and Bella had talked about during sex, but a fantasy was one thing, reality was very much another and he made sure he smiled warmly at the witch but slipped an arm around Bella's slender waist, giving her a squeeze.

"Two left feet, you say?" Nick chortled "Well I'm sorry to say you'll be dealing with two people who can't dance!" Of all of Nicky's strengths; dance was not one of them. Not that that stopped him of course.

The wolf followed the two women's conversation, looking over at the witch with a bump. He himself had never been particularly bothered by having children his own, preferring the idea of adopting a child already in existence, still though, she was quite the vision.

When Anna mentioned food though, Nick's attention was hers, and he glanced at Bella for giving the witch a very definite nod.

"Always!"

“Oh really?” Bellamy asked, a little shocked by the revelation, she’d oddly assumed if Nicky was skilled with his hands, as most doctors were, that he would also somehow have the same co-ordination when it came to dance. It was probably as silly a connection to make as him assuming she could dance just because she could sing though. “Then we have to dance, if only to make Anna look good to her coven,” she agreed, the red head making her eyes wide as if to say ‘that is not possible.’

Bellamy leaned into Nicky’s affectionate grasp though, the sweetness of it melting her. Anna had just meant date, mostly because she’d been down the road with one of Bella’s exes of making an offer that ended up with Bella in tears, but also because why guarantee anything? For Bella she was just happy Nicky wanted to hold her this way so publicly after the talk on the plane.

“Don’t dawdle,” Anna said as she lead them through the home, a pace or two ahead, unbothered by the fact Nicky was clinging to Bella and Bella in turn clinging to him.

“She’s a lot, I know,” Bellamy said as she looked up at him, her hand against his chest. “I should have warned you she might…,” Bella’s hand left his chest to smudge the lipstick on his cheek. “She did that when I first met her too, and I was in tears so not even remotely attractive,” she said as Anna pushed a large door open in front of them, a full kitchen becoming exposed, littered with staff going out another door that lead to the balcony. “Tell her to stop if you want, she might pout but she will, but you…you don’t have to tell her to.”

“What do you feel like?” Anna asked Nicky just as Bella stopped speaking, gesturing to the peculiar British food in front of her.

Nick smirked at Bellamy, for some reason oddly pleased she was surprised that he could not dance with any real grace or sex appeal. "Yup, but no one will be looking at me with you two on my arm!"

The wolf chortled at Anna's instruction that they not dawdle but he walked at Bella's pace, appreciating the slope of her waist in his hand. His head canted as he listened to what Bellamy was saying, and he shook his head, curls bouncing as he did so.

"You, not attractive? Not possible!  Can't blame the girl for having good taste!" he chortled, kissing the top of her head as they followed Anna. "I'll be all right"

An array of food was presented; vast platters of triangle sandwiches with varying fillings such as coronation chicken, prawn salad, ham and cheese, and ham salad. Various meet kebabs and chicken legs littered amongst salad leaves, cold pasta salads were available too and between the bowls and trays were various crisps to choose from. Cheese platters were available too; the scent of stilton and Camenbert immediately catching Nick's attention, as well as crusty bread and an assortment of salty crackers to pair with them.

As British party spreads go, it was fairly traditional, and had something available for everyone.

Anna picked up a prawn salad finger food sandwich as she jumped up onto the kitchen counter, her expensive couture gown would end up with bread crumbs between the sequins but she did not care. Bella shook her head though, she loved cooking but that looked horrendous, the soft bread could not possibly taste good with prawns, no there was just no way. “You’re so gross,” Bella told her, slipping out of Nicky’s arm to find a platter of dry meats she thought might be more likely to fill Nicky up. Anna however offered him one of the prawn salad sandwiches while Bella wasn’t looking, big smile on her face like it was some big secret even though it was a simple sandwich.

“Bella said you’re a fancy doctor,” Anna told him. “She went from no job, to janitor, to bartender, to doctor, that’s a big leap,” she stated, teasing her friend as Bella returned with a cutting board of meats she had found, the same style of board the cheese was on.

“Miles was a janitor at the zoo, and by the time we broke up he was a detective,” Bellamy pointed out, only for Anna to look pointedly at Nicky.

“Right, the jobless guy became a bartender, the janitor became a detective, and the bartender became a lawyer, she’s not going to have to be your mother right?” Anna asked, Bella giving her a hard shove. Having only learnt about Carina on the plane Bella hadn’t warned Anna to hold her tongue. “What? I’m not wrong, you need to date someone who takes care of you for a change.”

Nick accepted the sandwich which in all honesty smelled good but like Bella, the mix of bread and prawn salad was foreign to him. He didn't know how to respond to Anna's smile, so her averted his gaze, pretending to look absolutely absorbed by the pink filling of the sandwich.

From what the two women were discussing it occurred to Nicholas that this might be some sort of test the universe was throwing at him. Girl friends tended to be protective of one another, girl friends who also used to girlfriends were no doubt even more protective. It also did not slip Nick's attention that one of Bella's exes was a detective, one was a witch from a very big coven it would seem, and there was also a lawyer... he didn't feel like she'd traded up at all, but rather had a string of ex lovers who could quite easily make life hard for him, if he fucked up.

"Well, I'll make damn sure she doesn't have to mother me" Nick said carefully, still holding the bizarre sandwich. "But I agree, she deserves someone who takes care of her. What do you think Bella?" Nick turned his question to his girlfriend, smirking. "Do I do a good job taking care of you?" he arched a brow and winked.

Bella looked to the platter of meat she had found for him and back to Nicky as he asked if he did a good job taking care of her and smiled, offering him an amused nod. He did take good care of her, it was just a poorly timed question, Anna taking back the sandwich from him since he didn’t seem to enjoy it and Bella replacing it with some dry salami.

“You do take care of me,” she assured him, licking the lingering meat flavor off her fingers. “Better than anyone,” Bella reiterated.

“How about you? Bella mentioned you have an ex who turned you? Is that the only one?” Anna asked, a bit of an interrogation as Bella found herself picking at the cheese platter.

Nick grinned, relieve to have the fishy sandwich taken away from him and gratefully took the plate with dried meat that Bella had picked for him. It was a good answer, but he could sense there was an edge to her response and he wondered if it was the discussion they had had in the plane that brought such a sad tinge to the topic.

"Uhm... exes" Nick said between mouthfuls of meat. "Yep, I have exes...only a couple of serious ones though, including the wolf who turned me" Nick turned back to look at Anna as he answered her question. "They were good people, but things ran their course. Besides, they don't hold a candle to  like this one though" That much was true, he had adored Saskia, and had wanted to love his ex after her too, and he had, in a way. Just not enough, not the same consuming way he loved Bella. It pained him to think how differently he felt for the vampire, but that it might not work out if he decided he loves his wolf more...

Bella hadn't intended for there to be an edge to her words, more playfully amused by the timing but she did believe it, she felt like Nicky took care of her in ways she hadn't had before. There was a lot to Nicky that gave Bella much more security emotionally than she'd ever had before, even with the lingering question in the air. Still, since she didn't know Nicky had taken it that way she readily moved back to him, leaning against the red fabric of his suit, hearing his heartbeat at her ear.

Both women listened as he spoke, Bella paying the words as much mind but not shocked by them. Was it ego that she imagined Nicky couldn't possibly had cared for anyone as much as he cared for her or simple observation? He'd said he wanted kids and a house with her after only a few days, surely he hadn't been ready for that with the others.

"No one holds a candle to you either," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his middle. For all that Anna had said they were each others dates there was evidence before the witch that was not the case, not that she minded it, the actions spoke better than the last of Bella's partners she'd met and allowed the witch to smile for her friend.

Jumping off the counter she moved to grab a tray of champagne flutes. "We should toast to that then," she stated, offering the pair the tray so they could each take a glass. "To things running their course? Or maybe just to this party not being dull as fucking doornails," Anna mused while Bella released only one arm from Nicky to grab a glass.

Nick grinned, quickly distracted by the softness of Bella's voice and the arms she wrapped around him. Whatever tinge of sadness he had felt was forgotten and he could rest assured for now at least things felt good and right between the two.

"Hell no, it's not going to be dull as doornails!" Nick chuckled, raising his glass in a toast and clinking it against theirs.

Bella reached to take a champagne flute, one arm still wrapped around Nicky, allowing the pair of them to pick the toast and simply clinking her class amongst the three of them before taking a slow sip of it. Champagne wasn’t really her thing but one glass was fine.

“We should go dance,” she suggested, her hand on Nicky’s back. “Make Annalise look good in front of her family,” Bellamy continued before Annalise gave Bella an amused sort of smile.

“We could do that or we could go and do a tarot reading for the pair of you? If you like?” Annalise offered as an alternative to Nicky feeling obligated to embarrass himself. “You got something you’d like to know about your future with Belles?”

The tarot reading sounded very intriguing in all honesty, and if Nick thought about it for more than a second, he would have figured it could very easily invite trouble into their evening. Bella and he had done a good job thus far of not bringing up the conversation from the plane, but a tarot reading done by an actual witch presented the very real possibility that they might get a reading Nick was not ready to hear.  But of course, Nick did not think of this. In that moment he had the option between something cool and witchy, and something fun and most likely humiliating.

"Hey, I'm easy!" Nick chortled, stuffing more cold meats into his mouth so he could avoid being responsible for choosing. He gave a shrug of his shoulders and looked between the two women. "What would you two prefer?"

“You nervous the reading will show your intentions, Nicholas?” Annalise asked his, a shift in her tone that was quite distinct, one of accusatory observation. For Bella she knew what his reluctance had to be regarding - whether or not he even felt capable of being with Bella considering her needs - and so was quickly defensive.

“Nicky only has good intentions,” Bella insisted, looking up at him as she placed her finished glass on the counter behind him. “He’s probably nervous you’ll rig it against us for your own amusement,” Bella accused, watching as Annalise playfully pouted.

“Let’s do it, we can ask the cards about the trip,” she suggested, faith in her that they wouldn’t have to deal with anything serious until they were home. In reality Bella didn’t foresee drama regardless because if Nicky decided he could handle what the future would hold then he was the man for her and if he could not she would assure him that while not romantic their bond would be meaningful to her as a friend for as long as he wanted it. Whatever happened and couldn’t be angry with him.

