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underhousearrestblog · 10 months

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Lost In Translation | Pedro Pascal

(summary) a drunk confession makes things weird between you and Pedro

(warnings) an age gap (oh the horror)

(pairings) Pedro Pascal x reader

(genre/ tropes) angst, lemon-y fluff, miscommunication, mutual pining, friends to lovers

(word count) 7.7k

(also) Pedro’s point of view (of sorts) is in Italics

(also) minors, scram (I’m kidding. Kinda. I was reading these types of things when I was twelve. I’m not the one to advise anything. Just, please, don’t interact. Better for my conscience and your digital footprint.)

(also) damn – I’m actually doing something here now... a step up from my usual one-post-per-six-months activity...

HAPPY READING!

Things around you blurred, people’s faces were distorted and music was giving you a headache. You lost count how many drinks you had about an hour ago and now you were regretting having any.

Your friends – who were more work acquaintances than friends – had ditched you, you had no car that you wouldn’t be able to operate in this condition anyway and not enough money to call a cab. All you had were a very revealing dress with a deep cut up your right thigh and a phone with around twenty percent charge left.

You stepped outside. Evening air did some but still not enough good for you to feel confident enough to walk those two and a half kilometers to your apartment building. Especially not in these knee-high boots. You would probably end up murdered. Or murdering yourself by accidentally stepping in front of a car. Either way, in a ditch.

You checked over you contacts for anyone who would pick up a phone and pick you up at the club at this ungodly hour. Since you had moved, most of your contacts were pretty much useless for this type of shit.

You pulled out your wallet. There were several business cards that you had gotten since you had started to work as a PR manager for The Last Of Us production team. Your eyes scanned over some of the names. Nico Parker. You weren’t sure she even got her license yet. Bella Ramsey. You knew for a fact she didn’t have a car.

Pedro Pascal.

Shit.

Well, from a purely objective stance, he was the best choice. He could pick you up and he didn’t give creepy vibes so technically you should be fine.

The problem was – he probably didn’t even know who you were. You had been on, like, two lunches with him with purely professional intentions. There had been more people from both the cast and the PR team and, even though you had spoken to him one-on-one multiple times, he had these types of conversations every day.

Worst he could do was say no.

To be fair, he could theoretically also cuss you out.

Or look at an unknown number and not even pick up.

Before you let your mind talk itself out of it, your fingers typed in his number and called.

It was quite chilly, now that you were out in dark alley with only your stripper dress on. It was pretty but god was it doing a shit job at keeping you warm.

The phone was calling and after the very first ring, you started to doubt yourself.

Maybe it would be less embarrassing if you just called your boss? Sure, she would know you indulged in an occasional living of your life but she was a woman and maybe would be more sympathetic than most of the men you worked with...

Two-

- Y/N? – unprepared for Pedro to actually pick up, you startled.

Your brain was foggy from all the alcohol and your body was still trying to decipher the sudden temperature drop so it took you several seconds to even put words together.

- Hey, are you alright? – it was actually him.

He really picked up at a quarter to midnight.

How did he know who was calling?

- Hey, Pedro, - up until this point you had used the formal “Mr. Pascal” just like everybody in your team but now it would feel weird. – So I have a bit of a... situation?

What was the term for getting drunk and placing all your trust in people that you had met two weeks ago?

- Are you alright? – he sounded worried. – Where are you?

Not wanting to appear nervous yourself, you tried to put on a smile, hoping it would make your voice sound lighter and careless.

- I’m at the... – you looked over your shoulder at the sign in front of the club, - Sensual Vibes, - you cringed at the name.

He definitely thinks you’re at a strip club.

- It’s a bar downtown. And I’m kinda drunk and I don’t really have any money, and my asshole friends left, and I’m also kinda col-

- Do you need me to pick you up? – he didn’t sound mad.

If anything – he sounded almost careful. As if he didn’t want to push any boundaries by insisting.

You were silent for a second.

Why was it so hard for you to ask for help when it was clear you desperately needed it?

Fucking pride.

You can cringe in shame tomorrow when you haven’t been murdered trying to walk home drunk...

- Yeah, - you said quietly before adding, - but it’s totally fine if you can’t. I’m sure two kilometers of walking will be fine if I can get off these stripper shoes-

- I’ll be there in twenty, - he said in a voice that left no arguments. – Go back inside. I’ll come in and get you.

- Who was that? – Oscar asked, stuffing the leftover pizza back into the box.

- Y/N, - Pedro put away his phone and went to get his car keys.

- Y/N? Who the fuc-

His hand stopped halfway to close the lid.

- Oh shit, - Oscar laughed, turning towards his friend. – Is that the girl from the PR team? It’s that Y/N?

Pedro didn’t answer and went to get his jacket. Oscar, in true friend fashion, followed him into the hallway, while teasing:

- Is that the same girl who still calls you Mr. Pascal even though you corrected her, like, thousand times?

Pedro just rolled his eyes.

This wasn’t exactly new. Oscar had never really met you – at least, in person – though there was abundance of information regarding you given by his friend every time Pedro had a drop of alcohol in his system.

- You know, if you weren’t so famous, I’d think she actually didn’t even know your first name by how much she uses the surname... – Oscar went back to pick up the leftover pizza, before turning back and looking at his friend suspiciously. – Are you sure she meant to call you? I mean, if she called you by your name, the call might have been meant for another Pedro. All I’m saying is-

Pedro threw him a dark look and turned to leave. Could that be true? You never really called him by his name and he was almost one hundred percent sure you didn’t even have his number...

- Lock up before you leave, - Pedro murmured before opening the door.

You were drunk and alone so, either way, you’ll have to make peace with it.

Once Pedro had ended the call, all you could do was blankly stare at the screen. To be fair, you were very intoxicated so... could you had hallucinated this whole conversation?

Either way – waiting inside was probably the best choice here...

You dropped down on a sofa in the foyer. You felt a headache coming on.

God, this is gonna be embarrassing...

After fifteen minutes of waiting and contemplating about leaving on your own, a hand lightly touched your shoulder, making you startle yet again. You had been way too focused on a painting on the wall to notice anybody approaching.

- Pedro? – your eyebrows shot up as if you were surprised that the person who you had called had actually shown up.

- Were you waiting for someone else? – there was a note in his voice you couldn’t quite decipher and your foggy mind refused to cooperate.

- N-no, - you stammered out. – I just wasn’t sure you would actually show up...

Now was his turn to look surprised. He opened his mouth to say something but, when you lightly swayed on your feet, he quickly put an arm around your shoulders to steady you.

When he lightly pressed his palm on the skin between your shoulder blades, a small shiver ran through your body, making you look up at him. He had probably seen or feel you shiver and had interpreted that as you being cold which was technically true. He pulled off his jacket that looked way too big for you.

You were by no means model-thin but the jacket was oversized on him so it looked like it would end up around your knees.

You shook your head.

- I’m not taking your jacket after you drove all this w-

- Don’t argue, - was all he said before lifting your arm, pulling the sleeve over it and then repeating the same on the other side. – And it’s still longer than that pretty thing you call a dress, - his eyes ran over your half-naked body.

Not in a leering way. But he did gulp when his eyes touched on the slit across your thigh.

Great, there’s no getting this out of memory, he chastised himself for enjoying and savoring you while you were very clearly drunk.

Shit, he’s probably uncomfortable, was all you could think about.

His car was pleasantly warm. You managed to climb in on your own but when it came to the seatbelt, you fingers still lacked focus and were stiff. After two unsuccessful attempts at connecting the two parts, Pedro gently peeled your fingers from the belt, reached over and buckled you in himself.

Before he could step back, you placed your hand on his bicep to stop him. The touch itself was innocent enough but you felt your skin lightly tingling as if you had touched a wire with low charge.

Pedro’s eyes followed you to where your skin had touched his. All he could do was stare at your fingers around his arm.

- Shit, sorry, - you decided he was probably uncomfortable and withdrew your hand, - sorry, I didn’t mean-

- It’s fine-

- I just wanted to say thank you, - your gaze held his. – I don’t know what I would’ve done otherwise.

There was something intoxicating in doing favors for you. He would’ve driven to pick up any of the women he knew if they were drunk and alone but your trust in him made him a bit delirious.

He wanted you to call him if you ever needed to get home drunk but he also wanted to drive you to a meaningless appointment and pick you up after work.

- It’s fine, - he swallowed before stepping back. – You’re welcome.

He could hear Oscar’s teasing voice in his head, telling him how absurdly romantic it was for him to simp after a girl who probably read his number off a business card when hers had been cataloged in his phone since day one. He probably could recall it from memory at this point.

Pedro closed the door on your side and walked around to get into the driver’s seat. He tried to take in some of the chilling evening air before getting in.

- ... and my friend said just go up to him and ask him out, - he heard you say once he got in, - but every time I looked at his pretty face I chicked out... – you hiccuped, - chic... chickened out! And then-

Your words were slurred and half-coherent.

Pedro started the car, pulled out of the parking lot and then threw a glance at you.

- Who were you trying to ask out?

- I wasn’t trying... And he wouldn’t come anyway...

Alcohol had made you braver and in a stupid attempt to rip your own band-aid off, you turned towards Pedro and whispered in an almost broken voice:

- Would you go on a date with me?

You needed his answer. Tomorrow was gonna be shameful but you could, at least, write this off as a drunken mistake. You had finally done it, you had finally gathered all your courage and taken a step-

But it was the way you had said it. With the accent on the word ‘you’. All Pedro heard was your confession about liking another man and how busy he was, and now you looked at him with glossy eyes and it made him wonder if this stupid man you were talking about had said something to make you insecure. You had just confessed about your crush and needed confirmation that other men – smarter men – would still date you.

But knowing that you trusted him enough to take you home drunk, he knew he couldn’t just confess about wanting you for himself. That was a dick move used by every false male friend around the world.

- I... – you watched his throat work, as he was putting words together, then he ripped his gaze away from where you sat in his car, in his jacket, for the first time ever giving him your undivided attention. – I think you’re amazing and any man would be lu-

Your eyes burned with unshed tears. His figure got distorted through the rapidly increasing moisture.

You are amazing.

Any man would be lucky to date you.

Not me though.

Last one wasn’t said out loud but, in your defense, it was usually never spelled out when a person was rejecting someone.

This was a rejection speech.

He was giving you a rejection speech!

You lifted your hand to silence him. He immediately did and you looked out through the window on your side.

- Please, don’t, - your voice broke at the end. – I respect you way too much and don’t want to start saying things I don’t mean while drunk.

It was said and done.

You had asked and he had rejected you. Work’s gonna be a bitch but PR, thankfully, was a team effort so you could probably take meetings with another member of the cast and make one of your colleague meet with Pedro. Eventually, your stupid little feelings would stop hurting and you would move on.

Eventually.

Until then you probably should avoid Pedro every chance you got.

It was said and done.

Even drunk, you had realized his incurable crush on you and in a very “I’m well-versed in public relations” manner had put an end to his confession. What was it that you had said? I respect you way too much...

Respect you way too much to outright say “no”.

You had a crush on a man you worked with. Probably someone your age. Probably someone who’s life wasn’t constantly dissected on every media platform.

You were a real pretty girl so even if you never gathered the courage to take the first step, that man you talked about would probably do it for you. He would be stupid not to.

Which meant that at some point you would be seen on set, laughing and kissing some other man who probably had no idea for how long you had lusted after him. And Pedro knew that if your crush forgot what he’s got, he would be way too tempted to teach him a lesson or two about not throwing away life’s biggest treasures.

Maybe even way too tempted to put the fear of god into that man. To threaten to never dare to break your pretty little heart.

But you had good taste in most things. And the man you were talking about asking out was probably good. More than good. He probably was respectful in public and would make you scream his name in private. Buy you a nice dress and later rip it off your body. Pick you up to take you places and then wait patiently for you to come back to him.

You deserved the best. And you were probably way too good for that boy you liked. Granted, Pedro thought you were way too good for basically everyone, including himself, but he also wasn’t one of those men that would pass on an amazing woman all because “she’s too good for him”.

Nah. He knew he would greedily accept your love and lust if only you offered. He might have thought you were too good for him but he also knew there were many things he could provide for you. He was successful, had money, a stable job, he was mature and wouldn’t play any games. Besides, he was damn near sure he loved you and even with you reciprocating just half of that love and affection, it still would be perfect.

- What’s your add-

Once he looked over to where you were watching him just a minute ago, Pedro found you fast asleep with your head pressed against the window. His jacket, way too big for you, had fallen down your shoulder, revealing that distractingly little napkin you bravely called a dress.

Shit.

This was definitely not good.

If he had to bring you back to his home, he knew he would see ghosts of you every time he stepped inside his own house. And that would be bad. Right now you were already everywhere at work, he couldn’t afford to let you make yourself at home in his private space too. Damage would take months to undo.

He contemplated waking you up but even then there would be no guarantee that you would even remember where you lived in this condition.

Pedro started driving towards his own home slower than necessary, hoping you would wake up at some point and give him your address.

All he could hope for was that Oscar had already left because, otherwise, Pedro would never hear the end of this...

Shitshitshit.

Your head was hurting even before you opened your eyes. That was never a good thing. Once you did, you were met with a semi-dark room that was vaguely lit by a small lamp left on on the nightstand.

Where the fuck where you?

This looked way too homey to be a hotel and way too impersonal to be someone’s bedroom. You lifted the thick blanket that was draped over you to check out if you weren’t missing any clothes. Or some more important things, like body parts.

Your eyebrows shot up in confusion when you were met with the same light blue dress you had worn at the club with just more wrinkles in it now. All you were missing where the boots that you saw placed by the bed.

You checked the small alarm clock on the nightstand.

5:06 AM.

It was early.

On a day off, you probably wouldn’t have woken up this early but your body had most likely dealt with the alcohol in your system and had woken up naturally once you had sobered up.

Then you noticed the small note placed next to the clock.

I’m not sure how much you remember but I picked you up from a club. You didn’t give me an address before passing out, so I brought you home with me. You’re in my guest bedroom. I’m in the one down the hall. I got you some aspirin and water. And some clothes.

Pedro.

There was something else written on the paper but it was scribbled out. You lifted the note and placed it before the small lamp, letting the light shine through.

Cute dress.

You smiled, however that smile lasted for exactly one second before you remembered the conversation in the car. You had asked Pedro on a date. He had given you the “there’s more fish in the sea” speech.

God.

You had excused your bravery with “you can live today and be embarrassed tomorrow” but now, when tomorrow was finally here, you weren’t sure it was actually worth it.

Thank god you didn’t work closely with Pedro because this would be ten times more awkward if you were an actress.

You quickly changed into the clothes Pedro had left for you. It was a white t-shirt with something spelled in a foreign language you didn’t understand. The shirt reached down to your knees and covered more than your dress had. You could technically leave in just the t-shirt but your sudden sobriety would probably result in you freezing to death so you decided to wear sweatpants as well. You rolled up the ends of the pants that were too long, threw a glance in the mirror and decided that you looked presentable enough.

Once you left the guest room with the dress still in your hand, you tried to find out if Pedro had already woken up. It seemed unlikely. It was very early.

And that seemed to be the truth, as none of the lights were on in neither the kitchen nor the living room. Or in the hallway.

Thank god the key was still in the door and you didn’t have to wake him up to unlock the door. You carefully tiptoed through the hallway and sneaked out through the front door, leaving nothing but a vague scent of your perfume and a note on the living room table.

Thank you. Truly. You have no idea how grateful I am. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever need anything.

That’s exactly how Pedro found your note three hours later when he woke up. Note had no name. Apparently, you didn’t assume he rescued women every night and didn’t think he would mix you up with someone else.

As if he ever could.

He was quite grateful to have missed you, in case you remembered how he had come onto you in the car. He didn’t want a pitying glance and you saying sorry, as if you had anything to be sorry about.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever need anything.

Pedro let out a bitter laugh. That’s what you sign at the bottom of a work email, in hopes the recipient never truly reaches out for anything. You just felt like you owed him.

three weeks later

Pedro felt somebody brush a makeup brush over his temple to add some last touches before the filming started. People were running around, adding and taking down some props. Camera crew were doing some last check-ups. And in what Pedro thought was a torturosly ironic touch to an already important scene that caused some nerves to resurface, you were there.

In fairness, you weren’t here on your own and by your own wish. Some people of the PR and social media management teams were here, hoping to take some photos of behind the scenes for marketing.

And they were all pretty irrelevant because his eyes didn’t leave you for one second.

Pedro, Bella and some of the others were placed good ten meters from where you were standing by the door of the room that seemed to shrink every second. You were either unaware of his intense gaze or simply ignored it.

Pedro didn’t know which one would piss him off more.

There weren’t many things that didn’t irritate him these days. Oscar had started to call it Y/N withdrawal. As if he was an addict. A junkie who’s been cut off from his favorite drug of choice.

At first, Pedro was understanding. You probably felt weird you had clocked him liking you and wanted space. Fine. He would be an asshole not to give you space. Then he called you but the call always went to voicemail. On week two he had the first PR dinner since ‘the incident’ and when you didn’t show and had sent one of your assistants in your place, it only soured Pedro’s mood. The assistant had lied about you not feeling well but when you were still nowhere to be seen on the next meeting – and the next – he knew it was an excuse.

You were making excuses.

Week three took the crown when at one of the advertisement meetings that was mandatory for all cast and production team members, you had apparently ‘had a doctor’s appointment’.

Now he was pissed at the whole world and especially himself for fucking this up. You were a smart girl and he should’ve expected you to put two and two together that night. And, in addition, he was just a tiny bit pissed at you for not giving him a chance to apologize.

When you excused yourself and went into the kitchen, Pedro quickly stood up.

- Sorry, - he murmured to the makeup artist. – I’ll be right back.

Filming was set to start in ten minutes.

That was all he needed to say the things that needed to be said.

You were facing the open fridge when Pedro walked in. You read something that was written on the side of what looked like a protein shake.

