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#i love this show sm already it's right up my alley
katnficer · 8 months
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day 15: dagger
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dinemunyu · 11 months
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do you get to be happy and alive and well?? YES, YOU DO, WOLFWOOD.
Inspired by this fic !! It's unrelated to the events in the fic, but if hurt/comfort is smth righ up your alley, then please read it n show the author some love (the fic hurts a Lot </3)
I finished trimax a few days ago. Instead of processing it though, I dived right into the fics I have bookmarked already that I couldn't read before because of spoilers. A good amount of those touches upon ww's guilt and oh my god, the introspection of Nicholas D. Wolfwood. hurts. a lot.
bonus ww because i love drawing him sm like
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spamgyu · 2 months
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SVT & Brands I would love them to work with // VU
I talk so much crap about fashion on here and i have been asked by a few people to pair them up with designers I think they would be good with or I would love to see them work with. 🤧
Doing this in units because tumblr wont let me post more than 30 images at a time.... and for once, 13 men in one group actually seems like a lot.
disclaimer: this is based on the runways of the brands in the past 2-4 years (some brands will go as far back as 4 years mostly bc i love them sm... some are two years bc i didn't like their creative directors until recent). also i h@t3 k3nz0 but hearing how vernon talks about the brand im choosing to accept his soul binding contract with them. this is also based on if they were to actually have a similar contract like vernon does with kenzo with these brands. meaning they would wear these brands 90% of the time not just for brand events (which is most likely rare bc of how crazy expensive and limiting it is. but just entertain my ideas for this one time)
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JEONGHAN – YSL
I'm sorry. I genuinely think that Jeonghan and YSL partnership is godsend. I know some hate YSL for taking away the ~aegyo~ and color from Jeonghan but we have to admit HOW FUCKING GOOD he looks in YSL. They're just so good at picking the right ambassadors when it comes to fitting their look.... (Mark, Ten, Jeonghan - they all have the same body which mirrors the models they cast and wow 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼)
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(so funny, when i was gathering pics for this jeonghan was literally in every single one of the pic from the recent show lskdfjlsdkjf)
JOSHUA – Dolce & Gabbana
Listen.... I know this may seem like another Jeonghan where the ~color~ and ~aegyo~ is taken away from him. But Shua's taste is already so 🤌🏼 and just think of his body proportions in all these..... He would look sooooo sooo good in the recent D&G RTW.... I can feel it in my BONES
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WOOZI – Hermes
Our rich black card holder king deserves the brand that all the rich hot bitches are fighting tooth and nail to get their hands on. Like lbr here...... he COULD get a birkin if he wanted. Anyways I think Woozi is a simple person, he said it himself. And when it comes to fashion I honestly think he would stay close to a brand that match his vibe well. Clean, simple, polished..... smells of money.... That being said, I think Hermes is able to make a statement without being loud. .... so Woozi...
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DOKYEOM – Valentino
This one is just purely for me. Bally is a good match for him, if they stay close to how he was styled in the recent FW and not the one prior to it. I think I want to see him in a style more.... close to the silhouettes he wears and is styled in which is baggy and almost of a square. Valentino has an ability to take that silhouette and make it fun through designs and colors... And honestly I just want to see how he would be in an elevated version of his style now.
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SEUNGKWAN - Jacquemus
He likes to play it safe when it comes to his schedule outfits and I think is just up his alley. It's safe enough that it would be nice to see him in it in the way we see Vernon in K3nz0 every waking moment. But also bold enough to test his comfort when it comes to fashion.
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panelshowsource · 1 year
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anon!!!!! it’s a really unique cast, one of the most random and unique we’ve ever had, maybe? when it comes to random hodge-podges of people, i’d vote series 8, 12, and 15? maybe? so it’s hard to say just how i feel about them because these groups can take the longest to sort out their dynamics
taskmaster has this funny way of making you dislike(?) someone you thought you liked or come around to people you thought you didn’t care for. john kearns on catsdown back in the day used to make me want to rip my flesh off — now, because of taskmaster, i will always see him as paddington bear and no one can take that away from me. A SWEETIEPIE. i know many people walked away from s8 liking lou a little less and walked away from s13 liking judi a little more. despite at least a few great routines and his obvious wit, ivo graham’s 90s-hugh-grant-but-bitey/cynical-instead-of-bumblingly-charming schtick has never been up my alley. i am really curious if this series will make me come around to him, because i do think he’s let his guard down a lot more in this environment than the more cutthroat comedy environments — and i like him more for it thus far :) he’s really putting the effort in, too! hahaha
frankie is for old gen panel show fans and old gen panel show fans only!!! i love him sm, he’s the wittiest and his giggles are iconic, and i died of cuteness hearing his kids participated in beating the shit out of him during one of the tasks. i already really enjoy his dynamic with alex; alex has his awkward beats and frankie meets them with his own calm and wit really well. i don’t know if a lot of people have realised this over the years, but there’s a shyness to frankie that i hope doesn’t end up depriving us of frankie content throughout the series. as confident as he can be in his comedy and his opinions, (these days, at least) he doesn’t cut people off, showboat, hog spotlight, etc. so i am nervous he won’t get ample screentime like some of the more hot mess figures like ivo and jenny. AND JENNY IS SO DELIGHTFUL LMAO you’re right the older, quirky ladies who don’t take the show too seriously are hit and miss for a lot of viewers, but i hope with jenny’s enthusiasm that she’ll be on people’s good sides. taskmaster is, at its core, silly. jenny is silly. match made in heaven!
mae and kiell... i don’t have strong opinions about mae. a lot of people like them because they’re very pleasant. i know they’re polite, kind, and explore narratives in their writing that are sensitive and engaging to many, but i wouldn’t say they make for spectacular tv in the context of taskmaster. pleasant. not hysterical, but pleasant. will probably win the series? is it too early to say? (i wonder if a more hyper-on-average cast would help them either open up more or have a more stand-out dynamic/character in comparison?) kiell on the other hand? hm... on the most recent episode of the taskmaster podcast, ed and kiell talk a lot about how kiell is genuinely frustrated or angry with the tasks, the surprises, the inconsistent scoring — and that’s already evident, especially by episode 3. ed suggests it’s his character for the season, but ed and kiell discuss how it’s real and kiell really couldn’t help it showing as the series progressed. this is something that i don’t like and don’t think is funny and don’t wanna see on the show. throwing a fake tantrum, arguing with greg because it’s funny take him by surprise with a random bout of impertinence or give him an opportunity to hilarious retort as the egotistical taskmaster character, jokingly(!!!) calling alex out for his trickery, and so on is funny. though it’s not necessary for a good watch, i do looove when contestants can walk the line between comedy and genuine competitiveness: joe wilkinson did this sooo well if you revisit s2, throwing certain tasks for fun while trying fucking hard and demanding his flowers for other tasks; ed gamble, kerry godliman, and bridget christie are more examples of people who knew where to draw the line in excessively arguing, nitpicking, whining, fuming, sulking — but were still able to deliver enough of that that it was hilarious when their efforts were squandered by alex or greg threw down the hammer. i know it’s a fine line for those who try to walk it! i’m worried kiell is gonna be too butthurt and too sulky to the point that i’m distracted. you have to be able to laugh everything off in the end. speaking for myself, when contestants like james acaster and iain stirling took their butthurt and sulkiness too far, it was hard for me to watch, so part of me is already distracted by the fear of being distracted by this type of attitude. ig that’s all to say i’m not very excited by kiell rn (having never seen him before; no, i haven’t watched ghosts), and i’m a but frustrated the taskmaster podcast made me somehow less excited than i was before, but i hope he hits a funnier stride next ep ...
it’s not that deep these are just my initial impressions after 3 episodes LOL it’s cute so far!
i hope you enjoy jenny!! jenny was such a cute pick for this show, i love when taskmaster thinks a bit outside of the box when considering who can compete and comes up with fun people like her
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i know! god, i swear there was once he said he wouldn’t do taskmaster or wasn’t that interested in it, same as david mitchell... if my memory serves correct? ...! that gives me hope david might one day change his mind heh... but then, i’m not sure what victoria would have told him about the experience to sway him one way or another HAHA
can you imagine if frankie and miles had been on the same season 🥲
anyways, a win for old school panel show fans! any other older school comedians or personalities you’d like to see? not to be basic but we need jimmy carr
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omg good choice anon! it was fun always seeing them do cool stuff~
personally — and i apologise now to all of the james acaster, phil wang, and rhod gilbert team fans — i most prefer seeing the duos/combos who have crazy good friendship harmony and simply love shooting the shit together. for me, that’s mark watson & nish kumar, jessica knappett & kerry godliman, and david baddiel & jo brand (and maybe bridget christie, judi love &sophie duker)? obviously so many teams have so many great moments, but why did all of these teams feel like real besties?? i remember jo going to the bathroom during a task and david not giving a shit LMAO
also, shoutout to al murray, dave gorman, and paul chowdhry for just being the most random team of people ever 
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i’m gonna listen to it tomorrow anon!! if you have a favourite episode pls lmk ♡
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#a
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bisexual-horror-fan · 2 years
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I didn't know you were also a fan of musicals!!! Have you seen/heard Sweeney Todd? (I ask it like that because I never saw it live, but I have heard the full cast recording so many times) It seems right up your alley: a (throat) slasher in a musical. We need more horror musicals, like Carrie and The Rocky Horror Show. If you could turn any horror movie into a musical, which one would you pick? And why?
I am a massive fan of musicals! I love, love, love em so much. I am current still very much into Ride The Cyclone, I just watched it, if you can get the time to I totally recc it, Jane Doe is my personal fave, love her sm. Also anything by Team Starkid, my fave musical literally ever is their show Twisted, The Untold Story Of A Royal Vizer. It's Aladdin but from Jafar's perspective, while also being about the relationship between Disney and Pixar and paraelling Wicked. 10/10 I laugh and cry every time.
Oh I have heard of Sweeney Todd and been a fan of it since high school! The horror/comedy/musical is my fave sub-genre mix when it comes to movies! Repo!, Stage Fright, Dead And Breakfast, I fucking love em but we need more entries into this field!
So I know this question came in a while ago but I really fucking had to think and then the move happened SO!
I think there are two clear options that stand head and shoulders above the rest, I can't pick, so the two I think are most deserving of some musical treatment are-
Scream! Listen. It is already so meta, and funny and extra and theatrical, think Heather's the musical kind of vibe, but I think it could translate really, really well. The costuming would be insane, make it like the Evil Dead musical and advertise the first few rows will get bloody and people will fucking pay to be in those seats, (me). Also they could do a whole new story if they wanted to really, make it akin to Scream 3, make it in universe someone is trying to put on Stab as a musical to add to the already extensive canon in that verse and fucking there you go, total classic.
And the other is Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon, likeeee, come on now. It would be so good, so much potential there plus like you mean to tell me Leslie himself wouldn't freak out of the prospect and idea of getting a stage/musical adaptation? He so would! He would be over the fucking moon and so would I!
My fave moment, one of the biggest moments in BTM, the one that made me fall for Leslie, when he chokes Taylor up against the van? You mean to tell me that whole scene wouldn't lend itself to an argument via song with like a patter style of singing, getting louder and bigger and more, until he fucking chokes her out and all the music and everything cuts?! Like! THE DRAMA! So quiet you can hear a pin drop as he fucking lays it down and Taylor realizes just how much shit she is in and how serious and dangerous Leslie can be. Fantastic. Also, also I wanna see how they would do the barn burning down at that end.
Thank you so much for this question and I hope it is a satisfying enough response!
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hyunverse · 1 year
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omfg i cannot even imagine moving away from the city to countryside i bet that such a difficult adjustment. NOOO you don’t sound like a brat my love it’s not your fault you grew up in a diff area !! 100% agree they just creep me OUTTTTTT. but it’s weird bc i find domesticated rats super cute and i know they’re super clean but if i saw one irl i would cry and scream and run 😀😀😀😀
OMFG RIGHT ??? I WANT TO KNOW LEE KNOWS WORK OUT ROUTINE SO BAD AND I DONT EVEN WORK OUT. also dude felix’s whole outfit in that was just tdf. honestly …. i found his lower back showing to be kinda hotter than the abs …. i’m just a sucker for dudes backs okay 😔😔. cant wait to attend you and hyunjins wedding and if you need a third pls do lmk 😇 hehe
YEP YOU GET IT !! the men who just look like the eiffel tower are the way to my heart <33333 and the ones who look dead inside w long hair and nice hands <33333 good lord bring them here RNNNN. okay short queens look at us go and flourish. and it’s cute that you’re a little taller than me hehe. AND I DID THE HAND MEASURING and they’re 15.8 cm ^_^ which is cuteeeeee. usually i don’t find myself cute but i feel like that’s kinda cute hehe. i gotta know yours now so we can compare
ALSO I DIDNT DW 🙏🏼 i treated myself to some starbucks after class anddddd now i’m getting chinese food oh yea 😎 i’m taking care of myself just for u ig 🙄. all of those foods are a 12/10, i just looked up tomyum and it looks AMAZINGGGGGGG. i love seafood and spicy so that is right up my alley yum yum yum. i want to try it now. my fave food is sushi, but i love literally everything tbh. i don’t think there’s one food that i hate (although i will say i do not like beets or radishes no matter how many times i try them). food is the way to my heart tho i love cooking and food SM but especially cooking for ppl. and i love eating w my friends and family. if food was a love language it would be mine 😇
😽😽😽😽😽😽 cat kisses 4 u. i’m so excited
to hear your hand size hehe (i’m a slut for hands it’s so bad)
- 🐈‍⬛
PLEASE RIGHT. . . imagine i’m used to seeing busy streets and skyscrapers but when i moved for uni i saw cows. COWS. the only time i see a cow at home is on a plate when it’s already become beef soup. 💀 i do Not find rats cute at all 😭 THEY FREAK ME OUT TOOOO MUCH.
talking abt lower backs. . . god i love it when they wear those shirts with open backs 🗣‼️ ALL OF EM LOOK GOOD IN THEM GOOD GOD WHOEVER INVENTED OPEN BACK TOPS NEED THEY ASS ATE 💯 yes ofc ure invited to our wedding u can become my maid of honour and no third person sorry im not poly and im greedy but i will set u up with minho fr 🤝
THE MEN WHO LOOK DEAD HELP I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONYL ONE 🤩 I GET UUU WE ARE SOULMATES!! SOULMATES, BABY! ong ur hands are smaller than mine <33 mine’s 17cm ^__^ so we have roughly about 2cm difference, that’s so cute T_T
YAYAYA tomyum is so yummy i just had it for dinner ^__^ i will gladly cook u a pot baby! i love sushi omg. . . forgot to put that in my list of fave foods. love the salmon ones sm. god i love salmon. if we meet we r having a cooking sesh fr 🤝 i love cooking. it’s theraupetic <33 now im curious, whats ur usual starbucks order? do you get coffee, or something else?
u have my hand size now :-)) thank u for the cat kissies now i present to u, bunny kissies 🐰🐇
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lasquadrasfuckhouse · 3 years
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Hi if I may I wanna request LS hcs, like what's their reaction to reader getting injured in a mission and calling the bois to drive to pick them up? Like, through the call they could just tell sth bad happened to reader. (And can u make it gn? Thx very much I love ur writings!!)
AH THE GOOD OL HURT/COMFORT
thank u sm!!! 🥺 and i make everything gender neutral by default so no worries there my love (i want these boys to care for my they/themmie ass)
la squadra helping their injured partner home 🤕
risotto ✂️
the moment risotto heard something off in your voice, a quaver or unsteady breath, his heart stopped. he'll ask if you're injured, and when you say yes, he's already up and on his way
he keeps calm, and first of all he's making sure it's not bad enough that you need a hospital. if you reassure him honestly that it's not that severe, he tells you to stay put and wait for him and he doesn't waste a second. he may insist you stay on the phone with one of the others while he drives.
and he's driving as fast as he can without being reckless. you're so important to him, and even if he's reassured that you're not dying, the thought of you hurt and alone--his heart can't take it. all that mattered was getting to you and making sure you're safe, so he didn't ask yet how the injury happened--but if someone hurt you and they're still alive, they won't be for much longer. and he won't make it quick, he thinks with his jaw clenched and a hard grip on the steering wheel.
but he's all gentleness with you when he gets there. he's relieved beyond belief that you are, in fact, alive, but his heart is in his throat seeing you injured. if you'll let him, he'll pick you up and place you in the passenger seat. he looks you over and does quick fixes to last you until you get home.
he's still tense in the car. he'll ask how it happened; if it was an accident or the target you already dealt with, he'll be reassured. if it was someone else who's still kickin, he's already making plans. but still, his focus is you. at every red light, he's taking a hand off the wheel to rest on your shoulder, your knee, to hold your hand, just to soothe him that you're there. eventually, you just keep one hand on his knee. he can't express how grateful he is for your grounding presence.
you've done well. just... be more careful, amore.
he can breathe again once you're both safe at home and you can be properly patched up. he'll stay with you until you fall asleep, then stay a little longer.
prosciutto 🚬
something is wrong. it's not a question. explain that you're injured, and he's on his way. you're not hospital injured, but he doesn't waste his time. he'll want to know immediately what happened and will scold you for being reckless, but he's just shaken. he's determined to stay calm for you though and keep you calm.
he will definitely get one of the others to stay on the phone with you while he drives (and he's going as fast as he can). he's not taking any chances. if you got hurt again after calling him, when he's supposed to look out for you, he'd never forgive himself.
he's also turning the whole mission over in his head (from what you've told him) while he's goin, and tapping his finger on the steering wheel, because yes injuries happen, but.... he can't bear the thought of you getting hurt. you've told him the extent of it, but he's conjuring up a whole other round of scolding when he sees it in person.
but then he does see you, and all that goes out the window, because his nurturing instincts kick in and all he can think of is taking care of you. he's speaking softly and hushes you soothingly if you make a pained noise. he doesn't want to linger, so he gathers you quickly to the car and takes off again
he's instructing you on breathing through the pain in a calm tone. helping you focus keeps him focused, too. when you get home, he's all gentle touches as you're being treated, and he does the forehead touch to ground himself in your presence.
pesci 🎣
is everything okay? he's all worried, cause you don't sound okay. you say you're injured, and his throat gets tight. he promises you he'll be right there, lay low and keep yourself safe he's getting there as fast as he can!!!
and he rushes. he's kinda freaking out. he's more than kinda freaking out actually because you're all alone and you're hurt and the thought of it makes his eyes prick, but he steadies himself because he can't drive if he's crying and he's gotta get to you. you're his partner, you called him, you put your faith in him and he will not let you down
the moment he sees you he's spilling apologies that he didn't come with you for the mission because maybe he could've prevented this. you tell him not to blame himself. he swallows and nods and VERY gently helps you into the car, he's terrified of getting you more hurt. his hands are shaky while he gets you stable and comfortable but he doesn't half ass it in the slightest.
he glances over at you when he can but he drives Very carefully on the way home, he wants to keep you safe. he'll ask you to tell him about the mission, or offers to just listen if you want to talk about something else, get your mind off it.
he fusses and frets over you when you get home but he's relieved that you're safe. if someone hurt you and you didn't get to them first--yeah, they're dead meat. no more mr. nice fishy.
formaggio 🧀
he'll be like, babe u good??? tell him you're injured and he says not to worry, he'll be right there, hang tight okay? he's gonna get you home safe, he loves u.
he keeps a rather level head because he's just focused entirely on you, on making sure you're gonna be okay cause what kind of boyfriend would he be otherwise?? he can't help but feel like, even when you're down and out, you're his guiding star.
when he reaches you he's showering you in reassuring affection, he's looking you over and doting on you with all his fond pet names, kissing your cheeks. he holds you close as he helps you to the car and insists you take it easy, let him do all the legwork here okay? you're not hospital injured so he's a bit more relaxed, helps you relax, he'll get you home and you'll be all patched up, don't worry about a thing.
he drives carefully, but he keeps one hand on your knee or holds your hand. he'll ask you to tell him about the mission and praise you for your work, and injuries happen so if you're worried about it don't be, you did amazing. he'll generally just fill the space and try to cheer you up, make you laugh. if he does get you laughing, he's smiling and giving you a little squeeze. he loves your laugh.