With Bella coming quickly to his defence, Nick didn't need to say anything, which he was relieved about. For once, the chatty wolf was not quick to dominate conversation with his near constant talking. So, he smiled at Bella, pressing the corner of his lips against her cheek by way of thanks, before turning to grin at the witch.

"Well, if it's about the trip, then I predict the lovers card for sure! And the world!" Nick knew little to nothing about tarot readings, but he knew something of the meanings of the two major arcana cards he had mentioned. Of their trip he anticipated lots of harmony, and love, and of course travel. "Those... are like, the only cards I remember" he added sheepishly, opting to not mention any of the darker cards he knew of.

"Perhaps they're inverted," Annalise responded, a foreboding tone to her voice as she stepped out of the kitchen. Bella took the chance to grab a bottle of gin as they left, presuming Nicky might take the plate of meat with them if he was still hungry. "The Lovers reversed speaks of failure and frustrated connection," though as Annalise looked back at the pair following her, Bella's arm around Nicky's waist while a bottle of gin hung by her knees it seemed unlikely the pair were particularly frustrated to her, and for Bella well...she wasn't frustrated at all, even if perhaps she should have been.

"Annalise you can't just-" an older woman with similar features to the witch spoke, descending the stairs in a brilliant purple gown that looked as though it was made of flower petals. "I'll be back soon, just start the party without me," she told her, Bella aware it was Annalise's mother and mouthing so to Nicky.

"Evening Miss Vess," Bellamy offered to the woman, tugging on Nicky's coat to do the same. "Evening Miss Barnes and...guest, make sure Annalise returns before the shifting of shades," she directed and Bella nodded, catching quickly up to Annalise at the top of the stairs, girl running down to her room.

The room that they entered into had beautiful handpainted high walls that depicted worshipping witches in cool toned hues of blues, purples, pinks and reds, while the rest of the room was made up of black furniture and deep purple accents. It was like a whole apartment in one room, the way a princess might have had, and Annalise grabbed her cards before slipping off her heels and crawling onto her canopy bed. "Nicky, you can go first, what shall you ask of the trip?" Annalise asked him as Bella popped the bottle of gin.

Bellamy was correct in assuming Nicky would be bringing food. As they exited the kitchen, he made sure to add pork pies to the plate too as well as a hunk of bread too so he could make a messy sandwich of sorts. Despite the suggestion of those cards potentially being in reverse, Nick was not worried; he had a plateful of food, a gorgeous girl at his side, and gin to enjoy; things were good, they were great in fact.

When the older witch appeared, Nick could only smile and nod by way of greeting given that his mouth was unsurprisingly full. The older witch was just as stunning as her daughter, perhaps even more so, and for a moment Nick wondered what Bella would look like aged; before he remembered that would be a site he would never be able to see.

The luscious interior of Anna's room made Nick's mouth drop open, thankfully he had swallowed his generous mouthful of food by this point. It wasn't that he wasn't accustomed to a certain standard of opulence, more so that the bold colours were brave and paired nicely. He just appreciated the beauty of the room. When the girls made themselves comfortable on Anna's bed, Nick grinned like a mischievous teenage boy who had snuck into an all girls's sleepover, before clambering onto the bottom of the bed so the two girls could sit beside each other at the top.

"Uhhmm" Nick grinned, scratching his chin. "Okay, well I already know we're going to have a good time! My question is, is it gonna be a trip to remember?"

Like Nicky, Bella had wondered what she would look like aged but dreaded it. It wasn't like she'd worried about it as a human but seemed more a side affect of how obvious everyone else aged, how the subtle differences they did not see each day Bella had to watch and become fearful of, fearful they'd eventually die and leave her alone. So Bella associated ageing with loneliness and hated the idea of it on her skin.

Bottle of gin open Bella took a swig while Nicky climbed up onto the bed with them, her torso close to Anna Bella allowed her toes to slip beneath Nicky's thighs to attain some of his warmth. His question was sweet, making her smile. "You sure you don't want to ask if you'll end up with bleached hair again?" the presently brunette woman teased him playfully.

Anna was already shuffling up her cards, focused in on the major arcana for ease. She'd pull one card per question since it was focused rather than generalised. In this instance she pulled a black bordered card with an eerie witchy woman upon it, the words The Chariot written in gold lettering at the bottom. "Hmm," Annalise frowned, looking at the card curiously. She had anticipated something simple like the Sun, a confirmation their trip would be memorable but The Chariot spoke to something more specific and so, against her intentions, Anna drew another card, hopeful for something like the Moon, an implication they would triumph over an argument, some inner concern they had with one another or even the Tower, a triumph over some deception between them but instead her eyes landed upon Judgment, Annalise staring at it for a moment before lifting her gaze to Nicky and smiling. "I'd keep your wolf close," she offered up to him. "A trip to remember is not always one you'll want to."

Bella froze for a moment, looking at Anna with a nervousness to why she would say that before laughing, "you're so moody!" The words shoving away concerns, decided that Anna had to be messing with Nicky.

While the witch shuffled her card and Bella made herself comfortable, slipping her cool toes beneath his thigh, Nick contentedly chomped on the food he was enjoying. The strange pork pie was something to get used to, seeing as it was cold and the texture was like ground meat - still, Nick was easily pleased when it came to food, especially if it was meat based.

Nick watched as the witch pulled on card, and then another. The Chariot and Judgement did were not cards that he was familiar with, so until Anna's word of warning, he did not look unsettled.

Bella might have decided to shove away concerns, but Nick took the words seriously.

"Why? What do the cards mean?" he asked staring at the witch with a sombre expression, despite the continued movement of passing food from his plate, to his mouth. He even chewed more slowly.

Annalise looked to Bella who inhaled sharply, not wanting to sour their evening with some foreshadowing that she didn't truly have much faith in the legitimacy of. For all Anna knew the cards would simply be about something mundane, a moment forgotten in seconds. The witch would disagree and did so by ignoring Bella irritation and answering him. "The Chariot speaks to victory, determination, success, all wonderful things but peculiar for the situation and so I drew again. Judgment can speak to your past hitting your future, it can speak to a literal judgment of yourself, or yourselves...paired it simply feels...concerning."

Once more Bella inhaled sharply, drawing the gin against her thighs up to her mouth again, a heavy mouthful that had a floral burn rushing down her throat. "Or...it could mean I trip because I am so clumsy and you catch me, it could be not at all concerning. Come on, admit it could be nothing," she insisted to her friend, offering her the bottle of gin as though it were some bribe.

Anna took it from Bellamy, eyes lingering on Nicky, "while she is technically correct the cards don't tell us things without intention. You should be cautious on your trip." With those words she took a sip of the gin before offering the bottle to him.

Watching the two interact Nicky could sense that Bellamy was intent on keeping things light that evening, jovial. It was funny because that was usually his task; to raise the mood, smooth over any awkwardness with a joke or light banter. He found that with Bellamy doing it for him, he found he was the wary one; the hesitant one. So, the wolf made a note of it.

"I'll be careful" Nick swore, his thick brows coming together as he felt a pang of worry. Perhaps alone, he might have laughed it off and forgotten it, but he was very aware of how vulnerable he and Bella were, having travelled outside of Opulence, outside the US, and only had one another to protect each other. Bellamy looked suddenly too petite, too sweet, and too precious to only have him, a lumbering wolf, to protect her.

Nick tried to shrug off the worry as he lifted the bottle to his lips about to take a generous glug, when he thought better of it and passed the bottle back to Bellamy, only taking a small sip.

Bella frowned at Annalise when she saw the low sip that Nicky took, irritated that she would ruin their evening with her silly little games and hopeful that her worries would not infect the rest of their trip. It wasn't exactly that Bella wanted to be jovial but that she wanted to have one good week with Nicky before he potentially told her things were done. The thought alone, that it might have been ruined caused Bella to place the gin on Anna's bedside table and move close to him.

"Ask something else, mon petit loup," Bella requested as her hip pressed againast him, the young vampire finding herself between his legs, shoulder at his chest. She would make an attempt at a shift if the cards were kinder them. If they continued to be cruel she figured she could think of other ways to make Nicky forget what they had said.

Nicky noticed the scowl and had to work hard not to smirk. He was a pretty protective guy, protective of loved ones, protective of memories, perhaps she was wanting to protect Anna from causing him to worry, or ruining the vibe. Either way, seeing her frown, and move so she was sat between his legs made him feel a surge of warmth towards the vampire. He enveloped her with a two armed hug, lowering his head so he could kiss her shoulder.

"Hmm" Nick hummed thoughtfully, his warm breath on her skin before he lifted his head "Okay!" he grinned playfully, deciding to ask a question that was more banter and unlikely to inspire a morose reading. "Is Bella getting lucky tonight?" he asked with a smirk "Cos I'm sending she might be..."

Bella leaned back against his chest, feeling his kiss on her shoulder, by the thin strap of her dress. The soft hum at his lips vibrated his chest against her back, and when he spoke Bella let out a heavy laugh, Anna’s own matching once she saw Nicky had lightened Bella’s mood.

“Yeah, I don’t need to predict that, though a bit of a humble brag you’re asking if she’s getting lucky, you sure you’re that much of a catch?” Anna asked, shuffling the cards regardless.

Nicky didn’t get to respond first though, Bella’s body had warmed from his and with red cheeks Bella quickly said “he is.” Bella felt like a Madonna song in Nicky’s presence, never having had that before in either her mortal or her vampiric life. “You’re a catch, right?”

Nick chuckled, his face close to hers, so he could feel the warmth in her cheeks. He craned his head so he could admire the flushed skin. It wasn't often Nicky was in the same room as Bella and could resist admiring her. Sure, the red-headed witch might have been his type a while ago, but the vampire had long since captured his attention, and then kept it.

"Only for you" he promised, and he meant it. Though he could appreciate the beauty of other creatures, might even be tempted by them; there was only Bella in his heart. It had been that way for a while though he had tried to deny it.

"What about you, have you got any questions for the cards?" Nick had to remind himself that they were in another's' company and it would be inappropriate to continue undressing her with his eyes. So he dragged his gaze from Bella's face and looked back at Anna.

Bellamy wriggled back against his chest when he said only for her, a confidence in her chest that perhaps should not have been so intense that Nicky would come to see that he could at least consider a life where he was no longer a wolf, especially if it was so far away. "I -," Bella cut herself off, her words ready to fall out in simply a reactionary way but halted by a quick awareness that she needed to not say anything that she'd regret later, or would make Nicky feel cornered. "I think you'd be a catch for anyone."

