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twig-tea · 2 months

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With 23.5 finally coming out, the people are rejoicing at finally getting a high profile gl from GMMTV. But there have already been several gls airing this year, including my fav TsukuTabe, that have been flying under the radar with fandom, and in general there are more gls already out there than folks seem to think. I just know you have a list of all the gls we should be watching, please share with the class!

Thank you for the ask! How did you know I had a draft of GL recs to make at some point? [Trick question, I mentioned it to you.]

It may seem like I'm out here hating on GL because i've made a couple of negative reviews of recently airing series recently (Love Senior and Chaser Game W in case you're curious) but I actually have lots of GL that I love and that I wish were better known! Thanks for sending this ask so I am inspired to actually finish it! I've limited myself to series so that I could keep the list and this post to a reasonable length. Where possible I've listed where you can find each of these and included a link. And I've included an 'elevator pitch' summary but I am NOT in marketing for a reason, so please don't roast me too hard for my terrible comparisons. Alright, enough waffling!

Twig's GL Rec List

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat S1 & 2 (Japan, 2022 & 2024, both seasons fansubbed by @furritsubs; if you need help accessing this show feel free to DM me!)

Elevator pitch: Our Dining Table with lesbians and an even slower burn. Watch for beautiful food, acespec rep, mental health and therapy rep

What might turn some off: Extremely low heat, and quite slow-moving; warning for a disordered eating and family trauma plot (v gently handled)

Let's start with the one you've already mentioned. This is a heartwarming slice-of-life slow burn in which an autismspec-coded woman who likes to eat is invited by her neighbour, a femme acespec woman who loves to cook, to come and eat her food. It starts from a very practical place (when you love making food you need someone to help eat it), but their relationship grows as they spend more time together. The story follows them as they both move towards self-actualization in several ways: as a lesbian, as asexual, at work, with their families, with their friends, with each other. This show is so careful to say the important words aloud. And there is so much delicious cooking! Each episode highlights a particular recipe, and the food porn is real. Do not watch while hungry, but definitely watch. The found famiy vibes in this one one are also immaculate.

She Makes My Heart Flutter (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Younger lesbian friend group tries to help out (slightly) older lesbian bar owner with mixed success. I can't think of a good BL equivalent, The Moment Since feels the closest with its similar bartender/patron romance

What might turn some off: Comedic tone; short runtime; struggles with being closeted

This is a gem of a miniseries about a bar owner and an interior designer who smoulder at one another while an intrepid group of younger bar regulars (including the bar owner's neice) meddle. This series is really cute, solid, and full of sapphics! Once again found family vibes are immaculate (you may sense a theme in my faves). Run don't walk.

Fragrance of the First Flower (Taiwan, 2021, GagaOOLala)

Elevator pitch: Right-person-wrong-time/second chance romance; tonally is a little like We Best Love 2: Fighting Mr. 2nd but with an ambiguous ending.

What might turn you off: Medium heat, second chance romance means they break up once, internalized homophobia, adultery/cheating, at one point there's a creepy dude, child with autism (depicted well), ambiguous ending

At its core this is a story of a woman who can't stop getting in the way of her own happiness. This series is a little more sad than the rest of this rec list but I couldn't not include it because this relationship is so poignant. Plus there's a s2 that supposedly is to come out in 2024 so maybe we'll get our happy ending after all?

Love Greater Than or Equal to 70 Degrees C (Korea, 2019, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ingredients but with lesbians staring at one another over beautiful tea pairings! What more could you ask for?

What might turn you off: Low heat; short runtime; ambiguous ending; like Ingredients this is essentially a long ad for the café it's filmed at.

This is a Korean miniseries about passionate tea sommeliers making really fancy tea while staring at one another a LOT. Perfect sapphic representation, 10/10 no notes. This one packs a lot of the drama tropes into its short runtime, so even though it's short it's full of butterfly-inspiring moments.

Sleep With Me (Philippines, 2022, GagaOOLala/iWantTFC/Netflix w/VPN set to Philippines)

Elevator pitch: The Truth About Cats and Dogs but the self esteem issues are handled without catfishing. BL equivalent: Hmmm. Closest I can think of is Gaya Sa Pelikula.

What might turn you off: There's some ableism (treated as such) in this show; Open ending.

Stellar GL between a late night radio DJ and an insomniac who listens to her show. One of the main couple is a wheelchair user and the show tackles ablelism and navigating disability in relationship as well as feelings of inadequacy in a relationship and how that manifests as interpersonal conflict.

Our Relationship Ended Before it Began (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Along the lines of I Cannot Reach You; the show gives both perspectives and they are held back by queer angst.

What might turn you off: No kiss (but they make it very clear both want to kiss), internalized homophobia

Really sweet miniseries about having a crush and being afraid of being hurt so you don't actually make a move. I really like the way the girl who has not dated a girl before defaults to gender roles and it throws the more experienced lesbian lol I also really like the way this show makes clear that both of them are waiting for a kiss, and that if you get in your head about things, it can get in the way of your own happiness!

Pearl Next Door (Philippines, 2020, Youtube)

Elevator Pitch: Gameboys but with lesbian vloggers.

What might turn you off: Love triangle, lots of teasing but low heat in the end, a lot of (good) conversations about mental health issues, ambiguous ending

This is the GL spinoff to Gameboys, starring Pearl from Gameboys. Pearl ends up being fought over by the two gorgeous women in the gif, an old love and a new. I love the queer friendships in this story as much as the relationships. I will say it's an open ending (that felt a bit like the showrunners didn't want to decide between ships) and definitely the love triangle features prominently but even in the face of these aspects that would normally turn me off a series I had a good time. The characters and interpersonal conflicts feel very real, and are allowed to be complex even when the show tone is comedic.

Dear Uranus (Taiwan, 2021, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Schoolgirl ensemble GL; a little like My School President but without the singing.

What might turn you off: Short runtime; ambiguous ending; a little bit of bullying; very standard romance trope execution

The first Taiwanese GL miniseries, this series was produced by a Taiwanese lesbian couple (Rabbit & Wolf)! Lots of excellent drama tropes, and incredibly gorgeous women (I think the entire watching audience fell in love with Erol.

Lily Fever (Korea, 2015, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Complete crack; YYY but with more kissing and frankly an even less coherent story.

What might turn you off: The lack of coherent plot; less a romance and more a very thirsty lesbian kissing everyone she can

This miniseries is utter chaos. Nothing really makes sense, it's all just random excuses to cause very suggestive moments (and kissing) to happen. I love so much how this series depicts women being so absolutely thirsty for one another (and yes that date isn't a typo, this series is ~9 years old). Not an "happy ever after" ending but it really isn't that kind of story.

Chasing Sunsets (Philippines, 2020, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ocean Likes Me with lesbians. Resort romance with a mental health twist.

What might turn you off: Some of the mental health stuff gets intense, this was filmed in 2020 so the pandemic features heavily; hopeful but slightly ambiguous ending.

A complex story from the Philippines covering mental health and finding yourself. A woman shows up to a resort and befriends one of the women running the resort. They get closer as they spend time together, and the resort owner realizes something is off. There's also a BL side couple in this series.

Show Me Love (Thai, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: A little like My Day the series with lesbians, in that they work together and fall in love and it's full of tropes

What might turn you off: The advertising for the Miss Grand competition, there is some bullying and cheating (though way less than I was expecting tbh), not a lot actually happens, the editing gets a bit wonky at the end

This is essentially a massive ad for the Miss Grand Thailand competition; this GL was produced by the same company that produces that competition, and the stars are mostly Miss Grand competitors. The main pairing were shipped in the actual competition, and the company decided to make a GL about them. It's very slow paced and low-stakes, and there are better kisses than I expected considering everything I just said about where this show came from. There are a lot of cute moments!

Girlfriend Project (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Love Class with lesbians

What might turn you off: One of the leads is kind of mean in that pgitail-pulling way? It ends abruptly (but happily)

This is a short miniseries about two girls paired in a class that are assigned to "date". The chemistry is chemistrying. And there is a kiss (a good kiss, and a tiptoes kiss at that!). This show also has one of my favourite tropes, in which someone who seems like a pushover stands up for themselves and their partner finds it very attractive. For the record, in this show they are watching another GL by the same company, Love Tech.

Lulu (Philippines, 2022, Vivamax/grey)

Elevator Pitch: Present Perfect with lesbians (but with a better ending).

What might turn you off: Depictions of panic attacks, brief depiction of drowning, pandemic lockdowns, illness, exes, waffling, happy but open ending (which I actually liked for this story)

Two women trying to move on from the garbage in their lives meet at the beach of a B&B (where one saves the other from drowning) and become one another's company during their escape and then something more. They both have baggage that seems determined to keep them apart even as they continue to be drawn together. In the end, they decide to stick it out and see where they end up, with no guarantee of happily ever after, which I found very sweet. Requires either a VivaMax account or searching the grey for it, but it's worth the effort (check MyDramaList comments for suggestions on where to find it). Plus one of the leads has a cactus as a pet.

Welcome to the Lesbian Bar (Korea, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: A little like Fudanshi Bartender but without the fudanshi bartender and all of the bar patrons are lesbians lol

What might turn you off: Short, can get a little bit preachy, abrupt ending

Cute short series with different very stories every episode as different patrons visit the bar. The stories range from women who have been together for awhile, to people meeting from an online app for the first time, to someone visiting a lesbian bar for the first time; and yet the story all weaves together in a way that's satisfying though ends abruptly. Includes some solid marriage equality propaganda.

GAP the Series (Thai, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Kind of the vibes of Together with Me but lesbians and in an office instead of school. Angry boss falls for charming new intern and

What might turn you off: This one is the highest heat of all these recs; homophobia especially amongst family, brief depictions of death by car, brief mentions of suicide, cheating, bullying, abuse of power in the office.

A list would not be complete without this one! Honestly the plot is a bit wobbly but the show is a lot of fun. The girls are very cute, the feelings and tension builds really well between them, the friend group is excellent, and in the special we get a wedding.

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The rest of these have caveats of one kind or another, but i couldn't leave them off a rec list, so here are the side couples and censored stories that are still worth your time anyway (I might do a separate more detailed post for these, as well as for films, one day if there's interest):

Nevertheless (GL side; Korean, 2021, Netflix) Not sure it's worth watching a whole kdrama for side lesbians? Search soljiwan on youtube. They are great. Even the Netflix account stans them. I watched this (ngl, I watched the SolJiwan cut) as it aired and was constantly braced for it to let us down but it did not! A really good friends-to-lovers story.

Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (GL side; Thailand, 2019, YouTube): These sapphics are messy and I love them. Decent conversation about dating someone with mental health issues in this series, and they're one of the only couples in this ensemble to get a happy ending. If you're just watching the lesbian couple (which you can, their story is pretty self-contained) you don't need to have seen s1.

Six Survivors (GL side; Japan, 2022, Viki) This show is a horror comedy and it is SO MUCH FUN. Warning for zombies and blood, but way less than you might think. One of the eponymous 6 survivors is a lesbian who keeps trying to convert them to veganism lol. If you watched Chaser Game W you'll recognize one of the actresses in this, the lead actress is from Kamisama no Ekohiiki, and one of the guys is from the prequel series His as well as I Want to See Only You! And yes there is a kiss. Also a surprising number of Mallrats references. Not for people who can't handle gore or relationships being complicated/not a "true love" story/ambiguous ending.

Kamisama no Ekohiiki (complicated question of is it GL in parts, Japan, 2021, furritsubs once again coming through to save the day) This one is a bit complex because there's bodyswap, but the girl who falls for the bodyswapped boy-in-a-girl's-body is clear that she is only interested in the girl. One of the better bodyswap stories because the bodyswap is not a secret for very long, so instead there's a lot of introspection about what gender means and who/what they are attracted to. Feels wrong to call this GL, necessarily, but it's very queer.

Couple of Mirrors (Censored GL, China, 2021, Viki) Story of a rich girl and her assassin girlfriend. This production did an amazing job getting away with what they could, just don't watch the last five minutes and we've got essentially a happy lesbian family.

Legend of Yunze (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) Very cute very low budget xianxia miniseries with two seasons and a special. The special is set in modern times in a future lifetime so if you want a cute censored-but-clearly-a-soulmate-love-story this is the one for you. Don't be thrown off by the weird cuts/abrupt episode endings, that's in line with cdramas in general.

Led Astray by Love (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) A very fun and adorable isekai story in which a modern day girl is transported to a wuxia novel setting and has to figure out how to get home, and gets romanced by the princess along the way.

And a few additional links for people who even more content:

My Indian sapphic webseries rec list

My suggestions for content with toms (Thai category that's similar to but not exactly the same as butch lesbians) in response to this post.

This really good GL MyDramaList list (not made by me!) lists what seems to be everything I've mentioned and about 200 more. Even I haven't seen a few of these!

My YouTube playlist of sapphic content: This includes anything I stumble across or find in my searches, a lot of music videos and random shorts as well as some microseries and miniseries that I don't consider GL but are WLW/sapphic in addition to true "GL" content. For serialized content, I add just the first ep. A complete mess, but you can trawl through to find stuff to watch, like Hetero!

SOONOTSUE: The same producers of She Makes My Heart Flutter have other short series on their channel worth checking out; if you liked that one, try Out of Breath!

Shakeshoulder: Thai YouTube producers of very pulpy (read: low budget and dramatic plots) shorts

FuFuKnows: This YouTube channel is owned by a gay Taiwanese couple that produces shorts every week, including some with GL mains and sides. These are very low budget but cover a whole swath of queer themes.

@douqi7s is a godsend providing subtitles for all kinds of content, including sapphic shorts and more series than I've listed here. Check their tumblr for links to all of their content; A Practical Guide to Being a Superstar's Assistant has one of the best setups to giving us great moments in the guise of something else so that they get past censorship I've ever seen; I also recommend The Vampires if you're into genre fiction, as well as Legend of Yunqian if you enjoyed the xianxia parts of Legend of Yunze. @wlwcatalogue did an excellent summary of many of the non-wuxia options here.

Quick pitch for the streaming platform GagaOOLala; it's affordable, has a ton of content, including a whack of GLs (originals, license series, and a ton of shorts), and is run by queer people out of Taiwan who care about good quality queer content being made and having an audience, and using the soft power from those successful series to support social change. And if you can't afford a subscription it's worth checking out what they have for free, they open up temporary free access to some things for various events throughout the year.

In searching for gifs for this post I found fellow tumblr user @drowningparty 's WLW compendium list; they've listed more series and films so check it out if you still need more content!

*wipes sweat off brow* that should be enough to be getting on with, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg! If there's something specific you want to see with sapphics let me know and I can tell you if I know it exists. Anyway, I hope this gives you and everyone else a taste of what all is out there! I of course always want more, I am serious about being a sapphic dragon hoarding every crumb i can get my lizardy hands on, but I do think what we have should also be appreciated more. If I missed one of your faves, please tell me!

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lily-blue · 5 months

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Prince in disguise

☆ characters: crown prince!san & florist!you ☆ genre: modern royalty au, fluff ☆ warnings: mention of a break-in ☆ summary: you like to joke about how San carries himself like a prince; one day it turns out, it’s because he’s indeed royalty ☆ words: 7,9k ☆ a/n: this story was inspired by this video of San ☆ also: merry Christmas to the lovely @restlessmaknae 💕 i wish you a peaceful holiday, so that you could regain your energy and start the new year stronger than ever ☆ massive thanks to: @dat-town for proofreading the story 💕

You often teased San about how he was the embodiment of your childhood crush, Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. There was just something in the way he held himself, with so much effortless elegance and pride, that screamed royalty. However, up until the very moment three grown ass men in suits and sunglasses stormed into your flower shop, undoubtedly looking for him, you had never been able to decipher how he really felt about your lighthearted jokes. He definitely didn’t hate them, that much you could tell. He knew you would have stopped as soon as he showed any signs of frustration or discomfort, yet his most common reaction was a small smile and kiss on your forehead.

It had never, not even in your wildest dreams, when you let yourself dream about your future, occurred to you that he was an actual prince. Like a real prince with a queen as a mother and a kingdom to rule.

‘Miss, I would like to kindly advise you to refrain from any form of dishonesty,’ one of the men said, his voice calm and collected despite the photo in his hands and the urgency of the issue they were dealing with. You had never given any thought to the qualities a bodyguard (a royal bodyguard!) should have possessed, but you had to admit that he must have ticked off all the boxes on that imaginary list. ‘We have been informed that the Crown Prince, in fact, entered this flower shop and he could not have possibly had enough time to leave before we came in.’

You could feel your heart picking up its rate and your palms getting clammy, but you refused to show how nervous his way of speaking made you. You also refused to think about all the negative consequences your inner need to protect San could bring you. You knew that as soon as you let your brain come up with those worst case scenarios you would fold like a folding chair. And you simply couldn’t afford to be weak.

‘Thank you for your advice, sir. However, I also need to kindly remind you that you need a warrant in case you wish to enter the staff only area,’ you stood your ground, grateful that the owner of the shop wasn’t present, so she couldn’t grant them access to the storage room. That might have put both San and you into an uncomfortable situation. ‘I have already told you that your Crown Prince is not here. You are wasting your time,’ you claimed, impressed by how calm your words came out despite the hurricane of emotions inside of you.

What would you tell your parents if you got arrested for lying to these men? It wasn’t like you were hiding a criminal, right?

‘Disobeying the Queen is considered high treason,’ the royal bodyguard stated firmly and you gulped down the knot in your throat when you realised he wasn’t talking to you. The warning was dedicated to the guy who was currently hiding behind dozens of bouquets of lilies and sunflowers for a summer themed banquet tomorrow.

‘Sir.’ You cleared your throat to gain his attention or more like, to divert his attention from the storage room’s door that he was eyeing with intent. You didn’t know what you could have done if he decided to push you aside and enter the staff only area anyway. He clearly had the muscles for that and he also had backup even if the other two men were lingering by the front door. ‘I am a South Korean citizen and we are in South Korea. With all due respect, your Queen has no power here,’ you reminded him, mustering up all the confidence that was left in your body, which wasn’t too much to be honest. You were a mere commoner standing in front of a royal bodyguard, after all. Hell, you were a petite woman in her twenties against a man who had biceps the size of a smaller melon.

In the back of your head, you wondered how long your protective instincts would take you. For the sake of San and yourself, you hoped you could hold on long enough for these men to give up and leave. If things had gone there, you didn’t know how you would have explained to your boss why you had stayed overtime on a Wednesday night.

It took time, and a horrendous amount of awkward and pressuring silence, but eventually a new customer came in and your afternoon regained some of its normality. You helped the girl choose the most suitable flowers for her confession and gave her a gift card for free partly because she was adorable and partly because you were so genuinely grateful for her presence. Her ramble about her childhood best friend slash crush had successfully taken your mind off the predicament you were in with a prince in your storage room.

Unfortunately, after that, the rest of the afternoon kept you on your tiptoes. Two of the men in black suits left, but the third bodyguard refused to leave the shop and made sure you didn’t have a moment of peace with his countless questions and polite warnings of which quite a few were meant for San. At least, you honestly doubted his intention was to appeal to your emotions when he brought up the people of their nation, their well-being and the well-being of the royal couple. As much as you could tell from the morsels you actually understood - at one point the guard started to speak the same language San spoke when he was frustrated -, San’s parents were healthy, but his father was too drained to keep ruling the country for much longer. They wanted him to go back and be the king he had always been meant to be. They wanted him to settle down and have his own heirs.

The latter felt like a fist in the gut, like a knife in the stomach even though your translation’s accuracy was heavily dependent on context clues, so you might have been wrong.

You hoped you were wrong.

‘Sir, we are closing. I have to ask you to leave,’ you spoke up ten minutes before eight and let out a relieved sigh when he didn’t argue. You could handle his ice cold stares, but you were doubtful whether you would have had the energy to get into a fight after hours of cold war. His presence alone had drained you dry and honestly, the only things that kept you going were the knowledge that you were doing this for San and the cinnamon rolls from the vintage coffee shop across the street. They closed at ten, so they usually weren’t out of sweets when you visited them at the end of your most tiresome days.

A little paranoid that the bodyguard might have been still lingering out there, waiting for the moment when you foolishly let your guard down, you busied yourself with the online orders that came in in the last hour and stock checked the customer area. It took almost one and a half hours before you informed San that the coast was clear.

The boy walked out from the storage room with his lower lip between his teeth and a rather embarrassed smile on his face that - based on the months you had spent getting to know each other more - was meant to be reassuring.

‘Are you okay?’ San asked, warmth swelling in your chest due to his first words. Of course, your well-being was his top priority. His apologies and weak attempts at making excuses, so you wouldn’t have been mad at him always came second. ‘I’m so sorry.’

You clenched and unclenched your fists as you looked at him. Did he seriously believe that you could be angry with him for longer than a couple of minutes? You had gotten to know the truth hours ago. You were over the initial shock and done being sulky.

At that point, you just wanted him to be safe.

Therefore, you destroyed the distance between the two of you and not giving a damn about his title, you wrapped your arms around his torso, pulling him impossibly close to your body. You could feel your cheek being squeezed as you rested your head on his chest.

‘Are you okay?’ You threw the question right back at him, feeling your heart picking up its rate with each second that passed you by in silence.

San’s lips were soft against your scalp when he kissed the top of your head and wrapped his own arms around your petite frame.

‘Thank you,’ he mumbled against your hair, his tone urging you to pull away and look him in the eyes, hence that was what you did. You pulled away with your hands still around his body and rested your chin on his chest, picking apart his facial expression as you tried to decipher what he was thinking.

Your breath hitched when he pressed his lips against yours briefly.

‘I promise I will explain everything,’ he said, his forehead fitting close to yours before he lifted his right hand and brushed a stubborn lock behind your ear. ‘But first, I need to take care of a few things. Important things,’ he claimed and with that - and another tender kiss pressed against your parted lips - he was gone.

You looked after him in trance for minutes before you shook your head and willed yourself to walk in the storage room to finish the stock checking. There was a cinnamon roll waiting for you at the coffee shop across the street.

You hadn’t heard from San that night, which was a tad bit alarming considering that he was living in your apartment unofficially for over a month. He had his own clothes at yours, his own towel, shower gel, shampoo and toothbrush. You had his favourite plant-based milk in your fridge along with his favourite instant coffee. His mug that matched yours was in your cabinet, waiting for him to come home. So why hadn’t he? The number of possibilities made you anxious.

What if those men had found him and he was already out of the country?

By the time the second night of radio silence rolled by, you were checking your phone abnormally frequently and couldn’t stay focused for longer than five or six minutes. It came to a point where even the Thai series you were currently obsessed with couldn’t keep you on the couch. You had to move around, clean up something, do something, anything that might have been able to take your mind off San’s absence.

You almost knocked off the half-empty mug of hot chocolate from the kitchen counter, the marshmallows still in your hands, when your front door opened out of the blue. You threw the sweets into your drink with a yelp and grabbed the first potential weapon that you came across: the cutting board you kept behind the knife organiser.

‘I have 112 on speed dial,’ you threatened, lowkey wondering whether you should have been more daring and grabbed one of the knives as you walked towards your bedroom, not turning your back to the front door. There should have been a key in the lock from the inside. You should have been safe once you reached the bedroom.

‘Well, that’s good to know, but why are we calling the police?’ A very tired, very amused San asked from the threshold, walking into the open space of your living room slash dining room with a bag of takeout in his hand.

You could feel the rocks being lifted off your chest.

‘Are you crazy? San! You scared the shit out of me,’ you accused, more relieved than angry. Seeing his tired eyes, you were reminded of the bodyguards and wanted to run up to him and inspect his body for injuries. You wanted to make sure he was okay; however, your limbs were frozen, hence you just stood there like a way too realistic statue from Ancient Rome.

Then, your gaze fell on the plastic bags in his hands again and your brain supplied you with all the worst case scenarios it could come up with: San coming over for a last minute farewell dinner before he moved countries; San asking you to change your relationship status to long-distance relationship; San breaking up with you with your favourite black bean noodles. You weren’t ready to let him go after putting so much effort into winning him over.

‘I’m sorry, petal. I thought you would know it’s me. After all, there aren’t many people who know your passcode and your parents are out of town,’ he said. There was something in the way he broke the situation down to you that made you feel a little dramatic. Of course, you should have known it was him. Other than your mom and your best friend, he was the only one who had access to your apartment.

You pressed your lips together and pouted. He had no right to make you feel silly when your survival instincts were the ones to blame.

‘What are the noodles for?’ You asked as soon as you put yourself together, finally finding the power to move your legs and walk up to him. The furrow between San’s eyebrows and the confusion in his eyes shouldn’t have been so adorable.

‘It’s Thursday. You never have energy to cook on Thursdays and Fridays,’ he explained, like you were some kind of alien who wasn’t accustomed to the local habits yet or a person who had just woken up from years of coma. He must have thought that your question was so damn ridiculous, but it wasn’t what you had meant.

‘You didn’t come home yesterday,’ you said, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the whiny edge of your statement and the fact that San had his own place to sleep at. His lease wouldn’t expire for at least three more months, so you hadn’t moved in together yet. You had no right to call him to account regarding his whereabouts and still, after what had happened the day before, you kind of felt like you had.

You took the bags out of his hands and helped him unpack the still pleasantly lukewarm food. You also started to prepare a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows for him, too, without asking whether he wanted some. He never said no for hot chocolate.

‘I was with Wooyoung,’ he said, filling a tray with numerous tiny bowls containing various side dishes such as kimchi and yellow radish. ‘I needed his help to contact my oldest cousin, Seonghwa.’

You nodded along with every new revelation, paying close attention to every detail while you slid San’s drink towards him on the dining table. It was your first time hearing about any of his family members, at least from him, so you were admittedly curious.

Even though the trays on the table made it obvious that San’s initial intention was to have this conversation on the couch, you didn’t move an inch from your poor excuse for a dining room. You just stood there, with your elbows on the marble, one of your soles resting on the inner side of your other leg and dove into your food with a pair of wooden chopsticks. You didn’t take your eyes off San while he told you everything about his situation.

