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hb-writes · 3 months

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A Familiar Tune

Summary: It’s 1924 in the Little Lady Blinderverse. When Isiah and his girlfriend have a very public break up at the Garrison, Clara tries to make him feel better.

Characters: Isiah Jesus and Clara Shelby

Content Warnings: Break ups suck. Some swearing, some drinking, some smoking, mentions of sex. The typical peaky content.

Tell me what y'all think! Reviews and comments are always appreciated. 😌❤️

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Peaky Blinders (Non-Shelby!Sister) Masterlist

—

"Come on, Clara. It's our birthday."

“He’s fine.”

“Isiah can handle himself.”

Clara knew it was true. Michael and Finn were right, even if they were both drunk and being right assholes about the whole thing. Finn had even laughed, a bit of his drink spit across the table when Isiah stormed out.

Clara had tried to smack her brother upside the head in retribution then, but Finn had stopped her, the tightly wrapped fingers around her wrist easily able to quell the attack. Part of her had wanted to go for another swing with her free hand, but then she remembered Isiah.

She remembered the look on his face when he’d left the pub and something ached in her chest, a pain worse than Finn’s hand squeezing her arm. Worse than whatever guilt she felt at leaving the little birthday celebration Finn had cobbled together for the two of them.

“Just leave it, Clara,” Michael said as he sipped from the glass of mild, calm as ever as he remained reclined in his chair.

Clara ignored the guidance as she wrenched her arm free from Finn’s grasp, pulling her coat and then Isiah’s up into her arms as she passed his empty chair.

His chair in the snug had been empty most of the night as he sat with Lisette and her friends on the other side of the pub. Lisette didn’t like being tucked away in a private room. She liked to see what was going on, liked to watch the dancing even if she didn’t ever want to dance herself, not like her sister who had Finn’s two left feet out on the dance floor most evenings.

Clara had sometimes wondered if the two of them ought to have switched dates when that bit of knowledge became known, but Clara had kept her mouth shut. The truth was she actually liked Lisette. Well, Clara liked Lisette better than her younger sister, Ada, anyway. She didn't have any interest in setting up Ada and Isiah.

She didn't really want Finn continuing his dalliance with the girl either, but Clara had a feeling things between Ada and Finn weren’t a love for the ages anyhow. How could they be with the girl sharing a name with their older sister? Clara wasn't sure how the name alone didn't weird him out...kissing someone with the same name as their Ada? And surely, the girl wasn't marriage material. There was only room enough in the world for one Ada Shelby.

But Clara kept those thoughts all to herself. Things would work themselves out before it got that far, Clara was certain.

Not that it mattered anyway, because Clara could tell from the beginning that Isiah liked Lisette better, too, something Clara understood, even if she wished she didn’t. Lisette was smart and beautiful and different from the girls who usually flocked to the boys. She was a bit older, for one. A bit more mature. And if it wasn’t for the fact that Clara made a conscious decision of keeping a bit of distance between herself and whoever any of the boys were dating, especially in the beginning stages, she might have thought of her as the type of person she could be friends with.

Even if it was clear that Lisette was the type of girl who was used to getting precisely what she wanted all the time. Some people might say Clara was the same—her family frequently alluded to the fact that she was spoiled in that way, but Clara knew how to negotiate. She knew how to read people, how to accommodate others.

From what she’d seen, Lisette didn’t want to do that even if she knew how.

Clara eyed the booth on the other side of the pub holding the group—Lisette, Ada, and a gaggle of their friends whose names Clara didn’t know—as she pushed through the crowds near the bar. It was clear they were all consoling Lisette in the wake of her breakup even as the rest of the pub had already moved on with their merrymaking, singing along and dancing to the familiar tune being sung from the makeshift stage at the back of the pub.

Clara had a vision of herself crossing the pub and shooing the lot of them away, calling in her status as a Shelby to bar them from the pub for all eternity, but a bit of cool air blasted through the front door, raising bumps on her arms and her mind remembered where her body was taking her on instinct, trailing in Isiah’s wake though she was already a few minutes behind him by now.

Clara shivered as she pushed out into the night, a curse slipping through her lips as the door swung shut behind her. She fumbled with the coats in her hand, realizing she should have slipped her own on before coming outside and she worked to slip her arm into it while keeping Isiah’s from touching the muddy ground.

It wasn’t a particularly long walk to Isiah’s house, but it would feel longer in the cold. Clara had successfully sheathed one arm when she heard her name, the sound of it so quiet and small it nearly hurt to hear, almost as if it wasn’t certain in its conviction. Wasn’t certain in wanting to be known.

Clara spun on her heel, steeling her face even as she remained tangled up in coats, one arm still bared to the elements. For a moment as she met Isiah’s eye, she wondered which one of them was trying harder to remain neutral, and she studied him as he took a silent drag from his cigarette, his breathing calm and deep, his countenance so unbothered, almost as if he and Lisette hadn’t just broken things off in front of everyone in the Garrison.

“That for me?” Isiah asked, gesturing toward the overcoat she held carelessly bundled in her arm.

He didn’t look cold, but Isiah was good at looking like things he wasn’t when he wanted to be—happy, unbothered, not cold. Even if Clara could see through it.

She stepped forward to hand it over and Isiah easily slipped his arms inside, his cigarette parked between his lips for the duration.

“It’s fucking freezing out here,” Clara said as she shoved her arm into the jacket and fumbled with the buttons, securing them all the way to the top.

Isiah shrugged and cleared the ash from the end of his cigarette. The truth was he was fucking freezing. His suit jacket still sat at Lisette’s table and he had realized his stupidity the moment he stepped outside. He had been too stubborn to go back inside, too stubborn even to roll down his shirt sleeves, and he tried to repress the shiver that skittered across his skin now.

It was then that Clara realized something looked off, that the familiar black overcoat wasn’t sitting on Isiah’s frame quite right, and she disappeared without a word, returning a moment later with the forgotten suit jacket dangling from her fingers.

Clara hadn’t said a word to the group of girls, simplying leaning around them and retrieving Isiah’s jacket with a tug before walking back out through the door.

Isiah mumbled his thanks as Clara held the jacket out to him, the pair of them quiet as he stripped out of the overcoat and passed it back to her waiting arms so he could get situated, the burning cigarette parked between his lips once again.

“Where do you want to go?” Clara asked once Isiah pulled the dwindling cigarette away from his mouth.

Isiah shook his head, clearing the ash. “It’s alright. You go back in.”

They were meant to be celebrating Finn and Clara’s impending birthdays, just a few days out. It had been Finn’s idea to celebrate both the weekend before and after, and he’d convinced Clara, but she hadn’t really cared. She was much more looking forward to celebrating with her family. Much more looking forward to Ada and Karl coming in for a short visit.

But this had been what Finn wanted, so she obliged.

“I’m not going back in without you,” she said. “And I’m not standing out here all night either,” she continued, her words picking up speed and force and a certain sharpness that was so familiar to Isiah it was nearly a comfort, a fair bit better than him listening to the annoying voice inside his head. “And don’t tell me you want to be alone either because I know—”

“I don’t,” Isiah answered, and Clara’s face softened, the corners of her mouth falling a bit.

“I’m sorry, Is,” she said after swallowing down the lump forming in her throat.

Isiah nodded. He knew she meant it, though he wasn’t sure what she was sorry about. The break up or the way it had happened or all of it or something else entirely. Clara could be odd like that, thinking about things that weren’t even on Isiah’s radar in a particular situation, but the intricacies of it didn’t matter, just that he knew it was sincere, could feel her concern more than he’d felt anything else lately, and it warmed him.

Isiah didn’t even know what he felt about the break up. Some part of him was numb, barely feeling it, even though they’d made a bit of a scene doing it in public like that. Isiah could have made it an even bigger scene. He could’ve put on an even bigger show, but he had let it be. He knew it wasn’t worth it. What he wanted didn’t matter, not when Finn was still seeing the sister.

“So what do you want to do?” Clara asked, a question Isiah would swear he hadn’t heard in ages. Not a single Blinder cared what he wanted and though his father solicited his opinion often enough, Isiah hadn’t been home for a meal with the man in what felt like ages now, not since he’d been dating Lisette, at least.

Lisette certainly hadn’t asked his opinions, used as she was to getting what she wanted. Isiah didn’t think it was malicious, just that it hadn’t occurred to her to consider someone else. Isiah had liked her well enough, and the sex had been good enough, that he’d convinced himself to go along with her whims. Some part of him was entranced by her and the ways he was so different from her that he’d been warmed to see her happy, even if it meant losing part of himself in her wants and her needs.

Clara was patient, remaining quiet as she waited on Isiah’s answer, already reading his desire as he stubbed out his cigarette and pushed off the wall.

“Let’s walk a bit.”

Clara waited for him to take the first step, waited for him to determine their course even if some part of her knew where he wanted to go. They were quiet, the pair of them with hands stuffed in their pockets as they walked to the end of Garrison Lane, turning off onto Watery Lane and stopping before number 6. Clara fished her key out of her pocket and handed it off to Isiah as they approached the darkened door.

Some part of Clara wondered if the key should have been Isiah’s anyway. He certainly spent more time in her childhood home than she did, but he wasn’t family—not blood, at least—and only her and her siblings and her aunt had keys to the family home.

Isiah passed the key back to her as he pushed open the door, holding it open and allowing Clara to pass over the threshold first. Isiah latched the door behind them before wordlessly moving to the fireplace where he started on getting it lit in the near dark.

Clara left him alone, navigating the first floor in the dark and returning a few minutes later with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey from John’s office in the shop. Isiah didn’t look away from the fire as she entered, his arms rested on his knees as he watched the flames.

Clara set aside the bottle and glasses, retrieving Isiah’s suit jacket and overcoat from where he’d discarded them on the floor and settling them on a hook by the stairs. Clara grabbed the whiskey and glasses as she moved back across the room. She plopped down on the floor beside him and immediately poured out two hefty servings in each of the glasses. Isiah hooked a finger in one glass, quickly pulling it over and knocking back the contents and setting it back down before Clara could even stopper the bottle.

Clara quickly moved to pour him another shot, but Isiah’s hand caught her wrist, his fingers gentle as he stopped her and guided the bottle from her hand, all the while his eyes remained on the fire, the warmth of it almost too hot on both of their faces.

Clara took a slow sip of her whiskey, trying not to hiss at the fiery sting in her throat. She’d been sipping mild all night and she wasn’t sure what was causing the sudden heat in her cheeks—the liquor or the flame or the words swirling in her head and her heart.

“I want to say something, but I don’t want you to get mad.”

Isiah snorted. “That’s a promising start.”

Clara sighed on the end of a deep breath, forcing herself to take another sip. She tried to keep the commentary on Isiah’s relationships to herself at this point. They’d had enough tiffs about it, that Clara had learned her opinion wasn’t wanted most times. Her reservations weren’t wanted. And unless Isiah solicited her, she didn’t share. And even then, what she shared was always tempered, restrained just a little.

Isiah knew as much, but they’d both decided to let it be. It was better than arguing.

“Well, what is it?” Isiah finally asked. He pulled his gaze away from the fire to look at her, watching for a moment as she focused on swirling the remaining whiskey in her glass. Isiah set his hand over the glass, and Clara set the glass aside before shifting her body so she sat facing him, the fire blazing against her back.

“I just wonder…” she started, reaching out to take his hand, training her eyes on their intertwined fingers. “...I wonder if maybe it’s for the best, Is?” she said. “I know it may not feel that way now, but—”

Isiah was quiet even after Clara stopped herself, wondering if it was her place to say these things, wondering if it wasn’t better to keep these thoughts to herself after all.

“Go ahead,” he said, squeezing her hand. “It’s not as if you’d be able to keep whatever it is to yourself anyhow, eh?”

“I could,” Clara answered, her back straightening and her tone sharpening a bit in a defiance she was nearly powerless to control. “...if you wanted me to. If you didn’t want my…opinion.”

As hard as it would be for her…especially when it came to Isiah, she could do it if that was what he wanted. If her silence would soothe him more than her words, she’d honor it—for now at least.

