#oc: flesh carnival

[cleanerpassingby]

🥩flesh carnival🥩

#oc: flesh carnival #oc #Character Design #monster girl #monster #gore #anime gore #gore art #gore oc #guro #my oc #my art #body horror #original character

[starrysharks]

who is your favourite oc from each of your oc worlds?

ultimate excalibur - i love them all but nova is my favorite, with shear and lodestar in close second and third

reassassination - tie between onion and vivica, but octavia is my favorite to draw

starsaints carnival - hero, probably because he's currently the most fleshed out character

magical girl ward - velvet because i based her partly off of myself and also because i have not actually designed/created more than 5 characters for the project yet

planet☆pigtail - pigtail star because she's fun to draw and i love magical girl protagonists/the tropes she falls into

#ask zeno #ultimate excalibur #reassassination #starsaints carnival #magical girl ward #planet☆pigtail #oc rambling #? #i would also include more private oc universes such as the death game train guys (still do not have a name for their story) #but ive only ever posted about them once or twice so i wont

[momolady]

Monster Valentines: Part Two

Valentines are over, but if you want one of these for yourself I can do you one later this week! Visit this post to see how.

Hi momo! I'd love a build a monster valentines date! I've loved your stories for ages and I really hope things get better for you soon ❤️ Not picky about a monster type, but I do love vampires orcs and aliens! Male pref but I do love your girls! I'm genderqueer, slightly chubby, gothy/grungy and love creepy/morbid things, but also I loove cute things! I'm very shy and am a selective mute, but I'm very witty and sweet once I'm comfortable enough to talk (I use TTS in the meantime when I have to say something.) I have a calm and go with the flow disposition despite my anxiety and I just like spending time with my people. I also write, read, draw, and cook as some of my hobbies! 

Bellcadir

Alien- Delfian 

7ft tall

This tall and imposing figure is from the Delfy system, known for its colorful solar system and connected planets. Upon first glance, he is colorless, but he shows colors like a mood ring, and glows at night. He is almost see through like a jellyfish, though his flesh and limbs are very hard, there is a softness to his chest and belly, which he keeps protected by special clothing. As stated before, delfians are tall, but they are also slim and willowy, possessing long limbs that have a twisted, vein like appearance, forming into digits that can spread into individual tentacles, or form three strong fingers. 

As a Delfian, his kind are known for their calming, soothing presence and telekinetic abilities. Bellcadir came to earth has part of a student exchange system while in school, but ended up feeling a connection to the planet and decided to stay. 

He works in various therapy fields,mostly physical therapy, including massage, yoga, and rehab. He bounces around, enjoying all that work, but unable to feel he can settle with just one. He has a deep desire to help everyone.

Bellcadir enjoys baked goods, finding they are close to what is served back in his home system. Anything that has fresh fruit in it is his favorite. He enjoys peace and quiet, but he loves being in multiple online servers and making friends online. He enjoys texting with people as sometimes human voices can be grating to his sensitive ears. He’s very active in several online communities, especially some baking groups, a few writers’ groups, and one for Star dew Valley, which he will admit he’s not great at but loves. 

Hi! I would like a blind date for my oc Sable a hyper femme anthro unicorn. 5'10 with a fat hourglass figure, hot pink hair, blue eyes, and decoden manicured nails. She can be kind of annoying because she's a little empty headed but she's enthusiastic when the vibe is right. She goes by feeling and body language more than intellect. Her hobbies are collecting soft pastel sweaters, drinking hot drinks in cute oversized mugs, reading fanfiction, flirting and watching Hallmark movies. She likes carnivals and fairs, hyper pop and EDM, and supernatural romance novels. Sable likes to tease but it's never mean, so she prefers to be around confident people who can take a good-natured joke. All food is good food to Sable and she will steal a bite from your meal. She remembers off-hand facts about her friend so she can plan random celebrations or make up reasons to give gifts. 

Ari was extremely nervous. Luckily, his friends had set up this group date situation, but still, the girl he really liked was going to be coming. He fidgeted around, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “Calm down, Ari, don’t look so freaked out. You’ll freak her out.” The dragonborn went into the bathroom to double check himself. He’d talent he extra time to polish his horns and dark blue scales to make himself look good. He stepped bac, took a good breath and smiled at himself. Supposedly that worked to trick your brain. But Ari still felt the same amount of nervous.

Sable was so cute and pretty. And while some of his friends would say she was shallow or flighty, Ari felt that wasn’t fair to say. He had heard some of her other friends talk very sweetly about her. Besides, he liked listening to her talk, even if it was something silly. She always looked so well put together, and she always smelled amazing.

“Ari are you ready?”

“Yeah, coming out.” Ari snapped out of his thoughts and he turned to leave the bathroom. He opened the door, and heard more voices than from when he went in. As he came around the hallway something bright pink ran into him full force.

“Oops!” A sweet voice gasped.

Ari gripped the wall to keep them both from toppling over. The pink object braced as well, pushing off of Ari’s chest. She looked up at him and Ari tensed, his throat even tightened, and he held his breath.

Sable smiled up at him, her hair was so beautifully done in soft waves, her lashes were large and fanned out, her nails were super cute and done pink with pearls, bows, and glitter little jewels.

“Excuse me,” she giggled. She patted Ari’s chest. “Didn’t mean to tackle you like that. Didn’t break anything did I?”

Ari shook his head, slowly taking a breath and standing up right. “I don’t think do. You can try again if you want.”

Sable’s eyes sparkled and she giggled. “You’re silly!” She beamed up at Ari and his heart melted. Her perfume smelled sweet, like soft roses and strawberries.

“It’s always the cute girls who are much stronger than they look,” Ari said offhandedly, but realized what he did say.

Sable’s smile brightened up. “Oh, so your wise to us, are you?” She leaned in close to him again to whisper. “I’ll have to keep my eye on you tonight, just so you don’t give away any of my secrets.”

“I wouldn’t-” Ari said breathlessly.

Sable winked. “I gotta make sure. You don’t mind right?”

Ari swallowed. “I suppose. As long as you promise not to hurt me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not into that, per se.”

I'm a 25 infp male attracted to men 5'10. Love to talk and learn about other people. (Like to gossip but not in the slandering spreading rumors kind of way) Very imaginative, very sarcastic, very analytical, a bit of an ends justify the means type personality

Friendly and sociable but reserved, I don't like opening up to people ,massive trust issues. I always try to have a neutral viewpoint on things and consider both sides to come to the best conclusion. I love to write, cook, watch movies and spend time with loved ones.

I love night time (night drives, night walks, etc) I really like a guy that can make me laugh, who is kind, romantic, but with a bit of a wicked sense of humor to match my own. I really like to be taken care of and to take care of my partner.

Benedict (goes by Benny)

29 years old

6’2

Benny is a local hair stylist and beautician who works in a salon down the block. He makes a big deal out of giving customers their dream hair style, and he’s very popular with older women and high school students. He gives the best hugs, since his arms are so big and his belly is slightly soft.  He’s very particular with his own hygiene regimen, so his skin is always so soft and he smells amazing. He says it’s important for work, but he’s always done it. Because of his clientele he hears lots of stories and gossip, which makes him the epicenter of chat within the salon as well as his beloved cafe across the street.

Benny is a great storyteller too. He knows how to gather a crowd and pull them in, happy to talk to anybody. But really, Benny is easily embarrassed, but hides it well. He much prefers his days off where he gets to stay home in just pajama pants and fuzzy slippers. His feet get cold easily, and anything that makes them warm pleases him. He loves coffee and tea, and has surprisingly fancy equipment for it in his place. He loves showing it off to people, making them complicated drink just to make them smile.

While he was in school for becoming a beautician and stylist, he worked in his family’s mortuary. His uncle had a dark sense of humor that rubbed off on him, but it’s a taste he rarely gets to sling around in the salon. But occasionally when he’s relaxed enough with someone he lets it fly.

Benny’s ability to be easily embarrassed has left him worried about dating. But he dreams of having a partner he can spoil and take care of, someone he can cuddle and spend his quiet days together without much worry of having to keep up the chat or performance he does at the salon. He wants to figur eout their favorite drink and make it for them when they look down or happy. 

#exophilia #momolady monsters

[humanlighthouse]

1, 18, 24, & 74 for the writer asks? ^_^

Do you daydream a lot before you write, or go for it as soon as the ideas strike?

Yes!! Daydreaming is the basis of all of my writing, which is why it is so self-indulgent, even the (relatively) angsty parts lol some fics i am almost reluctant to write as i love to revisit them a few times before "freezing them as is" in a fic, like my beloved hospital fic (*) i also tend to play around with my scenarios for longer fics, and test alternative options before every chapter. Like, how would things go if that little thing, or this other thing changed? What would the consequences be? And i try to do this until my scenario becomes unavoidable, until all the possible versions have been tested in daydreams and rejected. I won't pretend it's a hardship though lol

18. Do you enjoy creating OCs or do you prefer to stick solely to canon characters?

I don't exactly enjoy it but they are sometimes necessary and i try to flesh them out a little if i can lol

24. How do you choose whose POV to write in?

It kind of imposes itself on me to be honest lol some of my fics, especially the shorter ones, are only interesting from a certain point of view (this one or this one in particular) but there are quite a few that i feel would deserve to get both sides some day. I was extremely lucky to have my beloved @jockvillagersonly do me the honor of writing the hospital fic from Xiaoge's pov and their fic is a work of art <3 but i would really love to find the time and energy to write last year's exchange fic (my "plot twist, Xiaoge wasn't in the gate but in a coma", aka the best fic i have ever written imo!!) from Wu Xie's pov, because there are a couple of scenes that Xiaoge doesn't know about that i feel would reaaaally twist the knife in the wound if you know what i mean 😂

74. Do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

People really seem to like my qipao fics when they're really not my favorites lol i'm happy they're getting attention, though!! But some lesser appreciated personal favorites are:

-this year's exchange fic featuring PingXie working at a carnival haunted house which i LOVED writing and that no one seems to have read so far.... 😔

- this particular mini fic in Xiaoge's POV in which HJJ XG has an existential crisis about sharing a bed with the love of his life

- fics i wrote for other pairings and fandoms! like this gratuitously smutty one that i wrote for ChengYi from Under The Skin as a way to dip my toe into the fandom before dropping a longer fic (wink wink nudge nudge next wip in line), or my HeiHua chronic hanahaki exchange fic which has ALL the mutual pining one could dream of!!

- (and maybe my SongXiao post Yi city fix-it fic that's on hiatus until i can figure out how to finish it, because i'd really love to have opinions on it! Is it worth finishing? Any ideas plot wise/ any prompt/ anything people would like to read in it? Like, more smut, less smut, more angst (how lol we're at capacity here folks!) or less angst etc.)

#my fics #fic ask game

[enbeemerang]

okay, some random questions, just to try and offer some for your ocs Logistically, who runs/joins the bug circus. (there was a trope of children running away to join a circus, so i'm wondering if that trope applies to some of your bug circus members. ) -how is food/resources sourced if its a traveling circus, or does the circus exist only in one place, and bugs have to travel to them? -Does the circus preform unsafe or dangerous tasks, to try and convince people to join? (they might not actually be dangerous, but looking dangerous could be part of the charm. Jumping though a ring of fire, for example. ) -Are there bug stereotypes with the performers (Such as a flea circus, or having flea acrobats)

-Does the circus have a coherent color pattern/color theming, or does each performer wear their own favorite colors/outfits, as long as they're vivid and bright?

-How does the circus protect itself against dangerous insects. (Things like 'The beast' centipede might exist in other areas of the world if they're a traveling circus, os are some of the members fighters? do they employ guards?)

holy shit /pos

OKAY SO: putting this under a read more LMAO this is very in dep

There are two ringmasters! Ghost (ghost mantis) and Flower (Spiny Flower Mantis). Ghost was the original, and found the circus with Honey(bumblebee strongbug). Flower joined later, and eventually became a ringmaster with Ghost. As of right now, I've opened up the circus to some friends of mine, and theres a singular instance of kids joining the circus, but excluding other peoples ocs, the youngest members joined at 19 and 22, and they are now 21 and 24.

Food/Resources are pooled by money collected via performances/the carnival that takes place post performance! Normally two bugs (Honey and Diana, bumblebee stronbug and glasswing butterfly acrobat), take care of dinner, and they are normally also helped by misc circus members. If the circus is in a town/city/place, they will normally get food/resources there, and cook a dish depending on what area they are in.

Yes, the circus does do dangerous acts! Some examples are knife throwing, fire twirling, and just in general some of the acrobat routines. For some of the members, danger is their specialty! Diana, like I mentioned before, is an acrobat. She specializes in trapeze, and generally does a lot of the other types of acrobatic performances. She loves doing dangerous acts, and even does duo performances with Honey at times. Another example is Saran(milkweed assassin bug, fire twirler/wielder). The circus does dangerous acts, but only if the performers are confident in them. It's not really a recruitment tactic, it's more of a way to wow the audience!

I don't know if this really works for stereotypes, but all of the clowns are moths and or butterflies as of right now! There is an io moth, an atlas moth, and an owl butterfly.

honestly, rn, i'm unsure! It's sorta hard for everybody to have a coherent color scheme due to. bug colors. Every section might get their own color scheme, but that doesn't apply to the clowns obviously

Some of the members have fighting experience! Such as Vex(emerald jewel wasp, sword swallower), and Saran(mentioned in 3). There are two bugs who specialize in the carnival, as they helped make it an addition to the circus. Terra and Rudd, both leafcutter ants. As I make more, there will be some who do specialize in security. The other cool thing is since the circus doesn't originate in bugaria they might have different weapons! I'll elaborate more on this later lol

HOLY SHIT /pos thank you!!! This helped me flesh these guys out a lot. I'm working on a masterdoc abt the circus rn, and if I decide to. open it. ill put the doc on my tumblr. As of right now, its closed (except to friends).

#enbee.txt #circus tag #they deserve one #thank you!!!!!!!!!! #so much!!!!!! #this is so cool whwhghghg

[opheliajupiter99]

Once Upon a Rapture Pt.3

Puddles of gathered seawater splashed as a tiny green blur dashed towards a vast entrance. The entrance featured a ticket booth in the center, with turn-dial gates on either side of it, and a pair of towering nutcrackers framing it, peering down with wide smiles at the carnival-goers below.

Over top of the entrance was a large, colorful sign that read 'RAPTURE'S GRAND CARNIVAL', which was precisely the reason the Little Sister was so thrilled to enter, her daddy struggling to keep up behind her, his chains dragging through the water lazily as he lumbered along.

Beyond the entrance was a vast carnival, built intricately and with great love and detail precisely for the underwater city, with a towering, three-tiered Ferris wheel in the very center, that in its hay-day spun and chimed its merry tune, but now sat rusted and non-functioning, as still and lifeless as the carnival itself.

Of course, little Twig didn't mind, all she saw was a lavish carnival all to herself and her daddy, her little feet scampering towards one of the stands, jumping up and down in an attempt to see over her, before her father quickly scooped her up to lift her.

She beamed a wide smile, seeing a fresh custard pie sat cutely in the center of the stall, her leaning forward to scoop up from frosting with her finger and licked it off. She liked ADAM-laced blood the best, of course, but like most children, sweets were never turned down either.

From there, they moved to the other stands, the Sister eagerly scooping up a pig plushie from the selection of prizes and throwing balls at cans from the shoulders of her daddy. They were too busy having fun, and too focused on each other as well, to notice how odd it was that the stands all seemed so freshly tended to. A fresh pie, plushies not caked in dust and mold, the games restocked with baseballs and targets.

Once they were finished with the stands, the girl was not distracted long enough to register a familiarly enticing scent in the air, raising her head up and taking a deep breath, a wide smile gracing her features. "An angel, daddy! By the Ferris wheel! Come on, let's go, let's go!"

The pair quickly headed deeper into the carnival, coming before the hulking majesty that was said Ferris wheel. In front of it was a single corpse, the corpse of a young man clad in a faded 'staff' outfit, the way his body was crumpled and the dramatic splatter of blood around him indicating he had fallen from the very top of the structure.

The Big Daddy put the Sister down, letting her run towards the 'angel', as there was still only silence around them, beyond the faint sounds of carnival music coming from the ceiling's speakers. Unbeknownst to them, they were not alone at all...

As the Sister kneeled before the corpse and stuck her needle into its rotten flesh, beginning to extract it's ADAM-laced blood, a thin, colorful figure peered out from the mechanical depths of the Ferris wheel, his slender body contorted unnaturally to fit between the wires and crossbeams.

Soon enough, the clink-clink-clinking of hooks upon metal ringed out as the figure crawled from the mechanisms and landed dramatically before the Little Sister, mere inches away from her before the girl shrieked, falling onto her rear and scrambling backwards.

"Want a balloon, little girl?! AHAHAHAHAHAH!" The figure shrieked with a mad cackle, his scraggly blue hair peeking out from a blood-stained cone hat, the hat and his clown outfit white with blue polka dots, and of course also splattered with blood, hooks clung tightly in each gloved hand.

(Quick OC note, I personally recommend 'Step Right Up' from Killing Floor 2 for fight music for this battle scene)

The Big Daddy quickly rose its rivet gun and fired towards the clown, who nimbly dodged with a pair of back flips before jumping backwards and back onto the Ferris wheel, swiftly beginning to scramble back into its depths. Before the Big Daddy could rush forward, a loud groan of pain escaped it as fireballs were pelted down towards it, swinging its arms about in an attempt to fan away the flames.