‘I left the country with Woonyoung’s family when I was fourteen,’ he started, assuring you that he wasn’t a runaway prince per se, and that he had never hid from his parents. Both the queen and the king of their country knew how to reach him in case of emergency, teenager San had just convinced himself that that day would never come as his parents had never bothered to contact him after he had moved out of the palace. With years of neglect behind his back, his adult-self never thought about the possibility that things might have changed.

You placed your hand on top of his and squeezed it as a sign of your support. You were afraid that he would interpret your sympathy as pity, therefore you tried your best to keep your emotions in check. Instead, you gave San all of your attention, hot chocolate momentarily forgotten.

‘Would you like to go back? Now that it’s an option?’ You mustered up the courage to tear off one of the band-aids; the unsaid inquiry whether he wanted to become a king in the first place hiding between the lines. Somehow, it sounded such an insensitive question, you didn’t have the heart to phrase yours like that despite your curiosity. Therefore, you decided to focus on the fact that the royal couple was his parents. ‘To see your mom and dad?’

After a few seconds of contemplation, San shrugged.

‘I guess so,’ he said and you hated yourself for feeling disappointed. They were his parents. Of course, he wanted to see them again. Who were you in comparison to his family? Without much thought, you took your hand off his; however, San didn’t hesitate to reach after it and intertwined your fingers with a soft smile. ‘But that can wait until Seonghwa’s coronation. It’s been over a decade since we’ve last seen each other. A few more months is no big deal if it means they will let me come back to you.’

As touching as it was that he was willing to delay their reunion to be able to stay with you, your first instinct was to remind him that he was his own person and no one had more power over his life than him. But then you swallowed down the words as your brain caught up with the situation. You might have been absolutely right about this matter in general, but San was a prince. Clearly, general rules didn’t apply to him.

‘What do you mean Seonghwa’s coronation?’ You tried to fill in the holes that made it hard for you to fully comprehend the situation. You thought he was the next in line to rule. You definitely remembered the bodyguard referring to him as the Crown Prince.

‘Well, that’s the most important part of our plan,’ he started, pushing the food closer to you, encouraging you to start eating before it got cold. Albeit reluctantly, you eventually gave in, allowing him to steal himself a couple of seconds as well as he dove into the perfect mixture of noodles and red bean sauce.

Then, he proceeded to tell you about the plan they had made with Woonyoung and six of their mutual friends including his cousin and Seonghwa’s personal bodyguard, Jongho. Since San didn’t wish to become the new ruler of their country, but knew that his parents wouldn’t back off without a fight, they intended to prove to them that Seonghwa was the better choice in every aspect: maturity, dedication towards his people and the country, connections, political and economical knowledge. The way he presented their idea and backed up each one of his reasons made even you think that Seonghwa was more fitting for the role. It made you feel hopeful.

‘Do you think your parents will let you give up the crown?’ You couldn’t help but ask when it became obvious that he didn’t have anything more to say.

The silence that followed was palpable. Still, you let him drag it out and pull you into his lap, so he could wrap his arms around you instead of giving you a definite answer. Now you knew that he wasn’t close to his parents - that their relationship could only have been described as distant. Making guesses based on childhood memories would have just given you false hope. You much preferred his soothing touches and the desperation in the way he held you close.

‘I love you,’ he murmured into the juncture between your neck and shoulder, hinting the soft and sensitive area with feather-like kisses.

You sucked in your lower lip, holding your breath. Even though his actions had shown you, even before you two had gotten together, that you were an important person in San’s life, the two of you had never exchanged I love yous before. As much as you hated to acknowledge, it had a bittersweet undertone to it. You wished you could have told him how precious he was to you under different circumstances.

Nevertheless, you said it back.

‘I love you, too. So much.’

That night you eventually relocated to the living room and got comfortable under your fluffy blankets on the couch. You had two mugs of freshly made hot chocolate with you - this time, without marshmallows to lower your already high sugar intake - and some salty snacks you could munch on while you talked. And you talked a lot. You talked about the day before, how the bodyguards had found him and how serious their threats had been. San was almost sure that his parents would have never imprisoned him for high treason if he had refused to go home willingly. By the way his lips curled upwards and his eyes gouged your reaction, you knew he was only trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but it was too early, hence it wasn’t funny. Life imprisonment with a cheap excuse was exactly how they could have kept him in the country! How could San not see it?

‘Don’t even think about joking about this again, you hear me? It’s not funny,’ you scoffed when he tried to ease you with lingering kisses atop of your head, temple and on your blade bone. Him disappearing on you just wasn’t it.

‘I promise.’ He nosed your temple, holding you in his arms a big tighter to make up for the anxiety he had unintentionally caused. ‘I’m sorry,’ he added, repeating it like a mantra until he successfully coaxed a chuckle out of you.

With the show you had been watching before his arrival as your background noise and his warmth surrounding your body, you fell asleep on San’s shoulder while he was talking about Seonghwa’s bodyguard, karaoke, imported beer and apples. If anyone had asked you, you were sure you would have failed to draw the connection between all four, but you knew your boyfriend would have never used your tiredness against you. On the contrary, he would have been grateful that you still felt safe in his arms.

And you did. You did feel safe. Because for you, he was your home.

In the back of your mind, you were aware that your story wouldn’t end up being a fairy-tale, and that even those had some dark twists to them here and there when they were told by the original authors. Still, coming home for a messed up apartment and no San in sight knocked the air out of your lungs. No matter how much you tried to rationalise the happenings or keep your cool, panic overcame you in a matter of seconds. You didn’t know what to do. Would calling the police have made things worse? What if it had been those bodyguards? You didn’t intend to put San into a tight position in case the pitiful state of your home was a consequence of their family quarrel.

On the other hand, what if he had been kidnapped? You had left work pretty late that night, so there was a possibility that San had been home when things had escalated.

Hands shaking and mind pushed into an overdrive, you fished your phone out of the bag you had previously dropped on the floor and dialled San’s number. He didn’t pick up, so you did the next best thing you could think about without losing it: you called him again. Again. And again.

You called him as many times as it was necessary for him to answer your call, his calm voice breaking something in you as your knees gave out as soon as his greeting reached you and you fell on the floor, crying.

‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ When you sniffed into the phone instead of answering, his voice lost its calmness. ‘Petal, what’s happening? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?’

You weren’t hurt, not physically at least. But the chaotic mess your mental state was in was secondary to the fact that San sounded to be oblivious of the intrusion into your home.

‘Please, petal, talk to me,’ he tried to coax you and while it didn’t work immediately, when he started to do a breathing exercise, you automatically mimicked the way he sucked the air into his lungs. In through your nose, out through your mouth. In through your nose, out through your mouth.

‘Where are you?’ The words felt like sand on the tip of your tongue, your urge to know for sure that he was in public or at least among people who could help him in case of emergency pushing all your other worries aside.

‘I’m with the guys at Wooyoung’s place. Do you need me to pick you up? Where are you? I will pick you up,’ San said, the distant sound of keys chiming and wood cracking assuring you that he was ready to leave as soon as you gave him the sign. Hell, he might have left the boys without you explicitly asking for it considering the worry in his voice.

But as comforting as the thought was, you didn’t want him anywhere near your apartment.

‘No!’ You objected, maybe a tad bit too vehemently for which you might have felt awkward under different circumstances. Now, emotions like shame and embarrassment were at the end of your priority list. ‘Can I visit you instead? I promise I’ll tell you everything in person,’ you negotiated. Not realising that you were holding your breath, a relieved sigh escaped through your pressed lips when San chose to withhold his questions for the time being.

Some matters were wiser to discuss in person. Matters that could put you in a tight position if anyone found evidence about your scheming. Especially when you were up against an opponent so powerful, they had the resources of actual royalty.

Looking around in your fucked up apartment, without your heart threatening to explode in your ribcage, you knew you didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. You had to be smart about your next move.

You showed up at Wooyoung’s place an hour later with one sports bag packed with your most necessary belongings and was greeted with a worried San who didn’t understand why you would have brought your entire bathroom cabinet to his best friend’s apartment when you loved your home. You definitely had a lot to unpack, both literally and figuratively.

‘I can’t believe they’re willing to go this far,’ a guy with sharp eyes and nose said, the same guy who had taken it upon himself to bring you a mug of herbal tea when you made yourself comfortable on Wooyoung’s couch. His name was Hongjoong or something similar if you remembered correctly. ‘I start to think that we might have underestimated them a little.’

‘A little?’ Two or three of San’s friends asked in chorus at the same time San lifted his head up from your shoulder and said:

‘I doesn’t matter. Our plan is good, they’ll have no other choice but to go along with it.’

Just by looking at his friends, you couldn’t tell whether they actually believed what San had said, but it was clear as day that they believed in your boyfriend, hence you leaned against his broad chest and let yourself relax. Neither San nor you were alone in this. You had allies and strategies. You had a good plan, and even if that failed, you had options. San’s parents might have been powerful, they could clearly break into your home to scare you, but they had no real authority in Korea.

A voice in the back of your head also reminded you that you lived in the era of social media. You doubted they would have risked bad publicity by pushing their son too much and causing irreversible damage to those he cherished. Or so you hoped.

‘Our plan is good, but will princess Yuna actually agree to go along with it?’ Another guy, whose name you hadn’t memorised yet, asked, his question piquing your interest. It was the first time you heard about this princess and with your obsession with Asian dramas, you did not like the first scenarios your brain threw at you as it tried to fill in the gaps. Who was she? Why was she an important part of the plan? Was she interested in San?

‘Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about before petal came. She said yes,’ San said, the hollering and overflowing happiness in the room making you feel weird, like something wasn’t quite right with the situation: like you were missing something crucial that would have given you a perfect explanation for the odd reaction the news received.

With naturally pouty lips and furrowed eyebrows, you placed your hands on your lap along with the pleasantly warm mug and turned towards San. His smile was so beautiful. He was genuinely happy about the progress they had made now that this princess was on board.

‘Who is she?’ You asked, mentally reminding yourself that you were San’s girlfriend. You had every right to ask him about this girl until you remained clear-headed and didn’t throw a temper tantrum for no reason.

‘She is the most sought out unmarried royalty in Asia. Her family’s country is very small, but their economic power is remarkable.’ Hongjoong said.

‘She is two years older than San, but they’ve known each other since they were babies, so he’s allowed to talk to her informally. Her kindness isn’t just for show, she really is the most warm-hearted royalty I’ve ever met,’ Wooyoung added before his wide grin turned into a frown. ‘She never lets me talk to her informally, though. Like I haven’t known her for just as long.’

‘Yeah, she’s so unfair.’ Yeosang’s voice was teasing as he altered it to sound more mocking: like Wooyoung’s but a pitch higher. ‘It’s not because you called her Yuna in front of a bunch of politicians when she explicitly told you to use her birth name when people other than your family were present.’ The bombastic side eye the blond boy gave to Wooyoung almost made you laugh. Almost.

You had to admit, this princess Yuna sounded pretty amazing. Gosh. You were such a horrible person.

San must have sensed your inner turmoil, because the next thing you noticed was the light touch of the tip of his nose against your cheek and his pillowy lips against your jawline.

‘She’s also Seonghwa’s fiancée,’ he murmured, placing one of his warm palms on the other side of your face, so that he could turn your head a bit more and make you look at him. You gulped, more shy than nervous. ‘That’s what she said yes to. Seonghwa proposed to her a few hours ago.’

You sucked in your lower lip, but before you could have done any damage, San pulled it out from between your teeth with his thumb; the fondness in his eyes simultaneously took your breath away and made you feel unworthy of his love. How could you have seriously thought that he would have included someone in their plan - felt so happy about her joining their team - if she had any interest in him romantically?

‘So it’s not a fake marriage?’ You inquired, coaxing a small laugh out of your boyfriend. His eyes almost disappeared because of the pure amusement on his face. It didn’t take long before you gave into the urge to hide your own in the crook of his neck.

Going easy on you, San semi-successfully bit back a chuckle and put his chin atop of your head, stroking your hair.

‘No, it’s not a fake marriage. They’ve also known each other since childhood, obviously. And they’re pretty much in love,’ he reassured you, letting you have all the time in the world if that was what you needed to be able to look him in the eyes again.

Fortunately, you didn’t need that much to get over the fact that you were only human; a girl with fears and insecurities. The herbal tea in your mug was still pleasantly lukewarm when you pulled away and straightened your back.

‘So cute,’ San whispered, pressing a soft peck against your lips before he helped you readjust your position on his lap, so you wouldn’t hurt your neck too much with the way your body was twisted and turned to be able to be chest to chest to him.

‘Oh, stop that!’ Wooyoung’s frustrated voice came from somewhere beside you, your brain not registering that he was teasing, or that he was talking to you until he said: ‘One royal wedding will be shocking enough for your parents. I don’t think they will be able to handle two.’

Failing to disregard the sudden attention on you, your cheeks became warmer and more pink with each second; however, you refused to seek comfort in the crook of San’s neck because you just knew that would have made things worse. You concentrated on your tea instead, on the feel of the porcelain against your clammy palms, on the fluffy blanket on your thighs. On everything and anything that wasn’t your boyfriend or his friends.

‘You’re making her shy,’ one of the boys cooed and some other joined, pushing your heart to the verge of an explosion. You didn’t realise that your hands were trembling until San slid his fingers between yours around your mug and leaned close to your ear.

‘Let’s kick Wooyoung out of his bedroom. I know where the clean sheets are, and it can be locked from the inside,’ he whispered, his lips curling upwards, therefore grazing along your earlobe. You hesitated only for a split second before you nodded.

You got up from the couch and let your boyfriend lead you towards his friend’s bedroom. As the key turned in the lock the thought crossed your mind that you had never done anything so scandalising before, but somehow the immense amount of guilt never came. Instead, you felt excited.

Excited, hopeful and safe in San’s arms.

You were arranging a bouquet of light pink carnations and peach-coloured buttercups for an anniversary when San walked out of the storage room at your workplace with a new roll of lace wrapping and his phone in his hands. With the way he dragged his feet, walking impossibly slowly, you just knew that his eyes were glued to the small screen; you didn’t need to tear your gaze away from the flowers that had your attention to be a hundred percent sure.

‘Have they started it already?’ You inquired between two twists and turns, holding the whole bouquet together with practised ease even when you had to take the wrapping from San with one of your hands. You still remembered how many you had dropped on the floor during your first few months at the flower shop. The number of flowers that had gotten destroyed in your care haunted you up to this day.

‘No, they’ve been focusing on mother and father so far. Mostly on father, but that’s kind of understandable,’ he said, your lips twitching at the mention of the royal couple.

Prince Seonghwa and Princess Yuna’s wedding had been a week ago and while you hadn’t attended the event, nor had done San, your boyfriend’s parents had made it to their mission to put you through anxiety when they had demanded to talk to you as soon as San had picked up the phone for them the day his cousin had announced the big news. They hadn’t gone as far as to threaten you or bribe you with more money than your type could comprehend, but you were well aware they didn’t think you were worthy of their son. God, they had quite literally told you he could have done much better.

‘Last minutes being a king. I wonder how he feels about that,’ you commented, putting in a bit of extra effort to not sound rude. You didn’t want San to think you hated his father even if, rightfully so, he hadn’t been your favourite person in the world.

‘I don’t think he minds it that much. He was only twenty-two when he took the throne. Three decades is a long time,’ he explained while he leaned the phone against a vase on the counter and put a part of his weight on his palms that laid flat against the marble. ‘The only thing he might be upset about is Seonghwa taking my place.’

You regretted the snort the moment you did it. Your hands froze around the perfectly wrapped bouquet and so did the air, which made it hard to look your boyfriend in the eye.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,’ you apologised, putting the flowers in water before you took San’s hand in yours. ‘They are your parents and I’ll be forever grateful to them for your existence. For sending you to this country out of all the countries they could choose from.’ You shot a small albeit genuine smile in his direction. It might have sounded a little cheesy, but you meant every word. Without them you would have never had him.

‘I’m not mad at you,’ he reassured you, squeezing your hand and pressing a soft kiss atop of your shoulder blade before he turned back to his phone and you reached for the next pieces of flowers. You had five more bouquets to finish before your lunch break.

Seonghwa’s coronation officially started when your bibimbap was still in need of some more mixing, but that didn’t keep you from leaning closer to San’s phone and watching the live stream with more excitement than you had had for his father. You might have never spoken to your boyfriend’s cousin before, but you had heard enough stories about him from the boys to know he would be an amazing king. Mostly, because he cared for his people and because he genuinely wanted the responsibility that came with the title.

‘He looks like a leader. So serious-looking,’ you commented, shoving a huge spoonful of food in your mouth and humming in appreciation because goodness, it tasted just like your mom’s homemade bibimbap.

You lifted a bite in front of San’s mouth, so he could try it, too.

You watched the ceremony in complete silence; sometimes you fed him, sometimes you put your head on his shoulder while munching. It was nice. You hadn’t been so content in weeks if not in months.

‘Aren’t you disappointed?’ San asked you after the crown was put on Seonghwa’s head and the sovereign’s sceptre and the sovereign’s orb were placed in his hands.

You furrowed your brows in confusion.

‘About what? The ceremony?’ You asked, completely oblivious of what was going on in his head. You jutted out your lower lip; you didn’t like feeling as though you were kept in the dark. It made you feel stupid.

San shook his head, failing to hide the fond smile that was in the corner of his mouth.

‘Yuna is officially a queen now,’ he mumbled and despite how embarrassing it was to admit, it took you a couple of seconds to decipher what he was hinting at: you could have become a queen, too, if only he had gone along with a different plan, with a different goal in mind. You were pretty sure, based on your impactful experience with his parents, that they would have let him keep you if the other option was their nephew on the throne.

‘And you’re officially free. I think it’s an amazing day for everyone,’ you teased, gifting your boyfriend one of your happiest smiles, so that he wouldn’t have doubted that you loved him for who he was instead of what he could have become. You didn’t care about the title or the fortune that golden crown came with. Honestly, all you focused on was how heavy it must have been to carry it, especially when one wasn’t keen on looking after an entire nation.

One careful glance at San was enough for you to know that a well-thought-out retort was already on the tip of his tongue - maybe something along the line that his salary was barely enough to save up a decent amount in each month -, but he never got the opportunity to actually put his concerns into words. The bells above the front door cut him off and naturally, your conversation came to a momentary end.

The new customer was a middle-aged man with a little girl on his right, her tiny hand getting lost in her father’s much bigger one before she pointed at one of the peonies and the man let her explore the flower shop on her own.

‘Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?’ You greeted the man with a smile as soon as his steps came to a halt in front of the counter.

Like most people who visited your workplace, the man had only vague ideas of what he was looking for, but you were fluent in the language of flowers, hence it caused you no headache to help him find the most suitable bouquet for his wife’s birthday. He wanted something that expressed his dedication to make the woman smile, therefore, you gave him options like pink tulips and yellow flowers in general.

Meanwhile, the little girl pulled on the hem of San’s tee and didn’t let go of the fabric until he stood up and followed her towards the customer area that you liked to refer to as the jungle. The corner with the spiller plants for example were like a sight from a botanical book or the children’s book with the gorillas and the little boy taken in and raised by said wild animals.

You bit back a giggle when you saw San lifting the little girl up, so that she could see the red roses from up close; however, your subtle smile froze on your face anyway when the little one asked San:

‘Are you a prince?’ In the most innocent voice you had ever heard in your life. She was so pure. She clearly had no idea what she was talking about and yet, both of you needed a few seconds to realise she wasn’t onto something bigger than her - something that could have put her in harm’s way. ‘Can I be your princess?’

The mortification on her father’s face almost cracked you up, and you did chuckle discretely when looking up, you took a better look at the girl. What looked like a summer dress at first glance turned out to be a princess costume. She even had a tiny, plastic tiara on her head.

San put her on the ground and crouched down to be at eye level with her.

‘I’m sorry, princess, I would be honoured to become your prince, but you see, I already have my own princess and I need to treat her right,’ he explained with utmost patience, then took the little girl’s hand in his (with her permission and her father’s approving nod, of course) and pressed a feather-like kiss on the back of it. ‘Will you forgive me and keep my secret?’

You couldn’t see the little girl’s face, but she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, so your best guess would have been that she wasn’t entirely placated. Still, eventually she nodded and made grabby hands at your boyfriend, insisting that she wanted to see more of the flowers. That, you did not mind at all. In fact, you found it rather adorable.

(San with a tiny human being in his arms was adorable. They turned your legs jelly and your knees uncharacteristically weak.)

‘I’m sorry about Minah. They had Occupation day in school today and she insisted that being a princess is a full-time job, so her mother and I let her dress as one,’ the man explained and you shook your head with an endeared smile. You weren’t mad at his daughter nor were you jealous of the attention she got from your boyfriend. If anything, his willingness to humour her made you fall for San harder.

‘Minah is right. Being a princess is a full-time job,’ you said without contemplating whether your words sounded ridiculous, although before the whole royal guard incident, you would have thought she was childish, rightfully so. She couldn’t have been older than seven.

You didn’t talk much with the customer after that, but you didn’t mind the silence. It gave you the perfect opportunity to listen to San’s conversation with the little girl, which was just as hilarious as cheesy, especially when you caught him declaring his love for you with such vehemency as if real-life princes also needed to defeat magical creatures to protect their loved ones. Where was their debate about good dragons and bad dragons coming from?

A light shade of pink crept up your cheeks when the little girl asked San straightforwardly whether he was talking about you, but you tried to remain composed.

‘It’ll be 30,000₩, sir,’ you informed the customer with a customer-service smile and gave him the bouquet before you took his money; the exchange smooth and fast. The prices were written on the board above your head, right behind the counter; however, some people liked to criticise your craft in hope of a discount. Those customers never failed to make you feel anxious.

‘Thank you. It’s beautiful,’ the man complimented the arrangement before he bid his goodbye and turned towards his daughter. ‘Minah-yah! It’s time to go. Say goodbye.’

Albeit reluctantly, the little girl wrapped her arms around San’s right leg and hugged him. Then, like a real princess, she walked up to you and did a curtsy, which you returned with a few-second-long delay. You were too taken aback to react immediately.

You were still a little shocked when the door closed shut behind the two, but then San hugged you from behind and reality caught up with you. You melted against his broad chest.

‘She was cute,’ he commented, coaxing a hum out of you.

Closing your eyes and letting out a content sigh, in the back of your mind you knew that you still had a very serious conversation on hold. A conversation in which your boyfriend would tell you over and over again why he wasn’t enough: how he had barely enough savings, hence how you couldn’t possibly depend on him in financial emergencies. Like money was the most important thing in a relationship! Like you didn’t have your own savings.

Turning around in his arms, you linked your arms behind his neck and pressed your soft lips against his. You wished these gestures were proof that his heart of gold had won you over years ago; that you didn’t wish to become a queen and even if you did, you didn’t need the title because he already treated you like royalty. He was everything - kind-hearted, attentive, loyal and so much more - and you wouldn’t have changed a thing in your lives.

Crown Prince or not, San made you happy and excited about the future. About your future. Even if you had a long way to go and might have had numerous battles to march into to earn his parents’ approval.

the end.

#san x reader #san x you #choi san x reader #choi san x you #ateez scenarios #modern royalty au #ateez fluff #ssbyme

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noneorother · 6 months

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It couldn't be a masquerade ball because it was an unmasked ball

The S2E5 ball symbolism seemed very prominent to me when I watched Season 2 even for the first time, but I saw @meatballlady ask this wonderful question & Neil's answer and thought : hey why not share my thoughts on the clothing at the ball as well.

If you're reading this you probably know all about how coat lapels are an important character signifier both seasons of GO. If not, TLDR; jacket lapels align with a character's intentions, and their alignment with a faction is determined by their jacket colour (light goes up or dark goes down).

So why do I say that this was an "unmasked" ball? Because if you follow the lapel theory, all the important participants who seem neutral in real life gain allegiances in their costumes when they enter the bookshop. Let's break it down.

Crowley & Aziraphale

If you aren't just making everyone fancy, but actually trying to reveal intentions during this ball, then it would make sense that Aziraphale and Crowley don't change outfits : they've been wearing their hearts on their sleeves since season 1. Maggie

In everyday life, Maggie purposely wears tops without lapels. Everything is round or crew-neck, and she never wears black. In the ball reveal, Maggie wears black for the first time, and has big pointing down lapels on her navy satin shirt, indicating alignment with Hell in both colour and intention. All of her cutesy bows and hearts and gold jewelry are gone. She wears sparkly silver only, and a prominent wristwatch (like Crowley). However, her pinkie ring is still present. (go read @indigovigilance's post about pinkie rings, it's great).