It wouldn’t be too hard and it wasn’t as if her opinion, her guidance, was needed when it came to a subject matter with which Clara was so personally unfamiliar. She was no expert in love or relationships. Her brothers had always been quick to remind her of that fact whenever she’d tried to offer them some sort of guidance in regards to their love lives.

Isiah stayed quiet, urging her to continue only with his eyes and the fact that he hadn’t pulled his hand away. Clara let both of their hands settle on her lap and Isiah felt the gentle twist of his pinky ring as she twisted it, barely aware of the nervous habit.

Isiah had been tempted to test out Clara’s assertion, to make her squirm while trying to keep the words on the tip of her tongue, but not only did Isiah not believe in her ability to keep her mouth shut longer than a few minutes, but he found himself almost yearning to hear her thoughts, desperate to know if his best friend would end the sentence the same way he would.

“I just…” she started, still subtly fidgeting with Isiah’s ring until she realized what she was doing and she let his hand go, allowing him to pull it back to his own lap. “You just haven’t seemed much like yourself. You haven’t seemed very…” Clara sorted through the words, trying to decide what precisely she meant and what she could say that might sting the least.

She wanted to say that he hadn’t seemed particularly happy, even if that declaration felt heavy in her mouth. She wanted to say that she hadn’t seen his cheeky grin in a while. That she hadn’t heard him laugh or seen him excited. She wanted to say that they hadn’t had a dance in ages. And that she didn’t have a clue what he was reading lately, or if he was reading anything at all. It wasn’t that Isiah had seemed wholly unhappy, exactly. Just that he was a bit muted, like a subdued version of himself. A shadow of the person she knew. Neutral and opinionless and far too timid.

“Happy?” Isiah finally suggested, as if he knew—or hoped—that it was the word on the tip of Clara’s tongue.

“Well, yeah,” Clara sighed. She knew that relationships required compromise. She knew that people had to be a bit malleable in the process of two people coming together, but something had seemed different this time, almost as if Isiah had let a bit of himself go in order to accommodate everything Lisette was.

Isiah snorted softly and reached out for Clara’s glass, downing the small bit of whiskey left in her glass. “I wasn’t sure anyone noticed.”

“Of course I noticed.” Clara studied Isiah’s face, frowning at the pain etched there in his features. “I just…I didn’t want to stick my nose in. It wasn’t my place.”

Clara had been told time and time again by those in her life to not worry about this or that…to focus on her own responsibilities…to stay out of business not pertaining to her. It seemed to only bring trouble when she did otherwise.

“Since when do you endeavor to keep your nose out of my business?” he asked. “Seems to me you decided my business was as good as yours way back in 1915.”

Isiah’s lips pulled into something resembling a smile, but Clara could tell he was forcing it.

“I thought that’s what you wanted.”

Isiah shook his head. “Since when does it matter what I want?”

“It’s always mattered,” Clara answered. “And you shouldn’t have to change yourself or compromise or bend over backwards to get what you want, Is. It should be equal. A partnership” He didn’t say anything, didn’t fight or interrupt, so Clara continued. “Someday, someone is going to come along and she’ll be everything you want and you—just as you are—will be what she wants, and sometimes it will be work and it won’t always be easy, but it’ll be work you want to do. It’ll be work you couldn’t imagine not doing, and when it happens, you’ll understand why it never worked out with anyone else because it’ll just make sense. And it’ll feel different. Natural. Right.”

Isiah was still quiet, listening to Clara as if she was telling him a story, as if she was telling them both a story that they both hoped wasn’t just a fairy tale.

“And when it happens, you’ll be glad Lisette cut you lose now,” she added. “Even if it feels like shit just now.”

Clara took a deep breath, preparing herself for Isiah’s response—that she was naive and silly. That she didn’t know anything of any value when it came to love or life. That she read far too many romance novels. Clara knew all of that wouldn’t be out of line. It was a little true that she didn’t have much firsthand experience and that she had read a lot of books, but Isiah didn’t say any of that. He didn’t say anything, simply turning his gaze back to the fire.

Clara watched Isiah’s adam’s apple bob, a distinct mist shimmering in his eye which Isiah willed himself to control. He could’ve cried in front of Clara. Isiah knew that, but he didn’t want to, even if the words had resonated enough that something ached deep in his chest.

Clara could feel it, almost as if the pain echoed in her own heart. As his silence stretched on, Clara found herself testing out the words to apologize in her head. She was preparing herself to say them outloud when Isiah let out a breath and rose from the floor.

Isiah stepped across the room, readying the gramophone. Slow songs weren’t what they usually listened to, but the tune was familiar, with a melody she knew by heart.

Isiah held a hand down to Clara. “You want to dance?”

“Do you want to?” she countered, looking up at him.

“I want to dance with you,” he said, grabbing Clara’s hand and pulling her to her feet. “Haven’t had a decent dance partner in months.”

Clara quickly fell into step, letting Isiah lead as they twirled around the room, sidestepping the bottle and glasses they’d left on the floor. Isiah let his instincts take over as his mind worked through Clara’s words once again, part of him hoping beyond hope that they were true.

That someday someone would come along.

That it would be work, but the work would be worth doing.

That it would be different—natural and right.

They would be partners. Equals.

And it would be instinctive.

As easy as dancing along to a familiar tune.

—

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Peaky Blinders (Non-Shelby!Sister) Masterlist

#peaky blinders #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinders fanfic #isiah jesus #isiah jesus fanfic #clara shelby #little lady blinder

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cozymochi · 9 months

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Hey! Just dropping in to say i love your yuu! She kinda inspired me to revive my own tiana yuu.

Also, I was curious, does your yuu have her own Charlotte? Or is she in twst alone?

Thank yooou 😭💕 AND NOW A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY HFGFGD. SHORT ANSWER: Yes, there is a Lottie equivalent, and her name is Lisette! She is Tia’s oldest childhood friend. BUT, she’s back in Tia’s homeworld, so Tia no longer has contact with her or any of her other friends— which, is not great. Part of Tias whole “pre-life in twst” ordeal involved her incidentally distancing herself from her friends and not ever spending time with them anymore after a very personal event that led her to engross herself completely in her work, so she has a lot of regrets now. Especially, since there is no guarantee she’d ever get to see them again. (All of this is paraphrased hhhhhh, but yeah Tia herself is alone in twst.)

SPEAKING OF WHICH HERE THEY ARE because long ago I made reference material for myself (so its not exactly fully rendered)

i love them a lot, even if they are just people who are from her homeworld.

#cozy ask #twstposting #my art #they went through a lot of re-working #tia’s other friends were insp’d by tiana’s other friends she didnt really hang with too much thanks to working.#but i also wanted more friends ad an excuse to broaden the cast a little more in my brain #THOUGH CONSIDERING ALL FOUR OF THESE GIRLS dont make any appearances outside of maybe tia’s memories i-#Im kinda paraphrasing a lot lol.#twst oc #tia dumarais #(tangentally related)#octavia is my personal favorite design wise 🤧#but even though her friends arent with her- they still somehow manage to influence Tia’s thought process.

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fairytale-poll · 8 months

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MOD'S CHOICE POLL

Mod's own propaganda under the cut:

Sasha as Red Riding Hood:

During submissions, I became so absolutely excited when I saw this pop up. I don't know who decided to submit it, but they unlocked some childhood memories for me. Back when I was a child, my family visited Pakistan (my parent's country of origin) for the entire summer. One day I, bored, asked for some movies to watched and my parents and uncle brought back some clearly bootlegged DVDs dubbed in Hindi/Urdu, and Bratz Kids Fairy Tales was one of them. I watched it so many times, you have no idea- I think that I might have wrecked the whole DVD with how much I watched it. (A similar thing happened later on when I obtained a clearly bootlegged copy of Bratz Fashion Pixie too but that's another, non-Red Riding Hood related story.) I wasn't surprised that it was eliminated right off the bat, but my childhood nostalgia dictated I put it here, or else I would be betraying the 7-year-old in me.

Shang, Tao, and Paotze:

Another childhood favorite of mine. This picture book has such beautiful art and I remember being very surprised by the story as a child. I found a PDF of it online to reread when the contest started and honestly it still holds up. The three sisters that are the Red Riding Hood in the story I feel are genuinely very clever. And for nothing else, look this one up solely for it's beautiful art which is just breath-taking whether you're a child or an adult!

Lamb:

Not going to lie I never played this game. My good friend who I adore submitted this to the poll and it immediately got eliminated and I just felt bad lol. But it does look cool & I trust their taste so I do think that this game is great. I want to play it but I am really bad at getting myself to play games.

Aku:

Samurai Jack is a CLASSIC and I dare you to not watch this clip and crack up. Mako was a gift of voice acting and I miss him so much. Also this episode is just pretty amusing.

Amy Lee:

My sister was actually the one to submit this and I will use her own propaganda here: "Evanescence was a voice of a generation." Honestly this song is kind of just okay, there are better Evanescence songs, but got to respect the effort they put into the music video. Who can resist to choose Amy Lee anyway?

The Path sisters:

Like many people who know this game, I know it through Izzzyzzz's two video essays on it. I didn't play the game afterwards, but I did watch some play-throughs since I don't play many games + it seemed mostly like a walking simulator anyway so I felt like I got the same effect. It is AMAZING and has so much story and analysis and I love shit like that... In particular, Scarlet, Ruby, and Rose are my favorites whose stories really resonated with me, even if I haven't exactly gone through their life experiences. Ginger too. And there's some really horrific imagery in Robin's...I would recommend everyone find a way to experience this game-- whether that's playing it, watching Izzzyzzz's videos, or finding a walk-through/analysis of it, it's worth it!

Lisette:

So this manga is sort of obscure but it is also sort of nostalgic to me. Well, nostalgic by proxy. My sister read it when I was younger and told me some details about it and for some reason it stuck with me. Like??? For no reason. It's not even that good lmao. The first chapter right off the bat is pretty edgy & handles sensitive topics very badly. But goddamn if I do not think about random elements of the story for no reason. I don't really remember shit about Lisette but hey this picture of her looks really cool.

Red:

If you notice a theme among these being "nostalgia" you would be right, as this was another nostalgic offering from my childhood that I would watch semi-annually. I was also fond of the sequel, though I thought it felt like a different series than the first one. (Which isn't unusual with animated sequels to popular movies, but the fact that the sequel was set-up by the ending of the first one implies it was planned? Weird). But anyway Red is iconic and funny and voiced by Anne Hathaway and also her sad emo song "Red is Blue" sometimes still gets stuck in my head, so take that as you will.

Chacha:

I know absolutely nothing about this series. But it looks very cute so I like it. I love cute magical girls they deserve the world. Also I looked it up and apparently the Studio who did the Akazukin Chacha anime would later do the Yu-Gi-Oh animes from the 2000s and 2010s, so there's the obligatory mention of nostalgia.

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pumpkinmagekupo · 3 months

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Valentione's Day, another holiday Mizuki was confused about. She was helping out again but she still didn't fully understand why this was a thing.

She grasped that it was a good chance for people to confess to someone they loved and hoped the feeling was mutual.

But what then?

If they loved each other, then why did they did a set day to say they loved each other again...

Kupka Kupp tried to explain it to her. "I just don't understand why-"

"You have someone you love, kupo?" Kupka Kupp asked,

"Well yes..and I write often and-"

"Do you not wish to spend today with him, kupo?"

"I want to spend all my time with him not just today," Mizuki sighed deeply "it's not like I get so much time to visit him... he should have chosen someone else.." she mumbled in her chocolate.

"Surely you don't mean that-"

"Mizuki! Can I get your help?" Astrid called, waving over to her from the stage. Mizuki jumped to her feet and hurried away from the moogle.

"Wait, kupo!"

Mizuki was too quick, she received the letter and ran off to deliver it.

"what's wrong, Kupka?" Lisette asked, finding the moogle twirling in fustration.

"Mizuki, she is good at delivering the letters and helping others find their courage, kupo but... why does she struggle at accepting love, kupo?"