You looked good. There were no signs of tiredness in your eyes. No sluggish movements. No yawning.

That was good, Pedro tried to tell himself.

Would it hurt for you to be a little affected that he was absent from your life for three whole weeks?

Then his eyes caught a thin bracelet around your wrist. It was shiny and had a minimalistic heart charm on it.

Pedro recalled Oscar once mentioning getting something similar to his wife because “the only time women wear heart jewelry is if it’s gifted by a man who’s interested”.

It was quite a big assumption that the bracelet was, one, a gift, two, from a man, and three, that it was the same moron you wanted to date. And yet it only fueled Pedro’s irrational jealousy and anger.

He let go of the door and it fell shut with a loud bang.

You jumped.

- It’s really unprofessional, you know, - Pedro accused. – This behavior of yours lately.

It only took a second for you to go from a startled look to a glare. You put the drink back in the fridge and shut the door. Loudly.

How matching.

- Excuse you? – you pushed back.

- I get that you’re avoiding me and that’s fine but you also have a job to do, - he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. – You’ve missed several PR meetings and allowed your underage intern to replace you.

You chuckled under your breath and looked away.

So that’s what this was about...

- So you feel a bit neglected because an intern – highly skilled, might I add, - was attending a few of the meetings? Is he not good enough for you?

Pedro looked at you as if you’d grown a second head.

- I don’t care if he’s as useless as a toddler – don’t change the subject!

You blew away a strand of your hair that had fallen in front of your face.

God you looked hot angry.

When you tried to side-step him and leave, Pedro followed your movements until his back hit the door, leaving you without an escape. He leaned against it, wrapped his right palm around his left wrist and looked down at you.

- You’re avoiding me, - he was glaring at you.

You glared back.

- No shit.

Pedro had expected more resistance. Or more excuses. He definitely expected you to look at him with a confused stare and say ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’. Now that you had done none of that, it felt a bit weird to “confront” you because you had had every right to avoid him.

- I’m just making sure you don’t get a write-up for skipping work, - even though the words were genuine, the tone was rude and you recoiled.

You looked up at him as if he’d slapped you.

- Are you threatening to snitch on me for skipping few meetings?

His eyes widened.

Shit.

- That’s not wh-

- Fuck you.

Now he looked like you had slapped him.

This was going downhill and fast. He had never accused anybody of bad work ethics and you had never cursed at someone for essentially doing nothing wrong, really.

You had spent three weeks, trying to soothe your ego. But rejection still stung. And, for the first time in your life, your personal feelings had affected your professional life. There was no excuse for that.

So you exhaled, counted to ten, got to five and decided to push your emotions down. You didn’t actually believe that Pedro would ever attempt anything to harm your career but he was still a big star and, would somebody come across this very unprofessional conversation, your future job opportunities might be in jeopardy.

- Listen, I’m sorry, okay? – you said, then quickly added. – For missing those meetings.

You didn’t want to voice that you were also apologizing for taking rejection badly.

Even though, you were.

- Won’t happen again.

His eyes softened.

- I’m sorry too, okay? – he lifted his hand to place it on your shoulder or upper arm but decided against it in the last second and let it fall back against his side.

You laughed. Genuinely.

- What are you sorry for?

- For what I said in the car, - he explained.

Your eyes returned to the startled expression that they were in when he first came in. You had wanted to avoid that night but he had brought it up voluntarily. He could see your prey-like expression and shook his head:

- I didn’t mean... – he got quiet for a second. – That would be a lie. I did mean it. But I think I could’ve worded it better. Maybe. Or explained it to you when you were sober...

I didn’t mean... That would be a lie. I did mean it.

His words, even though soft and placating, still grazed your heart like a knife.

You could respect him for not leading you on.

Leading someone on was still worse than letting somebody down gently.

Be a big girl and accept defeat like a champ, you motivated yourself.

- That’s fine. It didn’t mean anything.

It didn’t mean anything.

You had realized he liked you, damn near loved you, and it didn’t mean anything.

His love meant nothing.

Pedro swallowed and nodded. When you gestured towards the door that he was still blocking, he stepped aside, letting you leave.

- Did you feel harassed by me? – he asked before you left.

You laughed. But when you realized he was dead-ass serious, your smile fell.

- What?

- In my car. That night. Did you feel harassed by me?

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Even though it was absurd for him to ask this, you felt warmth engulf your heart.

He’s making sure you didn’t feel unsafe with him...

God.

He’s gonna make a great partner to someone someday...

- God no, - you grinned, trying to put him at ease.

- You sure? – he asked.

- Of course, - you gave him a bittersweet smile. – How could I have felt harassed? Nothing happened.

Nothing happened, as in, I asked you out and you turned me down, simple as that.

Nothing happened, as in, you figured I liked you and that realization meant nothing, I still mean nothing to you.

When week four rolled in, things had went back to normal. The weird kind of normal. The professional kind of normal. You were present in all PR meetings you needed to attend, Pedro went out of his way to treat you like a friend.

He had started bringing these weird mini cupcakes from around where he was living. Every meeting, he would show up and give them out to all, usually five or six, attending persons. He would never skip you, giving you exactly the same amount of pleasantries, sweets and eye contact as to every other person from the cast and PR teams. It was as if he had timed your interactions to make sure you felt identical to everybody else here.

You translated his actions as he’s making sure to drive home the point of “I treat everybody like this, don’t make this weird, you’re not special in that sense”.

He translated his actions as making sure you saw that even after you rejected him, he still wouldn’t be passive-aggressive towards you and wouldn’t exclude you from anything.

“Don’t make things weird” had become a motto for both of you, at this point. This was exactly why Pedro had advised Oscar to also invite you to the party he was throwing in honor of ending the shooting of one of Oscar’s movies. Even though Pedro knew you would show up all dolled up and, most likely, with a plus one, as suggested the invitation.

And “don’t make things weird” was exactly why you had accepted, even though the last time you had attended a formal function, it had ended with you at a club and with no ride or money.

You had showed up in a black sleeveless dress that reached your knees. Pedro had had exactly one drink and he was using the hell out of it as an excuse why he couldn’t – and wouldn’t – take his eyes off you. The dress was simple and maybe exactly because of that your own beauty shone through more than usual when there was nothing to distract people from it.

Then you turned towards the small home bar and his eyes slid over your frame, landing on the dress’ very deep slit. This time it was on the behind of your dress’ skirt.

You and the fucking slits. Making every piece of clothing look like it was designed specifically for you...

- Thank god moods are not contagious because this would be the saddest happy event ever, - Oscar’s hand landed on his friend’s shoulder, as he followed Pedro’s gaze down to where you were standing.

Pedro unintentionally moved to block you from his friend’s eyes which came as a surprise to both. It was very clear that Oscar had no negative or positive intentions regarding you so it was even more weird when Pedro felt small pang of jealousy when he saw the bottle of wine you had gifted Oscar for hosting the party.

Oscar raised his eyebrows, amused.

As if asking, really?

You, on the other hand, were doing everything to avoid Pedro that evening. He looked good. He looked so handsome even though he was one of the very few men here who had chosen to wear a sweater instead of a suit or a dress shirt. You definitely needed a distraction and given how it had ended with drinking last time you got drunk, you avoided alcohol like it was the plague, only drinking virgin cocktails.

The biggest problem with avoiding someone is that that person is living in your head rent free, in order for you to be where they are not. Which meant that before you avoid them in a room, you have to check specifically for them. The biggest support for you in this was the fact that Pedro seemed to avoid you as well, so it was quite easy to keep your distance.

- Is there a guest I’m not aware of? – Oscar humored lightly. – Or are you stalked by someone?

Only the ghost of your best friend.

You smiled, shook your head and asked a few questions about the movie to whose ending this function was dedicated to. After some time he excused himself and said to go look for his wife but before he left, Oscar casually threw out:

- I’m sorry things are weird between you and Pedro right now, - he seemed apologetic.

You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole.

Pedro had clearly told him about what had happened.

It was already embarrassing enough for you to realize that Pedro had been sober that night and remembered every word your drunk self had confessed. And, to add insult to injury, the rejection still kinda stung. But he had clearly told everything to another man. And that one made you even more upset because you knew Oscar by reputation only but that reputation was quite good. So he probably felt sympathy for your little groupie act by asking out someone clearly out of your league.

You averted your eyes. How many other people knew?

- Look, he’s a grown ass man, he’ll be fine, - Oscar put his hand on your shoulder in a pacifying manner. – It’s just that this was his longest crush ever so it will take more time than usual...

Because you actively tried to block out his voice, the words didn’t register at first. And, once they did, they still didn’t make much sense.

- But it will-

- What did you just say?

Your tone was harsh and it made Oscar do a double-take.

- I... I’m not trying to pressure you into anything by what I said about being his longest crush, if that’s what you meant. I promise.

Your eyes searched his face for any signs of amusement or humor... or confusion. When you didn’t find any, you put down your drink and turned your full attention towards him.

- What did he tell you happened that night?

Oscar looked at you like you were a child asking to explain the alphabet.

- I’m not sure I should-

- He clearly told you something! – you raised your voice – not loud enough to be heard by everyone but enough to make some of the closest people turn heads.

Oscar nodded:

- All he told me was you figured out he liked you. And you don’t like him back, - Oscar used the tone he probably used with his kids. – And that’s fine. You have every r-

- What kind of fairy tale did he fed you? – your first thought was that Pedro had lied to his friend.

But why would he ever do that? What could he possibly get out of telling people you were the one who rejected him? Letting someone down wasn’t a crime and it didn’t make you a bad person.

- He rejected me! I straight up asked him out and he gave me the whole speech about there being men who would be oh so lucky to date me. And then he kept on friend-zoning me for a month just for funsies. Making sure I knew my place was with all the other people who worked for him!

When you turned to leave – and maybe give that free alcohol a shot or two – Oscar unceremoniously grabbed your upper arm and turned you back.

- That can’t be true, Y/N! You were the one drunk! Are you sure you remember everything okay?

You rolled your eyes, trying to pull your arm away.

- I was drunk, not stupid! I know rejection when I receive one!

Oscar’s grasp wasn’t hurting you or anything but it probably looked like you were fighting from afar, at this point.

- Look, Y/N, calm down, - he lowered his voice so other people wouldn’t hear a thing. – All he told me was that you had confessed liking someone you worked with, and-

- And who do you think that someone from work is, genius?

You could almost hear gears turning in Oscar’s head.

- So... When he said that you had asked if... When you were wondering if he would date you, it wasn’t because...

You waited.

- ... it wasn’t because you were insecure about nobody being interested in you?

- Why would I give a shit if other people were interested in me?

It was a good thing you were sober because it was taking a good amount of time to understand this even sober. Your eyes widened when you finally put the pieces together.

The way Pedro looked almost crushed when you had interrupted him to silence him in the car.

Please don’t. I respect you way too much and don’t want to start saying things I don’t mean while drunk.

Could he had mistaken it for rejection?

You silencing him out of respect so you didn’t have to tell him you didn’t want to date him? Did he thought that you were thinking his ego couldn’t handle being rejected by someone who was not rich or famous?

Shit.

You tried to find his pink sweater somewhere in the crowd. He couldn’t have gone home already, could he? You had relatively little knowledge of the layout of Oscar’s house so your best shot was to run into Pedro somewhere.

Your wish manifested a bit too literally, when you roughly rounded a corner and ran straight into someone.

Pedro’s fingers wrapped around your upper arm in the same manner Oscar’s hand had just mere seconds ago. Just to drive home the point of your attraction to him, a small shot of electricity shot through your arm whereas nothing even similar had happened when his friend had touched your arm.

- Careful, - he steadied you and then removed his hand.

When you looked up, you noticed that he wouldn’t meet your eyes.

You thought you had gotten over this awkwardness...

Guess not.

With music still sounding throughout the house, you looked around, grabbed the front of his sweater and pushed him into one of the many guest bedrooms here. Once you closed and locked the door, you turned towards Pedro who was looking a bit thrown out of the boat.

For one moment, nobody said anything. Then you pushed down the dress that had ridden up your thighs while you were frantically looking for him throughout the house, and stepped closer to him.

The height difference was always a turn on for you but right now it did nothing but annoy.

- Sit down, - you commanded.

He took a step back and sat down on the bed.

When he looked up at you, you realized that you probably shouldn’t have asked him to do that. Your foggy brain finally decided to give you back few of the memories missing from that night month ago.

When he had gently lowered you onto the bed and you had finally woken up just in time to see him drop down on his knees to take off your boots. Out of concern, he had looked up at you with a very similar expression as he was having right now. With his lids lowered, eyes dark and pupils dilated.

When his brows furrowed in confusion, unaware of your flashbacks, you snapped out of it.

- Why does Oscar think I rejected you in your car that night? – you demanded before you lost your courage.

Pedro looked away.

You had had a long day at work today and still most of your energy had went into dodging Pedro at every corner, trying to not even look at him, while simultaneously keeping an eye on him at all times to not accidentally get close. Your patience had worn out long before you got here.

You unceremoniously grabbed his chin and turned his head back towards you.

- Look, I’m sorry I told him, - Pedro raised his eyes to meet yours. – I needed to tell someone and you were avoiding me and refused to even look at me!

You shook your head and tried to step back before he grabbed your hand in both of his.

- I’m sorry.

- What are you even sorry for? – you ripped your hand from his. – For lying?

When all he did was stare up at your in confusion, you took a step back to keep some distance.

- Do you get pity points or something for act-

Pedro stood up and you lost any advantage you had due to height. When he advanced towards you and you still stepped back, he caught your wrist, refusing to let you leave.

- Stop running from me! – he demanded. – Talk to me!

Fine.

- Fine, - you still tugged on your arm and he still didn’t let go so at some point you had to give up on it and leave your hand in his grasp.

- Tell me why you were avoiding me for a month, - he used a painfully soft tone as if afraid you would run at the very first sign of confrontation.

You were silent for a moment, trying to find the right words to sound like a mature adult.

- I guess... – you sighed and decided to just get over it. – I was hurt that you weren’t interested in me when I asked you out that night after you picked me up. I was butt hurt and it wasn’t fair to you because you have ever-

You didn’t get to finish when he closed the small distance between you and pressed his lips against yours. You would’ve pulled back by surprise if not for Pedro’s hand cupping the back of you neck.

Your heart seemed to simultaneously skip a beat and stop altogether. After the initial shock, you slid your hand into Pedro’s hair and lightly pulled him back by it.

Amusement danced in his eyes with a light shake of his head.

- To think we could’ve done this weeks ago, - he laughed.

You felt a bit giddy inside, still not really comprehending every piece of this misunderstanding but, in your defense, it probably had been quite hard to catch any love signals that night when you were wasted.

- You want me to ask you out again? – you proposed.

- Nah, - he shook his head. - I’ll do the honors, - he cleared his throat. – You’re going on a date with me.

You cocked your head.

- Are you asking or telling?

- I assumed you were a sure thing, drunk words being sober thoughts and all that...

This felt a bit too good to be true but you weren’t going to question it. Once you both left the guest room, with Pedro’s hand still wrapped around yours, and turned the corner to return to the party, you found Oscar leaning against the wall in the hallway with a drink in his hand and an amused look in his eyes.

- No freaky business under my roof, - he gave his friend with a stern look. – That’s like the only rule I have.

Only when his eyes found your intervened hands, he chuckled under his breath.

- Love must be hard when you’re both idiots, huh?

#pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal #imagine #oscar isaac

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eyeofnewtblog · 10 months

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Just had a really weird job interview that actually made me think about my childhood…(I said I was independent and resourceful and was asked to provide examples)

My dad bought me my first car, but as soon as I had my drivers license, he told me I was grounded until I knew how to change a tire and change my own oil. I was grounded for about a week. The only help he gave me was showing me where the owners manual was and a few forums about my specific model of car.

My dad, while I was getting my permit to drive, required that I drive him up to the local Indian reservation for casino night (he would keep $150 in his right pocket and as soon he was out he would leave, he kept the winnings in his left pocket and as soon as he was $300 up we would leave) also he tried to teach his most mathematicalally challenged child how to count cards at black jack? Not a successful enterprise. I barely passed high school chemistry.

When I was twelve there was a cross continent moving situation that required my dad and I to move ahead of my mom and middle sister (this is the time he lit the stove on fire from trying to fry bacon…) after the stove incident, he dug out the recipe cards his mother had made for my mom when they got married, shoved them at me, along with the cordless 1990’s phone and said “I’ve dialed your Aunt Rock, (his older sister) Daddy wants biscuits and gravy, make her walk you through it.”

That’s how I learned to cook; having my aunt on speed dial and I would tell her what was in the cabinets, she would make a list for me to give to dad, and then she would walk me through the recipe. As I cooked it.

As a teenager, my dad knew that I was capable of cooking exactly what he wanted (IE exactly what his mom and big sis cooked while he was growing up) and as an adult I’ve had to actually learn to enjoy cooking as an actual experience and process and not just “what I was told”

When I was 21 my dad spent about $700 on brand new parts for a car I owned that was falling apart…I spent my 21st birthday drinking beer on my dad’s driveway tearing apart my van to replace rotors and brakes, while my boyfriend at the time and dad sat back and did nothing while calling me a great little grease monkey.

Honestly, I’m still not sure if I’m proud or humiliated by that, but the grease monkey comment came from the bf and he didn’t last much longer…

I don’t know. Obviously I didn’t make myself quite this vulnerable when I was in the actual interview, but it feels good to be vulnerable after the fact?

I just feel like my dad gave me a lot of tools to figure shit out for myself, and being resourceful is actually a really great quality. Feeling? Idk.

Being resourceful gives you independence.

Because any problems that come up? There’s either a YouTube tutorial, a blog, or SOMETHING available as a resource. And if you’re out of internet service???? There’s literally a book in your glove compartment somewhere telling you what to do.

