#I say grey day but there are these really pleasant little moments of blue skies

[prince-toffee]

"Really?"

"Hehehe, yes, as far as the eye can see."

Though bewildered, Silver still smiled, he always loved to hear Blaze's laughter. Especially since it was so rare. She was always so reserved and proper. But around him the purple feline often chose to open up. Her posture would loosen up, the emotions on her face became far more readable, she felt comfortable enough to smile and laugh around him. Silver always felt so honoured, so lucky, that she chose him to trust with her feelings. He only wished they could see each other more often.

"Water?" He questioned still not believing the claim. "Drinkable water?"

"Yes. Well, you would have purify it first before drinking it. Salt water isn't healthy for you." Blaze began to go into her lecture mode, she's often did so when they'd met once in a blue moon. Silver of course would simply listen, engrossed in all the things she could teach him, enamoured in her pleasant commanding yet gentle voice. "But, yes, lakes, rivers, oceans. They meet with our land at beaches and shores, with warm sand that you can feel between your toes, a pleasant warmth, not harsh like here." She gestured to their surroundings.

The cat and the hedgehog were sitting on the edge of a ruined skyscraper, darkened with soot and ash. The skies stained with grey clouds, no star in sight. A devastated city stood around them, a world of crumbling buildings and collapsing streets. Rivers of fire flowing through the city like its life blood. It was strange, even though Blaze could manipulate fire so intimately, could withstand temperatures considered deadly to regular people, she still felt the heat of Crisis City. There was something about that fire, it was different, painful.

Silver spoke up mesmerised, "I've never felt pleasant warmth. Is... Is it nice?"

"Yes, my Queendom has the most pleasant of summers. It's paradise." The young Blaze mused. The two children fell silent for a moment. A sad expression came over Silver's face. Blaze noticed.

"I'd love to see it one day." He simply remarked, his head low.

"I... I'd love to show it to you one day." Blaze responded as she placed her hand on his. He looked up surprised, his teal markings shot up through his body, lighting up like a neon sign. There it was, a pleasant warmth. She felt it too. She quickly retreated the hand. And looked away as heat surfaced across her face. "But I can't... Because you're not real. That's what my mom says. Just an imaginary friend I made up. Because the other kids are too scarred to play with me."

"But I am real... I think. Please don't say that." He sadly murmured. "And I'd love to play with you. I really like you. Those other kids don't know what they're saying; you're not scary, you're really sweet." A small smile formed on his face. His eyes desparatly looking to lock with hers.

She kept looking away. She was silent for a moment, then spoke up again, "I should probably wake up now. Busy day today. I should go."

"Can't-- Can't you stay a little longer?" He closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. "It gets really..." He opened them, and she was gone, gone from this plain of existence... again, "... Lonely."

#silvaze #blaze the cat #silver the hedgehog #Post 06

[rainfurby]

It’d been a minute since I took any photos of Koala or Summer, hadn’t it? They both agree they miss the warmer weather, but autumn is still pleasant. Koala found a gecko and spent some time looking for bugs to feed it while Summer tried to write a song about sunburns and sea-salt. Not the worst way to spend a grey day.

#furby #allfurby #safefurby #furblr #my photos #summer #summer sunrise #koala #garden gremlins #garden gremlin #I really like spending time in my little covered area #it's like a little bubble of tropical weather #that monstera adansonii is in need of a trim tho #and I should probably buy some cheap terracotta pots to sit the nursery pots in so they all match #my bf is really bothered by all the brightly coloured plastic pots lol #I say grey day but there are these really pleasant little moments of blue skies #and it's not raining #everything just feels a little faded and cool

[dulcetxminfy]

Lotto | A | Chapter One

MafiaBoss! UndergroundCriminal! Yoongi x Strugglingwaitress! Y/N

Word Count - 3,210

Yoongles has his silver hair in this one 👌🏼. Smut will be in future chapters. Enjoy !

The smell of grease and bacon has your brain pounding in your skull. A normally pleasant smell can get old after an 8-hour work shift, 5 days a week. Dave rings the bell once again and you zig-zag between the tables trying to get there, refilling empty coffee mugs and fetching missing condiments on the way. Another day, another measly dollar.

By noon, your feet need a rest and you need a break. The sneakers squeeze your feet so much it feels like they might bring you down a size permanently. Marla comes from the back, chewing that cheap gum that’s bought wholesale. You hand over the paper tab and fill her in before heading into the back room. Lunch is spent eating a stale sandwich with stale lettuce and softening tomatoes that can leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Mentally, there’s a reminder set to see what they have at the food pantry this week.

Hopefully, your brother ate his lunch. It’s not like he likes it anyways and you can't blame him for it. Anxious thoughts are interrupted when Mina opens the door in all of her cheerfulness.

“Y/N, someone is asking for you.” She must see your furrow brows cause she continues.

“Says he needs to see you, it’s been a while. Is he a bad ex? Should I get rid of him?” Her worry makes you inwardly smile and you head to the sink. “No, it’s ok. I’ll be right there.” She leaves with a nod. The smile drops the minute she does. What could he possibly want now? Something uneasy stirs in your stomach. It could be the food just devoured, but there is something more pressing at the moment. The dim hallway is empty and you carefully walk out, counting the black and white tiles. With your head held high, you walk towards the booths.

The blue hair peeks out from the top of the divider. He always sits in the left corner of the room, drinking a lemonade. Always at the same time. Always on time. You walk towards the table and sit down. Taehyung offers a small nod of his head in acknowledgment. Or at least that’s what he says his name is. The first time he had waltzed in, he turned heads. A beautiful man in a crisp Armani suit isn’t exactly discreet. You came out to greet him and asked if you knew each other when he uttered one word. Your father's name. From then on you knew whatever came of this interaction, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. That bastard had ruined your family and still, it's not enough. He continues to cause destruction, long after he’s been gone.

Taehyung's tan skin and blue hair are a striking match. Chocolate eyes study the way you clench your hands together on the table, steadying shaky fingers. Pretending to hold it all together.

“Hello, Y/N.” He asked for your name the first time and you refused to give it. Years of watching sketchy people walk in and out of your apartment teach you to be wary. By the next meeting, he had it on his tongue in greeting. Perhaps a show of how much they really knew and were able to find out what they wanted.

“I have a note for you from Mr. Min. It’s appropriate to now set up a formal meeting. Tonight.” The previous suspicion is proved correct. This elusive Min wants to meet and it has your heart sinking.

“I have my brother to pick up from school.” Demons may thrive and bath in the night, but the rest of us don’t have that luxury to choose.

“Sorry, but you’ll have to make arrangements. We could send one of our men to do it... if you want.” Absolutely fucking not. You may be bad at surviving, but stupid is not in your nature.

“I’ll work it out.” It's the first time you keep eye contact with him since he arrived. While he notices the sudden determination, you notice the prominent mole on his nose. He’s handsome in a catalog type of way. they must have to be, to make the jobs easier. His tan skin glows, even in the gloomy shadow that the grey skies cast into the room.

“There will be a car parked outside your residence to pick you up.” Being in a car with these people doesn’t seem like such a good idea, either. The next words are painful to say.

“It’s ok, I’ll walk.” He quirks a brow and looks sideways at the droplets sliding down the window.

“It’s going to be raining heavy tonight, though.” His deep voice fills you with dread. Especially because there is an underlying tone of sympathy in it. On cue, lightning roars from somewhere above the popcorn ceiling. Hopefully, it’s enough to distract him from the fidgeting.

He gets up to leave but not before looking down at your slumped form, trying to ignore how tired and pitiful you look. Deliver and leave. That’s the job as a messenger. All of the five times he has come here have made him wonder who you are. What put you in the sights of a man like his employer. You are young, but there is so much sadness already. Ironically, he knows how you must feel. Against his better judgment, he fixes his collar and is gone as quickly as he came. Don’t ask, don’t get involved with the debtors. It’s easier that way. All you can do is place your head on the table and zone out for a little. It’s the go-to self-care these days. Just to pretend that you don’t exist in this form in time, that you can blend in with the background and disappear. Not for the first time, you curse your luck, family ties. What have I been roped into?

When the sun sets, your legs are already carrying you down the street before Lina can change her mind. Thankfully, it isn’t pouring down yet. Closing the diner is normally your job and it is a dreaded task. Anything can happen in that timespan and it keeps the adrenaline constantly flowing. A girl alone in a diner with a cash register is a golden opportunity. It’s hard to feel like beyond the windows there aren’t eyes, waiting in dark street corners. After a couple of blocks, the old orange apartment building comes into view. At one time it must have been nicer and that's hard to picture. Mr. Shihan is playing cards with another older man on the sidewalk when you come up to the gate. Their concentration is fully on the game and he doesn’t give his normal greeting. He’s a sweet man with a terrible habit. The courtyard is empty. There are barks and kitchen sinks running, loud televisions that have no consideration. Unfortunately, there are no stairs and after long days, it’s hard not to just want to sit down on the dirty, concrete floor and fall asleep. Before you reach the 5th floor, you wait at the entrance to the hall on the 4th. It’s taken time for you to stop caring what others think of your situation, the disapproving comments, and glances from the teachers at your brother's school and almost anywhere you go. Too young, give him up to the state. Can’t take care of him, look how skinny he is, look how tired. People who look from the outside and have the luxury to judge. You are old enough to take care of him and he belongs with you. You’re the only family you two have left.

It’s only when you need help that it kills you to see Mrs. Litska. She’s an old woman who was able to babysit your brother while you are at work. With one knock, the door opens and you are met with a frown on her crinkled face. You don’t have time to say much, you just give her the envelope of this month’s pay and step inside. Your brother is asleep on the brightly foiled couch in the dim living room that smells of baked bread. The sound of Vivaldi comes through the ancient radio on the side table. His little fingers hold tightly onto the Spider-Man plushie picked out at the thrift store a while ago. It’s seen better days, but they are insuperable. Placing the stuffed item to the side, one arm loops around his shoulders to him up to place his head on your shoulder. The kid could sleep through anything.

The both of you head upstairs into your own living quarters. The lights don’t turn on when the flip is switched and you sigh as you try your best to remain close to the wall.it proves to be hard with your body ready to give out, but you ultimately make it to the room and place your brother into the squeaky bed. The candles are pulled from the drawer and each one settles into every corner of the space nicely.

Finally, you take off your partially wet clothes and put them into a pile by the tub. At least the water is warm as your body slowly leans down into it. Suddenly, the room is quiet and it’s hard to let yourself float away. It’s eerie and not comforting at all. It never is. There is no next destination besides a dreaded one, no way to work yourself towards, hanging on through the blissfully hard distractions that take up your life. They allow you to not stop, to not think about where you could be. Staying busy saves you from reaching into yourself too much.

Minutes tick by, a full half-hour before your skin is soggy and the water is cold. Still, it's better to be here than think that in another hour you could be trafficked and the little boy in the other room sleeping peacefully would have no one left. Mother dead, father gone, sister missing. It brings a chill to the room and it’s suffocating. Once you’re dressed casually, you check in on your brother who is still tucked in, his breathing mellowed out. Here’s to hoping he stays asleep and doesn’t wander through the place at three in the morning to an empty apartment. You kiss his forehead and bring his plushies within reach. They crowd the space around him, cocooning him in.

With one last safety check and blowing out the candles, you lock the door from the outside and move along the hallway down to the stairs.

Your neighborhood is wet and dark at this hour. Thankfully, you are prepared with a switchblade and pepper spray bought last week. It’s three blocks to the main streets where more people walk with umbrellas. Men in suits getting home and families hurrying to their cars. The shop lights flash, shop windows showcasing fried chicken and ice cream. Your stomach automatically grumbles.

Your umbrella holds up for the most part until the lights start to separate and the streets once again turn dim and dirty. The sudden gusts of wind fold it in and it snaps. Soda cans and bags of junk food litter the edges of cement. Shops on this side are all closed, bars and steel curtains drawn. Every little sound has the back of your neck standing up. A tabby cat pops up from under a beat-up truck and it has your heart momentarily stop. Hopefully, it’s around the corner. Your hands shakily open the worn piece of paper to try and locate the street. Luckily, it’s one street down. Once you turn the corner, you head right into a narrow alley. The pepper spray is held onto tightly with clammy hands.

The situation is starting to look sketchier as you go on. Once you reach the dead end, something to the left catches your peripheral vision. Off to the side is another narrow path, much shorter than the one you just went through. It leads directly to a steel door with a neon sign right above. The letters that read Welcome bathe the entrance in blue and red. When you come closer, you notice a little plant to the side. As if it can hide the strangeness of it all when all it does is highlight. Still, the harshness of the surroundings doesn't reach this corner. For a while, you stand there as the rain continues to patter. The sign buzzes and flickers. Your clothes get more soaked but you refuse to move forward. I’m a bad bitch, I’m a bad bitch. I got this. There is vibration coming from the floor beneath your feet. The door opens and a big muscular man gestures for you to come in. This is how it starts. A cliche buff bouncer opening the rope to the gates of hell. He stares and steps aside, gesturing again. Maybe you could have made a run for it before he appeared. Not now. It would be useless. They will come looking. These people always collect. You’ve seen it before. Ultimately, the decision has been made by someone else. There's more to lose if you don't and with a tug of your bag, you trudge forward.

What you had been imagining this past week was apparently absurd compared to the vision that lay in front of you now. There was no blood, no people begging for you to help them escape. No blindfold, just plenty of men and women holding down handles at the slot machines that showed them all the wrong symbols. You walked through the desperation into another area of green felt tables and cards being dealt. The air is stuffy and it smells of smoke and alcohol. Apparently, no one else is bothered. Ahead of you, a tall man is pressing on something in his ear with a meaty hand. Darting your eyes around, you take in more. Before confusion settles in on where to go you find the answer. From the second floor, Taehyung holds onto the railing, looking around. Your eyes meet and it’s strangely intimate. Too intimate. It must not be hard to be found when your clothes are wetting the floor beneath you.

He walks towards you with a small smile. His cobalt blue suit stands out and there’s a dangly earring hanging from one ear. His appearance is much flashier than it was the last time you saw him. With one look behind you, he leads you both up the stairs. On the way, you internally chide yourself for wearing what you are now. The wet clothes make you feel like a little sewer rat. You feel like ratatouille and the confidence that brought you here is dwindling. Instead of a shoddy warehouse that was expected, you are venturing deeper into a maze of halls with red carpeting and gold-rimmed mirrors. Eyes remain forward, but your mind tries to remember every sharp turn, every step that takes you further away from an exit. It is not hard to conjure up terrible, gruesome images and they flash a mile a second. There is only silence and you do not expect anything else. Finally, Taehyung comes to a halt and you almost bump into his back. The door is red and for some reason, it hits you know what big of a mistake you have made. You feel like you’ve been personally delivered to hell’s gates. No one knows where you went tonight. They could get rid of your body and no one would look. It would be easy. Just a poor, young person who could have been tossed or thrown into the river. Another cold case, another victim. He knocks on the door in a pattern of sound and pauses. Must be a code of some sort. Loud noises and laughter get closer until the door opens abruptly and an older gentleman with peppered gray hair greets the man next to you.

“Tae, my boy. Yoongi was about to cheat again.” Tae? Yoongi? This stranger’s excitement has you even more on edge. Your palms are now sore from clenching and cutting at them with overgrown nails. Taehyung moves forward and he smiles as an arm is put around his shoulder. There’s conversation but you don’t hear any of it. Somehow you get yourself inside the room and the door shuts right after. There’s even more smoke and laughter and a champagne bottle being popped somewhere. It all whizzes by. On the outside, your face must seem neutral but the inside is ringing with alarms and warnings. It feels like there’s a hole in the pit of your stomach. Somewhere along the way, the older gentleman named Lee went off to talk to some people on a chase couch against the wall.

There is a long gambling table at the end of this well-sized room and it seems to be the destination. When you get closer, there are about eight people around it. Mostly men with frowns. It must be the small number of chips in front of them. That doesn’t matter a second later though. Not when you catch the sight of the man sitting at the head of it. There’s a force that seems to be pulling everything in space to him, everybody. Bluish Silver hair catches the lighting of the small chandelier above as he gets up with a flute in between pale hands. His fingers grab a couple of chips from his pile which is no doubt the biggest of them all. They twirl in his ring-clad fingers. The veins line them and it’s hard to not stare. The robe that hangs off his lean figure looks decadent and expensive, so much so that it would stop the question of why he is wearing it entirely. There’s so much to take in. His face is gorgeous. His gummy smile numbs the feeling of panic that set in before. He gets closer, or perhaps you do. The two of you walk up to him. Realization dawns in then. Fuck My life.

“Mr.Min, this is miss Y/N.”

#bts angst #bts scenarios #bts smut #bts fake texts #namjoon #Jungkook #jin #suga #jhope #jimin #taehyung #bantansonyeondan

[littlemisskookie]

Push Your Buttons

Push Your Buttons Ship: Taehyung | Coraline!Reader Description: Coraline!AU, Childhood Friends/Enemies to Lovers!AU. You return to your childhood home in an attempt to uncover your past, despite the fact it seems as though everyone’s determined to keep it hidden. Warnings: Fat Cock kink?, Taehyung calls you a bitch a lot, Oral, Denied Orgasms, Blowjob, Intercourse, Dirty Talk, Violence, So MUCH ANGST, Major Character Death Word Count: 23k A/N: I literally spent months on this so please enjoy! I’m proud of it!

For some reason you expected it to be more colorful.

Typically, when someone thinks back to their childhood home and summer memories, they think of back the lush green of the trees and the wide expanse of grass and yard. Perhaps blue skies and scraped knees, with a golden sun overhead to burn skin and give tans. Maybe the flush of cool water against one's skin and friends whose little arms would wrap around you in a tight hug.

That's what you supposed most would think of, anyway. You really couldn't say because truth be told, you had no recollection.

As in, no recollection whatsoever.

Apparently, there was an incident here at this very place when you were only eleven years old. It was your childhood home, but you were spared most of the details. After the incident, your grandparents, with whom you had lived, decided a change of scenery would benefit you, and you were unable to recall the memories you had before seventh grade.

You remembered small things, but none of it really seemed real. It was more like a dream, some of it bizarre and outlandish. A small door and a winding tunnel, as well as bright colors and warm food. It wasn't always pleasant, though. Some nights, until about a year after the incident, you'd wake up screaming about your eyes.

Neither you nor your grandparents could decipher what it really meant.

There was one thing you were positive was real though. Two boys. One you weren't able to really make out, but the other had a face as clear as day. A bright smile and long eyes, with big cheeks that looked ready to pinch.

You wondered if you'd see that boy again.

Your grandparents had decided to move back to the home after all of these years. You were being transferred to another school, and you'd be away for a while. The two felt nostalgic about the place since it was originally where they had raised your mother before she died, and wished to return. You insisted upon helping them settle in and tend to them, admittedly curious about your childhood home. Perhaps you could settle in for the summer and find a nearby job soon. You had just finished college, having graduated a year early due to summer classes. Still, they were worried- about bad memories returning after all these years or other things, you weren't quite sure. Nevertheless, you had pestered them into letting you stay with them, seeing as you needed to help them due to their age and health.

The town was a lot more grey than you would've guessed. A bleak sky with a dreary yet humid atmosphere, lightly sprinkling enough for your skin to feel dewy, but not enough for the need to go inside. The ground was muddy as you stepped out of the car, taking a long look at the house you had grown up in.

It was a large suburban home that was divided into four apartments, all of the neighbors staying there even after your departure, apparently. The landowner immediately let your family move in, perhaps for nostalgia's sake or for the need of money.

Sweeping a hand through your blue-dyed hair and tugging your yellow raincoat closer, you marched up to the house, noticing how run down and old it was. Slipping your matching yellow boots off, you shake your head, trying to get any droplets out of your hair, mimicking a dog. You walked along the floorboards, examining the interior. The paint was faded and chipped, and each step you took creaked.

"Y/N! Don't run off too far!" your grandmother called, paranoid as always. Your grandfather was helping her out of the car to get into her wheelchair, which she had been stuck in for your entire life. "Remember that there are rats in the attic! There's supposed to be traps laid out, but I don't want you to get hurt."

You ignored her, giddy as you clutched on tightly to the key in hand, jamming it into the front door and entering the premises.

Nothing.

You felt deflated.

It was standard, some old furniture still there, and dusty as hell. You didn't know what you expected. Why did you get your hopes up?

The whole reason you brought yourself here was to try to recover your memories.

You had all the time in the world for that, though. Surely something would come up to bring back a rush of memories.

You ventured through, noting leaks and mouse traps that had yet to go off. Walking up the stairs, you continued to look for something of interest, only to stumble across your old room. The landowner was right- it really hadn't been touched since your family moved away.

The room was set up for a young girl, with faded pink walls and a bedspread of butterflies. You stared around, racking your brain for any sense of familiarity, only to find none. It felt as though you were in a stranger's room, but you knew it was yours. Your grandma had some pictures of you in your room back when you had stolen one of her polaroids, and you were sure if you'd look at them in comparison, the room would be a match. 

You squint your eyes, however, seeing something that seemed out of place. A tiny door, no taller than your knee. You kneeled down, your finger tracing along the outline of it, ripped wallpaper being hastily taped up with duct tape that was already beginning to fall off.

This... This seemed familiar.

Your heart palpitates, realizing it looked awfully like the door in one of your many dreams.

It couldn't be real.

Ripping off the tape, you try to pry the door open, only to find it locked. You grit your teeth, looking around the room for a key. You looked beneath the bed, behind the dressers, everyone until you finally found it beneath some cobwebs. Blowing the dust off, you jam it into the lock, twisting the key to pry the door open only to find... brick.

Disappointed, you return to the car, your grandfather calling for you. A tall, strange figure stood before both of them, a mop of dark hair on top. You furrow your brows, looking at the man in question.

His skin was golden, making him glow and illuminate the grey clouds in the background. He was stunningly handsome, and you felt your breath hitch as you stared at him, finding your mouth dry. 

"Y/N, this is your childhood best friend, Kim Taehyung. He's the son of the landowner, and has graciously offered to help us move in!" Your grandmother beamed at the man, reaching up to pinch his cheek. "My, how you've grown! I remember back when you were no bigger than my knee, you were such a cute kid. Now you're a handsome young man! You know, Y/N's single right now, and with the history between the two of you-"

"That's enough, Grandmother, I'm sure he's got another girl," you hastily interrupt, feeling your cheeks flush. You hold your hand out, smiling at Taehyung, internally praying that your hands weren't sweaty. "I'm Y/N, it's nice to meet you."

He glared down at your hand before giving you a confused look. "Why are you introducing yourself? We've known each other since diapers."

You feel your face go beet red, and you fume with anger immediately. That was just plain rude. "There's no need to be obnoxious."

"Y/N!" your grandfather snapped.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you, but it's probably for the best, seeing how rude you're being," you continued, crossing your arms as you looked up at the man. You were best friends with this brat? You would've figured it'd be the boy with the chubby cheeks and long eyes, not this absolute jerk. 

Taehyung raised a brow in a way that sent shivers down your spine. "Is that so?"

"It is," you say, wanting to spit out the words. "I can't imagine myself being friends with such a pompous ass."

"Y/N, that's enough. We raised you better than this. Why don't you get started on moving the stuff inside? We'll have to apologize to Taehyung on your behalf."

You rolled your eyes, huffing as you began moving the boxes inside. It's about only five minutes later that Taehyung joins you, boxes in his arms as well. He's about to stumble when you catch some of them, quick on your feet as you prevent them from toppling to the ground.

"Careful! That could be our good china!"

Taehyung set down the box carefully, both of you trying to calm down after the brief scare.

You're both silent for a moment, but you break the silence ultimately. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have burst out like that. I was being rude."

He grunted in response, and you do your best not to get pissed off at him once more. There was no need for you to act so immature and childish, after all. Finally, he speaks up. "So you really don't remember anything, huh?"

You pause at that. "So they told you, huh?"

"Yeah. If I had known I wouldn't have been like that," Taehyung admits.

You let out a breath. "It's alright. There was no way for you to know. And no, I don't remember anything. It's one of the reasons I came back. Apparently, there was some incident that just completely wiped away my memories and... Well, I've been gone ever since."

"So you don't remember me."

"No. You probably know my childhood better than I do, if we were really friends though. It's hard to imagine, though. You're no more than a stranger to me right now, I mean look at us." You gesture at the contrast between his dark coat and your own bright yellow one. 

"Show your left ankle and I'll tell you one story," he offers.

Your eyes light up at that, and you don't hesitate, kicking off a rainboot and rolling up your already cuffed jeans, showing the small, crummy butterfly.

Taehyung traces it softly, making sure not to make you uncomfortable as he does so. His mouth quirks up a bit, and you can't help the unexpectedly warm feeling in your chest. "When we were eight we all snuck into Mrs. Miller and Wilson's apartment. They were our neighbors back in the day. They had this old tattoo pen and such. Jimin advised against it, but you were obsessed with butterflies at the time and wanted me to draw one on you. By the time the adults found out, it had been done. You were the only eight-year-old at our school who had a tattoo, needless to say."

You laugh at the story. "Oh God, I could totally picture myself doing that. Makes sense why it's so poorly drawn, though."

"Hey, I was eight and had never even held a tattoo pen before, give me a break," he scoffed in response, though laughing as well.

"Wait, but who's Jimin?" you ask curiously. 

Taehyung's laughter stops immediately, and his face returns to the previously dark look. He gets up to walk away, and you're quick to hobble on one foot, grabbing onto his sleeve. "Wait, why're you leaving? Did I offend you?"

His face is steely as he looks at you, removing your hand from his sleeve. "You're not my Y/N, and you never will be. My Y/N wouldn't have left no matter what happened."

Your eyes widen at that. "Excuse me? I can't help the fact I have amnesia!"

"I don't give a damn about your amnesia. You said it yourself that we're strangers, and we're going to stay that way. The less you know the better," Taehyung spits.

You narrow your brows, glaring at him. "What the fuck, Taehyung? What are you even talking about."

"I repeat: the less you know the better."

His lips remained sealed, and you squint your eyes at him. He was dark and brooding on the outside, and desperately trying to remain the same on the inside. Or at least project that image. You wondered if this truly was the boy you were apparently best friends with during your younger days. Could little kids be brooding anyway? Somehow you couldn't imagine him as a bubbly little boy. Something had to have changed. You wondered if you had anything to do with it.

"What, do you know what happened?" The wheels in your brain begin to spin as you frantically try to prevent him from leaving. "Do you know the incident? What happened to me? Why I forgot everything?"

"I don't know anything," he says hastily.

"Liar!" Your eyes immediately catch the small quirk of his lip, a twitch of his sneer. "I can tell you're lying. I don't know how, but I do. That small quirk of your lip..."

He stops in his tracks, reaching up to his mouth, his face turning red with embarrassment. You know your assumption was correct, and you can't help but grin victoriously. "It doesn't mean anything," he excuses.

Your face softens, and you reach for his hand, glad that he doesn't flinch at your touch. "Taehyung- I need to know. It's why I came here. I feel like there's this big part of me that's been missing all this time. You might not know everything, but clearly you know something. It's clear you and I were best friends- why can't we be that again?"

He's frozen in your touch as you stare him in the eyes, searching for something. With your hand in his, though, you do feel some sense of familiarity. You haven't felt this in a long time.

He retracts from your touch as though burned, snapping out of his daze as he turns away from you. "Grow up, Y/N. I would've figured you would after all this time- but you're still childish as always."

"I thought you said I wasn't your Y/N," you say, desperately trying to reach for something to grasp onto.

"You're not. You never will be," he hisses, avoiding your stare as you attempt once again to make him look at you. It's as though it physically pains him to look at you. "We'll keep it that way."

"We're going to be neighbors now, Taehyung. You can't ignore me forever," you say stubbornly. "And if there's one thing I'm sure I've kept with me even from childhood, it's my ability to be a pain in the ass. We've got plenty of time to be together, and I'm not leaving without finding out what happened to me. You can either choose to help me or be annoyed for years on end until I figure it out on my own."

"Go to hell, Y/N. I told you that the less you know the better. After all, curiosity killed the cat."

You grin, finally succeeding in locking eyes with him again. "But satisfaction brought it back."

-

The house was littered with cardboard boxes by the time you were done moving everything. Between pestering your grandfather about getting some plants or paint to brighten the place up and overall wasting time, you were finally and truly blessed with Taehyung's presence once more. You were in the middle of unpacking a few of the items when Taehyung came into your room, his eyes roaming about the place before landing on you.

"Have you changed your mind?" you say hopefully, eyes lightening up with hope.

"No," he grunts, "your grandma just wants to know if you want to come down for a break. She made lemonade."

You sigh, slightly disappointed. "Yeah, sure."

"What's that?" His eyes narrow, brows furrowing.

You turn in his direction, seeing the tiny door. "Oh, this? I have no clue honestly. It was covered with a bunch of duct tape when I saw it, but it's kinda cool. No clue why anyone would need such a tiny door... especially since it doesn't lead anywhere."

You open it up, blowing at some of the dust on the door and brick. Taehyung glares at it, stepping forward before slamming the door shut.

"Leave it alone- it was taped up for a reason. I suggest you tape it back up," he says.

"Why?"

"I... I just have a bad feeling about it, ok?" He gets fidgety again, slightly irritated. "Now that I think about it, it was probably my mom who taped it up after you left. I hated that door since we were little."

"If you're not going to tell me then I won't tape it back up. It's in my room, there's nothing you can do about it. Besides, it leads to nothing. What's the big deal?"

"Y/N, you'll just get in trouble, and I'm the one who's going to have to drag you out and save your ass. I know you," he says.

Your mouth goes small. "You don't know me, though. I don't even know me."

There's silence between the two of you for a bit.

"Look, I'm sorry," he says. "I'm not being fair to you, and I've been nothing but rude. I guess I haven't moved on from the past, and it's not a good excuse. I held a grudge against you or what happened- honestly I don't know half of it. It wasn't your fault anyway, but with you leaving and getting amnesia I guess I never got over the feeling of abandonment. It's been ten years though, and I need to move on. Seeing you here has reopened some old wounds that were never healed... but it's not your fault."

"Taehyung..." You're momentarily stunned. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, don't read too much into it," he hastily says. "Tell you what, I'm going to be at home but I'm sure my folks won't mind if you drop by this afternoon. You can head back to my place and I'll tell you a few childhood stories regarding the two of us. Sound good? It's the least I can do."

"I'd love that!" You brighten up at the idea.

He holds up one finger, however, making sure you don't get too excited. "On one condition: you tape that little door back up. As I said, I've got a bad feeling about it."

You furrow your brow again. "It really freaks you out that much, huh?"

He presses his lips together in a tight line. "Do we have a deal?"

You grin. "Deal!"

He spits in his hand and holds it out, his cheeks flushing when he realizes. "Oh, uh, it's something we used to do. I should've realized-"

He's about to wipe his palm against his coat when you spit in your hand, shaking it with his without hesitation. "Don't worry about it. Just like old times, ok? We'll act like I never even left. This feels right." You look down at your hands and slightly grimace, pulling back and wiping it away. "Slightly gross, admittedly, but right nevertheless."

He's stunned, and you wave your hand before his face in an attempt to bring him back to reality. "Tae? You alright?"

"What? Sorry, dozed off there for a moment." For the first time, you see him smile, a warm glow filling your heart at the sight. "I just... I never really thought I'd get the chance to do that again. With you I guess."

You can't help but melt at the sentiment. "I'm not going anywhere this time, I promise."

-

Taehyung's mother looked like the spitting image of him, surprisingly enough. Save for the grey hairs and wrinkles around her eyes, she looked like him if she were a girl.

"Oh, Y/N! My, aren't you gorgeous? Look at that blue hair! You grew into the beautiful young woman I always knew you'd become. It's been so long- Taehyung just told me you were back," she said, smiling warmly.

"Hi, Mrs. Kim," you say. "Is Taehyung home?"

"Oh, he's outside gardening for me. He'll be right back. Why don't you head upstairs to his room and wait for him? He's supposed to be back any minute."