Nina

Nina is all over the place in real life. Colours clash and she wears black and earth tones often. She also never wears jackets with lapels. When we get to the ball however, she suddenly has a golden brocade jacket with teal & crimson shoulders, and golden hair clasps. She becomes exactly what Maggie is attempting to project in real life, but her lapels are pointing out and up, so alignment with heaven in both colour and intention. No pinkie ring on Nina in the series. Under the jacket she wears green and crimson. A confused pairing as I've ever seen on the show. Who knows what that's about*. Jimbriel

In normal life, Jim is ultra-neutral with lapels pointing out (neither up nor down) on a brown coat. (Underneath is a whole different ball game for another post.) Jimbriel gets a hilariously Liberace-fied version of the Aziraphale outfit : bowtie, poweder blue and labels pointing down and also to the side, fluffy white and details like Michael and Uriel. He's HELPING AZIRAPHALE WITH THE PLAN, wink wink nudge nudge. You go Jim. Mutt

Mutt the magic shop owner also has a pinkie ring in real life, as does his spouse, and keeps it for the ball. He gains impressive gold details on his lapel-less tunic, and the colour shifts from base of black to a base of navy, with red and white flowers instead of orange and teal swoops. His sleeves widen, becoming almost an angelic robe-like tunic, making him kind of a mysterious mashup of symbols. Arnold

Arnold of Arnold's music shop fame is wearing black with rainbow tie and suspenders before the ball, without much jewelry save a pinkie ring. Inside the ball, he keeps the black, but now has crimson and teal accents instead of rainbow, and lapels that are very high up, but that point out to the side, making him more neutral/Mutt the magician aligned, even if he's wearing black. Justine

Justine wears Hellish green and black in real life on her daisy patterned dress, no lapels here. She has no pinkie ring either, but once inside the ball, all the green melts away and she's allllll black flowered lace. She also has no lapels here, making her also more aligned with Mutt & Arnold than anything, but just as mysterious. Mrs Sandwich

Mrs Sandwich seems easier to judge. Black and gold no lapels in real life, alllll sparkly black and big downturned lapels for the ball. No pinkie ring on her in either outfit, but a prominent wristwatch. This makes total sense to me. Even if she might not be aligned with hell directly, she runs a brothel and profits off of sex workers so probably a pretty bad lady if we're weighing the odds from a biblical perspective. In other moments she also seems pretty fond of Crowley, and pretty unhappy with Nina (see above). Mr&Mrs Cheng

Mr & Mrs Cheng are VERY interesting to me. While Cheng wears all black in real life, and we never see her partner, she is transformed in the ball into the only character (besides Nina in solid green) who wears a green pattern. She has become a plant/garden (specifically a Monsterra, like in Corwley's box), and her husband is the pollinating golden butterfly, (with neutral lapels on a black background). Neither of them wear pinkie rings, but Mrs Cheng keeps her distinctive teal earrings, and is now sporting red lipstick, making her and her husband most associated with Nina. Nina also trusts Cheng enough to mind her coffee shop whilst talking to Crowley across the street in the last dregs of E6. As an aside, they also seem to *sort of* have a pre-teen girl child at this ball. We see her briefly in the evacuation but very hidden between other characters, and never in the ball proper. Mr Brown

Do we need to go through Mr Brown's outfit again? I don't think so. ------------------------------ * I have a feeling it's to do with other things, like Jim's sweater vest, but I'll have to dig into it later.

#good omens meta #good omens season two #art director talks good omens #good omens 2 #go season 2 #go meta #good omens season 2 #good omens prime #crowley x aziraphale

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lovebvni · 8 days

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“what’s stopping me?” (pap)

what’s holding up your manifestations from coming to fruition?

it’s a common question i got throughout the intuition readings. and i remember asking myself the same thing. one thing i want to preface with is nothings stopping you. the 3D is just lagging. it’s usually just how you feel that’s wondering what’s stopping you!

but in this pick a picture, we will be diving into what’s stopping your manifestations, and how to get over them in order to receive everything you want and more!

please note the phrases/alt text for each pile will have little to nothing to do with the pile you choose. do not let it affect your decision.

disclaimer, this pick a pile is not legal advice or anything like that. you can take everything with a grain of salt, because not every fact will apply to you. do not take my words as final say, as anything can change.

inhale, exhale, and let your intuition flow. now click 'keep reading' and select an image from down below. (be sure to look at the image description !!)

all image credits to their rightful owners. if you know any of them, please lmk.

Pile I — Flower Body

hello pile 1!! i hope ur doing well :) im wishing u the best!

whats holding you back is the material and ONLY focusing on it. nile heard “sitting on your laurels/hands.”

youre allowing urself to sink into the quicksand and not doing anything to fight it… when there’s a branch right in front of you to grab onto…?

like… why just sit there and do nothing when there’s something you can do? you may be stuck in your own mind, honestly. just breaking yourself down, over and over again — only allowing yourself to believe what is in front of you. you don’t trust the whimsy, you don’t trust the signs. your motto is “if i don’t see it, it isn’t real.”

im going to break the news to you, pile one, if you keep this mindset nothing is going to come to you instantly. and i hope that motivated you to stand up and do SOMETHING, because doing nothing isn’t helping.

your advice from spirit is connect with your emotions to better yourself. don’t allow this depression to gain the best of you. another thing is allow your imagination to flow — even if you don’t see it right now.

sociopath by stay loose and bryce fox came on.

i feel like you’re like “it hasn’t worked in the past, it isn’t working now, so it can’t work in the future.” which is NOT true at all. let the vast be the past, do what you can in the present to shape your future. don’t look in the rear view mirror when driving. don’t let someone else grab the wheel when you’re driving — this is YOUR car. YOUR journey. do it, and don’t let the 3D, your thoughts or ur doubts get in the way of it. run them over.

that’s all pile 1, please take care of urself and don’t listen to the voices telling you to give up — i promise it will get easier.

extra signs/confirmation : “drive. DRIVE DRIVE!”, “they’re in the past”, someone who shuts down when things get hard, scorpio, “loser/loner”, may have been bullied/put down before, not moving because you’re scared of the chain reaction, not understanding that the past is done, “quit looking at the material. it ain’t shit, bitch.”, “don’t trust everything you see!”, shifttok, complicated methods, potential, sitting on your ass, taking the punches, allowing yourself to be destroyed, crying.

Pile II — See No Evil

hii pile 2!! i hope you’re doing well!! wishing u the best :p

for your energy, we pulled 10 of swords — which isn’t that great of a start — but at least it gives us some information. you’re someone who feels burnt out, tired, stressed and neglected. nile got a similar energy, saying she “felt a self-relinquished energy. Feeling small weak, diminished, low-power, half-effort smiling. They know things are less than okay. Telling themselves/pretending to appear to others that they're not as shaken about things being stale and scarce as they are actually feeling inside.”

you’re not reflecting your true self, which is really self-demeaning. you’re limiting yourself by hiding yourself. and maybe you’re being forced into a box — and i am being too!! find a way to cut a small hole out the box and get the fuck out without anyone noticing. find yourself, even if you just need to sit there and breathe for a while. sometimes that’s all you need to do — find one thing you love.

whats holding you back seems to be obsession, and we pulled queen of pentacles combined with 3 of swords. that’s insane.. maybe obsession of a past love?

get off their social media, block them, they don’t matter! they are not ur partner anymore. if ur friends, our distance between you two. not separate yourself fully, just take a step back. don’t let them be a huge part of ur life, they aren’t anymore. i feel like this is the reason you shut down, the reason you’re repressing yourself now. maybe they were ur out, your sense of joy.

i remember a quote i saw a long time ago, “to have a healthy relationship, there must be self love and love of the other person (or people) involved.” you wed to distance yourself and find some love for urself before u do anything else.

to get other this, you need to be angry in a way. you need to finally stand up and walk out. this isn’t serving you anymore. you need to stop. don’t let this control you. stop letting it control you. i keep hearing “get out, get out, get out.” which is scary. you’re not trapped, pile 2. you can get out. just stand up and walk out — or i’d TRULY that simple.

i love you pile 2, please work for urself and not other people.

extra signs/confirmation: “the final straw”, finally stepping out the box, red, repetition, affirming, false belief, not standing up for yourself, vomiting, crying a LOT, keeping things to yourself, looking outwardly, not confirming with yourself, needing to take a leap of faith, 999, “hopeless and helpless”, “BULLSHIT!”, “gone”.

Pile III — Black Mirror

hellooo pile 3!!! how are you??!! i hope ur well!!

your energy feels “convoluted yet diluted.” there’s so much going on, but somehow it’s so watered down and so deep down. like you can’t find yourself, because the there’s so much going on around you. it’s like you’re just caught in a tornado — being mixed in with all the mess.

im so sorry pile 3. i really hope it gets better, but let’s get onto the reading. what’s limiting you is the way you’re overworking yourself. and honestly, the solution is to work through it. keep going pushing, keep working, and don’t stop.

this is something that you are going to have to power through. the song that came on is paralyzed by nf. i’m going to link it

it’s such a touching song, i used to listen to it a lot. you’re stuck in what feels like a cycle. you don’t feel like yourself. you don’t know why, but it’s because you’re currently in a state where you HAVE to work through this. it isn’t gonna last much longer, but whenever you can take a break.

don’t overwhelm yourself, but also don’t always step back. don’t forget what you need to do. always work as hard as you can, but do not neglect yourself. and i know that is SUCH a hard reading and a complicated situation, but you will find it. you will find the balance, the key. it will work out. i’m rooting for u, pile 3.

extra signs/confirmation: chaotic life, in school or uni, being really tired, neglecting work, working long hours, not prioritizing time, sad rap, lil peep, black jacket, hopeless, helpless, not allowing yourself to find a solution, finding distractions, never doing what needs to be done until the last minute, “why is nothing working?” hyper fixating on self-pleasure and manifestation instead of what also needs to be done.

Pile IV — To See

hello pile 4! i hope you’re doing well! i feel the need to mention that ive been seeing 444 a lot, but 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

your energy is every much “the knight in shining armor”, the one who always wants to save and help others — usually neglecting themselves in the process. you stand up for those being bullied, possibly because you were bullied in the past and feel for them. you don’t want people to be broken down like you (and i relate so much — this pile lowkey feels like a callout)

your issue is that you’re holding onto the past, and allowing it to control you. u may say “i let go of that a long time ago”, well there’s a part you’re holding onto and you know it. i feel like exposure therapy may be good for you — ask someone you trust to put you in a similar situation and try to react now. like not as you were, but as you are.

spirit is saying to get over this, you must find balance and peace within yourself. you may have never gotten an apology, never gotten help, or never opened up, but you need to seek it now. cut off the past. it isn’t your friend — and it will not change. don’t allow acknowledgment to take control of you. knowing is not accepting.

that’s all i have for u pile 4!! i hope all goes well, and after you get over this and find balance, i feel like it’s going to come to you immediately. you may not even know you got out the situation!

song bc i forgot to do it earlier 💀💀

extra signs/confirmation: aries, ray of sunshine, false energy (putting our positive energy although you are feeling negatively — specifically got a visual of golden/yellow energy with grey in the center), yellow energy, spontaneous, growth is required, growth is coming, pain, ribs (?), getting over an ex, boys a liar (original).

what’s limiting you is your need for control ALL THE TIME

Pile V — Death’s Harvest

hello pile 5! i hope you’re doing well!! this is probably one of the most intense piles based off the name, but we’ll see!! your energy is very much “i’m in control, i am the man” with king of cups coming out. also kinda getting u have ur head in the clouds, and you don’t rlly see things as they are, but as u want them to be.

what’s limiting you is your need for control. you want it took much, so you have decided “i’ll just ignore everything i don’t like!” which isn’t good. you have to acknowledge the things you don’t like and find a way to change them. don’t just ignore them — stop trying to deny thing are bad? because they ARE.

to get out of this energy, you need to clear the plate. literally. you nee to decide “this isn’t fo me, i’m not having it.” and dump the table. i feel like you know how to do this, but you won’t. decide to do it, stop carrying what you don’t need. very clear message, pile 5!!! i hope all goes well :)

extra signs/confirmation: “i cleaned the plate” (u threw it in the trash), talkative guides, yapper, lots of love. your guides love you, but they really need you to know that this isn’t for you., braggy, injury (smth w a p), health issues, tiara, “homosapien, homosexual”, devil town by cavetown.

Pile VI — Earth’s Hello

hi pile 6!! you guys have such a calming energy, i must say, and i love it. i get an image of blue and green, obviously in relationship to earth. you may he a motherly figure, or someone that people can talk to easily.

what’s holding you back is “bitching and moaning, but not working.” you want things to work, but you won’t take that action. you want something, but all you do is sit and wait for it to happen. it’s like sitting at a bus stop but never standing up to get on the bus.

you’re letting yourself rot. your potential is draining out of you second by second. and i don’t think it’s truly because youre lazy or burnt out, but it’s out of confusion. dont know what to do, but because of that, you wont do anything. if you’re confused, ask for help, dont just decide to give up.

your advice is to cut down your options and hyper focus on ONE activity. don’t allow everything in your mind to jumble up at once, give yourself space to work and think. you can’t sit there forever and expect your manifestations to just fall in your lap when you don’t even have hope.

extra signs/confirmation: i felt like blood in my throat? it smelled like blood and it kinda hurt on my left side, babies, pointy shoes, TV by billie eilish, paralysis, overwhelmed, “you’ve got this!”, babies (again), not working when you need to, 777, the letter T.

Pile VII — All Seeing Cat

hii pile 7! let’s get straight in. your energy can be very calming. you’re a hard working and you work until you get the rewards. you’re not someone who gives up — you hold on until the end. u know that there’s a cycle, a method, and a way to get through it. although it hurts, you continue to push through! that’s so good!! i’m so proud of u pile 7! also you got 7 of pentacles for ur energy. which i think is kinda 777 bc of pile 7 yk but wtv. i also js saw 777!!

your limitation is your emotion and your need for emotional and even romantic attention. i feel like this so something you struggle with on and off — and so do i 😭😭 i asked for a song for clarification, and got mad hatter by melanie martinez.

you’re not in the best mindset and you know this! so why do you keep trying to go after this romantic attraction? push back these feelings, pretend they aren’t there — because they aren’t serving you. the right person will come when you need them.

for now, rely on friends and family rather than romantic interest. like i told pile 2(i think) slowly distance yourself, don’t just cut them off.

extra signs/confirmation: the colour purple, alice in wonderland (obviously), cups cards, emotional, back and forth, mood swings, “emotional wreck”, confused, “need for validation, delusions, center of attention, “attention whore.”

Pile VIII — New Awakening

hiii pile 8!!! 8 is the number of balance, and that’s what i’m praying for this year — balance and fulfillment. your energy is very joyful — you possibly have a yellow aura. but along with this yellow, you feel very alone. you feel distant from everyone — like you have nobody to talk to, nothing to do.

pile 8, you are not alone. you need to surrender these feelings to move forward — confide in someone. be straight up and honest. don’t hold it back anymore — TELL SOMEONE.

twisted by missio came on (cringy ass song, iykyk) and i feel like you may be saying “well they already know, so they won’t help. but they may not know the extent of it. really sit them down and talk them through it, because if you just keep it inside it’s going to be harder.

spirit is also saying “complete the goals you’ve set for yourself”. you may possibly be a fighter and you have a LOT you want to do. finish those things before deciding to move on. it could also be confirmation that your maifestations may come in before you even really confide in someone — because it could be a multiple day process.

extra signs/confirmation: gacha life (💀💀), confusion, bottled up emotions, loniness, depression, black sphere, the colour blackc, “how do i get out of here?”, spirals, 333, energetic and outgoing person, not taking yourself seriously, “do you guys ever think about dying? “ — barbie, “i can be everything i want to be!”, barbie, childhood dreams, online friends, life of the party, friendly, feeling like a fake friend, dance the night from barbie.

Pile IX — Life from Death

hi pile 9!! lotta true crime by penelope scott came on as i was finishing pile 8, and i felt like that was important to mention. the intro beat has been stuck in my head for the past few days so!! you may listen to a lot of true crime too!! lmao

you don’t have a solid sense of self, and ie always seems to be changing. from your world view to the way you style your hair — you’re having issues finding yourself. you may have traveled the world, seen so much, and heard so many opinions, but you don’t know where you fit in. you’re everywhere but nowhere, like 9 — that’s what you think. you’re lost with yourself.

when i asked for what’s limiting you, it’s the mindset that “this isn’t for me anymore.. it isn’t worth it.” it that’s literally because you feel like you don’t have any control. you do have control, pile 9. you just have to find the areas in which you do — don’t be self destructive.

oh ana by mother mother also came on and i feel like that may be an important song to this pile.

your advice is exactly what i said — find places which you have power over. do you like painting? paint what you feel!! don’t act like nothing is going your way — and if it is, THEN MAKE IT.

that’s all i have for u pile 9!

extra signs/confirmation: mother mother, red and orange, fire, childhood, death, being lonely, recent breakup, night to day, dancer/just dance, afraid, sick, vomiting, elita.

i hope you enjoy this pap!! i really hope this resonates and works out. i am hoping the best for each and every pile — and i pray that everything works out. no matter if it takes days or years — it will happen. i promise. i am living proof.

much love, abyss.

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jkabbi · 4 months

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bewitched | chapter 02

╰┈➤summary: Former neighbors turned lovers, your enchanting romance with Jungkook takes a magical turn. A spell to protect him shapes your past, and now, as a flower shop owner, an unexpected reunion brings buried secrets to light. Past and present collide in a captivating tale of love and mystery.

╰┈➤pairing: jungkook x reader (f)

╰┈➤genre: cf2l, fluff, angst, magic au

╰┈➤warnings: cursing, salem (deserves his own warning)

word count. 10.9 k

╰┈➤note; we are already in the second chapter! i am very grateful for the support you have given me and to all the people who have decided to give my story a chance <3 i hope u guys enjoy this

prev | series masterlist | next

Despite the passage of three days since your rather embarrassing encounter with Jungkook, little had deviated from your usual routine.

Happy for your mental health, you haven't encountered him unexpectedly on the street or elsewhere again.

Presently, you found yourself engaged in the familiar task of cleaning your home, punctuating the process with the addition of protective spells – a regular practice that brought you a sense of security.

Engaging in thorough cleaning bi-monthly, your diligence stemmed from a subtle paranoia, fueled by the looming threat of an old adversary with formidable abilities. Despite the intricacies of this routine, the current impetus for your meticulous cleansing arises from an underlying fatigue that has settled in recently.

As you meticulously attended to your chores, Salem lounged indifferently by the window, his attention fixed on the world outside.

“You do realize those cat paws of yours could lend a helping hand – or paw – with the cleaning, right?” you chided, irritation evident in your voice.

Ignoring your remark, Salem continued gazing out the window, uninterested in your domestic concerns. Frustrated, you used your magic to make the window fly open with a simple touch of your fingers.

“Hey!” Salem protested, his discontent palpable.

Now it was your turn to dismiss him. After tending to the cleaning, you sank wearily into the armchair next to the window, grateful for the modest size of your apartment.

“Did you know our neighbors moved?” Salem piped up.

“Yes, you mentioned it. Why?” you responded wearily, still staring at the ceiling, exhaustion lingering in your every movement.

“Because there's a moving truck. I guess someone else will occupy the apartment next door,” Salem remarked with a touch of boredom. “I'll miss the dramatic fights of our former neighbors.”

Before you could engage further in Salem's observations, your phone interrupted with its insistent ringing.

Your bestie fired off a text, checking if you were a go for the Wednesday meeting. “Who is it?” your nosy cat chimed in, strolling over. “Just Yoongi,” you mumbled, deep in thought “He’s asking about the Wednesday thing”

“Oh, the social shindig! Are you gracing it with your presence?” Salem asked, eager for the scoop. You tore your gaze from the phone, observing movers weaving outside the apartment like a chaotic ballet. “I'm on the fence,” you confessed. “Feels like a recipe for disaster, doesn't it?”

As your cat claimed dominion over your legs, he vented, “You know what's truly disastrous? Replying 'you too' to a waiter's 'enjoy your meal.' It's like living in a cringe-worthy sitcom moment in real life.”

Salem, seemingly unfazed, played with dust bubbles, offering a quip as if participating in a cosmic comedy.

Frustration building, you sighed, “Can we be serious here? This is more significant than a sitcom faux pas.” Salem, with an innocent look, glanced up, feigning detachment.

“Why are you upset? It's happened to me countless times! It's embarrassing,” Salem retorted casually.

“I'd rather repeat that to a waitress a thousand times than risk losing my dignity to Jungkook's charming white commercial smile!” you exclaimed passionately.

Salem, raising a dismissive paw, sought to diminish your sentiment, “Don't think you're special; it happens to everyone. It's just a barbecue among friends. What's the worst that can happen?”

Annoyance etched on your face, you retorted, “What's the worst? You know exactly what could happen. I can't risk the spell being broken.”

Salem, nonchalantly, replied, “Bah, if the spell breaks, put it back on. Simple.”

Your gaze, sharp as daggers, could have sent Salem six feet under. “It's not that simple, and you know it. Playing with someone's mind is risky business."Blah, blah, blah,” Salem replied with an air of boredom. “You humans care so much about rules and consequences.”

Your eyebrow arched in curiosity, “Maybe that's why we're not punished and made to look like a ball of hair for eternity.”

A playful smirk danced on your lips as you sensed you might have struck a nerve with the proud feline.

Before you could engage in a verbal sparring match with your fur-covered companion, a peculiar sight outside the window seized your attention.

Through your apartment window, you observed movers delivering high-quality appliances and furniture to your apartment complex.

Perplexed, you couldn't help but wonder: Why would someone affluent willingly choose to move into your less-than-ideal dwelling, plagued by mold, electrical issues, and water problems?

Confused, you and Salem, were equally captivated by the sight unfolding outside your window. “Apparently our neighbors are rich,” Salem mused, settling at the window. “What are they doing in this poor excuse for an apartment?”

Agreeing, you shook your head, still gawking at the street where movers were unloading opulent possessions. Salem, always the dramatist, remarked, “With that television, imagine what my Turkish novel nights would be like?!” His excitement was palpable.

As you continued to watch, your attention was suddenly captured by the arrival of a dreamy bookcase, adorned in dark and elegant wood. Unable to contain your enthusiasm, you exclaimed, “Imagine having that bookcase!”

The absurdity of the situation struck you, and you couldn't help but laugh, feeling a tinge of embarrassment at the spectacle you and your black cat presented to any passersby. A disheveled girl, mouth agape, and her feline companion – not the most polished image.

Salem, ever the provocateur, couldn't resist teasing you about past suitors. “Sometimes I wonder why you didn't marry that Kang boy,” he commented. “If you had, those,” he gestured outside, “would be our belongings.”

Annoyed, you pushed him. “You know damn well why not! The guy was a complete idiot!”

Salem, undeterred, retorted with a swipe of his paws. “He was an idiot, but an idiot with money.”

Rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms. “Oh, come on! As if you don't hate him either! Remember that time he said you were useless because you failed with your plan for world domination?”

Salem's ears perked up, and you seized the opportunity to stoke his anger. “And then he said he could do it better because he was the son of the High Priest of the Church of Night.”

The mention of Kang Hyung, the insufferable figure from your school days, visibly enraged Salem. “That damn brat! I had forgotten what an idiot he was,” Salem exclaimed angrily, displaying his claws. “As if the little shit hadn't failed the final aptitude test against you!”

You smiled, grateful to have Salem as a comrade in your shared disdain for Kang Hyung, the arrogant tormentor who not only made your school life unbearable but also sought to bind you in an unwanted marriage to hinder your progress within the Church of Night.

Chills coursed through your veins, triggering a wave of unpleasant memories and emotions as the recollection of the Church of the Night consumed your thoughts. Salem's observation cut through the internal turmoil, “Now that I think about it, that bastard must have been partying when you left.”

You nonchalantly shrugged your shoulders, masking the deeper complexities of the emotions that stirred within you. Delving into the past wasn't a habit, especially when it involved the social circle you had left behind—the realm where tradition and ancient customs overshadowed individual freedom.

In that stifling environment, your opposition to conformity had been a constant struggle throughout your childhood and adolescence. The battle against a system that restricted your authenticity intensified when your human friend, and eventual boyfriend, became a permanent part of your life. It was like pulling the trigger on an invisible conflict that escalated into a war against your own kind.

Though the notion of dating a human seemed trivial to you, it was forbidden in the eyes of your coven. This strict rule, which you found utterly senseless, triggered a cascade of opposition from your aunts, peers at the academy, and even some magical texts. You couldn't fathom how something as natural as love could be deemed heretical.

Your father's relationship with a human, resulting in your existence, added another layer of irony to the situation. Yet, for the high priest of your coven, your liaison with the human boy disrupted his plans to marry you off to his son, maintaining a supposed line of purity.

The revelation amused you, considering your own mixed blood, with a human mother. The absurdity of their insistence on purity evaporated when you reflected on your father's heritage—a former pastor of the Church of Night, one of the most powerful warlock in recent generations, and the unique mediator between humans and magicians, showcasing the absurdity of their narrow-minded views.

A surge of memories triggered a headache, prompting you to physically shake them loose. It was a conscious effort to purge the lingering thoughts from your mind. The mantra echoed within – your past, a source of mental distress, held no relevance now.

The chapters of your old life, once defining, had lost their grip on your present self. Reminding yourself of this, you cast aside the weight of bygone years. The rules that once constrained you, now faded relics, held no sway in the canvas of your current existence. This deliberate detachment marked a symbolic liberation, a decisive break from the constraints that had defined your past.

The weight of your past choices no longer haunted you too, the passage of time had rendered them irreversible. Over the past decade, you've learned that being overly harsh on yourself hinders personal growth and happiness. This realization became particularly profound when reflecting on decisions driven by love and the instinct to protect those dear to you.

Your inner circle may be small, a deliberate choice. Yet, it doesn't diminish the depth of your commitment to those within it. You've proven time and again that you'd go to great lengths for the sake of your loved ones. This unwavering loyalty has been the guiding force propelling you forward through these ten years of personal evolution and resilience.

Because after all, in the tapestry of devotion, you'd rewrite the stars and reshape your destiny for your loved ones.

Fifteen years ago

The soft radiance from the lamp bathed the room in a gentle glow, casting shadows that danced on Jungkook's superhero sheets, cocooning you in a comforting embrace.

If someone would ask you how home feels like, you would describe this.

The room's door swung open noiselessly, heralding Jungkook's return, cradling a steaming cup of your favorite hot chocolate. He handed it over with a gentle warning about its temperature, and as your fingers brushed his, you felt the stark contrast between his warmth and your cold, trembling ones. With a shy smile, he settled beside you. Gratitude filled your expression, not just for the comforting cup but also for the sparring clothes he had thoughtfully provided, considering your pajamas were smeared with mud and damp.

Despite the impending weight of an awkward conversation, you opted to divert your attention to his window, a bit distant from the bed but offering a serene view of the outside world.

The once-turbulent wind had yielded to a gentle breeze, causing leaves to rustle in the trees. The rain had ceased its rhythmic drumming, and residual droplets now dripped from the roof outside Jungkook's window. Sensing the boy's restlessness, you took in the quietude of the scene.

“Do you feel better?” Jungkook's voice, a melodic whisper, filled the room. A sense of shyness tinged your response as you glanced at him, softly admitting, “Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you.”

With an encouraging look, he reassured you, “It's not a bother.”