he makes a big show of ayyy i'll take care of you when you're home, absolutely dotes on you and if he's not cuddling you he's fetching you whatever you need.
illuso ✨
his throat dries up and he goes entirely tense when he hears something off in your voice. what's wrong. he'll say it in a way that's both hushed and sharp, more an insistence than a question, he's not mad he's just extremely fucking apprehensive. tell him you're injured, and he'll feel more rigid than a statue for a moment. he'll ask how bad, you say not hospital bad but you need help getting home, and then he's moving fast and direct and telling you he's on his way right now, do not move.
oh honey he is speeding. he's speeding and taking any detours he knows (and he knows everything he's the info guy) and probably flipping off whoever honks at him without even a glance. his eyes are straight ahead and glaring at the road because you're hurt and he wasn't fucking there so on god he's gonna be so fucking there now.
something in his chest twists seeing you hurt. he's insistent but gentle in checking you over, not wanting to overlook a scrape, and is extremely careful helping you to the car. he doesn't speed home, but the only thing on his mind is getting you there so your wounds can be treated. he's still very stiff and he doesn't say much, but he will quietly ask what happened. hearing about how you got hurt makes his jaw twitch, especially if someone hurt you.
expect him to hover. he only really relaxes when ur all patched up, and he'll sigh and play with your hair, and once it's just the two of you he'll gently kiss your forehead.
if you were hurt by someone and they're still alive, he will find them and make sure they are very much not alive with his own hands, probably by the end of the night if he has any say in it
melone 🍈
he's very calm. tell him you're injured and he's in medic mode, gently telling you to give him the rundown. he's already making quick assessments about it, decides based on your injuries/your preference whether he takes a car or his motorbike (the bike is faster but the car is more stable). he'll ask one of the others to stay on the phone with you and keep you calm while he gets there.
stay put, amore. don't strain yourself, and don't worry. i'm on my way right now.
he keeps his level head but he's still going as fast as he can. if he opted for the bike, he's taking detours through alleys to get to you quicker. he doesn't give himself room to worry, he knows how to stabilize himself so he can take care of you.
when he gets to you, he's methodical and efficient but sweet, speaking softly and praising and encouraging. he gets the most immediate stuff out of the way so he can get you home, and once you're settled in the car/on the bike, he kisses your cheek before taking off.
if you're on the bike, he has you in front with your back to his chest, and feeling comforted by holding you close. either way, he drives carefully and still keeps his calm, gentle tone. once you're all patched up at home, he gives you a long, loving kiss.
ghiaccio ❄️
he'll say you sound off, and there's a spike of worry. say you're injured and he's bolting up and going WHAT!!!!! stay there and DONT FUCK URSELF UP MORE he's on his way rn
ghiaccio already drives like a maniac (which is ironic considering how protective he is of his car) but YOU'RE hurt and alone? nuh uh. not on his watch. he's running red lights, leaning over the steering wheel with his eyes on the prize, and grinding his teeth. he's kicking himself for not coming with you on the mission.
when his car screeches to a halt he's just vaulting over the open convertible to u and demanding let me see let me see what happened etc. he's not harsh at all tho especially in how he checks you over and fusses, he gets ur ass in the car and takes u directly home. he wants to be fast but he also doesn't want to jostle u so he drives like, marginally carefully, by his standards
if someone injured you and they're still alive, he shouts he'll get the bitch himself. he'll also say in his ranting that he should have been there with you. you tell him honestly that it's not his fault; he just grumbles.
he hovers and snaps at the others if they're not extremely gentle with you as you get patched up. once it's just the two of you, he clings (carefully). be more careful, dumbass, he mutters, and kisses your cheek.
sorbet and gelato 🔪🍦
reach sorbet first, and his eyes will narrow at your strained voice, as if he could just glare at whatever was bothering you to make it go away. he's already up and his hands are twitching when he asks what's wrong, and at that point gelato pesters him to go on speaker. reach gelato first, he'll just ask right away if you're hurt, and when you say yes, he puts you on speaker without sorbet having to do anything.
they're already on their way, and one keeps you on the line while the other drives. and no matter who it is, they're driving like a fucking crazy person, running every red light and tires squealing. gelato does most of the talking, like always. he's asking you about the injuries, trying to keep your spirits up, and praising you for a job well done on the mission. he'll ask how the injury happened, and his tone is still light, but you know your boyfriends have murder on their minds if someone hurt you. and if someone did, and you didn't get to them first, gelato will go, hmm. we'll fix that. sorbet agrees with mmhm.
once they're there (and they're there very fast), they're both looking you over and doing quick fixes with gentle hands. gelato will coo at you for how brave and tough you are, and sorbet may just pull you into his lap and nuzzle your cheeks together. he will probably carry you to the car even if you can walk fine.
whoever isn't driving will gently cuddle you and cover ur face in kisses in the backseat, and they're driving more carefully now so as not to throw you around. gelato will chatter about whatever to help you feel alright, and sorbet will get his quips in. getting you to laugh is a victory.
one of them is literally always touching you. if someone else is tending to your wounds and they try to fuss about one or the other being in the way, they'll tell em to deal with it as long as it isn't bothering you. get ready to be squished (carefully) between two cuddly boyfriends until you're better; they love you so much and just want to care for you, it hurts their hearts that you got hurt without them there, so they're not letting you go now.
if someone hurt you and they're still kickin, they'll ask if you want to be there to do em in, or if they can go ahead. if you want to be there, they'll pace about having to wait because the thought of someone who dared to hurt you still breathing makes their hands itch, but they Will wait until you've healed up some. you take the reins on the hit in that case, and they'll be happy to follow your lead. if you say they can go ahead, they both grin. they're gonna leave that fucker as a smear when they're done.
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timelesslords · 3 years
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fluff 3 or fluff 10 please!!! (i love all ur fics sm)
ty <3! I went with a very loose interpretation of fluff 10 (are we on a date right now?) for this one lol
send me a sentence starter and I’ll fill it for Percabeth
“Are we on a date right now?”
“We’re on a mission right now. Focus, Seaweed Brain.”
Percy had sort of known that already, but if this was genuinely a mission and not a date, Annabeth wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion. She was wearing a white summer dress, short and flowy, patterned with tiny cherries. The light fabric contrasted with her tan skin, making it seem to glow gold in the sunlight. Her long curly hair tumbled free over her shoulders, out of its usual practical ponytail.
Of course, she had an imperial gold knife strapped to her thigh under her skirt, but that didn’t negate the impracticality of the outfit otherwise. Not that Percy was complaining— she looked gorgeous. Still, it left him a little confused. 
“But we are like, on a date,” Percy said. 
“We’re pretending to be on a date,” Annabeth corrected. 
It was a sunny California day, and they were sitting on an outdoor patio of a restaurant. A restaurant that was in the mortal world, not New Rome, and although Percy had been debriefed beforehand, he was having trouble seeing exactly where the date ended and mission began. 
“You’re my girlfriend,” Percy pointed out. 
“So?” 
“So doesn’t that make this fake date a real date?”  
“No,” Annabeth said shortly, taking a sip of her sweet tea. Her straw was already stained with the lipstick she was wearing, red to match the cherries on her dress.
“I’m confused,” Percy admitted.  
“I explained this before we left.”
“And I was as confused then as I am now.”
Annabeth rolled her eyes, long and hard. Gods, she was hot when she was annoyed at him. Which was a very dangerous thought to have, because if she wasn’t he might be more careful about antagonizing her. 
“We’re pretending to be on this nice lunch date so that we can keep an eye on that server over there,” Annabeth said, tilting her head surreptitiously towards one of the waiters dealing with a table to their right, a kid with dark hair who looked maybe 16. 
“Who might be a half-blood,” Percy remembered. He had been paying some attention when she explained it earlier. 
“Right.”
“Wouldn’t bringing the two of us here drive out any monsters that are here?” Percy asked, frowning, “I mean, not to brag or anything, but I’ve been told I smell tasty.” 
“That’s kind of the idea,” Annabeth said, taking another sip of tea. 
“You didn’t mention that before we left,” Percy said, only a touch accusatory.  
And, okay, he probably should have seen this coming. If there was a monster stalking the kid, which given his age, was likely, Percy and Annabeth’s presence would be enough to draw it out. Then they could get rid of it and send the kid along to whatever camp he was suited for. It was very up Annabeth’s alley, what with its kill-two-birds-with-one-stone approach.
“You hadn’t gotten that far,” Annabeth said. If she was bothered by Percy’s tone, she didn’t show it. In fact, she looked like she was trying not to laugh.  
“Hadn’t gotten that far in what?” Percy asked, playing along. 
“In understanding the plan,” Annabeth said. 
“You made this convoluted on purpose,” Percy said, grinning, and now it was a genuine accusation— an amused one, but an accusation all the same. Annabeth just shrugged innocently. 
“It’s not my fault good plans are complex sometimes,” she said.  
“Were you just counting on me thinking this was a date so I would agree to go?” Percy asked. 
“No,” Annabeth said, though her eyes flickered away from his for just a second. 
“You’re a bad liar,” Percy said, affectionately.
“No I’m not,” Annabeth rebuffed, bristling, “I specifically told you before we left that this was a fake date.” 
“I would have gone anyway,” Percy said. It was true. He would probably go anywhere Annabeth asked him to, but a simple recon mission to pick up a possible half-blood really was no sweat. Even if monsters were involved.
“It was easier this way,” Annabeth said. She was fighting to keep the smile off her face now, he could see the corners of her mouth twitching.
“Easier for you,” Percy said, grinning openly. 
“Well, I wasn’t about to make it easier for you,” Annabeth said, smile finally breaking through. 
“So you lured me on the promise of a nice date out with my girlfriend and instead I’m sitting here as monster bait,” Percy said, leaning back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.  
“I lured you out with the promise of a fake date,” Annabeth amended, “And I mentioned everything but the monsters beforehand.”
“You could’ve mentioned the monsters.”
Annabeth shrugged again, unconcerned.
“I knew you would get there eventually.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Anytime babe.” 
“I really would have come anyway.” 
“I know, that’s why I didn’t feel bad. It was just more fun this way,” Annabeth said, smiling around the straw of her drink.
“For you,” Percy said, though he was smiling too. 
“I like watching you figure out my plans,” Annabeth said,   
Percy raised an eyebrow. 
“Oh, do you?” 
Annabeth flushed a little at that, but unfortunately did not have a chance to respond. At that exact moment there was a loud crash a few tables over, a piercing scream rippling through the air. Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look.
“Looks like our date is over,” Percy sighed, pulling Riptide out of his pocket.
“Fake date,” Annabeth corrected, knife already in hand.
“Raincheck for a real one?” he asked, uncapping his sword. She flashed him a grin. 
“Always.” 
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iwhumpyou · 3 years
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hi!!! i love your jason todd fics sm AHHHHH could you please do a hurt jason fic where he gets shot as the red hood and bruce has to rush him to the bat cave before he bleeds out? feel free to add emotional h/c and feels as necessary~ i love your work and i hope you keep writing forever! i’ll happily continue to support you :>>
Thank you so much!  I’m happy that you’re enjoying my work!
Hurt Red Hood & Bruce?  Of course.
~#~#~#~#~#~
He knew there was a risk of Hood showing up anywhere in Somerset, but he thought that one of Black Mask’s shipments arriving at the docks would’ve kept the half-vigilante-half-drug-lord occupied.
No one was quite sure which one Hood was at any given moment.
On one hand, he’d broken into Titans Tower, broken two of Tim’s ribs and knocked him unconscious before spray painting over the Hall of Heroes.  On the other hand, he’d rescued Robin from Killer Croc last month, when Bruce had been pinned down by Two-Face and unable to help.  He collected tithe from drug dealers and shot anyone who touched kids.  He’d carved out a mini kingdom in Crime Alley, and yet seemed to be systematically deconstructing it.
Bruce had no idea what Hood was doing.  Bruce didn’t think Hood knew what he was doing, just that he was furious at Batman, wanted to kill the Joker, and had no idea what to do now that both those things had slipped out of his grasp.
Bruce had turned over that confrontation a million times in his head, searching for a better way, a better path, something he could’ve done to ensure that Jason would’ve come home, not slapped away Bruce’s hand and stalked out of smoking rubble with a jeering ‘go find the clown if you care about him so much’.
He’d pointedly refused to engage with Batman every time he showed up, and yet also crashed any of Bruce’s operations near Crime Alley, devolving them into firefights seconds after he showed up, and, more often than not, leaving a burning building behind him.
Much like the way this one was going.  Bruce sighed, and ordered Robin to retreat - with this much gunfire, there was no point in Tim sticking close.  Bruce edged around the rafters, careful to keep his reinforced cape in the path of any potential ricochets, and peered into the office.
It was already on fire.  Of course.  Bruce took a deep breath to avoid shouting ‘Jason Peter Todd Wayne’, but it was a near thing.
The gunfire petered out, and Bruce poked his head back out.  No doubt Hood was already setting up the explosives, and Bruce needed to check if there was anyone still alive to drag out of the building.  Jason didn’t usually shoot to kill, instead preferring to instigate and watch the whole thing devolve into a chaos of friendly fire, which he seemed to find amusing.
There were only a few limp bodies on the ground - presumably the rest had escaped of their own violation.  Bruce dropped to the ground, keeping an eye out for a red helmet, and began checking the bodies.  All were already dead, and Bruce went deeper into the warehouse - there was a trail of blood, but Bruce knew there was no back exit, and he followed the trail into a dark path of shadow.
An outstretched leg.  A gloved hand pressed to a bloody thigh, where body armor had apparently not provided sufficient protection.  A red helmet snapping up at his approach.
“Oh fuck.”
“Language,” Bruce reprimanded automatically in response to those words in that inflection.
“Fuck,” Jason repeated with feeling, letting his helmet thud back against the wall.  Bruce ignored him, and crouched to examine the wound.  It was a deep graze, blood welling up against dark kevlar, and Bruce fished out some gauze to apply a field dressing.
“The Cave or the clinic,” Bruce asked flatly, unwilling to let his real emotions bleed out.
“It’s Tuesday night,” Jason said tiredly, “Clinic’s closed.”  He was right about that.
Perfect.  It gave both Bruce and Jason the excuse they needed.  “Batmobile’s outside,” he said, gripping his son’s shoulders, ignoring the resultant growl, and heaving him upright.
“Fuck you, old man,” Jason snapped again, but he made no move to tear himself out of Bruce’s grip.  Blood loss, or exhaustion?  Or loneliness?  Bruce didn’t miss how Jason leaned into his grip with an unsteady balance that Bruce knew was partly feigned.
Jason made no protest when Bruce eased him into the Batmobile, or even when he buckled him into the seat.  His helmet just slumped back, breathing easing to something slower and steadier as Bruce began to drive.
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chateautae · 2 years
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sammy, sammy, SAMMY!!! I just read act 1 of heart of the flame and im absolutely in love😭😭 i genuinely just love your writing so much and how clever you are with the dialogues and making connections and full circles in them. like at the beginning when tae’s like ‘you’ve known my name for the past nine years’ and then oc says it at the end??? i genuinely love that sht sm and it makes me smile so hard whenever i read those kinds of moments! you’re an absolute genius with how you make things connect throughout your writings. im absolutely terrible with explaining things and im not doing you any justice, but i also hope that im making sense 💀 and also just like in general with shows or any books that i read, i LOVE when things do a full circle like that so to see my favorite author incorporate them into her writing??? like your writing is 1000% my style and right up my alley. im so glad i found you omg😭 it’s like i was meant to read your work 😭
NOW SHALL WE TALK ABOUT THIS FIC???? HELLO!!! first off, absolutely in LOVE with firefighter tae. hes soooo hot, my god😭 i absolutely love his playfulness and smugness. he has so much character and i just love him so much. he’s also so kind?? like he really just offered his place to oc when she had no where to go and is going out of his way to take care of her and make sure that shes safe too??? i want him. i really want him😭 like listen, i absolutely hate driving bc of how much it stresses me out, and my heart did somersaults when tae was like “im picking you up after work” LIKE??? WHERE CAN I GET MYSELF A FIREFIGHTER TAE??? SAMMY YOU’RE REALLY RAISING MY STANDARDS IN MEN WITH EVERY FIC THAT YOU WRITE OML!! ALSO!! i was snickering so hard when tae was saying that he wanted to reveal that he was firefighter in a cool way, only to actually be the person saving oc 💀💀 MY MANS HAS JOKES TOO LIKE HES PERFECT!!
i love their dynamic so much and will be reading act ii as soon as i get off work tomorrow AHHHHH!!!! i am super curious as to why oc pretended not to know tae though. i was thinking in my head like itd be so embarrassing if tae actually does recognize her and knows that she’s putting on an act ONLY FOR IT TO COME TRUE BUT HE HANDLED IT IN THE SEXIEST WAY EVER MY LORD. also!!! my heart melted when he came back an hour later to return pride and prejudice and kept coming by everyday to see oc, not once, but twice a day😭😭 and when he said he used his lunch time to see her despite being super busy and probably not being able to get a solid meal in😭 *slams hand on table* I WANT HIM!! AND WHEN HE GOT HER COFFEE AND REMEMBERED OC’S FAVORITE SANDWICH AND GOT IT FOR HER??? *REPEATEDLY SLAMS HAND ON TABLE* I WANT HIM😤😤 firefighter tae is so dreamy and cute, i just wanna shove my face into his chest and climb hi- *train passes by*
AHHH OKAY THATS THE END OF MY TANGENT HEHEHE!! I genuinely love this series already and wish i had the chance to read it sooner!! my favorite author has done it YET AGAIN and proven YET AGAIN that she never misses, its true!! COME COLLECT YOUR PEONIES BB I HAVE A WHOLE GARDEN PREPARED FOR U 💐💐
p.s. i hope your first day back on campus went well!! i can’t offer much advice bc i only spent a little over 3 semesters on campus before covid hit and have been home ever since, but i hope that you’ll have so much fun on campus and make the most out of your time there!! i just know you’ll make such amazing and fun memories with your bubbly and amazing self :) im sending you all of my good vibes and hope you have an amazing and safe experience back on campus! 💜💜
p.p.s christmas tree was playing right when tae walked into the library and it was so fitting🤧 “in this moment, i see you” and oc’s just gawking at tae. it was so fitting and i just had to share hehe :)
-🪐
Saturn anon ik you sent this a few days ago and I just... I've been in complete AWE at your response!!! GOSH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! I'm so so happy you adored the way I made connections in this fic hehe, i truly wanted to hit the nail on the head with those and so seeing it pointed out feels way too amazing! AND YES WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER BUBS I CAN FEEL IT IN MY VEINS!! NAUR ME TOOOOO idk why i find it super hot when men drive?? like its the most simple, mundane thing in the world that I find hot and especially when a man goes "i'll pick you up" DNEOWIDNE MY P*THY FLUTTERS A LITTLE YOU KNOW? FIREFIGHTER TAE REALLY IS THE PACKAGE DEAL!! YES YES I SHALL COME TO YOU FOR THE PEONIES!! Gosh you're just the sweetest saturn anon, I really appreciate this ask so so much and i truly love you for always being so supportive <33
And yes omg!! uni has been WILD but great so far hehe, i'm only three days in and you're right my annoying ass has already met and made so many great friends, it's a chaotic ride that keeps getting better!!
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yixxes · 4 years
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Don’t Fear The Reaper | l.p.
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Warnings: mentions of Death (like actual death and the horseman) 
Summary: You’re a servant of the powerful horseman, Death, and Luke’s time on Earth is up.
Word count: 950
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Unofficial rule number one of serving Death? Never, under any circumstances, fall for your subject. 
Honestly, Death didn’t care either way. He figured that his servants were very similar to the mortals and in that way, he expected them to make unwise choices and unnecessary mistakes. Either way, though, he made it a point to stay out of his servants’ private life. No matter what happened, who they got to crushing on, or who they fell in love with, Death knew that the subject would pass when they were meant to with no exceptions. The subject would pass and the servant would remain a servant. Forever. It was as simple as that. And that was fine, you understood the unofficial rule perfectly...
