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deltas-writing-corner · 3 years

Text

No regrets

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Pairing: Sukuna x reader (reader is referred to with gender neutral pronouns, but there are slight implications of them being AFAB)

Author note: At a whooping 11.5k words, it’s finally here! Thank you all for your patience as well as those who gave feedback during the initial interest check! I hope the wait was worth it and you enjoy this long piece! A bit of forewarning, this piece is rather dark, so please read the content warnings carefully and only proceed if you are comfortable doing so.

Revisions made on 3/30/2021

Minors do not read/interact with this post!

Heian era

It was only a matter of time before the king of curses came to your village and slaughtered you all. It was inevitable, but the village elders were determined to hand over every last scrap of fabric and goods if it satiated the cursed being for a short while, knowing the all powerful curse was an indulgent one. Your village was a well known trading settlement, so gathering and setting aside the best of the best on the market was rather easy with all the merchants coming in and out of the town nearly every day.

Your family specialized in sword crafting, often forging or repairing swords for soldiers or aristocratic families who merely collected them as works of art. Your father taught you a bit of the craft and a few seasoned samurai humoured you and taught you some forms while they awaited repairs, but you mostly spent time helping your mother around your quaint home. Your days with them were peaceful, even with the ever looming and expected arrival of Ryomen Sukuna blanketing your people with constant fear.

The day finally came, yet all the preparations you and your people took to secure a better chance of survival still didn’t feel like it was enough as the four-armed monster of a man easily destroyed several houses with a mere flick of his hand and cut down several innocent individuals who fled last minute due to their anxiety getting the better of them. He was at least willing to see all that was being offered to him when it was made clear your people were not going down without trying their luck, but that sadistic smile of his was all the proof everyone needed to know that their careful efforts meant nothing.

Your village elders remained determined, and to the shock of you and your parents, they grabbed you and offered you up as one final offering. You were young, the youngest in the village in fact, and unmarried too. A perfect candidate for Sukuna’s harem and they knew this when they turned and grabbed you without a second thought. You still remember the way your mother began to smack your elders with her shoe when they yanked you away from her and your father’s side. Bless her heart.

Perhaps a part of you knew that your status as the youngest would be taken advantage of if things weren’t working out. Sukuna’s harem was only a rumor, scary gossip whispered amongst the housewives. Yet the idea of a monster like him having a harem didn’t seem so farfetched. You knew better than to question the validity of the lucky few who got away and were displaced because of Sukuna’s village razing and massacring.

Whether he accepted the last second addition to the offer pile or killed every single one of you right then and there, you accepted that your life would never return to how it once was before he came. You didn’t make so much as a peep of discomfort when the brute began to manhandle you, pulling back parts of your clothes away from your body to inspect you in front of the entire village, in front of your distraught parents. You didn’t wince in pain when he roughly grabbed your cheek between two of his meaty fingers and examined your face like you were merely a piece of art, an object. You just went completely numb.

Everyone, including yourself, was shocked when he agreed to take you along with all the goods your village offered, but not without ordering them to prepare another pile for his followers to collect every following month from now on. He made it clear that if they held back a single grain of rice or gave him anything else but the best, he’d send your body back to them in a bloody sack before reuniting them with you in the afterlife shortly after.

As the king of curses hauled you away like a sack of potatoes, your emotions came flooding back in. You kicked, scream, cried and begged like a moody toddler for your mom and dad to help you, to not let this monster take you away and do know who knows what to you. The last you see of them before you’re forcefully knocked out is your mother suddenly collapsing on the ground like all the energy she had just left her body instantaneously. Your brawny father seemed equally at a loss as well.

When you were brought back to Sukuna’s temple, you were hauled away by servants after he unceremoniously dropped you on the ground and retreated to his chambers. You were thoroughly bathed, skin rubbed raw of outside filth and dressed into a fresh new robe before being whisked away to Sukuna’s quarters by his demand.

That first week under his roof was meant to break you, but for some reason you kept fighting back because of something a bit stupid. You wanted to keep your old clothes the maids forced you out of and you wouldn’t shut up or keep still under him no matter how much he harmed or degraded you. You don’t know why you kept pushing back against him over something so meager. The fabric wasn’t anything that fancy. The color was faded and you were even beginning to outgrow them. It’s the only memento you have of your home, so maybe that’s why your mind zeroed in on it and refused to yield to his torturous ministrations until you made certain it wouldn’t be taken away from you.

“Again with those rags you call a kimono?” he clicked his tongue with annoyance. “You want to keep them so badly? Fine, but don’t think I’ll be so accommodating next time.”

Living in a merchant town, you know how to tell when someone is trying to swindle you. As much as you hate the man who has been violating your body for literal days now, you can tell that he means what he has stated.

When you finally relax your body, he lets out a disgustingly child-like cackle, but before you can express any sort of rage that bubbled up within yourself, your mind goes numb once more if only to alleviate the pain you’re in just a bit.

There are two types of fates for those in Sukuna’s harem. There are the favoured concubines, who live relatively better than the disfavoured, who are made into servants. Of course, this is all a meticulous set up by the king of curses himself. Those he shows higher favoritism towards are desperate to remain in his good graces if only to make their way of living that bit easier to bear. Those he turns into lowly servants and brushes aside are desperate to rise above their rank and gain the privilege and spoils he grants to the selected few. It’s all an elaborate plan to instill discord between members of his harem so he can sit back and watch them tear each other apart without lifting a finger.

Your fighting back was what earned you an automatic spot amongst his favoured. He thought he had broken you, but just as soon as you yielded to him you flared up and began to fight back once more. It was invigorating, seeing the rage and desperation in your eyes when you were quiet and had a distant, blank look just moments before. How long had it been since a human raised their fist against him? Far too long for him to remember.

You were an outlier. Where all would refuse to meet his gaze whenever he passed through, you would always meet and hold his gaze without fail or hesitation. You talked back, cursing him a thousand ways into the next phase of the moon. You never bowed when others did. Never.

Your disobedience gave him plenty of reasons to drag you to his chambers and attempt to break you once more, only for you to shut your mind down as soon as you were thrown into his bed. Perhaps it's a defense mechanism? A way of trying to disassociate from all the rough treatment you endure under him? A part of him is grateful you aren’t like the others, that you’ve come up with a way of protecting yourself while the others around you, who give into the despair and hopelessness he brings them or lie to themselves that he holds some sort of affection towards them, if only to find some sort of hope through this hell even if it means lying to yourself. Both of which bore him immensely as well as annoy him greatly.

It’s sudden and neither of you can recall when it began, but after he was done having his way with you and you regained your sense of reality and would devolve into the usual episode of flailing rage and crying, he began to hold you against him and whisper soothing phrases like “good job” or “It’s over, you did well”. He kept his many arms wrapped around your shaking figure, waiting for you to eventually exhaust yourself and pass out before doing so himself. When the sun rises you are always gone from his chambers. How you manage to escape right from under him is a mystery, but he doesn’t have much of a desire to ask you about it. He likes waking up surprised. Hardly anything surprises him anymore.

It becomes clear to everyone that Sukuna acts differently towards you, treats you differently than the rest of his concubines. There are even periods of time where the rest of his harem is given little to no attention because he’s completely focused on you. The time he spends with you isn’t anything kind or relieving. He purposely says things that offend you and have you screaming at him. Should anyone else say what you say to him in return, he’d rip their tongues out and swallow it before their very eyes without any remorse. But you? He’s smiling down at you, as if you were an actor entertaining him with an elaborate and well-rehearsed performance.

“Damn you! Damn this temple! Damn your ancestors for existing and bringing you into this world!”

“Yes, that’s the spirit!” he gives you a toothy grin, his sharp canines glinting under the light of the sun. “Damn me and damn the rest of the world for that matter!”

His encouragement only infuriates you more. Without a second thought you began to throw whatever it is you can get your hands on at him. Your comb, your shoes, your untouched makeup products, anything in sight is hauled at the deranged man who dodges everything with ease. Just as you throw a jar of ink at his head and it shatters against the way, bathing the wood with dark ink, he grabs you and you both tumble back into your unmade futon.

As usual, you thrash and voice your disdain as he presses his lips against your neck and aggressively undresses you. He’s high off the adrenaline from earlier, making his ministrations much more excruciating than they normally are.

To him, it feels like a passionate session of lovemaking and he’s left light headed when he finishes.

For you, it’s just another day under his reign and body, your mind going numb as soon as he puts you on your hands and knees.

Just as quickly as he gave you most of his attention, he turned away and left you in the dust.

You have been his concubine for over a year when it happens. Your village continues to uphold their end of their deal and provide him with all the luxurious goods they can get their hands on each month. You’re not sure if he’s trying to torture you more or genuinely thinks he’s bringing you some sense of comfort and calm, but he personally brings you a small bunch of fabrics and trinkets that your father specifically went out of his way to get for you, hoping you would receive them somehow as a reminder that he still thinks of you. It’s during these small moments of Sukuna passing on these items that you learn that your mother passed after you were taken.

You didn’t shed even one tear when this information was given to you, as a part of you knew that was the case after you saw her collapse. Sukuna expected you to fly into another fit of rage. That was the only reason he told you if he’s being honest. He’s caught between feeling disappointed or worried when you just hummed in acknowledgement as you rolled up the soft, intricate rolls of fabric and stored them away. You never did anything with them, so they were sure to collect a layer of dust like the rest in due time

No one, not even Sukuna or even yourself, expected your village to take up arms and fight back against the followers he sent out to collect his offerings. When word came back of what transpired, Sukuna was tempted to take you with him and force you to watch as he slaughtered your village in retaliation for breaking the accord. He didn’t, nor did he send back your disfigured corpse like he promised he would back then. He simply went out, killed them, and then came right back to wash off all their spilled blood. All within the same day.

After he killed all the villagers, he attempted to locate your father amongst the scattered corpses, but they were too mutilated and disfigured to discern who was who. Even if they weren’t, it’s not like he remembered what your father looked like. Did you even bear any resemblance to him? He overheard you speaking with one of the other concubines that your father was an armorer and was tempted to grab one of the expertly crafted swords the villagers were carrying and bring it back to you, blood and all staining the scabbard. He decided against it.

He’s demoted many concubines, all with the purpose of watching them try to regain the meager luxury and privilege they grew accustomed to. He did the same for you, eager to see you break character and come crawling back to him with pitiful desperation.

A part of him knew that it wouldn’t take much effort on your part to have him changing his mind. He’d easily forgive you for the betrayal of your village. All you had to do was put on a show and give him the entertainment he wanted from you. You can kick and scream and deny him all you want, but he’s broken many people like you before. He’s had you under his spell since day one.

Except, you didn’t do anything. When he sent you to live within the overcrowded servants chambers near the far end of his temple, you never put up any sort of fight or caused a scene. Not even when he gave away all the fabrics your father sent you to the other favoured concubines, going as far as to force them to wear the garments whenever and wherever your presence is at. He waited with giddy for someone to inform him of how you lashed out at another girl and attempted to rip the cloth off of her body because they were wearing the fabrics meant for you. But there was nothing from you.

When he dragged you to his quarter and began to violate you like normal, he forced himself to brag and even fabricate details of the day he slaughtered the people from your village. He even lied about how your father asked about you before he was killed, falsely stating that the man had a smile on his face when Sukuna told him that you received all the goods he selected just for you.

Like always, your mind went blank until he finished. There were no twisted words of comfort afterwards like before. He simply ordered you out once he was done, one final attempt to invoke something out of you. You merely redressed and left in silence. He nearly got up and dragged you back, but once again, he decided against it.

One day he ordered a few men to build a crude looking home out back, detached from the main temple, and have you moved in it upon completion. If his normal efforts won’t elicit the usual reaction out of you, then he’ll take a different approach. He’ll deprive you of everything, social interaction, decent and consistent meals, and a stable shelter. He’ll have you isolated for a short while, after which he will visit you out of pity and revel in the sight of you crawling back into his arms. If the time he forces you alone is not enough to break you, he’ll simply extend your stay until you either give him what he wants or die because of your own stubbornness.

It hasn’t even been a day since you’ve been moved from the servant's chamber to your new quarters, and already he’s come to visit you. Within the same breath that tells you that your only other option besides begging for his forgiveness is to rot away in this poorly made shack, he gives you one final chance to change his mind, to beg him to take you back into his good graces.

The tatami is poorly crafted and discolored. The rafters used to construct the frame of the house already show signs of rotting and water damage. Before he allowed himself in, the tiles on the roof appeared to be hastily made and were not properly laid out. It was lightly raining outside, yet you already have a wooden bucket set up to collect leaking water.

“Can I help you?” you ask without glancing over your shoulder. He smirks at the thought of you knowing who he is by presence alone.

“No,” he smugly answers. “But maybe I can help you?”

You look back over to him with a mean glare. “You’re the one that put me here in the first place.”

“No, I didn’t,” he shakes his head to further cement his point. “You’re in here because your people thought they stood a chance against me and broke our agreement. Killing you would be an act of mercy to them. So long as I keep you alive and slowly torture you in both mind and body, they will never know peace.”

“You’re lying,” you say with certainty, with no fear. “I’ve never lied to you once. I would appreciate it if I can at least be given the same courtesy in return.”

He hates when people demand things from. Most importantly, he hates that you’re right. Your neck is always so small within his grasp, his fingers able to meet and fold over one another without strain. He keeps you suspended in the air just enough to where you can balance yourself on the balls of your feet. Whether you were tall or short, it mattered not. He always towered over you like the predator that he is.

“You want to know why you’re in this shitty home?” he sneers down. “You’re in here because you’ve begun to bore me. You amused me so much before, but the moment you started depriving me of my source of entertainment on purpose is the moment I decide to deprive you of your basic needs in return. I take what I want, when I want it, in whichever quantity I desire.

“You want out of here?” He makes a sweeping gesture around the room. “Then you better press your forehead all the way to the floor and beg for me to take you back. I’ll even tell you the exact words you need to say. ‘Please Sukuna-sama. Please allow me the privilege of sleeping under the same roof as you. Please let me breathe the same air as you.’”

He lets you go and grins when you prostrate after regaining your breathe.

“Please Sukuna-sama,” you beg.

“Please what?” he mocks. “Use your words.”

He feels a vein pop out on his forehead when you dare to look up and look at him with yet another angry grin. Without an ounce of hesitation, you say, “Please get out and leave me be.”

He nearly breaks the door from how hard he slams it shut. He abruptly turns around when he hears a roof tile fall over and splat into the muddy dirt. Those followers of his really built you a shitty home, exactly like he ordered them to do.

He feels the urge to gather them and wring their necks one by one, but he doesn’t know why.

Sukuna can’t sleep during those weeks apart. Not because of you, but because right as he drifts off into slumber he’s abruptly woken up by an intense source of cursed energy flaring up out of nowhere. But just as quickly as he feels it and wakes with a startle, it vanishes without a trace. He’ll go out onto his balcony and try to locate where the energy is coming from, but for some reason he can never pinpoint it despite his superior senses. He tries to suppress his own energy in the hopes of tricking the source into thinking he’s asleep and unsuspecting, but it would seem that they’re smart enough not to fall for the bait.

He doesn’t need sleep in the first place, so he’s tempted to just stay up and catch whoever is trying to scare him red handed and be done with them. The idea of someone getting the upper hand at him and forcing him into a position of defensiveness doesn’t sit well with him, so he decides to just let the unknown person have their fun for now and continue this little back and forth with them. Eventually they’ll grow cocky and slip up and he’ll confront them when it happens.

Because your little shack is located near the back of the temple, completely out of sight from Sukuna’s view from his balcony, Neither he nor the others notice the plumes of smoke that rise during the dead of night. No one also takes notice of the bits of metal that go missing throughout the temple.

The rise of the next full moon indicates the end of the month. Sukuna sends for someone to go retrieve you, but they never return and he’s left waiting long enough for the moon to reach its highest peak in the sky. When he orders someone else into his quarters he’s met with more silence that only further enrages him.

Just as he’s about to call for Uraume to figure out what the hell was wrong with his servants, he feels it. The cursed energy that he’s been trying to catch off guard the last few weeks. It’s willingly making itself known, practically begging him to follow its trail and meet with him. Just as quickly as he is able to identify and figure out which direction it’s originating, he notices that it strangely leads him in the direction of your poorly built home.

It’s impossible that it’s you. Cursed energy is born from negative emotions. He’s sure you still have an abundance of negative feelings towards him. Yet never did he feel even a speck of cursed energy resonate off of you. His mind immediately wonders if the individual knows of his strange obsession over you and is using you as bait. It’s foolish on their part, thinking the king of curses would yield for a mere human.

His pace quickens despite his internal dismissal, failing to notice that everyone is hiding and waiting in anticipation.

When he discovers that the cursed energy is indeed from you, he can’t help but to laugh like a crazed hyena. The sword by your side further amuses him and he’s genuinely curious as to how you got the proper materials to craft it.

“It took a bit of convincing,” you willingly answer his question. “I made everyone believe I could stand a chance against you and they gave me all the materials and tools I needed and looked the other way. I guess watching all those traveling merchants try to hype up their goods came in handy after all,” you look out in the distance as you briefly reminisce on the bygone days of your former life.

He begins to slowly clap with one pair of hands, the other crossed over his chest in amusement. “This is by far the most entertaining performance I’ve ever witnessed. Bravo. You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

“I’d gladly accept the compliment, except this isn’t a show,” you stand to your full height and get a better grip of the hilt of your sword. “It’s the real deal.”

He erupts into yet another cacophony of wild laughter. “Do you seriously think you can kill me?”

“No,” you answer, truly throwing him off guard by the way he goes still so suddenly. “But that’s alright. I’m fine with never being strong enough to put a permanent end to you. Only one of us will be walking away from this fight, and I assure you that it’s going to be me.”

You draw your blade out and get into a low, defensive stance. Even under the lackluster light of the moon, he can see how well crafted your weapon is. He’s reminded of the craftsmanship the weapons your people carried when he slaughtered them, no better than a bunch of wooden sticks against him either way. Immediately, he regrets not bringing back one of their weapons and forcing you to expose to him your knowledge of swordsmanship and blacksmithing. Perhaps then he could have had you brandishing your blade under his command rather than against him.

Oh well, it’s better this way. It’s just as exhilarating and head swirling as those instances where you damned him with all of your being and threw things at his head. No, it’s more than exhilarating. It’s downright intoxicating seeing you readying yourself for his first move. How sweet of you to allow him the honor to make the first strike.

“You truly are something else entirely, beloved,” he dreamily sighs. “Did you honestly think you’d have the upperhand against me just because I gave you a little bit more of my attention?”

“Never,” you reply. You press your eyelids shut for a moment, and the moment you open them up the layer of dissociative numbness vanishes into a look of total focus and emotions he cannot discern. “But whether I live or die, I have no regrets about tonight.”

You really didn’t have enough strength to kill him. However, you did have enough to dismember all twenty of his fingers and seal him away. For the first time in years, the sun rises and bestows its warmth to a world in which two-faced Sukuna does not instill fear upon humanity or stain the earth in their blood. You and those who were under his servitude walk out of his temple as free people, hopeful people. As an act of gratitude for becoming their savior, nineteen others take one of Sukuna’s fingers each and swear to scatter them as far as they can so he cannot be brought back into the world.

As for yourself, you set out to rebuild your destroyed village and take up your father’s legacy as a maker of swords. Eventually you meet and settle down with a loving partner and raise children together. You pass on the family trade, your self developed cursed technique, as well as the memories of your time as Sukuna’s concubine. Those who come after you continue to carry on your will, to ensure that Sukuna can never be reborn into the world. Your sword and the old robes you kept after you were taken away are passed down as family heirlooms, but they are never used by any of your descendants.

That is until the year 2018, when Sukuna is resurrected within a compatible vessel.

Modern era

You bear not only a striking resemblance to your ancestor, but many of their memories as well. The family sword that was used against the king of curses is bestowed upon you, now dubbed the next in line to claim the title of clan leader, their preserved kimono now fashioned into a sageo that wraps around the scabbard.

Your family stays out of most affairs within the jujutsu world, but your birth and the strong connection to your ancestor eventually reaches the ears of many prominent figures within this hidden society. They think your birth a bad omen, a sign that the king of curses may return to the world one day. Most are scared, but your family pays them no attention. Even if the damnable curse did find a way to revive into the world, you and most of your family members who have inherited your ancestor’s technique will oppose him just as they did a thousand years ago.

“You don’t look too concerned,” Gojo makes his observation known to you as soon as the two of you settle in the small private room you ushered him to when he came to your family estate. He wanted to confirm the news of Sukuna’s resurrection to you himself. “None of you do, actually.”

“We all knew this day would come,” you calmly tell him as you poured him a cup of tea. “This is the risk our ancestor took when they developed their technique. In exchange for the strength and ability to seal Sukuna away, they willingly gave up the ability to deliver him a fatal and final blow against him.”

“I’m not well-versed when it comes to binding vows and heavenly restrictions,” he takes a moment of pause to sip his now cooled tea, visibly showing his disdain over it’s bitterness. “But is giving up the satisfaction of killing him really a fair exchange for a specific technique and a bit of cursed energy?”

Your lips pressed together in a grimace. “You have no idea what it was like living underneath that monster’s reign. Even if the binding vow had odd conditions skewed against their favor, every bit of what was given up was worth it if it meant regaining their freedom.”

Gojo isn’t moved or even impressed by your admittance. He simply shrugs before taking another sip of his tea, face contorting in displeasure once again as he forces himself to swallow the green liquid. You’re tempted to ask him why he keeps sipping if he hates the flavor, but he begins speaking again before you can voice your thoughts.