"Oh, thank you, ma'am!" 

You begin to walk away when she takes your hand, redirecting your attention to her. She looks nervous, biting her lip. "Y/N... it's really good to see you again. I know Taehyung's happy about it too, though he has trouble expressing that side of him. He changed a lot once you left but... I don't want to get my hopes up, but maybe since you're back he can change back. I guess a mother can't help but want her little boy back, huh?"

Her smile is bittersweet, strained but sorrowful. You can't help but feel a sense of pressure put upon your shoulders, and you can only attempt to mimic her smile. "I'll try my best, Mrs. Kim. I'm glad to be back, too." 

You didn't have the heart to tell her that you had absolutely no clue where his room was, but after wandering around aimlessly upstairs you eventually found what you could only presume would be his room.

It was simple. Frayed and faded posters of superheroes on his walls, and a small basketball hoop on the back of his door. It was surprisingly neat for a guy's room, but perhaps you just had a stereotypical expectation. Wiping your finger against the surface of the dresser, you note that there's no dust.

Your eyes flicker upwards towards a picture of three kids, smiling brightly. You recognize Taehyung immediately, his rectangular smile beaming brightly at you. To his left you see yourself, your face chubby and youthful, clinging tightly to his side as proof of your friendship. To your other side, there's another boy, his plump lips spread into a bright grin that stretched across his face.

Your heart stops.

A hand comes behind you, slapping the picture face down. You turn to Taehyung, his expression furious.

"Just what do you think you're doing, snooping around my room?"

"Sorry your mom just... she let me in," you say, stammering as you attempt to regain composure.

"That doesn't give you an excuse to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." His brows furrow, a crease between them. He sighs, running a hand across his face in frustration. "It was a mistake to invite you here."

"Who's this boy?" You don't touch the photo, but he knows what you're talking about, nevertheless.

"That's me," he says bluntly.

"No, the other one. With the long eyes and bigger lips."

He's quiet for a moment, looking away. "That's Jimin. He was friends with us when we were little."

"Where is he now? I recognize him, I don't know why. If you could tell me where he is maybe I can talk to him. He might be able to tell-"

"There's no point."

You pause, confused. "Why not? Did he move like I did or something?"

"No, he's... He's dead."

Your breath hitches and you feel your chest get tight. "No, that can't be right. That makes no sense."

"Well, he is," Taehyung says, expression angry. "He went missing right before you left. They announced him as dead not too long ago. About three years ago. Apparently, they do that if the person is missing for more than seven years."

Your face crumples along with his, the temperature of the room falling as you process the information. "I'm... I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's your loss too, you know. He was best friends with both of us."

"Maybe so, but I don't remember any of it. I have no memories, he might as well be a stranger," you explain. "For you though... For you, he was much more than just a picture in a frame. I'm sorry."

You swear you see his eyes well up slightly, but he flops down on his bed, turning away from you. You wondered if you had a poor choice of words, reminding him once again that you remembered nothing, even the boy that meant so much to him. To both of you, apparently. "You wanted to hear stories about us when we were kids, right? To see if you remembered anything?"

"Yes." You sit next to him on the bed, bringing your knees up to your chest as you listen intently. "If you're ok with that, of course."

He hums, closing his eyes. "You, me, and Jimin were all best friends since diapers. We had every class together and were glued to the hip, so to speak. Everyone in this small town would say that when they saw even one of us, they could expect one of the other two. Some speculated both he and I would fight for your hand in marriage once we had grown- a running joke among the grown-ups.

"Jimin was the more gentle of us three. He was always the one to get between us and calm us down whenever you and I got into one of our usual spats. Even back then we couldn't help but bicker, so it seemed. I was the one who taught you how to ride a bike, only for you to accidentally run over me and into the bushes. He was the one to bandage the two of us up as we both argued over who was to blame."

His eyes flicker up to lock with yours, a small smirk on his lips. "It was totally yours, by the way."

You laugh heartily at that. "Agree to disagree, then."

You both chuckle for a moment. 

"You know, we were each other's first kiss," he mentions. "We had decided if anyone was going to kiss you, it would be us, your two best friends. I mean, what did we know, we were like seven at the time. I'm pretty sure I missed your mouth anyway."

"Something tells me that memory would be a bit cringy to look back on."

"Yeah, probably," he smiles. Taehyung's gaze is far away for a moment. "I'm sure Jimin would disagree if he were here, though."

You're quiet for a moment. "Was his disappearance the... incident?"

"I can't really say for sure, honestly. As much as I know you want answers from me, there's only so much I know. I don't have all of the pieces, but I know the events are related. I have bits and pieces, and the only others who know anything are amnesiacs or ghosts."

"I appreciate you telling me this, though," you say honestly. "I know it must be hard for you."

He lays back on his bed, his back bouncing against the springs. "As much as I've gotten angry over you losing your memories, I think a lot of it is jealousy. I wish I could forget so easily."

"It's not the most pleasant thing, honestly. I feel like I'm missing this huge chunk of my life like I'm not even fully me, you know? I only know what I was like once I was twelve and after, basically once I hit puberty." You sigh, falling beside him. "It's hard to explain."

"I think I get it. It's like the missing pieces of the puzzle I mentioned before."

"Yeah you can think of it that way," you say. "I have some, but not enough to really tell what the image is."

"Are you having any luck at least?"

"I haven't even been here for a full day, so I can't really say," you mumble. "I think I'm getting a little bit from what you tell me. My grandparents are of no help. They think if I find out about the incident or whatever I'll be ruined. I suffer from bad dreams relating to it, apparently. After it happened I was even in shell shock or something, it was that bad."

"Maybe it is better to not find out, then."

"Well maybe if I find out I can find out what happened to Jimin." You sit up, looking down at Taehyung. "I might not really know you, but the old me did. Stranger or childhood friend, I'd like to give you some closure. I can tell you're torn up about it still, and I'm sure my reappearance has reopened old wounds. Your mother hoped that I could help you. The incident affected you, too, whether that's from me leaving, Jimin's disappearance, or something else entirely. Maybe I feel as though I owe you this much as an apology, or maybe it's just me being selfish. I do know, however, that my memories wouldn't affect just me. I would like to help you, and I can only pray I'll be able to handle whatever it was back then now that I'm grown."

He studies you for a moment, his eyes dark and brooding. "You know, the more I talk to you, the more you seem like your old self. Perhaps you never really changed, Y/N." His fingers come up to grasp an end of your blue hair, twirling a strand around his slender finger. You can't help but shiver at his touch, part of you yearning for more. "I can't tell you everything, Y/N. Not now at least. I can tell you this much, though. When you left, it crushed me inside. I dealt with the death of my best friend, and then my other just up and left. I had no one to lean on, who understood my pain. It was the first time in my entire life that I was completely and utterly alone. Depending on others was what ultimately destroyed me."

You lean into his touch, his fingers now grazing across your cheek. "Taehyung, I might not remember why I left, but I can honestly say I'm sorry for doing it. Me back then might've left, but I promise I won't. I won't leave you again. You're not truly alone- you never were."

He sits up, and your breath hitches, lungs tight as you realize how close he is to you. You're able to hear his soft breath, and at that moment you feel your heart race.

"You really are the same Y/N," he says, a quirk in his smirk as his thumb brushes over your lower lip, your mouth automatically parting for him. "You're still so naive."

You're frozen as he retreats from you, his warm skin against yours now absent as he stands up, leaving you alone in his room.

-

It's the middle of the night when you suddenly wake up, a sense of panic washing over your body as you sit up abruptly, a cold sweat covering your skin.  All you could hear was your heavy breathing and the scamper of mice a floor above you. Was it a night terror? Or was it something external?

In an effort to slow your palpitating heart, you take deep breaths, closing your eyes. You weren't going to be able to fall back asleep, so it would seem. You sigh, getting up to turn on the light, figuring you could get a glass of water while you're up.

To your surprise, however, once you turn on the light you spy something peculiar. Leaning against the tiny door was a doll.

It wasn't any ordinary doll, though.

It looked exactly like you.

It had everything from your blue hair to the outfit you had worn earlier that day- a yellow raincoat and matching boots. The eyes were of buttons, charcoal black and staring blankly at you.

Excitement rose in your chest as you took it in your hand, examining it. It was closer to a rag doll than anything else, and you didn't feel any sense of dread or fear.

Who had made this?

In all honesty, you found it a bit cute. You were just weird like that.

An idea pops in your head, prodding like it had been ever since you first opened it. You rip the tape at the edges, using all your might and discarding them to the floor. You did promise Taehyung you'd tape it up, but he never said anything about taking the tape down, did he? Soon enough you're twisting the tiny knob, bracing yourself as you feel a harsh wind on your cheeks. Blue hair flying about your face, you look in awe at the tunnel before you, glowing and luminous. You were positive that it had only been brick before.

Were you still asleep? Was this all a dream?

Doll in hand, you crawl through the tunnel, venturing further into the surreal dream. What you could only describe as the sweetest scent filled your nose, and the most beautiful of music graced your ears.

Surprisingly enough, once you were at the other end, you were back in your bedroom.

But not quite.

The room was filled, the walls no longer faded. The shelves were filled with knick-knacks of toys and pictures. On your vanity mirror were written messages in dry erase marker, surprisingly enough in your handwriting. The room teemed with life, as one would suspect from their childhood bedroom. 

This felt far more familiar, oddly enough.

You look about the room, touching the objects before you as though to make sure they're real. You even analyze the message on the mirror, Y/N WAS HERE! It was undeniably your handwriting.

Were you really here before?

"Y/N! Dinner's ready."

What?

You skip out of your room, amazed at the interior of the house. It was as though it got a makeover, teeming with life and personality, color everywhere just as you liked it. No longer the muted or faded colors back home. Your dream seemed to have good taste.

You head to the kitchen, surprised to see your grandmother, her back turned to you as she continued to cook. That wasn't what made you freeze, though. The first thing you noticed was that her wheelchair appeared to be missing.

"You're... You're standing!" 

She turns, giving you a bright smile. Instead of her warm yet stern eyes, you're met with buttons. A pair of charcoal black buttons staring right at you.

"Of course I'm standing, silly girl," the woman laughs, "though this gives me quite a bit of nostalgia. To think, last time it was the buttons, and now it's the standing! Maybe you have changed since we've last seen you. My little girl, all grown up now." She smiles at you, reaching forward to pinch your cheek. "My, Y/N, how big you've grown! We've missed you so much. That's why I've prepared a feast to celebrate your return!"

"Where am I?"

"You always called it the Other World when you were little. Not very original, but it has grown on me. The name sticks!"

"I..." She looked exactly like your grandmother- what with the grey hair and leathery skin. Still, her tone and smile were far more youthful, like a glimpse of the young girl your grandmother once was, simply buried beneath wrinkled skin. Had it not been for her working legs and button eyes, you would've been fooled. "Do I know you?"

"Of course you do! I'm your Other Grandmother, of course. Your Other Grandfather is out. He just finished gardening, though."

"Gardening...?" You were pestering him earlier about planting some flowers or something, but never did you suspect he'd take you up on your suggestion. Perhaps your subconscious had recalled the events from earlier that day in order to manifest the scenario.

"I believe he's planting blue tulips. The ones that match your hair," she remarks, reaching forward to twirl one strand of your hair around her finger. "I must say, it suits you."

"Thank you." 

Her eyes flicker down, noting the doll. "Ah, I see you've finally got our gift! We've been waiting forever to give it to you. You used to beg us for a doll just like that when you were little."

"So I've been here? Or am I just making this dream up as I go along?"

She laughs outright at that. "Of course this isn't a dream, my sweet girl. This is your other life, where you can simply melt the struggles and stress of life away. Here everything is right and as it should be. I, as your Other Grandmother, can walk, and your Other Grandfather gardens. The possibilities are endless, dear."

"So if I was here when I was little... could you tell me a bit about my childhood? Anything really as to why I left?"

Her lips purse slightly. "You were our favorite daughter, no doubt. We loved you very much- and we still do! All of us have been waiting for your return, and are overjoyed. You were a bubbly a bright girl. You and Jimin would always have such fun here."

"Jimin?" You perked up at that. "Can you tell me anything about him? Or Taehyung? Or our time here?"

"My dear, you really don't remember anything, do you?" She strokes your cheek sympathetically. "You three were best friends. All had crushes on each other from what I could tell- ah, young love. Puppy love, more like. You two would visit often and have so much fun. Sometimes one on your own, and sometimes two of you. You'd try to convince Taehyung to come if I remember correctly, but he never believed a perfect place like this could exist. Pity."

"Taehyung never came?" Your brows furrowed in confusion. "What about Jimin?"

"Ah, he visited most often! He loved it here, no doubt. He wanted to stay here forever. In your world, he had a lot of trouble. What kid didn't? You dealt with your grandparents' health and your feelings for your friends, particularly Taehyung. The boy could never reciprocate even then, so it seems. Jimin, on the other hand, had to deal with his parents' divorce. He was so distraught over it, he honestly spent most of his time here. That was fine with us, of course. You were the daughter we never had and he was the son we never had. This little place of ours was his escape, and we offered him permanent residence. He accepted."

"What happened to him?" 

The Other Grandmother sighs, shaking her head. "I can't tell you that dear. He went missing and was never seen again. I don't think you'll see him again any time soon. His parents moved away, in fact, giving up on the case."

Your heart sinks. "So Taehyung was right... God, what am I going to tell him?"

"Don't fret over things such as that here, my sweet girl," the Other Grandmother assures you, her smile cheerful as she finishes cooking, putting it on a plate and handing it to you. "Here you can simply enjoy yourself and relax. With a snap of my fingers, the world is yours. Might as well call me a genie. Your wish is my command." She chuckles a bit at that.

You look down at the food, your favorite. The smell overwhelms you, and you find yourself salivating. Still, you shake your head, putting it in her hands. "I think I should head back- I need to process everything. If this really is a dream, though, I doubt I'd even be able to taste it."

"Suit yourself, dear. I won't be one to rush you. After all, patience to those who wait, though I've been so eager for your return," she said. "You can leave the way you came in, we'll be here for your next visit. Do promise you'll visit? I'll make sure to give you a special surprise."

"If I can," you say, wary. You clutch the doll, taking one last, long look at the woman as she returns to her busy work. You wander back to your room, crawling through the door and back into your real bed.

-

When you woke up, the doll was in your arms.

No... It was real?

You jolt up, combing your hair and rushing to Taehyung's house, knowing that your folks were very likely still asleep. You grabbed your bag, the little doll now tied to it like a little charm, and was on your way. To say Taehyung was surprised to see you in your pajamas was an understatement, as it was very evident that you had just rolled out of bed.

"You really do want to annoy me, don't you?" Taehyung sighed, shaking his head. "Do you know what time it is, woman? I'm pretty sure it's not even 6 AM. Or are you simply that eager to make childhood memories in adulthood that you rushed here for some sort of childish playdate?"

You ignore his taunting, pulling him towards you. "Taehyung- have you been to the Other World?"

"The what now?" His mind was clearly still trying to comprehend what you were saying, groggy in comparison to your alert enthusiasm.

"You know, the place where everything's great and people have buttons for eyes?"

"How many drugs have you tried since you left?"

"Three, now focus!" You analyze his face for a few moments, looking for any signs of comprehension. "You really don't know it?"

"No. But since you're here I have a bone to pick with you." His eyes cloud over as he wakes up a bit more, anger slowly replacing the drowsiness. "What'd you do with him?"

"With who?"

"Jimin."

"Taehyung... if I knew what happened all those years ago, I'd tell you. I'm so sorry-"

"Not actual Jimin, dumbass. The doll. What'd you do with him?"

"What? What on Earth are you talking about?" This time it was your turn to get confused.

"Don't fuck with me, Y/N. I know you're trying to retrieve your memories and all that, but don't start fucking around with me or my shit. That's your own mess to deal with, and I don't want to get involved. So stealing what was left of my best friend is crossing the line."

"I'm being completely serious right now- I have no clue what you're accusing me of."

He ran a hand over his face in frustration. "When you were in my room. The doll that looked exactly like Jimin?"

"Are you sure you didn't misplace it? I promise you that I have no such thing." Your features soften, and you try to place your hand on his arm to comfort him. Behind him, you use your other hand to reach for your bag, turning it around so that the doll that was tied to it wasn't visible. You wanted to hear what Taehyung was accusing you of, first. "Taehyung, I wouldn't steal from you. Lost memories or not, I don't want to hurt you. I'm slowly beginning to realize how much you meant to me, and I'm sure somewhere inside if both of us are those childhood best friends."

He tenses under your touch, a slight tremble in his lips, and for a moment your heart palpitates. The way he looks at you makes you feel as though he's about to kiss you. Perhaps you were simply projecting, however.

Instead, however, he ruins the daydream clouding your mind, moving away from your touch. "Alright, so you didn't take it. I'm sorry I accused you. I was just frustrated since I noticed it was gone."

You stare at your feet, trying to regain your composure. It wasn't like you to suddenly get flustered. Taehyung might've been the most attractive man you've known, but he was an asshole through and through. The Other Grandmother was right- he'd never reciprocate your feelings. 

But you were a grown woman and not a childish preteen. You could handle rejection, and you weren't going to force your feelings on someone else in an effort to get a relationship out of them. 

"I'll keep an eye out for it, don't worry."

"What is it that you came running over here for, anyway? I'm sure it's not to have a heartfelt chat," he grumbles.

You flush at that, the blood rushing to your cheeks. "I, um, figured out a bit more. About the three of us."

"Oh? So you're getting memories back?"

"Not exactly. Look, forget it, it was stupid of me to come here in the first place." Why was it that he was the first one to pop up in your mind once you woke up? "You won't believe me in the first place."

"Humor me," he says, crossing his arms. "You woke me up at this hour for a reason. I won't let it be for nothing."

You scratched the back of your neck, nervous. "How about this: I say a statement about our childhood and you confirm if it's true or not. I want to find out if the information I got was true."

He shrugs. "Seems fair enough. Shoot."

"Alright, first: Jimin's parents got divorced."

"True- though I could've even told you that. I wouldn't think that'd be that big of a deal," Taehyung remarks.

"Well, it was to him it seems," you mumble. "Second, I had a crush on you."

"Yeah, I guess. As much of a crush as a little kid could have, basically. Honestly, you and Jimin got along far better. I'm sure your grandmother or my own mom could've informed you, though."

You decided it was about time to jump to the big question- one that no one else could've told you. "Jimin and I used to convince you to go to some imaginary place with us when we were little, called the Other World where everything has buttons for eyes, and you'd always refuse."

His brows shot up, genuine shock in his features. "How do you know that? I thought you still had amnesia?"

"I do it's- you wouldn't believe me." You huffed, running your hands over your face. "So it's true?"

"I mean, yeah, but how the hell did you find that out?"

You didn't want to tell him about the Other World, with the little door and the revelations about Jimin and everything. He wouldn't believe you- not now at least. He might deserve some of the information you'd give, but he wasn't ready for the truth. You were still processing it, truthfully. An entirely different world just beyond a little door? Even you had to admit you sounded insane. You had to get more information first.

"I'll see you later, Taehyung."

-

"For the last time, Y/N, we are done discussing the matter," your grandmother fumed, her nostrils flaring. "First you run out of the house without informing us, and at 6 AM no less! Now you're pestering us about nonsense once again."

"There must be something you two can tell me about what happened to me. What happened to Jimin?"

Your grandfather turned to glare at you. "We told you before there's nothing we can tell."

"You raised me, there must be something. Unless you're deliberately hiding something from me," you accused sourly, digging into your oatmeal. You hated arguing during breakfast, but after your conversation with Taehyung, you were left in a sour mood.

"We may have raised you but you didn't spend much time with us. Most of it was with your friends," your grandmother informed you. "The reason we moved away was to keep you from whatever it was that had terrified you so greatly. I knew moving back was a mistake."

"Y/N, you must know we're doing this in your best interest. You were hysterical, and we still don't know what happened. It took you so long to recover. Do you think a military man who got deployed would wish to return to a battlefield? A survivor of attempted murder wishing to be alone with their attacker?"

"You don't get to decide for me anymore, though. I'm an adult and I have the right to know."

"We're telling you the truth. You never told us, and our first instinct was to get you out of there. Have you considered for a moment the possibility that ignorance is bliss? You may regret it once you get informed."

Your grandfather reaches forward, his leathery hand covering your own. "We still want to protect our little girl. It's what your parents would've wanted. Would you really want to throw your life away just like that? Just for a little bit of information? It may not be worth it, and you may just be wasting your time."

"This doesn't just affect me though. My moving affected Taehyung as well. He suffered here alone while I was whisked away."

"If you had seen the way you acted the moment we found you, you'd agree with our judgment. Taehyung didn't endure the trauma you did. We found you battered and bruised and catatonic, muttering 'buttons' over and over again. The next thing we knew, your friend was reported missing, never to be seen again! That could've been you. We tested our luck, and by that time it was only logical to send you someplace safe."

"Buttons?" Your brows furrow. "Why would I be saying buttons?"

Your grandma sighed, shaking her head as she pulled her own bowl of oatmeal into her lap, your grandfather getting up to help her. "Ignorance is a luxury, my dear. It'd be best not to squander it."

-

You picked at your late-night dinner, staring at your Other Grandmother's button eyes. She seemed to sense your suspicions, from how you refused to eat to how you'd simply look at her, analyzing her.

Buttons... buttons... what had happened here?

"Is something wrong, dear?" she questions, raising a perfectly arched brow. "This was one of your favorites when you were little. You loved chicken adobo."

You didn't doubt her. "Tell me a bit more about my time here. What would I do?"

"Oh! You'd do everything. From helping your grandfather here in the garden or helping me cook. You gave us as much love as we gave you." She seemed to melt at the memory, your Other Grandfather nodding in agreement. "And besides Jimin, you'd hang out with Taehyung!"

"Taehyung?" You visibly perked up at that, dropping your utensil, fully alert. "He was here? I thought he never came here."

"Oh, not that Taehyung, silly," she said, waving her hand. "The Taehyung here! The perfect Taehyung!"

"The perfect Taehyung?" He already looked like a god. Sure, he was a bit troubled, but who wasn't?

"Everything's perfect here. Including you." She reaches over to pinch your cheek, something you couldn't recall your actual grandmother doing once. You hear the doorbell ring, and your Other Grandmother clapped her hands, delighted. "Oh! Speak of the devil, he's here. I know you two are too old to call it 'playdates', but have fun! Not too much fun, of course. You're still my little girl."

"Taehyung?" You sit up, bolting from the table to the door. Opening the door, you couldn't help but be surprised. You should've seen it coming, though. Instead of those brooding eyes that would glare at you, filled with sadness and resentment, you were met with buttons. Cold, unfeeling buttons, that didn't display any emotions despite how he'd raise his eyebrows and smile at you.

"Y/N!" His arms wrapped around you, and you were stunned. His voice... was the same. And he looked like your Taehyung. It felt so strange to have him wrap you in a tight hug. You had been yearning for Tae's touch since you had gotten here, whether it was lust-driven or deeper, you didn't know. All you could hear was your heart pumping.

He steps back and you feel your Other Grandmother's hand on your shoulder. She leans in, a girlish giggle escaping her lips. "You know, you always had a crush on Tae. In this world and the next. It's good to see that things haven't changed. I think now that you've matured, though, you'll know who to pick."

She steps back momentarily before shrieking, stepping over to the porch to kick at the cat. "Oh, that damned cat!"

You turn to look at it, but it scampers off before you could get a look at it. "What was that about?"

"Oh, it just digs up in my gardens. Don't worry, I'll get it one day," she huffs before letting her usual serene smile spread over her face. "Now, why don't you two have fun? I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on."

"Er... sure."

You look at Taehyung, about to awkwardly question him where he wanted to go before he wrapped his hand around yours. Your heart thundered in your chest, violently pounding as he smiled to you, tugging you along. "C' mon, I'll take you to our favorite place."

You had no choice but to follow along, completely dumbfounded. The Tae you knew would never be like this. He was so cold and aloof, as though your mere presence brought him pain. Despite it, you couldn't help but feel the emotions rise in your chest, as though they were now being awoken from their slumber. Feeling his hand in yours only confirmed the past feelings that seemed to reemerge.

This Taehyung already seemed different, though. He was more extroverted, friendly, warm. You didn't know what to make of it, though.

He looked the same save for the black buttons, and you had no doubt that you had been with this boy too during your childhood. 

Was this what she meant by the perfect Taehyung? The one who would hold your hand and smile at you? Who didn't seem so sad and angry at everyone?

It wasn't long before the two of you had gone to a well, sitting on top of the lid. It seemed secure enough as Taehyung's back leaned against yours, your fingers still intertwined.

You missed this. Something told you that you did. His fingers locked so perfectly with yours, not too thick like a lot of men's, where your fingers would suffocate between his. No, it felt as though his hand was locked with yours. You wondered if the real Taehyung's hand would fit like this.

"Why's this our spot?" you questioned.

"Look up," he says, pointing up to the stars above your heads. "This was where we could see the stars clearest."

"They're beautiful." They looked closer to carefully stitched stars on a quilt, as though someone with master craftmanship managed to sew it together.

"The Other Grandmother is talented. She makes everything here beautiful so beautiful people can stay here."

"She made all of this?" you questioned, eyes widened. "Like, by hand?"

"Of course! It's like a Garden of Eden. She made everything perfect for you," he beams. His face softens as he thinks for a moment. "She kept it like this, though. Hasn't touched it since you left. We've been waiting for you to come back. I've missed you a lot."

"You have?" Was he even real? None of this seemed to be.

"Of course!" Other Taehyung grinned, wrapping his arms around you, this hug not as brief as the first. "I don't think I can remember a single day where I didn't think about you. I'm just glad you're back, y' know? Best not to dwell on the past. Just look forward to the future."

He truly was nothing like Taehyung.

"So... did the Other Grandmother make you too?"

His frowns slightly at that for the briefest of moments, but it disappears as quickly as it had appeared. "Yeah. I told you, she made everything perfect just for you. You'd always come here crying because of how mean Taehyung in your world was. He'd be so mean, paying more attention to Jimin than you, and didn't seem to like you back. So, she gave you a friend who would pay attention to you, be kind, return your feelings."

"So you loved me?"

"I was made to," he confirms. "But in a sense, everyone is, huh? I mean, that's what soulmates are supposed to be."

"I guess I should've taken you as a dreamer. Real-world Taehyung isn't."

"What's he like?" Other Tae's voice got a bit quiet, but he cocked his head to the side, curious. "I'm not supposed to ask, but I've always been curious."

"Well, he's cool. A bit cold and aloof, and a bit... sad. I know it must hurt him to see me, but I know he tries. He's not that good at it, but he tries. And... I think things can get better with him, y' know? He needs a friend."

"No, I mean why did you like someone who made you cry so much?"

"Oh." You think about it for a moment. Did you cry back the over him? You supposed you were far more sensitive back then, but now simply let his attempts to push you away bounce off. "I don't really know, to be honest. I don't think I'd truly know even if I did have my memories. We can't choose who we fall for, right? We don't choose soulmates. People fall for those who hurt them for different reasons, but I guess for back then I was just little. I didn't really think much of it, I suppose. I thought he was cute and he was still a little boy who wasn't concerned with the prospect of adult things such as love."

"So why do you still love him now?"

"What?" You snap your head in his direction, flabberghasted. "No, I don't. I mean, I'm attracted to him and all- but it's not what you think! I'm not like, 'Oh, I love bad boys!' because of his cold demeanor. He's kinda weird but I owe it to him and all to help him, right? I mean... right? And he's the only person around here who apparently knew me, other than in the Other World, ha... But I don't love him. I don't even like him. Nope."

Other Taehyung simply looks away, a small quirk to his lips. "You really haven't changed, huh?"

"I'll tell you one thing- you're the exact opposite of him. Usually, I'm the one who's asking him questions."

"I'm supposed to be perfect, remember?"

"Yeah..." Your eyes drift, and soon you spot a small calico cat. "Oh my God, is that the cat?"

"That's him- you don't want to talk to him though. Other Grandmother- oh, well, nevermind."

"Aren't you a cutie! A boy calico cat! Other Taehyung, do you know how rare these are? One in three thousand!" You pick up the cat, scooping it in your arms as you pet it. He purred in your arms. "You're just adorable, aren't you?"

"Y/N... you should really put it down. Other Grandmother really won't like-"

"Oh please, she's just not a cat person. She should chill," you say. "Hey... why doesn't this one have button eyes? I thought everything here did. Hell, I even saw a fly with buttons for eyes."

"It's just a weird cat, Y/N. Can we please go? Please put the cat down," he insists.

"Alright, alright. I don't know if you're allergic or something, but whatever." You huff, putting down the calico. It rubs against your legs, purring still as it stays by your side. You scratch behind its ear, grinning. "I think I'll name you Mochi because you're cute enough to eat!"

"Don't give it a name!" Other Taehyung says, a worried tone as he takes your hand, walking you along. "Come on, it's probably about time you go home."

"What? But I don't-"

"Just trust me, ok?"

"Why should I?" You yank your hand from his grip. "I barely know you."

"You trust your Taehyung, don't you?"

"I mean..."

"We're two sides of the same coin, as hard as it may seem. Please. I'll see you soon, ok?"

You sigh, knowing you weren't going to get your way. He seemed genuinely stressed and worried, and real or not, you found it impossible to deny the guilt you were beginning to feel at his concern. "Alright, fine. I'll see you soon, Other Tae."

"Thank you. I'm sorry."

You didn't know exactly what he was apologizing for but decided not to pry. It seemed to be the only thing he shared in common with real Taehyung so far.

-

"You don't by any chance hate cats, do you?" you question, looking skeptically up towards your grandmother.

She quirked a brow, looking up from her morning paper, like the old lady she was. You couldn't think of a single person under forty who didn't use the internet to find out the news. "No, of course not. I'd have ten if your grandfather wasn't allergic, and even then, he's more of a dog person. You remember how he'd always go on about that pooch he had back in the seventies."

"Yeah, I remember," you murmur. "Well, are there any cats around here?"

"Only a stray I caught up on our roof the other day. I have no doubt he's made millions of paw prints on top, but Lord knows it would be a miracle for me to ever see them, especially in this damned wheelchair. No matter, though, even in my prime I was scared of heights. Don't worry about the cat, though, he came down eventually."

Your ears perked up at that. "What'd the cat look like?"

"Deary me, darling, since when were you so invested in those fluffy little things? I thought you were like your grandfather: a dog person," she says.

"Please answer the answer, Grandmother."

"Oh, let me see. It had some spots on it, like orange and brown and a bit of black. Mainly white, though."

"So a calico?"

"Ah, yes! That's the word. Calico," your grandmother hums. 

"Is it alright if I go to Taehyung's house?" you question, getting up from the table.

"Oh, alright. I'm glad you two are friends again. I used to tell your grandfather that you missed him even when you didn't know he existed," she said, smiling. "I was more or less rooting for Taehyung back in the day. Your grandfather not so much, I'm sure he'll give me the five bucks he's owed me for fives years by the end of the week. I've always had an advantage of course- you had a bit of a crush on him when you were younger. Guess old habits never change."

She seemed to be right in that regard.

-

"You can't seem to stay away from me, can you?"

"Of course not, you're irresistible," you mutter to Taehyung, pushing past him. "I've got a normal question for once."

"That in itself makes it the opposite of normal."

"Whatever. Tell me, is there a stray calico around here?" you question, looking up at him.

"There is. My mom likes to feed it, but she can't settle on a name. I think this week the name's Pudding," he says. "You didn't come here for me to just give you the name of a cat, did you?"

"No, but you need to help me find it," you say, grabbing his hand to tug.

"You're joking right?" he asks, a ludicrous expression on his face. "I might have something to do."

"No, you don't. You're just going to stay inside and watch Netflix all day, aren't you?"

"You just say that because everyone our age does that."

"Am I right?"

"Do I really have to answer?"

"Then let's go."

-

"If you really think I'm going to climb a tree to get some goddamn cat, you're dumber than I thought," Taehyung huffs.