And then you met Luke.
In the back of your mind, you understood that he had an expiration date and that you would continue to be a servant of Death, forever, but forever was exactly what it felt like when you were with Luke. 
He was everything that you had always hoped for in a partner, should you ever actually find one, which never seemed likely given your current... occupation, but a girl could dream, couldn’t she? 
Luke was charming. He always seemed to know how to make you laugh, or at the very least, crack a smile that only grew the more that you stuck around him. Easy on the eyes, and so incredibly talented, something that you found out quickly that had you in awe at first. Awe turned to smitten when he’d strum random little songs just for you on his guitar or when he’d invite you to one of Sunset Curve’s shows and you effortlessly held his attention the entire show. He watched you with a huge smile on his face and it made you feel so important. Like every single word of the love songs were meant especially for you.
“You know, you almost made me miss my solo,” he told you after one of his shows. 
“Me? How?” 
“You just looked so beautiful tonight, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you, and believe me, I tried,”
He wasn’t without his vices, but you couldn’t deny that you loved the way that his stubbornness came into play when he was begging for five more minutes with you because he was,
“...just gonna miss you so much ‘til I get to see you again,”
“Luke, I’m literally seeing you tomorrow!”
“So!? That’s tomorrow, we’re talking about right now, those are two completely different things!”
For some reason, he always seemed to think that endless handholding and forehead kisses would result in him getting his way. Also, he was right.
The two of you hadn’t been going together for a super long time, but you were already undeniably certain that you had no idea what you’d do without having his cute smile in your life. His smile, his laugh, his everything. 
That’s how you found yourself begging Death to divert Luke’s path. To change his fate, to save him, for his family, for his music... for you. You begged without dignity or pride as if it were your own life on the line, but you were met with a no. 
“There are some things in life that you must simply come to accept. You cannot run from me, nobody can. No matter who comes groveling at my feet.”
You should’ve expected this. You never should’ve come here, you should’ve just accepted things for what they were and settled for spending extra time with Luke.
“Darling?” He called out to you as you headed towards the door. “Perhaps you should’ve spent the day with your subject rather than coming to me. It appears that we’ve made it to his final moments.”
You wished more than anything that that wasn’t true, but when you popped into the alley, the scene before you was undeniable. This was it. The reapers that were assigned to Luke’s friends stood in the wings, waiting quietly. They were lucky. To them, this was just another day at work. To you, this was the day that you would always remember and dread. The day that would haunt you and continue to break your heart over and over again. Forever.
His life was on the brink of failure and there was no help that you could offer him. There was no ambulance that would get there in time, no medical attention that would save them just in the nick of time. You were exactly where you needed to be. 
With tears already spilling down your cheeks, you dropped to your knees and took his hand up in yours. You knew that he wouldn’t be doing very much talking, so you did it for him. You wanted to comfort him, but deep down, you knew that your words weren’t just for him. 
“It’s gonna be okay. Don’t be afraid.” You’d said these words so many times in your life and you never could imagine how the subject was feeling in that moment, but the look in their eyes usually gave you a pretty good idea. “I’m gonna help you cross over, okay? I’m gonna make the pain go away.”
You started to cry even more because you knew that when you took his pain away, it would be the very beginning of your own. 
“Don’t be scared.” You told him, bringing your joined hands up to your lips and pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. 
You could feel your heart drop and your stomach squeeze unforgivingly as soon as his heart stopped. The other side just gained something great while you began to mourn the loss of your Luke.
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A/N: I wasn’t really sure about this one, but I’m super excited to give writing a try for this fandom. I would love feedback!
Thank you sm @myrandom-fandomlife​ and @peterspideysstuff​ for your support and your encouragement to post this here. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Much love. (: <3
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Discography Discussion: We Hate All Kinds of Violence
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you probably know quite a bit about H.O.T. I assume you have a favorite member. I bet you’ve heard tracks like “I-Yah” and “Hope”. But I haven’t really discussed the start of H.O.T in depth, nor the discography of their first album. After making you wait so long, let’s talk about how this influential group began.
Before H.O.T
In order to understand why H.O.T was created, we’ve got to understand Korean history.
(Note: As this blog is about one group and the point of this post is to talk about one album, I am leaving out a lot of notable events and people to give you a basic summary of what led to H.O.T.)
Up until 1988, South Korea had been constantly under oppressive political regimes. This oppression extended to music, which limited who could sing and what songs would be allowed to the masses. 1988 is a very important year in Korean history because that was when the country opened itself to the world and hosted the 1988 Seoul Olympics in Jamsil, Seoul. Through various political, economic, and technological changes, Korea was gradually transforming into what it is now. However, music was still largely either patriotic tunes or shallow love songs.
You know what came next. In the spring of 1992 Seo Taiji and Boys debuted. They had mass appeal among young people in Korea because they made music directed to people in Korea that was about their problems. Even though there was management involved with the group, it was entirely under the control of Seo Taiji - not some executive who dictated what the group could say and do. Also, they were not the first group in Korea to use rock music or rap, but the way Seo Taiji combined different genres and styles was very different - and very appealing. Bland dance and pop music produced by large broadcasting companies weren’t going to cut it anymore.
Generally speaking, whenever there is some kind of innovation, businesses and investors crop up looking to make a profit. The Korean music industry is no different. The rise of Seo Taiji and Boys created this essential question: Could a company recreate Seo Taiji and Boys?
The answer came in 1996.
H.O.T Pre-Debut
Before SM Entertainment, there was SM Studio. It was Lee Sooman’s first serious venture into starting a music company. In 1990, Hyun Jinyoung debuted as the first artist in the company and led to the start of several careers. Lee Sooman eventually signed on other artists, such as Yoo Youngjin in 1993.
However, Lee Sooman had seen the Japanese system of training idols and wanted to adapt that for Korea. Some things came out of this and became standardized in K-Pop (to some extent), such as idols of the same group living together and going through training for a period of time. This also changed how artists were managed and signed on. It went from being like MGM during Hollywood’s Golden Age to the “factory” idea we know now.
The first idols (and lab rats) for this were H.O.T. Kangta was the first to be recruited for his voice when Lee Sooman heard him sing at Lotte World. Heejun was asked to audition due to his ability to dance, sing, and write music. Woohyuk passed his audition as he was also a talented dancing. Jaewon’s recruitment isn’t well-known other than that he gained points for his visual appeal, however, sometimes people make claims that he was previously friends with Heejun and yet aren’t able to provide credible sources (at least that I’m aware of). Tony, however, auditioned with his friend Andy in LA and was voted in by the other four members. Lee Sooman has said that Tony didn’t have much going for him, but he recruited him because he thought the teenager would work hard. Together, these five were everything the public wanted.
Before H.O.T debuted, they were seen in public. Heejun and Kangta were dancers for Yoo Youngjin, and Jaewon and Woohyuk joined them later (I’m not sure if Tony did, however, considering how late he joined). The group even performed their debut song at a festival at Heejun’s high school. They were generating hype and ready to begin.
The We Hate All Kinds of Violence Album
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 H.O.T debuted on Sept. 7th, 1996. Their first album was called We Hate All Kinds of Violence. The cover art shows a person sitting on a step with their head in their arms in a way that usually denotes sadness or despair while wearing uniform with a hat that says “Workers”. The combination of group name, album title, and album artwork set the tone of the album at a glance as being geared towards teenagers. This was a smart move on SM’s part. Seo Taiji and Boys had disbanded earlier that year, so there was a void in the music industry that needed to be filled, and H.O.T seemed to fit the bill for a lot of young people in Korea.
Warrior’s Descendant
Their debut track was “Warrior’s Descendant”. Just hearing that title tends to interest people even before they hear the actual song. It gives off the impression that the song is about someone who has a fighting spirit like their ancestors, even if they themselves aren’t soldiers.
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Lyrics (DISCLAIMER FOR THIS SECTION: TW: BULLYING)
The lyrics themselves are about bullying. The opening words are, “Ah~ Why are you hitting me?” (Lyrics Source) From there the lyrics are presented as though by the victim themselves asking why they’re being beaten up. Parts of the song seem to indicate that this isn’t a one-off thing, it’s something that’s been going on for a long time:
You changed me without a guilt You hit me Once we were friends You ruined me
I was beaten like a stupid idiot I lost everything and was roaming around Now with sounds of punch, steal and breaths My heart was torn already because of my lost friends
However, this person seems to believe that someone will save them and that this won’t go on forever.
It's time to stop, The violence, hate, and all the mess, It's about time someone should stand for what is right, That is right
Now I want my future that I've been dreaming of I think of everything can be back as it was before I trusted you I trust you once more Save me Someone someone can
Unfortunately, the song ends with the realization that no one is going save them. That someone can save them, but no one does.
Someone someone can,someone someone can, That I know it, That I know it, That I know it, Can Can That I know it, Someone someone someone someone someone can, someone can, someone can, someone can can can can can, But I know it won't happen, Now I give up everything; I have because of you. They ruined me, They took it all even my last hope You became my enemy and now I give you up They ruined me, They took it all even my last hope. I look for the hope; It's nowhere Now I'm gonna punish myself.....
The worst part of this is that the victim seems to be blaming themselves. They seem to think that they were at fault so they are going to give up. The last line itself, “Now I’m gonna punish myself” is especially troubling.
While you might have been hoping there would be a happy ending, this song wasn’t meant to have one. For a debut song that was supposed to target teenagers, this was a perfect introduction. Bullying is common everywhere, but it’s especially bad in Korea. If you’ve been a fan of K-Pop or K-Dramas for a while, you’ve probably heard a lot about this.
I think the reason why the song ends on a hopeless tone is because the song verbalized what a lot of kids and teenagers in that position probably feel like. Considering how many people follow this blog, I assume that at least one person reading this has been (or is currently being) bullied, so these words probably resonate with you.
And that is the point of “Warrior’s Descendant”, as it targets two groups of people. The first group of people are the ones being bullied, as it tells their point of view. The second group are the bystanders, as it calls them out for not doing anything about it. It calls for these two groups of people to look at each other and see that this isn’t just something that happens, bullying is a choice. The point of the lyrics is to tell people who are bullied that what they’re going through isn’t right, and to tell people to stop being a bystander and do something. This song was a call to action.
Also, the beginning of this song tends to get used in variety shows. However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used to match up with the context of the lyrics. Next time you hear this song somewhere, you might want to take note of the feeling the song brings to the situation it’s used for.
(End of bullying discussion)
This was actually the first song Yoo Youngjin produced, and led to his long and successful career with composing and producing music at SM Entertainment.
The MV
The music video itself shows a story between cutting to H.O.T singing and dancing. The MV opens with a teenage boy looking up while bloody, then cuts to people walking away from him - great hook. It quickly cuts to the night before when the guy was walking with a girl while carrying his violin case. Three guys around his age come and beat him up, and then go after the girl. When the guy sees the girl being targeted, he gets up to fight them off of her and she tries to defend him as well. It ends with the teenager bloody in the daylight with his broken violin. Maybe it’s just me reading into things, but it looks like the guy got beat up in the alley and then possibly got dragged to a school due to the building in the background.
It also has a very 90s style to it. Their outfits were purchased by the members themselves - I don’t know if SM had a stylist who told them what to get or if they were just given free reign, but they did have to pay for them. In addition to the outfits, there were some hallmarks of the time period in the music video, such as graffiti, which was a very popular aesthetic in the 90s and can also be seen in Turbo’s “Black Cat” MV.
Also, even though I haven’t heard anyone else agree with me on this, I personally feel like “Warrior’s Descendant” sounds like “Come Back Home” by Seo Taiji and Boys due to the vocals, instrumental, and tone. Considering that H.O.T was largely created as a response to Seo Taiji and Boys, I think it’s quite possible that recalling the other group was intentional.
However, “Warrior’s Descendant” is simultaneously where Seo Taiji and Boys ends and H.O.T begins.
Candy
Does this song really need an introduction? Probably not, so I’m just going to jump into it. This is H.O.T’s most well-known song and is beloved by many people even years later. It was also their golden ticket and get-out-of-jail-free card throughout their time promoting together.
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MV
This music video is iconic for so many reasons.
First up, the location is perfect for such a bright song. It was filmed at Lotte World in Jamsil, Seoul.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, “Jamsil? I’ve heard of that place before” and you would be correct! That’s where the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games took place, and it’s also a huge part of H.O.T’s history. They had their 918 concert there in 1999, their last concert there in 2001, and their reunion concerts have been there because of the 2001 concert as well.
As for Lotte World itself, it’s one of the major theme parks in South Korea. H.O.T filmed in front of the famous merry-go-round and various other sites around the park. Fun fact: this is also where the drama “Stairway to Heaven” was filmed at.
When I was in Korea, I visited Jamsil quite a few times and it was one of my favorite places. You have no idea how excited I was when I went to the Olympic Park and saw the stadium in person. I also got the chance to visit Lotte World and ride on the merry-go-round, as well as walk on the outdoor bridge they danced on. If you’re an H.O.T fan, I highly recommend going there.
Choreography
The dance for this song is very iconic because it’s bouncy and fun. When I say bouncy, I mean that literally considering as Heejun’s favorite dance move involves him bouncing on the ground.
Trademark Colors
If you’ve been a fan of K-Pop for a while, you probably know that a lot of groups have their own color. The first group that had an official fan color (to my knowledge) was Seo Taiji and Boys, and their color was yellow. However, colors became more of a big deal for K-Pop groups because of H.O.T.
H.O.T’s official color is white, which is why you tend to see them wear white suits and their light stick is white. However, they also have an official color for each member. Heejun is yellow, Woohyuk is blue, Tony is red, Kangta is green, and Jaewon is orange. If you see merch of the group, you’ll often see these colors being heavily associated with each member, and you’ll often see fans cheering with their individual color as well as white.
These colors helped the public to easily identify who was who when they were rookies.
They also had different accessories. Woohyuk had his floppy hat with eyeballs attached to it - that can be seen on that light stick he teased. Kangta had a bag. Tony had a hat. Jaewon had earmuffs - which was a win because it was getting to be cold when this track was released. Heejun, however, had a visor which he hated due to it not keeping him warm in the winter, nor cool in the summer. Their fluffy outfits also endeared them to the public because of how cute they were.
Lyrics
So now that we’ve talked about all the visuals, let’s talk about what “Candy” itself is about. First off, the lyrics to this song are so painfully 90s and cheesy. The story is this: a guy plans on going on break (or breaking up) with his girlfriend because he realizes he’s not the best boyfriend and their relationship isn’t doing great. He literally decides that suddenly when he wakes up in the morning - you can’t make this up.
To be honest with you I want to see you today to talk about us to tell you that I need some space Please understand me I’m telling you that it was a difficult decision Actually, I thought of it this morning
He admits that it’s something he needs to work on and says:
I will need to change myself Without your knowing it I’ve compared you to other girls
There’s a part of the lyrics that are very angsty and dramatic.
When I dream about us each time the dream would vanish and I am left by myself Crying so pathetic stuck in this position I decided I’m leaving you! I’m leaving you! Although I still love you I will leave I will forget and stop loving you As I look to the sky above me I told myself I must keep my heart cold towards you
However, he eventually realizes that even though their relationship needs work, he loves her and actually doesn’t want to be apart from her.
I love only you I said this to you All that I had prepared to say turned backwards I’ll always be by your side
It finishes up with Kangta saying this:
I’ll always be by your side You’ll never be alone again I’m here next to you
The conclusion the songs comes to is this: There can be problems with your relationship, but if you really love them and want to stay with them, you need to communicate and work on making your relationship better.
Also, don’t make huge decisions rashly - I think that should be the big takeaway from this.
Like “Warrior’s Descendant”, this song is also used on variety shows quite a bit. I’ve even heard it called, “The Perfect Song for Valentine’s Day”. Considering the context of this song is essentially about a breakup (until the end), I have my doubts when it’s used on broadcasts that are trying to hype up a love line.
(Lyrics Source)
The Candy Consequence
Earlier I mentioned that “Candy” was their golden ticket. Now that you understand the song itself, let’s talk about why it is that way.
“Warrior’s Descendant” was very serious and geared towards teenagers. “Candy”, however, took their popularity and gave H.O.T a family-friendly reputation. It was the perfect combination of cute guys, a sweet song, and iconic visuals that helped the general public to differentiate them from other groups at the time.
While Seo Taiji and Boys were massively popular with Korea’s youth, they were often thought of as being rebellious, especially since they famously criticized various aspects of Korea - such as the education system.
If you’ve read my other Discography Discussions, you’re well-aware of what H.O.T has done over the years. However, unlike Seo Taiji and Boys, they weren’t as censored or thought of as being nearly as problematic. Why? Look no further than “Candy”.
The popularity “Candy” has is two-sided. On one side, it’s annoying because people (especially newer or international fans) tend to associate them with it, instead of the rest of their discography. On the other side, because people associate them with it first, they tend to be more forgiving (and ignorant >.>) whenever H.O.T released tracks that were full of profanity or violence.
While “Candy” is quite different from most of their other popular tracks, it was the one that allowed H.O.T to rise to heights no one had been expecting.
Other Tracks of Interest
You’re Fast, I’m Slow - This tends to be one of those songs that H.O.T fans know because it gets used in compilations and as background music. The lyrics themselves are about a girl hitting on a guy and trying to make their relationship go at a faster pace than what he’s ready for. He’s asking her to slow down so that they can have a good relationship. They’re just friends, but the girl clearly wants to be more.
A day or two has passed and you've changed too much You kept catching me off guard with your "non-PG" questions You teased me, saying that I didn't have any courage and I was such a boring guy
And before y’all ask, yes, he’s into her. Warning: Explicit
But you don't know my heart I want all of you Don't rush it too much I want to show you my heart slowly
I want to have you, Something that I've deeply wanted If you give me another chance, I'll take you tonight
I'll make you feel real good Even make you groan & moan like I know you should
Remember how I said “Candy” allowed them to get away with more explicit stuff? “You’re Fast, I’m Slow” is Exhibit A. Yoo Youngjin is too obvious sometimes.
(Lyric Source)
Your Image in the Sunset - This is basically your standard breakup song. I’m just pointing it out because I love the instrumental and how this song sounds, tbh. It really gives off a 90s feeling.
Another Stressful Day - This song is about a guy who has a hangover and has to get to work. The kicker is that the members were too young to legally drink when this came out. Considering that the guy on the cover is wearing a work uniform, it is possible that true context of the image is that he is hungover, not upset due to some violent circumstance.
The Age of Individual Characteristic - This song has a great message about self love and not judging people by their appearances alone.
just because you think you're ugly, don’t just sit at home staring into a mirror, accept a new change - find a unique characteristic about yourself..
please, don’t let love follow changing fashion.. don’t let it change.. a male wearing tight short shorts with long hair and a female wearing torn long jeans with a 'sports cut' hair.. lets help each others individual characteristics prevail..
(Lyrics Source)
About Women - This is the final track on the album. It’s basically H.O.T saying that they don’t understand women, but they respect them. It starts out with talking about stereotypes men have for women, and then goes into arguing about it. However, these are the parting words H.O.T concludes the track and the album with:
Women sometimes make our lives hard and confusing, but we have to remember they're not toys, They're not toys but real deep beings... 
(Lyrics Source)
Conclusion
We Hate All Kinds of Violence was an excellent start for H.O.T’s career and a new era of Korean music. It was an album for teenagers by teenagers. Although a lot of their work has been forgotten over the years, it is certainly an important artifact that waits to be discovered by those it speaks to.
Where to listen to the album: iTunes Spotify
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zigtheeortega · 4 years
Text
“’cause we're collectin' moments; tattoos on my mind”
pairing: raleigh x mc
@choicesmarchchallenge
word count: 2,071
song inspiration: sometimes - ariana grande 
tag list: @violinet​ ; @bloodxbound​ ; @dadrianraines​ ; @mentallych-ill-desi​ ; @adrixnrxines​ ; @roguemal​
author’s note: the lyric (that’s the title) from sometimes inspired this fic! i love raleigh sm. also sorry for the double post it just lined up that way lmfao. also sorry if this is an unpopular opinion, but i dont care for the platinum mc so i decided to make her more of what i thought raleigh’s type of girl would be (lmao). anyways, hope u enjoy!!!