“So, about the vessel,” he leans against his closed fist, propped up by the low table underneath him. “The higher ups are willing to postpone the kid’s execution in favor of the opportunity to kill Sukuna, but they want someone from your family, preferably you, to be his second shadow so to speak. You’re the failsafe in case the plan doesn’t play out like I promised and the curse needs to be sealed again.”

“Sukuna’s vessel...is a child?” you ask incredulously.

“He’s about your age,” Gojo admits with a displaced smile, but it soon falls once you suddenly erupt into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

“That’s priceless!” you say while wiping away a stray tear. “The king of curses, Ryomen Sukuna, stuck inside some teenager’s body? I bet he’s pissed off and swearing up a storm inside the kid!”

You’re not sure who exactly is getting the most amusement at the turn of events, you or your ancestor from beyond the grave. After your laughing fit subsides and you straighten yourself out, you turn back to Gojo to ask him the burning question.

“So when do I get to meet him?”

Itadori Yuuji is the polar opposite of Sukuna. While Sukuna had a smile that both angered and scared your ancestor and those around him, Yuuji’s was like a literal ray of sunshine. He’s nice, energetic, strong willed and even humorous. You’re honestly surprised he can act so hopeful despite all that’s happened to him and has been forced upon his shoulders.

You’re not going to lie, but you honestly expected a timid and somewhat gloomy kid. Someone easy to manipulate to put it bluntly. Yuuji’s friendly personality is welcomed in your book. Though you admit that now that you’ve exchanged a few words with him, you feel bad and pitiful that he’s been marked for death and likely has to deal with Sukuna on a somewhat regular basis.

As Yuuji rambles to you about some childhood incident, the slits underneath his eyes open up and a familiar pair of red eyes meets your gaze. “It’s you,” the manifested mouth on the side of his cheek morphs into a deranged, toothy grin that is so painstakingly recognizable.

Your heartbeat picks up and your palms are coated with an instantaneous layer of nervous sweat. You contemplate saying something or simply ignoring the curse, not wanting to give him any satisfaction of hearing the voice of your ancestor acknowledge him in any way. Before you can come to any consensus, you’re amazed at how Yuuji easily slaps his hand over his cheek and tells the curse to buzz off.

Itadori further cements that he is Sukuna’s antithesis as he goes out of his way to apologize to you for the inconvenience the curse caused you (How could he tell you became nervous when Sukuna spoke only two words at you?) He even brings you a can of soda as a sort of peace offering/token of forgiveness! You’re grateful for the gesture, but you feel bad for letting him think that he’s at fault for something that wasn’t even that big of a deal to begin with.

“Still, I made you upset,” he looks down to his empty can and pouts. “If you don’t want to be around me-”

“Yuuji,” you interrupt him. “I’m fine, really. My ancestor stood their ground against him once. Surely I can do it again a millennium later.”

“Gojo-sensei was telling me about that!” his eyes sparkle with recollection. “That’s so cool! You’re basically his arch nemesis!”

You awkwardly laugh at his enthusiasm. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“So, Senpai,” he looks at your with a hopeful gaze. “Gojo-sensei seems pretty certain this plan of his will work, but what do you think?”

“Well,” you take a quick sip of your drink before continuing. “Before I tell you what I think about this whole debacle, I need to make a few things thing clear regarding the two of us.”

He obediently nods, face now serious, though it takes you a considerable amount of effort not to laugh from how innocent he still looks. It’s hard to believe he’s housing the king of curses within himself.

“First and foremost, don’t call me Senpai! ” you firmly say. Don’t call me by my family name either. We’re about the same age, so just call me by my first name from now on. Understood?”

“First name, got it!”

“Second,” you put up two fingers. “This is the most important point, so pay attention,” you look at him to make sure he’s ready to commit your words into memory. “Whether the plan works out or not, you must never forget one important fact of the matter. You are not Sukuna.”

He flinches, clearly not expecting such words to be directed towards him.

“I’m sure Gojo whipped up some epic tale about my ancestor’s grudge against that two-faced monster. I not only inherited their technique, but also many of their memories during their initial life. In a way, I suppose I hate Sukuna as well, and based on my reaction from earlier when he popped out, I’m not exactly going to handle moments where he gains control with as much poise as I should.

But remember Yuuji. My discomfort will never be towards you, but the curse you are now bound to,” you reach out and pat his head in assurance. “As the saying goes ‘the enemy of my enemy is a friend.’ Which brings me to my final point!” You excitedly profess. “I want us to be friends!”

“Wait, really?” he sounds almost unsure over your insistence. “I mean, I don’t mind, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to put up with me for my sake.”

“I’m not saying we have to be the best of friends” you explain. “Since we’re going to be around each other so often, I at least want us to be on friendly terms. I want your time left in this world to be as enjoyable and carefree as possible.”

“I guess we can be friends,” he crosses his arms and stares off in deep thought. “I’m just trying to think of a good starting point to get to know you.”

“You can always keep it simple and ask me what I like,” you say, laughing at the way he suddenly has an “ah hah!’ moment and looks at you like an excited puppy.

“Do you like Jennifer Lawrence?”

Yuuji is almost offended that you didn’t know who Jennifer Lawrence is. He was utterly flabbergasted that you haven’t watched any of her movies either (“I don’t even know who she is Yuuji how the hell am I supposed to know she was in movies?”). He went on and on about every single film, but if you’re being honest his 2 minute summaries (infodumping, really) of the plots didn’t really do them justice. Out of nowhere he proposes that you and him have a movie night so he can show you exactly what you’re missing! Of course, it’ll have to be after the two of you settle into your dorm rooms.

It’s true that you were offered immediate admission into Tokyo Technical college due to your lineage, but no one but you and your family knew about this. Gojo also knew. He was the one that brought up the idea in the first place…

Oh, Gojo told him. Well now you just feel stupid.

That’s how you found yourself in the dormitory’s common area with Yuuji and your other classmates, Nobara and Megumi. Meeting them wasn’t that bad. Just kidding, it was terrifying! Megumi looks exactly the way your family often describes members of the Zen’in clan to look like, blank and unnerving. You honestly thought Nobara would beat you up just from the way she was looking at you with such an observing glare, completely forgetting the fact that you’re a descendant of the person who single handedly sealed Sukuna away.

Oh yeah, Yuuji told them that! Was he not supposed to?

“Hah?” Nobara scowls at Yuuji, who puts his hands up in defense. “You mean their old ass grandparent turned that ugly ass curse into bite sized pieces?”

“I did,” you answer, but you quickly catch your mistake and correct yourself. “They did. Along with the sword they used to cut Sukuna down I also inherited most of their memories which is...It’s not as pleasant as you would think.”

Her expression softens up a bit and she steps in front of you. She holds out her palm and makes a beckoning gesture. “The sword,” she clarifies when you look at her with confusion. “Let me hold it.”

You make a quick trip back to your room to retrieve it. She nearly doubles over into you once you pass it over to her.

“Damn! How much does this thing weigh?!” she looks at you with disbelief

“It weighs next to nothing whenever I hold it,” you explain, taking it into your hold and tossing it in the air and twirling it around to further drive your point.

“Bullshit! It’s like 50 pounds!”

“It can’t be that bad,” Megumi comments.

“Oh yeah? Here!” Nobara grabs and tosses it at him, much to your dismay. “See?” she shrills when he nearly doubles over himself. “It’s heavy!”

“Yeah, ok. This is definitely the sword that took down Sukuna,” Megumi gasps.

“My turn! My turn!” Yuuji makes grabby hands, but you push yourself between him and Megumi who’s still holding onto it before he can get too close.

“It’s probably best if you don’t touch it. Y’know?” you point back and forth between him and you.

“Oh, right,” he sheepishly remembers. “Crap, the popcorns gonna get cold!”

You sigh in relief when his attention goes elsewhere before quickly heading back to your room to put the weapon away. When you reenter the lounge, Yuuji greets you with a cheery smile before patting the empty space next to him. He wants you to sit beside him, but Nobara seems to have other plans as she sits right in your intended spot and tells you to sit next to her instead. You were honestly scared and a bit reluctant, but your fears subside once you sat down and she locked her arm with yours and leaned her head on your shoulder for the rest of the night.

She and Megumi eventually retreated back to their rooms before they could fall asleep on the couch after the second movie concludes.

“Do you want to keep going?” Yuuji asked, hands fidgeting with the next DVD case he had at the ready.

“Sure,” you nod, not tired in the slightest just yet.

“Sweet!” he gave you a toothy smile before standing up to head towards the dvd player. However, the moment he stood to his full height he went deathly still. His body contorts before swiftly relaxing. He rolls his neck a few times and lets out a relieved sigh. Before you can ask him what’s wrong, that’s when you feel that disgusting familiar aura and your heart starts beating like you just did a triathlon in a few short minutes.

“Finally, some fresh air,” he sighs in relief as he arches his back and his spine lets out a few crisp pops. His voice hasn’t changed in a thousand years and neither has your fear and disdain for it. When he turns and looks at you with those familiar blood colored irises, you involuntarily reach out to grab your weapon, but you only grab at empty air.

“Hey,” you flinch when he addresses you. No, it’s not you he’s talking to. Given your identical appearance and even your cursed energy that you manifested out of habit, in his mind he must think of you as your ancestor themself, not a distant descendant. “It’s been a while.”

“What do you want?” you somehow manage to stutter out.

“Nothing,” he admits. “’Just want a good look at you.”

If your ancestor or even your family were to see you now, you’re certain they’d be disappointed in you for going still before your greatest enemy. All those years of hating and experiencing all those horrible memories feel like a complete waste when you can’t even muster the strength to bat his hand away when it takes hold of your chin and turns your head over for him to thoroughly inspect you.

“Did you miss me?” he strangely inquires.

Finally. You feel some control over your body come back and answer with an affirmative, “No.”

“That’s too bad,” he clicks his tongue with mocking dissatisfaction. “Because I missed you.”

His face begins to lean into you, lips slightly parted, and you know that he’s going in to press them against yours. Just as you’re about to gather all the strength you can muster and push him away, his body seizes once more and the black markings cross his face and wrists begin to fade and crumble away. An in-control-again Yuuji blinks a few times before checking his surroundings to regain his bearings.

“What happened?” he looks down at you and asks, not registering the fact that he was kneeling over you and firmly pushing you back against the couch with a painful grip.

A part of you wanted to punch Yuuji and run back to your room so you can wait out the slight panic attack that overcame you once Sukuna vanished, but you had to remind yourself that you would be hurting Yuuji if you went through with your action. In all honesty, that second point you told him of remembering to never think of himself as Sukuna was more for you than for him. While your ancestor would willingingly strike down any and all who have the slightest bit of affiliation with their tormentor, you are not them. Therefore, you will not stoop down to their discriminating level, no matter how justified it may be.

The night ended on an expected awkward note. Yuuji, bless his heart, went out of his way again to make it up to you. How? He bought a bunch of snacks from a convenience store in the city and gave them to you in a pretty, gift wrapped box. Nobara and Megumi, who helped him put together the forgiveness present, thought the gift itself was dumb and lackluster, but he reasons with them by stating how you also come from a countryside town as well and how you’d definitely like to try some of the Tokyo-exclusive goodies.

Well, the way towards another’s forgiveness is through the stomach, or something like that. The exact quote is a bit lost to you since you’re too busy savoring all the odd flavored chips and candies you’ve never had the chance to taste back home. Nobara and Megumi feel the immense urge to punch you in the back of your head over how easy you are to win over, but you look so happy eating your second bag of potato chips and Yuuji looks very relieved that he’s earned your forgiveness-

Oh wow you’re offering to share your snacks with them? Don't mind if they do!

While all of you try each and every snack Yuuji gifted to you and rate them like you’re all a bunch of snack experts all of a sudden, Sukuna is brewing in his own satisfaction as he watches you through the eyes of his vessel. Nevermind the fact that you sealed him away all those years ago. He’s back now by a stroke of luck that only seemed to strike again when he saw your familiar figure through Yuuji’s vision. The cursed energy that radiated off of you, the sword you carried by your side, even your face, there was no doubt in his mind that it was the work of fate that you and him were reunited in this new era.

He made the mistake of letting you out of his sight back then, and he isn’t going to let it happen again. He wants to take control over his vessel's body each and every time he’s anywhere within your vicinity, but not only does the brat have the convenient ability to suppress him, you’re a rather cautious one. Just when he thinks Yuuji to be alone and susceptible, you appear out of thin air and keep him at a standstill from within. It’s annoying, but at the same time impressive as well.

While you may be oblivious to his vessel’s budding feelings towards you, he sees this growing fondness Yuuji is beginning to garner towards you as an opportunity, a weakness he can exploit to force a small rematch between you and him. He won’t kill you. He just wants to know if your technique that surprised and caught him off guard back then still elicits the same thrill it did then.

You are his favorite source of entertainment after all, and it’s been far too long since he’s been amused.

Sloppy and desperate. Those are the best descriptors of your cursed energy the first time he detected it. Your sword still remains as beautiful and deadly as it was, cutting through rows of trees with ease with just the slightest bit of cursed energy embedded into your attack. It makes the phantom sensation of his vessel’s freshly ripped out heart, beat faster and his grin widens to the point of his cheeks hurting from the uncontrollable strain.

Precise and brutal. That is how he would describe your energy now. He easily feels the hatred and sudden rage that began to fuel and flare up your aura oozing out of you that only further accentuates its new characteristics. Normally, you would be swearing at him with a mouth so foul that it would make the average curse blush in embarrassment. He can’t say he likes the way you silently assault him. Where is that crude vocabulary of yours?

“Senpai!” Megumi shouts for your attention as he tries to keep up with your fast paced exchange with Sukuna. “You need to call down-”

“Megumi, don’t call me your damn Senpai!” You shout in response, eyes never daring to look away from Sukuna even as you address your classmate.

“That’s more like it!” he cheers with satisfaction. “Oh, how I’ve missed your damning words beloved.”

“Don’t call me that!” you shout as you swing your right arm and impulsively punch him. He easily blocks your melee, though you send him skidding back a few feet.

With the much needed space set between the two of you, you correct your stance to a more defensive one. Your innate technique has been actively running ever since Sukuna took over Yuuji’s body and activated his domain expansion. Your sudden bout of rage overwhelmed you after witnessing Sukuna rip Yuuji’s heart out, nearly forgetting that you’ve been barred from the ability to inflict any lasting damage against him in your frenzied state.

Your inherited technique allows you to perfectly parry his ‘Dismantle’ and ‘Cleave’, but no damage will be inflicted if you purposely strike with the intention of dealing a lethal blow as you have been for the past few minutes. Your sword is blunt upon contact, evident by the lack of any lacerations upon his skin.

He may have offered the chance to heal Yuuji if you agreed to spar with him, but you know better than anyone that it’s all a bunch of lies coming out of his stolen lips. Yuuji was lost the moment Sukuna came out and set his sight on you, or rather, who he believes you to be. You’d easily blame yourself for being the cause of his demise, but you also know that Yuuji wouldn’t like it if you blame yourself over this from the afterlife.

The least you can do to make it up to him is bring his body back so it can be properly cremated. He at least deserves a proper funeral.

“All tuckered out already?” Sukuna mockingly coos at you. “I suppose that’s to be expected. How long has it been since our last battle? I doubt there was any curse who could live up to my strength this past millennium.” He cackles when you don’t reply. He’s right. He knows he is.

You finally break your silence with an odd comment. “You really think I’m them, do you?”

Though obviously rhetoric, Sukuna gives you a questioning look. “Elaborate,” he commands.

“I’m not who you think I am,” you simply state. “I have the same technique as them, but I am not the one who sealed you away that fateful night. That person is my predecessor, while I am their descendant.”

You state your family name, then your first name, and wait. He willingly takes in this information, cupping his chin and looking up at the sky as he mulls it over before coming to his own conclusion. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t seem to accept it as the truth, evident by the way he slips his hands back in his pockets and cocks his head at you with a playful attitude.

“Whatever the punchline was, I’m afraid it fell flat,” he lets out a sympathetic laugh. “You mean to tell me that after I was sealed away, you found yourself a spouse willing to take you, a washed up whore, into their bosom and bear children with you?”

The way he shakes his head and clicks his tongue in a dismissive manner pisses you off more than watching him crush Yuuji’s heart in his bare hand. Most of the memories of your ancestor revolve around their time as one of Sukuna’s concubines. The memories you have of their life afterwards are foggy at best, but you do remember the feeling of peace as well an overwhelming amount of bliss and mutual love their spouse gave them despite their history. It was one of the happiest moments of their life and it never once faltered even after they retold their darkest memories to their children and handed down their initial will, to always oppose the king of curses, no matter the era.

People may think it cruel, selfish even, that they did not strive to develop a better technique and pass down such a heavy responsibility to their children and their children’s children. But if there’s anything those hazy memories taught you, is that they do not regret the efforts that they did make to set themselves, and the others under his servitude, free from his tyranny. Had they submitted and gave into his whims, they would have never been blessed with their children and loving spouse.

Had they not done what they did, acted the way they did, you would not be here, opposing the king of curses within this new era of curses.

“I have never lied to you,” you repeat those now ancient words. “The least you can do is give me the benefit of the doubt before dubbing me a liar.”

It happened so fast that you question if it even happened or not. His eyebrows furrowed, the exact same manner when your ancestor severed the first of his twenty fingers on that fateful night.

When he began to approach you, you sheath your blade and returned to a neutral stance, feeling safe to do so as the previous hostile energy he exuded calms. Megumi stumbles in just in time to see Sukuna and you standing nearly chest to chest. He presses his palms together in preparation to summon one of his shikigami to provide support, but he stops his incantation when he notices that neither of you are exchanging blows anymore, though the two of you do exchange unfaltering glares towards each other that puts Megumi on edge even though he is merely a spectator in this situation.

“I am not them,” you firmly state. “This is the truth.”

Sukuna hums, dissatisfaction clear as you repeat your claim from earlier.

“It seems you weren’t lying,” he finally concedes. “Such a shame.”

With one final shrug, the black markings all over Yuuji’s chest and limbs begin to crumble until there's nothing but his unblemished skin. The sharper features his face takes on when Sukuna takes control and taints with his sigils turn back into those belonging to the typically boisterous boy.

“Hey,” his slightly raspy and confused voice greets you so genuinely.

“Hey,” you greet him back with a relieved, yet sad smile. His eyes follow yours that seemed focused on his chest and that’s when he finally notices the gaping hole as well as the lack of a beating heart and blood trail.

The grey clouds that have been gathering before you all were dropped off at the school finally begin to shed droplets of cold rain down on you. A drop lands perfectly on his face that looks indistinguishable to a shed tear. You instinctively reach out and wipe it away.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like this,” he pouts.

“It’s alright,” you withdraw your hand away from his cold and sickeningly pale cheek. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you from him.”

He took a deep breath as if he was about to say something else, but his eyes finally go blank and his upright body gives out and falls forward. You catch him with ease and carefully set him down on the damp soil. He’s officially gone to you, yet you take extra care to cup the back of his head and gently set him down with shaking hands. As you kneel beside his stiff body, another drop falls on his face and trickles down.

You’re not sure if it’s another raindrop or the first of many teardrops that begin to spill from your tear ducts once your brain finally registers that your best friend is lying dead before you.

A week later

Yuuji is dead, yet it is as clear as the large hole in his chest that Sukuna is still living on within the body, if only barely. Ieiri, Gojo and Ijichi can’t tell, but you can. Call it yet another inherited skill or instinct, but no amount of pitiful words or comforting pats on your back from either of them are going to make you second guess yourself on this matter.

Sukuna is alive, yet for some reason he isn’t staking his claim on the body. You know he can at any moment, but it seems he’s not entirely stupid and is trying to play his cards right.

Perhaps he’s waiting for something? Maybe a certain someone instead? It wouldn’t surprise you if he has allies that are still alive and are well aware of his resurrection. It wouldn’t surprise you either if they were gathering his other fingers in his stead. Those damn things are blinking beacons for other curses, so gathering them shouldn’t be hard even for the most mediocre of cursed beings. Even when he’s made into a bunch of inanimate objects, he can still cause some amount of chaos and grief.

Damn him.

Your claim that Sukuna still lives goes from outlandish and desperate to undoubtedly true when a faint pulse of his energy brings everyone’s attention to Yuuji’s corpse and puts you all on the defensive. It was a signal, specifically for you. He wants you to come to him, within his own playing field and without the prying eyes of your superiors or the chance for any outside interference from your teacher.

Speaking of Gojo, he’s been trying to pull you away from Yuuji’s corpse and usher you out of the room for your own protection.

“He wants to talk to me,” you state the obvious to him.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” he says with finality. It’s almost adorable how he’s trying to play the role of the stern authority figure when he’s normally such an eccentric man 99% of the time. “C’mon, you need to leave.”

“Gojo-sensei,” you reach up to your shoulder that he’s tightly gripping and gently pry his hand off. “I mean no disrespect to you, or anyone at this school for that matter. But when it comes to matters regarding Ryomen Sukuna, you and the higher ups don’t know a damn thing about that monster.”

Your hand hastily reaches out and your fingertips merely graze against Yuuji’s cold and rigid skin. Just that slight contact is enough to have your surroundings shift from a stagnant and grey autopsy room to a dark and brooding domain. You blink away the dizziness from your sudden shift of reality and the first thing you notice is the pile of ox skulls. You also notice the endless rows of ribs high up in the air that further add towards the domain’s ominousness.