The intensity of his gaze prompted you to shift your focus to the cup in your hands. “Was it a nightmare?” he inquired slowly, his words a gentle balm as if speaking to a frightened creature. Shaking your head, you kept your gaze fixed on the cup, grappling with the words to convey the complex emotions.

After a brief silence, you found the courage to continue, “It was something akin to a lucid dream. It doesn't happen frequently, but when it does, it's intensely vivid.” Sipping the chocolate, you revealed, “I struggle with sleepwalking problems, and at times, it coincides with these dreams.”

Jungkook maintained a respectful silence, his attentive eyes inviting you to share more. Emboldened by his patience, you felt a surge to elaborate. “It's like a distant memory from the past, but not mine – someone with a profound connection to me. This time, I woke up in the general cemetery. And when I looked around…” A shiver coursed through you, and in response to your fear, Jungkook placed his warm, slightly wounded hand atop yours, offering a reassuring and firm grip.

The room held a hushed atmosphere as you shared the unsettling details of your encounter. “There were some people hanging... from the big tree in the middle,” you said, each word measured. “I think they were women. Then they started saying some things that I couldn't understand, and when I wanted to escape, they surrounded me... trapping me.”

In the shadowed stillness, Jungkook nodded attentively, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and understanding, urging you to continue.

“I don't know what I did; I just know that I threw myself on the ground and used my dad’s necklace as a talisman. I think that kept them away,” you explained, gently touching the pendant around your neck. “Then they disappeared, and I ran away as fast as I could.”

Apologizing for the midnight disturbance, you added, “I'm sorry for waking you up. I didn't want to be alone.”

Jungkook's smile, radiant even in the dimness, melted away the shadows of fear. He reassured you, “The truth is that I'm happy you came here. I wouldn't have liked you to be alone after something like that.” His fingers found yours again as he continued, “When something like that happens again, come find me, no matter what, deal, Daisy?”

In those vulnerable moments, you couldn't help but appreciate the warmth of his caring nature. His presence was a comforting haven, a solace in the midst of the eerie tale.

Opening the window for you in the dead of night wasn't an ordinary gesture. Not when you were resembling a scene from a horror movie—soaked by rain, caked in mud, and wearing an expression of sheer terror.

As you poured your gratitude into a whispered acknowledgment, you found yourself caught in a contemplative gaze. Jungkook's eyes crinkled at the corners, and his smile deepened, revealing a sincerity that resonated through the dimly lit room.

The room felt like a sanctuary, insulated from the outside world. And in that sanctuary, you acknowledged the intricacies of your feelings. You cherished him not only as a friend but as someone who had unknowingly captured your heart.

For Jungkook, love was a sacred expression, an unfettered commitment. You admired the way he loved—wholeheartedly, without reservation. His love embraced his family, enveloped his friends, and echoed in every act of kindness he bestowed upon others.

As you looked at him, you couldn't escape a twinge of envy for his ability to love fearlessly. It was this very quality that made him a beloved figure in your school and community—a beacon of happiness, responsibility, and altruism.

Witnessing his gestures, whether helping elderly neighbors or playing with children, you marveled at his genuine kindness. It painted a picture of a person who not only shared joy but also had an innate understanding of the needs of those around him.

Yet, amidst all this admiration, a poignant reality lingered. You yearned for more than friendly smiles and shared camaraderie. You wished to be the one capable of sparking an indescribable fervor within him, to have your presence elicit a symphony of emotions.

But a sobering truth anchored your heart. In his eyes, you remained a cherished friend—someone seen through the lens of platonic affection.

The dialogue drifted into a contemplative silence, each heartbeat resonating with a subdued acknowledgment. “Okay,” you eventually replied, the word carrying a depth that echoed your gratitude and an unspoken acceptance of the emotions that swirled within. “Thank you,” you added, the words whispered with a blush coloring your cheeks—a subtle testament to the complex tapestry of feelings that entangled you in the midst of the night.

A gentle sigh escaped you as you snapped out of your contemplative thoughts, deciding it was time to return home. Just as you were about to rise from the bed, Jungkook's grip on your hand tightened, a silent plea for you to stay.

“Stay,” he whispered, his breath warm against your face. The proximity between you two ignited a flurry of emotions within, and a subtle but palpable pressure began to build.

“Kook, it's okay. It's late, and we have classes in the morning,” you reassured, attempting to mask the nervousness that tinged your voice. Yet, he shook his head, his hold on your hand unwavering.

“I won't be able to sleep if you leave,” he admitted, his eyes holding an intensity that defied description. Caught in the sincerity of his gaze, you nodded slowly, acknowledging the unspoken connection between you two.

Pleased with your response, Jungkook rose from the bed, gracefully taking your empty chocolate glass and placing it on his desk. Turning back to you, he approached the bed with a certain vulnerability in his demeanor.

“Is it okay if I sleep in bed with you?” he asked, a delicate blush gracing his cheeks, his hand nervously tousling his hair. “It's okay if you don't want to! I just know how much these 'episodes' affect you, and I don't mind sleeping…”

Interrupting his anxious rambling, you gently reassured him, “It's fine, Kook. No problem.” A sigh of tranquility escaped him, and a silent understanding passed between you.

“Okay,” he nodded, settling down beside you. “Should I leave the lights on?” he asked, his gaze filled with genuine affection.

Shaking your head, you responded, “It's not necessary. You are enough.” In the soft glow of the room, your unspoken connection and deep affection lingered, an intricate dance between two souls who harbored profound feelings for each other yet struggled to articulate them. Love and protection remained unspoken, concealed in the hesitant glances and tender gestures, painting a delicate picture of two shy hearts afraid to voice the depth of their emotions.

He extinguished the warm glow of his lamp, and in the ensuing darkness, Jungkook settled down beside you. This nocturnal rendezvous wasn't unfamiliar terrain – sleeping beside Jungkook had been a cherished tradition since childhood. Pillows, often arranged as a makeshift wall, served as a quaint barrier, yet by morning, the pillows would be strewn about, and some part of him would inevitably find solace in proximity to you.

This shared ritual had dwindled as adolescence unfolded, hormones and societal expectations introducing an unspoken distance. You attributed it to the complexities of growing up, and perhaps, a lingering sense that Jungkook felt awkward about these intimate moments. Overheard whispers of school friends teasing about your close bond only fueled that perception.

Nervousness lingered as you embarked on this night together. The last time you shared a bed was months ago during an impromptu camping trip, an accidental convergence beneath the stars. You both fell asleep, and you awoke the next morning realizing you had unconsciously embraced him on his mattress.

If Jungkook felt any unease about these moments, he masked it well. Turning onto his side, he wished you goodnight with a hoarse voice. Your expectations remained tempered; you understood the limits of your friendship, acknowledging that Jungkook cherished you as a companion, nothing more.

In return, you whispered a reciprocal goodnight, surrendering yourself to the embrace of Morpheus while stealing a glance at the silhouette of your childhood friend. Longing to wrap your arms around him and cradle him as you slept, you were acutely aware that such desires were confined to the depths of your heart. Instead, you hugged yourself, creating an unbridgeable distance to prevent the impossibility of touching him. The night unfolded, a delicate dance of unspoken emotions and the quiet poetry of unrequited feelings.

Flowers, steeped in a rich history of symbolism, serve as messengers of emotions across diverse customs and cultures. The choice of a specific bloom carries nuanced significance, dictated by the occasion, the intent behind the gift, and the sentiments shared with the recipient.

While the tradition of presenting red roses to convey love and yellow roses as a symbol of friendship remains widely known, the floral lexicon extends far beyond these familiar territories. Sunflowers, for instance, embody the essence of loyalty, a cornerstone of enduring friendships.

In the floral haven where you work, offering guidance becomes an integral part of the service. Customers seek advice to ensure their floral gifts convey the right message. With a keen understanding of the language of flowers, you assist them in selecting blooms that align with their intentions.

Presently, your skilled hands are meticulously crafting a bouquet of white peonies, fulfilling a special request from a mother for her daughter's birthday. White peonies, known to attract good luck and health, symbolize youth, beauty, and a cultivated spirit, creating a meaningful tapestry of sentiments within the arrangement.

Meanwhile, at the inn, Yoongi extends his expertise to an elderly couple, providing thoughtful suggestions for their floral needs. The day unfolds with a semblance of calm, punctuated by a slightly increased influx of people. You attribute this to various ceremonies taking place, ranging from graduations to personal achievements, infusing the air with an undercurrent of celebratory joy.

Engrossed in your world, you hum along to the tune emanating from the store's black radio, a companion to your almost five years of experience in the floral industry. Your hands move with a seasoned precision as you cut and arrange the flowers, each movement a testament to your craftsmanship.

Amid this tranquility, the store's phone rings, momentarily disrupting your peace. Observing that Yoongi is still engaged with customers, you wipe your hands on your flower-patterned apron and answer the call. A young woman on the other end, her voice brimming with happiness, inquires about the store's availability.

“The store is open, don't worry,” you assure her professionally, absentmindedly playing with a pencil nearby. The joyous laughter on the other end piques your curiosity. Who could be so delighted about visiting a flower shop? Yet, in this business, you understand that each customer brings their unique story, and money, in the end, is money.

As the conversation concludes, you approach Yoongi, who seamlessly transitions between the roles of a responsible and kind worker. His cheerful demeanor while assisting customers adds a touch of warmth to the shop's ambiance. “Don't worry. The order will be ready for your granddaughter's graduation,” Yoongi reassures the departing elderly couple, their intertwined hands painting a poignant image of enduring love.

Observing the tender moment, you playfully remark, “Wow, I can't wait when that's you and Jimin.” Yoongi responds with a smile, showcasing his teeth. You continue, teasingly noting, “Although I imagine Jimin will age much better than you. Have you seen his skincare? I'm so jealous.”

Yoongi chuckled in response. “Oh, I'm well aware. Living with Jimin means witnessing his extravagant purchases. Just the other day, he splurged on what he claimed was the most expensive face mask in existence. I'm convinced he fell for a scam,” he shared with an amused smirk.

You reciprocated the laughter, understanding Jimin's penchant for acquiring things, particularly those aimed at enhancing his personal well-being. “Well, Jimin's bank account doesn't exactly suffer,” you quipped, acknowledging his financial success stemming from a business and finance degree and a thriving career at a technology company.

Yoongi, engaged in arranging items on the work table, responded, “True. He probably has enough money to buy both you and me.” A playful smile lingered on his face as he contemplated the idea.

Amused, you expressed your thoughts, “I'd gladly be bought by him. I could enjoy your paradise apartment and eat in your beautiful dining room every day.”

Yoongi let out a snort, teasingly considering the notion. "Perhaps you both could adopt me as a pet or something," you continued, playfully imagining an unconventional arrangement.

“Why would we want you as a pet?” Yoongi questioned, leaning back on the counter and adopting a casual posture. You shot him a mock-offended look as you returned to the work table, where your partially arranged flowers awaited completion.

“Because I'm fun and spontaneous!” you asserted, seizing the scissors in your hand with playful defiance. A hint of mischief sparkled in your eyes.

“Why would that be a sufficient quality to adopt you as a pet?” Yoongi stretched, his movement reminiscent of your cat Salem's languid stretches at home. The peculiar similarity between your feline companion and your best friend didn't escape your notice.

Undeterred, you retorted, “How about I roll around on the floor and juggle? I'll present my case, and you can decide if you want to adopt me.”

Before you could jokingly threaten him with the scissors, the melodious chime of bells at the front door rang, signaling the arrival of visitors and momentarily diverting your attention from the playful banter.

A swift turn brought both you and Yoongi face to face with unexpected visitors. As Yoongi began his polite greeting, his words trailed off, halted by the sight that met your collective gaze. The expressions mirrored between you and Yoongi spoke volumes, an amalgamation of surprise and curiosity.

Standing before you were Jungkook and his girlfriend, Jiwoo. Her smile, radiant from side to side, was matched only by the astonishment etched across Jungkook's features. An atmosphere of unexpected reunions and unspoken questions hung in the air.

“Hi, guys!” Jiwoo's cheerful exclamation pierced through the initial silence. “I'm so glad I can see you two again.” You and Yoongi, still processing the surprise, responded with a slightly awkward smile, caught off guard by the unforeseen encounter.

The curiosity in Jungkook's eyes couldn't be contained as he blurted out, “Do you guys work here?” The surprise lingered in his voice, and Jiwoo, seemingly aware of the intrigue, interjected with a playful shake of his shoulders. “Of course, honey! Jimin recommended this flower shop to us.”

While they continued their conversation, you and Yoongi shared a quick exchange of glances, silently conveying a mutual 'what in the fuck?!'

Thanks to the soft daylight, you took a closer, more deliberate look at Jungkook's fiancée—an opportunity denied during your initial encounter in the fleeting darkness. She stood tall, radiating a slender grace that hinted at regular gym visits, showcasing a toned and lithe physique.

Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, impeccably kept and reaching her waist. A beauty illuminated her face, with flawless, radiant skin free from any discernible imperfections. Even beneath the subtle makeup, her complexion remained perfect, highlighting her delicate features.

The delicate nuances of her face were accentuated by a touch of light and rosy fashion makeup, giving her an elegant allure. As if that weren't enough, she effortlessly pulled off a chic two-piece jacket and skirt set, a trend you had observed on various fashionable girls.

Each passing second of analysis chipped away at your self-esteem. Placed side by side, the disparity was painfully evident

She emanated a sense of chic fashion and beauty, reminiscent of those flawless girls showcased on social media. Meanwhile, you felt like a relic from the past, lacking both the financial means and the physique to confidently adorn those fashionable clothes. The mere thought of comparing yourself to her beauty became a battle you knew you had already lost.

Unable to bear the mental torture, you reluctantly averted your gaze, a pang of inferiority and a hint of jealousy settling within you.

Jungkook, still taken aback, said, “I just didn't know you guys were in charge of this place.”

Jiwoo, maintaining her infectious smile, turned her attention to you. “___ dear, can you help me with my order? I think we changed our minds about some things,” she said, as if you were long-lost friends, releasing Jungkook's hand to link arms with you.

“Order?” you asked, genuinely bewildered. The revelation that Jiwoo had placed an order caught you off guard, and you glanced at Yoongi, finding him equally perplexed.

“Of course! I placed the order a few weeks ago, Jiwoo continued, her grip on your shoulder conveying a sense of familiarity. “For a wedding? Outdoor?” Her words triggered a mental light bulb, and suddenly, you remembered the discussion you had with Yoongi about a potential wedding order.

“Of course,” you mumbled, still slightly shocked, but your legs instinctively guided Jiwoo towards your cluttered work table. Jungkook approached Yoongi, initiating a conversation as you apologized, “Sorry for the mess. I was preparing an order.”

The pervasive sense of inadequacy weighed heavily on you, particularly in your workplace, where the disparity between you and her became glaringly evident. She seemed as though she had never encountered the grit of physical labor, while your calloused hands bore the unspoken testament of hard work and perseverance.

Organizing your work table, you made space and grabbed your book, where meticulous notes of orders were kept. Jiwoo stood nearby, shaking her head reassuringly, “Don't worry. It's your work, and it's also very pretty,” she complimented, gesturing towards the unfinished bouquet of peonies.

Surprised by her compliment, you just nodded.

Opening the book, you located the latest orders and found Jiwoo's for a wedding. “Im Jiwoo?” you confirmed, and she nodded in affirmation.

Setting aside the inner turmoil and the pangs of inferiority, you gracefully donned your professional facade. After all, this is your job.

As you delved into the details of her request, you inquired about any changes or additions. The original order included a Bride's Bouquet, a Bouquet to throw, 2 Boutonnières for the bride and groom, an Arrangement for the altar, 2 Pedestals of 1.70 for the altar, and 80 twigs for the pews.

Jiwoo pointed delicately at your notebook, expressing her desire to add a flower arch. “That's a good idea,” you agreed, jotting down the suggestion. “What flowers are you thinking of for that arrangement?”

“I really don't know. I've seen some ideas online, but I'd like the help of a professional,” Jiwoo admitted.

“Sure, don't worry. I'll help you,” you assured her, maintaining a professional demeanor. Jiwoo moved closer, expressing her happiness that you could assist her. She admitted, “I'm very nervous, and Jimin told me that you were perfect for this.”

Surprised, you looked at her as she continued, “I was a little worried. Jungkook's group is all men, and I missed the female presence. You seemed to fall out of the sky for me. I hope we can be friends.” She looked at you expectantly and friendly.

The unexpected warmth of her words caught you off guard. Despite any initial reservations, Jiwoo's sincerity made it clear that her intentions were genuine.

Tinged with a subtle guilt for harboring feelings of jealousy and inferiority towards her, you met her gaze. Her eyes betrayed a hint of nervousness, darting from your face to your hands, as if she held back from initiating any physical contact.

“I know we haven’t held a conversation but I sense you're a good person, and Jimin holds you in high regard. I genuinely want a positive relationship with my fiancé's friends.” Her nervous tic, a lip bite, revealed a vulnerability that you couldn't ignore. “Don't feel pressured!” she exclaimed, quickly adding, “It's just that I don't have many friends. From what Jimin has shared, you seem genuinely nice, and it sparked a desire to be friends with you. Unfortunately, I missed meeting you at previous gatherings because Yoongi mentioned you couldn't make it.”

Her infectious cheerfulness and nervousness momentarily dispelled any lingering doubts you had about her character. It's not every day you find yourself befriending your ex-boyfriend's fiancée, —especially when your feelings still linger. Yet, with a strange but confident smile, you interrupted her rambling, embracing the unexpected bond.

“ I would love to,” you responded genuinely, your smile breaking through any hesitation. Her shyness melted away as she eagerly took your hands, exclaiming, “What a thrill! We are friends!”

However, a sudden realization struck her, and she looked at you with a hint of horror. “I mean, no! I mean, yes! Ugh, I mean, we're going to be friends.” The awkward stumble in her words added a touch of endearing charm to the moment.

Caught in the moment, Yoongi and Jungkook glanced your way, and you sent them an apologetic look.

As the conversation shifted to wedding preparations, Jiwoo sought your expertise on floral arrangements for the arch. She expressed a preference for a neutral color scheme that wouldn't overshadow the rest of the décor.

With a thoughtful expression, you brought your fingers to your chin. “A floral arch for an outdoor wedding could be enchanting with a combination of roses, peonies, and gypsophila. To create a fresh and romantic atmosphere, consider soft tones like whites, pinks, and greens. We can customize it based on your preferred color palette and the wedding style.”

Jiwoo nodded, her gaze drifting towards your partially finished arrangement. “I'd love something like these,” she pointed, “perhaps in white.”

“Those are indeed peonies, and we can incorporate white roses as well,” you suggested, emphasizing the elegance of the choice.

The idea resonated with Jiwoo, and she clapped her delicate hands in approval. “It looks perfect to me. White exudes elegance!”

You nodded in agreement, adding, “Since it's an outdoor wedding, the white will provide a beautiful contrast against the lush greenery of the surroundings.”

Jiwoo's smile widened. “Exactly! I'm aiming for a sober and neutral style. Most of the decorations will be in white.”

“Perfect, then I'm going to add this modification to the order. Anything else you want to change?” you inquired, diligently noting down the ideas in your notebook. Jiwoo rested her hands on the wooden counter, a contemplative look in her outlined eyes.

“The truth is that I had ordered roses, but I would like another variety of flowers. What other flower do you recommend for the missing decorations and the twigs for the benches?” she asked, seeking your expertise.

Setting your pencil aside, you surveyed the flower shop for inspiration. “Orchids, hydrangeas, or calla lilies are excellent options,” you suggested. “These flowers are commonly used in weddings, and considering their white versions should work seamlessly for your theme. Unless you have a preference for another color, which is entirely feasible.”

Jiwoo played with her shiny engagement ring, a detail that caught your attention just now. “I trust you. I think they are good options. Add them to the order,” she replied, a sense of confidence in her decision.

You nodded, jotting down the final details. “Okay, then an arch of roses and white peonies, and orchids, hydrangeas, and calla lilies for the other decorations,” you named to ensure nothing was overlooked. “Will these last ones be white?” you asked, and Jiwoo nodded. “Perfect. Anything else?”

“No, that would be it,” Jiwoo smiled, and you mirrored her expression. “Then it would be ready. If you have any queries or questions, let me know.” Jiwoo gratefully touched your arm before turning towards where your friend and her boyfriend were engaged in conversation.

“Dear!” she exclaimed, drawing their attention. “It's ready! ___ helped me choose the last details; come here so you can check them!”

Suddenly, your lunch, which you devoured an hour ago, seemed to threaten a return from your stomach. Handling Jiwoo alone was one thing, but facing Jungkook, especially in the presence of his girlfriend-fiancée, was another challenge entirely. Guilt gnawed at you for still harboring attraction towards him.

In an attempt to divert your attention, you focused on the succulent on the counter, nurturing the offspring that were emerging. You had rescued it from near death in a store window, choosing to see it as a rescue rather than theft.

Witnessing your discomfort from afar, Yoongi, a comforting presence, walked behind Jungkook.

As Jiwoo embraced Jungkook by her side, a peculiar sense of discomfort washed over you, prompting a quick diversion of your gaze towards your best friend.

“Did you already choose what you wanted?” Jungkook asked Jiwoo, his comforting gesture a stark contrast to the internal turbulence you felt. Your eyes sought solace in Yoongi, who had positioned himself beside you.

While the conversation unfolded between Jiwoo and Jungkook, Yoongi leaned in, whispering in your ear, “Are you okay?” You responded with a nod, squeezing his hand for reassurance.

“All good,” you assured him, attempting to dismiss the intensity of the situation. Yoongi reciprocated with a knowing nod. “She looks too intense,” he remarked, and you couldn't help but snort in agreement.

“Don't be like that,” you hushed him. “Although you're right, she is,” you added in a conspiratorial whisper.

Yoongi chuckled. “I'm sorry I couldn't save you. She just kidnapped you.”

You acknowledged his comment. “She did, but I genuinely believe she means well. A bit too cheerful for my taste, but I think she's a good person.”

As Yoongi absentmindedly played with the loose strands of your bun, he continued sharing his thoughts. “Yeah? The truth is that I don't know how to feel about her. I think she has too much personality. Every time I see her, she takes my energy away,” he admitted.

Understanding Yoongi's introverted nature, you empathized with his sentiments. Jiwoo's aura appeared clean and clear, devoid of any negative vibes thanks to your discerning skills. However, her vivacious personality could indeed be overwhelming, particularly for someone like Yoongi, whose energy was easily drained by social interactions.

In consideration of his well-being, you had crafted a bracelet with stones known for preserving energy, a thoughtful gift from you. Yoongi currently wore it on his wrist, unaware that it was more than a mere accessory. You had discreetly given it to him the first year you met, recognizing his need for energy preservation. It remained a secret that the bracelet wasn't just a trinket but a genuinely effective tool against energy depletion.

The flower shop's ambiance seemed to shift as Jiwoo's voice permeated the air, interrupting your quiet exchange with Yoongi.

“___ gave me the idea of the flowers we could use,” she shared, and Jungkook's appreciative smile was directed your way. The discomfort lingered, an unwelcome companion as you handed the conversational baton back to him. A quiet reminder that you were intricately involved in preparing the floral arrangements for the wedding of the person you still held a deep affection for, even if he was to wed another.

“What do you think of orchids and peonies?” Jiwoo queried, seemingly oblivious to the emotions simmering beneath the surface. “I know you love daisies, but you told me you don't want to use them for our wedding. So I think the options ___ gave me are good.”

The mention of daisies prompted your head to lift in surprise. Beside you, Yoongi shared a similar reaction, although perhaps for different reasons. Memories associated with the flower brought an unexpected wave of emotion, momentarily distracting you.

“Daisy?”

The boy smiled happily.

"You saved me in a field of Daisies. It's fitting. You're going to be Daisy.”

“They're fine,” Jungkook responded, his indifference a stark contrast to the internal turbulence you were experiencing. “They're cute.”

The necklace around your neck felt like an anchor, grounding you in the reality of the situation. Determinedly, you steadied yourself at the table, attempting to shake off the surge of memories that threatened to overpower the present.

'Come on, girl, it's just a memory,' Aunt Yoon's reassuring voice echoed in your mind, offering a momentary reprieve.

“Peonies are perfect for weddings,” Yoongi interjected, skillfully redirecting the attention away from you. Grateful for the subtle intervention, you lightly touched his arm in acknowledgment.

“They are very beautiful!” Jiwoo exclaimed, her enthusiasm evident as she squeezed Jungkook's arm. “Look, babe, ____ is making a beautiful arrangement with them.” She pointed to your unfinished bouquet.

Jungkook's gaze shifted to you, and a soft comment escaped his lips. “You have a talent for this.”

Intimidated by the unexpected praise, you nodded shyly and looked away, attempting to shield the warmth that crept onto your cheeks from Jungkook's discerning eyes.

“She does!” Jiwoo responded “I'm glad that you are the ones who take care of this for our important day.”

Both you and Yoongi exchanged smiles, though if nerves and tension hadn't gripped you, you might have found humor in the way you two stood still, akin to statues—almost like the infamous standing guy emoji.

Jiwoo's phone rang, offering a welcome interruption to the somewhat awkward atmosphere. She waved apologetically and retreated to the far side of the store.

“How long have you two been working with flowers?” Jungkook asked, his curiosity evident as he absently played with his lip piercing. Observing your still semblance, Yoongi took the initiative to respond. “Professionally, about five years for me,” your friend shared, casually leaning against the white wall. “Although this kid,” he pointed at you, “has been dedicated to them for much longer than me.”

You mentally cursed Yoongi for drawing Jungkook's attention towards you. Trying to play it cool, you simply shrugged, hoping the moment would pass without much scrutiny.

Contrary to your expectation, Jungkook pressed the issue further. “How long has it been?” he asked you, locking eyes directly with you.

Feeling a bit flustered, you toyed with the edges of your brown skirt. “All my life, I guess,” you admitted shyly. “I've had a knack for this since I was a child.”

Jungkook offered a kind smile. “It fits you perfectly.”