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She tripped over a large crack in the sidewalk, almost wiping out completely, but Raleigh’s strong grip managed to keep her going.
“C’mon, Dom, they’re gaining on us!” he laughed, whisking her through the street, cutting through an alleyway.
He stopped abruptly and pulled her close, a mischievous grin on his face. He held a finger to her mouth, and cocked his head in the direction of the street.
The paparazzi sprinted by, not even glancing in the direction of the dimly lit alley. The shuffling of their feet faded into distant patters.
Raleigh tiptoed to the opening of the alley and peeked his head around the damp brick wall, before jogging back to the shadows, the smile from before still lingering on his lips. “Coast is clear.”
“So what now, genius?”
He chuckled, hugging her close with one arm draped lazily around her shoulder. She could smell the cheap tequila on his breath, a reminder of their rendezvous at the sketchy bar.
She leaned into his touch, the buzz not quite wearing off yet. The alcohol weighed her head down, and before she knew it, she rested it on his shoulder.
“Well, I haven’t done anything truly reckless in a while. Gotta keep the bad boy image up,” he said, sliding his arm down to her waist.
“Are you gonna explain what that means exactly?” she laughed.
“You might not think it now, but I used to be a goodie-goodie,” he started, guiding her towards the opening in the alley. “When I first started in Sunset Skatepark, I was supposed to be absolutely perfect, and tattoos were a huge part of that, believe it or not.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re lying.”
“Honest to God, I’m not lying. I wanted them so bad that I got any old stick and poke that was offered to me, which I don’t recommend at all,” he shook his head. “Obviously they’ve been covered up since then by these beauties,” he gestured to the arm wrapped snugly around her. “But I miss the spontaneity.”
“You, Raleigh Carrera, miss spontaneity? Mr. Publicity Stunt? Mr. Dating to Get the Tabloids On His Side?”
“I know it sounds crazy, Dom, but I miss being kind of secretive. Getting a tiny stick and poke where no one could see was exhilarating.” She looked up at him, and his face was bright.
His face was reminiscent of the past, a hint of gratification that she knew he hadn’t felt in a long time. Raleigh had always struggled with being truly content with his life, and she knew that their whirlwind romance was something to fill his void, as harsh as that sounded.
She couldn’t imagine what he’d been through. She’d gotten a taste of the high life, and she was exhausted. Knowing that, she didn’t mind being the person to fill in the cracks, clinging to the pieces to keep it together.
He used chaos as escapism, as a way to outrun the parasitic tendrils of the industry, the burden that came with being a household name, and the inevitable role model title that came with it.
She knew he was chasing a high that he could never sustain, and if feeding into his law-bending fantasies was the way to bring out the best in Raleigh, she would do it no matter the cost.
“So you want us to get party tattoos?” She finished, and his features twisted into a sheepish expression, one that was foreign on his face. He wasn’t one to get beaten to the punchline, so he seemed surprised by her willingness to match his energy.
“What do you know about party tattoos?” He smirked, his curiosity piqued.
“That’s for me to know, and for you to find out… eventually.”
He quirked a brow and leaned back, glancing at her lower back.
“I’m not saying a word,” she giggled, grabbing onto the hand draped around her waist, intertwining their fingers.
They rounded the corner and spotted the neon sign of the tattoo parlor down the road from them.
“You sure about this? Tattoos are permanent, you know. Plus we’re not exactly in the right mindset for this.”
“I’m sure.”
They walked in silence for a while, the only sound between them the tapping of her heels on the concrete sidewalk.
He pulled on the handle, and the small silver bells attached to the inside of the door jingled, and a gruff-looking man covered in tattoos looked up from the magazine he was reading. Luckily enough, it had to be Raleigh’s most recent cover.
His eyes widened, and Raleigh stopped him almost immediately. “I’d really appreciate it if you could keep this between us. We had to outrun the paparazzi a few minutes ago, and we really wanted a night to ourselves.”
The man looked starstruck, so Raleigh continued. “I’ll pay extra to rent out the shop for an hour or two.”
He shook his head, finally finding his words. “No need, Mr. Carrera. I’d only request an autograph, and maybe a picture to show my wife, if you wouldn’t mind. She’s a huge fan.”
Raleigh flashed him his most charming smile. “You got it.” He grabbed a sharpie and the magazine, while the man switched off the open sign and locked the front door.
“You want me to make it out to anyone in particular, sir?” He asked, signing his name with a flourish.
“Yeah, could you make it out to Linda?”
“Of course,” he smiled, a few strands of hair falling in front of his face while he concentrated on the message he was scrawling.
The man led them to a back room, and sanitized his station before sliding on a pair of gloves.
“How do you want to do this?” Excitement glimmered in his eyes, and warmth spread throughout her chest.
“I thought it could be a surprise,” she said, already locking in on an idea.
“You read my mind,” he grinned. He stripped his shirt off quickly, his lean torso flexing as he shimmied off his top. She tried diverting her eyes, but to no avail. He caught her staring, a hint of hunger in his look.
She sat just outside the room on a small leather couch, thumbing through Raleigh’s magazine shoot and interview to keep herself company while the needle buzzed in the other room. The interview was alien to her; he was keeping true to his public image, but it was so different than the side of Raleigh he’d allowed her to see.
She pitied the public who’d never get Raleigh to be truly candid and vulnerable with them.
Soon enough, he was done, and it was concealed from her eyes by the small bandage.
“I have an idea of where I want it, but I’m not so sure what I need to do…” she trailed off, not knowing how to approach an underboob tattoo. Was it appropriate to keep the shirt on? To take it off? Should she just take her bra off?
“If it’s anywhere near your chest, you’ll have to take your bra off. You can keep your shirt on as long as you keep it above the area we’ll be tattooing,” the man said professionally, and it eased her mind.
Raleigh watched from the doorway as she unhooked her bralette and slipped it through the arm of her shirt. His eyes were trained on her as she laid down on the table, lifting her top to right underneath her nipple. She didn’t mind him watching her; a heat bloomed in her stomach when she truly realized how her body commanded his.
“Go sit down,” she said, shooing him away. He chuckled, raising his hands up in front of him, before plopping on the same leather couch she had sat minutes before.
She described the tattoo to him, and he looked at her like she was crazy. It was simple, but so reckless. Something she wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of a few months prior. But something that seemed so natural and… right.
The machine punctured her skin, stinging in a way that was a comfortable pain – therapeutic, even. She winced, sighing as the needle passed across her rib bone.
“I have to go back over it one more time, and I’ll be done. You’re doing great,” he said under his breath, intently focused on maintaining the steadiness of his grip on the machine.
She gritted her teeth as he passed over the tender skin again, sucking her breath in.
“You okay?” Raleigh called from the other room, concern laced through the raspy bass of his voice.
“I’m great,” she replied, gripping her shirt above her bra.
“You’re all done,” he said, rubbing a thin layer of a sticky substance on her skin before taping a small bandage over it. “I’m putting petroleum jelly on this. Don’t take the bandage off till this time tomorrow.”
Within a couple of minutes, Raleigh handed over cash and a hefty tip to the artist, and they were out of the door.
It was nearly 2 a.m., and her thoughts seemed clearer, the cloudy haze of tequila beginning to fade. They walked leisurely down the empty road.
The street lamps were illuminating small patches of the road, the stretches of darkness more prevalent than light. The apartments and small shops were closed – they were the only people outside.
He stopped her underneath the bright bulb of the lamp nearest to them, and grinned. “Were you planning on showing me what you got at some point?”
“Yeah, but only if you do it first,” she replied, barely able to think straight. Her eyes grazed over his features as he looked down on her, taking in the soft shadows left on his tanned skin, his jawline and exposed collarbone looking especially sharp under the yellow light.
“Alright, that’s fair.” He pulled up his shirt, before peeling back the tape and the bandage with it. He’d gotten a tiny cloud tattooed right above the paragraph of text on his ribcage.
“What does it mean?”
His eyes glimmered despite the dim lighting. “You’re the only person in this world that makes me feel like I’m more than what I pretend to be. And you’re the only person who’s really seen the real me, and makes me feel like I’m… worth something, you know? I feel like I’m weightless, like I’m floating when I’m with you. Like I’m dreaming. Like my head is in the clouds, but in the best way.”
He reached out to stroke her cheek, and she leaned into his hand. He pressed his lips against hers softly, and she chuckled once. He pulled back, eyeing her. “I never thought I’d see this side of you, but I’m so glad it’s my secret to keep.”
He grinned, and reapplied his bandage, gesturing for her to take her turn.
She pulled her shirt and bra up, just enough for the bandage to be free. She lifted the tape, revealing two letters: R.C.
His eyes widened. She could tell he was momentarily stunned, so she jumped right in.
“My whole life I’ve felt average. Just another girl chasing a dream that she’d never achieve because she sounded and looked like every other girl that she was competing with. You changed my life. One in a Million was my ticket, but you were the one who gave that to me.
“I never wanted to be ‘boring’. I was just cautious. Comfortable. Safe. You’ve brought out a side of me that I never thought I could be, because you believed in me. I could spend a lifetime thanking you, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“So you branded yourself with my initials?” He said, still stunned, but the look on his face had softened significantly.
“And you got a tattoo inspired by me, too. What’s the difference?” She smiled and sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I guess we belong to each other now,” he said, before sweeping her up into his arms and kissing her fervently, the distant sounds of the city keeping them grounded.
----
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torestoreamends · 5 years
Text
Mine to Make: Chapter 11
Draco gives a warning, Albus tries to figure out the future, Scorpius does some ill-advised detective work, and Delphi reveals her true colours. 
Beta’d by @abradystrix.
N.B. This fic is complete on AO3, so binge read away there if you want! Here on tumblr I’ll be posting a chapter every day until it’s all done.
Read it on AO3
*
XI  Scythe
Delphi is bored of scrambling over rocks. Her hands are cut up, her feet hurt, it’s burning hot in the sun. Nothing is worth this. Yes it’s probably reckless, but she must be far enough from the nearest town by now to just use a tiny bit of magic, surely?
She looks around at the deserted mountainside and throws caution to the winds. She doesn’t even need to draw her wand, she just bends her knees and lets the air carry her upwards.
There’s a strong updraft today, and as she spreads her arms she rises fast, soaring into the blue sky. It would be easy to fly as high as any of these mountains, but that might not endear her to any of the people she’s going to visit. Some of them are wary of magic, and such a display would be more than reckless – it would be idiotic. Instead she stays close to the ground, skimming over the rocky ground, toes brushing the occasional bit of scrubby brush that grows up here.
It’s much faster going by air. What would have taken her another hour to hike only takes ten minutes or so, and soon she’s at the deserted mountaintop she’s been heading towards since sunrise this morning. She sets down at the top of the hill and looks around, taking in the view, and searching for any sign that she’s in the right place. She turns slowly in a circle, and as she does a voice sounds behind her.
“You asked to talk to us. Talk.”
She spins round to face the person who’s spoken. He’s a tall man, wearing a soft, loose blue linen shirt and a pair of threadbare blue denim shorts. His skin is tanned and lined, weatherbeaten, with a smudge of dirt on one cheek. If Delphi didn’t know better she’d think he were a farmer or a vintner or something. Someone who spends a lot of time working out in the sun. There’s something unthreatening about him. But she does know better, and she also knows that this is someone to be threatened by.
She holds her hands up to show that they’re nowhere near her wand. “I did ask to talk to you,” she says. “I think you worked with my father, or knew people who did. I want to know if you‘d be interested in putting yourselves in an advantageous position within society.”
The man stalks around the edge of the mountaintop, eyeing her. “You are very audacious. So young, untested, inexperienced, coming here and telling us that you can give us a position in a world that will be impossible to create.”
Delphi steps towards him. “Not impossible. When my father was in power he envisioned the world I’m now looking to put in place. If he saw it then it’s possible.”
The man snorts. “Lord Voldemort was powerful, skilful, a visionary leader. Even he couldn’t make it happen. How does a little girl expect to do it?”
Delphi folds her arms, trying not to let the sting of his words show. She’s far more than a little girl. She’s a young woman, every bit as bright and talented as her father was, and she’s learned from his mistakes. “There’s a plan in place,” she says. “I don’t need you and your pack to be part of it. There are other people I could have chosen instead. But I thought it would make sense to reward your loyalty, and I know you have contacts, friends. I need to see the giants, the trolls, vampires, goblins, anyone, everyone. For this to work I need an uprising.”
The man walks across and perches on the edge of a large rock towards the side of the mountaintop. “The world is improving for people like me. It’s far from perfect of course, but the werewolves in your country, across vast swaths of Europe, are not as poorly treated as we once were. Why should we rise up with people who still think we’re filthy half breeds when we’re making progress with people who are willing to listen?”
“People are good at pretending to be tolerant,” Delphi says. “We can give you far more than they will ever be willing to. Believe me. Allies will be rewarded, and I want you as an ally.”
The man gets to his feet and comes over to her. He circles her once, and she follows him with her gaze, twisting her head to watch him.
“I have Harry Potter’s son,” she says. “He’s on my side, which means he will be on our side soon enough. That’s the most powerful weapon we could wish for. We won’t lose this time.”
The man stops in front of her and considers her for a long moment. “I’ll think about it,” he says. “We will think about it.”
“How long for?” Delphi asks, not moving an inch, solid as the rocks that make up this mountain. “I have other places to go, other people to see. This sort of offer doesn’t remain open for long.”
“I’ll be back here tomorrow. Noon. Then I’ll have a decision.”
Delphi doesn’t nod, she just looks him straight in the eye. “Noon. I’ll be here.”
The man looks back at her, then he gives a curt incline of the head before walking away. He gets several strides across the rocky ground before he pauses and glances back.
“When you say you have Harry Potter’s son...”
Delphi gives him a bright, sparkling smile, already knowing that tomorrow at noon the answer will be yes. “He thinks I’m his best friend. I haven’t even had to enchant him. He’s waiting for me at the bottom of this mountain right now.”
The man scrutinises her for a long moment, and she just smiles at him. Finally he turns his back on her and walks away, leaving her alone, windswept, triumphant, to start flying back down the mountain. She’s certain that the answer she gets at noon tomorrow will be a yes.
 Scorpius loves going to the library. It’s the one place in the world where everyone else is so wrapped up in their own business that they pay him no attention. He’s safe here, and surrounded by books, which have been his only friends for such a huge part of his life.
He weaves his way through the space, breathing in the scent of crisp paper and binding glue, and watching dust motes dance in the air. The languages section is at the back of the third floor, and he goes there a lot, mostly for fun, rarely on business. The fact that he’s on business today gives him a jittery, excitable sense of purpose. He loves the moments when he gets to feel official.
There’s no one else in the section when he gets there. A serene stillness hums in the air. Scorpius has always thought that libraries hold an incredible magic of their own. There’s so much power in all this knowledge waiting to be unleashed. The potential energy hangs in the air, potent and heady, setting all his senses on edge.
It takes him a while to find the book he’s looking for among the thousands on the shelves, but that doesn’t matter. He’s not on a deadline here. The longer he can spend in this space the better.
Part of the problem is that the book is so small and unmarked. It’s the only book on Parseltongue, stuck next to a large section that looks like Mermish. The most distinguishing feature that marks it out from the rest of the books is the fragile snakeskin jacket wrapped around it. Even if he didn’t know the exact contents, Scorpius would recognise that this is unmistakably a book about serpents.
When he finds the book he gently slides it off the shelf, careful not to damage the jacket, and carries it across to one of the tables. Opening it up, he discovers that the pages are as thin and delicate as tissue paper, and they’re yellowing and crinkled with age. He turns each page individually, with the utmost care and reverence. This book is old, probably unique, and the fading symbols inscribed on every page are beautiful, fascinating, even a little bit sinister. To damage this would be unforgivable.
Once he’s taken his time examining the book he pulls the note from his pocket and sets it down on the table. Instantly he realises that his assumption about it being Parseltongue was completely correct. The symbols on his copy of the note are identical to the twisting, writhing ones that slither across the pages of the book.
He has no idea where to start, he realises as he stares at the two. He doesn’t know this alphabet or anything. This might take hours. Maybe Searching Spells work on Parseltongue, but he’s not sure. He draws his wand and gets to work.
The spell does work but it has limited effect. Whoever wrote the note used a lot of colloquialisms and unfamiliar words. They also had rather poor spelling and grammar. It takes a while for him to piece together enough to make the note intelligible, but eventually he has most of it, with a few words missing here and there.
Dear D,
Thank you for meet two nights ahead. Will come Scythe as told.
Wish great things ahead. ASP will work out – against HP can’t wait. If only solve SM problem...
For SH and brave,
E
Scorpius frowns down at his scribbled translation and tries to make sense of it.
For starters the individual letters have to be names. D is Delphi, ASP can be no one other than Albus, HP must be Harry, and Scorpius is SM. The E and SH are more difficult, but Scorpius isn’t sure how relevant they are.
As for the rest... There’s some sort of meeting at a place called Scythe – he’s heard vaguely of a bar called that in Knockturn Alley, which would make sense. The writer is wishing Delphi luck, telling her that everything with Albus will work out, and something about him being against Harry that Scorpius doesn’t quite understand. Then there it is again, the reference to Scorpius as a problem, even though he hadn’t even met Delphi when this note was written. He must be interfering and interfering hard in whatever plans Delphi has for Albus...
The final bit, without knowing who SH is, makes no sense, and even when he goes and finds a book about former Death Eaters and runs through the list of names there he doesn’t find many people it could be. That part at least will have to remain a nonsensical mystery.
But the rest of it gives him something. Maybe if he can work out what Scythe is, whether it is that bar or not, he’ll have somewhere to search or surveil. Up until now he’s only had a house that’s now burned to the ground, so it would be good to have a concrete location. If only Albus knew where Delphi lived...
He scans the scribbled translation again, looking for anything he might have missed, but he can’t spot anything. It’s so short that it’s difficult to imagine it might contain any hidden meanings, and now he’s understood the gist of what it’s saying he doesn’t know what else to make of it.
It’s another lead. That’s what it is. Another lead, and concrete, written proof of what he overheard at the race: that he’s a problem in whatever plan Delphi has, a problem that needs solving.
He sits and gazes down at the paper for a moment more before deciding that he’s definitely not going to get anything more out of it right now, then he replicates his translation just in case he loses it, tucks the Parseltongue dictionary back on its shelf, and heads home with his mind buzzing.
 “You’re very quiet,” Draco says that night, when he and Scorpius are sitting together in the Manor library.
Scorpius has been staring into space for the last five minutes. He’s not reading or working or doing anything. His mind is a whirl of Dementors and flames and chasing footsteps, and his dad’s voice only barely breaks through, enough to make him shake himself.
“What?”
“You’re very quiet this evening,” his dad repeats. “Are you alright? You look like you’re doing an awful lot of thinking.”
“Oh,” Scorpius says. He looks down at his knees. “Sometimes it’s difficult to get my brain to turn off. It’s like someone’s cast a Sonorus Charm on my thoughts, and now they’re so loud I can’t stop hearing them.” He bows his head and rubs his temples. “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?” Draco asks, turning the page of his book.
Scorpius shakes his head and drops his head from his hands, letting his chin flop onto his chest. “No. Not really.”
Draco hesitates for a moment, then he sets his book aside. “Would you like to talk about it?”
Scorpius lifts his head to look at his dad and blurts it all out in a rush. “Delphi, Albus’s best friend, is up to something, and I don’t think he knows, and I know she knows that I know, and I don’t think she wants me to know. I think she needs Albus for something, and I think she thinks I’m getting in the way, and I think she wants to kill me.”
Draco blinks several times, taken aback by the rush of information. He leans back in his seat and absorbs it for a moment before nodding. “That does sound like something that would stick on your mind. What makes you think she wants to-“ His voice catches in his throat and makes a jerky little movement with his hand instead of finishing the sentence.
Scorpius wraps his arms round his body and fiddles with the sleeve of his pyjama top. “There were the Dementors, there was the house she set on fire, and yesterday at Albus’s race someone was following me. I think it was her, and I think that if she’d caught me she would have done something...”