You both stare up the tree, a particular high branch acting as a perch for the calico. His tail swished back and forth, gleaming eyes staring down at the two of you. Watching, observing. You place the bag down, the doll at the very bottom of it to keep from Tae's prying eyes. You begin to wipe your hands against your shirt, drying them.

"I named it Mochi," you say. "It's a boy."

"You've met it already?" 

"Something like that," you mutter, walking up to the tree and grabbing hold of a lower branch.

"Woah woah woah, what do you think you're doing?" Taehyung tugs you back. "That's way too high and dangerous for a person to do. You could fall and get hurt."

"Didn't we climb trees as kids?"

"None like that. Just leave the cat alone, it'll come down if it wants to," Taehyung says.

"I just want to get a closer look at Mochi," you say, releasing yourself from Taehyung's grip to proceed.

He doesn't let you off that easily though, yanking you back down and blocking your way, crossing his arms. At that moment you could truly observe how much larger he was, chest built and shoulders broad, his height allowing him to tower over you. He truly was a man and not the little boy from the pictures.

You glare at him, observing. You couldn't help but think back to Other Tae, Regular Taehyung's eyes slowly being replaced with buttons and his frown being replaced with a smile. "Say, did you like me back when we were little?"

He seemed surprised by your sudden question. "What? Where'd that come from?"

"Just answer the question."

"I mean," he huffed, trailing off as he scratches his head, perplexed, "I probably did. You were a girl and I was a boy and I only hung out with you and Jimin. I guess I did."

"I don't want you to guess. Did you like me back?"

"Yes? Uh, yes. I did." His ears burn red. "What's this about?"

"Do you think the reason you're so mean to me and push me away could be because of the lack of closure that was brought upon by my leaving? Therefore leaving you in a confused state where you treat me in the same way a little boy treated his crush because you couldn't comprehend the transition of our relationship from kids into adults?"

"What?"

"I mean I'd get it if you're just letting out the resentment you feel because I left before, but from the sound of it, you acted similarly when we were little. And your behavior does remind me of an elementary schooler. Not that I think you still harbor any feelings towards me, but perhaps you don't know how else to act around me."

"Where's all of this coming from?"

You shook your head. "Ah, nevermind. I didn't mean that."

"Wait, hold up, you can't just analyze people like that and expect-"

"Shush, the cat's coming down!" Indeed, it was, jumping from branch to branch until it was at the closest one. You reached out tentatively, the cat preening and rubbing its head against your hand, purring. You couldn't help but smile. "That's a good Mochi. You're a sweet boy, aren't you?"

"Are you here just to waste my time?" Taehyung huffed. "I like cats as much as the next person, but I'm more of a dog person."

"Shush for a moment," you say. "Mochi, do you remember me, boy? Back at the well?"

Mochi's ears seemed to prick up at that, and he immediately jumps off the tree, scampering off. You grab Taehyung's hand, and before he even has time to protest you're running through the woods, dodging trees in an attempt to keep up with the cat.

"Hurry up! You've got longer legs than me, you should be faster," you scold him, your hand tight in his.

"I'm trying! You've always been a faster runner than me!"

You couldn't help but gloat at that.

You let out a shock of amazement when you find yourself at the well. It was covered in dirt and plants, though, ivy growing around it and mud caking every surface.

Taehyung breathed heavily, trying to regain composure. "God, you know, for a moment there it felt like the old days of you dragging me through the woods to follow your hairbrained schemes."

You ignored his reminiscence, however. "Taehyung! Mochi found the well!"

You looked to the cat, sitting delicately on the top of the covered well, staring at you expectantly. You lower yourself to his level, staring it in the eye. "You understand me, don't you?"

"Y/N, you're talking to a cat. Are you sure you aren't going crazy? How'd you even know about this place?" Taehyung brushes some of the dirt off of the surface, avoiding touching the cat. Mochi ignored Taehyung's hesitance, however, rubbing against Taehyung's hand, yearning for his touch.

You loosen the well's top, sliding it over to the side as the cat stayed on top. It wasn't until you had it drop to the ground that Mochi jumped off. You looked inside, only seeing pitch black.

"Because it's our favorite spot."

"You and Mochi's?"

"No, you and me. Well, not exactly you," you say.

"I don't follow."

"Sit down," you say, tugging on his sleeve so he sits with you on the edge of the well. "You're not going to believe me. You didn't believe me and Jimin ten years ago, from the sound of it, but you need to listen to me."

"Y/N, what's going on-"

You grab his face in your hands, forcing him to make eye contact, your faces inches apart. "Taehyung."

He stays quiet, a signal that he was listening.

You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. "There's this world that Jimin and I had accessed before, ten years ago. It's exactly like this world but... better. It's so cloudy and gloomy here, and there it's always bright and warm. The feeling is like when you sink your teeth into a freshly baked batch of cookies, you know? There's this tiny door I use to access the place, and when I say it's magical, it truly is. The people are there, too. But... not. For one, my grandmother can walk, and everyone has these button eyes... including you."

"Wait, what? Me? I'm in this 'world'? And I have buttons for eyes?"

"Yes. It's not really you. It's something my Other Grandmother made for me- all of it was made for me, and even Jimin at some point. So the version of you there is nothing like the one you really are, here, in this world."

"How so?"

"He loves me."

Taehyung's quiet at that. You continue. "I had a crush on you when we were little, and you were always mean to me, similar to how you are now apparently. So the Other Grandmother gave me a version of you that finally felt the same way about me. He was made to love me in your absence, I suppose. She called him the Perfect Taehyung."

"What's the point of you telling me all of this?"

"Because," you say, jumping up excitedly, "that's where the answers are! The incident, I'm sure it happened there! And I think it'll help you find out where Jimin went, too. I can bring you there and we can get answers. I know the Other Grandmother knows more than she leads on, and she's kind, she'll tell us. Especially if you tell her-"

"If you and Jimin went to this world, why didn't I? We were a trio, inseparable," Taehyung interjects.

"Jimin and I were dealing with things that required a place to escape. I had to deal with my grandparents' health and you not reciprocating feelings, while Jimin had to deal with his parents' divorce. Can you think of something like that you were dealing with at the time?"

"No," he admits. "I was a happy kid."

"That's hard to believe," you snort. "Nevertheless, Other Taehyung- that's what I call that version of you, by the way- is willing to help me find out information. You two are supposed to be like two sides of the same coin, he said. He said if I trusted you, I should trust him."

"You trust me?"

"I do."

"What does a cat have to do with any of this?"

"The cat is the only thing in that world that didn't have button eyes. I'm confident this is the same cat. Mochi was here with me when Other Taehyung and I went to the well. The Other Grandmother wasn't fond of him, either, which is weird. That means she didn't make him like she made everything else. He's... special."

Taehyung didn't say anything, soaking in your information.

"Tae, please, come with me and I can show you-"

Taehyung looks away before standing up, a shadow cast across his face, as though he refused to believe you. "Y/N... stop."

"What? Stop what?"

"Stop this. Stop playing with my head and stop playing with your own. This Other World isn't real, and you need to face reality. You're probably dreaming this stuff as a way to cope with the missing information, to piece everything together. You're living in this fantasy ever since you remembered the game you and Jimin used to play."

"But Jimin-"

"Jimin is dead," Taehyung said harshly, glaring at you. "He's dead, Y/N. End of story."

You fumed, stepping up to him and meeting his eye. "Give me a chance to show you. I'm not crazy, and I'm not making this stuff up."

"Leave me out of this, Y/N."

"No!" you shouted, grabbing onto his sleeve before he could walk away. "You're in this as much as I am! You've reminded me that you weren't the only one affected by the incident. Every action I make does impact you to some degree. We're childhood friends, Taehyung. Don't tell me you don't care about me anymore."

He grits his teeth, clenching his jaw. "It's only human to care."

"No, you know what I mean. You care about me the same way I care about you, perhaps more so. You remember the little me who got a dumb tattoo and had a stupid crush on you. I'm still that girl, just a bit more mature. And I know somewhere behind all that adult angst you're the little boy who enjoyed life more than his two friends."

"Y/N-"

"You loved me. I loved you. We're still the same people we were back then, Taehyung, just a few inches taller and just a few scars more. I feel so intensely for you, and I don't even remember the majority of our time spent together. So what about you?"

Taehyung pulls from your grip. "You're just reopening old scars, Y/N."

"Well, there are some things that time won't heal! And this is one of them! We've got an opportunity, and..." Your argument dies in your throat when you see him begin to cry, eyes glassy as fast tears fall down his cheeks. "Taehyung?"

He wipes them away, taking a step back as he looks at you with a pained expression on his face. "You don't know when to stop, do you? You never have."

"Taehyung..."

"I'm damaged, Y/N. I'm so damaged. I'm selfish and I had always dreamt of you coming back to fix me, you know? I thought you'd take away all of the pain but instead, you bring more. I can't ask you to fix me, that's no one's responsibility but my own, and I can't put my burdens on your shoulders."

"Taehyung, I'm more than willing to help you. That's all I was intending-"

"You're not helping, though!" he snaps back. "At some point, you've got to put intentions aside and really think about what you're doing. It doesn't matter how good your intentions are if you're hurting someone, is it?"

You didn't have anything to retort that.

"That's what I thought," he sighed. He tentatively steps forward, holding your cheek with such tenderness you would've thought you were made of glass. Instead, you realize it was because he was the fragile one, as though he were afraid that even touching you would break him. "I do still love you. I do still care about you. We are the same people we were, deep down, and I can never stop loving by best friends: the lost boy and the amnesiac. It's because I love you that I want you to do what I never could- move on. You're given a chance I wasn't, and you're not as shattered as I am. If you continue this path you're going to hurt yourself. Save me that pain, at least, ok? Give me at least a little hope, even if it's for you."

You didn't realize it, but your eyes had started to well up with tears. You attempt to hold him in your arms, to hold him close and console him, but he slips away too quickly. He turns aside, Mochi at his heels and in front of him, as though trying to stop him. Taehyung simply stops, moving the cat aside with his foot, carrying on until he disappeared back in the direction you two came from.

You sit back on the well with Mochi, stroking his fur as you wonder where you went wrong.

-

Ultimately you decide to go back to Taehyung's house the next day, spending a little less than 24 hours contemplating the argument from before. It was evening when you found yourself on his front porch, dampening the welcome mat with the water that you had soaked you to the bone, despite the yellow rain apparel you adorned. Damn thundershowers.

"What do you want, Y/N?" he questions in lieu of a greeting, an exasperated look on his face. He was only wearing a tee and sweats and judging from the lack of cars outside, you assumed he was home alone. He seemed to already know it was you, almost as though he were expecting you to come to visit him and annoy him further.

You suck in a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that... I'm sorry."

He seems surprised at that. 

"I am," you continue, "and I know that what I've done has only hurt you more than intended. Bringing up the past and dragging you through memories you don't want to revisit, it has to hurt. I demand answers from you that you don't have yourself, and I know you want to forget. Regardless of what I think, I can't force you to do anything. If you choose to forget, so be it. I have to respect your decisions when it comes to coping, even if they don't coincide with my own. It's unfair of me to assume you're the answer to everything, to all of my problems.

"You said before that you used to fantasize about me fixing you. I used to think the same thing. I thought one moment with you would bring upon a flurry of memories, and I'd be... whole again. And it didn't happen. But I kept trying. I kept thinking that if I spent time with you, the person who was one half of my world when we were younger, I'd be fixed. But we can't expect someone else to be our savior. That's unfair to them. You were mature enough to realize that, but I wasn't. I pestered my grandparents into bringing me back, undoubtedly hurting them too. I hurt you the most, though, and I'm really, really sorry. I was being selfish and thinking only of myself. You deserve better."

There's a pause, only the continuing rain to fill the silence.

Suddenly, Taehyung laughs.

"You know, when we were younger you'd never apologize for anything. You were just stubborn, and you never liked to admit when you were in the wrong."

You offer a weak smile. "Good to know that I matured at least a little bit."

You share that moment for just a bit, a mutual understanding reached between the two of you. You remember something and opened the bag you always carried around with you. "Oh, there's one more thing I have to tell you, though. You mentioned this doll that looked like Jimin, and I swear I didn't take that one, but right when I got here I got one that looked like me..."

You take out the doll, seeing how Taehyung's face pales in comparison. "What? What's wrong? I swear I won't ask about it, but it seemed imp-"

"Get rid of it," he whispers.

"What?"

"Y/N, please..." He lets out an exasperated sigh, pulling you inside. "Please, just get rid of it."

"Why, though?"

"Why do you always have to ask questions?"

"Because I want to know, why else?"

"Because it's just like the doll Jimin had! Before... before he died," Taehyung said. "I can't lose you too, Y/N. There are too many coincidences. You're just like him before he went away. Talking about some other world, carrying around that... that thing. Please, please just-"

"Ok, ok!" You grab the doll, throwing it into the rain. It fell into a puddle of mud and rain. You close the door behind you. "It's gone, it's gone ok? Calm down, please. It's gone now."

Taehyung grabbed onto your shoulders, forcing you to make eye contact with him. "Don't go to this... this world. Dream or not, I don't know, don't go. I can't lose you, too. Y/N, please don't. It was a mistake for you to come back. You should've stayed where you are. Why can't you just leave it at forgetting? It's safer. This place, I don't know what it is or who it is, something's doing what they did to Jimin to you. You can't call me crazy or paranoid, because you're going on about button eyes and other people and cats in two worlds! I can't just stand aside and see what happened to Jimin happen to you. I tried to ignore it before, convincing myself I was trying to connect dots that weren't there, but if anything happens to you... I couldn't live with myself."

"Taehyung, I'm ok, I promise-"

"No, you're not! You're eating yourself up trying to find out the truth, just like I did. And it's driving you down the same path that led Jimin to his death. On and on he'd go on about some other world just like yours and carried around a little doll just like yours, and he's dead now. Get it in your head, Y/N. You can't go back to that place. You need to get as far away from here as possible."

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere-"

"I can't risk losing another person I love!" Tears are streaming down his face once again. "I love you, ok? Whether it's you now, a grown woman, or us as kids, where we'd just fight and play and do dumb shit. Jimin was like a brother to me and I couldn't stop his death."

"I'm not just the little girl you used to know, though."

"No, you're not! You're a woman who's too curious for her own good, trying to unravel a mystery and the truth despite the objections of everyone. You listen only to your own voice and you care for people beyond repair despite the fact you truly have no responsibilities for their burdens. And goddammit, you might be annoying but I fucking love you, ok? One way or another. So please, for once listen to me."

"Taehyung..."

His eyes search your own, as though trying to see some sort of answer, some sort of confirmation that you were going to finally listen to his words. He smashed his lips to yours, and you find yourself immediately responsive, arms hooking around his neck as he pulls you up, your legs finding their way around his waist.

It's so fast, you stripping off your rain boots and jacket along the way. Before you know it your back bounces against a mattress. You didn't have long to process, however, Taehyung crawling over you to kiss you again, his tongue diving into your mouth and exploring every inch. You squeeze your eyes shut, trying to memorize the feeling of his body against yours, the movement of his lips, the feeling of the moment right now.

"Taehyung," you gasp between kisses, his lips never leaving your own for long. It isn't until he's kissing the side of your neck that you're able to properly speak. "Taehyung, please."

"What is it, baby?" he rasps into the side of your neck, the word ringing in your head.

"Wanna taste you," you say, clinging onto his clothes to bring him impossibly closer, despite the fact his broad chest was pressed already so tightly to your own.

"Mm, I like the sound of that," he hums lower, his voice baritone. He climbs off of you, and you miss the absence of his warm body, but all thoughts of that are forgotten when he starts to undo the drawstring to his sweatpants.

You find yourself kneeling in front of him, licking the fabric of his underwear before seeing his semi. He was already a bit bigger than expected, and the thought of him stretching you out only excites you. You hold him in your hand, licking from base to tip before going back down, sucking a sack into your mouth as you pumped his shaft.

"I want to be in your mouth," he groans, one hand going down to tangle into your blue hair. "No hands. If I wanted hands I'd just do it myself."

You obey, letting go of his dick to begin sucking at the tip, hollowing out your cheeks as you bobbed your head, slowly taking him further down your throat, inch by inch. You weren't capable of deep throating him, however, as he was a bit bigger than guys you were used to. He didn't seem to mind, though, simply enjoying the sight of you on your knees. The deeper you went, the messier it got. Soon enough you were choking not only on his dick but on your own spit.

"Fuck, you're so good at sucking cock," he praised, his hand moving your head how he pleased up and down his dick. He lets you take a breath, a trail of saliva connecting your mouth the tip before snapping off. "Where'd you learn to suck cock like that, baby?"

"College," you smiled. "Never sucked a cock this big, though."

It was true. He was now fully erect and at attention, an inch or two more than what you were accustomed to, and just as girthy.

He chuckled lowly, "Is that right? You think all of it will be able to fit inside that tight cunt of yours?"

"Make it."

"Fuck, you're nasty."

He lets go of your hair, pulling you up to the mattress. It's not long before you're stripped down to your underwear. You curse yourself for not wearing something cuter, not expecting to get laid when you came to apologize to Taehyung.

You wondered to yourself for a moment if Taehyung was using sex as a means to persuade you, stringing you along by your feelings in an attempt to get you to obey him. Did he really love you and care for you as he said he did? Did he really want to have sex with you? Or was this just a means of getting his way?

You didn't have much time to think about it, however, his large hands spreading your thighs apart, revealing your vulnerable cunt to him. He licked his lips, looking you in the eye.

"Looks good enough to eat," he joked.

"Then do it already," you snapped, impatient.

"God, you're such a bitch," he growled, diving down to lick a stripe up your folds, earning a shudder from you. "But you're my bitch, aren't you? My little bitch in heat."

"Fuck, just shut up and keep going."

He did as he was told without further commentary, flicking his tongue to collect as many juices as he could, sucking harshly at your clit to make you squirm. With the way he was pinning you down to the bed, there was really nothing else you could do other than lay there and take it, staring him in the eye as best you could until you simply tossed your head back into the sheets, curling your hands into his hair, making tight fists.

He seemed pleased, hissing with pleasure as you yanked at his scalp, a fellow masochist. It only pushed him further, his mouth devouring you whole as he urged you to get closer to your high, never slowing down to take a breath. It was as though he wanted to die between your thighs, and if he continued for even five more seconds, you'd let him do just that.

Suddenly it stopped, though, and you're giving him a look of frustration, sitting up to scold him. He simply looks smug in response, his lower face covered in a clear sheen of your juices. He licks his lips, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"The fuck was that for?" you question, huffing as he pins you back down to your back.

"The first time you cum, I want it to be on this fat cock," he clarifies.

You reach between the two of you, stroking him as you spread your legs invitingly. "Do you need a written invitation?" you ask, quirking a brow.

"God, you really are a bitch," he groans, aligning himself with your entrance. The two of you let out a groan of pleasure once he begins to sink in, the tip beginning to dive into your tight walls. You were so wet, though, you didn't doubt that you could take all of him.

"Oh yeah, fuck, call me a bitch again," you demand, gritting your teeth as he sinks in deeper.

"Such a bitch, my little bitch," Taehyung says, following your orders, too focused on the pleasure of your hot walls enveloping him. "Tight, nasty little bitch, all mine for the taking."

"All yours," you promise, your legs hooking around his waist, digging your heels into his ass to drive him further. 

"G-going to stop being a brat then? Stop being a bitch and listen to me?" he questions, past the halfway point.

"You don't own me," you gasp out, feeling how completely he was filling you.

"O-own this tight little pussy, though, fuck!" You both hiss, concentrating on the pleasurable stretch of your walls to accommodate his girth as he bottomed out into you, the head kissing your cervix. Never before did you feel as full as you did now, as though his thick cock was made to be inside of you. The pleasurable stretch was unlike anything you were used to.

"Yeah, you own it, nothing can compare," you say. "Please, move already."

"You ready?"

"Yes, move already."

He doesn't need any further prodding, slowly moving his hips to rock into you. You both groaned, moaning as his hips slapped against your own, the pace increasing gradually. 

"Fuck, this pussy was made for me," Taehyung says, his cock beginning to pound into your cervix, bruising it. “Look at me fucking you. So big you can see how deep I am.”

You looked down, seeing how he fucked you, your belly protruding from the size of him. He was so big, filling you up, that you could practically see him in your guts, impossibly deep. 

"Oh my god, Tae, right there." Your nails stretch down his back, nails digging in as you moan unabashedly."Keep going, don't stop!"

"Right there?" He stimulates your g-spot, and you're unable to contain yourself, eyes beginning to roll into the back of your head due to pleasure.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, I'm close," you moaned, the wanton sounds causing Taehyung's balls to tighten.

"Yeah? Gonna cream on this fat cock, nasty bitch?"

You weren't even able to answer, mouth agape as he slithered a hand between the two of you, rubbing your clit. That was all it took for you to go over the edge, white-hot bliss spreading all the way to your fingertips.

He throbbed inside of you, ready to burst, ready to fill you up. "Fuck, that's it, get my dick nice and wet, that's a good little bitch," Taehyung praises, continuing to pound into you to help you ride out your orgasm.

It isn't long until he follows after you, bottoming out as he holds you close, painting your walls white. The two of you breathe heavily, holding each other close, trying to process what happened.

"I have a spare change of clothes for you, and you can take a shower here if you want to spend the night," he offers.

You're quiet for a moment, turning your back away from him, his arm still around you so that you were now spooning. "Did you want to have sex with me? Or is it just to convince me?"

He's quiet.

"I've wanted to have sex with you for a long time. Even when we were little. After you moved, I thought about what you'd look like. I think I had my first wet dream about you when I was around twelve, in fact. When I got the talk, I used to think you'd be the girl I'd lose it to. We'd both lose it to each other before college and all that stuff."

"And?"

"And I wanted more, too, I think. I liked you even when we were little. I was crazy about you."

"Then why were you so mean to me?"

"I was a boy who didn't know how to express how he felt." He laughed a bit at that. "I was the kid who'd tug at your pigtails to annoy you, and Jimin'd have to scold me. Maybe you're right. Maybe I still act like that around you because that's all I know. I did feel the same way you did about me, though. I was just too scared to tell you."

"So why'd we have sex now? Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"Because I guess I'm still scared. I don't want to drag you into my problems. I don't want to hurt you. I want to keep you safe, but when I freaked out all I could think of was 'I'm losing her for real this time'. All these years all I've ever wanted to do was kiss you, and not in the way we did when we were little and wanted to just get it over with. I wanted to for real kiss you, and it just went from there. Do you regret it?"

"No, I don't. I wanted it, too. For a while." You turn around to face him again, face to face. "I don't need you to be my hero, Tae. We can help each other, support each other, in fact. We can be there for each other. It doesn't mean we've got to depend on the person to fix us. It's more like the person who holds the pieces as you glue them back together, you know? We help each other fix ourselves. That's all we can do."

He smiles a bit at that, shuffling a bit closer so that his nose brushes against your own. "I'd like that."

-

It's past midnight, and you sit in front of the door, contemplating. You had snuck out of Taehyung's, still wearing his clothes and smelling like him, all because you couldn't sleep. You knew why. The familiar skitter of the rats in the attic made sure to keep you equally restless now, unable to doze off even if you climbed into your own bed. You told Other Taehyung you'd come to see him. But what if none of it was real? What if you really were delusional or dreaming? The actions you were taking were hurting the real Taehyung.

You contemplated your choices, pondering.

Ultimately it was your life. You didn't want to hurt Taehyung, but he couldn't make his choices for you. You'd have to leave him be for him to heal since there was no way for you to rest like this. You look behind you, making eye contact with the doll tied to your bag, the buttons unblinking.

Jimin had a doll just like it and was in the world with you. Dream or not, you've got to find out what happened to him and you.

Sorry, Tae, but one of us has to know what happened to Jimin. I wouldn't want to die without anyone knowing what happened to me.

You swing open the door, crawling through the tunnel and into the exact replica of your room. You don't bother looking around, finding your way easily to the Other Grandmother, a pleasant smile on her face as she holds up a plate of pancakes, chocolate chips making the smile.

"There you are!" she says. "I've been wondering where you'd be. I made you your favorite!"

"It's not breakfast time, though."

"Where's your sense of wonder, Y/N? Who cares what time it is? It's always time for chocolate chip pancakes," she laughs.

You look down at it, pushing it away as you stare at those black, button eyes of hers. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

She frowns at that. "I know that. I just wanted to live out the good old days, you know?"

"That'd be with Jimin, though. He's not around."

"That's right. Pity. I miss the boy," she sighs, taking back the plate. "Fine, if you're not going to have pancakes, what do you want?"

"I don't want any food, right now."

"Oh? Don't tell me you filled up already," she chuckled. "Midnight snack?"

"Tell me what happened here ten years ago."

Other Grandmother simply let out a sigh, turning back to you. She wore a disappointed look, the same way a parent looks at their child throwing a tantrum for the tenth time. "My my, you say you're all grown up but you haven't changed one bit. You still make demands of me when I literally give you the world."

You sit down in the chair in front of her. "What's it going to take for you to stop dodging my questions? I just need to find out the truth."

"Don't you like it here, Y/N? Isn't the grass greener, isn't magic in the air? Aren't I nicer than your grandmother? Isn't Other Taehyung in love with you?"

"Yes, but-"

"I've given you everything you asked for, Y/N. Ten years I've waited for you, keeping everything exactly how you liked it, and here you are, unsatisfied as always. I never even got a thank you." You feel guilt pool into the pit of your stomach, and you feel like a child being rightfully scolded by their parents.

You look into your lap, lowering your lashes. "Thank you."

Her smile returned to her face, washing away the glimpse of sadness and disappointment. "See, that wasn't so hard? I raised you just as much as your real parents did, possibly more. They couldn't give you the attention a child such as yourself needed, what with their health and all. Why you'd be so damaged if I left you to be neglected."

Damaged. Your mind wanders back to Taehyung.

"Where's Other Taehyung?"

"About time you think of the boy. He loves you so much, he's been waiting for you in the garden since you left. Make sure to return here, though. I'm willing to tell you the truth if you really wish to hear it."

Your ears perk up at that, and you open your mouth to question her further, but she holds a delicate hand up to silence you. "Go to the boy first. I made him specifically to love you, and love you he shall."

You turn on your heel to go to the backyard. You barely paid attention to the bright colors and the sweet scents of the flowers, brilliant in comparison to the sludge you had to call a backyard. No, instead you made a beeline for the boy in the center, strangely enough sitting on the biggest pumpkin you've ever seen. You didn't pay much attention to it, though.

"Tae! Other Tae!" 

His head whips around, his puppy-like smile gracing his lips as he sees you. "Y/N!" he calls back, your name a siren call.

You're in his arms before you know it, held in a tight hug. "Other Grandmother told me you were waiting for me," you say.

"I'm always willing to wait for you. What's a day or two compared to ten years?" he laughs. "I've missed you, though."

"I missed you too, strangely enough." 

It was rare you got to see someone who was happy to see you in the real world. It was the Other Taehyung that made this place warm and inviting, truly. Not brilliant flowers or freshly cooked food. No, it was seeing someone who cared about you, who smiled at the mere sight of you. Despite the fact you couldn't look into his eyes and read his emotions, you were able to feel them.

You jump from his hug. "Oh, the cat! Mochi, he's in both worlds!"

Other Tae's brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"Like, the cat, you know, the one we saw yesterday?" you ramble. "Me and real Taehyung- well, I don't mean it like that- we saw it! At the same well."

"So you know where the well is in the real world too?"

"Yeah, well, this is like a mirror of home, isn't it?" You gesture around. "I had help, though. Even Taehyung didn't know where the well was. Mochi helped guide us, though."

Other Tae had a nervous look on his face. "Did he?"

You frown. "What's wrong?"

"Y/N... I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Would you stay here? With me?" He sees the shock on your face and is quick to talk. "You'd be so happy here, Y/N. I love you, you know that. You'd have your favorite food whenever you'd want. You'd never have to work or lift a single finger, everything would be provided. You'd get to have fun and have anything you'd want. I'd be here. Anything you'd want will be yours. Food, animals, gifts? Anything."

"I... Where is this coming from?"

Other Tae's face falls. "You can't stay flipping between two worlds all the time, Y/N. Eventually, you'll have to choose one."

"What do you mean?"

"It's the same deal that was provided for you ten years ago," he tells you. "Both you and Jimin."

"What'd Jimin pick?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you that- I'm not allowed. Other Grandmother's got all the answers, and she'll tell you everything as long as you're willing to stay here with us. Be a family."

"Why does she want me so badly?"

"Because she fell for you as a child and wanted to keep you close to her. She hated when you left."

You tried to imagine what it'd be like to have your child ripped away from you when they were only eleven. You supposed you'd be desperate to keep them close if that were the case. "What about you, then? Why do you want me here?"

"It's because I lo-"

"Don't tell me you love me. Tell me something truly from you. Not something you're... programmed to say," you request. "Sometimes you feel so real, like him but... not. You look like him but you're someone else entirely. But I don't want you to just be someone who's perfect and made for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I need something that makes it feel like you're... human. Humans have wants, not just needs. They have selfish desires and feelings. You feel like that but then you repeat yourself like a broken record. I love you, I love you, I love you- but what else? What else do you feel other than love for me? Do you really want me with you or is that just what you're trained to feel? What you're destined to do? I don't want it to feel like you're "

He thinks for a moment. "I... I want you because... because you're real."

"Because I'm real?" You scoff. "You sound like the guys who go on about how down to Earth tomboys are."

"No, I mean you're actually real. Everything else was made for one thing and one thing only- to please you. They don't know anything outside the world created for them. These few acres of land. You, however, have seen the world, or at least far more than I have. You've met people with hopes and dreams. I don't even know if I have free will. I was made to love you, it's true, but that was because of my environment. If I lived somewhere else, I could've been crafted for another purpose."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean what we see is limited. Say a man lives on a mountain by a temple and was raised by monks to become just like that. Now imagine that same man lives in Colorado and instead chooses to grow weed. It's the same man, but the environment the man lives in determines what he wants and dreams. Both options are truly what he dreams of doing, but only because of the environment and how he was brought up. What he sees and dreams of is limited, and that's the same way for me. I've seen and lived in a world where the dream is to love you and have you. I do truly want that, but because that's how I was brought up, how I was made. In that sense, I have about as much free will as anyone in your world."

"I understand what you're saying," you nod, soaking in. "And it makes sense. You've got a point."

He holds your hand for a moment, cold and tight. "I do want you to stay here, though. Genuinely. You're real. You can tell me what it's really like out there, and I can tell you everything we did back in the day. We can be happy together. Could you see yourself loving me too?"

You thought for a moment, staring at him. "What about real Taehyung?"

"Is he the one you love?"

"I can't deny I feel nothing for him. He's..."

"Real," Other Taehyung finishes. "He's the real Taehyung."

"I'm sorry."

Other Tae lets go of your hand, letting it fall limply at your side. So badly you wanted fingers to intertwine with your own at that moment, a simple squeeze of forgiveness, but you knew that this wasn't something you could take back. He was right. Sure, this place was tangible, and you were confident it wasn't a dream. But it was too good to be true, and the good thing about the real world was that it was in fact, real. It had flaws, it had cracks, it had pain. This place was beautiful, but the longer you stay the more it felt like plastic surgery. A fake smile pulled back and forced because of how much botox was put in the cheeks.

He takes your face in his hands. "I'll prove to you I love you, though. Follow the cat."

You're unable to question him, his lips brought to yours. Your eyes go wide open at the feeling, the feeling of his lips against yours familiar. He feels so much like Taehyung. He kisses like him, too. But it's colder, without the real warmth of Taehyung. Taehyung was more so an angry sad, tears and frustration. Other Taehyung seemed to accept his fate, the kiss slow and measured, sad.

You kiss him back though, lips firm against his own, as though to apologize without words. 

And just like that, you were slipping back into the house, never to see him again.

-

"You said you'd give me answers," you say quietly, sitting in front of the Other Grandmother. "I'd like them now, please."