Confused by his remark, you looked at him, but before you could inquire further, Jiwoo returned.

“I'm sorry, it was my boss. She wants me to give her some documents,” she apologized, rejoining Jungkook and linking arms with him. “You know, the fashion industry doesn't rest! Anyway, thank you for helping us! It was a pleasure to see you... see you tomorrow!" she said, moving Jungkook along to say goodbye to both of you.

She gave you a kiss on the cheek and a half hug, repeating the gesture with Yoongi, who couldn't refuse, even if his poker face hinted at discomfort when she kissed him on the cheek. In contrast, Jungkook offered a simple half hug and a sincere smile to you and a handshake to Yoongi.

Distracted by the proximity and the unexpected hug from Jungkook, you didn't realize they were leaving the store. Jiwoo's voice from the entrance brought you back to reality: “___, remember that you are invited to the wedding!” With that, they left.

You and Yoongi exchanged dumbfounded glances, shrugging your shoulders in mutual bewilderment. The weight of the day, now felt long and heavy, lingered in the air as you reflected on the unexpected encounter with your past and the impending involvement in Jungkook's wedding preparations.

In the echoing silence of your kitchen, Salem's mocking laughter lingered as you diligently prepared the food. The sardonic feline couldn't believe the news about the wedding invitation, his disbelief evident in his amused voice, “She befriended you and invited you to the wedding? Bloody hell! Your luck is worse than mine,” he quipped, reveling in laughter.

“And you have to prepare the flower arrangements for them?” your cat continued, clutching his belly in amusement. “What a laugh, for Satan's sake, I have to write about this on my Twitter! It's so funny.”

Irritated by the recollection of Salem's mocking laughter an hour ago, you took out your frustration on the onions, chopping them with visible anger. The sharp knife sliced through the layers, absorbing the weight of your annoyance.

“Woah, what did the onion do to you?” Yoongi commented as he entered your compact kitchen, holding freshly purchased meat. Ignoring him, you continued with your task, determined to drown out the lingering echoes of Salem's laughter.

Yoongi chuckled, “You've been like this for an hour.” Unresponsive, you persisted in your culinary efforts.

Stupid Salem, you cursed internally, I hope you fall in the toilet.

Sensing your irritation, Yoongi decided against further teasing and turned on the small radio hanging by the window and above the refrigerator. The kitchen filled with the comforting hum of a radio show, providing a backdrop to your cooking and dinner preparations with Yoongi, a routine that brought a sense of warmth.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi's question cut through the rhythmic sounds of chopping as he prepared the meat beside you.

You looked at him with curiosity, “What do you mean?”

“These last few days, you've been more tired and pale,” he noted, his gaze fixed on the meat as he skillfully sliced it. “Do you feel sick?”

Yoongi's perceptiveness caught on to your exhaustion. In recent days, waking up and going to bed tired became routine, and the dark circles under your eyes grew more pronounced. Makeup became a necessity to hide the visible signs. You attributed it to recent events, but even Salem, your astute feline, began to notice. He insisted you consume a peculiar green liquid, its origin shrouded in mystery, as a potential remedy for your strange condition but still had no effect.

Unable to deny Yoongi's keen observations, you admitted, “Something, but I guess my anemia may have returned.” The mention of the past diagnosis prompted memories of the treatment you underwent.

Yoongi nodded, concern etching his features. “You should go to the doctor; if you want, I'll go with you.”

Yoongi consistently stands by your side during hospital visits, interpreting your unease as a typical fear, perhaps of needles, remaining unaware that the true source lies in spectral encounters. Your aversion is rooted in the haunting presence of departed souls and the near-dead that once relentlessly pursued and shadowed you within those clinical walls.

Acknowledging Yoongi's usual support during hospital visits, you replied,

“It's okay. I'll go if it gets worse,” tossing the cut onions into the pot of simmering water. The culinary task provided a brief distraction from the mysterious fatigue that had settled over the past few days.

Yoongi's nod was a tacit agreement as he brandished the knife in your direction. You reciprocated with a nod, diligently focusing on preparing the vegetables. “Don't worry, old man,” you teased, and both of you immersed yourselves in the culinary activities. An hour later, satiated and reclined on the couch, Salem peacefully nestled between you, the atmosphere was content.

Observing a wildlife documentary on TV, where a snake devoured a mouse in slow motion, Yoongi mused, “Wildlife is so...wild?”

You keep your eyes closed and waited for the unsettling scene to pass, snakes not being your favorite due to haunting memories of a dreadful person.

“That's the law of the jungle, my friend” you replied. “You're not even looking, Daisy,” Yoongi retorted. “I don't think watching a snake swallow Ratatouille is the best after-dinner programming,” you countered. “Come on, it could be considered one. Anyway, the snake is having raw mouse for dinner,” he remarked. You made a disgusted face, lamenting Ratatouille. As your gaze shifted to the ceiling, annoyance struck you at the sight of cobwebs around the light.

“Letting Ratatouille leave this world with dignity, tomorrow's plan still stands right?” Yoongi queried. Turning to him, you realized he was already scrutinizing you. Trying to sound nonchalant, you replied, “I guess? Why is it so important for me to go?” Distracting yourself, you stretched your bare legs on the coffee table, wiggling your toes. Yoongi snorted, “It's not that it's important that you go. It's just that you've avoided going to my home like it has the plagues of Egypt or something.”

Raising an eyebrow, you defended, “I haven't avoided your home! I told you I couldn't come.” Yoongi wore a mocking expression. “As far as I know, the only times you've refused to go to our meetings have been these last few weeks, since Jimin introduced his friend.”

His inquisitive gaze probed for clues about your thoughts or feelings. Uneasy, you played with your necklace. “It's just a coincidence,” you insisted, “It’s not weird at all.” Yoongi's eyes locked onto yours, searching. “Do you have a problem with them?” he asked pointedly.

Feeling like a child under parental scrutiny, you shifted uncomfortably. “No,” you asserted, attempting sincerity. “I don't believe you,” Yoongi countered, leaning in your direction. Uncomfortable, you fidgeted. “Why do you think I lied?” you asked. “Because I know you,” Yoongi confessed softly. Offended, you sighed, “I have no problem with them, it's just that these weeks have been strange, okay?”

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me" Yoongi pulled back. “I don't want to bother you, I just want to know what's wrong.”

You felt burdened by guilt and weighed down by regret.

You quickly took his hand “I know, I don't want you to feel bad, but I'm not ready to tell you, is it okay yet?”

He smiled and opened his arms. You throw yourself into the middle of his arms happily.

You stayed in each other's comfort for a while until Yoongi interrupted the quiet moment.

“Daisy, before I forget, do you have the botany book that you offered me? I want to read it”

You nodded, stepping out of his arms. “Yes, let me go get it.”

You got up from the couch and headed towards your room.

The botany book that you had offered to Yoongi was a relic, something that your aunt Binna had given you on your tenth birthday, something that belonged to a very talented witch in the field of botany and that helped you study and learn much more about plants. (For your good fortune, it had no vocabulary or a wink towards witchcraft.)

Arriving at your room, you took it out of your bookcase and shook it, removing the dust.

Luckily for you, the material on the outside was hard and durable, so it didn't spoil so quickly.

The botany book was almost in perfect condition—if it hadn't been for all the times you used it and that was evident in the marked corners.

You calmly returned to the living room and handed the heavy book to your friend who was petting your cat.

“You're leaving?” You asked when you saw that he got up from the couch and began to collect his things.

"Yeah, it's getting kinda late, and I think Jimin would prefer if I swing by to pick him up," he casually mentioned.

“Wait a bit! Let me pack some leftover food from dinner for Jimin” you said as you headed to the kitchen.

Swiftly, you grabbed a storage bowl, transferring the remaining delectable contents from the pot with practiced ease.

Ignorant of your surroundings, you turned around and were surprised to see Yoongi, who had something in his hand and was looking at you with a grim expression.

Before you could ask what was wrong, Yoongi interrupted you.

“Why do you have a photo with Jeon Jungkook in your book?” he said furiously, showing you what he had in his hand.

In the photograph, a radiant teenager Jeon Jungkook embraced you warmly, cradling you against his chest with evident joy, while your smile radiated, revealing the gleam of your teeth. This memorable snapshot was captured by Jungkook on the day of your first date, etching the moment in your memory.

Upon viewing the photo, you accidentally let slip the storage bowl, causing it to tumble to the ground.

Yoongi's gaze intensified as he confronted you about the unexpected photo with Jeon Jungkook. The air grew tense, and you felt a knot tightening in your stomach. Memories flooded back from your childhood and teenage years, and you hesitated before responding to his inquiry.

“I... I didn't expect you to find that,” you stammered, your eyes avoiding his accusing gaze. The photograph captured a moment frozen in time, a reminder of a past connection that you hadn't shared with Yoongi.

Silence hung in the air as Yoongi waited for an explanation, his expression a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

The tension tightens its grip on you as you grapple with how to explain your connection with Jungkook without unraveling the truth about your other life. Thoughts race through your mind, haunted by the fear of choosing between maintaining the lie and losing Yoongi, who would undoubtedly seek answers alongside Jungkook, deepening the confusion. The option to explain everything presents itself, but the looming risk of losing Yoongi forever casts a shadow. Could you reveal fragments of the truth without jeopardizing your present? Your relationship with Jungkook appears enigmatic without broaching the delicate topic you've concealed for years. Internal fear intensifies as you desperately search for a solution to preserve the present without unraveling the fragile threads of your hidden history.

You took a deep breath, summoning the courage to open up about a part of your life you had kept hidden.

“Jungkook and I were close friends back then, but things changed over time,” you began, carefully choosing your words. “It's a complicated story, and I didn't want it to affect us. I should have told you earlier.”

Little pieces of truth, you remembered yourself

Yoongi's stern expression softened slightly as he listened, but the tension lingered.

The weight of the unspoken details pressed on you as you tried to explain yourself.

In a desperate plea, you emphasized, “He's completely unaware of who I am, okay? Trust is crucial here. You can't disclose anything to him.” Swiftly interrupting any potential response, you added, “This is linked to a major secret, one that could pose a danger to you if known. I pledge to reveal all, but I need time. It's essential to verify that everything is in order, ensuring your safety. Once that's confirmed, I'll lay bare everything, addressing all your inquiries promptly.” The urgency in your words mirrored the gravity of the situation.

Yoongi's demeanor shifted from frustration to a more understanding tone. Finally, he broke the lingering silence.

“I'm bothered, ____. But for now, I'll let it slide. However, whether you like it or not, you'll have to fill me in on your connection with Jungkook,” Yoongi's words cut through the air and though you nodded frantically, the use of your name instead of your nickname stung.

“I understand; you have every right to be upset. You don't deserve to be lied to, but I need you to trust me,” you yearned to approach him, yet he instinctively took a step back. The physical retreat mirrored the emotional distance between you, a painful acknowledgment of your transgressions.

Before he could articulate his feelings, Yoongi's phone rang, momentarily diverting his attention. After a brief glance at the caller ID—Jimin—he returned his gaze to you. “It's Jimin. I have to go,” he declared, devoid of emotion. You nodded with your head lowered, absorbing the weight of the moment.

Witnessing Yoongi's anger was an unfamiliar sensation, intensifying the hurt of the situation. But before you could dwell further on your remorse, Yoongi was already at the door. Without a chance to say goodbye, he left abruptly.

Salem, who seemed to be feigning sleep, opened one eye and surveyed the room. Sensing your lingering distress, the cat extended a paw towards you.

"Well, that was terrible," Salem commented. Unwilling to engage, you retreated to your room with your head hung low, grappling with the aftermath of a fractured trust.

As Yoongi left, you couldn't shake the sense that this conversation was a turning point, and the aftermath would shape the dynamics of your relationship with him.

Gratitude washed over you for the ingenious creator of clocks as you swiftly vacated your room. The shrill reminder of your alarm spared you from succumbing to unintended sleep, a silent savior in the early hours.

Yet, another restless night haunted you, a lingering aftermath of the recent clash with Yoongi. The turbulent evening left its mark, a shadow cast upon your sleep. Hastening through a shower, you changed attire with an almost mechanical precision, dabbing on makeup to disguise the pronounced dark circles.

Ensuring your floral dress adorned you perfectly, you dashed to the kitchen, snatching your trusty emergency fruit snack – a ritual for mornings when lateness trumped the luxury of a proper breakfast

A brown leather bag swung over your shoulder, you glanced at the hallway mirror, verifying that your short hair retained its neatness.

Keys in hand, you hurriedly exited your abode, only to be halted abruptly by your neighbor from across the hall. Mrs. Hwang, a kind elderly lady who lived alone, emerged simultaneously. Her penchant for gifting cakes or sweets, citing your resemblance to her granddaughter, added a sweet touch to your encounters.

Resignedly closing your eyes, the inevitability of tardiness loomed as Mrs. Hwang spotted you. It wasn't disdain for conversation that plagued you; rather, it was the extended duration of each exchange. Pleasant as discussions about gardening were, the prospect of an hour-long dialogue felt like the worst timing possible.

In a conflicted moment, you weighed the courtesy of Mrs. Hwang against the ticking clock, realizing that the upcoming conversation, though delightful, stood as an obstacle in your race against time.

“It's my beautiful daisy!” she sweetly greeted you, and despite the inner turmoil caused by your delayed departure, you offered a warm smile.

“Mrs. Hwang,” you responded as she approached, her steps limited by the weariness in her legs. “Every day I see you, you get prettier,” she complimented, prompting an internal eyebrow raise. Uncertain if her kindness veiled the truth of your tired appearance or if she needed stronger glasses, you maintained your pleasant demeanor.

“Don't be like that,” you replied shyly, “You're the one who looks pretty. Did you change your hair color? It looks good on you.”

Mrs. Hwang adjusted her glasses, clearly pleased with your compliment. “Likewise,” she responded, “I went to the hairdresser yesterday.” As she delved into the details of her salon visit, you subtly checked your watch, each passing minute intensifying your internal distress. If Yoongi was upset with yesterday, he wouldn't be pleased today. He despised unpunctuality.

In your mind, escape plans took shape. Triggering the fire alarm was considered and promptly dismissed due to the potential chaos of an evacuation. A subtler idea surfaced – turning on Mrs. Hwang's television or radio, objects she detested in the mornings. You could bid your farewell as she turned it off, then make a swift exit.

Concealing your hand behind your back, you snapped your fingers, and moments later, the television inside Mrs. Hwang's apartment blared to life. She grimaced. “I hate the electricity in this place. It always turns the television on or off without my permission. Just a moment, my dear, I'll go turn it off.”

Exhilarated by the success of your diversion, you seized the moment. As Mrs. Hwang began her retreat, you promptly exclaimed, “I'm sorry, Mrs. Hwang, but an emergency came up. We'll catch up later. Good morning!” The words, premeditated but delivered in the heat of the moment, were your cue. With purposeful energy, you swiftly dashed down the aged hallway as if tomorrow hinged on every hurried step.

Without casting a backward glance, you descended the stairs in haste, aiming for the second floor. However, your progress was abruptly halted as a dog leaped onto you midway up the staircase. As you grappled with the unexpected canine intruder, you realized it was none other than Bam.

You stopped for a second, if Bam was here, then his owner was…

The echo of a male voice, filled with agitation, reverberated through the tiled space with a resounding “Bam!” In a swift maneuver, Jungkook ascended the stairs, his figure materializing before you in less than five seconds. He scolded his pet for running without permission, oblivious to your presence until he reached the halfway point, where he noticed your brown summer sandals.

Seizing the moment, his gaze lifted, locking onto yours. A mix of surprise and joy animated his features. “Daisy!” he exclaimed, catching you off guard with the nickname. Instinctively, you checked your necklace, confirming the spell's persistence. Uncertain whether to embrace the relief of its continued efficacy or acknowledge a tinge of disappointment at his apparent lack of recognition, you hesitated.

“Daisy?” you exclaimed, caught off guard. Jungkook, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, responded, “That's your name, right?” He nervously played with his lip piercing, mentioning, “Yoongi and Jimin call you that. It's okay, isn't it?” Concern was evident in his voice.

Still taken aback, you nodded and explained, “It's my nickname; everyone calls me that.” Jungkook, slightly anxious, touched his neck, asking, “Is it okay if I call you that, or do you prefer your actual name?” Observing his fidgety leg movements, you recognized his nervous tic.

“It's not that I'm unaware of your name; it's just that the nickname is endearing,” he began to ramble. “And it makes sense, you know, like you're this flower girl…”

You interjected, realizing he wouldn't stop unless you clarified the uncertainty.

“It's okay, I prefer to be called that. Don't worry.” Wanting to ease his nerves, you added a small smile. Jungkook, visibly relieved, sighed, “That's good. I thought I offended you.”

He tenderly caressed Bam's head, and a smile formed on your lips as you observed the affectionate scene.

Curiosity laced his words, “What are you doing here?” you looked at him, mildly surprised.

Nonchalantly, you replied, “I live here,” as if it were the most evident fact in the world.

His stunned expression prompted you to confirm, “Do you live here?” You nodded, mirroring his disbelief. “Yeah?”

A few seconds of silence hung in the air as you and Jungkook exchanged looks. Breaking the stillness, you decided to inquire, “What are you doing here?”

His surprise mirrored yours, “I live here,” he responded. You couldn't conceal your astonishment, “As?”

Unfazed, Jungkook explained, “I mean, I've been living here since today. I just moved.”

You internally prayed for an available apartment other than the one next to yours in this worn-out complex. However, your hopes dwindled as Jungkook revealed, “I moved to the third floor. Apartment E65?” He attempted to persuade you with a hopeful expression.

‘Oh, for hell’s sake!’ you mentally exclaimed.

Your luck took a peculiar turn as your apartment turned out to be e66.

The name of the apartment wasn't just a coincidence; you couldn't help but grin mentally because, yes, you deliberately chose the apartment with the striking resemblance to 666. It became a private joke between you and Salem, and while you might claim it had nothing to do with the reference, the sly smile on your face everytime you read it hinted at a mischievous decision when you picked that particular unit.

In this moment, recalling the name of your apartment only stirred up fear and annoyance. Whether it was a cosmic prank or sheer fate, having Jungkook weave into every aspect of your life lately has reached its breaking point.

Dealing with him as part of your common group of friends and begrudgingly handling floral arrangements for his wedding were one thing, but having him as your neighbor crossed a line. You stood frozen, still wearing a surprised expression.

Curiosity laced Jungkook's inquiry, “What apartment do you live in?” The universe seemed to be playing a cruel joke, and you contemplated whether to cry, throw yourself down the stairs, or express your anger at this twisted fate. Unfortunately, you settled for the last option.

“Apparently, we're neighbors,” you tried to sound casual, but the attempt failed masterfully. Jungkook's head lifted upon hearing you.

“Really?” he asked, and you couldn't ignore the overly happy tone in his voice. Your carefully crafted plan to keep Jungkook at a distance crumbled.

“So it seems,” you blurted out, your tone edged with a touch of sarcasm. The realization hit – your hopes of maintaining distance from Jungkook had gone down the drain, and you couldn't escape the impending proximity.

In that moment, an unsettling thought crept in—was this twist of fate payback for erasing Jungkook's memories of you a decade ago? The cosmic irony hung heavy, and you couldn't escape the feeling that destiny, with a wry sense of humor, was unfolding a new chapter where past actions came full circle.

#bts fanfic #bts fic #bts jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fic #jungkook x oc #jungkook x reader #magic au #bts #jungkook fiction #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook and reader

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liennka · 7 months

Text

Mizumono

Hannibal Lecter x Will's daughter X Will Graham

Summary: Will was supposed to help Jack with killing Hannibal, but he arrived too late and with him, his daughter, Y/n.... (s2e13)

-> This one is filled with angst, but i realised that's just what i am good at :) I am open to any criticism (be nice pls).

I just wanted to say that I am not the owner of this show, but I did make this story, so don't copy it without my knowledge, thank you.

When Alana called about the warrant, Will didn't panic. He told Y/n to go downstairs, urging her to turn off the lights and grab a jacket. And as the police headlights came through the windows, they ducked and crawled on all fours to the back door, Will grabbing his gun. Outside, hidden in the darkness, they ran across their property, stopping on a road. The rain soaked their clothes, though at least the ground wasn't muddy, otherwise they'd be easy to track. A taxi pulled up and Will gave him an address.

"Hannibal Lecter's house? Why are we going from one danger to another?" Y/n asked, much rather preferring a McDonald's or a cinema.

"Because Jack will be there, and right now nowhere is safe," her father whispered, looking out the window, "and maybe it's the only address I know."

"That's probably it. What are we going to do then? Have a cup of tea with him and chat with Hannibal?" she sarcastically teased.

"I gave him time to leave, nothing should happen".

Y/N wasn't so sure.

----●----●----●----

When they got off, her father couldn't have been more wrong. Alana laid there, glass broken, rain rinsing blood from her hair. She seemed dead, just the twitching from shock making her shoulders move up and down.

"Alana!" Will rushed to her and wrapped her in his coat.

Y/n made note of her surroundings. The front door opened, all sorts of wet footsteps on the carpet, the second floor window busted. And a bloody burgundy dahlia looking at her from a pot near the entrance.

"Betrayal," she hummed, crouching down beside Alana.

Will looked at her as if she was crazy. He had just called the ambulance and left Alana his phone.

"The flowers," Y/n pointed out, "I guess he's inside.”

"Jack's there too," Alana choked out.

Y/N was surprised, she thought Alana's rib cage was too damaged to speak, but Alana proved her wrong. Will nodded and stood up, his gun in both hands. Y/n stayed a little longer, not caring that her hair was now sticking to her ears and causing her to feel cold.

----●----●----●----

As she opened the door to the kitchen, the smell of blood hit her. There were knives, plates and glass everywhere, two pairs of shoes standing in the midst of it all. As she looked up, Hannibal's silhouette greeted her.

"You were supposed to leave!" Will was standing in front of him.

"I couldn't leave without you two," Hannibal said affectionately.

Y/n did not know who 'you two' meant, but had a hunch that it included her. Strangely, Hannibal didn't even spare her a look, placing his palm on Will's cheek as if to caress it. They both had such an intense gaze, the sexual tension almost making Y/n turn around to give them some privacy. The scenery looked like a theater piece, a tragedy at that. They dove into their world, where she didn't exist and where they spoke in a different language, or maybe she just lost her hearing from how loud her heart was beating. Either way, Y/n wanted to separate them, to drag her dad back to their house, back to their dogs.

She did not see the knife coming from her point of view. Her father simply yelped and took a step forward, crashing into Hannibal's arms. This wasn't real, no. Hannibal would never hurt Will, he was like the other half of his soul, she lied to herself. But there was a red stain on his shirt and when Hannibal embraced him, the weapon remained in his hand, as if to mock them. Y/n stood motionless, no sound could break through her frozen vocal chords. She never thought this would happen, her chest tightening and her eyes filling with tears of pure terror.

The impact of Will's body aligned with her first fallen tear. His body fell directly into a pool of Jack's blood, his pants soaking it up. A few droplets of their mixed blood landed on her shoe, ruining her white trainers. Y/n swallowed nauseously, not daring to look into her fathers eyes.

Hannibal leaned forward, his crescent-shaped blade back on the counter.

"I have let you know me, see me," Hannibal paused as Will struggled to breathe, "I gave you a rare gift, but you didn't want it.”

"Didn't I?" Will insisted heartbroken, his eyebrows knitted tightly together. He seemed distressed, but more than anything, he was furious.

Y/n shut herself off, not wanting to remember her father so frail, choosing to merely listen. And when she heard Hannibal mention the shattered teacup again, something in her snapped. She opened her pocket knife behind her back, using it for the first time since she bought it after the encounter with Tobias. Her fight-or-flight instinct flipped a coin and settled on fight. In a blink of an eye, she was standing behind Hannibal, her knife placed just under his jaw.

Y/n had no idea what she was doing. Her mind told her to end it, to be free at last. But her heart knew that was not possible, not in this life. She couldn't stop shaking, so she applied more force, making him bleed a little. Will sucked in his breath, not quite understanding what was going on as this was out of character for her.

"We are not a shattered teacup. You can't glue us back together and pretend like nothing happened," Y/n croaked in his ear, her voice high-pitched.

The blade suddenly twitched as a chuckle erupted from Hannibal’s chest.

"No, you certainly are not just a piece of pottery, but you are indeed fragile."

“You should have left when Will told you to. Instead you slaughtered them all, rightfully or not, whether you believe in God or not. There is no excuse for that,” Y/n hissed, her disappointment in him turning her words bitter.

"I should have seen it coming…you made us so blind," her disappointment in herself turning her words sour.

Alana's happy face when she gave her a handmade sweater, or Jack and Bella's Christmas party, it was all over. Her bright future turned dim.

"I just wanted us to be a family. Why," she sobbed, a big droplet falling on the floor, "why can't I have a genuine family for once?"

----●----●----●----

Taking advantage of her state of mind, Hannibal grabbed her hand, pulling the knife away from his throat and spinning her around. He took her face in his palms, making her look at him. Y/n had teardrops on her chin, red spots on her irritated skin, her lips chapped and her eyelashes littered with fresh tears. He wiped them away so she had a clear view of him. However, he was no better, his normally perfectly sleek bangs were now messy, blood on his collar and some drying under his nose. He was bruised and in pain, yet he still looked like the most charismatic man she had ever seen. A charismatic man that attempted to erase her father's existence.

"You don't get to start over after what you've just done, that's not fair!” she tried to wriggle out of his grip, “You hurt Will and you broke my trust. What do you expect us to do?"

"Nothing, such is life. Don't fight it, let it all go."

Y/n raised her eyebrows in disbelief, a single tear running down her cheek. By now she could care less about having a weapon on her side, she felt she had already lost.

"'And what if I don't want to let it go, to forget or forgive?"

"Then you lose yourself," Hannibal directed his gaze back to Will, "I forgive Will. Will he forgive me?"

"'Don't. No, no, no!" Will uttered for the first time after his collapse.