#humans are space orcs #independent action #be your own Prince Charming #he’s stuck in a tree go rescue him #my dad is a hot mess #no idea how to cook #it’s okay he’s got three daughters.two sisters.and a wife #what kind of engineer needs to distract himself like that

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moregraceful · 2 months

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Stayed up incredibly past my bedtime last night for many reasons both good and bad, but now I'm suffering....but I do have fic for WIP Wednesday

Also pls note that I will add diacritics, I just usually do a find + replace at the end of doc bc the way I have to do diacritics on an American keyboards fucks with the flow of writing

What if I was a goalie...and YOU were a goalie...what if we were BOTH goalies....in the desert

;;

Philipp has all the goalies, rookies, rostered, invites, all, over to his house for a barbecue that he has catered. Chris makes merciless fun of him when he gets there early to help Philipp set up; Philipp smiles at him like he wants something from Chris, and Chris can kind of guess what, but then the doorbell starts ringing.

Ales spends a lot of time badgering Chris about Coachella at the party. Is it warm, what is the food like, where does he live, what is the team like, what size are the cars, how are the fans, what is California like, how far away are they from Seattle, what is it like, how does it all fit together, where does Christ fit in, where will he. Philipp watches from the other side of the yard, drink in hand, and even though he’s surrounded by kids destined for the ECHL, he still raises his glass to Chris. Good luck, he mouths.

Chris and Ales get sent down shortly after, surprising absolutely no one. Joey looks hurt, somehow, when Briere tells them all in a meeting, all the goalies left at the end of camp, who is getting sent down and where. Like Joey really thought he could keep Chris with him. Chris wonders where the kid gets it. Joey’s too old to think that he can play with his friends if he’s good enough to the world around him.

Ales and Chris go to the desert. Philipp and Joey stay in Seattle. Chris drives Ales and Marian down from Seattle to Palm Desert in his SUV and learns 50 new Czech and Slovak insults in a day and half. They don’t stop anywhere for the night; no time. Him and Marian switch off driving, since Ales doesn’t have an American driver’s license, and Marian is a trooper, doesn’t complain at all.

Late night driving through some fuck ass part of the Central Valley, when the car is quiet except for a playlist Philipp made for Chris playing in the background and Marian snoring in the backseat, Chris glances at Ales. Ales had tasked himself with keeping the two of them awake at night, but he’d been silent for so long that Chris wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

Ales has his face pressed to the window. Chris clicks his tongue to get his attention. Ales looks over. He looks fascinated.

“I have never seen so many cows in one pen,” he says.

Chris pulls off at a rest stop to stretch his legs; four hours left in the drive and Marian is passed the fuck out in the third row. He gets out of the car and Ales follows him to a picnic table under fluorescent lights.

He’s wearing a Kraken jersey Chris lent him for the drive. It has Chris’s old number on it. Chris feels something curl tight in his chest at the sight.

He sits across from Ales at the picnic table. Ales hands him some weird Pacific Northwest stimulant drink that’s supposed to fuck with your gut less than Red Bull. It tastes like flat carbonated water, but Chris has to admit it has not yet given him stomach upset.

Chris takes it and cracks it open. He drinks half of it, making a face, before handing it back to Ales.

Ales actually likes that kind of PNW granola shit, is the problem. He’s a good culture fit. Philipp had whispered it in Chris’s ear when he hugged him goodbye; take care of the guy, he’s a good fit for the franchise, just like you.

Chris sits across from Ales. He studies Ales: the laugh lines around his eyes, his strong jaw, his thinning hair that he doesn’t gel outside of game days, sticking out from under Chris’s hoodie. He looks at Ales’s hands, his strong fingers, his thick wrists. His knees bump against Chris’s because the picnic table is small.

Ales looks back. Whatever he sees in Chris makes him smile.

#unfortunate birdcage fanfictions

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lemonlyman-dotcom · 1 month

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What kind of car do you think TK has? I know he didn't have one in season 1 cause he told Carlos after they their hook up that he had to run back to the station for his shift and Carlos offered to drive him after a round 2 🤣 We know that he has or gets his license due to him driving the ambulance

Hello anon!! I have a pretty strong headcanon that TK didn’t drive in NYC, but he did have a license. He does not particularly enjoy driving, he does it all day at work and the last thing he wants to do when he’s off shift is drive around more. So I don’t think he ever got a car!!

I think he prefers to either ride with someone or walk, but if he’s going far he’ll take the bus or an Uber. We know he enjoys zoning out with his music during his commute, so I don’t think he minds taking public transportation. We also know that Carlos must really love to drive, why else would he buy that ridiculous muscle car 😂 So I’m sure he doesn’t mind being the main driver.

Now, I also headcanon that TK is a really good driver. Carlos has no problem with TK borrowing his car or even driving if they’re out and he’s had a couple drinks.

I do think if TK does get a car, it will be something sensible but still a little sporty like the Subaru WRX

#tarlos #911 lone star #tk strand x carlos reyes #ask thanks anon!!!

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knightyoomyoui · 11 months

Text

Dahyun x M Reader - “Everlasting Love”

HAPPY 50K READS TO THIS BOOK AND HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR JJANG DUBLANGDUNGIE BABY SUPERHERO, KIM DAHYUN! #HAPPYDAHYUNDAY2023💞🎈🎉

New update with a new genre that I'll be trying here for the first time in my book! Pardon me if it's lacking magic, I still did my best to tell and explain the story clear and precise like I always do because that's what it matters the most for me.

Oh, and also. Beware because for sure, some of you while reading this would feel very uncomfy and sensitive at the "backstory" part. So... I have to put another trigger warning for you guys. Don't worry with th story being mixed with angst, because the ending itself anyway will be a fluff!

Lastly, you will be portraying here with a name "Yoon Seo-joon". This is also my first story here that you as a reader wouldn't be required to use your own name. Also, this is going to be narrated in a third-person perspective and one of my longest one-shots in this book.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of murder and rape.

A fine Saturday morning has became a start of another busy days for Detective Yoon Seo-joon when he received a duty calls coming from his station who assigned him a new case to work in.

Driving his Toyota Corolla Red 2018, he drove through the location where the said report originated. His car's acceleration slowed down, granting him to peek at the arch gateway that says "Gyeonggi-do", one of the villages here in the city of Seongnam, South Korea.

The guard performed a quick monitoring on him, immediately allowing him to enter when he presented the guard his police badge and license along with his own reason that concerns this place.

He continued to roll the wheel while keeping himself guided by the navigation map. Shortly after, the destination welcomes him as he finally arrived at this one particular spot where he could park his car safely while the person who wants to meet him is just right there waiting for him patiently.

Stepping out of the car, Seojun grasped his keys and took some belongings with him that would be needy in his investigation as he approached the villager anticipating to meet him.

"Glad that you agreed to spare some time for us to meet, detective. I'm Moon Hae-il.", the man initiated a handshake to the official who gratefully accepted.

"No worries, it's just simply part of my job to entertain some clients." Seojun smiled and gave a modest nod. "And I'm Detective Yoon Seojun, the one who will take over and help you with this report you sent to us."

"Thank you so much, detective. We are really in desperate need of assistance about this problem that currently occurs in our neighborhood here." Hae-il said with anxiety in his tone of voice.

"As what the report mentions here, you said that there's an ongoing disturbance being caused by one of the residents here that affects you and the others around here. Mind if you elaborate more? Like, what is this? Is this resident consist of a family who some sort of like fight often?"

"Actually, no detective." Hae-il shook his head, denying the guess. "They aren't a family. In fact, I don't even know how can I tell you this without being sounding... weird."

"What? Why did you think so?" Seojun furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"It's not a they, detective. It's just a single person. A she."

"And where's the weird part there?"

Hae-il didn't replied and instead gulped his throat. He sighed before looking again at Seojoon. "Just follow me please."

Seojoon squinted his eyes as he walked behind Hae-il still trying to process and wonder why does this villager seemed so bothered and nervous discussing about that certain matter. He observes the rest of the citizens who are just peacefully doing their random things while the others are looking at him and Hae-il, probably understanding what they're going to do today.

Hae-il and Seojoon stops in front of a locked huge metal gate that secures what it seems to be an unoccupied manor. The ambience is eerie and quiet, only the sounds of rustling trees, his and Hae-il breaths joining the whip of the cold wind and the gate being unlocked with a twist of the key.

The two entered the property. Seojoon quickly stated his observation at the situation around here. "Why did we just came here without the occupant's permission? Is she not at home?"

Hae-il paused his steps and slowly turned at Seojoon with a troubled expression. "That's the weird part, detective. She's here and definitely even right now, but... we couldn't see her."

Seo-joon became more puzzled, his frown deepened at what the complainant is pertaining. "What?"

"I'm telling you detective that, we are dealing with something paranormal here."

Seojoon's eyes largened as he stared at Haeil in disbelief after hearing that today's investigation to kickoff his new case to solve would be very unique and completely contrast to the previous ones he had before... because this time, the alleged suspect was revealed to be someone who doesn't truly exist anymore but the presence remains unrest.

"Wait wait, hold on." Seojoon chuckled, hands forward as he gestured on Haeil. "You're telling me that you made me come all the way here to ... to do not just an ordinary investigation for a criminal case, but a ghost hunting?"

"I-I told you it would be weird, and I'm not forcing you to help us detective but we would very appreciate if you do. This is something that puts us haunted every single night and we can't live pleasantly not when this keeps occuring." Haeil said, rising intonation of voice gets obvious with the way he's sounding like as if he's pleading for Seojoon to stay.

To be honest, Seojoon was hesitant to proceed with this case; since this is first time that he would face something like this alone and without any colleague to be there on his side; but hearing Haeil's actual condition along with the people of Gyeonggi about this phenomenon is effectively convincing him to learn more about this case and take the opportunity for a new experience to have.

He took this dream job of his with one purpose, and that is to serve and provide the need of assistance to people who rightfully needs it as soon as possible. Declining this case would make it feel for Seojun as if he's abandoning that responsibility and betraying his role that has been smooth and clean since the past few years when he became a detective.

Forming up his final decision, he sighed and looked at Haeil intently as he takes off his notepad and ballpen.

"Tell me more about it."

Haeil huffed in relief and tenderly smiled at Seojoon while clutching his hands together in result of a granted hope. "Thank you so much, detective! This means a lot to us." Seojoon just nodded, silently appreciating the grateful reaction to his service in response.

"So uhm to answer your question detective, some of us who lives near this house shared that they sometimes hear a screaming and wailing with a woman-like sound; which led us to think that the ghost who haunts this house is a woman."

"And they mostly hear it at night?"

"Yes."

Seojoon gritted his teeth, just imagining about it sends chills already down to his spine.

"What more instances they encountered this strange act?"

"Some residents who walked or pass through the entrance would just randomly hear a loud banging from the door, even their children told them that while they're playing few inches away from here, they said they had a glimpse of a shadowy figure of that woman standing in the window." Haeil additionally explained.

"Jesus, poor kids. They must be terrified." Seojoon reacted while he takes down notes in his notepad.

"Indeed they are. They became terrified too. Now barely all of us couldn't dare to stand close in this place, even me... but I don't have any choice. I own this so I had to."

"Wait, you are the landlord of this house and lot?"

"Yes, detective. This belongs to other properties that I own and sell in this village, but ofcourse; this turned out to be my most cursed possession." Haein said in dismay as he glances at the exterior of the structure. "I do admit that I'm planning to demolish this house, maybe to set that spirit free... but what I heard from their stories prompted me to hold it for a while, and that brought me here with you today detective."

"What did the residents mentioned to you also?"

"They said that they can specifically hear only one word throughout those screams that woman creates: help." Haeil said. Seojoon looked at him curiously. "So I figured that maybe... whoever that woman is, she's sending us signal in request to help her about something...

"Justice." Seojoon interrupted. "It's making sense to me now. You summoned me here to take the job by bringing that to whoever this woman who seems to be a lost soul of a victim that either coincidentally took place in your land."

Haein got shocked and nervous. "You're saying that... there's a possible crime of murder that happened here?"

"You don't know?"

"No. I have no idea, I truly believed that my house is perfectly fine and cozy for people who wants to live there... and they seem to be alright without any intentions of murdering somebody and stain blood on my property." Haeil neglected.

"There's more than meets the eye, Haeil." Seojoon reminded. "And looks can fool us anytime, because we couldn't read what they've been hiding deep inside that differs from what they show from the outside."

Seojoon steps closer at the staircase that leads to the door that has been barricaded with planks of wood. "From now on, I'm considering this to be a crime scene. Don't allow anyone to enter this place, I want you to guard this okay?"

"O-okay."

"And also... can you remove these for me? I would like to begin my investigation right now."

Haein got shocked, he went towards Seojoon with fear and worry in his eyes. "B-but detective? Are you sure about this?"

Seojoon released an assuring nod. "I'll be fine, Haein. I won't let myself be harmed not until we help that woman gets what she deserves."

"O-okay, detective. I'll be right back, I'll just gonna go get my tools." Haein excused himself before leaving Seojoon for a while, allowing the tensed yet prepared detective to remember he first set of informations he received that would hugely contribute to the unfolding of this mysterious case.

----------------------------------------------------

"Be safe, detective."

Haeil wished him luck before he lets Seojoon to enter the abandoned manor by himself while he remained outside to wait.

Bringing the flashlight with him, Seojoon switched it on and lights up the areas he peeks into as he began to examine the place. He checks all of the things, even the walls and the floor of every rooms.

The first floor was clear, Seojoon climbs to the next stage but just as he was in the middle of the stairs; he heard something that halted his footsteps and had his entire body shiver.

A sound of a woman humming softly can audibly heard slightly from one of the rooms upstairs.

Heartbeat rising, chest pounding, sweat dripping fast as Seojoon cautiously finished the last remaining set of steps before stepping in the second floor. He listened to the sound again and he noticed that the direction is coming from the left side, at the very end of the hallway.

"God, I pray for your protection. I lend you my trust to lure me away from danger." Seojoon muttered as he performed a sign of the cross before he deeply huffed and slowly trailed the path.

Directing the light to the doorway of the room, he observed that it was narrowly opened. The mix of discomfort and fright builds up inside of Seojoon. He breathed twice before courageously opened the door.

In his surprise as he entered, he didn't expected what happened next.

The famously talked ghost lady of the Gyeonggi village is standing face to face with him, near at the windows; wearing a complete white dress that almost identical to how pale her skin was.

She was standing there, looking straight at Seojoon who froze at what he's witnessing.

"I see you've been looking for me." the ghost lady said before she timidly smiled.

"H-holy shit, she's indeed here..." Seojoon whispered as he fell in the ground and stumbled at his movements while keeping his eyes in horror at her. The rumors in this village were true, because of that Seojoon has literally encountered a ghost for the first time in his whole life. The paranormal is real, he thought.

"W-wait! Don't go!" the lady pleads as she quickly slammed the door with an extraordinary force, preventing Seojoon to leave. "I won't hurt you, please."

"I-I won't, I swear. You don't have to do... that." Seojoon said while trembling, stunned at what the lady just did beyond natural in front of her. "I just came here to help and t-to look for you."

"H-help?" The lady repeated, unsure of what she just heard.

Seojoon nodded. "I am. The villagers called me here to investigate about your recent unusual activities that brings them unsettled, and we figured out that you must be in desperate need of help."

The woman suddenly choked in her tears as she covered her mouth. "H-help... oh my god, they heard me. They finally did."

"Yeah... and I'm here for you not to wait any longer. I'm here to offer you assistance by solving this case of yours. I just want you to do the same for me." Seojoon calmly replied.

The woman nodded and sniffed out her tears before wiping them off. Seojoon felt his heart ached at the sight of this poor woman. He didn't expected to feel this amount of sincerity and awfulness for whatever this lady has gone through that led her to be like this because of some horrible demise she faced before, especially when he couldn't disagree that this lady looks very pretty and carefree.

"I-I will help you. That's the only thing I want. I didn't intend to scare anyone, I just don't know how if I'm like this." the woman traced her appearance.

"I understand, and that's good to hear that you'll be cooperating. We'll solve this together, alright?" The woman nodded.

"I'm Detective Yoon Seojoon, what's yours?"

"D-Dahyun. K-Kim Dahyun."

The detective smiled in satisfaction, finally learning the identity of this ghost lady. "Nice to meet you, Dahyun. Standing here, meeting you personally... you don't look actually horrifying at all as what others might claim to be."

Dahyun removed her hands away from her face to look at Seojoon clearly while showing a little smile of appreciation to his compliment. "I like it, detective. Thanks for the kind words."

He looked at his wristwatch to monitor the time. "I guess this will do for now. I have to go home now, Dahyun but trust me, I'll be back here tomorrow to officially start investigating this case. Sounds good?"

Dahyun nodded her head and gently smiled. "It is. Goodbye and... thank you so much for doing this, detective."

"Just getting the job done, Dahyun. You're welcome and goodbye." Seojoon reciprocated Dahyun's smile before he opened the door and turn around to see Dahyun who is just watching his departure while still standing nicely in her position.

Seojoon left the manor with surreal feeling at everything that happened within a span of hours in his entire weekend. To summarize, he just opened up to volunteer a new case, arrived at the place where he met his client who informed him that it wouldn't be just a normal case... but rather a paranormal related one which is a first to his career and lastly, he freaking just met the same ghost lady that the village talks about and formed an alliance with her to find out who's behind of her mysterious death.

"Detective, how did it went?" Haein said as he hurriedly stood up from sitting in one of the rocks outside.

"I got enough of what I need for now. I'll return here tomorrow, so leave the door unlocked only for me, okay?" Seojoon commanded. Haein nodded in compliance.

The detective bid farewell as he rode his car and drove back to the police station where he slumped his head on the steering wheel for a moment to sink in everything that he confronted today before entering the said place.

He went to his office, placing out his notes and began typing on his computer to search for articles involving the disappearance of Kim Dahyun.

He did found some results and discovered that her friends filed a missing case 5 years ago, and the place that points to her last whereabouts was the exact house Dahyun's spirit remains trapped.

Due to this, it made Seojoon conifident that the house had a dark past that no one were able to know before; and the only one who can revisit despite how tragic and devastating it may be has to be the victim herself for the sake of closing the case in good terms.

