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#am i the only one going crazy about the platinum blonde edition
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thekidultlife · 4 years
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The Most Convenient Escape | Jihoon Soulmate!AU (6)
⍟ Pairing: Jihoon x fem!reader
⍟ AU: Fantasy/ Soulmate AU
⍟ Genre: ANGST, SLOW BURN, fluff
⍟ Warnings: mentions of abuse, drinking, and sex
⍟ Word Count: 6.7k
⍟ Synopsis: For all your life, you have a deep disdain towards Soulmate Bonds, so much so that you are able to write opinions about it in a local newspaper. However, as life would have it, you wake up one day bonded to a person you hardly knew. Throwing in an investigation, annoying roommates, and a revolution looming just beneath the surface, you had to seek for the most convenient escape.
⍟ A/N: It’s been a while since I updated TMCE skskks sorry;;; i missed my drawing tablet so much, I just drew this whole time lmaooo but here you go~ something like a transition chapter!! hope you enjoy? :DD
⍟ Taglist: To those who commented on the previous chapter ;;w;; thank you so much!!! @minkwans, @ialamityo-o, @oprandomfeels, @haotheheckk, and @svt13roses!!! I always say this, but your comments and reactions really keep me going on;;;
CHAP 1 | CHAP 2 | CHAP 3 | CHAP 4 | CHAP 5 | CHAP 6 |
HALF A MILLION MURMURS by Alex Fireflower
The Porta Persa Edition, November 2nd
 To those divinely ordained by the people and the coin with Power and Authority:
            Surely, in some way or another, it had not escaped any person of good conscience and fair moral character the plight which has befallen our fellow men—the Cilvekans—despite differences in and not limited to nationality and/or race; more so and I surely hope so, that it had not escaped the attentions of persons with great abundance in wealth and power such as yourselves.
            Surely, in some way or another, you are not deaf to their pleas—gagged and maimed by a bill, now law, which was carefully crafted to entrap more than half a million people for whatever reason the Parliament has in its defense. These people who had a hand in making our trades grow, making our lives a little bit easier, making this nation prosper to its opulent glory of today—how easy, how convenient it is to leave them to the dust, to fend off on their own all the evils of Porta Persa. Certainly, it had touched your benevolent hearts that the very same people who sweep your marble floors, who wash your dirty ball gowns, who polish your diamond rings, are in need of your help—the very same people who had helped you in your daily lives. Yet even if they had not become a part of your lives in some way or another, surely, maybe, that the fact that Cilvekans are fellow human beings who move and act just like us would convince you that what had been brought unto them was a violation of their rights as human beings, rights which are rightfully bestowed to everyone on this Earth—Cilvekan, Porta Persan or whatnot.
Surely, in some way or another, you have come to an understanding that the creators of this bill had intentions way beyond the national security of this nation. Surely, it is indisputable, with all the abuse of power and discriminate arrests which happened in the course of a few days, that there is no way Porta Persa would attain national security in this manner; but rather, had only caused chaos and anger among the population. How can one, who had held himself with high regard in the face of god and the heavens, be so blissfully ignorant to these people who had been abused and indiscriminately arrested in the middle of the night for various reasons the Royal Guard had come up with as they spin their wee little roulette of crimes and violations? How can we, as human beings, rationalize our inaction and ignorance of this issue with a mentality that “if this does not happen to us in front of our very eyes, therefore, it does not exist”? Of course there is no reason for it to happen on your graciously manicured courtyard because the gold coin had given you the privilege to grab the laws of this land by the neck and turn it to your favor.
Surely, surely, and I do hope so that beyond the loud voices in your head screaming at you that there is no need to help, that the problem is simply perceived by the victims, that this issue does not affect you in any way possible—I hope that you are able to hear the half million murmurs of Cilvekan voices stranded in our ports and stations, banished from their jobs and separated from their families. I hope that you are all able to hear whispers calling out to the warm compassion that is hopefully still inside of your hearts.
As more than half a million Cilvekans congest our ports and stations—sent back to an ironically unfamiliar country with almost no possessions;  inside our jails and police stations, tortured to admit a sin they had never committed—let us not ignore their cries of help. Whether or not they had aided us in our lives before, they are still human beings just like us, who need the same rights as we do. Let’s listen to the murmurs of half a million…
“Your girlfriend sure is livid.”