“Have you told Potter about this?” Draco asks sharply.
“He knows I’m in danger,” Scorpius says softly. “I had to persuade him not to take me off the case. He gave me a spell so I can call for backup if I need it, but I didn’t have the chance to use it yesterday...”
“You persuaded him to...” Draco passes a hand over his face. “Scorpius, for once in his life he was trying to do something sensible and you stopped him?”
“I had to!” Scorpius shifts forward in his seat, looking desperately across at his dad. “This is the most interesting case I’ll ever get. If I do well here someone might notice me, they might promote me. I need this, Dad. You know that.”
“You need to stay safe,” Draco says. “You can’t get promoted if you’re dead.”
Scorpius swallows and looks down at his knees. “I don’t think I care. If there’s something bad going on, something sinister, I can stop it. I can clear my name properly. If everything ends up well then I’ll get my life back, and if it doesn’t, then...” He gives a tiny shrug. “At least some people might feel guilty.”
There’s a second of stunned silence.
“You don’t mean that,” Draco says in a soft, hoarse voice.
Scorpius looks up at him, and when he looks at his dad’s face some of his defiance melts away. His dad looks like he’s been cursed, shock and pain written across every inch of his face.
“I don’t know,” Scorpius whispers. “I don’t know, Dad. Maybe I do.” He twists his hands together as he tries to work out how to explain it. “You can’t tell me that you don’t understand,” he says. “Of all people you know what it’s like to have the whole world hate you. If you could make all that stop, wouldn’t you?”
“It’s not worth getting yourself killed for,” Draco says, voice rising to a scalding volume that makes Scorpius reel back in his seat, cheeks burning with frustration.
He gets to his feet. “I’m going to bed. I have things to do tomorrow.”
“Scorpius,” his dad says sharply, giving him a hard look.
“What?” Scorpius asks, folding his arms. He knows he looks and sounds like a petulant child, but he doesn’t much care.
“I can’t lose you.” His dad’s voice breaks and Scorpius’s resolve crumbles, body sagging.
“I just want to be someone other than the Son of Voldemort,” he says, going across to his dad and curling up against his side on the sofa. “I want to be someone.”
His dad gathers him into a tight hug, brushing his fingers through his hair. “The best way to do that is by living,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of Scorpius’s head.
Scorpius buries his face in his dad’s shoulder and closes his eyes. “I don’t want her to kill me,” he says in a broken little voice. “I want to live. I want to clear my name. I want a job I like and the boy I love, and I want people to stop hating me. That’s all I want. Isn’t the best way to get all that to solve this?”
“I can’t deny that,” Draco admits, rubbing a hand down Scorpius’s back. “What’s the next step?”
Scorpius sits up and shifts far enough from his dad that he can look at him properly. He crosses his legs and messes with a hole in the toe of one of his socks. “I found this note and translated it from Parseltongue.”
Draco raises his eyebrows, and Scorpius can tell he’s impressed. “From Parseltongue? Go on...”
“It mentions this place, at least I think it’s a place, Scythe? I’d like to go and have a look there, maybe ask some questions, try to find out how Delphi’s connected to it. I need to know more about what she’s planning with all these people, what she wants Albus for.”
Draco frowns. “Scythe... There’s a bar in Knockturn Alley called The Scythe.”
Scorpius nods enthusiastically. “That’s what I thought! I was going to ask you if there was anywhere else it could be instead.”
Draco shakes his head. “I can’t think of anything...” He looks at Scorpius. “Are you really going to go to Knockturn Alley alone? The Scythe isn’t a nice place to be. It looks welcoming enough, but things happen there. There’s magic in the air that’ll numb your mind. You won’t be as sharp. People know that, and they take advantage. If Delphi has been arranging meetings there then she must know it well, and she must know what it can do for her. I can’t stress enough that you need to be exceptionally careful.”
Scorpius nods. “I will be. I might not even go in. There’s stuff I can do from outside. I promise I’ll be sensible.”
“Don’t get caught sneaking around either,” Draco says. “People know you, Scorpius. You’re a familiar face. You’re my son too. I know you have enemies among the law abiding population, but you have more among the sort of people who frequent The Scythe. Don’t give anyone the chance to do anything to you.”
Scorpius sighs. “I know, Dad. I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know you do, but it always bears repeating.” Draco reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder. “I want you back in one piece.”
Scorpius smiles and collapses against his dad’s side, hugging him round the middle. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a well-trained Ministry official now. I’m not your little boy anymore.”
Draco gathers him in, squeezing him tight. “I am painfully aware of that. Gone are the days when I could cast Cushioning Charms on every corner and hard surface in the house to catch you when you fell. You have to cast your own Cushioning Charms now.”
Scorpius’s smile widens and he looks up at his dad. “I’m actually really good at Cushioning Charms, you know. They’re one of my favourites.”
Draco kisses him on the forehead and strokes his hair. “Will you go tomorrow?”
Scorpius nods. “In the afternoon. I have to be back by six. I have a date with Albus.” He grins and gives a happy little wriggle in his seat.
Draco tuts. “Another one? You see more of him than anyone else these days.”
Scorpius pokes his dad in the side. “I thought you wanted me to get out more?”
“I’m very happy for you,” Draco says. “But he’s still a Potter, and you’re definitely obsessed.”
Scorpius gives a happy sigh and rests his head on his dad’s shoulder. “I might be a little bit. I’m in love with him.”
“I’d noticed,” Draco says drily, looking down at Scorpius, who grins up at him. “Have you thought about what you’ll do if Albus is a key part of Delphi’s plans? If he’s a willing participant, even?”
The smile fades from Scorpius’s face and he looks down at his hands and shrugs. “I don’t think he knows what she’s up to... I’m expecting- I don’t know what I’m expecting. Nothing good. But the thing I’m most worried about is trying to persuade him that she’s up to something. She’s still his best friend. She gave him everything he has. It must be hard to hear that your best friend is...” He shakes his head.
“I suppose you can worry about that later,” Draco says gently. “But if it helps, you’re trustworthy, and I have no doubt that Albus knows that. I’m sure he’ll listen to you.”
Scorpius bows his head. “I hope so.”
Draco ruffles his hair and gives his shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Where are you going for your date?” He asks, and Scorpius is grateful to his for changing the subject.
“I’m taking him to that restaurant we used to go to with mum,” Scorpius says. “You know the really nice one? Down near Godric’s Hollow?”
“I know the one,” Draco says. “I took your mother there for one of our first dates. I think that was the night I realised I wanted to marry her.”
Scorpius reaches across and takes his dad’s left hand, so he can inspect the ring on his fourth finger. “I don’t want to lose Albus again,” he murmurs. “I think I want him in my life forever now. He’s special.”
Draco snorts. “Special is certainly one word for it.”
Scorpius drops his hand and bats him on the arm. “Dad! What do you have against Albus?”
Draco gives him a look. “Is that a serious question? Let’s think. He was a self-centred idiot for years, he abandoned you, he broke your-“
“Okay okay okay.” Scorpius waves a hand for his dad to stop. “I know all that. I know...” He looks at his dad for a moment, thinking. “What does he have to do to get you to change your mind? He’s earned my trust. How does he earn yours?”
“That’s a good question,” Draco says softly, thoughtfully. “I suppose I’d need to see proof that he’s different now. That he truly cares for you, and that he’s trying to make amends.” He points at Scorpius. “And you can’t tell him that. I want it from him. Just from him; because he’s realised there’s something that needs fixing.”
Scorpius nods. “I suppose that sounds fair... I won’t tell him. But I hope you get what you want from him, Dad. I really do. I want him to be welcome in this family one day.”
“I hope so too,” Draco says.
 Albus knocks on the doorframe of the open backdoor and steps over the threshold. “Mum?” He calls.
The house is quiet, and he feels slightly strange just letting himself in, but he must have been told ten times in the last week that this is his home, so maybe he can just go in...
He puts the biscuit tin and bunch of flowers he’s holding down on the table and puts the kettle on to boil, then he perches on the edge of the table and swings his feet as he gazes out at the sunny garden. The air is warm and scented with freshly mown grass. A gentle breeze ruffles his hair. Everything is peaceful, and he relaxes his shoulders, truly feeling like he’s home.
“Oh, hello sweetheart.”
He jumps so hard he nearly falls off the table as his mum comes up and puts a hand on his back, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“I didn’t hear you,” he gasps. “You snuck up on me.”
She gives him a sparkling smile. “I didn’t hear you either. How long have you been here?”
“Just a few seconds,” he says. “I brought you these.” He hands her the flowers and picks up the biscuit tin. “The flowers are for you. I, um, I made the biscuits myself, so you might not want to eat them, but I think they’re quite good. I used dad’s recipe.”
His mum sighs and breathes in the scent of the flowers. “Well this is a wonderful surprise. I’m not sure James even knows what flowers are, and he’s certainly never baked us anything. You can definitely come and visit again.”
Albus smiles and hops down from the table. “I thought I should start making up for not being here, and biscuits and flowers is the best I can do. I put the kettle on as well.”
Ginny hugs him. “You have nothing to make up for.”
“I do,” Albus says. “Do you want milk? Sugar?”
He makes tea for both of them, insisting on it, and refusing to let his mum help with anything. In the end she seems to get his point and starts putting her flowers in water and investigating the biscuit tin. While he finishes the drinks she leans against the kitchen counter and makes appreciative noises as she munches on one of the bits of shortbread, licking her fingers when she’s done.
“Was it okay?” Albus asks bring her tea over.
“Absolutely delicious,” she says, taking the mug from him. “Thank you. I’ll have to lock them away so no one else can find them.”
Albus laughs and hops back onto the kitchen table, setting his own mug down next to him to let it cool.
“What did you want to talk about?” His mum asks, taking a sip of her own tea and looking at him. The sunlight dances through her hair, dust motes glittering around her, and she looks as warm and approachable as always. Kind, caring, and if there was anyone in the world Albus was going to talk to it would be her, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
“I’ve been thinking,” he says carefully, trying to choose the right words. “About what happens next, you know, for me. After everything’s over.”
His mum takes another sip of tea and sets her mug down on the side next to her. “This is about the league,” she says. “Isn’t it?”
Albus nods. “Right. It’ll stop, and then... I don’t know what then. That’s the problem.” He leans his weight on his hands and looks at his mum. “How did you decide what to do when you stopped playing Quidditch?”
His mum sighs and leans back, folding her arms. “When I decided to stop playing it was my choice. I could have kept going, but I wanted to spend time with you and James and Lily. The writing was an extension of that. I was done playing but I didn’t have to let go of what I loved, and it was always nice to have something to do, somewhere to go. I imagine for you it will be quite different – you’re not choosing to leave, are you? If the league kept going, would you keep racing?”
Albus shrugs. “I’m not sure... Stopping seems so scary, I don’t know what else my life has in it; I don’t know what else I can do. I’ve always been so rubbish at everything, Mum. I don’t think I can do anything else that’s not this.”
“Now that’s not true and you know it,” she says, shooting a hard look at him. “You didn’t struggle in school because you weren’t talented. You struggled because you were unhappy and anxious. And even struggling like you did you still got your Es in potions and charms, and you passed plenty of the other subjects. You’re a lot of things, Albus, but rubbish is absolutely not one of them.”
Albus looks down at his knees. “Even if I’m not rubbish I’m still lost. I spent seven years thinking I’d found how I wanted my future to be and now I realise I was completely wrong. It was such a waste of time.”
“You needed those seven years,” his mum says gently, getting to her feet and coming over to sit beside him. “That was your time.”
“It was stupid to run away,” Albus mutters. “Another rubbish mistake.”
His mum puts an arm round him and gives him a tight squeeze. “Mistakes are important. Mistakes are how you learn. If life was perfect it would be boring and we wouldn’t grow.” She pulls away and looks at him. “Albus? I can see how much you’ve grown since you’ve been away. I can see how much you’ve changed. And now a lot is happening all at once. Give yourself time to get used to it. You don’t need all the answers straight away. You don’t need to know the exact shape of your life before you’ve lived it. I don’t think anyone ever does, and that’s part of the fun of it.”
“But I don’t know what I’m doing,” Albus mutters, messing with his fingers.
“Can I tell you a secret?” His mum asks, giving him a gentle nudge on the arm.
He looks at her. “Yes?”
She smiles. “Neither do I.”
“But you’re you,” he says. “You’re my mum. You’re Ginny Potter.”
She laughs and hugs him. “I know.” She kisses his temple and rubs his back as she holds onto him. “You’ll work it out,” she says. “You have time, plenty of time, to work out what you want to do next. Trust me. And it’s okay to be scared too. But if there’s anything I can do to help you, if there’s anything your dad can do, we’ll do it.”
He leans against her, feeling very small and miserable and confused. “What if I never figure it out?” He asks.
“Some people don’t,” she says, looking down at him. “The only thing that matters is that you’re happy.”
“Lost and happy,” he murmurs. “Sounds impossible.”
“Think about it,” she advises. “Don’t panic just yet. And one day you might just find that things have fallen into place.”
He looks up at her for a moment, then he nods. “Okay...”
She gives him another squeeze, then gets up and goes to get her cup of tea from across the kitchen. “Didn’t you take Scorpius to a race last night? How did it go?”
Albus starts telling her all about it, and as he does a contented happiness blossoms inside him. Even if the rest of his chaotic life makes him feel lost, Scorpius helps him feel found, and he tells his mum so. He tells her about the date, about winning the races, about the date tomorrow night too. He could talk about Scorpius forever, and she seems quite happy to listen.
When he’s finally exhausted everything he can think of to tell her about his boyfriend, she tells him about the family, filling him in on what Lily and James have been up to in the last week or so. It makes him miss his little sister more than ever, and it must show on his face because his mum pauses and scrutinises him.
“Why don’t you come for dinner,” she says. “While Lily is here. We can have a family dinner. I’ll get James to come too, and I’ll make Hermione kick your dad out of the office for a day. How about on Sunday?”
Albus thinks about the idea of being in the same room with all his family. It’s overwhelming, but he likes the thought of it. He likes the idea of being part of the family again. That alone sounds wonderful.
“Okay,” he says, then nods and smiles as the concept sinks in. “Yes. I’d like that. Thank you.”
She beams at him. “It’ll be wonderful to have everyone back together again, even if it is just for one evening.”
“Can Dad make his Yorkshires?” Albus asks, mouth watering just at the thought.
“I’ll ask him.” His mum comes over and rubs his arm, then she hugs him. “I’m so glad you want to come. I’m happy you’re back.”
Albus squeezes her tight and buries his face in her shoulder. “Me too,” he murmurs. “Me too.”
 Scorpius sets off from the Manor at noon. His dad is already out so he doesn’t say goodbye. He sets off alone down the driveway, already dressed for his date with Albus. This way he won’t have to come home and change if investigating takes a little longer than planned, and he won’t be nearly so recognisable without his sky blue Ministry robes. He also takes a potion to temporarily change the colour of his hair, making it not quite bright red but close to it; he just hopes it will wear off before his date like it’s meant to. Besides the clothes and the hair, all he has with him are his wand and Delphi’s note, folded up in the inside pocket of his jacket.
At the end of the drive, he taps the gates with his wand so they lock behind him, then he inhales and turns on the spot. Next thing he knows he’s falling sideways and tumbling over the bins at the back of the Leaky Cauldron. Not his finest Apparition moment, he thinks as he picks himself up and dusts itself off, glancing around to make sure no one has seen. Thankfully there’s no one around, so he stands the bins upright and heads off into Diagon Alley.
It’s a Thursday afternoon so it’s not particularly busy, which is nice. The few people who are there don’t pay him much attention, and he wonders if perhaps it’s because for once his face isn’t emblazoned across all the newspaper stands in the street. Today he’s been temporarily replaced by Hermione giving a speech about vampire legislation.
He slips down the street, enjoying his anonymity. This is one of the first times ever that he’s been able to have a proper look around. The circumstances aren’t ideal, but he’ll take the opportunity as it comes.
Curious, he skirts close to the Apothecary, peering into the barrels of frog spawn, beetle eyes, and something that looks like threads of pure starlight, which can only be unicorn hair. Next he passes the Owl Emporium, pausing briefly to talk to a tiny Burrowing Owl, that glares at him and clicks her beak irritably when he stops to say hello. The Tawny Owl next door is far more friendly, and obligingly turns her head so he can stroke the soft feathers on her back.
A little way further up the street is Quality Quidditch Supplies. There’s a new racing broom in the window that Scorpius has been meaning to look at for a while, but he’s never dared to stop long enough. Today, though, he stands and stares in through the window at it, admiring the clean, sharp lines and perfect aerodynamics. The holly wood handle gleams, and the arrow-straight sweep of the tail is breath-taking. Scorpius can only imagine how good Albus would look on that thing; how fast he’d be. He wonders if Albus has seen it. For all these years has Albus been coming here to gawk at brooms? He must surely take a professional interest, musn’t he?
Scorpius rests his hands on the window ledge and gazes at the broom, lost in his own little world. In his mind he can see Albus on this broom outstripping everyone as he dives. He can see Albus dancing round a corner, brushing past flames with ease. He can see Albus lying flat against the handle, urging the broom on to ever faster speeds. And he can see Albus just sitting astride the broom, hair ruffled, a big grin on his face, all clad in dragon hide, which hugs every inch of his body and does wonders for his magnificent-
Scorpius shakes himself and pushes off the window ledge, cheeks heating up. He glances around to see if anyone has noticed him standing there, whether anyone might somehow know what he was just thinking about, but no one is paying any attention to him. He’s definitely safe.
He makes himself walk away from the beautiful broom, but he glances back at it as he does, making a mental note to mention it to Albus over dinner later.
After that he stays on task as he walks the length of the rest of the street. He’s already spent too long being distracted. At this rate, he won’t even make it to The Scythe before he has to leave for his date.
It doesn’t take him long after that to reach the entrance to Knockturn Alley. He checks that he’s still not being watched, then he turns into the shadows of the alley and sets off towards The Scythe.
There was plenty to be curious about walking down Diagon Alley, and there’s no less to be curious about down here, with its abundance of potion suppliers, antiques shops, and apothecaries, but this isn’t the sort of place to linger and browse. He keeps his head down and walks with purpose past the shops, not wanting to attract any attention. His dad has always taught him that in Knockturn Alley, whether you’re on business or not, you make it look like you have an urgent appointment. Avoid eye contact, walk like you own the place, stop for no one and nothing.
Scorpius knows he doesn’t have his dad’s presence or confidence here. He doesn’t really have it anywhere. But he does his best, even though goosebumps are rising on his arms now he’s in the shade, and he feels like someone is watching him.
Don’t look back, he tells himself, rubbing his arms. It’s just your imagination.
He winds his way down the street. His ankles turn as he picks his way across the cobbles, and he has to pause a couple of times to make sure he hasn’t sprained anything.
Even though it’s midday and sunny, the buildings are so high and so warped that they lean in over the street, blocking out the sunlight. If they were any more twisted or crumbling the facades would probably meet, and the buildings would become one. Knockturn Alley would become a tunnel, full of even more shadows than it already is. It’s not a great thought, and Scorpius shivers and glances up, searching for any glimpse of the sky. There’s only the tiniest slither of it up there, just visible between the rooftops.
The Scythe is a bit further into the alley, on a wider section of road that’s not quite so shadowy. The buildings here are a bit neater and tidier, better kept. The window displays are less dusty, and the owners clearly take pride in making a good impression. Scorpius knows only too well that there are plenty of people that frequent places like this who have money to spare, and this part of the alley is clearly aimed at them.
Despite its surroundings, The Scythe itself still has a peeling sign outside, and a dingy, grim-looking entrance that’s bathed in shadow. When Scorpius steps inside he finds himself in a cool entrance area. A man is standing behind a podium, staring down at whatever paperwork he’s doing and pointedly ignoring Scorpius.
This is the point where Draco would assert his dominance and right to exist in this space, and Scorpius attempts to do the same. He folds his arms and draws himself up to his full, impressive height. He knows he looks good in his date clothes too. Perhaps he’s not as attention-grabbing as Albus would be, but he looks well put together, the sort of young patron with money to splash around that this sort of place survives on. He clears his throat and fixes the man with a steady, patient look that clearly says he’s waiting.