As for Anna who was very clearly getting the picture that Bella and Nicky was wrapped up in one another without the specific intention of doing that smiled when Nicky addressed her. "Oh me, I ask them what I should have for breakfast," she joked about how readily she consulted the cards. An exaggeration to be sure, but only slightly. "I have been trying to predict whether or not my mother will force me to be an advisor once my sister takes on the role of High Priestess but the cards keep spitting out nonsense at me which I presume means she's undecided."

Bella, while Anna spoke, reached back to wrap Nicky's arms around her core before pushing her slender fingers between his. "Nicky's an advisor to his pack, hmm? You like it, right? A lot?"

An affectionate creature, Nick enjoyed the near constant physical contact between himself and Bella. It was particularly appreciated when in company with a friend of hers, a typically nerve wracking experience for any new boyfriend.

He grinned at Anna's response and listened with renewed interest when she referred to her coven's politics. From what Bella had told him, and what he had seen so far, the red-head did not seem the advisor type, but then, people often thought the same of Nicky.

"Yeah, I do" Nick answered "It's given my life purpose. Given me something to think about other than myself, and I like the responsibility... but it's not something anyone should be forced to do. I can't imagine that would be an easy burden... you don't want to be an advisor?"

Bella genuinely felt like anyone who could have given Nicky side eyes was no longer really around to do so. Jamie and his boyfriend had left, Lyn had left, Thad loved Nicky, Ryden loved Nicky, JC she didn't really know but he was a sort of free love kind of vampire, surely he would love Nicky too. There was no one he needed to be nervous about. Really Bella was more concerned with how those who cared about Nicky perceived her.

As Nicky spoke Bella simply played with his hand and listened while Anna held her cards, shuffling them in varying ways. "My Mother thinks it might keep me in one place, I just imagine I'll disappoint my sister when I inevitably rush off somewhere when she needs me but it's family, you know? Some covens are for all witches, some are just for family and ours has been just family as long as I can remember. Dynasties are...fickle. Maybe it could keep me grounded, maybe she's right and she knows what I need but the cards are certainly unsure."

Nick nodded as he listened.

"It could ground you..." he shrugged, giving Bella a slight squeeze as he spoke, appreciating how the thin fabric of the dress she wore made it easy for him to feel her slender waist against his skin. "Is that even what you want though? To be grounded, unable to come and go as you please?"

"No, but as Bella has pointed out in the past, running to Greece when my sister and I fight isn't exactly helping things," she acknowledged, though a hesitancy to her willingness to do so. Sometimes it was easier speaking with someone who wasn't actually involved in any of it, who you never had to see again anytime soon. "It'll work itself out. Growing pains maybe, we do things for family, you know?"

The young vampire nodded, hair moving against Nicky's chest as she did. Bella pulled his hand up to lightly kiss the back of it before drawing away from him and returning to her friend. Arms wrapping around Anna from the side, so her hands rested on the shoulder opposite the one she leaned against, Bellamy gave the young redheaded witch a soft kiss to her freckled cheek. "You can always run away to Opulence if it gets bad, Nicky and I would make sure you had fun. Nicky drag us both out to watch how fast his wolf can run," Bellamy laughed, giving Annalise a soft squeeze.

As a home body Nick had never particularly felt the urge to flee from home... at least, not since he had been young. When he was just a young wolf he had felt a fleeting urge to abandon the family home his brother worked his ass off to pay for. Not because Nick was ungrateful, but because of his awareness of the burden he had been for his elder brother. He had foolishly though leaving would give Matty a chance at some semblance of a normal life without the burden of a sibling to care for, especially one whose bright blue eyes reminded everyone so much of their mother. But the wolf had not been able to do so. He simply could not abandon his brother or his pack; he was no lone wolf. Never had been and never would be.

"Yeah, we do..." Nick agreed, his thoughts of Matthew stirring a sense of guilt and pity. He watched as Bellamy comforted her friend, the physical contact she offered and the light joke she offered. Was Bella always comforting others? It seemed to Nick that her history of taking care of other creatures was an integral part of her psyche.

"Absolutely!" Nick said with a confident nod though the thought of the witch potentially abandoning her duties did not sit right with the proud advisor. "If anything can distract it's a town full of supes." Nick reached for the bottle of gin and took a swig of it, momentarily forgetting to head the witches warning.

Bellamy could relate to Nicky, she tended to attach herself to the places she lived. She'd loathed the first town her sire brought her to because she had wanted to go home so badly, she missed her friends, the streets she knew, the places she liked to go. She'd grown accustomed to the place but since Valentin had been the main factor it had never felt like home. She had made Opulence that and she didn't intend to leave, Nicky would certainly never be asked by her to move away from his family.

What could not connect Bella to the others were the things one might do for their family, despite the actions of said family. Bella wouldn't piss on her mother to save her life, and her father, well it would be hard not to add gasoline. Not that she wanted either of them dead, she just wouldn't really care if they were. Sad in some ways but considering there were lots of people who probably did want their parents dead it was not that dramatic.

"Nicky has the best wolf," Bella insisted, drawing her arms away from Anna but remaining close, brushing back red curls that fell around her rounded face. "It's so big and handsome, I haven't seen one so huge before," she admitted because she'd never seen Ryden's full wolf, though the two were of comparable sizes, Rydens own was just one that stood on it's hind legs a lot so seemed taller.

Anna chuckled though, letting Bella play with her hair as she sat there, keeping her cards still in her hands in her lap. "Are you a scary wolf?" Anna asked him, playfully biting at Bella's hand.

Nick laughed, considering Anna's question. His wolf wasn't typically frightening or aggressive. In fact, quite recently, he had changed into his wolf purely to entertain children. Really, his wolf was just like Nicky; friendly, affectionate, playful, but it was still an animal. It had an edge. Like Nicky, it was protective, and did not think much on tearing someone's head off and consuming their flesh, should that person threat his pack or his family. He did not like to think what his wolf would do to protect Bella.

Nick's blue eyes were warm as he looked at the vampire who so affectionately toyed with the witch's hair. Yes, he could very easily see his wolf committing atrocities just so he could see her home safely or avenge any slight against her.

"Only when I need to be" Nick grinned wolfishly, gnashing teeth together that suddenly looked less human, and more like the teeth of his wolf; long and sharp and glistening with saliva. They might have been intimidating had Nick's handsome face not been smiling. He quickly retracted the sharp canine teeth and wiggled his shoulders playfully. "On the whole my wolf and I are pretty close to being one. I'm lucky in that sense! I know other wolves in my pack struggle with their wolves" Nick considered his pack leader for a moment. Ryden was often at war with his more primal self; fighting to maintain peace and order, and Nick had often felt sympathy for his leader - not that he showed it.

His smile did lessen any fear Anna could have had, Bella wasn't afraid, she typically was not afraid of wolves anyway. Why would she be? Sure, some had hurt her emotionally but at least physically none had ever done her any harm, typically they had protected her from her own kind, the same for witches. It was a little humorous that Nicky didn't want to become a vampire for the same reasons, though more extreme in how he believed them, that Bella felt disconnected from her own kind.

When Bella laughed playfully at Nicky's teeth though, Anna laughed too, Bella's hand falling down into her lap as Nicky explained himself. "Well you won't be the only wolf at this party so maybe you can talk to some others while you're here," Anna offered with a soft sigh, aware she should go back downstairs before she missed the shifting of shades to the flowers. Really she did desire to be there for her sister but the whole pretence of it all was so much for show. "I should go back, you can stay in here if you like, or come with?" she asked.

If Bella was honest, she'd only come to see Anna and they'd done that. Staying for the party when she could just stay with Nicky was more of something she could do to be polite but not something she felt was important. So she left it up to Nicky, in case it was exciting for him.

Meeting other wolves was always fun. Nick enjoyed the comradery of his own pack but he was always curious to see how other wolves lived, how other packs operated. In truth however, Nick wasn't as curious to meet other wolves as he was eager to grab some more time alone with Bella. The prospect of stealing a few minutes just to themselves seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

"We'll catch up with you" Nick shot Bella a suggestive look then smiled at Anna. "If that's okay with you"

Anna chuckled, crawling off her large bed like "you're lucky I was due to have my sheets changed anyway, Bells." Bella wasn't sure she would need them changed, but she offered Anna came around to Bella's side. The young witch leaned in and placed a kiss on Bella's cheek, leaning in to her ear and whispering 'he seems nicer than the last one.' Which could have easily been interpreted as Kemper but he'd never met Anna, who was actually speaking of the man Bella had told Nicky about on the plane.

With a kiss to Bella's cheek though she moved down and offered the same to Nicky. "Enjoy your week, Nickles."

With that Anna bound out of the room, carrying her heels in her hands, loud thumping to her heavy run as she departed and raced to make sure she did not miss any of her sisters party. "You didn't want to stay for sex, you wanted to stay to talk about the cards."

With supernatural boyfriends comes supernatural hearing, so of course Nick heard exactly what Anna had said and he ducked his head, looking cautiously pleased with her assertion.

"Thanks" he murmured, his cheeks warm underneath the witch's cheek.

Bella's rathe blunt assertion was as impressive as it was amusing. The vampire knew Nick far better than he would have expected, either he was tediously easy to predict, or Bella was more discerning than he had realised.

"I mean.... could have been both" the wolf leaned forward across the bed, resting his weight on his hands and knees as he bent his head to offer the vampire his lips, his long, lean body hovering over hers.

Bella leaned in as Nicky moved across Anna's bed and over her. "So you're saying I can distract you from worrying about nothing?" Bellamy asked him, brushing her nose gently against his own. "Because witches are just dramatic," she insisted, moving her lips closer to his as she said it because she thought perhaps she really could convince him.

In Bella's mind Nicky didn't need to worry about anything. Yes, she had been taken when leaving the boundaries of the supernatural towns she lived in, and sometimes even from them, and yes, Ryden had warned her about the people that might be looking for him when she went to visit Genna on his behalf but no one had ever attacked her when she was with someone, no one had seen Bella with a wolf and thought she was capable of being harmed. No, they only thought she was weak when she was alone. It didn't matter they were wrong, they still thought it.

"Nothing is going to ruin our week," she insisted, partially because Bella knew she wouldn't allow anything to ruin a week that might be her last with him. The young vampires fingers sought the lapels of his jacket, perfectly tailored but in the moment wrinkling from movements it was not fitted to make.