"I am not sure.." Lisette hummed in thought "Maybe she's just too considerate about everyone's feelings...except her own.."

#ramblings of a pumpkin #oc: mizuki #gpose #change of plan #the other thing was bad #so heres this #which isn't much better

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p5x-theories · 13 days

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Codename predictions for P3 and P4 party members, assuming they're ever added (this is so long I'm sorry lmfao)

Makoto: Boss, Leader, N-Jima, Tatsuya (P3)

Kotone: Leader (P3), Dazzle, Demon (PQ2)

Yukari: Feather (P4AU) Pink (PQ2), Yuka (From Name)

Junpei: Ace (Defective), Geezer (PQ+Q2), Slugger (P4AU)

Akihiko: Protein (PQ2, P4AU), Aki (From Name)

Mitsuru: Lady (P3), Empress (P4AU, loosely)

Fuuka: Fuu (From Name), Lucia (P3D/P5D, referencing Lucia)

Aigis: Angel (P4AU)

Koromaru: Tiger (From Name), Fido (P3D), Dawgster (P3P)

Ken: Black (PQ2), Kenny (From Name)

Shinjiro: Brood (PQ2), Shinji (From Name)

Metis: Butterfly (Referencing Psyche)

Yu: Leader, Sensei, Partner, Bro (P4), Kingpin (P4AU, PQ2)

Yosuke: Captain (P4A), Prince (P4AU), Hana (From Name)

Chie: Carnivore (P4), Dragon (P4AU), Sirloin (PQ2)

Yukiko: Scarlet (PQ2)

Kanji: Emperor (P4AU)

Rise: Lisette (Per P5X Files), Idol (PQ2), Star (P4AU)

Teddie: Beast (P4AU), Bear (P4), Kuma or Teddie (depending on language)

Naoto: Prince (P4), Killjoy (P4AU)

Haha, these are fun! I think people have brought up the PQ2 codenames before in suggestions for what codenames returning characters might be given, but this list feels even more thorough re: nicknames, and the ones that just come from their names (like our Phantom Idols in P5X canon) are a nice touch, too.

Though I have a feeling some of them might push back on some of these (ex. "Geezer" for Junpei, "Kenny" for Ken, "Hana" for Yosuke, haha)! That makes them all the more fun, though.

(Also, I love that you included Metis!!)

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peachysooxo · 2 months

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The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 7

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, smut (we’ve finally gotten to that point lol), fluff word count: 5,555 description: as the royal wedding approaches, Alina questions her feelings for Kyungsoo. Alina’s crown selection ceremony goes wrong, Kyungsoo starts training Alina in swordsmanship and they cross a line they never thought they would warnings: mentions of death, mentions of miscarriage, infidelity, oral sex (f. receiving)

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We’re 7 chapters in! Wow! Thank you so much for reading. Kyungsoo and Alina’s romance is rapidly developing, it’s been interesting writing such a fast pace love. I hope you enjoy this one… It’s a little bit spicy! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

“Someone is all smiles today.” Lisette smirks at me through the mirror. Today we had to do the final fitting of my wedding dress, and last-minute details had to be finished before the end of the day. The wedding was coming faster than I’d anticipated, but I’m ready for it. My cheeks warm at the thought of the events that occurred last night. My lips tingle at the thought of Kyungsoo’s kisses. His words danced across my mind as I relived each moment.

Your existence consumes me, darling. I need you. I crave you.

“It was a lovely night.” I sheepishly smile.

“Did something happen last night with you and the Crown Prince?”

“Lisette! No! We just… He just… He… He confessed his feelings to me, and we kissed. We kissed before that but this was different.” My blush deepens as I remember every second of last night.

“Different? How so?” Lisette pins the dress at the waist, muttering adjustments under her breath.

“He kissed me like he meant it. Our first kiss was curious, this was different. He was being… Romantic. He was whispering sweet things to me between each kiss. Lisette, it made me feel so… I can’t even put it into words.” Kyungsoo has changed. He’s been showing more affection lately, and I don’t mind it. Being woken up to kisses and gentle touches is a dream come true. I found myself getting more curious of what it would be like to fully give myself to him. I tried not to think about it too long, because if I do, I’ll get lost in a cluster of what ifs and anxiety. It doesn’t stop me from thinking these things, but I stop myself wondering if it’s too soon in our betrothal (soon to be marriage). I’m afraid that I’ll ruin the moment by having a breakdown right in the middle of Kyungsoo and I… I can’t even bring myself to acknowledge that I want to get physical with him. It feels wrong, like I shouldn’t want these kinds of things considering what happened to me.

“Amiga, you look like you’re so in love!” Lisette looks up with pins in her mouth. I look at her through the reflection in the mirror, shrugging my shoulders. “Ya, no te muevas!”

“Sorry, I won’t move. It’s only been a month. Is it love or just infatuation?” I ponder aloud.

“Well, these are my thoughts on all of that. Betrothals take out the weird, awkward parts of dating. Trust me, Amiga, you’re not missing out. It’s arranged, sure, but if it’s done right you can have a marriage that feels like a love match. Time isn’t necessarily on your side. Since you’re marrying a Crown Prince and you’re becoming the Crown Princess, you’ll be spending a lot of time together. You have no choice but to learn things about each other as you go. From what I saw at the Ball, the Crown Prince adores you. I don’t think I’ve seen your parents look at each other the way you two look at each other. In your world, alliances are first, love is last. But… I do believe that what you’re feeling for Crown Prince Kyungsoo is normal. Seems like he’s falling in love with you, too.” Lisette explains as she finishes up the pinning of my dress.

“You really think so?” I reach for any confirmation, because I’m never sure of myself. Lisette rolls her eyes and stands behind me with her hands gripping my shoulders.

“For once, stop questioning yourself and this love that’s blossoming. It’s far from traditional and believe me, I think arranged marriages are very outdated but the two of you seem happy. Nothing like Maria and Daniel.” The sound of his name makes me sick, but I shake it off and laugh.

“Maria is definitely the one who loves more in that marriage.” I laugh. “Thanks, Lisette. I needed the boost. Wow, the dress looks spectacular! You’re going to add lace sleeves?”

“I sure am, the finished product will be gorgeous. Now, get out of this dress. I have work to do and a deadline to make!” Lisette pushes me toward my closet.

“Hey! Wait! Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Duke Chanyeol? I saw the two of you talking in the garden!” I push myself to a halt. Lisette giggles and unzips the back of my dress for me.

“I will, just not right now. Go! You’re going to be late for your Crown Selection Ceremony!”

“It’s a pleasure to have you here for the Crown Selection ceremony, Princess.” Queen Hyunae says through gritted teeth. She said that I was forced? I sigh and bow my head. The Crown Selection Ceremony is one of the more exciting parts of getting married as a royal. The excitement and wonder of seeing the beautiful crowns from the queens of the empires we’re marrying into. The women of the family sit on the floor as I kneel in front of the Queen and the Seoul crowns that are being offered to me for my coronation. My eyes dart back and forth at the rows of crowns in front of me, some more eccentric than others. I make eye contact with Queen Hyunae and force myself to accept that this is going to be anything but exciting and wonderful.

“It is an honor, Your Highness.” I reply softly. Boram giggles in the corner and Hyunae holds her hand out toward her.

“Enough, Duchess.” Hyunae warns. Her attention turns to me. “Princess, you are marrying my son quite fast. Are you hiding something? Did you manipulate him?”

“No, Your Highness. I have no reason to manipulate him and I have absolutely nothing to hide.” I eye the crowns again, unfazed by the pressure radiating from the woman in front of me.

“Then why the rush?” She sneers. I smile, not missing a beat.

“The Crown Prince and I have fallen in love and do not wish to wait another moment to be husband and wife, Your Highness.” The women around us swoon, whispering about the dance at the Ball, and rumors of us sneaking away and kissing in the hallways of the palace. Part of those rumors are true, we may have been caught by a few maids once or twice. Boram rolls her eyes and the Queen huffs. Lady Daeun rests her hand on Hyunae’s lap, patting her knee but the gesture is waved off.

“You expect me to believe the words that come out of your mouth, Princess? I have been made aware of the truth, and you’re nothing but a fraud.” Hyunae smiles as if she’s won the battle, but it’s just begun. Micha whispers to one of the Doh Viscountess’s I don’t move a muscle. I won’t let her push me around, or see me stumble. I refuse to break eye contact with my future mother in law, a soft smile turning up my lips.

“With all due respect your Highness, I am uncertain of how I can be a fraud when I am a member of one of the most noble families in the world. When it was you who chose me to marry your son. Anyone can tell a lie and assure you it’s the truth, which I am confident is the case with your source.”

“Are you challenging me, Princess?”

“I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” I reply coolly. I spot a silver crown with cherry blossoms dusted on top in rose gold, it’s covered with beautiful rubies and gold etchings. Everyone in this room wants this to be over just as much as I do, so to add insult to injury, I chose my Kingdom gifted Seoul so I can keep part of my people with me. I look up at the Royal Guard waiting for me to make my decision. I motion for the Crown and he nods.

“A lovely choice, Your Highness.” Lady Daeun says from the side of the Queen. She gives me a small smile and I lower my head as the crown is placed on my head.

“Thank you, Lady Daeun.” I smile back at her. Queen Hyunae scoffs and I bow to her. When I come back up, the crown is removed from my head. Queen Hyunae rises and pulls me to stand.

“We have things to discuss.” We go to an adjacent room and the Queen shuts the door. “I would like to make something very clear, Princess. I’m onto you. I know all of your secrets. Your sister didn’t leave out any details of how you tried to take her husband away from her. If I would’ve known, I would have called off this entire betrothal years ago.”

“Queen Maria is vastly mistaken. I never tried to take her husband away from her nor did I want him. I was a child, Your Highness. Those are all lies. I would never betray your son or this dynasty. Never. Is it not treason for you to maintain a relationship with your enemy?” I insist. Kyungsoo said she owed me an apology, and I want what I’m owed. “In fact, The Crown Prince informed me that you had an apology for leaving me vulnerable in my chambers without any guards.”

Queen Hyunae laughs. “I have no recollection of ever promising to apologize to you. I owe nothing to you. The thing is, Princess, you are nothing but a pedigree for my son. You will obey him and give this Kingdom an heir. That is your only job, if my son chooses to be faithful to you then let it be so. It’s not a requirement of an arranged marriage to foster any type of love. I know that the things you say about my son loving you are untrue, my son is not the kind of man who loves someone like you. He knows that a King in love is a foolish one. Understand your place, Princess. I’m watching you very carefully, if you as much as speak out of turn, I will have you removed from this palace and charged for your crime of breaking the betrothal and lying about it. The only reason I haven’t already is a kindness toward you, and I refuse to let this dynasty have an abomination such as a temptress ruin its reputation. Understand?”

“Queen Hyunae, I am very much aware of my place. I will be the best compliment for the Crown Prince, just as he desires me to be. I refuse to be treated the way I have been by you since I arrived here. I have done nothing but love your son and have been completely faithful to this betrothal. It’s funny how so many people who know not one thing about me have written my story for me. And it’s a pity a woman as great and intelligent as you falls for such stupidity. I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing for you to be concerned about. I know I am being honest, so there’s nothing to worry about. I am looking forward to being part of such a strong dynasty. Thank you for your kindness.” I smile and walk away from the Queen, there was nothing left to discuss. As much as I feel proud of myself, the thoughts enter my mind of how I just messed everything up by going against Kyungsoo’s mother.

Will I be deemed not worthy? Will she make my life a living hell? I’m an idiot.

KYUNGSOO

The sun is setting on a stressful day. I have been hearing the whispers of how the Crown Selection Ceremony went and disappointed doesn’t even cover what I feel. The last thing I wanted was for Alina to feel like she was just a pawn in this game of dynasty and legacy. If she was, I wouldn’t be willingly training her like this. I saw Alina nervously pacing across the Training Grounds, her hair tied back with a pair of black leggings and a sweatshirt I knew I left in her room a few nights ago. Watching her pace is amusing, but also very distracting due to her figure catching my attention. Hell, Alina could be wearing a potato sack and I’d still find her attractive. I have to focus on the task at hand: teaching Alina the basics of swordsmanship.

