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#i always try lots to be polite and friendly and respectful
Hello, I just wanted to tell you that I love how you write!!!!...and I was wondering if I could ask for Geo x friendly reader with everyone, only if it is possible 🙌
Serenity within Camaraderie (Geo x Friendly and Kind! MC/Reader)
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Hope you enjoy Anon! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
- Signed by biggest-geo-oogami-enjoyer
Camaraderie: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.
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You were possibly one of the most amiable people to have ever lived.
You were kind, respectful, honest, sweet.
You treated everyone well...you made people feel hopeful, calm, content.
It wasn't for show either.
Your heart was gilded and gold, opulent and adorned with angels. Like you. You were an angel.
In Geo's cold, hardened heart, you were like a flame.
Hot tongues that wrapped around his frozen soul, warming it until the ice and numbness melted away.
When Crowe first introduced you to the group, Geo was sceptical.
Nobody was simply nice for the sake of it, there had to be an aim, a desire, a goal involved. (He has no self-worth)
He reacted more hostile to you in the beginning, he wanted you to leave, to have that stupid niceness leave.
He wanted you to avoid him, hell, even insulting him would make more sense.
Kindness? Showing him respect and caring for him because he fucking exists? His bullshit detector is blaring.
Will try and sus out anything remotely strange that you do, trying to see if you have ulterior motives...
Well, until he asks you. Maybe with a bit of an underlying threat. "What's your motive." "My what?" "Nobody is as nice and polite as you without wanting something." "I mean...yeah. I guess." "So what're you after? Money, influence-" "I just wanna be friends Geo! Jeez!"
After a while, Geo does notice how charmingly sweet you are.
No matter who it may be, you always treated people with kindness, with respect. You made people at ease with your friendliness.
So he starts to accept that might just be your nature.
You treat people the way you want to be treated, with kindness, love and respect.
Then he slowly starts to realise how popular you are.
And...well...he dislikes it.
Your attention is elsewhere, is it not? Always trying to help out others, trying to support and be the pillar for the skies that are the student body.
Geo wanted you to stick with the group, to stick with him.
He'd never confess that of course, but he would try to use his reputation and intimidation to slowly get people away from you, much to your dismay.
You often grew sad when people pushed you away, telling them that they simply were too busy for you.
Well, except his group, along with his stupid brother and his friend.
So, despite his plans working, he decides to let you be as long as he his group are your priority.
Your favourites.
Your best friends.
He wants you to get attached, because then you won't go.
You won't abandon him for the hundreds of other people whom adore and cherish you.
And soon, you don't.
You hang out with the group, you grow close to Brittney, Jess and Deryl, before slowly worming your way further into his gelid, stone heart.
He fears the effect you have, he fears what would happen if his stoic facade were to collapse under the weight of your benevolence.
He doesn't think he deserves to be cared for by you...but alas, you continue to be your amiable self.
You tell him things about your day, while he is slowly panning out all the priceless nuggets of information that he has on you.
He will eventually start being more open to you.
Well, as open as Geo can be.
But you don't mind, you're just happy he wants to talk to you.
And it warms his heart bit by bit.
Seeing your smile when you wave to him.
He wants more. And he'll get more.
Will he eventually realise his feelings? Debatable.
But he does care for you, and if you happen to like him back? He'll accept. Quietly. "So...uh...wanna. Ehem, uh. Do you wanna hang out...some...sometime?" "Fine...sure."
He will be a bit caught off guard. And frankly, can you blame him? He's never been loved a day in his life.
But you're gonna change that. Bit by bit.
And slowly, your warmth, your kindness, your friendliness cracks Geo(de)'s cold exterior more and more. Until little cracks form, and from those cracks you see slits of a beautiful heart of gold, one filled with love, but frozen under endless layers of 'security'.
You'll make sure he relearns, that he understands that he's perfect the way he is.
And he'll slowly, after a long time, start to believe it.
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bbyblair · 9 months
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small touches, pink cheeks pt.2
charles leclerc x f!reader 
pt.1
 *ੈ✩‧₊˚
a/n: right pt.2! hope you guys like it, this is a sloooow burn so you are all into a wild ride! thank you for all the support on part one!
summary: the start of the 2023 season, Bahrain in early march. you'd recently joined the sky team, working as a news reporter and interviewer for your beloved sport.it's your first week and a mix of nerves and anticipation swirl together in your stomach. you're giddy to finally meet who you’d be working with for the next few months… but what happens when an instant connection sparks up between the new girl and Ferrari's golden boy? 
warnings: cursing, charles being a cocky bastard. charles obsessed with reader! reader isn't sure how to feel abt him. pretty much a whirlwind of emotions and events ngl. probs non accurate f1 talk, I apologise!
word count: 2.0k
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friday, march 3rd 2023.
you were stumped, emotions swirling in your mind and you didn't know how to properly react. on one hand you were flattered that the handsome man was paying attention to you that way, but the rational side of your brain quickly shut down those thoughts and you went back to feeling angry. slightly less angry, but angry nevertheless.you watched over the video another few times, okay so maybe charles actions were not as obvious as you initially thought. this could be seen as a friendly admiration, right? 
you sigh and lean your head down onto the table, letting out a small huff of annoyance, but you could still feel the heat on your cheeks after this morning. deciding to take a break from the editing, you got up and informed your coworkers that you wanted to look a bit more around the paddock and try to familiarise yourself with the copious amount of people who worked in the ten different teams. 
it was around two hours before the free practice would start and you assumed that all of the drivers would be already discussing strategies and looking over the track details. the circuit itself was huge and swarming with fans and workers. your sky f1 id hanging from your neck proudly, and allowed you to go all around the paddock with no questions asked. 
walking past the mercedes area you had spotted toto wolff, and internally fangirled a little to yourself, having a small crush and also lots of respect for the mercedes team principal. continuing around the paddock you passed the red bull area, you couldn't say that you had a team you were vouching for per se, but the dominance of red bull did annoy you slightly, you did always love a bit of competition. 
after looking around the red bull hospitality area, your eyes landed on an extremely familiar face. Well you hadnt actually seen him in real life but you certainly had seen him on tv. none other than max verstappen. he was already wearing his fireproofs and was gripping his helmet in his hand while having a conversation with who you assumed was one of the mechanics. you were staring a little, he looked different in real life. not like the mad max the media made him out to be. 
his conversation ended and he must've felt someones eyes on him, as while the mechanic turned and left inside, max's eyes landed on yours. he quickly looked over you and you could almost see something align on his face. he shot you a wide smile and then beckoned you over. shocked, you stood there for a moment and looked around meaninglessly to see if he was motioning for someone else. sure enough there was no one else around. 
slow steps moved you over to the man and you sent him a polite smile. 
“hi, im Max. you must be the new reporter for this season. I thought i better introduce myself seeing as we will be seeing each other a lot this season.” he sent you a playful wink and chuckled a little. 
you laughed a genuine laugh and a smile spread across your face, and you were surprised by his kind attitude. 
“y/n. Its lovely to meet you max.” 
“so tell me, have you been introduced to any of the other drivers yet?.” his eyes never left yours as he spoke, his tone was sweet like honey.  “yes, this morning i actually did an interview with the ferrari boys!” you replied back eagerly. 
“ah, well I hope they were accommodating to the new girl.” he said as he pinched your shoulder lightly. “of course.” you replied curtly. 
he looked around for a moment, and in his eyes looked as if he wanted to say more, but seemingly decided against it. 
“well i best go prepare for free practice but it was a pleasure meeting you.” his dutch accent lacing his words. you smiled up at him again and nodded. “you too!” 
.┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ 。˚ ✧
after your interaction with max you wandered down across the rest of the team's areas and luckily for you didn't bump into anyone else. you heard the roar of fans and assumed that free practice had begun and the drivers would be making their ways out onto the track to test their new cars for the season. you decided you better get back to work before your co workers notice your prolonged absence. 
swiftly you began walking back to the sky hq, and once you were firmly sat back at your desk you opened your laptop and began the tedious process of editing whatever the hell the interview this morning was. well hopefully the fans will enjoy it, you thought. Your co worker amilie made her way over to you with two coffees in hand and sat down next to you. she was a sweet girl, you'd only met her yesterday but she clearly took a liking to you. you were both around the same age, her being a few years older, and had some similar interests. 
“do you mind if i take a look at todays interview, the boss wants me to look over some stuff to make sure they didn't let slip anything a little too personal.” she said warmly. 
“yeah of course.. here.” you handed her the laptop, and sat there while she pressed play. heat began to rise up on your cheeks but you hoped she wouldn't notice the tension between you and charles. a few minutes into the extended clip she turned to look at you, your expression tried to be as neutral as possible, but you never did have the best poker face. 
“whats all this about then?” her words were not rude, she spoke with a girlish interest and smiled at you. 
“what?’ you replied dumbly, trying to avoid the question. 
“between you and leclerc!” 
even more blush threatened to explode on your cheeks as you sighed. shaking your head lightly. 
“I dont know what your talking about.” you tried to reply in a tone that indicated you wanted this conversation to end but she continued. 
“oh come on! he is so into you! even i am jealous. leclerc has the hots for you!” her french accent peaked through her words and how she spoke with such excitement and interest made a small smile grace your lips.
“like i said, i dont know what your talking about.” your tone this time was playful and you rolled your eyes and nudged your new friend. the conversation died there as she knew you wouldn't say anything more.
┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ 。˚ ✧
you two stayed there for a matter of hours. editing the interview and getting it ready to be posted online. once you were done it was already the evening and most had packed up to leave. 
you began packing your bag and said goodbye to the few people still in the small office space. heading out of the building you began making your way through the paddock. to get to the exit you had to pass along all of the different teams' areas. mostly the building were dark, some motor homes lit up with people inside. 
passing by the ferrari section, you let curiosity get the best of you and peeked into the window. your eyes instantly fell on a familiar face. charles. he was sitting alone, watching over some footage of what you assumed was his free practice one today. headphones were wrapped around his neck and he was dressed in different clothes to this morning. just a comfortable sweat seat.you had to admit he was a very attractive guy. 
clearly you had been looking at him for longer than you realised, because his head suddenly snapped toward the window and eyes instantly locking with yours. blush erupted all over your face as you didn't know what to do. shit. he had just caught you staring at him. god you were mortified. a smirk spread across his handsome face quicker than you could blink and he sent you a small wave. his eyes had that same dark expression as they did earlier. 
its like you were frozen in place, legs refusing to move. you sent him  a shy wave and immediately  turned to leave. when you looked back behind to see charles, he had gone from his space in the small room. your stomach dropped. you didn't want to face him again, his cocky attitude annoyed you, and his stupid smirk, and his stupid unreadable expression! charles leclerc annoyed you. 
you heard some steps behind you and then a masculine voice saying your name. fuck. you didn't want to face him, but you didn't risk pissing him off and him then reporting you to your boss. you could loose your job! you stopped in your tracks, rolled your yes then turned around.
“mr leclerc.” you spoke sweetly and the way you addressed him clearly sat well with him when he chuckled a little. 
“so, how was your first day? did you enjoy your first interview?” there was that mischievous glint in his eye again, and the way he spoke just instantly made you blush. there was something about him that you couldn't quite place. 
“yes. i had fun.” you tried to keep your responses short and snappy. to try and send a signal that you wanted to leave. clearly charles was not a man who gave up very easily, when he responded. “good, i'm glad. did you meet anyone else today? any of the other drivers.” in his mind charles had thought that you and his teammate were the only ones who had seen the pretty new interviewer. he liked knowing he had you all to himself. so your next words clearly shocked him.
“yes actually, max. he was very welcoming.” you spoke softly. his gaze darkened and his jaw clenched. he didn't respond for a few moments. you took in his reaction, and it made you laugh internally. you could definitely use this against him.to annoy him the same way he annoys you! so before he could reply you spoke up again. 
“i'm so excited to work with him! i'm a big fan of redbull and it was such an honour to meet the best driver in the world!” now, most of what you were saying was a total lie, but charles didn't know. your tone was sickly sweet and as you spoke you batted your eyelashes up at him so innocently, that he did not question your words for a second. 
you didn't think his eyes could get any darker, but he proved you wrong. you could tell he was trying to control his breathing, his eyes piercing into yours so deeply that you got intimidated. he then let out a chuckle. not an amused chuckle. the kind of chuckle that you do when you are very fucking pissed off. he nodded. 
“hm. well we will just have to see who is really the best driver on the track this sunday no?” his words had a bite to them, and when he got angry his accent thickened in a way that is so delicious. he smiled at you. eyes never leaving your face as if he was trying to memorise every small detail about your face. 
you smiled and nodded again. then without even granting him a verbal response you turned on your heel and began walking back through the paddock to the exit. charles was stunned. and your heart was racing, never did you actually expect yourself to make such a ballsy move. your actually quite shocked at what the hell you just did. 
charles was also stunned. a girl had never ever dismissed him before. he was used to them falling to his feet. you shocked him. but if there's one thing charles enjoyed, it's a challenge. 
┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁۪ 。˚ ✧
wow. hope you guys enjoyed reading this part and it lived up to your expectations lmao! lmk if anyone wants to be tagged in the next parts <3
pt3?
tagged: @buendiabebeta @summerslike11
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yo i hope your requests are open?
could i have a chubby reader with her stepdad’s friends who all want her? like she’s in college and they’re offering to cover her, they take her clothes shopping, etc
thanks <3
Been stewing on this for a bit—
CW: chubby fem reader, older men, smut
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Alright alright, let's set the scene
Your parent gets remarried while you're at college, and you're fine with that. You've known your new stepdad since he started dating your parent in high school, he's a real stand-up guy and you respect each other. He's been nothing but kind to you and always given you space and freedom.
You don't even meet his friends until you come back from college one summer break.
They're all around his age, 30s and 40s, older than you by a decade or more. You don't meet them until your stepdad hosts a barbeque. Your parents insist that you attend, so you do, suspecting you'll have to answer lots of questions from your older neighbors. You wear a cute two piece outfit, a floral off the shoulder top and a solid colored tennis skirt. You don't think much of it, but you realize during the party that you probably should've worn something more conservative.
Your stepdad's friends? Oh, they're lewd. They're not normally like this, but something about seeing your soft plush curves on display has them itching to get their hands on you. They grab some beers and crowd around you, asking about college, if you're having fun, if you have a boyfriend. You're polite, but you can feel them staring at every inch of you, peeking down your crop top and at your exposed belly. You're not used to this type of attention, so you just assume they're trying to be nice, to humor you with their stares.
Oh, if only you knew what they were thinking. If only you knew that while they were standing beside your stepdad at the grill, all they could focus on was how you bent over to grab a drink out of the cooler, your skirt riding up your thighs. They imagined flipping up your skirt and finding soaked panties underneath, ripping off the flimsy fabric and slipping their cock into your wet heat. They couldn't stop imagining how your chubby pussy lips would cling to their cock, the base covered in creamy cum as you spasmed around them, your moans high pitched and whiny. Several of them had to excuse themselves to the bathroom to calm down, but it barely worked since all they'd do when they came back was stare at you. They're disappointed when you eventually leave the barbeque and escape to your room, but they know they'll see you again.
Not even a week later, they're over at your house watching a game with your stepdad. You're roaming around the house in an oversized shirt and boxers, and these men are practically salivating at the sight of you. They fantasize that you're wearing their clothes after a lovely night of sex. They talk to you when you come downstairs for a snack, meeting you in the kitchen to "grab another beer", asking you what you're up to on your day off. You're polite and humor their questions, trying to ignore the subtle flexing of their muscles. You think nothing of their attention, soon teetering off to your room again to watch TV, much to their disappointment. They wish you could sit on their lap while they watch TV, hands roaming your plump frame while they nurse a beer. Perhaps another time.
They keep showing up at your house over the summer, usually on the weekend. They're always so nice to you, giving you all their attention when you enter the room. And they even start helping you out! When your car broke down and you had to go to work, one of them drove you to your job while the others stayed behind and fixed your vehicle. When you wanted to go shopping and didn't have anyone to go with, they took you to some plus-size friendly shops and even paid for your clothes. When your date stood you up and left you all alone, gussied up with nowhere to go, they practically fought each other for the chance to take you someplace nice (ultimately, they ended up just cooking for you at home and watching a movie after).
It's safe to say that they're all head over heels for you. They're all single, either never been married or divorced, but they wanna change that. They want to have a pretty lil thing like you by their side, hanging onto them, letting them spoil you. They wanna fuck you senseless, in every position you can imagine, in the bedroom, living room, shower, even the kitchen. They want to worship you the way you deserve, and they jerk off almost nightly to the thought of you.
Imagine their disappointment when the summer ends and you have to go back to school. They see you off, helping load your things into your car. They each give you their number in case of emergency and your parents aren't available, but they hope it could lead to more. They sadly watch you drive away, feeling their hearts break as your car disappears. They go home gloomy and depressed, already missing their plump ball of sunshine.
Imagine their joy when you text them that night and say that you miss them.
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spanishskulduggery · 9 months
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Just discovered while talking to someone in Spanish that "Adiós" is more of a permanent goodbye, something you might say to someone you expect to never meet again, like a stranger. Instead, he said I should use "nos vemos" when speaking with people I know, which makes sense. I was wondering what other goodbyes I could use that aren't permanent? Obviously there's "hasta luego" and "hasta mañana."
I wouldn't go that far necessarily, but yes adiós can be used for people you don't expect to see for a long time (possibly never again like sayonara means in Japanese)
Literally, adiós is "go with God" which would have been a lot more impactful in the time of needing to journey days/weeks/months to meet some relatives, and possibly having to deal with war, disease, wild animals etc
A lot of Western langauges have something similar, even "goodbye" is "God be with you/ye"
Some people do use it for a permanent goodbye. Others use it for an indefinite but probably long period of goodbye
And some people just say adiós as a standard goodbye with no deeper meaning other than "bye"
Note: You can also say adiosito which I wouldn't necessarily recommend outside of friendly conversation since it can sound sarcastic; it's like "toodle-oo" but it's literally a little goodbye
Note 2: If you vehemently hate someone and you hope to never see them again, you can say hasta nunca which is like "see you never" and I think that's beautiful
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Today people do use adiós just as "goodbye" though it can read as "we won't see each other for a while"
The more short-term is nos vemos "we will see each other"
Another variation is a direct object version rather than reflexive. You can say te veo pronto "I'll see you soon" for example, instead of nos vemos pronto "we will see each other soon", that sort of thing
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There's also hasta pronto "see you soon", hasta la próxima "see you next time"
And a lot of people have adapted certain words into Spanish like bye/bai or chau/chao for goodbyes
chau/chao in particular comes from ciao and is super common especially in South America
Another common one I say is cuídate "take care of yourself" / cuídese for polite, cuídense for plural
Depending on context you can also say ¡Suerte! "Good luck!" (or ¡Buena suerte! or ¡Que tengas mucha suerte! "Hope you have lots of luck" or te deseo mucha suerte etc)....
Another common one I say is ¡Ánimo! which means something like "Chin up!" but literally it's "energy" or "cheer"; if you're saying ánimo with someone you're essentially saying ¡Aguanta! or ¡Resiste! which is like "Hang in there!" or trying to pep someone up, where animar is "to cheer someone on" so it's all related there
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Also I know you said spoken but just in case, if you're signing off on a letter/email there are some basic phrases you can use:
saludos = (a generic kind of goodbye) [lit. "salutations" or "regards"] un cordial saludo = (something like "kind regards")
atentamente = "yours truly" / "sincerely" [lit. "attentively"]
estamos en contacto / estaremos en contacto = "we'll be in touch"
And if you're writing a friendly letter you can say abrazos or besos for "hugs" and "kisses" respectively; it's very common to say something like te mando un abrazo "I'm sending you a hug" or something like that
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Also, if you're at a party or something, you can say something like ya me voy or me largo or something like "I'm heading out"
I tend to say something like hora de irme "time for me to go" because in my English-speaking brain saying me largo feels awkward like I'm storming out but I know that's not what that always means
Additionally you can say debo irme "I should go", something along those lines is pretty standard
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If you're being funny, I think me piro vampiro is somewhat used in Spain (but maybe not so much now)... it's just there for the rhyme. Literally "I'm out, vampire" or "I'm leaving, vampire" [pirarse is an idiomatic way of saying "to leave"]
For Latin America, more common would be chao/chau pescao which is literally "goodbye seafood/fish" since pescao is an informal spelling of pescado where the D can kind of be aspirated
You may also see/hear chao/chau bacalao "goodbye cod"
Again, all for the rhyme. The equivalent of "see you later alligator" in English. Everyone loves a rhyme
But obviously only do this among friends because it's informal and a bit childish
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inchidentally · 27 days
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Um, these 60 seconds of recent content between Lando and Oscar made me realize one thing, are these two really only knowing each other for a year or their whole lives?
the audience does not know !!!
like there's a very specific 'united front' thing I can see in a lot of partnerships and it's founded on different things but ultimately manifests in a feeling of cohesion between the drivers. (and I am so sorry bc I saw in passing someone else made a similar post to this but I cannot remember who so lmk bc I don't want to be ripping off their idea !! I have my own separate feelings about it so it's not a copy but still I wish I could have kept that on my dash long enough to rb)
like most teammates fall in the neutral category of professional politeness and friendliness but also the need to push for their own advantage wherever possible. totally fine and normal. also allows for a few fireworks occasionally which is just as good for fan engagement - sometimes more - than if the drivers were always cool w each other.
aberrations like Senna and Prost, brocedes, and sebmark are not to be included - way too unique. could even throw Esteban and Pierre in there.
you've got consummate professionals Lewis and George who are both careful about cultivating their own separate images and who hold a baseline of genuine respect for each other - but part of that respect being that they both know they'll look out for themselves first. so they're very much similar and equals even in operating very independently. ultimately they want the mess to get cleaned up and to shake hands and do business as usual. I could see them genuinely having to hash out something truly ugly and shake hands and move onto their own lives no problem. which like, they clearly have lol.
then there's a situation like Alex and Logan where the dynamic is so incredibly imbalanced BUT you have someone as humanly decent and warm as Alex (even if he maybe wishes he were less so for competitive reasons) and Logan has already become very skilled at dealing with being an outsider/almost unwanted :( and it's clear that they both see how hard-working they both are and what a massive thankless task they have in trying to just achieve points - undetermined if they're mostly friendly out of trauma bonding or will remain friends after being separated but there's absolute friendliness and respect.
then there's The Charisma Guys of Daniel and Carlos and now Lando (who mooched a lot of his F1 charisma off of Carlos and then Daniel). Daniel and Carlos replicate an almost identical dynamic with all of their teammates and it's predicated on what most drivers are already well versed in, which is: playing gay for fangirls, bromance hugging/camaraderie/ribbing for sports media and fans, and taking care of their own brand and career separately from their teammate. it's a powerful tool to have especially for leveraging the popularity of whatever bromance they're in towards their own image without having to lose power over their own image. individual sponsorships being a driver's second goal after winning races and WDCs also makes this an exceptionally good skill to have. it only starts to break down when the personal fortunes of one of the drivers start to hit hard times (current example being obvious).
the Carlos and Charles dynamic absolutely pulls a lot from the charisma/bromance stuff but the huge difference is that Ferrari would - like any F1 team - not give a shit if they didn't get along and just hitched on a bland smile for the cameras. Ferrari aren't remotely behind C2 being what it is, that's all Charles and Carlos. don't get me wrong Ferrari social media teams are MORE than happy to jump on! and sure, the challenges and content are a fun bonus thing to sponsors but three things here: one is that Ferrari IS the brand and they're a top 3 team like they're not grasping for sponsors asflgaslf. two is that as many partnerships have shown, you really don't need to do that much to satisfy the brief. and third, sponsors are like 99.999999% interested in the team's standings and the drivers' individual popularity with partnership popularity coming dead bottom - the bromances are only worth it if they're engagement darlings like carlando. and charlos doesn't do anywhere near those numbers or that widespread corporate social media appeal. you gotta do major impact with crazed fans for it to at all influence a brand's decision where to put their money. so all of the pop off the screen fun and genuine enjoyment we see Carlos and Charles have is fully legit. when they're being tongue-in-cheek levels of cutesy they literally say so. 2025 onward will see how much of a friendship there actually is, but as far as them being very happy with the partnership and collaborating exceptionally well within it, they're far more rock solid and natural at it than most. and the fact that they're if anything even tighter when there's zero incentive for it ?? and when their families and fanbases and their team principal and garages are constantly feuding ?? like it says everything about how much they respect each other and actually feel affection for each other to remain such a united front and so happy and affectionate. nobody else benefited from Carlos asking his team to tell Charles' team to come celebrate his win with him. nobody else in Ferrari or on the grid made bank off of about Charles rushing to congratulate Carlos while he was still in the car. (especially not when carlando did a quick hug and it got brands and official accounts posting tiktok ship edits to the predictable delight of thousands of fangirls. and for them all to cough cough conveniently ignore the embrace with his gf to push the image further.) there is no PR benefit behind C2 that would justify them hitching on such a dramatic facade - and if anything the people around them would prefer they kept separate so that they could celebrate one without the other. whatever their relationship is after this there will always be that massive respect IN SPITE of what the world around them wants.
but Lando and Oscar are such a major aberration not just in them both being so incredibly young and arriving into F1 so hot and already being so close in ability, but their specific 'history' and personalities. they were already such an easy fit together that it surpassed the professional need for a bromance buffer - and at the same time their bond being partly on how naturally private and shy they are made them poorly suited for a PR machine.