It broke his heart, but there was nothing to be done, his design was meant to be finished and everything had to go according to plan. He pried her knife from her slack hold, unbeknown to her.

"What are you tal-" Y/n's question couldn't be finished as she was silenced.

Her own knife, now in Hannibal's possession, was plunged blade deep into her side, almost identically to her father's. She yelped as she felt her muscles being torn apart, the stinging as Hannibal yanked it out causing her to choke. Her eyes opened wide as if trying to comprehend what was happening. The searing pain in her torso sent her to the ground, but it was the pain in her heart that made her burst out crying again, only this time it would not stop. Hannibal slowly lowered her down beside Will, splattering the tiles with her blood and tears like the rain would.

She shook, struggling to catch her breath. With one hand she pressed against her wound, with the other she found her father's hand and weakly squeezed it. She felt his cold fingers, the energy draining from his body.

"Dad," Y/n muffled her cries.

Will wanted to help her, to hold her and console her, but he'd been bleeding for so long he couldn't even open his mouth. He had no choice but to watch with half-closed eyes as the entire room bathed in red.

"You can make it all go away. Put your head back, close your eyes," Hannibal reached for Will's shoulder and met his eyes. "Wade into the quiet of the stream".

Y/n blinked at Hannibal for a second, but instead of a man, she saw a red horned monster with black dahlias sprouting from its eye sockets. So this was his true self, she realised.

“We were never meant to work, were we?” she clutched at Hannibal's trousers with her bloodied fingers.

There was a silence for a while, Will's labored breathing slowing and her own sniffles fading to silent tears. Hannibal knelt down and ruffled her wet hair.

And as her father closed his eyes, Hannibal asked her: "Will you forgive me?"

Y/n wanted to say no. She wanted to send him into the pond of burgundy ink as well, but her own mind said otherwise.

"'Maybe, if you promise to make us work."

He smiled and stood up, not looking at her again. As his footsteps faded away, Y/n's warm blood grew chilly and her eyes heavy. With her last strength she kissed her father's knuckles, her last tears streaming down her face.

----●----●----●----

She shed tears for how pitiful her ending was. And as her vision got blurrier, she bid farewell to her life.

#child reader #hannibal nbc #original character #hannibal lecter #teen reader #will graham #angst #hurt/no comfort #tw blo0d #tw blade #female reader #x reader #platonic #hannigram #hannibal x reader #will graham x reader #will graham x hannibal lecter #hannibal

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tatsumessy · 1 year

Text

Love at first sight - (rin itoshi)

Nagi: come to the game you won’t regret it, and afterwards you can meet the team

you: fine, don’t expect me to like it.

Nagi, your childhood bestfriend (since birth) who you were friends with before Reo. Which was weird, Nagi is a lazy successful bastard who started taking orders from a rich kid who wanted to go against his parents wishes. They became best friends and after they left for blue lock and came back Nagi was different. More determined, independent, he wanted to do things for himself. Because you two are so close you considered each other like brother and sister what helped more was that both of your parents were bestfriend so you basically were siblings.

Once he became a famous soccer player for the national team you stuck to being a business owner. You ran a flower company with my franchises around the country soon hoping to expand further.

Getting ready for the game you didn’t want to seem like one of Nagi’s fan girls and wear his jersey so you opted to wear a long ankle length fitted skirt with a long sleeve crop top pairing it with light green sneakers. It wasn’t a normal outfit anyone would wear to a soccer game but this wasn’t your style so you just wore what you’d wear on a normal work day.

With your bag hanging off your arm and shades in place you watched Nagi and his team win the game with ease which didn’t surprise you. Every morning while setting up for the day you would read all the news headlines and they never seemed to stay out of the spot light with their amazing talent. Especially one player. Itoshi Rin. He was an all star who shine remarkably amongst his team of also remarkable players.

Standing up you were starting to walk down the steps leading to the main platform before heading down the tunnel when your phone buzzed twice.

Nagi: come to the team tunnel

Nagi: instead of taking a right, take a left. Simple enough for you to find.

Mentally cursing yourself you forgot that he wanted to meet so you did what he said and the first room you found you knocked on it, waiting for your lazy brother to step out but instead it was his teammate. Itoshi Rin.

Man was he good looking, the small beads of sweat dripping down his forehead all the way to his chin. His messy damp hair due to the sweat glued to his forehead while his teal eyes stared at your figure waiting for you to speak. “Do I need to call security?” He spoke up and your face started to heat up, not only were you embarrassed but his voice was so smooth and sexy. It fit him to a T and you would openly admit that.

“I’m looking for my brother. Nagi Seishiro.” You spoke up keeping your gaze low, you didn’t want him to see the rising blush on your cheeks. The door suddenly slammed shut causing you to flinch making your sunglasses that were sitting on the top of your head fall onto your nose.

A few more minutes passed and you were going to walk away but then the door swung open and Nagi popped out with his whole team behind him. “Y/N!” Someone shouted from behind Nagi immediately engulfing you in a big hug. “Reo, good to see you.” You said awkwardly pushing him away once feeling his sweaty hair touch the side of your face.

“Guys this is Nagi’s sister, Y/n.” Reo introduced knowing Nagi wasn’t going too, you smiled waving your hand towards everyone. They all introduced themselves and as time passed you could feel someone staring at you. Looking to find the culprit you were met with those same real eyes that bore holes into you just thirty minutes ago.

“We were all going out to eat so celebrate the win, wanna come?” Nagi asked throwing his arm over your shoulder, you accepted and all of you walked out of the stadium going to separate cars. Nagi following you obviously because he hates driving knowing someone better can offer up to drive. What a lazy sob.

Arriving last to the restaurant there were only two seats left and Nagi took the one next to Isagi leaving the last seat next to Rin. “You don’t act like Nagi.” Rin spoke up grabbing your attention, you smiled at the familiar statement. “We’re not actually related. Bestfriends. But because our moms are really close and planned our births days apart we’re basically siblings.” You looked over at Nagi who seemed to be enjoying himself in the presence of his friends.

“I’ve never seen someone wear a skirt to a soccer game before.” He again spoke this time embarrassing you even more, “I-I’ve never been to a soccer game before. This was my first time, I didn’t know what to wear and I definitely wasn’t going to wear Nagi’s stupid uniform.” You responded stuffing a piece of bread in your mouth. “You could’ve worn mine.” He retaliated looking down at you.

Swallowing the piece quickly trying not to choke you covered your mouth trying to respond, “What? I wasn’t going to wear some random players jersey number.” “I’m not random anymore. So next time wear my number, it’ll be better soccer attire. Not that I’m complaining with what you’re wearing right now.” There it is. The way his eyes ran up and down your body and the way they looked into your eyes devouring what dignity you had.

Your have lit up once again for the third time in the time span of two hours because he said you looked good. Any guy could come up to you and tell you that you look good but when it comes from Rin why is it making your stomach do backflips? Why is he making you smile the way that you are.

The two of you talked for a little while about random things getting to know each other a little better when your phone started to ring. “Excuse me.” You spoke standing up and heading outside to take the call in private.

It was your assistant calling to transfer you to another phone call. This call was with a foreign investor who wanted to invest in your company, in order for this plan to be set in motion you need to travel to the states which wasn’t a big deal for you. “Right. I will see you tomorrow. Thank you.” Hanging up the phone you excitedly did a little victory run in place before heading back inside to grab your things.

Rin looked up at you curiosity filling him as you looked back at him figuring out what to say. You leaned down next to his ear and whispered, “Thank you for the company.” Without anyone noticing you placed a small kiss on his cheek and walked over to Nagi.

“I’m leaving. Go home with Reo.” You kissed the top of his head and left the restaurant mentally regretting not asking Rin for his number.

Unknown: Rude of you to leave without a proper goodbye.

You looked at your phone wondering who could be texting you especially with such a cryptic message like that.

You: Who is this?

Unknown: Rin Itoshi.

Dropping your phone on your bed you stared at the message wondering how he got your number in the first place while also trying to figure out what you were going to say back to him.

Your heart was pounding against your rib cage as you picked up your phone fingers froze over the keypad waiting for your mind to give you the right words to say.

You: What we’re you expecting?

Rin: Idk a kiss maybe 🤔

You: So a kiss on the cheek wasn’t enough?

Rin: It was pretty lukewarm.

You laughed at his comment quickly replying back then throwing your phone on the night stand and pulling your laptop back on your lap to continue working.

“Building a faction in the states is a lot of work Nagi. What do you expect me to do, drop everything because my whiny brother misses me?” You spoke standing in the mirro while holding the phone up to your ear so that you could look to see if you looked okay. “It’s been four years Y/n. You gave me a shitty goodbye and you still haven’t come back.” He whined again for the fifth time over the phone. You laughed walking over to the bed to sit down so that you could strap on your heels. “Trust me, after the ribbon cutting and signing event tonight I’ll be coming home last next week. Don’t you have a game? Focus on that.” You responded picking up your binder alongside your bag with your keys.

You finally ended the call with Nagi turning to be met with the half naked figure lying in your hotel bed. Grabbing the pillow you threw it at his face causing him to sit up slightly annoyed. “I’m pressing charges.” He spoke forcing an exaggerated laugh to fall from your chapped lips. “You.” Pointing your finger in his direction, “Go home. Just like I told that punk over the phone. You have a game.” Rin rolled his eyes sitting up slowly while stretching his arms to wake himself up.

“Where are you going?” He asked watching you move around the room to make sure you had everything, “Meetings all day. I’m not joking, by the time I come back you better be gone.” He gave you an annoyed sigh as he sat the staring down at the sheets waiting for a sign telling him to get out the bed and start packing his stuff. Before leaving you walked over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek ready to leave then but he stopped you.

“Remember last time you left with just giving me a kiss on the cheek?” He said stopping you again in your tracks, “yeah I ended up in a long term relationship. What’s next marriage?” “Maybe.” You laughed and gave him a quick kiss and the lips and left the room locking it behind you.

After a couple weeks of you being gone Rin randomly texted you out of no where and openly pursued you. Even though on tv or whatever it never looked like something he would do but it most definitely is. He straight up told you during a phone call one night that the moment he laid eyes on you and you lack of soccer attire he was hooked.

After a year of just texting and calling with occasional facetimes he decided that he needed to see you. He showed up at your hotel and the two of you spend the most romantic and amazing night together, end ended with his asking you to be his girlfriend and you obviously accepted.

You had awesome staff back in Japan so you never needed a reason to go back especially because your boyfriend was so willing to come and see you anytime he felt like it. Next thing you know four years have gone by and the hard work you had put into this project is finally complete in five different states.

It was finally time for you to come home and the day you were coming back there was a game going on and Rin made sure that whenever you came back you had a jersey to wear. His jersey, like his actual game jersey. You paired it with some jeans and some matching Jordan’s actuall somewhere fitting soccer attire.

The moment you sat down in the seat with your assistant sitting next to you the players walked out and as you were admiring your boyfriend from afar, he suddenly wasn’t so far and was standing right infront of you. Well not infront but right on the field in your general direction, he beckoned for you with his eyes and you obliged standing up and walked over with your arms folded across your chest due to the cool windy air blowing on you.

You stood behind the railing waiting for him to speak but instead he jumped up hoisting himself up to where he was face to face with you then planted a long gentle kiss right on your lips. Everyone in the crowd gasped and screamed in shock, joy, excitement, whatever emotion high intense soccer fans have whenever a cold hearted player like Rin Itoshi kisses some random girl infront of thousands.

He pulls away and jumps down shouting something while running away, “Thanks for my good luck kiss.” You started walking back to your seat trying to ignore the glaring stares of the people behind you. “You’re dating THE ITOSHI RIN???” Your assistant asked covering her mouth out of excitement. Letting out a huge sigh you rolled your eyes and crossed one leg over the other while crossing your arms and straightening your back. “Sadly.” You stared at the field watching the players warm up ready for the game as your face heated up in excitement.

The game obviously ended with their team winning and as you and your assistant stood up walking down the tunnel towards the exit you heard someone calling your name but chose to ignore it because it would be weird for someone to be calling your name at a soccer game. You had kept walking scrolling through your phone stopping when you noticed an article with a picture of Rin kissing you.

“Ms. L/N, there’s someone calling for you.” You hummed at her statement briefly scanning the article some more. Your steps started moving forward once again until you were forcefully grabbed by your waist being flushed against someone’s chest. “I hate when you ignore me.” Rin spoke wrapping his arm around your waist.

“Rinnie, sorry. I was looking at something.” You smiled putting your phone in your tote bag, he glanced right at said bag but chose to ignore it. “I didn’t know you were coming back today. Did it slip your mind to tell me?” He spoke walking beside you and your assistant towards the exit, “Y/N!!” You flinched hearing the oh so familiar voice call your name. Nagi walked over pulling you into a tight hug smiling brightly at your presence.

“You came back.” “I told you I was coming back.” He scoffed pulling you towards the exit leaving your boyfriend and assistant behind. “Nagi, my assistant and Rin. We’re leaving them behind.” “See, when did that start?” You looked at him confused knowing damn well you knew what he was talking about. “When did you and mr. lukewarm back there start dating? When did my sister start dating, that is so unlike you.” The both of you laughed finally getting out of the humid tunnel, the both of you walked over to your car laughing and joking around about the thought of you dating.

“You know the first night we met, at your game. I gave him a kiss on the cheek right before I left. That was the first time I ever showed interest in someone like more than just, a petty crush. Then when he texted me, I just fell harder.” He leaned against the car watching you fidget with your finger on the verge of crying, you were talking about what you felt when Rin stepped into your life. “He tried. He pushed himself to me, he flew to the states even if it was just to spend one night with me. Four years ago I fell in love with Rin.”

Nagi smiled looking up behind you sighing, “Man what happened to the single duo. Your killing me kin.” He took the keys from your hand unlocking the car and getting in the passenger side with your assistant sitting in the backseat leaving you and Rin alone standing outside of the car. “You love me? That’s crazy.” He spoke using his hand to push some hair behind your ear, “what if I was telling Nagi I loved him, you were ease dropping too hard.” He rolled his eyes at your statement looking into the car noticing your assistant staring at the both of you while Nagi was playing a game on his phone.

“Come home with me, I’m trying to propose to you tonight but I can’t do that if you have to babysit your brother.” “It’s not a proposal if you tell me about it.” You laughed gently rubbing the back of his head giving him a much needed head massage. “Why would I keep secrets from you? I want to propose to you tonight and I want to spend it alone with YOU.” He emphasized letting you go for a quick second, his hand pulled on the door handle opening the drivers side door not for you but for himself.

“Nagi, Y/n is coming with me tonight, can you take her assistant home?” “Uh sure.” Nagi responded not looking up from him game. Rin shut the door and grabbed your hand to bring you to his car. You smiled pressing a kiss on his lips the closing the door behind yourself.

#itoshi rin #itoshi rin x reader #itoshi rin x y/n #blue lock rin itoshi #rin itoshi x reader #blue lock rin #bllk rin #rin itoshi #bllk rin itoshi #rin itoshi x you #rin itoshi x y/n #itoshi brothers #itoshi rin x you #nagi seishiro #reo mikage #bllk x y/n #bllk anime

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musicforastylesrestaurant · 2 months

Note

Famous y/n!! Harry going to her opening night of tour 🥺

masterlist || ask me anything <3

authors note - the second i saw those photos and videos i just knew that i needed to do something and so this is what ive come up with. thanks to the beautiful anon that reccomended jade thirlwall for the face claim because she is an actual beaut 💞 all songs used in this are not owned by me and go to there rightful owner !! and i know harry was spotted in New York but for the purpose of this ive changed it up a bit 💗

SEPTEMBER, 2023.

liked by harrystyles, taylorswift and 1,463,187 others

yourinstagram, The Daydreamer’s Tour. UK & Europe, 2024.

view all comments.

username, no fucking way.

username, screaming crying throwing up rn

username, new album alert 👀

taylorswift, oh im so excited for you girly!!

yourinstagram, 😘😘

username, whys there only ten dates?

username, two london shows??

username, so does this mean she’s gonna release a new album??

username, oh my god i feel like i might cry.

yourinstagram, no because same

username, omg what a queen!

OCTOBER, 2023.

liked by annetwist, zayn and 2,479,471 others

yourinstagram, can’t believe im saying this but my new album ‘daydreamers’ is going to be released november 1st, it is available to pre-save right now. 💗

view all comments.

username, AHHHHHH

username, i knew it

harrystyles, so proud x

yourinstagram, ❤️❤️

username, queen

username, i have no words

username, Harry being a supportive boyfriend right there

username, this isn’t about Harry this is about (Y/N)

username, let’s give her her moment pls and thx

username, I didn’t expect this ngl

louist91, proud of you girl x

DECEMBER, 2023.

liked by username, username and 4,389 others

harryflorals, HARRY SPOTTED BUYING FLOWERS IN LONDON TODAY !!

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username, oh this is just the cutest

username, baby girl right there

username, HS4 at midnight

username, we wish

username, he’s so boyfriend

yourinstagram, pookie 🥺

username, nah tf??

username, she knows who harryflorals is??

username, for (y/n)??

username, is it weird that we can spot him even when he’s covering his face?

username, fr fr

MESSAGES.

JANUARY, 2024.

liked by niallhoran, leighannepinnock and 846,190 others

yourinstagram, tomorrow couldn’t come sooner .

view all comments.

username, umm excuse me ma’am

username, what the hell is this

harrystyles, 👀👀

username, nah tf?

username, never knew you standing on some stairs could be so attractive

username, what’s tomorrow??

annetwist, so excited darling

username, nahhhh im scared

liked by harrystyles, madisonbeer and 1,643,901 others

yourinstagram, STYLE is out now people, go stream it, go enjoy it and I’ll be seeing you all very very soon 💞

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username, she’s evil for this 😭

username, couple goals fr

username, this is the best thing that’s happened to me this year

harrystyles, am i the drama?

yourinstagram, 🫖🫖

username, i love these two together ngl

username, ahfjenahfjrhw

username, listened and loved it already hun

username, this video was everything and more baby girl

harry via instagram stories !!

FEBRUARY, 2024.

liked by harrystyles, perrieedwards and 743,718 others

yourinstagram, hi huns! you can read my brand new interview now with @mfasrmag and can find out all my juicy goss ! it was such a pleasure to meet all these kind people, love you bubbas 💗💞

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username, read and loved!

username, when she mentioned harry it was the cutest thing ever

gemmastyles, adored everything about this

username, 🥺

username, you were so real and raw for this

username, when you said that you were getting emotional speaking about your tour it made me want to cry with you

username, your gorgeous!

liked by username, username and 2,179 others

ynupdates, excerpt from (y/n)s interview with mfasrmag 🥹

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username, okay this was absolutely adorable

username, ‘he’s my bestfriend’ like why am i sobbing??

username, this whole interview was heart wrenching

username, so your telling me you were his inspiration behind watermelon sugar?

username, LOLLLLL

username, im so glad she did this interview

username, girly you shouldn’t care what other people think about you!

MARCH, 2024.

liked by perrieedwards, gigihadid and 931,743 others

yourinstagram, excuse perrie staring me down for drinking a cuppa mid rehearsal, but it’s the last one before tour starts 👀 can’t wait to see your lovely faces 😘

tagged, perrieedwards

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username, im seeing you in oslo im so excited!

username, your couldn’t come sooner enough

perrieedwards, was simply just wondering where mine was

yourinstagram, uh huh sure you were

username, i swear i only got the tickets yesterday

username, your your fits are gonna rock i can just tell

gemmastyles, so excited !!

yourinstagram, 🥹😘

username, there relationship is so cute

liked by harrystyles, kaiagerber and 2,319,385 others

yourinstagram, ‘larger than life’ a song just for you written with a very special someone. enjoy lovelie, as this is for you and everything you have done for me and continue to do for me 💞💞

tagged, harrystyles

view all comments.

username, nahhh tf is this??

username, the day of tour???

harrystyles, it was a pleasure x

yourinstagram, ❤️

username, okay now im a sobbing mess

username, power couple right there

username, her and harry are dating?

username, they have been for the past four years

username, you and harry producing a song together??

username, y’all just know this song is going to be a masterpiece

username, this is legit ultimate couple goals ngl

taylorswift, ahhh girly this is so exciting!!

yourinstagram, 🥹😘

liked by username, username and 6,381 others

ynupdates, FIRST LOOK AT YN FOR OPENING NIGHT !

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username, STOP IM DYING

username, she’s legit gorgeous!

username, greens her colour

username, like the colour of Harry’s eyes

username, imagines that’s why she chose to wear it 😭

username, she looks so happy

username, i think im in love

liked by username, username and 9,371 others

harryflorals, HARRY SPOTTED AT YNS FIRST SHOW IN LONDON TONIGHT !

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username, oh he’s so boyfriend

username, the pink phone case 😭

username, making me go feral

username, he’s like a proud mom

username, he’s her biggest supporter

username, he better be at all of her shows 🙏🙏

harry via instagram stories !!

/ /

liked by username, username and 5,371 others

ynupdates, part of yns speech during London night one !

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username, okay this is making me cry

username, she’s always have our support !

username, sobbing

username, WE??

username, i take it she means harry?

username, do they live together?

username, there so in love

username, our day one girly

liked by username, username and 4,371 others

ynupdates, harry and yn leaving the venue tonight after London night one!

view all comments.

username, one of the best nights of my life

username, leave the two of them alone ffs

username, she’s trying to hide her face give the two of them a break!

username, this night was better then my wedding day

username, im seeing her in five days

username, lucky

yn via instagram stories !!

/ /

liked by harrystyles, perrieedwards and 2,381,904 others

yourinstagram, wow….last night was everything and more, thank you so much to every single person that turned up and supported me, you simply don’t understand how much it means, my heart is consisting simply trying to put it into words.

first of all, i’d like to say a massive thank you to @perrieedwards for agreeing to support me through this leg of your, you were amazing and will continue to be amazing,

and to my day one, my h. my world thank you so much for every single thing that you do and please continue to inspire me say in and day out. there’s no way i would have been able to do this without you by my side. 🥹❤️

tagged, perrieedwards, harrystyles

view all comments.

perrieedwards, 🥹

username, perrie was actually phenomenal last night !

username, I love her relationship with harry so badly it actually hurts my heart

username, if they ever break up my life will officially be over

username, I cried when she came on stage

username, best night of my life

harrystyles, we’ll always be each other’s inspiration x

yourinstagram, forever and ever x

username, Paris couldn’t come any sooner

137 notes · View notes

respectthepetty · 6 months

Text

Background Noise in 7 Days Before Valentine

7 Days Before Valentine is giving me The Luminous Solution vibes, and that is not a good thing, but visually? It's serving!

The color coding already told us that our protagonist, Sunshine, is the devil (read: he sucks).

He was filming an ad for a fragrance called Devil with a K-pop idol named Jeff (no comment), and he was playing Mephistopheles, a devil who sold his soul for power.

When he left the studio, he exited out of a red door (hell).

He noticed a girl falling (or even pushed her) but focused on texting instead, and ended his message with a devil emoji. 😈

And the scene ended with the girl on the floor as he walked away.

It started to rain as Sunshine's boyfriend, Rain, waited for him.

When Sunshine entered the shop, all the umbrellas were black.

But when he exited, all of the umbrellas were red and the shot was slightly tilted.

In the shop, the owner warned him that he was being careless about love and not putting the time and effort into it, which Sunshine dismissed. The owner finally gave him a flower that was "big enough to stand the Rain."

And the assistant emphasized that the flower, which he named "Marie" (like the mother of all good guys?), loves "Rain" before the owner told Sunshine that "Flowers get you high, but liquor makes you see the truth."

Sunshine showed up to the restaurant in his red jacket with the devil horns on and offered Rain the flower and some of the perfume, but Rain is allergic to it. Sunshine told Rain he bought them tickets to Japan so they could celebrate in the snow. (When hell freezes over, I guess?)

Therefore, Rain understandably broke up with Sunshine at a place called "The End of the Road"

Rain told Sunshine that he is condescending, immature, and selfish, and left him for a college student named Air (like a breath of fresh air)

Rain owns a cafe called Rainmaker, and all of his employees are in love with him. *cue early 2000s rap song about making it rain*

This is that Luminous Solution vibe. If you know, you know, and if you don't, be thankful.

Sunshine returned to the shop where the owner yelled at him about balance, and told him that two opposites can exist with compromise, like Sun and Rain. Sunshine was not pleased.

And this sign doesn't make sense to me.

Sunshine put on the horns again, and we got several shots like this as if the devil was approaching because of it.

When Sunshine entered his apartment, he was the center of the universe.

He admired himself with the horns.

But once he took them off, he began to yell. Each time he had the horns on this episode, he was more comfortable and calm. He shouted that he would not accept his fate.

And that's when the Grim Reaper appeared. He stated he was between good and bad, here and there, the past and the future, but he showed up in white and the cool light, called himself a Cupid Reaper, and told Sun to call him Q.

As he moved through Sun's apartment, the lighting became warmer, and he stopped between the red lamp and the sunshine-like clock.

The actors on the TV are the shop owner and assistant.

And the owner did a gesture to show Sun it was real at the exact time Q told Sun it was real. Then, the TV immediately cut off.

Sun's entire apartment is a battle between reality and an allusion, good and evil, the dark and the light, the right and the wrong choice with Q standing in the middle. He offered Sun a choice, but told Sun to really think about it, logically.

Yet Sun chose to go out into the darkness to make his decision.

And he chose power.

He is Mephistopheles, the devil who sold his soul for power.