Training Alina how to defend herself is more vital than ever. Alina turns and spots me removing my suit jacket. I offer a smile as I roll my button up shirt sleeves to my elbows, my dress shoes picking up dust as I make my way to my princess.

“Princess.” I lower my head and meet her gaze. She’s so cute when she’s casually dressed, it’s almost cruel to make her fight and train with me when she’s bubbly like this.

“Crown Prince.” Alina bows to me with a cheeky grin. I take off my tie and unbutton the first couple of buttons on my shirt, throwing my tie atop of my suit jacket. “Your Highness, you’re going to train me while dressed in a suit?”

“Do you think you’ll be always wearing a cute pair of leggings and a sweatshirt when the enemy attacks? Likely, you won’t be, Princess.” I wave over the Royal guard to hand Alina and I swords. I can see Alina struggle with the weight of pure steel and iron in her hands.

“Don’t you think this is a bit… Heavy?” Alina asks innocently. She watches me grip the sword and settle it in my hand. I ignore her question and take a breath.

“Alright, come here.” I beckon to Alina, her sneakers shuffling in the dirt. She adjusts to the weight of the sword and grips it with both hands. “Follow me. I’ll go slow. If I swing toward you, block me. You want to study your opponent. Where are their weak spots? Where is their guard down? They may catch you off guard…”

I swing my sword and Alina’s clashes with mine. She pushes forward with both arms, eyes focused on me. She pivots and shoves the blade away from her and shuffles backward. For a moment she stops, scans me with her eyes and takes a low blow toward my leg. We exchange blows and I watch in amazement at her graceful movements. Sure, she may not be an expert but she can hold her own.

“Princess, why didn’t you tell me you’re well versed in swordsmanship?” I laugh nervously.

“I told you. My brothers trained me, didn’t mean I was horrible at it, Your Grace. I don’t like fighting.” Alina huffs. She takes her stance and drops her shoulders.

“You have some talent, Princess. Show me what else you got.” I shake my head and swing my sword at Alina’s side, she turns and pushes me back. With war slowly becoming a reality, it was highly possible that I would have to go straight to the battlefield on a moment’s notice. She only trusts the guards so much and I didn’t want her to rely on other people to keep her safe. With a loud cry, Alina kept pushing until my sword flew out of my hand. Heaving for breath, she rubs her arm with her hand with a slow nod. I reach out for Alina and rub her muscles gently. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks.” Alina mumbles, “I just have to get stronger. I’m not a fan of weapons. I have no idea how you do this all of the time.”

I kiss her head and continue to rub her arms in small circles. “I do it out of necessity. Let’s hope you never have to, but to be safe darling, we’ll practice three times a week. It will take time to build your strength. We’ll get there, Princess. How do you feel?”

“Brave,” Alina laughs. “I… I like feeling brave. Like I could be strong.”

“My darling, you are strong. More than you realize that you are.” I nod, putting the sword back into Alina’s hand. “Now, let’s get back to training.”

“Why? I’ve done enough!” Alina whines through a pout.

“Five minutes of training isn’t going to make you a good swordswoman. I’m sorry, but we have to continue.” I take a step back. I notice Alina is still pouting and I walk back to her, shaking my head. “Come on, don’t be like that. This is for the best, darling. Here, let me give you motivation.”

I move and clash our swords together, our eyes glaring at one another through the blades. I lean in and steal a kiss, my hand holding Alina steady. I pull away and turn, wielding my sword back around. Alina blocks every single attack that I launch, and every time she blocks me, she’s rewarded with a kiss.

“This is nice motivation,” Alina says while mimicking my movements. I watch in awe of her skills as I direct her and motivate her to keep going. “I’m starting to like this.”

I swat the sword out of her hand and throw it to the ground. Alina looks up wide eyed and my glare intensifies. “What do you do now? Think. Where am I open?”

Alina studies me carefully. She puckers her lips and grabs my wrist. I drop the sword and she loses her balance. I grab her waist and let her fall on top of me with her hands on my chest. Her lips are parted as we heave for breath, strands of Alina’s hair fall out of her ponytail and around my face. My hand slides up her back and I kiss my fiancée, holding her close. “You did good today.”

“Thank you…” Alina’s cheeks are on fire, she shifts and slides off of me, standing on her feet. I get up and dust myself off. Alina’s face erupts into a shy smile, she tries to lift her arm but winces at the soreness. I massage her arms and smile back.

“Let’s go, darling.” I manage to say. I take our things and Royal guards hand me a bag full of towels and water. I keep Alina at my side and guide her across the Training Grounds and onto the path toward the palace. She’s quiet as we walk together, her arms hugging her chest. I can tell she’s losing herself in her own head. We reach the library and I shut the door behind us, locking it for privacy. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Alina replies as she sits on the leather sofa in the back of the room. She’s a terrible liar.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Scratch that, she’s a horrible liar. I saunter over and kneel in front of her.

“Tell me the truth, Princess.” I encourage her. She blushes and looks away, the words falling out of her mouth softly but I hear her loud and clear.

“Would it… Be wrong if I wanted to take this relationship a step further?”

“In what way, Alina?” I’m careful with my words. I know this conversation is a delicate one, considering her past. This conversation was bound to happen at some point, so I decided to do some reading on trauma survivors and intimacy. The last thing I wanted to do was make Alina uncomfortable or reactivate her trauma. It was disgusting how much shame comes to a survivor and their needs. Alina’s comfort is my number one priority. Anything I want will always be second.

“I want to know what real love feels like. What physical affection feels like when it’s my choice. I want to know if it’s way too soon or if it doesn’t matter.”

“What made you think about this?”

“It’s been on my mind for awhile, and that fall we took. Also, everything you told me the night of the Ball… It made me want… More. I liked how close we were. I don’t know if that’s okay because it felt wrong to want you like that. I’m conflicted because at the same time, I’m so scared to act on it. I have these feelings for you but I’m scared I’ll panic.” Alina laments.

“It’s not wrong. You want to experience something on your terms. It’s not wrong for you to want me, Alina. Don’t let someone else’s ideas make you believe that. I want you to feel comfortable and in control. Whenever you feel like you’re ready, I can show you there’s more than one way to receive pleasure. Call me selfish, Princess, but I want your first experience to be all about you and what you want.” I rest my hands on Alina’s thighs, waiting for her answer. Her hands meet mine and she chews at her bottom lip with flushed cheeks.

“Why does it have to be about me? What about you?” Alina asks, sliding her hands back and forth. My confidence boosts to new highs as I slide my hands to Alina’s face.

“Intimacy is supposed to be pleasurable for both people. Not just one. And this isn’t just sex. It’s us coming together. It’s the moment that counts. And if you’re not ready for traditional sex… I could bring you to a climax with just my mouth if I wanted to.” I say lowly, the warmth of her cheeks settles into my palms.

“Oh…” Alina stutters.

“Tell me what you want, princess.”

“I… I want… You said you could satisfy to perfection. Show me what that means." Alina shyly requests.

“Your wish is my command, darling.” I give Alina a knowing smirk while busying one hand with the drawstring of her pants. I bring her lips to mine, kissing her while whimpers filter out of her mouth. I squeeze her thigh and slide my tongue across her lip, giving her a preview of what’s going to happen next. I break from her and stop before I can push her pants down. “Is it okay if I take these off of you?”

“Yes, take them off.” Alina nods quickly. I slide her pants off and groan at the sight of her in my sweatshirt and panties that hug her hips perfectly. I push her legs onto the sofa and leave a kiss on her stomach, keeping eye contact. Alina’s eyes widen and she presses her hand on my shoulder to stop my next move. “K-Kyungsoo… We’re doing it here?”

“No better place to learn things than a library, Princess.” I mutter lowly. I nestle myself between her legs on the sofa, kissing her knee as I hook my fingers in her panties. I pull them down and she tries to hide herself from me. Lazily, I drag my lips up her thigh and stopping at her hip to plant a kiss on her flesh. It’s then I’m reminded she doesn’t know what to do, I look up at her and am taken by the sight of her drenched in the moonlight. She takes her hair down and her beautiful dark curls fall around her, shining in the light filtering through the window. I rest my palms on her knees, slowly working her legs apart. “I want to see all of you, darling. Open up to me…”

Alina’s body is hypnotizing, she’s so gorgeous. I groan at the strain in my boxers, to say I’m attracted to Alina is an understatement… I’m fully enamored with her. I have to take this one thing at a time. I quickly take my shirt off and gaze up at the beautiful sight before me. I inch closer to her entrance as she intoxicates me more and more. I barely touch her and Alina jumps back, her eyes squeeze shut.

“Kyungsoo, stop.”

“It’s okay, darling. We can stop.” I push myself up and rest my forehead against hers. I need to keep her focused on what’s happening in front of her, I can’t let her mind wander for a second. Alina’s eyes open and she grips onto my forearms tightly and desperately kisses my lips.

“Kyungsoo… I want you to keep going… I just don’t know how to relax.” Alina whispers nervously.

"Darling, I want you to look at me. Don't stop looking at me. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, just don’t close your eyes." I softly instruct, resting her head back on the arm of the sofa.

"Okay… Okay." She stutters.

“May I touch you, Princess?” I softly ask, the lull of a beg in my voice.

“Yes.” Alina breathes. She supports herself on her elbows and watches me settle in between her legs. Our eyes lock as I press my fingers on her soaked clit. Her body jolts at my touch, then her head rolls to the side with small groans escaping her.

“Don’t be quiet. I want to hear your beautiful voice. Tell me what feels good, if you don’t want to keep going, tell me to stop.”

“Okay… I can do that.” Alina says with a rapid nod. I go back to kissing her thighs and rubbing her clit in slow circles. I press my mouth along her soaking core, licking a stripe in her folds and stop to press my lips to her clit.

Fuck, she’s delicious.

Alina’s melodic moans fill my ears and my God is it heavenly.

I helplessly groan into her, drawing languid circles with my tongue around the most sensitive part of her body. I spread her open with my fingers and close my lips around her clit and alternate between quick licks and slow suckles, playing with pressure until I get it just right.

Anything and anyone I ever knew before her disappears. Nothing can ever compare to her. I’m drunk off of her, my only purpose is to satisfy my princess and stay in this high that she brings me to. I slide a finger inside of her and pump gently, Alina wriggles and I lift her hips to keep her closer, allowing her perfect legs to fall over my shoulders.

“Kyungsoo! There! Right there!” She screams as she grabs my hair. Her moans entice me to quickly lower my pants with my hand that’s soaked with her slick to wrap around my length and pump to the rhythm of her moans. It doesn’t take long to find myself at the edge, thrusting into my hand at each and every sound that comes out of her mouth.

Alina clenches around my fingers and my release builds to a fever pitch. She’s going to drive me absolutely mad.

My body jolts to a stop as I release into my hand, her orgasm coats my lips and tongue seconds later. I heave and catch my breath and fall into the sofa. I take in a deep breath and tuck my bottom lip in my mouth. I fumble with the bag next to me, grab towels and a bottle of water to clean us up. I quickly wash my hands and return back to my beautifully dazed princess, gently cleaning her up. “That was…”

“Perfection?” I smile, leaving a kiss on her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Alina exhales and groans, searching for her clothes. I reach down and grab them from the floor, handing them to her. “I feel… Like I never had before.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“More than good.” She quickly replies as she dresses herself. I hold my princess in my arms and find myself in a place I’ve never been before with a woman: vulnerable and open. Within such a short period of time we went from being enemies to post-sex cuddles in my library. My hand slides under her sweatshirt and rests on the warmth of her skin. Feeling her is all I want right now. “You’re… Amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so.” I chuckle. "I have to know, darling. Do you... Really feel safe with me?"

"I do. I suffered from nightmares for so long and you brought me solace. It felt like no one could get to me. You opened me up and made me see that I have more control than I thought."