The fireballs in question had come from high above, on the observation deck overlooking the Ferris wheel, a short, stout clown in jester-like attire beaming a wide, unnerving grin, the Big Daddy once again raising its rivet gun to fire, but the little clown had vanished in a puff of red just as quickly as he had appeared.

The little clown reappeared in another puff of red right in front of the still stunned girl, scooping her up and vanishing again in an instant, before her father even had time to catch his breath, the Big Daddy producing a loud, thunderous groan that rocketed the entire carnival as his Sister left his sight with a shriek.

He heard her shriek again however, though this shriek was much more distant and muffled, quickly rushing forward deeper into the carnival, following the sound. As he did, the slender clown emerged from the Ferris wheel once again and swiftly climbed up a nearby wall and onto the ceiling, following the beast.

The normally slow creature ran at near breakneck speed towards the shriek of his Sister, rushing down a hall that was lined with various, long-abandoned shops. Halfway down the hall, towards the security office at the very end, the Big Daddy, far too focused, was suddenly slammed into as hard as one could manage, smashing him hard against the wall and badly cracking away at the already moldy wood.

It was yet another clown, this one hulking in its musculature, its blue tailcoat coming up far too short down its back due to its increased height, a blue bowler hat barely clung to its massive head, curly strands of red hair dangling off the sides. It roared, slamming into him once again, but the Big Daddy returned with a roar of its own, throwing its arm back and swiftly forward again, swinging the sturdy chains around its wrist toward the splicer in a whipping motion, slashing across the splicer's chest with the sheer ferocity of it.

The Big Daddy turned back towards the door where he'd heard his Sister scream, rushing forward and slamming into it with all its might while the brute behind him was still dazed from the pain, fresh blood turning its white clown suit red.

The little clown was beyond the door, clutching onto Twig tightly, her constant struggling and kicking being the only thing that had spared her life thus far. The beast roared once again, whipping its chain forward yet again and connecting with the clown, this time, since the clown was so much smaller, flinging him up and backwards, smacking hard against the wall and sliding down with a blood splatter.

The Sister was scooped up and held close by her daddy, hugging onto him tightly and burrowing her face into his shoulder, as he stomped up to the small clown, who laid stunned but still alive on the floor, and slammed his metal boot -hard- against his skull. To the Sister, the little clown's life was ended in a burst of beautiful rose petals.

The brutish clown and the slender clown had retreated into the depths of the carnival, fearful of the beast's wrath, and left the pair alone once again, the girl rubbing tears away from her eyes as she pulled away from her daddy's shoulder to peer into the window of his helmet, the red light having turned to green as he peered back.

"Thank you, daddy. You always save me from the monsters."

(Holy crap, really went hard on this one XDDD)

#once upon a witchlight fanfic #bioshock fanfic #gideon coal #twig toadspring #honk legion #tw gore

[gristlebloom-orchid]

I'd love to know more about An Accident and/or THE DARK CARNIVAL IS COMING BACK TO TOWN (let's not keep the TGSU line title) because I Love those names (feel free to only elaborate on 1 ofc)

both will definitely be it An Accident (and it's still a wip title) is a story I have yet to write so it's more of just a couple notes. It's got an unnamed "virus" (as in computer program virus not biological ones) kind of just... stuck between 3 different devices in a single room, although more mainly an old-fashioned radio with bad sound quality. The audio as it talks is taken from words and noises from radio stations all around the globe to form it's sentences, which I could make an audio of, one day, if I have the motivation, as well as it's tv appearance having it's "body" on-screen formed by also constantly shifting people from channels all around the globe... anyways, that thing (I may make a proper description latter) interacts with the people around it. And one of them is a young man (that used to be a tma oc lol) of which it... kind of wants to take his body. Not easy being stuck in a radio on a desk in an office when you have knowledge from all around the world about so many different things. Hence why on the computer screen (given the 3 devices are radio-tv-computer) it only appears as a tiny icon of him, appearing as a chatbot, constantly on the bottom right of the screen and the icon changing expression with each message it sends, also making the message pop up next to te icon. aside from that in the notes there's nothing much more to elaborate on except from a final note that says that if it does manage to go into a body of flesh and blood, it'll just terribly hurt as a computer program doesn't go into a brain, and it doesn't know weight or pressure or any of the senses, and pain. It did not expect pain. It did not like it but it was stuck in the body, now. Onto the next, actually I told you about that one already Char-lie; basically a Creature Feature fanfic (technically short story) based on, well, The Greatest Show Unearthed (and The Greatest Show Unearthed Returns). For a quick context giver: Ringmaster Calvin Scotts died in his own carnival so it closed and about 2 decades later it's back with a slightly (very) demented (not-so-)man as it's ringmaster, one that calls himself Carvin (no last name) and kind of just having fun traumatizing/killing kids on there. Anyways, basically just some guy that visited it years back, had seemingly not too much issues with it in life with some therapy, starts back to think about it. Not while awake tho, every night he just finds himself standing back on the dry grounds of the carnival with a green sky and sickly yellow clouds. And that dreadful ringmaster standing before him again, well, not really, he doesn't quite remember what the man looked like. (ps slight eye body horror ahead) In his dreams he'd have a grey/green tint and one eye missing, the same vines all over the place also coming out of the hole and a few other parts, including his hat. The things called itself Carvin in real life, but in those dreams it's Marvin, the guy doesn't even remember his name right. So he kinds of just... gets haunted by the carnival in his dreams.

#writer on tumblr #writing #work in progress #sharing wips is fun #also yeah 3 names. Calvin (real guy) Carvin (literally dead) and Marvin (just a bad memory) how fun

[laughingjill]

Just out of curiosity who are the characters in your creepypasta AU?

cursed question, solely due to the fact it's almost 100 LMAO. i just see a character i like and throw them in, along with the fact i like to throw in ocs. i'd like to make a headcanon list at some point for most of them, a lot of them are a works in progress either due to being rewritten or i just haven't even gotten to rewriting them yet. i'll try my best to go over who i have so far as well as i categorize them just to make it a little easier, haha. it's long, so beware!

* = ocs

? = i dont know if i want to keep them or not, or if i want to move them under another category

slenderman & proxies

slenderman (obvi, LMAO)

proxies: tim, brian, toby, kate the chaser, rouge, ms. pencilneck, jason the toymaker, nurse ann, korbyn jumping eagle, radioface, mr. smiley (not dr. smiley btw!), wilson the basher

puppeteer's proxies: emra, zachary, trinitte

zalgoids & proxies

zalgo (also obvi lel)

proxies: stripes, beatrice*, the rake?, rodger walker (originally named rodger williams), sadiya

other people that work for slender: jeff the killer, jane the killer, allie*, clockwork, nina the killer, homicidal liu, eyeless jack, su*c*de sadie, kagekao, the puppeteer, zero, bloody painter, judge angels, lulu, hobo heart, roadwalker, dr. smiley, mr. widemouth, ani the wight, the cat hunter, nathan the nobody (& his sister crystal who's now a ghost), killing kate, x-virus, anna, frankie the undead?, weeping willow*, the item stealer, the dollmaker, vailly evans?, dr. flesh*, arcane, scarecrow

bitches that live in the carnival pocket dimension: laughing jill, candy pop, candy cane, april fools, papa grande di magico

glitches / virtual killers: ben drowned, lost silver, sonic.exe, glitchy red, brvr, 404*, herobrine

kids: sally williams, lazari, lifeless lucy, lacy morgan, lily kennett, elizabeth vazquez, oliver henderson, abigail creed, noah barlowe*, ally the doll (originally called ally the nightmare doll), hanged girl (originally called hung girl, i just thought hanged girl sounded a bit better), sammy kingsley, milo the electrocuted, sarah erickson

pets: smile dog, grinny, seedeater (jeff mostly takes care of smile, ej specifically takes care of seedeater, grinny is basically everyone's cat but likes ms. pencilneck the most)

neutral: BOB, momo?, sirenhead?

outsiders: chris hopkins (nina's brother who was never harmed, he's out looking for nina), mary vaughn (jane's girlfriend), jessica locke (doesn't have a major role, but tim [along with brian] are trying to keep slender away from her as much as they can)

SO sorry for the long post. might've accidentally opened pandora's box :crying_emoji:

#internethorrorfan #mailbox #au info #i knew i had a lot but i forgot it was this long. im sorry

[alexia-crystal-art]

35 & 36

35: Inscryption OCs

I spoke a little about Camellia in the last ask, but I’ll go a little more in depth here! Cami (she/they) is a clown that was slowly corrupted by the Ö̵̡̩͚̬̪̘̞̯̹̺͎̣̳͎͓̝̝͔̥͚̙͚́̏͜ͅĻ̴̝͓̠̰̤̬͇̠͎̮͉̪̱͖̇͆͐̏̑̆̒̍̂̎̓͛͛̀͑̾͠ͅD̵̨̨̨͎̖̩̫̱͍͚͙̠͕͔̩͙͇͆ ̶̧̨̛̭̰̟̼̘͚̻̠͔͍͔̜̰̻͙̱̗̏̐͑̀̆̀̄́͂̽̄̓͒̃͜͜͠D̴̮̗̠̝̗̯̞̝͙̗̥͚̀̅̊̒̌͊̽̈́͝Ā̷̡̨͇̜̜̩͕̤͕̜̖͓̲̖̳̞͐̏̀͒̔̊͒̉͛̈́͘ͅT̸̢̛̛͍͉̘̮̟͕̮̗̟͚̻͈̅́̾́̔͊͌͒̽̐̋̍̄̓̀̓̑̉̑́̾̕̕͜Â̵̡̧̨̡̨̛͓̠̳͔̼̥̲̭̱͇̲͓͍̲͖͎͂͜ͅ and became the Unhinged Being of Fun and Entertainment. She’s just around for a good time, and will go to great lengths to ensure that. They take standoffish personalities as a challenge to try to get them to smile, and isn’t afraid to push and prod to achieve that.

36: More About Cami!

I haven’t 100% figured out a mechanic for her cards yet, so that’s still on the table for me to figure out 😅 She acts like an annoying sibling to everyone else and loves pulling pranks on them (“redecorating” magnificus’ tower, trying to steal the skeleton’s bones when they’re not looking, Very Obviously stalking leshy and trying to snap photos of him like he’s a cryptid, replacing p03’s machine line with balloon animals, etc). They live in a carnival themed area that looks heavily Little Nightmares inspired (long, impossible architecture/giant twisting tents and ropes and curtains that reach up into the suspiciously impossible to see sky/a tent that is waayyy bigger on the inside than the outside) Her underlings are her Freakshow Carnival troupe! (Nothing really fleshed out yet here either, however a user in the Daniel Mullens discord server gave me the wonderful idea to include a trapeze artist as her “dataminer”, like the other scrybes have. They have their waist secured and dive into the depths in hopes of retrieving what their ringmaster is after.)

(also here’s more Cami art lol)

#crystal rambles #my art #alexia-crystal-art #inscryption #inscryption oc #camellia #donut-mistress-the-437th

[sawocs]

here he is!!! my MagiQuest ‘sona, Schmendrick! (x, x, x)

I recently got back into MagiQuest and thought it would be fun to turn my MQ profile into a fully-fleshed out OC with some backstory! Schmendrick was named for + heavily inspired by the character from The Last Unicorn, and has been my Magi name since I first played at the Mall of America.

Schmendrick is 28 years old and of the Trixter clan, and he’s achieved the rank of Master Magi! His wand is the classic black body with a shadow skull topper (it defeats the red and silver dragons in one shot, in the actual game). He’s closest to Lokari, when he visits the outside world (Schmendrick has a bit of a crush), and he also has great respect for Carren. They saw each other fairly often while growing up due to their respective families’ paths crossing (he grew up with traveling performers from the Mystic Village). He’s also close to Candice and often goes to her for advice, she’s somewhat of an older sister to him (her quests are how he recharges his topper’s power).

He lives in the Whispering Woods in a little encampment, too used to traveling to really settle down yet. Thanks to Candice’s encouragement, he’s currently studying potions as his main Master Quest. His most utilized runes are the Dazzle, Music, and Protection (he’s a performer at heart); he keeps all three secured to his wand belt, alongside the amulet he got from aiding a unicorn. This amulet is one of his most cherished belongings, alongside a lute that was gifted to him by his adopted parents, and a pair of goggles Lokari gave him for his first journey through the portals. He has a strong dislike of goblins and spiders, and can’t stand to be in Ironhold for any extended amount of time.

As far as Schmendrick’s personality goes, he has the carefree, mischievous spirit of all Trixter Magi, though this has mellowed somewhat as he journeyed and grew. He can be somewhat sarcastic, which gets worse when he’s around Lokari (they play off each other a little too well)— he’s also careful to never take things too far (Lokari can definitely be meaner). He’s very kind to children and animals, and has a strong affinity for mystical creatures. Schmendrick likes to play music for the pixies, which has definitely led to the creation of quite a few fairy rings. Though he may outwardly appear stubborn and even sometimes callous, he cares very deeply about his friends and ultimately wants to get the most fun he can out of life (it’s too short to waste even a moment!)

Schmendrick dresses in mostly blues, creams and browns, preferring shirts with loose, puffy sleeves and warm, flowing capes. He knows how to sew himself from his youth in the Mystic Village (most of his clothes are handmade out of habit). He always wears a pair of embossed leather riding boots that were a gift from Candice, and a necklace that was gifted to him by his birth mother. He has a floppy black wizard’s hat that he wears when traveling, with a blue/purple galaxy lining— it was a collective gift from his family from the Mystic Village. He also has a black and silver wand belt with a holster, pouch, multiple straps for holding potions, and places to hang his amulets!

I’ve got more detailed notes on his history under the cut!

Born in Breakhame to Portal Nomads, Schmendrick’s parents spent time in the Mystic Village while he was young. When he was old enough, his parents decided he should choose whether to join them in the Nomads’ airships or stay in the in the Village. He chose to stay, and he holds no ill will towards his parents— they would visit him whenever their ships crossed paths with the performers. Schmendrick first began collecting runes at seventeen, while visiting the castle for Candice’s birthday. Captivated by the quest stones, he felt a pull to begin his first adventure away from his home amongst the carnival performers he’d grown up with.

He has since reached the rank of Master Magi, aided the Pixies and fought the Goblin King, and begun his studies as a Master. He first studied the Creativity Rune, and upon being awarded it Schmendrick turned his focus to potions. It was Candice’s encouragement and her own passion that drove his decision, and he greatly enjoys himself (though it’s a more academic pursuit than he normally likes). He can often be found wandering the woods and playing music with the pixies and other creatures when not studying; he hasn’t lost his Trixter spirit or the need to wander, simply staying closer to the castle and quest stones now.

Schmendrick first met Lokari when the Questmaster called on them both for help defending a portal from the Shadow Master’s minions. He thought the portal master was gorgeous from the moment he laid eyes on him, and always looked forward to Lokari’s visits to the real world. Schmendrick was somewhat nervous to venture into the virtual world, though with some coaxing he has been known to explore it with Lokari for a short vacation. Lokari won’t admit it out loud, but he’s often grateful for Schmendrick’s potions (projectile spells in liquid form are pretty damn cool, and it makes healing a lot easier too). Schmendrick hasn’t worked himself up to admitting his crush to Lokari, but maybe someday…

(I did blend some 2.0 lore with Legacy lore, even tho I’ve only ever played Legacy I do think some of the lore from 2.0 is interesting! Legacy will always have my heart though)

#oc img #oc intro #schmendrick #magiquest #im tagging it bc im excited sjfjdjhd This was so fun to make #10/10 highly recommend making ur MQ profile into a full-on OC

[cleanerpassingby]

her playground

you’ve been there before... once

twitter

#oc: flesh carnival #oc #character design #monster girl #gore #anime gore #gore art #gore oc #guro #my oc #my art #body horror #original character

[ladyofblueglass]

Had a TMA themed dream today. A carnival (similar to the ones that take place in Venice) was taking place at my hometown. Most of the visitors were normal people, a chance to have fun in costumes, an opportuniti for cosplayers to show their favorite cosplays (we don't celebrate Halloween, where I come from). However, the event also had a special gravity for people touched by the Fears and avatars. An unspoken agreement of truce came to be, for the duration of the carnival. People serving and affiliated to the Dread powers would come to terrorize and feed on terror. Only rule was to keep it subtle enough in order to keep the event going.

So, on the surface the streets were filled with laughing people in colorful costumes, music played on every corner, parades and dances took place, flags were waving, every cafe and pub had its doors open wide. But if you looked closer you'd notice some smiles were too wide, some doorways led to places looking wrong and twisted , some shadows in the alleyways were too dark for a lovely day this bright. Among the goodies the vendors handed out to eager kids were firecrackers and sparklers that burned too bright and the flame it created was hungry and unceaseful.

The noise of the crowd was happy and careless but mingled with the cheers and songs was a scared voice of a parent calling for their lost child, a worried conversation of a group of friends asking each other when was the last time their missing buddy was with them.

A person standing at the corner, checking their phone, waiting for a date that will never come.