Oscar had already said - and a lot of fans already knew - that there were several friends in common and that the shifts in careers and being separated professionally by more years than their ages is the only thing that meant they'd never crossed paths before privately. as K said back when Oscar originally opened that TikTok acc it was so long ago that he followed Max F but that Lando didn't even have an one yet.
but also as many people close to Lando have said (good example that was posted recently) and that we can often still see in streamer Lando - Lando is very much like Oscar as a person at his core. pretty much all of the 'famous person' stuff we saw him become happened after 2019 and directly because of latching onto the social lives of guys like Carlos, Daniel and Martin. he's always referred to as extremely shy and he's said before he likes for others to lead. but his comfort place is still either hanging out in private with close friends only or to get on stream and laugh with his friends. Lando himself said that he considers Oscar to be very similar to him as a person outside of F1 and for all that in some ways that seems surprising, when you look at who Lando is when he's not in Professional Mode or Party Friends Mode he genuinely really fits in with someone quiet like Oscar who loves spending hours gaming w his friends and not being in public. I don't know enough about Martin Garrix as a person but I rly honestly see that with him as well. yes there's the Party Friend aspect but for them to travel solo for two entire winter breaks in a row ?? clearly Martin is a peaceful, quiet guy on Lando's level <3
and ofc I go onnnnn and fucking on about how while we all hate it bc it means we don't get as much content, the fact is that Lando and Oscar are the type of friendship/partnership where it's quiet and private and not something that translates to a bromance on camera. it's never going to be strategic.
so the fact that they have this "twinning" thing isn't that they are identical or that they even look all that similar, it's down to actually slotting in really well with each other as people! as always who knows how deep these friendships actually go but the whole mind-reading and synchronization and total lack of drama between them as drivers comes from genuinely being similar people and liking each other - that's what we're all picking up on when we watch them together.
the fact that they honestly find it awkward as hell when the media try to get them to "package" their friendship in bromancey soundbites or when they look at the camera a bit like an intruder that's making them dance their friendship around for media, like. that's so incredibly relatable for how any of us would feel with one of our actual friends having to do all that. having a camera aimed at us and some stranger being like "so you two get on really well huh?" and practically leaning in for an expected answer ???? it would be so stupid and weird and the whole way Lando and Oscar work together in unison to dispel how weird that is is so natural !!
idk it's like there's different things to take from different partnerships and literally all of us are suckers for a fun bromance and great professional chemistry. but I think this whole universal 'twins' thing that everyone sees in Lando and Oscar is genuinely two guys who are similar in all the fundamental ways and who actually slot together in ways where they naturally just agree on everything and therefore can predict a lot of what the other person is thinking if that makes sense ??? like yes Lando has Single Guy Party Times and professional motivations where Oscar does not but for a friendship and partnership to work, those are the two least relevant things to need to be similar about y'know ??
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lleldey · 1 year
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Love Is a Game: For Political Enemies
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Love Is a Game: For Political Enemies (CH.2)
Chapter 1: Love Is a Game: For Important Friends
Word Count: ~ 18.5k+ (my fault, next chapters won’t be this lengthy!)
Description: They say love is a game for fools; but how can you win a game, you never wished to be a part of?
We were always friends – or rather, two neighbouring countries king’s children, who were forced to be friendly with one and other, to avoid further war between our lands.
But somewhere in the space of time and laughs, the line between friends and politics disappeared;
Warning for the chapter: mentions of war, 18+, smut, verbal fight, this is a yandere story, starting next chapter it will be more present, but please keep that in mind. If any is missed, please tell me, so I can add them! 
Warnings for the series: mentions of war, yandere themes, blackmail, verbal fights, 18+, smut, blood, more will be added with time
!In no way of shape and form do I think this is how Jungkook acts in real life, this is pure work of fiction, so if you choose to read it, please keep that in mind!
Some may think that as a monarch, parties and celebrations would always be formal, but as a Princess you can testify, that is furthest thing from the truth. You were surrounded by Kings, Queens, presidents, and rulers of tens, if not hundreds, countries, and all it took was a couple glasses of wine to see the true colours of people that sit behind their titles.
Now, you must admit, after hundreds of congratulations of your coming of age, you’re also guilty of sipping a glass or two of wine, and now you find yourself surrounded by rulers, who you might as well call friends.
“Well, it is a breath of fresh air, to see a woman in our circle.” Namjoon, president of Southern Andevia chuckled.
“I would like to think, that I have been a part of this circle for a while now, we have known each other since childhood.” Namjoon and you go far back, his father was the president just before him, so you found one another frequently in the same events.
Namjoon’s cheeks darkened as he waved his hands trying to diffuse his statement, you all chuckled once he started to ramble quickly,
“No, no, that’s not what I was trying to-” his quick mumbles only made you chuckle harder, until Yoongi, president of Leitno Republic came to his aid and put his hand on his shoulder while muttering,
“We know, just take it easy on drinks.” One may think that rulers were unfazed by drinks, since they tend to look stoic and firm from afar, but you knew Namjoon, his clumsy self only amplified whenever a drink was presented to him.
“As a form of congratulations, my country has gifted you our newest technology, it allows one to communicate with the whole of a country, by only pressing a button.” Yoongi cleared his throat, his smile still lingering,
Now this sparked your interest, you had heard about the unexpected gift, father talking about it in high remarks. Establishing close relations to progressive countries was a definite plus, as each of your friends thought of something special to gift you. “Yes, I heard about that, it seems very innovative, although I expected nothing less from the country of technology.”
“I must admit, a lot of countries stood in line for it, but we saved it just for you.” Yoongi looked over his shoulder “Even he couldn’t get a hold of it.” You looked where Yoongi shrugged his head towards, only to find some politician trying to talk to your important friend, who unmistakably looked as bored as possible, not even looking at the man.
“I heard he will be stopping by my country in a couple of months, can’t deny his visit makes us a bit uneasy.” Namjoon spoke from your left, yet your gaze still remained on your friend in front of you, holding in your laugh, as the politician tried his best to get Jungkooks attention, while nervously laughing and moving his hands.
You have to give your respects to the politician, it takes a lot of courage to speak to him, even more so, when he looks as unimpressed as he does now.
But Namjoon’s words hold a lot of truth to them, visits from Bellum Sanguini Kingdom were rare and far between, whenever they needed to travel somewhere, usually meant a great deal of trouble.
Although, you suppose, that your Kingdom was an exception, Jungkook was a regular visitor, his presence never brought you dread or fear, he was always awaited here, not even needing to announce his arrival beforehand. Your friendship was also documented throughout the years, he had gained the trust of not only you and your family, but also from your own people, which meant a lot, considering that your Kingdoms were in a war couple decades ago.
Yet still, he was an enigma to you, you both were undeniably close, but he hadn’t stepped a foot close to you this entire evening. Rulers and presidents of different countries came to congratulate you, yet the one person, who you were close with chose to stand in the back lights and play the game of pretend.
“Yeah, sometimes I don’t understand him myself…” you sighed as you still looked at Jungkook. Namjoon thinking that you finally opened up about the prince, started rambling his doubts and suspicions, but unbeknownst to him, your thoughts were flying to the man standing in front of you.
It was understandable why Namjoon’s rambling soon turned out to be a full discussion, as all of your company gave their own two cents on the monarch before your own eyes; he was an unofficially closed-off topic. You chose to never mutter a single word about him, it didn’t matter what someone was talking about him, good or bad – you refused to participate in talks related to him, and soon everyone understood that.
So, now you muttering an unconscious thought, results in a floodgate opening, everyone spitting out their thoroughly thought-through questions, wanting to understand, why you could do what no one else was able to? Or rather, how you were able to conquer the cold-hearted ruler, without even lifting your finger? At least, that’s how they called him.
Their rambling fell on deaf ears, once your gaze locked with his. You sipped your wine, as Jungkook observed you from head to toe, his gaze felt physical, as if he himself was caressing every inch of your body, leaving behind goosebumps on your skin.
As his gaze slowly moved up your form and once again met your gaze, he threw back his hair, a smirk tinkling his lips. He tilted his head, silently asking you to join him.
Your eyebrows rose at his indication, he knew very well, if not even better than you, the protocol you needed to follow, one being, that you cannot go to a person first, they have to come to you. Yet he still awaits you to approach him first.
You softly shook your head, the audacity this man beholds is remarkable. Testingly, you took a step forward - small enough to be noticed only if one was watching carefully. Only for Jungkook to replicate it in his own manner.
Now you know, he definitely is playing games – if it was not obvious by his glinting eyes and never-ending smirk, then it is by his actions. But he’s not the only one who can play games, the thought alone draws a smirk on your face; you seemingly took a step towards Jungkook, only to turn around mid-air to Namjoon.
You didn’t catch what they were talking about, but their last topic encouraged you to flawlessly clink your wine glass with his own half-full one, and glamorously pronounce, “To a successful visit and great union!”.
Everyone around you put their glasses to their lips and continued talking about a topic you couldn’t focus on even if you wished to, so you tried to discreetly turn your head where Jungkook stood, as childishly as it may sound, to savour the glory of winning this small game, awaiting his dagger-like gaze, and scrunched up face.
But instead, you were met with the lonesome politician, who stood gruesome while swirling around his drink. No Jungkook. Now a bit alarmed your gaze swept over the crowd, trying to find your friend, only to see your fathers back accompanied by an overly enthusiastic Jungkook.
Disappointment washed over you, once you realised that you wouldn’t be able to boast in Jungkooks poutiness, but as you were about to turn back towards your company, father turned around, and waved his hand for you to join them.
As you were about to go to him, you looked up at Jungkook, only to find him smirking once again. You paused before shaking your head and going towards them, quickly excusing yourself from your company.
He always found a way to win, no wasn’t an answer in his books. If you refused to go to him, he found the one instance, where you couldn’t deny him – the one person, whom you were allowed to go first to. The King – your father.
Jungkook – 1, you – 0.
But the game quickly disappeared from your mind, father’s sombre face expression making you a bit uneasy. You watched how he forced a smile on his face, while welcoming you to come closer to them.
“Dear, Jungkooks father, King of Bellum Sanguini would like to congratulate you personally on the matter of celebration.” Jungkook nodded his head to fathers’ words, continuing his train of thoughts,
“Indeed, he hasn’t met you in a while, and as you now are proclaimed to be the next ruler, Kingdom of Bellum Sanguini would like to properly acknowledge your title with a visit to our Kingdom.”
Now, you have never been to Jungkooks Kingdom, let alone been personally invited to it. It is a great honour to get any sort of acknowledgment from them, but you would be a fool, if you looked over how strongly father gripped his glass of whisky, as Jungkook explained you the matter of conversation.
“We have already contacted your assistant about the visit and added a few extra dates to your grand tour of countries.” Jungkook gestured to your assistant on the far left of the ballroom.
You watched how your assistant, Anthony, bowed across the room when he noticed your gazes. He shuffled his feet and tumbled with his fingers as he tried to smile to you politely. He is nervous.
As he should be. If you wouldn’t have known Anthony for such a long time, he would be in big trouble now. He didn’t enlighten you with the changes in your graphic, even more so – you had to find out about them through Jungkook.
“Well then, it seems like everything is set, do send your father a thank you for the invite, I will be sure to accept it.” You turned to Jungkook with a somewhat forced smile, even if the invitation is a show of great respect, it still left you unsettled. You weren’t sure if even your father visited the neighbouring Kingdom in the past decade, it was secluded, and perhaps so for a good reason.
“Well then, children, I will leave you to it, please excuse me.” Father quickly murmured with a nod, and disappeared in the crowd, not even letting you to say a word in between.
Jungkook cleared his throat besides you, looking the way your father went, “He doesn’t seem too thrilled by the idea, does he?” his question sounded more of a statement, but he is right. You doubt there is a better example of a royal trying to seem on board with an idea, that one seemingly hates.
“How come you didn’t come by to at least say ‘hello, and congratulations’?” changing the subject seemed like the best option, perhaps it was the wine swimming through your system, making your words flow easier, but this was something that you were stuck on the entire evening.
He promised to be here, but he found the best way to fulfil his promise, yet still stay away from you the entire evening. It would be a lie, if you said you didn’t feel even a bit offended by his actions.
Jungkook hummed besides you, “You see, I don’t play pick and choose.” He looks towards your friend group, “And I most certainly don’t entertain flies, that wants a piece of my own.”
“They are my friends.”
“No, they’re not.” His response came alarmingly quick. Tense silence overtook you both, Jungkooks jaw clenched, and you watched how he closed his eyes and took a deep breath – seemingly to compose himself.
“I’m your friend, and they-” he looked you in the eyes “They are just a white noise.”
His gaze rooted you to the floor, no movement possible. You see it in his eyes, the unmistaken displeasure, clouded by hints of stoic willpower. He believes his own words, and somehow the raw emotion in his eyes does not allow you to correct him – even if his words remain just that – empty, with no truth behind them.
A gentle bell from behind you broke the heavy energy that flew between you both. You managed to smile at him and turn to see what the noise presents.
About 20 children stood in line behind one of the servants, he didn’t need to announce what time it is – the greetings from the youngest generation of your Kingdom.
You giggled as you turned to Jungkook, “Look what time it is.” You whispered to him.
Children had flowers braided into their hair. They all smiled at you, while holding hands with one another. A little boy, he couldn’t be older than 7, stepped forward and with a shy smile, and chin to the sky proclaimed, “Princess, we the children of Kingdom Otium Lepor, welcome you as our ruler from now on till’ forever.”
The orchestra started to play the all too familiar melody, trinks of guitar and accordion taking the place in front, while the other instruments played in background. Politicians and rulers around you smiled at the scene – children dancing hand in hand and clapping their hands together with the melody.
You turned to Jungkook “Do you remember this dance? It for sure is engraved in my mind, the countless hours of practice will never leave my mind.” You chuckled at the thought alone. When you and Jungkook were children, you saw the dance being performed in an event, and since then you both spent countless hours dancing to it while tripping over the others foot.
You still remember how Jungkook tried to act as tough as possible at the age of 9, while you unsuccessfully tried to go through his arms, as part of the dance. Instead of fulfilling the movement, you managed to step on his foot, run into his stomach and make you both fall to the floor. As stoic as Jungkook tried to be, both of you fell into fits of laughter, while laying on the floor.
Those are the key memories you hold close to your heart. That is the reason, why both of you have been friends for so long. Laughter and mindless games you both played – because after all you were children, even if you could be one only with each other.
You couldn’t deny alcohol warming your blood; ballroom seemed a bit brighter, music more thrilling and children’s feet clad into their white socks and black sandals all the more joyful.
Perhaps that is the reason why you didn’t stop to rethink your actions, when one of the children came up to you, and presented their own, presumably, made flower crown. It didn’t take you a second to call one of the workers and carefully take off your crown and cape to put it in his white gloved hands.
You leaned down to the little boy, “Will you do me the honours?”
You are sure that the chiselling smile he gifted you shone brighter than the crown you previously wore, his chubby fingers delicately placed the flowers on top of your head, while watching in wonder how they proudly rested on his princess’s hair.
You took the boys hand and went closer to the dancing children. They parted way for you to come in the middle, and the little boy released your hand to go back to his friends. You couldn’t help but laugh as their bodies danced around you in circles, your head went back and forth trying to capture every single one of the children, the rapid motion making you lightheaded.
They danced back and forth closer to your body in a synchronized union. From the corner of eye, you could see flashes of light going off, probably the reporters trying to take the best picture, but as you clapped your hands together with children, and started to move your body with the rhythm of music, you concluded – you couldn’t care less.
You felt free as a bird, the heavy dress no more dragged you down, weighting no more than a feather now. The glamorous chandelier reflected the embroidered diamonds, your dress translating the free spirit within you, as it shone in hundreds of sparkles with each of your movements.
As you twirled around, you could see the blurry faces of mother and father looking at you and giggling to each other. At the back of your mind, you knew that this was not the expected way for a princess to act, but blame it on wine, you were having fun, and knew for a fact that you were not the only one, as politicians and rulers surrounded your dancing bodies and clapped together with the music.
With the last chords of the song playing, crowd erupted into an uproar, and children threw their flower crowns into the air. You watched how lone flower petals slowly descended from the ceiling, cheers and whistles growing louder with each second.
Your gaze swept over the crowd, hundreds of people surrounded you, the end of them not visible. Some loudly called ‘cheers’, some ‘repeat’, while others were laughing with their group of acquaintances.
And all you managed to do was smile.
Children slowly bowed to you in unison, now you understand the saying – a monarch is like a parent figure, who constantly worries and takes care of millions of their children. Because as you watched the little dancers, all you could feel was pride swirling through you.
So, you joined the crowd, and applauded them. Their faces morphed from surprise to utter happiness, it might have been a fracture of second, cause in a blink of eye, one of the children ran up to you and hugged you.
It didn’t take long for the other 20 children to accompany their friend, you stumbled back from the sheer force, as they rushed into your embrace. Your fluffy dress enveloped their small bodies, some of the children became invisible in the dark material.
You caressed the hair of one of the children, who hid their face in your dress. The moment felt serene, body tingling with sparks of joy and warmth. Your gaze met with Jungkooks across the room, you tilted your head for him to come closer, but he only shook his head with a smile and drank the reminder of liquid in his glass – probably whiskey.
“I want to be like you someday, princess.” a quiet voice mumbled from your dress. A little girl looked at you with big eyes filled with wonder and stars. You caressed her cheek with a smile, oh, to be a child again.
A woman in the corner gestured for the children to come to her, presumably their teacher. Children detached themselves from you with a last bow, and quickly ran back to the said woman.
You turned towards the crowd that was still engulfing you in their presence, they looked at you in wonder, when you said that you wanted a celebration like no other, you meant it. As your eyes swept over the guests, cheers started once more; you were used to attention, but not necessarily when it was dedicated to you.
You were used to being in the shadows of your father, at the end of the day he was the King, while you – a ruler in queue. Up till this day you weren’t even of age, which allowed other to overlook you, but you guess that ends today as well.
The attention was a lot – it is a lot – the knowledge that each of your movement is watched and dissected leaves you unnerved, but as much as you don’t want to acknowledge it; it feels good.
You took another glass of wine from nearby waiter and smiled as you excused yourself to find a place to sit – dancing in high heels is a challenge, even more so when one is tipsy.
But before you could move out of the circle everyone had made, Jungkook stepped forward. You could almost hear how everyone gasped when he stopped right in front of you. If the attention before was welcomed, now you felt like it was closing in on you.
You knew that Jungkook was a mystery to everyone, the whole evening you saw rulers come up to him, trying to even get a word out of him. And now it felt like everyone slowly moved closer to you both, trying to hear what he has to say.
You smiled at him, hoping that he sees in your eyes the question that screams in your head - what are you doing?
But if he does, he successfully ignores it, opting to smile back, “Princess Reagan, I never congratulated you properly.” He pronounced every word loud and clear, taking in mind that everyone hears him.
Jungkook never before made you nervous, but then again, he never put you in such a compromising situation. Now you understood what Namjoon meant when he said that his presence alone left him feeling uneasy.
But your smile didn’t falter, “Of course you did, my Kingdom is grateful for your attendance, as you must be very busy at this time of year.” You looked over the crowd, once meeting your gaze they quickly looked elsewhere, pretending to be engaged in a conversation with a person besides them.
“Would you like to accompany me to the buffet? Here is so much noise, that I’m afraid we might miscommunicate.” You hoped that he would sense your restraint with such a crowd as a witness to your conversation, but as he shook his head, with a smile still gracing his features, you knew he had something up his sleeve.
“Here should be fine, Your Grace, it won’t take longer than a couple of minutes.” You drew your glass closer to your lips, sipping wine as you nervously watched how he put his fingers up in a beckoning sign.
A tall silhouette of a man came out of the crowd, once he was closer you recognised him to be Jungkooks personal assistant. “Herman, great to see you!” he bowed in front of you while graciously muttering “Your Grace”.
Herman had a dark velvet box in his hands, which he carefully held so as not to jostle. “My father unfortunately couldn’t attend your celebration, but my Kingdom would like to congratulate you as our newest ally.”
On Jungkooks cue Herman opened the box in his hands. Upon seeing what lies in it, your carefully crafted smile slowly vanished, it replaced by a sharp breath and shaking eyes. And you weren’t the only one, you heard gasps and murmurs from the crowd, but as your gaze fixated on the open box, everything else around you became a white noise.
Inside the box contained the most beautiful and also dangerous necklace you had ever laid your eyes on. The black diamonds reflected a dark red hue, small gems connecting the big stones one to another. The necklace looked heavy, and you’re sure it is, as there was no space for even a chain to connect it; the whole of jewellery made of diamonds.
But perhaps the history behind the necklace is the heaviest – this necklace in front of you, as funny as it sounds, was the reason war begun between both of your Kingdoms, as Jungkooks Kingdom blamed yours on stealing the jewel, while historically it always belonged to your country.
The red reflection of the diamonds reminded you of countless people that died because of this jewel, you looked at Jungkook unsure of what to do, dare you say - fearful. Everyone around the ballroom became still, the orchestra stopped playing the background melody. This could only go two ways, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to see either.
“Do take this as a warm welcome from my Kingdom, we look forwards seeing you soon.” Jungkook smiled, seemingly, the only person who’s able to do so. You’re afraid to move, you didn’t get where Jungkook was going with his implications. Your Kingdom gave them the jewel at the end of the war, in hopes to restore peace and hopefully – never see the diamonds again.
Was this his way of strengthening the union? Or is he saying that the peace offer is broken? You looked at the jewels in caution, the necklace hasn’t been in the public eye ever since the war ended.
“May I?” Jungkook asked as he gestured to the box. Your throat felt dry as a sandpaper, you managed to slowly nod your head while cautiously looking in his eyes. Unfortunately for you, they didn’t explain what was going through his mind, what kind of game he was playing. He simply smiled in content with your answer.
Jungkook took the necklace from the box, leaving it hanging from two of his fingers. The jewels spun in circles as Jungkook came closer to you, it felt as if he held a knife in his hands, rather than the necklace.
Your breath hitched as Jungkook stopped mere centimetres away from your body, even the dress became squashed in between the both of you. He tilted his head as he looked over your features, probably seeing the fear that laid behind your eyes.
He gently smiled as he slowly caressed your cheek, placing a stray piece of hair behind your ears. You didn’t notice how your hair freed from the carefully crafted bun when you were dancing.
You slowly turned your head towards where your father was standing, but Jungkooks fingers quickly stopped your movements, tilting your head back facing him. “Eyes on me, little ruler” he quietly murmured while caressing your cheek one last time before slowly stepping around you.
His body stood right behind you, you could feel his breath on your shoulder, just as goosebumps made themselves known across your skin.
You tilted your head, when his hands gathered your hair and put it over one of your shoulders. Subconsciously you straightened your back once your shoulder blades came in contact with his chest.
You felt the necklace before you saw it, the heavy jewel resting on your collarbones chilled your skin, while it weighted your neck – it was heavier than your crown.
Once you hear the necklace clique in its place, you draw your fingers around the diamonds, the sharp corners of the stones digs in your fingertips. Jungkook steps around you to look at the diamonds around your neck, he hums in acknowledgment, with glinting eyes.
Your eyes meet in a silent confrontation, and you know he sees the panic behind your own, you are clueless how to act, this is no simple gift one would give on a celebration. Around your neck lies the blood and chains his Kingdom bestowed upon yours.
Jungkook is no fool, you have known him ever since childhood, you have basically grown up together, so why on earth does he act clueless when you shoot him panicked gazes?
“The jewels suit your skin colour well, Princess. Might I even say, is seems as though they have been crafted especially for you.” Jungkooks voice awakens you from your frozen state, and you’re reminded of hundreds of eyes that are boring into your figures.
So, you do what you have been trained for, you force a smile and play the role of a dutiful and strong princess, even though every sense of your body is screaming at you to get away from the whole situation.
“Thank you, Prince Jungkook, for your…” your voice trails off as you lightly touch the necklace once more, trying to figure out how to best name the terror he presented you in the name of a gift, “for your generous gift. You have managed to catch me at a loss of words, I am surely not deserving of such an important present.” You forcefully laughed, hoping that no one noticed the horror behind your words.
“It looks like you are not the only one at a loss of words.” Jungkook looked at the crowd with a mischievous smirk adorning his lips. Now you know for a fact that he’s playing some sort of a twisted game with you.