I sigh and kiss her knuckles, resting them on my chest. "You'll always be safe with me, Alina. I will protect you from every single thing that has harmed you or threatens to. I must be honest, it’s terrifying to feel this for you."

"All of this scares me too, but let's find comfort in each other. We'll take it day by day."

"I can do that, but please give me time." I whisper in her hair. Alina moves to get up but before she can get away, I sit up and pull her back, she gently land in my arms. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Of course, what is it?”

“No matter what happens, we’re in this together. No secrets, no lies. Promise me you’ll be at my side and won’t betray me.” I wearily ask.

“I promise you, Kyungsoo. Are you alright? What’s going on?”

“I… There’s a reason why I never let you in before. Now that we’ve crossed a line, you have to know why I was so afraid of this and didn’t want it.” I start.

“What happened?”

“Have you ever wondered why Daeun is always with my mother?” As soon as I say this, Alina sits up and scoots closer to me. Her attention is laser focused onto me. I take a deep breath and continue. “First, I want to apologize for how my mother has been toward you. I heard about the Crown Selection Ceremony and it embarrasses me that she is treating you so poorly. She’s projecting onto you because of her mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Alina tilts her head. I nod and take a deep breath.

“My mother… Is a dishonest woman. Like us, my parents were betrothed. However, my father was a tyrant in his younger years. He wasn’t a good husband. My mother broke off a secret relationship with a Royal Guard, and a year later I was born.

Things got worse because my mother started the relationship again and she got pregnant by the guard.

I was a kid. I didn’t know what was going on when she came into my room and told me she was leaving. She told me I had to understand that there were more important things in life than our circumstances. Then she was gone. She didn’t get too far because my father found out what happened and brought them back to the palace. My father had every right to execute the both of them, but he decided that death was too easy for my mother. So, he made her watch her lover get executed. The stress was so intense that she lost the baby.

Ever since my father has had my mother under lock and key. She isn’t allowed anywhere without Daeun. She’s not allowed to be alone with any guards. Then 2 years later, the betrothal happened. So, I was scared of ending up like that… Like my parents.” I hold my breath in wait and Alina tilts her head and cradles my face in her hands. Her eyes are watery. She plants herself in my lap and wraps her legs around my waist.

“I am so sorry that happened, Kyungsoo. That must have been terrible to go through. I understand your fears, but I want to make it clear that you have nothing to worry about with me. I’m committed to you, betrothal or not. I won’t hurt you the way others have hurt you before. I promise you.” Alina wipes the tears that I wasn’t even aware were falling down my face. I lean and kiss her, holding the side of her neck. She slowly parts from me and I bring her right back to me. I don’t know how to say I love you, but this will be the closest I can get to that. I push her back on the sofa leave soft kisses on her cheeks and face, expressing silently how much I need her. Part of me warns not to let her in, because she can ruin me faster than anyone else.

“Alina,” I mutter into her neck, leaving kisses while whispering in her hair. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t hurt you, Kyungsoo.” She whispers gently. “And I ask you to do the same. We will be married by this time tomorrow, and my vow to you is to never betray you. The world can have their kingdoms, but all I want is you.”

“All that matters, darling, is the kingdom of us.” I kiss Alina’s face and rest my lips on her. “No matter what happens in this next chapter. No matter what this war brings us… I promise I’ll find my way back to you.”

“And I promise I’ll be waiting.” Alina’s smile is brighter than the moonlight spilling into the windows. I silently pray that she doesn’t break me, that she will be the one to hold me together. Alina keeps kissing me with her perfect lips and wander onto my jawline, something she’s never done before.

“Mmm,” I groan, smiling. I gently brush her cheek with my fingertips. The moment felt right, I could trust her.

I can’t wait for her to be my wife. Only 12 more hours to go.

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malusienki · 6 months

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excuse me while i stare at these and relive saturday night all over again

#SHES SO . SILLY. AS MARIE #IT MAKES MY HEART SO HAPPY….#i loved it when she yelled “MERDE”#and when she was rambling while peeling poratoes #and the discordant piano playing during salut à la france…… and her il faut partir… the ornamentation of everything…#chacun le sait was so <333 #still not over ah mes amis bis. SO SO deserved dude. lawrence brownlee is so funny i love him #lisette oropesa #these are taken from her website btw!#la fille du régiment #IM SO SORRY.#AND ALSO THE FACT THAT SHE GOT MANHANDLED BUT STIILLL HIT THAT HIGH NOTE

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archduchessofnowhere · 10 months

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[Isabella of Parma] was a talented observer of others, and she made it her overriding ambition from early on to win over every member of the imperial family. We know just how assiduously and intelligently she practiced this art from the roughly two hundred letters to Archduchess Maria Christina that have come down to us.

These letters betray an almost obsessive concern with gaining the undivided love and attention of Maria Christina, the same age as Isabella and the object of her consuming passion. She had already started writing to her future sister-in-law before they met, doing all she could to create a climate of friendly intimacy. She called her ma soeur fidèle, my faithful sister, and declared her tender admiration for the empress and her love of Germany. Following her arrival in Vienna, the correspondence gradually intensified into ever more effusive expressions of attachment and devotion. The stream of letters did not abate even when the two women were seeing each other almost every day at court. Letters were considered the “mirror of the soul”; they provided an outlet for what could not be said in the strictly ceremonialized everyday life of the court. “My adorable sister,” Isabella writes repeatedly, “my goddess! my heart! my angel! Venus! I am mad with love for you; I love you to distraction; I worship you!” She then speaks of her lover’s “devilish” character, her cruelty and disloyalty. Much remains incomprehensible to later readers, as when Isabella refers to shared experiences and secrets (“yesterday’s adventure”), makes ironic allusions, or uses cover names. Time and again she declares herself deeply wounded, “soaked in tears,” because Maria Christina has paid her insufficient attention, and demands proofs of her love; she then begs her to forgive her jealousy. She tries to arrange secret rendezvous for the two of them, refers to their joint “marriage” and a mysterious “wedding present,” calls herself Maria’s amant, lover, or mari, husband, and refers to the two of them—alluding to operas they had attended—as Orpheus and Eurydice, Zerbin and Laurette, or Linon and Lisette. She airs the greatest intimacies without any sense of shame, drastically showing today��s readers just how low the threshold of embarrassment was in such matters. At any rate, what is invoked in these letters is far more than Platonic infatuation: “I cover you all over with my kisses,” she exclaims, “I kiss everything you let me kiss,” or even—in German in the original rather than the usual French—“I kiss your archangelic ass.” Maria Christina’s reactions have not survived, but they appear to have been more reserved, since Isabella calls her a saint and writes: “Despite your saintliness, I kiss you with all my soul, so that they may be said to be pious kisses, for what comes from the soul is purely spiritual and not of this earth, although I love all that is down-to-earth.” On the rare occasions when Isabella mentions her husband, then it is as an unwelcome intrusion, the “rival” of her beloved. Among the essays composed by Isabella there is a short, sarcastic “Treatise on Men”: the most useless creatures in all the world, good for nothing other than selfishness, more irrational than animals, elevated by God above women only so that male flaws would cause female virtues to shine all the more brightly. If girls had not been persuaded that they were useless, they would cope very well without their menfolk. The devil had a hand in play when men were created, women had no choice but to make the best of a bad lot.

Stollberg-Rilinger, Barbara (2020). Maria Theresa: The Habsburg Empress in her Time (translation by Robert Savage)

#happy pride day~#isabella of parma archduchess of austria #archduchess maria christina of austria duchess of teschen #historian: barbara stollberg rilinger #Maria Theresa: The Habsburg Empress in her Time #historicwomendaily

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mr-writes · 1 year

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wip intro: children of the wood

twenty-year old rowan has been raised to fear the alderwood, the forest that surrounds her city that claims the lives of young women -- including rowan’s own mother. after her mother’s disappearance, rowan’s father petitioned the king to betroth infant rowan to wren, the infant prince. because of the magical bond between them, by marrying wren, rowan will never be able to go anywhere without him.

she would be safe from the alderwood.

but rowan is hearing voices and seeing visions of a woman beckoning her into the alderwood. and, after the king and rowan’s father decide to move the wedding up for both wren and rowan’s safety, rowan runs. at the edge of the alderwood, she meets a group that call themselves the children of the wood and they have devoted their lives in worship of the alderwood. it’s there that rowan learns the voices she’s been hearing and visions she’s been seeing mean she was chosen to be sacrificed to the alderwood.

wanting a purpose and with a desire to figure out what happened to her mother, rowan does the only thing everyone had been trying to prevent her entire life -- she enters the alderwood. there she meets lisette, a beautiful and mysterious young woman who says she knows how to help, and felix, a dark and brooding man that lisette tells her to stay away from.

when rowan has a curse put upon her, she must find the witch who can break it if she wants to live to see twenty-one. so now, rowan must decide between saving her own life and saving everything she’s ever loved.

because the most dangerous thing inside the alderwood is rowan herself.

age category/genre: adult fantasy fairytale retelling | pov: dual close third | status: first draft | target word count: 85,000

#wip intro #writeblr #writers of tumblr #wip: cotw #mcreates #tw blood #tw gore #tw wounds #ask to tag #yes this is the new and improved beauty is a beast #we have cult shit now

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sunlightwoo · 2 years

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icy stance

✁ pairing: ice king!taehyun x fire wielder!fem. reader

✁ genre: fantasy/elemental powers au, strangers to lovers au, hints of fluff, hints of angst, semi-soulmates au, not quite, hopefully this wasn’t too sad??? warnings: almost major character death, but no one dies!! mentions of death, bear traps | rating: 17+

✁ wc: 9.36k

✁ plot: the last thing that you wanted to do was to get attached to someone who wielded the opposite element; especially one of royalty. but, with every stance that you’ve taken with him, did you dig a deeper grave for yourself, or make one that will bring him down as well?

✁ a/n: my first txt oneshot!! i absolutely fell in love with this idea since i have written the wooyoung spinoff to this ( light a flame ), but this can be read as a standalone!! below is the playlist that you can listen to while reading this, as this was also a part of @iyeonjuni’s power of love collab!! be sure to check out cici’s works along with everyone’s works in the collab, and i hope you guys enjoy this as much as i did!!

✁ gina is listening to [ this playlist ]

txt masterlist | wooyoung’s previous part

You despised the fire kingdom.

The more that you stayed in it, the more you were willing to find a way to get out of the kingdom without being burnt alive by the king himself. You knew how he was when it came to finding people that were willing to rebel and leave on their own accord, but the last few weeks seemed to have changed in ways that you weren’t sure what it had meant. But you did know one thing; this was your one shot to finally leave.

“Madam, are you ready to go?”

You nod in response as Lisette, your family’s maid, gives you a small smile, waving the luggage that was in her hands almost teasingly as she motions for you to head out first. The plan that she had was to go back to the ice kingdom, the place that your parents had once been familiar with, since they met each other there.

Anyone would’ve assumed that you would have a little bit of each, knowing that there were wielders that had hybrid powers existing in occasions like this, but you had yet to receive the other half of the powers you were supposed to have.

“Let’s go before someone else finds out,” You breathe out, making sure that you had your gloves on securely for what you were about to come face to face with in your new home.

You were ecstatic, to say at least, but also nervous as you feared for what was yet to come in your future. For the most part, you were more worried about being found while you were on your journey to the ice kingdom, praying that hopefully your status was high enough for you to be able to travel in between the different kingdoms anyways, all thanks to your parents being nobles within the fire kingdom.

Never had you belonged in the world of royalty, or the higher class people in the hierarchy such as those that were similar to the fire king, Wooyoung. But you found yourself lucky enough to even co-exist in the same vicinity as him knowing that both of your parents had been long time friends before everything had gone down to piles.

You could hear the sounds of Ignatius’ kingdom guards talking to Lisette, who was outside in the front of the carriage as you listened closely to her conversation with them. You could tell that the guards were buying it with the sound of hums and slight mumbles being exchanged and, before you know it, you’re already out on your way to the ice kingdom that was awaiting for you with the wonders that were withheld within it.