A confused spouse looking at their empty hand which just a moment ago was clutching a hand of a loved one

I myself was aware of what was happening and utterly terrified. Trough dream logic I knew that once the carnival started I would be targeted by one of the avatars (most of them were non canon OCs) and forced to serve their god. I also knew that a new Flesh Hive would be attending. The idea of parasites, bugs crawling under my skin is one of my biggest fear (thank you, the Mummy 1999) so I was petrified.

This is the part where my dream actually started, with me knowing all stated above. I was standing on a balcony of my childhood home, watching groups of people heading to the town's center thinking which one of them were normal, carefree humans and which were predators coming for a feast. Suddenly I was pulled over the railing, falling flat on the concrete road. I could feel my ribs crack, my face deform. I spat out some blood and hoped I would die before the bugs would find me. I could hear footsteps approaching me, then I was lifted to my feet while my ribs popped back into theri place.

A beautiful woman with blood red lips smiled at me. I could feel, as she held me, her fingers were too long and sharp. She introduced herself as Vesna (which means spring). It was a bitter joke, since the woman was pale as death, with long black hair and merciless light in her eyes. Turned out she was with the Stranger and so was I from that moment.

Vesna took me to a beauty salon, where people affiliated with the Stranger had one of their gathering spot. Ordinary people would come for a makeover but the new face they'd received would instill a feeling of deep disconnect between them and their visage. A stranger would look at them from the mirror even after they'd washed away the make-up and hair color.

I was dressed in a luxurious ball gown, given sparkly jewelry, my face was changed with foundation, mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick, my hair was redone and I was send into the streets to follow Vesna in a procession of not-peolpe.

My dream ended with me spotting my best friend in the crowd coming towards me. I called out to her, trying to warn her not to come closer, to run, to leave the town, that there is death at the carnival. But she didn't listen, she didn't understand why I was so upset, why I was sending her away. The last thing I saw before I woke up was Vesna's smile as her gaze fell upon my friend and I knew she was doomed.

#tma #the magnus archives #Dream

[cheyentjj]

Carnival

Sebastian Stan x oc Ali

Warnings: ehm...none i think, some heated kisses and hints toward sexy times but that’s it.

A/n: still fairly new to the whole writing side of things,so bare with me. Wrote this on my phone so please forgive any mistakes.the picture inspired the story.

Let me know what you think!

Thank you @foodieforthoughts for ones again listening to my rambling and encouraging me to write it down!

“...but yeah, Costa Rica was good” the blonde finished the story of her latest adventure.

A slight breeze sweeping through the highlighted pixie. Still not used to the short length She let her fingers sweep through the locks.

“It suits you.” Sebastian pointed to her head. “I don’t know what happened to” gesturing to the entirety of her body,”but it suits you.”

She looked up in his baby blues, the lights of the carnival around them reflecting so beautifully in them. It was like all the colors, blue,red,white,green, they all strengthened the cerulean of his orbs.

Her cheeks heated up with his complement, his strong gaze making her look away.

Sebastian has been her friend for years. She would absolutely do anything to make him happy. A year ago though she realised her feeling for him might actually mean more to her than they did to him. Every touch,gaze,second spend with him made her heart race. She had tried to figure out whether he may have harboured the same feelings towards her, but when he had come home with a new girlfriend she knew she had to take a step back.

Dont get her wrong. She was happy for him. She would always be happy for him as long as he was. But seeing him with another woman, one as gorgeous as she was. Everything she was not.

The girl had been tall, long legs that went on for miles in all her designer dresses. Her chestnut mane always brushed to perfection.

Not Ali. She was usually wearing either workout clothes or something comfortable, like plain jeans and a good hoodie. Her boring hair usually placed on top of her head in a messy bun. If you could even call it that.

She worked out together with seb for years. They both went to Don for the best workout in town. That’s how they met. But following along with his workouts meant she was in pretty good shape. She had some cushion to her, her behind rounder than average. She was strong and she knew it. But god forbid, she would never give up her dessert.

But seeing him with her, it hurt. That’s when the decision was made to start working somewhere far away. At First it really was to get away from Sebastian and his ‘babe’, but after a month she found that it helped her relax in more ways than one. She rediscovered herself. Working in animal shelters all over the world, five countries, living in those countries. Had changed her outlook on life. Changed her.

For the better, she believed.

Now one year later, stood in the city that never sleeps once again. She had thought that after a year away from him she surely wouldn’t have this silly crush on him anymore...yet every action tonight seemed to prove her wrong.

Both Seb and Don, along with Don’s wife and kids, had waited for her at the airport, immediately bombarding her with questions about all the places she had seen. If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought she hadn’t heard of them in a year. Truth be told, she called them every week. Updating them on her working and living arrangements.

“Alisceon?”

She moved her gaze to the oh so handsome face of the man next to her.

Only then realising his hand was softly placed on her lower back. Breath hitching for just a fraction of a second.

“W...what?” Clearing her throat “sorry I didn’t hear you.”

“I realised you dosed of for a good couple of minutes. Been trying to get you attention.”he smiled. Damn that gorgeous grin.”what was it like? Away from home for so long.” His eyes looked sad somehow. “You didn’t even come back for one day”

“I...” she couldn’t explain. That would mean telling him about her feelings and he was just too good a friend to risk that.

“I just couldn’t, seb.”

Tears started to well up and curses were quietly uttered. First from her mouth but soon his as well.

Before she even knew it his hand was place on her cheek. Oh so softly. Absentmindedly leaning into the touch, she looked into his touch.

“I know, Ali. I’m so sorry.” His thumb wiping at the one year that stubbornly escaped.

His eyes darting all over her face. Her eyes, her lips. Eyes...lips. He leaned in, ever so slowly.

Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear her inner voice telling her to breathe. Her lungs slightly burning from the lack of oxygen they were getting. Her eyes looking, staring really, at his slightly parted lips.

Right before his lips landed on hers he looked into her eyes again. She knew he was silently asking her permission. She couldn’t utter a word though. And then he moved to close the space. She felt the curve of his lips on hers,just barely. And then two kids on the loose ran in between Seb and her.

Blinking eyes, switching between the kids and Sebastian who was just about to kiss her seconds ago.

He cleared his throat and looked away.

“Ali...” he started.

He thought it was a mistake. Of course he did. How could she even have thought he actually wanted to kiss her. He probably felt lonely...he had been single for a while and his busy schedule hadn’t allowed him to date a lot, she was sure.

She nodded her head ones and turned to walk the other side.

“Alisceon. Listen...I’ve...god why is it so hard?” He said.

Wrapping her arms around her own waist, she let her eyes roam everywhere but at him. That was until she heard him let out a small laugh.

“What?” She snapped.

She followed his eyes behind her and saw the small white cubicle.

“Let’s go in there.” Before she could even say anything he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the small photobooth.

“Remember we did one of these the first party we did together. That was the best party I’ve ever been to.” He smiled and she couldn’t help but smile along.

“Yeah i remember.”

He pushed her out in front of him into the booth and followed suit.

Having done this with him many,many times before, she knew exactly what to do. So without thinking she smiled and made silly faces along with the flashes. On the second to last flash she felt Sebastian’s breath on her ear,goosebumps gracing her flesh.

“Look at me” he whispered and as she did, time just stopped.

Somewhere in the background she heard the faint click of the last picture being taken,but that was the last thing on her mind. On the foreground though? The scent of forest and wilderness. It enveloped her from all around. She swore a second ago, the second she felt his lips on hers hard and urgent, her heart stopped. But now, now...it was beating so hard she was sure it was gonna jump out of her chest.

“Hey Are you guys done in there? There’s people waiting you know!” The pounding sound on the side of the giant box they were inside of made him jump back.

Simply looking at one another, not saying a word, he lead her out of the booth.

Ones outside she had no idea what to do. Had he not though kissing her was gonna be a mistake? But then he went and did it anyway.

She couldn’t help the hope from showing in her eyes as she looked up at him.

His eyes sparkling with happiness, not an ounce of regret to be seen.

“Seb?” Was all she was able to push out of her throat before he uttered a silent “darlin’” and his hands were on her.

One hand grabbing at the back of her head to keep her in place, his other softly squeezing her hip. His lips moving against hers in a desperate notion.

A hard open mouthed kiss. Making her heart leap out of her chest. Her hands awkwardly holding onto his hips.

But man if she thought that was the best he could offer. His hands moved to her jaw holding her there. His tongue ever so slightly stroked over her bottom lip. She was about to react and let him have all the control over this kiss, hell he already had it. But he pulled away.

Both his and her chest heaving with all the breaths that kiss stole from their lungs.

The way he looked at her, eyes pleading to understand for her to understand what he was feeling, made her smile.

Her hand in his as they walked back towards the car. She wanted to kiss him again, so bad but they would have to talk about this.

As they reached the car he opened the door for her to get in. “I missed you, you know” he whispered as she lowered herself to the seat,hand still in his.

Her eyes big with suprise searching his face.

“Seb,I...we...” his hand went to her jaw, thumb tracing small circles and it was enough to undo her. She moaned.

Shocked by the sound she made she turned red.

“Darlin’” he spoke so quietly she almost missed it. Almost.

“Yes”

God, i want you. Looking like that in that goddamn dress. Traveling really did you good, you know. I feel like I can finally see all of you. And...Darlin’ I want you”it left him in one breath. And only one breath later he was leaning down toward her face again but not closing the gap.

No could do. She grabbed onto his shirt and roughly pulled him towards her and close the gap herself.

“Then have me” was the last thing she said. And they kissed. And it felt so good. It felt right. Like they were meant to do this with one another. He was perfect for her and she had known that for years. And she couldn’t feel anything but happiness and excitement that he had finally caught up to the feeling.

She knew Sebastian better than anyone, and she knew that he didn’t just go around kissing people. This meant more. And she was grateful that from this moment forward. This god damn heated moment forward, they would have the chance to explore each other like never before. Be there for each other and love each other like only they could.

“Let’s take this home, seb.”

He smiled and closed the door before getting into the car himself and taking off into the, mostly unknown,but undoubtedly orgasmic future.

Randomly tagging some people sorry 😁

@mariestark @mary-ann84 @henrythickcavill l @madbaddic7ed @toomanyfandomsshreya @thetaoofzoe @luclittlepond @sweeterthanthis

#sebastian stan fluff #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #photobooth #kiss

[jinterlude]

Protecting Each Other

↳ Header created by the amazingly talented @kimtaehyunq from the BHQ’s Banner Request Board.

—Pairing: Seokjin x OC (Sumin) —Genre(s): The Last of US!AU, Zombie Apocalypse!AU, Fluff, Romance, Angst, Fantasy, Slight-Action, & Slight-Humor —Warning(s) / Rating: zombies, semi-graphic description of violence (mainly shooting and killing zombies), weapons (guns and a sword), light graphic description of injuries, blood, brief mentions/hints of deaths of a loved one, light suggestive moments (mainly making out), & swearing / 18+  —Word Count: 16K —Summary: In just one year, the virus swept the planet, destroying everything and everyone in its path and drastically changing the world. However, at least one thing is for certain—Seokjin & Sumin will always have each other.    

—A/N: The moment you guys have been waiting for! It is the release of my BB Summer Collaboration Fic! Cue the cheers and confetti! I’m quite proud of myself with how this turned out! I would like to thank my soup friend and forever my number one supporter, Jey @softjeon. It is because of her that this story even came to be the way it is, so this story is dedicated to her. 

↬ It is also dedicated to my amazing people: @jinned​​, @hobiance​​, @j-sope​​, @mindays​​​, @ppersonna​​​, @miamorjoon​​​, @parksfilter​​​, & @mygsii​​​. Thank you guys for supporting me and just cheering me on when I needed it. You are truly one of a kind. ↫

» Feedback is always appreciated and thanks for giving my story a chance!  

Destruction. That single word echoed in Sumin's mind frequently—on an endless loop. The faint smell of burnt and decaying flesh invaded her poor nostrils as the exhausted young woman carefully maneuvered around the lifeless bodies. Her eyes surveyed her current surroundings, noting how colorless the world had become. How the suffocating silence circled her, engulfing her entire body. Oh, how she missed the times where the sounds of laughter and lively chatter greeted her like a dear old friend. Instead, it was either the painful silence or agonizing screams that said, "hello," to her.

No longer did she see the vibrant colors that caught her attention before the outbreak began. Shifting her gaze downwards, she noted her attire. A faint yet amused smirk formed on her lips as she thought about the irony of her previous observation. She, too, no longer wore bright colors. Now, she wore all black from head to toe.

Her leather jacket? Black.

Her shredded jeans? Black.

Shoes? Black.

Every article of clothing that covered her bruised and wounded body was dark. Well, at least she'd be ready to pay her respects if someone close to her tragically died.

Now, standing in front of a man, who's currently crouched down catching his breath, Sumin remained on high alert. Her right hand gripped the hilt of her Japanese sword to the point that her knuckles turned white. Meanwhile, her left hand held the trusty semi-automatic pistol in front of her. Her index finger rested nicely on the trigger—ready to pull it back at even the faintest snarl heard. She needed to be prepared to fall into action. She couldn’t afford to falter because if she did, then it would cost her significantly. Her hesitation would cost her the life of the person who was the keeper of her heart. She would lose her long-time companion—Seokjin.

Protecting that man was the reason she needed to stay alive. Sadly, he was her only reason to do so. Her family and friends had tragically died one-by-one over the years. To be exact, it was ten years. Ten fucking years since this outbreak came into the picture. Ten fucking years since the zombie attack destroyed any ounce of normalcy she established since she was a child. Then, in a blink of an eye, it was gone, vanished with a snap of someone's fingers.

Only her boyfriend remained by her side, and the protective young woman prepared to do everything and anything to ensure it stayed that way.

As Sumin continued to stare into the fog, searching for any strange shadows, her eyes picked up a faint sound. Her breath hitched as she clutched her weapons, prepared to attack at any second. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a hand. Without a second thought, she swiftly turned around, pointing her pistol at the person's forehead. At the same time, the blade of her sword pressed into the intruder's neck.

But then, she dropped her weapons, both of the lethal items dangled by her side. A long sigh of relief exited her lips as the exhausted Sumin gave the person a dirty look.

"Jesus, Seokjin. I could've easily slaughtered you. You know that right." She scolded the young man, who only chuckled in response, which further irritated her.

Seokjin wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he planted a sweet kiss on her temple.

Sumin grimaced and pushed him away, "Ew. I'm all sweaty and bloodied up, Jinnie. No kissing until you and I shower," and just as she finished her statement, she dreaded it instantly. This sense of mischievousness twinkled in his eyes. His lips formed this playful smirk.

Oh, boy. Those two features never made a great combination in Sumin's book. If anything, what came next always left her either a blushing mess that couldn't string a coherent sentence together or chasing the idiot and threatening to punch him.

Silently, she prayed it would be the latter. Sumin wanted to make sure that she could still punch an undead person.

"Jinnie..." She began, forcing a sweet smile on her filthy face, "You better choose your next words carefully or else."

Seokjin's smirk grew, "I don't know what you're talking about sweetheart," He took a step forward, "I was about to suggest something that any loving boyfriend would do for his wonderful girlfriend." He shrugged as his eyes flickered towards Sumin for a moment.

Sumin's breath hitched but soon composed herself.

"Oh, so that's how he wants to play. Game on, Jinnie boy..." She amusingly thought, nodding her head slowly as an alluring smile crept on her face.

Without any warning, Sumin turned the pistol's safety on and tried to fire the gun as a precaution. She then tucked the firearm away in her thigh holster. She secured her prized weapon in its confinement, whistling softly to herself.

As she did that, this unsettling sensation washed over Seokjin's body. His heart raced as if he ran away from a hoard of starving zombies. He suddenly felt parched as Sumin continued to instill fear in him. Her body crouched as she tightened the shoelaces on her boots. How completely still she was as she did something so minuscule. His eyes continued studying her body language, noting how completely balanced she was. He subtly tilted his head, hoping to get a better look at his princess.

"Speaking of ass..." His eyes drifted down Sumin's back, but he forced himself out his unholy thoughts, "Wait, now is not the time to be checking out your girlfriend, Seokjin." He shook his head furiously. His ears perked up at the random sound Sumin made as she stood up. She dusted off her torn jeans before turning her body towards him. An overly sweet smile greeted the scared man.

Seokjin flashed a smile, chuckling nervously at her as he swallowed his saliva; his Adam's apple bobbed a few times. Sadly, it only made him thirstier.

His tongue swept the bottom of his dry lips. Then, he spoke,

"Princess," He began, clearing his dry throat, "Are you preparing for another battle with the undead?" A nervous chuckle escaped his lips, "You know, the more you whistle, the more anxious I become. Do you want that, Sumin? Do you want to be dealing with a nervous boyfriend while we fight for our lives? I think not!" He finished his rather dramatic yet short monologue.

Sumin's face went poker-faced as she nodded her head slowly. No words escaped her lips, maintaining the eerie silence that surrounds the environment. Her eyes narrowed as she homed in on her target. She cracked her neck, releasing the tension in her muscles as she took a step toward the poor man.

As she stepped forward, Seokjin stepped backward. The attractive couple continued this rather odd dance for a few minutes until - suddenly - Seokjin grabbed his pack and bolted away from the menacing young lady.