#7 days before valentine #episode 1 #background noise #the colors mean things #and it means Sun is the devil #these names are too on the nose #I didn't like the episode until Q showed up #but the visuals were pleasing

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captain-flint · 2 years

Text

i’m rewatching ep 10 and suffering instant brain damage bc i took a second to really look around the captain’s cabin after ed came back from the privateering academy without stede and it is a heartbreaking FEAST (honestly the continuity in this show.. chef’s kiss)

the scene is fairly dark but most things lying around the room seem recognizable, like stede’s blue jacket that he was arrested in that is now a pile of blue silk on the floor next to a chaise longue (something stede would probably have nightmares about) and stede’s yellow robe (i think!) draped over the couch that also has a bed pillow on it which could mean ed slept on it, curled up and wearing the robe or more likely covered with it (same as in the bathtub scene). moving on, because i can’t linger on that thought or i’ll disintegrate into tears, ed obviously brought his old leather outfit back from the academy and you can see parts of it discarded on the floor/tiny chair as if he either dumped it out of the bag, or more likely tried to put it back on and then decided against it seeing as it didn’t fit him anymore, littering the clothes around as he took them off again

a real kicker, though, is the bed and the garment on it. it’s bright blue silk mixed in with the sheets that are rumpled as if the bed had been slept in, pillows arranged in a way as if someone was hugging them. we know from ep9 that the entire room was clean and tidy before they left (meaning the bed was too), so unless izzy had been sleeping in it (very unlikely), that mess has to be ed’s. it’s literal confirmation that he slept in stede’s bed crying into the many pillows on it and hugging silky covers/clothes and i for one am losing my mind about it

once ed goes on a cleaning spree you can see the bed is neatly made with blue silk folded on top (and his leather jacket has upgraded from floor to chair)

(and it’s so tidy like he really enjoys folding stuff and i find that breathtakingly endearing)

anyway, back to my previous point about ed ditching his old leather, his grey pants and white shirt that he got from the academy (continuity!) are thrown over the ottoman next to what appears to be his purple shirt and the discarded leather and black shirt (on the floor). those are the only clothes that we know he owns and both options were clearly a no before he decided on some random 18th century version of sweatpants (that i still wonder who the owner of is because it’s clearly not stede) and stede’s red flower banyan

and lastly (as presented in the 2 pictures above) there is an ungodly amount of discarded marmalade jars all around the room. or what i assume are jars but some could also be big white candles, but let’s go with all of them being marmalade jars because we know stede had unlimited amounts of it and it was one of the first things he’d shared with ed so of course ed would fixate on it to soothe his broken heart, it’s quite literally the sweetest memory of stede and my man was drowning in it

IN CONCLUSION, i’m feeling deranged about all of it. thank you for listening!

#edward teach #blackbeard #ofmdedit #ofmd #ofmd meta #our flag means death #blackbonnet #taika waititi #the idea of this man spending days sifting through clothes and moving from couch to bed to literal floor #in a drunken broken hearted haze eating copious amounts of sweet food trying and failing to get over stede #is so hilariously painful #i want to SOB

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pepperonidk · 1 year

Note

hi! If your requests are still open I would like to request Joshua (or any other member) getting you a puppy for valentines and turns out you get him the same thing 😁 thank you!

puppy love

pairing: joshua hong x gn!reader genre: established relationship, fluff warnings: none! (but also i've never owned a dog bc my whole family is allergic so do not come for me about what i think getting a dog is like i do not know) a/n: PLEASE I'M SO SORRY I'M NOT IGNORING THIS 😭 it just took a while for me to do bc of school and job applications this was such a cute idea (i hope you don't mind i tweaked it a little bit) <3333

It was supposed to be the anniversary gift of a lifetime. A symbolic representation of his hopes and dreams for your relationship -- dreams of a family, joy, and laughter filling the halls of your shared home. It was the perfect idea, until...

"I'm so sorry, sir," the assistant at the front apologized with a timid smile, clearly expecting an explosive reaction from her customer. "Someone came in and adopted him just this morning."

Joshua sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's alright," he assured her. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought he was adorable." He could almost see the weight lift off the worker's shoulders as he chuckled sheepishly at his own comment.

As he walked out the door, his own anxieties began to fill his head. Maybe if I had gotten here just a little bit earlier... No. That wouldn't have worked because I had to go pick up flowers, and we had that early breakfast reservation... I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Joshua had intended on surprising you with a puppy, building up to it with subtle hints throughout the last few weeks. Suggesting dog movies during movie night, asking about your childhood dog, even going so far as to play Bluey on the TV when you got home and then pretending to be clueless as to who put it on. (He had learned in his psychology class from college that subliminal messaging works wonders).

But, clearly life had other plans.

As he walked back home, he passed a gift shop that was just opening up. He had noticed it for a few weeks now, and had even talked to the shop owner who was working outside a few days ago, so he decided to go in and check it out.

"Joshua!" the shopkeeper greeted him warmly as the door chimed behind Joshua. The store was an eclectic collection of various knick-knacks and trinkets, all lined up tightly on the shelves in colorful array.

"Hey," Joshua returned. "Nice place you got here."

The shopkeeper grinned happily in response as he made his way toward where Joshua was standing, fiddling with a music box. "Thanks," he beamed. "Is there anything you're looking for in particular today?"

Joshua let out a sigh. "Yeah, it's me and my partner's anniversary today. I wanted to get them a puppy, but someone adopted him before I could."

The shopkeeper nodded in acknowledgement. "I see," he hummed. "Well, if you're interested, we have a selection of stuffed animals, and quite a few are dogs. It's not the real thing, but maybe you can consider it a placeholder?"

Upon considering this alternative, Joshua perked up quite a bit. "That's actually a great idea," he remarked. "Lead the way?"

The shelves were lined with various colors and textures of stuffed animals, and lo and behold, there was one of a Jack Russel Terrier, the same dog he wanted to bring home earlier today. He eagerly handed it to the shopkeeper for checkout and walked out of the store with a skip in his step.

However, before he could unlock the apartment door, he could hear hushed voices from the other side. One was definitely yours, but the other... was not.

"Shh, you have to keep it down, he'll be here any minute now," your voice nagged.

Before he could let the intrusive thoughts intrude, he opted instead to unlock the door, to find you sitting by the kitchen island, on the floor with your hands suspiciously behind your back.

"Hey...?" Joshua called tenatively with a questioning look.

"Hey yourself!" You called a little bit louder to cover up the sound of something... squeaking?

As he walked closer to you, he could also hear the soft pitter patter of footsteps behind your back, despite your attempts to hide them.

"Is that..." Joshua began, his eyes widening.

"Surprise?" You replied sheepishly as you moved your hands away from your back, finally allowing him to see the excited Jack Russell Terrier who was itching to see his familiar face.

Joshua couldn't hide his excitement as he sat down in front of you, letting the puppy crawl onto his lap. "How did you even know?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, you're not very subtle," you replied smugly. "You've been dropping hints for the last month that you want a puppy. I noticed." Joshua laughed and leaned over to press a kiss against your cheek.

"Did you now?" He teased as you nodded in response. So his plan did work, just not the way he thought it would. "How lucky am I that the love of my life is not only insanely hot, but insanely smart too?" He wiggled his eyebrows at you, causing you to chuckle in response.

"I'd say pretty damn lucky," you replied as the puppy ran back and forth between the two of you, clearly excited to be part of this small family.

"I'd say so too. Happy anniversary."

#caratwritersclub #seventeenweeklyarticle #joshua hong #joshua hong x reader #joshua x reader #seventeen fluff #joshua hong fluff #joshua fluff #seventeen × reader #seventeen angst #seventeen imagine #ioshua honq imagine #svt ioshua #seventeen joshua fluff #hong jisoo #hong jisoo x reader

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raenis22 · 1 year

Text

How Do You Both Meet (Them as Mafia)

Hyung Line

Lee Heeseung

-You are a florist in a small town.

-Anyone who needs flowers or plants will always know where to go.

-You met Heeseung when he came and pay a visit to your shop.

-His real intention is to hide from his enemy yet you misunderstood him as another customer.

- "Hello sir! May I help you?"

- He turned and made eye contact with you, kinda surprised

- "Ermm sir? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Bouquets? For any occasion? Or maybe plants seeds?"

- Heeseung just shook his head.

- "Oh... Then why you are here? Lost maybe? "

- "No dear... I have another intention actually ...but I see have a new one"

Park Jongseong

-You are a divorce lawyer at a famous firm

-Yeah maybe sounds boring but still, you kinda enjoy your job

-"Hah another completed case... Boy,

people these days... Why bother marry if you will end up divorce? At least give it until a year" you mumbled to yourself.

-"Hey Y/N... You got another case here... But this is a special one... And you need to do it seriously, the client is already here," said your boss

-"all right then"

-After a few hours, you are finally done meeting your 'special' client and are on your way to go home.

-"Excuse me... Are Miss (L/N)? Mr.Park's divorce lawyer?" a man in a black outfit asked you.

-You turned and felt suspicious since he knew your current client's name

-"Yes. Who are you may I ask?"

-"I'm Park Jongseong... His son, and you will follow me now"

Sim Jaeyun

-You are an English teacher in a elementary school.

-You chosed to be a teacher as you love to be around with children

-This year, you are one of teachers that get to be homeroom teacher

-"Hello class! I'm Miss L/N! Welcome for your first day of school... Now I will taking your attendance"

-One by one you called names except for one person

-"Alright... Last one is Maki Sim? Is Maki here?" you looked up and tried to find the name's owner

-"He's not here teacher"

-"You know that he always late right?"

-"Yeah that weirdo is always late"

-You surprised, "Watch your mouth, do not call anyone a weirdo" you scolded

-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

-"I'm sorry for being late teacher" the kid appeared with an older man.

-"Oh! You must be Maki right? It's alright, come in... And you must his..."

-"I'm his older brother, Jake Sim"

Park Sunghoon

-"I hope I will get this job" You said as you entered the building

-You are applying a job as a secretary of a very famous company

-Not all people get this golden opportunity even its interview

-You are one of the lucky one to get interview

-"Here is your number miss. Please wait at the waiting area right there"

-You nodded and thanked the lady then walked to the waiting area

-Apparently, you are the first person to arrive which making you much more nervous

-"Oh gosh, did I arrive too early?" you said as you sat on the couch.

-"You must the new secretary" said a man in suit.

-You quickly shook your head. "No sir, I'm here for the-" before you can finish your sentence, he pulled you

-"Come on we have a lot job to do here"

#enhypen headcanons #enhypen scenarios #enhypen fluff #enhypen imagines #kpop imagines #yandere enhypen #enhypen heeseung #enhypen jake #enhypen jay #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen fic #enhypen au #jake imagines #heeseung imagines #jay imagines #sunghoon imagines #enhypen yandere #enhypen #enhypen hyung line

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heartfullofleeches · 2 years

Note

Reader and their friend trying to find the monster in the "Haunted House" so they can record a video for Youtube even though the monster is just stalking the Reader from the ceiling

Yandere monster x G.N Youtuber Reader

Warning: slight horror elements, slight entomophobia

"What's up, guys? Y/n, here with a new haunted house tour with our special guest, Nicholas!"

You turn the tripod towards your friend who sheepishly waves, dropping the half hearted smile on his face the moment you turned back. The two of you stood on the porch of the Manwaring home; an abandoned house with a supposed high paranormal activity level. You bounced from hobby to hobby quite often, and the flavor of the past few months had been ghost hunting. You started up your channel, searched up local myths - which there were a surprising amount of, and were on your way. Unfortunately, you had yet to make your break, but remained determined.

Nicholas had always been there for you to support you or be the voice of reason; and editor on occasion. The only reason he came along with you this time was because there were reports of someone startling stray animals and kids that came near the house, and he really didn't want you getting mauled by anything.

He had tuned out most of your intro, only picked up on small things as he kicked pebbles to past time.

"The story behind this legend is the owners heard static coming from various places around the house. They could never figure out where it came from, even after unplugging their television. One night, while the husband was alone, they say the source finally caught up to him, and his worst nightmares came to life; never to be the same again."

That sounds kinda lame. Nicholas thinks.

"Alright, let's head in." Pointing your camera at the door, you reach for its handle; knob popping from the lock with a hard push. Dust flies in front of the camera's narrow light; air stale and a musky stench taining the fresh night breeze. Nicholas shudders before he even steps inside, pulling his coat to the back of his neck.

"Can we hurry up? It just got really cold."

"Don't worry Nick. It'll be over before you know it." You pull out a flashlight, flicking it on as you take a step inside. Time stands to an eerie still within the walls of the home. Decorated by paintings and small doodles; both worn by age but keeping a certain standard. Furniture without a piece over turned, and wallpaper faded, but still attached. Nicholas notices a flower vase on a table as he passes by; vibrant flowers housed within, carrying a waxy look due to the nature of the room. He grabs the petal of one, the appendage snapping off with ease. It was a real flower.

"This is where the main activity supposedly happens." You begin, walking ahead of Nicholas into the next room. It was a living room, everything in order except for one detail in the center of the room. A couch was lined to one wall, and before that was a coffee table; both in decent condition aside from glass splattered on both surfaces. Near the opposite wall stood an odd fashion television with its face completely smashed in. Not a single shard of glass was left in place; the tv's right leg broken and causing it to become lopsided.

"They said the husband finally built up the courage to watch tv again while his family was away for the day. As he was getting comfortable on the couch is when it happened. There was a stabbing sound. Like someone stabbing a pencil through paper. Followed by that was a terrible groan right by his ear. After that, it was the static his family had grown to fear. And then nothing. They say if you still in the exact same spot you night hear it too."

Nicholas stares at the couch, eyes slowly dragging upwards to the wall behind. Small holes pierces the drywall, followed by more leaning all the way to the ceiling.

"Y/n...?"

Your voice which had dropped a few pitches during your little speech suddenly picks up volume. "Crazy story, right? We'll check that out at the end of the video. Let's head on to the next room, and see what we can find."

You check on Nicholas, who was still staring at the wall. "Dude, are you good?"

He snaps his attention to you. "Yea... Yea I'm fine, let's go."

The next room is the kitchen. Fixed for a family of four, there wasn't much out of the ordinary aside from the amount of dirt and cobwebs over most of the area. By the stove, there's a small red door a few feet off the ground. With knowledge of the house's layout, you casually walk over and open the door.

"This is a dumbwaiter the family kept from renovations to the house. They claimed to hear noises from here too some nights. Possibly coming from the basement."

You sit on the sill, pointing your camera upwards at the darkness. The elevator had been pulled all the way to the basement, leaving you to hang slightly into the abyss below.

"It's so high up on both sides." You angle the camera down. "Hello? Anybody down there?"

"Get out of there, Y/n!" Nicholas half shouts, grabbing the front of your shirt and pulling you forward before you leaned too far back.

You stand up with a grin. "Relax. I highly doubt there's anything in there."

You continue to talk, but Nicholas pays no mind. Instead, he looks behind you at the shadow poking from the elevator shaft. Through the wires and ropes, he's sure something is there. Almost looks like.. a head. Shifted slightly in the direction of you. It's when something retracts from the dumbwaiter's door that he starts to panic. Hovering right above your head, ready to do God knows what had he not noticed

"What the hell was that?"

You look back. In the second that it took him to blink, the shadow had disappeared. "Huh..I don’t see anything?"

"There was something there. I'm sure of it."

"Whoa you're really getting into now, aren't you, Nic?"

"I'm serious, Y/n." He grabs your arm. "We need to go."

"Aw, come on."

"Now, Y/n."

You look at him with pleading eyes. "Five more minutes?"

He narrows his eyes, trying to pull away from the magnitude of your stare. "Fine. Five minutes then I'm leaving without you. I'm waiting in the other room, this one gives me the creeps."

"Cool, cool. See you in a few."

Nicholas returns to the living room. With most of the night going in one ear and out the other, he plops down on the couch. He rests his head against the back, counting the seconds as he rubs his eyes with his hands. At least it was a comfortable sofa. The second you get back home, he's convincing you to drop this hobby or he's never talking to you again.

He takes a breath; the air feeling heavier than before - colder too. He shudders, squeezing his hands close to fight the cold. A creak plays above him; possibly the house settling more, or something else entirely. Did you head up stairs? You won't hear the end of this when if he has to go and find you. Just as starts to sit up, something punctures the wall. It happens again, the noise repeating over and over like the legs of a swift spider. He soon realizes it's not a wall, but rather the ceiling as something grazes the back of his neck; followed by a low moan.

It was unsettling. Luke a dying man's last breath through water or a lower pitched frog. He hops up from his seat to face whatever was behind him, he color draining from his face as he sees it.

The entity had scaled halfway down the wall; long, skeletal fingers literally punched through it for stability. It's body was charcoal grey; skeleton poking through the thin layer. Whispy strands of white hair dropped over its shoulders and over its face; wrapping around its throat. Its face held two widen, sunken eyes; static buzzing within them like the screen of a broken television - growing louder the longer Nicholas looked. Its mouth was wired together by strings of flesh; shallow breathes bellowing from the chasm behind. The skin stretches further as it groans louder; breaking the distance between it and him.

It's on him faster than he can even let out a scream. Its hand grip his face; eyes darting around wildly in their sockets, keeping Nicholas' open; though its hard to tell if he could close them even if he wanted. It blinks rapidly, face distorting with every open of its eyes. Screams of the damned drill into his skull; his joining as the sight of his own life's body fall before him.

He's thrown into the darkness; nothing there yet everything binding him to a tight space. Insects craw over his face; in his mouth and down his throat. Horrible; terrible things pop in and out of his mind, all leaving their mark in various ways. The worse of it all comes at the end of this torment. It's you - smiling. The image fades as quickly as it comes, but with it follows a single word.

"Mine."

Nicholas is thrown to the floor, reality crashing back as he with the earth. The creature’s head was snapped to the otherside of the room, towards the kitchen which you were now leaving. It shoots back up the wall, crawling slowly to your approaching form. Theres something in its vacant eyes as it looks at you. Something Nicholas can't read. He watches in terror as it hovers above you, ready to attack at any moment. He tries to signal with your eyes, but you fall to notice.

"Hey, Nic. Why are you on the floor?"

The moment you speak, it drops on top of you; caging into smaller form to the ground with surprisingly minimal impact to you. Its palm rests at collarbone level, keeping you pinned, but without any force. Its face scans up your body; locking eyes with you. Its mouth hangs open, a long tongue shouting out and darting across your cheek. Nicholas can hear the wetness and coarseness as it drags along your face. Teats well as he braised for what came next, but instead of tearing you to shreads - it nozzles your face.

You start to laugh. "You ruined it, Static. You were supposed to wait till we got upstairs."

The creatures groans turn to small clicks; rubbing your face once more before allowing you to sit up. You grab your camera and check the footage, frowning at what you see.

"Your eyes are in the shot too. Now we can't show this to anyone."

Nicholas sits up. "What the fuck is going on here?'

You look over at him. "Hm? Oh, this is Static. I met them on my first time scouting the place and I think I'm their husband... wife.. spouse? Now."

Static nods its head at all of the titles, resting its chin on your head as it closes its eyes.

"They can't speak without making a connection to a human through looking into their eyes first. They only wanted to make contact with the family, but they were understandably startled. I offered them a snack I had in my pocket, and now I see them in my dreams. They said they'd become apart of the channel if I came home, but if anyone sees their eyes they'll have nightmares or something."

Nicholas' jaw hangs on the floor.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. I wanted a good reaction for the video. They're a sweetheart I promise!"

Something tells Nicholas that last part isn't true. Especially as Static opens its eyes once more, staring into his soul. It says nothing, but he knows that if he interferes anywhere in your new relationship, the first vision he had will become a reality.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere scenarios #yandere x you #yandere imagines #yandere oc #yandere insert #yandere story #yandere monster #monster boyfriend #request #tw yandere #static my oc

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lala1267 · 1 year

Text

His girl (Part 1)

Summary: you were just a normal innocent girl that worked on a farm. You had a thing for older men.

Warnings: literally the biggest age gap possible (reader 15, Elvis,27:if your not comfortable with age gaps just scroll) cigarettes, hunting animals, shotgun to hunt?

My name was Mina Thompson. I was born into a small family of two. Me and my mother. My father was absent, I had never met the man. Me and my mother lived in the countryside and owned a farm. We had horses and cows. I was a free child. I rode my horses all day and every day as I let the wind rush through my long blonde wavy hair. I was a pretty girl, I had a petite slim figure, I had bright blue eyes and sun-kissed skin. Since I lived on a farm in the countryside I didn't have any freinds. It was just me and my mother, I loved her to death. She was gradually growing old so I had to look after her and the animals, it wasn't an easy job. I was 15 working my ass off on a barn. Mother's health was rapidly declining, she had cancer. I was only 13 when she had died. I was alone, I had lost my only freind to cancer. From then I had picked up a habit of smoking. I went through three packs of cigarettes a day.

I was feeding the horses and cows when I heard a car driving, the sound gradually grew closer. This was unusual since no one ever came here and there wasn't even a road, it was just a grassy path leading to my farm.

The car grew louder until it came in sight of my eyes. It was a pink Cadillac. I had never even seen any other car other than my run down tractor that I crashed not long ago. I watched in curiously. A tall handsome man had emerged from the vehicle, he had jet black hair and tan skin. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with black pants, along with golden belt dotted with diamonds. Meanwhile I was in a short white flowy dress, my ass basically hanging out everytime I lifted my arms. I was barefoot with a couple of wild flowers in my hair and a cigarette in between my red lips. I took a puff of my cigarette as I watched the man. He opened the back of his car, he pulled out a double barrel shotgun. My heart sank, I stood still, frozen in fear. Is he going to shoot me? Or even worse, was he going to shoot my animals?" He turned around, he made his way over to my direction. He looked up to lock eyes with me. He had a confused expression on his face.

"Wait, who are you?" He asked curiously.

"I'm the owner of this farm." I stated nervously.

"Oh I'm sorry, I was just com-"

" What are you planning to do with that gun sir?" I gulped.

"Oh I was just coming to hunt some rabbits." I let out a releaved sigh as I relaxed my tensed muscles. The man had noticed that I was a nervous wreck.

"You didn't think I was gonna hurt you, did ya?" He asked as he stepped towards me. I didn't reply. I stood there as he towered over me waiting for him to say something. He took the cigarette out of my small hands before speaking.

"What are you doing with this, how old are you?" He asked.

"I'm 15 sir." I said quietly. He giggled before speaking.

"Well I'm sure ya mother wouldn't be happy seeing her daughter smoking." He placed the cigarette back into my hands. I could feel my eyes tear up at his comment. I had to take a second before replying.

"My mother's dead sir." I said as I looked up to the man with watery eyes. His face dropped, he instantly hugged me and began to frantically apologise. I had never felt the touch of a man, it sure felt good.

"I'm sorry darlin, I didn't kno-"

"It's fine, I know ya didn't mean it" i said as I pulled away from him forcing a fake smile onto my face. There was a moment of awkward silence before I made conversation.

"Ya have a real nice car there sir, I ain't never seen nothing like it." I said as I inhaled my cigarette.

"Thankyou honey, you can call me Elvis, that's my name." I smiled and nodded.

"Well my name is Mina, nice to meet ya." I cheerfully said. I looked up into his eyes, they were so pretty and blue. He put his hand on my shoulder as he spoke.

"Well I need to get going now, see ya later." I smiled as I watched him walk away into the forest. Something about that man sparked a flame inside of me. His voice was deep and sexy.

"Imma follow him, he's interesting." I said to myself before mounting my horse. I had rode into the shady forest desperately looking for the handsome man. I heard a loud gunshot coming from one side of the greenery. I knew that was his gun, I followed the gunshot's echo until I saw him crouching down, aiming the large gun at a small brown bunny. The bunny quickly sprinted away and a few birds flew out of the trees. It must have been because of me and my horse, we weren't particularly quiet. Elvis turned around to see what had made him loose his bunny. He locked eyes with me who was mounted on a six foot horse, my hair flowing through the breeze. My blue eyes met his. A smile appeared onto his face.

"Ya following me now?" He asked as he laughed. I went bright red before replying.

"I just wanted to see what you were doing, I've never hunted bunnies before." I said as I dismounted the horse.

"Come sit next to me, I can teach ya how to use a man's gun." I smiled before skipping over to him. Before I sat I had whistled at my horse, signaling him to go back to the stables. He did just that.

"That's impressive." Elvis said as I sat down.

"What?"

"You've trained your horse, that's a hard task."

"Well I have lived on a farm all my life, I have my ways" I said with a giggle before locking eyes with Elvis.

"How old are ya?" I asked eagerly waiting for his answer.

"I'm 27 darlin" a smile flashed on my face as I realised that he was a grown man, I had a thing for older men.

I admired the handsome man before replying

"Age Is just a number." I said as I played with his black hair. I could've kissed the man right there, something about him was so comforting. Elvis giggled at my comment before handing me the gun. My hands dropped a few inches as it was so heavy. His deep voice carefully instructed me.

"Ya see that rabbit over there, I want ya to keep real quiet. Aim the gun at it and when you feel ready pull the trigger." His voice was music to my ears. He got up and crouched behind my petite figure. I was in between his legs. He reached the gun from behind me to steady my accuracy. It was like he was hugging me. I could smell his expensive cologne. I was stuck in my own fantasies before quickly snapping out as Elvis pulled the trigger for me. I jumped and let out a little yelp that made Elvis laugh. He took the gun from my hands as he stood up behind me. He placed the gun down next to me as he started to speak.

"If ya wanna get better at shooting you gotta keep focused my darlin'." I looked up at him. I smiled and nodded before pulling a cigarette out of my bra and lighting it in between my soft lips.

"Ya store your things in your bra?"

"Where else am I meant to put them, I don't have any pockets." I said giggling. Me and Elvis spent the rest of the day toughether, I was showing him around the whole area and showing him spots where all the bunny's go. When I was done giving him a tour, the sun was already setting. I looked him in the eyes before making a bold offer.

"You can stay at my house for the night so you can get you can start hunting when the bunny's wake up?" He smiled.

"I would love to." My face lit up. I grabbed his hand as I escorted him to my house. My house wasn't the best. It was a small cosy cottage. I opened the door to let Elvis in.

"You can show yourself around, I will go make you a coffee." I cheerfully said. Elvis nodded.

Me and Elvis were watching TV on the couch. The warm coffee that I had made for him was already drank. There was a little distance between us on the couch, Elvis had noticed this.