Few days later, Seojoon returns to the village to visit the house and arrange another meetup with Dahyun. He couldn't help but to find it strange that he's literally talking with a ghost for an interrogation.

As he reached the front of the room where he saw Dahyun last time, he viewed her sitting on the floor and just staring weakly at the window, her arms placed atop of her knees.

Seojoon became aware of how lonely and exhausted Dahyun must've been day and night sending help to anyone who couldn't even see her with naked eyes while trapped alone.

This house became her prison for 5 years, and Dahyun doesn't deserve none of it. She just wants to be free, and Seojoon became motivated to do his best to grant what she desires.

"Hi, Dahyun." Seojoon greets her carefully, not wanting to surprise her and ruin her moment of silence.

She turned around, faced Seojoon and slowly stood up in which she greeted her back. "You did came back, detective."

Seojoon nodded. "I'm a man of my words."He strolled around the room and checked the furnitures and the interior design. "So yesterday, I did some research about you."

"What does it say?"

"There were news about your disappearance but it wasn't ruled that there's a killing involved. Your friends reported that to the police." Seojoon said, placing his hands on his pockets. "Do you remember some of your friends?"

Dahyun's face lit up. "Y-yes! I do, there are 8. Some of them were my classmates from the same campus, others aren't."

"Can you give me their names?"

"Im Nayeon, Yoo Jeongyeon, Hirai Momo, Minatozaki Sana, Park Jihyo, Myoui Mina, Son Chaeyoung and Chou Tzuyu." Dahyun enumerated. "But of all them though, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were my first found and closest friends. They're the ones who introduced me to the rest."

"Noted that. I'll consider it." Seojoon said as he wrote at the notepad. "Later or tomorrow, I'll try to look and visit for their home address. I would like them to be part of my interrogation also, especially that two."

Dahyun nodded and hummed knowledgeably. "Y-you're going to talk to them..."

"I am."

"T-then, can I ask a favor?"

Seojoon looked at Dahyun curiously. "What is it?"

"Can you ask them what do they have to say for me now that I'm g-gone...?" Dahyun stuttered. "I don't know... I just want to know if they still can remember me these days." She frowned, lowering her head.

Seojoon approached Dahyun, he was going to grab her shoulder in comfort but realizes that he couldn't touch her due to her ghostly figure, so he brought it down and just looked at Dahyun warmheartedly as much as he can to convey his emotions.

"I'll ask them, and expect their messages once I return. I know they haven't forgotten you yet, Dahyun. You seem like a really great friend to have with, and your memories that you created with them will definitely always be there in their heart and mind... because you cemented yourself as one of the person who became a part of their life."

Dahyun raised her look and stared at Seojoon breathtakingly. She found his look to be calm, kind and comforting that were willing to be expressed solely for her who needed it on her toughest times.

"Don't be sad, Dahyun. Be positive, please. If they are unlike to what we expect them to be, we wouldn't be able to solve this case once and for all."

Dahyun traced her dress and stood straight to compose herself, erasing the uneasiness she feels from the overthinking she did. "O-okay. You were right. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Seojoon then glanced back at his notepad.

"Dahyun, you said you couldn't remember what happened to you right?"

"Yeah. I have no idea, but I could describe that I don't feel like I belong here."

Seojoon squinted his eyes and cupped his chin. "Hmmm... I have my theories gathering up on my mind, but I'll save that for now. What's important here is that we continue to push forward with the progress and soon, we can finally unveil what led to your disappearance, Dahyun."

He inserted his notepad and ballpen back in his pockets and walked back at the doorway, but Dahyun called him from behind. "Detective!"

"Yes?"

"I just want to say that... I trust you a lot, because you've been such a good person to me. Take care as always, please."

Seojoon grinned at Dahyun and tilted his head away to avoid showing how obvious he got fluttered at her uplifting words.

"Y-yeah. You are too, Dahyun. And thank you for that, you truly encouraged me to keep on working hard." They both smiled and stared at each other for a while until Seojoon regained his senses back after being too indulged with the ethereal sight he had.

"I-I'm going out. See you again, Dahyun."

"Bye, detective."

Seojoon exits the room. As he makes his way downstairs, he grasped onto his chest while he reflects about this undescribable feeling that fills upon his heart.

Meanwhile at the same time, Dahyun viewed the scenery out of the window while having your image stuck in her head as she couldn't help but to think about you in sudden.

-----------------------

The next day, Seojoon left his house early. It was supposed to be a continuation of his investigation that he'll manage immediately but after the realization last night via phone call he received before he sleeps, he reconsidered his schedule for today by visiting a familiar place first.

Seojoon was granted access to get the gates openes up for him, he drove the car inside and parked. His arrival stole the attention of someone close to him who lives in here. As he hopped out, a little girl sprinted out and jumps on Seojoon with glee.

"Seojoon oppa!"

"Hi buddyyy!" Seojoon squatted to match her height as they hugged at each other.

"I missed you, oppa. Where did you go?" The kid frowned, making Seojoon guilty for his msitakes.

"I'm just too busy with work, buddy. I may disappeared but I never forgotten you, okay? It's just that my visit turned out to be earlier than I expected because you gave me a call last night."

"Sorry, oppa. Did I distracted you-"

"No, not at all Dahye. Don't think like that. Dahye-ssi will never be a disturbance to Seojoon-oppa. Got it?" He said while gently wiggling both of her arms.

Dahye giggled adorably and nodded back at her big cousin. "Are we going to play today, oppa?"

"If that's what you want, then let's go!" Dahye cheered happily while exclaiming a "yay!" sound as she loved spending a funtime with her beloved cousin and brother-like figure.

Seojoon stood up and holds Dahye's hand. They were about to enter the house when a middle-aged man appeared, blocking the way as he watched him and Dahye cheerfully walking together.

"Seojoon, you came."

"Hello, ahjussi." Seojoon bowed respectfully on his uncle.

"I didn't even know you'll be here. How are you doing these days?" He asked as the two were now closer at each other.

"I'm good. Busy as usual, I got a new case in hand." Seojoon answered. "But it looks like your daughter here couldn't wait anymore. She wanted to meet me sooner than later." He ruffled the girl's hair and cuddled her beside...

"I can't blame her, she always mentions you everytime while asking me when you will come back. Weeks ago wasn't enough, I suppose. She loves you so much that's why she enjoys being with you always."

The uncle stepped aside as he guided him and Dahye to enter the house. "Come in, boy. Did you have breakfast?"

"Not yet, ahjussi."

"Perfect. Join us to eat on the table! Right at the time, I bought many ingredients from grocery yesterday so we have more to eat today." His uncle says as all of them sat in the dining table while the maids served the foods one by one.

----------------------

In the midst of his playtime with Dahye, Seojoon checks the time on his phone in which brought him to stand up and pull out the keys from his pocket. The kid saw his actions and recognized what he's about to do.

"You're leaving again, oppa?"

Seojoon tightlipped at Dahye sitting on the floor, frowning while hugging her doll. "I'm sorry, Dahye-nah. I still have work to do for today. Oppa can't stay here long." he said apologetically.

He noticed her burying her face on the fluffy head of her stuff toy to hide her sadness. Seojoon sighed and goes near at the sulking Dahye.

"Your birthday is on next week, right?"

Dahye didn't respond, but that didn't stop Seojoon from sharing what's in his mind for that day.

"I'm treating you outside, you can pick whatever you want to do. Oppa is going to catch up with you, okay? We're going to celebrate your birthday without any rush." Seojoon suggested.

"You're sure, oppa?"

"Yeah. I don't want to make my sweet little princess' birthday incomplete without having me you know?"

Seojoon watched her gloomy face slowly reverted back to a delighted mood as she leaned her face away from the dool and looked at him. "Okay, I can't wait oppa!"

Relieved that he managed not to upset his beloved cousin, Seojoon hugged Dahye and kissed his crown. "See you on your birthday, Dahye. Oppa has to go now. Bye!"

"Bye, oppa! Thank you for coming!"

Afterwards, Seojoon bids farewell to his uncle as he enters his car and read his notepad, keeping him reminded of the task he had to be done before the day ends.

With the help of one of the teams in the department who are in charge of tracking down locations, Seojoon was able to receive the address where the names Chou Tzuyu and Son Chaeyoung currently lives, which transported him to the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Seojoon came in the front of the right house he's supposed to pay a visit. He clicked the doorbell and waited for anyone at home to entertain his call.

Fortunately, there's one. It was the girl named Chaeyoung who is wearing a plain oversized t-shirt and some jogging pants like a typical house attire. She holds the door as she observes the appearance of Seojoon standing in her doorway.

"Hello and good morning, my name is Yoon Seojoon. I am a detective."

"What can I help you with, detective?" Chaeyoung nonchalantly asked.

"I'm came here to ask you some questions about the disappearance of Kim Dahyun. Your connection with the victim led me to you, miss Son."

Chaeyoung gasped as she glared at Seojoon in bewilderment. Her grip on the door shuddered a little as well as the emotions getting into her after hearing that name from somebody for such a long time, might as well coming from the police itself.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not interested to talk about it."

Chaeyoung was about to shut the door, but Seojoon attempts to prevent it by calling her again not to let go of her attention. "Wait! Miss Son, I came here to help. Please, perhaps... you may want to take a look at this."

Chaeyoung glanced back at Seojoon, who is now offering her a piece a paper. She takes it and discovered it wasn't just a paper, but something more that holds dear in her heart.

"I got this from my research. I know you and Dahyun were close friends and... I hope I can convince you through this to cooperate with me. I know you're just like me who wants to explore more about Dahyun's case."

Listening through his voice, Chaeyoung could tell that the detective was sounding very genuine and optimistic; exactly what she needed back then when they were anticipating for anyone to take her friend's case seriously.

She looks back at the picture. It shows her, Tzuyu and Dahyun in a beach all doing a pose together. "You're right. This one's special to me. It was our first getaway trip when we were only three in our group at that time." Chaeyoung expressed a bittersweet recollection.

"I-I'm sorry, detective. I-I... just couldn't believe someone... someone in the police would revisit and take control of my friend's case. It's been 5 years and up to this day we're still begging for her justice, and here you are..." Chaeyoung said as she started to tear up. Seojoon respectfully remained silent to let the girl spill out the burden that's been dragging her down since Dahyun vanished.

She sniffed, swiping her tears that ran across her cheek as she spreaded the gap of the door further to give way for the detective. "I-I'll talk. I'll answer your questions. Please, come in."

"Thank you, Miss Son." Seojoon bowed courteously.

"Just call me Chaeyoung."

As Seojoon stepped in, Chaeyoung closed the door and shouted somebody's name who is also present with them. "Tzuyu! We hve a guest!"

"Coming! Who is it!"

Tzuyu walked out of her room and the sight of Chaeyoung with a stranger greeted her. "Uhh..."

"Good morning, I assume you're Ms. Chou Tzuyu. I'm Detective Yoon Seojoon, in charge for the missing case of your friend, Kim Dahyun."

Tzuyu's eyes widened in surprise and all she could do was to look at Chaeyoung who is nodding her head to make her understand the situation abruptly.

------------------------------

"Is this where Dahyun lives?"

Seojoon asked as he presented the picture of the abandoned manor to Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. The two peeked at it and seemingly distinguished the content.

"Yes, but that wasn't her own." Chaeyoung answered. "She doesn't live there alone nor have her family with her actually."

"Her parents died when she was in highschool at that time. Her relatives took the responsibility of raising Dahyun but if we're not mistaken, she left them because they were strict and not kind-hearted." Tzuyu added.

"She approached us and we learned about her situation. We offered her help, she did took it appreciatingly. It didn't last long, however."

"Dahyun told us that she wants to try surviving on her own, so she applied for a part-time job as a maid to earn allowance for her studies."

Seojoon wrote all of the key points in his notes. "So, Dahyun lived in that manor temporarily as part of her requirement as a maid?"

"I guess so. She never invited us to visit her place to hang out, but we did brought her there once when we all came home together from class." Tzuyu replied.

"I see." Seojoon muttered. "Wait, so if she's a maid, then technically there has to be the original residents of that manor whom Dahyun works for. Do you guys know them?"

"Not specifically. We never got to see them up close." Chaeyoung shook her head. "But I do remember that Dahyun mentioned once that it was a family, and she takes care of a little girl who is the daughter of that family which she befriended with."

"Yeah, she always admire that kid, calling her cute, how bubbly she is and more." Tzuyu continued. "Well, Dahyun loves children, that's why."

Seojoon smiled at that information. He found a similarity with Dahyun in which he could relate with. "Alright, last question. When was the last time you saw her?"

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu's face demeanor transformed into a dull and bland one. It had Seojoon perceived that it wasn't a happy memory that Dahyun left for them before her unexpected disappearance. "It was at the campus. We were eating street foods outside when suddenly Dahyun just received a notification coming from that family I guess.", says Chaeyoung.

"She didn't told us what happened because she quickly said goodbye and ran away to us, but she did revealed it the day after through our group chat."

"What did she say?"

"She told us that she couldn't come with us because she's grieving along with the family while doing her job to serve the visitors on the funeral."

"Wait, come again?" Seojoon pursed his head forward and stared deeply at Tzuyu with knitted eyebrows. "A funeral? To who?"

"She said that the little girl she's taking care of died in an accident. The family didn't took it very well, since it was their only child... especially the father who always wanted to have a daughter."

Seojoon's heart ached at the story. It truly hurts him whenever he finds a child being in an inevitable danger that none were deserving to be part of. He huffed in the air for a second before drinking the glass of water that Chaeyoung and Tzuyu offered to him before they started the interrogation, in an attempt to erase the horrible what ifs of having Dahye getting put in that kind of scenario.

"Are you okay, detective?"

"Y-yeah, sorry. It's just... I'm sensitive on hearing kids being on unfortunate events, whether it costs them life or not." Seojoon cleared his throat and fixed his composure. "And whatever happened to Dahyun that will tie us to these information you lend to me, I couldn't be much more devastated for her too."

He stood up from his seat and presented his hand. "Thank you so much again for your cooperation Miss Tzuyu and Miss Chaeyoung. You two don't know how big of a contribution this is for the solving of Dahyun's case. You guys helped her again as usual."

"What can we say, we loved Dahyun more than just a friend. She was like a sibling, a sister to us." Tzuyu said. "And wherever she may be today, I hope she's at peace."

Seojoon tightlipped and looked away at Tzuyu for a while. "Not yet, but we'll get there... soon." he whispered.

"Uhm, before I go... can I ask one more thing?"

"What is it detective?" Chaeyoung pondered.

"If Dahyun's watching us today, what do you guys want to say to her?"

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu looked at each other before sighing heavily. "Dahyunnie, if you can hear us, we just want to say that... we miss you everyday. A lot."

"Just the little things we do together, we revisit it frequently as our way to remember you. And... o-oh God, it's still so hard for us to not have you on our side anymore. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, the girls weren't still used of your absence, Dahyun-ah. Your contagious laugh, your positivity, your wholehearted personality. When our shining light was taken away from us, it felt like we're forever living in a colorless world; and we wouldn't be contented accepting that fact forever, Dahyun.

Thank you for existing in our life as our friend, tofu. Someday, when we all fly up there; we'll get to see each other again and reunited, and we will all have fun together just like the good old days where nothing can go wrong that will separate one of us from each other anymore. We couldn't wait for that to happen."

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu couldn't contain their tears as they sobbed harder at their longing messages for their bereaved friend. Seojoon got teared up at their bittersweet and emotional words. He expressed his sympathy by coming up near to them and enveloped them in a comforting embrace.

-------------------------------------

Dahyun was overwhelmed and touched at what Seojoon informed to her about what Chaeyoung and Tzuyu wanted to say to her in the aftermath of her passing. Seojoon is once again frustrated and dismayed that he couldn't get to hug Dahyun to make the consolation easier, as all he could do was to watch her cry out loud while their messages sink into her.

Seojoon also told her about the new informations he gathered regarding a piece of backstory of her past life and the manor she's locked into. That helped Dahyun to regain some memories of what she had when she was living and shared it to him right away.

Seojoon and Dahyun's conversation went longer than expected, as Seojoon just listened to Dahyun's stories about how she and the girls first met, how they supported her for the decision of taking the job and the experiences she had as a maid; in which she enjoyed because of the same reason as what Chaeyoung and Tzuyu mentioned: the little girl.

Dahyun described that she felt like a big sister she never got the chance to be for her own family because she never got a sibling. Although, the happiness didn't last long for their bond when Dahyun became one of those who suffered from the death of that girl, and possibly led to her own downfall.

As she was finished talking, Seojoon made it fair by inserting another topic for her and Dahyun to converse with. Each time passes and it was all worth it, they were too indulged with their interesting interaction that they never even gave a damn anymore for now at whatever that is happening outside the manor.

Dahyun enjoyed talking with Seojoon, for the first time since being a ghost she never felt confined and alone. Same as what could tell for Seojoon to himself, Dahyun is indeed a very entertaining and nice to hang out with. He has never been this happy to anyone else other than her cousin Dahye.

As of now, Dahyun and Seojoon were both laying down on the floor, staring the window that relfects the sunset outside. They just took a little break from the non-stop talking they had.

"Dahyun."

"Hmm?"

"I just wanna ask, if I fail to spend more time with my loved ones; does that make me a horrible person?"

Dahyun looked at him who is still steadily watching from afar. "What makes you say so?"

"I don't know, I just envy you. You get to set time for your friends while being occupied with your duty of taking care that girl and focusing on your studies. You manage to maintain yourself available and flexible while me... I couldn't do it properly."

Seojoon sighed, he sat up and tangled his arms around his knees. "I always believed that work was always the most important thing that keeps me alive. I wasn't like this before. I thought having friends or family is the one thing that makes you motivated and dedicated to keep on living for another day, but instead every single one of them abandoned me."