“Well of course, one doesn’t get to see such a beautiful jewel every day.” You come in help to the crowd, their visibly tense figures relaxing at your words, laughing along your ‘joke’ to seem nonchalant. Although their nervous gazes betray their nerves raging through their own system.
Only now you notice how the music stopped, the truth being, everyone in this room is as scared as you feel. You turned towards the orchestra and with a smile loudly proclaimed, “It is a beautiful necklace indeed. I am assured it’s beauty would excel with some nice melody accompanying it.”
The band quickly got your message and started to play some tune once more. You managed to breath a sigh of relief, as you mentally crossed the thin ice on the lake. The ballroom slowly awakening from its frozen state.
But your relief is short lived, Jungkook cleared his throat behind you, urging you to look at him once more, only to be met with his stretched-out palm. You slowly turned towards him, as he stepped closer to you.
You know what he is about to ask of you, and you know even more so that you are prohibited to accept his offer. The first dance of the night is always reserved to the ruler of the Kingdom – your father. Its breach is not only unheard of, but also frowned upon.
You look at him with desperation coating your eyes, he knows how important this tradition is for every monarchy, yet still he asks of you to break it.
“Princess, would you give me the honour?” you are screaming every profanity in your mind at him, how, or rather why is he asking this of you?
Once he is a mere step away from you, you manage to whisper quietly enough so he is the only one able to hear you, “Jungkook, what are you doing?”
He doesn’t answer you; he has intentionally put you in a seesaw once again – either you refuse him, and publicly humiliate his Kingdom, therefore damaging your alliance, or you agree, and show the utmost disrespect to your own father and people.
Tomorrow’s newspapers flash in your mind, ‘how the princess managed to ruin the carefully crafted union between the two opposing monarchies in one day’ or even ‘the princesses loyalty lies in a Kingdom not her own – where did it all go wrong?’.
You searched for your father in the crowd, only to be met with his scowling face. You watched how he murmured something under his breath and shook his head with squinted eyes just before turning around and leaving the ballroom.
At that moment your realised, you don’t have a choice, the decision has been made disregards to you. And yet, you will be the one that’s responsible for it tomorrow.
With a final breath, you take Jungkooks hand. For the love of Gods, may tomorrow’s clash be dealt with later.
Now, you and Jungkook have danced a lot when you were young, you might even say that you enjoyed it. But as his cold fingertips graze your skin, and he leads you in circles around the ballroom, you can’t deny it feels like the biggest test of your life.
He doesn’t break your eye contact, and the light that shines from them gifts you puzzle pieces of his thoughts; they scream of how proud he is, the happiness and confidence behind that devilish smile is undeniable.
And yet all that you can think of is how you wish that was your father in front of you. In a singular night Jungkook has gotten you in more trouble than you have managed to cause in the duration of your life.
The hundreds of flashes all around you doesn’t escape you, their presence overpowering your confidence, and you feel yourself sinking in shame of your wrongdoings. But Jungkook catches your divided focus, before you are even able to turn towards the cameras.
You feel the ground escaping you before you even notice his actions, in a mere second, he lowers your body in a dip to the ground, and all you are able to do, is catch his shoulders as close to you as possible in fear of falling.
You look up at him breathless from the sudden dance move, your bodies emerged together like one, limbs overlapping one another as you find his face a mere breath away. And all you see looking up is his playful smile, how the corners of his lips tremble, trying to hold in his laugh.
The pinkish-red hue colouring their surface, as he slowly bites his lower lip, eyes analysing each of your features – your heaving chest that is pressed skin-to-skin with his own, your hands clenching his shoulders closer to you, and eyes looking up at him with an innocent spark.
It seems like hours of you looking at each other, while in reality it wasn’t more than a couple of seconds. His gaze always rooted you to the spot, doesn’t matter how happy or satisfied he is, he has a certain look that makes it hard for you to breathe, awaiting his next movement as a sign of freedom.
And he adorned that particular gaze right now, making it impossible to look away from him, even as your brain started to slowly catch up to the hundreds of eyes on you, while you laid in the arms of a man.
Before you are able to utter a word, Jungkook pulls your bodies back up, and resumes the dance around the ballroom. Your legs feel stoic, as you tried to catch up to his moves, now all you can do is thank the wine flowing through your veins, otherwise the cold stares and unforgiving tomorrow would have frozen your body in the middle of the ballroom.
You felt his fingers drawing random shapes on the corset of your dress, as he unnoticeably slowly drawled your body closer to his, and suggestively whispered, “Shall we make some headlines for tomorrow?”
As if the headline list isn’t filled for tomorrow, and if you were to guess, most of them related to him. But as you decipher his suspicious suggestion, you rose your eyebrow in question, still annoyed by his previous endeavours.
But he doesn’t answer you, instead your body jerked in a rapid movement, as his legs started to move twice as fast as they previously did. You managed to tighten your grip on his shoulder once again, hoping that you don’t accidentally step on his foot and make a fool of yourself.
You quietly shouted in surprise, as Jungkook leads your bodies so close to the sea of people, that the crowd startled stepped away, you watched how some men spilled drinks on their jackets, or even worse – how one clumsy man fell over his feet in hurry.
You couldn’t help but to chuckle at their actions, how they shot you an unimpressed look, while huffing to themselves. You felt Jungkooks chest vibrate, as he also looked at the awkward men. You slowly relaxed your body, as Jungkook spun your bodies around faster and faster, until the whole of the room became a colourful blur.
The colours, people and music blended into the background, and all you could see was Jungkooks smiling face in front of you. At this point, you had no clue what your body was doing or how your feet were moving, as you let yourself be led by his strong arms.
You quietly exclaimed as Jungkook twirled you around the dance floor, the weight of your dress making it impossible to stop the action. Even though you were afraid to fall, as your unstable feet stumbled into one another every couple seconds, the movements made your body feel alive.
You could feel the warm embrace of lights from the chandelier, how your dress led your body like wind, Jungkooks hand strongly holding your own – but all too soon you crashed into his chest, as the song slowly ended.
The crowds faces mixed in aw and surprise, but all you could do was laugh, as some of the presidents and politicians mumbled something in disapproval while tidying the spilled wine on their clothes.
You looked back at Jungkook, who hadn’t stopped smiling even for a second during the last half an hour “This doesn’t change anything, you owe me an explanation.” You murmured only to his ears with a raised finger, and slowly bowed to the awaiting crowd.
Jungkook knew that his actions would need explanation, and yet as he watched you go back into the crowd with a glass of wine in hand and, most importantly, the black diamonds around your neck – he’s satisfied. At least now, even if he won’t be needing it, he has a back-up plan.
You looked around the crowd while sipping wine, after the official first dance of the night, others went to the dance floor as well. The ballroom was alive, but after today’s events you can’t deny that you are tired.
In a gulp you finished your entire glass, while catching a waiter to get another one. The celebration was in full spring, but the mix of standing in high heels, wine and the thought of your angry father soon leads you to the door. You deem the time reasonable enough to leave the party, and even more so – at this stage you doubt that someone would notice that you’re gone.
The air outside of the ballroom is chilly, but at least finally you’re able to freely breathe. Jungkooks actions, mixed with hundreds of eyes, left you walking on a thin ice. You massaged your head concluding that you need to find your father, he must be mad, and with a reason.
You have no clue how to apologise for Jungkooks behaviour, the gift and taking away fathers first dance – a simple apology surely won’t fix it. The last thing you wanted to do on your birthday, was to fall out with your father, and for this you whole heartedly blame Jungkook.
Before you are able to turn to father’s wing, a hand on your shoulder stops your movements, you quickly turn around only to find the reason of your headache in front of you.
“What are you doing here?” Jungkook tilts his head as he looks over where you were going, but you’re only able to scoff at him, as you shrug off his hand from your shoulder and continue to walk towards your father’s room.
“To fix what you caused.” You shout over your shoulder, only to turn your head and find Jungkook right beside you. He was already shooting you an inquisitive look, while you yelped in surprise. He sure walks quiet.
“What are you going to say to him?” Jungkook places his hand over your wine glass, so it doesn’t spill over your dress while you try to calm down your breathing.
“I haven’t thought that far,” you shoot him a disapproving look as he continues to follow you, “Probably that you were drunk and didn’t realise what you were doing.”
“Your father knows very well that I hold my drinks well, he won’t believe you.” Jungkooks tsks with a shake of his head.
“Fine, that you thought that we already had our first dance.” Jungkook laughs besides you, “That most certainly won’t work, he saw how I was near you the entire evening.”
You stop and look at him, today of all days he managed to annoy you more than in the past years. But then again, you are going to your father to apologise for his actions, while he is standing in front of you doing nothing more than getting on your nerves without giving the actual reason of his actions.
You poke him on his chest, “Mr. Know it all, why don’t you do it? I don’t have to apologise for your actions, be a big boy, and deal with it.”
“I’m not bothering him today, perhaps tomorrow. His wrath isn’t something I look forwards to.”
You watch how Jungkook single-mindedly shrugs his shoulders, as if he bears no worries in mind. But you can’t deny that he is probably right, speaking to him tomorrow does seem more appealing, when his anger has at least somewhat calmed down.
But his satisfied face only increases your annoyance, and as of right now you are done with him, no additional fights nor disagreements seems like your best choice. Going back to your room and burrowing yourself under covers to escapes tomorrow’s problems seem more and more appealing.
“Fine, good night.” You copy his nonchalant shrug, but before you are able to go back to your room, Jungkook catches your hand and starts leading you the opposite way.
“You still haven’t told me how today went, I’m very intrigued in your discussions with neighbouring rulers.” He looked over his shoulders as he led you somewhere unknown.
“Jungkook, I want to go to my bedchambers. We can talk tomorrow, then you can explain your behaviour as well.” You manage to sigh as he pulls you closer to him, so both of you walk side to side.
“Sure, we’ll go there as well, but before that~” he stops at the kitchens door and opens it while gesturing for you to go in.
You hope that he understands from your gaze alone how over his charade you are. You hold his gaze for a while, waiting for him to let you be, but his smile doesn’t bother, and you know he will not quit it.
You shake your head, as you go into the kitchen with one last disapproving glare. The room is secluded, even the sounds from the ballroom are muted, you watch how Jungkook goes around you to the fridge and takes out a plate of snacks and a bottle of wine.
“I have concluded that some late-night snacks are a must after pointless talks and obnoxious politicians.” Jungkook puts the food on the nearby table and pulls out a chair gesturing for you to come closer.
The snacks on the table invited you to come closer, after dancing and who knows how many empty glasses, your eyes zeroed on the table, previous fatigue forgotten. “How did you even manage to get in? They shoo me away whenever they see me close by.” You mumbled as you sat on the open chair.
“I would like to think the chef has a sweet spot for me.” Jungkooks opened up the wine bottle as you grabbed one of the pastries, “The number of times he helped me bake cookies for you must have been good for something.”
You giggle while munching on the sweets; when you were children, you realised that Jungkook had never done even as much as cut a vegetable, let alone cook anything. So, you took it upon yourself to drag Jungkook to the kitchen and charm the staff with puppy eyes and angelic smiles to let you in.
You made it a tradition to bake cookies whenever Jungkook came by, but it took one unlucky accident resulting in you crying with a bleeding finger for the chef to never let you step a foot in the kitchen. But Jungkook somehow managed to enchant the staff to still let him in, as he had a tendency to bake you cookies on your birthday.
“I have a heavy suspicion that you have always been his favourite.” Jungkooks laughs as he shakes his head, “Your people love you. Although I must say, if one of your subjects don’t view me as a soul reaper – I’ll take it.”
“Well, if you tried to smile once in a while, I’m sure they wouldn’t be as scared.” His tendency to have a blank face has been noticed by everyone and judging by how Jungkook shakes his head and puts his palms up, he knows it as well.
“During the past hour I have smiled more than this year, so I dare to disagree.” That brings out a solid point, he has been smiling more than usual, although this time for the wrong reasons entirely.
“About that, some explanations would be appreciated.” You touch the necklace that was still weighting your neck, “About what?” Jungkooks tone alone screamed ignorance, as he poured you both a glass of wine.
You were about to reply, but in the middle of pouring you a glass, he looks up for no more than a second. You recognise that gaze, the quick movement, and clenched jaw. He is nervous.
“Necklace, first dance…” you quietly answer while watching his movements, only to be met with his own calculative gaze. He doesn’t answer you for a while, probably hoping that you will interrupt the silence and move on.
But he showed you his true emotions, even if it was only for a second and you refuse to back down until you get your answer.
You get comfortable and take your glass, and Jungkook gets your memo. He drums his fingers on the table and finally answers, “I wanted to do something special.”
“In that you succeeded indeed. A war weapon from the opposing Kingdom is hard to beat.” You clique your glass with his, while he looks at you with a smirk and a risen eyebrow.
“If opposing countries rulers sit by the same table and drink wine while eating pastries, I do believe that world peace is just around the corner.”
You stare at him unimpressed; he is once again changing the subject while simultaneously minimalizing the impact of his doings.  
“You can’t actually think that I would come here on your celebration of age with some flowers and chickens.” He finishes his glass in a gulp and pours wine in both of your cups.
“Why not? You know that I don’t expect anything from you.��
“Reagan, everyone knows that you’re my girl. That would never happen in million years. And there’s nothing more special that I could have given you than~” he points at your neck while drinking his wine, “It is specifically given to Jeon family.”
Your mind zeroed on his first sentence. Everyone knows that you are my girl. Now you looked at him with unmasked bewilderment, laughter leaving your lips before your mind was even able to make a comprehensive sentence.
“I wasn’t aware that my title has changed. From the future Queen to your girl, that is quite a reach.” The thought alone is ridiculous, the number of rumours both of you have been tied to is astronomical.
“We should probably do something about it, otherwise it’s getting out of hand.” Jungkook hums in response with a glint in his eyes.
“Agree, the next time we need to proclaim that we are happily married with two children.”
“Hmm, the oldest a girl, I have always liked the name Ivy.” you point out, playing along with him.
“And the youngest a boy, Roy, in honour of our favourite chef, who surely puts love potions in his cookies.” You shake your head in amusement as you watch him laugh. You grab a pastry from the plate and stuff it in his mouth as he continues to chuckle while munching on the sweet.
Mindless banters was up your forte, as much as you don’t want to admit it, you are glad that Jungkook forced you to spend the rest of the evening with him, otherwise you would have gone to your room, overthought your every move and wrongdoing at today’s events. Whereas now you are laughing with your closest friend, drinking wine, and forgetting about everything that is wrong with the world.
You are sure that your joy fills the whole room, candle lights dance around Jungkooks face with each of his movements, and your mind feels calm as you see the flames reflection in his eyes.
So, it wasn’t a big surprise when your seemingly seconds long banter was interrupted by a staff member.
You both turn to the door to see the unexpected visitor, the poor maid frozen in the aisle. Only now you notice how dark the sky had turned, it seems like your joyous banter turned into an hour’s long rendezvous.
You straighten your back and sit properly on the chair, somewhere in between laughs your elbows touched on the tables surface from the close proximity. You clear your throat realizing how improper you must look to the maid.
But before you manage to apologise to her, Jungkook dismisses the poor woman with a harsh “out”, before turning to you and continuing your previous topic. Your head snaps to him in surprise, the woman’s trembling voice echoing through the kitchen, “My deepest apologies Your Grace, Your Highness. I was not aware of your presence in the kitchen, excuse me for my mistake.”
Before the woman manages to escape the room, you quickly go in tow, to minimalize Jungkooks crudity, “No need to apologise, we made an unexpected visit. You surely have more important business here than we do. We were already leaving.”
You get up from the chair, the aftermath of the two empty wine bottles on the table settling in. You catch your footing as the image before you slowly pulsates.
The maid keeps apologising from the door aisle, so you send her a quick smile to dismiss her worries. A bad decision on your part, the quick movements only making your vision blurrier.
Jungkook clicks his tongue from his seat but doesn’t argue, but as he gets up from the chair, you see the light tremble of his own legs, you didn’t even notice how much you had drunk, till the serenity was interrupted.
Jungkook turns to the fridge and grabs another bottle. Once you send him an inquisitive look, he shrugs his shoulders while storing the bottle in his - now scrunched - jacket pocket.
“I have always been envious of men’s pockets.” Your jealous stare continues to follow Jungkook as he steps out of the door, but not before he sends another glare to the maid. You push him out of the door with a shake of your head, the nerve this man possesses is something else.
“Have a nice evening and do get some rest!” you point at the perplexed woman, her stare burning in your temple, as you wave her goodbye and go back to Jungkook.
The door slowly closes behind you, the soft thud signalising of you being left alone. “That was fun.” You mumble once you start progressing towards your personal wing.
Jungkook hums besides you to the soft echoes of the music from the ballroom. You giggle as he takes your hand in his and starts swinging it side to side. You turn your head towards him, and the whole world seems to go in slow-motion.
His hair is a mess, strands sticking in every way possible, and you are probably at fault for that, as your drunk self-thought it would be funny to mess with it, as Jungkook laughed while trying to hide his head in his arms.
Every sensation feels more intrusive; your limbs are burdensome, pulling you down as if the whole gravity is tied to your shoulders, the music moves your body to its rhythm without you even noticing, your hips swinging to the music, and the corset around your torso smothering you breathless.
But worse of all – your heels digging holes in your soles.
Every step feels more painful than the previous one, hundreds of needles glued to your feet. So, to no surprise to anyone, you tug Jungkooks hand to a stop, and bend down to your shoes.
The darkness of the hallway doesn’t help you, as only the sole candles on the walls light up the space, you quietly curse as your fumbling fingers get entangled in your fluffy dress, nor the beginning, nor the end of it being visible.
As you’re about to sit down on the floor to get better vision of the shoes, Jungkook tsks from besides you and soon after you feel his warm hands embrace your clumsy ones. Your eyes meet, as he lowers his body to a kneeling position in front of you.
“Let me.” He whispers as your hair falls messily in front of your eyes. You are taken aback by your proximity, his eyes sparkling in shades of adoration and hints of wilderness, that makes you giggle in wonder.
You shake your head as you feel Jungkooks comforting hands around your ankle. He doesn’t break your eye contact, while undoing your shoestrings, his own eyes committing each and every of your movements, following your lip quirks as his warm hands tickle your sensitive skin.
You blame the alcohol entirely for your feelings, but as Jungkook slowly untangles your feet from the shoe and takes it in his hands to slowly massage it, it would be a futile attempt to blame the alcohol for your accelerating heartbeat.
Your balance mixed with a couple of bottles of wine fails you, your body vibrates from sensations all around you, and the world seems a bit blurrier and warmer than usual. You don’t notice your head spinning, until you catch yourself on Jungkooks shoulders.
Although the act is an ordinary movement, the worlds spins in different directions right now, and with no control of yourself, you giggle while caging Jungkooks body below you. Thank the god everyone is having fun at the party, as you worry that the visual, they would be met with now, would be highly misleading –
Jungkooks head lightly pressed on your breasts, and his hands under your dress.
The whole situation is laughable, and you do just that – laugh. You hear Jungkook asking if everything is all right, but all you manage is a shake of your head in between the fits of giggles.
Jungkook slowly puts your shoes on the floor, and the blurry smile he gifts you from below makes your heart swoon in adoration. Both of you look drunk, that much you can decipher as Jungkook looks at you with his love-filled and disoriented gaze.
Ever since you met as children, you have spent every single one of your birthdays together – it didn’t matter if Jungkook had somewhere different to be, or if his father required him to be somewhere different, he was always here. You don’t even want to know how Jungkook had to bargain with him to be by your side, but whatever price it may be, he never complained. Only smiled and gifted you baskets of pastries.
Perhaps the years you have spent together came to play, as the love you feel for him is amplified by each of your previous drinks, but you don’t want the words to fall dead in your heart once more. So, you lightly whisper, while balancing your weight on his shoulders,
“Thank you for being here.” The words may seem simple, but the silence and tilt of head alone expresses that he understood what you mean.
Jungkook takes your hand from his shoulders and gives it a kiss, while standing up with your shoes in his other hand.
“Come here” Jungkook pulls you closer and hangs his arm around your middle, while guiding you to your room.
Cold tiles against your feet calm your spinning world, as you let him lead you wherever. You know that the evening has come to an end, and although it has brought way more problems than planned, you selfishly don’t want it to end.
His hands around your torso feel more comforting than you could have imagined, and the fights tomorrow’s sunrise will bring, makes you want to stop the time and hide in this moment forever.
But the flickering candles against the walls and gold embroider around the aisle of your wing, speaks loud and clear that the unwelcome goodbye has arrived.
You sober your mind enough to distance yourself away from Jungkook, his disagreeing gaze going amiss to you.
Guards welcome you in front of your wing, standing firm and tall in their position. You murmur a “Good evening” as you quickly move past them towards your bedroom. You feel Jungkook following in tow, his energy speaking louder than his frame – even if you don’t see him, you feel his presence behind you.
You stop in front of your door, two more guards greeting you with a bow of their heads. You look back at Jungkook, his gaze already awaiting you.
You don’t want to say goodnight, the night seems too young and sweet to finish already. And the least you want to do, is to farewell Jungkook under the stares of the guards. Judging by Jungkooks own awaiting gaze, you know that he won’t accept such an option.
“I think you should accompany your colleagues at the entrance of the wing. There are guests roaming around the palace, and me and Jungkook have already arrived, so nothing to guard here.” You turn back to the guards, and with a nod of their heads, they turn to leave.
But before they manage to exit your peripheral vision, you call after them “And do be so kind and tell the maids to not awaken me tomorrow, I wish to get a full rest after today’s events”
You watch how their bodies become smaller with each second, till you can’t see them no more. You turn to Jungkook and catch his gaze with a smile and tilt of your head.
“So, this is it?” You smile while resting your back on the door. The cold surface relaxes your body, and you miss how Jungkook takes a step closer to you.
“Unfortunately, it seems so,” he positions his body in front of you, resting his side on the door as well, “I have to admit, today was even better than I imagined.”
“Do you have such small hope in me?” You gasp, and jokingly punch him.
“In that you’re mistaken,” Jungkook catches your hand, “I have the highest expectations of you, but to my surprise, you always manage to exceed them.” He takes your hand in his own, and massages your fingers, while holding your gaze.
You smile at his words, feeling all warm and cosy from his undertone compliment. “I’m afraid that the night has come to an end.”
“It’s the end only when we say so.”
“Goodnight, Jungkook.” You give him a wry smile with a shake of your head.
Jungkook kisses your hand, and murmurs “Goodnight, little ruler”
The silence lasts, as none of you move first. His fingers still play with your own, and your face beams as he relaxes his head against the door, not moving away from you.
“You know you’re resting against the door handle, right?” you mess with him, and he sighs with a smile of his own.
“You want to get rid of me so badly, hm?” Jungkook gives another kiss to your hand, as he throws a questioning brow your way, and steps closer to you.
You watch how he moves closer to you, until you are a breath away from one another. He moves a wild strand of hair away from your face and leans closer. Your breath catches as you see every detail of his face, the way his eyelashes flutter and eyes wrinkle in a smile.
You don’t dare to move, as his lips press against your cheek, and you close your eyes as he stays couple of seconds pressed against you. His hair tickle your cheekbone, and you conclude that you have never smelt his fragrance so vividly – you are sure that the smell of fresh morning dusk and hints of peppermint will mark your body from this day onwards.
In the back of your mind, you hear your shoes dropping to the floor, but the thought vanishes as his hands cradle your face, and you slowly open your eyes once you feel his breath on your lips. You don’t doubt that this is the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen. This moment will forever stain your dreams, and at this point it doesn’t matter which is the brightest paint – the alcohol clouding your senses, or his soul wrapped around your heart.
You caress his jawline, feeling his heartbeat behind his hard armour. No one could deny that this moment is impossible to capture in a painting, the colours on the canvas splattering in messy flurry of emotions and figures blurrier than recognisable.
But as beautiful as it feels, the dark voice in your mind, that screams for you to get away into territory more recognisable, slowly takes over. This can’t be right, no matter how safe and sacred this moment feels – no matter how his hands touching your skin feels, this can’t be right.
With one last look at his sparkling eyes and caress of his soft cheek, you sneak your hand around him and open the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” you slowly kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear. You can’t look at him, as you step around him into your room. Cold air greets you yet the warmth from his touch still burns underneath your skin. Candles slowly burn their last breath, softly illuminating the solitary room.
You turn around to close your door, only to be met with Jungkooks body staring you down from the aisle. “I’m closing the door now.” You smile and start to slowly close the door.
“I’m offended, I never thought you’re the kind of a person, to shut doors in peoples faces.”
“Only in special cases Prince Jeon” you giggle and watch how Jungkook moves closer to the door, as the gap becomes smaller.
“Am I a special case then?” you laugh as you conclude that he is indeed a special one. Prince or not, he stands in front of a woman and begs for another minute with her. You shake your head, if only the public would see him like this, perhaps they wouldn’t call him the devil in the hiding.
“You’re the finest case, Jungkook. Goodnight.”