"Come closer honey, I don't bite." I did exactly that. Once I was touching shoulders with him I had leaned my head on his chest, he wrapped his big arm around me. Elvis was talking about how he was a singer, it was a very interesting story but I had a long day. I was tired and I couldn't keep myself awake anymore. I had drifted of into a deep sleep in Elvis's big arms. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back until he fell asleep aswell.

It was the next morning, It was 5am, this was the time that I usually woke up to feed my animals and clean them. I carefully snook out of Elvis's arms and walked outside, it was still dark but the sun was gradually rising. I walked over to the horse stables to clean and feed the horses them and I did the same with the cows. Once I had finished it was 7am. I was walking towards my house door to make breakfast when Elvis had opened it for me. He had just woken up, hair was messy, clothes were basically falling off. He smiled as he saw me standing infront of him.

"I was looking for ya" he said as he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I was out since five in the morning looking after the animals."

"Five in the morning! Surely that ain't healthy." We both giggled as I walked inside. I was about to go to the kitchen to make breakfast for us when Elvis's deep voice sounded behind me.

"Already done dear." I walked over to the dining table, it was nothing special, just cereal.

"Well it's something." I said sarcastically.

"Give me time to practice and I will be better at cooking than you."

"Yeah right" I said giggling. As we ate Elvis turned to look me in my eyes.

"I wanna take you to Memphis with me." My face dropped in shock.

"What...?"

"You heard me."

"B-but my animals, who is gonna look after them whilst I'm gone?!"

"We can take them with us, i can hire people to take them back to my house, I own a few horses of my own and they wouldn't mind sharing the stables."

"And with who's money Elvis."

"Mine, trust me I have the money, do you not watch the news on TV, I'm in the newspapers every day." I was shocked but also impressed that a man with this much money wanted me to stay with him.

"Well I guess we could make it work then."

Later that day Elvis helped me pack my bags, he took me to his car as another group of men took my animals. I was excited but I had only known this man for one day, he was also 12 years older than me, but I felt a connection with him and I'm no stranger to taking risks.

#elvis presley #elvis the pelvis #fanfic #farmland #farm girl #horse girl #fanfic writer #fan fic writing #70s vintage #70s elvis #60s elvis #young readers #older man younger woman #handsome older man #older daddy #older guys

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waywardrose · 8 months

Text

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY 18

stranger things

eddie munson x reader

rated e

4.7k

spotify playlist

for @punk-in-docs

fem/witch/goth!reader, sweetheart!eddie, magic, slow burn (for me), friends to lovers, no y/n only pet names, series-typical horror, period-typical sexism and homophobia, historical inaccuracies and anachronisms, drug dealing and use, smoking, alcohol use, masturbation, mutual masturbation, fantasizing, one-bed trope, making out, fingering, dirty talk, consensual pursuit and capture, oral sex, handjobs, condoms, piv sex, reader’s father is a dirtbag, mild spanking, magical violation, mental torture, body horror, aftercare, nightmares, strict parenting, panic attack, past child abuse and abandonment, semi-public sex, break-ups, angst with a happy ending, tags will be updated as needed

Eddie would have to wait until his lunch break to see this new, hot, weird chick. He wondered which flavor of weird she was. Art weird? Theater weird? Band weird? Weird weird? He shrugged. He liked weird. In other words, you’re the new girl in town, and Eddie is intrigued.

note: Trigger warning for Jason Carver.

“Do you know a Chrissy Cunningham?” your father asked, filling his mug at the kitchen counter.

You paused in the doorway with a frown. The kitchen TV was off. Mom buttered toast instead of making pancakes or waffles for breakfast.

“Yeah…?” You glanced at the calendar to confirm it was Sunday. “We have Western Lit together.”

Mom set a plate of crispy bacon at the center of the table before fetching a section of the newspaper. She brought it to you, a furrow of worry between her brows. You took the section to read:

CHEERLEADER MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD A Hawkins High cheerleader was heinously murdered on Friday night by parties unknown. Christina “Chrissy” Elizabeth Cunningham, 17, class of 1986, suffered from fatal internal bleeding and multiple bone fractures in a trailer in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Hawkins, according to reports. There were no witnesses to the crime. However, the trailer owner has been cleared of any wrongdoing. “There is an evil here,” said Laura Cunningham, the victim’s mother. “It’s been growing and infiltrating this good Christian town.” The cheerleader had been beloved by teacher and student alike. Her father, Phillip Cunningham, said, “There was no reason for anyone to hurt our little girl. Chrissy was a sweet girl with a bright future.” Neighbors in Forest Hills are horrified. A resident who wished to remain anonymous said, “It’s that heavy metal garbage. It opens the gates for Satan. [It’s] real scary [stuff]. Kids these days blast it all hours of the day and night. That’s got to have consequences.” Responding officers have yet to locate the perpetrators. “Deputies are working with state law enforcement to collect evidence and statements concerning this case,” the Roane County Sheriff’s Department said. Cunningham was well known in her community and had a kind word for everyone. She volunteered at First Church of Hawkins and the Roane County Animal CARE Humane Society. As head of the Hawkins High Cheer Squad, she always participated in school fundraisers. Hawkins High principal, Paul Higgins, called Cunningham an “exemplary student and person,” and said her murder was a tragedy. “I think I speak for my staff and our pupils when I say Chrissy will be deeply mourned. Our hearts are with her family.” Hawkins High will hold a memorial assembly when classes resume March 31st. Forest Hills’ sign has been piled with flowers and other mementos since the murder. A Hawkins High student said Cunningham was “a tender-hearted girl and the most supportive friend anyone could ask for.” If you have any information which can help the case, please contact the Roane County Sheriff’s Department.

Your mouth went gummy as you finished reading. Now that Chrissy’s murder was in the paper and on the news, everyone would be scrutinizing the residents of the trailer park. The mention of heavy metal wouldn’t work in Eddie’s favor, either.

You’d called the Munson’s trailer earlier, but the call wouldn’t go through.

Mom stepped aside as you shuffled to the kitchen table. You flopped into the first chair you came to and skimmed the article. Chrissy Cunningham, a shoo-in for prom queen, died at Eddie’s place while Wayne was at work. It had been just the two of them.

What had she been doing there? Buying drugs? The cheerleader who volunteered at church buying drugs?

You looked at the grainy version of Chrissy’s senior-year portrait and questioned if anyone had known her at all.

Still, her buying drugs sounded wrong in your head.

Had Jason put her up to that? Was she the go-between? Jason barely tolerated Eddie, but the basketball team was sure to have partied hard after the game. Maybe he’d sent her to buy some pot or whatever.

That made no sense, though. You saw the same footage again on the news before Saturday Night Live. There’d only been Wayne’s truck in front of the Munson’s. Also, Chrissy didn’t have a car. She might have a license, though. If she’d borrowed a car, it would’ve still been there. Unless there had been a third party…

Then Eddie could’ve come home from Hellfire, found Chrissy’s body, and ran.

But why would someone want to kill Chrissy? And frame Eddie for it?

“—okay?”

“What?” you asked, shaking your head and looking from the newspaper. “Sorry.”

“You okay, sweetie?” asked Mom.

“Um… Yeah, just…”

You didn’t know how to end that sentence.

“We don’t have to do anything today.” She sat next to you and placed a gentle hand on your forearm. “Take the day, if you want.”

“No, it’s… I’m okay. It’s a shock, is all.”

Your father sat, mug in hand, and remained quiet. For once, he looked sympathetic.

Mom studied your face for a second before nodding.

“Okay, but there’s no pressure.”

You attempted a grin, but failed.

“Thanks.”

She gave your arm an affectionate squeeze before returning to the toaster. Your father remained quiet and snuck a piece of bacon. You stared at the article, still wondering why Chrissy had been at Eddie’s.

A terrible thought arose that had you heading for the powder room.

What if she’d been there because she and Eddie were involved? What if you were the side piece?

You shut the door, flipped the light-switch, and sat on the closed toilet lid. Your breath wouldn’t deepen. It stayed right under your throat. You stared at the blurring ceiling and willed your chest to loosen.

They could make sense as a couple in The Breakfast Club kind of way. Maybe that was why Eddie antagonized the jocks: because one of them had claimed his girl. Maybe during his drug runs he stopped by Chrissy’s…

Then you remembered New Year’s when he said he’d give you everything, that he was trying to give you everything. He’d said he wanted to be good enough for you. His expression had been sincere — too sincere for a lie. He might be a good DM and storyteller, but he wasn’t a liar. Not like that.

You breathed deep and exhaled. There was no place for doubt at a time like this. Eddie was innocent — and he’d never given you a reason to distrust him.

A soft knock at the door interrupted your meltdown.

“Breakfast is ready,” said Mom through the door.

After breakfast, you changed clothes and hauled the galvanized planters Mom had purchased yesterday to flank the front door. You felt a little smug about how good they looked despite the overcast sky. Once you filled the planter with gravel and soil and the bushy lavender, they would look even better.

As you carted the supplies you needed, you thought of The Veil of Undeath spell from last night. It called for dead pieces of a living thing. You couldn’t make sense of what had dead pieces yet remained alive. Not even the incantation clarified.

Dead from the living Dust from the dead I consume like the worm I keep the grave by my heart As I exhale this last breath, I accept the embrace from Death

Naturally, the instructions weren’t much help, either.

The practitioner is to gather graveyard dirt and two dead portions of a living thing. One part to accompany graveyard dirt, the other to ingest. Place graveyard dirt and one dead portion in receptacle to keep on person. Keep living thing alive to maintain charm. Daily consumption is unnecessary.

You understood the spell was centuries old. Also, the book had been written almost a hundred years ago. Some spells you’d read were so heavily coded, you needed a reference book to understand them.

It was times like these you wanted to translate everything in modern language. That was what your personal journal was for. Of course, the danger of translating and making it public was: 1. getting it wrong, 2. harm coming to those who used your spells, and 3. exposing yourself as a witch.

None of that solved your current predicament. You needed to figure out the spell before tonight.

Just then, a shiny black Jeep pulled onto the driveway. You straightened and dusted your work gloves on your legs. The Jeep looked familiar. Your suspicions were confirmed when none other than Jason Carver climbed out of the vehicle.

You stepped onto the front path as he crossed the grass. He was picture perfect in crisp khakis, a spotless polo shirt, and a letterman jacket.

“Good morning,” he said, amicable yet serious.

“Morning.”

You glanced at the Jeep to see multiple silhouettes. Something about him and his buddies waiting in the car had you on high-alert.

Trying kindness first, you said, “I’m sorry about Chrissy. I just read about it in the paper.”

He nodded with a reserved ‘thank you.’

“Is there—”

“You’re Eddie’s girlfriend, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I occasionally talk to him in class.”

His eyes narrowed as his head tilted. Condescension suffused his appearance, raising your hackles.

“Yeah,” he said. “I heard it’s more than that.”

You snorted. “Or you’ve imagined it is?”

He moved closer as if to intimidate the answer he wanted from you.

“Like I fantasize about that freak and you.”

You rolled your eyes and stepped to the side, wanting to head for the back of the house where Mom worked. He caught your arm whip-fast, grip bruising, and yanked you near. A sneer marred his all-American face.

“I bet you two have done some nasty shit.” He gave you an oily look. “Yeah, you’re a little freak too, aren’t you?”

You closed the distance, because you weren’t terrified prey. Especially not for Jason Carver. Maybe he had intimidated Chrissy like this, but you weren’t Chrissy.

You glared into his eyes, finding his pupils wide.

“Tell me all about this nasty shit you’ve imagined, Captain of the Tigers. I’d like to hear you say it.”

“I’m not here to play into your crazy bullshit.”

“Then why are you here?”

His face darkened.

“Where’s Eddie?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” you said.

He shook your arm to jostle and throw you off balance.

“I mean it, where’s Eddie?”

“I. Don’t. Know.”

“Is he in there? Huh!?” Jason nodded at the house. “Did you kill her with him?!”

“No, and he didn’t kill Chrissy!” You twisted your arm in his hold. “He was at school playing D&D!”

He shoved you away. Your heel knocked into the lowest porch step, and you almost fell. You steadied yourself with a hand on the railing.

He leaned in to hiss, “Not all night, you goddamn freak.”

He marched away, hands balled into fists and shoulders hunched.

“Better a freak than an asshole!”

When he reached the Jeep, he yanked open the driver’s side door. He scowled at you, which you returned. You kept scowling until he reversed onto the road and drove away.

Once his vehicle was out of sight, you sagged onto the porch and threw your gloves to the stairs. Your neck and shoulders were stiff from how tense you’d been. You stretched out the tightness and massaged with shaking hands. You could feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins. It rushed from deep in your gut and spread to your fingertips. Your heart was the hammer and the anvil, an engine in overdrive.

With a curse, you tried to think of where Eddie would hide. You had to warn him Jason and his cronies were after him. However, you didn’t know this town well enough. There were people and areas you’d never heard of. He might not even be in town anymore, which gave you a speck of hope.

Mom called your name from the open garage. You perked and replied. She came around the side of the house, then paused.

“You okay?” she asked. “I thought I heard a car pull up.”

“Oh, uh…” You thought quick. “Someone used the driveway to turn around.”

She hummed. “Perks of suburbia, I suppose.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, anyway, do you know where the garden shears are? I need to trim a few dead branches from the rosemaries.”

You frowned at her wording.

“What was that?”

“Garden shears?”

More to yourself than her, you said, “To trim the dead branches from the rosemaries.”

“Yes…?”

That was what the spell meant. You wanted to bonk yourself on the head. Plants can have dead pieces and still live. You could also consume those dead pieces without making yourself sick — as long as the plant was edible, of course.

You smiled at her, and said, “No, I haven’t seen them.”

She gave you a funny look, but accepted your response. As she disappeared into the garage, you wrangled your gloves on, stood, and returned to planting the lavender. You could eat lavender and roses and rosemary. It felt like fate to have bought them.

Before you planted both lavenders, you inspected them to find nothing wilted nor branches broken. Taking a cutting didn’t fulfill the spell’s requirement of ‘dead portion.’ Yes, it would die after you cut it, but it would be alive when you took it. That was very Grim Reaper, yet it wasn’t what the spell was about.

You neatened the porch, gathered your remaining supplies, and went to the pots of roses. There you found multiple dead leaves. You plucked a few and pocketed them before planting the roses in the ground.

Now all you needed was graveyard dirt. Unless there was a convenient cemetery down the block — which there wasn’t — you’d have to drive all the way to Roane Hill Cemetery. However, you had no excuse to be out. If you said your car needed gas, that would mean actually stopping for gas, which never took long. You could say you wanted to buy snacks at the grocery store, but again, that would mean actually shopping.

On top of that, it was Sunday. Everything closed early on Sundays around here.

You had to think of some excuse to leave the house that wouldn’t interest your parents nor rouse suspicions. And you had only a few hours to do it.

With hose in hand, Mom offered to water the new plants if you’d finish the last of the clean-up. You agreed, throwing out the empty nursery pots and washing the gardening tools. The clouds broke as you loaded the cleaned tools in the caddy.

You stood at the top of the driveway and breathed deep the scent of wet earth. Water droplets glinted like prisms on leaves and hung like crystal baubles. Sunlight danced between leaves. At one time, you would’ve sensed the flourishing life of each thing around you. Now all you had were ordinary perceptions—

“Strange day, huh?” Mom said, dragging the hose into the garage.

“Yeah.”

You trotted over to help her coil the hose and stow it with the other gardening supplies.

She said, “Doesn’t feel like a Sunday.”

“More like a Saturday.”

She hummed in agreement before perking.

“How about I make a cozy soup for dinner? That’s a good Sunday meal. There’s still some cheese bread from the bakery we could have with it…”

“Sounds good,” you said as you hit the garage-door control by the stairs.

You turned to go inside, but Mom stopped you with a hand on your upper arm.

“Sweetie, you know if anything’s bothering you, you can talk to me.”

You nodded.

“I know, but I’m okay.”

“Alright.” She patted your arm. “Good work today.”

“You too.”

She gave you a genuine and kind smile. You had the sudden urge to explain everything from the beginning, but she wouldn’t understand. You also had a deep dread she would see you differently if she knew it all. It was better for her not to know, maybe safer. In many ways, your perceived mundanity protected you both.

Up in your room, you pulled the dead rose leaves from your pocket and placed them on your desk. By a school library book. You barked a laugh. The public library was a perfect excuse to leave. You didn’t know if they were open, but there was a book return slot in the vestibule. It wasn’t as though your parents would recall if you had a library book due. There’d be no evidence, either, and the drive to the library was equidistant to the cemetery.

You went to the closet to search the storage box that held your spell supplies. There you found an unused sandwich bag that would work for the small amount of dirt you’d need. You folded that into your purse, grabbed the library book, and headed downstairs.

Mom was in the kitchen, browning chicken thighs in a dutch oven. You popped your head in the doorway to tell her you’d forgotten to return a library book. She glanced at you before asking if you needed money for the fee.

Of course, you didn’t. You told her it was due tomorrow, so it was no big deal.

She waved you off with a mellow grin and said dinner was chicken and wild rice soup.

You paused in the garage to consider taking a garden trowel. It would help if the ground was hard packed. With a shrug, you grabbed one you’d cleaned earlier and tossed everything on the passenger seat.

The drive to the cemetery was quicker than you expected, with hardly anyone on the road. You couldn’t tell if it was because it was a Sunday or because everyone was freaked out over Chrissy’s death. Or possibly both.

It turned out to be a backhanded blessing when you pulled into the deserted cemetery. You cruised to the back, seeing no one and passing no cars. In this section, the graves were abandoned, yet the grass remained tidy. Something told you the dead wouldn’t mind you removing a tablespoon or two of dirt.

Trowel and sandwich bag in hand, you headed for an old oak that shaded a few rows of headstones. Roots undulated through the earth like waves; the headstones were ships riding the swells. You knelt in front of a headstone and placed a hand on the ground. In hushed tones, you introduced yourself and explained your situation. You told them what you needed. Finally, you asked for their permission.

Then you waited.

A soft breeze rustled the oak’s leaves. Goosebumps trailed along your arms until they met at your nape, making you shiver. That was as good a sign as any, you supposed.

You thanked the dead and scooped dirt into the bag. After sealing the bag and smoothing the earth, you returned to your car.

Back home, you stowed the trowel, greeted Mom from the hallway, and hurried to your room. At your desk, you read The Veil of Undeath spell again. The spell’s annotation said it was for concealing oneself from an enemy. You assumed it hid you from curses — or what some referred to as the evil eye. While you didn’t know if you were being cursed on a nightly basis, you didn’t want to experience that level of pain until it killed you.

You laid out the dead rose leaves and the sandwich bag of graveyard dirt in front of the book. The only thing missing was a receptacle to keep on your body. You hummed in thought. A locket could work if you had one big enough, or a vial if you had one small enough.

You brought out the jewelry box you’d stowed next to your underwear. It held small trinkets along with old jewelry. Inside you found a silver locket from your late grandmother, but its openwork front wouldn’t secure the dirt. Beside it lay a plastic baby-bottle charm from a necklace you’d worn in middle school. It had a tarnished bell that now clacked instead of tinkled.

Placing the charm to the side, since it was useable, you continued searching. At the bottom of the jewelry box lay a small medicine bag an old friend had given you after a trip to North Carolina. She swore it was native made. The necklace part was long enough to hide under a shirt. Its leather was soft enough to tuck inside a bra cup, too.

Even though the medicine bag’s stitching was tight, you didn’t want dirt leaking out. You decided to cut a corner off the sandwich bag, putting the dirt and rose leaf inside, and burning the plastic closed. You could use a smaller portion and use the silver locket, but you would have to fold or tear the leaf.

No, you decided, better to use the medicine bag.

You fetched a candle and incense stick of frankincense. Once you set your desk as an altar, you inhaled the incense smoke and exhaled your fears in the candle flame’s heat. Your inherent magic might’ve been drained, but the energy remained in the tools of ritual. You had to trust them.

You held the medicine bag open over the incense smoke to cleanse it. Then the leaves. To finish, you swept smoke into the sandwich bag.

“Dead from the living,” you murmured, touching the leaves. “Dust from the dead.” You placed your hand on the mound of dirt in the sandwich bag.

“I consume like the worm.”

You brought a leaf to your mouth and put the brittle thing on your tongue. It tasted old and brown and dry. It fragmented against the roof of your mouth. The midrib crackled between your teeth. You gathered saliva and forced it down, swallowing with a shake of your head.

You said, “I keep the grave by my heart,” and held the medicine bag to your chest.

With a deep breath, you shook the dirt into one corner of the sandwich bag and snipped the corner off. You slipped the second leaf into the dirt before pleating the plastic closed. You kissed the pleat to candle flame and pinched it secure. The plastic cooled within seconds.

You then eased the packet into the medicine bag and looped the bag around your neck.

“As I exhale this last breath, I accept the embrace from death.”

You inhaled a stuttering breath, then blew out the candle.

The taste of the dry leaf vanished — as did the temperature of the room. Not that it went cold, but the temperature no longer affected you. When you went downstairs for dinner, the scent of the food didn’t induce hunger. And while the soup had a pleasing texture, it tasted lifeless on your tongue.

You’d forced yourself into bed during the small hours of the night and closed your eyes. When you opened them, it was morning. You weren’t rested, yet you weren’t groggy. Regardless, you lazed in bed to stare at the dim ceiling.

It had been a peaceful night with no pain. That didn’t mean you were safe without the spell. As they said, the absence of evidence wasn’t the evidence of absence. Something could still be coming after you.

As you sat up, you wondered if Eddie was safe and if he’d gotten any sleep. Perhaps you should try Wayne again. Eddie could be home. Or maybe Wayne knew where he was.

You went to the phone and dialed the Munson’s number. The line clicked a few times instead of ringing, which sounded as though it was being monitored. You hung up, letting your hand linger on the phone. If the Munson trailer was being monitored, the people doing it didn’t mean you or Eddie any good.

Pressing your other hand over the medicine bag, you prayed for the spell to keep them — whoever they were — from tracking you. Because it was obvious now Eddie was the prime suspect, and if you were going to find him, you needed anonymity. You didn’t want a visit from the police or the FBI or some shady government organization.

After going through your morning routine, you went downstairs. It was quiet with your parents at work. They’d left the morning newspaper folded on the kitchen island. On any other day, you’d throw it out, but the yellow sticky note attached to the front page caught your attention.

The newspaper headline read, ANOTHER FOREST HILLS MURDER. Mom wrote on the sticky note, Don’t leave the house.

You peeled the note from the newspaper to scan the article. It wasn’t just the location of this murder that copied Chrissy’s. This victim was a Hawkins High student who died from fatal internal bleeding and multiple bone fractures. You hoped it wasn’t Eddie. With the numbing effect of The Veil of Undeath, you weren’t sure you’d be able to feel if he died.

The article only identified the victim as an eighteen-year-old male. That detail had you relaxing, because Eddie wasn’t eighteen. That also meant the victim was in your class.

You frowned as you thought someone was targeting high-school seniors. That connection made no sense, though, unless Chrissy and this victim knew their murderer. Which didn’t narrow the pool of suspects, honestly. Everyone knew everyone else.

The article didn’t mention if the victim was a resident of Forest Hills, either. You had to assume he’d snuck into the neighborhood. To do what, though? Was he some dipshit looking to catch Chrissy’s killer? Did he want a souvenir?

With midday television news hours away, you returned to your room. Before leaving the kitchen, you threw away the newspaper, poured yourself a glass of juice, and grabbed a granola bar from the pantry. You weren’t hungry or thirsty, but you needed fuel.

In your room, you turned on lights and brought out all your spell books. There had to be at least one tracking spell. You spread the books across your bed, then drew one onto your lap. It didn’t have an index, and its chapter titles weren’t overly descriptive, but that was typical.

You tore open the granola bar’s wrapper, took a flavorless bite, and began skimming the book.

An hour later, your phone rang. You dropped the book you’d been reading as the phone rang again. Maybe it was Eddie. You scrambled off the bed, heart in your throat. Paper and pens and books clattered to the floor in your wake.

You picked up the phone in the middle of the third ring.

“Hello?”

“He didn’t do it,” said a young male in lieu of a greeting.

It only took a second to understand he referred to Eddie.

“I know he didn’t,” you said. Eddie was alive. “He’s not like that.”

“He told me to tell you she was a customer — and she was attacked.”

You nodded and steadied yourself with a hand on the desk. You’d known deep down he wouldn’t have hurt Chrissy, but it was nice to have the confirmation.

“I believe you.” The tight coil in your chest loosened. “Is he okay?”

“As okay as you can get while being on the lam.”

A small laugh bubbled out unbidden, and you closed your eyes.

“Where is he?”

“He swore me to secrecy.”

You snorted, because, yeah, that sounded like Eddie. “Oh, like he’s the brains of the operation over there.” Eddie was smart, but he wasn’t using every resource at his disposal, i.e. you. Instead, he relied on his little sheepies. “You’re one of the freshmen, right?”

The other end of the line went silent, which was answer enough. Your gut said this particular sheepy was Dustin Henderson, the clever smart-ass.

“Is he the leader there, Freshman?”

“No, but—”

“Look, I have access to things! Resources. I can protect him.” You waved a hand in the air. “I have a car! I can get him out of town!”

“Do you happen to have a gun?”

In the background, multiple voices shouted, “No!”

Dustin cleared his throat. “Never mind. You can’t get involved. He’d kill me.”

You didn’t want to threaten a freshman with a horrible, slow death if he didn’t tell you where Eddie was hiding. That would be wrong on so many levels. Dustin might be a pain in the ass, according to Eddie, but he was a good kid.

You took a deep breath you knew Dustin heard.

“Tell me, or I’ll track him down myself.”

“He’s on the move.”

Whether that was true or not remained to be seen.

“Makes no difference to me,” you said, hiding your uncertainty about your abilities. “I’ll find him.”

“Please, don’t. He doesn’t want you hurt or in trouble.”

Your eyes flooded as you shook your head. If Eddie thought you’d sacrifice him for your own comfort, he had another thing coming.

“I’ll see you around, Freshman. Be careful, okay?”

You hung up before Dustin could say more.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson #stranger things #waywardrose writes #em tagd

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