The effect is immediate. The man looks up at him, and leans on the podium.
“How can I help you?” He asks.
“I’m here for a meeting with a friend,” Scorpius lies. “Delphini Black. I believe she’s got a room here, and she asked to meet me.”
The man scrutinises him for a moment. “We don’t have a Delphini Black staying here,” he says.
Scorpius tries to hide his surprise and disappointment. Perhaps it really was just a meeting Delphi was arranging. Perhaps she has no other connections here. Perhaps there’s nothing to find.
“That was the name she gave me,” he says. All isn’t lost yet, he’s not giving up that easily. “I know she sometimes goes by pseudonyms. Maybe she’s given you a different name.”
There’s another pause and a long hard look that Scorpius meets, cool and calm, giving nothing away. Finally the man looks down and shuffles some papers on his podium.
“We’ve got a Delphini Lestrange,” he says. “She’s just gone out, but she’ll be back soon. You can wait for her in the bar.”
Lestrange. Delphini Lestrange. Scorpius knows he looks like he’s just been hit by the Hogwarts Express, but he tries to rearrange his face back into a more neutral expression as he nods. “Yes,” he says. “Lestrange. That sounds about right.”
Lestrange. What does that mean? Who is this woman? How has Albus become best friends with a Lestrange?
“The bar’s through there,” the man says, pointing to a blacked out door to one side of the podium.
“She told me to wait by her room,” Scorpius tries, throwing caution to the winds.
The man smiles and points to the door again. “Don’t push your luck. She’ll be back in a bit. When she arrives I’ll tell her you’re here.”
Shit.
Scorpius considers lying and telling the man he wants to surprise her, but he knows he’s already given away too much. He doesn’t want to get thrown out. Instead he takes the more sensible option and gives the man a smile and nod.
“That’d be great, thanks. Tell her Rookwood’s waiting. Hyperion Rookwood.” Then he rushes away through the door before he can be questioned anymore.
The bar itself is deserted. The room is dark, bathed in a deep purple enchanted light, and it takes Scorpius’s eyes a moment to adjust. A sort of thick, sweet smelling smoke hangs in the air, and Scorpius wonders if this is the enchantment his dad was talking about. If it is, it’s impossible not to breathe it in, but at least he knows it’s going to dull his senses. He’s prepared and he knows he needs to be careful.
He approaches the bar because he’s not sure what else to do. Somehow he’ll have to blag his way upstairs. Maybe he can pretend to have asthma and ask if he can wait somewhere else away from the smoke, or-
“Afternoon,” the barman says, leaning forward across the bar so he becomes visible past the smoke. “I wasn’t expecting to see someone like you in here today.”
Scorpius goes over to him, hesitant, wondering if something’s given him away. “Someone like me?” he asks uncertainly.
The man smiles and nods. “Exactly. You know,” he gestures to Scorpius, gaze sweeping the length of his body. “Someone young, gorgeous, clearly not an alcoholic.” He takes another look at Scorpius. “You’re not an alcoholic, are you?”
Scorpius shakes his head and smiles back, uncertain and a little disarmed by how nice this man is being. “Not that I know of. I, um... I’m here for a meeting.”
The man nods. “Business?”
“Meeting a friend,” Scorpius says. He sits down at the bar and gestures to the drinks, trying to look like he knows what he’s doing. “What do you recommend?”
The barman picks up a bottle and shoots him a smile that’s undoubtedly flirtatious. “A Love Potion.”
Scorpius blinks at him, taken aback. “Not an actual love potion? Because I don’t really want to fall in love with my friend when she gets here...”
The man laughs. “Why, not your type?”
“Not... exactly,” Scorpius says. “I mean, she’s lovely, but I prefer...” He thinks of Albus clad in dragon hide, and leans his chin on his hand, smiling. “I prefer something a little different.”
“This isn’t an actual love potion,” the barman says. “You might fall in love with my cocktails though. I hope you’re prepared for that.”
“Go on,” Scorpius says, the heady scent of the room permeating his brain as he watches the barman opening bottles and pouring drinks. “Seduce me.” The second he says it he realises how stupid it sounded, and he buries his face in his hands with a groan. Thankfully the barman just laughs.
“For that,” the barman says, “beautiful, ridiculous man whose name I don’t know, it’s on the house.”
“Hyperion,” Scorpius says instantly. “Hyperion Rookwood. That’s my name.”
“Hyperion,” the man repeats. “Nice name. I’m Leo.” He finishes shaking up the cocktail and pours it out, then places it on top of the bar, adding a sprinkle of something that shimmers in the light as a final touch. “Who‘s your friend, Hyperion? I’m curious to know who has the honour of spending time with you.”
“Delphini Lestrange,” Scorpius says, deciding that as much as he knows he should tell this man to stop openly flirting with him – that he’s very not single thank you very much, and that he’s only going along with it because the weird smoke is dulling his senses – this might actually be useful. He still needs to get to Delphi’s room, and maybe this is how he does it.
“Have you met her?” He asks. “She stays here.”
Leo nods. “I have met her. She doesn’t like a Love Potion, she drinks Augurey Tears.”
Scorpius frowns, wrong-footed again. “Not... actual Augurey Tears? That’s a cocktail too?”
“Not just a pretty face then,” Leo says, shooting Scorpius a smile, and Scorpius doesn’t know if he’s being made fun of now or not.
“I’m not,” Scorpius confirms. “Why, did you think I was?”
Leo shrugs. “You’re here on a Thursday afternoon, dressed very nicely for a meeting with a girl who’s not your type. That to me says you’re someone who likes to be looked at.”
Scorpius shakes his head. “I definitely don’t like to be looked at.”
“Why’s that then?”
“Most people look at me the wrong way,” Scorpius says. “No, I just have a date. Later. After my business meeting.”
Leo sighs. “You’re a taken man. That’s a shame to hear, Hyperion Rookwood.”
“Do I have to give the Love Potion back now?” Scorpius asks.
Leo laughs. “No. It’s yours.” He leans in close and lowers his voice. “I recommend drinking it, Hyperion. It makes you immune to the smoke. You’ll need it if you’re going to talk to her. Someone who’s more than a pretty face would know that.”
Scorpius frowns at him. His face is still partially obscured by the smoke and harsh lighting, even though they’re not far apart. “How do I know you’re not trying to poison me, or make it worse?”
Leo’s smile widens, and he shrugs and picks up a cloth and starts cleaning glasses. “Definitely not just a pretty face. You decide for yourself, Hyperion.”
Scorpius looks down at the drink on the bar in front of him. There’s a pink powder glittering on top, and the drink underneath is a soft peach colour. It looks delicious, but he doesn’t trust it. He doesn’t trust anything here, not this man, not Delphi. This is dangerous, and he should probably leave, but now he knows Delphi comes here often he can’t just walk away. He’ll never be able to come back if he does. He’s in too deep with his lie now.
“What’s this on top?” He asks, brushing his finger through the dust.
Leo glances at it. “Pearl Dust,” he says. “The key ingredient in any Love Potion.”
“Isn’t Pearl Dust rare?” Scorpius asks, licking his finger. He gets a soft, fruity flavour, and the slight tingle of the dust.
“Rare and expensive,” Leo says. “But delicious. And important. It allows your mind to be shaped however you wish.”
I want my mind to be clear, Scorpius thinks, and immediately it feels as though a haze has lifted from him. He blinks twice and looks at Leo. “You weren’t lying.”
Leo nods. “You’re welcome. Be careful with that Lestrange, she’s vicious.”
“She stays here, you said,” Scorpius says, taking a sip of the Love Potion.
Leo nods. “Upstairs. Room Three. She’s been here for... forever really. I mean she comes and goes, she disappeared for a whole year recently, but she always returns and it’s always Room Three. No one else goes in there.”
Room Three. Scorpius’s insides leap with triumphant excitement, but he keeps sipping his cocktail and tries to look casual. “When you say she’s been here forever...?”
“Longer than I’ve been here,” Leo says. “And I’ve been here for years. She’s a permanent fixture. Like a particularly savage family cat.”
Scorpius smiles and nods. “I can imagine. Does she at least keep the mice away?”
“She likes to play with her food,” Leo says, putting a glass away on a shelf behind the bar. “If she got hold of you you’d probably wish you were dead.”
“You’re almost making me regret meeting her,” Scorpius says, finishing his cocktail and sliding the glass back to Leo. “Thank you for this. It was delicious.”
“Just make sure you’re on her side and you’ll be fine,” Leo says, taking the glass.
Scorpius nods. “Is there a loo around here?”
Leo points to a door across the bar. Now Scorpius has finished the drink, the fog seems considerably less dense, and he can see further through the room. Before he wouldn’t have been able to see the door, but he can now.
“Down the stairs, turn to the left.”
Scorpius gets to his feet. “Thanks. I’ll be back in a minute.” He hurries across the bar, lets himself through the door, and finds himself facing a set of stairs going down, and another set of stairs going up. He goes up, in search of Room Three.
The first landing he comes to has just one unmarked door on it, right at the top of the stairs. He leaves it, not wanting to waste time, and heads down the corridor to where a spiral staircase curves away upwards.
He tiptoes up the creaky stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible, and when he gets to the top he peers up and down the landing before he steps out onto it. There’s no one around. It’s the middle of the day, so anyone staying here must be out by now. Everything is still and quiet. Even the cleaners must have finished their work.
Scorpius follows the corridor, looking at the doors. He finds rooms One and Two easily, but it takes him a moment to realise that Room Three is tucked away out of sight and around a corner, well away from the stairs. When Scorpius tries the handle he’s not surprised to find that the door is locked.
After glancing around again to confirm that there’s definitely no one in the corridor with him, he slips his wand from the pocket of his trousers and points it at the door lock.
He’s about to do a simple unlocking charm, but something stops him. He doesn’t know Delphi that well, but there’s every chance that she’s paranoid enough to have put security charms on her door. Any simple spell will give him away in a heartbeat. Something more complicated will probably work a lot better for his purposes here.
He pauses for a moment, considering his options, before deciding to go for a fiddly little spell that reads the shape of the lock and creates a phantom key to fit it. It’s the spell that fools all the most basic and some of the more complex security charms. He’s heard Harry enthusing about it to the Aurors too many times to ignore it.
He crouches down and lays the tip of his wand just on the edge of the lock, and starts muttering the incantation. It takes a good minute or so to complete, but when he does, a white, smoke-like substance floats from the end of his wand and into the lock. After a moment it coalesces into a solid shape, and when Scorpius slides it fully into the keyhole and turns it, there’s a soft click and the door swings inwards. Perfect.
Scorpius nudges the door open with his shoulder and stands on the threshold, looking into the room. It’s very bare, so bare that it almost looks uninhabited. The only thing indicating that anyone lives here is the open window, a bag strap poking out from under the bed, and a pair of shoes tucked neatly into the corner. Aside from that there’s nothing. Even the desk looks unused, with not so much as a single quill on top.
Scorpius sweeps his wand across the whole room. “Specialis Revelio.”
A beat of silence. Nothing happens.
Scorpius tries another couple of spells to check for traps or any other dark magic but there’s nothing here that he knows how to detect. Either the room is perfectly safe or there’s some darker, better hidden enchantment here. But if he wants to go exploring then he doesn’t have much choice but to assume that his detection spells are up to scratch. He cautiously steps into the room and turns around on the spot, trying to decide what to have a look at first.
In the end he goes for the bag under the bed. He carefully eases it out and starts going through it, making sure to replace everything exactly where he found it. There’s nothing much in there of interest. It must be her kit bag, because it’s got a dragon hide jacket in there, a water bottle, and a couple of tiny bottles of potions and salves that must be for healing.
He nudges the bag back under the bed and goes through the bedside drawers next. These too contain nothing of much interest. There are a couple of ordinary books that don’t reveal any hidden messages when Scorpius casts spells on them. Aside from that there’s very little in there at all, and he quickly gives up on those and goes to the desk.
When he touches the handle of the top drawer, he instantly recoils as an electric shock crackles through his hand and up his arm. He wriggles his fingers and looks at the handle. Sparks of magic flicker up and down it, and he points his wand at it and casts Finite Incantatem. Instantly the sparks crackle brighter, flaring up and arching out towards him. He dives back and tries a couple of other more powerful spells, eventually succeeding in killing the enchantment so the sparks fade and die.
He gives it a second before he inches across to the desk again, and this time when he tries to open the drawer nothing stops him. It slides open easily, with just a little rattle, and inside he finds a single notebook and a quill.
He takes the notebook out and quickly checks the second drawer, but there’s nothing inside. A quick check of the rest of the table doesn’t reveal any hidden drawers or cupboards, and there’s nothing much on the table top besides a couple of pieces of blank parchment. The notebook is the best he has to go on.
He flips it open to a random inside page. It’s blank, so he flicks through the pages, running his thumb over the corners of each page so they rifle past. The whole book seems to be blank. But if it was really blank why would Delphi have protected it with a complicated bit of magic? Why would she bother?
He leans in close and presses his nose to the page, trying to see any trace of writing. There’s nothing to indicate that anything has ever been written here. No sign of anything erased of vanished. But there has to be something.
“Specialis Revelio,” he mutters, giving it a sharp tap with his wand. Nothing happens.
He picks the book up and inspects the front and back covers. There’s nothing written on either, no instruction for revealing the text or anything. But there must be a key. Perhaps he has to use Parseltongue to ask it to open or something, not that he knows any Parseltongue. Or perhaps this is like Riddle’s diary, and he has to write in the book.
He picks up a quill and lets it drop on the first page, but after several seconds it becomes clear that the ink isn’t going to sink into the paper. It blots the surface, leaving a big black mark. Still the book does nothing.
Sighing, he steps back and stares at the book. If he does have to use Parseltongue then this is going to be hopeless. He doesn’t know any, and even if he did it’s supposed to be impossible to learn. If only he’d kept the dictionary, then he might have had a chance.
He pulls the folded up note from his pocket and looks at it, trying to work out if there’s any way of using it, any hints at the translations of the words. He’s made a few scrawlings in the margins while he’s been working on his translation, and for one of the words he’s jotted down a rough pronunciation guide.
He tests out the sounds, and he knows he sounds absolutely ridiculous. If Albus were here and the situation less dangerous, they’d probably both have a good laugh about it. But right now he’s alone and Delphi should be back any minute, so he has to get on with it.
The sounds – they’re not really words to him – feel strange in his mouth, and he has to practice them a couple of times before he can even begin to work out what he’s doing. There’s a lot of hissing and spitting, and it sounds more like he’s mimicking an angry cat than trying to talk snake language. Finally he runs his fingers through his hair and decides that, unless the diary is designed to self-destruct when someone speaks terrible Parseltongue at it, he loses nothing by having a go.
He braces his hands on the desk and leans in close, looking down at the cover of the diary. There’s a little crest embossed in gold in one corner, and at the centre of the crest is a snake. He looks at the snake and tries to imagine that he’s talking to it.
His first attempt comes out all wrong. He gives a sharp hiss makes it sound like he’s being strangled, and spit flies everywhere, all over his face and the desk.
“Whoops,” he mutters wiping away the little flecks with his fingers.
He sighs and stares down at the book again. For some reason he gets the distinct feeling that Albus would probably be a lot better at this than he is, but sadly Albus isn’t here and he has no real option besides having another go.
His second attempt is a little bit better. It doesn’t get the diary to respond, but at least he doesn’t spit all over himself, and he thinks he might be starting to get his mouth round the words.
Attempt three is his best yet, and the diary starts to glow with a faint purple light. He flips open the cover and sees that the faintest outlines of words are starting to appear, shining luminescent in the strange glow. They’re not quite readable yet but they’re getting there, so he tries the Parseltongue again and this time, finally, the book is fully convinced. Purple light bursts out of it, and the room seems to dim around him, throwing the letters and words within into sharp relief.
He claps a hand over his mouth to stop himself cheering out loud and pulls the book closer to him. Thankfully the writing in here isn’t Parseltongue. It’s English, written in a messy scrawl that’s just about legible enough for Scorpius to read it.
The diary, and it is definitely a diary now that the text has been fully revealed, takes up almost the whole book. There are a few pages still blank at the end, but other than that everything is full of Delphi’s scribblings.
The book seems to date all the way back to 2018, and when Scorpius starts reading he realises with a jolt that Albus is mentioned on the first page.
Watched youngest Potter boy on Platform 9 3/4. Later discovered he was sorted into Slytherin. Something to keep an eye on?
When he flips further through he finds that many of the entries mention Albus. In fact the diary charts almost every one of the events Albus has told Scorpius about over the past week and a half. It’s like seeing the past seven years of Albus’s life charted in front of him. Even stranger is seeing it from Delphi’s point of view, with notes of Albus’s behaviour and attitude, tiny hints of triumph when she’s getting what she wants from him, and frustration when she’s not.
And then he starts to find the other little bits and pieces, things from Delphi’s own life, things that he can’t imagine Albus even knows. He finds notes from the last year spent in Europe. She had meetings with werewolves, giants, trolls, and those are just the ones mentioned that he spots as he skims. Her writing grows increasingly excited as her plan comes together, but he still can’t find what the plan is. Perhaps she wasn’t stupid enough to put it down in writing.
He flicks feverishly through the pages, wanting to find whatever it is he’s looking for and copy it before he needs to leave, because time must be running short by now.
“Come on come on,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair and searching faster and faster. When he gets really frustrated he taps his wand on the page and searches the book for ‘plan’ but he’s not surprised when nothing comes back.
In the end he stumbles across the truth by chance. He turns a page too fast and hard and tears the corner. As he swears and casts Reparo to fix it, he spots Delphi’s words, a frustrated little musing to herself.
I hate him. If I could kill him I would, but I need him. It will be far more fun with him involved. Use the boy to lure Potter in, son kills father, and in the chaos that follows I take the place that should have been my father’s almost 30 years ago. Fate, just as the Augurey prophesied. I am Voldemort’s daughter and this world is my birthright.
Scorpius reels back in pure horror. He blinks several times to make sure his eyes aren’t deceiving him, but every time he does he sees the words as if they’re burned into the insides of his eyelids.
I am Voldemort’s daughter.
Even though his hands are shaking, even though he wants to run a hundred miles from this place and drag Albus to safety with him, there’s one last thing he has to do before he leaves. He draws his wand to make a copy of the page, but just as he does he hears a floorboard creak behind him and he freezes.
“Did you find something interesting to read?” Delphi asks.
Scorpius’s grip tightens around his wand and he puts a hand on the edge of the desk to stop his knees buckling. Caught in the act. And this time there’s no Albus to come and save him.
He turns slowly to face her. “Delphi,” he says brightly. “I just thought I’d-“
“Petrificus Totalus.”
His body goes stiff and he falls straight backwards, slamming the middle of his back against the edge of the table. He gives a groan of pain and closes his eyes. His wand is still in his hand but he can’t move to wave it, so it’s worse than useless. He can’t even use it to call for help. He’s trapped here, stuck, and whatever she does next isn’t going to be pleasant.
“It’s not nice to read other people’s diaries, Scorpius,” she says, in a sweet voice, waltzing over and treading on his foot as she leans across to shut the diary. “Didn’t your parents teach you that? Although I suppose that’s the sort of thing mothers teach you, and yours wasn’t around for very long, was she?”
Scorpius boils with rage. He may be trapped but he’s not going down without a fight. “Don’t you dare talk about my-“
“Silencio,” she says, with a casual flick of her wand.
Scorpius’s words die in his throat and even when he moves his mouth nothing comes out. Trapped and silent. No one can hear him scream.
He looks at her, just about able to move his eyes to see where she is, but she doesn’t make it hard for him. She leans in close, right in his face, and grins at him.
“It’s been such a touching reunion between you and Albus, and now you’re going to tell me why.”
He wants to ask what she means, but he can’t speak. Instead he just stares at her and hopes that she’ll at least have the mercy to end whatever’s about to come quickly.
“I’ve been with him for seven years,” she says. “Every single day. But he’s still obsessed with you. I don’t understand, but you’re going to help me. Now, let’s have some fun.”