Sumin bolted after him, shouting at him to stop being such a coward and face her like a real man. Though, she was careful not to alert any enemies of their presence. The last thing she wanted to deal with, on top of Seokjin behaving like a child, was a mob of ravenous zombies.

Yup...definitely not on her nonexistent to-do list.

With her lungs practically begging for air, Sumin refused to let that man escape her grasps. She easily dodged the low hanging branches while keeping her eye on the prize. The prize of closing the gap between her and Seokjin, so she could punch the living shit out of him. What made the situation funnier was that Seokjin taunted her endlessly. Each insult that spewed out of that gorgeous man's mouth fueled her desire - that competitive drive - to tackle him to cold hard concrete.

Then, as if God answered her wish, Sumin's eyes gleamed with excitement as she focused her attention on his perfectly still body.

"HA! I knew you'd stop being such a little bitch and take my punch like a mature adult!" She exclaimed as she jogged up to him. Just as she drew back her fist, she swiftly caught on to Seokjin's odd expression. No longer did he wear this playful mask but now dawned an emotion that Sumin thought she'd never see again.

Complete and utter disbelief.

Carefully, Sumin placed a warm hand on the young man's broad shoulder; her eyes dripped with concern.

"Jinnie..." The concerned lady began but was soon interrupted.

"Do you know where we are, Sumin?"

"I...uh..."

"Imagine everything lit up. The entrance sign lit so brightly that blinded anyone who dared to stare directly at it. Now, add the sounds of the arcade and carnival games going off every second as loud chatter mixes in with the lively atmosphere. Children that scattered all over the fairgrounds as they ran towards their parents, screaming from excitement as they begged their parents to win them yet another gigantic stuffed animal."

Sumin still didn't quite understand what Seokjin was talking about until he said,

"Look at the broken-down stand in the far-right corner," He pointed in that specific direction, "You see those beaten up stuffed animals?" He asked as he intertwined their fingers together. He then guided the two of them towards the row of carnival games. The unhappy pair carefully maneuvered around the fallen debris, planning their steps accordingly. The last thing they wanted to do was deal with one of them having a broken ankle.

The more Seokjin and Sumin adventured down the row of destroyed carnival games, the more Sumin's face became solemn as sadness washed over her entire body. Her jaw clenched, and her breath hitched. She couldn't believe it. She took in every single torn down - practically shredded - dull banners as she passed the poorly maintained game stands. The same game stands she and Seokjin used to frequent every summer and the reason she came home with a massive pile of stuffed animals. It was thanks to that lovesick fool that she no longer had space in her closet for her cuddly friends. At the same time, it was because of those soft stuffed animals that got her hooked on Seokjin's charms in the first place.

God, the more she reminisced about her countless summer spent at this fair, the more she became depressed. However, she couldn't stop thinking about those specific moments in her life. After all, those days led her to the man that she absolutely could never imagine living her life without him.

"I wonder if this place was the first to go?" asked Sumin, voicing her innermost thoughts as her doe-like gaze switched to Seokjin. She noted how tight his jaw was as if he tried his hardest to maintain his composure.

"I hope not..." He trailed on as he continued to survey his surroundings, "Though, it wouldn't surprise me if it was since the annual summer fair always drew in a massive crowd." He finished, letting out a soft, airy chuckle.

The corners of her lips curved upward as Sumin read his mind.

"Yeah. Kind of how it drew us together for the very first time, right?"

"What do you mean, kind of drew us together? It matched two beautiful people together."

Sumin's face fell, "Are you sure? Because I remember our fateful meeting quite differently."

Seokjin gawked. He couldn't believe the words that came out of his princess' mouth.

"Oh, do tell how that day went, then, Minnie

"Gladly...!" She exclaimed with an intriguing twinkle in the corner of her eyes.

Seokjin scoffed playfully, "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

The petite young female shot an irritated look at the attractive man before beginning her tale.

"Well, as you know, it started on that Friday evening. You had just gotten out of her last class of the week and..."  Sumin trailed on. Her words echoed in the back of Seokjin's mind as he, too, recalled their meeting so vividly.

For the twentieth time that evening, Sumin checked her appearance using her front-facing camera. Her trembling hands ran through her beach curled hair, positioning it in a way that made her look charming yet radiated innocence. It wasn't every day that she was set up on a blind date by a good friend of hers. However, she wasn't a stranger to the dating scene, so why did she feel so damn nervous? Why did her heart pound against her chest as if she ran from her house to the fairgrounds?

Suddenly a look of complete and utter dread washed over her face as this horrendous thought implanted itself in her frenzied mind. Without a second thought, Sumin subtly smelled herself, praying to every God known to man that her sweet rose perfume still lingered around her body. She sneakily raised her arms and took a quick whiff under her armpits.

"Oh, thank God. My tropical fruit-scented deodorant is still working." She thought as this massive sigh of relief exited her lips. She dropped her arm, and as she raised her head, her eyes went round. Her breath hitched as this feeling of embarrassment hit her like a tidal wave.

"Please don't be my blind date. Please don't be my blind date." She repeatedly chanted as a drop-dead gorgeous man started walking up to her. With every footstep, he slowly closed the gap between them, and as he closed that distance, Sumin's anxiety increased. The butterflies in the pit of her stomach flew into a flurry, which only caused the poor young girl to smile nervously. She also chuckled softly as she awkwardly waved her hand.

"Great. Now, that handsome fellow is going to think I'm this huge doofus." She mused as she quickly mustered the sweetest smile and introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Sumin. I'm Seokjin, but my friends call me Worldwide Handsome." The handsome fellow greeted back, playfully winking at her as he displayed this thousand-watt smile.

Sumin became lost for words. She slightly parted her mouth as she wrapped her mind around the fact that this attractive man seriously said that his friends called him "Worldwide Handsome." Her eyes flickered with annoyance before switching back to politeness.

But before she could ask him if he was serious, Seokjin beat her to it.

"I'm kidding. My friends don't call me that," Another wave of relief washed over Sumin, but once she heard Seokjin's next sentence, that moment of peace was over, "I call myself that. I've been spending my entire high school career trying to get my tasteless friends to admit that I'm good looks are enough for me to hold the title of 'Worldwide Handsome.'"

Out of nowhere, Sumin felt a slight twitch in her right eye. Her body heated up. Her breathing grew heavy as her nostrils flared slightly.

Yeah, they didn't even get past the formalities., and his words ended the date right there.

As the irked young lady opened her mouth, ready to apologize to him that she wanted to end the date, a high-pitch noise emitted from his lips. It was almost as if she activated her car's windshield wipers.

"Oh, my God, I can't keep this charade up any longer," He paused, continuing his fit of laughter. The laughter grew too much for him as he clutched the sides of his stomach. "Congrats, princess. You passed." He vaguely announced, further irritating Sumin.

The serious honey-brown haired woman stared at the tall immature man through slit eyes. Her mind battled if she should ask him to clarify or not. Part of her - scratch that - most of her wanted to go home, but, sadly, the curious side got the best of her, so she asked Seokjin what he meant by his strange words.

The towering, well-dressed man cleared his throat, "Well, my young and surprisingly beautiful princess, what I meant is that you passed the, 'can this potential girlfriend handle my arrogant side and be honest with her reaction rather be fake?' test." He answered, keeping this calm tone of voice.

Suddenly, Seokjin shot Sumin with a playful wink, as he dug out his wallet from the pocket of his light pastel blue zipper hooded sweatshirt. A faint, "ah-ha," escaped his plump lips as he waved his black leather wallet in front of the unamused female.

Sumin raised her brow, finding Seokjin's actions odd and silently berating herself for not going home yet. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something in the back of her head told her to continue humoring the princely idiot.

Her conscience had better be right.

"Is that your hint that you want me to pay for our entrance tickets?" inquired Sumin as she prepared to dig for her wallet in her cotton candy-colored purse. However, as her fingertips grazed the zipper of the wallet, Seokjin gently grasped her wrists. For a split second, a single strand of electricity shot up through her right arm, igniting the nerves that laid beneath.

The longer Seokjin touched her wrist, the more Sumin's cheeks became heated. Just this once, Sumin was glad that it was Summer. She could easily blame the heat on her flushed cheeks, and not the fact that she felt this unspeakable spark between them.

Not wanting to become a blushing mess, Sumin gently tore her hand away from his grasp—much to Seokjin's dismay. Unknown to her, but he felt that spark as well. Never in his years of dating other women did he feel the same that Sumin did. The kicker was that she didn't even know that she had this hold - this magnetic pull- over him. Seriously. She could ask him to tell his friend Jungkook that he sucked at bowling, and he would gladly do it even though it was a death wish in doing so.

Wait, what happened? Where did those thoughts come from as he usually would never think about that, especially towards a woman he had just met? Pushing the confusion away, Seokjin lightly shook his head and plastered a sincere smile on his attractive face.

"Anyway, since we are losing daylight, why don't we go inside the fairgrounds, and yes, I'm gonna pay for your ticket. Don't argue with me on that, okay?" He kindly suggested as he maintained the wicked smile that caused both men and women to swoon over him.

Sumin chuckled, "Alright, you can pay for my entrance ticket, but I'm gonna pay you back by winning you a stuffed animal, cool?" She said with a sunny, innocent smile.

Seokjin's body slightly froze as he thought, "Okay, she might have beaten me in terms of having a smile that caused hearts to skip a beat," He quickly pulled himself back into reality and agreed to Sumin's suggestion.

Though, it wouldn't result in her trying to win him a stuffed alpaca. An hour into their date, Sumin wanted to succeed at winning him that cuddly stuffed alpaca but kept losing at the ring toss. Refusing to give up, the stubborn young lady shelled out another ten-dollar bill and slammed it on the wooden counter.

"Alright, Seokjin, prepare to- wait, what are you doing?" She questioned as Seokjin took the tiny plastic ring from her dainty hands.

The equally as determined man positioned himself in front of her and said,

"I'm gonna win you that alpaca, princess," He stretched his right arm, warming up his muscles, "So, prepare to be amazed by my professional throwing skills!" He announced; his voice was almost loud enough to be overheard by every single person at the carnival.

Sumin giggled softly, shaking her head playfully. Then, a brilliant yet bold idea popped into her mind.

With a seductive grin painted on her lips, Sumin stood on the tips of her toes and courageously planted a kiss on Seokjin's cheek. On the outside, Sumin appeared calm as a clam. However, on the inside, it felt like there was a tornado in the pit of her stomach. Then, a feeling of regret followed, but Sumin pushed it away. A good friend of hers told Sumin that she needed to be confident and more flirtatious. Now, she hoped that her friend's advice paid off.

"I'm sorry if that was too forward, I thought you could use a kiss for good luck?" Sumin quickly apologized, averting her gaze. Her cheeks became flushed as the bashful woman messed with the hem of her dress.

Then, a hand clamped over hers before the cold sweat from her hands left an embarrassing stain.

Sumin's eyes trailed upward and soon widened with how close Seokjin's face was. He was so close that their noses were merely inches away from bumping into each other.

As the doe-eyed Sumin parted her mouth to speak, Seokjin gently pressed his right index finger on her lips. Sumin's gaze flickered to his hand, noticing the plastic ring hanging on his pinky.

"First, thank you for that sweet kiss. It granted me all the luck in the world needed to win these rigged carnival games," He removed his index finger and stood up straight, "Second, now I'm even more determined to win you that alpaca so that I can get another kiss. Perhaps, this time, maybe on the lips?" He flirted, winking at her before he turned his back towards her and prepared to play the ring toss game.

Sumin mustered enough courage and composed herself.

"Let's talk after you win me, RJ."

"RJ?"

"Yeah, that's going to be the name of our cuddly stuffed animal."

Seokjin chuckled at how adorable Sumin was.

"Okay, RJ, it is."

Sumin cheered as she shook her hands in excitement, eager to hug the alpaca.

Her cheers faded into the back of his mind as Seokjin gently pulled himself away from that beautiful memory. It honestly felt so real to him. The smell of deep-fried food lingered around his nostrils while the sounds of Sumin's cute protests echoed in his ears. A reminiscent smile formed on his gorgeous face as he recalled the events that happened after he successfully won her RJ. She dragged him around each food stand and paid for any item that they wanted to try together, though Seokjin offered to pay for the more expensive food items. However, being the stubborn woman that she was, Sumin swatted his hands every time he reached for his wallet.

To this day, he could still feel the stinging sensation on the backs of his hands. Who would've thought that his princess had some strength to her?

"Why are you rubbing your hand, Jinnie?" Sumin's voice pulled Seokjin away from his thoughts. He glanced down and low and behold; he did rub his hand as if she smacked his hand a few minutes before. He ceased his odd action and then threw a warm and loving arm around Sumin's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Don't worry about it, princess, but I still think that you told some aspects of our first date incorrectly." He teased with a lop-sided grin. "If I remember that night correctly, it was I who tried out the ring toss stand first," He playfully tapped Sumin's nose, "And it was you came to my aid like the breathtakingly goddess protector I know you are." He finished before innocently pecking her sweet lips.

Sumin playfully rolled her eyes as the corner of her mouth curved upward. She then lightly shoved her foolish boyfriend, creating space between them.

"Anyway, where should we go next? We still need to find these so-called, 'Fireflies,' if we want any answers on this cure." She asked, surveying the abandoned fairgrounds. Her eyes flickered from every direction, ensuring that there weren't any abnormal shadows nearby.

A faint hum emitted from Seokjin's mouth as he, too, looked around. Then, something captured his attention as he was about to finish his search. He quickly focused his gaze onto the Ferris-wheel as he annoyingly pushed Sumin, repeatedly telling her to look into the distance.

The annoyed honey-brown haired girl lightly slapped his hand away, demanding that he stop being weird.

"I can't help it. You just make me a fool for you, Minnie." Seokjin flirted, causing his girlfriend to gag.

"I swear you are too much sometimes," She readjusted the strap that held her Katana, "But, when you want to, you do spout some intellectual things," She smiled brightly at Seokjin, "Let's head towards that Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She suggested, which of course, Seokjin agreed as he laced his fingers with hers. Then, the two hiked over to the gigantic wheel, hoping that it could give them some form of a clue.

Minutes later, the duo arrived in front of the rusty Ferris-wheel. The curious young woman broke away from her boyfriend as this strange magnetic pull forced her to step towards the poorly maintained ride. Her fingers grazed the rough cold metal as Sumin noted both the rust and vines that surrounded the wheel.

"It's so strange..." muttered the shocked girl as she stepped back.

Seokjin slowly nodded, unsure what to say next as specific memories plagued his mind. Thoughts of him and Sumin passing by this very Ferris-wheel as he begged her to go on it with him. Whenever he explained to Sumin why they had to ride this attraction, he always told her that it was part of the book of romance. Naturally, his sweetheart demanded that she sees this book so that she could see that so-called rule. The more he thought of that event, the more he chuckled.

His princess was always the skeptical one, but that made their relationship refreshing. They never behaved like any other couple, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

As he forced himself away from his beautiful memories of his lovely lady, he noticed Sumin doing something strange in the corner of his eye.

"Uh...sweetheart? What are you doing?" questioned Seokjin as he continued to watch his girlfriend with curiosity.

Sumin hummed as she glanced over her shoulder, "Oh, I’m gonna climb the Ferris-wheel and use it as our vantage point." She explained as she undid the belt that held her Katana and shrugged off her leather jacket.

"I see...I see..." Then, her words finally registered in his mind, "I'm sorry? Did you say that you were going to climb the Ferris-wheel? Miss ‘I'm afraid of heights’?" He asked with a quizzical expression on his face. The longer he thought about his girlfriend climbing up that poorly maintained carnival attraction, the more he became concerned. It didn’t help that those worries conjured up every worst-case scenario known to man and flooded his mind with them.

Yeah…

He definitely did not want Sumin climbing up there, and just as he shrugged off his jacket, Sumin spoke,

"Yup! Now, stay down here and keep watch, okay? You have my sword if you need an extra weapon." She said with a cheerful smile, reassuring her worried boyfriend. It was as if she read his mind and wanted to wash away his unnecessary concerns.

Seokjin looked utterly stunned. Every time he opened his mouth to say something, Seokjin swiftly closed it as he knew that he couldn't stop his headstrong princess from doing something if she already made up her mind.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Seokjin quickly hugged her and placed a warm kiss on her temple. As he pulled away, he told her,

"Remember what I told you the first time we rode this together?"

"Yeah...don't look down."

Seokjin uttered a quick, "good," as he released his loving hold on Sumin and watched her start her journey up the rusty fair ride.

His eyes remained glued on her body as he watched the love of his life climbed up the ladder of the neglected attraction. Seokjin's mind drifted to the first time he successfully got his princess to ride the Ferris-wheel as he stared at her fading backside, slowly becoming one with the sky.

Crossing her arms underneath her chest, Sumin blinked a few times. She tilted her head slightly as she tried to comprehend the fact that her boyfriend of almost two years wanted her to go to the Ferris-wheel. Also known as the fair's local death trap.

A short yet heavy sigh escaped the hesitant woman as her gaze focused on Seokjin, who currently nibbled on his bottom lip. A cute little habit that Seokjin had whenever he was deep in thought. That was one of the many quirks she learned about him over their two years of being together. The fun part of that sentence was that he always had her learn something new about him every day.

That was one part of their loving and entertaining relationship that she would never trade for the most expensive diamond in the entire universe.