A warm chuckle rumbled through Nicky and he felt his body responding to her close proximity almost instantly. "If anyone could distract me, it would be you gorgeous" he admitted, eyelashes fluttering as her nose brushed against his. God her skin felt so good against his own, soft and cool before increasing in temperature to match his own. The smell of her perfumes, edelweiss and that familiar scent of vampire, had long since become a potent scent that Nicky was hard pressed to ever resist.

His lips brushed against Bella's own, his gentle kiss descending from her lips to her chin and down the slender slope of her neck.

"True" Nick agreed, so tempted to let Bella distract him, but his stomach gave a twist of anxiety and his kisses on her neck slowed as he tried to phrase what he said carefully, not wanting to upset her, but also needing to talk about it with Bella. "But witches aren't often wrong... not really"

Bella smiled, sure that if she was capable of distracting him then he would be capable of distracting her. Honestly, he'd probably be better at it because Bella tended to have a bit of a naivety to her and wouldn't see it coming. Yet, her intent to distracting him didn't seem to linger as his nervousness was clear in his heartbeat, the lips trailing along her throat were enticing but she could feel his heart beat on them, the blood pushing around his form. So it didn't shock her when he stopped.

"Not wrong but...it's not like she dreamt of some big calamity, she interpreted some cards," Bella attempted to justify, her hands that had found his lapels pushing up his chest, slender fingers brushing over the back of his neck and into his long girls that made her knees weak. "I don't think you need some cards either to make you ready for things, Nick. Maybe some people don't see it but the pack does, Ryden does, and I do. If something was to go wrong your wolf would be ready, you don't need cards to pre-warn what you would sense."

Dear lord, Bella was making it hard for him to concentrate. Her fingers moving up his lapels, finding his neck and the back of his curls made his skin burn with a desire that came on as suddenly and as fiercely as it always did. He had images of her knotting her fingers in his hair, clinging to him as he moved on top of her.

He gritted her teeth as he moved his lips along her neck, up to her ear where he pressed a kiss on that soft, sensitive sweet spot just beneath her lobe. It wasn't just her body that moved him, it was her words too. Nick couldn't help it, he had been seen as a kid by many, a pup even, but here was Bella soothing that insecurity, telling him she trusted him to be the protector, that his pack and his leader saw the same thing too. It was almost enough to make him forget about the witch's warning cards entirely.

"I guess..." he breathed, teeth pinching at her ear lobe between words "If something happens, we will be ready" it was an empty kind of statement, and Nick knew it. Still, how much danger could they possibly be in at that exact moment? If danger was coming, he would sense it just like she said, right? Why fret over some unknown threat tomorrow, when there was a delicious present to enjoy.

#nicholasbaudelaire

[theogony]

ahh why not!! 🍓?

INK WHERE AM I MEANT TO START DRFYTGUHJLK you were literally one of my first few friends here and you were super sweet to me, I honestly love you sm and you are one of the few blogs who I actively interact with and talk to here and you are like a bright ray of sunshine <3 I wish you the best of luck in all your writing adventures and everything and anything, I know I'm terrible at retaining conversations but I hope we talk a LOT more :))

#ink spots(Anna!) #thank you sm for the ask I am sorry for the info dumping on you

[teamhawkeye]

i DID do an OC-tober prompt last night, but i wasn't thrilled with it

But then today has been kinda hectic so i didn't have time to do something else instead

#deputy anna bishop #teamhawkeye's art #teamhawkeye draws #i smeared ink in like 4 spots - hence my lukewarm feelings lol

[erodasfishtacos]

has harry ever come before yn? and how did he react to it

warning: um this is straight up filth, sorry (not sorry)

CEO!H

-

“Baby, c’mon,” He huffs in frustration, his thumb slips once again because she’s just so wet for him.

“M’trying!” YN bites back, “You’re expecting me to come in two seconds all because you got yourself worked up by rubbing your dick on my tattoo.”

Harry can’t deny even after a few years of the ink being on his wife’s bum doesn’t make it any less hot to him.

It takes one more harsh pump of his hips before he’s groaning and coming, his fingers faltering on her bud once again.

YN is whining - these displeased, spoiled little noises that prickle the skin on the back of his neck and grit of his teeth.

“Y’sucha god damn brat,” Her husband spits out, not even enjoying his release because of his impatient, perfect wife.

“M’not,” YN retorts as she flips onto her back and lays down, not even disgusting her pout.

“Out of the hundreds and hundreds of times I’ve fucked you and made sure y’finished first - the one time y’dont you want to get all huffing and bent out of shape.”

YN squints at him, because he’s not wrong, she chooses to bite back with a bit of attitude, “Well you had some clumsy fingers tonight.”

Harry barks out a laugh, spreading her legs roughly, and muttering, “I’ll fuckin’ show clumsy fingers.”

Then continues on to make her come twice if his fingers along just because.

-

MLBrry

“Oh my god,” YN giggles loudly when Harry curses as he spills inside her - legitimately after only about three minutes of being in her.

“Shut up,” He whines, ego bruised a bit as he pulls out with a look of betrayal at his already softening cock, “Y’looked so good in m’jersey at the game tonight. Flauntin’ y’tits like tha’.”

YN smirks widely, turning around from where he had her bent over their bathroom counter, “I know, I saw how many times you had to ‘adjust’ yourself in your uniform.”

Harry hauls her up until her bum’s on the cold marble and her legs are spread to show him where she’s dripping from him.

“Can’t help it. It’s nearly impossible not to come the second I’m in you,” He pouts, it was the truth - usually he had amazing stamina but every once in a while his body was a traitor.

YN let’s out a quiet sigh when he tucks two fingers back inside her, twisting and curling in the way that make her toes crinkle.

“You amaze me. I’ve given you four babies and y’still as horny as ever,” YN giggles pleased and confident because of her husband’s constant want for her.

Harry pushes forward to lick into her warm, sweet mouth before he’s resting his forehead against hers and watching his fingers work into her perfect heat.

“Only horny f’you, mama. Course s’just for my wife, m’so fuckin’ in love with you. In love with your body, this beautiful thing has given us our babies - how could I not be obsessed?”

YN comes panting in his mouth and a smug smile on her face when he hardens back up against her thigh in the process.

—

Deaf!Harry

Harry’s lips are bright pink and swollen, his narrow hips pushed against the tiny counter in the frat bathroom as YN kneels in front of him.

“Baby, baby, want to fuck you. If you blow me I’ll come,” He signs in warning, attempting to coerce her into standing up but she doesn’t budge.

Her hands are quick on his belt and skinny jeans, letting his thick length rest towards his tummy as she leans forward to lick at the head.

He wasn’t joking, right as she suckles harshly on the head with her hand stroking the rest - he flexes and released with a loud loud moan.

“Didn’t know my mouth was that good,” YN gestures as she stands up with a teasing lift to her lips, thumbing a lose drop.

“You know when you grind on me it gets me going,” He accuses to justify his short span, “Don’t act like you don’t come in a second when I have my mouth on your clit and three fingers up in you.”

YN swallows harshly at the dirty talk, startling when someone bangs on the door, stating the need to use the toilet.

“I’m totally telling Niall you came in legit two minutes,” YN signs before swinging up the door and disappearing into the crowd - leaving behind her flabbergasted boyfriend.

—

Vamprry

“My leg is cramping, H,” YN complains noisily as he keeps her leg lifted a she fucks in from behind as they lay on the bed.

Harry is so so close.

His annoying little creature wasn’t going to find her end because of a god damn leg cramp.

“Bat, just let me - oh fuck,” Harry snarls loudly as he can’t control himself any longer, fucking harshly into her a few more time before he comes.

Ad soon as he’s lowering her leg, he’s met by her displeased, grumpy whimpers that make him want to bite her until she’s limp or kiss her sweetly - sometimes he can’t tell which.

He drops her leg, planning to finish her off but she pushes his hand away which has him baring his fangs and snarling fiercely at her.

“No, I’ll finish myself,” She grunts, rolling onto her back and propping up her legs, one hooked over Harry’s thigh.

Every time he tries to reach over to help as she rubs quickly and precisely at her bud with short puffs of air - she smacks him off which makes him hiss angrily as he watches on.

“You’re like a million years older and you can’t control yourself still?” YN teases breathlessly as she feels a ball of fire start to pool in her stomach.

Her grin gets wider when his eyes blacken and his lip curls completely back to reveal his glimmering white canines.

“Pest, you are not doing it correctly. Let me make you come,” Harry demands with agitation, his hands clenching to not just grab her.

“Shut up,” She snaps back, two fingers rubbing in languid circles that have her hips bucking - it really shouldn’t turn her on that her vamp boyfriend is threatening her with his fangs.

“I rarely ever come before you. Please little human, you are annoying me and I wish to make you come now,” Harry tries to use a more gentle tone.

YN finally gives in, letting him take over with his own fingers, two tucking inside and his thumb right on her nerves.

His fangs ascend back into in gums as he admires his squirmy mate who is restless until she tense and releases on his hand.

It’s only a matter of second before she is coaxing his fangs back out - because she loves to torment him, “Better luck next time champ.”

“Enough,” He growls at an ear-shattering volume before he’s biting at her mating mark to get her to submit.

Works everyday.

—

Influencer!H

Harry was getting himself overly worked up, as soon as YN pressed record for a little something that she could watch when she had to leave tour for two weeks.

“Honey bee, c’mon,” Harry rasps, voice as deep as it goes as he sits in the armchair in their hotel room - legs spread and feet planted on the floor.

“Hold on, just want a shot of this,” She replies, he was so fucking hot - couldn’t grasp that this man was her’s sometimes.

He had a firm, lazy grip on his cock - thumb circling his extremely sensitive tip every so often which made him shutter.

“Slower, tease yourself,” YN murmurs as she films him, watching raptly as he slows down his strokes but fucks up into his hand.

“Want t’be in you, bee,” Harry tells his with a wrinkle between his eyebrows as he twitches in his palm.

“Then listen to me,” She orders in a voice she rarely uses - a authorative voice that has Harry moaning as he squeezes himself.

“M’listenin’, I promise.”

“Stop,” YN replies, eyes following when he releases his grip and it sways before resting on his taut belly - pink and swollen.

She props the camera on the desk, shimmying down her underwear, and straddling him on the chair - letting herself sink down.