Yoon Jeonghan, in his platinum blond hair and rather sleepy eyes, said as he tossed the newspaper on the marble garden table. The Minister for the Culture and the Arts was finally present in the meeting, though still in Joshua Hong’s grey pavilion in the middle of his rose garden and still drinking freshly brewed coffee.
“She’s not my girlfriend, and I am very much assured that she is unaware of our soulmate bond,” Jihoon groaned as he massaged his temples, the hangover gradually diminishing with the help of a hangover potion you had forced him to bring along. “How many times do I have to reiterate this?”
“Someone sure is a rainy cloud today, what do you reckon, Minister of Foreign Affairs?” Jeonghan remarked as he received a cup of coffee from Joshua, who had only laughed at his friend’s comment.
“It’s your fault for not coming by lately. You missed out a lot.”
“Did I?” The other smirked, and then looked around, “Oh? It seems our adorable general isn’t here yet?”
“Seungcheol told me he wouldn’t be joining us today,” Joshua informed him primly as he finally sat on his own seat with a cup on his hands. “And for reasons you all already know, unfortunately.”
“What about you though? Aren’t you having a terribly marvelous time trying to deport all these people?” Jihoon asked, his eyes cold and a tad bit exhausted.
“That’s the immigration’s responsibility, not ours. Though drafting an explanation to the Cilvekan government as to why there are half a million people to be deported back to their country isn’t a walk in the park either.”
Jihoon grunted, to which Jeonghan only smiled.
“I’m having trouble with this as well. Several valuable artists living in Porta Persa are in danger of being deported which isn’t in any way favorable in my position. I wouldn’t want to lose Wen Junhui and Xu Minghao in the middle of their own respective careers,” Jeonghan added in a playful tone despite the severity of his situation.
“And just when I was finally able to acquire some tickets to Wen Junhui’s play!” Joshua remarked with a slight scowl, annoyed that his tickets would probably become mere pieces of worthless colored paper.
“Tough luck for all of us, huh?” Jihoon remarked as he pressed down the bridge of his nose, the smell of the decaying rose petals around him was making him nauseous.
As the wind blew across the wide rose garden, a companionable silence enveloped the three of them. While they seemed to be so lighthearted, they all knew the situation was a lot worse than they had feared.
“Is there any way we could reverse this decision?” Jeonghan finally asked.
“If there was, I would’ve done it already. Not to mention how much political power I’ve lost because of this,” Jihoon replied, thumbing on the cork of the potion he was holding. "If not for the laws of this land, I would've wrung Kang's neck by now."
“Seems like your plans on running for Prime Minister is thrown out of the window,” Jeonghan continued to which Jihoon only gave him a cynical look.
“I would continue if I was crazy enough,” he answered with a snort. “Look, there’s really not much I could do as of the moment. The Conservatives are probably holding the biggest victory party of their lives at the seaports, herding off Cilvekans inside cargo ships like cattle, and it’s so frustrating how I could only watch them do what they want.”
“What about going to your grandfather then?” Joshua suggested and Jihoon stilled for a moment before aggressively shaking his head.
“No, no, no. Absolutely not,” he replied with a hint of panic in his eyes. “Not in a million years.”
“Why not?” Jeonghan asked. “He’s still a powerful man after retiring as Prime Minister years ago. Who knows, maybe he has some useful connections.”
“You guys already know why not,” Jihoon responded with a snarl. “There is certainly no way I would return to Santaragossa considering the state of my soulmate bond.”
“Ah, that,” the two men eventually nodded in understanding as they remembered why Jihoon was hesitant to go.
“But maybe this is the right time to tell Y/N that your soulmates,” Joshua was the first one who remarked. “You could bring her along and tell her the truth.”
To that comment, Jihoon only gave an incredulous look. “Please don’t give me any more of these suicidal suggestions, Joshua. You already know that’s not going to work.”
“But you could at least try?” Jeonghan offered. “I mean, Porta Persa is only an inch short of imploding, and we could be headless in a month's time if this escalates rapidly, so what does a lover's quarrel mean in the face of a civil war?”
As soon as he had heard Jeonghan’s words, the dark haired male simply sighed and leaned against the chair he was sitting on. He just can’t believe he was considering this. Returning to Santaragossa could be another mess he wished he had never signed up for, much like the current situation with the Cilvekans. But he knew that if he really wanted to act on the benefit of the greater good, a worthy sacrifice is already a given. What even is a falling out with his soulmate to a half a million people who are more or less starving and afraid?