“I’m here!” you cup your hands around your mouth as you yell out. “The hell do you want from me you two-faced bastard?!”

“Quit screaming,” his annoyed yet strangely soft voice startles you. You abruptly turn around to meet him face to face.

“Where’s Yuuji?” you ask with command behind your infliction.

“There’s no one else but us,” he says in a poor attempt to make you drop your defensive body posture. When he notices that you aren’t relaxing, he points behind you with an annoyed glare. You turn to see nothing but the collection of dirtied animal skulls, but at the last second you see an unconscious Yuuji planted face down into the ankle deep water (blood?) at the bottom of the mountainous pile. Upon seeing the familiar tuft of pink hair, you sprint towards his unmoving body. You flip him upwards once he’s in reach, fearing he was drowning or at the very least injured in some way.

As you try to gently coax or check for any sign of life within your friend, you ignore or even fail to notice the way Sukuna observes you from behind. The boy is unconscious only due to Sukuna easily decapitating him earlier as they fought over the conditions of the binding vow he was enforcing in exchange for healing his vessel’s body and bringing him back to life. Just as he was about to uphold his end of the vow, he felt as you entered the room his vessel’s lifeless body was most definitely being stored to be later cremated.

His reaching out to you was an impulsive action on his part. He now knows that the one who stands before him is truly not you. Your energy and your descendants are near indistinguishable, so his sudden call of you was a mere force of habit and his prevailing desire to chase after you. It’s not his brightest moment, but you tend to make him act beyond what is usually his typical behavior.

As he watches your descendant talk to a half awake and delirious Yuuji, he can’t help but to examine them with a bit of awe. The one before him is your descendant of a thousand years, perhaps even more. They are your flesh and blood, and yet they retain not only your image, but even some of your memories as well. He doesn’t know what to think of this revelation, truly he doesn’t.

The only thing that’s rubbing him the wrong way is the fact that they are not a product between you and him. It’s not that he has or had any sort of unfulfilled paternal desire locked deep within him. Even if he did contemplate producing a few offspring before his temporary demise, he only wanted children for the same reason he wanted a harem, as a source of amusement that he can freely manipulate however he sees fit. Perhaps he did consider impregnating a few dozen of his concubines to see if any could birth him an heir worthy of his legacy, but the entire process was too much of a hassle that he wasn’t willing to deal with at the time. He had no pure intentions when it comes to spreading his seed into the world.

So why is he angry that you went ahead and did so without him?

“Your ancestor’s spouse,” he idly mentions in an attempt to garner their careful attention. From the way they stiffen up and look at him with that familiar glare of yours, he has it. “What were they like?”

“As if I’d tell you,” they say.

“I see you inherited their stubbornness,” he huffs with annoyance, but deep down in the deepest and most hidden parts of his mind, he feels somewhat glad that your stubbornness continues to live on in the world. “Tell me, and I’ll let you return with Yuuji-”

“Their spouse was just as stubborn as they were,” they cut him off with an immediate answer. “No matter how many times they tried to ignore or downplay their advances, they continued to chase after my predecessor until it was as obvious as the sun that they truly wanted to be together with them and make them happy.”

As he expected, their recollection of your life after him is too disgustingly domestic and romanticized for his liking. What does come at a surprise is that they completely went against their earlier proclamation of remaining silent and divulged him on the information he initially asked of you rather readily. Something must have switched in their mind. Are they trying to get back at him on your behalf by proudly stating that you lived a happy life without him?

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” they say with a smug voice. “They hated you beyond comprehension, and even if they are long gone from this world, I assure you that their hatred remains just as intense as it was when they lived.”

“Don’t be mistaken, you pathetic human,” he growls, much more angrily than normal. “I could care less who they fornicated with and how many children they produced.”

“For the self proclaimed king of curses, you sure are a terrible liar,” they say, almost pitifully. “You regret the way you treated them, don’t you? Deny it all you want, I know I’m right.”

Your last comment is the final straw. With the flick of his wrist he casts you and Yuuji out of his inner domain and back into the living world. He heals Yuuji to maintain his side of the binding vow before settling back atop his rigid throne of horned skulls. He watches through Yuuji’s eyes how the two of you squeeze each other into a firm embrace after he reawakens. When Gojo makes a comment about how Yuuji is stark naked on the metal table, he feels the immense urge to grab one of the skulls and crush it into a fine dust in his bare fist as the two of you devolve into a fit of awkward but good natured laughter at the realization.

He can’t remember a time when you ever laughed or smiled like your descendant is doing now.

Does he regret never once seeing or hearing you in such a way? Maybe.

But you’re gone, so there is no point lingering on it too much.

There’s no point in having regrets now.

Bonus

Sukuna knew it was only a matter of time before you and Yuuji solidified your relationship as a romantic one. Back in his prime, he behaved no differently than Yuuji did after he brought him back to life, straightforward and without a second thought. Ever since he stole you away from your family and home, every chance you took at defying him and damning his name into the fiery pits of hell invoked something within him. Something no other man or woman can or ever will be able to. And yet, each time he reached out to indulge himself further of you, you retreated into yourself and tried to cast him out of every corner of your mind while he tried to engrave your everything into his very being. Your behavior to his advances differ greatly from your descendant, who accepts Yuuji’s advances with an honest and willing smile.

He watches the relationship through the unsuspecting eyes of his vessel. Sometimes, he gags at how sickeningly affectionate Yuuji can be. Yet despite his behavior, your descendant drinks it all up and returns the hugs and the kisses tenfold. Nobara and Megumi often roll their eyes on the sidelines and comment on how they were practically made for each other. Sukuna can't help but silently roll his eyes as well as agree with their annoyed comments, even if it makes him incredibly irritated.

Will he ever admit to the latter? Never.

He does not regret the way things turned out between you and him. He cannot regret for the sake of his sanity. Instead, he often ponders about the possibilities. Had he not taken you from your home, could there have been a chance you and him could have been friends despite his reputation at the time? If he courted you properly instead of forcing you into his collection of common whores, could you look at him the same way your descendant looks at Yuuji, with so much love and tenderness that it makes his stomach twist into knots and the back of his throat burn? Despite being a curse who sustains himself on his pure carnal desires, could he have been selfless and put forth the efforts to make you happy?

During nights when they share a bed together, he sneaks control over the body and traces what was once your face with his black painted claws. Could you ever look so peaceful as your descendant does now if you laid beside him? Would you remain in his bed until the sun rises instead of fleeing? Would your body feel just as warm, fit just as perfectly in his embrace as your descendant does?

Sukuna does not regret the path he took. He cannot, for the sake of his sanity. He does wonder about the possibilities.

He wonders, could this descendant of yours have been his as well?

513 notes · View notes

honeyhuii · 2 years

Text

Runaway With Me: Chapter 4 | Runaway With me?

Warnings for chapter: Swearing, someone gets a kiss,

Word count for chapter: 1.2k :) (not counting the rules)

Genre: Fluff, angst :(

Rating for chapter: PG-13 Crude language

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A/n: Made a longer chapter to make up for the last chapter being so short :)

The rules of the world go as follow and everyone must follow:

There are pretty privileges. I.e The above-average looking shall be granted special v.i.p privileges like passing classes, special treatment at restaurants, cafes, fast food places, and have a 35% discount off any purchase.

The rich are allowed a 15% discount on any purchase as well as have special treatment at restaurants, cafes, fast food places, etc. They are allowed to pass classes much like the above average, however, they must pay for said classes they want to pass.

The above-average are only allowed to marry others above average or the rich. It is forbidden for an above-average to be in a relationship/marry those who are considered average or below.

The average or below will be allowed to befriend those above them as long as it stays at that. If it becomes more, the average or below will be shunned from society and will either be sent to prison for treason against the laws or have to pay a fine depending on status.

The average or below will not be allowed jobs in certain fields. I.e anything involving entertainment, politics, sales representatives, teachers, writers, nurses, or being a doctor.

The average or below are only permitted to have two kids to prevent the population from being overrun by the average or below. That does not include triplets or etc. If they have more than two, the youngest will be sent to an adoption centre to be adopted by those who are unable to have children.

If an average or below has a child that is of an above-average status, the child will be the only one allowed to use pretty privileges.

If an above-average have an average or below child, the parents will be the only ones allowed to use pretty privileges

The flower’s Yeonjun had given to you, sit in a vase on your window sill. You look at them every chance you get. You were confused. What was your relationship with him? The lines between friends and something more blurred with every interaction. It didn’t help that anything more than a friendship with him was considered illegal. And it really didn’t help that the whole school heard what happened between Yeonjun, Ari, and you. Nor did it help that Yeonjun really did call off being Ari’s promised one. Seriously, what did it all mean?

You hear a knock on your dorm room door and you get up from your spot. You open your door to find Yeonjun standing right in front of you. “Yeonjun? What are you doing here? We aren’t supposed to meet for another couple of hours. Miss me that much,” you tease. Moving out of the way so he can enter the dorm.

“I heard that Ari has been harassing you ever since I broke off the promised shit.” He comes into the dorm and sits on the couch. You follow suit and he pulls you into his side. “I see the flowers are still alive.”

“Of course they are. You really think I would kill them in five days?” He shrugs his shoulders and you playful push him. Yeonjun smiles and playfully pushes you back. “Anyways, yeah Ari has been harassing me. She’s been trying to get me expelled claiming we are in an illegal relationship. Even if we were, why should anyone care if pretty people aren’t with other pretty people.” You roll your eyes at the audacity of Ari.

“Don’t listen to Ari. She’s probably still angry that I called everything off. But I would rather be someone like you who's absolutely sweet and cares for others the way you do. Someone who could care less what my status is. I would rather be with you than someone like Ari. Besides, I don’t think the system is even accurate. I mean, they said that you were average. And I personally think you are above and beyond pretty.”

You look at Yeonjun and the way he was looking at was as if you were his entire galaxy. You honestly didn’t know how to respond. You’ve never felt loved more than this moment right here. Yeonjun cradled your face with his hand. He leaned in closer and closed his eyes. In a second, you felt his lips on yours. And oh my gosh, they are so soft. It felt like hours, it was only a couple of seconds. But you could swear that was the best kiss of your life. Yeonjun went in for a second kiss, but you rejected it. “Yeonjun, we can’t. You know that and as much as I would love to kiss you right now, we can’t.”

The look on Yeonjun’s face was heartbreaking. You felt your heart shatter and break into a thousand pieces. “Why? Is it because of Ari?”

“I could care less what Ari thinks or says, but I could get in major trouble. I could get expelled or even sent to jail.” Yeonjun took your hand and threaded your fingers together.

“We could keep it a secret. And as much as I would love to show you off, I would rather be able to be with you in secret than not be with you at all. We can still do regular hangouts in public and pretend we are just hanging out as friends.”

You could hear the desperation in his voice. People know that you two are friends and hang out frequently. You could turn those hangouts into dates and no one would know the difference. Maybe it’ll actually work. “Okay…We can try it, but if anyone starts to catch on or gets suspicious we’ll have to stop immediately, deal.”

“Deal as long as I get to finally call you mine.” Yeonjun’s smile lit up the world. He pulled you in closer again. “Can I please kiss you again?”

You smile and instead of replying, you put your lips onto his. You take back your statement. This was the best kiss of your life. You felt every ounce of love that Yeonjun has for you as he poured his feelings into the kiss. You returned his feeling with just as much love and passion as you have towards him. After a few minutes of just you two embracing each other, you both reluctantly pulled away from each other. You couldn’t believe that you would finally be able to call Yeonjun yours. After crushing on him since you first saw him, thinking he’ll never feel the same nor want to be with you just because society deems it impossible. You’ve never felt happier.

In the rules of life, your happiness didn’t last that long. Not after receiving a phone call from the school telling you that you’ve been kicked out for breaking the rules of the world. You couldn’t believe it when the dean of the school told you that you would no longer be allowed to attend anymore. You don’t even know how they found out or how they could even prove that you were secretly seeing Yeonjun. Yes, you’ve been continuing your regular hangouts but during those you just act like friends, no one should be able to tell the difference. You felt your whole world come crashing down.

Yeonjun walked through the door of your dorm and noticed you sitting on the floor with your knees to your face. He could hear you crying and knew something was wrong. He came rushing to your side and pulled you in for a hug, “Baby? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“They expelled me Jjunie. They somehow found out about our relationship and kicked me out. What am I going to do now? They threatened to tell the cops if I didn’t move out within the next day.” You held onto Yeonjun’s shirt while he held you tighter.

“Ari must be behind this. She must’ve somehow caught onto it and instead of ignoring it, she decided to get you kicked out. But baby, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. What if we ran away? What if we go far from here and leave everyone behind?”

“But what about money? Your parents? Soobin?”

“Well, as I’ve said, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Way before we got together because I’m tired of the way society treats everyone. Anyways, my parents have been sending me money for food, rent, and such. Instead of using that, I’ve been working part-time and putting that money aside so that I can finally leave this place. Besides my parents could care less about me. My dad just wants me to be the perfect son and take over his company. Mom forgets about my existence so she probably won’t even notice.”

“You’ve been planning on leaving for a while? But still, what about Soobin? He’s my best friend, I can’t just leave him behind. He’d be devastated.”

“Well…I’ve already talked to him about it and he wants to come with. So, let me ask you again. Y/n will you run away with me?”

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wri0thesley · 3 years

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May I request some La Squadra childhood headcanons (upbringing/family/habits/demeanor) :)) Maybe Mista and Abbacchio too if it’s not too much trouble since we already saw a bit of baby Bruno and it made me so curious about the other two! I always imagined Abbacchio to be a bit of a teacher’s pet as a kid lol. Your writing brings me life tysm!!!!

warnings for abusive family, human experimentation, misogyny, illness, hospitals, death, etc!

Risotto’s family did not care much about him. He’s the middle child of five - they grew up in a rural part of Sicily, in a house that used to be a farmhouse but was merely a house by the time Risotto came along (aside from a flock of chickens constantly in the gardens). He had a traditional Italian family full of people - various aunts, uncles and cousins - but his cousin was his favourite, seeing in Risotto’s quiet nature something similar to his own. Risotto was uncomfortable with there being too many people around and found his home life cramped and uncomfortable and loud. At the local village school he was often hunted out for games of sport (his height and muscle growing in at an early age), but he shied away from making friends, not sure how to handle himself around people who shouted and laughed, envying his siblings for everything seeming so natural. He often stayed with the cousin, and it’s through them he discovered metal music and his now signature look. His parents didn’t have time for him, but his cousin always did, becoming a makeshift father figure where Risotto’s failed. He grew very attached, and as we know, his cousins death hit him hard.

Formaggio grew up with a single father; his mother simply disappeared in the middle of the night and he never heard from her again. He was always loud, brash and cocky - his father was much the same way. They moved around from place to place, his father taking odd jobs to sustain them and never really getting the hang of them. His father was fairly young and a perpetual teenager, and Formaggio was much the same way. Despite living in occasional poverty, he always had a smile and he and his father were close to one another. He did not really make friends - other children were aware of his unwashed clothes, the fact his lunch was not made as neatly as theirs, the fact that his address was a one-bedroom apartment on the bad side of town - so he turned to acting out and violence, gaining a reputation as a Badly Behaved Child. His father fell into Passione in the need to support his son, and like father like son, Formaggio followed in his footsteps at fourteen (finding a camaraderie and sense of responsibility he never had at school and subsequently just stopping going there).

Illuso got into Passione for the money and the power. He was an only child and he had a nice upbringing, honestly - he just found himself not special at anything, and he desperately wanted to be. He flitted from hobby to hobby and interest to interest; he was clever and he noticed things, and neither of his parents really knew how to deal with their sharp-tongued child. He was a bit of a bully at school, but not the kind that is ever found out - Illuso’s bullying was quieter than that, whispered words and rumours that never seemed to find their way back to him. He was well-acquainted with blackmail before he turned sixteen. He knew how to sniff out weaknesses in other people - he was always surrounded by people, but it was a lottery as to whether they liked Illuso or whether they just didn’t want to be on his wrong side. Always willing to volunteer for things, too confident for his own good - eventually, he stopped caring about being ‘special’ at something, and just worked on being the ‘best around him’.

Melone’s backstory can be found here. Both of his parents were academics and lecturers in genetic science, and he’s the eldest child by eight years. His family moved around rather a lot. He has two younger sets of twins as siblings; one set of boys, and one set of girls. Growing up, his parents considered him less interesting and a little slow - he turned to science and genetics as a way to get their attention and praise; despite the fact he showed a natural affinity for it, by this time, they were far more interested in experimenting on their younger children and Melone was ignored. His nature is curious and insistent - he learnt to insist or to be ignored. He had to look after his younger siblings a lot growing up; they were home-schooled where he was not, and the strange separation of them and him and all of the children at school (Melone not quite fitting into either group) meant that he always seemed just a little off.

Prosciutto is a mafia man through and through. His family are entrenched in old bloodlines and uninvestigated deaths - unfortunately, though, they are a family that had somewhat fallen from grace by Prosciutto’s birth. The definition of faded glamour and keeping up appearances; rooms in a big, drafty old house that have an old bed and a falling apart dressing table. His father always talked to him about how it was his and his brothers’ job to keep the bloodline going - a traditional chauvinist of a man. His mother was very quiet and pretty; she encouraged him to small interests like old music and fashion, but was always silent around her husband. He grew up knowing his life was expendable. Youngest son of two; his elder brother died within months of finally being given his assignment within Passione and honestly, Prosciutto knows his father would rather he have died. A quiet little boy who did not make friends (he had a tutor) and had too much of the weight of the world on his shoulders in the knowledge of how many of his mother’s jewels were pasteboard, where the guns were kept, and just how many people he saw regularly were murderers. At his assignment at sixteen, Prosciutto had to learn exactly how to blend in, because many of the mafiosos he was suddenly surrounded by did not appreciate what they saw as his superiority.

Pesci was an only child of a single mother; his father passed away when he was young. He was rather sickly growing up, and it made his mother indulgent - despite growing up fairly middle class, he never wanted for anything, and they lived well beyond their means. His mother fussed over him, always afraid that he was going to have a relapse into his childhood illness - very much a child wrapped in cotton wool. It gave him his own complex about taking risks; he didn’t want to get hurt. He didn’t want to be rejected by other children. He was slow at his schoolwork but devoted to his mother, and other children saw him as a prime target to bully. He was kicked around a lot at school and it eventually made him too easy to subdue when he suddenly filled out and shot up and became a threat; found himself, too often, a henchman to more articulate, meaner children. Grateful to be accepted, he went along with the flow, despite feeling in the very core of his gut that he was disgusted by them. He ended up in Passione because his mother needed medical treatment and in trying to sort it out realised just how much debt they were in.

Ghiaccio just had a normal run-of-the-mill described as ‘average’ by everyone upbringing - both of his parents, an only child, a mother with a professional job, middle-class. His father was partially deaf - in my experience, people with deaf parents either speak very loudly or very quietly, and Ghiaccio has gone for the former. He learnt LIS at a very early age, and it’s part of the reason he can be so anal about pronunciation and language as a whole - he’s utterly fascinated by it, and that fascination started in early childhood. His parents were also indulgent of him, but having a younger brother meant that he didn’t get the full brunt of that indulgence - his brother was a little more of a ‘rough and tumble’ boy. He liked football and weights, and when he took up a sport Ghiaccio’s parents decided Ghiaccio should learn to do something too and asked him what he thought - they were surprised when he said ice skating, but figured he would go into ice hockey or something. He didn’t. For a while, he was fairly well-known in the competitive figure skating under eighteens circuit. It gave him two things; one, a competitive need to win and be good at things (and a propensity to tantrum when he lost) and two, a taste for flashy, expensive things (have you seen this man’s car). His parents eventually didn’t know how to deal with his arrogance, and he fell into Passione based on a ‘sponsor’ he ended up embroiled with at nineteen when his parents didn’t want to fund his ‘hobby’ anymore (they kept pouring resources into his younger brother, of course - Ghiaccio always felt a bit like they didn’t take him seriously). He left ice skating competitively behind, but he couldn’t leave behind the nice things or the anger issues he accrued.

I’ve written about Sorbet and Gelato’s childhood/backstory here! But a brief, shorter version:

Gelato had a loving family and a privileged upbringing. Always enough money, always enough to eat - an only child, who perhaps was a little rowdy at school but whomst his parents were very proud of. Both of them were traditional types; thinks a man should be strong, should be the real driving force of all relationships - they were extremely proud of him going into the army. Cleverer than people tend to give him credit for, sharp-eyed, a constant humming need to be doing something with his hands.

Sorbet was orphaned at a young age in a house fire and taken in by a church orphanage. He’s quiet but equally clever; his cleverness tends to be a little less in your face. He was a comforting presence to other people and took care of the younger boys (even now, he feels a sense of duty to some of La Squadra) - being low-voiced, soothing and commanding. He spent a lot of time reading. The church orphanage was poor; Sorbet has learnt to appreciate luxury where Gelato takes it for granted and it’s part of the reason he’s so concerned with finances even in his forties.