“Oh fuck - baby, m’gonna - bloody hell,” He moans as he comes within seconds, hand squeeze her plush hips.

His forehead is sweaty, lips puffy, and YN is so pleased with him, whispering that he’s so fucking good for her, she can’t wait to watch it when she’s away.

-

Cheating!H

“Y’takin’ it so good, darlin’,” Harry grunts out, teeth gritted and hand grasping her jaw to keep her mouth against his.

YN was in a mood tonight.

“C’mon, we don’t have much time before Anna comes looking, H,” YN goads coyly, her plush hips digging into the counter where her bum is pressed against.

“Hush up, pup,” Harry scolds, biting at her swollen bottom lip before hiking her up a bit more to hit her spot right on.

“She’s gonna be so bummed, y’can’t get it up for her tonight after fucking me,” YN doesn’t stop with the filth.

“Y’act like I have ever fucked ‘er. I’ve only been givin’ it t’you for the past ten years,” He mutters, tongue licking into her mouth to shut her up.

When someone knocks on the door, they don’t stop, Harry determined as he pounds into her with hard, meaningful strokes.

“Harry, are you in there? Are you feeling alright?” Anna asks from the other side of the door - it was super loud because of the party.

He comes right then on the spot.

“You’re sick,” YN giggles, pleased as he pumps in a few more times to fill her up - claiming her as he always did.

—

Gang!H

It started with the god damn fucking teasing.

Rival gang members, the police, literally nobody gets under his skin - just his bloody nuisance of a wife and she took full advantage.

She got in these moods were she would fuck with him, tease him, wind him up until he had her pinned down with a sore arse.

He loved her so fucking much.

It started at the bar, she had leaned over with way too much cleavage on display as she fluttered her eyes to get men to buy her a drink.

Harry who was currently in the middle of a lucrative deal couldn’t concentrate as a man offered to buy her a glass of wine.

He didn’t care who saw, he excused himself and pushed her harshly into the bar until it would bruise her hips.

“Cut it the fuck out now, m’busy,” He hisses menacingly in her ear, ignoring the men who were staring wide eyes at the exchange.

Her hand comes back to subtly palm at his crotch before humming, “All these nice men are willing to pay attention to me.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Harry rumbles, gripping her wrist and moving it away from his groin with force.

“Whoa, man! You can’t talk to a lady like that!” A brunette gentleman squawks after watching the interaction.

Harry steps back, a sly smile rising the corner of his lips, and he purposefully lifts his shirt just a bit to flash a shining gold desert eagle tucked in his waistband.

The man’s eyes widen in horror which makes Harry chuckle darkly, “Don’t tell me how to treat m’fuckin’ brat of a wife, she fuckin’ loves it anyways.”

With that, Harry storms back to continue his meeting and YN grins, a little flushed as she sips on a glass of water - aroused beyond belief.

After a bit, YN disappears down the hallway to the restroom, and sends Harry a text that has him excusing herself.

Please help me. Woman’s bathroom, hurry.

Harry’s reaching back for his gun, not hesitation as he rushes down the hallway - heart pounding at the thought of his love in trouble.

He slams open the single stall bathroom, gun drawn but all he sees is his beautiful wife, on her knees with lust obvious in her body language.

“Y’tha’ fuckin’ desperate?” Harry scoffs, locking the door and placing his gun on the counter - already reaching for his belt and zipper.

“Please sir.”

It sends a harsh, electric zip down his spine as he hisses when his wet tip hits the cold air, he bends down first - forces her mouth open and spits.

But his words are soft and loving after, “Brat, love you s’much. Y’the love of m’life.”

Her eyes twinkle but she can’t speak because he’s guiding himself in her mouth with a long push that has her breathing heavily through her nose.

Harry surprises himself when he ends up spilling right after she pulls off for a breath and jerks him, rasping out, “I love living life with you.”

Yeah he comes at words and he isn’t fucking ashamed.

It has him pushing her up against the wall and licking her out until she’s teary from sensitivity and legs quivering pathetically.

-

👁👄👁

#all tropes #harry styles #ceo!harry #harry styles writing #update #harry styles masterlist #harry styles fic rec #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles fluff #harry styles x y/n #mlbrry #mlb!harry #gangrry #gang!harry #ceorry #harry styles x influencer y/n blurb #harry styles x reader insert #harry styles cheating #cheating!harry #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles imagine #harry styles smut #harry styles one shot #harry styles fic recommendatioin #harry styles writing request #file

[downtonabbeyrevisited]

Season Two Episode Three

Conversion of the Abbey into a convalescent home for Officers is underway, ushering in a territorial battle that at times makes what is going on on the other side of the channel look like a mere scuffle. With the chain of command yet to be set, the floor is open for some of the best Isobel v. Cora v. Violet action that Downton has to offer. However, Isobel’s hostile takeover is slowed by a combination of O’Brien’s Machiavellian urges and Robert’s love of hierarchy. O’Brien tees up Thomas to take charge of Downton and coaxes him into the fray as he leans on an archway smoking his way into a wide variety of lung problems in later life. In an almost implausible about face (the key word for King Julian here is almost), Robert, Major Clarkson and Carson agree that Corpral Barrow is now trustworthy(ish), should be bumped up to the rank of Acting Sargent and be allowed to use the front door (although Carson remains unsure about the last bit). With Thomas in place and Major Clarkson at the hospital, Robert is on the hunt for another “tier” having looked at this microcosm of society and decided that there was not enough division. Evelyn Napier’s request to stay at Downton prompts Major Clarkson to enact border controls that would make Priti Patel look on in envy and neatly demonstrates the bind in which the Crawleys now find themselves. It is perhaps fitting, if predicable, that by the end of the episode Isobel and Cora are to share responsibility for Downton in what will remain the worst coalition of all time until 2015 when Cadbury will get together with Vegemite. Look it up. Trust me, it was rank. 

Having an equally tense episode is Lavina who, fresh from behind manhandled behind the laurels, is now under Rosamund’s microscope with Violet declaring her to be an object to be removed which is a bit harsh even for her. It is rumoured that Lavinia stole secrets from her Uncle for Richard Carlisle to publish as part of his uncovering of the Marconi Scandal, a historical event whose name is said loudly and clearly at least three times so that we can all Google it in the ad-break. Sensing a potential weakness, the Crawley women (who I am resisting the urge to call Robert’s Angels) dig deeper as Mary hunts out Lavinia to give her the third degree. Lavinia admits that she did start the uncovering of the scandal but not in the pursuit of a transparent and accountable government. Instead it was to save her father from financial ruin. And all of her sudden, in exposing corruption and hypocrisy just to save her own skin she has gone from being a Department of Health and Social Care security guard to Dominic Cummings. 

Violet’s concerns about the potential carnage that mixing ranks could let loose are not unfounded as Major Bryant confuses the Abbey with the Villa and Ethel takes one look at him and thinks “He’s a little bit of me”. Sadly/fortunately Ethel’s tucking in of Major Bryant’s blankets is halted by Mrs Hughes before Laura Whitmore can ask everyone to gather around the fire pit. 

Apparently more romantically reticent than Bryant is Bates, who has taken to hiding behind a tree in the Village on Wednesdays just to catch a glimpse of Anna, demonstrating a behaviour pattern that does not throw up any red flags at all. Richard Carlises’ network of spies find him in a pub in Kirkbymoorside which Anna describes as “odd” despite the fact that of all the things he has done (or is about to do) in this episode, let alone the Downton Abbey canon as a whole, this is definitely the most sensible decision he has made. It means he does not have to navigate the staircases that formed a fair amount of his plot in the previous season for a start. Rather than leave him be, Anna takes an alarmingly shiny bus to an almost forensically clean pub where she orders what turns out to be a very horrific looking glass of cider from an eternally conflicted Bates. Bates tells Anna his plan to divorce Vera and declares that he does not care about gender discrimination in the law. In return Anna shows off her attempt at using this week’s bit of new technology, the curling iron. Asked for his opinion, Bates replies that he would love Anna “however, whatever, wherever”, cleverly avoiding the question in a way that simultaneously shows the depth of his amour but also indicates that he thinks it’s hideous. 

Edith finds herself lacking purpose and direction like most people in their mid-twenties. Sybil, the annoying over-achieving younger sibling, tells her to work out what she is good at which turns out to be being a scribe, and getting books and carcinogenic substances for Officers. Edith’s quiet industry enables her to gain a good working knowledge of all the key protagonists on General Strutt’s tour which earns her a toast at Lunch. For Edith, this is the equivalent of getting an M.B.E. 

Another character looking to take advantage of General Strutt’s sojourn is Branson whose plans to be a conscientious objector are scuppered by a heart murmur. His flair for the dramatic takes him to the courtyard of deceit (a location looking to form an alliance with the tree of emotional conflict and the platform of romantic uncertainty) where he polishes headlamps and gathers intel about the impending visit. The lack of footmen leaves an opening for Branson to cause if not the downfall, certainly the minor humiliation, of the British Army. A cryptic “forgive me” note prompts some some Blair Witch style camera work to underline the sense of urgency as Anna pelts it downstairs. The costume department breathe a sigh of relief as Branson manhandled out of the dining room before he can upend a rather creative concoction which invites the question, how did he get so much ink? 

As William shows off his uniform, Daisy, coached by Mrs Patmore, continues to lead him up the garden path. William admits he is nervous about the prospect of facing the brutal reality of World War One and Mrs Patmore gently weeps across the table bringing her episode:crying ratio up pretty high even for something on a Sunday evening on ITV. Luckily, there is an opening for William to become Matthew’s solider servant which is good news for William and the budget as the exact same section of trench can continue to be used for both characters. Before he leaves, William proposes to Daisy and, naturally, Mrs Patmore accepts. Daisy’s “go on then” is hardly the most ringing of endorsements and her face resembling that of a rabbit who has taken a wrong turn and finds themselves on the fringes of the M4 cannot be reasonably described as elated. Daisy does manage to gather herself to delay the now inevitable wedding and so becomes possibly the only person in Britain who was not hoping for it to be all over by Christmas. 

Lang and his ever present mournful violin accompaniment continue to have a rough time of it. He repays Mrs Patmore’s kindness by outing Archie to the rest of the servants, causing her to leave the room in abject misery. But this reaction could also have been caused by the prospect of a mistimed crumble. It’s difficult to tell. Lang’s nightmare enables the women to bust through the hitherto impenetrable divide between the male and female staff quarters and it is clear that his days at Downton are numbered. Lang collapses as the General and his entourage retreat and his use as a plot device in this very much smoothed over view of the past is at its end. He is dismissed with a decent wage package and a good reference and is never to be spoken of again. 