Jungkook gifts you his mischievous grin and leans in to give you one last kiss on the cheek. You feel how he slowly departs from your skin and whispers “Dream of me, little ruler”.
With a one last flick on his forehead, you push him out of your room and shut the door in his face. You can hear him giggling on the other side, and all you can manage is to turn around and take a look at your bedroom.
The silence in your room, enables you to hear your own heartbeat pulsating in your ears. Today was a lot, and all you wished for was to be alone, but now that you are – the stillness that surrounds you churns your chest, and the cold room chills the tickling nerves dancing on your skin.
The heavy feeling in your body didn’t vanish either, your surroundings dragging you down with it. The shadows in the corner seem to grow with each second passing by, and the flickering light of the candles only stem to remind you, that you are all alone.
You don’t think when you turn around and march towards your door, you don’t know what you’re expecting to see, or what you’re planning on doing, but you don’t want to be alone.
You didn’t need to overthink it, as evidently you aren’t the only one with such a thought – you are met with Jungkooks form resting on the wall next to your door. He turns his head towards you, and all you manage to whisper, “Would you like to come in?”
His face morphs from surprise to a dreamy smile. You both are out of it, you – clutching the door, for some sense of stability, him – looking at you with a deprived gaze and messy hair.
He doesn’t speak, but he takes your clenched hand in his, and marches inside of your room in a fast pace, you barely managing to close the door behind you.
He stops in the middle of your room, your hand still in his, and asks, “Why did you change your mind?” he tilts his head and looks at you behind him. You stare at him for a moment; him standing in your room at almost midnight feels right, the flickering lights no longer seem threating, rather comforting.
The knowledge that no one knows he is here, and all the secrets and obscure whispers will stay in this room, makes the quiet night oh, so more appealing.
Loudly expressing that you felt an unfavourable sense of loneliness and coldness deprives itself from your options, so you step closer to him, and rest your head on the back of his shoulder, “You still have a full bottle of vine, don’t you?” you sneak your hand around his back, reaching towards his jacket pocket to derive the bottle, but before you’re able to, his hand catches your own.
“If you wish to embrace me, little ruler, all you have to do is ask. How could I ever refuse such a demand?” your hands are caged around his body, he moves his face closer to your own, and traces patterns with his nose on your cheek.
“My turn to embrace you, little one.” He releases your hand on top of his chest, and firmly grabs your chin. You feel his grip urging you to come around him, towards his front, and you mindlessly follow his directions, till you find yourself embraced in his warmth.  
His hands hover over your cheeks, not fully touching your skin, yet the warmth pulsates in waves, teasing you. You lean in towards his touch, his growing smile only acknowledging you successfully following his silent commands.
You caress his cheek, the soft skin beneath your fingertips glides smooth like silk. You watch his reaction, as you let your fingers explore his face, how he flutters his eyes shut once your fingers draw the outlines of his lips.
You allow yourself to slowly caress over his lips, feel how soft the warm pillows are beneath your fingertips. You don’t notice when you step closer to Jungkook, the movement previously seemed impossible, but here you are – pressed against his chest, him holding your cheek and you caressing his lips.
In the back of your mind, you know that this is wrong, not only because he is supposed to be your Kingdoms enemy, but also because he is your friend. But you can’t stop yourself and lean in closer to his warmth, chasing after the patterns you have drawn on his skin.
You’re close enough to feel his breath against your face, a whisper away to let your lips mould together. But before you’re able to take the next step, Jungkook frowns and with a sigh rests his forehead against yours.
You look at him with a mild surprise, did he not want this? Did you step out of line? But the frown on his face screams that it pains him to do so. You watch how he takes your hand away from his face and kisses it all over.
“Jungkook?” You question him when he drops your hand and steps away from you, you’re not sure what to even ask him, the empty words and uncertainty in your voice self-explanatory.
He doesn’t answer you, but walks around your room looking for something, and takes out the bottle from his jacket.
“Little one, where do you keep your glassware? The vine won’t empty by itself.” He exclaims an “aha”, once he opens your cupboard and finds what he was seeking for.
You clumsily step forward to him, the possibility of you making him uncomfortable still fresh in your mind. You stand in front of him not knowing what to do – can you touch him, or will he slap your hand away?
In your longer than decade friendship, he has never denied you any contact, and now the possibility of you spoiling what you both have so delicately woven stands in front of you like a brick wall.
“I’m sorry” you mumble as your brain keeps going haywire. That takes his attention away from the bottle in his hands. He sharply looks at you, and you realize, that perhaps you don’t want to know what it is, he is thinking of.
The look that he gives you is not one full of pleasantries. His jaw is clenched, hair falling in front of his eyes, eyes that look close to black in the dimmed environment. You stop breathing for the whole of the couple of seconds he looks at you.
The fire that blooms in his eyes both literally from the candles and figurately churns the remaining oxygen in your lungs. You are lightheaded, the alcohol still burning through your veins and the tension spinning you in waves of heat.
You don’t know if he’s angry at you, but the fierce look on his face scars you, and with the last remains of self-composure you whisper once again, “I’m sorry”.
Jungkook whips his head away from you, and stares at his hands, with a tsk he pops the bottle open and fills the glasses.
“There’s nothing to apologize for, little one”, he screws the bottle shut and looks at you, “But you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Perhaps the sentence would have been your savior from another burden of tomorrow, but all that your haze filled mind could comprehend, is the non-existent challenge in his words.
Hot-headed you step in his personal space, and firmly state, “But I do”. You say it so assertively, that you would have believed it yourself, but your lifelong friendship comes in to play, as Jungkook looks at you with a gaze, that you could only gift a precious child.
And somehow that infuriates you even more.
Before you manage to say more, Jungkook puts one of the wine cups in your hand, and lovingly strokes your hair. You contemplate throwing the liquid in his face, but the annoying star-struck gaze is back on his face, and much to your own regret, even in your floating state, he still has a soft spot in your heart.
“You, Mr. know it all, don’t know what you’re saying.” You mumble as you sip your wine.
“Don’t I now?” you shake your head, while taking another sip.
“Little one, do tell then, isn’t this the first time you have gotten tipsy? Or if you have done as much as even kiss someone?” he caresses your cheek once more, and you whole heartedly declare, that the reasoning behind your cheeks warming, is in fact the alcohol in your cup and not the devilishly handsome man in front of you.  
“No, in fact it isn’t!” you wide-eyed proclaim. Be it the white lies that spill from your lips, you choose to look over how your voice rises. Well, technically you could count your first kiss being when you were 10, playing ‘house’ with Jungkook and getting married under a barely standing self-made fort. But details don’t count now, or do they...?
Anxiously you take a gulp from your glass, watching over the rim how Jungkook disapprovingly shakes his head and leans closer, “Lying doesn’t suit you, little one.” He whispers in your ear, and tips your glass higher till the liquid spills and drips down the corners of your lips and trickles on your neck.
You don’t manage to react, before Jungkook apologizes with a smirk and leans towards your neck. You don’t understand what he is doing, until you feel his lips against your neck.
The sudden sensation catches you off-guard, the feeling previously inexperienced penetrating your system. You feel his wet muscle massaging your neck, and slowly going lower, following the sinful red trails on your chest.
The motion of his tongue sends waves of shivers down your back, and you feel each of his movements distinctly on your skin. The light graze of his teeth as he slowly sucks your skin free of the liquid that taints his untouched canvas.
He scrapes your skin enough for chills to overtake your body, but lightly enough for you to press closer to him, seeking for something-anything more. He moves lower and lower towards your cleavage, and the trail of saliva left behind his lips cools your body, yet his body heat quickly empowers, and you feel his hot breath tainting your skin.
He grazes his teeth over your cleavage, and you’re not sure weather to reprimand your maids for choosing a dress with such a bold cut, or thank them, as you feel Jungkook’s tongue dancing in circles over your breasts. He kisses your skin till the outline of your dress, and with a harsher bite awakens you from your dream-like state.
The gravity seems to have forgotten you, as the cup falls from your hands and Jungkook supports your waist, once your knees buckle beneath you. But that doesn’t stop his task, only encourages him, as his lips press harder, and teeth sinks deeper in your skin.
Your breath hitches as Jungkook moves upwards to the junction of your jaw, and your hands find their home in his hair, pressing him closer, not allowing him to breathe, as he ravishes the canvas beneath him.
He licks a stripe over your jawline, and you bite your lips to quiet the sighs that dare to escape you. You feel his thumb press against your mouth, overpowering the pressure and resting itself against your tongue.
Jungkook harshly sucks on your neck, and you bite down on his finger. His touch overwhelms your inexperienced mind, and you quietly cry out under his touch, every sensation seeming twice as much.
You feel Jungkook’s breath against your cheek, and you drunkenly open your eyes, to find him mere centimeters away from your lips, watching how they contract over his finger, and plush out under the pressure.
He slowly removes his thumb from your lips, and rests his own just besides yours – touching, but not intervening. “Let’s make one thing clear, little one” his breath fans over your skin, as he tries to catch his breath, “This body is created for me, and this soul” he presses his hands against your chest, “is merged from mine.”
“Never again will I hear you spew such lies, Reagan” he detaches his face from your cheek, and cherishes your face in his hands.
He looks at you with raw determination and passion, and at this point he could say anything, and you would agree with him. His proximity, his touch and eyes make you feel drunk, and you can’t focus on anything, except how his lips press together with each syllable he pronounces.  
His lips have never before looked so plush and soft, as if made from silk and filled with cotton. You merely shake your head, as his words go over your head – your only focus being the pink prize in front of you.
Oh, what would you do to feel his lips against your own. Lick the sweetness off of them and mold them to your own. But as much as you want to do that, you have no clue what you’re doing.
So, you do the only thing that you’re able to do; you lean closer till your lips are divided by less than a centimeter. And as much as you’d like to close the space, you know that you can’t. You look up and meet Jungkook’s eyes.
The raw vulnerability mixed with unsatisfied desire in his eyes makes you sigh, and all you can do is hope that this isn’t the first time ever, he chooses to deny your wants.
And he doesn’t
His lips overcome the space between yours, and you feel him outlining your lips with his own, his breath mixes with your own. And in no time, he molds your lips together.
At this moment, it feels just right, even if you don’t know what to do under the light pressure he applies to your lips. You let your body wander free, and slowly replicate his movements. He sucks your lower lip into his own, and his hand finds it’s place in your hair, lightly pulling on your scalp, and by reflex you move your head upwards, gifting him an opportunity to slide his tongue over your own.
He massages your tongue, applying and decreasing the pressure, and you let him take control, slowly following his lead. He suckles on your tongue, and you lowly moan, and his lips capture every sound that you release.
Jungkook detaches your lips, and moves towards your neck, he bites the space, slowly moving towards the junction of your chest. You turn your head, to allow him more access, and grab his shoulders, as he presses you against the desk.
He draws delicious patterns over your skin, and you balance your hands against the desk, trying to find some sense of gravity in the clouded universe you have created. He kisses as much of your skin he can, and once he reaches the neckline of your dress, he bites and fights against it to acquire more space of your burning skin.
He licks a stripe in between your breasts and bites the flesh. Once you feel him feverishly sucking your bosom, your hands give out and you fall against the desk. Distinctly you hear something falling, but you can’t be bothered as his lips continue their assault.
His hands trace the sides of your corset and moves lower to the skirt of the dress. He tries to pull the puffy material up, but the fabric barely moves, and you hear him hiss something against your skin.
Within a second he pulls you up and turns your back to his front. Lightheaded, you grab his hip for support, and Jungkook lowers himself to his knees, while kissing every surface of your skin he comes across to.
You turn your head to right and watch in the window reflection how he grabs the lace of your corset in his teeth, and hungrily unties the bow holding your dress in place with his tongue. Your breath hitches as he bites each of the strings on your lower back.
Cold air surfaces, as he continues to pull the corset open, but his feverish breath distributes against your skin, only serving to cause waves of heat. With the last string pulled free, your dress drops to your hips, allowing you to take a much-needed breath before Jungkook yanks it down.
You are left in your undergarments, and the cold air attacks your body, marking your skin with goosebumps. Jungkook torturously slowly drags his fingertips from your ankles upwards. Once he reaches your hips, he presses his nails into the skin, and you let out a sigh.
Jungkook turns you around and steals another kiss, while he grabs your buttocks and lifts your legs around his torso. You feel him moving, but the way he tickles your tongue with his own and massages your backside makes you lose yourself in this moment.
Once you feel your behind pressed against something cold, you open your eyes, only to find yourself on the edge of the desk, in front of the window. You press your legs closer together, urging Jungkook to come closer, but he shakes his head, and kisses up to your ear and whispers, “You’re going to watch very closely,” he massages your inner tights and you let out a trembling breath, “and, Reagan,” he gives you a quick kiss, you reach out to deepen it, only for him to detach, “you will learn what it means to be loved by a man.”
He gets on his knees and spreads your tights wide, now you understand what he meant by watching closely, you are positioned right in front of a window, and from this position you can see everything – your cheeks burn as you watch how he kisses closer to your center.
He bites on the junction of your thigh, and you forget to breathe once you feel his breath right over the place you churn for him the most. He gives a tentative lick over your undergarments, and the foreign feeling makes your hands tremble, and you catch yourself against the edge to hold on to your sanity.
Jungkook savors your taste, rolling his tongue over the flimsy material that divides him from your most intimate space. He has been dreaming of this day for years, and now that you are in his arms, trembling under his touch, it takes all of his self-control to prepare you for the night, that he will make sure you will never forget.
But even a person with the highest willpower has their limits, he can’t stop himself from ripping away your bottoms. He doesn’t wait for your reaction, only distinctly hears your outcry as he drags his tongue over your most sacred place. Your taste explodes on his tongue, and even he cannot hide away the pleasurable sounds from his chest.
You can’t help but moan as you watch how Jungkook tickles your bud in circular motion, switching from quick laps to sucking. You grip anything in your way, once he circles his tongue around your opening, and teases your bud with a flick of his fingers.
The scene is sinful, and you fight to keep your eyes open, drowning in the view in front of you, but all it takes is to push his tongue inside of your walls, for your hands to completely give out and you fall against the desk, relinquishing the sensations you have never previously experienced.
Jungkook drags his tongue in and out, your body trembles, every sensation is new, divine, and oh, so powerful. Your hips awkwardly move against his tongue, chasing something more, but Jungkook presses them down, and sends you a disapproving gaze.
“Let me take care of you,” he kisses your lower lips, “just let go”. He slowly pushes in his finger, and sucks on your swollen bud, you don’t even feel the pressure, your juices mixed with his saliva welcomes the additional stretch.
You feel him on you, inside of you, but somehow that’s not enough. The bubbling sparks in your abdomen only serves to make you whine, needing something more. The pleasure is undeniable, you can’t stop the strings of moans breaking through you, your hands are flying everywhere, nerves jittery, and subconsciously you know that you have gripped the lone documents that were lying on the table.
Jungkook replaces his tongue with his fingers and moves upwards your body. He sucks on every part of your flesh and discovers the brassiere that traps you from being completely naked in front of him. He drags his tongue in circles over the material, sucking on where he guesses your nipple is hiding.
The material sticks to your skin, as he moves to your other breast, cherishing it as much, as he did the previous one. His finger still thrusts in and out of you, and you feel your slick running down his fingers and your arse.
He seamlessly adds another finger, and your walls flutter around his muscle, adjusting to the added pressure. You are a moaning mess underneath him, and your hands scratch his scalp. You pull his hair, as Jungkook clasps your bra open with one hand.
You are under complete submission, and all you can do is cry out, when you simultaneously feel Jungkook adding another finger and biting on your left nipple, while massaging the other one.
You have never felt so full before, and your body is on fire, Jungkook scissors his fingers and draws shapes over your breasts. Once you feel his fingers expanding into a scissor motion, you are close to screaming. He brushes over a particularly delicious spot, and your legs tremble as the pleasure intensifies.
“Jungkook, I-” you breathlessly start, tears threatening to escape you, and you shake trying to catch your footing back in the gravity. But Jungkook doesn’t stop his motions, only adds more pressure. His thumb is still drawing circles over your clit, fingers knuckle deep in your walls, tickling your sweet spot. His mouth is on your breast, licking over the sensitive bud, while his hand is massaging your other breast.
Every sensation doubles by the previous one, and soon you find yourself curling in, trying to keep yourself together. Jungkook detaches from your sensitive mounds and grabs your jaw to face him.
He caresses your cheeks, and lightly pecks your nose. You open your eyes to look at him, you feel on the verge of explosion, and all you manage to do is cry out his name. He shushes you with a peck and lowly murmurs, “Let it go, sweetheart”.
His words clique in your mind and are only certified when he kisses you deeply. You grab his cheeks and keep him close, as you let your body free, and allow yourself to climax against his fingers.
Your high-pitched moan is muffled by Jungkooks’ tongue. He continues to pump his fingers, as you slowly come back to the present. Your limbs feel heavy, muscles still compressing, the aftershock of your orgasm present. You caress Jungkooks hair, when you notice how he’s kissing every part of your face and chest.
“Nice to have you back, love” Jungkook smiles when he notices your gaze on him.
You smile and lean closer for a kiss. Your mind feels numb, and everything seems perfect, you don’t question Jungkook when he wraps his hands around you and carries you towards the bed.
He softly lays you on the bed, and before he manages to take another step, you push yourself to knees, and grab him by the hips. You are right in front of his crotch, and slowly look up. He smiles at your wonderous eyes and caresses your hair.
You reach for his shirt, and slowly start to unbutton it, keeping your gaze on him. Your breath tickles his abdomen, and his skin overcomes with chills. Encouraged you let your lips fall on his lower belly, kissing the skin and slowly moving upwards with each of the buttons popping open.
His hands move towards your head, massaging your scalp. And once you pop open the last button, you let your hands roam over his chest, takin note of every muscle and birth mark, the view never before seen.
You lean over and kiss where his heart is, you distinctively hear him hum, but the heat of his body takes your attention, how you can feel his heartbeat when your lips touch his skin.
Jungkook moves your face upwards, and passionately kisses you, his tongue pushes past your lips, and you let him take the lead, as he moves your jaw upwards and kisses you deeper.
The bed dips, as Jungkook sits next to you not breaking the kiss. His arms wrap around your middle, pulling you closer. He moves towards the bed’s backboard, and you detach your lips, and take the scene in front of you.
 He sits against the backboard, hair ruffled, and legs spread, shirt no where found and you’re able to see his tattoos up-close for the first time. His eyes are squinted, waiting for your next move, and once you see his lips slowly change to a smirk, you are compelled to move closer and capture them as your own.
Carefully you lift your leg over his hip, holding yourself over him, and kiss him once again. His hands massage your back, slowly moving lower, till they wrap around your butt. He presses you down, and your hips push against his crotch.
Your breath hitches over the harsh contact, Jungkook leads your hips in rolling motion, and you let yourself fall against his chest.
“Jungkook,” you sigh out, lost in the sensation and body heat pressed against you. His hands still put pressure over your muscles, and you blissfully kiss the skin in front of your lips.
“Reagan,” his voice sounds strangled, and a whine escapes you, the rough material over your most sensitive parts keeps adding the pressure in your lower belly, while withholding the needed release.
“I need more” you push yourself up and rest your head against Jungkooks, “please touch me,” you push your lips against his, “kiss me, whatever, just-”
You let your hands sneak beneath his trousers, Jungkook puts his hands over your own, and in no time, you are both skin against skin, hands wrapped in each other’s hair, sloppy kisses filling the room.
You feel his length pressed against you core, your slick allowing you to move freely against him. You shudder a breath once you feel his tip at your opening, and you make the first move, and slowly lower yourself against him.
You both moan in sync, his arms wrap around your body, holding you close. Each inch stretches your walls, but it isn’t overpowering, slightly uncomfortable. The heat that blooms within you overrides the unfamiliar feeling, and you look down to see how much more of him you have to take in.
But before your eyes manage to wonder, Jungkook grabs your chin and presses a chaste kiss, “Eyes up here, love”. His hand presses your hips down, and now you fully feel the extent of the stretch. You feel full, to the point you’re not sure you can take more, but his hand continues to apply pressure.
Your lips fall open in a silent screech, a lone tear escapes you, which Jungkook quickly kisses away. His lips suck on your neck, and hand massages your breast, yet the feeling of him stretching you doesn’t escape, only increases as his length continues to penetrate you in places you didn’t know was possible.
Your body tenses, and Jungkook takes notice. His lips attack your neck, swiftly sucking your skin, and his hand leaves your jaw and draws circles over your clit. The numerous sensations help you with discomfort, the heat within you building, and the uncomfortable stretch now seems welcomed.
Once your bum hits his pelvis, with a yelp you fall against him, and a strangled breath escapes you, as he shushes you and whispers sweet nothings in your ear. He caresses your back and lays gentle kisses on your shoulder.
All you hear is whispered “you’re divine”, as your body adjusts to the intrusion. You’re afraid to move, as if your body’s glued to his own. You press your forehead against his, and Jungkooks hands cherishes your face, as he leans in for a kiss.
The moment is indeed divine, no one has ever touched you so lovingly, looked at you with such passion, in which Jungkooks eyes burn, as he looks at you with undeniable desire.
You draw back to see the scene more clearly, his lightly sweat-covered chest gleams in the candlelight, he gives your hand a peck and lowers it over his heart. The pulse is so strong, you feel it by just pressing your fingers in his skin.
Experimentally you slowly raise your hips, and Jungkook falls in the pillows while chanting “oh my god” with scrunched brows. You start a slow rhythm, and feel the uncomfortableness vanish to the back of your mind.
Every inch of him is in you, every vein and movement absorbed by your walls, Jungkooks hands travel to your breasts, and you moan as he brushes a particularly sweet spot inside of you. Your juices flow freely, helping with the movement, and unconsciously your rhythm picks up, angling your hips, for the sweet sensation to capture your mind.
From beneath you, Jungkook grabs your hips and meets your thrusts with his own. The force of his thrusts makes you fall against his chest and moan, as he hits the most desired places with sheer force.
Your body curls in itself on top of him, you try to gather yourself, but each of him movements make your body shudder with spasms of pleasure. Bracing yourself against his shoulders, you try to straighten up, but his thrusts leave your arms shaking. You move your hips intact with his own, chasing the sweet feeling, and moaning in his ear.
Jungkook sits up, and you shudder a breath as he presses right against where you yearn the most, his thrusts take your breath away, as he moves faster, deeper, and more ruthlessly. His nails press against your butt, and you move your head, as he attacks your neck, harshly sucking under your jaw.
You grab his hair, the sensations heavenly, you close your eyes, and fall into the pulsating waves of carnal need. His thrusts leave you senseless, and you swear you see stars in black of your vision.
A sudden boom behind you catches your attention, and your body tenses in shock. You hear Jungkook curse, as your walls contract from the sudden noise. You look behind only to see sparks of different colors fill the sky, as each blast makes the room vibrate.
Absentmindedly you realize - fireworks, gift from Namjoon. Your body slowly falls against the sheets, as Jungkook lays you down. You feel like life is moving in slow motion, as you watch how the sky turns red and feel every inch of you take in Jungkooks length.
Your eyes close with remembrance of red clouds, and Jungkook thrusts into you slowly, making you feel the way his cock throbs inside of you, brushing deeper and deeper, penetrating your lower belly, and moving his body in waves, brushing over every part of you that you kept sacred.
His arms wrap around your shoulders, drawing you closer, and you let your nails dig into his back, as he speeds up his thrusts, now barely a second goes before you feel him pushing deeper and deeper.
You body has a mind of its own, as you curl your legs around his hips, your juices flow and you feel the droplets over your arse and tights, and you hold on to Jungkook for the life of you, as the bed trembles from the sheer force of his thrusts.
Jungkooks moans in your ear only amplifies the pressure in your belly, and you feel the dam inside of you crack. You hold onto him for the life of you, your legs around him shake, and your walls tremble. Jungkook struggles to keep up the rabid speed, once your walls contract around him, and you push his body closer.
You hear him moan, but at this point you’re not sure, whether the high-pitched sound comes from him or you, as the mix of feelings overflow, and you feel your body give in. The fireworks in your mind explode, and the red skies bleed into white sparks, as your body finally gushes and leaves you seeing stars.
Your body pulsates and your vision is still clouded in scarlet clouds, Jungkook thrusts one final time and releases while crying out your name, he succumbs to his weight and falls beside you on the bed. The room is filled with heavy breathes, as you both try to catch a hold on the present.
You move your head towards him, only to catch him already looking at you. He gifts you his starry smile and moves a stray hair out of your vision. You giggle as you look back at the ceiling, watching how it changes color every few seconds, the loud booms still ever present.
You wonder how it’s possible that you feel more drunk than beforehand. The room spins in gentle waves, and you let Jungkook take your hand in his, enjoying the soft kisses he leaves on your knuckles.
The bed moves, and perhaps Jungkook just got up, but your muscles ache, and the idea of turning your head to look at him seems exhausting. So, you let it be. The idea of what just happened, hasn’t settled yet, and the idea of tomorrow scares you, all you can dream of is to close your eyes, and fall into pits of abyss.