Abbacchio grew up in a houseful of women. His father left when he was still young; he was . . . not a nice man, and Abbacchio has vague memories of his mother carefully applying concealer over black eyes. It’s part of the reason Abbacchio became a police officer - knowing that he was still out there, not paying for what he’d done . . . Abbacchio wanted to ensure other people did not go through it. He had a little sister (by six years) who adored him, and his grandmother (who had once been an opera singer and still had a touch of that old-time glamour). He was fairly well off; at least, after he and his mother went to live with her mother again. His grandmother was EXTREMELY indulgent of her serious pretty-eyed grandson (his affinity for opera comes from her) who wanted so hard to be a Good Man. He was made fun of as a child for being a teacher’s pet and a nerd, you’re right - he adopted being a goth and dressing like that fairly early in his life. Nobody was going to threaten to punch him in leather and black lipstick, he thought - and nobody, too, needed to know that his CD player was blasting Monteverdi and not heavy metal.

Mista was the only child of an unreliable mother and a father who left when he was four (he kept very vaguely in touch; Mista has three little sisters who he sees occasionally but keeps quiet about his employ to. After the events of VA, he’s established a fund for each of them, but he wasn’t really permitted to see them much growing up). Even after his parents leaving and his neighbour’s loss of an eye (and the subsequent setting in of his fear of the number four), he was an easy-going child who made friends easily and smiled at all and sundry; he was never particularly book-clever, but he was good-natured and had many friends. His mother’s lack of reliability meant that he became very fond of simple things other people took for granted - when she died, he was sad, but his life did not change much. He’d already learnt to fend for himself when it came to food and the like; often coming home to an empty house and simply making do. (The lack of food in the house is part of the reason he gained such an affinity for things he saw as luxuries like wines and cheeses). He learnt to use his dark eyes and charming smile and warm nature to win sleepovers with schoolfriends and evening meals with their parents. Always a little bit behind his peers in having cool gadgets or interesting stories, Mista was content just to have a simple life and good health.

#jjba #jojo headcanons #risotto nero #formaggio #illuso #prosciutto #pesci #melone #ghiaccio #sorbet #gelato #leone abbacchio #guido mista #Anonymous

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justlookingvm · 3 years

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Tessa Virtue’s leap from Figure Skating Olympic Champion to Executive MBA | Kneading Dough Canada

https://youtu.be/JAAkEDRFJ1A

Host: Vinay Virmani

T: If you’re going to build something, you need options in your life. I’ll say this especially as females, it’s important to be independent. To feel like you can be self-reliant and to take care of yourself.

[Intro presented by Tangerine]

V: Tessa, welcome to Kneading Dough Canada.

T: Thank you so much for having me.

V: It’s a pleasure. Kneading Dough Canada is a financial empowerment platform as you know, where we talk money, we talk mindset, we talk about financial lessons that you’ve learned along the way to hopefully inspire the next generation.

T: Well I’m so grateful to be on, I really appreciate it. I think it’s always refreshing to hopefully lend that female lens but also maybe that perspective from the amateur sport world too.

V: Yeah, you know Tessa you’ve accomplished so much, both in your personal and in your professional life. As an athlete you have achieved so many incredible honours, you’ve represented us, this country of Canada at the highest of international levels, but what I’m really excited about is you’re about to add another accomplishment in the form of three very special letters, MBA behind your name. Talk to me about that decision.

T: It’s been you know lingering in my mind for a long time. Education was always a priority in my household growing up in my family, and I thought about law school for quite some time and then I retired at 28 or 29 and thought maybe that’s too long (giggle) and realized also I wanted to flex a bit of a creative muscle. So this MBA program has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I want to be a student again in every sense of the word and I’m eager to learn the ins and outs of the business realm and that corporate sphere that I’ve had a unique perspective of, you know for 10 15 years, but if I’m going to take on a new role whatever that may be then I really want to feel like I’ve adopted that rookie mindset once again, and earned my stripes, I’ve gotten the credibility to to deserve a place there.

V: I want to take it to the world of figure skating though, because the world of figure skating is so glamorous as a sport. You know

T: I wasn’t sure where that sentence was going to land. It could have gone so many directions.

V: I I’m so like fascinated by the world of figure skating because the glamour, the imagination, the costumes, the drama, the whole production value. It looks so beautiful and elegant, but behind it there’s also rigorous routine, training and it’s not cheap.

T: Uh huh

V: So growing up, dd you have those conversations with your family and did you understand the investment that it was taking to sort of put you through the highest levels of figure skating.

T: The 2 things that my parents were always wiling to invest in or prioritize were education and sport. And it was important to them that we were exposed to as much as we could be. I’m the youngest of four. You know I’m of two minds because on one hand I do believe they tried to shield me from the burden of that sacrifice, that they made for all kids and for you know all of these adventures. But I was also keenly aware of it. I knew the the toll and I knew the cost and um you know I felt that responsibility…

V: Was there anything that you remember early on where there was an incident or a moment where you were like, I recognize like you talked about the toll.

T: My parents were so conscious to ensure that I wasn’t carrying that weight, and yet I moved away from home when I was 13 and I was kind of budgeting at that age for groceries and 7-eleven runs (laughs), whatever it is that a 13 year old needs. Taking taxis everywhere and I made a decision when I was 15 um to be able to do it on my own. My mom was always quick to say you know you have to look after yourself and you always have to make your own way and she was all about sort of creating that sense of security and freedom, so that I had options.

To be honest I had a tumultuous relationship with my father when I was a teen and I think it was just a decision, at that point. I didn’t feel right.

V: Yeah

T: I didn’t feel right accepting that kind of support anymore um and maybe it was a bit of pride you know, not wanting to

V: You don’t want to be dependent on anybody.

T: Totally. Yeah, and that’s not to say that I’m not aware of the privilege that I had growing up to have those opportunities. It was just a real marker of OK, if this is the path I’m choosing, um and I really need to make sure that I can I can do it on my own or in a way that really isn’t such a burden.

V: You know talking to you today has reinforced independence. You know being independent, not being dependent and and just being self-sufficient. And how gratifying that is, you know I think a lot of people, especially as you said, I hope a lot of young women watch this show and and really listen to your advice. And the fact that you took that decision at such an early age.

T: You know it’s interesting I found old journals not too long ago, and there was a page in one and I don’t know, judging by my handwriting I might have been 12? 11 or 12? And I had written my goals and that were, you know the to win the Olympics, be on Oprah, which I’ll settle for uninterrupted and Kneading Dough, uh buy a cottage, like buy a family cottage

V: Right

T: And at 12 that was on my mind and the feeling of walking into this cottage that my mom and I were able to dream of and then buy together, is so visceral and it’s it’s so much about, like I think back to being young and maybe not having, especially for her like that sense of security and and just really feeling like that can be a safe place now. Um so again it’s more of the representation of that.

V: I’ve heard you say something that has really resonated with me always because it’s something that I believe in. That the highs are so much better when you’ve experienced the lows. And obviously Scott Moir and yourself accomplished so many great things together. Something that I always try to tell the younger generation is, sometimes you have to just sit back celebrate your failures.

T: Well we learned to embrace it by making it part of our process, in that, not only did we anticipate failure and expect it and embrace it, well, we practiced it. So we learned to fall on demand, get back up, refocus, and

V: OK

T: be back into our program still trying to amalgamate as many points as possible.

V: You know I remember once um I must have been in grade school and I and I failed a few subjects. I was never a good student.

T: OK

V: And you know we didn’t have a lot of money at the time and I remember my my dad, I was really afraid to tell him that you know I’ve failed these courses and blah blah blah, but he said to the family, he said, alright everybody get ready we’re going for dinner. And we went to this restaurant that was only saved for like birthdays or anniversaries. And so we get there and he’s ordering all these great things on the menu and I’m like “dad, I don’t think you heard me like I failed, like I failed and here you are taking it t the restaurant.” And I remember he looked at me and he said “You know I want you to celebrate this failure. I want you to take it in because if you’re winning all the time, you’re not going to learn anything.”

T: Wow, and obviously that stayed with you

V: Oh yeah, you’re always going to learn so much more from the losses.

This next set of questions is called the two cents round, so you can’t overthink these things.

Tessa, we all know about your discipline but what do you splurge on?

T: Clothes

V: Clothes, OK, all right. What part of your budget are you working on lowering?

T: Clothes (big laugh). Actually not really because I will say, it’s more what it represents like part of that is like my I love it and it’s become also intertwined with my career and my brand if you will. Um

V: Its an investment in yourself.

T: I think so, that’s how I twist it

V: So, what is us the best financial decision you’ve made so far?

T: Hire the right people

V: Building the right team around you.

T: Yeah absolutely.

V: Describe your financial persona in just one word.

T: I want to say careful?

V: Careful.

T: Careful in that I’m strategic

V: I like that, OK

T: But I’m willing to have some fun.

V: OK, all right. Tessa if you could run any business, what would it be?

T: My own.

V: Your own. OK. All right I’m not going to push you more. [Tessa laughs]. They say patience is a virtue, how long did your first paycheck last?

T: I mean I spent my whole career basically operating at a deficit, so everything went back into training. I worked towards certain things and the you know I was really fortunate to get some funding and bursary grants, and then eventually sponsors and um was able to build this little nest egg, but mostly it went right back into training.

V: Tessa, this year we’ve been having such important and meaningful conversations about women in sport. And you know of course there’s such a long way to go for those conversations really to achieve equality, but as somebody who’s such a big advocate for women’s empowerment in sport, how do you feel that you want to lend your voice to those conversations?

T: I think, currently the biggest impact I feel I can have is really connecting with those young female athletes at that precipice of maybe dropping out um for all the heart breaking reasons that we’re learning about through research. Whether that is you know body image, or lack of self-confidence, lack of self-worth, it’s just not good enough. Like the access to resources, there are opportunities, um I think those conversations are really important and that’s where I’ve been feeling most fulfilled, when I’m able to connect with those athletes and you know I’ve been able to benefit from all of the lessons and the opportunities that sport has lended it uh to my life. And I just so want that for other female athletes. And you know we’re seeing that there are more mentors, more representation, more access to viewing these formidable female athletes, and I hope that resonates.

V: Tessa, we’ve uh had the opportunity to work on a few branded campaigns together. There’s this Tessa grace, and there’s this element of everything being held to a certain standard. In everything that you do, especially things that are public facing. Talk to me a bit about that.

T: I hate the word brand but I’m going to say it, my brand has been

V: I mean you definitely have a very strong brand

T: Well it’s been built on the very foundation of me and my personality and if those values aren’t upheld in every sense of you know the word, then I’m I’m not useful to anyone. Then I’m then no brand would want to hire me, um because it if it gets diluted, then I then I just think um it’s losing the very essence of what resonates with people. And I’m really careful about that like I only partner and pair with brands that I would authentically stand behind and feel really good about promoting.

V: I love that

T: And I’m conscious of where I lend my voice and my likeness, a very clear mission statement, and you know I love to be hands on but that’s where like the creative fulfilment comes in

V: Right

T: And honestly that’s where the most successful engagement also comes. If I’m involved and it’s a collaborative process, um it’s much more successful for the brand too.

V: You know, over this past year, there’s been such a strong connection to mental health and financial wellness. Many Canadians have a very high debt to income ratio, which can be very stressful. For you, how do you protect not only your mental health, but when it comes to financial wellness. How do you really protect your sanity?

T: As an amateur athlete I grappled with that um day after day. I think it’s important to find purpose in saving and planning. So, you know my mom started those conversations with me when I was young but that was all to sort of plant the seed of like you need to plan for this. And if you’re going to build something you need options in your life. For me you know it’s helped having a corporation for example, because a lot of my money is tied up there and it it’s great um but, it’s also made me very careful and strategic in how I spend it.

V: What is your one big piece of financial advice to all young women out there?

T: Surround yourself with the right people and set yourself up for independence.

V: I love that. Financial freedom.

T: Financial freedom.

#Tessa Interview: Kneading Dough

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triviareads · 3 years

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For you alone, I think and plan (The Wedding of Charlotte Bridgerton)

For Kate and Anthony 2021 Week, Day 7 Prompt: There is no "I" in team.

Once the engagement of The Honourable Charlotte Bridgerton and James De Courcy, Earl of Clairmont, was set, Lord and Lady Bridgerton were united in the cause of ensuring their eldest daughter’s wedding went off without a hitch.

That is not to say there were some questions about the match, as the precedent the Bridgerton family members had set was so wildly different from Charlotte and Clairmont’s staid, if not secret courtship.

Lord Bridgerton in particular was extremely dubious at first. After an audience with Lord Clairmont during which the earl asked for Charlotte’s hand, he told Kate in a rather helplessly befuddled manner, "I had to give him permission- he said all the right things!”

“I am glad he did…?” Kate trailed off. Anthony was always (over) protective of his daughters, but Kate was confused as to what the issue exactly was.

“Perhaps I was hoodwinked,” Anthony said darkly. “Clairmont is a politician, through and through.”

Kate stifled her laugh. “The earl is not one to dissemble, my lord. I am sure whatever sentiments he expressed were perfectly in earnest.”

“So our daughter assured me…” Anthony trailed off before sighing deeply- once, then twice.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Whatever is the problem, my dear?" she said in an exaggerated monotone.

Anthony finally blurted, "It's just, I didn't expect Charlotte to settle for a man such as him."

Kate tilted her head slightly as she examined her husband. "I do not understand your meaning.”

Anthony frowned. "I feel rather like how Simon must have felt when Lord Geoffrey applied for Caroline's hand."

Lord Geoffrey Findlay-Watt was the third son of a marquess who was of middling age and fortune, and did some undisclosed work for Whitehall. It had been a tremendous surprise when he had approached the Duke of Hastings for Caroline’s hand- pretty, vivacious Caroline- and what more, that the Lady Caroline had accepted his proposal with alacrity.

The marriage itself had turned out surprisingly well. Lord Geoffrey doted on his younger wife while Lady Caroline was solicitous to his needs, and the two led happy, mostly separate lives.

Kate finally understood what Anthony was getting at, and was rather amused.

"Could it be that you wished for a more handsome man for your daughter?" Kate teased. "Someone more roguish, perhaps? I do not forget that all but one of your sisters married rakes of the first water."

Anthony shuddered. "God no, after the debacle with Amelia, I should be glad if neither Charlotte nor Mary entangle themselves with such men.” He turned consideringly towards Kate. “In that sense, I suppose Clairmont is a capital fellow.”

Kate chuckled, glad to have mollified her husband so easily.

On the whole, however, the Bridgerton family was quite supportive of the match.

When Edmund heard that the engagement was set, he merely grinned, shook his head, and said, “I suppose it is natural she should settle her own affairs quickly- Charlotte has always done what she wants.” Edmund had always made a pet of Charlotte, who was seven years younger than him. Miles, though still five years older than his sister, was far more likely to treat her as an equal.

Anthony pointed out to his eldest, “Not that you tried very hard to introduce her to your friends- or watch over her.”

“Why should I play matchmaker?” Edmund asked his father amusedly. “Particularly when Miles here fulfilled that position nicely, if unwittingly.” He reached over and ruffled his younger brother’s hair.

Miles scowled at Edmund, and then said to the room at large, “How was I supposed to know Charlotte had formed a tendre for Clairmont- or that he reciprocated it? They just talked- a lot.”

“My dear,” Kate told her son wryly, “marriages have been proposed on the basis of much less.”

Anthony laughed loudly at that, while their children pulled faces of varying levels of disgust. After twenty-six years of marriage, Lord and Lady Bridgerton still delighted in alluding to their unconventional courtship.

“Well I for one am glad Charlotte’s getting married,” little Mary said loyally, skipping over to curl up next to her papa. “I want a big wedding- will it be a big wedding?”

Anthony looked fondly at his youngest daughter. “Of course sweetheart,” he told her. He turned to Kate and added, "It seems Charlotte would not have it any other way."

Indeed, Charlotte seemed intent on a proper society wedding, the kind that was light on church attendance (for which respectable member of the ton would be awake and sensible before noon?) and positively overflowing with guests at the wedding breakfast.

Such a task would have been daunting had Charlotte not known so exactly what she wanted, or that Anthony and Kate were not equally eager to please.

Anthony quickly offered to procure a special license for his daughter, as had practically become de rigueur among their family, but Charlotte, to his surprise, refused.

“Why ever would we need it, Papa?” she asked, looking so sweetly up at him, Anthony could not help but feel he was being made fun of in some way.

He flushed and stammered something to the extent of a special license allowing for them to be married at Bridgerton House if they so chose.

(In truth, it was a rather clumsy way for him to inquire whether certain… liberties had been taken, and if the wedding had to be moved up).

“No, we are content with a common license,” Charlotte told him kindly. “Clairmont will be meeting with the bishop any day now to procure one.”

“Then what shall I do?” Anthony asked, feeling quite helpless.

Charlotte thought for a moment. “If you could secure St. George’s for us, we would be much obliged- oh, and will you send for the Bridgerton tiara from Aubrey for me?”

Anthony blinked. “I-yes, of course,” he quickly agreed, adding, “And the family jewels, I suppose?”

Charlotte’s lips curled upwards in a grin. “Of course,” she told her papa. Anthony smiled, happy to be on the same page as his daughter once more, and he went to accomplish the tasks given to him with great alacrity.

(Anthony later relayed this dialogue to Kate, who wisely refrained from mentioning the singular occasion in which she had found Charlotte and Clairmont in the gardens, Clairmont pressed up against the tree by Charlotte who was kissing him deeply).

For Kate’s part, she eagerly took her daughter to all her fittings and arranged every facet of the wedding breakfast personally. She even endured an entire afternoon with Charlotte and the Duchess of Hastings vetting every member on the guest list including the assortment of colleagues Clairmont insisted on inviting.

“Really, one would think he were attempting to build some sort of coalition at your wedding breakfast,” Kate said, taken aback at the extent of the list Clairmont had so obligingly provided.

“Come now, Mama,” Charlotte said laughingly. “Surely you must know by now that for men such as Clairmont, every event is an opportunity to shore up more support.”

Kate looked consideringly at her daughter. It was fascinating to see how comfortable Charlotte already seemed to be with the spheres she would be inhibiting as Lady Clairmont. Kate drew comfort from this, thinking back to how unprepared she had been when she first became the Viscountess Bridgerton, and how lost she would have been had she not been aided by her mother-in-law and Daphne.

Kate smiled to herself. How heedless she and her husband had been back then! How impetuous and deeply misunderstanding of one another they were initially! It was only later that any understanding had been reached, and only then had their love blossomed.

Her daughter, on the other hand, had ensured she would have the immense privilege of marrying a man whose ambitions and desires complimented her own, and their temperaments and affections would always be in accordance.

In that moment, Kate had never felt happier for Charlotte.

In the end, the wedding was all things lovely, and the wedding breakfast was full of laughter and gaiety. Somewhere in the middle of the breakfast, no less an august personage than Lord Melbourne came by to give his congratulations to the happy couple.

Kate and Anthony watched with pride as Clairmont kissed Charlotte’s hand reverently before introducing her to the Prime Minister. Charlotte curtsied deeply and spoke at length with her husband and Melbourne, saying something with a twitch of her lips that made the Prime Minister burst out laughing.

Just then, Anthony turned to Kate, his gaze full of adoration when he asked her quietly, “We did well, didn’t we?”

Kate beamed brilliantly up at her husband.

“I rather think we did.”

#kateandanthonyweek #kateandanthonyweek21 #Bridgerton #kate sharma #kate sheffield #anthony bridgerton #kathony #bridgerton fanfiction #miles bridgerton #edmund bridgerton #edmund bridgerton ii #mary bridgerton #charlotte bridgerton #lord melbourne

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honeypwark · 4 years

Text

[ Night Night ]

↳ Roller Coaster era (late Jan-early Mar 2019)

↳ Lily arrives right on time for NCT Night Night. JohnJae is whipped. Lily talks about promoting solo.

m.list

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

After a rather stressful salon visit and practically shoving herself into the outfit her stylist gave her, Lily raced to the recording studio home to NCT Night Night, among other radio shows. Normally, guests enter at the beginning of the ad break preceding their introduction. However, those commercials are over halfway over by the time Lily is shown into the recording studio.

Simultaneously, two voices shout, “Lily Leeeeeeeeee!”

Lily laughs, NCT Night Night’s very tall hosts, Johnny and Jaehyun, standing to greet her. Normally, she wouldn’t think twice before hugging her best friend’s older members in greeting but she knows there’s a live video feed, so she keeps to the more formal bow and handshake.

“You’re late,” Johnny says.

“Would you be insulted if I told you I forgot and fell asleep?” Lily asks.

“Yes.”

“Then it was traffic.”

The three of them laugh and Lily walks around to sit across from Johnny and Jaehyun. She sits and, careful of her recently styled hair, puts her headphones on. For a moment, all she can hear is someone advertising super fast pizza delivery service. She looks up and sees Jaehyun saying something and motioning toward his head.

“Ah,” she says in understanding, moving one side of the headphones off her ear.

She doesn’t notice Johnny and Jaehyun looking at her fondly as she fixes her hair. A few staff members rush into the room, adjusting the cameras facing Lily down, having estimated where she would be sitting too high while waiting for her. Soon after, the commercials end and Johnny and Jaehyun begin the introductory dialogue.

“Johnny, have you ever heard of Sunshine?”

“Sunshine? Like light from the sun?”

“No, like the Nation’s Sunshine, Twice’s Lily.”

“But isn’t Lily from America? How did she get the nickname Nation’s Sunshine?”

“Are you curious?” Jaehyun addresses the listeners. “Then find out here!”

“Come meet tonight’s special guest nicknamed the Nation’s Sunshine on NCT Night Night.”

With the show led into, Jaehyun turns his attention to Lily, “Our guest for tonight is a beloved member of a popular girl group who has recently made her debut as a solo artist, lighting up the stage with her bright vocals and refreshing concept during the cold winter months. Lily Lee, hello.”