She touches her wand to his temple and he screws his eyes tight shut, waiting for a flash of green light and a rush of wind. But it never comes, instead she breathes into his ear, soft and intimate, “Crucio.”
The pain that follows is only made more excruciating by the sudden shock of it. There’s nothing Scorpius can do to temper it. He can’t scream, he can’t clench his fists or contort his body. He just leans there as he’s wracked with it, too much to bear, shooting from his brain down his spine and through every single limb. He’s locked in place, screaming inside, and he doesn’t know how much more agony like this he can take.
When it ends he can’t even show his relief. All he can do is open his eyes and try to draw in breaths.
Delphi pulls her wand back and walks away a few steps, turning on her heel in the centre of the room, a big grin on her face like she’s enjoying everything about this.
“It’s almost no fun with all those spells on you,” she says. “I can’t even see or hear the pain. What’s the point of that?” She points her wand at him, and he realises that she’s about to release him. His wand is still in his hand. Maybe he can cast the spell to call for help, or-
“Expelliarmus,” she says, and his last hope of salvation flies from his hand and spins away into a corner. Before he can mourn its loss the Full Body Bind Curse releases and he collapses in a heap on the floor, curling into a ball and rubbing his aching limbs. As he falls, the diary on the table is knocked down too, landing on the floorboards right beside him.
“Fulgari,” Delphi says, hitting him with another spell before he can think to do anything else. His wrists snap together, a searing band of fire burning around them. Next thing he knows she flicks her wand again and he hears himself gasp and cough. His voice is back.
“I know,” he says. “I know everything. You have to kill me. You don’t have another choice. Torture me as much as you like but I’m going to tell Albus and Harry everything the second they rescue me.”
Delphi gives a high, cruel laugh. “Rescue you? No one is coming to rescue you, Scorpius. You’re alone here, with just me. And in a second you’re going to remember nothing.” She directs her wand right at his head again.
“You’re going to torture me into insanity?” Scorpius asks. “Is that your grand plan? You know Albus might notice that and be a little bit-“
“Obliviate.”
A soft, warm numbness spreads through Scorpius’s mind. For a moment he doesn’t know anything at all, but then his thoughts coalesce and he discovers that he’s kneeling on the floor with Delphi, Albus’s friend, pointing a wand at him. There’s a book on the floor next to him and he knows it’s important, that he needs to take it to Albus, but he doesn’t remember why.
“What am I doing here?” He asks. “Why are you pointing your wand at me? I’m Albus’s boyfriend. You’re his friend. We’re on the same side.”
Delphi comes over and crouches down opposite him. “That’s better. Although you should know, little Malfoy, that we’re not on the same side. Not unless you tell me exactly what I need to know.”
Scorpius frowns at her, confused. He looks down and realises that his wrists are stinging because they’re bound. The spell around them is making beads of blood stand out on his skin as it scorches him. “What do you need to know? Can you take this off me too? It hurts.”
Delphi puts her wand under his chin, lifting it so he’s looking at him, he stares up at her. “Why is Albus obsessed with you?” She asks. “What have you done to him? Is it a spell? An enchantment? A love potion? You’ve warped his mind. How?”
Scorpius swallows and pulls back, getting the wand away from him. “What? I haven’t done anything. Albus just... he loves me. I’m his boyfriend. He’s in love with me.”
Delphi pulls her wand back and twirls it between her fingers, scrutinising him. “Love,” she says softly. “I know that. I’ve had to listen to him talk about it enough. But how did you get him to love you? What did you do?”
Scorpius shakes his head. “I-I don’t think I understand the question. I didn’t do anything. I just... I was. I am. He... He loves me. Because I’m me, or... I don’t even know why, but he does.”
“That’s rubbish,” Delphi says, getting to her feet. “You’re lying to me. You’re not telling me everything.”
“I’m not,” Scorpius says, struggling onto his knees. “I promise, I-“
“Crucio.”
He screams. Waves of pain wash through his body like a tsunami, leaving only wreckage and devastation behind. His limbs cramp and he can’t stop himself from contorting. His throat is raw with the intensity of his screams. He hits his head on the floor as he falls sideways, and when the pain stops he lies there in a daze, gasping for breath, terror coursing through him because he doesn’t understand. What is Delphi doing? Why is this happening? He doesn’t know how to stop this.
“Now,” Delphi says, sitting cross-legged on the floor opposite him and laying her wand there. “Tell me how you made Albus fall in love with you, or I’ll make the pain even worse.”
Scorpius manages to get his elbow on the floor and push himself half upright without hurting his wrists too much. The spell binding them still burns and aches but he doesn’t let it brush his skin any more than it was already.
Once he’s propped on one elbow he looks at Delphi. “I didn’t make Albus do anything. He loves me because he wants to. I can’t tell you why because that’s not how it works. Why does anyone love anyone? Because... because they find something in the other person that brings them joy and life and... and makes them want to get to know that person as intimately as they can.”
Delphi nods and slides forward towards him, an eager look on her face. “I want to know Albus. I want to know his secrets, how he can be used. I understand that. Keep going.”
Scorpius recoils from her, falling onto his backside but managing to stay upright. “But that’s not love. You don’t use someone you love. You’re his best friend, why don’t understand that? If you love someone you want to know them just because... because. Because they’re fascinating. Because they’re beautiful. Because they’re another human that you respect, and- I can’t tell you how to make Albus love you. I don’t know how I made him love me. I didn’t make him love me. He just did it because he wanted to.”
“You must have done something,” Delphi says. “Love is magic. I know that. Lily Potter’s Charm, and- How do you do that magic? What’s the spell?”
Scorpius shakes his head. “There isn’t a spell. That’s not how it works. It happens.”
Delphi scrutinises him for a long moment, then she gets to her feet and flicks her wand dismissively in his direction. “Useless. Crucio.”
Sharp agony, inside him, around him, overwhelming him, utterly unbearable. He falls backwards, and when his body jars on the floor the pain pales into insignificance beside the pain of the torture. His toes curl, he claws at his torso trying to tear the pain out of him somehow. There’s no relief. It goes on and on, never ending, until it stops and he lies there, trying to feel nothing.
“Last chance,” Delphi says, cold and sharp, undeterred by his failed attempts to answer so far. “Tell me the secret.”
“I’ve...” Scorpius grunts and twists round to look at her, “told you. There isn’t a secret. I haven’t done anything to him. I offered him sweets on the train when we first met, I stuck by him when he was miserable, I helped him feel connected to his life again last week, that’s it.” He sits with his bound, aching hands between his knees and looks Delphi in the eye. “Delphi, you’re his best friend. He already loves you. I don’t know why you can’t see it but there’s nothing you need to do. There is no secret. You’ve already won. You don’t need to do this, I promise.”
“No,” she says, levelling her wand at him and shaking her head. “No that’s not true. He’s more loyal to you than to me. You’ve been here a week and a half and he’s fallen in love with you. You’re stealing him from me, and you can’t deny it.”
Scorpius sighs. “Just a thought but have you tried being nice to him?” He lifts his hands. “If this is what you do to make people tell you things then maybe he’s not inclined to be helpful. He’s not as tolerant as I am.”
A smile curls across Delphi’s lips. “I didn’t know you could be a smartass. Maybe this is what Albus sees in you. You have spirit.”
“I’m very flattered,” Scorpius says. “Will you let me go now?” He holds his hands out to her. His brain is foggy, his whole body aches, especially his back, and his wrists are really bleeding now.
“No,” Delphi says bluntly. “You haven’t helped, even a little bit. I think you’re being difficult. I think you need more persuasion.”
“But I-“
Delphi’s wand slashes through the air. “Sectumsempra,” she barks.
Instantly Scorpius’s neat new shirt, the one he’d put on specially for his date, blossoms scarlet. It takes him a second to realise that he’s in terrible pain, and another second more to comprehend that he’s bleeding from a long gash across his torso. He curls in on himself, pressing his hands to it and staring up at Delphi.
“You’re going to make me... bleed to death?” He asks, already feeling faint. There really is a lot of blood. His hands are already soaked with it.
She slashes her wand through the air again and another bit of his shirt goes bright red, the two spots merging into one. Scorpius slumps sideways against the table leg, head spinning.
“I can’t tell you anything, if you-“
“You’d better talk quickly then,” she says. “Hadn’t you.”
“I don’t... have anything to tell you,” Scorpius says, trying to put pressure on both wounds at once, even as he slides further onto the ground. “I’ve already... said that. And even if I did I... I think I’d rather die.”
Another slash, and Scorpius’s body convulses with the pain of it. He collapses sideways, the world going dark around the edges. So this is it. A death of confusion and excruciating pain, at the hands of someone who’s supposed to be his boyfriend’s best friend.
As his eyes flutter closed he spots the book lying on the floor, now splattered and stained with his blood. No one will know it’s here. If he dies no one will know what’s inside it. If by some miracle he survives this, someone needs to find out about the book. But he’s not going to survive this, so...
Everything goes black. He floats in nothingness. The pain slowly subsides. And then he realises there are hands on him, supporting his back, sitting him up slightly.
“Albus?” He whispers.
“Unfortunately for you, not Albus.”
He opens his eyes to see Delphi again. She has an arm round his back, and there’s something hard pressing into the back of his neck. It takes him a moment to realise that it’s her wand.
“I’m not dead,” he says softly. “I thought I was bleeding.”
“Not anymore,” Delphi says. She strokes her fingers through his hair, making him shudder. “Poor Scorpius. Useless Scorpius. Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to tell me anything. But Albus will never know how loyal you’re being. You’re all alone again, Scorpius. Always alone. Well, I suppose you’re technically not alone now. You’ve got me.” She gives a high-pitched, cold laugh that sends chills down Scorpius’s spine. He tries to wriggle away but she grips the back of his shirt and holds him steady.
“You’re going to help me,” she murmurs. “You’re going to break eventually. It’s only a matter of time, I know it is. There are some things that no one can resist. Crucio.”
This time the agony shoots straight down Scorpius’s spine and he loses himself. His limbs are trembling. He doesn’t know if he’s shouting or screaming or if he’s in too much pain to make a sound. He can’t see or hear and think. He almost can’t even feel because the pain is burning white hot through every inch of him, overriding every other part of his existence. There’s nothing beyond the pain, and it stretches on from seconds into minutes into hours and days, weeks, months. The pain goes on forever. There’s sharp bile in his throat and warm wet against his legs, but those are distant human sensations, and Scorpius isn’t human anymore, because you can’t go through this and remain human.
When Delphi finally removes her wand, Scorpius realises that he’s managed to roll onto his front and there are hot tears stinging his face. He must have thrown up from the agony of it because there’s sick among the blood on the floor, and he realises that his trousers are damp too. He lies there, still in too much pain to move, limbs still shaking, humiliated and exhausted.
“Why haven’t you killed me?” He whispers, voice hoarse and raw. “I don’t understand. I can’t give you what you want. Just let me go.”
Delphi pats him on the back and he twitches and groans. “No. You’re too useful to be killed. I’ll just have to keep going with this instead. Don’t tell me you’re not having fun.”
Scorpius fixes his eyes on the book that he’s now managed to kick under the desk by accident, which Delphi seems to have forgotten about. He needs her to not remember it. “So much fun,” he murmurs. “This is wonderful.”
“Good,” Delphi says. “Then we can-“
There’s a whooshing in the distance, and suddenly Delphi’s hands are gone and he hears footsteps creaking across the floorboards and a wash of green light fill the room.
“What do you want?” Delphi asks. “I’m busy, I’ve got a guest.”
“Augurey,” a man says. “I’m sorry to bother you, but the meeting at the Sign of the Black Dog... You asked us to wait for you there. We wanted to know if you were still coming, because if not, then we can-“
“Shit. Is Von Strasser there?”
“Yes, everyone is.”
“Fine. I’m coming. Give me five minutes and I’ll be there. Send my apologies.”
“Yes, Augurey.”
Another whoosh and the green light fades. More footsteps, and then Scorpius is yanked off the floor by the collar of his shirt, and pulled onto his back.
“You’re going to wait here,” Delphi says, face looming right in front of his. Her eyes are so cold and black. There’s barely any spark of life in them. “You’re going to lie here until I come back, and when I do we’ll continue this discussion.”
“Okay,” Scorpius breathes.
“Glad to hear it.” She grabs hold of his hair and twists his head to the side, pulling his hair hard enough that he lets out a cry of pain, but she doesn’t seem to care. “Silencio. Petrificus Totalus.”
Scorpius goes silent and his body goes rigid. Delphi drops him to the ground and he lies there, immobile and unable to talk. With his head tilted to the side he can see the space under the desk. He can see the notebook. He can see hope. He’s not dead, and he can see the thing that contains all the answers.
“Be good,” Delphi says, tapping her wand on his head, so the trickling sensation of a Disillusionment Charm passes down his whole body. “Oh, and I suppose I should...” She presses the tip of her wand to his temple, and Scorpius expects more torture, but instead she says “Obliviate” and his mind goes blissfully numb again.
When his thoughts coalesce he can hear footsteps walking away across the room he’s in. He knows that he’s covered in blood and vomit and urine but he doesn’t know how or why. His body is in unbearable pain but he can’t speak or move to get any release. He’s trapped, immobile, and whoever did this to him has just walked away.
Does anyone know he’s here besides them? Is he going to be rescued? Panic rises inside him and his chest gets tight. He tries to steady his breathing and keep calm. He tries to think about Albus. They were supposed to have a date. Maybe Albus will notice he’s missing. If Albus can find that he’s here – wherever here is – then maybe he’ll see all the blood and realise that Scorpius is invisible and abandoned on the ground. That thought calms Scorpius down a little, and he exhales a shaky breath, just about keeping his fear and pain at bay.
He gazes into the darkness under the desk and sees the pale pages of a notebook, hidden in shadow under there. That notebook is important. If anyone does come to save him they need to take that. That has the answers to everything. Nothing has ever been more important.
So as a rushing sound and a wash of emerald green floods the room then ebbs away and he settles in to wait either for oblivion or for salvation, he focuses all his thoughts on the book. His brain may be foggy and confused, he may have never felt more scared in his life, he may want to just lie here and cry, every inch of his body may be in the most excruciating pain, but the book gives him something to hold on to. The book is his reason to keep remembering; to stay alive, to stay conscious, to stay sane. The book is his reason to keep hoping for rescue.
Time passes. The sun wheels round in the sky beyond the window. Shadows shift and lengthen. And Scorpius lies utterly immobile, drifting in and out of consciousness, but always holding that one mantra in his head: the book is the answer, we need the book. The book is the answer, we need the book. The book is the answer, we need the book...
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fictioncizen · 6 years
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NCT 2018 Reaction: You are scared of going home alone in the dark
Taeil:
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The two of you have been together for almost two years now and ever since you have told him about feeling uncomfortable when you are alone on the way home, he hasn't stopped walking you home since then. Even if he gets sick, he would send one of his closest friends who he trusts to accompany you in his stead. All in all, you don't need to worry about walking home by yourself because Taeil would always protect you and make sure that nothing bad will happen to you on your way home. 
Johnny:
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For this gentleman it would be totally unimportant whether you were scared or not. He would accompany you home without question. It’s in his nature to do so, you wouldn’t even have to ask. 
After your date he would take your hand and automatically go the way that leads to your home. This would pleasantly surprise you and make you swoon even more for him. On the way he would talk about all kinds of things, taking your thoughts fully away from the dark alleys.
Johnny would make sure you’re in the safety of your home and then wish you a good night.
„Sleep well, Y/N“
Taeyong:
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He knew about your fear of being alone in the dark alleys at night. He knew because he knew about all your fears, just as you knew about all of his. You two had talked about your fears a lot, giving each other advices about how to beat them.
That is the reason why it bothered him even more that he couldn’t accompany you home after you have finished with work. He had to record in the studio and was not allowed to leave.
However, he would not let you be on your own. It was good that Doyoung owed him one .Taeyong called him and made him take you home. Even though Taeyong wished it could be himself who takes you home, for him your security and you being at peace was much more important.
Yuta:
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„You're not a little girl anymore, Y/n.“
You're still clinging onto his arm and practically dragging him to walk all the way to your apartment because of your fear of the dark.
„Nakamoto, please.I'm really afraid and I promise to do whatever you want!“
You tug on his jacket so that he would start moving but instead he pulled you closer and asked if you really meant what you just said. You gulped visibly, pushing him away from you. As you started to walk away from him, he pulled at your hoodie and told you to wait on him. Of course he would tag along with you.
As you were in your room, just done changing into a pajama, your phone vibrated, letting you know you have a new message. It was from Yuta.
„Now it's your turn. Send me a picture of your onesie.“ 
Your cheeks started to get a slight red tinge but you sent it anyways. He replied, telling you that it is now his background. You crawled into bed out of embarrassment but started to smile thinking about how humans need vitamins to survive. However, you had your daily dose of yutamins to keep you alive. What else do you need?
Kun:
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Kun is very observative, so he saw right through you and noticed your discomfort immediately. You suddenly became quiet, thinking about which way you should take to get home without having to pass the shady alleys you‘re afraid of, while you and Kun were leaving the restaurant. 
So Kun just kept talking, taking the road that lead to your home, away from his dorm. It confused you, but then you understood. He must have realized you‘d be afraid to go alone. You didn‘t mention it, though. You knew he‘d feel awkward with saying it aloud. So you just smiled to yourself, listening to him talk in order to distract you both from the truth. 
“How lucky I am to be with him”, you thought.
Doyoung:
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He wouldn't know at first that you're scared of the dark and tell you to walk home carefully. Neither would he be very worried since your house was a 10 minute walk from their entertainment. But the moment you started to walk hesitantly towards the exit, he would be questioning your strange behaviour.
„Awww Y/N, are you missing me already? You're really cute!“
But seeing you pout made him switch into his protective mode. He would text Taeyong, telling him he's walking you home so they shouldn't wait up. He would be kind of glad cause he gets to spend more time with you.
At your door he would be kind of sad to leave you but he would also be relieved because you now were home safe. He would contently walk back to his dorm, texting you a “Good Night, scaredy cat. See you tomorrow ❤️”
Ten:
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The moment you asked him if he could accompany to your home a bright smile appeared on his face.
„Is my baby afraid of the dark? Omg, you’re so cute, I would accompany you anywhere.“
He would definitely make fun of you, however he would not intend to hurt you with his words or anything, he would just like to exaggerate a bit. He does so because he knows you would not be mad at him regardless of what he says. You knew exactly which words from him to take literally and seriously and which ones you needed to see as mild jokes.
The fact that he felt comfortable with saying literally anything while he was with you showed you that he really did love you.
Jaehyun:
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The two of you spent your time outside until it turned to night time. When you were supposed to say goodbye to each other, Jaehyun insisted to take you home even with you rejecting the idea and telling him you can go on your own.
But deep inside you're glad that he's coming with you cause you feel safer around him. As you were near your front door you told Jaehyun to go home, you could walk the rest alone. 
"What if something is about to happen when I leave you alone?" 
"I know how to defend myself," you replied showing him your non-existing arm muscle. 
As a reply he just laughed and doesn't stop until you're in front of your door. 
"Was I really that funny for you to laugh like this? And you know what the best thing is? I didn't even laugh myself." 
"Hey, don't say that. It took me a while to find you so of course I would be worried about you. Worried about losing you." 
Hearing Jaehyun’s words made you smile and when you looked at him, he smiled back, showing off his dimples. You asked him if he could come closer to your height and smile. Confused Jaehyun bent down to your eye level, smiling just like you asked him to. 
"What are you planning?" 
"Just smile." 
When he showed that smile of his that made your heart melt, you just couldn't stop yourself from caressing his cheeks and poking his dimples. 
"I really like your dimples," you whispered not realizing you said it out loud. 
When you do, you immediately turned around, opening the door and walking up the stairs. 
The last thing you heard was him telling you that he loves you too.
Winwin:
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This boy isn't as oblivious as he seems. Actually, he is a rather sensitive person so he would notice that you are scared even without you telling him. He would shyly ask you if you would like him to be your companion on your way home. You are surprised because you two have never spoken much with each other as you are only classmates. What you don't know is that he has been crushing on you for the longest time now, you just haven't noticed since he is too shy to talk to you. Nevertheless, you are very thankful towards him. 