"Now, my sweet girl, I did say I'd tell you if you truly wish to hear it."

"I'm willing to do anything."

She raises a perfectly arched brow. "Anything?"

You look at her with determination, lips pressed together in a straight line, brows furrowed. "What's your condition?"

"Why, Other Taehyung already informed you! Sad you rejected him, though," she tuts. 

"How do you know about that?"

"I know everything here, dear. I made it," she smiles. "Now, you were asking about my condition?"

"Yes."

"I'll tell you everything you'd like to know. From what happened ten years ago, to Jimin's disappearance, to why you lost your memories," she guaranteed. "I'll tell you the entire truth about Jimin, in fact."

"What's the partial truth?"

The Other Grandmother's buttons glinted. "He's not dead, and he's here with us now."

You stood up, shock running through your system. Your heart stopped. "You're lying, aren't you? Park Jimin's dead."

She shook her head. "He is very much alive, my dear."

"What proof do you have?"

She smirks, as though expecting your reaction, having already prepared for it. She reaches under the table, pulling out two boxes. She pushes one forward, carefully analyzing your expression as you opened it. Inside were a younger boy's clothes, perhaps one of a preteen. A blue sweater and jeans, along with flashy sneakers.

"He doesn't fit those clothes anymore, of course. I like to keep it for sentimental purposes," the Other Grandmother explained. "I guarantee you they're his and not something I fashioned out of thin air. Your precious Taehyung would also be able to confirm it."

"So Jimin's here..." You couldn't believe it. You were flabbergasted by the mere thought. You closed the box, the clothes still inside, pressing it against your chest as though afraid it'd disappear from your hold.

"Ten years ago I asked him the same question I'm about to ask you. I can't tell you any more until you make your decision."

"What is it?"

She slides the other box to you, and you're quick to rip it apart, opening it. Staring back at you were two black buttons, with a needle and thread.

You look up at her, the serene smile greeting you in that same, amused way.

"Will you stay here with me?" 

You had a choice to make. 

Jimin or Taehyung?

The Other Grandmother interjects. "You made this decision ten years ago and decided to stay, but there were complications. The incident. You did decide to stay, though. I just figured it'd be polite to ask you again, to make sure."

This is what you wanted, wasn't it?

You even wanted this back then. You'd get all the answers. Jimin would inform you if he's really here. He'd tell you everything. You'd finally get to meet your other best friend, who undoubtedly chose to stay here. He had to be happier than Taehyung, who was wallowing in self misery. Taehyung didn't even want to see you. Every time you saw him there was just more pain. You were a burden that kept him from healing. There was a boy here who loved you, who was made to love you, a dream come true. He was nicer than Taehyung anyway and hung onto every word you said. It'd be best if you stayed here. For everyone.

"No."

She seems surprised, perfectly still for a moment. "No?" she finally says.

"No," you confirm. "I won't stay here. I can't."

"But it's perfect-"

"Exactly!" you fume. "This place is perfect, and that's what makes the real world so much better. It's real! It's got flaws, it has mistakes, it's not all as phony as here. There are real emotions and selfishness and everything in between! I'm not perfect, so I don't belong in a perfect place like this. So, no. I won't stay with you."

"What about the answers you were looking for?"

"I'm not willing to sacrifice the life I already have for one I don't remember living," you say.

"And Jimin?"

"He made his choice to stay here. That's his choice. But he hurt his family and Taehyung in the process. I don't want to do the same. I've hurt people enough already. It's about time I put in more consideration about how they feel," you say.

The Other Grandmother's mouth goes small, and she simply examines you for a moment. She sighs, "I was hoping it wouldn't come down to this. Seems like you'll be meeting the same fate as your little friend, then."

She snapped her fingers, and from every crevice and corner of the room emerge rats. Big, hairy rats with red buttons for eyes. You scream, getting out of your chair to scamper away, still clutching tightly to the box, the rats right on your heels. You run up the stairs, up up up to your room, crawling through the tunnel as fast as you can, clutching tightly to the box of clothes.

You feel one catch up, biting your ankle. You scream in pain, kicking it away as you scamper, the small entrance so close yet so far. You jump through, kicking the door shut and keeping your foot firmly planted against it, the door thumping as it attempted to break from its hinges. You grabbed the roll of tape from when you taped it before, putting layer upon later on it until every crack and edge was covered, making it impossible for the rats to push through.

It finally quietened down, and for once your house was completely silent, rats no longer roaming about the attic.

-

"Taehyung! Taehyung!" You had passed out for a few hours, the time you got out of the Other World already being a little past sunrise. By the time you woke up again, it was afternoon. You pound against his door, your hair matted and greasy with oil, pointing in every which direction. You were covered in scrapes and cuts, and the rat-bite fucked you up more than you care to admit. 

"Dear God, woman, have you ever considered letting the guy chase you for once? Seems like you're constantly at my door making demands," he huffs, swinging the door open. "You left me, last night, don't think I didn't notice. I'm not a one night stand kind of guy, but- holy shit, what happened to you?"

"Park Jimin is alive," you say quickly, cutting to the chase. You fumble with the box, opening it. "Are these his clothes? Back when we were eleven?"

"I..." He pulls out the sweater, examining it. "How'd you get this?"

"You won't believe me."

"This is the last thing I ever saw him in. This is what he was wearing the day he disappeared. The day of whatever incident made you lose your memory and lost him for good," Taehyung said. "How did you get this?"

You huff, tears springing your eyes at the confirmation. "Dear God, he's there. He's been there for ten years and-"

"Y/N, calm down! I need you to tell me everything! I mean it!" He brushes his hands over your arms, trying to calm you down. "I'm listening, I'm really listening. Does this... Does this have something to do with the Other World you keep blathering on about?"

You nod pathetically, continuing to sob. "I went. I'm sorry, but I had to go. It was my choice and I know you were against the idea, and they asked me to stay there. Forever. Like Jimin."

"Like Jimin?"

"Yes! Apparently, we had been given the same option ten years ago. I had said yes, and they expected the same this time. To stay there... you know how I told you about the button eyes? You've got to sew buttons into your eyes. They went on about how I'd be provided for, how I'd have Other Tae, and the cherry on top was that Jimin was there too. He had decided to stay in that world all this time, and he isn't dead. He really did just disappear, but not in the sense anyone else would've guessed."

"Wait, so what happened?"

"I said no!" You look up at him, wiping the tears from your face. "I said no because... because this world isn't perfect. Nothing here is, and that's what makes it better. You're here. I promised I wouldn't leave you again, and whatever decision Jimin made is separate from mine."

"What happened? Is that why you're so scruffed up?"

"She just snapped her fingers and I was chased down by rats." You point down to your leg, the rat-bite still evident. "I barely made it out in time."

"Holy shit, we need to get that treated!"

"Taehyung," you interrupt, raising his gaze from your leg to your face. "Do you believe me this time? After everything, do you believe me?"

"I..." He stared down at the sweater in his hand, clutching it tightly. "I think... I do."

You couldn't help but light up at that, a breath of relief as a metaphorical weight was lifted from your shoulders.

"Would you be willing to come with me there, then? Tonight?"

"What? Why? Why me? Shouldn't we stay as far as we can from it?"

"And leave Jimin there with that... that monster? Look what she did to me! My Other Grandmother tried so hard to manipulate me into staying with her, made everything perfect for me, told me she'd tell me the truth about everything with all the answers I'd need, and I didn't grab the bait. I don't trust Jimin with a woman like that. He's bound to have fucked up over the past ten years, especially since he started out at eleven. She made him sew buttons into his eyes! It's about time he came home."

"Y/N... This isn't some cruel prank you're playing on me, is it? It's not you just having delusions and finding some incredulous way to get the exact clothes on the exact day I never saw him again?"

"I've never lied to you, Taehyung. There are too many things that line up, too many coincidences."

You see him contemplating, staring you in the eye, as though waiting for you to confess it was a lie.

"Don't you want him back home?"

"I do! Of course, I do, it's just so much to process. I've believed he was dead for so long, and to find out the Other World that you two talked about when we were little is true. It's a lot to comprehend."

"We can't dawdle on this, Taehyung. The sooner we get him out the better. I'm not doing this for myself anymore. I don't need to find out my past to feel complete anymore- but you and I both know we have to get him out."

"What if he doesn't want to come home, though? He would've returned by now."

"She's a manipulator and liar. I don't doubt that the moment he took her deal she turned on him and made his life a living nightmare. He's probably unable to escape."

"And if we find out he truly doesn't want to?"

"Then... I guess we'll have to face the facts and lock the door for good." You look up tentatively at him. "Are you prepared to accept that fate?"

"I'd be happy to see him one more time. We all just need closure, right? One way or another we'll get it." He examined your injury, a nervous expression on his face. "But are you sure we should go? You're not in the best condition. What if it's worse this time? What if you don't get out?"

"We'll be prepared this time. Besides, I'll have you," you grin, though it doesn't last long. "I'm sorry I didn't do what you asked and left without saying anything. I thought I was moving past that but I guess old habits die hard."

"If we get Jimin back, all is forgiven. Now, let's bandage you up, get what we need, and go. Lord knows this reunion is long overdue."

-

Later that night, you were ready.

The two of you stared down at the little door, still taped tightly. You both had dressed in long sleeves and pants in an effort to make your skin less accessible to rats. Your injuries had been treated thoroughly already, and you kept your backpack close, with a flashlight, a knife, and bandages inside. By his side Taehyung held a baseball bat, wearing special gloves that would help his grip.

"Are you ready for this?" you question. "I wouldn't blame you if you decided to back out."

"I've spent too much time wallowing in self misery. Now that I have hope, I've got to grasp onto it." He holds his hand out, giving you a look of determination. "We're in this together, right?"

"We always were," you say, squeezing his hand. You take in a deep breath, beginning to rip off the tape until you were finally able to open the door. It slowly swung out, and for a moment you were suspecting only brick.

Instead, the dark tunnel laid before you.

"Holy shit..." Taehyung muttered under his breath. "I can't believe it."

"Let's go," you say, crawling through. You felt him behind you as the two of you went through, the tunnel pulsating and moving along with you, as though you were moving inside an intestine. It isn't until you're in the mirror version of your room that you're able to properly stand, feeling a bit less suffocated by the tunnel.

It looked the same, but something was... different. There was no magic in the air, and it was completely silent. Watching... Waiting...

"It really is a mirror of your room," Taehyung noticed. "Does that mean Jimin needed to go through your room to get here? Or did he have his own little door and tunnel?"

"I can't really tell you honestly," you say, brandishing your knife. "Let's go."

The two of you make your way downstairs, you taking the lead.

You were surprised to see Other Taehyung standing before you.

"Y/N!" he said. "You came back!"

"I can't talk right now, where's Jimin?" You show the knife, letting it glint in the light. "I don't want to use this. I need to get in and out. Is he here?"

Other Taehyung holds up his hands in surrender, shocked. "Yes, he's here, but-"

Taehyung follows shortly after you, stopping in his tracks. The two Taehyungs make eye contact, surprised to see each other.

"Is that... me?" Taehyung questions, frozen in place.

"So you brought him," Other Taehyung said quietly. "I was wondering when you'd get around to it."

"I know he's supposed to me and all, but I'm definitely hotter than he is," Taehyung whispers.

You shush him, keeping your attention on Other Taehyung. "Where's Jimin?" you repeat.

"He's here, in the house, but it's not what you thi-"

He's quickly cut off, gasping aloud as he sinks lower and onto his knees. Behind him, the Other Grandmother is revealed, a large pair of scissors in her hands. Down Other Taehyung's back is a large cut, sand pooling out, strings and threads beginning to unravel at the incision. Like your doll.

"Pity, I was rather proud of that one," the Other Grandmother tsked, staring down at the limp body at her feet with disappointment. "He was made to love you- a bit too much it seemed. He forgot his true, underlying purpose." She looks up, staring quizzically at Taehyung. "And I thought I made it clear this young gentleman was never welcome here."

You hold a protective arm out in front of Tae, glaring at the Other Grandmother. You hold the knife out in front of you. "Where's Jimin?"

"Now, why would I tell you something like that?"

Taehyung acts before you can say anything, swinging his bat to hit the Other Grandmother over the head, the scissors flying out of her hand as she hits the floor. He grabs them, spreads them apart, and digs the points on either side of her wrist, trapping her. He stepped on the other hand, grinding his foot down, pressing the fat end of his bat against her head to keep her on the floor. 

"Keep fucking around with us and I'll break every bone in your hands. Tell us where Jimin is!" He twists his foot, earning a particularly harsh yelp from the woman beneath him.

She let out a hiss, gritting her teeth. "Fine! I'll tell you..."

You clench your jaw. "Spill."

"Don't look so glum, darling. You're finally going to get what you want- the answers to what you've been asking yourself all these years."

"I'm listening."

"I'd have to start at the beginning, I suppose," she sighs. "Once, long ago, there were two miserable little kids, Jack and Jill, with souls as pure as their hearts. They were allowed to visit a world crafted just for them. They were miserable and pure, which made their souls ripe for the taking."

"Why wasn't Taehyung offered this paradise, then?" you question. "The year everything went down he was still the same age as us, and very miserable shortly after."

"The boy's soul wasn't as pure. It was tainted. He was a bit of an early bloomer," she explained, hissing.

Taehyung grunted in response. "Glad to know me jerking off at age eleven was enough to keep you away."

"As I was saying, one day Jack and Jill were offered the opportunity to stay there forever. They'd have everything they wanted, away from any worries. All they had to do was give their souls, by sewing buttons into their eyes. After all, the eyes are the windows to the soul."

That explained the buttons.

"Little Jill jumped at the opportunity, but Jack wasn't convinced. He refused and tried to drag little Jill out. This wasn't accepted of course, and in the midst of their escape, Jack, in turn, broke Jill's crown! She hit her head and he had to carry her all the way through the forest! Instead of a hill, however, Jill tumbled down, down, down a well. From the bump on her head or the shock of everything, she was unable to remember even poor Jack's sacrifice to save her from her selfish decision."

"And what happened to Jack?" you questioned.

She simply smirked. 

"He was caught and punished immediately. Even as a kid he was a bit of a pussy, as you kids would say."

"And where is he now? Tell me!"

"His soul was never taken, don't you worry. It must be given by choice, after all." She cackles. "In one way or another, he's gone. You should've stayed away while you could."

"WHERE IS HE?" You demanded. Upon your outburst Taehyung lifted the bat, bringing it down on the Other Grandmother's hand, an audible crack sounding throughout the room.

She screamed, moving her other hand despite the way the scissors cut her skin, snapping her fingers.

Panic filled you as you push Taehyung off, pulling him along. You heard the rats scamper about, hot on your heels once again, and your adrenaline surged through your veins. "Run, run, run!" you scream, the two of you stumbling up the stairs. Taehyung did his best, trying to bat away the rats behind you as you run to your room.

You kicked the door shut behind the two of you, going to the small door, finding it closed. You rattle the knob, trying to open it, but it won't budge.

"Why won't it open?" Taehyung questions, equally panicked.

"I don't know! It's locked!"

"Looking for this?" The Other Grandmother swings the door open, one of the rats crawling up her body to perch upon her shoulder, the key in its little paw. The Other Grandmother grabs it, dangling it in front of you.

"You handle the rats, I'll handle her!" you shout. You keep a firm grip onto your knife, despite the bit of perspiration you've already made. You swing it at her, watching as she dodged. Taehyung, meanwhile, did his best to swing the rats away, batting them and stepping on them as they attempted to crawl up his legs.

"This is for Taehyung!" You take a swing, growling the words out as she dodges. "This is for Jimin!" You reach with your other hand as well this time, aiming for the eyes, pulling out the buttons until all that was left in her eye sockets were string. "And this is for me!"

You finally hit something, and her frail hand is cut clean off, the key inside. You grab for the key, expecting the hand to leak out sand similar to the Other Taehyung. Instead, it bleeds, bone even showing at the stem. She was just as real as you were, it seemed.

"You little brat! After all I've done for you!" the Other Grandmother screams. "I'll kill you! I'll kill all three of you!"

Before you could make a move, the hand jumps up at its own accord, quick to begin crawling up your leg, the long nails digging into your skin. You try to shake it off, swatting at it and keeping the key firm in grip. 

You turn to the blind woman, sinking your blade into her heart, seeing more blood. You kept going, watching her sink down into her hoard of rats, still intent on attacking you from every which direction. You thought the hand would stop moving as well once you killed the source, but it continued, tangling itself in your hair as it tried to drag you to your demise.

"Quick, unlock it!" Taehyung says, having a few rats cling to his clothes already. He didn't have much time left.

"There's no time!" you tell Taehyung. "We've got to-"

You're interrupted by a loud meow and your attention is brought to Mochi, sitting on the windowsill.

Follow the cat.

As though reading your mind, Mochi jumps away, out of sight.

"Taehyung! The window! Jump out of the window!" you tell him, grabbing him and pushing him towards it.

"We're on the second floor!" he protests.

"Just do it! Follow the cat, I'll be right behind you!"

Taehyung does as he's told, disappearing from sight. You turn to the now limp Other Grandmother, finally grabbing hold of the wandering hand and throwing it back at her body. You kick away a few more rats, going to the windowsill before dropping yourself below, grabbing purchase of whatever you could along the way.

Thankfully it wasn't that big a jump, and the moment Tae caught you you let out a sigh of relief. That was until the rats began to jump from the window as well, clearly not intent on letting you go.

You see Mochi begin to scamper off into the woods.

"Follow the cat! Let's go!"

You two are hand in hand, running as fast as you can. You're limping now, one of the rats having caught you and keeping hold onto your leg with its jaw. You scream in agony, refusing to slow down, reaching into your backpack for your flashlight to keep track of the cat.

Mochi guides you until you're staring at the upcoming well.

"We have to jump into the well," you explain to Taehyung. "Jack and Jill, remember?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's another portal! That's how Jimin got me out the first time."

Mochi jumps up onto the edge of the well, taking one last look at the two of you before jumping in, only confirming your suspicions.

You and Tae jump up onto the edge, hand in hand as you turn to look at the hoard of rats, one pale hand riding on top of one.

You close your eyes and jump.

-

You weren't expecting to land on your ass, shooting up from the well and into the woods of the real world. You groan in pain, hissing out.

You jump up though, adrenaline still flowing through you as you find the strength to lift the cover of the well, covering up the top. Finally drained, you collapse on the floor.

"Taehyung?" you groan. "Are you there? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he says, his voice just as strained. "God, let's get those bandages."

You toss your backpack his way, letting him rip off a strip before looking down at your leg that the rat had gotten hold of. Figured it'd be the same leg that had gotten bitten before. You take the role of bandages from Taehyung, ripping a strip from it to tightly wrap around the new bite mark.

There's silence between you two. An air you can't quite place. Disappointment? Sadness? Frustration?

"We didn't get Jimin," you say quietly.

"I know," he responds. 

"Can we ever go back?"

"I..." Taehyung seems to be unable to find a response. Both of you knew that you weren't any match for her. You had come prepared, and while you got answers to certain things, you weren't any closer to finding Jimin. But you almost died, and they'd be more prepared for your arrival than you'd be to attack them again.

Your eyes well up with tears. "We let him down, Taehyung. We lost Jimin. For good this time. And we were so, so close."

"I know."

You sit there, no longer moving, drowning in your feelings. What were you going to do now? You couldn't just give up on Jimin, could you? After all this effort?

"I don't think there's any need for you to go back."

The two of you simply stare in awe at the source of the sound. A handsome young man with long eyes and plump lips. He was a stranger in a sense, but completely familiar.

"Jimin...?" 

Jimin smiles, his pearly teeth showing. "It's good to see you guys again."

Taehyung looks at him in shock, wordless. Slowly getting to his feet, he approaches him, pressing his hand against Jimin's chest. "It's... It's you!"

"Ten years later and I'm still shorter than you, it seems."

Taehyung lets out a guffaw, something between a smile and a look of surprise, and soon enough he's wrapping his arms tightly around Jimin, holding him close to his body as though he were afraid he'd vanish. "Oh my God, you don't know how long I've waited for this moment."

Jimin hugged him tightly as well, burying his face in the crook of Taehyung's neck.

"I've been dreaming of this moment for so long. This is better than anything I could've imagined."

Everyone cries for a moment, and once the two boys break apart, you know it's your turn to properly unite with him.

You scamper to your feet, ignoring the pain as you limp into his arms, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Oh my God, it's- but- wait- how?!"

He pulls away from you, laughing. "When they caught me ten years ago, they refused to let me go, but I refused to sell my soul. As punishment the Baroness, her true title, by the way, turned me into a cat. I traveled in between worlds, though, but was unable to tell you guys what happened."

"Oh my God, you were Mochi? How are you human again, though?"

"You killed the Baroness- that was enough to undo her spell."

"So, that's it, we won?"

"No... You cut her hand off, so it acts on its own by her will. It's going to come back for that key. She's got enough magic in her pinky to redo everything she's done so that she can lure more kids in the future."

"We have to get rid of it, then!" you say, clutching tightly to it. "Or we destroy the hand! Either one."

"Ok, but how?" Taehyung questions. "For all we know it'll strangle us in our sleep."

"Don't worry guys, I've got a plan. I think I've planned for a thousand scenarios where we'd get into this situation- this isn't even the worst one," Jimin laughs. "Just follow along with my plan, ok?"

-

The three of you sit around the well, holding a picnic, a checkerboard cloth covering the top of it as you three dine.

Behind the tree a pale hand hides, its focus solely on the key that was placed in the center. Creeping forward, it needn't bother with the idle chat of the adults, catching up as they reminisce and fill the girl in on all their misadventures from their youth.

Finally, it pounces, landing perfectly in the middle to grasp the key. Before it knew it, however, you were letting the blanket go, grabbing it into a bundle, trapping it.

"Now, Taehyung!" 

Taehyung reaches for the bat he had hidden, repeatedly bashing it into the Baroness's hand as it wriggled around in the cloth. Continuously he hit it until there was no longer any movement, and the cloth was thoroughly soaked in blood.

You unraveled it, taking a look at it. The hand was beaten to a pulp, every bone broken beyond repair. You look over to Jimin. "Think it'll do?"

He nods, affirmative. "Toss it."

You gather it again once more, tossing it into the well, all three of you lifting the cover to seal it shut. The door in your room was already locked and taped up, meaning that all portals were now closed.

You sigh in relief. "Is it over? Like, really over now?"

"If it isn't I think I'm going to go crazy," Taehyung huffs, wiping his brow.

"You think you'll go crazy? I've been a cat for ten years!" Jimin argued.

"You made a very cute cat, Mochi," you joke, petting the top of his head. Jimin preened at the attention, grinning widely.

"Ugh, if you start purring I think I'll be sick," Taehyung grimaced.

"You're just jealous because for once she's paying attention to me instead of you!"

"No way!"

You couldn't help but laugh at the banter. It felt good to have them both at your side, and you had a feeling you would for many years to come. You looked forward to each one. These two boys, all of you had gone through so much together. Hell, it felt like just yesterday you and Taehyung were insulting each other in front of your grandparents. You thought he was just some edgy guy looking to suck the light out of everything, but he was more than that. He was human.

You looked forward to seeing the human sides of both men, letting them see the same. You knew at that moment you truly wanted nothing more, environment influenced or not, than to be with your two best friends.

Meanwhile, deep below, a single finger twitched.

#taehyung #kim taehyung #bts v #bts taehyung #taehyung fanfiction #taehyung smut #v smut #v fanfiction #v reactions #bts reaction #taehyung reactions #bts smut #bts fanfiction #bangtan #smut #btssmutclub

[cutegirlmayra]

How do you think Amy and the others would feel after Unleashed if they didn’t know where Sonic was, and he just came back after them knowing he was gone for days?

Prompt:

Professor Pickle stared out his window, the orange sky beginning to wane down into its final rest into the night. Before that, the clouds had been stretched like thinned out cotton, speckled with little grey holes that let the sunlight in from the previous rainstorm.

Amy was flipping through a book, but sighed heavily and placed it down after a few more skims of her eyes and the tips of her fingers against their flimsy pages.

“Water damage.” Professor Pinkle’s voice was one of fact, but had a little grain in them that he cleared out with a few gruffs. Digging deep to get the sound right, he finally spoke a bit more within the norm for him, “He’s been gone an awful while...”

“That’s normal for Sonic.” Amy’s usual cheeriness must have been masked over by the gloomy weather, but as she gently set the book aside, she smiled lightly to him and placed her hands delicately in front of her on the table she was sitting at. “He’s probably taking in the sights, enjoying them more now that the planet’s been saved.”

“Ah, does he usually just... up and fancies himself out without telling anyone about his... eccentric journeyings?” He seemed tied up on the idea, but Amy just tried to put together what he had said.

“Umm...” She politely looked away and up towards the ceiling, her mouth forming a pursed line before nodding to him, thinking she might have understood him this time. “Yep! Sonic loves to run! So it’s often hard to tell where he goes. Still, I try not to worry too much. Don’t fret too much about Sonic, he’s a free spirit! After all...” she hopped down from the table and glided her hand across the books of his shelf, opening her mouth to smile wider at the legends and lores they all contained.

“Wow...” she removed her hand a moment to look the whole room over, “Can you imagine? What if every mythological story is true? Whew! Sonic would have his hands full for sure.” she held her hands behind her back, tilting her body in an energetic and young, feminine way as once again--the old professor’s eye caught that mask of her true emotions.

“You’re very real... when you wish to be.” The Professor mused, “And so are legends. They all stem from some fable of truth.” he nodded his head, turning to the skies again. “That fox friend of yours... Ohh... the names not coming to mind...”

“Tails?” Amy thought it strange that he wouldn’t remember that signature feature of his. She turned around and tilted her head back, child-like, but with a sense of innocence as she walked over to the window to look up at him.

“Ah, that’s the one! He’s out there flying about and looking for the ol’sport, right?” He seemed excited to say it, “Makes an old professor wonder... what’s the logic in you not going about to do the same, hmm?” He waited a moment... before taking a peek at her reaction. “Hmm...?” he noticed her sudden glum appearance and turned more fully to her, his eyebrows arching a bit in concern. “Don’t particularly like the rain, dear?”

“It’s not that.” Amy lightly rubbed her hands against the windowsill. “I’d be running with all my heart through the puddles to find him... but...”

“Ah, the legendary word.” Professor Pickle nodded his head and straightened up from leaning over to speak with her. “Say all the more you want, but ‘But’ is a strong, connecting word. Makes me think you have tried before, and again, and again... and finally, discouragement has uprooted that wonderful spirit of adventure in you... and kept you nicely by my side, eh?” He had such a ... way... with words.

Amy’s ears bent back slightly, and she looked away from Professor Pickle.

“Do you... Do you think he purposefully doesn’t come back... sometimes?” Amy felt a bit of her heart sink at admitting her awful doubts. She had pushed them away for so many years... “It’s only when one of us goes after him out of worry and not seeing him for so long... that we ever see him at all.”

“Ah, thus is the life of one called, ‘the blue blur’, eh? An illusionary fallacy of a man and friend, when really, the true underlining of a fable book, no?” He gestured back to his stories. “If one is truly real to their feelings, then they’ll comply. But!” He raised a finger up, happy to express some wisdom to the girl in yet another use of the legendary word he had previously described--”He is very much real, and your worth to him shouldn’t be crippling on the edifice of what is real or not real. Sonic... must be opened like a book on mythology... and then he is real within you and your emotions.” Professor Pickle was a true wizard, one with a line that could combobulate a mixture of confusion with priceless words faster than a puzzling riddle.

“So..?” Amy squinted her eyes, trying to figure it out, but hinting to the kind professor that she couldn’t quite follow that this time.

He laughed, seeing her struggles, and placed a hand encouragingly on her shoulder, “I’m sure he’ll either return, or he’s waiting for you... dear girl.” He gently then turned her towards the door, as her eyes widened at what he was implying. “Go to him... he probably misses your enthusiastic smile... I hear he’s quite fond of it... along with chocolate supreme, or something or other.” He stood like a posh Englishman then, proud to see the girl off. “Take care, now. And I wouldn’t mind it if you stopped for some delectable sandwiches. Pick me one up, will you? You know the kind I like.” he hmm’d his joy at the thought. “Oh yes, quite tasty after the smell of fresh rain, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I would.” Amy breathed out, unable to hide this time her true love and wish to see her blue hero again. “I’ll check up on Sonic, and I’ll find him!” her usual pep was returned to her, and he smiled to see it through his hairy, elderly brows.

“Hmm... yes... not a ‘But’ in that fine sentence. A good statement, really.” he watched her head out, dashing through the puddles in a true, bright expression of youth and joy. “Ah, the grandeur of youth.” He went on, walking up to the open door and seeing the sunset, “I do hope she remembered a coat... or at least an umbrella. Brr... best shut the windows, then.” He slowly... softly... closed the door.

Amy had traveled quite a ways from Spagonia, now racing through the cobbled city of Apotos, as her footfalls splashed up to scare the pigeons off their roosted spires of the extraordinary architecture.

The glimmer of the puddles only radiated her feelings of excitement. She paused only once to look around, her quills swishing freely as she did so, before feeling the wind brisk them forward and turning that very direction.

“Ah!” she gave out an surprised sound, but one that knew exactly what the wind was saying. “Found him!” she took off, experienced in this sort of routine, before skidding to a halt at an ice cream vendor’s cart.

“One sundae supreme, sir!” the man bellowed out happily, “Though it’s getting awfully chilly, sure you want one?”

“It’s for a friend.” Sonic’s voice rang through the streets and straight to her heart.

Tails’s plane flew overhead, and Sonic looked around the man’s tarped covering and excitedly looked back to him again, “Make that two, please!” He held up two fingers as the man just laughed, making another. “Extra on those chocolate flakes.”

“Comin’ up!”

Sonic waited as he watched the progress, but by this time, Amy had already waved out a hand and called out his name, “Sonic!!”

“Huh?” Sonic turned, his hand on his hip swayed up in a leisurely greeting, but his eyes glistened with the falling sun as he saw his friend, delighted to see her. “Thought you’d show up sooner.” he admitted.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“You... you were waiting for me?”

“Uh-huh.” He nodded, “Figured you and Tails would be worried about me, sorry about that.” He scratched behind his head, looking down. “I... had some thoughts and things I needed to take care of. I’m buying these in honor of a good friend.” He watched the man hand out the newest creation he had compiled together as Sonic gave him a thankful nod and gestured one to Amy. “On the house! Or so he says.” Sonic laughed, “My treat, basically.”

Amy lovingly was touched, and took the treat. “Thank you.. Sonic! Hehe!” she licked the vanilla part and placed a hand to her cheek, “Emm~ My favorite! Light and fluffy!”

“Thought so.” Sonic gave her a thumbs up, “Now, how to get Tails down here to say the same.” Sonic teased, looking up at Tails flying about and waving. He gestured that he was landing, and arched his biplane far off into the distance.

Amy and Sonic watched both him and the sun set over the city and hills... finally resting over the ocean... before blipping out of sight entirely.

“...For Chip.” Sonic raised his hand towards the fading light, that then completely disappeared, as though high-fiving it... one last time.

He lowered his hand and then looked to Amy, “Good?” he noticed it melting as she stared at the scene and then him.

“Huh..? O-oh!” she quickly began to try and lick it up as Sonic laughed at her vain attempts.

“We should catch Tails,” He raised the other ice cream up to the night sky, “After all, now that I’m not some big Gaia monster, I can’t just stretch my arm out and hand him it. Plus, I’d like to see the look on his face when I asked the vendor for extra chips on his.” He smiled brightly, gesturing back to the ice cream man as he leaned on his cart and closed his eyes, smiling back.

It was so pleasant... the ice cream so rich.

And Sonic’s smile...

“How are you feeling... about all this?” Amy wondered out loud, as Sonic also seemed to take a moment to think about it, tapping his foot to the ground and slightly crossing his arms, gazing to the cobble streets.