Romantic declaration of the moment 

William and Daisy do not get this one as this is a coercion free zone. Instead Mary and Matthew get it. Matthew being back at Downton gives Mary the chance to stare at him longingly across a room but it is her decision not to rat out Lavinia as a reluctant whistleblower that earns their spot here. Only an almost unfathomable amount of love would make Mary place Matthew’s happiness above her own. 

Expressive eyebrow of the week 

Regular winner Carson claims the prize again this week. His blind fury at Branson’s then presumed to be assassination attempt is glorious. 

Wait, what? 

“Marmaduke was not a rough diamond” No-one called Marmaduke can be called rough anything. Sort of reminds me of a picture my brother showed me of his then partner’s friends when they were younger spelling out the name of their public school boarding house in gangster sign language. Zero self-awareness. 

“Acting Sargent I believe” Aloe standing by. 

“The bastard had it coming” I think I need to revise my previous curse word estimate. 

No particular quote for this bit but Branson delivering news from Russia made him seem like a man who had read the headline and maybe the first paragraph (at a push) of an article and is now holding forth on the topic, ready to take on anyone with a P.h.D in the matter. I do like Branson but increasingly it’s when he shuts up. 

The least believable bit of this whole episode was Isis being completely unbothered by an incoming pingpong ball. I once stayed in a friend’s house where an absolute catastrophe was disguising itself as a dog. She would eye up the limes on the sideboard expecting them to vault across the room. When any even vaguely spherical object did achieve airspeed velocity, she would lose it. And I mean lose it. 

General Strutt’s tour of Downton has an air of a politician doing a ward round. Should you yourself fear an encounter with our current premiere, you can pick up one of these cards from the News From Nowhere bookshop in Liverpool (other retailers may be available but this is the only place I have seen them). 

#Downton #downton abbey #downton rewatch #Mary Crawley #Matthew Crawley #tom branson #sybil branson #edith crawley #thomas barrow #john bates #anna bates #Charles Carson #elsie hughes #Isobel Crawley

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 155

Super extra special chapter today, so I’m keeping this short. Thanks to @charlylimph-blog and @baelpenrose for beta reading, and most importantly:

Thank you @quantumizedinsanity, without whom this chapter would be impossible.  I hope you like it!

“You have been cordially demanded to be in attendance to an incredibly important party. Regrets will not be accepted unless paid for in vitally important sacrifice.  Hannah said I am not allowed to request the blood of virgins, so virgin Bloody Mary’s are an acceptable replacement.  Please come as your utmost self, and bring snacks.  Glitter is appreciated, but no loud noise-makers please.

Location: The Undine, invitation only. No +1s unless previously authorized

Time:  Beta Shift Commencement

Please submit your karaoke song no less than one Von-Day in advance, bringing your own props.  Group numbers require prior authorization and choreography.

P.S: Sophia, bring the crepes if you know what’s good for you.”

I smirked as I read the invitation from what could only be Charly - I couldn’t think of anyone with spot-access to pastel rainbow stationery and puff-gel ink.

“When did Lisa Frank go into the printing business?” Arthur mused as he flipped the anachronistic card over. “There’s a kitten on the back of mine…”

“Ooo,” Maverick gushed, leaning over. “The bubble kitten or angel one?”

Arthur snatched the invitation away. “I refuse to answer on the grounds of how the hell did you know?”

That got an eyeroll that rated a solid eight out of ten. “Because you said Lisa Frank, duh. It’s either the angel kitten, the bubble kittens, or the sunflower kittens.”

My friend rolled his neck to glare at me, to which I held up my hands. “Nope, not my doing. Those were very iconic images, even when I was a kid.” I turned to Maverick to put him out of his misery. “I have the Christmas Husky.”

“Sea Lion pup, booyah!” he crowed.

Derek snapped his fingers and dropped his card so he could stim with both hands. “Turtle. Read it and weep.”

“I dunno, Derek,” Tyche ventured playfully. “Ballet bunnies are pretty close.” As she showed her own invitation art, she tilted her head to the side. “I wonder what the invitation is for?”

Conor tapped his chin with his own piece of card stock - a tiger cub. “Well, it’s Charly, clearly. And it’s at the Undine, but it includes Mav and Tyche, so it can’t be anything kink-related…” Both in question shuddered at the thought. “Given the rainbows, references to glitter, and karaoke, my money is on a coming out or a drag show.” When everyone looked at him skeptically, he threw his hands up in disbelief. “Aye, it’s that or a child’s birthday, an’ there annae child on the Ark!”

Tyche looked impressed. “Very quick thinking. And either way…” She flicked her invitation. “It specifies utmost self, and we’ve got half a shift to knock that out along with a crepe spread and other assorted snacks.”

Laughing, I nodded in agreement. “Let’s get to it, then!”

 Hours later, we were all waiting patiently at the Undine, which had a glowing sign reading “Private Party - Invitation Only” with slowly falling fireworks in the background.  Whatever this was, Charly had gone all out. Food had been sent ahead, so we were whispering to each other excitedly while we were joined by others.

Parvati and Xiomara arrived, arm in arm; Parvati in a gorgeous turquoise and gold saree with heavy gold jewelry at wrists, ears, neck, and hair, while Xiomara was dressed to literally kill in head to toe leather boots, pants, vest, and wrist cuffs.

Not far behind them were Ivan and Jokul, Ivan in his customary kilt with boots and a clean shirt, while Jokul had donned his most gorgeous and softest-looking leathers and furs.  “Good evening, lovely people!” Jokul intoned warmly. “Does anyone know what this is about?”

“No idea,” Sam replied with a smile. “But it sounds fun, without the noise makers.”

“I am strictly here for the karaoke,” Ivan joked. “Although I heard rumor of crepes….”

Before I could answer, the doors to the Undine were whisked open. “Hellooooo everyone, and thank you for coming!  Please, right this way, right this way.  The guest of honor will be here with you shortly.”  With that, she pivoted on a heel and vanished, leaving us to find our way to a stage and tables, where we also found Coffey grinning in a crisp white suit, pink shirt and pocket square, and a white fedora with matching pink band.

All in all, everyone seemed to have met the brief on being “your utmost self”.

“Any chance you know what’s going on here?” Conor asked as we took our seats.

Coffey just tapped the side of his nose and shook his head. “Spoilers.”

Glancing around, I noticed that the usual suspects were all present, although my count seemed to be off by a couple of brunettes. “I know Charly is hostessing with the mostessing, but where are Hannah and Zach? Surely she would have - “

BWAAAANH!  I nearly fell to the floor from how hard I jumped at the buzzer that rang out, vibrating my skull. “What the hell!?”

Tyche, Conor, and Maverick looked at me, confused. “What the hell what?” Tyche asked slowly.

“Didn’t you hear that!?” I practically shouted. “I was asking about Hannah and Za - “

BWAAAANH! “Jesus leaping Joseph bullfrogs!” I slammed my hands over my ears and curled into a ball. When I straightened, everyone was still looking at me like I had grown a third head - and it was speaking gibberish. “You really can’t hear that?”

Slowly, heads shook, so I explained. “There’s a buzzer that rings when I say -” I paused. “A certain person’s name.”

Just as everyone was getting gravely concerned for my mental health, spotlights lit up the stage and music started. “Goooooood EVENING, everybody! Sophia is not hallucinating, and I apologize for the aggressive volume!” Charly’s voice flooded the room cheerfully. “All will be clear in a moment, I assure you.”

Straightening carefully, I stretched the flinch-cramps out of my neck and accepted the drink handed to me by a sheepish Sebastian. Sorry, he mouthed.

I winked my forgiveness and took a sip, glad it was just iced tea.

“Moving on, thank you everyone for coming and sending ahead your snacks!  I expect everyone to work up an appetite tonight once you realize why you were all invited,” Charly continued. The music went from light and airy to heavy violins. “I have gathered you all here today to introduce a very important person. Some with whom I expect you all to love dearly and hold affectionately in your hearts, because if you don’t it would be a downright shame since they are pretty freaking awesome.  Also, I will one hundred percent judge you, and possibly prank you. Pranks may not maim you but I cannot guaran - “

We all sat stiff in shock when Hannah’s voice interrupted. “Charly, that’s unnecessary and you aren’t. Help. Ing?” There was a very strong tone of obvious hint, piquing my interest even further.

A throat was cleared. “Sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, point is - I have been given the absolute delight and pleasure of introducing you to someone. So that I don’t steal her thunder, I will let her take it from here!”

The music swelled to an acceptable but not overwhelming crescendo as the spotlights pointed to one side of the stage. With breathless anticipation, we watched as a figure in a beautiful [COLOR] gown made her way to the center of the stage. Dark hair flowed to her waist, with something woven through to cause the light to dance and twinkle like stars. Large and hesitant - but oddly familiar - eyes peered out from beneath a glittering tiara as a terrified voice whispered. “Hi everyone. My name is Alice.”

As soon as we heard that, stunned silence deafened the room.  We all recognized that voice. My brain finally caught up - this was why that alarm….

Without any hesitation, Derek walked out on the stage and held out one hand. Alice tapped it with a smile, knowing not to try holding it. Derek’s hands took a moment to still enough that he could make out the words he wanted to say.

“You look amazing. So happy.”

That was all it took to break the spell. We all surged to our feet, screaming with joy and thunderous applause.  Alice looked like she was about to cry, and Hannah rushed out to sweep her partner into a crushing hug.  I could barely make out Hannah’s voice saying “I told you they would be happy for you.”

Everyone surged to congratulate her… In that first year on the Ark, so many people had undergone genetic surgery.  But Alice had six years to build a family, a life as someone else, and it must have weighed so heavily to make that decision now, rather than to do it at the beginning with a group of relative strangers. I couldn’t imagine the fear she had gone through, or was possibly still going through, or the relief it might be now…

All of my thoughts swirled into a tempest, and the only thing that managed to make it to my mouth was a very articulate “You look like a princess.”

I swear, I could punch myself sometimes.

To my relief, Alice just laughed. “It was Charly’s idea.  She said that every little girl got dressed up as a princess at some point - whether they wanted to or not - so she gave me the option to be a princess for a night, and said if I don’t like it, I never have to do it again.”