You wait for a while after mentally telling yourself that you were going to be okay, before you pull back the curtains to look at the view outside. Based on the time, you figured that possibly an hour has passed. The journey from the fire kingdom to the ice one wasn’t meant to be long, maybe a couple hours at most, but nothing could ever compare to the view that you’ve heard about in the books that you’ve read in your old home.

There were walls made of literal ice, a complete contrast to the titanium steel that was used with ashes and smoke constantly surrounding you and the other fire wielders. Everything looked pristine, and you envied whoever was an ice wielder at this moment because all you could feel now was that you were going to be an outsider; nobody was going to know that you were a fire wielder, and that knowledge itself was dangerous considering you had the ability to burn an entire kingdom down with just one touch.

“Y/N? Are you still okay back there?” You hear Lisette call out to you and let out a hum in response as you continue to look at the ice kingdom with widened eyes.

You felt unsure after realizing that you could be the downfall of a kingdom, if things were to ever go downhill from here.

The carriage suddenly stops for a moment, making you furrow your eyebrows in confusion until you hear a knock on your door. You were suddenly greeted with Lisette, who gave you a small smile before motioning for you to get out, and you could only assume that she was telling you to stretch for a moment before continuing on with the journey. However, nothing could’ve ever prepared you for the drastic temperature change that you had to get used to, because now you were almost freezing cold.

“Holy fuck-”

“Language, Y/N.”

“It’s fucking freezing, Lisette, my toes are going to fall off,” You hissed as you could already feel shivers going down your spine at the freezing cold breeze blowing against your face.

“You'll live, don’t worry. Besides, we stopped so you could stretch and probably grab some snacks, if you wanted any,” She says and you nodded in response, letting out a mumble that you’d be back in about five minutes tops before heading off into the snow and ice view in front of you.

You could feel your limbs being stretched out the more that you walked, but you were still shivering cold with your arms wrapped around yourself. You squinted at the wind that was blowing against your face, but you continued to trudge through the snow, hoping that maybe you could find a place to buy a snack; however all you made out was the white beauty of ice and snow in front of you.

You hated it already.

The snow felt thicker and thicker underneath your boots, up to the point where you’ve barely heard that slight click that was right below, before a voice called out to you.

“Stop- Stop, don’t walk any more!”

You freeze up for a moment as you look off into the distance until you feel a presence nearby, making you slightly turn your head to look at them. The boy in front of you seemed as though he were your age, silver coating his locks and skin paler than anything, seeming to have appeared out of nowhere.

“What did I just step on?” You whispered quietly, afraid of moving even one bit and just a tiny shift triggered a small click to what seemed to be a bear trap underneath your foot, “Oh god, am I going to die?”

“I can get you out, but you’re going to have to trust me on this,” The boy says while slowly inching over to where you were.

However, you shake your head in response as fear was slowly overtaking your body and your heart was now pounding loudly in your chest.

“What’s the plan then?” You ask him, giving him a nervous look and he takes a moment to assess his situation, from what you were able to watch on his face, noticing how his features were definitely more prominent with every moment that he was taking to even think about it.

“Okay so on three, you’re going to jump and I’ll catch you-”

“What if it doesn’t work-”

“It’s going to work-”

“I don’t trust you-”

“Do you want to be hurt instead out here in the cold?” He breathes out, looking at you incredulously, but your head shakes no in response, leading him to carefully move over to where you had been standing the whole time.

He gives you a look in which you could tell that he was asking through his eyes for your consent for him to even touch you, and you give him a small nod before he mumbles a small countdown for you to listen to. The moment that he had finally gotten to three, you jumped as high as you possibly could by lifting your body into the air, legs with you and suddenly you’re caught in the middle of the air bridal style into his arms as your arms immediately flung around his neck.

Your heart leaps out of your chest as you hear the sound of the bear trap going off, flinching at it, just slightly before looking between the contraption and the boy whose face was now inches in front of you. Heat rushes to your face as you try to figure out in his eyes what his intentions were, but there wasn’t anything besides warmth behind them, a look that you haven’t been familiar with in a while, even in the fire kingdom.

Who was he?

“You don’t look like you’re from around here… Would you like a proper escort into the ice kingdom?” The kind stranger offers, with a warm smile on his face, nodding his head over to the kingdom that was now just right behind you guys as if the snow had suddenly cleared up throughout the time that you were with him.

“A proper escort? Who do you think you are, the king?” You scoffed for a moment with a small smile on your face, unsure as to why he still hasn’t let go of you yet, but for some reason you feel comfortable where you were with him.

It was strange.

“Someone who wants to be your friend for the time being. So?” He responds, raising an eyebrow at you and you pause for a moment. Lisette was going to freak out when she found that a boy was going to join you on your trip, but what was the harm?

“Fine, you can join me to head to the ice kingdom. Can I at least get your name-?”

“Taehyun, Kang Taehyun.”

You think that his name is as pretty as his face as you’re staring into them for who knows how long. If anybody were to see you two, they’d think that you were dating, making your face flush with heat for a moment before you spun yourself out of his touch. It became cold again, but you brushed it off as the temperature as you nodded over to where your carriage had been waiting for you to join it once more in this long journey.

“It’s nice to meet you Taehyun. I’m Y/N.”

It had been five days since you last saw Taehyun.

He had left you the moment that you had arrived at the house that Lisette had gotten for you both, no other explanation or words of him saying that he’d probably visit you again. You were a bit disappointed, but you didn’t expect anything less for someone as ethereal as him, from the moment that you had gotten into the ice kingdom with him.

It was called Aspen, as common of a name it was.

He had told you about its beginnings, how it came to be, and how it was ruled by a king, alongside his brethren that were kings of their own kingdoms. The five of them were united under one country and were always willing to reach out to their neighboring allies, such as the ones from Ignatius. However, he had also warned you about how the ice king could also come off as cold, making you wonder how he knew so much for someone who had also claimed along your journey that he was just someone that happened to live there his whole life.

It was almost as though he was an insider from the Ice Palace.

“Y/N, be careful and step away from the windows!”

You flinched at the shrill sound of your Lisette’s voice and stepped away from the windows for a moment, blinking until you turned around to meet her concerned eyes. Lisette gives you a saddened look and holds onto your gloved hands before checking your entire being quickly, letting out a breath of relief when she realizes that you were okay.

“Lisette, I was only-”

“Looking at the ice palace, I know sweetheart, but we’re still trying to make sure that you don’t light the whole kingdom aflame,” She says with a hint of playfulness in her voice, but she wasn’t wrong at all, because you both knew that one wrong touch meant you were done for.

You frowned as you looked between her and the view that was right outside your window, wondering where Taehyun might be in Aspen while the snow fell from the sky right in front of your eyes. What kind of friend abandons them, when they knew that they were going to be lost in a new home in the first place?

“He hasn’t stopped by yet…” You mumble quietly, looking at her and she walks over to pat your back comfortingly, just moments until you hear fanfare go off in the distance.

You realize that it was from the ice palace itself, making you scramble onto your feet for you to turn on the television that was mounted on your wall to tune into whatever news that was going to be broadcasted from the palace. The sounds of fanfare were still on the television and you wondered what was going on today, until suddenly the camera panned over to the balcony where there were five tall males standing, and in the midst of them.

“Taehyun?”

There he was in his royal clothing, silver hair as ash colored as it could get, and there was a cold look on his face that was different in contrast to what you had seen back when you first met him. Yet for some reason, you still felt this unsettling feeling in your stomach that was a mixture of both butterflies, and also nerves. Had he been trying to trick you throughout the time that you had been with him to make you believe that he was just another citizen of Aspen?

You could barely make out what was happening in the broadcast, but before you could even realize it, you were out of your daze and out the door with your scarf in your hands. The heavy ice slightly crunched underneath your feet with every step that you took while running, however you knew that it was enough to keep you up; even if this was your first time out of the house since the day that you had moved in.

But you had no clue where you were going.

You were running in the direction that your gut was telling you to, even if it was a bad idea. But you pushed forward with your thoughts and continued to run for as long as your legs could take you in the confusing lanes that lead right into the heart of the kingdom, where you somehow lucked out in finding the ice palace due to the large crowd forming around it. Stopping in your tracks, you looked up to see the balcony that you had seen on the broadcast earlier, and there he was.

It was like he knew that you were there, because now his eyes were locked on yours as if the two of you were having a staredown in the midst of everything that was happening. He gives you a small smile following with a wink, making you confused as to what the action itself had meant, but one thing was for sure; you were way too close to the ice king the other day.

He disappears after a brief moment, making you blink away from whatever that was before you started to move forward past the crowd to see if there was a way to even get inside. Luckily for you, you were able to sneak through the massive amounts of bodies standing even at the door that you had gotten past the guards.

You noted to yourself to tell Taehyun that he needed better door guards.

The palace was completely warm in contrast to the fact that it was completely made of ice. It was as if there were some sort of heat source that was keeping it warm, but there was no possible way for that to happen, making you even more confused. You started to wander off into the palace, looking at the pristine pieces of ice sculptures all around you, when suddenly you felt your arm being tugged by someone out of nowhere.

Your eyes landed on the familiar color of ashy silver and you realized that he was taking you to a more secluded part of the palace, away from the eyes of Aspen. It wasn’t until after a bunch of long corridors and stairs later that you were on another balcony that was beside what you figured as the master bedroom, the view showcasing the landscapes of the snowy forest that you were once in just days prior.

“Oh wow… It’s pretty up here,” You mumbled out of nowhere in awe, before turning to look at him with a mischievous look while wiggling your eyebrows, “Is this place your secret hideout, when you’re not the king?”

“Something like that, sure,” He chuckles in response, leaning over the balcony railing with a breath escaping his lips and you could’ve sworn that you saw his breath in the middle of the air in the form of ice shards…

But maybe you were imagining things.

“It’s hard being a king, isn’t it?” You frowned a bit, looking at him as you took place beside him over the balcony railing and you could tell that he was getting a bit lost in his thoughts, just for a moment, before nodding in response to what you had asked him.

“It is… But I’ll manage,” He replies, making you also nod at his words and alternate your glances between him and the snowy forest, wondering what must’ve been running through his mind at the moment when he was just standing right there beside you.

“Hey Taehyun… Can you make me a weird promise?” You mumbled quietly, looking over to the silver haired boy that had been looking at you already, making heat rush up to your cheeks for a bit while he hums in response.

“Are we that close within our friendship already, Y/N?” He teases you a bit, nudging you slightly and you let out a slight giggle until he speaks up again once he realized how you were still tensed up from your question, “What is it?”

“If one of us were to die someday, you'd have to let me die first.”

He gives you a confused look, unsure where all of this had been coming from but you were also unsure as to why you suddenly felt so sentimental with the boy sitting next to you. He was just another person to you, much less the king of the ice palace that you’ve been hiding in for who knows how long, and you weren’t planning on sticking around Aspen.

“I don’t know why I even thought of it, but since we’re now friends, I hope, we have to at least have a promise so that it solidifies our friendship… don’t you think so?” You say with a smile curling at the ends of your lips and your head is slightly tilted while staring at him.

However, he finds it slightly endearing as he watches you hold up your pinky out for him to interlock with his own, so that your promise was solidified. He wasn’t sure what this meant for the two of you, but somehow he felt reassured that you were with him right now, away from all of the people that were trying to breathe down his back on the problems that each of them had; ones that he had known about since he was a kid and was now forced to take care of since he had been crowned king.

But with you, he was someone else. He was able to be himself for a bit, and you were his first friend in a while, since the other boys had entered his life. He thinks to himself, as he stares into your warm eyes, that if one of you did die, that he would be the one to be right beside you, and to prevent you from dying in the first place. You were already making an impression on him, and for some reason, he feels safe and attached to you, as if you were another home.

“Don’t worry. I promise.”

“Are you ready for your first ever tour of Aspen?”