“Well,... I’m used to this form, so I guess it won’t be that hard to get used to again.” He looked back up at her, and to reassure her, bounced a little as he swung a fist upward, “Guess I’ll just stick to what’s true and blue!”

Amy giggled at his antics, then followed suit, startling him as she took his hand.

“H-huh?” He watched her take the lead, eating her ice cream. “What’s this all about?” He seemed surprised, but then looked a bit awkward, “What are you feeling...” he seemed to shy back, and she just pulled him forward.

“Hmm? Oh, just that I don’t want you taking off without me!” she looked back after licking her lips as though this was nothing new, “Come on! Tails will definitely want to hear all about this one, and you know me, never a dull moment in your stories, I’ve gotta hear everything!” as is her normal way of showing affection, she charged forward, dragging him behind.

“Wha-ah-ah!” He stumbled after her, trying to not lose balance and drop Tails’s ice cream.

“We were all so worried about you... I’m glad I found you.” She kept her head forward, “And that... you feel like yourself, but maybe missing what you lost... just a little bit... we’ll try and help the best we can with that,... Sonic... You can rely and depend on us.”

Her words of comfort made him look to her again, and as his eyes adjusted to the new, but fast-pacing darkness that covered the land... he held her hand just the tiniest bit tighter... but no transformation this time.

He had been missing Chip, but also missing his friends, as well...

He loosened his grip on her hand after a moment, as though accepting that he wouldn’t become the Werehog again, and nodded to her statement.

“Sorry.”

“We’ll always worry about you! So don’t sweat it! Just know, that we’re always waiting for you to come back safely!” she looked over her shoulder, happy to be with him, and then walked quickly while she ate towards where Tails had landed, a while away... but a pleasant stroll through the city never hurt anybody...

Apotos’s was brimming with night life fancies, like lights and soft music playing on the streets...

Tails’s plane’s propeller slowly spun as he dismounted it and excitedly ran over to Sonic after checking that everything was a safe landing.

“Sonic..! Oh? For me?” Tails waited to take the ice cream, but looked about ready to take it, looking for a signal from Sonic.

Sonic had let go of Amy’s hand a while ago, which made her puff up her cheek, but she was happy he put up with it for so long anyway that regardless, she was still pretty happy to be with him.

She swayed her body as Sonic nodded and handed the treat over to his friend, smiling. “All yours, buddy!”

“Wow, thanks!” Tails excitedly took it, “Woah! So many chips!”

Sonic folded his arms, basking in the look Tails gave off. “Knew you’d love it.” He gave him an iconic wink and thumbs up, bouncing it in the air a moment.

Amy carefully held her ice cream, half-way eaten, in her hands. “Ooohh... isn’t there something special about mine too, Sonic? Something I like?”

Tails was hurriedly devouring his Ice cream with enthusiastic licks, he must have been hungry, as Sonic turned to Amy and nodded too.

“Extra whip, extra cream, and a whole lot more strawberries.” he winked, “You said, ‘light and fluffy’ before, right?”

His kindness and consideration made her blush as she hid behind the delicacy. “Hehehe~ You remembered~”

“I don’t forget a true friend.” He looked back to Tails, “But I sure do miss them...” and then up to the sparkling night sky again. “Man, I forgot how fast it changes from day to night...” he marveled a moment, solemnly.

“How could you forget?!” Tails exclaimed, “Anyway, what happened?” His face had some ‘leftovers’ on it and Amy--scoldingly--pointed it out in mime. “Oh! S-sorry...” He cleaned himself up as Sonic chuckled to himself.

“Well... it’s a long story.”

Amy saw him look straight ahead, and the sudden sorrow that matched her gloom from before.

In empathy, she smiled, “I’d love to hear a good story.” she remembered the Professor’s words, and as Sonic turned to answer her, she held up her ice cream to him with a finger sticking out, protesting, “And no ‘But’s! ‘But’s ruin the story!” she chimed, moving the ice cream out from hiding her face and wagging her finger as though Sonic from his earlier years.

Tails let out a silly, young boy laugh at her impersonation, and Sonic just lowered his eyes and shrugged openly at it.

“Guess I have no choice.” He mused, and began to retell his amazing adventure as a Werehog while the two enjoyed Chip’s last treat...

What they didn’t know... was that it was sprinkled with the chocolate Chip had loved... so much...

#sonic prompt #sonamy #cutegirlmayra #sonic unleashed #sonic unleashed prompt #sonamy prompt #sonicxamy #unleashed!sonamy #sonamy unleashed

[catisawells]

The Conjurer's Dilemma; a guild job board collaboration.

Catisa Wells looked around from beneath her cowl, the dark woods that surrounded the town certainly gave the whole place a dreary feel, she could only imagine a place called Deadwind Pass wasn’t going to be much better. With a sigh she glanced at the parchment she had jotted a few notes down about their task, the first of which being that she was to meet her partner for the duration of this mission at the town square. The fledgling mage waited patiently, the scarlet robes she wore surely a dead give away as to her career choices, though she began to find it eerie that there was no one outside and despite it being only late afternoon it seemed as though night had fallen upon the area.

Approaching from the north, on the road from Redridge, as what little light filtered through the leaves of the trees dimmed more, the light from the lanterns in town offering some welcome pools of light, a man approached. His silhouette may have been imposing, tall and broad-shouldered, nearly as tall as he was slung across his back, but as he grew closer and noticed Catisa, he raised a hand in greeting with a wide and pleasant smile, "Hey! You're down here from the Violet Bastion too, yeah? Supposed to be meeting someone!" His voice has the characteristic twang of Westfall, giving even the simple greeting a folksy quality.

She nearly yelped when she saw him, an imposing figure in the dark, before he stepped into the light of the street lanterns.  A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he spoke and she lifted her hands to relieve her head of the cowl. "Hello! Yes! My name is Catisa Wells, it's certainly a pleasure. I'm new to the Bastion, but I don't believe we've had the pleasure yet." She extended a hand in an offer to shake if he took it, her touch would be warm and her accent told of a gilnean farm girl.

"The name's Mason!" The man's handshake was firm, yet friendly, and quite enthusiastic. Pulling his calloused hand away - one of his many qualities that made him seem more a workman than one who would be part of an organization like the Violet Bastion - he continued, "Mason Kohler, rather. Haven't made your acquaintance yet, but then again, I haven't spent all too much time at the estate out of the workshop on the grounds trying to get things set up for my specifications." Clearing his throat, he motioned with a jerk of his head towards the east, and Deadwind Pass, "The plan's to track down that elemental and the poor fellow who brought it in, yeah? Any news in town about it?"

"A pleasure, Mister Kohler." She greeted him with a kind smile, "So far it appears to be a ghost town, though I brought something along that should help." With a smirk she reached into a satchel and pulled out a small orb. "A scrying orb. We should be able to track the familiar's movements, assuming that nothing else has interfered with the trail." Catisa gestured toward the mountains to the east, "From what I understand, the guards here lost it in Deadwind Pass, so I expect we should be able to pick up traces of it if we head toward the largest mana reservoir in that direction."

He nodded matter-of-factly, and motioned to the road leading east, which began to rise as it wound through the dark woods out of town and into the rocky pass far beyond, "Lead the way then, Miss Wells. I'm afraid I'm not much use at tracking magic, though I've gotta say, it's a skill I've been hoping to pick up a little more of one of these days. I tend to hunt down, let's say...more mundane threats!" The laugh which punctuated the end of his thought was booming and mirthful, especially in such a silent, dreary location as Duskwood, "Do lead on, and I'll keep at the ready!"

A giggle escaped her, she found his company soothing in their dark and unfamiliar surroundings. "Little tricks like this are things my mother was known for." The Pyromancer began as she started to walk with one hand out, the scrying orb glowing in her palm as she continued, "She was a fortune teller. This was actually hers before she passed, though it has far more uses than that of simple parlor tricks. If applied correctly, it can lock onto the magical signature of a being or even a person and lead you to them wherever they might be."

The man peered at the orb curiously as they walked, listening with a slight tilt of his head as she explained, that broad smile returning, "Yeah? Impressive little thing to be able to carry around! Might need to look into getting one for myself. That is, if I could channel a lick of magic that'd start it up. You might've guessed that that's not where my gifts really lie." He laughed again, following her on the path out of town, "You ever been out in these parts? Been quite a few years for me."

"I'm actually fairly new to the area, so unfortunately I haven't. This is a first for me." She looked around a bit nervously at that, noticing that as they walked the trees and sky grew more grey and dead looking. "Has it always been like this here?" She found herself wondering aloud, "What caused this?" Her steps slowed more and more, the further she got the more uncertain each step became. Though the orb seemed to continue to pulsate its eerie glow as steadily as ever, but the poor girl's hands were trembling and as much as she tried to hide it, it was probably painfully obvious to her companion.

"A mystery I'm afraid I don't know the answer to. Word is something big happened here a long time ago, rumors even say there was some Burning Legion involvement, and having seen just how bleak, I can say I wouldn't doubt it." He offered a reassuring smile, though he too was clearly put on edge by the greying of the world around them, everything from the sky above to the dirt beneath their feet, "What's hard to believe is that something like this is so close to home."

"The Legion..." Catisa echoed, recalling the all too recent war and sundering of their world by a giant blade and shuddered, "I've only read about some of the things the Legion are capable of, but that seems likely." She nodded, "So close to home and yet people still squabble over the price of a loaf of bread in the streets." Another sigh escaped her, raven black locks of hair fell over her features as her brow furrowed and their voices began to echo off of the valley walls around them. It was then that the orb in her palm began to glow a bright blue, illuminating a path before them of what appeared to be residual arcane. To someone not attuned to such a sight, it might look more like blue dust that glows in the dark.

Mason's brow, too, furrowed, recalling scenes of such squabbling himself, over the price of bread in Stormwind, and over the last scraps back home in Westfall, "Folks don't like to worry about the big things too much, I find. Reckon it gives them some peace, a little bit of control over what's going on. I know back home, even when the Legion was right there, skies choked with them..." He trailed off, dropping his thoughts as he narrowed his eyes at the glowing trail before them, "Looks like we've got something!"

The aspiring sorceress grinned, her tone excited and devoid of any trace of unease she had felt only moments before. "It does! and it looks like it's arcane in nature, so it's likely this is our familiar." She looked up at him and looked as though she might start sprinting down the path before she quirked a brow, "The signs should grow stronger as we get closer. These things can be tricky so we want to corner it before we spook it. And... I can understand that, to a degree, but I have no wish to live in the dark and hide." With a shake of her head she returned her gaze to the illuminated trail before them and continued their previous pace. "I was raised better than that."

"Sounds like we've got that in common then, Miss Wells. If I'd waited around for things to happen and didn't go out and find life for myself, well..." He shrugged, making to follow the trail, "Can't say I'd be the same person I am today. It's good that there are some of us out there who'll worry about the big things so others don't need to, yeah?" He flashed back his broad, excited grin as he moved further ahead, "Shall we?"

A wide grin flashed across her features as she watched him pull ahead of her and she moved to quicken her pace, the orb pulsing a dull blue in time with the arcane dust. "Yes, lets!" She giggled, "And it is, nice that is, to know there are others out there. It seems today has been an interesting day for conversations or perhaps I am just tired and thinking too deeply as of late."

"Met some other interesting folks? Not a bad thing, not at all, I say!" Mason continued following the trail illuminated by Catisa's scrying orb, though he moved carefully, and surprisingly quietly in his place-reinforced leathers, clearly having taken the mage's advice to heart about being sure to corner the elemental before engaging, "I'm awfully sure the best conversations are when you're on the road, or doing something interesting, rather than just sitting around."

"Someone else new to the Violet Bastion, actually. I think you'd like her, a Dark Iron dwarf by the name of Dahlyah, a huntress that knows only the hunt." She giggled. A moment later she brought her hand up and pointed into the distance, "See there? Where it starts to get brighter? We're getting close." As she spoke her voice lowered and her footsteps grew softer. Upon the horizon they could start to make out the roof of a tall structure, crooked and haunted by all manner of beings was the building that towered over the basin. The closer they got the more evident it became that their trail lead straight there.

"Wait a second... Name sounds awfully familiar." He pursed his lips in thought before his eyes widened in sudden recognition, a grin splitting his face, "I remember, I ran into her a while back! Let me pick one of the bounties she was looking for and have the job myself! It'll be good to see her again, I think!" He shook his head, "Not important right now, though. Looks like..." He trailed off as his gaze followed the haphazard tower to its summit, "Trouble, really. I never wanted to get this close, but we've got work to do."

She swallowed hard as she realized where they were headed, the trail led straight down to what appeared to be crypts below. "I didn't realize you two were already acquainted!" Came her response, though she was practically whispering at this point and her free hand had begun to reach for the fabric on his arm. An instinctual reach for someone to clutch onto and his much larger form certainly made her feel more at ease than she would have been, but nothing had prepared her for what they might see down there. "I-it looks like it's down there..." Catisa looked about, spotting no other entrances or trails to follow. "Assuming our familiar is the only thing down there, it may have made our jobs a bit easier."

"I'm sure hoping so..." Mason peered down the path ahead and down the dimly-lit stairwell leading to the crypts, "Last time I found myself wandering into some underground ruin, it wasn't the most pleasant experience, lemme tell you. On the bright side, I did make it outta that alright! So I'm sure we'll be fine!" His bravado, however, was not matched by his face, his grin having fallen away and been replaced by a look of cautious resolve. Following the still-shimmering trail left by the scrying stone, he pulled the sword from his back and held it before him, traces of lightning crackling along its blade offering some very slight light in the growing darkness.

A nervous laugh escaped the girl beside him, "At least there's that..." Her eyes then fell to the blade in his hand, having taken note that he had no abilities to call upon the arcane when he stated so she caught herself thinking aloud, "Enchantments?" The scrying stone would lead them down into the depths of the caverns full of sarcophagi. "I really hope that Remy Whiteley gentleman didn't end up making this his grave too."

He let out a chuckle, far from the booming laugh that had echoed off the cobblestones of Darkshire, and shook his head, "Enchantments? Something like that. Call it a gift. Not anything I'd be calling magic, but I can do a little more than just swing a sword if need be." He grimaced at the tombs lining the walls of the crypt, a sigh escaping his lips, "Gonna agree with you on that one. Whatever mistake he might've made in summoning something too big for him to control, poor man doesn't deserve to rot down here."

Catisa seemed put at ease a bit more in his presence, perhaps he was just humble about his own talents. "I'd love to know more about it when we're not, um," At this point her voice was a barely audible whisper as she practically clung to him, only poking her head out to see and her hand to illuminate the passages with the orb. "Crawling through dead people." She slammed her mouth shut, tears in her eyes as she felt a squeal rise in her throat from something cold and wet brushing across her leg briefly. It took all she could not to give away their presence, practically holding her breath as they continued forward, one step at a time.

Mason offered another reassuring smile, hoping it was visible even in the gloom of the crypt. He seemed to focus for a moment, the lightning dancing along his blade becoming brighter, more of a constant, softly crackling glow, and illuminating more than just a few steps ahead. The stones were damp, this far below the surface, but the light gave more in secure footing than they'd had a moment before, "Any way of telling how far away we are from the familiar we're after with that?" He motioned with a slight nod towards the scrying stone, "I feel like we - I hope, should say - don't have much further to go."

She nodded with a quiet noise from behind him, thankful for the additional light his blade provided. "It will start to-" As she was about to speak; the orb began to flash, slower at first, but as they proceeded the pace between pulses quickened. "Do that." She continued flatly. Up ahead of them was a divergence in the path, it split off into three other directions, but the brightest one of the three that veered off to the right appeared to be where their target lay. "Be careful," She whispered, "It's not much farther now... we want to catch it by surprise and..." With a brief pause she reached into her satchel and held out a small pale blue crystal. "Take this. Charge it like you do your blade and throw it at the familiar, it should stun it long enough for us to surround it."

Beginning to follow the light illuminating the right-hand tunnel, Mason took the crystal in hand with a nod of thanks, "Sounds like a solid plan to me. If we can keep it from coming back the way it came, we should be pretty well set." With a firm grip on the blue stone, a crackle of lightning shot down the man's arm, an inner glow springing from the crystal as it became charged with power. Stepping softly, blade at the ready as the pair approached the end of the hall, the gentle glow of magic beyond giving away the rogue familiar's location, Mason bent his arm back, and threw! The crystal arced through the door, a crackling trail in its wake, landing in the room beyond with a crash of thunder and a surge of electricity, "Now!"

Catisa followed his lead and darted into the room. It was a crypt with no exit other than the way they came, perfect for their trap. "Here!" She called out, "I'll block the exit!" At the far end of the room the familiar stood dazed, the flowing water that made up its form seized from the shock that crystal had delivered so suddenly. With a wave of her hands she began to cast a spell, flames ignited at her palms and weaved around her fingertips that moved intricately with practiced movements. Once Mason was clear of the threshold she would release the gathered energy in a burst of molten rock that filled the doorway and quickly sealed the exit.

"Good call!" Mason grinned broadly, leaping past the threshold of the dead-end crypt, brandishing his sword, now surging with lightning, against the elemental. Trapped and stunned as it was, it was left entirely defenseless, giving the man an opening. In a huge arc, he swung his weapon up over his head and brought it crashing down on one of the bracers that bound the familiar to the mortal world. Thinking himself clever, Mason did not foresee the magic feedback that erupted from the shattered bracer, and was thrown back onto the damp floor. Nevertheless, as he began to push himself back to his feet, the elemental - now aware of its surroundings once more - made for him, though it seemed to be sluggish in its movements, burdened by its new state, "May have miscalculated just a bit there..."

With one bracer shattered that left one more to go. Crimson robes whirled about as she spun on her heel and faced the beast, the room illuminated by the dull glow of the molten rock in the doorway. Flames licked at her palms before she extended her arms and unleashed a quick fireball to try and deter it from attacking Mason before he had the chance to recover, but the flames quickly sizzled out of existence in the familiar's watery form. "Uh oh," She uttered, her eyes wide as it grew enraged, cornered in what it had made its home. "Look out!"

Sword in hand, Mason had made it to his feet! The elemental's fists, swirling and frothing white like river rapids, pounded down on him, the blows parried with deft and surprisingly swift movements of such a large sword. The blade itself simply slid through the watery creature's form, just enough to deflect the blow as if diverting the flow of a river. Without a chance to regain the momentum, Mason found himself backed into the crypt's wall. Feeling the cold stone on his back, he braced himself against it, threw his sword to the side, clattering to the ground with a shrill echo, then lunged forward, passing through the wall of water that had backed him into the corner, and emerged from the other side soaked and sputtering. Whirling around, he raised his hands before him, and with a shout, a crackling burst of lightning shot forth, a bright flash in the dark with a sound like thunder, stunning the elemental anew, "The bracer, finish it off!"

A gasp had escaped the young mage as he pushed his way through the elemental, she had never considered that maneuver. Wouldn't you drown from doing that? And was equally surprised when he made it through and stunned the familiar. She quickly regained her composure when he shouted and nodded her understanding, flames licked at her palms once more and danced around her fingertips as she gathered more energy than she had for her prior blast and extended her left arm to let forth a plume of flame that engulfed the elemental and converged upon the remaining bracer. Her brow furrowed from the strain and focus, a bead of sweat dripped down her cheek as the room temperature suddenly made a drastic change and not only did the elemental begin to evaporate, the bracer itself started to melt. The creature threw its arms back and a watery scream filled the room just as the bracer shattered from the forces colliding. Catisa gasped for breath as the flow of water finally began to disrupt and fell to her knees, the flames from her arm ceased and left a trail of smoke in its wake.

Seeing all that remained of the elemental - slick traces of moisture on the stone floor, steam swirling about from its sudden dispersal, and the two mangled bracers that had bound it - Mason let out a booming, triumphant laugh, "It is done, and done well! Beautiful work!" He turned to Catisa, still wearing a huge grin, and stepping over to her extended a hand to help her up, though he himself was still bedraggled and breathing heavily.

She winced as he grabbed her hand and with her tiny frame she compared to his she was practically hoisted up. Though in somewhat of a daze, she offered him a weak smile. "Indeed." Came her agreement between ragged breaths and waved a hand at the doorway, the molten rock that had prevented escape melted away to leave only scorch marks where it had once been. "Thank you, Mason. I don't think I could have done this without your help." Though the admission was true, she still seemed preoccupied as she now finally took the time to familiarize herself with the room.

"Hey, don't mention it! It's what I'm here for, after all. That said, not sure how well I'd have managed either, if we're being entirely honest here. I'm better at dealing with things that are, let's say, solid, yeah?" He chuckled to himself as he picked up his fallen weapon and slung it across his back once more. Finally taking the chance to look around the gloomy chamber himself, he crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced at simply how sodden his leathers still were, "Lovely little hole it found for itself. Any reason you can think of? I'm no expert, but elementals don't seem the sort to like creepy tombs."

With the adrenaline passing she found her sense of humor once more and giggled at his comments about solid objects, though that quickly faded and a frown found its way to her lips. "At first I thought it was because of the ley lines beneath Karazhan, though I should be so foolish as to think they were for reasons related to a passage in a book I had just read. It seems there was an ulterior motive." As she finished speaking she gestured with her right hand toward the far end of the chamber where a corpse lay crumpled in the fetal position, bloated from taking on too much water and likely drowned, though the stench was well masked by the surrounding musk of the tomb.

Mason wrinkled his nose and, shaking his head, knelt down beside the poor, drowned conjurer, "Must be our summoner, fled from Duskwood and led his rebellious familiar on a chase. Shame we didn't get here quicker, but looks like he's been here for a little while anyway." He reached out a plated hand to close the bloated body's eyes, still gaping in the throes of drowning, "We'll have to send someone out this way to take him home, if he's got a family." Pushing himself back up from his knees, he raked a hand back through his soaked hair, pushing it from his face, "I'm about ready to get outta here, I think."

Catisa Wells nodded eagerly at his final remark, her voice shaky as she spoke. "That makes two of us." Came her agreement and took one last look at the corpse, the frown on her features deepened and she shook her head as she slipped back through the threshold and started down the path that had led them there. She folded her arms across her chest, tucking herself in as though she were attempting to console herself.

@masonkohler​

#catisawells #violetbastion #guild #masonkohler #wow #rp #roleplay #guildjobboardresponse #collab #writing #worldofwarcraft

[toho-literature]

Curiosities of Lotus Asia - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Summer Rainy Hall - Part 1

With its strong sunlight and blue skies, the peak of summer has come to Gensokyo. However, the area around Kourindou alone has forgotten that the rainy season has ended, and the strange downpour continues... The first half of Chapter 5, about an unusual weather phenomenon, of an original story based on the "Touhou" series!

Summer Rainy Hall (First Half)

Once a year, the humid Japanesque rainy season comes to a close, and Kourindou is allowed to bathe in intense sunlight again.

The rainy season promotes the spread of mildew which damages books and tools, causing no end to the troubles of my antique shop. That melancholic time of year has finally announced its end.

...However, my worries have not yet cleared up.

It's not that I especially dislike the summer sunlight. The strong sunbeams make the shop's interior darker; possibly because of the angle. The contrast of the darkness of the shop and the brightness outside the window really makes it feel like summer. I like both the darkness and brightness.

However, this summer is different. The strength of the sunbeams prove, without a doubt, that midsummer has arrived. But more light than necessary is shining in through the window... It's as if the shop were standing next to a body of water, with the reflected light illuminating the interior. This absurd brightness doesn't feel like summer. For some reason, it seems this type of weather is only occurring around my shop. What's more, it's been like this for three days now.

Unfortunately, investigating "incidents" like this is not my specialty. Usually, even in the slightest occurrence of an incident, there would be people around to solve it for me immediately. Except... as it seems that only the area around my shop has been affected for one reason or another, it looks like she hasn't noticed yet. But going to request an investigation in the middle of this kind of weather is troublesome...

Well, knowing her, she's bound to show up even if I leave her alone. She always comes when it doesn't matter, or when it does matter. I don't know if that's a help or a hindrance...

―――Knock, knock.

“Hey! Why's the rain only falling around your shop!”

See? There she is. The incident specialist I mentioned. “Well, if it isn't Reimu.”

“You came just at the right-” is what I was about to say, but for now I'll see how things will turn out with Investigative Specialist Reimu. She might know something about this incident.

“Of course it's me. Jeez, don't you even know what state your own store is in?”

Though the rainy season is over, the rainfall continued to fall with no sign of stopping. It is indeed a strange occurrence. Not a cloud can be seen in the endless blue sky, yet this phenomenon is solely located in the vicinity of my shop. However, for the time being, I've decided to pretend to ignore it.

“What kind of state are you talking about?”

“I'm shocked. Don't you go outside at all? It's raining so hard around your shop you can't even see outside. And there aren't even any clouds... From a distance, it looks like there's a white blanket covering just this area. You're not running any weird experiments again, are you?”

“Ah, so it really was just around the shop.”

Well, I knew that.

"What are you scheming?"

“Nothing at all, Reimu.”

“Even so, this is quite the fox's wedding you have here. It doesn't look like this is your average fox.”

It doesn't seem that Reimu has any information about this either. Perhaps I should devise a way to get her interested in an investigation. I handed a towel over to Reimu and told her to dry her dripping clothes with it.

“Anyhow, it sounds like you had it tough back then.”

“What do you mean 'back then'...? I always have it tough, so I don't quite remember.”

“It was snowing until just before the rainy season started. Weren't you the one who solved that problem, Reimu?”

“Oh, that? It wasn't a big deal. I've had far worse run-ins, and those weren't even that big either, I guess.”

“I'm not sure if that means you are having it tough or not.”

“It's the same as always. If anything, things will get tougher if I leave them alone. If spring hadn't arrived, it would be trouble so that problem had to be taken care of. If the mist didn't clear up, it would be trouble so that also had to be... Wait, so that means you're in trouble, right?

“It seems like you understand perfectly. Yes, I'm in trouble.”

“You should have said so in the first place! I guess I have no choice. I'll investigate this fox's wedding for you.”

Reimu seems to be having fun. However anyone looks at it, it doesn't look like she has it tough. Rather than solving it because I'll be in trouble, she looks nothing else but thrilled at the thought of flying headlong into strange happenings.

“Sorry, but I have some other business I need to take care of. I'm worried as to what I should do about them.”

I don't really have any particular things to do. You can clearly see that I'm unoccupied, but this kind of incident is outside my field of knowledge.

“Well, whatever. My clothes are soaking wet anyway, and it won't make a big difference if I go out in the rain again... You should take care of your "business" and stay here. Though I think this kind of minor problem can be squared away in no time.”

Upon saying that, Reimu left the shop in high spirits. She took up my request, as expected. But thinking about it very carefully, I realized that Reimu came for no particular reason. Actually, maybe she had every intention of solving this incident all along.

I came to this conclusion from the mostly dry towel I had handed to Reimu. She hadn't used it. It looked like she entered while planning to go right back out again. Or maybe she didn't care whether she was soaking wet or not.

If I leave things to Reimu, after a few hours the crisp summer sunlight will shine down upon the shop, and the shop's interior will once more regain its summer darkness. Once she sets to work, the usual incident will be resolved in two to three hours, up to half a day and at the very most a day. That's the standard.

I wondered if I should make some fresh green tea and read a book. I can leave the rest until later. The pleasant smell of tea makes you forget the passing of time. Though if Reimu were to see me like this while she is working hard, she might become angry...

But even if Reimu didn't seem to know the reason behind this fox's wedding, I think I have an idea. I never thought it would be possible, but... if it is what I think it is, it's an omen. If I wait a short while, things will return to normal, so perhaps this is something that can only be handled by Reimu's emergency procedures. Besides, it would've been dangerous to tell anyone else. I especially couldn't tell Marisa.

―――Boom! Craaaaack...

It happened in an instant. The shop's interior lit up with a blue-white light so bright that I couldn't even read my book, and then along with the exterior, darkened the next moment. Soon, the rain became heavier, the sky that should have been clear darkened, and the distant scenery became obscured.

I was expecting the strong sunlight of summer, so was honestly shocked by the sudden thunderstorm. To think that there could be thunder while the skies are clear... Although I suppose even in fine weather, it can start raining anyway.

The sudden heavy rain made me worry a little about Reimu, but it was her idle complaints after she solved the matter that really worried me. She'll fix the problem eventually, but clearly I had not predicted the pouring rain. I should probably prepare a change of clothes for her. If anything, her mood is the bigger problem here.

I approached the window and took a look outside to see what the conditions were like, but I couldn't see Reimu at all. The rain just kept getting stronger, like it was trying to drain the color from the world. The outlines of the forest and the mountains gradually began to fade, finally becoming a world of dark grey. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the rain striking the roof.

At that point, I saw a human run past the shop. A figure that, like the current surroundings, possessed no color. It was white and black; a monotone shadow.

#touhou cola #curiosities of lotus asia #touhou #touhou project #project shrine maiden

[raisedbyfandomwolves]

Prompt: Kara takes Mon-El to a museum for the first time :)

This one got REALLY long but that’s just what your prompt did to my brain and if I get into any kind of trouble for this I’m blaming you. Also this was supposed to be set in show canon but some of my own writing slipped in so... yeah.

---------

The idea comes to her out of the blue, and the longer Kara considers it the more sense it makes.

She hasn't been a great mentor to Mon-El, she's willing to admit as much, but now that she's aware of it she's trying to make up for her past mistakes and do it right from now on. Of course, sheer determination only gets her so far and she ends up getting kind of stuck pretty quickly... that is, until an innocent little pamphlet in her mailbox gives her some unexpected but brilliant guidance.

“We're going to the museum,” she announces with a bright smile and more than a fair amount of enthusiasm the next morning when she visits him in his quarters at the DEO.

Predictably, he does not share her excitement and simply stares at her with a perplexed look on his face. “We are? Why?”

Uncharitable thoughts about Daxamites and their blatant disregard for higher learning fill her mind and all but erase her jubilant mood but she fights to keep her irritation from showing. Deep breaths, Kara. You promised yourself you'd be patient with him. It's too soon to give up just yet. “Because if you're going to fit in on Earth, you need to know more about it and unless you want to attend school for the next twelve years instead, this is a pretty good alternative.”

Maybe it's her prejudice speaking but she expects him to refuse because it doesn't sound fun. To her pleasant surprise, however, he barely waits a second before he shrugs casually. “Okay. When are we going?”

“Oh. Um.” Caught somewhat off guard by his almost immediate agreement and maybe feeling a little guilty at having prejudged him – again – without real cause, she flounders momentarily. “We could... go now? If you're free?”

Once again, he just shrugs and puts away his phone – a loaner from the DEO, like pretty much everything else he has – before getting up from his bed where he had been sitting. “Sure. Lead the way.”

He's similarly compliant throughout the journey to their destination, never once giving the impression he doesn't actually want to do as she suggested, and because of that she lets herself slowly believe the trip is going to be a resounding success.

Of course, he proves her wrong pretty much the second they set foot inside the first gallery which happens to be focused on human evolution.

“This is what the first humans looked like?” he asks a little too loudly for her liking as he scrutinises the Neanderthal models in the exhibit with a raised eyebrow. “How long did they take before they started resembling us?”

“Shh!” she hisses at him with a mix of panic and anger as she throws furtive glances around them to check if anyone has overheard his incredibly suspicious questions. “Not so loud! And you talk as if there's no chance your distant ancestors didn't look anything like this!”

Her counterargument naturally fails to have its intended effect because he just turns to face her with that infuriating grin of his. “Nope. Not a chance. I mean, look.” He angles his head so that it's somewhat aligned with that of the Neanderthal model and gestures between them. “There's no way this-” he points at his face, “-could have come from this,” he finishes as he points at the face of the model.

She doesn't really know why she's letting it get to her so much when it's clear he's just fooling around – how she's so certain about that is something she doesn't want to think too much about – but instead of just dropping the matter, she feels compelled to keep the argument going. “So you're saying Daxamites were perfect or something from day one?”

His grin widens as he steps closer, and she gets the distinct feeling she's walked into a trap without realising it. “Why, do you think your ancestors looked like that once upon a time?”