“Hello!” Lily responds cheerfully.

Johnny chuckles at her peppiness, “Please introduce yourself.”

“Hello!” Lily repeats, “I’m Lily Lee. I’m glad to be a guest on NCT Night Night and am very excited about tonight’s broadcast!”

“Hello and welcome, Lily,” Johnny says.

“Before we begin, would you like explain how we all know each other?” Jaehyun asks.

“Yes. My best friend is one of Johnny and Jaehyun’s members, NCT Dream’s Jisung. I’m good friends with all of NCT, who I met through Jisung.”

“We’re you’re... oppas? Is it alright to say that?” Johnny glances around as thought looking for someone’s nod of approval.

Lily laughs, “Well, you are... six and four years older than me, aren’t you?”

“You were born in 2001?” Jaehyun asks.

“Very late 2001. December twelfth.”

“You’re that young? That means you’re younger than Chenle.”

“Not by much, but I am younger than him, yes.”

“And you’ve just made your solo debut with ‘Roller Coaster,’” Johnny reads from his script. “Your debut single came with two songs, the title track ‘Roller Coaster’ and b-side track ‘Don’t Know What To Do.’ You wrote your b-side, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Lily nods. “I wrote the lyrics and composed most of it. I had help from a friend I trained with who’s debuted now, Stray Kids’ leader Bang Chan. He and I were really the only ones to work on this song and he would push me to figure stuff out on my own. He didn’t hold my hand and tell me what would work.”

“He wanted you to make it your own,” Jaehyun supplies.

“Yes.”

“And you also helped write lyrics for ‘Roller Coaster’?” Johnny asks.

“I did.”

“So, what’s it like being the first of your group to have a solo project while also being the youngest? What were your members’ reactions?” Jaehyun prompts.

“When I was first offered the chance to promote solo, I was really really nervous about their reactions. I care a lot about my members because they really took me in and accepted me when I’d only just move to Korea and I didn’t want them to think that I was privileged or thought I was better than them. Those worries were ultimately stupid because after I talked to one of my friends about it to get his opinion, I told them and they were all super supportive.”

“And how does promoting solo vary from promoting with a group?”

“Well, I feel a lot more pressure to do well. I always feel a lot of pressure to do well because I want to give the best performance possible to Onces, but especially when I’m the only person singing onstage I want to do my absolute best. Of course, everyone makes mistakes and since I’m so clumsy I’m bound to make some as well. But anytime I do make a mistake, I know Onces won’t care too much. And if the rest of my performance was spectacular then it’s alright.”

“It must be a lot of pressure to be the only person onstage people are watching,” Johnny agrees.

“Yeah, it is.”

“We’ll continue our interview with Lily Lee in a few minutes. This is ‘Dancing With A Stranger’ by Sam Smith and Normani.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“The story behind how you got your pet dog Blue is an interesting one, isn’t it?” Jaehyun asks about halfway through the broadcast.

“It is... a little unconventional,” Lily says carefully.

“How did you adopt him?”

“Well, I went out on my own one night to a convenience store and on my way back, I heard whimpering in an alleyway. When I went to see what it was, I found a little puppy in a plastic tub.”

“He was left to starve,” Johnny surmises sadly.

“Yeah,” Lily nods. “So I snuck him into the dorm because I knew my members probably would freak out and make me get rid of him. I went into the dorm, opened my bedroom window, and climbed down the fire escape to where I’d left Blue down below. I brought him up to the dorm, gave him a bath, and it wasn’t until the next day when he’d pooped on the kitchen floor that the girls found out.”

“And you managed to convince them to keep him?” Jaehyun asks.

“With a lot of promises that I would be fully responsible for him- and a little but of guilt tripping-, I did convince them to let him stay.”

“Good thing, too, because he’s adored by your fans,” Johnny says. “On another note, fans have been in a frenzy about something since they found out you’d be coming on the show.��

Lily groans, “I know.”

Johnny laughs, “You know what it is?”

“You two are both so tall,” Lily says, “They want to see me next to you.”

“We’ll take a picture at the end of the broadcast, don’t worry,” Jaehyun tells the listeners.

“How tall are you, Lily?” Johnny asks.

She sighs exaggeratedly loud and long into her mic.

Johnny and Jaehyun laugh heartily.

“I’m like one hundred fifty three centimeters or something,” she says.

“Am I really thirty one centimeters taller than you?” Johnny asks, bewildered.

“I don’t know, you’re the giant,” Lily says. “I look up at everyone regardless. Though I’m probably around one fifty seven right now with the insoles I’m wearing.”

“Imagine wearing insoles,” Jaehyun teases.

“Don’t patronize me,” she says, “I’m your sunbaenim.”

Johnny and Jaehyun falls silent for a few moments.

“You are,” Jaehyun says in disbelief.

“Oh my god,” Johnny mutters.

Lily laughs at the two men who are obviously just now realizing she is at least four years younger than them yet is their senior artist.

“While we think on that for a few minutes, this is ‘Airplane pt.2’ by BTS,” Jaehyun says.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“So, how did you get the nickname the Nation’s Sunshine?” Jaehyun asks.

They are rapidly approaching the end of the broadcast after a little under an hour of fun stories and lighthearted teasing.

“I’m a really bright and happy person,” Lily starts, “I’m generally optimistic and I’m kind of the mood maker of Twice. My members started calling me Sunshine as a term of endearment and then just as a nickname. Eventually, it caught on and spread to the fans. I became really, really popular in Korea as I appeared on variety shows and things like that. I feel like I sound like a braggart when I say this, but people started commenting about how anytime I was onscreen- even if they didn’t know me- they’d start smiling, so they started calling me the Nation’s Sunshine.”

“Even though you’re a foreigner?” Jaehyun asks.

“I guess,” Lily shrugs. “I mean, I’m ethnically Korean and after living in Korea for four-ish years, I’m fluent in Korean so except for me name, people don’t always realize I’m from America.”

“America!” Johnny shouts.

“America!” Lily shouts back.

The three of them laugh.

“Well, tonight has been very fun,” Jaehyun says.

“It was fun!” Lily agrees.

“I hope we can have you back sometime,” Jaehyun says.

“I hope so, too,” she nods, “Maybe with my members.”

“Do you have anything else you’d like to say?” Johnny prompts.

“Uh, yes,” Lily says. “Um, Onces! Thank you so much for all your support as I ventured out and promoted solo. I hope I’ve promoted Twice and myself well and you are satisfied with my performances so far. Please always support me. I love you! Thank you! And thank you to Johnny and Jaehyun for having me as a guest! This was a lot of.”

“Okay,” Johnny says. “The final song for tonight is our lovely guest’s recent release. This is ‘Roller Coaster’ by Lily Lee.”

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aclosetfan · 3 years

Text

“Jeez,” you’re obviously thinking, “what could she possibly say about Blossom that hasn’t already been written about by a fic writer who specializes in either romance, angst, or a cheap combo deal of both genres??? Gonna analyze how she’s not actually perfect? Inherently flawed? Gonna reduce her to a bitch? Gonna tell us how she’s the perfect boss girl? Maybe say she’s awkward? OCD? Stoic? Motherly? All knowing?? That no one but the male character you’ve paired her with can outwit her? That’s all been done. What possible take could you make that is a new refreshing look at Blossom that I haven’t already seen?”

And I’d be like damn, chill, dude. Take a breath. It’s not that deep. I’m not gonna say any of that. Nah, ima do you ya one worse and list all the reasons why Blossom Utonium would be The Most Annoying Sibling anyone could ask for.

Like yes. She’s bossy. And yes. She’s a know-it-all, but everyone already KNOWS that. It’s the OTHER stuff she does that drives her sisters mad.

“Well, I’m the oldest!” “You are not the oldest! We were created simultaneously! You are literally NOT the oldest!” “Well, if we go by the order we were named in, I’m-“ “THAT DOESNT MAKE YOU THE OLDEST!” “Tch. That is such a youngest sibling thing to say, Buttercup.” [temper tantrum that coincidentally proves Blossom’s point]

Blossom’s motto is she’s right 100% of the time, even when she’s wrong. It’s some mightier-then-thou bullshit that has lead her to be on the receiving end of a few wedgies when she was little

She’s the fun-police. No fun allowed! Until, of course, she wants to annoy you, and then everything’s fair game.

she’s a dorky nerd 👏 not in the “she can’t cook, lol” or the “haha Blossom likes to read” but in the “oh so when you said you knew about the Second Bulgarian Empire’s first war with the Latin Empire in the year 1204, you really meant you know about the Second Bulgarian Empire’s first war with the Latin Empire in the year 1204” kind of way and guess who has the privilege of hearing about it at 2am????

Bad jokes. Bad jokes. Bad jokes. She’s got the cheesiest one liners! And the worst part is she always says them right before they start fighting the bad guys

No! Wait! Actually the worst part is the fact that Blossom doesn’t seem to realize the oneliners are so incrediably cheesy they even make the bad guys cringe. So despite her sisters protest, she just keeps doing it because she thinks her word play is so clever.

When Blossom gets laughing, like really laughing, she’s got the ugliest, snortiest laugh that’s so damn funny if her bad pun didn’t make you laugh, you’re certainly laughing now

On her days off from being a superhero, catch my girl numbing her brain with the absolutely worst soap operas the world has ever produced, and after they’re done she makes you sit there and psychoanalyze every scene

She’s a big movie talker but lord forbid you have anything to say during the movie 🙄 she bites your head off

For someone so freaking smart, she sure does fuck up laundry. It’s her least favorite chore. the amount of times the WHOLE family has had to pitch away articles of clothing because something very pink or very red bled through all the whites again is ungodly.

Speaking of clothes, she’s the one that’s always magically finding things “on her side of the closest” so obviously “she thought it was okay to wear” and “really you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

Bathroom hog. Bathroom hog. Bathroom hog. She’s got too much hair not to be, and speaking of hair!!!! It is everywhere! She sheds like a freaking cat. One time Buttercup had a hair in her mouth, pulled it out, and to her horror, kept pulling until the long red strand was safely pinched between her fingers. It left her overdramatically gagging for days.

The epitome of elegance and grace until she falls flat on her face. It seems like on top of all of Townsville, Blossom needs a great deal of saving herself.

“Can you please stop comparing everything to the Bulgarian conflict of 1204?”

Oof you remember that one girl from high school that was just too nice?? Was always so attentive to anyone who was talking to her? A VERY active listener?? And the evil part of you would go “god what the fuck is her problem?” That girl you’re thinking of right now is actually Blossom Utonium.

At the same time, she’ll blackmail the hell out of her sisters when she’s being petty and doesn’t feel like doing a chore or saving the day, leaving them to wonder if the “everything nice” is just one big ruse. Blossom’s always just there for the worst and most embarrassing moments. She caught one of them making out with a movie poster. She caught the other in the closest sobbing to the latest Disney soundtrack. She’s got things in her back pocket that would ruin them

And they don’t have any freaking dirt on her!!?!?!??! It makes them scream!🤬🤬

And no one believes them!! No one believes Buttercup or Bubbles when they (loudly) complain about how awfully annoying Blossom is. No one believes that sweet, nice, mild-mannered Blossom could ever be vindictive, or talkative, or mean. No one! And when BC and Bubs look over at Blossom, after another person has laughed them off, she’s wearing a shit-eating grin, because they all know no one will ever, ever, believe them.

She blows a kiss their way and waves her fingers in hello, but it’s okay, because three seconds later she trips over her own feet and sports a bruise on her forehead the whole rest of the day. (Still BC and Bubs get in trouble for laughing)

The most annoying part about Blossom, though, is that despite it all, somehow, Buttercup and Bubbles love her anyways. What’s a seemingly perfect “older” sister if they don’t bug the shit out of you???

“If you don’t shut up RIGHT NOW and go to sleep, I’ll ship your dead body to Bulgaria, do not push me!”

#lol I did bubbles and Buttercup forever ago #so I figured I’d look at Blossom in a different light too #people really do make her perfect #but I’d cut off my left hand before I admit my brothers were better then me about something #so I think that’d apply to the girls too #siblings 🤷‍♀️ what are they good for anyways???#I gave my brothers so many wedgies oh my god I was really THAT kid #older sister of the year over here #ppg shit post #character study I guess??#i apologize for spelling I didn’t edit lol #ppg blossom

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kuramirocket · 3 years

Video

In the grand cosmos of her life's journey, Ali Guarneros Luna discovered early on, the path to the stars is not a straight shot - but a winding course that sometimes skirts peril and disappointment.

As an engineer at NASA, Luna knows what's involved in navigating space. Her engineering fingerprints are all over numerous satellites currently orbiting the earth. And as project manager for NASA's Small Satellite Program she's worked on projects aimed at deepening understanding of what lies beyond. But her trajectory was definitely not a direct line.

"I was born in Mexico. My mother was born there. Being an immigrant in this country," Luna said, "having a harsh beginning, being a woman, it’s difficult, right?"

Luna's passion for space travel touched-off when she was seven-years-old living in her native Mexico City.

Unlike others who gaze up at the stars contemplating the meaning of the universe, Luna wondered about the machines that would make the trip possible.

"I was just so captivated at seven -- that I was like 'I want to do that!'" Luna recalled. "That’s exactly what I want to do and at that age I was like, 'I’m going to be an aerospace engineer.' My upbringing was different, I want to say, from most girls because I was never told that I had to fit certain roles. I guess it was because I was the oldest one of four. I had to step up. And the two youngest ones were boys. And I was a hyperactive child. So I never had that actually being a situation where I felt that I was not good enough in math or science. Because I had to be the boss. So it just happens that in that environment, even though I was only one of two girls within a bunch of young kids, mostly boys, I was doing what I wanted to do. And it was very exciting. So I never really had that. So with me going into aerospace engineering, I think it was an easy thing.”

After the 1985 Earthquake in Mexico City, her life changed. Ali and her mother immigrated to California and settled in San Jose, CA. With only two pieces of luggage, they left everything behind, especially close friends and family.

During the anti-immigration efforts like California Proposition 187 in 1994, school was the only thing Ali was allowed to do as her mother feared deportation. Her new schedule was limited to traveling from home to school and back, with no room to do the sports she loved. So school became her outlet — it became a safe place for her to grow up, where she could continue to learn and grow.

“So within six months of working full-time, my mother lost her job. So I became the one that supported the whole family. And I did it for about five years. It was tough because being so young and understand that my mother needed my support. And my brothers, being they were looking up to me -- it's something that's heavy when you're so young. You don't understand. But when I was growing up, I always moved on the opportunities that presented in front of me, and I did what I needed to do without looking back.”

Despite being a single mom, Ali’s mother worked hard to make sure Ali had every opportunity growing up. Ali was very athletic and participated in many sports and gymnastics, track being her favorite. When she wasn’t playing sports, she was reading the encyclopedias that her mother bought for her.

“My mother loved encyclopedias. My mother had so many. I would just sit in the living room reading about space shuttles after school because I really wanted to understand what they did.”

On the cusp of adulthood, she graduated high school and went straight into the workforce. Although she loved school, she wanted to support her mother and her family. She attempted to go to community college while working full time, but the emotional stress was overwhelming and she dropped out. In the next few years, she had four children, with two who had special needs. While caring for her children at home and researching their disabilities, she realized that she needed to go back to school.

“I saw my kids who were born with special needs, and I asked myself ‘How I can help them?’… it was clear to me that I needed to go back to school. I wanted to give them a stable life.”

Back-to-school, together. After her youngest child enrolled in kindergarten, Ali enrolled at San Jose City College and transferred to San Jose State University majoring in Aerospace Engineering. In this transition from stay-at-home mom to full-time student, she became a single parent. She was a full-time student while being a full-time mom, taking care of four children.

"I was too old, I was not as young as any of the students, and I definitely was not in that mold of students," said Guarneros Luna. "I had four children. I didn't think of myself as someone who was going to contribute something special."

“I went and applied for an internship without thinking that I was ever going to come and work for NASA. I did have a bachelor's degree, but I was old. I was not a young person. The internship was only going to be for three months. Because of the internship I have to leave one job and then be here. I knew it was only for three months, but the opportunity was too much to pass up. And then I became a contractor. And then it was important to apply for a civil servant. And I became a civil servant. ”

Ali has managed ten interns, introducing them to aerospace engineering through several projects including building three satellites and researching the design for return capsules for the International Space Station. Commercializing ISS has been a difficult problem for NASA and the process to ship products back and forth from the space station has to go through large space vehicles like Falcon, which takes three to six months. Space is limited on these vehicles and launching them gets very expensive. She and her team are paving the way to redesign return capsules with small payload returns so that astronauts can get the products they need for experiments in three business days rather than months later, allowing for more research to be done more efficiently.

Here is a part of the conversation with Ali Guarneros Luna, NASA Engineer and Deputy Project Manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley:

Host: When you became a civil servant you were working on some safety aspects?

Ali Guarneros Luna: Yeah. Safety mission assurance. So when I started for this small set of projected, specifically the TechEdSat, you're going through the space station. And you're dealing with humans inside. So everything you put inside the space station, you have to be careful of what you put in there and understand what are the consequences if something goes wrong.

So I was one of the group of engineers who started that process and started learning and setting it up for the following satellites that are going to be deployed from the space station. So I ended up doing all the safety data package, which is like documentation about your hardware that you put into space where you analyze all the hazards that you present to the space station or to the astronauts and then how are you going to control them and how are you going to verify them. So I was doing that. I became so good that I ended up doing every single one from the one first one to now, right?

Host: You do it right once, then they keep coming back.

Ali Guarneros Luna: Yes.

Host: This is my job now.

Ali Guarneros Luna: Yes. I was an engineer. I was part of the engineer group like two years ago. But there was an opening in safety mission assurance. Just for me to learn, I just say, "Why not? Let me go in there." So when you're an engineer and you go to school, nobody teaches you anything about that. You learn it on the job.

Despite her unique circumstances, Ali believes the challenges she experienced guided her to make the right decisions for her future. “I am resilient, if there’s a problem, there’s more than one solution”, she states, “To overcome difficult decisions, you need to plan for them…educate yourself so that you have the tools to make a plan of action.”

Every summer, Guarneros Luna gives back to her community. She goes back to San Jose State as a professor. "It's important for them to hear from somebody who did not come from a privileged background and did not come from parents that were educated," she said. "In my mind, I have that 'semillita' of education, that I wanted to get educated. A seed planted in me to go and get an education early on." The next time you look up and think your dreams like the moon are too far to reach, Guarneros Luna wants you to remember: 238,000 miles is actually closer than you think.

As an aerospace engineer, Ali is an advocate and actively promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. She is registered with the NASA Ames Speakers Bureau and is an active participant of this program. Ali also supports yearly programs like, Girls Scouts Go Tech, SWE Get Set, Soles Science Extravaganza, Society of Women Engineers (SWE) “WOW that is Engineering”, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE )“Noche de Ciencia” by providing hands-on activities and tours of the labs at SJSU. In 2012, Ali had contact with the Mexican university,, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, UABC. She hosted a 6-week workshop at SJSU for the UABC students to build and launch an armature rocket. The success of this project was greatly broadcast in Mexico and as a result the Agencia Espacial Mexican, AEM, is interested in organizing a similar program but with the involvement of more universities.

Ali is committed to encouraging young people to pursue science, technology and engineering careers. In recognition of her achievements, the Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) named Ali Guarneros Luna as one of the 2013 Luminary Honorees. In October 2015, Ali was awarded the NASA Honor Award - Equal Employment Opportunity Medal., She also received the ISS Space Award in 2014 for her contributions to SPHERES, Modular Rapidly Manufactured Small Satellite (MRMSS), Nodes and TechEdSat Series Projects:

SPHERES: For dedication and exceptional performance in the development and operations of free flying robotic satellites inside the ISS testing autonomous satellite maneuvers.

MRMSS: For dedication and exceptional performance in research and development of modular design and manufacturing processes for spacecraft systems.

Nodes: For dedication and exceptional performance in two nanosatellites that will be deployed from ISS to demonstrate networking and advanced multi-spacecraft operations

TechEdSat Series: For exceptional performance and dedication in the development, test, launch, ISS deployment, and operation of the TechEdSat Nanosatellite spaceflight mission; launching the first NASA CubeSat from the ISS. TechEdSat-3p: For exceptional performance and dedication in the development, test, launch, ISS deployment, and operation of the TechEdSat-3p Nanosatellite “Exo-Brake” spaceflight mission; launching the first 3u NASA CubeSat from the ISS.

Ali Guarneros Luna currently works with the Office of System Safety & Mission Assurance (SS&MA) at NASA Ames Research Center. Prior to her work in the SS&MA, Ali worked in Ames’ Engineering Directorate as a technical authority for small satellite development and payloads bound for the International Space Station (ISS). In the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) National Lab, she worked as the system and safety engineer. In the Edison Program, Ali served as the system engineering, mission and ground operations, and launch vehicle service expert for multiple CubeSat projects including the Technological and Educational Nanosatellite (TechEdSat). Ali functioned as the Deputy Project Manager, ISS expert, and launch vehicle interface for the Small Spacecraft Technology (SST) program’s Nodes project. In the Sub-Orbital Aerodynamic Re-entry EXperiments (SOAREX) Series of suborbital experiments, Ali has performed in multiple engineering roles to include design, building and testing engineer. Ali is currently the deputy project manager and co-investigator for the SOAREX 9 and SOAREX 10 missions.