Seokjin was priceless, and Sumin was incredibly lucky to be with someone like him.

Speaking of which...

"Okay, I got the ultimate bribery for you, princess!" Seokjin piped up, pulling Sumin away from her loving thoughts.

The corners of her lips turned up as curiosity burned in Sumin's eyes.

"Oh? And, what are you exactly going to bribe me with, huh, Jinnie boy?" She asked with hints of playfulness in her words.

Seokjin chuckled, "I'm glad you asked, my curious kitten," He then pointed at the nearby cotton candy stand, "If you go on the Ferris-wheel with me, I will buy you all the cotton candy your heart desires!" He exclaimed with eyes practically pleading Sumin to say yes.

A hum escaped her lips as Sumin lightly tapped her chin; her bottom lip jutted out as she "seriously" thought about his offer.

"I don't know, Seokjin, you know well enough that I'm deathly afraid of heights, you're practically asking me to risk my life just for tonight since you want to see the 4th of July firework show at the top of the wheel," Sumin lightly shook her head, "You're gonna have to do better than that, Jinnie." She stated, shrugged her shoulders.

Seokjin's eyes narrowed on her as he mentally cursed at how argumentative Sumin could get—when she wanted to be. He made a mental note to make sure that his princess never hung out with a particular headstrong friend of hers. If he didn't know any better, he knew that Sumin's good friend more than likely told her about his romantic plans for their 4th of July celebration.

"That pain in the ass..." He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes.

Unfortunately, for him, Sumin heard his words and assumed that he called her that. However, she knew better not to start a fight with him over an assumption. She learned that lesson the hard way after an evening of arguing with him over a hunch that almost caused them to break up just before the night of their big first-anniversary date. From that night on, Sumin learned to always ask for clarification. She vowed never to feel that devastating heartbreak again.

Mustering an innocent smile, Sumin eyed him accusingly, "I'm sorry, who's 'that pain in the ass'?"

Seokjin nearly choked on his spit. His body tensed. He then slowly focused his gaze onto the woman that not only made his heart skip a beat but also instilled fear into him. There was nothing in between those two feelings.

The nervous young man opened his mouth to speak but soon closed it as he had to pick his next choice of words carefully. Having a full-blown fight with her was certainly not on tonight’s romantic agenda. Instead, he wanted to share the most magical kiss with his princess and then confess how much he loved her.

While, yes, they had been together for almost two years, Seokjin and Sumin never said, "I love you," to each other. Their mutual friends told them that they took their relationship a little too slow for their liking. Still, Sumin wanted to make sure their feelings towards each other were genuine, and Seokjin respected that.

He wanted her to know that he was just as serious about them as she was.

Which motivated the handsome fool to say,

"Not you," He gently took Sumin's hands as complete and utter adoration burned in his eyes, "Which is why not only will I give you an endless supply of cotton candy, but I will bestow you the most romantic kiss ever known to man, if you agree to go on the Ferris-wheel with me," He quickly glanced at his watch, "We have exactly an hour to wait in that line, get on one of those carts, and slowly ride up to the top of the wheel where we will stop and enjoy the firework display," He smiled warmly at her, praying to every God out there that she would say yes, "So, how about it? You and me? All alone in that surprisingly roomy compartment?" He finished, eager to hear Sumin's answer.

Sumin remained silent as she glanced up to the Ferris-wheel, pondering for a moment. Then, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, she opened her sweet lips and said,

"Yes. I will ride the Ferris-wheel with you."

Sumin suddenly shrieked, followed by this soft laughter as Seokjin abruptly picked her up and twirled her around. Bystanders would've thought that he just proposed to her, and she said yes. That was how ecstatic Seokjin was for finally getting Sumin to agree to ride the wheel with him, especially since he knew how afraid of heights she was.

That was true love right there, and it solidified the never-ending devotion he bore for her.

Gently placing his princess on the ground, Seokjin softly pecked her nose before intertwining their hands together.

With a sincere smile painted on his lips, the handsome young man guided the woman, he absolutely adored, towards the semi-long waiting line to get on the ride. The happy couple passed the time by talking about everything and anything popped in their heads. They talked about how their college courses went the past Spring Semester. They spoke of how goofy their group of friends was, especially when two of their friends sabotaged each other's audition for the theater department's Spring musical.

Sumin still couldn't believe that Jungkook and Hoseok became infatuated with the same girl, who auditioned to play the main heroine in the play.

Slightly shaking her head, she cuddled up to Seokjin as she wrapped her arms around his waist, covering her goose-bumped riddled arms. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the addictive scent of his cologne.

Seokjin peered down with an amused smirk plastered on his face.

"I'm starting to think that you only restocked my cologne with this scent because you personally like it," He shuffled their bodies up to the front of the line, "Not so much that you think that it's a scent that works well on me." He teased, chuckling at how precious Sumin was as she vigorously shook her head.

She then looked up with her doe-like gaze, “I bought it because you said that you personally liked it and it worked well for you,” She untangled himself for her but only for Seokjin to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder, “Don’t pin it on me, mister.” She stated as the ride operator asked if they wanted to ride alone or together while the cart slowly stopped in front of the couple.

Seokjin quickly answered that they wanted to ride together before Sumin had the chance to say some sarcastic remark.

The ride operator nodded and waved them over, allowing them to cross the safety line. The carnival worker politely helped Sumin into the cart then helped Seokjin afterward. The worker quickly did the safety check, making sure everything worked properly before pushing the start button.

The second the cart moved upwards, Sumin’s breath hitched. Panic settled in the pit of her tummy. Her breathing grew sporadic as the carriage continued going higher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seokjin noticed how tense his princess was and reached over to grab her hands. He gently caressed the backs of her hands as he whispered words of encouragement and peppered her faces with kisses.

“I know it’s too late to say this, but don’t look down.”

“Oh, you’re damn right it’s too late to say that!”

A low whine escaped her mouth as she continued to resist taking a peek down below. The extremely stressed out girl flailed her legs as if she hoped that maybe her kicking her legs would speed up the ride. It didn’t, but a girl could dream, right?

Sumin whined, “Ah, how much longer to the top, Jinnie?” She asked, her voice shaky as she placed a trembling hand on her chest. She felt how her heart practically hammered against her chest, and then it suddenly stopped.

Slowly prying one of her eyes open, Sumin saw Seokjin’s hands tightly holding hers. That explained why she suddenly felt this warmth transfer to her cold hands. However, she began to feel more than just his body heat; she started to feel his courage. The longer he held onto her, the more she felt safe with him. With Seokjin by her side, whispering words of encouragement and showering her with all of the admiration he bore for her, she felt invincible.

Seokjin challenged her by facing her fear of heights. He showed her that while yes, it terrified her to no end, she still had a courageous side to her that needed just a little shove.

Ah, Sumin hated when he unknowingly proved a point to her… God damn it…

Gently opening her other eye, a faint gasp escaped her gentle lips. Her eyes widened at the marvelous view. The city lights twinkled like the stars in the night sky as tiny streaks of red and white gradually passed by the fairgrounds.

What she currently saw, at that moment, was the epitome of a brand-new world—and she owed it all to Seokjin.

Without a second thought, Sumin grabbed Seokjin’s face and kissed his cheek sweetly, letting out a giggle as she pulled away.

A boyish grin appeared on Seokjin’s princely face, “What was that for, princess?” He lightly questioned.

Sumin maintained her loving smile, “For always pushing me to be better,” She said, resting her head against his broad shoulder, “You always know me better than I know myself.” She added as Seokjin rested his head against hers.

“Well, think of it as me returning the favor. You constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone, so naturally, I’d do the same for you.” He stated with a meaningful expression as the Ferris-wheel momentarily came to a halt.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as tiny creases formed on her forehead. Curiosity washed against her body but soon evaporated as the couple heard loud booms followed by flashes of colorful lights.

The easily enamored young lady stared into the night sky in complete awe. Her eyes sparkled like the fireworks that lit up the sky. It was during that moment that Sumin briefly forgot that she was an adult with responsibilities. Responsibilities that came with being a college student who enrolled in a full course load of classes. She forgot about the endless pile of assignments, group projects, and presentations.

For only tonight, the only thing - the only person - she needed to focus on was the attractive fellow that sat next to her.

Which reminded her…

Taking a slow, deep breath, Sumin emptied the nerves that riddled her body. She repeated that action a few more times until she felt weightless. For the past few

months, unknown to Seokjin, she practiced how to confess her love to him. After all, this would be a gigantic leap for them in their relationship.

With a final deep exhale, the shy brunette turned her body towards her boyfriend as the fireworks continued to decorate the black canvas that covered the town. Flashes of color illuminated the Ferris-wheel as Sumin slowly leaned in with rosy-colored cheeks.

“Seokjin…?” She softly called out to him, causing the boy to hum in response; though, his eyes didn’t leave the firework show.

“Can you look at me for a second? I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, that is not something any boyfriend wants to hear coming out of their girlfriend’s mouth.”

“I’m serious, Jinnie!”

“I’m serious too, princess! The moment any girlfriend says that  to their significant other, it’s—”

Seokjin’s lips were captured by Sumin’s. Her hands slowly reached up to his neck, gently grasping it as she pulled him closer. Their chests pinned against one another as the couple gradually became lost in each other’s embrace. Seokjin’s hands rested on Sumin’s thighs. At the same time, her fingers entangled themselves in between locks of his hair, gently tugging at them as their kiss grew more fervent.

Tiny moans floated into the air, mixing with the powerful booms from the firecrackers, as the two battled for dominance; neither one of them allowed the other to win, as Seokjin and Sumin remained in their tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity.

Reluctantly, Sumin pulled away as she remembered why she called for him in the first place.

“As I was saying before we passionately kissed each other,” She smiled brightly, chuckling as she wiped away her remaining lip gloss off Seokjin’s swollen lips, “I need to tell you something, and no, I’m not confessing a relationship sin nor am I breaking up with you, you dramatic doofus.” Sumin paused again, soothing the butterflies that fluttered in her tummy, “I wanted to tell you that…I’m in love with you…” She finally confessed with bright red cheeks as passion burned in her eyes.

A massive sigh of relief escaped her lips as she finally and courageously announced that she was utterly head-over-heels in love with him. Now, she didn’t expect Seokjin to say it back since they both agreed, at the beginning of their relationship, that they would say, “I love you,” at their own pace, but a part of her felt afraid. Scared that maybe she said it a little too soon for Seokjin’s liking and now scared him off.

Oh, great. Here came the regret of announcing her love too early, hitting Sumin like a massive tidal wave as her boyfriend remained silent with a straight face.

Sumin sucked in air between clenched teeth, nodding her head as she scolded herself for confessing her love. Slowly, she turned her body, and as she was about to create space between them, she felt a pair of hands cup her cheeks and pull her into the most mind-blowing kiss ever.

Her eyes fluttered close as she became lost in the kiss, and during that heated exchange, she heard Seokjin say in between pecks,

“I’m…in…love…with…you…too…”

With one and final kiss, Seokjin pulled away, though he would instead continue kissing her as he showed her just how much he loved her. As he unraveled himself from her body, he couldn’t help but smirk as he noticed how flushed Sumin’s cheeks were.

He wasn’t going to lie, seeing his princess, a total blushing mess boosted his confidence as this sense of pride surged through his body. He unknowingly puffed out his broad chest as he flung a warm around Sumin’s chest while the Ferris-wheel slowly resumed operating.

“You know, I don’t think our future anniversaries are going to top this one.”

“Yeah. I think you might be right, but I’ll still love you even if our next year’s date consists of us chilling on my roof and stargazing.”

“Huh. I think you just gave me an idea for our annual Autumn dates!”

Slowly opening her eyes, a faint smile graced Sumin's face as Seokjin's words echoed throughout her mind.

And true to her boyfriend's word, he did set up a stargazing date for their yearly Autumn dates.

It still baffled her mind that he was always consistent whenever he suggested something unexpectedly, but that was something that made her fall more in love with Seokjin.

Speaking of love…

Peering down with an exciting twinkle in her eye, Sumin took a deep breath before shouting,

“If I recall that night correctly, I did not confess my love to you until the week after!”

Not even a minute later, Sumin heard Seokjin’s fake laughter, causing the amused young woman to genuinely chuckle as she shook her head, slowly climbing down the Ferris-wheel. There was no point in staying up there if she didn’t see any abnormalities in the shadows.

As the fearless lady descended the ladder, Sumin could hear Seokjin make a few jabs at her memory—or lack of one.

“And another thing, my gorgeous yet always wrong princess! How could I’ve told the story wrong when my memory is ten times better than yours!? So, there! I win!” bragged Seokjin, completely forgetting the fact this booming voice could easily attract a horde of the undead.

A low growl escaped from the annoyed girl’s lip as she paused in her steps. Her gaze drifted upward as the anger bubbled within her chest. Her grip tightened on the rusty metal of the ladder; her knuckles turned white, which meant that the poor girl was seconds away from punching her oh-so-charming boyfriend.

Was it too late to leave Seokjin behind while she journeyed off to find the Fireflies? After all, her boyfriend could easily manage a bunch of zombies on his own.

Forcing out a sigh, Sumin continued her journey down, loving yet hating the fact that she could never leave him behind.

She loved him too damn much…

Little by little, Sumin gradually closed the gap between herself and the sweet ground that she wished her feet stepped on as opposed to the tiny stairs. As much as she didn’t mind heights anymore, she would rather be on the floor if she could help it. More comfortable to defend herself and Seokjin if necessary.

“Ah, I hope he’s doing….” She mumbled to herself, stopping abruptly when her eyes picked up something strange into the distance. She halted in her place. Her eyes squinted, hoping that it would help her vision become sharper. Then, her breath hitched as it grew sporadic. Her chest tightened as she gripped the ladder once again.

This heaviness of complete and utter dread crashed into Sumin’s body like a gigantic tidal wave that hit into a city. She slowly felt the wind knock out of her as the horrific shrieks drew near.

Then, her heart completely stopped the moment she heard Seokjin cry out to her in terror.

“Seokjin, just leave me!” She commanded sternly as the adrenaline-fueled woman rushed down the ladder, no longer caring if she fell from the ladder. Sumin was close to the ground anyway and could quickly get into a combat-ready stance while Seokjin dashed to safety.

Seokjin’s safety would forever and always be a top priority for Sumin…

As the worried young woman descended from the maintenance ladder, practically near the gravel, she heard Seokjin idiotically taunt the undead as they surrounded him, desiring so much to eat his warm flesh. However, the secretly terrified young man couldn’t let his fear consume him. He needed to protect Sumin as he could never imagine living his life without her. Since the start of this horrendous outbreak, the lovestruck man vowed to protect his beloved and ensured that no harm came her way.

He hasn’t failed yet, nor would he ever fail at keeping his promise because, just like Sumin, Seokjin’s utmost priority is his girlfriend’s safety.

Using his sacred promise as his motivator to keep fighting, Seokjin peeked into the scope and fired shot after shot with his semi-automatic rifle, readying another round of ammo as his ammunition clip emptied.

Just as he pulled out the emptied ammo, Seokjin felt something sharp swipe at his right arm, creating a gash on his bicep as blood streamed down and stained his black leather jacket; though, it didn’t matter as no one would notice it.  Well, the horde of undead caught it as the addicting scent of fresh plasma enticed them even more, sending them into a frenzy.

The injured man winced as the pain grew increasingly unbearable, but he refused to stop fighting. The moment he ceased firing, they would attack Sumin and more than likely kill her.

No…

Seokjin would never allow that to happen…

Not as long as his heart continued beating…

Exhausting his last amount of strength, Seokjin suddenly stopped firing and rammed the end of his semi-automatic rifle into one of the zombies before shooting a few bullets into its decaying body. As the adrenaline-fueled protector readied to fight off more zombies, he failed to realize that he had a few rushing at him from his flank. As their growls grew close, Seokjin knew it was too late to fire a few rounds at them while five more zombies ran at him from the front.

No matter which direction he focused on, those undead bastards would aggressively claw at him before devouring his juicy flesh. However, he couldn’t let that thought deter him from his personal objective; his mission of getting Sumin to the Fireflies, so those groups of doctors could create a cure that would one day restore humanity on this lonely planet.  

That’s why he had to keep fighting….

Breathing deeply, Seokjin readied his weapon, releasing bullet after bullet at the horde in front of him, ignoring the ones that rushed at him from behind.

But he also neglected his ride-or-die partner…

A loud grunt entered one ear and exited through the other, followed by the sound of a sharp object impaling one flesh after the other before bodies dropped right behind the handsome man. Their decaying, decapitated heads rolled towards the assailant’s feet before the person kicked to the side like a soccer ball.

Seokjin faintly scoffed as he glanced behind his shoulder and whispered, “And I thought it was my job to save you, p-princess…” as the last bar of his energy finally depleted. His face paled from the amount of blood that slowly drained from his arm. His eyes shuttered close as Seokjin gave in to the exhaustion that plagued him. His legs wobbled as his knees buckled in, ready for his entire body to collapse onto the pavement.

Yep…Seokjin depleted all of his energy…

However, as he was seconds away from dropping to the floor, Sumin quickly sheathed her Katana and grabbed Seokjin before he could. She then wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders as she hoisted Seokjin and supported his weight with all the strength she mustered minutes before.