"I only had my work who stayed by my side, so I became even more hardworking and busy. None of people around me could keep in touch with me that would surpass an hour. In short, I'm too insufferable and boring, and I couldn't care less about it."

"Not until when suddenly I got to meet with my remaining relatives. I got uncle and my little cousin. Her name's Harin. I didn't know that when I got to be close with them, especially her... I began to reconsider things. To spend more time at other things than work. And I found Harin to be very valuable and special to me."

Dahyun witnessed Seojoon as he started to choke and sniff, sign of her impending wails that's urging him because of the increasing emotions he's trying to endure. "But I was left confused in the end. Why does when I started to change for myself and for her, the world would just randomly chose to fuck my fate after? That she has just became one of the people in my life who will just instantly left me after pouring my love and care to them."

Seojoon cried harder on his knees. Dahyun sat upright and looked at him worriedly. "After she died, I never tried to the fullest to allow time with other things than work. But these days, it scares me that when Dahye got to be closer to me... if I let myself get attached to her too, she would just leave me just like the rest of them."

Dahyun nodded understandably at his reasons. "So do you mean that, it's what that holds you back from meeting her often?"

Seojoon nodded. Dahyun hummed and sat near beside Seojoon. "Everything is meant to happen, Seojoon; and I hate to say this to you but, that's what I could tell the same for your family, friends and Harin."

"But, just like what the saying says. when a door closes, another one opens. Opportunities are endless, Seojoon. And you must take it bravely because you wouldn't know when would that be given to you again. It could be just once and Dahye could also be the last, Seojoon."

"I say, you should not resist or restrict yourself after what happened to you. Don't take it as a failure, Seojoon. Let that be an encouragement for you to keep moving forward and continue what you love to do, and that is to become something meaningful in others lives.

Sometimes, things that disappear were meant to be replaced. It all leads you to Dahye, and just like what I said Seojoon. Life is unpredictable, you don't know if everything that we have could be our last. So, I suggest you should continue expressing yourself to the fullest of being a loving cousin for Dahye... before either she won't exist no one enters your life anymore as much important as her.

Seojoon wipes off the tears in his eyes and looked at Dahyun, agreeing at her advice. "I understand now. You're right, Dahyun. I'm sorry if I had to say this to you..."

"It's no problem, Seojoon. I'm grateful that you treated me to be a trustworthy person who you can reply on opening up your problems you couldn't share easily to others, and I'm glad that I could help." Dahyun grinned.

Seojoon shortly smiled at her humble statement. He straightened his seating posture, extending his legs to the floor with his hands supporting his upper body. He glanced at Dahyun and wandered around her facial features The unspoken feeling that distracts him is detectable again to him.

"Hey, enough crying. Cmon, follow me. Let's do one more thing before you go home." Dahyun hurriedly stood up and gestures him to do the same.

"What is it?"

"You'll see. Hurry up, slowpoke." Dahyun giggled which brought Seojoon to chuckle at her adorable antics.

Dahyun walks out of the room and Seojoon followed her from behind. They reached downstairs and went at the widest room in the entire section, located at the very end next to the living room.

"Sit here." Dahyun said after she sat at one of the chairs of the piano which includes to one of the things that were left unmoved here in this house.

Seojoon and Dahyun are now sitting side by side, facing the piano altogether. "I remember how much I loved playing this piano when I was still living and serving my time here as a maid. I mostly spend my free time improving my piano skills."

"You know how to play piano?"

Dahyun hummed. "Yup! I dreamt once of becoming a successful musician... or a pianist, you know. Piano has became my favorite musical instrument so tonight, let me console you by playing one of my favorite pieces for you."

Dahyun puts her hands on the keys and starting pressing the notes to the rhythm with the use of her supernatural force to suppress weight.

The more she keeps on playing, Seojoon slowly recognizes the music she's performing. Not wanting to be left behind, she joined Dahyun by singing the lyrics of the song she's playing on the piano.

Even if it's a dream, I like it Tomorrow, I'll be there Even if you're not That's okay, I'll remember you Little by little Our memories piled up I will always keep them As they were

With my eyes only I know it won't pass onto you So I'll give back your heart One by one

Dahyun on the other hand, was astounded and enlightened at how admiringly beautiful your vocal was. "Woah, you know this too?"

"It's my favorite too."

The two beamed a smile at each other before they proceed to sing-along the night away together with the calming instrumentals to left their day with a positive mark.

As the song ends, Dahyun and Seojoon applauded each other as both were impressed at each other's talents. While Seojoon fixated himself, Dahyun grabbed his attention by speaking up to him.

"This has to be the best day I've ever had so far, Seojoon. Thank you for staying with me."

Seojoon looks at her and smiled before his face sprung up as he recalled something.

"Oh wait, I got something for you."

He pulls out in his pocket and showed it at Dahyun. The latter covered his mouth in awe.

"They gave this to me in return of what I showed to them earlier. I just thought you would like to see these for yourself, since these are your photos taken by them."

"Woah, these looks so good. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu really are the best on capturing photos in our trio." Dahyun chuckled as she adored her images on your hand.

"Yeah, they did great. You look so free and gorgeous in these similar to how can I see through you right now."

Dahyun heard what Seojoon muttered under his breath. Their stares matched and drowned once again at the charms each of them possesses. Her blush grew rapidly not only from the fluttering words she was acknowledged for, but also for Seojoon himself.

"U-uhh, I'll be leaving now, Dahyun. Good night to you." Seojoon bows and smiles at him before he walks away from her, exiting the manor while she was left alone, stunned and amazed at the possibility that Dahyun might've fallen already for the good-hearted detective.

----------------------------------------------------

Back from serious business, Seojoon returns to the village the next day and searches for the landlord Haein as new inquiries spawned into his scarlet web of thread that would be nearly tied to the center of attraction, and that is for the awaited revelation behind Dahyun's disappearance.

Seojoon is standing behind Haein who is scrambling through his wooden cabinet where he keeps all of his documents stored in one place.

He asked a while ago if Haeil could still remember who was the last proprietor of the manor where Dahyun probably got killed. Haeil responded through the use of all the might he has left for the sharpness of his memory that it was indeed belongs to a middle-aged man.

He forgot the name, but as what he could remember; he has one family member with him: a daughter, matching Chaeyoung and Tzuyu's claims. But there was one thing that struck Seojoon.

A new clue. The man is a single father. Haein depicted that when the man signed the contract, he doesn't have any woman he could tell if that's his wife or what. In fact, he never even saw him had a woman that could stand as a mother for the little girl.

Seojoon heard that the landlord mentioned about the contract, he suggested Haein to look for the copy where he was answered that he still has all the papers with him.

And that's where they at right now. "I got it!" Haein exclaimed as he raised a paper on his hands. He closed the cabinet and placed it on his desk. "There. That's the last contract of agreement I had for the manor before it was left unoccupied for years."

Seojoon examined the paper and flipped the pages. The third and last paper is where the signature and the printed name of the owner could be found.

As he reads the name of the identity of the last owner, Seojoon's eyes largened in shock. He felt like the world turned upside down as he piercingly stared at the paper.

"H-how is this possible..." He murmured as he rubbed his mouth with his hands in utter disbelief.

"What's wrong, detective?"

"N-Nothing." Seojoon frantically shook his head. "Can I borrow this? This would be very useful for an evidence."

"Sure, take it if you want detective. I won't mind." Haein shrugged.

Seojoon nodded and quickly barged out of the landlord's house. He entered the car and slumped at his seat, facing the paper back in front of him as he combed his hair in astonishment.

"Yoon Guimhwi..." He reads the name of the last occupant under the property of Haein's.

"I-It's my uncle's... does he have secrets that he's been hiding from me?" Seojoon asked to himself before he drove away.

He arrived minutes later at his uncle's residence, perfectly timed where his cousin wouldn't be around since Dahye is at her class. He want this to become personal and private, just the two of them for him to suspect his own uncle.

"Seojoon!" His uncle greeted him as soon as he appeared at the front door. He kept his stoic and observative mask worn around his face. "You're too late! Dahye is not here."

"It's alright. I wanted to see you this time, uncle."

"Ah is that so? How thoughtful of you, Joon. Then come in, let me get you some. What do you prefer? Food or drink?"

"Juice would be fine enough. Thanks uncle." Seojoon replied.

Uncle Guimhwi went to the kitchen to prepare, leaving Seojoon alone in the living room to standby and make himself feel at home, but that's not what he came here for.

He roamed around and viewed the frames of his uncle and his cousin, until there was one thing that caught him off track.

Seojoon stepped forward and traced the picture further. The eyes never lie. He's literally seeing clearly, and he doesn't know whether to deny or accept what he just discovered.

The structure of the manor is the background of the family picture of his uncle along with his cousin, photo taken in the daylight.

This just confirmed more for Seojoon that his uncle must have a huge part of his investigation. It was unexpected and a coincidence, but that's not what it matters for him. He's going to try something that would measure his truthfulness in front of something he wasn't aware of that could place his innocence in judgement.

"Joon! You can get your juice here, boy." his uncle called him from behind, bringing along a pitchel full of orange juice and some glasses.

"Thanks, uncle." Seojoon grabbed one and poured himself a drink. He returns back to face the painting and make himself obvious for his uncle to notice.

"You miss her. I know."

Seojoon heard his uncle's comment. That wasn't the one he's waiting to hear from him, but he wouldn't dodge such a painful fact. He does miss his cousin a lot.

"I do, but... can I ask you something uncle?"

"Go ahead."

"You lived here in this manor before?"

His uncle sipped a drink before responding. "Yeah, we stayed there for 3 years until we relocated here."

"Where was this located?"

"At Gyeonggi, if I wasn't mistaken." Uncle Guimhwi stated. "The neighborhood there was so kind. I wish I could pay them a visit someday."

Seojoon keeps on listing secretly on his mind. "Why couldn't you?"

"Some things are best to left behind, Joon. There's a lot of bad history I had there in that manor. I wouldn't last to witness that place ever again if I get the chance... but it's better for me not to take that at all." Uncle Guimhwi said.

"Wait, are you referring to the missing case of... wait, what's this name again- Kim Dahyun?"

Seojoon observed his uncle who stopped midway from gulping another cold beverage in his glass. It's like he just installed some flashbacks within him that he just malfunctioned.

"Y-you know that?"

"I do. Researching helps plus hello, I work at police department as a detective, uncle." Seojoon blurted.

Guimhwi started to act weird by rotating his head as if he's trying to find something for him to say regarding that matter.

"A-ahh. Right, yeah. You are." Guimhwi nervously chuckled.

"That manor was the same place where that Dahyun girl was reported to be missing. Do you know her, uncle?"

The intensity of Seojoon's playful act to corner his uncle becomes even more intense as he enjoys watching him struggle to reply. His suspicions were now being constructed and Seojoon couldn't believe that he would've get to confront his uncle for being the unthinkable type of person he never knew would turn out real.

Guimhwi remained silent for a while before he glanced at the manor. "I do. He was our previous maid. Dahye and her gets along really well. That's why when I noticed that she wasn't appearing for days and become absent in our manor, not knowing that would be the start of his missing report by the police; I was worried and saddened for her and for Dahye. They were like bestfriends and Dahyun... Dahyun is a great girl, Seojoon. It breaks my heart not to see that kid for a long time now."

"I heard from our department that they're going to reopen the case, if you will be asked to stand as the witness; would you allow me to recommend you?"

Guimhwi swallowed a lump on his throat before speaking up to what his nephew told to him. "I-I'll think about it first. That's undebatable."

Seojoon clicked his tongue and pretends to pull out his cellphone for some urgent reason. "I'll be back, uncle. I have to chat my colleague."

"Take your time, boy."

Seojoon walks away from his uncle and stopped near the door. He pressed the note icon and types down everything he heard from his uncle. He saved it for later there and not on his usual notepad so that he wouldn't be seen too obvious that he's actually investigating his uncle. This has to be included for review and analyzation back on his house or at the station later.

-----------------------------

Two days later, Seojoon was mostly devoted on investigating further about the sudden involvement of his uncle about Dahyun's case. It's making him conflicted and befuddled that after all this time, one of things he'd be looking for the case was someone very close to his life, and as of now his role is very crucial here.

His uncle has just become one of the primary suspects as the culprit of Dahyun's death.

He doesn't want it to be true, because he doesn't know what would it affect him once it does. Being a police detective, learning that there's a murderer or a killer that is highly related to you feels like a stain to your career and background as you hold your family's name along with the rank of your profession.

Seojoon was busy adjusting all of the clues he has with him when he received a phone call from his cousin Dahye.

"Hello?"

"Oppa." Her voice sounded weak.

"Dahye, what made you call in the middle of the night. You miss me already, don't you?" He chuckled as he closed a folder in his working table.

"Oppa... please come here. I don't wanna go."

Seojoon slowly furrowed his eyebrows after he heard that plead from Dahye. "What do you mean you don't wanna go? Is there something wrong going on there, Dahye-nah?"

"Oppa... appa wants us to look for new home. I don't know why but... I don't want to be far away, oppa. I love it here. Stop appa please."

"Okay okay, I'll be right there. Where is appa right now?" Seojoon asked, hurriedly wearing his detective coat and some equipments with him in case it gets handy. He has to beware, his uncle is a suspect and the suspicions he has on him are still on the top and through Dahye's emergency call, it maintains that level of the risk he has.

"H-he's with the maids, packing our things. I have to go, oppa. Appa might see me."

"Just try to be stubborn and fight back against appa's instructions. Seojoon oppa is on his way now there!" He said before ending the call and left his apartment in a dash.

Driving his car in a fast speed while keeping it steady to avoid any unlikely accidents that may be a hindrance to his chase, Seojoon successfully made it to his uncle's residence.

Just as he arrived, he saw Guimhwi trying to calm down Dahye who is forcing herself to escape from his father's grasp as she's being inserted inside the car.

"UNCLE!" Seojoon shouted, marching closer at Guimhwi who was surprised at his emergence. Dahye quickly ran at him and hugged him on the leg as she cried.

"Seojoon-ssi, what are you doing here?"

"Where are you guys going? And why are you forcing Dahye to go with you? The kid doesn't look pleased, uncle. What's going on?"

"It's none of your business. Y-you won't understand, Seojoon. Take care of yourself, but me and Dahye has to look for a new home somewhere."

Guimhwi tried to approach Dahye but she hid behind Seojoon who is gesturing his to stop. "No. Why can't you tell me why? Your home here seems fine, what's bothering you uncle?"

His uncle went silent as he avoid Seojoon's intimidating gaze, waiting for his answer. As he has no comment to offer, Seojoon starts to choke from the heavy breaths escaping in his mouth driven by the emotions increasing deep inside of him.

"U-uncle, yesterday... I asked you about the manor and if you have knowledge about the case of Kim Dahyun..."

"W-why does it concerns you, Seojoon?!"

"BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO HANDLES THE CASE!" Seojoon shouted at Guimhwi. Dahye started to cry behind him. " And you LIED! All of what you said was a LIE. Is that why you're doing this, uncle? Is that because, you feel guilty of what you did... that's why you have to escape and brought a child into this?!"

"How d-do you even know that I told you false information, Seojoon?! What makes sure, that you could just accuse me without any evi-"

"Dahye's not the actual child Dahyun took care of when she was working for you, isn't it?" Seojoon's lips began to twitch. "The case was 5 years ago, Dahye is only turning 6 this year, uncle. She wasn't even born during that time!"

"The girl she took care was your daughter, your ORIGINAL daughter, uncle. Harin was Dahyun's responsibility." Seojoon pointed. Guimhwi was just standing there, head lowered down with fists curling, enduring all of the blame being thrown at him.

"June 12, 2015. You must be on the manor at that day. Why? Because that was 2 days ago after Harin died. You stayed in that manor all day with Dahyun, assisting you while you grieve at your only daughter's death."

"And now, I have to confirm one thing... and I want it to hear it from you, uncle."

Seojoon adjusted the phone in his coat in which he secretly opened the audio recorder to record their conversation tonight, and to caught the suspect's reactions about his claims.

"What did you do to Dahyun on that given night?" Seojoon sharpened his tone, sending chills through the horrified and extremely tensed Guimhwi.

"Are you the one who killed her?"

"..."

"TELL ME!!!"

Dahye cried harder and Guimhwi flinched at the deafening scream by Seojoon.

Tears streamed down in his face while he stares at his uncle that has been cornered and put into hot seat, getting his innocence doubted.

"S-seojoon...

I'm sorry."

Guimhwi didn't answered in specific, but the obvious meaning behind those words were enough to shatter Seojoon's heart and soul.

"N-no... Dahyun..."

He gave in from his stance, collapsing to the ground and slowly sobbed in pain as Dahye hugged him on the back.

--------------------

5 DAYS LATER

The case was now closed. His uncle, Yoon Guimhwi was found guilty and sentenced to more than a decade in prison after he admitted publicly that he was the man behind the slaughter of Kim Dahyun's disapperance, which was caused by murder. He did it at the same room where Dahyun usually stays in the manor, explaining why is it the part of the house that is haunted the most by her spirit.

Dahyun's body was found and surprisingly, it was buried neatly on an open field somewhere in Daegu. On a positive side, atleast his uncle was right and spoke the truth about his explaination on why he did the crime.

But still, that won't change a thing that it was a horrible act to do. He hurted Dahyun for a very obssessive reason. He killed and wasted her dreams because of that. He left Dahyun locked in that manor, hoping that she'll get to cross into the gates of heaven where her soul rightfully belongs.

A proper funeral has been held for Dahyun's remains. All of her friends visited and send their thank yous at the detective for bringing Dahyun the justice she deserves.

Seojoon decided to stop at the manor where he would be visiting Dahyun again. It's been days since they haven't seen each other. She must've felt bored and lonely again, and Seojoon misses her so much already as much as she does.

"Dahyun."

Seojoon called her name after he stood in the doorway. Dahyun was just laying down on the bed with her hands placed atop of her midsection, the same posture as how deceased people were formed inside the casket.