She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from San Jose State University (SJSU) in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Ali obtained an internship at NASA Ames with the Office of the Chief Technologist. During her time as an intern, she led and helped develop education and outreach programs for SJSU. The first program was called System of Networked Autonomous Positioning Satellites (SNAPS) followed by the TechEdSat Series. As a professional engineer, Ali has lead various projects affiliated with the ISS.

During her internship at NASA Ames, Ali supported the SNAPS project, which is an evolution of the SPHERES program which aims to demonstrate the practical applications of a network of autonomous probes. SNAPS was a test bed for guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) capabilities to enable probes to navigate without human interference or the need for external control.

As a professional engineer, Ali was mission manager for TechEdSat-1. In this capacity, Ali had managerial and oversight on all technical and programmatic aspects of the NASA Ames- SJSU project. In particular, Ali provided technical contributions to both speed the development and avoid ISS define hazard that could stop the mission, through innovative design, lab testing, and qualification methods for the TechEdSat flight hardware. She also developed and engineered the Auxiliary Lateral Inhibit (ALI) Switch for safety deployment from the ISS. Ali has co-authored technical papers for the TechEdSat structure and payload including the project plan and Safety Data Package, among others.  Her efforts enabled the project to successfully meet both ISS program and Ames Engineering Requirements. Developed, built, tested and certified for flight to the ISS in only 9 months, TechEdSat-1 was the first American CubeSat deployed from the ISS as well as being one of the first CubeSats deployed from the Station overall. TechEdSat-1 completed a life cycle with over 1000 beacon packets and 208 days of service. The TechEdSat-1 deorbited May 5th, 2013.

As a result of TechEdSat-1’s enormous success, an opportunity was presented to develop, build, test and certify TechEdSat-3P which ultimately launched to the ISS in 2013. For this mission, Ali served as a mentor to the other students and engineers as well as performed the role of safety engineer. For TechEdSat-4, launched in 2015, Ali was a radio frequency, safety and system engineer. Currently Ali is working on TES-5 as the quality and system engineer.

Ali is the deputy project manager, liaison and lead for ISS requirements for the Network and Operation Demonstration Satellites (Nodes) mission. This mission was deployed from the ISS in May 16th, 2016.

Developing new technology, Ali currently works with the SOAREX Series team. SOAREXserves as a test bed for a variety of re-entry and supporting technologies for use in automous sample return and other applications. Within the SOAREX team, Ali has multiple engineering roles from designing, building and serving as a testing engineer. She is also the deputy project manager and co-investigator for SOAREX 9 and SOAREX 10 missions. Ali supported the Orion Thermal Protecsion System (TPS) as a S&MA lead for the sensor on the Heat Shield (HS). She oversees the quality and safety of the design, build and testing of the sensor that would be installed in the HS for the next flight back in 2018.

In 2011 Ali was a member of the Plug-n-Play Mission Operations (PPMO) Workshop organizational committee at NASA Ames and helped organize the workshop held at SJSU. In 2013, Ali was on the student committee for the 10th International Planetary Probe Workshop (IPPW-10), which was held at SJSU the week of June 17th 2013.

Sources: (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

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mordoriscalling · 4 years

Text

Stay or Sail Away (5/6)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 (@geraskier-trashh @negativenuggetz)

A/N: oh lord this wasn’t supposed to be 3k words long XD Hope you like it tho!

***

It was a bad idea to tell Geralt not to wear all black. Well, the scarf is grey and the coat and the shoes are black, but they don’t matter. Geralt’s just taken them off to reveal a three-piece suit and a shirt with two top buttons undone, the clothing in a deep, navy blue colour. His eyes stand out beautifully against it. Geralt in navy blue makes Jaskier want to weep and it’s only half-past noon. To add to Jaskier’s tragic swoon, Geralt’s hair is braided away from his face into a lovely plait at the back of his head (which Jaskier suspects is Ciri’s doing). It just shouldn’t look as good as it does. Geralt is so stunning today that words other than what the fuck do not begin to cover it.

Not to blurt out that in lieu of a greeting, Jaskier spreads his arms wide and exclaims, “Ahoy, captain!”

Geralt snorts with disgust. “Never say that again.”

Jaskier laughs out loud. “Come in, come in,” he says as he ushers Geralt into the living room, “make yourself at home. Are you hungry? It’s last chance for a snack before I put on some eyeliner and we’re off!”

“Eyeliner?” Geralt repeats with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, to finish off this look!” he replies as he gestures at the floral Gucci suit he’s wearing. The outfit’s actually demure considering his usual fashion choices. Bright colours and ridiculous patterns are his go-to but today is the first day of his life when he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. Much. “Help yourself with something from the kitchen if you want,” he says over his shoulder, already leaving for the bathroom.

The makeup takes just a minute or two – eyeliner application has become much less of dark magic with practice. He decides to put on some pretty pink lip gloss as well because, although he’s going to spare his family today and won’t flaunt his queerness at them, he still has to do something. It’s not at all because he hopes his fiancé might like it.

(Geralt’s suit)

(Jaskier’s suit)

When he strides into the living room, he poses like a model and asks, “How do I look?”

Geralt, who sits on the couch, stares him up and down. His gaze almost makes Jaskier blush, so does his smirk. Both border on appreciative. “Really good,” he says.

Since Jaskier expected some mean comment, he almost topples over in shock at the compliment. He sputters, definitely flushing a bit, but quickly re-establishes a working link between his mouth and his brain. “Of course I do, darling,” he replies with a wink. Geralt smirks in that sexy way again. Jaskier has to give himself a good mental shake to stop staring. Clearing his throat, he starts thinking out loud, “So! Have I got everything for the party? I’ve got Geralt, and then the present, and then... Ah! The rings!”

Jaskier sits down next to Geralt and pulls the box out of the pocket of his jacket. Raising the lid, he reveals two rings seated within, one silver and one gold. “Should I kneel?”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Geralt growls.

Jaskier laughs with delight, then takes out the silver ring and passes it to Geralt. It’a simple but chunky band with tiny engravings. Jaskier figured Geralt wouldn’t appreciate anything too showy. Geralt takes it and inspects what’s engraved on it. “What kind of flowers are those?” he asks.

“Buttercups,” Jaskier explains, “That’s what my name means. My grandma always told me I’m a jaskier.”

Pretty but poisonous. It’s extremely fitting.

Geralt only hmms and slides the ring on his finger. It’s a perfect fit but it’s no thanks to Jaskier’s genius deduction or anything; he simply knew Geralt’s ring size because Geralt told him. After their phone conversation regarding ring preferences, family drama and other things, they kept talking. Geralt even began starting conversations by himself – he’d send some texts about Ciri like “Ciri says hi” or “Ciri’s playing that song again”. It made Jaskier melt every time.

“Look what you bought me in return, darling,” he says, smiling excitedly, and puts on the gold ring. It’s much more flashy than Geralt’s – a signet with a three-dimensional head of a wolf. “White Wolf” is apparently Geralt’s nickname and a pseudonym of sorts. Wolves are his favourite animals, too.

Jaskier holds out his hand, putting it next to Geralt’s on the couch, and admires the rings on their fingers. “They suit us,” he says quietly

Geralt hmms. “They do.”

The drive is two hours long. Geralt insisted on driving even though it’s Jaskier’s car. Jaskier has a suspicion that driving is an excuse not to listen to him as he’s going over the essential family drama, but it’s mostly for his own sake anyway. He just wants to delude himself that Geralt will be well-prepared for everything and all will go smoothly. They will be fine. They must.

When they pull up in front of Jaskier family’s mansion, panic and second thoughts wash over him alternately in cold and hot waves. As they walk out of the car and Geralt hands him the keys, Jaskier hides within himself and observes the reality unravel a sense of detachment. He doesn’t want to be a part of the upcoming disaster.

“Ready?” Geralt asks.

Jaskier only looks at him helplessly. Geralt offers him his arm and Jaskier takes it like a lifeline. He clutches on it, the touch grounding him, as they walk towards the front door silently.

“Should’ve guessed you were rich,” Geralt remarks as he takes in the mansion looming before them.

“My success in music is all my own,” Jaskier replies feistily, “it took me ten years.”

Geralt wisely doesn’t say anything else and Jaskier settles down, letting out a shaky breath. He always gets very defensive of his achievements. Sis parents paid for nothing; he never asked them to. He hates that people assume differently.

The entrance hall is empty when they invite themselves in, but not for long. Just as they manage to take off their coats, they hear someone coming down the stairs. Jaskier looks up to see Rozalia, his older sister. She’s only one year older than him but doesn’t look a day over thirty. In appearance, she’s all mum: luxuriant dark locks, cat-green eyes, tan skin, and regal features.

“Julek!” she exclaims with a smile and rushes down the stairs into Jaskier’s open arms. They laugh when their bodies collide.

“Hey, horror sister!” Jaskier says, the words their special greeting.

“Hey, wild brother!” Rozalia replies, as tradition commands.

When Jaskier releases her from his embrace, he goes on to introduce Rozalia and Geralt to each other.

“So this is your fiancé,” Rozalia drawls after she and Geralt shake hands, clearly amused, and looks Geralt up and down. “Holy shit. I can see why you kept him a secret.”

Jaskier purses his lips, putting a possessive arm around Geralt’s waist. “Roza, you’re married.”

Rozalia only smirks, then turns on her heel and starts walking down the corridor towards the living room. “Everyone! Julek’s here!” she announces loudly.

“Julek?” Geralt mutters to Jaskier as they start following Rozalia.

“Diminutive of Julian,” Jaskier explains quietly.

“Sweet.”

“Shut up.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

Jaskier snorts under his breath but doesn’t reply. The sensation of detachment from the reality is there again and Jaskier doesn’t fight it – the distance between him and everything else wards off the impending panic attack.

Like in a dream, he sees his other sister Amelia, who’s five years younger than him, marching towards them, her mop of short golden curls bouncing up and down as she walks. With her sweet face and wide blue eyes (just like Jaskier’s, which they both got from their dad), she looks like an angel. (Spoiler alert: she’s not. She can be the worst. That’s kind of the youngest’s privilege, though).

When Amelia hugs him and Jaskier introduces her and Geralt to each other, he’s still in a daze. Amelia walks on his side as they all enter the living room, chatting about something to him, but he doesn’t really hear it due to the ringing sound in his ears.

“Jaskier?” Geralt’s voice rumbles.

Jaskier looks into the sun-like, concerned eyes. The warmth calms him down.

He takes in everyone in the room: his parents, Alfred and Wanda. Amelia, Rozalia and her husband Silvio. Dad’s brother, uncle Konrad, with his wife and son Ferrant. Mum’s sisters, aunts Maria, Hanna and Anna with their husbands. All watching Jaskier and Geralt expectantly.

Jaskier puts on his best smile and lays a hand on the small of Geralt’s back. “Everyone, this is Geralt Rivia. A Royal Navy commander,” he says and observes, delighting in the array of shocked reactions his family display. “My fiancé,” he adds with pride that he doesn’t even have fake.

A round of introductions follows. Geralt shakes everyone’s hands and says nice things like “honoured to meet you finally”, “Jaskier told me so much about you” and “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you earlier”. It’s actually pretty convincing, Jaskier has to give him that. Still, it doesn’t stop one of the questions Jaskier dreads the most.

“But why didn’t you tell us anything, darling?” his mum asks as everyone sits down at the table in the dining room.

This is it, Jaskier thinks mournfully, this is when it all goes to hell. At least Geralt sits next to him. It would be a quick departure – Jaskier will just grab his fiancé and run out of the house.

“Exactly,” Amelia seconds, her slender arms crossed before her chest, “it isn’t like you. You would tell the whole world about your engagement in some wild Twitter thread.”

Shit. She got him there. “W-well, I...”

“I asked him not to,” Geralt comes to the rescue. At the confused looks from everyone around, he goes on, “Not until I go on at least one more deployment and Jaskier’s absolutely sure he wants this. He should have it easier in case he changes his mind. Fewer people know about it, less painful it is to announce.”

Jaskier’s dad frowns. “But why do you assume he’d do that?” he inquires, regarding Geralt with suspicion.

“Being in a relationship with a marine officer is hard,” Geralt replies with a heavy sigh and makes a dramatic pause. Jaskier’s family looks at him with almost bated breath but he takes his time, the bastard. He already has them hanging off his every word. “My deployments are rarely shorter than nine months long,” he confesses ruefully.

A stunned silence falls over the room. Jaskier’s family stare at him with disbelief – they all know Jaskier wouldn’t be able to survive a relationship like that, not with how needy he can be.

Of bloody course Geralt would take it too far at the very start.

“But I’m stubborn!” Jaskier exclaims as cheerfully as he can, “Won’t have anyone else but Geralt.”

“Well, that’s all you,” Amelia says, and Jaskier heaves a sigh of relief.

It’s not that Jaskier doesn’t appreciate Amelia’s inquisitive mind. She’s always had the tendency to analyze and look into everything until every fact and detail adds up. Her character makes her the perfect heir to the family business, which she’s agreed to gladly. Ever since she made that decision, Jaskier choosing music is much less of a painful topic for their family. And so, Jaskier certainly values his younger sister’s nature of constant question-asking, but not in moments like this.

Amelia appears to already know what is going on here and Jaskier only prays she’ll be nice enough not to delve into it too much. Maybe some warning glances from Rozalia and begging ones from Jaskier will stop her. Maybe.

Food is served, alcohol starts flowing. Jaskier’s family begin asking Geralt about himself but Jaskier always tries to twist the conversation so that questions about their relationship don’t come. Until they do.

After they sang dad happy birthday, told him their wishes and gave him the gifts, it’s time to eat the birthday cake. Just when Jaskier puts half of his slice on Geralt’s plate (he doesn’t even like cake), Silvio asks, “When did you two meet?”

Geralt and Jaskier share a look. Jaskier opens his mouth to answer but it’s Geralt who says, “It was two years ago. I walked into a bar where Jaskier was playing. He asked me for a review of his songs after his performance.”

Geralt has the audacity to smirk at him so Jaskier, just to be a little shit, adds, “In three words or less!”

Geralt doesn’t appreciate this contribution judging by how he narrows his eyes at him. Jaskier knows they’re treading a dangerous ground – in their stupidity, they didn’t discuss the details of their “first meeting”. Geralt started it, though.

“And what did you say?” Silvio questions.

“That they don’t exist,” Geralt replies without a beat, still staring Jaskier in the eye.

“Whaaat don’t exist?” Jaskier’s father says what Jaskier himself almost blurts out.

“The creatures in his songs,” Geralt explains.

The affronted noise that leaves Jaskier's mouth is beyond his control. “It’s folk! The genre allows for fantastical elements like that!” He huffs. “But you know, Geralt with his commander mind always wants the facts and only facts.”

“So you don’t like Julek’s singing?” Rozalia asks Geralt.

Geralt denies this with a shake of his head. “Jaskier sings beautifully,” he replies, “Like a siren.” He lays his hand on Jaskier’s and looks into Jaskier’s eyes. “My siren,” he adds quietly.

Jaskier has to gape a little. He barely restrains himself from mouthing are fucking serious? because, really, Geralt can’t just say things like that. When he regains his composure, he decides to be mean. “I told you not to call me that, dear heart,” he says, “Not exactly flattering. Sirens lured sailors to their demise.”

Geralt does that lethally adorable head tilt and answers, “Still would go for you.”

He can hear aunt Maria cooing in the background, bless her heart, but Jaskier almost doesn’t register it. His attention is fully on Geralt – there’s something new in his gaze, beneath the teasing glint. Something guarded, tentative and true. Jaskier cocks his head to the side just a little bit. Geralt notices the question in the gesture (they’re really getting good at reading each other, aren’t they?) and answers by raising an eyebrow, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Jaskier experiences the feeling of a thousand butterflies fluttering their wings in his stomach when he understands – it’s an invitation. He accepts.

Geralt’s lips stretch into a small smile and he squeezes Jaskier’s hand on the table, intertwining their fingers together. Jaskier’s heart almost gives out and he grins, giddy like a teenager who’s just found out their crush is reciprocated. It’s not that far off from the truth anyway.

Uncle Konrad asks Geralt about the Navy. The two of them start discussing working in the army but Jaskier only half-listens, too focused on cherishing the feel of Geralt’s palm engulfing his. Until Geralt takes his hand away, that is.

With a displeased grunt, Geralt takes his phone out of the inner pocket of his jacket. The screen displays an incoming call. “I should take this,” he says apologetically and quickly walks out of the dining room.

The moment Geralt leaves, the assault is unleashed upon Jaskier. His family bombard him with so many questions and remarks at once that he only hears what Rozalia sitting next to him says. “Didn’t know you were into older men,” she comments, swirling the wine in her glass innocently.

“He’s forty!”

She frowns. “Then what’s the deal with the hair?”

Jaskier freezes in panic. Fucking hell, what is the deal with the hair? He has no idea. Geralt refused to answer his questions. “W-well,” he stutters out, “it’s really... uhh...” He clears his throat. “Not my story to tell. Geralt doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Rozalia hums, an amused twinkle in her eyes. “How mysterious.”

“He sure does seem mysterious,” uncle Konrad chimes in, “And...”

“Quiet?” Ferrant suggests.

“Taciturn?” Silvio supplies.

“Closed off?” aunt Hanna adds.

“Why are you saying it like it’s a bad thing?” Jaskier cuts in, interrupting this merry-go-round offering of adjectives before it spirals into everyone calling Geralt a brute.

“It’s not,” aunt Anna reassures, “It’s just that... I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering how on earth the relationship is even working with him being like this and you being, well...” she trails off and gestures at Jaskier with her fork. “You.”

“Frist off, I’ll take this as a compliment –”

“Of course, dear.”

“ – and secondly, even though we’re different, our differences only keep things... interesting, if you get my meaning.” Jaskier throws in a telling wink, and his uncles chuckle.

“Julian!” both his parents cry out, scandalised.

“Honestly,” Jaskeir goes on, unmoved, “deep down, he and I are quite the same.”

“Indeed?” Amelia asks, “Is he also a bastard at heart?”

“Yesss!” he hisses out, wildly pleased. Sometimes he loves Amelia’s analytic mind.

“He actually seems like a sweetheart,” his mum says, warming Jaskier to his very heart. He loves his mum so much – she always sees the best in people.

“He’s both, really,” he replies, “He’s certainly a sweetheart to his daughter.” Jaskier delights in shocking his family once again. Then, an idea pops up in his mind, “If you ask him about her, he’ll open right up.”

Before anyone can ask anything else, Geralt returns. After taking one look at him, Jaskier knows something is wrong. There’s tension about him but his face is a blank mask.

“Something wrong, love?” Jaskier whispers, barely realising that he even said the endearment.

“Work,” Geralt grunts.

“Geralt,” Jaskier’s father says, “Julian tells us you have a daughter?”

Geralt face lights up immediately. It’s such a charming sight. Jaskier’s chest constricts with how everything in him screams and begs don’t ever go.

“Yes,” he answers and launches into talking about Cirilla – how old she is, where she goes to school, what she likes doing. How she loved to paint her little hands on the walls when she was six. Soon after that, everyone shares funny stories about children, either their own or themselves as kids.

Jaskier zones out a bit, too busy wondering why Geralt took his hand away when he reach for it.

Later, Jaskier’s parents invite Geralt to stay for the night, which makes the fake-fiance scheme a success; they wouldn’t allow someone who they thought to be a stranger to sleep in their house.

Geralt doesn’t take them up on their offer.

TBC

Part 6

***

A/N: Rozalia is the Horror while Jaskier is the Wild 💕 (Amelia is the nasty angel baby. They adore her for it. Must protecc).

(Also, I love making up OCs, can you tell? XD)

#myfic #geraskier #the Sailor and the Singer AU #the witcher fanfiction #modern au #fake dating #geralt x jaskier

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worldwidemochiguy · 4 years

Text

MFEEU! Second Generation Profiles 💕✨

↳ MFEEU! Tae Masterlist

↳ Link to Yoongi’s MFEEU one shot and Hoseok’s

↳ General Masterlist :)

The kids

Jin

↳ No children (he’s happy being a godfather!!)

Yoongi

↳ Yoona

Hoseok

↳ Seojoon

Namjoon

↳ Namgyu

Jimin

↳ Jihae

↳ Jihyun

Taehyung

↳ Haneul

↳ Haewon

Jungkook

↳ Minho

↳ Mina

(wow i just realised i gave the rapline all one kid and the maknaes two kids huh)

When they’re born:

first it’s Kim Haneul

↳ the next year is Kim Namgyu and Park Jihae

↳ the next year is Park Jihyun and Jeon Minho

↳ the next year Jung Seojoon

↳ the next year Jeon Mina and Kim Haewon

↳ and five years after that... Min Yoona

Profiles :)

Kim Haneul

Tae and his wife’s first child

The eldest of all the mfeeu kids

Very protective of all her younger siblings, especially Haewon

Minho has a crush on her for the loooongest time (she sees him as an annoying little brother)

Abuses her privilege as the eldest to get all of her dongsaengs to do whatever she wants (apart from Jihae)

She inherited her mother’s sincerity and tae’s determination

Her and Namgyu are like the only responsible ones

Taehyung is very happy leaving the business in her hands once she’s old enough

As she grows older she realises the special feelings she’s always felt towards Jihae are different than how she cares for her sister

She loves Haewon of course, but with Jihae it’s different. She wants to always take care of her, spend every minute with her, kiss her.

They start dating when Jihae turns 15. both Jimin and Jihyun tell her she better take care of Jihae or else. Haneul has no intention to do anything other than that.