“What do you think?” I asked.

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think it’s my cup of tea, but I do feel really fancy!”

“You should feel fancy, sweetheart,” Hannah said softly. “But we also have a very fancy women’s tuxedo in the back if you want to feel fancy that way.”

“I’ll think about it,” came the adoring response.  I was overjoyed to see that nothing had changed there, clearly. “What kind of tuxedo are we talking? Celine? Angelina?”

“It’s 100% a Brie/Janelle hybrid, with a Billy hat.”

A pause. “Let me try one karaoke song in this getup, and we’re switching to that.”

 << Prev  Masterlist  Next >>

#the miys #found family #humans are weird #science fiction #aliens #apocalypse #humans are space orcs #humans are space fae #earth is space australia #post apocalypse #post post apocalypse #original science fiction #original sci fi #original writing

[sodistinctlyhuman]

2, 3, 4, 17 ^_^

thank you thank you!! i am having Too much fun with these idk if you can tell aaah ^^

2. Favourite season

this one is very hard!!! i always seem to go back to s3 - it's got a lot of really sweet ray bradbury-esque short plots but with the perfect amount of buildup for the rest of the plot,,, chef's kiss

straight up though the dialogue in s6 so far??? it is unmatched. ive cried so much over this series and it's Great

3. Favourite "Resident of the Week"

OFFICER KLEIN OFFICER KLEIN i think abt u every day (ep. 36 - Dissonance)

this guy faced down an eldritch horror and died for it but he was so Composed despite the definite fear like all the respect my guy! i like how he kinda went yeah sure flamethrower good at sayer's suggestion he really left an impact <3

4. Favourite AI

pain. speaker-sayer-future are all soso compelling to me in vastly different ways. uhh for this one i will go with the eponymous guy

i really do talk about SAYER too much i think. but also SAYER is something that can be so personal to me like i would throw it all away for it to think im kinda cool. it's so funny like it's so full of itself but then it turns around when a resident is in peril and is like. yikes that was kind of wild don't you think? anyway good luck. it's hilarious. i want SAYER to experience good things i want it to be crushed under the weight of an intense emotional experience. i want to hold its proverbial hand i want to put it in a blender. incredible character. adam bash talks about SAYER's hallmark being that while it's morally questionable It Will Never Lie to You and it is transcendent character design. effervescent

17. Roadtrip with all the main characters! Who do you hand the aux cord to, who gets to drive, who brings the snacks, who's responsible for navigating?

ooh i did this once but i stuck in anna like she was a main character because i Can't Read

other than that though most of my points stay the same! observe

- SPEAKER is the navigator! speaker can drop incredibly lyrical turns of phrase but it knows how to get down to business and just give you what you need. also it is great at giving advance landmarks and turn warnings i am sure of this

- FUTURE is the DJ! what will it play???? no one knows it pivots between every single genre and it is whiplash every time. future goes from toxic by britney spears to maybe by the ink spots to tchaikovsky to nightcore and its delightful but also you are Not getting any sleep in this car

- SAYER is driving because it needs a humbling experience. yes. directly keep us all safe and get us to our location. experience the frustration of rush hour. my beloved. ilu

- Jacob can bring the snacks because i imagine he is pretty practical about portability while still retaining, like, taste. he does bring water and he also does bring pringles and beef jerky. but he also drops stuff by accident so either he needs a gyrobowl or we have to keep stopping to use the pay vacuums

#sayer ask meme #creepypastamansion #officer klein my beloved..... #sayer podcast #sayer ai #future ai #jacob hale #speaker ai

[julemmaes]

the Gay Panics©️ 2.0

I guess this was long awaited. *drumroll* THE GAY PANICS FROM CHOI HERE LISTED FOR YOUR QUEER ASSES

(This is kinda shorter than last year's, but just cause the entire fucking book is a gigantic gay panic)

"There you are," Ariadne said. "James, Cordelia. Congratulations." Then, without pause, she turned to Anna. "Would you take a turn about the room with me, Miss Lightwood?" [...]

Anna's posture changed; she had been lounging with her hands in her pockets, but now she straightened up. "No one else in wandering about the ballroom. Ariadne."

ANNA MY LOVELY LOVELY FREN. YOU SHOULD TRY TO KEEP YOUR GAY AT BAY FROM TIME TO TIME

[Ariadne] was sure her cheeks were dark red. Hopefully Anna couldn't see her properly. Ariadne took a deep breath.

I'll give you that girl. I imagine being that close to Anna does things to your respiratory system;)

[...] But it had been Alastair who had answered the door. Alastair, looking strained and tense, as if grief had tightened his skin over his bones. His lower lip was red, as if he'd bitten it, his fingers-fingers that had run so gently over the inside of Thomas's forearm, where a compass rose now unfurled its inked lines-twitching nervously at his side.

Thomas had nearly run away on the spot.

LOOOK WE ALSO HAVE A FLASHBACK TO THE FIRST GAY PANIC

[Alastair] knew he had to stop starring at Thomas, but he wasn't quite sure how to manage it, [...]

Rereading this after having finished the book hurts like a motherfucker. You'll manage just fine apparently, don't worry Alas.

AND LAST PLACE GOES TO THE ACTUAL PANIC. VISIBLE TO THOSE NEXT TO OUR BOYS AS WELL CAUSE IT WAS JUST THAT. UTTER PANIC.

Alastair's chin was up, his expression haughty. A terrible tension knotted James's stomach. He could see Thomas looking at Alastair with an expression almost of panic.

MY BBY, RELAXX! HE'S HERE TO MAKE OUT!!!!!

(everyone feel free to add whatever you want-i just stopped writing them down at some point cause shit was going doown)

#choi #chain of iron #chain of gold #chain of thorns #tlh #the last hours #gay panics #thomas lightwood #alastair carstairs #ariadne bridgestock #kamala joshi #anna lightwood #thomastair #arianna

[spencesglasses]

sweet creature (spencer reid x f! reader) pt 2

a/n: ah yes, a case chapter. this was gonna be longer but i didn’t want it to just drag on and i just ended up cutting out some parts soooo enjoy this 3k word chapter of y/n using her big galaxy brain to solve a case with just a pinch of fluff w spence :)

part one | part three

It was only the beginning of the movie when the weight of the day hit her. She snuggled further into the couch, trying to gain some extra warmth. Spencer had his apartment so cold, she could nearly feel the chill creeping up her body. Her eyelids began to close shut slowly, and the sound of the television lulls her to sleep. She was far too tired to keep herself awake, so she hoped that Spencer didn’t mind if she rests, at least for a few minutes.

Spencer keeps his eyes glued to the television screen, having been making commentary throughout, he didn’t even notice Y/N fast asleep. “You know, it’s actually scientifically impossible for someone to-“ He turns his head to look at her, and she lets out a quiet snore. The TV’s sound was barely audible now, Spencer turning it down so it wouldn’t wake her. He stood up to his full height and the freshly cleaned floor squeaks as his feet carried him to the cupboard that held spare linens and duvets.

He laid a blanket over her figure gently, careful not to disturb her. Taking the extra blankets, he spread them out, making a makeshift bed on the floor below her. He flickered off the TV and all that could be heard was the pitter-patter of the rain against the windows. Spencer let the layers of blankets engulf him in warmth, letting his eyes fall heavy and drifts off to sleep.

The next morning, Y/N woke up to the vibrations of her phone ringing. It was Anna. Wait. I’m still on Spencer’s couch. Shit! I was asleep longer than I should have! She sits up, checking the time, “I’m late to work!”

She tossed the blanket off her and tried to push herself off the couch. But then she sees him. Spencer curled up with a blanket that was much too small for him. She stifled a snicker and covered him with the blanket she was once using.

Before Y/N could leave, she noticed a pen and notepad sitting atop his desk. Maybe I should leave a note, she thought. She grabbed the pen and the black ink slid smoothly across the page.

Sorry to leave so soon… and for falling asleep during the movie. Lets reschedule? Keep in touch, 187! xx

-Your favorite barista

She heard Spencer stir in his sleep, and just before he could wake up, she was gone.

-

“Surprise?” Garcia questioned. “What surprise? What’s going on-” and then she realizes. “Oh, Coffee shop girl! You’re the girl from the coffee shop!”

Y/N hid a giggle behind her hand as she stood. “You told them about me?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see JJ’s head shoot up. “Yeah, Spence,” she says, tilting her head at him. “You told us about her?”

“I told Garcia,” he grumbles.

Spencer can feel the five pairs of eyes on him. He didn’t think that not telling the team about her was such a big deal. Why was it such a problem he kept something to himself for once? They practically live together. Spencer just wanted to keep someone who makes him feel like a person. He wanted to keep her so close to him because he finally had the chance to think about something other than work and the cases, and the people he couldn’t save. He wanted to be someone; to feel normal. In the time that it’s silent, he understood why Y/N didn’t tell him, but he sure as hell wishes that she did.

Spencer’s eyes flicker back and forth between her and the team.  “We should focus on the case.”

-

The first case Y/N works on with a team is fairly close, which she appreciated. She wasn’t particularly fond of plane rides but that was something she had to get used to. Joy, who she found out is Rossi’s daughter, had been writing a piece about violence against women on campus, and noticed a series of mishap in the area. After finding what she believed was more of a case than a possible story, she brought attention to a series of disappearances to the team’s attention once a young woman by the name of Bahni Desai had gone missing.

“4 cases in 9 years.” Derek speaks into the cell, sitting in the driver’s seat. “How come this hasn’t been on our radar?”

“Because the disappearances were in different states with different M.O’s.” Rossi explained over the speaker.

Y/N claimed her spot on the middle seat in the back, reviewing a case file. “The first missing woman was Kathy Miller in 2006,”

Morgan questioned. “So what’s the plan once we land on campus?’

“Track Bahni’s movements. Campus police checked her room, she’s not there. They taped it off for you.” Hotch instructed.

“What about her cell phone?” asked Spencer.

Y/N shifted in her seat, passing the file to Spencer and whispered to him. “It’s kind of cold in here, don’t you think?”

He turned ever so slightly to look at her. “I have my jacket in my bag if you need it,”

She dug to find the much-needed jacket and threw it over her shoulders. It was his FBI issued jacket, tapered at the sleeves and a bit oversized. It smelt like him, she noted. Cinnamon and coffee. She offered him a gentle smile. “Thanks, Spence.”