Dahyun gets up from the bed and looked at Seojoon with a huge smile on her face. "Seojoon!" She walked closer to him as fast as she could.

Seojoon got to face Dahyun closer. The two were standing in front of each other, gap were just inches away.

Seeing her after knowing the fate she had that costs her life was too much for Seojoon to control.

"How are you?"

"I'm good, just feeling a bit weird. I feel... more alive and at rest since yesterday." Dahyun described. "It feels like I have nothing to worry about. Like, everything's going to be okay for me even though I'm still here... trapped in this manor for god knows how long."

Seojoon speculated that the completion of the case gave an impact on Dahyun's state as a lost ghost in this mortal world.

He smiled softly and didn't wasted any more time to announce her the good news. "I-It's done."

"Hmm?"

"The case. It's now closed. We caught your killer, Dahyun."

Dahyun was shocked and overwhelmed with joy and relief. She gasped, staring at Seojoon unbelievably. "R-really?"

He nodded. Dahyun jumped in glee and lets out tears of joy in her dazzling eyes. Seojoon admirably watch her celebrate victoriously, it's been a long time coming for her and finally she was able to achieve it.

As soon as Dahyun stops, she noticed that Seojoon was shuddering as tears bursted out from him, hissing and whimpering at the emotions taking over him.

"W-why are you crying, Seojoon? We did it, right?"

"Y-yeah. We did. I'm just so happy for you but I..." Seojoon blew some warm air before proceeding. "I just couldn't help but to feel bad at myself."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong though?"

"I don't... I-I'm just ashamed to show up myself for you after what I learnt."

Dahyun looks at Seojoon curiously. "Why? What is it?"

"D-Dahyun... forgive me. I didn't know... I didn't know..."

She held her wrists and looked at him worriedly.

"You didn't know what?"

"I- I didn't know that my uncle killed you."

Dahyun was stunned. She froze in front of you, what you just told her immensely shocked her to the core.

"W-what?" Dahyun said, stepping back a bit from him.

"I wasn't close with my uncle at that time, so I never got to know about you. I-If only I did met him and you, pay some visit here earlier, m-maybe I... I could've done something." Seojoon said, shaking his head in regret and guilt. "I wanted to save you, Dahyun."

"H-how did I die?" Dahyun asked him, both were weakened and hurt.

"You were strangled to death... at this very same room we're standing in. He did that after y-you tried to escaped." Seojoon began to explain what his uncle shared in the court. Dahyun's head suddenly starts to ache as all of the memories were now flashing back from her all at once, allowing her to have a glimpse of the last moments before her unfortunate demise in the hands of Seojoon's uncle.

"Y-you did that because... you couldn't stand staying there on that manor, living while raising a child that was completely forced and unplanned for you to have." Seojoon proceeded. "You gave birth to Dahye due to the consequences of Harin's death. My uncle's obssession of having a child in replacement of Harin has what brought uncle to rap-"

"STOP!" Seojoon flinched and looked at Dahyun who is covering her head and ears as she kneeled, body curled on the floor as she fought the pain of regaining back her lost memories that were mostly full of tragedy and darkness.

"Dahyun?" He called her name to check up on her. Dahyun was also crying like him. She removed her hands on her head and looked at Seojoon who is concerned for her.

"I-I remember it all now." Dahyun spoke in the midst of her sobs. "That man needs to pay for what she did to me. Your uncle deserves to burn in hell!"

Seojoon didn't say anything as he just listened to Dahyun's rage and agony. "M-my daughter... I remember her. I can even sense her somewhere. She's alive, I can feel it."

Dahyun went closer towards Seojoon. "S-Seojoon, w-where is she? I-is she okay?"

He nodded, Dahyun smiled through her cries. "She's with me. She grown up to be such a great girl. And I just noticed that... she just looks almost as you."

Dahyun was touched and happy at the news. She cried harder, hands clasped as she prayed for the Gods feeling grateful that somehow her daughter was able to survive and able to continue living the life that was gifted to her.

"Her name..."

"Dahye." Both of them said it at the same time.

"It's as wonderful as her mother's." Seojoon muttered and stared deeply at Dahyun before he looked away as the connection he has with his uncle made him uncomfortable to look at Dahyun straight in the eyes.

"A-are you mad at me, Dahyun?"

"Me?" Dahyun was confused. "Why w-would I? You said it yourself, you have no idea what cruel and disgusting your uncle was."

"Don't be regretful about it, Seojoon. Don't blame yourself just because you have a relative who disobeyed the law opposite of the oath you took for your occupation. It might affect your reputation as a detective, but don't let it distract you from the fact that you're the one who arrested him and sent him to jail on your own. That cements your faithfulness and unbiased principle for the sake of the law and truth."

Dahyun smiled sympathetically at Seojoon. The two had each other's eyes in contact. She grinned brightly, making Seojoon eased and stable from his overflowing emotions. "I won't hold anger, hatred or vengeance from you. It's all done, I am now free... and it wouldn't be possible without you."

They paused on talking when Seojoon noticed that Dahyun's figure started to become blurry as she starts to slowly disappear. "D-Dahyun... you're-"

"I know." She nodded. "My time is up, I see."

Seojoon dreadfully looked at Dahyun after she said it.

"But before I go... I want to say this to you that I've been keeping to myself from the first day that I got to talk with you more than just my case, Seojoon.

Thank you for choosing to help me. You did it, and I'm so proud of you. Those made me even love you more ."

Seojoon starts to cry as he finally tried to touch Dahyun to hug her, but sadly he really couldn't do it. His body just went passed through Dahyun's. He became infuriated, pounding his fists at the floor.

"N-no... no, even you?!" Seojoon exclaimed. The fear of being left by someone who became dear in his heart happened again, and it hits Seojoon different because for the first time; he gets to be romantically in love with a woman despite being only the ghost of herself when she was existing like him.

"Can I join you too? I don't want you to go. I love you too Dahyun." Seojoon begged as he kneeled in front of Dahyun. She squats and leveled Seojoon's sight.

"You can, but not for now."

Seojoon looked at Dahyun. "You still have purpose to fulfill in this world, Seojoon... and I want that for you to do me a favor. Take care of Dahye for me. In the future, when she grew up and you feel that she can stand on her own now... I will just be up high above, waiting for you. And we can finally enjoy our everlasting love together there."

Dahyun formed a heart gesture to Seojoon as only a quarter of her figure is now left visible. Seojoon nodded and tapped his chest, making Dahyun happy and fluttered.

"See you on the other side, Seojoon."

That was Dahyun's last words before she vanished in thin air, as Seojoon watched his soul flew out of the window and go upwards into the destination where she can finally rest in peace.

The next day, fulfilling his promise to his stepcousin Dahye; he treated her outside for her birthday as a way to make her special day fun and unforgettable. It was also to distract her from the fact that her father is currently behind bars, Seojoon doesn't want to kid to know yet that his father is a killer.

After Seojoon bought ice cream for him and Dahye, he observed that Dahye was looking at a fast food restaurant where a birthday is being gathered. She saw the kid who is the celebrant along with her father being taken pictures by the guests.

Seojoon went near Dahye and kneeled beside her. He presented the ice cream at her, she accepted and said thank you to him.

"I wish appa is here with us." Dahye said as she directed her gaze back at the party. "Why couldn't he come, oppa?"

Seojoon sighed and pouted, thinking of a way to answer the kid's question. "Because... appa did something wrong, and he has to fix it. That's why for now, I'll be here to become your guardian."

Thankfully, the kid seems to take the explaination nicely. "I'm just jealous, oppa. She has her father with her on her birthday, but I don't."

Dahye frowned and sadly licked her ice cream. Seojoon smiled and swayed some strands of hair behind her ear. "You can call me appa for today if you want."

"Are y-you sure oppa?!"

"Yeah. Since I'm your guardian and I'm the one in charge on behalf of appa, I can stand as your father-figure too, Dahye. You can call me that as much as you want too." He shrugged. "Do you like that?"

Dahye smiled and nodded. "Yes, appa!" She replied as she hugged Seojoon afterwards. He shut his eyes as she indulge the comforting sensation of having his beloved little girl delighted in his company.

Seojoon became determined to grant Dahyun's wishes, and that is to raise Dahye and teach her to become a wonderful person just like her mother.

----------------------------

35 YEARS LATER

In one of the hospital rooms, sounds of cries from the visitors and a flatline from the heartbeat monitor can be heard as the patient who is confined there was just announced his time of death by the doctors who failed to resuscitate his life.

The woman is being comforted by her boyfriend, as she cried harder while grasping the lifeless hand of his father.

"I'll be here for you Dahye, stay strong. You heard him and I don't want to fail him either." the boyfriend said as he rubbed her back, revealing to Dahye who is now an adult and is in her 30's who just suffered a huge loss for the passing of her beloved stepfather and veteran detective Yoon Seojoon at the age of 65.

Meanwhile, Seojoon's newly ascended soul awakened in a foggy ground covered in crystal clear water in a very shallow height.

He slowly raised himself and looked around, where he could only see nothing but baby blue sky.

Noticing that he's in his younger appearance and wearing all white long sleeved shirt and pants while barefoot in the water; he walked ahead at the unknown until a gate standing tall supported with golden bars of fences to defend and guard of what it seems to be an evangelical town appeared out from the fog.

There were two guards who noticed him. He walked through them as they stood their ground with all confidence.

"State your name, lost soul." The guard who's holding a long golden trident asked him authoratively.

"L-lost soul... that means I'm truly dead...?" He whispered to himself. He knew what happened to him but he couldn't believe that this were all happening to him in reality.

"Y-Yoon Seojoon." He said cautiously.

The other guard on the booth flipped the pages of what it seems to be an enchanted book. "He's cleared."

The guard snapped his fingers and the padlocks of the gate went poof out of the air. It opened wide after and the guard stepped aside. "Welcome to the heavens. You may now enter."

Seojoon looked at the guard amazedfully. He walked inside, a white beam suddenly appeared in his body that expanded into a thread that leads to somewhere.

"W-what is this light attached on me?"

"It means that there's another soul here who is waiting to see you. Follow the way and you'll find out." The guard answered.

Seojoon nodded and continues walking. He travelled his eyes around at these unique and surreal surroundings. Everything looks unearthly, magical and spectacular.

He kept following the direction of the white beam connected to him until it came to a pause where he saw the the other end of it. It passes through the walls of a lovely looking house.

As soon as he stepped into the pathway, the door opened. Seojoon's eyes widened too when Dahyun showed up at the door looking at him tenderly.

"D-Dahyun..."

She went out of the house and placed her hands on the back. Her classic black long hair and white dress. She looked simply breathtaking and magnificent just like the first time you've seen her, and seeing her in heaven, there couldn't get even more excellent than this.

"Welcome home, Seojoon."

The two slowly walked towards each other until they closed the space between them and catched theirselves in a warm, longing and blooming embrace. Seojoon teared up as he saw Dahyun's body wrapped in his arms.

"I can finally feel you." Seojoon said as he stroked her silky smooth hair.

Dahyun smiled, feeling grateful as him. "How was your time down there?" she asked.

"It was worth it. Your lessons has what made me feel alive with purpose. And Dahye, she's in good hands now."

They seperated and faced each other dearly. Dahyun was pleased that she can finally get a touch of her lover's attractive face as she cupped it with her small cute hands.

"She had grown up to be a wise, independent lady, thanks to you Seojoon. Thank you." Dahyun nodded and sniffed at her tears. "And now that you're here, we can finally be together whenever we want and start our relationship for all time...

"... always." Seojoon took the turn to finish her words. "I love you, Dahyun."

"I love you too, Seojoon."

Both of them smiled and locked their hands together.

"Unnie! Where are you?" Someone shouted from the house. They both heard it and got alarmed, Seojoon was surprised at the familiar voice.

"There's also someone you would be very glad to see." Dahyun said to him.

The door opened, and Seojoon broke down with more tears as he saw the owner of that voice standing in front of him looking very much alive and enthusiastic.

"O-oppa?"

"H-Ha... Harin..."

"OPPA!"

Her cousin ran at him and Seojoon greeted him with a tight embrace. "Harin... Y-You're here... oh thank God, oppa missed you so much..."

"I missed you too, oppa."

He grabbed the back of his head and kissed her repeatedly on the top. Dahyun was touched at this wholesome scene.

Seojoon stood up and holds both Dahyun and Harin's hands. They formed a circle and Seojoon looked at them admiringly as he finally got reunited with the most cherished ones who entered in his life.

Back on Earth few days later, Dahye was the last person who remained in front the grave of her parents, Dahyun and Seojoon after the funeral ended.

She stared and grieved on their resting place one last time. Dahye pulls out her wallet where it contains the pictures of her and Seojoon and the old picture of Dahyun that serves as her only kept remembrance of her when it was shown to her by Seojoon as he explained to her about Dahyun being her biological mother before.

Dahye sometimes imagines what would it be like if they were a complete family, and she can experience how it feels to have a mother's love.

She looks above the skies, a bittersweet smile displayed in her lips. Dahye securedly holds the pictures into her chest.

"I hope you two are having fun up there. You two deserved it. Rest in peace, eomma and appa."

At the same time in the immaculate heavens far away from the mortal world, Seojoon and Dahyun were playing their favorite piece together in the piano as they sat beside each other while her head is on his shoulder. Harin is on the floor, listening with them while she's coloring her book.

When the song ends, Dahyun leans away and looked at Seojoon lovingly; and the two shared their first ever kiss empowered of nothing but an everlasting love they can exchange for one another on their new life in the eternal paradise called heaven.

#twicedahyun #dahyun #kimdahyun #twicedahyunxmreader #twicedahyunxmalereader #twice #twiceoneshots #twiceau #twicefanfic #twicedahyunoneshot #twicedahyunau #twicedahyunfanfic #kpoponeshots #kpopau #kpopfanfic

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itsyourstarboy · 1 year

Text

ZAP

✨Lovely OC✨

The long awaited, lovely Lovely is here!!! I kept a lot of electric vibes with her design, because she may be dead but that part of her is not.

Info about her under the cut!

Finally putting a face to the name

My Lovely is named Charlie and uses she/her pronouns

💗💛💙pansexual💙💛💗

5’8” (tall goddess)

Her eyes were brown before her turning

Cute little blue goth babey

She’s a Twilight fan girl through and through. She’s team Edward all the way, and prefers the books to the movies.

It was basically a dream come true when she met Vincent.

She was a college freshman, pursuing a career in photography. She likes taking pictures of abandoned/creepy places (hence why she was at Wonderworld at 3am)

She didn’t believe Vincent was a vampire at first, but a small part of her hoped he was.

Then he broke into her house and she was in love <3

I think she might actually be insane.

No self preservation instincts whatsoever, y’all already know.

She wanted Vincent to turn her into a vampire from the start, but she didn’t really know how to ask, so when she saw a chance to get nearly killed she took it.

Jumped in front of that shade on purpose, I’m telling you.

She used to be vegan (obviously not anymore lol)

After learning she was empowered, she stopped going to the unempowered college and transferred to DAMN.

Then she died and just dropped out mood

She’s the biggest tease you will ever meet. Yes, even worse than Vincent.

She’s loves leaving him wanting more.

He can’t even get her back anymore, because now she can run super fast, and he’s afraid if he chases her she’ll go flying down a mountain again.

She stans Avril Lavigne so hard

15% beauty; 5% grace; 70% chaos; 10% horny

She throws electric shocks at anything that scares her

Or, at least, she used to.

Now that she’s a vampire, her electricity is weakened, so she feels kinda defenseless. If something scares her, she immediately hunches over and hisses like a frightened feline.

Probably licks batteries to feel energized.

She HAS to have the last word.

If you text her something rude and then block her, she will hunt you down in person just to respond with “k.”

She got into a lot of verbal fights at DAMN because she has a problem with authority

Okay so... she doesn’t have it anymore, but she used to drive an old, beat up, hand-me-down minivan.

She also never got her driver’s license.

“Fake it till you make it,” yeah she’s good at pretending to know what she’s doing.

(Vincent didn’t find this out until after she was behind the wheel of his most expensive car)

I don’t know what issues she’s got goin on up in her noggin, but there’s quite a few.

Tea-time gossip w/ William on Wednesdays at 1pm :)

Okay pet names pet names

Charlie calls Vincent: Vince, Bats, Creeper, Handsome, Babe, and Cutie.

She has an emotional support animal :3

His name is Spike and he’s a duck 🦆

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shrimply-a-menace · 1 year

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The inherent queerness of Stranger Things by me

Eddie Munson is a gay man and I will not hear anything to the contrary.

Reason number one: look at him!!! That’s a gay man!!

Reason number two: he’s flagging. Flagging is a specific part of gay culture (specifically with men and specifically back then, though it is still used today) that was meant mainly for cruising and hookups. Different colored bandannas mean different things, as do which pocket they’re in. For example: a black handkerchief/bandanna means S&M, if it’s in the back LEFT pocket, the person is a top/dom, if it’s in the back RIGHT pocket, the person is a bottom/sub. Eddie has his bandanna in the back LEFT and it’s black. To further prove this point, he has handcuffs hanging up on his wall. He also wears a belt with a handcuff buckle. (Also look at the way he’s standing!!! That’s not a straight man!!!)

Reason number three: his music choices. 80s metal has a tendency to be very camp, very flamboyant, and very over the top. With the hair, makeup, outfits, it’s all very gay. One of his favorite artists is Judas Priest, whose lead singer is a gay man!! The aesthetic of a lot of metal bands back then was very similar to the style and aesthetic you’d seen in leather clubs at the time (look up Tom of Finland), continuing to play into reason number 2.