There's no two ways about it; he's got her cornered there, and the realisation makes her grind her teeth with so much force she's almost sure the sound is echoing inside the mostly empty gallery. “Just keep moving,” she finally growls when she decides that responding to his question won't work in her favour and all but bodily drags him towards the next gallery.

True to form, Mon-El is just as insufferable at the next exhibit and every single one after that, making dumb comments and even dumber jokes that she absolutely was not going to laugh at no matter how much he insists otherwise. By the time they're approaching the last gallery, she's one stupid wisecrack away from tossing him into the river and calling this plan an utter failure.

As they come to a stop in front of the dinosaur fossils on display, Kara mentally braces herself for yet another barrage of questions and statements designed to piss her off. Jokes about the T-Rex's tiny forearms most likely, for starters, and maybe some ridiculous comparisons between the triceratops and whatever creature he's seen on another planet.

Instead, he stands statue-like as he stares up at the ancient bones that make up the exhibit in complete silence with an expression she's hesitant to name.

All the irritation she felt before vanishes and she suddenly feels like she's intruding on an extremely private moment even though she can't quite understand why.

“Do you miss them?” he asks apropos of nothing, unreadable gaze still fixed firmly on the fossils.

Restlessness turns into confusion in a heartbeat as she frowns at him. “Dinosaurs?”

He still doesn't look at her. “The dragons.”

Oh.

It clicks then – that almost lost expression, that look in his eyes that suggests he's not really seeing what's in front of him but rather something far in the past, that uncharacteristic quietness... She knows them all too well because she still catches herself doing all those things even now.

He's thinking about home.

“The prince had a dragon, you know,” he says softly before she can figure out how to break the silence although she wonders if he's talking to her or no one in particular. “She was called Nes'th; it means 'swift' in old Daxamite.”

They're the only ones here and he's not being too loud which means there's no need to worry about being overheard. Besides, it doesn't feel right to tell him to stop so Kara steps closer and keeps her tone respectful and gentle. “What was she like?”

A ghost of a smile curves his lips, whispering of fond memories and heartbreaking sorrow, and it's so unlike the Mon-El she knows that she finds herself irrationally and inexplicably hating it. “She was beautiful – the most beautiful dragon to ever grace Daxam's skies. The way her black and blue scales glinted under Rao's light... It was like she was the night sky in physical form.”

“You sound like you really cared about her,” she comments carefully. It strikes her as a little strange why a simple guard would be so attached to a dragon belonging to the prince but this seems like a terrible time to ask about it.

“I helped look after her,” he answers her unvoiced question before he finally meets her gaze with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes – eyes which she notices with some disquiet are presently a dull grey instead of their usual colour. “Sorry, could I just... have a moment?”

For a moment, she wants to insist on staying – to tell him that she's here for him and he can talk to her or something along those lines – but stops herself before she actually does it. This is about him, not her; he needs space right now – has openly asked for it, even – and the best thing she can do for him not just as his mentor but also as... a friend, if she dares to use that term... is to give him that. “Sure.”

Kara stays long enough to mumble a soft 'you're welcome' when he thanks her before she does as she'd promised, wandering off until she finds herself in the gift shop of all places. Unsure how much time she should wait before she goes back for him, she browses the souvenirs on sale with no real intention of buying anything until she spots it: a small pterodactyl figurine. It's obviously a toy meant for kids but something compels her to pick it up and take note of the price.

Mon-El's uncharacteristically sombre expression surfaces in her mind and she makes the purchase before she can think twice about it.

Even so, her stomach is in knots for reasons she can't figure out as she goes back to find him and all but thrusts the little gift bag out for him to take. “Here.”

That melancholic expression of his is gone – whether it's because he's gotten over it or buried it under that happy-go-lucky facade of his is unclear – and he looks confused even as he accepts the bag from her. “What's this?”

Her stomach churns as she watches him pull out the toy in slow motion. “It's not a dragon, I know, but it's all they had.”

He stares at the little figurine in his hand like it's the most precious thing in the universe for Rao knows how long and her anxiety just keeps growing until he finally lifts his head and gives her a smile that lights up his entire face. His eyes, she notes somewhat idly, are more blue than grey now too, and it's strangely a relief to see them that way. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

Like magic, the knot in her stomach disappears and her heart does a weird flip-floppy thing. “I'm not going to buy you another one if you break it,” she says just to stop herself from saying... what exactly escapes her.

Instead of being offended, he just smiles that little bit brighter and her heart does that weird flip-floppy thing again. “I'll take really good care of it, I promise.”

(When he moves in, the pterodactyl figurine – still in perfect condition – occupies a special spot on one of her cupboards.)

#karamel #prompt fic #facepalming-since-chernobyl

[afewmarvelousthoughts]

Only For A Moment Ch. 32

Master List: @afewmarvelousthoughtsadmin

Pairing: Bucky X Reader

Summary: For most of your life you’d been able to keep your abilities a secret, that is until Hydra got wind of you. After years of being in their clutches, you break out when The Avengers expose SHIELD/Hydra. Since then, you’ve been on the run. Things are going as well as you could hope when you see a familiar face… Could the Winter Soldier really be in Bucharest too?

Warnings: None

A/N: I swear this is fluffy. Maybe... Idk... Maybe I don’t even know what that really means lol. Either way, it put me in my feels. 

Also, please forgive me if there’s a slight lull after this chapter. I’m a little bogged down with work but who knows, maybe inspiration will strike.  

Tags are open!

“I’ve gotta take care of some things today,” Bucky says over his second cup of coffee. You’ve drug the dining chairs to the balcony and are watching the sunrise, it’s chilly but pleasant, the peace feeling so far from the scene that took place here the night before.

“Ok,” it was such a vague statement you feel awkward prying for details. Nervously you make the liquid in your cup spin in a slow counterclockwise motion.

“It’s nothing bad, promise.” When you look over at him he smiles, “Just a day labor thing I pick up every now and then.”

“Oh!” You honestly hadn’t thought much about how he made money.

He laughs, “We can’t all be master thieves.”

It’s a joke, it stings though. You had never wanted to be a thief, had worked your ass off so you didn’t have to be. Of course, he didn’t know that. “You know thievery isn’t my main skill set.”

He squeezes your thigh gently where his left hand’s been resting as if to assure you he didn’t assume it was. “What is?”

“Well if we go off my bachelor's degree, costume design with a nice and useless sociology minor.” His brows raise. “Didn’t know your girl was college educated did ya?” It slips out, something you’d just say casually before, ‘your girl,’ but you know it means something else here.

Those eyes narrow a bit, a smile playing on his lips, but he says nothing about it. You divert, “Not that either of those is worth shit to me now…” you think. “Maybe thievery is currently my main skill set.” You shrug.

“Nothing wrong with doing what you have to.” He looks out at the lightening sky, “I was always good with my hands. Easy enough for me to find something under the table that doesn’t ask many questions.”

“Did you used to do stuff like that?” You look at his profile, lit by the rose gold morning his eyes seem grey. Something like a smile lifts the corner of his mouth, he looks down and the few strands of hair too short to be pulled up fall into his face.

“Yeah,” he tilts his head to look at you, “dock work, construction, anything that would pay really.” He flexes his right fist, “Even entered a few boxing tournaments, won too.”

“Boxing?”

“Yup. What else was an Irish Catholic kid supposed to be good at?” He picks up his mug and drains it. “Even taught Steve how to fight. Lord did I regret that later.”

You’re reminded of what he said last night about Steve, it had bothered you, “Can I ask you a question?” You’re hesitant, afraid to open some old wound, “About Steve…”

He looks at you, studying for a second, “Sure, can’t promise how well I can answer…”

“If it’s too personal I understand…”

That gentle laugh, “Nah, it’s just that… I just don’t have it all back yet is all. There’re still some blank spots.” You nod, pausing, weighing the pros and cons of posing this. “But,” he says, “talking to you seems to… help somehow.” His smile is far more impressive than any sunrise.

You sigh and dive in, “Last night… you said he did something stupider than dying…”

“Yeah.”

“What… exactly did he do?” You take a sip of coffee.

“He went and became Captain fucking America.” You choke on your mouthful and spew into your mug coughing. He laughs, big and ringing. “Don’t drown on me.”

“I just. What?!” You wipe coffee from your chin.

“I thought you knew that. You went through my books on Friday.”

“Yeah. But, I honestly didn’t look that far into it, got too freaked that you and I had the same taste in pizza and flung the thing across the room.”

He laughs, “What, hundred-year-old assassins can’t have good taste?”

“Look it was a lot to wrap my head around in a short amount of time.” You say jovially smiling at him, “I was focused on the information about the guy I chained to the wall, not the other characters.”

“Tried to chain anyway,” he winks at you. “Guess we didn’t make it into your history books.”

You shrug, “I vaguely recall some mention of Captain America from school but to be honest the whole golden boy image didn’t exactly catch my attention.” He nods in agreement and before he can say anything something else occurs to you, “Wait!” You glare at him, “How in the sweet holy fuck did I remind you of Captain America of all people!?”

He shakes his head smiling, holding up his hands, “No. No. I said you reminded me of Steve. Steve Rodgers and Captain America aren’t synonymous. At least not to me.” A little laugh escapes him, “Steve was a 90-pound stick of a kid who could hardly breathe most days but he’d be damned if he let that stop him from trying to face down every asshole in Brooklyn.” He seems to darken a bit, “Captain America was a propaganda poster boy to sell war bonds.”

That was the image of Captain America you had in your head. Cheesy star spangled images from some battered public school history text. Then less overworked but none the less poster worthy images of him after The Battle of New York you saw when you were catching up on everything you’d missed while Hydra had you. Nothing in there felt like anything someone could connect to you.

That distant look is on his face and he leans forward resting on his knees, “I remember… seeing him for the first time after. My unit had been captured, Hydra had us, they were already trying to make… him.” The sound of metal shifting, “Steve barreled in there like some fucking berserker, against orders, to pull me out.” You like Steve Rodgers already.

“He was huge, in comparison to the kid I left in Brooklyn anyway. I couldn’t believe it, thought I was hallucinating. But no, that was him. Same bullheaded ass I had known most of my life, running into fights he didn’t have a chance in hell at winning, no regard for his own safety, just now he had the body to back it all up.”

His fists flex. “I was furious. Steve was supposed to be safe, unfit for combat, and the only thing I had to worry about was him getting the shit kicked out of him at home. Now I had to worry about Nazis and Hydra and… I couldn’t keep him safe from all that.”

A hollow laugh slips out, “Guess that’s always been a thing of mine…” He looks at you, trying to smile, sitting up, “Trying to keep people I care about safe even when they’re too stubborn to let me.”

Not sure what a good response to that is you slip your hand into his metal palm and lean into his solid shoulder. For a second he doesn’t move, and you wonder if this is too much contact, then his hand wraps around your own. Slowly he buries his nose in the fluff of your hair and breathes deep. Silence wrapping around you both.

Once the pinks and oranges of the sunrise fade to blue skies you head inside. Bucky goes straight for the closet and begins rummaging around without a word. You fill both mugs, wrapping your cold fingers gratefully around the warm porcelain.

He walks back and holds his right-hand open, palm up, “Here.” At first, you don’t see what’s there but then, laying flat, there's a key. Tentatively you lift it with your power and set his mug in his hand. The key hovers for a second before you pluck it from the air, expression questioning. “It’s not like I expect you to stay locked in here like it’s some ivory tower while I’m out,” he flashes you a smile.

A key. To this place. To his place. Suddenly it feels heavier in your palm.

His eyes are on the coffee in his mug as he says, “This is… well if you want it to be…” He looks up at you with those goddamn gorgeous sapphires and says, “your home too.”

You wonder if he knows what those words really mean to you. It may have been a while ago but he had a home once, one with a family who he loved, a city that was always his. Home was always so fluid a concept for you. Constantly shifting, crumbling, or being ripped away. Home felt like love, a thing you wanted deep into your bones but that you were terrified of because it could be gone so quickly. Still…

“I…” Despite your efforts your voice cracks, betraying your emotion. Instead, you just nod. He lets out a breath, like he had been scared of your answer, sets his cup on the counter and plucks yours from your hand.

The look on his face is so happy and relieved. When he pulls you into his arms you feel safe and warm, and wanted. All the things home should be. You realize that this place is one thing but it’s him, he is home. And goddamnit you would fight like hell against anything, even the ghosts in his head and your own, to keep him.

@bluegirlusa1 @l0kisbitch @tazzi-baby @disagreetoagree @woodyandbuzz20-01 @mooniightbucky @saundrasays  @breezy1415 @alyssaj23 @mywinterwolf @wonderlandmind4 @fairislesheets  @anamcg317 @buckaroo-barness @jazztherebel @peachthatdrinkslemonade @regulusirius   @auskitty   @katecolleen @handplucked @piensa-bonito @darkdragonphoenix @issanitydead @thestorydetective @buckysstar @wintersoldierswhore @greyeyedsmile14 @watchoutforfrostbite @for-the-love-of-the-fandom @meg-asaur @jewelofwinter

#bucky x reader #bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #soft bucky

[heartofhryule]

Breath of the Wild: Captured Memories - Chapter 7

Preface and Disclaimer; First and foremost; SPOILER WARNINGS. If you have not played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or completed the Captured Memories Quest and want to stay unspoilered for it, DO NOT READ. Keep Reading link provided for that reason. 

So I am writing these as I play through BotW for the first time - which means they probably won’t be ‘one-a-day’ consistent - I have finally gotten all of the memories, but not yet gone for the final fight at Hyrule Castle. #Soon. I will post them as I can though! Promise! I also plan to include links to the cutscene for you to watch at the bottom, if so desired - at least for the ones I can find. Any other warnings that become necessary, I will add for content as I go. For now, enjoy! [All Chapters here for your reading enjoyment.]

Y’all… Dammit Salty Bird. I got irritated all over again rewatching the scenes to get the dialog for Revali’s scenes. He’s SUCH a well written character... and I hate him. Well, hate is strong. But I really, really dislike him a lot. Even when he “gets better” he’s still a !@#%%^&^er. But, I like this chapter, and I hope you will too. Chapter 7 - Revali’s Flap

The Rito Village, and land surrounding, was genuinely breathtaking. The wood and canvas huts that served as both homes and shops were built around the landscape’s large peaks of sandstone. This design allowed wind to blow through the village unhindered without disrupting structural integrity. At this altitude and in the region, Link was chilled. Pretty much constantly. But, he’d bought some new armor from the nice Rito vendor in trade for some amber and a few sapphires he’d found. Now he was nice and toasty warm.

Sitting by the cooking pot inside a part of the village’s inn, Link stared into the fire as his dinner marinated. He’d been here before. He could feel it, and this was not a place soon forgotten. It might have been if it was the first place he’d come, but even then the striking beauty of the land, difference in architecture, and the colorful individuality of its inhabitants were like nothing else in all of Hyrule.

Maybe that was the opinion of an ignorant Hylian child that he had once been. He had grown up in and around the Zora Domain in the Lanayru Province. This knowledge was coming back to him slowly, and explained why he’d gone there first. It also meant the Zora had never seemed odd to him, though consequently neither had they seemed particularly awe inspiring in a long, long while. The Rito however, were a different story.

Ladelling out his dinner from the pot, simmered fruit for the moment as he was cold, tired and in need of foraging for some supplies, Link leaned back against the solid wood support beam of the hut. Simmered fruit made him think of his mother - now that he remembered her face. She made the best, and had taught him long ago. It always made him feel better.

He needed that right now. There was a long way to go for him to find all the locations in Zelda’s album, and take back control of two more Divine Beasts from Ganon. He was tired, and had only arrived less than an hour before, deciding that he was going to eat something before speaking with the Tribe Chief. In the sky overhead, Vah Medoh let out a shrill and bone chilling cry. The enormous ancient technology flew overhead in the shape of a bird, stone and metal kept aloft by gigantic propellers and magic. Glancing up, and giving a good, long look at the Calamitous energies pulsing through the construct, Link ate his simmered fruit quickly.

No rest for the weary, as it were.

After eating, he asked directions to speak with the Rito Chief and had the oddest interaction. It was as though the Chief could tell he was the fallen hero, but couldn’t accept it. Link had stopped bothering to try and explain it to people months ago at this point. He was told of Teba, and that perhaps the warrior could help him, if nothing else the Chief was worried.

But it was the following conversation with Teba’s wife that ignited something in Link. She showed him Revali’s Landing, a flight platform just outside her home named for the Champion of the Rito from a century ago. Looking at it, Link was taken by a memory.

***

Standing out on the center of the flight platform, Link craned his neck and shielded his eyes to look up at the impressive Vah Medoh high above him. It truly was an impressive piece of ancient technology, and he’d listened intently to Zelda lament at great length that she would never be able to set foot on such a marvel. The sky was the clearest blue surrounding the Divine Beast, and wind cool despite the sun’s warmth. But then, it was always cool in the Hebra region.

Just as Link had the thought he should probably go find the Rito Champion, as that was whom he had climbed the peaks to see on behalf of Zelda, the wind picked up. At first it was small, but it rapidly build to a steady cyclonic breeze that seemed to come from beneath the platform.

In the blink of an eye and the flash of dark grey feathers, the Rito Champion appeared from below. Shooting up into the air high above, Revali spread his charcoal and white feathered wings, gliding down to a light and graceful landing before Link.

“Impressive, I know,” the Rito archer said in his normal, smug tenor. “Very few can achieve mastery of the sky. Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar. It’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito.” Revali turned to pose dramatically, one wing lifted where he was backlit by the sun in the beautiful day.

Link managed to not roll his eyes at Revali’s grandiloquence, giving him a tight-lipped smile. Revali didn’t like him - Link knew this. The Rito felt within his superior self image that he should have been the Princess’s appointed knight as he was clearly the most capable and worthy of the Champions. Clearly.

Though the Rito had never said those words exactly, it was the undertone of every word, sneer, snort and action the Champion took while in Link’s presence to date. Somehow the Hylian knight had a feeling this interaction would be no different.

Link found Revali cutting him a sharp look, speaking again before the knight could give a syllable of proper greeting. “With the proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn’t easily dispense with Ganon,” be boasted with a bow. Hopping down from the railing on which he’d perched, Revali tucked his wings behind his back as if about to give a dissertation (which Link had no doubt he was going to do just that). Strolling forward, Revali’s expression was one of barely contained detestation. “Now then, my ability to explored the firmament is certainly of note… But let’s not- and pardon me for being so blunt-” he said as his tone changed from fairly condescending to outright patronizing, “Let’s not forget the fact that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito.”

“Oh here we go,” Link muttered to himself into the wind.

“Yet despite these truths, it seems I have been tapped to merely assist  you. All because you happen to have that little darkness sealing sword on your back. I mean, it’s just… asinine.” The only thing that prevented Link from drawing his sword then and there and teaching this megalomaniac of a Rito a lesson, was self control. As Revali’s red-feather rimmed, green eyes cut snidely to him, Link crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. The absurdity of this entire monologue was as laughable as it was insulting. Clearly, Revali liked hear the sound of his own voice.

“Unless,” the Rito Champion added after a moment, “You think you can prove me wrong?” He took one large step closer to Link. The bird man who was a good head taller than the Hylian leaned in, beak to nose and invading Link’s personal space aggressively. “Maybe, we should just settle this one on one.”

Link opened his mouth to say that he had no problem with Revali… not until this conversation at least, but the archer turned away and continued his drama. “But where?” he asked the wind, one wing crossed his chest as the other pretended to stroke his beak in thought. “Oh, I know! How’bout up there?!”

With a grand sweep of one wing, Revali motioned to the sky, where Vah Medoh was soaring past, making its rounds. “Oh! You must  pardon me,” Revali chuckled, his tone even more supercilious than before, “I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own.” The last words were spoken with actual open aggression as the Champion spread his wings sharply, and took to the skies, leaving Link behind on the platform.

As Revali grew smaller towards Vah Medoh, and the vision began to fade, the Rito’s parting jab echoed the skies. “Good luck sealing the Darkness!”

***

As he came back to himself, Link was being stared at oddly by Teba’s concerned wife. Apparently she’d asked if he was alright, while he’d been lost to the past. “Oh, I’m sorry, yes - thank you ma’am.”

Giving him an uncertain look, she touched a delicate wing to her beak. “If you’re sure… you seemed… angry? Irritated at least. Are you well?”

Cracking his neck at the legitimate frustration Revali’s personality had left him with, he nodded. “It was… just not a pleasant memory, ma’am. Sorry to space out like that- but I promise, I will find your husband, and bring him back alive.

“Oh thank you!” she said sincerely. “Please… be safe.”

---

The knight held his shoulder and looked around the topside of Vah Medoh. The Windblight Ganon creature that had held control of Vah Medoh for so long was gone, fallen to the Master Sword. Well the Master Sword, and a not insignificant amount of bomb arrows.

Staring at the Main Control panel ten yards from where he stood, injured and exhausted, Link smirked to himself. He should just sit down, right here, and bake some apples to eat so he could regain a bit of his strength. It had been a hard fight! It had taken a lot out of him! And Revali could sit around and complain all he wanted, since there wasn’t anything the spirit of the Rito Champion could do about it.

He deserved as much for the prickly and haughty manner in which he’d been speaking while Link tried to subvert Ganon’s corruption. Though the change in tone as the hylian’s repeated successes went on had not gone unnoticed by the knight.

No, No Link wouldn’t keep him waiting… that would have been cruel. With a sigh, Link closed the distance between himself and the Main Controls, setting the Shiekah slate on the tablet as he had so many times elsewhere. The bulb, large as a room and intricate with ancient energy, changed from orange to blue, and pulsed once… twice… three times as Vah Medoh was not returned to control of the Champions.

“Well I’ll be plucked,” Revali’s echoic, ethereal voice said from behind him, “You defeated him, eh?” Link cut his eyes over his shoulder and turned around, braced for a potentially long and self absorbed speech. There Revali stood, incorporeal as both Daruk and Mipha had been, green spirit fire dancing around him where he had just landed. Spreading his wings wide, Revali seemed reserved… for Revali. “Who would have thought?”

Looking at each other a long moment, Link felt… differently than he had before. Mipha and Daruk had been his friends, people he cared a great deal for. Revali and he had not been friend, and even actively disliked one another a century ago. And yet, there was still a sadness in Link’s heart, seeing the Rito Champion’s spirit.

Noting that the archer dropped his gaze and looked away before he spoke, the Rito’s next words were surprising to the hylian. “Well done.”

But Revali continued, and the moment was over. “I suppose I should thank you now that my spirit is free. This returns Medoh to its rightful owner.” With a grand gesture to the sky of one wing, Revali straightened, clearly meaning himself. “Hmph,” he added with a callous expression. “Don’t preen yourself just for doing our job.”

Link pressed his lips together and raised one eyebrow. “Oh yes. We could never have that from any Champion,” he mumbled sardonically. If Revali heard, he didn’t show it.

“I do suppose you’ve proven your value as a warrior. A warrior worthy of my unique ability. The sacred skill that I have dubbed Revali’s Gale!” Despite the posing and flapping of wings, Link forgave the Champion’s drama in the face of the nicest thing  Revali had ever said about or to him.

With yet another set of dramatic movements, Revali’s spirit summoned and sent an orb of green spirit energy hurtling at Link, and as it entered him body, a familiar, strong whirlwind kicked up, lifting Link from his feet and tossing him into the air quite unexpectedly. With a flip and twist, Link landed without injury on one knee, and looked back up to the Rito… in gratitude.

“It’s now time to move on and start making preparations for Medoh’s strike on Ganon. But,” Rivalli gave a small smirk, “Only if you think you’ll still need my help while fighting inside Hyrule Castle.” It wasn’t an apology, but even a small admission that he’d been wrong so long ago was enough to inspire forgiveness entirely in Link’s heart. Revali quickly ruined the moment again by added, “Feel free to thank me now.”

Rolling his eyes, Link noticed the now familiar gold light that meant his time on the Divine Beast was over, and was shocked to hear Revali say, “Or.. .nevermind. Just go. Your job is far from finished you know.” The Rito Champion was glancing at him sidelong. Finally turning away and lifting his beak to the sun, Link was fading away already when he heard the final words of his old self appointed rival.

“The Princess has been waiting an awful long time.” Revali’s Flap - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doMVZikgnNE Freeing Vah Medoh - https://youtu.be/uxP8BqemAvc?t=1413

#botw #breath of the wild #loz #link #zelda #zelink #botw champions #revali #urbosa #daruk #mipha #botw fic #botw fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #captured memories #vah medoh #legend of zelda #loz fic #zelink fic #zelink fanfiction

[happyhollow-mellowmarsh]

Beginning a New Chapter || Epilogue || Aisling

Another sunny day. The weather felt truly perfect. There were moments she missed Ireland still, of course. She would often think about her beloved mentor, Alys. Think about the lush greenery and grey-blue skies, but at the end of it all, this cattle farm in Canada had come to feel like home.

Aisling let out a blissful sigh as she sat out on the porch, a cup of herbal tea in hand, and let the sun warm her face. These days, moments of comfort felt few and far between. Not for a lack of trying, but…

“A mhuirnín, I truly feel like I am about to pop,” Aisling groaned.

“Do we need to go to the hospital? I can have us popped right over, no worries! Do you want me to get Star? I can find Star. I will do it.” Nico, as it turned out, was a very doting and nervous father.

How very much like him. Aisling had grown used to his fussing, at this point, she honestly found it more amusing and endearing than anything else. Really, she was the one carrying this baby, yet Nico worried so much more than her. It was cute.

“It’s fine, I’m fine, it’s just a figure of speech, darling.”

The five years since the killing game has been good to Aisling. Spending a year with Hex, and then two with Root, she felt so much more confident in her magical ability and it all went to good use now on their pleasant little farm.

The cows always had the freshest, most nutritious grass to eat, and they had plenty of crops flourishing in the fields surrounding.

Now, having the ability to create and care for plants practically at will was more invaluable than ever, considering the fact she couldn’t even bend the fuck over.

With some effort, Aisling heaved herself down into a stationary chair on their porch. She used to love rocking chairs, they made her feel so…wise, as silly as it sounded, but they became impossible to manage with just how front heavy she’d become as of late.

“Nico, I’m sure you brought this up before, but what did Fran say about being a godparent again?” Aisling asked.

“Of course. Don’t worry, we’ve got everything settled.” Telling someone not to worry was a little rich from him right now.

“Right, right! I suppose I shouldn’t have even been worried,” Aisling laughed. “Star accepted as well…I already mentioned that, didn’t I? Sorry, darling, my memory is bad even on a good day, but pregnancy brain keeps mixing me up.”

Ugh, really, she was just ready to have this baby already. Nine months really was too long. Whoever said pregnancy was magical had to be full of it. The only “magical” thing about this pregnancy was the fact it was almost over.

“Oh, by the way, I was thrift shopping in town nearby, and I came across some things for Star and Wolf’s rooms! Don’t say it, I know I’m over decorating, but these were musts! I found the cutest little fairy shaped stickers! They glow in the dark! I think you are meant to put them on the ceiling! And for Wolf, there’s this…neon sign shaped like a guitar! It says ‘poggers’ underneath in cursive, isn’t that funny?”

Her sense of humor may have been a little bit broken, but she had the spirit.

Luckily, her sense of humor was one of the many things Nico loved about her. “That’s amazing. He’ll love it. But, he’d love anything from you before you are the sweetest, most wonderful girl in the entire world.”

“I just want them to feel at home here, you know. Star keeps overworking herself, and Wolf…well, I’m so glad Wolf is doing so well, but I just want him to know he has a family with us.”

She was probably being overbearing, just a bit, but she just couldn’t help it.

“I’m sure he knows, honeybee. A wolf’s gotta have to freedom to roam, you know? We’ll see him soon.”

“Aha, well, when this baby is born, we’ll have everyone to visit…oh! That reminds me!” Aisling resisted the urge to get up to her feet to physically show him, and instead summoned Meala, her familiar. “Be a dear and go bring what Alys sent us!”

The butterfly obediently fluttered off into the house. She took a comically long time in there, but eventually fluttered back out, somehow managing to carry out a little green baby blanket. Aisling grabbed the blanket and spread it open to reveal the name ‘Kerry-Basil’.

“Look! Isn’t this just darling? I didn’t even know Alys could KNIT!” She was still just so delighted by it. Aisling settled the blanket on her lap and traced the name with her finger, just feeling vaguely warm when she thought about it. Kerry-Basil. Their baby. With any luck, they’d be entering the world soon, and Aisling could finally introduce them to everyone.

Star, who was fighting so hard to integrate magic and non-magical society that she rarely even made time for herself anymore. But that was okay. She always had a place in their home, and Aisling was sure she’d find a way to get Star to make time to play Auntie.

Natalie, who Aisling had gotten so much closer to during their mutual apprenticeship under Root. Who kept inviting Aisling to her forest so she could finally see those fireflies they’d talked about so long ago. She’d make sure Kerry-Basil could see them too.

To Wolfgang and Tomi, who were so much like little brothers to her at this point it almost felt hard to believe they actually weren’t.

To Fran, the man who was basically a brother to Nico, and in spite of their previous tension, she’d done her best to be better for him, to be someone he didn’t have to worry about.

To Alys and Root, the two strange beings who’d grown to become her beloved mentors.

Her parents, Nico’s friends, even the cows on their farm.

This child would never have to be lonely.

With all of their friends and the little family they’d made for themselves, Kerry-Basil would spend every day cherished and loved, growing up in a world more accepting than before, and with that thought, she could only smile.

Oh.

“Um. Nico… I think my water just broke.”

#aisling #epilogue #submission

[supernutellastuff]

Revelations

This is my entry to the WonderBat Holiday event created by @fyeahwonderbat for the theme Birthday. You can find it on ao3 here.

I'm super late but this is my first Wonderbat fic and I was super intimidated by all the talented writers in the fandom. Hope you enjoy!

The invitation was lying on her desk when she entered her office at the Metropolis Museum of Art. Diana had finished her work for the day and was about to gather her belongings and leave when the stiff envelope caught her attention. Inside, embossed in silver ink, was an invitation by the Wayne Trust to celebrate their founder’s birthday.

“Oh, these arrived with that,” said Marcia, poking her head inside. She held out the elegant arrangement of flowers that somehow matched the colour scheme of the letter. “He really is smooth, like everyone says. Or does he just have an excellent assistant?”

Alfred does have distinguished taste, Diana thought privately. She took the bouquet from her intern. While the flowers smelled wonderful, as a gift she considered them to be quite ineffectual. “Thank you, Marcia. You can keep them, actually.”

“Oh, wow. Um, are you sure?”

Diana nodded as she pulled up the calendar on her phone. Her departure to Paris was scheduled on that day…

“So, yeah about the flight to Paris,” Marcia asked. “Should I cancel the ticket?”

She looked away, considering. Louvre had lent her to the Metropolis Museum for their exhibition on Greek art. Her term was coming to an end, but lately Diana had found herself pushing the dates back further and further. While Paris was a charming city, there was something about Metropolis –or more specifically, about its grim sister city- that held her back. “Yes, do that. I’ll postpone my departure.”

Well, she wasn’t planning on missing his birthday.

.

.

Bruce approached her as soon as she arrived. Almost as if he were lying in wait for her. The thought amused and pleased her in equal measures.

“Happy Birthday,” she greeted, leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek. He smelled nice; musk with a hint of spice. She lingered.

“Do you send flowers to every person you invite?”

He chuckled lowly. “Only to those who might need some extra persuasion.”

“Well, they were very lovely, and quite useless.”

A gleam in his eye told her that he had received the message.

Bruce introduced her around as Diana Prince, art curator. Most of the attendees recognised her as a familiar fixture at recent benefits and galas and soon they fell into pleasant, if not banal, small talk. They asked about her work at the Louvre, discussed the record-breaking amount a Picasso had netted in an auction, and spoke about the Royal Russian Ballet Company due to make a stop in Metropolis. No one mentioned the high-profile investigation into a drug smuggling ring that had finally ended after the main perpetrators were found dangling over Gotham Harbour, trussed up and ready for the police. This time, there were no bat brands on their skin.