But you feel the bed move once again, and see Jungkook kneeling in front of you, “You’re here” you whisper with a tired grin, to which Jungkook shakes his head with an endearing look in his eyes, “How are you feeling, little ruler?”
He presses a wet rag against your chest, and you let out a content hum, your body sweat covered and aching all over, the cold towel works as a great relief. Jungkook carefully cleans your body, following the shape of your breasts and watching how your muscles contract from the cold sensation.
You look unearthly, lost in your mind, naked with only his necklace hanging on your neck and your body covered in his love bites. He lets his intrusive thoughts win, and slowly kisses over the darkening spots on your body, enjoying how your body shudders under his touch.
He deserves this. He deserves to be the one to see you in this state, he cherishes your dreamy eyes and half-conscious words, how your body recognizes and trusts him. He had been dreaming of this day for almost a decade, so the least he’s entitled to, is to experience every single second of it.
“Tired,” you suddenly murmur, “But I still see sparks of stars” you loudly proclaim with a finger pointed to the ceilings, after good 30 seconds of silence. Jungkook laughs at your dreamy state, the wet rug quickly discarded somewhere on the floor, before he moves you back to the pillows and tucks you in.
The last bit of the night is filled with Jungkook tugging you in his embrace and giving you butterfly kisses all over your face, as he whispers sweet nothings of how beautiful you looked dancing in the ballroom.
It’s safe to say you never imagined your first time being with Jungkook, the only option ever presented was a good husband, who would take care of you, but most importantly – your Kingdom.
But as you wake with soft caresses on your scalp and your body intertwined with his limbs, every protest seems to vanish. You haven’t even uttered a word, before you hear him greet you a good morning.
Reluctantly, you open your eyes and look up at him, you are met with his bunny like smile, grinning like a child, who just got the best Christmas present ever only to fall back in his chest with a groan. Yes, it is indeed Jungkook you’re lying on top of. “Did we do what I think we did?” you murmur in his chest, the sole idea of facing reality seems unreasonable, when you can just hide in his chest.
Jungkooks chest rumbles with laughter, and you’d lie, if you’d say that a smile didn’t ghost your lips. The act seems so normal, that you’d almost pretend this is another idyllic day, but the naked chest you’re pressed against seems to remind you of the undesirable truth.
Last night was surprising, just as much as it was divine, and as you stretch on top of Jungkook, the mild pain in your muscles remind you, that you can’t hide away from what’s done. So, you face your fears, and let the words fall before doubts can cloud your mind, “Jungkook, this doesn’t change anything between us, right?”
Whether it be your shaky voice or scared eyes, Jungkook takes notice of your nervous state, and quickly shakes his head with a kiss to your forehead, “It doesn’t, you’re still my little ruler, don’t worry your pretty head about it.”
Don’t worry about it, sounds great, especially when there’s piles of unresolved issues you’ll have to face today. But you know that yesterday you overstepped a line you shouldn’t have, a line that was there for a reason. But he is your friend, and his indifference leaves you reassured, that perhaps it was just that, no strings attached.
You snuggle in his chest, and notice how the sun is high in the sky, “What time is it?” Jungkook merely shrugs, “Not sure, mid-day the least”
You sigh in expiration, guess it’s a good thing, you asked to not be disturbed, the room is a mess, and it would be a nuisance trying to explain it all. But duties call, and you still have to talk with father. The thought alone scares you, but then again, a night has passes, he must have calmed down by now.
“We should get up, I already missed breakfast, which is bad considering everyone is here because of me.” You draw shapes on Jungkooks chest, and conclude that he is comfortable, his heat keeps you warm and the arm around your middle grounding.
“Should we? I have another idea, surely, they wouldn’t mind if we missed starters.” This catches your attention, and you look up. His suggestive smirk makes you giggle, and you connect your lips in a kiss.
He cages his arms around you, and pushes you down on the bed, so he’s on top of you. You giggle at the contact and feel Jungkook smile in the kiss. He lays in between your legs, and slowly grinds against you, you feel his slowly hardening length against your folds, and softly moan in the kiss.
There’s a knock on the door and you curse, maid probably came to check if everything’s alright.  You detach from the kiss, and Jungkook moves to your neck, giving open mouth kisses all across the skin.
“Judy, I’m awake. No need to help, I’ll come down shortly.” You shout, and quickly connect your lips once more. His touch so pleasant, you wonder how you could survive past years, without knowing how soft his lips are.
“Reagan, it’s your father.”
You both stop your movements, and a second passes where you both stare at each other, panic clouded gazes and widened eyes meeting one another. “Shit” Jungkook curses and you both set into motion.
“Give me a minute, father” you yell, as you grab Jungkooks clothes from the floor, and anxiously stuff them under the duvet. Jungkook throws you a robe, and you quickly tie it around your waist.
Your eyes meet, and you frantically try to figure out where he could hide, your en-suite is on the other side of the room, and judging by father’s voice, he’s not in a patient mood, so there’s no time for that.
Jungkook gets your memo, and quickly hides underneath your duvet, just in time, as the door harshly opens. You look over your shoulder, and take a deep breath, while soothing your hair.
“Excuse me father, I drank too much yesterday, so I slept in,” you start with a shaky breath. You watch how his hawk-like gaze travels around your room, and you move closer to him, hoping to change his attention towards you.
“Can I help you somehow?” you try to smile, as he carefully looks your features over. It feels as if he’s examining you, and self-consciously you draw the robe closer around your body. “Have you seen Jeon boy?” is all he says.
“No! Bid goodnight yesterday, and just woke up.” You quickly answer, the nerves in your body sky rocketing, “Has-” you swallow, “Has anyone said anything to you?” your voice shakes. He knows, he must know. Why else would he asks such a question? Father narrows eyes at you, and you await his reprimand.
In stead he throws some papers in your arms, and moves to your door, not before muttering over his shoulders, “Clean up. Be at my cabinet in 15.”
You clutch the papers in your arms and breathe out once the door closes behind him. After good 10 seconds, Jungkook gets up from the bed, and wraps his arms around you from behind. “Oh, sweet heavens!” you sigh out, and your knees tremble. You both start giggling at the stupidity, two adults hiding from father, as if you were 15, sneaking your boyfriend in behind parents back.
“That was a close call” Jungkook whispers in your neck, and you shake your head, while giggling at the absurdity of it all. You let yourself press against his chest, and catch a moment of peace, “What’s in your hands?” Jungkook takes the papers from your clutch.
National newspaper. You read the title “Diamonds are girls’ best friends?” the front page filled with pictures of the diamond necklace Jungkook gave you. You lowly curse, it’s a good bet, that father is still just as furious as yesterday.
You dread the conversation with him, now his cold demeanor makes sense. “I need to get ready.” You whisper as you scan the text, Jungkook still reads the article as you move towards the vanity.
A quite hiss leaves your lips, in the frantic panic you didn’t notice how tense your muscles had become. You hear Jungkook moving closer to you, while asking “Are you alright?”.
You dismiss his concerns with a soft “Muscle pain”, as you sit by your vanity. Jungkook kneels next to you, puts the newspaper on the table and his hands find your tights, slowly massaging your muscles, while asking “here?”. You smile at his antiques, and wonder how this is the same person, society tries to portray as devil.
But just as fast as your smile appeared, one look in your mirror makes your grimaces turn to shock. You push your hair to the side and watch in horror the dark purplish-red mark on your neck.
You screech “Jungkook” and move closer to the mirror, analyzing the damage that he left. You sit back in shock, and let your thoughts run wild, “He definitely saw that. How am I going to explain this?”
Jungkook shushes you, and pats your hair, “You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, you’re the Queen.”
“Future Queen” you quickly amend. Jungkook watches your frozen state, how your eyes glaze with horror. He kisses over the bruise, and lightly murmurs, “Well, you can be the Queen of my heart in the meantime.” lightening the mood.
Your eyes meet through the mirror, and you push his head away with a soft laugh, “You’re such a flirt.”
You glance at the newspaper and back in the mirror. The necklace is still around your neck, and you lightly graze over it, the first time you see it on your body.
“It is beautiful” you whisper, and Jungkooks hums, his arms wrap around your waist. The diamonds sparkle brightly in the morning sun, but as beautiful as it is, the amount of stress the heavy stones bring is unimaginable.
“How bad is the article?” you saw him reading the newspaper earlier, and judging by fathers’ reaction, nothing good can lie in it. Jungkook lets his lips draw over the diamonds, “They are curious, trying to understand the significance of it.” You bite your lip, neither good, nor bad. You calm yourself, it’s just one article.
“But overall, they say the celebration was a success, so no need to worry.” You breath out, that’s good. People aren’t angered. You can deal with father; your people are on your side.
Thankfully, Jungkook is a great help, he helps you get ready, picks out a dress, that covers the marks and even puts make-up over the deep bruise. You stand by the door, and smile one last time, and mutter, “See you at dinner?”, only to receive the most breath-taking smile.
The walk to fathers’ cabinet is nerve filled. You try to analyze the maids body language, but it’s as if yesterday didn’t happen. Everyone bows with a smile; no judging or curious looks follow you. You step in front of the cabinet. It will be fine. The guard opens the door.
You anxiously step into fathers’ cabinet. He stands in front of his desk, looking at the papers distributed all across it. The room feels suffocating even without any of you speaking.
You step closer, and when his attention swaps to you, you try to muster your brightest smile and step towards him to properly greet him, “Good morning father, I would of came earlier if-” he puts his hand up urging you to stop.
The last bit of courage dies within you, as you assess his clenched jaw and hard gaze, and you know that you are in trouble.
“Reagan, I have always prided myself in letting you live your life freely. Letting you enjoy your childhood, so to speak.” He starts without as much as greeting you.
“But now I find myself in a tough position, and I don’t have another choice but to step in.” Mix of disappointment and bitterness clouds his gaze. He has never looked at you in such a way, your hands start to play with one another, waiting for his next words.
“From now on, the boy,” Father clears his throat, “Prince Jeon is not welcomed in my home.” You watch in shock as father continues, “And any sort of political relations with the Jeon dynasty, will be carried out strictly by me.”
You start to retort but are quickly silenced. “And you will have no contact with him!” Father slightly raises his voice and points a finger at you. Your eyes start to burn, and tears gather at the corners of your eyes, he has never talked to you with such hatred, yet alone raised his voice.
“If you’re talking about yesterday, Jungkook already apologized, he never meant to disrespect you, father.” You quickly ramble and move towards him, trying to defuse the situation at hand.
“Reagan, he not only embarrassed me, made you look a fool, gifted you a bally war weapon, but he threatened the safety of our country!” Father spit out, “That boy knew exactly what he was doing.” He shakes his head and looks away from you.
Even though you can see a flitter of truth in his words, he is still talking about your friend. And as much as you love your father, you know that he has the upper hand, and if things progress in such way, you will not only have to go behind his back, but your Kingdom will face the wrath of standing against Jungkook’s.
But your hands are tied, perhaps you are petty, but you don’t stop yourself, and murmur “He is a man, not a boy.” The bitterness is clear in your voice, and judging by fathers’ reaction, he is shocked by the side you chose.
“You must think of me as a fool,” he steps closer to you, “The whole palace is whispering of how my daughter is a mistress to Jeons!” his neck taints red, and now you know he has let his rage take over.
“I have been lenient, even grown to like the boy. But turns out my daughter has been playing with the devil,” he comes closer to you and yanks the sleeve of your dress down, exposing the love bites Jungkook left last night. You look down, trying to contain the tears that threaten to fall.
“Perhaps then you should ask the lover boy, why he has gathered tens of thousands of his troops at our border.” You quickly look up, looking at dad with fright.
“He is not your friend,” Father shakes his head, “He is our enemy.”
“And you aren’t a child anymore, Reagan. You are the future Queen.” He grabs papers from his desk and hands them to you, “And if you do plan to be one, it’s about time you start acting like one.”
With that father leaves, and you are left alone biting your lips to stop the hysteria that you have been holding in. You put your hand over your mouth, silencing yourself, so the guards outside don’t hear you.
You take a look at the papers father gave you, and every thought of crying disappears, as you see the horror presented to you.
~
Hello everyone! Chapter took longer than expected (ahem, yes, my fault, as it is 18k+), I noticed my posts weren’t appearing in tags, and it took around 2 weeks for Tumblr to fix that (probs, because it was holiday time), but now it’s all good!
Chapter isn’t edited yet, so excuse the mistakes!
And, finally, the backstory is finished, so starting next chapter, the yandere themes will get more and more noticable.
Hope you stick around!
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I think some people are annoyed that we can’t be friends with whatever characters we want but I really like it esp for the housewardens. It shows us that everyone’s different and maybe some people need more time to trust others or maybe they don’t want to open up in the first place. It says a lot about how diverse and strong Twst’s characters are.
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Oooh that’s a very good point you brought up! ^^ Even within just the dorm leaders themselves, there’s a wide range of relationships and relationship evolutions that we’ve witnessed (in regards to them and Yuu):
Riddle doesn’t particularly respect Yuu at the start; while he’s not overtly super ruse, he still views them as a troublemaker no different than his freshmen. Post chapter 1, we can see that Riddle has warmed up considerably and seems to consider Yuu a friend that helps to keep an eye on Ace and Deuce when they’re not at Heartslabyul. He does cute little things for Yuu, like fixing their necktie for them, routinely thanks them for favors, and offers to help them or show them around. Most notably, Riddle is one of the dorm leaders that is most open about what he is doing to try and reconcile with his childhood trauma (which he communicates to us in the start of episode 4).
Leona is consistently abrasive towards Yuu from the very beginning to the current state of the main story. Their first encounter involves Leona about to fight Yuu for stepping on his tail, and throughout the second episode, he just continues picking on Yuu and their friends, whether in games or in actual battle. He still seems very closed off and reluctant to help Yuu later on (unless it also personally benefits him, like in the case of episode 3), and isn’t interested in becoming friends (Leona still looks very annoyed when Grim calls out to him in episode 5).
Azul doesn’t think of Yuu as anything special; while still professional, he initially sees them as another sucker to bait into a deal and take advantage of to acquire more assets for himself. According to Azul, Yuu doesn’t have any traits or skills worth taking—they’re unremarkable in every way to him. However, following episode 3, Azul is more willing to lend them a helping hand and to hear them out when they’re in need of help, most notably when the Scarabia mobs are chasing Yuu and Grim. Like Leona, Azul has his own reasons for wanting to assist, but at least he’s now taking Yuu’s word a little more seriously instead of taking them for another fool. Something else that’s interesting is that Azul’s business mindset still overrides his social interactions in the main story; he doesn’t give Yuu or anyone else overtly special treatment just because they’re on better terms or because Yuu literally saved his life.
Kalim is always pretty friendly and welcoming to Yuu, the same as he is with any other student or faculty member. Jamil, on the other hand, saw Yuu similarly to how Azul did: as some tool he could use to get his way. After the events of episode 4, Jamil no longer treats Yuu like someone he can weaponize to achieve his own goals, but treats them like how he treats everyone else with that stoic, diligent facade he always puts up. If I had to describe this, it’s like… Yuu was at a negative before, and now they’re on relatively neutral grounds? Or maybe Jamil feels that Yuu is a kindred spirit, considering they both need to constantly babysit dummies—
Vil is the dorm leader that is most consistently polite to Yuu, both before and after his Overblot. He acknowledges Yuu as his equal and thinks that they can play an important supportive role in the VDC group as their manager. Vil is very strict, but he isn’t unfair and he doesn’t chide Yuu for things out of their control or things they had no direct involvement in (ie Vil didn’t use his UM on Yuu because they didn’t eat the cake or pie that Trey made for them). After the OB, Vil is extremely apologetic to Yuu and even funnels his winnings to help renovate Ramshackle Dorm.
Idia doesn’t have a lot of time to engage with Yuu, but since he dislikes socializing, he, by extension, also dislikes Yuu and closes himself off from them. However, by the end of episode 6, Idia is making a genuine effort to reach out to others and hang out with them! He’s playing video games over at Ramshackle Dorm with Yuu and co~
Malleus’s episode hasn’t been released yet, but we’ve slowly been watching his and Yuu’s friendship come together over the course of the main story. Yuu’s the one person he’s met in his life that isn’t afraid of him and treats him like an equal (albeit in part due to Yuu’s ignorance about who he actually is), and we see just how much Malleus has come to cherish their company in the night. When he reveals his true identity to Yuu at the end of episode 5, then episode 6 skips addressing how their relationship has changed as a result of that discovery. 7 will likely pick up where this plot point left off, and I’m sure that many TWST fans are chomping at the bit to see how Malleus and Yuu’s dynamic will continue to develop.
In the end, it doesn’t feel like we’re super close to most of them (maybe varying degrees of “acquaintance” at most?), but it really helps in making Twisted Wonderland feel fleshed out! Different people, different personalities, different circumstances, different levels of comfort in opening up to and befriending others... The TWST cast is just really diverse!
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Warm my Soul- Naga!Jotaro Chapter 2 (1/2) Study Master Disaster
Hey everyone, I thought I'd drop in and give at least half the chapter of 2 for you guys to have something to eat. I apologize for the lateness, a lot happened over Christmas and I've been stepping away from the JoJo community as a whole due to it. Things are rough here and I find I have little time to enjoy life, let alone write. Been dabbling on this chapter for too long and wanted to give what I have for now. Just know Im still here, just trying to find sanity and recover. <3 - Rhae
The wildlife in Jotaro's habitat was more diverse and intricate than you had initially thought. Upon further investigation, you realized how much effort had truly gone into making this home for him. Birds, lizards, frogs, beetles, bats, and all manner of things lived here. It was as if they had plucked a chunk of the Naga's natural habitat up and put it in Washington State. 
Thankfully, nothing in there was severely dangerous that might harm the faculty or Jotaro. However, after nearly a year and a half of stable recovery, Jotaro had regained the majority of his weight and was almost fully recuperated. This meant most things didn't threaten him anymore, as he was now a wall of sheer muscle. No one could force Jotaro to do anything against his will, which was both a blessing and a curse as his care took on new rules and roles.
On one hand, this meant no more interactions like Angela's could happen. If he didn't want you there, you would know, immediately. 
But on the other hand, this meant playing to his good side. If you could find it, since his distrust of people was only cemented after the big 'A' Incident' as your coworkers came to call it. Still, some people tried to push their luck with him some days, making him more quick to snap.
If fortunate, you'd escape with your bones intact but a few bruises. Those unlucky would be wearing a cast at minimum.
Kyoshi had warned you and others during Jotaro's recovery that healthy Nagas were some of the most dangerous Cryptids. Due to their bulk and sheer muscle, one would think they moved slowly. But that was not the case. Naga could move swiftly and quietly when motivated, crushing their prey with alarming strength that would only get stronger as they grew.
And they never stopped growing.
As if that wasn't bad enough, each Naga was equipped with potent venom strong enough to stop your heart in three minutes flat at a young age, with older Naga killing within forty seconds. When asked, Kyoshi refused to elaborate on how the venom worked, merely stating that: "Dead is dead, regardless of how you get there."
So, seeing as you had become Jotaro's primary caretaker, there were often moments when your mind would run rampant with thoughts of him lashing out at you in a fit of anger. 
Though you knew in your heart that he wasn't like that. Jotaro may have been an odd cryptid. Silent, reclusive, and poor social skills all lined up to make him seem like a wall that would lash out at any moment. But you knew Jotaro enjoyed company that wasn't there to irke him and that he was polite and cordial to those that gave him respect. So you figured, after everything, the chances of him wrapping you up in his nine-meter tail and snuffing out your life while injecting you with venom were....minimal.
On a happier note, the herd of capybaras you had met on your second day in the man-made rainforest were joyfully friendly after several 'snack' filled encounters and would come trotting from their sunbathing spots to greet you every morning thereafter. 
Perhaps a little too eager for snacks and their beloved 'scritches.' A word shared by the older veterinary assistant Tomoko Higashikata, who was typically tasked with giving you the healthier snack buckets on your way in after a noticeable weight gain had been noted in the animals. Jotaro always gave her a weird look when he decided to wait for you at the entrance and saw you talking to the woman. She never said anything out of place, just interesting facts about cryptids and animals, but you never had the guts to ask Jotaro why.
Some coworkers lamented their jealousy over your closeness to the snake man as time passed, and no matter how much you reminded them about Angela, they still flapped their lips in gossip. Eventually, you had given up as people would assume things with or without encouragement. Deep inside, though, you were glad to have broken the barrier between Jotaro and the world, regardless of how others viewed the relationship.
Like a lifeline, you were his bridge to civilization. Or so you hoped. But humility usually beat that thought into the dust when it reared its ugly head. You were never the type to boast or view yourself better than others. The world had enough of those kinds of people already. You just wanted to help in any way that you could.
So you began to delve into researching Naga in a subtle effort to find ways of helping Jotaro. One day, you asked Tomoko about Naga's, and she practically talked your ear off in excitement as they were her favorite. An interesting note of information from her was that Nagas typically are multiple species of snakes in one, Jotaro being a mixture between a Green Anaconda, reticulated Python, and the King Cobra. This explained his massive size, along with the type of venom he made and its extreme potency.
He wasn't so thrilled when you asked about his heritage, eyeing you with suspicion as he straightened during one of your morning walks. Two Toucans, one named Fruit and the other Loops, bounced on his tail in excitement, thinking it was time for treats. 
"Why do you want to know?" he had asked sternly, glaring at you from the corner of his eyes. 
"I just thought-" you hesitated, hands suddenly shaking as his shadow overcasted you. "Maybe it could help?"
Jotaro tutted in annoyance and had turned to you sharply. "Our deal doesn't include my past. Don't ask again." You shrunk down and nodded till he finally relented and continued the slither along, though he refused to speak further till you returned to his home to begin your work together.
The deal.
An accidental mishap, a sheer off-chance that somehow earned you a sliver of his trust. The Naga had caught you studying for a test during two-person care that had been initiated after Angela to prevent further offenses to the facility's residents. By being new to the facility, Jotaro had given you the benefit of the doubt of not being involved with Angela and that your care for him was genuine and not out of unwanted lust or illegal desires. While your coworker was on the phone in the next room, letting the doctors know that Jotaro had refused to eat or take his medicine again, it happened.
"What are you reading?" the Naga had asked you, causing you to jump in fright and launch the book across the room. The Naga frowned at your response, leaving you staring at him with your mouth wide open in shock.
He had never spoken before or deigned a reason to use words over hissing and growling. 
Yet, there he was, asking about your homework. Stuttering, you tried to apologize, but Jotaro tutted in annoyance, "Just answer the damn question," he rumbled darkly. 
While part of your brain went wild over what was happening, the other, more rational section was screaming danger and to flee. When Jotaro wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned to return to his nap, you blurted out: "Oscar Veilto's Domain of Earth and Air." 
To your surprise, he turned back to you with curiosity in his eyes. "Odd book for casual reading," Jotaro remarked dryly.
"It-I'm studying to be a Domain Nurse," you tried to clarify, blushing as you looked away in embarrassment. There's nothing like telling your patient you're studying him as part of your school work to start a healthy conversation...
"What did you think of his assessment of Pheonix's in chapter thirteen?" he continued, asking casually, but Jotaro's eyes belied the interest that was gripping him.
"Well, I thought he focused too much on how they mated, rather than why. Being born full of mercury gives them very little time to adjust or adapt to a new way of making young. Spontaneously combusting alive in an effort to burn away their poison tends to leave little room for descendants to change and become more." You rolled your hand as you talked, making gentle gestures as you pictured the bird in your hands. 
Freezing on the spot, you nervously look at Jotaro, fearing the worst for running your mouth. Only, he was gazing at you with an intense look. Observing you down to the details. Gulping, you go to apologize when he suddenly nodded in agreement. "Yes, deeply flawed observations on Veilto's behalf. It's pitiful that they still have it in circulation for newer generations to base even more flawed hypotheses on. And people still wonder why they went extinct....."
You could feel yourself gaping again at him in shock. It was the most Jotaro had ever talked...ever. All because you had brought in a biology book on Cryptids. Coughing as you reigned your expression, you hesitantly ask, "Do...you know a lot about Cryptids?"
Jotaro deadpanned at you, the monitor in the background beeping loudly before the end of his tail twitched. "Perhaps...." he murmured, sinking into his pillows as he cast his gaze away.
You hurried to apologize, but the opening had sealed shut, like the snapping of a bear trap, and Jotaro returned to ignoring everything around him like a rock with moss growing on it.
You thought it was an opportunity gone and lost. Trying to put it behind you, you focused on studying again after retrieving your book.
Then, to add insult to injury, you failed the test miserably the following day. It was almost comical.
Almost.
While you swore you wouldn't be caught dead studying for a test at work again, during your next dual caretaking of Jotaro, he practically sprung on you. Verbally, that is.
"Failed the test?" He had hummed in observation the minute your coworker had stepped out to grab more rolls of gauze.