The boy in front of you has a wide grin on his face as you nod in response while closing the door behind you, shivering for a moment until you come face to face with his now frowning expression and death glares. He points to the outfit that you had on, making you give him a look that you would refuse his internal nagging to get a thicker jacket, when you could’ve used your powers to warm yourself up on your own regardless.

“Tae-”

“Go get a jacket.”

“I don’t need it-”

“You’re going to get sick, and I don’t want you to get sick on my watch,” He says with a final tone, making you give him one last look before huffing out a breath as you went back inside to grab the coat that was waiting for you to put on from the couch.

It was as if it knew that this would happen in the first place.

“Better?” You pouted a bit, watching as he walked up to you just a bit from the moment that you walked out the door.

Reaching for your jacket’s zipper, he zips it up just enough for you to stay warm, and you could’ve sworn that your heart rate had gone up a million miles per hour with how close he was to you when he zipped it up. His eyes have grown soft when he makes sure that you were bundled up with how cold it had been today, and he lets out a satisfied noise with a smile before dragging you away from your house with your hand intertwined with his.

“Perfect, actually.”

He continues to take you alongside with him, hand in hand with you still as you listen to him ramble on about everything that was surrounding you two. Going from the beautiful sculptures that were created, to each ice shard that was invisible to the eye, to the glacial buildings that beautifully reflected under the warm sun, you would’ve thought that this was something more than just a little tour around Aspen by the king.

The entire time that you had walked with him felt as though your heads were up in the clouds with the way that his eyes were filled with the entire universe. His eyes were enlarged, full of wonder and excitement as you took note of every single place that he mentioned, along with the little commentary about his favorite places that he would go to in secret whenever he was able to sneak away from the palace.

In fact, you didn’t even realize that you would’ve been able to experience it until then, when he drags you into his favorite boba shop.

“What’s your favorite flavor, Firestorm?” You hear him ask from beside you and turn to raise an eyebrow at him, unsure of where the sudden nickname came from as he gives you a slight smirk at your confused state.

“Flustered?”

“A little embarrassed, actually. Firestorm, really?” You joked, crossing your arms in front of your chest and you could see it in his eyes that he was taken back a bit by your response, but you wanted to challenge him even more because you knew that there was a hidden meaning behind his own words.

“Was there something else that you had in mind?” He muses, giving you a wider grin on his face and you shrug a bit before glancing between him and the menu that was right above both of your heads.

“I’ll have the crystal milk special… with a dash of darling rather than Firestorm,” You reply, giving him a small smile and he nods in response before heading up to the counter to order both of your drinks while you stand there, staring at the back of his head with thoughts running through your mind.

Did you seriously just ask him to call you darling?

Heat flares up into your cheeks and the tips of your ears as you thought to yourself what you were even doing in the first place. This was the king that you had been running around Aspen with, as if the two of you were the bestest of friends, when in reality it’s only been days since you’ve last met the other by sheer coincidence.

There were definitely intrusive thoughts entering your mind as you thought about how attractive he was, all while thinking about how you could at least keep your emotions at bay. However, there was something about him that made you want to get to know him more, but at the same time it felt almost too inappropriate to be this close to him anyways, making you want to distance yourself from the beautiful boy that was now coming to you with your drinks in hand.

“So, darling, anything else you had in mind for today? I could show you a couple more places, if you want me to,” He offers, handing you your cup and straw with a comforting smile on his face and you look at him with a small smile on your face before thinking for a moment.

“Are you trying to ask me on a date, Kang Taehyun?” You teased, winking at him momentarily as the two of you started to head out of the boba shop, when he suddenly stopped the moment that you had stepped outside.

Snow had started to fall from the sky, and it made you think about the powers that he might’ve had on his end. Was he the one making it snow on his own accord, or was it something that was just pure coincidence, from the moment that you both stepped outside? From what you even remember, Lisette had always told you that whomever you had been with during the first snowfall was supposed to be your forever.

However, there were also the rare occasions where you have also heard about the possibilities of your supposed ‘soulmate’ being the answer to your mission powers that you were supposed to have. You haven’t found this singular individual yet, but you knew that when you did, they were going to be that someone that you knew you could be in a lifetime with.

“Would it be so bad, if I was?”

You tense up for a moment as you looked back at him with a confused face, unsure as to whether or not you should accept his offer, though you weren’t sure what else you had to lose. But in this moment, you wonder if it was a good time for you to go with him anyways when he was going through so much on his own, along with having to deal with his own kingly duties rather than hanging out with someone else that was not even from Aspen.

“Taehyun… You have to go back to the palace at some point, you know. I don’t think it’d be a good idea if you just spent the day giving me a whole tour of Aspen, when you have your own stuff to do.” You frowned, taking a small sip of your own drink and had you not been distracted by the cup in your hands, you would’ve been too flustered to even continue the conversation with him.

Why was he trying to get to know you more?

“Not even if it was a king’s order to hang out with him?” He teases, giving you a small smile as he leans down so that you were both now eye level to one another, and you could’ve sworn that you were warmer than any other time in the world, even back home in Ignatius.

Your heart was beating loudly in your chest as you stared into his large eyes, a smile coating his lips and you could see the same mischief in his eyes that you recognized from the first day that you had met him. He was someone that was ready to bring out another side of you that you didn’t realize you had been hiding all along, and yet somehow you were okay with that in this moment as you were holding back the urge to poke the dimple that was showing on the side of his curved lips.

“Then where to next, ice king?”

You’ve known Taehyun for 504 hours; 21 days approximately, more or less.

Maybe it was the fact that he’s been making efforts to see you, more than you had in the first place, and you felt almost guilty; almost being the keyword as you sat across from the said male at the boba shop that you had also fallen in love with. At this point, you had practically known Aspen inside and out with how much you’ve been going out of your house with him, and for some reason you found it strange that he had so much trust in you and your powers.

He knew that at some point if your gloves were to ever come off your hands, everything that he and his family have ever built up until now will melt in your palms. However in the last three weeks, he has gotten more fond of your presence beside his, somehow feeling a sense of familiarity inside his heart whenever he talks to you.

“Taehyun, how come nobody has ever seen your parents?” You ask him out of nowhere, playing with your now empty cup as your eyes seemed distant for a moment, as though your mind was somewhere else, rather than where you were now with him.

To be fair, you have heard stories from the other boys when you had met them from the last time that you hung out with them.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Taehyun this excited to play in the snow, even if it’s with Huening,” You recall Yeonjun mentioning as you raised an eyebrow at his sudden statement.

“He hasn’t been this happy in a while, especially when he has lost his parents at such a young age from what I’ve heard my parents mention to me, and I think you’re the cause of that. Yeah, we laugh here and there and he, hopefully, enjoys his time hanging out with us, but this is the happiest that we’ve ever seen him now that you’ve been around.”

“Was he cold hearted instead?” You remember asking the man, thinking about how he was the oldest of the bunch, and the one to unite them all in the first place all because of a playdate that went too well.

“I’d like to think that he was even colder than the ice that coats Aspen. Freezing, almost, but his heart is slowly warming up to you, if I say so myself. I can see it in both of your eyes.”

Taehyun gives you a confused look when you mention it, but nonetheless he feels as though he could tell you anything in the moment because you weren’t just anybody else asking him about his deceased parents. He knew who they were from when he was a kid up until his teenage years, and finding out more about them through his aunt was a story that he struggled to accept because of the perception that they gave off to him as a young boy.

“They… were apparently the best, and worst rulers of Aspen. They cared about their people too much, and the greed that came from wanting what was best for them became their deaths when we went to war with Ignatius. It wasn’t until their passing and Wooyoung’s compromise with me that we became at peace. I know it wasn’t hyung’s fault either… but somehow… it still hurts to think about them,” He explains to you with a small frown in his face, and if you could, you would’ve reached out to rub the area in between his eyebrows so that the wrinkles could leave his saddened demeanor.

“They probably were doing what they thought was best for you, Tae,” You mumbled softly and reached out for his hand that was resting on the table in front of you, squeezing it gently as you could feel him reciprocate the small meaningful action.

“I know… I’m just grateful for the memories that they gave me, and for the others for picking me back up slowly when I was at my worst moments. My parents weren’t complete assholes either, they were actually kind of like us… Opposite elemental wielders,” He mentions while looking at you with a small smile on his face and that was when your curiosity peaked.

“Does that mean…”

“Like you, I’m also missing the other half of my powers. But hopefully someday, I’ll meet that person and be whole with them, if that makes sense,” He says, and you knew exactly what he meant.

There was no coincidence that you both just so happened to be missing the other half of each other’s complementary elements, but there wasn’t a chance that Taehyun could be your half. Everything was purely occurring because of its timing, and you were trying to think of any other logistical reason that it was happening in the first place.

“Taehyun…”

“Hey, wanna head to the ice palace with me? I remembered that I have to check up on something, but I don’t want you to leave me just yet,” He offers, standing up from where he had been sitting down earlier in front of you, but it was the feeling of his hand letting go of yours that made your skin crawl with how cold it suddenly felt.

The smile that was previously on his lips drops a little bit, but you chose to just shake the thought away as you nodded in response, motioning for him to show you the way first as the two of you had started going our way. However, this walk felt different and maybe it was because you were too used to being so close to him while constantly putting your hand in his whenever you went on your escapades with him.

It was at this point where Yeonjun’s previous words had weighed heavy on your heart, making you wonder if you were really the reason for Taehyun’s change of heart. You could have, but that could only mean worse for you both if the truth came out to the person that you had been fearing the most from the moment that you’ve stepped into Aspen.

“I need you to make me a promise, darling. There’s something that I’ve been working on for a while that you cannot tell anyone else,” He mumbles softly, glancing to where you had still been trailing behind him the whole time up until you had walked into the palace with him.

You nod in response while interlocking your own pinky with the one that he had out for you already, but for some reason the uncertainty on his face never seemed to leave him. He seemed more nervous, unsure as to whether or not it was a good idea to even tell you what he had felt burdened with, but the small smile on your face could only reassure him that it was okay.

“Darling, I’m very serious about this-”

“I know, Tae, which is why I swear I won’t even say anything to anyone,” You say, giving him a small nod when he furrowed his eyebrows even more while frowning.

“The boys don’t even know about this… which is why I’m scared to even tell them, because what would they even think when they see that?” He murmurs, head tilted to motion over towards a door that you had recognized from days prior from today.

You walk over to the closed door and watch as he unlocks it slowly for you to walk in first, only to be graced with the sight of something that resembled an incubator but made out of complete ice. It was wantonly freezing in the room, in contrast to the rest of the palace, and you could’ve sworn that your lips had turned blue from the moment that you walked in here, if it weren’t for the feeling of Taehyun draping his cape over your shoulders to hopefully warm you up; but the frozen person was too familiar in your eyes because of how often you’d see him.

“Is that-”

“Choi San, Wooyoung’s best friend… Frozen,” He mumbles in order to hold himself back from tearing up, but he too was too immersed in the overwhelming feeling of guilt in his heart, because he knew why he hasn’t faced Wooyoung yet in these last few days, even while reaching out to the elder.

“He died back in Ignatius protecting Wooyoung and his significant other… and he had asked for a favor by sending him over to me to see if there was any way for me to save his life by slowing his death but….” He explains to you slowly, eyes concentrated onto yours as you look away from the iced figure to see that his eyes were glossed over with tears ready to spill out of them.

You frown a bit as you hesitantly reach up to cup his cheek into your hand, gently wiping the stray tear that was already glistening onto the apples of his cheekbones and he lets out a shaky breath when you do so. Thinking to yourself, you wondered how long he must’ve been enduring this secret while also attending to his kingly duties and juggling finding the right time to even be around you given that there was never enough time in the world.

“It’s not your fault, Taehyun,” You whisper quietly, giving him a reassuring smile but he shakes his head in response, holding onto your hand as he looks into your eyes with one too many thoughts in his mind to figure out the answers to.