All the while, Diana watched Bruce from the corner of her eye. He seemed relaxed, ready with a quip or a playful smirk whenever the occasion demanded. He looked like an agreeable man, if not entirely forgettable. But it was the moments when his façade slipped that Diana found endlessly fascinating; the weariness in the set of his shoulders during a lull in the conversation, the dark pull of his mouth whenever a dismissive comment about Gotham’s less privileged was passed, the restlessness in his eyes as he thanked person after person for their birthday wishes. She realised that Bruce Wayne was just another mask for him.

A while later, she slipped onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, admiring the Metropolis skyline. A flute of champagne dangled from her hand. Bruce found her not too long after, and deftly replaced her empty glass with a fresh one. She smiled her thanks.

“Admiring the view?”

“The lights do sparkle like jewels,” she replied. “But I miss skies that used to be full of stars.”

“Can’t say the same for me. All that I think about when I look up to the sky, is what’s coming for us.”

“This invasion you speak about-”

Bruce held up his hand. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. Tonight’s for enjoying good company, and…letting loose.” It was no surprise that the man who spent his days in the boardroom, his nights patrolling the streets, and the rest of his time forming an alliance to prepare for the end of the world, would feel uncomfortable with the concept of taking a night off.

When Diana told him so, he looked mildly offended. “Hey, I haven’t forgotten to have a good time. I’m not that old.”

“Being old has nothing to do with enjoying life.” She crossed her arms pointedly. “I’m an enjoyable person.”

“Debatable.” He hid a smile behind his glass. “Anyway, in human years, I’m-” He stopped suddenly as a thought struck him. His face collapsed into a sullen frown.

“What?”

“I’m older now than my father ever was, Diana,” he said quietly. “Sometimes I forget that. And when it comes back to me…” The grip on his scotch tightened. “It’s not fair. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”

Moving closer, she laid a hand on his shoulder. Any words of comfort that came to her mind felt hollow in front of the kind of tragedies Bruce had suffered. Taking action, always moving, never stopping; the Batman had mastered this coping strategy, and so had Diana after she lost Antiope, her home, and Steve. But sometimes, memories could heal the wounds time left. The long hours she had spent with the photograph had taught her that.

So she asked him about his childhood, about his birthdays growing up, his parents. “Tell me. I’d like to know.”

This time when he smiled, there was no pretence.

.

.

The art exhibition was particularly noisy. The moneyed elite mingled with the young bohemians amidst the clink of glasses and lively conversation. Diana moved to a quieter corner and savoured the peaceful moments as she strolled from painting to painting. She paused at a few, but never for long. The years had made her appreciate the evolution of art, but she would always prefer the classics. There was one piece that caught her eye, however. It was an abstract painting; a brilliant blue giving way to a constellation of grey. The title was simply one word. Revelation.

“Marvellous, isn’t it?” asked a woman in a gown the exact shade of azure as the painting. “I like the inversion, blue to grey instead of grey to blue. Not exactly a happy thought though, is it?”

“Well, now and then, one does need a grey revelation,” she replied, thinking of foggy London skies.

The woman laughed softly. “Now why would a person like you have any greys in their life?”

Diana shrugged and turned back to the art. The woman, sensing that she had misstepped, touched her arm gently. “I apologise for any presumptions. Claire duMont,” She held out her hand, Diana took it. “I manage the gallery and it is second nature to slip into that persona. The fact that a curator of the arts from the Louvre is here is privilege enough, I don’t need to nudge you to buy one of the works too.” She smiled winningly, revealing straight white teeth. Diana gave her a brief smile, suddenly tired of this farce.

Claire shot her a conspiratorial look. “Now there’s someone whose patronage I could use.” Diana started a little on seeing him. “Bruce Wayne. Have you met him? Shame he’s rarely attended these things lately. He can easily afford every single piece of art in the room.”

Bruce was yet to glance their way. He was deep in conversation with a young woman dressed in a striking red, a charming smile on his face. But his eyes, Diana noticed, were flat. She considered going up to him but held back. Soon, Wonder Woman and Batman would have to stand together against an army of aliens. The less Diana Prince and Bruce Wayne were seen together in public, the less suspicious it would seem. Perhaps that moment on the balcony on his birthday was the last time. The thought filled her with momentary sadness.

Claire bit her lip in contemplation. “Alex Wentworth has already shown an interest in the sculpture but if I can draw Wayne’s attention to it, it may drive up the price. Or perhaps he’ll be more interested in a painting? I saw him lingering near that portrait… What could it remind him of? His dead father? Yes, that could work…”

The polished façade was off and Diana could see the undisguised hunger in her eyes. She left Claire duMont standing there, muttering to herself.

.

.

The next morning, a package arrived with her morning tea. It was flat and rectangular and even though she had an inkling of what it could be, Diana gasped after carefully cutting it open.

It was the painting that had drawn her notice last night. Revelation. It stood propped against the wall of her hotel room, fitting in quite beautifully. This annoyed Diana even more. A hundred years, and she’d never felt the need or want for anyone else to buy her presents or flowers. She wasn’t going to start today.

She was about to pick up her phone when she spotted a note she’d missed earlier.

Diana,

I don’t know when your birthday is and I don’t know if it even matters. But this is for when you kept me company for mine, and all the days before.

So, happy birthday.

Yours,

Bruce.

Diana sipped her tea with quiet satisfaction. The painting deserved a more permanent home in Gotham. And perhaps, so did she.

#wonderbat #fyeahwonderbat #justice league #batman vs superman #batman x wonder woman #diana prince #bruce wayne #batman #wonder woman #dceu #wonderbat holiday event #wonderbat holiday

[scarlettlillies]

Hetalia Moon AU- The Dimensional Door: Act 3

Previous Chapter: II Next Chapter: IV Beginning: I

What better way to start off the new year than with a new chapter!

I’m sorry that this took so long! Work was not very forgiving in 2017. This chapter was finished almost two weeks ago but I was always finding stuff to change or update. I took some inspiration from the second Sailor Moon movie for this chapter’s monster. I always loved the Snow Dancers and thought they were really pretty when I first saw the film as a kid!

A lot of stuff takes place in this chapter. Most importantly, a mysterious figure arrives to help with the battle and Raivis learns to accept his new duty as a guardian. 

I do want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been leaving nice comments about the story these last few months. I know this story caters to a niche group but your words have been a huge help in pushing me to keep going. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Also, a special thanks goes out to @melveres, @irenesart, and @castleoflight who helped me with Estonian and Latvian translations needed for this fic! Much appreciated to all three of you! <3

Name Legend: APH Estonia: Eduard APH Latvia: Raivis APH Lithuania: Tolys APH Poland: Feliks APH Finland: Timo APH Sweden: Björn

Just as he predicted, Tolys was already gone by the time he had gotten up.

He overslept quite a bit. He normally didn't sleep in till ten-thirty but last night's events were justifiable. He stayed up late, chatting up a storm with Timo on the other end. Aside from his anxious worrying over Eduard's “disappearance”, he and Björn had a nice night together and mused over their lives through dinner and a movie. Eduard too talked about his night with the others; how Tolys cooked them up a meal and how he championed over Feliks through video games.

But at no point did he ever bring up that event. He didn't know how Timo would handle it, and it certainly wasn't appropriate to say so casually over the phone. Therefore he left the topic off the table.

Dressed in yesterday's clothes, his glasses were slightly slanted as he walked down the stairs and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He could hear Feliks chatting up a storm about the adorable dogs at Tolys's placement. When he had made his way into the kitchen, he was surprised to see Raivis at the table eating a bowl of cereal—who also wore yesterday's clothes, had droopy eyes, and a bad case of bed hair.

“You're up.”

Raivis looked up at him for a brief moment before turning away and looking rather gloomy. “Yeah...” he replied in a soft and unenthusiastic tone. It was obvious that Raivis was still distraught from last night. When Eduard spoke with Timo the previous night, they had agreed to meet for lunch. He thought extending the offer to Raivis seemed wise and he knew that Timo wouldn't mind. The two knew each other on a familiar level and Timo had a knack for looking out for him as a brotherly figure. The decision seemed so obvious to him.

“Listen, I'm going to meet Timo for lunch at that new restaurant that opened up around where we live. You should join us.”

“No thanks,” Raivis replied flatly. Eduard's expression quickly went sour.

“Raivis, you can't stay inside all weekend and not do anything.”

“Who said I don't have stuff to do? I doubt Timo would want me there anyway.”

“That isn't true and you know that.”

Eduard was quickly getting tired of Raivis's excuses. He was quick to fold his arms and turned to his friend across the table. He was determined to get this boy out of the house. “Feliks? A little help?”

Feliks was unusually quiet as the conversation unfolded but he appeared in a daze. He wasn't too sure what Eduard really wanted him to say or add. “Raivis, you should go with him. Lunch with Timo sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I could go too. I'm so jealous!”

Raivis continued to ignore the two men as he swirled his spoon in what little was left of his cereal. He had made up his mind—he was not interested in being social; he'd rather sleep the day away. He wanted to escape and forget the events of yesterday. It does not exist. The monster? A bad dream. The brooch? He bought it at a flea market downtown. It did nothing and merely a piece of jewelry. End of story.

Eduard and Feliks exchanged worried glances. Even after his parents had passed away, Raivis was visibly upset but he never acted in the manner than he was now: lifeless and detached. To their surprise, he got up and ran out of the room and could hear him emitting some quiet sobs. Their calls went unanswered; the sounds of stomping feet and a slamming door were all what the two men heard. The room went quiet and neither of them spoke for some time.

“You should probably go,” Feliks said as he finally broke the silence.

“I understand,” he replied. He quickly retreated upstairs to grab his stuff. As he passed Raivis's room on his way out, he was tempted to knock on his door but as his fist hung close to the wooden entrance, Eduard grew hesitant and merely sighed and walked away. Feliks was cleaning up in the kitchen and joined him in the main entry way when he heard Eduard getting ready to leave.

“Here,” Feliks said as he handed him a medium-sized blueberry muffin. “You're probably starving.”

Eduard chuckled as he kindly took it, “Just a little. Thanks,” he said before taking a large bite.

“I'll have a chat with Raivis when he's calmed down. I'll totally keep ya in the loop about everything.”

Eduard was quick to scoff the muffin down within only a few seconds as Feliks spoke. “Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll let Timo know you said hi.” Eduard replied with a stuffed mouth.

“Please! And tell him I miss him a lot and that he needs to pick up his damn phone and call me!!” Feliks pouted. Eduard got a kick out of Feliks's comment and give the man a friendly wave. He had already dashed out the door and was almost off the property.

“I'll do that! Take care!” Eduard replied before he took his leave towards home. Though the air was crisp, the sun was warm against his skin and it made the walk back pleasant. His hands were a little cool so he left them inside his coat pockets. Things appeared to be quiet in the neighbourhood as there were few kids out; mostly joggers and dog walkers taking in the nice weather. Despite what happened yesterday, Eduard chose to cross through the park. If he was lucky, he could make it back to the main road and grab a quick bus leading to his apartment. He was cautious as he walked around and the place appeared deserted. But further up ahead, parts of the park were taped off to the public as police officers were on the scene surveying the damage done to the area. A small news crew and their van were present as well and the reporter was interviewing one of the officers.

Eduard took a moment to watch the officers work. It felt awkward knowing the police would never be able to solve the mystery of what took place that evening. It was a secret he was now forced to carry with him for the rest of his days. No one but their own can know. Thinking about it made Eduard uncomfortable so he chose to keep on moving towards home.

In the end, he didn't make the bus as he hoped, thus creating a longer walk back, but he had music to keep him company—and to help him escape reality for just a little bit.

Timo wasn't at the apartment when Eduard had arrived. He remembered that he was taking Björn home and that they were going to meet at the restaurant for noon. Eduard was cutting it close after grabbing a quick glance of the time on the stove. He had no time for a shower and instead grabbed a fresh set of clothes and sprayed a tiny bit of cologne on both sides of his neck. His outfit wasn't much different as before, only he had lacked a tie underneath his grey v-neck sweater and sported dark blue jeans. He made sure to grab the essentials: his wallet, his phone, but mostly importantly his brooch. He was a little hesitant taking it with him but he could no longer be too careful and needed to be prepared at every moment. From his balcony window, he could see the skies were quickly greying over as if a storm were about to brew.

Better grab that coat and umbrella too, he thought to himself.

“That's odd, we weren't supposed to get rain today. So much for that sunny weekend that weather guy was chanting about.”

He was quick to leave the apartment complex and something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A young boy was leaning against the concrete walls next to the glass doors, dressed in a burgundy hoodie designed with a school logo, baggy blue pants, and red and white sneakers. The boy looked up at him and Eduard appeared surprised.

“Raivis?”

For the first time in what Eduard felt like an eternity, Raivis gave him one of his little trademark shy smiles. “Is the offer still on?”

Eduard's expression quickly changed as he gave Raivis a warm grin. “Of course, let's go.”

The two men walked together closely as they headed closer towards the city's main core. Eduard felt his phone buzzing in his coat pocket. Feliks had sent him a distressing text message asking him if he had seen or heard from Raivis. Eduard shot him a disappointed glare but kept quiet as he responded with a quick message.

He's fine. He's walking with me to the restaurant. I'm guessing he snuck out without you knowing? I'll have a talk with him later.

“Who are you texting?”

“Timo,” he lied. “Just letting him know that we're on our way.”

The downtown core was busy and buzzing with people. Despite the bad weather approaching, everyone seemed to be in a cheerful mood. They turned the corner and up ahead, Eduard had spotted Timo in the distance. Eduard unknowingly startled some of the people walking past them as he shouted out to him. Timo returned it with a wave and began running towards them.

“And here I was thinking I'd be late. It's good to see you,” Eduard said cheerfully.

“Sorry, I didn't think it'd take this long to get here,” Timo laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Björn was showing me some of his new design projects and I lost track of time.”

“Projects?” Raivis questioned.

“Björn attends at the local art school west of the city.” Eduard explained. “He designs all sorts of things: furniture, clothing, crafts—you name it. Whatever you have in mind, he can make it happen. Right Timo?”

Timo nodded in agreement and his attention quickly diverted to Raivis. With big and bright violet eyes, he couldn't contain his excitement at the sight of the younger boy.

“Ah! You even brought Raivis along too! I'm so glad you could join us!”

“It's nice to see you again Timo,” he replied nervously, but with a smile. “But did you not know I was coming? Eduard told me he just texted you.”

Eduard went wide-eyed as he felt anxiety pool into his stomach. He was caught within his own lie.

“A text?” Timo blinked. “I didn't get any text messages from Eduard today.”

Timo looked towards Eduard and it appeared he was trying to send a signal to go along with it; mouthing words 'Go along with it'. It took him a moment but he got the message loud and clear and quickly changed his tune.

“Oh!! You know what? I did hear from Eduard earlier. I was in such a rush that I just completely forgot!”

Raivis stared at Timo oddly with a raised brow. He wasn't buying the charade and it left the two men feeling awkward about the situation.

“Err... how about we head inside? Raivis, you first.”

Timo generously held the door open for them to enter. Raivis walked inside first and just as Eduard was about to follow, Timo grabbed his arm gently and tugged him back.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Trust me, it's a long story.”

The three men were lucky to get a window seat with a nice view of the downtown. To their surprise, the restaurant served a lunch buffet and they decided to ignore the menus and eat their hearts out on whatever they could grab. It offered a massive variety of pizzas, pastas, salads, and meat dishes. By the time they had returned, their soft drinks had been delivered and their plates were overflowing with food.

None of the men hid their delight as they openly praised the food. Timo was in love as he happily munched on his meal, even stealing food off the plates of his friends, while Eduard was a slow eater and took his time enjoying the flavours. Raivis however was eating so fast that they were worried he would choke on something.

“Raivis slow down!” Timo said. “The food's not going anywhere. Gosh, you must have been hungry.”

“He wasn't feeling that great yesterday so he skipped out on dinner.”

“Oh! Speaking of yesterday, did you guys hear the news about what took place in the park?”

Eduard and Raivis froze for a moment but carried on as they knew nothing about the incident, “Yeah, I walked passed the scene on my way back home. The whole area was cordoned off to the public. There were lots of officers there on the scene with a news crew and everything. I wonder what happened?”

“I don't know but I was hearing online that a monster showed up and destroyed the place! Some people claimed they took pictures and videos on their phones but when they tried to retrieve them, the files were supposedly corrupted,” Timo explained before pausing to grab a sip of his soda. “I'm not sure if I believe that or not. But regardless, I'm glad no one was killed.”

Eduard felt some relief knowing that there wasn't any evidence taken from the battle. It was one thing to grabs shots of the monster but knowing if someone caught them transforming was an unsettling thought. He looked over to Raivis and he appeared uncomfortable with the topic at hand. He was notiblaly losing the colour in his face.

“Raivis,” Eduard called out and the younger man looked up towards him, “Timo wanted to know how you were doing.”

Raivis stared at him with a confused expression. Timo was next to chime in.

“Yes! It's been ages since I last saw you so he updated me on how you were last night when we were chatting. You're a senior now aren't you?”

“Oh... yeah, that's right. It's my last year of high school.” he replied shyly. He colour returned to his face and his cheeks turned to a light shade of pink. He had a hard time looking at Timo as his eyes darted everywhere but him. “I'm in the highest levels of all my classes. Oh! And I'm a tutor for some of the students in the younger grades! It's so much fun!”

The conversation change did wonders for Raivis as he quickly became a chatter box and was back to cheerful self. Eduard enjoyed watching the two of them chat as loud laughter erupted and smiles were all around. Raivis was happy to tell him everything about his life and Timo was happy to listen. Eduard had only hoped Raivis would not slip and tell him about their new identities.

The group had gone back for seconds. And then thirds. And fourths. Well, Timo and Raivis did. Eduard was done by his third plate and had barely placed anything on it. He was comfortably enjoying his black coffee while the other two were slouching in their seats.

“That was so good...”

“We are definitely coming back here.” Timo said as he rubbed his belly. The waitress was quick to arrive at their table to collect their plates and offer the dessert menu. Raivis groaned while Timo politely declined as they made it obvious that they were overstuffed. “Just a coffee for me, no milk, cream, or sugar.”

“I'll take a coffee too. Just a little bit of milk in mine.”

The waitress grabbed their plates and left with a smile and they patiently waited for their drinks. Eduard's attention was more focused on the outside. He watched the people and vehicles passed. Even one bus had stopped to drop off passengers. He eventually found himself getting lost within the dark and ominous clouds above. He was surprised that the storm hadn't started in the time since they had gotten here. They had been at the restaurant for nearly an hour and a half.

“Hey look! It's snowing!” Timo said.

His voice snapped Eduard out of his thoughts and noticed that Timo was right; a gentle snow was falling on the city. As much as Timo and Raivis enjoyed the sight, this didn't sit well with him, “But it's not cold enough to snow... not even close.”

Suddenly something massive flew passed them on the other side of the glass and startled Eduard enough that he stood up in his seat. The people outside stopped in their tracks as they struggled to understand what was taking place. Up in the skies, a hole opened in the sky and a feminine figure with long curly hair came forth and danced amongst the clouds. Their whole body and clothing was pure white; their hair went down to their feet and was dressed in a royal gown dating back to the early 1800s. They appeared human in nearly every aspect. It quickly descended downwards and using its arms, large patches of snow fell and anything it landed on turned to ice. Several patches landed on cars, streetlights, and worst of all, people. Loud screams were heard as people panicked and struggled to find safety. The mood inside the restaurant was largely divided. Some customers were frightened, others were bewildered, while a few daredevils were getting close to the windows or heading outside to grab shots of the turmoil taking place in the streets.

“What's happening?!” Timo cried in terror. The monster suddenly morphed in front of the restaurant window were the three of them were standing. Using its arms, it threw a mixture of snow and ice and shattered all the windows. Eduard was quick to push Raivis away as they jumped back. Timo did the same but slipped and landed on his back. Eduard was desperate to reach out and help him but a massive ice wall formed in front of Timo and blocked Eduard off. He was nearly hit and was startled enough that he lost balance and fell off his feet.

“Timo!!” he shouted as he struggled to get up. Eduard couldn't see him on the other side, only his own reflection. His hands could barely touch it and getting too close was enough to make him shiver. His frantic calls to him proved to be futile as they went unanswered. Quiet sobs were all that Eduard could hear from behind him and his attention quickly turned to Raivis. He was lying on the floor, crying into his arm. Eduard reached out to help him but his gestures were met with resistance as Raivis pushed him away with such fury.

“Don't touch me!!”

Eduard was surprised by Raivis's sudden outburst, “What is your problem?!”

Raivis ignored the question. Instead he went into hysteria as tears flowed down his face.“I shouldn't have come. I tricked myself into believing everything would be alright. But nothing is fine, people are dying and Timo is probably one of them too—”

Eduard cut him off as he pulled Raivis into a hug and rubbed his back, “Shh... don't say that,” he whispered. “Timo is not dead. He's just stuck behind a frozen wall. I'm sure he's fine.”

He bit his lip. He wasn't so sure if that was true or not, especially since he never responded to his constant calls; but anything to relax an anxious Raivis.

“Raivis, I know you're scared but we're the only ones who can fix this. We don't have a choice in this anymore.”

“But I'm not strong enough,” Raivis hiccuped. A wet spot from where Raivis's tears were landing was growing in size on Eduard's shoulder.

“That's not true and you know that.”

Eduard sighed heavily. There was no use getting through him and he was losing precious time. He broke the hug and placed his hands on Raivis's shoulders.

“Raivis,” he said calmly, “I won't force you to fight. But someone has to go and stop them.”

“Raivis's eyes went wide, “You're not suggesting—?”

Eduard nodded.

“You can't do that! If you go alone, you'll die.”

Raivis's eyes swelled up with tears once more but Eduard used his fingers and brushed them away off his cheek.

“More people will die if neither of us step in. I'll only be alone for a little while. I don't know if Tolys can come to our aid but Feliks for sure will come. Try to get in contact with them if you can.”

Eduard stood up to his feet and looked out to the chaos unfolding in the streets. The whole city had turned into a frozen wasteland. People, buildings, the flora, the vehicles—nothing was off limits from the mercy of the ice monster flying high in the skies. With a determined expression, he knew what he had to do. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his brooch. Lifting it into the air, he called out a phrase in his native Estonian:

“Eesti kristalli jõud, transformeeri mind!”

A bright light full of magical power surrounded him and seconds later, the light faded, revealing a new but familiar face. He was no longer Eduard Tamm but the mysterious guardian, Sailor Estonia.

“Please be careful Eduard.”

He clutched his metal staff tightly. He can't promise him he will, but for Raivis's comfort, he turned to him and gave him a reassuring smile.

“I will.”

Eduard took off into the streets. He was careful wherever he stepped as any wrong move would cause him to slip and injure himself. He didn't need that going into an important battle like this. Passing the frozen figures gave him a drive that he had never felt before. A sense of duty came upon him; the fate of the city rested in his hands.

The snow creature was busy trying to find its next batch of targets when Eduard had arrived on the scene. It was quickly alerted to his presence and wasted no time in forming an attack. It flew closer towards Eduard and used its arms to launch a barrage of snow and ice but he was quick to dodge. The spot he was formally in quickly turned into ice. Eduard was ready to attack back but further in the distance, he caught a small glimpse of a frightened young child, possibly no more than five, peeking from behind a frozen car. He held back; if his attack missed, it was likely he could harm or kill the child. He could never live with himself had something like that happened.

But Eduard was quick to come up with a plan and chose to lure it away from the area. The creature took the bait and followed him, while launching a consistent attack of snow. Eduard came close several times to being hit but survived every time. He lurked the creature back to near where the restaurant was (though still far enough that Raivis was in no danger in being injured) and he was ready to fight. After dodging another attack, he launched himself into the air and used his height and speed to physically assault the creature with his staff. It cried in pain as the force was strong enough to throw it into the ground. When Eduard landed back onto the ground, he used his staff to launch his own attack. The amber on top of his staff glowed and began changing colour from orange to blue as it charged power. He pointed the staff towards the creature and shouted, “Estonia Binary Beam!” A beam of light shot out of the orb towards the creature, but flew away as the beam hit an abandoned building and caused an explosion. Eduard growled in frustration but continued onward. The two battled it out as they appeared to be equally matched. Each time an attack was launched, the other would dodge.

Eduard thought he was gaining the upper-hand when the monster abruptly pulled back and retreated. It performed an elegant dance in the air and twirled gracefully when suddenly there were two, and then three and four. Before Eduard had knew it, there were dozens of copies of the snow creature and he was completely out-numbered. The nerves had returned and he was beginning to lose hope for himself but continued to trek through with another attack. He wishfully hoped that reinforcements were arriving soon.

Feliks... Tolys... Raivis... anyone! I need help. I can't do this alone!

Raivis watched the battle unfold as he hid behind the edge of the wall and was looking out through the shattered window. His brooch was in his hands and he clutched it close to his chest. Raivis felt so helpless as he waited for Feliks to arrive on the scene. What could he do? He wasn't strong like they were. They were brave with powerful attacks. He was easily frightened and attacked with feathers. He believed he would only be in the way if he were to go out to fight.

But an explosion coming from the nearby wall of ice Raivis startled him as a cloud of smoke covered the room. A cloaked figure emerged from the smoke with the sound of heels clicking against the title floor and became louder with each step. As the figure grew closer, Raivis trembled as he scooted back.

The figure had stopped. Their face was covered by the cloak and it was impossible for Raivis to see who the mysterious individual was.

“There's no need to be frighten,” the figure said in a masculine voice. The person bore a thick accent that felt familiar to him but Raivis couldn't pinpoint where he recognized the voice from. Staring at the brooch from under Raivis's hand, the figure spoke in a rather soft and gentle tone, as if they were parental guardian to the young man.

“How come you're not fighting with Eduard? He can't face this battle alone.”

Raivis was surprised to know that the figure knew about him and Eduard's alter-egos.

“H-how did you know—?” Did they see them earlier arguing? Or when Eduard had transformed? Either way, the truth was out. Raivis turned his head and looked on into the frozen city landscape. He appeared gloomy as he watched Eduard beginning to struggle. The monster had made so many copies of itself that it became impossible for Eduard to fend for himself. He was doing his best to dodge the attacks but it was becoming obvious that he was running out of steam. His own attacks proved to be useless; each attack would simply bring forth a new copy to replace the old one. Eduard was stuck in a never-ending cycle. He needed help and he needed it immediately.

Despite the dire situation, Raivis would not budge.

“He needs your help,” the figure said.

“There's nothing I can do for him. Eduard is a thousand times stronger than I am. I'd only get in the way.”

“Is that really what you believe of yourself?”

There was no response.

“Raivis, I know a lot about about you. I know who you are, and what happened to your family. You are so lucky to have friends like Eduard, Tolys, and Feliks—friends that come to your aid in dire times of need. I know you're scared and your fears of losing them are legitimate. But you can't run away forever.”

A quiet sniffle was heard.

“You've come a long way and you can only go up from here. I want to see you reach your potential, both in battle and as a person.”

“Who are you?” Raivis asked in between sobs. He slowly turned back to face the cloaked individual. His eyes were red and puffy and used his fingers to wipe away the wetness off his face. He felt nervous to be around them and was uncomfortable at the fact all he could see was their lips underneath the hood.

“A friend,” they said with a smile. They held out their hand to Raivis, to which there was some hesitation but he grabbed a hold and the boy was lifted up to his feet. He noticed their hand was covered in a white glove, one that looked and felt like the ones he and his friends wore as guardians. Raivis wondered if the cloaked figure was just like them.

That's... no, they couldn't be? Could they?

“I'm here to help but I can't do this alone. I need your help too.”

Raivis nodded nervously.

“You are so much stronger than you think you are. I will help you fight and I will always be there for you and everyone else for future battles.”

Using both of their hands, the figure took the hand of which Raivis was using to hold his brooch. One hand rested underneath while the other rested on top and covered the brooch. The figure's hands felt warm and comforting against his cold and shaky ones. He felt strangely calm as his body slowly relaxed. His mind felt a little more clearer and the tears had ceased.

“Let's go and help Eduard. He needs us. It's okay to transform in front of me but I will turn away if you want me to.”

Raivis pulled his hand away and wiped away the wetness on his eyes and cheeks. He's done crying and he's ready to fight. The figure was delighted to see Raivis bursting with strength and eagerness.

“It's okay. You don't have to look away.”

Raivis took his brooch and raised it in the air. “Latvijas kristāl, pārvērt mani!” he called out as light formed around him. In mere seconds, he had transformed into the guardian, Sailor Latvia. He looked out towards the battle still ensuing. To say he was nervous was an understatement. But he knew he had to be strong; not only for himself but to Eduard and for everyone else. A hand was felt on his shoulder, coming from the mysterious figure behind him. “Let's go. I'll be right behind you.”

Raivis nodded in agreement and the two ran jumped from one of the shattered windows and into the streets. Eduard was growing exhausted from the battle and took a wrong step, slipping on a patch of ice and falling on his back. He hit the back of his head against the ground and yelped from the sheer amount of pain. He was so focused on the pain that he never heard his staff hit the ground or Raivis's alarming calls.

“Eduard! It's okay, I'm here now!”

Raivis did his best to stand tall with confidence but his shivers were visible to everyone around him, and it wasn't just because the temperature was below freezing. True to their word, the figure had followed him into battle and it did its best to keep Raivis's morale up.

“Don't be scared Latvia! I'm right here next to you.”

Raivis turned to his left and sure enough, the figure was right by his side. He was comforted by its presence, despite not knowing just who this individual was. One of the clones came charging down from the sky and Raivis received the go-ahead to attack.

“Go for it!” the figure yelled.

Raivis got into position and two white feathers came forth in his hands. They glowed a bright light and he shouted “Latvia Feather Strike!” before launching them straight at the monster. They flew like boomerangs but it proved to be ineffective when the feathers froze when they came into contact of the creature's icy attack. It quickly left Raivis troubled and fumbling. “That was my only attack!”

Eduard's head was still throbbing but he pulled all of his energy into pushing himself up. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and was met face to face with the cloaked figure who helped him by giving him a boost.

“Thank you, but who are you?” Eduard asked in a rough voice.

“A friend,” they smiled before turning back to Raivis. “You need to use a stronger attack!”

“I don't have any other attacks!!”  he cried out. He felt like crying once again as fear overtook him. “I can't do this! I really can't!”

“Concentrate! Pool all of your strength into your chest. You'll understand once you do it.”

Raivis didn't fully understand what this was supposed to accomplish but he did as he was told. He shut his eyes and relaxed his body and mind. He had reached a point where all sound seemed to vanish.

And then he felt it—a growing spot of warmth in his chest. He could then feel and hear the wind pick up around him. Even Eduard and the figure noticed it as well and on in admiration. No longer was Raivis going to cry and run away anymore. Yes, he can do it. He always could, just as they said. The words became clearer in his mind and knew just what to do. Using his arms, he controlled the wind around him. His eyes flew open and commanded his attack straight towards one of the clones.

“Latvia Ace Hurricane!”

From the palm of his hands, large and powerful gusts of wind came flying towards the monster and destroyed it on impact. The force was so strong that it took out several other clones in the process and the original lost control of its balance in the air, crashing into a brick building and onto the ground. Raivis had no time to celebrate his victory when he suddenly felt light-headed and collapsed.

“Latvia!” They both cried out. The cloaked figure was faster than Eduard was when they rushed over the smaller man. They were relived that he was just fine and merely exhausted from using that much power.

“I did it, didn't I?” Raivis smiled weakly. The two nodded with big smiles.

“Yes you did,” the figure said. Eduard was quick to chime in. “We knew you could do it.”

He turned his head up towards the rest of the clones in the sky. They quietly faded away, leaving only the original left. It was still alive and used what energy it had left to fly back up in the air. It tried to intimate them with a loud shriek that forced the three to cover their ears.

The figure growled and rose to its feet, surprising both Eduard and Raivis.