Caught off guard, you merely turned to look at him, pen frozen above the report you were making. "P-pardon?" you asked, tongue tripping over itself.
"The test," Jotaro repeated, eyes narrowing slightly at you, "The one you were studying for." When you still stared at him in perpetual shock, he sighed deeply before explaining further, "Veilto's Domain?"
A sharp rush of heat hit your face as you blushed in embarrassment. "Is it that obvious?" you had muttered mostly to yourself.
Jotaro's lips quirked slightly, barely noticeable in your staggered state. "I know the emotional distress a bad test in college can do..." The Naga continued.
A short laugh escaped you at the insanity of such a comment. A Cryptid, talking to a human about college tests. 
This was absurd.
"Must have been a horrible score," Jotaro noted, eyeing you up and down again, forked tongue escaping his mouth to taste the air.
He had never done that before.
The opening had returned.
Your gut clenched in warning, but your heart chimed to you in a soft voice.
'Go on, tell him," it said.
"Twenty out of a hundred," You sighed in defeat, looking down in shame. Jotaro huffed, a strange noise from his frail body that made you worry.
Looking up at him again, you tried not to pry or seem desperate to keep the conversation going. He clearly had trauma from something, which meant you could only lead him so far out of his prison which was his mind and body.
Several minutes passed, and you feared that the opening had clamped shut on you once more. But then, "Who is your teacher?"
Eyebrows knitting, you looked around to see if this was some sort of prank. "Mr.Garauange," you answered.
Jotaro's eyebrows shot up, "That old wrinkly toad is still alive?"
"Unfortunately," you rubbed your temple just thinking of him. "Most bitter man I've ever met. Feels like he enjoys watching you suffer."
"He does," Jotaro answered with a snap of his jaws. You blinked twice in confusion before he waved your concern off. "I was under him for almost four years before he gave up on teaching 'my kind.'"
"Were you.... the one that got away?" you hesitantly asked, your fingers becoming clammy at the braveness of the question.
Jotaro laughed. Actually laughed. Dark and thrumming even in his weakened state. "Is that what he named me? Good grief, he couldn't come up with something more subtle....or original?"
Shuffling slightly, you nervously giggled at his joke, unsure how else to respond. The Naga fell silent, eyes distant as he became lost in thought. "Does he still allow a single retaking for failed tests?" Jotaro questioned, focusing his attention on you once more. You nod, and the Naga smirked devilishly. "Good, hand me your book," he grunted as he pulled himself up on his bed.
Now, you blanched in horror. "Why?" you demanded in fear, clutching your book to your chest like an elderly woman with their purse.
Jotaro snorted and huffed twice as he settled into a better reading position, "I want to play a little game on the toad." Extending an arm, he made a grabby motion. When you opened your mouth to refuse, he rolled his eyes and his hand. "Humor a sick cryptid." Looking around wildly, you expected some show host to come out and exclaim that you were just punked.
Or whatever they called pranks these days.
When nothing happened, a hot flush made you realize a drop of sweat was rolling down your face. Inhaling deeply, you thought to yourself, was offering a simple book and getting educational help from a nearly extinct species that hard?
The answer was yes, yes, it was.
With a herculean effort, you stepped forward and cautiously handed the book over. Jotaro took it from you respectfully, his massive hand holding the human-sized book like a small notebook. Carefully, Jotaro pulled it in and nestled it in front of him. A sneer crossed his face, "Personally edited by the toad himself... Good grief, I take it he expects you to take his words as law?" He opened it with the tentativeness of someone risking getting bitten.
You let Jotaro read for a few minutes, apprehensive as he glossed over the chapter you had marked for reconsumption. "Fae, huh?" he remarked after turning a few more pages. "Easy to get lost here. They range from pixies to faries and even changelings. Do you remember which one he chose for the test?"
"All of them..." You say softly as you rub your arm and look away from his piercing gaze.
"Of course he did," Jotaro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Asshole."
Hearing him swear threw you off a bit, making you jerk back to gape at him with puzzlement. A smidge of understanding hit you. Like switching shoes to ones that fit better, not perfect, but less tight and restrictive. You watched in silence for a few minutes as Jotaro perused the book. 
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🌈 TS3 ARCHETYPE LEGACY CHALLENGE
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to celebrate 100 followers (thank you!!) i’m sharing this 12-generation legacy challenge i created based on the 12 jungian archetypes where each generation represents one of the archetypes. it’s mostly trait-based with some requirements for each generation. feel free to tweak them however you want–these are guidelines, not strict rules, it’s meant to be fun after all! the challenge is completed once the 13th generation is born (or once you’re bored 🤷)
credit: quotes and inspiration taken from this article
the set-up:
start by creating your founder (a YA sim) that represents one of the archetypes described below. for this challenge the order doesn’t matter, choose based on what makes the most sense storytelling-wise or use a number generator for extra randomness
the founder and each heir must all have a primary trait that corresponds to their respective archetype as well as a secondary trait selected from a given list (see archetype rules below). the remaining 3 traits are up to you except for the ones that aren’t allowed for that generation (we’ll call them “conflicting traits”). if a child is born with a conflicting trait they may not become heir unless you replace that trait via alchemy/cheating. to make the trait assignment process easier i highly recommend downloading the mod that enables all traits for all ages
lifetime wishes are up to you
there are no rules for other sims in your household, only for your founder and heirs (but there are some requirements that may involve their spouses/children in some way)
...now for the archetypes!
the 12 archetypes:
1. THE INNOCENT 🐣 “free to be you and me”
primary trait: GOOD
secondary trait (choose at least one): absent-minded, easily impressed, excitable, friendly, loves the outdoors, family-oriented, over-emotional, childish, hopeless romantic
conflicting traits: mean-spirited, snob, evil
may be employed in any career except crime, politics and scam artist branch of fortune telling (no place for pure innocent souls like them)
every time sim wishes to donate to charity, they must fulfill that wish
may only woohoo on 3d date
may not cheat or have multiple romantic interests
may only try for baby with their spouse
if an innocent heir receives an imaginary friend doll as a toddler, it must come alive and they must remain good friends till the end of the run
must pet a unicorn at least once
2. THE EVERYSIM 🤝 “all sims are created equal”
note: most of the time it’s impossible to prevent your sim from becoming at least a 1-star celebrity, so personally i would play an everysim by opting the household out of the celebrity system in the gameplay options menu.
primary trait: FRIENDLY
secondary trait (choose at least one): easily impressed, excitable, frugal, good sense of humor, workaholic, green thumb, handy, schmoozer
conflicting traits: snob, rebellious, avantgarde, star quality, natural born performer, loner
may not be self-employed (freelancing is too lonely for someone who wants to belong)
may be employed in any career except those that are supernatural-related or feature being in the spotlight (showtime careers, singer or band, actor etc.), but they may only reach level 5 of any career track. they may change careers as many times as you wish
must have one “normal” hobby (e.g. gardening, fishing, horse riding etc.)
must fix every appliance on the lot by themselves
must be friends with their neighbor(s) or/and colleagues and invite them over for dinner at least once a week
must always do the suck up to boss interaction for at least 2 hours every work day
may not accept opportunities that increase celebrity points (or any opportunities at all, if you want extra limitations)
may not be friends with sims who have rebel influence (unless colleagues or neighbors)
may not cook ambrosia or use other “magical” ways to control their aging
may not interact with supernatural or magical things (e.g. alchemy, woodoo dolls, bonehilda coffins, imaginary friends, unicorns etc.)
may not become a supernatural
may not socialize with supernaturals, unless they are your colleagues/neighbors OR unless your sim was born a supernatural
if your sim was born a supernatural, there are 2 ways of developing the storyline:
i. find the cure asap and prove that you renounce your past by gaining an enemy among the members of the appropriate occult and winning a fight against them ii. find a community of members of your occult type. group up with at least one fellow supernatural every week, marry and have children only within your occult type (if needed, you can be the one to turn them). however, you can’t be the leader of this community (e.g. the leader of a werewolf pack, the king/queen of the fae etc.)
must only marry or have children with a person from their community: either a colleague, a sim who lives nearby, someone who shares your sim’s traits etc. if your sim was born a supernatural, their spouse must be the same type of occult as your sim
if the sim’s child receives an imaginary friend doll you may not allow them to interact with it unless it’s the heir who was rolled as the innocent (in which case they must befriend the doll) 
3. THE HERO 💪 “where there’s a will, there’s a way”
primary trait: BRAVE
secondary trait (choose at least one): athletic, disciplined, friendly, good, adventurous, daredevil, lucky, star quality, social butterfly
conflicting traits: snob, proper, loner, coward
may be employed in the following careers: law enforcement (special agent), military, professional sports, firefighter, ghost hunter, lifeguard
must reach level 10 in the selected career track
must reach a 5-star celebrity level
may not have burglar or fire alarms on their home lot and must always fight the burglar or extinguish the fire by themselves
must explore at least one rabbit hole (e.g. masoleum, haunted house etc.)
must perform the “promise to protect” interaction with every new sim they meet (aim to have the “protector” moodlet at all times)
must drive a motorcycle
4. THE CAREGIVER 🧸 “love your neighbor as yourself”
primary trait: FAMILY-ORIENTED
secondary trait (choose at least one): frugal, neat, natural cook, animal lover, nurturing
conflicting traits: commitment issues, dislikes children, slob, evil, mean-spirited
may be self-employed or work in the following careers: medicine, culinary, education, daycare
may not try for baby until they have acquired the fertility treatment lifetime reward
once the fertility reward is acquired, you must try for baby each time instead of woohoing (but you can change the chance of pregnancy via nraas/use risky woohoo)
must always dance to kids music for a couple of hours during each pregnancy (to increase the chance of triplets)
may not hire a babysitter–they must care for their toddlers themselves
all toddlers must learn the 3 basic skills (walking, talking & potty). other members of the household may help, but your sim must take part as well
may not go to work when there are toddlers on the lot. they may work from home if they’re self-employed. once all toddlers have aged up to children, the sim may travel to work if there are other sims in the household who can watch the kids (not special services)
must teach teenage children to drive
must be best friends with all their children by the time they reach teenagehood
may not send their kids to boarding schools
must help every child with homework at least once
if pets ep is installed: must have at least one pet. another idea you can play out is start a pet legacy that will continue on together with the main legacy
if a member of a household is deceased while playing the caregiver, you must leave their tombstone on your home lot and let the ghost roam freely
5. THE EXPLORER 🧭 “don’t fence me in”
primary trait: LOVES THE OUTDOORS
secondary traits (choose at least one): adventurous, lucky, rebellious, brave, commitment issues, gatherer, athletic
conflicting traits: couch potato, coward, hates the outdoors
may only be self-employed as only freelance works for explorers who need as much freedom as possible
must move to a different lot every week until they have children who live on the same lot as them, then they can build a legacy house and settle down
must visit all 3 countries, explore at least one tomb in each one and befriend at least one sim from each country
may not try for baby until they’ve visited all 3 countries
each time your sim woohoos, they must do it in a different location. try to woohoo in as many different spots as you can!
may only marry/have children with sims who are different from them in some way (an opposite trait, appearance, an occult, a foreign sim etc.)
when the successor reaches childhood stage, your sim must travel with them to a country of your choice to “show them the world”
when they settle down and get married, every week you have to roll a number to determine whether the union is going to survive (if it’s 1 keep them together, if it’s 2 break them up). the exception is when the spouse is pregnant, in this case you may wait until they give birth and then roll. keep doing this until you switch to the next heir
must complete at least one collection (gems, rocks, butterflies etc.) 
must fulfill all midlife crisis wishes
must accept every opportunity they get
must take at least one picture a day (to remember all the majestic experiences)
must attend every seasonal festival
6. THE REBEL 📣 “rules are made to be broken”
primary trait: LONER or REBELLIOUS
secondary traits (choose at least one): artistic, daredevil, hot-headed, inappropriate, kleptomaniac, rebellious, loner, avantgarde, charismatic, dramatic
conflicting traits: proper
may only be self-employed or work in the following careers: criminal (thief), journalism, music (rock), politics. can also be a band member
must organize protests every week
teen must pull a prank every day
teen must skip school at least once
teen must stay out past curfew at least once
must get at least 3 tattoos (may not ignore any tattoo wishes)
must write at least one satire book (you’ll need to write 4 humor books for that, but you can also do it with lvl. 4 in writing skill if you have the avantgarde trait)
if the sim is a politician, they must write a political memoir, too
may not have a baby until their rebel influence is level 5 (try to max out the rebel influence)
7. THE LOVER 🌹 “you’re the only one”
primary trait: FLIRTY
secondary trait (choose at least one): friendly, good sense of humor, party animal, star quality, charismatic, great kisser, hopeless romantic, social butterfly, irresistible
conflicting traits: loner, shy, socially awkward, unflirty
may be employed in any career that features being in the spotlight (e.g. music, actor, showtime careers etc.)
must always use “talk to colleagues” interaction at work for a couple of hours (if working at a rabbit hole)
must try to impress every celebrity they encounter
must become a 5-star celebrity
must reach level 10 of charisma skill
must have their first kiss as a teen (unless it’s the founder)
teen must have a partner to go to prom with (aim to become prom queen/king)
must accept every party invitation
must host a party every week
must go on a date every week. every date must result in woohoo or makeout (if there are no places available for woohoo)
must have someone stay over every week
must create an online dating profile and accept all messages they get there
may not try for baby before they’ve gone on 5 dates with different sims
must only get married after they’ve reached adulthood. after your sim gets married they don’t have to go on dates/have someone stay over anymore
must have a blog and post every day (unless they have a “blogged out” moodlet in which case you might wait till it passes)
must send at least one text every day
if you wish your sim may use life fruits or other ways to slow down aging as they are afraid of it, but only after reaching adulthood. you may not use the age freeze potion reward
8. THE ARTIST 🎨 “if you can imagine it, it can be done”
primary trait: ARTISTIC or VIRTUOSO
secondary traits (choose at least one): eccentric, artistic, virtuoso, ambitious, perfectionist, rebellious, photographer’s eye, avantgarde, savvy sculptor
conflicting traits: can’t stand art
may be (self-)employed in any creative career or profession (culinary, music, film, architecture, band, stylist, painter, photographer, writer, game development, artist, inventor, sculptor)
must paint a portrait/make a sculpture of every sim in their household
must reach level 10 of their career
must reach level 10 in a creative skill of your choice as well as complete at least 1 skill challenge
must have an art gallery at home filled with their creations (alernatively could be a separate lot that you own)
must have a muse (or several of them), a sim who inspires them to create art
9. THE JESTER 🃏 “you only live once”
primary trait: GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR
secondary traits (choose at least one): friendly, insane, inappropriate, rebellious, star quality, charismatic, childish
conflicting traits: snob, proper, no sense of humor
may be employed in any career or profession, but they may only reach level 3 before “getting fired” for improper behavior. they may also be self-employed, in which case there’s no limit to how high they can score. if you chose a showtime career for your sim, there are also no limits
child sim must skip school at least twice
teen sim must pull every existing type of prank. that includes booby traps, neighborhood pranks and school pranks
teen must stay out past curfew at least once
must write a best-selling humor book (you’ll probably need to write several of them to reach the best-selling status)
must write at least one satire book (you’ll need to write 4 humor books to be able to do that)
must troll on forums at least every other day (you’ll need the inappropriate, mean-spirited, evil or grumpy trait to perform this action, so if you really don’t want your sim to have one of these traits you can ignore this rule)
every time the sim swims, they must skinny dip (unless there are children on the lot)
10. THE SAGE 📜 “the truth will set you free”
primary trait: GENIUS
secondary traits (choose at least one): loner, perceptive, ambitious, bookworm, computer whiz, perfectionist, workaholic, brooding, shy
conflicting traits: party animal, social butterfly, couch potato
may be (self-)employed in any career or profession that requires logic or creative skill
must always keep their nerd influence at the minimum level of 5 and win at least 3 trivia challenges
must visit the library/comic store every week
must get on an honor roll as a child and teen
must go to university and get an “a” degree
must reach level 10 of logic skill by adulthood
must max out 2 other skills of your choice
must complete at least one logic skill challenge (grand master, celestial explorer, teacher extraordinaire or skill professor)
must unlock and test all potions on chemistry table
must have at least one child via a non-conventional method (alien abduction, wishing well, plantsim, engineer a baby)
11. THE MAGICIAN 🚀 “i make things happen”
primary trait: BOOKWORM
secondary traits (choose at least one): eccentric, genius, perceptive, ambitious, supernatural fan, charismatic, gatherer
conflicting traits: couch potato, supernatural skeptic 
may be self-employed or employed in the following careers: science, education, fortunetelling (mystic), magician
must reach level 10 of selected career
must be an occult or reach level 10 of alchemy skill. (alternatively: if you don’t have supernatural ep your sim must create ambrosia and master gardening skill)
if your sim is an occult, they must learn all the skills connected to their life state
must use an elixir on themselves/other sims at least once a week
must write at least one horror book (if you have the supernatural fan trait you’ll only need to have lvl 2 writing skill)
must visit the graveyard and talk to ghosts at least once a week
must achieve at least one “unbelievable” thing (example: create a simbot, resurrect a dead sim, clone yourself, cause a utopian future, befriend a unicorn–up to you)
this is the only archetype that’s allowed to be immortal
12. THE RULER 👑 “power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”
primary trait: AMBITIOUS
secondary traits (choose at least one): evil, family-oriented, mean-spirited, perfectionist, snob, workaholic, charismatic
conflicting traits: couch potato, good, shy, socially awkward
must reach level 10 of criminal (evil), politics or business career
if your sim is employed in politics, they must write a political memoir
must reach level 10 of charisma skill
must establish an inner circle and invite them over every week to discuss their plans for world domination
must get married before reaching adulthood. the marriage must be arranged (the criteria is up to you, an example would be choosing a wealthy spouse or a vampire if your sim is also one)
once the sim gets married, their spouse must quit their current job and get employed in the same career track as your sim
must drive an expensive car
must purchase at least 3 properties
must accumulate at least 50,000 simoleons of wealth
once the household is worth more than 50k, they must donate 1,000 simoleons to charity every week (to avoid paying taxes and improve public image). this option will be available once you reach level 3 of charisma skill. if it’s worth more than 100k simoleons, it should be 5,000 simoleons per week
if sim is a supernatural, they must be the leader (e.g. leader of the pack, king of the fae) and must turn all their colleagues and friends into this type of occult. their spouse must belong or be turned into the same type of occult, too
p.s. this challenge is a work in progress. if you have any suggestions/ideas, feel free to message me, i would appreciate your help A TON. rn i feel like some archetypes are lacking compared to others, but i’m all out of ideas–hoping to update it in the future. and, finally, if you decide to play this challenge and post your gameplay–tag me, i would love to see what your sims are up to! 
@simschallenges​
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A Flower For Every Secret Ch 5. Carnation -
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No proofreading, this was a monster chapter to write, and a lot of filler for the next. Busy with a lot of stuff this week. OC is sort of a self insert here?
WARNINGS : MINORS DNI. mentions of intimate partner violence, brief joke about pew pews, alcohol consumption.
Word Count: 5652
“Who was that guy you brought to Colleen’s wedding? Word around the office was that you were single, Carillo said he thought so, anyway. Said you weren’t sure if you’d even go without a date.” The question came from a well-known office busybody, Kelly, as she blew a big pink bubble with the gum in her mouth. I made a mental note to stop telling Carrillo, and anyone else for that matter, about my personal affairs on their stops to my desk on his way in and out of the building. 
I felt the blush creep up regardless of trying to stay busy at my computer. Sunday, Joel and I had “coincidentally” bumped into each other grabbing our papers at the same time, it was hard to sleep at all with the lingering feelings of him on my brain and on my body. He had smiled warmly at me and we met each other at the mouth of each of our respective driveways, just friendly neighbors having a chat, thanking the other for the invitation to a colleagues wedding. Polite small-talk about the weather, the upcoming holiday, Sarah and her friends, who had spent everyday together by their pool, how I’m welcome over anytime. 
“Joel is my neighbor.” I attempted to deadpan, clicking at the keys while reading written reports. Data transfer from the field gave me at least something to occupy my brain other than Joel.
She giggled and leaned over the glass separator, “He’s not like any of my neighbors. He’s handsome, huh?” 
I let my fingers stall on my task and flicked my eyes up to her, “Well, he’s my neighbor. Lives across the street with his kid.” the mine, definitely holding a double-meaning.
She hummed in response, a curt, small noise, “Single dad, huh? Not my first choice, personally.” her gum snapped against her teeth.
“Kelly.” I started, signing out her name in exasperation, leaving a pause in the air, raising my eyebrows at her, “Why the sudden interest in my love life?”
She shrugged and chewed her gum loudly, “Just makin’ girl talk.”
I pursed my lips and closed the divider, effectively ending the conversation.
I heard her voice, muffled behind the thick glass, “It’s new, huh?” she was still smirking.
“Go away, Kelly.” I couldn’t hide the grin that spread slowly across my face, and she knew she won as she turned on her heels, clicking with every confident step she took.
I smoothed my pencil skirt and tucked my hair behind my ear before exhaling slowly and continuing on with my work. Reports weren’t going to file themselves.
The fourth of July, as Carol had told me from her garden beds in front of her house, always made the cul-de-sac pretty much packed from dawn well through the night. In the big turn-around at the end of the street, tables would be filled with food, drinks, desserts, ending with fireworks after the stars came out. With the holiday landing on Sunday this year, the only lull in the neighborhood would get would be when families disappeared for church early in the morning. 
I spent all of Saturday baking dozens of cupcakes to bring to the turnaround, and decorating them simply with swirls of red, white and blue, topped with sprinkles in matching shades. The Texas heat made it impossible to be comfortable with the oven stuck at 320 degrees all day, even with the roaring sun it was cooler outside than in, chugging sweet iced tea in the shade of my small back porch was the only thing keeping me cool.
I kept my attire casual, a half up ponytail tied with a red bow, white shorts and a navy blue tank top. I surely did not want to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the patriotic neighbors. Joel had made no attempt to actually speak with me beyond small talk all week, and I was beginning to get frustrated. Though, in his defense, his truck would be gone before I left and after I returned from work most days. I’d been blaming it on him owning his own business. Trying not to pine after him pathetically.
I made the first trip down the street to deliver 2 dozen cupcakes to the party, happily exchanging pleasantries with a few neighbors before excusing myself to retrieve the rest when Sarah and her friend, Anna, nearly knocked me down while rushing by on bicycles. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me apologetically, “Sorry, we’ll pay more attention next time.”  she sucked in her breath.
“You’re okay, Sarah.” I waved the action off dismissively, “just be careful, I know there’s no car traffic tonight but there’s a lot of little kiddos around and older folk. You can’t be zipping through the crowd like that.”
“You’re right.” she sighed, rolling her eyes, “you sound like Dad, though.”
My heart lurched at the mention, “hey, where is your old man anyway?”
“Going to the store with Uncle Tommy.” She explained before Anna announced she was ready to go raid the appetizer table.
I made the second trip without so much as a howdy from anyone.
Walking back up the street the final time, I spied Tommy’s truck parked right next to Joel’s in his driveway, the brothers laughing together as they exited the house, Tommy’s arms full of paper bags nearly overflowing with food and drinks.
I tried to not notice how nice Joel looked in his ball cap and casual navy blue shirt. I just looked down at the pavement, folding my arms and walking up the driveway.
“Hold on, Tommy.” I heard his familiar drawl as I ascended the steps, “Hey, Sweetheart. Been meaning to catch you,” with the prying eyes of the neighborhood tucked away down the street, he had no problem gently taking my elbow in his hand to turn me towards him.
I furrowed my brows, “Oh, haven’t noticed.”
He scoffed a little, looking up the street to the busy party, the sun still about two hours from making its descent, “You free?”
“Just bringing cupcakes down to the party.”
“Okay.” his eyes flicked over my face, brows furrowed in concern as I popped the door open, entering the house, leaving the door open as an invitation for him to follow.
He tracked me through the living room and into the kitchen, where I handed him three clamshell cases of cupcakes and he stacked them up in his arms, “Make yourself useful, Miller.” I stated plainly, still having not looked at him properly.
“Hey… Sweetheart?” He seemed to chew on his question thoughtfully, not sure if he should speak or not.
I hummed in response, not trying to play cold, but trying not to seem like I’d been waiting on him all week.
“I’m real sorry I haven’t really reached out after… I’m not trying to… What do they call it these days… Ghost you.”
I snapped my eyes to his, waiting for him to finish, when he didn’t I shrugged, “I’m not obligated to your time, Joel. You have Sarah, your work. I was busy with work anyway. Had a lot of paperwork to do this week. You know, with the holiday. Wanted to make sure I had nothing they could call me into the station for.”
He nodded, sticking his tongue into his cheek, “I understand.”
“I suppose it’s partially my fault.” I rolled my shoulders back, straightening my posture, “We haven’t really swapped contact information, you know. Aside from the fact we could probably see into each other’s houses if we try hard enough.” 