“C-come on, Jinnie…” A few grunts left her lips, “You c-can’t give up on me just yet.” Sumin’s voice quavered as she struggled to reach for Seokjin’s assault rifle. Her fingertips grazed the strap a few times before she successfully wrapped them around the leather material and hung it around her boyfriend’s neck. Of course, she switched the rifle’s safety on before doing that. Insult to injury would be that she caused the death of her boyfriend.

“Alright…” She softly began as she surveyed her surroundings, hearing loud shrieks in the distance. Terror settled in her face, but Sumin didn’t allow it to show. No. The second she let the fear win, it was game over for her and Seokjin.

And Sumin would never allow that to occur, so she had to think of a place for them to hide.

Her mind went into overdrive as she thought of all the possible places for them to wait for the horde to lose interest in them quietly. The site also had to provide them enough cover that could not only disguise their scent but ward off the stench of blood as she patched Seokjin’s deep wound.

Sumin’s concerned gaze glanced at her boyfriend’s limp and severely injured arm as streams of blood stained his scarred hand.

Quickly shaking her head, the worried girlfriend forcibly pushed away any possible worst-case scenarios as it would neither help her or Seokjin in their current situation.

Suddenly, another thunderous, bone-chilling scream echoed in the eerie atmosphere, and this time it sounded nearby.

“Shit…!” She cursed through clenched teeth as she readjusted Seokjin’s weight against hers. “Okay, do you remember where the Hall of Mirrors was at?” She asked, guiding them away from the pile of lifeless zombies.

Seokjin groaned a few times. His eyes fought to stay open, but he found it difficult to do so. Shit, he barely registered Sumin’s question. That was how drained he was.

Sumin’s brows furrowed as wrinkles formed on her forehead. Her heart tightened from Seokjin’s lack of response.

“You know what, it’s okay, Jinnie,” Sumin forced an affectionate yet tired smile, “I think I remember where it was at,” She said, hunching her body as Seokjin’s weight slowly collapsed on top of her tired body. Still, she exerted enough of her depleting energy to keep them standing.

“Alright, let’s go.” She whispered, hobbling the two of them over to the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors. She kept her right arm anchored on Seokjin’s waist. At the same time, her left hand interlocked with his as she practically dragged them towards the entryway.

In between her grunts, she suddenly heard Seokjin let out this light chuckle. Sumin couldn’t help but giggle as her boyfriend’s delirious expression was priceless; though, she shouldn’t find his dying state hilarious. She believed the dehydration slowly crept on her emotional state and took a mental note to take a few big gulps from her canister. Just one of the many containers filled with water that Sumin and Seokjin filtered by boiling out the impurities from a river they stumbled upon a few weeks back.

But before she could dive into the hilarious memory associated with that river, a string of slurred words entered her ears followed with pain-induced groans.

Sumin forced air through her nose, “Seokjin, save what little strength you have. Okay?” She kindly suggested, though, it sounded more of a demand.

“B-But…princess…” Seokjin winced as his eyes opened slightly, “We can f-finally settle o-our bet once and f-for all.” He finished, stumbling over some words.

Sumin briefly halted their steps but swiftly resumed as they couldn’t afford to stop with a pack of starving zombies on their trails. 

With a raised brow, Sumin asked what he meant by his rather vague statement as she and Seokjin finally passed through the entryway to the Hall of Mirrors. Correction. The place was now a dark, spacious area surrounded by broken mirrors and cracked glass decorated the pathway.

“I mean, S-Sumin…” He coughed twice, causing the tired girl to become alarmed and even more concerned for Seokjin’s wellbeing, “Don’t you r-remember on our fourth a-anniversary that y-you a-and I made a bet—” Seokjin let out a loud cry as Sumin accidentally bumped his injured arm against the wall as her body finally gave up on her. The two of them collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily.

“Sorry, Seokjin.” The exhausted young lady mumbled as she took a minute to catch her breath before moving his body to a more comfortable position.

Seokjin made a face before continuing where he left off.

“As I w-was saying before you c-carelessly d-dropped me,” Sumin shot him an icy glare, resulting with him swiftly apologizing before resuming, “Anyway, you a-and I made a b-bet on our f-fourth a-anniversary because neither one of us h-had y-yet to come inside here,” Seokjin repeated, hoping that something – anything – triggered Sumin to have this lightbulb moment.

Then, like clockwork, she did.

“Oh, my God…” She trailed on as she took off her jacket and tied her hair up in a pony-tail, “Are you talking about that stupid bet that you created because you were too much of a chicken to go in this place by yourself?” She questioned, emphasizing a specific word.

Seokjin gawked but let out a few more coughs, “That b-bet isn’t stupid!” He declared, wincing loudly as Sumin carefully removed the torn leather jacket sleeve from his arm. The fabric lightly grazed his gaping wound, creating an endless wave of this unbearable stinging sensation.

Sumin smiled wanly as she gently held his injured arm, assessing the severity of the wound.

“I know you’re in pain, Jinnie, but the bet was stupid, and I’ll tell you why.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone, not realizing that Seokjin closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness that slowly swamped his mind. Sumin didn’t notice this yet, but Seokjin sadly began reacting to the virus that caused this damn outbreak in the first place.

Minutes rolled by and still no snippy remark from Seokjin. Panic settled in Sumin as she immediately shifted her focus on him. She gently cupped his marked-up cheek; her eyes dripped with fear.

“Jinnie?” She lightly tapped his face while the anxiety settled within her chest, “You gotta stay away, okay? Just stay awake for me. P-please…” She desperately begged as tears formed in the brim of her eyes. “After all, you have to travel down memory lane with me on how that stupid bet came to be…” She stated in a soft-spoken voice as she applied pressure to his wound, refusing to give up on him.

Sumin’s eyes fluttered close, slowly breathing out of her nostrils. Her mind wandered off, transporting her back to that fun evening.

Harden stares. Smug smiles. Two people proudly stood in front of each other, hiding one of their hands behind their backs. The unusual duo anchored their bodies in front of the infamous entryway to the Hall of Mirrors, calculating the other person’s next move in their fun game of rock-paper-scissors. Rumors surrounded the infamous carnival attraction as legends said that a couple of fair-goers had unexpectedly grown ill and currently fought for their lives in the downtown hospital. Knowing that only enticed every single customer to want to brave it out and check out the attraction for themselves.

But not for Seokjin and Sumin. Nuh-uh. This quirky couple would rather look like complete fools in front of the infamous fair attraction than go inside.

And this all started because Seokjin stubbornly refused to go inside the Hall of Mirrors by himself.

Naturally, Sumin called him a coward; thus, it led them to their current predicament.

With an arrogant smile painted on her beautiful face, Sumin’s stare narrowed as if she had telepathic abilities, allowing her to read Seokjin’s next move.

“Stare at me all you want, princess, but you will never defeat the rock-paper-scissors champion!” taunted Seokjin with an equally cocky smirk plastered on his gorgeous face.

Sumin snorted; her eyes briefly flickered to the side.

“You and I both know that there’s no such thing as a champion of rock-paper-scissors. You giant doofus!” She quipped in a high-pitched voice, earning her a few odd glances from a few bystanders.

Yeah. That reaction resulted in Sumin’s boyfriend doing his infamous windshield wiper laugh, causing a couple of people to stop in their tracks with a confused expression.

The embarrassed college student hung her head low. Her cheeks heated from unwanted attention.

Shyly, Sumin lifted her head, uttering a few apologies to the strangers before shooting Seokjin a cold stare as he continued cackling for a good three minutes.

The agitated brunette blew air upward from her mouth before stalking up to her hysterical boyfriend and punched him in his bicep.

Seokjin yelped but showed no sign of his laughter ceasing any time soon, which further annoyed Sumin.

Finally fed up with her cackling boyfriend, Sumin shouted, “Enough! I’ll go inside the stupid hall of mirrors with you!” She walked towards the carnival worker, dragging Seokjin by his wrist while his laughter slowly faded away. He quickly wiped away the tears that formed because he laughed so hard that his stomach ached.

Ah, he hadn’t a good laugh like that since Namjoon broke their Chemistry professor’s beaker and set off the smoke alarms in the classroom.

Good times right there…

Softly shaking his head, Seokjin handed the worker two entry tickets. Then the employee granted them entrance into the Hall of Mirrors.

Gradually, the couple walked further into the hallway. The light from the sunset faded in the background as the young pair went deeper into the creepy attraction.

Without a second thought, Sumin wrapped her arms around Seokjin’s forearm and clung to her protector. The frightened girl shuffled alongside her boyfriend, disregarding the fact that she could’ve easily tripped him. Her heart pounded against her chest as she caught glimpses of her funny reflections in the mirrors.

Tiny whines left Sumin’s lips as she cutely stomped her feet because Seokjin wanted to admire his humorous reflection.

His action shocked her tremendously since it was Seokjin’s idea in the fucking first place that they played rock-paper-scissors to see if Sumin accompanied him or not inside this terrifying place. Now, she started believing that the attractive idiot she called a boyfriend hustled her.  

If that were the case, then what she was about to do next, she wouldn’t feel guilty whatsoever.

With both a devious smirk and gleam on her innocent face, Sumin turned her attention towards Seokjin, slightly tilting her head.

“Hey, Jinnie…”

“What’s up?”

“Wanna make a bet, especially since it’s our fourth anniversary together?”

Seokjin blinked a few times. His lips thinned as this uneasy silence covered them like a warm blanket on a Winter’s night.

His stare darted between Sumin’s innocent face and the random stranger squeezed by them.

The confused man opened his mouth but soon closed it as the longer he stared at his girlfriend’s doe-like eyes, the more he realized that there was a trap waiting for him.

With knitted brows and taking a step backward, Seokjin hesitantly took the bait and asked what kind of bet Sumin talked about.

“Simple, Seokjin,” She gestured to their rather cramped surroundings, “Since you and I both do not want to be in here any longer than we have to,” She then pointed towards the direction in front of them, “And judging from the bone-chilling screams that echo every five seconds, it seems that this place is only going to become even scarier.” She explained, though, not really getting her point across.

However, that was the beauty of their relationship. Seokjin always understood what went on in Sumin’s beautiful yet devious brain.

And sadly, for him, this was a bet that would result in his loss…

Looking briefly displeased, Seokjin sighed heavily before interlacing their fingers together and continuing their journey inside the spooky attraction.

“So…what happens if you lose the bet?”

“Me? Ha. That’s comical, Jinnie. Tell me. Who’s the braver one between us two?”

“Well, that depends princess on what we’re doing, you big goof.”

Sumin scoffed, rolling her eyes, “You just don’t wanna admit that I’m braver than you.”

Now, it was Seokjin’s turn to scoff.

“Uh-huh. Let’s see if you keep that mindset once we near the end of this hallway since I believe that is when we heard the most terrifying induced shrieks.”

“You’re on!”

And true to his words…Sumin freaked out first and punched one of the costumed workers in the stomach.

Yeah…

Safe to say that the carnival manager banned the couple from entering the Hall of Mirrors ever again.

Well, at least there was a positive aspect of this epidemic…

Seokjin and Sumin were allowed inside the attraction; though, the concerned woman wished it were under better circumstances…

A defeated expression washed over Sumin’s face. Yet, the anxious but determined young woman refused to allow Seokjin to succumb to the deadly virus. A few sniffles echoed slightly as Sumin maintained pressure on the wound, allowing the disinfectant to have some sort of effect on the injury.

“Come on…” The distressed girl repeatedly uttered as tears cascaded down her dirty and bloodied cheeks. Out of anger, Sumin threw the blood-soaked gauze and hurriedly applied another, cleaning and dressing the gash some more. The upset girl’s tears landed on Seokjin’s arm, unknowingly stirring the man from his pain-induced slumber.

A couple of faint groans escaped his precious lips as Seokjin’s eyes slowly fluttered open. He slowly turned his head; his gaze landed on Sumin’s.

A small smile displayed on the handsome man’s face before he started to reach out to Sumin with his injured room, stubbornly ignoring the severe shooting pains that surged through his veins.

“…n-now…why is m-my princess crying…?” whispered Seokjin as his bloodied hand cupped Sumin’s soft cheek, “Beautiful w-women shouldn’t s-shed any t-tears…” He added, successfully causing his concerned girlfriend to chuckle.

Sumin leaned into his warm touch, maintaining her solemn smile, before grasping his hand with hers.

“G-gross Jinnie…” She teased, forcing herself to make light of the situation for not only her sake but Seokjin’s as well, “I don’t want you touching me with your bloody fingers.” She added, removing her hands from his bloody one as she resumed tending to his wound. Using her jacket sleeve, the brunette carefully wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. The last thing she needed was her purposely causing more minuscule pain to Seokjin.

Seokjin tried laughing, but they soon turned into small coughing fits. The injured man rolled his eyes; though, he maintained his tiny, playful smile.

“Well, I’m s-sorry that I c-couldn’t w-wash my hands before doing t-this—” Seokjin suddenly yelped as he felt this unbearable pain shoot up his arm once again. Then, he felt a cooling sensation that followed shortly. Wondering what it was, Seokjin’s gaze followed Sumin’s arms and then noticed yet another gauze slowly soak up his tainted blood. Not even a minute later, that excruciating ache returned.

“Ouch woman!! Be a little gentler next time!!” cried the injured man, shooting glares at his girlfriend.

Sumin gawked, “You know what…I take my tears back now,” Her face became emotionless, “Since you’ll be fine now seeing as that you finally stopped stuttering caused by that excruciating pain you were in earlier.” She said blankly, blinking a few times before turning her back towards him to put away their shared medical supplies.

Tiny chuckles escaped Seokjin’s chest as he slowly sat up, examining his bandaged-up arm. He stared at his wound as curiosity slowly washed over him. His eyes trailed over to Sumin and instantly noticed that her left hand dawned a bandage. Then, it occurred to him. She must’ve fused her blood with the disinfectant and made a quick cure for his wound before the virus had a chance to completely take over.

With the corners of his mouth turning upwards, Seokjin shuffled his way over to Sumin and warmly placed a hand on her head. Love glowed in his eyes as he stared affectionately at her backside.

“Well, it’s thanks to you that I’ll be fine,” but not even a second after saying that, he winced; his hand rested on the side of his torso. “Damn, did those undead bastards get me somewhere else too?” He bitterly thought but was soon thankful that he didn’t feel any fresh blood on his fingers. However, he didn’t want to alarm Sumin yet again. He saw how anxious she became when those zombies severely injured his arm. Seokjin couldn’t put her through that heartache for a second time.

Through gritted teeth, the stubborn fool repeated that he’d be okay and that he could never die.

“As long as I’m breathing and standing before you, I will always protect you,” He pressed his plump lips to Sumin’s temple, “Again, nothing and no one can kill me.” He declared; his eyes burned with determination as if he made another sacred pact to himself.

A faint scoff escapes her lips, unbothered to show her face to him.

“What if someone is successful and does kill you? Then, what, Jinnie?” She asked; her breath hitched for a split second. “I-I can’t afford to lose you…” She added, muttering as her voice softly broke in the beginning. Then, Sumin closed her eyes, slowly exhaling through her nose as she desperately tried taming the anxiety that gradually swallowed her body. The thought of losing Seokjin always triggered it for her. There were days where she wished that she were this emotionless, ruthless killing machine immune to emotions such as love, but that wasn’t the case.

It was thanks to those beautiful emotions that Sumin was herself. If she was this robot, then she wouldn’t have met Seokjin.

And with that final thought, the uneasy young woman turned towards her boyfriend, facing him with a brave expression as Sumin swung her backpack around her shoulders and tightened the straps.

“And that is why I will not stop at nothing until I find that safe haven.” She declared suddenly yet firmly; her eyes sparked with this undying resolve for her personal mission. “You hear me, Jinnie? I will find us that secure place. I s-swear to you.” She finished, letting out a few sniffles as her eyes became glossy.

Seokjin remained speechless, unsure of how to answer Sumin’s question. He was also taken back from Sumin’s sudden declaration; however, his mind soon drifted back to her earlier question.

Truth be told, he never thought about his death since that was something, he couldn’t afford to even imagine it.

No.

The moment he thought about someone killing him, it would be game over. His body would succumb to the fear that Seokjin channeled countlessly into courage. He needed to be strong for him and Sumin.

He just had to…

Tapping his chin, Seokjin hummed in response before wrapping a warm around Sumin’s shoulders, pulling towards him. His chin now rested nicely on top of her head while his courageous girlfriend finally broke down and sobbed in his chest, dampening his shirt. She could only hold that brave face for so long.

“Aw, Minnie…” He cooed, softly rubbing her back and sweetly kissing her head, “You don’t have to worry about keeping me safe, and do you want to know why?” He asked softly; his eyes blazed with absolute devotion and admiration.

Sumin nodded her head but remained glued in his broad chest as more tiny sniffles escaped her precious lips.

Seokjin couldn’t help but chuckle in response, finding his girlfriend extremely cute at that moment.

“Well, the reason why you don’t have to worry about keeping me safe is that I’m already safe, princess.”

“Huh? How’s that possible, Seokjin?”

Then, he grinned widely before answering,

“Because I’m always safe whenever I’m with you, sweetheart.” He happily stated, earning himself a light shove and angry stare from Sumin. “Ah, that tiny push was worth it since you’re no longer upset and shedding your beautiful tears when they aren’t necessary.” He added, smiling brightly. His smile was so vast that his cheekbones practically touched his eyes, causing them to disappear.