“That's enough!”

In a flash, the cloak was ripped off and tossed into the air. Their identity was revealed to both Eduard and Raivis and they two men gasped at the sight. Dressed in a sailor uniform that was just like theirs, most of the costume including the collar and shorts was white while the front and back bows were a light blue. They donned a brooch that was shaped and designed like the Finnish flag. Their boots and gloves were white with light blue trims. With the short blond hair, violet eyes, and round face, Eduard had a strong feeling that he knew them from somewhere but couldn't place it no matter how hard he tried.

“I-I knew it...” Raivis replied as he thought back to that moment they held hands back at the restaurant. He knew the gloves could have only belong to another guardian like them.

“I am the Guardian of the Arctic, Nation of a Thousand Lakes: Sailor Finland! I thrive in these conditions and you're no match for me. You're finished.”

From thin air, Finland grabbed a rifle that looked fairly standard looking but the handle was beautifully designed with the symbol of the Nordic Cross. He pointed the gun with precise aim and yelled, “Frigid Assault!” and a loud explosion erupted from the gun. A massive ball of snow and ice flew at rapid speed. It had no time to react and another explosion took place upon impact. The monster was completely destroyed and the battle was over.

“You did it! That was amazing!” Raivis cheered. Finland turned back to the group and gave them both a big smile while flashing a victory sign. The scenery was slowing returning to normal as the ice disappeared in batches. Finland urged them to retreat so they wouldn't be seen. Eduard and Raivis agreed and the three of them headed back to the restaurant, only this time they took advantage of their high jumping abilities and took refuge on the rooftop, hiding behind the giant restaurant logo. Everything had returned to what it once was and while the masses were baffled for a brief moment, they continued on as if nothing had ever occurred.

“It seems no one remembers what happened,” Raivis said.

“Good. It's better that way,” Eduard replied. Finland nodded in agreement. Raivis sheepishly walked over to the man and called Finland's name to grab their attention. “Um, thank you for earlier,” Raivis blushed. “Because of you, I was able to help Eduard and believe in myself a little more.”

Finland gave Raivis a warm smile, “No need to thank me, you did all the work. Always remember: there's no such thing as a “weak guardian”. You're stronger than you look and you're never alone, even when it feels like it.”

Finland gave him a wink and Raivis nodded with a silly grin. His cheeks remained red as he admired Finland internally. He was ecstatic that the mysterious figure who gave him a confidence booster was a guardian just like them; and a strong one too!

“Thank you for all you've done for him. I'm truly grateful. Without you two, I would have been done for!” Eduard said.

“Anything for a friend. I'm just glad we got to you just in time!”

There was that word again: 'friend'. That was twice now that he heard them say that. It bothered Eduard deeply that this guardian seemed to act on a familiar level with the two of them yet he knew nothing about them or where they came from. He didn't want to be rude but asking would be the only way to comfort his mind.

“Forgive me for asking, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you seem to know more about us than we do of you. Have we met before?”

Finland looked at Eduard rather perplexed by the question, as if he had asked them whether or not water was wet. However, they broke into soft laughter soon after.

“I always wondered if others could recognize us through our transformations but I guess you just answered that for me!”

Finland affectionately took Eduard's hands and squeezed them tightly with a warm stare.

“Eduard, it's me, Timo.”

#APH Estonia #APH Latvia #APH Finland #APH Poland #hetalia #Hetalia Moon!AU #Lilly's Writings #sailor moon

[lhugbereth]

Coffee Beans and Hot Cocoa

For @ataraxetta who requested “Insomnia’s first snow in decades” for @ignoctsecretsanta :D Here are some fluffy boys snowed in at a coffee shop, on what they didn’t realize was supposed to be their first date. 

Title Coffee Beans and Hot Cocoa (Kisses) Word Count  2524 Rating Teen (SFW) Warnings None! 

Read on AO3

Winter had always been short in Lucis. The continent enjoyed a typically warm climate all year round, from the dust bowl of Leide to the humid mountains of Cleigne, and the Crown City of Insomnia was no exception. In December, the temperature merely fell to a noticeable chill, and it wasn’t until early February that residents went out went out in more than a jacket and scarf. Even then, it had been decades since the last time anyone outside of Galahd had seen snow.

Which is precisely why no one had expected it that year, either.

The forecast on the morning in question called for overcast skies, perhaps a little rain throughout the morning and afternoon. Nothing out of the ordinary, or so Ignis had thought when he agreed to accompany Noctis to the video arcade. Prompto, the prince explained, was stuck at school taking a makeup test for one that he had failed, and Gladio was attending some family function that was likely to last until well into the night. Ignis had cringed internally to think he’d been Noct’s last choice to invite, but an opening was an opening, and he’d never been able to say ‘no’ before anyway.

So at precisely 10:30 am, he strolled up to the prince’s apartment building to pick him up. Noct was already outside waiting for him - a pleasant surprise, Iggy thought - and he waved a hand in greeting as he approached. Despite the late January chill, however, Noctis looked about as half-assedly dressed as ever: he wore a dark grey t-shirt under a thin hoodie, bare hands jammed in the front pocket for warmth, while his legs shivered visibly beneath a pair of black jeans. The cold air left his cheeks and nose pink, and his lips trembling as his breath passed between them in short, white puffs.

Ignis slowed to a halt. It was no secret that the prince hated winter - he’d been born on one of the hottest days of the year, and thus his blood had always run warm - but to come outside dressed like this was beyond childish. He was putting his health at risk, and that was something Iggy could not allow.

“Highness, you’re going to catch cold,” he sighed. “At least go back upstairs and put on a proper coat.”

“Yeah, nice to see you, too, Specs.”

“Apologies. Good afternoon, Noctis. Now please go change into something more appropriate.”

The prince shrugged, his shoulders looking small beneath the loose-fitting hoodie. “I don’t have a coat. I lent it to Prompto and forgot to get it back,” he added in response to the incredulous look he was being given. “Besides, it’s gonna be hot in the arcade. I’d just end up carrying it around.”

“Well, you look ridiculous dressed like that in this kind of weather.” Ignis folded his arms across his chest, as if to say You’re not going out like that, young man, and that’s final.

But, as usual, Noctis showed no intention of budging. “If you’re too embarrassed to be seen with me -- “

“You know that isn’t what I mean.”

“Then what’s the problem? I’m not cold, let’s go already.”

“Highness….”

The conversation ended in concession, as it almost always did. Ignis sighed repeatedly as he allowed Noctis to take the lead, refrained from comment while they walked together, though his concern never once abated. Gradually, the further they got from Noct’s apartment the more relaxed the prince became, until he was smiling and joking and hanging back to fall into step with Iggy. The mood was contagious. After a while, even Ignis found himself caught up in the playful way Noctis was clinging to his arm, and the way his eyes shone when he laughed. Though the air had grown noticeably colder, Ignis felt his cheeks flushing with warmth.

Perhaps that was why he failed to notice at first. Too distracted by the sensation of Noctis’ fingers coiled around his elbow, it wasn’t until the gentle flakes landed on his skin that he even realized it had begun to snow. His eyes widened at the same time as Noct’s, and together they paused to look up at the sky in awe.

“Specs?”

“Yes, Noct?”

“Is that...what I think it is?”

“It would appear so.”

The prince shifted closer, as if suddenly noticing the cold for the first time. “I’ve never seen snow before.”

“I have, but never in the city. This is highly unusual, and yet….”

“It’s beautiful.”

Ignis’ breath hitched in his throat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Noctis, lips parted and gaze cast up toward the blanket of clouds above them. All around, white flakes drifted down, down, growing thicker and heavier by the second, until they began to cling to jet black hair and clothes alike.

“...You must be freezing,” he observed aloud, if for no other reason than to silence the pounding of his own heart at the sight. “Here, take my scarf.”

Noctis didn’t protest this time. As Ignis unwrapped the thick, chocolate-colored fabric from his shoulders, the prince remained completely spellbound by the snow falling all around them. He watched on, wide-eyed, as it began to collect on the sidewalk, the grass, and even on Ignis when he turned to face him. But despite the cold, Iggy was smiling. His scarf was so warm - smelled of coffee and citrus and the cologne he sometimes wore - and Noctis immediately held it to his face and breathed in deep.

“Thanks,” he said, voice muffled by the heavy wool. “You’re not cold?”

Green eyes, soft behind fogged lenses, seemed to draw him in. “Not at all. But perhaps we should find a warm place to wait until this storm blows over.”

Noctis agreed, and they turned off the main road in search of shelter.

They found it moments later in the form of a Garbucks coffee shop, thankfully still quiet in the hour before the lunch rush, and together they settled down with steaming mugs to watch the snow fall outside the window. Ignis sipped his latte - it was hardly an Ebony, but at least it went down smooth - while Noctis nursed a hot cocoa, and they talked together while the hours melted away.

The lunch crowd came and went, and outside the snow only fell heavier, piling higher and higher until Ignis began to wonder how they would ever get home. By that time, Noct had wiggled in beside him in the overstuffed armchair, and had his head resting on Iggy’s shoulder while they talked. It was comfortable, relaxing, neither of them thinking anything more of the display than how natural it felt to cuddle close. All the while, Noct wore Ignis’ scarf around his neck.

“Well,” Iggy announced at last. “I’m afraid we’re going to need to call for backup at this point. Otherwise we may be stuck here in this coffee shop all night.”

“Like you’d really mind,” Noct grinned, referring, of course, to Iggy’s love for coffee and completely missing the blush that flared across his friend’s cheeks. “But I guess we could call Gladio. He’s got his dad’s truck.”

Something tugged at the back of Ignis’ mind. "I suppose we could," he began slowly.

"Or maybe we could make it to Prom’s place. He lives near here, and his parents usually aren’t home."

"Is that so?" Suspicion rose in the form of a frown. "I thought Prompto was meant to be at school all afternoon."

“O-oh, right. Yeah, he is,” Noct supplied hastily. “Uh, I meant maybe if he finished early. Or something.”

“And Gladio?” Now Ignis was looking right a him with one eyebrow arched high over piercing green irises. “I believe it was you who told me he’d be occupied until evening?”

If Noct could have sunk back any further into the chair, he would have disappeared right through the cushions. “Um…. I forgot?”

“Noctis.”

“Alright, alright! So I made that stuff up - but it’s not like I had a choice or anything. It was the only way to get you to come out with me.”

Whatever Ignis had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t such candid honestly. And the way the prince was flushing, cheeks red as he glared out the window…. Suddenly, he was very much aware of the proximity of their bodies in the chair. “What are you talking about?” he pressed, forcing his voice lower, calmer, hoping he didn’t sound as panicked as he felt in that moment.

Practically in his lap, Noctis huffed. “Seriously? Whenever I try to spend time with you, all I hear is, ‘I’m busy, Highness, why not call Prompto?’ or ‘Surely Gladio has nothing better to do today?’” Despite the poor attempt at mimicking his accent, the words still managed to hit Ignis like a blast of icy water. He hadn’t actually said those things to the prince...had he?

Still avoiding his gaze, Noct continued. “I had to make it feel like an obligation, otherwise you would have just passed me off on someone else again.”

“That…. That has never been my intention.”

“Oh, yeah?” Blue eyes turned on him at last, wounded and yet heavy with something else, too. Hope, perhaps, that he would be proven wrong. “What would you have said, then?”

Ignis’ chest was tight, his fingers itching to pull Noctis against him and take back every missed opportunity. What would he have said? He tried to imagine the scene: Noct catching him on his way home for the evening, casually inviting him to spend a day at the arcade. It wouldn’t have mattered that he wasn’t really interested in games, or that he had work to do in the morning. He would have wanted to go. He would have wanted to tell Noctis yes, to please him, to see him smile. He wanted to give Noct the world and then some, because he --

Ignis sighed. It was precisely because of that - because Noctis had come to mean more to him than his duty or his job - that he would have been forced to turn him down in the end. It was too great a risk. “I...suppose you have a point.”

“See.”

Voice falling flat, the prince turned his gaze back to the window and to the heavy flakes of snow falling beyond it. Outside, the streets had been transformed into a winter wonderland, everything from the sidewalks to the streetlamps swallowed up in white. There were no pedestrians, no cars, no bicycles. Even the small coffee shop had grown all but silent around them, most of the other patrons no doubt having escaped while there had still been a chance. Only a few others were left sitting at the tables in the back of the shop, Iggy noticed, and not a single one of them was looking his way.

He swallowed.

“Noct? May I ask you something?”

A noncommittal shrug told him the prince was, in fact, upset.

“Why me? You could have asked anyone in the Citadel to accompany you to the arcade.”

“Because I didn’t want to go with anyone in the Citadel,” Noct murmured so quietly that Ignis wasn’t quite sure he heard him correctly. “Today was supposed to be special.”

Ignis glanced out at the snow again, the first that had fallen in Insomnia in more years than either of them had even been alive, and smiled. “Today has been special.”

"Yeah, but. It was supposed to be….” Noctis shrugged, waved his hands in the air and sighed, but ultimately just sank back in the chair in frustration. “It was supposed to be more.”

More.

Ignis thought about the sight of the prince, dressed in an obvious hurry, waiting for him outside of the apartments. He thought of the easy way Noctis had laughed and hung from his arm as they’d walked together down the street. He thought, too, of the color of those soft cheeks when he’d draped his scarf around Noct’s neck, the deep eyes that had watched him in wonder.

More.

His throat went dry. How could he have missed it? How long had the signs been there while he’d been too determined not to see them? How many times had he convinced himself it was impossible that Noct could ever feel the same way as him? And how in the Astrals’ names was he ever going to find the strength to talk them both out of this one?

“...Noct, I-”

“It’s stupid, I know. Just forget I said anything, alright?”

“It isn’t stupid. But you know as well as I do that we...we simply can’t.”

Blue eyes rounded on him in surprise. “...Can’t what?”

“Date, Noctis! It would be highly improper! Just think what your father would do to me if he found out!”

But there was that color tinting the prince’s cheeks again, the one that made it clear Noct had seen right through him. And sure enough, the next words out of his mouth confirmed exactly what he’d read between the lines. “But...you’d be okay with it?”

Ignis snapped his mouth shut instantly. There was nothing he could say short of an out-right lie that would prevent him from walking right into a trap. As it were, perhaps it was already too late. The prince was regarding him with more than just casual interest now, and swiveling in the chair to face him more fully.

“What if this was a date? Right here, just the two of us, with no one to see,” he asked, smile growing a little bolder with each word. “What would you do?”

The awkward sound that started in the back of Iggy’s throat was hidden masterfully behind a polite cough. “Hypothetically? Well. I suppose I would….” Six, forgive me. I’m only human. His arm was moving before he could change his mind, sliding up the length of Noctis’ back between him and the cushion to finally come to rest around his shoulders. When Ignis drew him in, the prince settled easily against his chest.

“Wow,” Noct breathed, face flushing an even prettier shade of red. “It’s nice. H-hypothetically, I mean.”

“Right.”

“I don’t...want to go to Prom’s place.”

Ignis stroked his fingers over the strands of black hair lining Noct’s cheek. “We could stay a little while longer, I suppose.”

“Call Cor, tell him we got snowed in?”

“At a Garbucks, of all places.”

“Might have to stay here all night from the looks of things.”

“Better not get any ideas, Highness.”

Noct grinned up at him - a brilliant, mischievous grin - as he somehow managed to shift even closer against his side. He drew himself up, curled his fingers in the collar of Iggy’s dress shirt and pressed forward until the scarf around his neck was the only barrier between them. Ignis, for his part, forgot how to breathe. “Ideas? Never. This is all hypothetical.”

And so it went that Ignis and his prince shared their first kiss in the cozy warmth of a coffee shop, wrapped in each other’s arms in an overstuffed chair while the snow continued to fall outside the window well into the winter’s night.

#ignoctsecretsanta #ignoct #ffxv #final fantasy xv #myfic #ignis #noctis #happy holidays #holiday chocobros

[agirlandabear]

Have a taste, Mr. Han

Alternative title: Jumin’s booty call (?

Warnings: suggestive themes, wine jargon, mild spoilers for Jumin’s Route, implicit sex, hella bold MC

This takes place after the lingerie call, you know which one <3

[3 new text messages] [Jumin Han] If I offended you today, I apologize. But… I wanted to talk to you in private. I feel like the relationship I’ve built with my father is all crumbling down now. I thought he was always polite with me, but this is what happens.

Shit…

I frown and sigh before I start writing my reply.

[Sent] [MC] You didn’t offend me. If I were you, I’d be upset too. Don’t worry about me. How are you? Do you wanna talk about it?

His reply arrives a minute later.

[3 new text messages] [Jumin Han] If my father was as considerate as you are, this wouldn’t have happened. I should pull myself together since you are here. I want you.

My breath freezes.

I…

Another text arrives.

[1 new text message] [Jumin Han] to stay just there like you are now.

Bullshit.

I’m way too old for this.

But we can talk about that some other day.

[Sent] [MC] I think your father feels happy, and wants you to share this feeling. I doubt his intentions are bad. Choi’s, on the other hand… What I mean is, clear your mind and talk to him. Else your relationship could be ruined forever. Be patient.

I wait for his reply while lying on my bed.

But he doesn’t answer.

 ~

A couple hours later I can’t sleep.

I can’t believe Jumin’s father is trying to arrange his marriage, and I’m also worried about the hacker and Seven.

The vibration of my phone suddenly startles me.

I grab it and check the screen. I take the call immediately.

“Jumin? Jumin, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. I… called because I wanted to think about something else. I apologize for calling so late.”

“Don’t worry, I couldn’t sleep.”

“You neither? I’d like to stop having such complicated thoughts for a minute.”

“I understand.”

“What are you doing right now? I just want to chat. Ask me anything.”

“Not doing much. I’m in my bed, talking to you on the phone, wearing my comfy pajamas.”

“By pajamas do you mean those things with laces on them? We launched a female slip line a couple years ago.”

Oh. My. God.

“Among the pajamas we launched, there were some with ribbons, and if you pull on the ribbon the slip would fall off. I assume it’s very comfortable, but if it can slip off that easily… Well, it doesn’t suit my taste.”

I can’t help but chuckle.

“Are you laughing? Is this subject uncomfortable for you?”

“No, not at all. I just wasn’t expecting to discuss lingerie with you at midnight. I can’t say I mind, though. Why don’t you like it?”

“Well, you should never take any shortcuts when it comes to clothing. That’s what I learned from all my etiquette classes. And…”

“And?”

“If it’ll fall off so easily, wouldn’t it be better to wear nothing at all?”

“Mh. I like the way you think.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. What are you wearing?”

“Oh... I still have my dress shirt on. I unbuttoned half the shirt to be comfortable but I prefer these over pajamas. I like having some tension all the time. Wearing comfortable clothes feels awkward.”

“Why doesn’t it surprise me that you sleep wearing a dress shirt?”

“Maybe you just know me this well?”

I smile and we say nothing for a few seconds.

“How strange.”

“What is it, Mr. Han?”

“I’m only talking to you on the phone, but I can almost imagine you in front of my eyes.”

“Does that mean you’re picturing me in your bed?”

“… Perhaps.”

“Is this the first time you imagine me there?”

“…”

“I thought so.”

“I apologize if I have made you feel awkward.”

“You’ve made me feel something alright. Just not awkward.”

He chuckles.

“Amazing. Is this just curiosity? I’m not really the curious type. This is very interesting.”

“The word is right. Just say that what you’re feeling is right.”

“Right…? I suppose you already know what this is.”

“Oh, yes. I’m quite sure I’m pointing in the right direction.”

“Mh, don’t spoil it for me. Exploring is another task I enjoy… so this is good. I’d like to explore more of the change that’s happening to me while talking to you.”

“What change? Would you like to tell me?”

I think he’ll flirt right back. But instead, his voice turns surprisingly honest.

“When I think of you, all my stress seems to disappear…”

I work a hard swallow.

There’s silence between us for a few seconds.

And I know what I need to say next.

“… Jumin…?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sleepy?”

“Not particularly.”

“Can I… Can we meet?”

He remains quiet for a long moment.

“Tomorrow?”

“No. Tonight. Right now.”

“I cannot-”

“I can drive there. I can be there in an hour.”

“Why…?”

I lick my dry lips.

“I like exploring, too.”

We say nothing and the seconds tick by.

“Jumin?”

“I don’t think it’s safe, with the hacker-”

“I drive to work every day. If the hacker was going to do something to me while I was driving, it would’ve already happened. Besides… If they’re waiting to strike, I doubt they’ll be prepared to do so during a naughty midnight escapade.”

“You have everything thought out, I see.”

“I’m good like that.”

“… MC, if something happens to you…”

“Don’t. Don’t say it. I want to see your face the next time you tell me something like that.”

“I… I’ve never… done something like this before.”

“Do you want to? Do you want…” I work a hard swallow.

Please don’t let this be only my imagination.

“Dou you want me?”

I hear him take a shuddering breath.

“Yes.”

“You can have me. Please. I want you to have me.”

My skin explodes in goosebumps.

He answers after a few deliberate seconds of silence.

“… Alright… Alright, come over.”

 ~

He opens his door and observes me, finally putting a face to the voice and the texts. I wonder if he likes what he sees, but right now, I feel too sexy and too confident to be worried about my waistline or my makeup.

He’s tall and lean. I already knew what he would look like from the pictures and the news, but there’s something regal about him. Something you can’t quite capture with a camera.

I step inside. I bring a large paper bag with me. As soon as I enter, I settle it on the coffee table.

I turn around and face him.

The room is well lit and beautifully furnished, but it feels somewhat sterile and aseptic.

Before he manages to say anything, I glance around. When I locate the light switch, I purposefully walk towards it and turn the lights off.

He chuckles, his face half illuminated by the blue hue that emerges from a fish tank on the other side of the living room.

“What are you doing?”

I pull the silken blue scarf from around my neck.

“Helping you explore.”

He starts breathing faster and I can see his sharp grey eyes devouring my hips and breasts.

I smile.

“Sit on the couch.”

He smirks and obeys.

I walk towards him and, careful not to touch him, wrap my scarf around his eyes.

“Don’t move.”

I spring away and into his kitchen. When he hears me rummaging, he laughs softly again. “Are you going to, literally, rob me blind?”

I know he can hear the clinking of the glasses.

“Oh, no, you’ve got me,” I tease.

The following sounds must be quite distinctive. Crinkling paper. A cork. Liquid being poured. The whistle of a knife.

“Lay back on the couch. Relax.”

He does so.

“Extend your hand.”

When he complies, I imitate the gesture and entwine my fingers with his.

He stops breathing and remains very still.

I turn his hand around, making the palm face up, and retreat. In place of my hand, I leave a glass of wine behind.

“What are we drinking to?”

I clink his glass with mine, the pleasant chiming of the crystal echoing in the apartment.

“To hardship.”

“Hardship.”

“And misery, and pain, and privation.”

“Mh. May I ask why?”

“Take a sip first, and I’ll tell you.”

He smirks but does not comply.

Instead, he swirls the glass, letting the wine breathe. He takes a deep inhalation, and finally tastes it.

Meanwhile I stand and rummage a bit more in his kitchen.

“Mh, this is marvelous. Is this Syrah?”

“Does Mr. Han have a decanter around here?”

“Bottom left door in the glass cabinet. This wine is exquisite.”

“Give it twenty minutes in a decanter,” I say while returning with the glass artifact before placing it on the table and emptying the rest of the bottle inside it. “And you’ll see God.”

“You make big promises.”

“Yet I always keep my word.”

“Why do we drink to privation while having such a great red wine?”

“Because this, Mr. Director… Is Malbec.”

“Mh, I’m not as familiarized with this cultivar as I’d wish.”

I know he can hear the knife as I cut with it.

“Malbec is an interesting variety. Unlike most vines, Malbec’s home is far away from its motherland. It originated from France, but the soil where it prevails, is in western South America. In lands that reach temperatures well below zero in winter, with little to no rain, among rocky mountains where the sun turns the rest of the landscape into a desert during the summer. Open your mouth, please.”

He does it without hesitation and I place a small cube of Barkham Blue cheese on his tongue.

“Take a sip. As I was saying, Malbec requires these conditions to excel. You see, it’s all about survival. During summer in Mendoza, where the best Malbec is grown, the temperatures can reach half the water boiling point. They have over three hundred days of clear skies and scorching sun a year. How does the vine survive?”

“Adapting,” he says.

“Open your mouth.”

He complies, almost ecstatic. I deposit an almond inside. “Bite. And drink. Why yes, exactly. Malbec adapts. The grapes with the darkest skin are the ones that can protect their seeds from the UV rays. It’s fascinating. Darwinism in the making. The seeds that survive will produce grapes with darker pomace. And so on, and on, and on. Open up.”

I place a cube of dark chocolate on his tongue, brushing it lightly and then I soundly lick the molten remains on my fingers.

“In the winter, something similar happens. It’s cold, and snow could reach your waist in the vineyards closest to the mountains. So the fittest grapes with the thickest skin can pass on their genes. Open again.”

I feed him a raspberry.

“The semi-permanent drought is very important as well. A hectare in Mendoza produces about half as much wine as a hectare of the same wine in Europe. Why? Well, because the balance between the sugar, meaning the solid part of the grape, and the water in it is much different. Less water makes it more concentrated, it means more sugar for the yeast, more alcohol. More body, more tannin…”

“Mh…”

“As a result, the product is more intense, and still, given the economy of the region, despite its outstanding quality, these wines are much less expensive than they deserve to be. If you picked a bottle believing the price reflects its quality directly, you would miss out on trying this amazing wine. Luxury or elegance. Hold out your glass. I’ll bring the decanter.”

I pour the dark liquid for both of us.

“Try it now. It’s smoky and more intense. Plumb, violets, black pepper, raspberry, cherry, vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate, tobacco. Can you feel the texture of the tannins? How creamy it is?”

“Yes…”

“Malbec is a survivor. It blooms when it shouldn’t. Even now, in the decanter, it was going through a process of oxidation. In a general sense, inside that crystal bottle, this Malbec was burning. Can you feel how it evolves and changes? Take a sip. Then open your mouth.”

He complies and I drink too. When he lowers his glass and swallows, I lean over him and kiss him deeply.

He gasps in surprise but soon maneuvers the hand that holds the glass around my waist as the other holds my thigh firmly.

He’s shivering.

His tongue tastes of my wine, intense and smoky. Powerful yet elegant. And sweet beneath.

I break the kiss and he leans into me, trying to follow my lips.

“Do you understand?” I ask.

He nods.

“Can I spend the night with you, Jumin?”

“Yes.”

I duck and kiss his neck.

“Thank you.”

#talk drunky to me #wine #sexy #malbec #mystic #messenger #mystic messenger #mysme #jumin #jumin han

[jamest-kirk]

hii! i just love all your stuff! what do you say about mcspirk soulmates!au?? in wich you can only see the color of your soulmates´ eyes til you meet em, and you can finally see the whole spectrum? idk just love this dorks bye

Bones doesn’t believe in soulmates. He loved his wife with all his heart, but it was never meant to be. Bones also never noticed the otherwise grey-scaled world as much. The skies were always the brightest blues, and the leaves turn a wide array of browns in fall. He sees color, two different colors, and so he doesn’t even really think twice about it.

Until he meets Spock. Jocelyn can’t make it to parent-teacher nigt, so Bones goes instead. Spock’s Joanna’s new teacher. Bones doesn’t realize anything’s different until he reaches out to shake Spock’s hand. When their eyes meet, it’s an instant headache for both of them. Because suddenly seeing a wider arrange of colors isn’t a pleasant process, and the migraine Bones suffers sure takes away the sheer bizarreness that this new teacher caused all of this.

Meeting your soulmate should be the most romantic thing in the world. That’s what they advocate, after all. But it’s far less glamorous than that. Both boys just quietly suffer a headache while Spock guides them through Joanna’s report card. It looks fine. Both are awkwardly trying to avoid the topic of how-is-this-possible? Bones sees the dark green of the chalk board behind Spock, the weathered brick walls and the brightly colored apple on Spock’s desk. Some elements are still thankfully grey, and Bones much rather focuses on the dull color of the grass outside the windows, and the green leafs on trees. “Are you okay?” Spock asks, and Leonard shrugs. “I will be.”

Why is it that now that his world is instantly more colorful, he runs into Spock everywhere? The park at first, where Bones tries to avoid a conversation with him because how do you even approach this subject with anyone? Spock’s perfectly handsome, but Bones’ marriage ended so messily and he just doesn’t feel ready to engage with anyone romantically. Especially not someone who literally brightened his whole world in the span of a few seconds after meeting.

The second time they meet is at a bar. Bones is already a little drunk. Spock isn’t, or he doesn’t seem to be, but he does seem to be in a good mood. “Mr. McCoy,” Spock says, “how’s Joanna?” “Fine,” Bones says, easing into talking to him about teacher-stuff, Joanna, Bones’ job as a doctor. “Ah, you’re a doctor,” Spock says, smiling lightly, “you should meet Jim. He’d be your favorite patient.” “Jim?” Bones asks curiously. “Yes, my partner,” Spock explains, turning around on his chair to gesture towards another guy. He’s chatting up two girls at once, cocky smile and wild gestures. “James,” Spock says, and Jim gets up immediately. “What’s up?” Jim asks, and Bones rolls his eyes, instead focusing on his drink when Jim leans in to kiss Spock quickly. Perhaps a little drunk. He was flirting with a few girls, after all. “Who are you talking to?” Jim asks curiously, and Bones turns to look at Jim, finally. That headache is back in an instant the moment Bones catches a glimpse of those wicked blue eyes. Jim grunts, too, and Spock reaches out to grab Jim’s arm. “Are you okay?” he asks, and Jim reaches out to rub his own temples. “Yeah, I’m– Jesus,” Jim says, stumbling back a little. “I can see,” Jim says, and Bones rolls his eyes. “You didn’t seem blind before,” Bones says, and Spock frowns. “Wait, are you both seeing all colors now, too?“ “Jim doesn’t respond, instead he reaches out and grabs Bones’ shoulders, pulling him in to press a kiss on his lips. Bones looks utterly shocked when he pulls away, and maybe not too appreciative. “What the hell?” “I had to try and see if I felt anything,” Jim says, but Leonard just frowns. “Try that again and you can feel my first. In your face.”

It’s not like he doesn’t find either Spock or Jim attractive. And certainly he feels things when he’s around them. But it’s difficult. They’re already together, though seem to openly accept people into their lives with devotion and intimacy, and that’s just something Bones hasn’t encountered before, ever. He hangs out with them a lot, though, because somehow he does feel attracted to them, both socially and physically. Joanna loves it, too, because Spock is a great teacher, Jim a strong police officer, and her father a caring doctor. Spock and Bones help her with homework, Jim assists them when they practice baseball outside in the garden. Bones goes from no soulmate to suddenly having two, and Joanna suddenly goes to having three dads and loving it.

It’s only after over a year of knowing them and being close to them, Bones starts opening up to the thought of a relationship. Jim never pushes for intimacy, even though Bones can tell he’s craving for it; attention and intimacy of any kind. So when Joanna’s in bed, Bones sits down between the two of them, quietly admiring the world of color around him. Even though it’s been a year since he’s been able to see everything; a sunset in its brightest colors, the bright pinks and yellows of spring, and the cozy lights of a Christmas tree in winter, it’s all still something that amazes him still to this day.

He leans against Spock casually, who slides an arm around his shoulder while continues to read on his tablet with his free hand. Jim's playing a game on his phone, half watching the TV, but mostly focused on his phone. Bones reaches out, pulling Jim in closer until Jim's resting against him, too. Jim instantly eases into that, smiling when Bones' fingers run through Jim's hair. "Where's this intimacy coming from, huh?" Jim comments, and Bones shrugs. "Well, what are you gonna do about these two idiots who crawled their way into my life," Bones sighs. "What made you change your mind?" Spock asks, and Bones smiles lightly. "You."

#Anonymous #mcspirk #ot3 #triumvirate #jim kirk #leonard mccoy #bones #spock #headcanons #mcspirkmodern #modern au