He stifled a chuckle, “Sure. My fault, too. You’re so close after Sarah’s asleep I could just.. Throw a stone over and hit your door. I just-well.” he sighed, I waited, my worried brow relaxing, “-It’s been a real long time since I’ve… Tried to get out there. In any real sense of that phrase. I mean, I’m no prude, but-”
I nodded in understanding, “I figured. When we first had that big conversation over dinner at my place. I could tell that… For you, Sarah holds all of the stars in her eyes. You’re a father first. Nobody else can matter like that.”
His eyes softened and he adjusted his weight on his feet, “Thank you.” 
“We can take things slow, Joel. I won’t push. I don’t plan on pulling away, unless you want me to.”
I waited a few moments too long for his response, when none came I started toward the front door again, he hadn’t moved his feet from the spot in front of the fridge, “I meant it. Last week, when I said I would like you to come by again. Not have to rush like that. Maybe dinner with just me and Sarah.”
I turned toward him, his face had warmed with a pink flush, “For you? I’m free anytime after five, and weekends obviously.”
He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath and nodded, following me out of the house.
Joel and I walked down the street together this time, while he relayed a story about Tommy and his trip to the tiny market a few blocks away, how Tommy was almost denied being sold beer due to his expired license and a new cashier who had never met the pair who frequented the shop, how Joel had to swoop in and vouch, showing him the matching surname on his ID. 
I giggled at his dramatic retelling as the noise of the neighborhood grew louder, until we joined the cliques of our little slice of the planet and Sarah found Joel, latching onto his waistline with her scrawny arms, begging him to let Anna sleepover just one more time this week, pretty, pretty please!.
He, of course, can never tell his sweet daughter no. So long as she sat and had dinner with the family, he turned to me after with a soft gaze and asked quietly, “Will you join us, too?”
I responded with a nod, trying to suppress the way my heart lurched at the offer, with all of the prying eyes of neighbors. It was another small step to be in public together. 
Tommy and Maria were loading their paper plates with burgers and side dishes, Joel seamlessly falling into step behind, grabbing a plate for me as well, telling me to fill up on anything I wanted.
I accepted the offer gratefully and did the same as the others, anything that looked good landed a spot on my quickly piling plate, “Make sure you grab some of those cupcakes at the dessert table, she worked real hard on those, I’m sure.” he nudged my side with his elbow.
Maria had laid a blanket out on the grass, staking our claim to a patch of grass past the border of the sidewalk, in perfect view of where the firework display would be later.
I smiled shyly as we all settled onto the blanket, and Maria and I exchanged pleasantries. Sarah talked about how her summer break was going, how in five weeks she couldn’t believe she’d be forced back into a classroom. “Good, keep your brains from rotting out of your head.” Tommy said through a mouthful of food, “You crazy kids are always running around the neighborhood. About time you get back to routine.”
Joel nodded in agreement, “You can’t be a doctor without a good education, Sare-Bear.”
Sarah groaned as she stabbed some pasta salad onto a fork, “I don’t wanna be a doctor, Dad. That was so two years ago.”
“Well excuse me.” he drawled.
“You’re bright enough you can be anything you want, Baby.” Maria pointed her fork at the pre-teen girl that sat criss-cross at the edge of the blanket.
I nodded as well, but didn’t feel it was my place to add anything in. Sarah went on about her plans with Anna for the night, crafting new bracelets and watching a new movie her friend had picked up to rent earlier in the day.
After the meal, Joel and Tommy went to go search for more beer in the garage, leaving me with just Maria as Sarah quickly lent herself back to her group of friends.
Maria looked at me with a curious expression after we were left on our own, “How are things?” she glanced behind her shoulder at Joel’s form slowly shrinking around the crowd of neighbors, then back at me.
“I think okay.” I shrugged, “Slow moving, but that’s not a bad thing. Still just getting to know each other, I think.”
“He has a lot on his plate.” she nodded, “Always has.”
I nodded in understanding, sipping from a bottle of water, “It seems that way, he told me about how the whole… Dating thing just hasn’t really worked. Always busy with Sarah and work.”
She gave me a tight mouthed smile, “You’re not worried?”
“About?”
“How if things don’t work you own the house across from him? Might be awkward.”
I shook my head, “No.”
She let out a soft hum and I began picking at a hangnail I only just noticed on my thumb, “Would be hard for Sarah.”
It took a lot of strength not to roll my eyes, “All anyone ever talks about is Sarah… I know she’s his universe but… what about Joel? When does Joel get a say? When does Joel get to be happy? When does Joel get to relax, have fun? Sarah is a sweet, smart girl. You know that, everybody can see it.” I tried to keep my voice neutral, but it was impossible to keep the edge at bay, “Joel is kind. Hardworking, seems by all accounts I’ve witnessed honest, not to mention good looking. Sarah is first to everybody. We aren’t talking about marriage or anything, but Joel can be a priority just as much as Sarah can.”
Maria ticked her jaw to the side, “Tommy just  said he’s been talking about you to him while on job sites, and I… I just worry-”
“Rightfully so. He and Sarah are lucky to have people who worry about him, but Sarah is also old enough to know the basics of how… things work in the adult world, I’m sure. I’m sure there’s been times she wanted a female influence that wasn’t her aunt, or her friends’ mothers. He and I are still… working things out, haven’t even been on a real date yet, unless you count the wedding. There’s no pressure here, but I do like him.” 
She considered my words but didn’t respond, just looked to the side of us as Tommy and Joel’s cackling laughter could be heard, I turned to their direction with a smirk, watching Joel slap Tommy on the back, they had twin goofy grins on their faces and beers in their hands. 
“Hey, Doll.” Joel greeted as he returned to his spot next to me, resting his hand on my thigh now that Sarah had gone off with her friends again.
“Hey, Joel.” I feigned a smile and turned my attention back to him.
With the brothers back, conversation flowed more organically, and Tommy and Maria both took the opportunity to get to know more about me. The small details about the town I had come from in New England, that Texas was a perfect reprieve from harsh winters and slow seasons. That I didn’t really have any family, and therefore nothing to lose with moving halfway across the country. I liked my quiet time, my books, baking, and a simple life.
Eventually Tommy and Maria were pulled off by a small group of their friends who had joined in, friends of friends of neighbors. It seemed the more drinks that flowed the more people showed up for the display.
Joel and I held down the fort - being Maria’s picnic blanket. Laying on our backs in an otherwise mostly unpopulated stretch of grass. The volume of the music had started increasing, as did the volume of everyone else's conversations. 
“I’d like to take you out.” Joel interrupted a stretch of comfortable silence.
“Like, on a date or with a gun?” I joked.
He turned to face me with furrowed brows and a wicked smirk, “You think you’re real funny, huh? Course on a date.” he shook his head.
“Well,” I laughed, rolling onto my stomach to get closer to him, propping up my chin with my palm, “Just wanted to clarify, Miller.”
“Of course a date. A real date. Not a wedding, not dinner at each other’s house. You ‘n me. Restaurant or something. Figure out something else, too.”
I smiled and nodded in response, reaching over him to grab a neatly folded napkin leftover from dinner, “You have a pen?” 
“I’m a contractor.” he smirked, digging into his front pocket, pulling out a pencil, pen and permanent marker.
“You just carry those around? All the time?”
He shrugged, “Would it turn you on if I said yes?”
I laughed and playfully pushed him back over before grabbing the pen from him and carefully writing my number on the flimsy paper, “Here you go.” I handed him the napkin and he studied it with a smirk.
“Not a fake one, I hope?”
“You know where to find me if it is, don’t you?”
He looked up to the sky, now seeming to burn with soft shades of pink and orange, “I suppose I do.”
I had figured we’d been in the clear, having avoided nosy Carol until this point, but a shadow soon obstructed the warmth the remains of the sun offered, “Hey, kids!” she announced herself.
Joel and I looked up in unison, “Hey Mrs. Johnson.” he greeted her for the both of us, “Enjoying the holiday?”
She nodded in answer, “Looks like you are, too.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” I smiled at our neighbor, “Nice to get everybody together. I meant to tell you, your carnations are looking gorgeous.”
She gave a genuine smile before answering, “Almost time to cut them down for bouquets. They’ll make someone happy, I’m sure, and make room in my garden for something else. Sweetheart, there’s some drinks over there, Greg set up a sort of bar with one of the tables. Makes a mean margarita.”
“Thank you, Carol.” I answered, “I might take you up on that offer, actually. Care to join me, Miller?” I stood and reached my hand down to help him up.
He grabbed my hand and stood with a groan, as we approached the table a dozen or so neighbors perched at, all giggling with drinks in their hands, Joel greeted Greg with a firm handshake, without even a hello, Greg started as if Joel had been in conversation the entire time, “Oh, Buddy, that work you did in my bathroom has held up beautifully. No issues still. Felt like I was constantly having to have things worked on in there.”
“Well, because I did it right, Greg.” Greg was probably twenty or thirty years our senior, with kind eyes, sparse hair and an affinity for parties from what I’d heard. Like many of my neighbors, so far, I’d only briefly met him in passing. I knew faces and names, but nothing of substance.
He poured into a shot glass and handed me the small cup of clear liquid, without so much of a greeting, “Here, Dollface, this is for you.” 
“Thank you.” I nodded and let the feeling of straight vodka burn my throat. I shivered at the taste, immediately reminded of my too crazy freshman year of college.
“How are you liking the neighborhood now that you’re all settled?” Greg’s wife, Lisa asked from over the rim of a nearly empty cup.
“I love it, everyone has been so nice.” I smiled at the faces around the table.
“Good, not often we get new faces over on this end, especially young ones. All the young people are moving out, further into the city or leaving Texas entirely.”
A man hummed in response, nodding almost solemnly.
“I like it, it’s quiet. Working in the city is enough for me, I like to be able to separate at the end of the day.”
“What do you do, again?”
“She works for the police department. Front desk.” Joel answered for me, and his ears turned a shade pink, he covered it up by taking a long drink from his beer.
Greg smirked at Joel and gave me another pour, “Good benefits in a job like that, but stressful with all the crap that goes on in Austin, I bet.”
I nodded, though I kept my eyes on Joel, and he kept his trained on me, “It’s tough sometimes, but it stays pretty quiet aside from officers and agents and lawyers running in and out. I do a lot of paperwork, computer stuff, and sometimes direct calls if someone doesn’t know which department to call.”
Greg nodded before passing the glass back to me, and I didn’t flinch this time as I welcomed the burn of alcohol, setting the glass back on the table, “Carol tells me you make a mean margarita?”
I was happily tipsy by the time the sun went down, with jokes, innuendos, neighborhood gossip and stories fresh in my mind, Joel and I returned, giggling back to the abandoned blanket. Joel checked a note scrawled on a napkin, “Tommy had something going on in his neighborhood they forgot about, they left.” he explained with a lazy smirk on his face as he laid down on the blanket, now cold from the night air.
I hummed, “and Sarah?”
“I saw her on our way over here, she’s with Anna’s folks, the girls had some sort of handheld gaming thing they were playing on.” I laid down next to him and dared to lay my head into the crook of his arm, snuggling in close in what little privacy the moon and stars offered, he took a slow breath in and let his arm sink down across my back, he started rubbing slow, soothing patterns over my shirt.
Conversation around us settled into excited, quiet chatter about the display that was to be expected, how many people contributed to the display, and how long it would last. I listened intently to the noise around me, along with the even breathing from Joel’s chest, “You can learn a lot about our neighbors from just sitting back and listening, huh?”
He nodded, his chin pressed to the top of my head, “We’re a simple folk around here.”
I hummed quietly and turned my gaze up to him. No matter what lighting, no matter what setting, Joel always seemed so effortlessly good looking. It was almost unfair how even with just the moon, his eyes shone, how angular he was in just the right spots. 
He turned to face me and smirked, “You staring at me?”
My face felt heated and I looked away, “Sorry.”
He let out a noise that may have been a chuckle, but took his free hand, tilting my face back up to his, his thumb tracing a soft line over my cheek, jaw, neck. “You’re so beautiful.” he murmured, a slight rasp to his voice.
“Joel-” I started, but couldn’t finish my thought as he hushed me with a kiss, just as the first shriek of fireworks sang from the ground up, pop, pop, pop.
I pulled away to see the bright glow shimmer in his caramel eyes, before it dissipated and was replaced with another pop, pop, and fantastic red coated us in the cool of the night, “What?” he asked, still just inches from each other.
I shook my head and leaned back in, bathed in blues, greens, whites, every color imaginable while our neighbors wow’ed and awe’d at the display in the sky. I’d never cared much for firework shows. But with Joel’s hands on my back and his lips skimming across my face and neck, it really gave a new meaning to the way kissing someone can be described as fireworks in your chest. Everything with Joel had felt electric from the first time I saw him. His first polite Howdy, Ma’am, I’m Joel. Joel Miller.. 
I relished in the feeling of his teeth on my jaw, it was over all too soon as we both remembered where we were. Who was potentially watching. I was sure if Sarah was going to hear about her father kissing anyone, she’d want to hear it from him, not some neighborhood kid out to embarrass her.
We maintained our separate spaces until the end of the display. Each bang, pop, and hsss, and every swath of color filled me to the brim with happiness. I didn’t want to move from our spot. 
Joel walked back with me, with Sarah and Anna in tow, the girls giggling about something funny another friend had done, groaning about how a boy chased them with a worm. Joel smirked at me, rolling his eyes, “Kids.”
I returned his smile as Sarah and Anna ascended the front porch without even checking for Joel, closing the door behind them.
“Thank you for today.” I looked up at his towering figure.
He shrugged, like it was no big deal, “Of course. This is the first year that Sarah sort of… Took care of herself for the day-if that’s the right way to put it. It was nice to focus on someone other than her. Has been nice, I guess.”
“Well, I gotta head home. I’m expecting a call tonight.”
“Oh? From who?” he quirked an eyebrow up.
“Oh, you know. Nobody too special. Just some guy with thick curly hair, big brown puppy eyes. Someone who I’m sure will be busy with two rambunctious kids way too hyped up on sugar.”
He chuckled and leaned down to press his lips to mine briefly, hand pressed to my cheek, “Sounds like an important call, you might want to go head in and wait for it. Shouldn’t be long before those kids crash down from all that sugar.”
I smiled and chased his lips as he pulled away, and he granted me another kiss, deeper this time, grunting against my mouth, “You sound pretty sure of that.”
“What can I say? He knows his kid.”
He ran his hand from my jawline down all the way down to my waist, pulling me flush against him and kissing me a final time before releasing me. He was silent in the middle of the street as I walked up the driveway and the steps to my front door, “Hey, Sweetheart?”
I turned back to face him, “Hey, Miller.”
“You looked real pretty today. You.. look pretty every day.”
I couldn’t help the blush that crept up, and tried to stifle it by pinning my lower lip between my teeth, “Not so bad yourself, Cowboy.”
He huffed a laugh and turned on his heel, walking up the path to his house, the main lights all glowing out into his yard, “Alright, girls. Snack, teeth, bed. It’s way too late.” I heard him half-shout over rambunctious laughter from the main room as his door opened and shut, sealing them all inside.
I smirked to myself before turning in myself; washing my face in the single basin sink, taking my hair down, brushing out the grass and knots acquired from laying out in the sun most of the day, stripping down and slipping into loose sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that the years hadn’t been kind to. Just as soon as I flicked off the lights and retreated to my bedroom, the phone rang from it’s cradle in the kitchen. I’d never jumped up to reach a phone so fast. The clock read it was after ten now.
“Hello?” I smirked against the phone, cradling the hard plastic between my cheek and shoulder as I stood in the dark room.
“This wouldn’t happen to be a sweet little doll I know, would it? Long hair, sorta short in stature. Killer ass.”
I laughed into the phone at Joel’s familiar drawl, “You are pushing your luck, Joel Miller.”
He answered with a deep chuckle, and I heard a rustling sound from his end of the line, “Pushing my luck, might be my middle name. Glad to know it wasn’t a fake number, after all.”
I hummed in answer, bringing the cordless phone down the hall to my bedroom, settling between the comforter and sheets, flicking the lamp on, “Like I said, you know where to find me if it was.”
“Tempting regardless if it was fake or not.”
I bit down on my lip and nestled down into the blankets further, cocooning myself in the soft, warm blends of fabric, “If only you hadn’t agreed to let Sarah have a friend over, maybe next time you can convince Anna’s folks to keep Sarah.”
“Tried, Sarah misses my Sunday breakfasts when she’s gone.” he chuckled into the phone.
“Joel Miller the chef, who knew?”
“I don’t just build houses, Sweetheart, I can build a mean plate of breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon-”
“-Sausage?” I added a flirty lilt to my tone.
There was a shuffling noise again, I could picture his dimples as I heard the smile in his honey-like voice. Syrupy sweet. “For you, pretty girl, anything you want.” he took a deep breath before adding, “You in bed right now?”
“What if I am?”
A soft hum, “Makes two of us,” another deep inhale, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about last week.”
I swallowed my smirk, taking a moment to calm the way my heart fluttered, “Me, too.”
“Been a long time since I’ve had a hard time staying away from someone.”
“I know the feeling, trust me.” I hesitated, “How long for you?”
He scoffed, “Trying to embarrass me? Like I said before, I’m no prude. There’s been times,” he seemed to hesitate, “I saw someone seriously about five years ago. Moved in and everything.”
“Wow, what happened?”
“Didn’t wanna play stepmomma. Or whatever, was some lame excuse. Didn’t feel like a real family to her, so I told her to forget it. Single dads aren’t for everyone.”
I tsked quietly, “Must have been hard.”
“Especially for Sarah.” he sighed, “She liked her until Ronnie-Veronica, moved in. They got on well with limited time, but they started stepping on each other’s toes really fast.”
I sighed, trying to form anything else to say other than a lame sorry before his voice cut in again, breaking the quiet, “What about you? What’s your story?”
I shook my head, not wanting to go into the full extent of details, “Something bad happened between me and my ex. We were never good for each other, and when things got more serious he showed his true colors. Things got physical, to say the least. The last time I saw him it was-it was bad. Should have went to the hospital but I ran home with my tail between my legs, back to Momma. Didn’t leave the house until the bruises were gone.” I nearly choked on the words in my throat. “Was four years ago this spring. I was no prude either, but… I don’t know what it is about this town,” I inhaled, calming the threat of tears, “About you. You feel safe. This place feels safe.”
I took him about three beats too long to respond, “Oh, Baby.” he cooed softly, and more rustling came from his end of the phone, “I’m sorry.”
I nodded, nearly forgetting he wasn’t here to see the gesture, “Don’t, Joel - really. It’s why I work with the PD now. Desk job, sure. Not dealing with specifics or super hands on. But sometimes these girls come in, not knowing what to do, and I can look at them and really say… I know. Sometimes it's all they need to help them say they’re ready for the next steps.”
His voice grew softer than I had ever heard it yet, and he let loose a breath he’d no doubt been holding, “That makes sense, Sweetheart. Very good of you.”
“I didn’t expect to have this talk tonight, Joel.” my voice was as soft as a mouse now.
“Glad we did, though. I’d never-”
“I know. You’re good. Better than I deserve, and I can see that from ten miles away, I’m looking forward to getting to know you more. Getting to know Sarah, and Tommy and Maria. Even if Maria sort of scared me today. Truly.”
“What did Maria do?” his voice perked, and I could almost hear the suspicious crinkle in his eyes.
“Nothing.” I pinched my brow, cursing myself for saying anything at all, “Just that you’ve been talking about me to Tommy, and that she’s worried about if things go south. Me being your neighbor and all.”
I heard a soft thump, and imagined him tossing his head back onto his pillow, I wondered briefly if the cases smelled like him, how he looked all tucked in and sleepy, “She means well, good intentions, poor execution sort of thing. She worries-”
“About Sarah, mostly.” I cut him off with a breathy laugh.
“Right.”
“You’re lucky.” My voice was growing heavy with sleep, I laid my head on the phone, the green glow of the screen displaying his number warmed my face, “To have people that worry over you and your girl.”
“I count my lucky stars every day, that's for sure.”
I hummed quietly in answer, “You need to get your beauty sleep, Cowboy. Need all the strength you can get to make your big breakfast for the girls in the morning.”
He ticked his tongue against his teeth, “I suppose you’re right.” a brief pause, “Come over. Pajamas, bed head and all. I reckon they’ll be up with the sun. Therefore, I’ll be up with the sun.”
I smiled into the phone, “You got it, Joel. Goodnight.”
“Night, Sweetheart.”
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threadsun · 1 year
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I’m a sucker for abo dynamics so that last post was right up my alley! Could you do headcannons for each guy in the pack and what being their mate specifically is like?
Absolutely!!! I wasn't sure if you wanted it to just be the social abo dynamics I was doing for that post or sexual abo dynamics (like omegas going into heat and getting pregnant), so if you want it to be the second one just send another ask and I'll gladly do that too~
Also this is more general "being their mate" headcanons, but I can definitely write spicier ones too >;3c
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Jack:
Jack is a dedicated and loving mate
When you're with him, it's impossible to question his love for you
He's always curled up around you or bringing you gifts or making sure your little section of the den is nice
He gets protective over you, of course! You're his mate, it only makes sense that he would
But he's not aggressive about it. He's not going to raise his hackles and growl, he's not going to put up a physical fight if one of the others tries to take you from him
No, no. He's got other ways of making them back off. From bringing up his polite concerns to Joseph that whoever's trying to take you from him is stirring up trouble in the pack, to making sure they're kept too busy with other tasks to talk to you
Whatever it takes, he'll do it, to keep the others away from you. You're his mate, and he's not about to give you up
You should expect to spend your nights curled up in his arms. He won't stand for you sleeping anywhere but right beside him
He may not be an overly violent werewolf, but he does like to show off for you! He'll carry you on his back with ease, he'll lift heavy things, he'll catch plenty of prey to cook up for dinner
All he asks of you as his mate is to be his
Ian:
He's very aware of his position as one of the two omegas of the pack
He's the smallest and weakest one there, which means if one of them wants to steal his mate, well... he wouldn't be able to do much about it
So he gets very paranoid and possessive. If he sees you so much as talking with one of the others, he'll need lots of reassurance that you still want to be his mate
He often gets left behind when the others go out hunting, which suits him just fine. It means he gets to spend more time with you!
And while he doesn't have many wolf skills to show off with, he does like to prove himself as a good domestic partner by helping keep the den clean
He's very clingy, especially when the others are around. When it's just the two of you in the den, he'll give you space, but when they're back he's all over you
He's gotten into more than one scrap with Bo because he growls a bit when anyone gets close to you, and Bo can't turn down a challenge
The fights never go well for him. Literally any of the others can and will kick his ass if they feel it's necessary
Be prepared to have to tend to his wounds quite often. Between his fights with Bo, his difficulties with hunting, and his general clumsiness, he gets injured a lot
He's a very loving mate, as long as you're okay with reaffirming your love for him very frequently
Shaun:
Shaun is the most catlike werewolf you can imagine
Seriously, werewolves aren't meant to be able to purr, but whenever he's with you he sounds like a motor
Sometimes the others will tease you or him for it, but they know not to push it too far. He may be sweet and funny, but he can fight if he wants to
He doesn't get too outwardly jealous. The others can talk to you without a problem, so long as they're respectful
But he will scare them off if he thinks they're getting a bit too friendly with you. And then he'll bring you back to his part of the den and curl up with you for a while until he's soothed
He feels bad about how often he's out of the den and away from you. He's one of the better hunters in the group, so if they want meat for dinners then he's gotta be out
But he always makes it up to you when he gets back! He'll kiss you and snuggle you and tell you all about what he got up to during the hunt! Usually with plenty of embellishment to make it sound more interesting and dangerous than it actually was...