[Top left: Judas Priest in the 80s. Top right: Accept’s album “Balls to the Walls”. Bottom left: Motlëy Crüe in the 80s. Bottom right: Accept in the 80s]

REASON FOUR: the way he interacts with Steve is so unbelievably NOT heterosexual I can’t even make it up. He literally looks at him at point after hot wiring a car and says “Harrington’s got her, don’t you big boy?” With the flirtiest look anyone has ever seen. He does this very frequently too. Planning to go to the War Zone, pinning him to a wall with a bottle against his throat??? SUPER gay!! Before the big battle at the end of the season he kind of pulls Steve away from his group and does a little like “oh shit it’s now or never, it’s time to confess my feelings” look before saying “make him pay.” It turned out to be never because he then dies but that is beside the point. It would have been the perfect moment for a kiss but the Duffer brothers are cowards.

“Don’tcha big boy?” Are you fucking kidding me??

The LOOK???? omfg

*bisexual confusion* *gay panic*

That SMILE????? ARE YOU KIDDING??? HE SO AHHHHHH!!!!

Reason five: he says the exact words “hunt the freak right?” to the group and Robin, with a look and tone of complete understanding says “exactly.” These are gay people realizing they’re both gay and doing a little clocking moment.

[Hunt the freak, right?]

[Exactly.]

Now on to Steve.

Reason number one for Steve being bisexual: he has a staring problem. Specifically at other men and their lips. Specifically when he’s being threatened. Or literally just listening to men speak, this happens frequently.

Look at the way he’s leaning on that car!! Little bisexual boy!! In love with your best friend!

Steve “submissive and breedable” Harrington

Steve “submissive and breedable” Harrington pt.2

I love that Eddie is talking about Nancy and Steve is fully not paying attention.

Really had to use this GIF again, the way he looks at Eddie? The GULP???

Reason number 2: in season three, Dustin say “you can have all the babes you want, and more” and Steve responds with “more, i like more.” If that’s not bisexual I need to have my license revoked.

[More? I like more.]

Reason three: no cis straight man is that attractive!!! No cis straight man is that babygirl!!!!!

Reason four: he spends every interaction with Eddie just looking at him. Eddie tells him he should go for Nancy again and Steve just continues staring at his lips.

Reason five: Steve wears Eddie’s battle vest.

And the overarching reason for all of this: Stranger Things is a show about freaks and outcasts, it makes sense that there would be a large amount of queer characters. Also, i like it.

#steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie #bisexual #gay #stranger things s4 #stranger things #st4

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kyistell · 3 months

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May we please have some NY hc’s? 👁️👁️

*not forcing*

I am so sorry for this being literal DAYS late, things happen but I still feel bad, anyway I shall deliver as it is better late than never!!

Doesn’t like planes (feel like it obvious why)

Can figure skate, likes to do so for 30 minutes as a warm up before hockey

He has a lot of scars, pretty much all on his chest and arms though he does have a good few on his legs

Met Delaware when he visited Netherlands home for the first time, he continued to visit every weekend until Netherland had to leave

Actually likes Netherland, way better than England that’s for sure

He found out that there was a another New state when he found New Mexico going through his kitchen, he still doesn’t have a single idea how NM had gotten there and neither does NM

Friendship bracelets, specifically Loom (the rubber bands)

He has some problems with his own humanity because while yes he is a state personification, he also had parents and has grandparents, something that pretty much every state except for a few have, swimming in the Hudson didn’t help at all seeing as now he’s all sorts of something

While he and Jersey seem attached at the hip, they actually don’t spend nearly as much time together as the other states thing, yeah they are slightly attached at the hip but they will go weeks without a single hello at times

Hates change, he went through so much of it as a child that he can’t stand it now

Spinny chair go brrrrr

“I’m not autistic, I just don’t like you”

He can’t really drive, like he has his license but is terrified to use it in his own state, he prefers public transport in the city rather than driving and always lets Jersey drive whenever they are in a car

He doesn’t like fireworks, they are pretty much way to loud for him to be okay

Used to have a pet duck

#welcome to the table #wttt #wttt new york #wttsh new york #wttt headcanons #this is really short right?#i cant tell #cause im on phone #speaking of phones #i suck at typing now on my phone #donno how that happend #i am really sorry about this being so late #hopefully this is the latest ill ever be #unless ya know #i die #lolz #kyi requests

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queerinthealps · 11 months

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Hot stranger's eyebrow is raised, looking at Colin expectedly. "Oh shit he's waiting for me to speak", Colin thinks. He panics, trying to think of what to say. Ok well, this was completely his fault of course, so he obviously wants compensation. He'll be able to pay for the damage easily, but the issue is he absolutely cannot be late to the earliest training days of the new season. The best bet is to exchange contacts, of course. Colin has absolutely no ulterior motive here. "Can you give me your number?", he blurts out. Hot stranger looks taken aback, both eyebrows now raised. “Smooth move idiot”, he thinks. “It’s just I can’t be late, but I can pay for this, but I gotta do it later we can maybe meet up or I can send you the money I don’t know whatever works.”, he rambles. Hot stranger blinks at him like he has all the audacity in the world. “Um, excuse me? You don't think I have somewhere to be, too? You're just trying to get out of this”. " No that's not true I promise trust me I can easily pay for this-shit that sounds like I'm bragging but I do" "I can tell-you drive the tackiest sports car I have ever seen. I mean, lime green? Really?" And evidently you can't even drive it". Colin thinks he should be offended by this, but honestly at this point he thinks this man could say anything and he would agree. Well, almost anything. If he said the phrase, "Wales does not need to be an independent sovereignty", then he would have a problem. “Listen, you can take a picture of the license plate if you want so if I don’t reach out you can take it to the police. That won’t be necessary tho, because I promise I will. Also, lime green is a great color”. The man finally relents, eyeing Colin, clearly mulling over something. “Alright fine, but on one condition-you have to buy me a coffee, too.” Wait, what? The gears turning in Colin’s head must be evident on his face, because the man in front of him smirks, clearly amused. “Give me your phone”, he says, reaching his hand out. Colin obliges, and when the man hands his phone back he looks down and sees he has added his contact- Michael. Hot stranger’s name is Michael. He then hold his phone out to Colin, and Colin puts his name and number in. “Nice to meet you, Colin.” I’ll be in touch”. And just like that, he turns around, gets into his car, and drives off. Colin can only stare and think “What in the actual fuck just happened?” He walks back to his car in a daze, vaguely registering a female voice shouting “Oi!”, and gets in. As he puts on his seatbelt, he hears somebody knock on his window. He turns, and its..a nun?? He rolls down his window, perplexed. ”Hello there’,” he says. The woman wastes no time with a greeting. “Sorry about the pre-season predictions. If I were you, I would fake an injury this season to avoid dealing with the misery.” And just like that, she leaves. Ok, so that’s two bizarre things to happen to him consecutively today. Ever since Ted Lasso showed up, things have changed so drastically. Maybe that’s what causing so many weird things to happen. And Colin can’t help but feel that something big is going to happen to him this season, and he is both nervous and excited.

AHH OMG THIS IS SO GOOD

#colinmichael #colinmichael headcanons #colin hughes x michael #colin hughes #ted lasso #colin hughes is bad at driving #meet #billy harris #SCREAMING #THIS IS SO GOOD OMG #colinmichael brainrot

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duhragonball · 1 year

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Dragon Ball: Fight, Son Goku! Win, Son Goku! (South Korea, 1990)

So the 2023 Dragon Ball Apocrypha Liveblog rolls on, and this is the part I’ve been looking forward to: The Gaijin Live-Action Trilogy. We begin with the first live-action adaptation of Dragon Ball, produced in South Korea in 1990.

Now, if you’re not familiar with this film, you might be wondering: Why would Toei and Shueisha license a Dragon Ball movie to a South Korean studio? And the answer to that is: They didn’t. This was an unofficial adaptation.

Beyond that, I really don’t know the backstory to this one. Presumably, Dragon Ball had become popular enough in Korea that there was some interest in a movie, and I think it was easier to pull a stunt like this in the 90′s than it would be today. This movie isn’t exactly a big-budget affair, and if Toei was aware of it at the time, they probably thought it wasn’t worth the hassle of pursuing legal action.

You can find the movie on YouTube like I did, but I’m pretty sure there’s home video options out there. But if you just want a quick rundown of the movie’s highlights, I’ve got you covered.

For the most part, this movie is a straight adaptation of the first arc of the Dragon Ball manga. Bulma meets Goku, convinces him to join her on her search for the Dragon Balls, they meet Roshi, Oolong, Yamcha, Chi-Chi, and the Ox-King, and then eventually they have to deal with the villainous Emperor Pilaf. Oolong stops him by wishing for panties, Bulma and Yamcha get together, and Goku goes off to explore the wider world.

The main problem with this movie is that it’s a little too faithful to that plotline, adapting little moments that probably didn’t need to be in a feature film. I could respect the attention to detail, except the movie also manages to go completely off the rails as well, which sort of defeats the purpose of doing a shot-for-shot retelling of the original comics. On top of that, the movie also cuts a lot of corners.

The best example of this is when Goku first meets Bulma. In some versions of this scene, she hits him with her car, and in some she manages to stop in time, but here, Goku just happens along her parked car while she’s checking the engine. And I get it, they’ve got a pretty young kid playing Goku, and if I was the actor’s mom, I wouldn’t want him filming a scene where he almost gets hit with a car, but considering the other car-related nonsense later in the movie, it’s kind of weird that the opening scenes are so subdued.

Also, when Bulma tells Goku about the Dragon, they just use what looks like footage from the cartoon they’re shamelessly ripping off.

And when they start off on their journey, and Bulma gets attacked by a pterodactyl, it’s just a guy in a costume. It’s a pretty fancy costume, although I have no idea what this thing is supposed to be. Like, if this were a stage musical, I could just accept that this guy represents a pterodactyl, but maybe he’s supposed to be a cyborg bandit, or some other enemy that was easier for the studio to create. The thing is, he still swoops down and grabs Bulma in his talons like a pterodactyl. But why didn’t they give him a mask? Maybe the actor left it at home the day of the shoot.

Also, Goku fights this guy for a really long time. I’m pretty sure he just hit him once in the comic, but this movie drags it out for a really long time, and it’s a very one-sided beating. I don’t understand this.

One touch I really like is how Bulma uses Hoi Poi Capsules in the movie. It’s a simple thing to skip, but when you think about it, it’s such an easy effect to pull off in a live-action movie. Just have the actor toss a prop, show some smoke and fireworks, and then show the characters looking at the building or vehicle that “suddenly” appeared before them. This movie features literal puppets, and it still managed to make Hoi Poi Capsules work, so later productions really have no excuse.

So Bulma sets up a house for them to spend the night, and inside Goku watches... Dragon Ball? Wow, they really had no shame at all about this.

They do the bit where Bulma gives Goku a bath, and there’s some sort of censor effect over Goku’s crotch, which.... yeah, this all gets really messed up when it’s a real live kid standing around in the buff. Also, why are we doing this scene from the manga? Of all the things you could cut, this should have been a no-brainer.

Then we get to the part with the Turtle, and he’s just a guy in a suit, but it’s a pretty damn good likeness of the character. That’s one thing I respect about this production. They wanted to do a live-action Dragon Ball, and they didn’t just shy away from logistical challenges like a talking turtle.

On the other hand, while they wait for the Turtle to return from the sea, Bulma starts wishing she’d brought a swimsuit so she could enjoy the ocean. Then the movie just shows her in a swimsuit, cavorting around the beach. This doesn’t actually happen, they just decided to show this anyway, as if it had happened.

This movie just makes a lot of weird choices. For instance, Master Roshi is dressed very authentically. He’s got the clothes, the staff, the turtle shell, all of it. And yet they gave him these braids for some reason. He’s bald on top, but they stopped short of just shaving his whole head. Also, he never has on sunglasses. And yet, the character always has sunglasses with him at all times! He keeps a pair hanging from a lanyard around his neck. So why not just put them on and complete the look?

Anyway, things play out pretty much like they do in the comics. Roshi gives Goku the Kinto’un cloud, and then Bulma notices Roshi’s Dragon Ball. This would be the part where Roshi offers to trade it for a look at Bulma’s underwear, but that doesn’t happen. Instead... I’m not really sure. They get really close together as they look at Roshi’s Dragon Ball, and then she accidentally kisses him, more or less, and Roshi just gives the thing to her, as though he’s already satisfied.

Then we just smash cut straight to this scene, where Goku and Bulma are in a whole other place. There’s no transition or anything. They’re just like “Oh, we’re at the house,” as if they turned around and found this place along the same beach they were just at.

This leads into the Oolong part of the story, and while I don’t understand this setting, I have to give them props for their pitch-perfect casting of Oolong’s disguise. He looks almost exactly like he did in the original story.

Also, his robot disguise kicks ass. Goku fights him for a bit, and then...

Yeah, not so impressive. I don’t know, I feel like Oolong was close enough to human that you could get away with prosthetic ears and a snout. So Bulma takes him along on their quest, and they do the bit where Oolong tries to turn into a fish and escape, except....

Mai is spying on them. So Mai looks pretty much like you’d expect her too, but here’s a weird twist. She raises her arms...

...And turns into a centipede? And then she goes in the water? I didn’t think centipedes could swim. Anyway, she attacks Oolong for no obvious reason, and Goku has to save him.

Then they do the bit where Bulma tricks Oolong into eating magic laxatives. Fun fact: In Korean, they say “pee pee pee”, but it actually means “poop poop poop”. At least, that was the impression I was given by this scene. Anyway, this is all observed by Puar, who reports back to Yamcha’s lair. Also, Puar enjoys a cigarette, because who knows? This movie was made in Korea, but Puar is in Flavor Country.

Anyway, Yamcha looks fuckin’ awesome in this movie. The fact that he’s constantly accompanied by this ridiculous Puar doll only heightens the immersion for me.

Hell yeah!

Cool pals 4-ever.

Very intimidating.

Yamcha tries to do a cool entrance with his car, but it doesn’t work and he nearly runs himself over, and then he has to struggle to get it to stop. Then he and Goku fight until he sees Bulma and backs off.

The weird thing is that Yamcha isn’t afraid of girls like he normally is in this story. They never even get into that. Instead, it just seems like he’s really infatuated with Bulma, which distracts him. Here, he sees Bulma for the first time and imagines frolicking on the beach with her in a wedding dress. Then Goku hits him and knocks him out.

Then he spies on their house to learn what the Dragon Balls are, and he accidentally sees Bulma in the shower, but he just tells Puar he saw something great. And he confidently says he’ll get his wish, but he never explains what that wish would be.

Then we get to the Frypan Mountain stuff. They just show Chi-Chi running around killing some monster or bandit or whatever. Meanwhile, Ox-King is just a regular-sized man with a really red costume.

Chi-Chi’s costume looks kind of bad. Like, the design had the right idea, but her helmet is way too big and the pink armor parts just look like fabric attacked to the white tights. She looks like a little kid who just got done with ballet class and her dad let her put on his motorcycle helmet.

In further-away shots like this one, it looks pretty good, though. Like, I can tell what they were going for, and it could have been really cool, but they just didn’t pull it off. Speaking of pulling, Chi-Chi pulls on Goku’s tail, but it doesn’t mean anything, because Yamcha’s not around to see it, and Goku’s secret weakness never comes into play. I’m a little surprised that he even has a tail in this movie, since it never figures into the plot.

So then we go back to Master Roshi, and when Goku and Chi-Chi ask him for the Bansho Fan, Turtle reminds him that he doesn’t have it. Then Roshi just starts smacking him around for no reason, and Turtle bites Roshi’s balls.

Then Roshi continues to assault Turtle, even as he uses him to fly to Frypan Mountain. I get using Turtle in place of Baby Gamera, but that’s about the only thing I get about any of this part of the movie.

Then he arrives and sits on Ox-King like a chair, and makes Bulma sit down in front of him, like Ox-King is a motorcycle or something. For several awkward minutes, Roshi kind of gestures at Bulma, but there’s no dialogue, so I have no idea what this is supposed to mean. Well, obviously, this is meant to reflect the part where Roshi asks Bulma to let him fondle her in exchange for putting out the fire on Frypan Mountain, but this bears no resemblance to any of that.

Also, I’m pretty sure the Dragon Ball isn’t even in Ox-King’s burning castle. Chi-Chi has it in this movie, if I’m not mistaken. So Bulma really doesn’t have anything at stake here.

So Roshi finally gets down to business and bulks up, which is a pretty simple effect they pull off. Just get a jacked up dude to pose in the same costume and never show his face in the shot.

And here’s the Kamehameha. Dunno why it’s orange, but no big deal. Goku does his own and blows up a rock, but it’s not as spectacular.

Chi-Chi is all impressed and Goku does this cute humblebrag pose. “Yep, not too shabby for a first try. Yeah, I’ve been working out a lot. Chopping wood with my hands, crushing rocks. Been thinking about trying some Spirit Bombs one of these days, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.”

So let’s check in on the villains. They’ve shown up a few times in pointless scenes, but I need to point out this scene because it’s the best picture I could get of this dude, named Murasaki. I don’t know if he’s meant to have any connection to Murasaki, aka Sgt. Major Purple, but he looks like Nappa with hair. Anyway, Emperor Pilaf sends him to go take out the good guys, who now have five Dragon Balls.

So they run into each other in a cave, where they fight and have a fun chase in mine carts, and Murasaki has ninjas on his team so maybe he really is a reference to Sgt. Purple. Anyway, Goku takes him out with a Kamehameha. Then Yamcha shows up and lends his sword to the team.

Then this green robot attacks and they all take turns trying to beat him. Oolong attacks him with nunchucks (!) but it doesn’t work. Goku tries his best, but nothing. Then Yamcha summons his car to the battle and flies(!!) the car into the robot, but that does nothing.

I still don’t understand how this fight ended. Bulma starts powdering her face, and I think the robot saw its reflection in her compact mirror, and then it exploded? I can’t explain why, I’m just reporting my observations. The gang all congratulate her for winning, but I’m not even sure she was trying to do anything.

Then they go back in the cave? I guess? And Pilaf knocks them out with gas to steal their Dragon Balls. That guy in red and black armor might be Shu, but they never specify it in the subtitles.