“Wooyoung wants to come here soon, darling. If he does that and finds you here-”

“He won’t, I won’t let him,” You argue back, frowning as roles have finally switched. He was now holding onto you by wrapping one arm around your waist and the other grabbing onto your gloved hand that was previously resting on his cheek over to where his heart was.

“Do you know how cruel it is to be around you, darling? You can literally kill me, and bring my entire kingdom down… Yet somehow you chose not to. Why? Why are you still staying here, knowing that you have me wrapped around your toxic fingers?” He mumbles while slowly leaning in and for a moment you could feel his cold breath hovering over your own breath.

Your heart was practically jumping out of your chest but you were tempted to remove the small gap that was separating the two of you. Thoughts were running through your mind as you wanted to know the same thing, yet the answer was right there in front of you as your eyes trailed between his that were boring into your heart and his lips that were so close to resting against yours.

Taehyun was the complementary piece that you had been looking for your entire life, and maybe it was the little voice that was from your subconscious that was warning you that something bad was going to happen. Maybe it was because of that little warning that instills fear into your heart, fearing that maybe Taehyun would be ripped away from you if someone had the chance to, and that was the reason why you were even holding back.

“I think we both know the answer to this, Taehyun,” You whisper back and there’s now tears that were pooling at the corner of your eyes before the space between you both had finally evaporated out of thin air.

And that was the day that you had your first kiss with the king of Aspen.

You don’t believe in love at first sight, but with Taehyun, you think that maybe it was when he had saved you from that bear trap that you had fallen for him.

“Did you know that a group of bunnies are called a fluffle?”

Your head turns over to where he had been looking at you with a wide grin on his face, as if you had painted his sky blue while placing all of the stars into the same sky all in one day. Said boy brushes your hair out of your eyes as the two of you had been sitting in his safe place, staring at the horizons as you both were watching the sunset together and you try not to let a laugh escape from your lips at how enamored he had looked in the very moment.

“You’re so random for that,” You grinned while hiding your face into his neck, feeling his arms wrap around your waist as he pulled you in closer into his embrace that he had created for only you to feel, “I’m so embarrassed for you.”

“The smile on your pretty lips says otherwise, darling. You can’t fool anyone at this point,” He teases you, placing a short kiss against your lips and you could’ve sworn that if it were possible, your smile had only grown wider than it already was.

“But what if I were to be a fool for you?”

Falling in love with Taehyun felt like you had slipped hard in one of Aspen’s back roads and alleys that you have been so familiar with now. Somehow, you found yourself staying for over a month now, and ever since the day that he had revealed to you about his plan to break the news to Wooyoung about San, you could only grow more fond and attached to the boy that you unknowingly were in love with.

“Well then, I hope it is just for me, because if you were ever with someone else… I think I’d go crazy over you.” You winked half jokingly, and he lets out the most beautiful laugh that you’ve ever heard in your entire life, making you wish that you had some sort of recorder to save this sound forever into your heart.

“Don’t worry, I’m holding my promise until the very end of us, darling.”

He presses a kiss against your forehead and instantly, you feel warmer than you’ve ever been despite the fact that your gloves were still on. The two of you sat there for a moment as you thought about the time that he had tried to convince you to take your gloves off.

That exact day was the same one in which the two of you had shown the others your capabilities with your powers in the white forest that you both met in. It was also the same day where you both have sworn to never use it against the other, knowing that it could put the other in danger and neither of you had ever wanted that to happen in this life.

“Hey, is it just me or does it feel a lot warmer than it usually does around here?” You mumbled to Taehyun, looking around in confusion as to why the atmosphere was suddenly growing warm, and he got up from his spot at the same time.

“Wooyoung is here.”

Your eyes widen at his words and in almost a split second later, he disappears from your sight as he’s heading back into the palace, praying that maybe he could hide you for a little bit longer. On the other hand, you were pretty much freaking out as you paced back and forth on the ice balcony, debating whether or not it had been a good idea to jump over it and to avoid the long awaited confrontation that you were obviously trying to escape from, when you thought about Taehyun.

He had been your rock the entire time that you have been here, and if Wooyoung were to do anything to force you back home to Ignatius, you knew that you would have to put up a fight that could potentially harm the rest of Aspen. But you were willing to make sure that Taehyun and Aspen were safe first, even if it meant that your life would be the one in danger instead.

You ran inside the ice palace to find Taehyun, to stop him for a moment so that the two of you could think of a better plan to talk to the fire king, but it was too late. The two of them were dead silent as all eyes were now on you, and you could see Wooyoung’s facial expressions harden when he realized why you look so familiar at first glance.

“Your highness-”

“You’re one of mine, aren’t you?” He says almost immediately and you could feel a lump form in your throat, words that were previously on the tip of your tongue had now evaporated as you could only stare between the two.

Your voice had failed you, but you gave him a small nod that you could only do at this moment, already afraid of your fate that was now resting in both of your hands. You watch as Wooyoung glances between both you and Taehyun with an unreadable emotion in his eyes, because he had somehow known about your family’s rankings and the history behind them as well.

“You do realize that if you really wanted to see if you were soulmates after escaping me, Taehyun has to use his powers on you.”

The bluntness in his voice throws you off guard while your mouth hands low from the fact that he even mentioned it in the first place. Had he known the entire time-

“Both of your parents have told me about this situation possibly happening, and the only way to see it is for Taehyun to pierce you with his ice powers, to see if you’re immune to any ice related attacks despite being a fire wielder,” Wooyung explains calmly, making you frown for a moment before glancing over at Taehyun, who had been staring at the ground the whole time.

Had he known about this from the moment that he met you?

“Tae-”

“I’m not going to do it,” The boy immediately argues, looking up at both you and Wooyoung with a pain stricken expression, and if it were possible, the previous tension of what Taehyun might’ve created earlier while breaking the news to Wooyoung had gotten even worse from here on out.

“I’ll leave you both to talk about it, but Taehyun… please make sure that San gets sent off as beautifully as he would’ve wanted it.” The elder speaks before leaving the ice palace with heavy footsteps behind.

The ice palace becomes the coldest that it has ever been, both you and Taehyun being the only ones there while standing in the middle of the large foyer. Neither of you had decided to speak up because of the big decision that was now in the palm of your hands, but as you felt the tears cascading down your face, you walked over to him slowly while holding in your breath.

“I don’t want to do it, Y/N. I don’t want to be the reason why you die, if it doesn’t work out,” He mumbles quietly, and you understandingly nod in response, knowing that if anything, he had the biggest role to play at this point.

“But I also don’t want you to feel deprived of being at your full potential because of me-”

“You wouldn’t be holding me back, I promise you that,” You say while taking his hands into your own, but you couldn’t help yourself and felt pity, because it was at this moment you had realized how much you were in love with Kang Taehyun.

It was because of him and the love that he had given you from the moment that you both met that you had trusted him with your life wholeheartedly. He was the breath of fresh air to make you realize that you were capable of being loved, especially when all this power you had wielded could’ve been used against him; but he trusted you, the same way that you did with him that one day.

“Tae, I want you to do it now, while we’re still here together.”

He gaped at you in shock, eyes widened as if he were asking you about the certainty that you had wanted him to try what Wooyoung had mentioned onto you, but there was only the familiar look in your eyes that he recognized as your stubbornness. He had remembered the promise that he made with you all those weeks or months ago on the balcony, when he had promised for you to die first if anything were to happen to you two.

And this was those circumstances, in which the promise was finally going to happen.

“I’m glad that I’m the one that gets to leave first, ya know… I don’t think I’d ever want to learn what it’d be like if you weren’t with me,” You hiccupped, tears still streaming down your face while his thumbs were busy wiping them away.

“I’m so scared, Taehyun.”

“Hey, don’t say that, don’t be scared. It’s just me. You’re going to be okay, and when you wake up again, I’ll be right there next to you, okay?,” He says in a gentle tone while brushing the hairs that were covering your forehead out of the way to place a soft kiss against it.

“You’re not leaving me, and I’m never leaving you like I promised you back then. The only thing I want right now is for you to promise me that you’ll wake up after this… Because I don’t want to relearn what life without you is like.”

Your lips are shut tight while your mind has been running at a million miles per hour with your heartbeat, because you weren’t sure if this was going to work. The two of you promised that you wouldn’t use your powers on the other, but here you were, ready to take your gloves off to fully take in the powers that Taehyun was about to use on you, making you grow worried of what was going to happen.

“Tae-”

“Y/N, darling baby, I want you to promise me,” He sternly says and you were able to see the fear that was slowly overtaking him through his eyes.

You both were scared, because neither of you knew what the other outcome was supposed to be when risks were so high up there at the moment. You could end up dying due to the ice shards that would pierce through you from Taehyun’s powers, but on the other hand it might just work and you’d both be complete with both sets of powers, making you both meant to be with one another.

But what were the odds that the outcomes were in your favor?

“I promise, Taehyun… I trust you…” You smiled weakly, nodding in response as the two of you were now standing in front of the other with tears streaming down your faces, and you took this moment to take in every single feature and crevice that had sculpted the beautiful boy that you had fallen in love with.

He places one last meaningful kiss against your lips while you have reciprocated the action back, and just as your lips touch for a moment. Right in that moment, you could feel his hand rest on your arm and you knew that he was about to use his powers to create the ice shards that were going to pierce you at any given moment, but you felt him wince into the kiss due to the warmth that was radiating from your ungloved hands.

“I love you, Taehyun,” You whisper against his lips and you hear him whisper six words just seconds before both of your powers had finally collided with one another, exerting yourselves to the most before you had fallen unconscious from the world.

“I love you too, my darling.”

They say that your entire life flashes before you when you’re teetering between life and death, a montage of everything you’ve done throughout the time that you were alive to determine whether or not you have lived until the fullest. Throughout the time that you were unconscious, you didn’t see those flashes appear in your mind, but rather a voice that continuously called out for you, in which they had sounded way too familiar to not know where it had come from.

“Y/N… please wake up… I’m right here.”

You gasp awake as your vision is greeted with the darkness of someone’s bedroom, head darting to find the source of the voice that was calling out to you until you realize that it was Taehyun, who had been sitting on the end of your bed the entire time. He gives you a worried look as he is holding onto gloved hand gently, but also firmly while you were confused with everything that was going on in the first place.

“Where am I? How long have I-”

“You were unconscious for two hours.”

Your eyes were now on his as you noticed how they were rimmed with bloodshot red, as if he had been crying throughout the two hours. Almost immediately, you looked down on his wrists to see the small burn marks that you have created on him, making you frown slightly at the sight as you look back up at him.

“You didn’t put any healing ointment on them, Taehyun, what the hell,” You mumbled and got up to grab some medicine that you knew was stored in the connecting bathroom when suddenly you were pulled back into his embrace on his bed.

There’s a bit of wetness on your back and you could tell that it was from Taehyun, making you raise your hand up to hold onto the arm that was wrapped around your waist when you notice a change in his arms. The marks that you had seen literally a second ago had begun to fade, just as you turned to look at him and his ash, silver hair was slowly turning into a color that resembles a glossed over platinum blonde.

“Tae… Your hair,” You gasped quietly as you reached up for his hair, just as little specs of snow had fallen from your fingertips.

The both of you watched as the specks of snow had fallen into his new colored hair, making you freeze in your places at the newfound information that you both had witnessed. In that exact same moment, Taehyun releases his arm around you to recreate a move that he had remembered you teaching him a while back, in which was to create a flame in the palm of his hands. The warm colors on the flame danced around in your eyes but you watched it disappear as both you and Taehyun were now looking at one another with shocked expressions on your faces.

“Does that mean-”

Almost immediately, he cups your face to place kisses all over you, your giggles leaving your lips as fate seemed to be on your side for once. The two of you were finally like puzzle pieces that were meant to be put together, and with everything that had just happened today, you knew that things were only going to look better from here on out.

“I am absolutely enamored by you, darling, with every single fiber in me. I hope that I can prove that to you, for the rest of our days, as long as you stick by me.” He grins while placing one last kiss against your lips, in which you felt your heart pacing for the millionth time that you’ve been with him.

“I promise, Tae, don’t you worry about it.”

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