Generally being his mate is a lot chiller than being anyone else's mate. He's good about trusting you and giving you space, as long as you always come back to him at the end of the day
He's much more concerned about keeping you safe from the outside world than from his packmates. He knows what it's like out there, he doesn't want you getting hurt
As long as you're safe in his arms at the end of the night, he's happy
Nick:
He's by far the best fighter in the pack
He's not the biggest or the strongest, but he's lean and quick
This means he doesn't have to worry about the others trying to steal you from him. They're not about to take that risk. He's usually pretty calm and no one wants to make him mad
He's a pretty lazy wolf, all things considered. Mostly because he spends so much energy on hunts. He spends the rest of the time sort of lounging around the den with you
His favourite way to relax is with you curled up against him. Whether he's in wolf form or human form, he likes to have you on top of him
He's a very affectionate mate with no concern for pda. If he wants to kiss you, he'll kiss you. If he wants to hold you, he'll hold you. If he wants to whisper teasingly in your ear... well, you get the idea
He may not be up for helping with chores, but any chores you do he'll praise you plenty for! He does genuinely appreciate the work you do to keep the den nice for everyone
He'll often bring back feathers or flowers or pretty rocks for you to decorate your shared little area of the den with
He gets very agitated whenever someone new comes near the den. His top priority in life is protecting you, so he's constantly looking out for threats
Being Nick's mate means lifelong love and protection
Joseph:
Being the Alpha's mate is complicated
On the one hand, you get the best of everything. The best cuts of meat, the best area of the den to sleep in, the best blankets and everything
On the other hand, when one of the others is angling to make another bid for Alpha, you have to deal with them threatening to take you as their prize as well
But Joseph never sees you as a prize. He doesn't take you for granted or assume you're with him because he's the Alpha
He loves you, he cares about you, and ever since the day you arrived he's made the effort to get to know you. To learn about who you are deep down
But he will use his status as Alpha to pamper and spoil you. He can't help himself! He wants you to have all the best things, and if he needs to throw his authority around to get that for you then he will
He's away from the den the most often. He wants to earn his position and make sure he's not slacking just because he's in charge. So when he is around, he just wants to spend all his time with you
He'll just follow you around while you do chores, like he's a lost puppy. He'll rest his chin on your shoulder if you're standing still, or gaze lovingly at you if you're moving around. He's so soft for you, and the others all see it
If anyone does try to take you from him, he'll fight immediately. He won't hesitate. He's not about to let anyone take you away from him
Your Alpha loves you more than anything
Jean:
Jean might be an omega, but he does not act like one
He carries himself with all the confidence of an Alpha
This also means that he treats you like the mate of an Alpha, not an omega. He pampers and spoils you rotten, both to prove that he can and because you deserve it
He likes to show you off. He wants you on his arm or in his lap or just generally with him at all times, so none of the others can possibly forget who you're mated with
He's another one who gets into fights with Bo over you. Partially because Bo just loves to antagonise people and partially because Jean is so aggressively possessive over you
He doesn't mind that he doesn't go out hunting as often as some of the others. It just gives him more time to enjoy being with you
He's also kind of a lazy bastard, but unlike Nick he doesn't have a good excuse for it. He just likes to nap with you in his arms, curled protectively around you
He's a biter. He wants to mark you as his, so he'll leave bitemarks all over you. Being his mate means being his chew toy as well
He's more territorial than the rest, so once you start staying in his part of the den with him, he refuses to let anyone else in
Jean is a very loyal and possessive mate
Bo:
Bo is by far one of the strongest in the pack. His raw strength is unrivalled
That is... when he's in his wolf form. In his human form, he's much smaller than a lot of the others in the pack
He's got a bit of a complex about it, so he'll go to you for comfort and reassurance that he's a very big, scary, strong wolf!
He can get very handsy when he's feeling threatened. When he thinks one of the others is trying to take you from him, he's all over you. He wants to prove to everyone that you're his mate
He's also very fighty. He'll challenge anyone who tries to get too close to you or tries to take you from him. This includes Nick, he's the only one stupid enough to challenge Nick, but only for you
He really likes hearing stories of your life before you joined them. He'll rest his head in your lap and ask you to tell him stories while you brush your fingers through his hair
He's always sort of considered going off solo for a while. Especially now that he has you, he'd love to run off with you. But at heart, he knows he wouldn't do well without his pack
At the end of the day, your safety is more important to him than anything. He'll swallow his pride and ask someone else to watch over you for him if he has to be gone for a long while
Whenever he comes back to the den, you're the first thing he checks on. He goes straight to you before anything else
Be prepared for a very hotheaded and intense mate
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merakiui · 1 year
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HOW DO U THINK THE TWST BOYS TYPE 😭😭 I know riddle uses punctuation to the max but honestly I'm tryna figure out if azul would as well. and I feel like ace, floyd, and kalim would use a bunch of emojis (ace and floyd use them ironically, kalim uses them unironically LMAOO) but im not sure about the others... maybe leona would be the type to just give curt replies and power off his phone. idia would leave u on read intentionally, and malleus would do it unintentionally. IMAGINE MALLEUS SENDING RANDOM PICTURES BY ACCUDENT WHILE TRYING TO TYPE A REAPONSE EHSJCJJS honestly I feel like epel might be a bit of a spam texter ngl... BUT WHAT DO U THINK. I AM HANDS-AND-KNEES-ON-THE-FLOOR DESPERATE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY IMPORTANT MATTER
OOOOOO do I have many thoughts to share!!!! >:D
Riddle types stiffly and grammatically correct because he believes one's texting style reflects their maturity level. So you can expect full sentences with punctuation. He most likely didn't have emojis downloaded onto his messenger (it's Cater who shows them to him), and after he gets them he might use an emoji or two to get a point across. He often ends written threats (most often beheadings) with the smiling emojis, but he doesn't overuse emojis.
Trey is friendly and polite when he texts. I get the impression he doesn't text very often and instead prefers phone calls, but when he does text his tone is always warm even through the screen. Very sweet. He also uses emojis, but he doesn't use them nearly as often. He might overuse the dessert emojis because he likes those the most.
Cater is always typing (and even talking) in texting slang and abbreviations. He uses emojis and hashtags. I wouldn't be surprised if he uses pretty fonts for his Magicam captions. He strikes me as the type to send multiple messages if it's to someone he's close with. His tone is always friendly and casual.
Deuce texts stiffly with upperclassman or anyone he has a lot of respect for, but with friends (especially Ace) he's very, very casual. Probably bickers over text with Ace. Might curse once or twice in text and instigate fights if he's particularly riled up.
Ace is another casual texter. The type to send multiple messages just to annoy you if he knows you're busy. He's always texting you for homework answers. The group chat ghosts him when he begs for homework and essay answers lol. I like to think he might gossip through text every now and then, if only to keep things interesting in the group chat.
Leona either leaves you on read or has very terse responses. His texting style is so boring and dry. T_T most of the time he's sleeping. He probably has 500+ unread messages because he can't be bothered to check. If it's something important, just say it to his face or call him.
Ruggie texts fairly casually. He isn't as stiff as Riddle and he won't leave you on read (most of the time). He's busy a lot, so he doesn't text often and it takes a while for him to read his messages. He usually texts you if he wants something. <3 he uses emojis, but it's usually if he's being sarcastic or he needs to respond quickly and can only offer a thumbs-up emoji.
Jack is also another texter with curt, stiff replies. He texts like how he speaks, so there isn't much difference. He rarely uses emojis and he doesn't use any abbreviations or slang.
Azul texts politely and grammatically correct with everyone because he believes one's texting style represents the type of person they are. He wants to show everyone he is a refined gentleman. With Jade and Floyd, his texting style is far more casual because they're close friends. He might use an emoji or two if it's fitting, but outside of that he's polite and respectful.
Jade texts much like how he speaks as well. He's considerably casual with Floyd and Azul for the same reason mentioned above, but even then he's still polite. He might use emojis when texting with Floyd and Azul. Jade has a tendency to write some of the most disturbing things and finish it with a :) no cute smile emoji. It's literally the haunting :) and some might say he overuses it... ;;;
Floyd texts casually and immaturely with everyone. He uses emojis, abbreviations, all-caps. He sends multiple messages at a time and spams your phone whenever he's in the mood. He likes to send a lot of gifs and images, too. He's shameless with it. Sometimes he'll even send links or images of erotic toys in the group chat he has with Jade and Azul and ask what they think. Sends a photo of the most monstrous dildo he's found online and asks: "Ya think this would fit in Shrimpy?" and without fail Jade always replies, "No harm in trying. :)" Azul will beat the life out of them; they're always discussing the ways in which they can break his angelfish! >:(
Kalim texts very casually. Also a spam texter. He uses all-caps when he's excited. He overuses emojis. Also the type to send lots of images in group chats or even one-on-one chats.
Jamil texts politely with everyone because it's important to look and sound respectful, even through a screen. Even if some of his peers get on his nerves and he'd rather verbally destroy them through text. He tends to send curt messages that usually get his points across. He sees no need to continue conversations he'd rather not have, so he often texts only what's necessary.
Vil texts much like how he speaks. There is always an elegance to his words, but that's because every inch of him is beautiful and elegant. Naturally this would extend to his texting style. He never uses too much or too little of something, so he will use emojis when it's fitting. He doesn't use abbreviations often, but every now and then you might get a rare lol from him.
Rook texts very passionately. He may send multiple messages at a time because too much is never enough for him. Definitely uses all sorts of French words when texting, so it's quite reminiscent of how he speaks in his daily life. I don't think he would use abbreviations or slangs, but he does use the flower and sparkle emojis to further express himself.
Epel texts casually with his friends. He'll use slang with them. With upperclassmen, he knows to text a little more politely, especially if said upperclassmen are Rook and Vil.
Idia texts in all lowercase, uses gamer slang and abbreviations, and shortens words like "your" to "ur." His replies can range from either super curt to leaving you on read to sending blocks of text because he's rambling about something he's passionate about.
Ortho texts like how he speaks: very kind and friendly and energetic! Although it is funny to imagine he texts only in binary code lol.
Malleus uses speech-to-text after Lilia introduced it to him, claiming it was much quicker than typing out the letters, so now he uses that to conveniently message. But he has yet to grasp that text-to-speech makes note of everything he's saying, so sometimes you'll get messages like: Capital C child of capital M man comma would you accompany me on a walk tonight? question mark smiling face emoticon. He means well in his texts, though. He's trying his best. (it's cute to imagine the little ding of a notification startles him at first.)
Lilia texts in a weird mixture of casual and polite. Sometimes he's using punctuation and other times he's not. Sometimes he's using slang and emojis and other times he's not. Sometimes he'll send silly gifs. One time Silver texted him that the dorm was out of toilet paper and Lilia responded with: L :p
Sebek texts in all-caps. I wholeheartedly believe he forgets to turn off all-caps, so even if he texts something as simple as a greeting it seems like he's screaming through text. He doesn't use emojis or abbreviations and slang, but it is funny to picture him sending GREETINGS HUMAN‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ with so many red exclamation point emojis.
Silver can't text very long messages otherwise he might fall asleep halfway through typing or while waiting for a response, so he usually texts what needs to be said. He's still very polite and sweet through text, always so princely.
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sillypiratelife · 4 months
Text
NO BUT THE WAY THEY DECIDED TO GO WITH KUINA AND ZORO IN THE LIVE ACTION???????
In the anime, Zoro was proud, but he was also somehow friendly even and he was emotionally mature in a way. Sure, he saw Kuina as a rival and not a friend first, but he was the one who always looked for her, he was polite, he was like a shadow chasing her.
Kuina was the one who mocked him and kind of rejected him, turning her back and leaving after defeating him. Zoro learned on his own, fueled by the desire to defeat her. Kuina didn't offer advice, she just fought.
In the manga, all we get to see is that they are rivals, that Kuina used to mock him a lot and that he (again) was the one chasing her. Zoro can be disrespectful, but very much in a rival way. It's the same for Kuina. The closer they were was when they talked that night after their real swords duel, just before Kuina died. She opened up to him and Zoro immediately jumped to show her how much he respected her, how he didn't care about what others said, how for him she was an equal.
But the Live Action?!?!?!??!??!?!?!!!??
Kuina seeks him out and Zoro rejects her. Insane. Zoro says they are not friends. She's trying to give him advice, she mocks him, implies that he hasn't gotten better in all his time there, contrary to the anime when Zoro is shown constantly improving.
The live action flipped their dynamic. There is real resentment there. While in the manga and in the anime Kuina was all confident and secretly hurt, her live action version is openly raging. She's also softer, somehow, I perceive her as lonely because she's looking for Zoro like she expects to have an argument or a conversation or something.
Kuina is the first to simply that it's either success or death, when she tells Zoro that if he wants to defeat her, he must be ready to kill her.
It changes their dynamic right from the start of it.
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remade and edited our intro, we are the council of councillers or worms off the strings.
we mainly post system/plurality content, sometimes we post quotes/comments from our system, sometimes we screenshot relatable posts from pro-endo blogs and repost them as we refuse to reblog from an endo safe space. sometimes we post about serious topics that are not system related. those posts will be tagged as #notasystemrelatedpost
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we are an OSDD-b1 traumagenic system, VERY fictive heavy, polyfragmented, frequent fronters change often, we have severe ADHD and mild autism. please use tone tags when talking to us
we are NOT pro-endo/endo friendly. do not start shit, just block us.
DNI if you're homophobic, transphobic, or racist. also cringe culture is dead, let people enjoy things as long as they aren't consuming genuinely problematic content. be respectful in the comments, reblogs, and tags. do NOT harass anyone. do NOT go on witch hunts for anyone mentioned on this blog that you may not like. if you do find anyone problematic we have mentioned, block them and move on. an argument is never worth it. do NOT fake claim.
DID is caused by repeated childhood trauma during the ages of 1-12. some people may not remember their trauma. they are not entitled to tell you. i/we encourage any and all endos and pro-endos to do in depth research on DID/DID-type disorders as well as other potential disorders that may cause DID symptoms. some endo systems are traumagenic systems that do not remember their trauma. others may have a different disorder or mental illness that causes did symptoms.
trauma can be anything from emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, mental abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, being a scapegoat, or any other negatively impactful event (ie; a house fire). these things tend to impact younger children a lot more than it impacts adults. i have not listen every single possible form of trauma, these are examples. again, you are never ever obligated to tell anyone your trauma. that is between you and a therapist, or you and someone you CHOOSE to trust.
please interact if you are a system (or a singlet!) who likes homestuck, fnaf, marble hornets, legend of zelda, hermitcraft, the lifesmp/trafficsmp, general rock music, sally face, the DCU, X-men
we are entirely open to making new friends, feel free to DM us anytime and just strike up friendly conversation. even if you just want to infodump to someone about your special intrest please by all means come talk to us! there is ALWAYS someone in front who is willing to talk and be social! /gen :D
this post was brought to you (and then later edited) by Toby Rogers
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team-council-two · 1 year
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Are there uhmm honorifics in russian? Like sir or ma'am or Herr? I'd like to know some family related ones, some business toned ones, and like, friendly ones between friendly friends.
Thank you for your time, kind admins
I love this question so much! This is gonna be long, oh my god. I'll start with some general information and then give some specific examples.
"Ты" and "вы"
So, unlike English, Russian allows two ways of addressing people instead of one.
"Ты"/"ty", which I'm going to spell as "T" to save time, is a casual "you", suitable for talking to a friend or colleague, to a family member, to a child, or to a stranger that you are reasonably sure is considerably younger than you.
"Вы"/"vy", which I'm going to spell "V", again to save time, is a polite "you", suitable for addressing a stranger, a person in a position of power such as a teacher, or a higher-ranking colleague, or someone presumably older than you.
This distinction is quite important.
Using T where V is required will make you sound disrespectful. People can actually get offended, especially older people who can very reasonably demand that you "don't T" them.
On the other hand, using V where T would be more suitable can create a very uncomfortable situation. The person might feel distanced, or worse - think you're mocking them, using a polite manner ironically.
Why does this matter?
Because using T or V defines the entire, uh, manner of your communication! Some words won't apply to people you're on V-terms with, and others won't apply to those you use T with!
Basically, I'm going to try and separate various honorifics and forms of address into these two categories and then try to fit various TF2 characters into these categories as well, based on what kind of manner I think Heavy would use with them.
It's also worth noting that using a certain manner with someone doesn't always mean they're gonna be using the same manner for you. For instance, a teenage student would always use V with a teacher, but a teacher would almost always use T.
So what does Heavy use?
Well, we know from the Russian dub of the game that he uses T with Medic.
He also uses V with the Engineer. I find it fascinating because they're about the same age and exactly the same rank - they're both mercenaries on equal rights - which means Heavy uses V out of pure respect and admiration.
He would definitely use V with the Administrator.
And with Miss Pauling too, even though she's younger than him. She's his boss, after all.
He would definitely use T with Scout.
With all the others it could go either way. He would definitely use V when they first met, but would eventually switch to T, as it often happens.
Oh, btw it pretty much never happens the other way. Using T is considered something of a "next step".
If you headcanon Pyro as nonbinary, Heavy might use V to avoid gendered language, but I won't go into details here.
Why is that important? He doesn't speak Russian to them.
Well, no, but he thinks in Russian! And he would think in T/V terms, too. And that would define the language he would use with them.
I promise the specific examples are coming, bear with me.
Let's talk about names.
"But I know all about names" no you don't.
Okay, as it functions in English, a person has a First Name, a Middle Name (or several), and a Last Name, which is their family name - "Tavish Finnegan DeGroot". Or, well, you could go about this even simpler and skip the middle name - "Dell Conagher".
In Russian middle names traditionally do not exist. I say "traditionally" because who knows what the young folks are up to these days, but by the proper naming conventions that would definitely be really important at the time Heavy was born, there are no middle names in the Russian language.
Instead, we have a patronymic. Well, a lot of them. A patronymic is your father's name with a proper ending attached to it. Think last names such as "Johnson" and "Stevenson" - yup, those were patronymics some hundred years ago.
How does that relate to honorifics?
There are a lot of ways to combine a First Name (F), a Last Name (L), and a Patronymic (P)!
L-F-P is the proper official model. It's not really used outside really formal business or legal procedures, such as getting married or getting sued. Or. Well. One of those two things, really.
F-P is the usual polite structure. If a Russian stranger wanted to be polite with Heavy, they would say "Михаил Whatever-you-headcanon-his-dad's-name-to-be-ович". If someone wanted to talk to Zhanna in that same manner, they'd have to say "Жанна Her-father's-name-овна". It's a very Gimli-son-of-Gloin kind of structure.
Some parents also use it mockingly to lightly scold their kids. "Яна Father-овна, what do you think you're doing?"
I just realized you probably need me to translit all that. Oh god, uh.
Mihail Whatever-you-headcanon-his-dad's-name-to-be-ovich.
Zhanna Her-father's-name-ovna.
I'm gonna type in Latin letters from now on. And I promise specific examples are coming!
Calling someone by just their patronymic is considered friendly and very, uh, familiar. Casual-like. Somewhat rude, even. You have to really make sure you're allowed to do that before you make an attempt.
A name typically has a full and a short form, much like in English. James - Jim, Mihail - Misha. Except in Russian, there's an even shorter short version, used only when addressing the person directly. It's used all the time, you should make sure to use that in writing, otherwise it sounds really unnatural.
Okay, great, can we get some SPECIFIC WORDS now?
Yeah!
Let's start with the ones you already know.
Well, it's the Soviet Union. How about "comrade"?
That one's fine, if overdone. It was really in use back then.
Except it doesn't really mean a comrade, as in "friend" of some sort. It's typically all very official, followed by a last name or a rank.
Yeah, a rank. Like a military rank. Soldier would be "Comrade Sargeant" - "товарищ сержант".
"Comrade Medic" would be a thing, too, as long as they're not too well-acquainted.
Pretty much any "Comrade Class" would work, except "Comrade Scout", because we're using T for him, remember? It doesn't go with a T! I told you it was important, ha.
Beware though, nobody says "comrade" these days. Ever. Not a thing.
So it's not like "sir" or "ma'am"?
Ah, no. Afraid not.
The closest to "sir"/"ma'am" I can think of is гражданин/гражданка, which is - don't laugh! - "citizen".
It's almost always followed by a last name, but never by a rank or title, so it wouldn't really work with the mercs. It's only for civilian context, you see?
We also don't pepper it into our regular speech. Where you'd say "yes, sir", we'd just say "yes".
I'm actually having trouble with this at work. I'm so very much not used to saying "sir" and "ma'am". It's not that I'm being disrespectful, but I constantly forget to say it! Argh.
Oh, "citizen" is also not in use anymore. Unless it's some police procedural on TV.
How do you address someone you don't know, then? What if you need to get someone's attention and you don't know their name and patronymic?
Well, just "мужчина"/"man" and "женщина"/"woman" is fine, really.
"Девушка"/"girl" and "девочка"/"girl (child)" if she's young.
"Молодой человек"/"young man" and "мальчик"/"boy" if he's young.
They're fine. They're only rude in English. We say them all the time. "Woman, you dropped something!", "Man, could you hold the door, please?", "Boy, where's your mom?". It's fine. It's polite, I promise.
What about family?
Ah, that depends on the family.
Here's a funny example from my own family. I have a grandma on my father's side. Well, my mother - her daughter-in-law - calls her "mom", but addresses her with a V, as a way of being respectful. I, on the other hand, although way younger, use T with her because she's my grandma and she doesn't mind at all and that's how she taught me to talk to her.
So it all depends on the kind of dynamic you have. The level of respect, the traditionalism of it, how old your folks are and how much they go outside.
Bear in mind you can absolutely cuss a bitch out while still using V.
And friends?
"Bro" migrated into Russian some years ago. We have the whole "брат-братан-братишка" (brother-brother (informal)-brother (small) shtick but it's a little, uh, complicated. It gets mocked a lot. There's a bit of a subculture around the people who say it.
Really, we just call people by their names. I'd love to see more of that in fics. Heavy wouldn't go "sis" @ Zhanna, but he would say "Zhann", as a shorter and more casual form of address. She'd call him "Mish". We love to see it. They're besties.
That's still not very specific though.
Ah, well, here's a few odd examples.
"Мужик"/"muzhik" is something Heavy would say. It means "man", but, like, in a casual and friendly manner. I say that to my friends who are men. He would say that to everyone but ONLY once he's on T-terms with them. I told you it was important. He wouldn't say it to Scout though. Maybe in a moment of transgender affirmation. Once. But never again.
"Чувак" is "dude" but it fucking sucks to say, idk, 0/10, would not say that. Adults never say it tbh. Kids these days don't say it either.
"Madam" (from French) was popular way back in the day. "Madmuazel" aka a bastardization of "Mademoiselle" is also out there but more sarcastic. Both used with V.
"Чел"/"chel", short for "chelovek" ("human") - another version of "man", basically. With T.
"Парень", "приятель" - guy, pal, pally, dude, fella. Can be genuine or sarcastic. Both male and used with T.
"Тётя" or "тёть" - kinda like ma'am but disrespectful. Literally means "aunt", figuratively - any woman who's any amount of years older than you and a bit of unpleasantness to have around. Not to confuse with "тётя [name]" which is literally "aunt [name]", in an affectionate way and not necessarily towards family.
"Дядя" or "дядь" - a male version of that. Also on both cases the second version is less respectful.
"Начальник" - "boss". Goes with T better than with V, ironically.
"Народ" - "people". Can be either really epic or really casual. A way to address multiple people.
"Братва" - "brotherhood" (derogatory). Sounds like. Uh, it's hard to explain. You guys remember Shark Tale? When, in Russian it's called Underwater Brotherhood, with that specific word for brotherhood. It has that kind of energy.
That's about it! There's a good Wiki page about these things, I recommend skimming through it, though some terms are a bit underexplained there in my opinion. Thanks for asking, and sorry if this post reads a bit haphazard. I'm rusty.
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hindisoup · 17 days
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Hiii, I've been following your blog since some time. And I've been very fascinated and impressed by your journey. I'm sure at this point you know hindi better than me (I'm not proud of this, I'll focus better on Hindi from now). And I've always had this question, I'm not sure if I asked you or if you have already answered it or not. But how did you start learning Hindi? Are you Indian or indian origin? And how has your journey been? Did you find difficulties? What was easy for you and what did you like/dislike about the culture as you continued learning the language? I'm very curious.
Hi and thank you so much for such a nice ask!
Here's my previous answer to how I got into Hindi in the first place.
In short, I am just a Finnish linguaphile with no connection to India or South Asia whatsoever. I have loved learning about different languages since childhood but Hindi (and Urdu on the side) has been my passion for the past six to seven years now.
I got into the language very typically through Hindi cinema but more than just the aesthetics I'm fascinated by the history, art, socio-political fabric, nature and just all of it. I love learning new things in general and there's always something new about Indian people or culture that draws my interest. Looking at things - whether political, religious or whatever - from a distance, I try to observe and form an understanding more than form opinions - it's not my place and all I have is endless respect for Indian people. I've never been to India but believe me I have long to-do and to-see lists when I eventually one day get to go there.
My language journey has been very enjoyable. I've done some online courses, had iTalki tutors, done some videos to practice pronunciation, made a huge Anki deck and done lots of reading, podcast listening and film watching. I was making great progress but my learning has been on somewhat hiatus since last autumn when I got a new job that took all my energy. Since January I've been writing a PhD thesis proposal that has taken all my spare time and my Hindi learning has diminished to scrolling Tumblr poems and listening to film songs while commuting. The passion is still there and I intend to return to my routines as soon as possible.
What I love most about Hindi as a language is the logic of it. It's - for me at least - very easy to 'get' Hindi, as in understanding the grammar rules - why things are the way they are. Hindi is a very learner-friendly language that way. A bigger issue is the immense vocabulary and understanding of the historical and cultural roots around borrowing sounds and words from Sanskrit, Persian and other languages - how they play together and how they do not etc. When learning Hindi you are never just learning Hindi!
I had some trouble learning Devanagari at first and learning to differentiate all the sounds (and produce them from my mouth). It took time, but one day they clicked. I'm not perfect and there's a lot of room for improvement but seeing the progress I've made is very encouraging and helps me keep on learning. Learning Nastaliq and Naskh is another story - and another journey altogether!
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