Then we just immediately cut to this hole in the wall that Goku made with his Kamehameha. They don’t even show the group being trapped in a place, or Goku shooting the blast to create the hole. Bulma suggests that Oolong turn into a bat to pass through, and he does, but they don’t show it, which is pretty weak. I mean, how hard would that effect have been?

Outside, Pilaf is at... EPCOT center? What the fuck?

Pilaf has all seven Dragon Balls, so fair play to him, although we only ever saw six of them in this whole movie. Bulma started with one, then found four more, and Pilaf had one. I think the last one might have been in the cave? Or maybe Bulma had it from the start, since in the original story she had two Dragon Balls before she met Goku, even if the movie never showed that.

Anyway, here’s cartoon Shenron again.

Pilaf verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

slllloooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyyy makes his wish, giving Oolong time to figure out that he can just make some other wish first and stop him.

See, it’s important to make live-action adaptations of cartoons, because that way you can depict moments like this with a more realistic style that pen and ink could never do justice.

So from here the plot just completely abandons the original story. Instead of Goku turning into a giant ape, Pilaf starts using Force Lightning on Oolong, until Goku busts out to save him.

So it’s these three vs. the good guys. Goku fights Mai for a bit, then hits her with a ki blast and she explodes. Shu (?) beats the crap out of Oolong until Yamcha throws a flagpole at him like a javelin and that blows him up.

Pilaf just wrecks everyone’s shit, and even Goku can’t stop him. Also, I should note that Pilaf has been making weird faces throughout the movie, and now Goku is making faces as well to mock him.

But nothing he does seems to work. Even Goku’s mighty weapon, the Pool Noodle Nyoi’bo, seems to be useless.

Also, Pilaf can do the Kamehameha too? The good guys are fucked... until!

Turtle suddenly shows up, offering to help? Wait, really? What the hell is he gonna do? Is he going to beat up Pilaf like he took out those guys in that one filler episode?

Yes, that is exactly what happens. He just goes right up to Pilaf and starts smacking the shit out of him with his flippers.

Get turtle’d.

Then they all gather together and shoot Kamehamehas at him together. This is like the end of the second Broly movie, only instead of Goku and his sons, it’s Goku, Oolong, and the fucking turtle.

Finally, after taking a triple Kamehameha, Pilaf makes one last goofy face and explodes. Huzzah.

Then the characters just sort of make small talk. Oolong explains that he wished for panties because he stole Bulma’s panties the day before, and he wanted to give her a replacement pair. Wait, why not just give her back the pair he stole? Bulma says she wanted to wish for a boyfriend, but seems less than eager to find one in Yamcha? I have no idea what they were going for with Yamcha and Bulma in this movie but they totally blew it. Then Goku taps his foot on Turtle’s groin and declares that he has no boobs, so that makes him a boy.

Then the cast and crew all stand around posing together, and an explosion goes off behind them and they run for it. Yeah, okay.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: Don’t fuck with Turtle.

So yeah, this movie is... well, awful. I mean, it’s amusing in places and kind of fun to watch. It’s bad in an entertaining way, which makes it the perfect antidote to a screening of Dragon Ball GT. But it’s still a terrible, terrible piece of cinema.

I’m not sure what else to say here, so I’ll just close out with a gallery of Emperor Pilaf’s goofy expressions.

#dragon ball #2023dbapocryphaliveblog #dragon ball fight son goku win son goku #the gaijin live action trilogy #goku #bulma #yamcha #oolong #puar #master roshi #ox king #chi chi #emperor pilaf #mai #shu #murasaki #turtle

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fanfic-obsessed · 8 months

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Heir to Murder she Wrote

Well, @shitty-conspiracies-i-invented , if you insist

It seemed surreal, Grady thought as little Frankie, to Grady he would always be little Frankie no matter that he was in his 30’s now, drove the car through the center of Cabot Cove. Through the closed window Grady could smell the docks with its combination of salt water and fish. It felt like nothing and everything had changed.

It had been a decade since Grady last came to Cabot Cove, since Seth Hazelett’s funeral. Though his Aunt Jess came to visit after that, it felt odd to visit the town itself. So much of the energy of the town seemed bound up in his Aunt Jess and her friendship with Seth. After his death, something felt like it was missing.

Frank pulled up to the house that had been his Aunt Jess’s for as long as Grady could remember. Grady got out of the car, but could not take another step, peering up at the house.

Donna settled against him, their hands clasped together. “It will be ok, I promise”

Grady gave a nod that felt shaky, “I know, I know. It’s just…”

“Aunt Jess” Donna finished softly.

“Aunt Jess. I suppose I just thought she would always be…here” he waved his hand to indicate both the house and his own life.

Donna sighed, “I know”

The sound of a car engine broke the moment. Frank drove off, to stay with his husband and the children until the funeral tomorrow. Frank had driven them up early, both so they could start to go through Aunt Jess’s things and because Frank’s car was not quite big enough for everyone to drive up at once. So Mike, Frank's husband, and their four kids got a hotel in Augusta while Frank drove Grady and Donna to Cabot Cove.

An inner ear problem that Grady had developed in his fifties caused dizzy spells that were just severe and frequent enough that he could not drive any longer. Donna let her license lapse after they bought a Condo in Manhattan, as there was no need to drive.

The couple walked up the path. Grady braced himself for the eerie silence of a house that should have been full with a single person.

But silence is not what he found. Instead there was a low level chatter coming from the kitchen.

Grady drifted through the living room to the entrance of the kitchen. At the table were several people, chief among them…

“Mort?” Grady asked, taking in the former shariff, now almost twenty years retired.

The man had grown even frailer than the last time Aunt Jess had shown them pictures of her friends in Cabot cove, which had been pictures of Eve Simpson’s final birthday party in 2018. But his eyes were still bright and his smile still infectious. His tone was still warm when he spoke, “Grady. Donna”

Mort made no effort to stand to greet them. Aunt Jess had said he had never quite regained the strength in his legs after a bout of COVID early on in the Pandemic that had left him comatose for almost six months.

Adele, however, nearly jumped to her seat to pull them both into a bone crushing hug. It did not matter that she was pushing ninety, she was still as strong as ever. “Oh you poor dears, I knew. I just knew we had to be here when you arrived. I hope you don’t mind that we let ourselves in. Victoria said she didn’t but… it was your aunt as well.”

Donna was already patting on Adele’s back. Grady could see the smitten look that Mort sent toward Adele and warmth pushed itself past the grief that Grady had been carrying since he got the news. It was a beautiful thing, to see Mort still so in love with his wife after all these years.

As Adele let them go, Grady turned to the other woman in the room, “Hi Vicky.”

Victoria was one of Grady's cousins by marriage. Grady was Frank Fletcher's nephew while Victoria was one of Jessica Fletcher's many nieces. Vicky looked like she had been crying, and also like she had not slept in some time. It was hard to tell how much of that was from Aunt Jess. Grady knew from the few reunions he had gone to that Vicky had never really recovered from her husband Howard’s death in 2011.

Vicky nodded but didn’t speak, she had grown very quiet after Howard’s death.

Donna began moving around the kitchen, tidying it in a nervous but familiar habit.

Grady turned back to Adele, “You and Mort are always welcome here,” he considered the words, “Well I suppose if we sell the house, or Frank decides to move in, you should check with owners, of course. Not that we are planning on selling it, or could sell it. We don’t know who Aunt Jess left it to after all. I mean…”

Mort chuckled, “We get what you mean. Thank you.”

Adele looked like she was resisting drawing them close again, “After the funeral tomorrow, we’ll come back and help go through Jessica’s papers. We got a notice saying that the Will will be read at the end of next week?”

Donna nodded even as she finally sat down on the far side of the table with a little huff of air, “Oh, yes. Aunt Jess’s lawyer is coming up from Boston as executor. She was a recommendation from a friend of Jessica’s.”

“Aunt Jess was worried that her death would bring out all kinds of crazies” Grady interjected, not wanting anyone to think Aunt Jess didn’t trust them, “so she wanted someone involved who would be a step removed as the executor”

XXX

The funeral was a sunny affair. More than one neighbor spoke of God celebrating as He welcomed an angel home. Grady knew many but not all of the faces surrounding Aunt Jess’s coffin, but he had no doubt that each had their lives touched by Aunt Jess; whether they wanted to or not.

One face stuck out but it took several long minutes for Grady to place why. It was familiar, but from the haze of childhood. In addition the man’s features were sharper and his eyes a touch colder.

“Harry Pierce?” Grady asked, voice pitched low so as not to make a scene.

The man turned to look, giving a wide shark's grin at the sight of Grady. “Grady.” Harry made an aborted movement as if to give Grady a hug, but stopped when Grady jerked back just a bit. “It has been too long, ya hear. Sad that this is the occasion, though.”

“Harry? I thought…Well Aunt Jess said had been…”

Harry shrugged with a short laugh “Sent to jail, yeah. I was released about ten years ago, paroled. It was only a few days ago that I was allowed to come back to Cabot Cove, you see.”

Grady felt his face twist, “So you came for Aunt Jess’s funeral?”

Harry’s face dropped into a glare, “She was my friend.”

Grady’s confusion deepened, “Who sent you to prison.”

Harry waved his hand as if to brush off the words, “I did kill two people and tried to kill Jessica, I can’t blame her for that. I was out of control. It was good to see you again, Grady.”

Grady watched as Harry wandered off into the crowd.

“Jessica always did know the strangest people.” A voice to Grady’s right made him jump. The man who spoke was older with a shock of white hair and a British accent.

Grady was saved from thinking up a reply by Donna stepping next to him and holding her hand out to the man. “I’m Donna, Grady’s wife. And you are?”

The man was staring at the coffin that would shortly be lowered into Aunt Jess’s grave. “Michael is as good a name as any. Certainly what Jessica knew me as.” When Michael looked up at Grady, there was something melancholy in his eyes, something tired. “You’re aunt was one of a kind. I owe her more than a few. You ever need anything, use this information to reach out.” Michael gave Grady a pure white business card with only a phone number and an email.

XXX

The memorial after the burial was held in the community center. Dixon’s diner offered to cater for free, in memory of Grady’s Aunt Jess. It was set up and run by members of the local congregation, lead by Bonnie Hastings, so that Aunt Jess’s variety of family did not have to think about the guests.

Grady drifted through the room with Donna at his side. Frank, Mike, and the kids had spread in a different direction. Everywhere he could hear snippets of stories, all about his Aunt Jess. The times where she helped solve a mystery. The times where she stuck her nose in, and somehow fixed everything. Even a few times where her need to know and impressive memory caused the problems that she would then solve.

Grady heard Debbie Dixon, Bo Dixon’s granddaughter and the current owner of Dixon’s diner, say that she was going to grab more plastic cups. Then mere moments later she screamed loud enough to rattle the windows.

Grady was close enough that he was one of the first to reach her, in spite of the mild persistent ache to his hips from all those years sitting at a desk. The door to a walk-in storage closet was halfway open, an older woman toppled into an uncomfortable looking slump half way through the door, her arm caught on the handle of the door. Her face was barely visible, but there was a long scar that wound across her scalp. It was clear from where Grady was standing that the woman was dead.

Someone from behind Grady gasped and a female voice said “That’s Wanda Andrews.”

The name meant nothing to Grady, but a murmur went through the crowd behind him. As he stared at the body the only thing that he could say was “Who brought a corpse to my Aunt Jess’s funeral.”

Mort, who had been pushed in his wheelchair through the crowds by Adele, shrugged “Seems sort of appropriate, though.”

XXX

The newest Sheriff of Cabot Cove, third of that title since Mort Metzger retired, was a woman by the name of Marigold Feeney, former deputy to Amos Tupper. The six months she had spent as part of Cabot Cove Sheriff’s department had, if the rumors Aunt Jess had heard, prepared her for every possible scenario in every other police department she had ever worked. Sheriff Feeney’s return just over a year before had been a homecoming and a welcome one. The citizens of Cabot Cove could get very twitchy if their Sheriff was too much of an ‘outsider’.

It was always obvious who understood Cabot Cove in the way that only a resident could. Grady could even see it in little Frankie, who had never lived in the town, and his family. Donna got it better than most, had always understood the part of Grady that also belonged to Cabot Cove; but even with her, there had even been a few instances where Donna had not understood, though she had never been judgemental.

Sheriff Feeney understood Cabot Cove. This was clear in how she stopped carefully to speak to Bonnie Hastings, who then began to direct people toward the deputies with all the efficiency of a general at war, before making her way over to where the body was still slumped over. Grady would bet that the Sheriff would have checked in with Mort as well, had he been anywhere but next to the body, talking to Debbie Dixon.

“Mr. Fletcher” Grady looked up at the Sheriff, “I’m Sheriff Marigold Feeny. My condolences on the death of your aunt.” She shook his hand with a short professional motion.

“Good afternoon, Sheriff. Thank you”

The niceties complete, the Sheriff stepped up next to Mort to take Debbie’s statement.

The residents of Cabot Cove fell into the same pattern they always did when another body dropped. Statements were taken with the efficiency that only comes from experience. Those from out of town, with the exception of extended Fletcher/McGill family, stared between the body and the nonchalant residents with no small amount of horror.

As Grady waited to give his statement, he found his eyes following one out of towner in particular. A thin woman around his age with dark curly gray hair and dark eyes. Grady couldn’t figure out why this woman was sticking out to him, she was not behaving oddly for what was going on.

Grady moved over to her. Determined to figure out what about her had caught his attention, of all the people here. “That was quite a surprise.”

The woman glanced at him, “It certainly was.” Her voice was high and soft.

Grady held out his hand to shake, “I’m Grady Fletcher, Jessica’s nephew. Well, one of them.”

The woman clasped his hand for a moment, “I’m Amy Wainright, I moved to Cabot Cove about six years after you moved to New York, but have been away for some time. When I heard that Jessica Fletcher had, well…I couldn’t believe it.”

Grady nodded along, “Yeah, I think most of us thought she would be around forever.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, before Amy was pulled away to give her statement. It would not be until Grady was getting ready for bed that night that it occurred to him why she drew his attention. Her eyes were too calm; the wrong kind of calm. It was not the nonchalance of the residents of Cabot Cove, there were only so many dead bodies that could drop in a year before they became just a part of the routine and Cabot Cove tended to pass that point in February every year. The high death rate, with an unusually high murder rate actually helped the tourist trade of the town, as morbid as it sounds. Researchers also tended to come in droves to try and figure out Cabot Cove, but almost always left after a few months, defeated; or became a permanent resident and put their research aside.

Grady always figured they were asking the wrong questions.

XXX

Four days after the funeral Grady got a call from Beatrice Malloy, Ideal Malloy's great niece, and a desk clerk at the Sheriff station.

“Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Fletcher. But Harry Pierce asked me to call you.”

Grady, Donna, Mort, and Adele had been going through Aunt Jess’s papers in preparation for the Will reading. “Harry Pierce?”

Beatrice clicked her tongue, sounding apologetic, “Yes, he was arrested early this morning. Charged with Wanda Andrews murder. He called for a lawyer, but asked to talk to you as well.”

Grady bit his lips and thought if he was really up to dealing with whatever this was. Except he was much more like his Aunt Jess than he thought, because he had a burning curiosity to find out what was going on.

Adele was kind enough to drive him to the Sheriff station while Mort and Donna continued to sort through paperwork and items. She decided she would remain in the car, as being in the station without Mort was strange to her.

Beatrice looked up with a smile as he entered, “Mr. Fletcher. Thank you for coming.”

Grady shrugged, “I was curious.”

He let himself be led to the cells that were still mostly used as a drunk tank, no matter the murder statistics and near perfect solve rate, to where Harry Pierce was being held. The man was still all long, thin limbs near knotted together with anxious energy.

Harry’s head shot up as soon as Grady came through the doors and the look of relief on his face was uncomfortable for Grady to look at, “Grady. Thank goodness.”

“Harry, why did you call for me?” Grady asked.

“I didn’t kill that woman, I swear. You’ve got to help me.”

Grady found himself shaking his head a bit, “Help you, Harry? How would I…?”

Harry surged toward the bars of the cell, “Please. You’ve got your aunt’s smarts, right? Surely you can solve this.”

“I’d be willing to let you give it a look” a voice from the door rang out. It was Sheriff Feeny. “It just don’t feel right, solving this without a Fletcher present.”

Grady frowned at her, “Are you sure?”

The sheriff shrugged with a good natured smile, “Pierce is right, we all know you picked up your aunt's talent. Folks around here will get mighty antsy if I don't get at least a second opinion from you. And I like to get a jump on things”

“I suppose I could take a look.” Grady said slowly.

Harry cheered in the background.

XXX

“It was the notes Aunt Jess kept from her research for ‘The Killer Called Collect’ that reminded me. One of her early revisions cut out fingerprints as a false clue, the killer using someone else's fingerprints to cover up their own.”

Amy Wainwright was snarling from where she was being read her rights. No one was paying attention since she had admitted to the crime, then promptly realized her mistake.

Grady shrugged a little bashfully, “After we realized that Harry’s hair had been planted, I remembered I had seen Ms. Wainwright around Harry before the funeral. I just didn’t realize who either of them were.”

Mort shook his head, “There had to be more than that, there were tons of people around. It could have been any of them.”

Grady smiled as he pulled Donna closer, “Once you remembered the Andrews case and I looked at the reports, it just clicked. Remember the two tone cord around Wanda’s neck? Red and Green, referencing Wanda’s color blindness and the mistake that made the case Aunt Jess’s problem the first time around. Once I had made the connection, suddenly Amy’s behavior once we found the body made sense. It all fits.”

Mort was looking at him strangely, his eyes shiny. “You have no idea how much you seem like your aunt right now.” He said softly.

The words stole Grady’s breath. All at once it did not matter that he was a nephew by marriage. His connection to the woman who had been a second mother never felt stronger.

It seemed as if everything would be ok.

#murder she wrote #grady fletcher #Donna Fletcher #Frank Fletcher #After Jessica Passed #mort metzger #Adele Metzger #Harry Pierce #Amy Wainwright

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