Kim Namgyu

Namjoon and his darling’s first and only child

Strict with all of his dongsaengs but would let Mina get away with murder

He’d probably help her with it tbh

Haneul’s right hand man, slated to help her with the business once he’s older

He inherited his father’s intellect. He helps all his dongsaengs in their lil homeschool lessons and once he’s finished his work he’ll leave the classroom they have set up and go and sit with his father

(Namjoon is the softest dad ever oh my god 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺)

Namgyu has dimples that pop out every time Mina calls him ‘Namu’

Him and Minho have a brotherly relationship. He, along with Jihyun, help Minho to get over Haneul.

He’s known that he loved Mina since she was 5 and he was 8, but of course he waited until she was 18 because of the age gap between them.

Mina had no such reservations. She asked him to date her when she was 14 and he had to gently turn her down because she was way too young to be dating a 17 year old.

She would stubbornly ask him every year on her birthday if she was old enough to date him yet, and on her 18th birthday he finally answered with ‘yes’ and kissed her

That was probably the worst day of Jungkook’s life.

Park Jihae

Jimin and his girlfriend’s first child

Despite being one of the oldest, she is babied by the entire group, ESPECIALLY Haneul

She’s so soft like oml 🥺🥺🥺

she inherited her father’s stature so by the time they’re all teenagers she’s the most smol (along with Mina who’s only an inch taller than her)

(by the time Yoona reaches her teens she’s also taller than Jihae)

Jimin’s little princess

She barely leaves his lap for the first five years of her life

Shes so clingy as well 🥺🥺🥺

She follows Haneul around holding her hand bc she doesn’t want to get lost

She really likes doing ballet. She tries to teach Haneul but they soon stop bc to put it lightly Haneul is hopeless

She is the softest big sister to Jihyun.

The only time she gets mad at him is when he sometimes refuses to call her noona

Once Mina and Haewon are born the trio has been completed

They are the unofficial maknaes of the group, along with Yoona who they treat like their own little dolly

They coordinate their clothes and everything. your squad wishes.

She’s the most oblivious person though. she doesn’t even realise she’s in love w Haneul until her 15th birthday when Haneul kisses her. and then she’s like oh. oh.

they are the softest girlfriends ever bls i can’t 🥺🥺

Park Jihyun and Jeon Minho

Jimin’s second child and Jungkook’s first

I put them together bc they’re honestly inseparable

They’re the troublemakers of the group, rivalled only by Mina and Haewon.

Jihyun was born two months before Minho, he insists that Minho calls him hyung

Minho refuses

Jihyun is the more responsible of the two, but barely. Namgyu’s kind of like their older brother, they both look up to him a lot.

Seojoon is their dongsaeng who they lovingly bully

Minho has a massive crush on Haneul.

He isn’t yandere for her, he just has a thing for noonas like father like son

At one point he tries to have a rivalry with Jihae because Haneul likes her so much but it doesn’t work bc Jihae is so sweet she doesn’t even realise what he’s trying to do and also Jihyun is super protective of his older sister and he nips it in the bud

After that he resolves to get over Haneul because he doesn’t want anything to come in between him and Jihyun.

Jihyun and Minho are definitely soulmates. Hoseok is convinced they will date at some point. There’s a betting pool which Jungkook refuses to enter bc he thinks its wrong to bet on his sons love life. Jimin on the other hand has lost almost a million won because he keeps betting that they’ll announce that they’re dating soon.

Jung Seojoon

Hoseok’s pride and joy

He’s so similar to his daddy guys it’s adorable 🥺

He has so much energy all the time, it is common to see his little head popping over the edge of Hoseok’s desk as he jumps around the room

Namgyu loves him but he doesn’t understand him at all

Seojoon loves to play dress up with Mina, Haewon and Jihae

He is not trusted with Yoona bc, though his intentions are absolutely pure, she usually ends up crying

Always breaking the rules. a loveable rascal we have here.

He knows when to push boundaries but he’s largely well behaved bc his dad taught him well 🥰🥰 (unlike many of the other fathers who spoil their kids)

Seojoon knew he loved Haewon since his fourth Christmas. Seojoon was hunting for the presents and when Haewon caught him, she joined him in searching instead of ratting him out.

From that moment on they were partners in crime.

It was only inevitable they started dating, obvious to literally everyone except Taehyung who refused to believe his daughter was a rule breaker in any shape or form.

Jeon Mina and Kim Haewon

Jungkook’s and Tae’s youngest girls 🥺

I put them together for the same reason I put Jihyun and Minho together. They’re inseparable

They were actually born within two days of each other. Haewon was born early and Tae always says it’s because she couldn’t wait to meet her best friend (besides him, of course)

Look Haewon even has his nose mole 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

They rival Jihyun and Minho in terms of general naughtiness

Seojoon helps them out sometimes, and in that time Mina always giggles at how silly Seojoon and Haewon act around each other

but all Haewon as to do is mention Namgyu and Mina stops making fun of her and starts blushing

Haewon and Mina talk about Seojoon and Namgyu literally all the time

When they’re older they trick their parents saying that Haewon and Mina are hanging out together and Seojoon and Namgyu are hanging out together and then they swap

Namgyu would normally disapprove but it means he gets more time to spend with Mina so he’s not snitching

Mina is sooo bitter when Haewon starts dating Seojoon bc Namgyu is apparently ‘too old’ for her so she can’t date yet

once Namgyu finally gives in on her 18th birthday and kisses her, she calls Haewon up screaming with excitement (little does she know Namgyu at that moment is calling Haneul and freaking tf out)

when they get married to their boyfriends they have a joint wedding 🥰🥰 Namgyu was originally against it but Mina gave him her infamous doe eyes which she inherited from her father and he allowed it reluctantly

Min Yoona

Yoongi’s unplanned but very adored daughter

By the time she’s born, Yoongi is in his mid to late 30s

To be honest, Yoongi had been happy helping to raise his friends kids, i mean they were all practically his godchildren and there wasn’t a week where he wasn’t babysitting at least three of his friends children

But sometimes he would watch Tae teaching Haneul to dance standing on his toes, or see Hoseok playing hide and seek with Seojoon, and he would feel this strange ache in his heart

When they found out Yoongi’s wife was pregnant, they considered not going through with the pregnancy, but ultimately decided against it after one of the members let slip that Yoongi’s wife was pregnant and then all of the kids ran up to Yoongi with eyes as big as dinner plates, asking eagerly if they were going to have another little sister.

As soon as Yoongi saw Yoona for the first time, he realised how stupid he was for not wanting children earlier. but he was almost grateful that he hadn’t had them earlier, because if he had then they wouldn’t be Yoona. And Yoona is perfect.

She’s babied by the entire group. Mina and Haewon are only five when she’s born and they love playing with her. She’s never left alone for a moment — like Yoongi feared she would be since all of the other kids were so close in age and Yoona was so much younger.

All of the children want their chance to play with Yoona and even the members love being able to play with a baby again after their children had outgrown it.

If Yoona ever tries to start dating… oh boy.

just to recap, the couples are...

↳ Kim Haneul and Park Jihae

↳ Kim Namgyu and Jeon Mina

↳ Jung Seojoon and Kim Haewon

#yandere bts #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts fic #bts x reader #bts scenarios #bts taehyung #bts namjoon #bts jin #bts hoseok #bts yoongi #bts jimin #bts jungkook #yandere kpop #bts imagines #yandere x reader #mfeeu #bts headcanons

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metamorphosesrp · 3 years

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THE ROTH FAMILY

Based on the series Succession, this is a request for THE ROTHS, the family behind the shadowy MORPHOS CORP. If the Impact of 1999 is the blood in the water, then the Roth family are the sharks that followed. Arriving from Washington D.C. for the feast, they established the Genesis research facility in 2000 and have been using it for the last 21 years to explore the depths of the Novum Stretch as well as to conduct top secret experiments on how the Stretch affects plants, animals, and people.

Their company, Morphos Corp, was originally established in 1971 by family patriarch Charles Roth. Since its inception, Morphos has had a diverse portfolio dealing in government contracting (military, weapons, security) and pharmaceuticals. Their research on the Stretch is their latest power grab, as they secretly seek to monetize/weaponize their findings. Click here for more on the Morphos subplot.

The TL;DR of them is this: they’re rich, they’re ruthless, and they won’t leave until they get what they’ve come for. Even as the Backburns’ and town hall’s disdain for them grows, Arkney and Bellmore have become severely dependent on the money, jobs, and prestige Morphos and the Roths have brought to the area, and the Roths know and leverage this. The patriarch has dictated that each of his children fan out and insinuate themselves in different parts of Arkney and Bellmore society to increase the family’s presence and hold on the area.

If you’re interested in playing any of the available roles in this request, please reach out to any of the admins on Discord, once our server is open! Note that it is not necessary to have seen the show to participate, though it’s highly recommended for the vibes! See the group pin board for even more vibes.

Full blurbs for the roles can be found below!

THE LOGAN Charles Roth, 80 Written by Mady

THE LOGAN is no other than the founder and CEO of Morphos, Charles Roth. Charles may have come from some relative privilege but he has taken whatever wealth he was born with and tripped it, then did it again and again. After joining the military, he started his own business, Morphos.. The Morphos corporation has grown and with it his own, and the Roths at large, prominence. He is a ruthless man, cruel when necessary, manipulative, clever and driven above all else. He puts his business and family name above all else and is willing to kill for what he wants. Not the forgiving type, he's a formidable father, boss and possessive leader of the Roth family.

FC: Donald Sutherland

THE MARCIA 50-70 Reserved for Hobie

Third wife of Charles Roth, THE MARCIA is not to be underestimated. Having gained her own wealth in pharmaceuticals, she and Charles met through business and they were attracted to one another's power, wealth, and intelligence. MARCIA is unsympathetic, and at times antagonist, with Charles' children. Appreciating a man that has worked for what he has, she thinks of his adult children as spoiled, ungrateful, leeches on their father's hard earned legacy. The two have been married for ten years and she's fiercely loyal but more than capable of looking out for herself in this nest of vipers.

FC: Charlotte Rampling

THE CONNOR 42-50 Open

While the oldest of the four Roth siblings, THE CONNER doesn’t exactly act like it. He’s prone to frequent flights of fancy and, though he thinks himself highly effective, he mostly is anything but. He has the least influence on family and company dealings and occasionally has to be asked to cease and desist for the sake of preserving the Roth’s and Morphos’ reputation. THE CONNER is also Charles’ son from his first marriage and, as such, does not share a mother with his younger brothers and sister. What he’s doing now (read: his next big likely-to-be-doomed venture) is up to the player.

Suggested FCs: Alexander Skarsgård (pictured), Michael Shannon, Jon Hamm, Hugh Dancy, Bill Hader, Matt Bomer

THE KENDALL Jasper Roth, 40 Written by Vive

As THE KENDALL, Jasper is the hapless, over-achieving, by-the-books second son who once had Big Dreams™ of taking over as Morphos’ CEO upon his father’s retirement. However, that all went out the window five months ago when he found his then-lover was using him to get kompromat on the company and Jasper went to his dad for “help” (read: because of this, his then-lover was killed). His guilt, shame, heartbreak, and captivity to Charles’ whims has turned him into an increasingly run-down version of his former golden boy self, and he has been coping with a return to drug use.

FC: Daniel Brühl

THE ROMAN Remy Roth, 35 Written by Grim

As THE ROMAN, Remy has had a nice life coasting off of his family's name and their overall success. Spending a lot of his time partying, schmoozing, and generally just testing people's nerves with his sass, the time has come for him to pull his weight for once. Remy's easy-going nature is nothing when compared to his work ethic, a hidden gem that has driven him to impressive social heights. So now he's learning he's much more than just the family name and is working on 'coolifying' the town, in his eldest brother's words. A entrepreneur and restaurateur, he's already established a local brunch eatery and is working on starting a nightclub to breathe some real fun into an otherwise dismal town.

FC: Daniel Radcliffe

THE SHIV Anthea Roth, 33 Written by Lina

The youngest of the four siblings but, arguably, the most put-together and capable one. THE SHIV has always had a hand grasping her father's sleeve, seeking his approval and admiration at the cost of her own independence. She's swallowed down dreams of travel and creative exploration in favor of being the Good Girl, and she's chiseled down her softness to a sharp point; twisting her empathy into a tool for finding weak spots in her opposition. Engaged to THE TOM but she chose him with her family in mind rather than her own heart. Commitment is hard without real attachment and she's seeing someone else, someone local, on the side.

She once worked for Morphos but has recently carved out a piece of the Town Hall, working as a Communications Advisor for the Mayor's Office. She handles their optics and engagements with the towns – all behind-the-scenes, of course. THE LOGAN expects her to report back and keep him apprised of the inner workings of local politics, and she's happy to do so.

FC: Elizabeth Debicki

THE TOM 30-35 Open

Appearances have always mattered to THE TOM — how he feels about himself is refracted in how others perceive him. He's caught up in the heights of wealth and status, believing that it's the secret to a good life. He comes from an upper class background, not anywhere close to Roth-level affluence but enough to be disconnected from the “real world”. Engaged to THE SHIV and while he loves her, that love is compounded with greed, insecurity and desperation. Often lashes out at those “under” him, like COUSIN GREG, to assert himself and take back control. He has secured a position on the Morphos PR & Legal team, some would say through special treatment and they certainly aren’t wrong. Up to you if he’s fit for the job, or if he’s coasting by on his fiancées name.

Suggested FCs: Trevante Rhodes (pictured), Jon Kortajarena, Alfonso Herrera, Ben Barnes, Aldis Hodge, Manny Montana

THE COUSIN GREG 21-27 Open

The COUSIN GREG is the son of Charles Roth’s estranged sister. Very much green in all regards, they have (clumsily) insinuated themselves in the family’s business to secure a job and have been #trying to do what they must to keep that job. At first glance, COUSIN GREG isn’t much—they are naive, overly optimistic, and do not share the family’s ruthless instincts. However, they are not to be underestimated, as they are in fact listening, learning, and biding their time to make their own moves. Is basically the glorified assistant to THE TOM.

Gender is open and character can be biracial.

Suggested FCs: Charles Melton (pictured), Zazie Beetz, Jordan Fisher, Sasha Lane, Sean Teale, Laura Harrier, Xavier Dolan, Noami Scott, Gavin Leatherwood, Ashley Moore

THE GERRI 55-65 Open

THE GERRI has been working for the Roths for several decades and is currently serving as Morphos’ Director of PR & Legal. They are very much loyal to Charles Roth and the company, and work as his general counsel on all matters of decision-making. Loyalty aside, however, THE GERRI has been around the block and knows how the game works. They are not above making their own allegiances with those that suit their purposes and are astute in hedging their bets to ensure they land on the winning side no matter what. Vaguely a warped parent-ish figure to the Roth children, with some wine aunt vibes.

Suggested FCs: Viola Davis (pictured), Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, Salma Hayek, Marisa Tomei, Monica Bellucci, Demi Moore

THE RAVA 34-40 Open

THE RAVA is married to THE KENDALL and has been around the family for several years. Though she loves and cares about Jasper and vice versa, their marriage has largely become one of convenience. Beyond this, the details of her life are open and discussable with Jasper’s player (vive). They could be separated or approaching divorce, she could be cool with his affair or not or not know, they could have kids that she mostly raises or not, etc.

Suggested FCs: Oona Chaplin (pictured), Sofia Boutella, Hannah John-Kamen, Alexa Davalos

#morphosrp #dev

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fxkthatdairy · 4 years

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Look After Me: Chapter One~ Ethan Dolan

OVERVIEW: (Y/N) Houck holds a special place in many people’s hearts. She doesn’t take shit from anyone, she works hard for her success, and she makes people want to be a better version of themselves when they’re with her. She’s also a crackhead. And Ethan Dolan loves her for it. Growing up, (Y/N) and her older brother was very close. That means that when Kyle decided that he was going to move to LA to pursue his dreams, his 19-year-old sister (Y/N), went along with him. They moved into a small apartment in downtown LA and when Kyle began filming for the twins (Y/N) followed behind them. Through the many days of filming, the group got extremely close. After a few months of living in LA, (Y/N) meets 22-year-old Zachary Lewis, and they began dating. When she finds out his true identity what does she do? Who does she confide in the most? Does she fall for the man who truly fell in love with her?

Warnings: Angst, Cheating, drug usage, heavy language, fights, mentions of depression, and much more

Collaboration with @dickdowndolan

(Y/N) Houck has always been far different from her brother. She’s abnormally short, juxtaposing greatly to her brother who (much to her annoyance) closely resembles a beanstalk. She’s also never been the typical skinny California girl, she has curves and a tummy that she at times, has a very love-hate relationship with. She would often be described as overwhelmingly sassy, but she knows what she wants and what she wants she gets. It’s this determination that has allowed her to become a big success in the corporate world. (Y/N) Houck created a company that works alongside other businesses to help find the most ethical and sustainable ways to produce products. She’s only 19 and she’s already proving herself to be a boss ass bitch.

But there’s a different side of the youngest Houck sibling, one that rarely anyone ever gets the privilege to see. More times than not, she chooses to be very secluded in how she handles her emotions, she doesn’t always like to share her thoughts or feelings. (Y/N) has always been scared of how people would react if she were to share how she really felt. The only person she has ever been completely vulnerable with about her true mental obstacles is her older brother, Kyle. While her brother was three years her senior, they are often assumed to be fraternal twins based on how close they are. So when Kyle made the big decision to move to Los Angeles and pursue his dreams in photography and videography, she was bound to follow him. She now stands in the middle of the apartment that she shares with her brother, tired from the long journey from Washington to Los Angeles. Kyle had been moving their boxes in from the car while she was supposed to be unpacking them when he notices his sister standing silently, looking around at the view of the city from the window in their new empty living room.

“What’s wrong, Simba?” He questioned using her childhood nickname, an ode to their shared love of the Lion King.

“Nothing, everything is just different is all. I feel like it’s gonna take some adjustment,” she exasperates loudly, taking the box that was in his hands and placing it on the kitchen counter.

“A good different, or bad different?”

“Good different, I just have a feeling,” She said with a smile.

Two weeks later, the two were officially settled into their apartment and it had come to the time that Kyle would start working as a videographer for the Dolan Twins youtube channel. He decided to bring (Y/N) along simply because she had yet to make any friends in LA and he didn’t want her to be alone. So with that in mind, he trudged into his sister’s room at around 6:00am to drag her out of the house to help behind the scenes. The only problem with his plan is that the one thing about his sister that has been consistent since birth is that she is not, nor will she ever be a morning person.

“Come on (Y/N), time to get your lazy ass up,” Kyle roused turning on her bedroom light.

“Fuck off, asshole, 30 more minutes,” comes her voice from under the pile of blankets at the center her bed.

Kyle then lets out a sigh and walks over to the bed, yanking the blanket from her clutch and exposing her to the light of day. In tandem, he also exposes her body to the cold temperature of their apartment because the air conditioning is broken, stuck full blast until maintenance decides to come fix it.

“Knowing you, it’s going to take a whole hour and a half for you to get ready and we need to leave by 8:00 so get up Simba,”

“It’s cold as fuck in here, you’re lucky I’m way to tired to go and whoop your ass, Mufasa,” she says throwing her legs over the side of her bed and standing to stretch out her tired muscles.

“Be ready by 8, we are leaving at 8:05,” she hears following the slamming of her door.

(Y/n) then walked over to the bathroom and looked at her disheveled state in the mirror. She shrugged her shoulders, not caring about her appearance at the moment, and grabbed her toothbrush beginning to brush her teeth. She turned on the shower, setting the water temperature to something that wasn’t extremely hot but also not freezing. She rinsed her mouth off in the sink and then stripped of her pajamas, stepping into the shower. She quickly washed her hair and body, took the time to shave her legs, and got out of the shower. She dried herself off before putting on her undergarments and sliding on a pair of black distressed jeans. She threw on a light grey loose tank top and topped it with a jean jacket. She brushed her hair and straightened it a little and then applied minimal makeup that included a full face, eyeliner, and a nude lip with a glossy finish. Not necessarily minimal, but she made it look natural. By the time she finished getting ready, it was 7:55. She slid on a pair of checkered vans and grabbed her phone as well as her black bookbag with all of her belongings and headed into the living room.

“I’M READY,” she yelled from the couch as her brother exited his bedroom, carrying his giant duffel bag full of filming equipment.

“Okay let’s go then,” he said and they both exited the apartment, making sure to lock it behind them.

An hour later (fuck LA traffic, honestly, the drive was supposed to take 15 minutes) they’re pulling into the twin’s driveway to start filming. Looking out the window she sees an array of expensive cars, and a house that she could never even imagine being able to afford, even with all the success of her new company. But the nice house and fancy cars aren’t what caught her eye. What caught her eye was the two beautiful and identical men standing on the porch smiling and waving at them as Kyle parked the car. Even though the two men appeared to be identical, (Y/N) was able to notice tiny differences between the pair like the slight difference in figure, and the mole on only one of their chins.

Still sitting in the car, Kyle rolls the window down to talk to the pair as he puts the car in park.

“Hey guys, I hope you don’t mind but I brought my sister today, I didn’t want her lonely ass sitting at home all day and I thought she could get some human interactions beside me. (Y/N), meet Ethan and Grayson. Grayson and Ethan, meet (Y/N).” Kyle said,

“Nice to meet you two,” She said while reaching down to grab her bag from the floorboard of the car.

“Nice to meet you as well, I’m Ethan by the way, you’ll learn to tell us apart quickly,’’ he responds with a laugh.