Spencer returned the smile, handing her back the file.

“It just pinged in her room overnight,” Garcia informed. “No credit card activity. I’ve confirmed with all the ticket agencies she didn’t take a boat, bus, blimp, or plane last night. Oh! The Dean's office just sent us her file from Judy Temple College. It looks like- Oh dear…” She trails off.

“Looks like what, Garcia?” Y/N urged, tugging the jacket closer to her.

���She voluntarily withdrew!”

-

“She definitely didn’t plan on leaving town,” Spencer surveyed Bahni’s abandoned closet. “Her clothes, shoes, and luggage are all still here.”

“Well, it looks like she was trying on different outfits,” said Morgan.

Y/N shuffled past Spencer, standing next to Morgan, and observed the clothes laid out. “Miniskirts, heels. Seems like she was going out.” Y/N added.

“But why not take her phone?” Reid asked, picking up Bahni’s cell. “She’d need it to meet up with her friends.”

She spun on her heel and inspected her desk, noticing two chemistry textbooks. “Unless her friends were already here,” she suggests, her finger brushes against the lettering on the cover, then beckons Morgan to look at the books.

She turned the cover of the textbook, Morgan doing the same to the one to their left. Y/N pushes out a sharp exhale out of her pursed lips. Paddy Morris, she read.

Morgan is the first to speak. “Same textbooks, different names. “She wasn’t studying alone.”

Spencer moves closer to the pair and peers over Y/N’s shoulder. “That could be the last person who saw her.”

-

Y/N trailed behind Morgan and Reid with her hands tucked into the pockets of Spencer’s jacket, and her eyes wandered around the halls of the building. This is going to be her first interview. She wasn’t nervous, per se, but her mind couldn’t help but fill with possible scenarios. Don’t mess this up, Y/N. Only ask questions relevant to the case and remember, don’t say the wrong thing.

“Nice jacket,” Morgan commented, slowing down to reach Y/N’s pace.

“Nice face,” she joked, reaching up to tap his cheek.

Y/N quickened her pace, walking past Spencer, and she could practically feel his stare burning into the back of her head. She found the correct door, and it was Reid and Morgan’s turn to trail behind her. Finding Paddy’s correct door number, she taps her knuckles against the hard wood. “Paddy Morris, this is the FBI,”

“Very funny, Josh,” They heard through the door.

Y/N turned to the men behind her and they shrugged their shoulders in unison. She scrunched up her nose, knocking once more.

The trio held up their badges as the door flung open, exposing the girl. “You’re not Josh.”

“Great observation,” Y/N nodded.

Paddy opened the door wider for them, and they took their spot on the three chairs to the side of her bed. “We have a few questions about Bahni Desai,” Morgan told her. “Is there any information you have that might help us?”

She let out a sharp exhale. “I was with her last night. She was fine,”

“Any idea why she left her cell phone in her room?”

“We didn’t take purses, and we didn’t have pockets in our skirts.” Paddy draws out.

Y/N saw Spencer shift in his seat. “Ok, walk us through the night, you guys were studying before you went out?”

“Yeah, um,” her voice is shaky. “I knew about this party. She didn't want to go.”

It was Y/N’s turn to ask a question. “Did you two come back to the dorm?”

Not too bad, not too bad, she reassures herself.

“No. I made her stay.”

“Why?”

She gulped, looking over their shoulders and out the window. “There was this tennis guy that I’d been trading tweets with. He said he’d show up, but he was late, and then the later it got, the more I drank.”

“How much did you have?” asked Reid.

“Her, I don’t know. Me, a lot. Until Peter arrived…” she trails off. “She told me she was going right after that.”

“Did anyone walk out after her, maybe try to escort her?”

“Not that I saw,” she frowns, face streaked with tears and day old mascara wiped beneath her eyes. “God, it’s my fault, isn’t it?”

Morgan reassured her. “No, it’s not. But there’s still a way you can help us.”

She perked up, wiping the stray tears away. “Anything. Name it.”

Y/N straightens up and asks, “Where was the party?”

-

“This was the last spot she was seen. The next camera is 100 feet down,” Spencer pointed forward. “Which makes this the abduction zone,”

Y/N walks with him, investigating what the team has found, all thanks to Garcia, Bahni’s last location before she went missing. “Alexandria police searched the buildings, nothing was there.”

“Well, if she got in the car with him, they would have shown up on the camera down the street.”

Her eyebrows knit together, suddenly coming to a stop. “Right, so it would be too risky,” she looked to the camera, and observed the shops behind them. “Just shoving her in the trunk of a car. And out in the open like this? Someone would have been bound to see them,”

“Well, that leaves this.” Spencer gestures to the near alleyway. It’s empty. Secluded. Low chance of anyone seeing the attack.

Spencer and Y/N shared a look, walking further into the alley. His phone went off, signifying that he’s gotten a new message, and she watches him as he fetches his phone out of his coat pocket. She could see the wrinkle between his brows that he would when he was worried about something,

She stops in her tracks and gently places her hand on his bicep. “Is everything okay?”

“Actually, no. My mom’s not doing so well,” Spencer says, biting the inside of his cheek. “The doctors have had to change her medicine 3 times to try to stabilize the schizophrenia,”

Y/N knew about his mom and her conditions. He had mentioned it a few times to her when he would go into her shop during her break. She let out a soft exhale and rubbed languid circles in his arm as a comfort. “Spencer, why didn’t you tell me… or the team?”

“I- I didn’t want to bother you,” he averts his eyes

“You could never bother me,” Y/N’s voice is hushed. “You can never bother any of us, got it? How long has this been going on?”

Spencer’s frown deepens, looking down to the asphalt beneath their feet. “It’s gotten really bad the past few weeks.”

“As soon as we’re done here, you need to go help her. She needs you,”

Y/N watches as his eyes narrow, looking at her this time. “I know. Right now so does Bahni.” he said firmly.

She watches him as he moves to leave the alley, and a frown etched on her face. Y/N knew he would rather keep something to himself than bother anyone about his problems, but this was different. She just wanted to be there for him, to help him, to make sure he doesn't feel alone. He was her friend, after all. Spencer turned to her, looking at her expectantly, and she followed him.

“Alright, let's think this through,” Spencer said.

Y/N added. “Okay, so, if he took her this way, it is a busier street,” they both observed the cars passing. “The traffic was much lighter last night, but it would be a risk to abduct someone in plain sight.”

“So he was able to control a drunk woman and it didn’t look suspicious.”

“He probably just put his arm around her and walked off, and was too drunk to realize she was in danger.” she replied.

“You know, if this was just about the assault, he could have done that back in the alley. I think this gotta be some sort of long-term play,”

“Then he’s been watching Bahni,” she makes eye contact with Spencer. “Looking for the perfect opportunity.”

“Well, he certainly found it last night. She’s a straight-A student who never drinks and rarely goes out.”

Y/N nods, walking back to the alley to inspect it once more. She eyes the spot where the suspect was last documented, trying to think of anything that could possibly help them, and then it hits her. “Spence, tell Garcia to look for offenders with precursor crimes.”

“On it,”

-

The rest of the investigation went by smoothly and the team rescued Bahni successfully, arresting Tom Larson for abduction of Bahni Desai and Sam Burnett for the murder of Kathy Miller in the process. By the end of the night, Y/N stayed behind as the majority of the team left, having to finish paperwork for Hotch. She heard shuffling, and it brought her attention to Spencer sitting on the edge of his desk. Following his gaze, she noticed a framed photo of JJ’s newborn perched on her desk. Then she examined him closely, noticing visible bags under his eyes, and his hair slightly disheveled. She gathers the loose paper into a folder, then places them into the drawer of her desk.

“You were that little once,” Y/N says, catching Spencer’s attention.

“It seems impossible, doesn’t it,” he smiles fondly at the photo. “That we all start out so helpless.”

Y/N got up from her chair, joining Spencer at his desk. “Yeah, well, we all end the same way.”

A moment of looming silence passes between them and Spencer stiffens, suddenly becoming hyper aware of the proximity. It’s not that he didn’t like it. It made him more aware of the flutter and flit of the butterflies in his stomach. That he didn’t like.

Y/N is the first one to break the silence. “You’re gonna call your mom?”

Spencer is brought back to reality by the sound of her voice, and he’s back at ease. Y/N did a good job at doing that; easing him. He furrowed his brows, checking his watch. “It’s not too late there, is it?”

She gently grabs a hold of his wrist to check for herself. “Shouldn’t be,” she whispers.

Y/N let her arm fall to her side. “I wanted to tell you, by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“That I was joining the team,” she crosses her arms over her chest. “I wanted to tell you.”

“Why didn’t you?” he counters.

“I didn’t want to intrude. I thought it would’ve been weird if some girl from the coffee shop you go to just suddenly started working with you, but I guess that happened anyway,”

Spencer’s eyes flick down to her. “You’re not just some girl from the coffee shop,” he says slowly. “And if it makes you feel any better, I really enjoyed working with you today.”

Y/N’s lips curled upward, bumping his shoulder with hers. “Hmm, I guess we just make a good team,”

“Guess so,” Spencer says with a soft laugh that makes her heart swell. “You know, I actually didn’t mean to tell Garcia,”

“You didn’t?” She raised her brows.

He shook his head. “She saw your number written on my coffee cup.”

“I see,” she hummed.

There’s a moment of comfortable silence. Y/N scoots away from him slightly, barely realizing the closeness. Her stomach twists and tumbles within her, nerves spiking, trying to find words to add to the conversation. She finally looks at him and she feels heat creeping up her neck when she saw that he was already looking at her. And she finally says, “I guess I should be getting home,”

Spencer followed her movements, trailing behind her as she retreated to her desk. “Would you like a ride home?” she asks.

For a second, it is silent again. It’s clear to her he’s thinking way too into the question. “It’s no bother,” she adds, giving him a kind smile. “I promise.”

She held out her arm just like she did that morning and waited for him to link his arm with hers. He visibly relaxed, hooping his arm beneath hers. This is what he liked about Y/N, what drew him to her. She allowed him to break down his walls when he was with her, and he guesses that that was why he let himself be so comfortable with her because if he was being completely honest, he wouldn’t do this with anyone that wasn’t her. Yeah, he was close with JJ and Penelope, but the connection was just different. He just couldn’t put his finger on it, and for the first time, Spencer Reid didn’t know why.

-

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