"Y/N, d-do you mind if I go home with you together?"
Jungwoo:
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This uwu would mention it first before you could even ask. He would ask you if he could possibly accompany you home.
„I need to make sure my Jagi gets home safely, don’t I?“ You would just smile shyly and tell him you’d be glad about him bringing you home. You two would link your arms and walk to your home in a comfortable pace while talking about everything and nothing. When you two were at your doorstep he would lean closer to you and leave a soft kiss on your cheek, wishing you the sweetest of dreams.
Lucas:
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Lucas would most probably not even notice that you felt uncomfortable being alone outside at night. However, he would ask to accompany you home because he would want to spend even more time with you, he just wouldn’t want the night to end yet.
You guys would walk through the streets, making each other laugh with silly jokes and just enjoy each others’ company. You would totally forget your fright of the dark alleys. When you were with Lucas there was nothing that could scare you. You always felt so safe with him. So happy and careless. Every moment you were with him you wished it could last forever. He could really make all your worries disappear completely.
Lucas would make sure to slow down his pace, he didn’t want to part from you too soon. Even when you did finally reach your doorstep he would hesitate, still not wanting to leave you.
At that moment you could read him like a book, it was like his thoughts were written on his forehead. So you asked: „Do you want to come in for a bit? I‘ll make you tea or hot chocolate. As a thank you for walking me home“
Lucas would smile like a puppy at this, nodding happily and following you inside, to spend even more time with you.
Mark:
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Mark is a busy boy. He works a lot and it‘s not only because of sm-entertainment, he often makes himself work as well.
When he was with you he got especially many inspirations. You were his muse, so when your date ended he wanted to get to his dorm or to the studio as fast as possible to write down his new ideas before he would forget them.
So he said goodbye to you and started his way towards the dorm. However, he stopped after a few steps. Something was different, something was off about you. He made a u-turn and called your name. He realized he made a mistake. He should have offered to accompany you home, that‘s what a boyfriend was supposed to do after a date. He knew that you wouldn‘t be mad even if he did not walk you home, but he also knew that you would prefer him to do so. However, you would never mention that yourself.
So Mark approached you and said with an awkward smile: „Y/N, I‘m sorry, I forgot. Let‘s walk to your home together.“
Even if his ideas and inspirations were important for him, you were more important and well, even though he might prefer to write all of his ideas down, he also knew he would never forget the ones regarding you.
Renjun:
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Renjun wouldn't notice that you are scared to walk home alone unless you tell him. So, when one day, you ask him to accompany you home because you feel insecure, he would make sure to walk you home everyday after school. He would only leave after making sure that you have gotten inside. 
After weeks of walking you home, your parents would notice Renjun and invite him in for some cookies and tea to thank him for being so kind to their daughter/son. 
Within a month, Renjun would become closer to you and your family. You will learn even more about him and he will get to know you and your family better. It is as if he is already an important part of your family. 
"Y/N, your parents are amazing! How about we go to my place next time so that you can meet my parents too?"
Jeno:
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Jeno doesn't know that you don't like going home by yourself at first. But when you always become more silent and low-spirited at the end of the day, he would start wondering. However, he finally figures it out when you are all hyped and joyful on that one day on which he accompanied you home. 
Instead of feeling annoyed or troubled like most people would, he feels thankful and happy -  thankful that you need him and happy that you want him to be by your side when you are scared. On the way to your home, he wouldn't be able to refrain from eye-smiling. 
When it's cold he would give you his own scarf and hold your hand to give you some warmth because his hands are always warm. All in all, he would be in uwu-mode whenever he walks you home. 
"Are you feeling cold, Y/N? Should I lend you my jacket?" 
Haechan:
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It is already dark outside when school has ended. You have never liked the night that much since it has always made you feel uncomfortable and insecure. However, your phone has just run out of battery so you can't call your parents to pick you up. Just when you are about to pick your school bag up, someone snatches it from you. It is your seatmate, Lee Donghyuck. 
He has been annoying you for months now, pulling pranks on you and doing other childish things like that - just to get on your nerves. You are certain that you have never done anything to upset him but for some reason he just seems to dislike you a lot.  
"Give it back, Lee Donghyuck," you demand while rolling your eyes at the latter. He sticks out his tongue at you in a cheeky manner and runs out of the classroom, leaving you speechless. "...brat."
You sigh before exiting the classroom to search for him. When you can't find him anywhere, you give up and head for the school gate. When you arrive there, you see Donghyuck leaning against the wall with a bored expression. "You are so slow, Y/N!" 
You walk up to him angrily and kick him in the knee, making him bend down in pain with a groan. "Hmpf, serves you right!" You say before reaching for your bag and walked away. However, Donghyuck follows you and walks beside you. "Stop annoying me already," you say with a tired sigh.  
"Never!" He replies with a bratty grin. You roll your eyes at him. 
"You are scared of walking home alone, aren't you?" He asks and side-glances at you with a taunting smirk. You stop in your track with blushed cheeks. "Wh-who said that!?" You retort but he keeps on walking. You nervously look around your surrounding before quickly following him, "Donghyuck, wait for me!" He slows down and looks back at you. When you finally catch up with him, he pulls you back suddenly, making you stumble a bit. In that exact moment, a bicycle quickly drives past you. You could have been hit or scratched by the bicycle if Haechan didn't pull you away. 
"Be thankful that I am here, airhead." After that, he takes your hand in his and puts your linked hands into the pocket of his warm jacket. You can't help but gawk at him when you notice him blushing slightly, even the tip of his ears are crimson. You then smile to yourself and let your seatmate take you home like a real gentleman. However, from time to time, Donghyuck would make jokes or tease you to lighten up the mood but also to distract you from your fear of the dark night.
Jaemin:
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Jaemin and you are outside with Jeno, Renjun, Haechan and some of your female friends. When it gets dark, they decide that it is time to go home. Since all of you live in different places, you all go in different directions. You hug your bag closer to yourself as you watch them go further and further away. You have always hated going home by yourself because you are scared that something bad might happen to you.
Just when you are about to walk away, you see Jaemin turn around and run towards you. 
"Y/N, let's walk home together!" He says with a bright smile and takes your hand. You stare at the side of his face, perplexed but also stunned at the same time. 
"But... I thought you lived in a different district from mine?" You ask but follow him anyways. 
"That's right but I don't want to part with you yet, Y/N," he replies and smiles at you again. The real reason why he turned back for you was because he saw your troubled expression on your face while cautiously scanning your surroundings with your eyes. He figured that you were scared of walking home alone. When you stood there like an abandoned and helpless puppy watching them leave made his heart ache. He just couldn't leave you alone like that. 
"From now on, I'll accompany you home," Jaemin promises and gives your hand a light comforting squeeze. "Thank you, Jaemin-ah..." You say gratefully and give him a genuine smile.
Usually, when you walk home by yourself, you feel anxious and tense. But now that Jaemin is with you, you feel at ease but excited at the same time. When the two of you walk past an ice-cream shop, Jaemin stops and drags you into the shop with him.
"Y/N, look! There is a bubble gum flavored one! Let's try this!"
You two end up making several detours because you are always distracted by interesting shops or food.
Chenle:
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Chenle is a baby, he might have grown up, but he is still seen as a baby by everyone, such as his hyungs. Chenle was not annoyed because of this, though, he was used to his hyungs being protective over him and well when you two left the amusement park, you spent the whole day at, there were Teayong and Johnny standing outside waiting for you two to accompany you both home in the dark.
Chenle might not be afraid himself but he knew his members would prefer him not walking around at night alone, so he let them baby him, knowing this way they wouldn’t be worried. And you would be less scared of the eerie allies as well. So this way everyone was happy and satisfied.
You two might not be alone on the way to your home, but Taeyong and Johnny would leave you space, not intruding at all.
Some people would think it was weird and annoying to be taken care of so much, but you did not think like that. You were happy about Chenle‘s members looking out for him and you. It was like family for you and it made you feel loved and safe.
Jisung:
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Jisung himself was not comfortable being alone at night in the streets so he automatically walked you home, making sure you would get home safely. However, Jisung would never admit his discomfort with the dark allies. He would act all brave and strong, joking and playing around while you were on your way. Also because he would want you to feel safe and that wouldn’t be possible if you knew he himself was scared. When you reached your home safely he would say goodbye and wish you a good night. Once you were inside he would take out his phone, calling one of his hyungs to come get him. Little did he know, that you witnessed all of that through a window. You smiled to yourself. He was so cute. He put you and your fear over himself, making sure you were happy and comfortable. Seeing this, him acting strong despite his vulnerability, made you love him even more.
- 🐱, 🐌, 🦄, 🐼
118 notes · View notes
noona-clock · 6 years
Text
9+1 (Part 6 - Final)
Genre: Housemate!AU
Pairing: Xiumin (feat. OT9) x You
By Admin T
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“Alright, so here’s your room,” you said as you gave the girls the usual tour when they first arrived at the house. “It’s got everything you need and --.” 
“This looks so nice!” beamed Irene, walking immediately towards the window that boasted a view of the city.
You bit back a smile and chuckled softly. “Here’s your key,” you said, placing it on top of the drawer. “And you’ve got my number in case anything happens.”
“But you’re just down the hall, right?” she asked, turning to face you. You paused, still awestruck by her beauty.
“Just down the hall,” you smiled with a nod as you took a step back and let Irene get used to her brand new room.
She was the last one for the day. There were four other girls, younger than you and tittering with excitement about their stay in San Francisco. Ever since the nine boys stayed, it seemed as if there was a constant stream of good looking Korean young adults that kept passing through to stay. They never stayed for too long and only months at a time. And, you never asked too many questions, a permanent wall already built each time you met a new person. 
You never talked to your Grandma about it despite the apparent sadness that followed you around for months. And, then, as if by magic, you woke up one day and you didn’t think of him. Life went on and so did you.
So, more tenants came. You showed rooms. You gave directions. You were almost back to normal until, one day, there was a knock on your door and a ticket to Seoul was suddenly shoved in your face.
“What?!” you muttered, taking a step back and letting your eyes adjust as you held the ticket in your hands. It was for tomorrow.
“I may be old,” said your Grandma knowingly, “But the one thing I know is that there’s no better time than to show and tell the person you love how you feel.”
You paused, feeling your heart drop and your eyes suddenly start to water. “But…”
“I met someone a long time ago. When I was your age,” she explained as you saw sorrow fill her eyes for a moment. She smiled softly and nodded, forcing herself to continue. “And I ran. I ran all the way over here and never looked back.” 
“Grams…”
“And then he found me,” she continued, her hand reaching for yours. “Sixty years later and he finds me. Where do you think all these people are coming from?”
“Grams, I don’t understand,” you murmured, your brows furrowing.
“We still love each other even when we already have our own families,” she smiled, almost glowing. “He owns this company and he…” She closed her eyes momentarily as if realizing she was saying something she wasn’t supposed to say.
“The point is,” she said as she grabbed your shoulders. “You’ve got a ticket to Seoul. Now, go get your man.”
You saw the man who held the sign as soon as you got your bags. It had your name on it. Your Grandma didn’t tell you anything else other than everything had already been planned and all you needed to do was show up, pack and ‘get your butt over there’. 
So, you followed the main in the suit who led you towards a black van. You hesitated, wondering what the hell you were getting into. Was your Grandma in the mafia?! Who was that man? And how did he find her? And what company did he own?
You were so preoccupied with your thoughts that you hadn’t even noticed that Junmyeon was sitting in the van as soon as you hopped inside. You put down your backpack, let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in the seat.
“Long flight?”
You let out a yell, your arms flailing and your eyes widening as you stared at Junmyeon. Your hair was in a messy bun, your teeth weren’t brushed and you’ve been wearing the same clothes for at least 24 hours already. And, yet, here he was, sitting right next to you as if he just walked off of a movie set or a magazine cover. 
He nervously cleared his throat and grabbed a nearby water bottle. “Water?”
You stared at him in confusion and shock. “O-okay, water,” you finally muttered as you took it from him. By this time, you were pretty sure your Grandma was in the mafia.
“Look, I know I haven’t always been so…”
“Nice? Forthcoming?”
He narrowed his eyes at you and you immediately stopped talking.
“There’s a reason why we left the way we left,” he continued, his voice low as he looked at you while he carefully chose his words. “He was doing it all to protect you. He wouldn’t have done it if that weren’t the case.”
You scoffed, frowning. “Protect me? From what?”
“The outside world, the media… everything,” he answered, shrugging. He reached for his phone in his jacket pocket and let out a sigh. “I think it’s just better if I show you.” You saw him pulling up YouTube and handing the phone over to you. 
It was the nine of them, that much you can see. But it wasn’t them at all. They were dressed differently and they were… not their usual selves. You saw an interviewer, frowned and then glanced up at Junmyeon. 
“Keep watching,” he nodded. 
You looked back down and the interviewer started talking. “Introducing Kpop’s biggest act, quadruple million sellers, most music show wins, and best selling Korean artist of all time: EXO!” 
Your jaw dropped.
The boys started clapping as if it were normal and they began introducing themselves. Junmyeon wasn’t Junmyeon. He was Suho. “W-what?” you muttered, still in shock.
Your eyes fell on Minseok. He was smiling for the cameras but you could tell he wasn’t his usual self. Not like when he was with you. It was all a front and he seemed to be the saddest out of all of the boys.
You swiped onto the next video and it was one where they were performing at an awards shown. Everyone was cheering for them. 
You swiped once more and it was group photo of the nine of them in somewhat but not really matching outfits. You stared at Minseok with an attempted smile on his face. 
“He hasn’t been the same ever since we came back,” explained Junmyeon. 
“This is a joke,” you said, thrusting the phone back at him.
“No, it’s not,” he replied softly, shaking his head. “We left the way we did for him and for you. We were on a break from… “ He waved his hands around and gestured to his phone and outside as they passed a building with their faces on it. “From all of this. It was meant to be a breather.”  
“And I was meant to be what? Something to leave and throw away?” you retorted, your fury finally resurfacing. You’d bottled it down so much these past few months that you couldn’t control yourself this time.
Junmyeon sighed once more. His patience was astounding. “Why do you think you’re here, Y/N?”
Your mouth opened and closed. You couldn’t find the words. Those boys that lived under your roof were celebrities? They were a Kpop group that people fawned over? They were known worldwide? And they took ‘a breather’ in your corner of the world?!
“We’re here,” said Junmyeon as he looked out the window.
“Here? Where is here?” You hadn’t even realized that the van even moved.
“Stay put,” he said as he pointed a finger at you. “Promise me you won’t run because if we can’t find you, I swear --.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay, I’m not moving.”
“I’ll be in big trouble if --.”
“I promise!”
He nodded, sliding open the door and hopping out while the driver turned off the engine at the same time. The silence engulfed you as your thoughts whirled around in your head. How was this all possible? You remembered what your Grandma said: Sixty years later and he finds me. Where do you think all these people are coming from?
You eyed the building outside and guessed it was some big corporation. Sure, the van was parked in some shady alley but that made sense if Junmyeon was telling the truth about the whole EXO story.
Then, you saw it. The audition poster taped on the wall. Audition to be part of SM Entertainment and Lee Soo Man’s family! Showcase your singing, acting and dancing abilities and you might just be a star!
“No,” you breathed. “That man is…”
You heard the van door slide open and someone shuffle inside but your eyes were glued to the poster. While your brain was putting the pieces together, he sat down next to you.
“Y/N.”
You froze, your eyes widening as you gulped. You knew that voice. You could pick out that voice anywhere in a crowd. You turned around to see him, his face a combination of excitement and despair from finally seeing you.
You reached over to touch his hand and he immediately pulled you close, leaving no room in between the two of you as he wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in your shoulder. “You’re here, you’re actually here,” he muttered softly and you swore you could hear the sob in his voice only causing your eyes to water even more.
You held him tightly, running your hands through his hair, over his shoulders and touching every part of him just to make sure you weren’t imagining anything. You were holding him and he was holding you. This is real.
“I love you,” he breathed, finally pulling back. “I’m so sorry, I love you and I’m sorry…” 
You shook your head, unable to stop the tears from falling. “No, no, I… Junmyeon he showed me that…” You gulped, trying to find words, trying to find air. “I wasn’t ready then either and it’s not just you…”
“I’m so sorry…” he repeated, shaking his head once more. You could see him breaking down and it was hurting you even more, much more than the day that they suddenly left.  
You shook your head, holding his face in the palm of your hands so that you could force him to look at you. “I’m here,” you smiled through the tears and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly either. “I’m here and it’s okay and I love you too.”
He nodded, pressing his lips against yours and you were lost and happy and elated in all of him once again. It felt right and you both could feel it.
He pulled back just slightly, his face still wet with tears but his eyes glistened mischievously.
“What?” you chuckled softly.
“Let’s start over again.”   
“Okay, so next on the list is… NCT,” you said as you looked down at your clipboard to check the schedule for the house.
You hadn’t realized it then but the boys gave the house such rave reviews that SM decided to make it their safe house for their employees: a place where they can take a break and then come back refreshed. It’d been such a success that your Grandma was able to hire other people to manage the house while you finally moved to Korea. But that didn’t mean that you stopped helping, especially when you became the official liaison.   
“How are all of them going to fit in that house?” asked Minseok as he looked over your shoulder.
“We’ve got a lower unit, remember? You all stayed in the upper unit,” you answered, glancing over at him while he playfully kissed your cheek.
“Where you were too,” he smirked, wrapping his arms around your waist.
“Where I was too,” you nodded. You placed the clipboard back on your desk and finally turned around to face him. “So, when am I going to get to see you again at the music shows?”
He laughed that laugh, his smile taking up all of his face as he leaned his forehead on yours. “Ah, just because you’re the assistant manager doesn’t mean that I’ll automatically be there.”
“Ah, see, that’s where you’re wrong, I meant all nine of you,” you smirked teasingly as you (attempted) to pinch his side.
He did a mock gasp and pulled away from you. “You’re just using me!” He started walking away from you and you laughed, doing a running leap towards him. He effortlessly caught you, your legs wrapped around his waist and your hands clasped around his neck.
You both fell silent as you stared at each other, unable to say or think of anything else. It was as if you both knew what the other was thinking without even trying.
“Did I tell you how happy I am that you’re here?” he said softly, his nose touching yours.
“Always,” you murmured with a smile.
“I still can’t believe you sacrificed --.” 
“Stop,” you interrupting, shaking your head. “I don’t have to sacrifice anything when it comes to you. You’re the one who sacrificed for me.”
He shook his head right back at you. “None of this is easy, especially with what I do. Even being in a relationship isn’t easy... but alll of this would mean nothing if I weren’t with you, you know that, right?” he said, his face grim but full of honesty. 
You nodded, suddenly quiet. You both had your arguments even when you moved to Seoul. Your relationship was far from perfect. You had to learn how to trust and he had to learn how to let you into his life. You were stubborn and he could, at times, be a pushover. He liked to drink but you liked to sleep more. But, at the end of the day, you both loved each other enough to make it work. Even when all the odds were against the both of you. 
You saw his lips quirk into a smile and you immediately knew what he was about to say. 
“You’re here,” he grinned. 
“I’m here,” you nodded. It was the validation you both needed and wanted to hear. It was etched in both of your hearts. “And I love you.” 
“I love you too,” he smiled in reply, his face full of warmth and love. 
Author’s Note: Ahhh, and it’s done! Thank you, thank you, thank you, loves! I wanted to write a relationship that wasn’t easy. It’s so easy to find a ‘perfect’ love story here on Tumblr so I wanted to show one that required effort and work from both parties. I also wanted to try my hand at angsty/fluff, haha. I hope everyone’s hearts are full now that we have a happy ending!! 
Suggested NoonaClock Xiumin scenarios that could fit this AU (both are fluffy, I promise!): I’m a Professional, No Phones
My playlist while writing this fic included: Oops by Little Mix, Grown by Little Mix, A.D.I.D.A.S. by Little Mix, Cannonball cover by Little Mix, Too Good to Say Goodbye by Bruno Mars, Natalie by Bruno Mars
- Admin T
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