“Good thing I learn quick, I can already tell you guys apart. Grayson has a mole on his chin and the dangly earring that you have a good enough fashion sense to know is a bad idea. It’s not hard,”

“You hurt me (Y/N),” Grayson says, hand clutching over his shirt where his heart is, “you really hurt me.”

“Hey Simba, you mind grabbing the duffel out of the trunk for me?” Kyle hollered over the roof of the car as they both opened their doors to get out.

(Y/N) nodded and grabbed the bag, walking up to face the twins.

“Simba?” Ethan inquires pointing at (Y/N), eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, the Lion King was our favorite growing up,” Kyle answers while secretly bending over to get some mud from the ground. He then quickly grabs (Y/N) from behind starting to sing the starting notes to The Circle Of Life (he’s off-key but no one cares) and smears the mud on (Y/N)’s forehead.

Kyle continues to sing as he runs away from an angry (Y/N). As he gets to the chorus, Ethan catches (Y/N) mid stride, monkey thrusting her ass into the air just like in the opening scene of the movie. Many would say that this is a weird way for a first interaction to unfold, but that’s what makes their dynamic so special. It felt like they had all been friends their whole lives. Their group chemistry was instant and was full of chaotic energy. They were all crackheads, and they each fed off of their group chaos.

Throughout the next couple months they all got closer and closer. They filmed videos of course, but they also began to hangout outside of filming as well. They were all together when (Y/N) met a vlogger named Zach. Ethan and Grayson were skeptical of him because they had previously heard some shady things about him at some of the events they had been to. But Zach and (Y/N) on the other hand, they hit it off instantly. So well that they had agreed to go on a date later that week.

In the beginning, (Y/N) and Zach’s relationship was similar to that of a film worthy love story. (Y/N) fell hard for Zach and he fell for her in return. They were in love, they had the kind of us against the world mindset that people crave to have with another person. Many times, (Y/N) had to prove this mindset. The problem with Zach was that he was a disguised clout chaser. A Logan Paul trying so unbelievably hard to be a David Dobrik. There was a craze in the tabloids suspecting Zach's infidelity, possible drug use, and desire to exploit the success of (Y/N)’s company as well as her friendship with the twins. But regardless, she stuck with him through all of it. He made her feel special and he made her feel wanted. No matter how many times Grayson, Ethan, or Kyle expressed their concern she repeated that to herself, and honestly she believed it too.

She pushed their concerns aside as she was reassured over and over again by Zach that he loved her, that they were meant to be. So many times she would be questioned or told not to when she mentioned going over to the twins or spending the day with her brother.

“I don’t want you hanging out with the twins, baby, they always fill your head with doubts about my feelings for you,” Zach brought up one night as (Y/N) was getting herself ready to head over to the twin’s house to film a video.

“Babe, I can’t stop hanging out with my friends. I just ignore them most of the time when they say anything about you, trust me I know you love me. Now I've got to go so that I won’t be late for the shoot, love you,” she told him real quick and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Zach felt extremely hurt that she just walked away like that, in his mind, her going to the twins house was the equivalent of her not caring about him. So he grabbed a beer from his fridge and downed it.He was pissed, he had been a lot lately. Zach knew that he had been acting up, but he’s pushed himself far past the point of caring. He knew he should have dealt with his issues long ago, but with (Y/N) he had a distraction so he didn’t need to. He knew that he was losing her, so he decided that if he really was going to lose her, she would need to feel the pain that he does.

Overtime, (Y/N) grew her own suspicions aside from just his jealousy. These suspicions led to many fights, but she was determined to make it work. That is, until one night when she was at her lowest and all she wanted was her boyfriend to make it better. She needed him to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that the stress of her company was going to be worth it, she needed him to tell her that despite everything she was hearing, he was there and with her for the right reasons.

Unfortunately, when she walked into his apartment holding the key that he had given her on their one year, she had another thing coming. Opening the door (Y/N) heard the noises that she had thought Zach had reserved for only when the two of them were together. Walking further into the apartment, she saw a sight she would never be able to erase from her mind. There Zach was, fucking his assistant from behind on the kitchen counter, not even stoping when he saw her standing there.

Looking at her dead in the eyes, he said words that, after all they had been through, truly broke her. “Why do you look so shocked, babe? You ignored the tabloids. You knew you were never good enough for me, I just needed the money from your company to get my youtube career to where I wanted it to be. Now that I have what I need from you, I don’t need to pretend to be in love with your clingy ass anymore. I feel free as hell. You can see yourself out right? Leave my key on the counter”

The entire time (Y/N) said nothing. She didn’t know how she had let this happen, how she could believe Zach over the people that have never done anything but be completely honest with her. She ignored the warnings from the people that she loves, the people that she trusts, only to find out that it was all for nothing. She quickly took the key off her keychain and threw it at Zach and his assistant (who was still taking her now ex boyfriends dick up her ass) and swiftly turned around, walking out of his apartment without a single word.

She didn’t know where to go. She didn’t feel like it was safe for her to drive in her current emotional state. That really limited her options on where she could go, but she knew there was only one place that she really wanted to be anyway. So she started walking. The way she moved was almost mechanical. She just kept putting one foot in front of the other while tears were streaming down her face, mixing with the cold rain. It was like the universe just knew how shitty she felt at that moment and just decided that in spite of LA’s predisposition to clear and semi warm nights, it seemed suitable to downpour and reflect how she felt inside.

Despite her tendency to block out her own emotions, what she was feeling at that moment was too strong. (Y/N) felt everything, she felt pain and betrayal and anger and self doubt. Anything that she could feel, she felt in that moment.

So when that same driveway that she and her brother pulled up to only a year and a half ago came into view, she felt some reassurance. It was reassuring to know that despite how much she felt like her life had gone to shit in the past couple hours, she always had Ethan and Grayson.

With that, she pounded on the door of the twins house, she would have called but she left her phone in her car which was still parked in front of Zach’s house. Her only hope was that her pounding on the door would wake one of the twins up.

Little did she know, Ethan and Grayson were inside looking at each other holding baseball bats, ready to call 9-1-1 when they saw her through a crack in their curtains. They swung open the door to see one of their best friends in a state of such heartbreak, and looked at each other silently vowing to never let anything hurt her like this ever again.

With that, the pair rushed her inside and gave her privacy to shower and change out of her wet clothes before they all talked. She gets out of the shower feeling slightly better and sees the clothes they brought in for her on the toilet. Those ridiculous red basketball shorts that E used to wear way too often and a black crewneck. She got dressed and headed out to the living room where the twins were seated on the couch whispering quietly.

“(Y/N), what the hell happened?” Ethan asked as she sat down on the couch looking back and forth between her two friends.

At that, all composure that she gained since she walked into their house was gone. She started to tear up as she tried to explain what happened between sobs.

“I-I’m not good enough, and I’m never gonna be. I probably deserve this. You guys all warned me too. But I didn’t want to listen, I wanted it to work so badly.”

“Who made you feel this way, (Y/N)? What’s going on?” Gray asked furrowing his brows.

“Zach and I broke up,” (Y/N) paused to take a shaky breath, “I went to his apartment because I had a really shit day and I needed him. But when I got there he was fucking his assistant on the kitchen counter. He didn’t even stop when he saw me standing there. It hurts so fucking bad guys, I think he really broke me.”

Both boys took a minute to respond, not surprised in the slightest, their lack of immediate answer was more so that they could reign in their tempers. Ethan is the first to respond, cupping (Y/N)’s face in his large hands and wiping a few falling tears with his thumbs.

“Listen to me,” he demands softly, “this is not your fault, you hear me? The only person to blame here is Zach, he made a choice. He made the wrong choice because he hurt you, but he made that choice. None of this is your fault, you did nothing wrong, this is all on him.” he comforts as he pulls (Y/N) into his chest and sharing another pointed look with Grayson, who’s still making efforts to control his temper.

When he’s finally able to think past his anger, Grayson pulls (Y/N)’s legs onto his lap and exhales loudly as he begins to speak, “We love you so much, (Y/N). I’m so sorry that he did this to you, no one deserves this and especially not you. We’re gonna make sure you’re okay, this isn’t what will break you. You’re so strong, you’re going to be okay, we’ll make sure of it.”

Following Grayson’s words, the three of them sit there in silence just holding each other until they all fall asleep on the couch. (Y/N) curled into Ethan’s chest with her legs sprawled across Gray’s lap, surrounding her in a blanket of support as they drifted to sleep.

They were all peacefully asleep until the next morning when Kyle burst in screaming, “Does someone feel like telling me why the fuck I just got a call saying the car’s been towed?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys! This series has been in the works for a while 😊. I’m so proud of it and I’m proud of my friend Jamie for helping me write this series. I hope you guys truly enjoy the series and if you would like to be on the tag list let me know 😊 As always if you have any requests or concepts let me know and I love you all. Be safe xoxo

Tags: @graydolan12 @graysavant

#Ethan Dolan series #Ethan Dolan x Reader #Ethan Dolan angst #Ethan Dolan smut #Ethan Dolan imagine #LAM!Ethan #ethan dolan fluff #Ethan Dolan #Dolan Twins series #Dolan Twins angst #kyle houck #Dolan Twins Smut #Dolan Twins imagines #Grayson Dolan #Grayson Dolan Series #collaboration #writer

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sunsetminho · 4 years

Text

handhold – h.hyunjin

summary: it’s your first time flying alone, and the thought of it makes you nervous. luckily, the boy sitting next to you has a big heart.

pairings: reader x hwang hyunjin (stray kids)

word count: 2.7k

warnings: anxiousness about flying, otherwise nothing!

a/n: this is my first fanfic and i’m starting off with something very cute, hope you all enjoy <3

When the calls for check-in started ringing through the speakers, you stood up from the spot you’d been sitting in for the past hour and stretched with a groan. You had been sitting cross-legged by the charging outlet, on the floor, and you felt and heard your knees crack as you stood.

“Check-in for Flight no. 348 at Counter 3–,”

You packed up your phone and carefully folded up your earphones, before sticking both items into the pocket of your jeans, and then taking out your passport. After making sure you had everything, you started heading towards the counter.

It felt familiar to you, even though you’d only flown overseas one other time—on your trip here, from Korea to L.A, for college. Your first year of schooling had finished, and you were on your way back to Seoul to see your family during the Summer. But even though you’d done this before, and you knew what to do, you were still nervous, because when you’d flown here, your mother had accompanied you. Just to make sure that you got settled in okay—it was a completely different country, after all, and since your mother had grown up in L.A, she had no trouble helping you out.

“Check-in for Flight no. 348 at Counter 3–,” the speakers repeated, and you hurried on over, picking up your pace to get in the line behind the three other people who had arrived crazily early, like you. When it got to your turn in the line, though, the man at the counter went through the routine things, helping you check in your single suitcase, and then he got a call, during which he talked in low tones and kept glancing up at you. Once he put down the phone, he told you to hold on, and then ran off to talk to the lady at the next desk down. You just watched in confusion, and stood there awkwardly. Had you brought something that was suspicious, or that you shouldn’t have brought? Was your bag overweight? No, that wasn’t possible, you’d weighed it at your dorm and it was fine—

“Miss,” The man said as he returned, looking a tiny bit more puffed than he had been before, “Since you’re travelling alone, how would you feel about being upgraded to Business class? We have a—uh, situation and it would do us a big favour—,”

You couldn’t help but sag in relief as you took in what he was saying, “Of course that’s fine, why wouldn’t it be? Thank you.” The man looked extremely relieved as well, and then he started typing away at the computer, and at last, after having stood there for a good twenty minutes, he handed you your boarding pass, and then saw you off with a smile and wave.

The boarding pass, with ‘Business Class’ written in fancy silver letters at the top, seemed far too prestigious for your hands; you were a college student who would’ve definitely not been able to afford this and you suddenly felt extremely special. Feeling that way then made you feel kind of silly, so you quickly shook it off.

But then you realised that having a Business Class seat meant that you could go into the Business Class Lounge—and then those thoughts of feeling special returned in full force. This time, you didn’t bother to push them away, because you were too overwhelmed with genuine excitement.

After making it through security and customs, you rushed to the Business Lounge. You had an hour and a half to kill before the flight, and you were determined to spend it all in the Lounge, pigging out on ice-cream and those fancy cakes your friends always posted on Instagram whenever they travelled.

The woman at the entrance did a one-over of your ticket and then let you in—you excitedly found a nice couch to sit in, dropped off your too-heavy backpack and then headed right to the ice-cream and dessert fridge. It was far too easy to pick out what you wanted. You just grabbed one of everything, one of every flavour, one of every dessert there was, and then you nestled back into the couch, at the corner of the space, and put your earphones in, sinking into the pillows and feeling like you’d just peaked in life.

After a tiring year at school, you felt like this was the universe rewarding you for your hard work, and the thought just made you shovel cakes into your mouth even faster. But not ten minutes later, somebody said to you, their voice muffled by the music, “Can I—uh—sit here? The other—um—tables are full.”

You pulled out your earphones and glanced up from your plate to meet the eyes of a tall boy, who was awkwardly standing with his two bags at the table next to yours, eyeing up your ice-cream.

Putting a subtle, protective arm around your food, you quickly swallowed your full mouth of cake and then responded, “Yeah, sure, no one is sitting here.” You smiled a bit, just to make sure you weren’t coming across as too nonchalant. As he smiled thankfully, sat down and adjusted his things, you got a chance to get a good look at him.

He was very good-looking, around your age, with blonde-ish brown hair and dark eyes, skin clearer than a sunny day. He smiled at you when he noticed you looking, and you bit your lip in slight embarrassment as you ended up blurting out, “How come you haven’t gotten any food?”

“Um, I ate, earlier,” He said, seeming to stumble through his English a bit…maybe he wasn’t from around here? “But I will—,” and then he suddenly switched to Korean, “get some ice cream later, probably.” Even though you barely noticed it, since you could speak both languages and had grown up with both, with your Korean father and American mother, he immediately realised his mistake and blushed. He quickly added in English, “Sorry, I’m…” He was lost for words, unsure of how to express what he meant, and he quickly flushed in frustration.

“It’s okay,” You said in Korean, offering him an understanding smile, and the moment he heard those words he sagged in relief, his eyes lighting up, “I speak Korean, too. I just came to L.A. for college. Where are you from?”

He seemed much more comfortable now, his body language relaxed and his expression less tense, “I’m from Korea, too. I came with some, uh, friends, but I missed the flight and now I’m flying later than them. That’s a lot of cake, by the way.” He glanced down at the multiple plates on your table with an amused glimmer in his eyes. “Oh, um—yeah, it is,” You said, and then bit your lip, unsure of what else to say, “Well, enjoy your ice cream, I guess.” You pulled out your laptop and pulled up your favourite Netflix show to watch, just so that you wouldn’t have to make the boy feel like he was obligated to talk to you. Also, you just really wanted to watch Netflix, after having little to no time during exam season.

You decided to head out of the lounge after you were finished your food. Yes, both plates of cakes and bowl of assorted ice-cream flavours, just to be at the gate early, get on the plane early, and take full advantage of the Business class privileges as soon as possible. As you were packing up your things, you unintentionally caught a bit of the conversation that the boy next to you was having on the phone, in very fast, urgent Korean:

“Hyung, I’m sorry, I’m already in the terminal, I’ll get on the next flight I can, I promise, no, no, I won’t miss the show, I’ll be there I promise just—I’m sorry,” He said in a low voice, focused on his conversation. He kept chewing on his lip, too, and your curiosity was piqued as you wondered what he could possibly be missing that was so important—exams, perhaps? No, but it was summer break now, even in Korea…

However, you brushed that away and decided that it was none of your business, before picking up your things. You hesitated a bit before slipping off, wondering if you should disturb the boy and say goodbye, but decided against it, and just headed out of the lounge with your bag.

*** Hwang Hyunjin groaned when he turned off the phone, and then groaned again when he turned around and realised that you were gone from your seat. Your empty plates and bowls were still there, but you were nowhere to be found. He kicked himself for not being brave enough to ask for your number, or at least just your name. He’d really wanted to see you again...

Too late now, though.

He heaved a heavy sigh and then swore internally—did Chan have to call at the exact time you’d decided to go? Any other time and it would’ve been fine…

Whatever. Too late now, anyway.

***

As you made your way down the aisle to your seat—third row, aisle seat, you kept repeating to yourself—you tried not to bump into the many flight attendants who were rushing around, directing passengers to their seats, passing drinks to the other business class passengers, and just bustling about doing their job.

You found yourself feeling very self-conscious, seeing as most of the people in the other seats in the business class section were all dressed in fancy blazers, reading newspapers. And then there was you, in your college’s grey hoodie, and black leggings, your hair no doubt a mess, looking extremely ordinary. Not only that, but you were definitely the youngest one here—even though you doubted that anyone cared about your appearance.

You approached your seat and took off your backpack, sitting down in your seat and then slipping your bag under the seat in front of you. You also did a quick check of your phone, simultaneously patting down your hoodie pocket to ensure that your passport and wallet were still safe.

You hadn’t even noticed the person next to you, too afraid to talk to a stranger, until they tapped you on the shoulder and exclaimed in fluent Korean, “Hey, you’re the girl I sat next to in the lounge!”

You whipped around, and sure enough it was him, the boy from the lounge earlier, and your eyes lit up. It was probably relief that burst through you at the sight of him, because even though you weren’t familiar with him, at least you wouldn’t have to sit next to a completely unfamiliar, older, and far more mature adult. That would’ve been far more awkward.

Even though you doubted they’d care. But even though you tried to hide your nerves, being on the plane, especially alone, made you feel a tiny bit anxious—you hoped there wouldn’t be too much turbulence. “Hey!” You exclaimed, turning around fully to face him, once again taking in his incredibly beautiful face, “I was going to say goodbye, but you were on the phone…”

“I know, I’m sorry,” He said, shaking his head slightly, “My friend called me just to check on me, so I never did get your name…”

“It’s Y/N,” You said, smiling, and when he did the same, you swore your heart skipped a beat. He was far too pretty—even though he wasn’t wearing anything fancy. In fact, he was dressed in a hoodie and jeans. This time, he was wearing a beanie that covered his blonde-ish brown hair. Sure, he was dressed very ordinarily, but still… “What’s your name?”

“Hyunjin,” He said very excitedly, seeming to be ecstatic at seeing you again, “Oh, my god, I thought I wouldn’t see you ever again and I really wanted to talk to you more.”

You flushed, flattered at his remark. He probably meant nothing of it; it was probably just an off-handed comment, but you still felt the heat rise to your cheeks, “I’m glad to see you again, too, Hyunjin.”

The two of you shared some light conversation, and it flowed easily between you. For some reason, it was easy to talk to Hyunjin, even though you often found it hard to socialise, especially with strangers. But you talked about everything—your life in L.A and your life in Korea, and he talked all about his friends and his home in Korea. He was very charismatic and bright, and you found that to be a nice change from the dreary environment of the college campus for the past few weeks, what with everybody being so drained from the exams. At some point, a flight attendant came and gave the both of you some pineapple juice, and you took it gratefully.

When the message came through on the intercom that the plane was about to take off, though, your nerves suddenly peaked and your words became stiffer. You could tell that Hyunjin had noticed, what with his eyebrows creasing in concern whenever you had to ask him to repeat a question because you were too distracted from your stress to hear him. He didn’t say anything until the plane started moving, the lights in the cabin dimmed, and you immediately grabbed hold of the armrests on either side of the chair you were in. “Y/N, hey, you alright?” He asked, shooting you a concerned look, turning his gaze away from the small airplane T.V and to you, instead. “Do you feel sick?”

“No, no, I’m okay,” You reassured him, trying to appear as calm as you could, “I’m just—,” but when the sound of the engine became louder, the plane speeding up to take-off, you gritted your teeth and couldn’t continue with your explanation. Instead, you focused on your breathing, staying calm. It wasn’t the thought of flying itself that scared you. Instead, it was the feeling of the inertia slamming into you, and the feeling of your stomach dropping during turbulence, that really made you anxious.

Hyunjin turned his whole body to face you, appearing completely unbothered by the velocity of the plane, and when the aircraft started to lift-off, you sucked in a breath and then audibly whimpered, shutting your eyes.

Suddenly, you wished Hyunjin would look away because you didn’t want him to think lesser of you—he probably thought you were a coward, and a weirdo, and you didn’t want this boy you’d just met (and found very cute)

Oh my god this is so embarrassing, why am I like this—

But rather than hearing a remark making fun of your fear, or a judgemental snicker, you suddenly felt Hyunjin’s hands taking yours and squeezing them gently. He laced your fingers with his, and the warmth of his hands made your cheeks blush the colour of a pale sunset.

“It’s alright,” He said, and when you finally opened your eyes, you met his gaze—he was smiling, and he gave your hand a comforting squeeze, “If you feel scared, I’ll hold your hand.”

The plane jolted a bit, and you squeaked.

“Hey, don’t worry,” He said reassuringly, “I’m here, just focus on the feeling of my hand, alright? We’ll be okay.”

You closed your eyes and leant towards him, and he wrapped his other arm around you gently, holding you. You took in the warmth of his hand, and the feeling of his arm around you, and the comfort of the circles he was rubbing into your back, and you finally steadied your breathing.

He held you, and didn’t say a thing—just leant you a hand and his smile, and it was enough.

Maybe this—all of this, being upgraded to Business class, then meeting Hyunjin, and then sitting next to him—maybe this was the universe rewarding you.

Whatever it was, you couldn’t be more grateful. You smiled as the plane steadied, and you finally opened your eyes.

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