Sumin made a face, “Unbelievable…” She trailed on, walking away from him, “After all these years, you still manage to become cheesier than your last attempt!” She shouted over her shoulder, wearing this amused yet teasing smirk on her face.

Seokjin shook his head, forever enjoying their endless game of cat and mouse.  

“I swear, I must be a masochist…” He humorously thought before chasing after his woman.

Inch by inch, Sumin peeked her head out; her gaze flickered toward every single direction, making sure the close was clear before leaving their hiding spot.

Seokjin’s breath fanned the back of her neck, creating goosebumps to appear. Tiny giggles emitted from her lips as Sumin hunched her shoulders, hoping that it would stop the rather affectionate man that she called her boyfriend.

However, it did not. If anything, the lovesick fool saw his girlfriend’s protests as a challenge. A challenge that he’d surely win.

Without a second thought, Seokjin wrapped a protective arm around Sumin’s shoulders, pressing his chest against her back. Then, he slowly lowered his head; his plump lips hovered over her ear.

“So…is the close clear?” He whispered; his hot, breathy tone caused the poor girl to become flustered as a small, yet enticing moan escaped her innocent lips.

Then, seconds later, a loud smack echoed throughout the dark, empty halls of the destroyed carnival attraction.

Seokjin grunted, rubbing the area where his girlfriend smacked him.

“Did you really have to go for my chest? You know how sensitive I am in that area.” He whined, pouting cutely as he continued rubbing his injured chest.

Sumin scoffed, ignoring his rather cute complaints, “Obviously. Why else would I slap you in your most sensitive spot beside your humongous ego.”

“Ego? That’s a weird name to call my—”

“Finish that sentence and no sex once we find the safe haven.”

Seokjin flinched. His face tensed from the mere thought of not being intimate with his girlfriend. Then, he hung his head low, “I’ll behave, princess.”

The triumphant young lady uttered a quick, “good,” before placing an innocent peck on his scratched-up cheek. She then gestured towards the exit, announcing to him that it was safe to run towards the fence that faced the abandoned, ruined mall. During the couple’s attempt at escaping the hungry horde, Sumin noticed a destroyed wall in front of the mall that she and Seokjin frequented for many years.

“You ready? Do you have enough energy to dash towards that gate?”

“I think I can manage, sweetheart.”

Tightening the strap that held her sword in place, Sumin slowly inhaled then released the pent-up stress and other frustration through her nostrils.

With a look of determination on Sumin’s smudged up face, the fearless woman charged out of the entrance; her gun fired round after round, emptying the clip before she quickly inserted another ammo clip. She briefly took note of how many clips she remained before she completely ran out.

Running behind her, with an infinite release of ammo from Seokjin’s semi-automatic, the protective yet still injured man guarded his girlfriend, protecting her like a royal knight for his princess as he safeguarded her from any harm. He shot down any undead bodies that rushed at Sumin, finding it a bit therapeutic as killing those zombies was another form of revenge for him.

Funny, huh?

Gradually, the abandoned mall became large as it appeared in the running couple’s sights. Their hearts drummed against their chest as they felt the adrenaline deplete from their bodies, but they couldn’t give up. Not just yet. They needed to find a safe haven and restore humanity to this rotting planet.  

They just had too…

Skidding towards the open gate, Sumin held it up, widening the gap so Seokjin could fit in the hole. She breathed heavily while her eyes homed in the rushing horde that slowly closed the distance between them. With her free hand, she aimed her gun at the dead crowded, firing a few times. The frightened girl landed head-shots and permanently killed them.

“Come on, Sumin!” hollered Seokjin as this wave of anxiety washed over him as well. Being on the other side of the fence did not sit well with him whatsoever—scratch that. Not standing right beside Sumin did not sit well with him at all.

Just as the worried man readied his weapon, Sumin scrambled through the hole, earning herself a small cut on the back of her hand.

Seokjin instantly noticed, grabbing her uninjured hand, and pulled her towards the ruined building. The exhausted boy tapped into any reserve energy he stored. At the same time, Sumin addressed his wounds earlier as they continued their mad dash for the broken mall building.

With the entrance doors in sight, Seokjin practically shoved Sumin inside before following after. He swiftly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that could be used as a barricade. Seconds later, his eyes focused on a pile of pipes.

“That should work…” He frantically thought as he grabbed a couple and stuck in between handles. For added measure, he rolled over some of the fallen metal trash bins, completely ignoring the surging pain in his right arm. Even though Sumin wiped away the virus from Seokjin’s body, his gash still remained and gradually reopened.

A few winces escaped his plump lips, instantly alerting Sumin. She tucked her pistol in its holster before helping him push the trash bins.

Playfully shaking her head, Sumin gave him a look, teasing him in the process.

Seokjin rolled his eyes, scoffing before flashing her a boyish grin.

“You know I could’ve rolled that by myself.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Sumin pointed at his injured arm, “And that’s why your wound reopened, doofus.” She stated before maneuvering the metal bin in front of the door, securing its position.

Seokjin jokingly mocked her as he felt a slight tug on his wrist. He obediently followed Sumin, sitting down when instructed to. His eyes trailed up, noting how breathtaking his princess was despite the many cuts, bruises, and dried up blood that decorated her face. Soon, the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he continued watching Sumin redo his bandages. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt like he transported back to the day he first fell in love with her.

And it all because of the angelic smile that graced her beautiful face…

“Okay, all done.” Announced Sumin, tightening the knot on the bandage. “Next time you reopen up your gash, I’m gonna let it get it infected.” She warned with an overly sweet tone before placing an innocent kiss on his cheek.

Seokjin chuckled, jokingly saluting his woman before standing up. He grabbed his weapon and flung the strap around his shoulder, allowing it to lazily hang beside him as he and Sumin journeyed deeper inside the empty mall.

Walking past broken glass displays, where only a few shards remained hanging on the wall, Sumin mumbled the name of each storefront. Suddenly, she halted, tugging on Seokjin’s jacket sleeve.

Seokjin peered down, asking her if she was okay, and why they stopped in their tracks.

Without saying a word, Sumin simply pointed at the storefront. The concerned young man followed her finger and soon gasped.

“Is that—”

“Yup.”

Sumin took a step forward, walking towards the broken counter. She observed the discarded plastic cups and open cash registers. She clicked her tongue, devastated seeing one of their favorite food places utterly destroyed. She turned her head but quickly looked away after seeing the bloody hand prints that decorated the door that led to the kitchen.

The bottom of her lip disappeared as Sumin closed her tear pooled eyes. A few drops trickled down her cheeks, alerting Seokjin. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before pulling her body towards his. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her head as he whispered loving words, hoping to soothe away her sadness.

“It’s just not fair, Jinnie.”

“I know, princess, but at least we have each other.”

Sumin sniffled before mumbling, “Kind of like how Hoseok had Lainey?”

Jinnie chuckled at her sudden lighthearted comment as he pulled away from his now smiling girlfriend.

“No. I think you’re thinking of Renae, sweetheart.” He corrected. Though he secretly could be wrong as he too couldn’t remember which girl, he and Sumin successfully paired Hoseok up with for his third blind date.

Quickly wiping away any remaining tears, Sumin cleared her throat a few times before speaking,

“I don’t think so, Jinnie. It could be this one girl. Oh, what’s her name…?” She trailed on, snapping her fingers in hopes that it’d help her remember. Then, it finally clicked. “Ah! Bunny, I believe, was her nickname!”

Seokjin shook his head briefly humming before correcting Sumin yet again.

“Nope. Wrong again, princess. She ended up with Jungkook, remember?”

Sumin lips fell slightly open, silently berating herself for having the worst memory. Granted, she and Seokjin busied themselves with saving the human race and fighting off countless undead hordes, so that played into her favor.

With her brows knitted together and her lips thinned, Sumin thought long and hard on who the fuck ended up being Hoseok’s girlfriend. Alys? No, she remembered that she wound up with Namjoon. Kenzie? That was also another no since she ended up with Jimin—or was it her good friend Lindy? Oh, my God. Sumin drew a fucking blank on the name as she swiftly ruled out another friend of hers, Bean, who ended up being Yoongi’s adorable girlfriend.

“Fuck!” She mentally cursed as she gnawed on her bottom lip, desperate to figure out who ended up with Hoseok.

Seokjin, on the other hand, laughed at how serious yet adorable Sumin looked. He found it especially cute when her cheeks puffed out as the frustration slowly washed over her face.

Should he be a good boyfriend and help her? The amused young man quickly weighed his options, finding both the pros and cons to helping Sumin out but decided to assist his poor, agitated girlfriend.

“It’s Nina.”

“Nina? Oh! Nina! I’m a dummy. I can’t believe I forgot her.”

Seokjin gave a lop-sided grin as he wrapped a loving yet protective arm around Sumin and repeated, “It’s okay,” and “I still love you, stupidity and all.” He then guided her away from the ruined food court and resumed their journey inside the mall.

Laughter echoed throughout the three abandoned floors of the humongous building. For that brief moment, Sumin and Seokjin were simply two lovebirds on a simple date.

The loving couple recollected all the times they ended up at the mall after an extravagant dinner. Seokjin gently caressed the back of Sumin’s date, releasing a chuckle or two as she recalled the time Jungkook stole a black leather jacket.

“I’m still trying to figure out why he thought it was wise to steal the mannequin as well.” Sumin laughed, smiling brightly as she oddly felt relaxed.

Seokjin shrugged, “I have no clue, but with Jungkook, I never do. That boy has always been a strange one.” Suddenly, sadness clouded his handsome features, halting his steps, the more he thought about Jungkook and the rest of his close friends. He had yet to receive any news on their whereabouts. The last time he heard anything was 7 years ago.

7…long…years…

Before he could dwell on his friend’s untimely demise, he felt a warm hand cup his dirty cheek. His solemn gaze trailed down and met Sumin’s loving and comforting stare.

“Hey. Think positive, Seokjin.”

“How can I? For all I know, they could be long dead, and I wasn’t there for them, like the older brother I was supposed to be for them.”

Sumin sighed but quickly validated his feelings. Shit. She felt the same way about her close friends and family, and she allowed the guilt to eat away at her conscience. However, it wasn’t until the 3rd year of this pandemic that she turned the blame into resolve and swore that she would avenge everyone she loved.

Softly rubbing Seokjin’s marked up cheek, Sumin plastered a sweet smile and said,

“Once we find that safe haven, we will go look for your friends, okay? I mean, they have Namjoon and Yoongi with them, so the rest of them can’t be dead. Alright?”

The distraught boy nodded his head as the corner of Seokjin’s mouth twitched.

His princess always knew what to say, especially to light a fire underneath his depressed ass.

He sweetly pressed his lips against her forehead and muttered a quick, “thanks,” before taking her hand once more and resumed their exploration.

The completely smitten couple journeyed to the third floor, both of them finding it humorous that they actually walked up the broken escalators. Years ago, when it worked properly, the duo always rode it up to their designated floor. Even when it became evident that walking up the escalators were so much faster. However, they didn’t care.

They were proud to be called the “lazy” couple within their group of friends. Shoot. Sumin secretly found it amusing that they were dubbed that since she and Seokjin studied medicine before this horrific pandemic began.

Funny how everything turned out for the two of them. Seokjin became her protector, and she carried the cure that could potentially reverse humanity back to its original state.

Jogging away from Seokjin with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, Sumin peered behind her shoulder, enticing her boyfriend to chase her. Soft laughs escaped her sweet lips as she picked up the pace, wanting to increase the distance between their bodies.

“Be careful, princess!” advised Seokjin, feeling the anxiety slowly settle within the pit of his stomach. His worried gaze remained on Sumin’s retreating backside as the gap grew wider with each passing second.

Out of frustration, the concerned fellow ruffled his hair before running after his woman. Within minutes, Seokjin closed the gap between them and protectively wrapped his arms around Sumin’s torso as he shouted,

“Gotcha!”

Sumin laughed, smiling radiantly as her boyfriend peppered her face with soft kisses and whispers of adoration.

“You know that I love you to the sun and back, Sumin. Right?”

“Of course, Jinnie,” She turned her body, though, she was careful to not whack him with the hilt of her Katana, “And you know that I love you to the moon and back. Right?” She said sweetly and softly.

Seokjin hummed in response as his brows furrowed together.

Sumin gawked, lightly slapping his chest, and pulling away from him.

“I’m kidding, princess! Please come back! I need you in my arms, or else I’ll die.”

“Oh, my goodness. You’re such a drama king, Jinnie.”

“Well, yes, but that’s beside the point! Please give me a hug?”

Now, it was Sumin’s turn to playfully think about it. Then, not even a minute later, the stubborn young lady simply shrugged and walked up to her pouty boyfriend. She cupped the back of his neck, locking her fingers into place, and gently pulled Seokjin’s face towards hers. Their noses lightly bumped into each other as their dirt-stained foreheads pressed against one another.

The two of them, dawning warm smiles, remained lost in each other’s gaze for what seemed like forever until something captured Seokjin’s attention.

“Is that one of those luxurious contest cars?”

Sumin perked up her brow as she peered behind her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she untangled herself from Seokjin and ran up to the car, much to his dismay.

Curiosity got the best of her as her calloused fingers traced the cold metal of the car. She couldn’t help but admire how beautiful the car still looked despite its surroundings destroyed.

Well, until she heard a loud smash, causing the poor, unknowing girl to flinch as Seokjin swung his assault rifle back to its original position, blissfully unaware of Sumin’s death glare. He then carefully reached through the broken window and tried to feel for the door lock. His fingertips grazed the car door handle a few times before finally latching over the lock. Seokjin pulled it towards him, the two of them heard a click before swinging it open.

Like the gentleman he was, the attractive young man gestured towards the door, politely bowing his head at Sumin.

“Your chariot, my lady.” Joked Seokjin in a poorly imitated British accent.

Sumin chuckled lightly as she shook her head, brushing her shoulder against his.

“Why, thank you, my good sir.” She played along before removing her Katana from her back, making it easier for her to maneuver inside the vehicle.

Using the sleeve of her leather jacket, Sumin carefully brushed off the broken window shards from the car seat.

“You know, I’m thankful that the car battery died because you would’ve definitely attracted a crowd of zombies to us, you impatient dork.” She quipped, shimming her way towards the backseat. The exhausted lady let out a massive sigh of relief as she rested her head against the leather seats. Through a tired, cloudy gaze, Sumin squinted at the door and then realized something.

“Hey, Jinnie.”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“You’re a jerk for having me shimmy my way towards the backseat,” She then reached over the backdoor and unlocked it, “When you could’ve just reached even further and unlocked this door as well.” She finished, opening it up and flashing him a knowing smile.

Seokjin rolled his eyes as he teasingly closed the door on her before finally entering the car. He quickly placed his gun on the passenger seat and then put both hands on the steering wheel.

With a boyish grin written on his face, Seokjin glanced over his shoulder and asked,

“Where to, princess Sumin?”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she leaned in her seat and poked her head between the two front chairs. With an alluring smile painted on her lips, Sumin hovered her mouth over his ears and whispered sweetly,

“To the stars…” Before grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards the back of the seat. Though, it was a bit difficult at first given how bulkier and taller he was than her.

A faint grunt exited his lips as Seokjin found himself plopped next to the love of his life. His eyes bore into hers as he couldn’t help but admire how breathtaking she was despite going through hell and back.

Without a single thought in his head, the utterly smitten young man cupped his girlfriend’s stained cheek, gently caressing it. Then, slowly, the two of them inched their faces closer. Their eyes flickered from each other’s loving gaze to their lips before the gap finally closed.

A gentle moan escaped Sumin’s lips as she entangled her fingers in Seokjin’s hair. She slowly massaged his scalp, resulting in a low moan from Seokjin as he anchored one hand against the door-frame and the other against Sumin’s hip. He slowly lowered her body onto the seat, careful not to accidentally bump her head against anything.

“I love you, Kim Seokjin,” Sumin whispered, briefly breaking their passionate kiss.

Seokjin, slightly panting, simply smiled before capturing her precious lips once more. He poured all the love he bore for the woman underneath him and hoped that she knew how much he loved her.

For that single moment, Seokjin knew that actions spoke louder than words. Releasing her addicting lips, he trailed fiery kisses down the side of her face all the way to the base of her neck. His teeth lightly grazed her soft skin, causing a few moans to leave Sumin’s mouth, further igniting Seokjin’s hormones.

His hands buried itself underneath her shirt, the warmth of her skin contrasted the coolness from his hands. Seokjin’s fingers lightly trailed upwards, and just as his calloused fingers grazed the fabric of her bra, they heard a loud, terrifying shriek.

The couple instantly broke apart, fixing up their disheveled appearance as Seokjin promptly peeked through the window.  Now on full alert, he hurriedly scanned the area; his ears picked up even the tiniest of sounds. Then, the thunderous, horrific cry echoed throughout the mall once more.

Not wanting to chance it, Seokjin quickly instructed – well more like demanded – Sumin to run for cover while he provided covering fire.

Her mouth fell open while her eyes went round. Did Sumin hear him correctly? What Seokjin planned was a suicide mission as the hordes would easily overwhelm him. Still, deep down, Sumin knew that as she studied his overall body language. The frantic young girl vigorously shook her head, rejecting his idiotic idea with her entire body.

“Well, do you have a better idea, princess?” Seokjin asked, giving her a look.

“Yes, you run beside me, and we protect each other,” Sumin paused, cupping both sides of his face, “Like we did every single time we faced these undead bastards and will continue to do until it’s no longer necessary.” She finished in a courageous tone of voice.

Seokjin was rendered speechless but soon composed himself. Sumin was right because if he ended up dead, then who would protect her in his stead? No one worthy of her that was for sure. He needed to remain alive for her sake.

And she needed to remain alive for his sake…

Taking a long, deep breath, Seokjin’s eyes sparked with fearlessness as he stared at Sumin. He gently took her hand into his and quickly pressed a sweet kiss on the back of it.

“Okay, as soon as I open this door, you better be running right beside me. Got it?”

“I should be telling you that, Jinnie.”

Seokjin snorted, ignoring her comment as he pulled on the door-latch and opened the car door. He quickly grabbed his weapon from the passenger seat before diving out of the car. He readied his semi-automatic and peeked through the scope, looking for any scouts. Luckily, he saw none, but they needed to hurry and find cover. Then, his ears picked up a soft grunt followed by a string of swears.

With an amused grin, Seokjin glanced to his side, noticing Sumin rubbing her chin.

“Let me guess you hit yourself with that Katana.”

“Shut up and run.”

Sumin repositioned her sword and began running with her pistol out and ready to fire. Seokjin quickly followed behind, mimicking his sweetheart's every movement. This continued for a few more minutes until they found a suitable hideout and ducked behind the concrete wall. The two lovers seized that relaxing opportunity and calmed their irregular breathing. The last thing the two of them needed was to pass out while fighting a raging crowd of zombies.

Slowly, the loving couple inhaled the sweet oxygen through their nostrils and exhaled it through their mouths. With each breath they took, Seokjin and Sumin felt both their physical and mental strength restored.

They were ready to fight once more…

Slightly tilting his head, revealing this lazy smile, Seokjin gave Sumin a quick glance-over, making sure she didn’t have any secret injuries.

“So, are you ready for round 3?” He jokingly asked.

Sumin snorted, “Round 3? It’s more like round 5 at this point, Jinnie.”

This time it was Seokjin’s turn to let out a quick snort as he stood up with his assault rifle ready to fire at any given moment. The second he stood up, the blood-curdling shrieks grew near. Seokjin gave those undead gnats about ten seconds – give or take – before they swarmed their position.

“Careful, princess. People might think you’re talking about our sex life.” He joked, shamelessly winking at her as he pulled the trigger, firing a few rounds at the undead horde.

Sumin rolled her eyes as she unsheathed her Katana and shot up from her spot.

“What people?” She quickly gestured at the two of them and then at the never-ending onslaught of zombies that approached them, “In case you haven’t noticed, Jinnie, we’re the only ones here, so you have nothing to worry about.” She bluntly stated, completely missing Seokjin’s sarcasm, before impaling one zombie and decapitating the second one before raising her gun.

Sumin then cocked back her pistol and aimed it at the enemy, emptying the clip as she landed head-shot after head-shot. She hurriedly reached for another ammo clip and loaded it into the pistol.

Meanwhile, with Seokjin, the poor boy shook his head as he observed how frantic Sumin slowly became. He swiftly focused his weapon on her direction and fired at the zombies that threatened to swarm her.

“With you around, sweetheart, I will always worry.” He announced as he quickly fired at the zombies that rushed towards their direction. He then spun around and fired at his original path.

Sumin’s face reddened but soon composed herself, though her cheeks remained rosy.

She quickly cleared her throat before speaking,

“And to think, I thought you couldn’t get any cheesier.”

“Only for you and always for you…”

Protecting Each Other is copyright 2020 by jinterlude, all rights reserved.

#bb2020 #bangtanhq #bangtanarmynet #hyunglinenetwork #armyofwriters #btsguild #btspocnet #cypherwritersnet #kwritersworldnet #/mystories #bts #bts jin #bts seokjin #bts fanfic #bts fantasy au #bts x oc #bangtan #bangtan jin #bangtan seokjin #bangtan fanfic #bangtan au #bangtan x oc #seokjin #seokjin x oc #seokjin fanfic #seokjin au #jin #jin x oc #jin fanfic

[masonscig]

I think I'm late to the detective/ocs facts but none of my detectives are as fleshed out as the ones from other people so I've been thinking about what to say since I saw your post (which only proves that you're the loveliest person and we don't deserve you). But also, my detective Theo is an OC from an original thing I'm writing and Rebecca's relationship with him reminds me SO MUCH to his relationship with his family. Theo doesn't feel like he will ever be able to forgive Rebecca for her absences, he feels rejected and it's one of the few things he won't ever let anyone get away with. However, he is just waiting for a crumb of genuine affection from his mother to break and forget everything he thought about her. And when I say genuine affection I don't mean showing a little bit of worry and then run to her job again like she does after the Carnival, but an actual intention of knowing her son. I don't even know if any of this makes sense, I had this planned but then I started rambling and oh well sorry!

HI SARA im sorry this is so late !!!! omg i LOVE theo so much (an original thing?? insert eye emojis bc im on desktop LMAO) !!!

okay but completely valid on theo’s behalf – i wouldn’t trust rebecca for a while either! god i wanna wrap him up in a big ole hug ........ baby it’s ok i’ll take care of u ........ u don’t have to wait for rebecca to be genuine w you </3

ALSO DON’T APOLOGIZE seriously if you ever wanna tell anyone about your detectives and you even need to work through it seriously just hop in my asks i promise i LOVE hearing about them <3 <3 <3 also building up your oc from the ground up is the most fun part so??? you’re doing me a solid by sending me ur rambly thoughts <3 MWAH

#asks #tell me about your detective! #THANK U FOR BEING SO SWEET TO ME ILYYYYY #sara is the nicest person i stg #queue

[zaffrenotes]

[Blades] Impetus

Book: Blades of Light and Shadow, Modern/College AU Players: Mal Volari, MC (Rin), Nia Ellarious, Tyril Starfury, Imtura Tal Kaelen Rating/Warnings: PG-13 (subject matter, heavy smoochin) Author’s Note: * All main characters belong to Pixelberry, I’m just borrowing them * OCs are my creation * 31 days of ficlets and one shots using Jasmine’s Situational Summer Prompts – Concert * Also working in Friends/Ross Prompt 14 – prompt will be highlighted in bold * Word Count: +/- 2300

Perma/Blades Taglist: @ao719​ @blackcatkita​ @brightpinkpeppercorn​ @gibbles82​ @innerpostmentality​ @loveellamae​ @smalltalk88​ @thecordoniandiaries​ // @choicesarehard​ @dailydoseofchoices​ @eileendannie​ @liyanin​ @mrsnazariowritesagain​ @omgjasminesimone​ @princess-geek​ @saivilo​ @storyofmychoices​ @the-soot-sprite​ @walkerswhiskeygirl​

Mal rushed around the small space of his room, toothbrush in his mouth while he paused to swipe deodorant under his arms. He tossed the stick on his dresser and rushed back into the bathroom to spit out the foam in his mouth, before taking a swig of mouthwash and tilted his head to the ceiling to gargle. After dabbing lightly around his mouth and beard, he tossed the used hand towel on a hook and walked back into his room, zipping up the fly of his jeans.

He stared at himself in the mirror, pulling up half his hair with a small hair elastic; it was a balmy summer evening, but it would feel much warmer inside the event hall later. He glanced over to the shirts on his closet door; a button down shirt with a bold print and an understated v-neck hung next to each other on hangers. He glanced back down at the array of products on his dresser – hair putty, styling wax, beard grooming kit, scented and unscented beard oils, facial moisturizers and toners he joked about keeping on hand for overnight guests but were part of his eight step skincare routine – and plucked a deep teal glass bottle from a small set of colognes. He pressed the nozzle to spritz a light mist of cologne to either side of his neck,  with a final hearty spray to the center of his chest.

He pulled a pair of well-worn black leather boots from his closet and sat on the edge of the bed to lace them up, folded the cuff of his jeans over them, and glanced at the clock. He should’ve left ten minutes ago, but needed time to himself in the shower when he got an alert from Rin’s Picta page, and he gawked at the selfie she’d posted with Nia. They were dressed in plunging neon tops, looking like they were about to head to a club, instead of a concert on campus while it was still light out.

He needed to remain calm and in control, knowing he’d run into her at some point before the night was over.

The other day after the carnival, they walked through the booths together. Rin claimed the tattoo on her wrist was a full grown fox and not a kit like Mal had implied, but there was no way she could hide the way the color flushed her cheeks and neck the rest of the afternoon. They flirted playfully until they reached their buildings, and Mal offered to walk her through his building and under the pass if she couldn’t get to her keys because of the henna on her hands.

She simply bit her bottom lip and grinned at him, leaning against the back of a pillar. “Or you could pull the keychain from my back pocket for me.”

He leaned towards her, placing a hand on the pillar to steady himself. Eyes locked on hers, he grinned and lightly ran his fingers down her arm. Despite the warm weather, a trail of goose flesh appeared where his skin grazed hers, and he tucked his thumb into the waistband of her jeans against her hip. With a small gasp, Rin closed the distance between their lips and kissed him. His fingers dug into her skin, and he felt her arch her back and tilt her hips towards him; his other hand moved from the smooth surface of the pillar to cup the side of her face, threading his fingers into her hair. He kissed her back with fervor, and the only sounds between them were the soft noises their lips made when they parted and joined again.

She still tasted of the cherry soda she bought at the student union, because none of the food vendors carried it. Her tongue slipped into his mouth as they deepened their kiss, and he wanted nothing more than to grab the back of her thighs and feel her legs around his waist. He would have taken her against the pillar if he could have.

As his unfortunate luck would have it, whatever they’d started came to an abrupt end when one of the building doors slammed open, and a handful of students walked out. They jeered at Mal and Rin, whose face quickly turned bright red, and she grinned bashfully while shrugging her shoulders at the onlookers.

A straggler with the group clicked the locking mechanism on the door, leaving it wide open for her, and Mal sighed with resignation. “Looks like I don’t need to come to your aid this time.” He tucked his hair behind his ear and smiled softly at her.

“Maybe one day you will,” she offered, mirroring his actions. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and shrugged one shoulder as she passed him, heading towards the door. Just as Mal took a step towards the steps to leave, Rin turned on her heels and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a sweet kiss to his lips. “Look for me at the concert tomorrow night.” She kissed him again before letting go, and ran into her building.

Mal pulled the plain v-neck off its hanger and slipped it on, gathering the rest of his things and stuffed them into the pockets of his jeans. He locked his door and slipped his keys into a pocket, heading to the stairwell and made his way outside.

He was halfway to the Great Hall when he noticed Tyril and Imtura ahead of him by a few yards. It was impossible not to notice the pair of them together, as they towered over the rest of the student body. Small groups of students were all headed in the same direction to attend a free concert as part of Welcome Weekend. He quickened his pace just shy of breaking into a jog when he noticed Rin and Nia were with them.  Despite being several inches shorter, Nia kept up alarmingly well with the other three, as if she was gliding along with them.

Mal weaved through students, but the distance seemed to increase the more he tried to catch up. He exhaled hard through his nose and shook his head at himself, and began to jog. “Okay, if you could all walk slower, that’d be great,” he huffed, finally catching up to the foursome.

“Hey you,” Rin smiled.

Mal stumbled over his feet as he took in Rin’s outfit, moving quickly to catch up again. Instead of the neon top he remembered her wearing in the photo earlier, she was in a pair of fitted jeans and a vibrant navy top; the front of it plunged to a flirty v-neck but was nowhere near as revealing as the other top, but her back was exposed, save for criss-crossed strips of the same fabric. Beside her, Nia was in a plum dress. “You uh, you look nice,” he said, offering her a small smile.

“Oh, who invited the minion?”

“Hi to you too, Imtura.” Mal rolled his eyes at what passed for a greeting from Imtura.

“Volari.”

“Tyril.” Mal’s voice took on a mocking tone when he greeted Tyril. “Miss Nia.” His voice returned to normal and he grinned at Nia. “All go well with your advisor meeting?”

“Oh, yes, thanks,” Nia replied. “I should be all sorted out for classes on Monday.”

They made mostly pleasant conversation on the way to the concert, bottlenecking towards the entrance as students filed in. He was shoulder to shoulder with Rin as they shuffled forward, and gently placed his hand against the small of her back. She swallowed visibly when his hand touched her bare skin. “This okay?” He spoke quietly in her ear.

“More than okay,” she murmured back, grinning to herself.

Mal applied more pressure to her back, his pinky resting along the hem of her jeans. “Good to know.”

~

The hall was packed with students, along with a large performance stage. Music blared through the speakers amidst the hum of dozens of conversations happening all at once, and Mal and the rest of the group moved up as far as they could to secure a decent spot. He was about to ask Rin what she’d meant when she told him to look for her at the concert, when some of his residents noticed him and pulled him over to settle a debate.

Just as he was able to pull himself away from that discussion, several female underclassmen swarmed him to chat, and he sighed internally, channeling all the charm he could muster before trying to make his way back to Rin. The band had begun to warm up onstage, and the crowd surged forward in anticipation.

Before he could take his leave of the coeds surrounding him, the band began to play one of their songs, and his shoulders fell as he watched Rin dancing next to Tyril. His heart ached with jealousy when Tyril twirled her in place and he saw her smile; they were definitely suited for one another more than he was with Rin. Tyril was taller, and arguably graceful on his feet.

For the rest of the show, Mal found himself taking steps away from Rin, watching her from afar as she danced with Tyril, Imtura, and Nia. His mood turned sour, even though he gave in to a few pleading looks from ladies that wanted to dance with him, keeping a friendly but respectful distance between his partners.

Roughly an hour and a half into the concert, Mal made his way through sweaty bodies to grab a bottle of water from one of the drink stations on either side of the hall. After emptying the contents, he flicked his wrist to shoot it into a trash bin. He contemplated leaving early to avoid another bottlenecking situation at the doors, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Where have you been all night?”

He turned around to see Rin standing before him, pulling her hair up and twisting it into a bun. “You looked like you were having fun with your friends.”

“They’re your friends too,” she replied, gently checking him with her hip as she finished tying up her hair. “Dance with me?”

Mal tilted his head to one side sympathetically. “I’m get—”

“Dance with me, please?” she repeated, taking hold of his hand. “Right here, if you want.”

Mal sighed, looking on at her. Her cheeks were flushed with color from moving around, and there was a thin sheen of sweat across her face from dancing in the crowd. He thought she looked beautiful. “I can’t twirl you like your boy Tyril does,” he scoffed. He squeezed her hand and started walking with her, back towards the crowd.

“I don’t want you to twirl me like he does.” She weaved through the crowd to a different spot, away from the group, swaying her shoulders and bobbing her head along to the beat. Glancing over her shoulder to Mal, she winked at him before taking his hands in hers, and placed them on her hips.

Mal matched her movements, hips swaying and shoulders rocking. She circled her hips and pressed her backside against him, and he swallowed thickly, digging his fingers into her sides. She spun around in place to face him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, and looked into his eyes. He smirked mischievously at her, holding her hips firmly against his own, and she parted her legs to grind against his thigh.

Rin dug her nails across his shoulders as they moved, closing the space between them with her body. She let out a breathy whimper into his ear, whispering a “fuck” that sent his nerves alight.

“You alright there?” He steadied his hands on her hips, concern washing over his face as he pulled away to look at her. “You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”

Rin shook her head back and forth. “Nope, I’m good, I’m good.” She offered a tiny, nervous smile, which perplexed Mal. He’d never seen her look so nervous around him before. They started swaying their hips to the beat again, and Mal wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close. She pressed her chest against his, swaying along to the song, and pressed her cheek within a hair’s breadth from his face. A second or two passed before she uttered another “fuck” into his ear, and Mal fought the urge to grin. He felt the puff air against his neck when she breathed out through her nose.

“Rin?”

She pulled away from him abruptly, blinking for several beats, before taking hold of his hand. “You and I should leave. Now.”

“Now?”

“Right now.” He let her lead him out of the crowd and out of the building.

The cool night air was a welcome reprieve to their damp skin. He tilted his head up to the night sky, enjoying the way the air made his skin tingle, until he stumbled against the brick walkway and Rin tugged on his hand. “Hey,” he called to her, pulling her back to pause under one of the lamp posts. Rin stopped and allowed him to lead her backwards so she was pressed against the post. She let out a surprised gasp at the feel of the cool metal along her back, and Mal tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Where are we off to, in such a hurry?” His fingers trailed down the side of her neck, his gaze on how green her eyes looked under the glow of the lamp, and how tempting her lips looked as they curled into a grin.

“You’re taking me to your room,” she answered, biting one side of her bottom lip. “Unless you’d like to make ou—whoa!” Rin laughed as Mal grabbed hold of her hand and began running towards his dorm.

#31 days of summer #blades of light and shadow #modern Blades AU #college blades au #mal volari #Mal Volari x mc #mal volari fanfic #Blades x College AU #choices fanfiction #playchoices fanfic #zaffrenotes writes #ngl I'm halfway through this thing and I feel like giving up #writing is hard #my writing #q