Jihoon sighed again. Things are spiraling out of control.
“I’ll think about it.”
A few weeks later. November 25th
“Oh god, I almost strangled the bastard if you guys weren’t there!”
It was already late in the morning when the three of you entered Wonwoo’s dorm room in a weirdly tense mood; a mood that was emphasized by the fact that the political atmosphere in Porta Persa was rigidly discordant all throughout the past few weeks. As active journalists, it had of course affected you three.
“I might have bitten his head off twice too,” you were fuming as much as Soonyoung was, tossing your heavy leather bag on the bed which you sat on as well with an exhausted huff.
The only calming force in the room was Jeon Wonwoo, who simply sighed and dropped most of his things on a wooden desk carpeted with heavy tomes of Magical Law. Yet despite is fair countenance, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t exasperated by everything that was happening.
Today, the three of you were scheduled to interview a staunch advocate of the recently passed travel restrictions and border control measures, and to say the least, it did go well, yet at the expense of everyone’s tempers.
“Just—how can someone be so ignorant of this situation?!” you exclaimed as you let yourself fall on the bed, your arms held high in the air. “I-I mean, the ports where Cilvekans had been crowding for days now is just a five-minute walk from his stupidly large mansion! Can’t they see anything?!”
“Not only that! Not only that, goddamn it!” Soonyoung added, furiously pacing around the room. “He even has the gall to question why Y/N was there! Y/N! One of Porta Persa’s best editors! What kind of question is that? Are girls not allowed to do anything anymore? I just wanted to punch that guy’s beer belly!”
“That was really insulting,” you remarked, your voice much quieter now.
Soonyoung groaned-screamed, pushing Wonwoo’s wooden chair before stalking towards the wall and punching it hard. The wall was of course rock solid but Soonyoung’s knuckles were now red and in pain, yet it didn’t really matter. If he hasn’t done anything, chances are he might explode in his place then and there.
Wonwoo only watched, leaning against his desk, as the two of you blew off steam by ranting and just being generally loud, yet in his mind, wheels were turning.
“You know what else is concerning?” Wonwoo spoke, his voice as soft as a mutter yet it was enough to get the attention of everyone. “It’s not only the wealthy who are fine with this as what we might’ve expected, but also some of the upper and lower middle class people.”
You and Soonyoung immediately exchange glances, their eyes glinting with curiosity. So Wonwoo continued on.
“I’ve checked all the interviews we conducted since last week and though they differ in motives, they generally have no problem with this law. The rich are basically ignorant and indifferent. To them, this law is just like all the other laws of Porta Persa. For the middle class citizens however, they saw Cilvekans as an adversary—someone who would steal their jobs and opportunities.”
“Like, ‘why are these people getting rich while I, a true blooded Porta Persan is struggling to get a job?’” you asked, to which Wonwoo nodded.
“So a ‘good riddance’ thing, huh?” Soonyoung bobbed his head up and down in realization, his anger already half abated.
“Precisely. This is why this whole situation is largely divisive. There are people who care about it, but there are also a lot of people who are more than happy that this happened,” the bespectacled boy replied, adjusting his glasses.
“Ain’t that depressing,” Soonyoung grumbled, finally plopping on the plush armchair by the fireplace. “Has anybody started a petition yet?”
“Lee Jihoon already beat you to the chase,” you commented casually. “He’s been busy gathering signatures from prominent people to junk the law, but so far I think he hasn’t really filled his quota yet, right Wonwoo?”
“Yes, I reckon he needs even more powerful people, like someone closely connected to the monarchy or someone with a really huge reputation,” Wonwoo replied, folding his arms over his chest.
“Who else is even more powerful than Lee Jihoon? Even he can’t stop that bill from becoming law,” Soonyoung inserted, now much more cynical because of all the frustration that had built up.
You only shrugged. “We don’t know. At any case, we must continue this responsibility we imposed upon ourselves. Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
“Indeed,” Wonwoo replied before straightening himself up. “In that case, I suppose it’s time we inspect those documents we found a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about them!” Soonyoung remarked, turning as he watched Wonwoo walk pass him and to a hidden safe behind the bookcase where he kept it secure. “We were so preoccupied with all the interviews that we didn’t have time to look at them.”
“I do hope we get something out of those,” you said, standing up from your place on the bed and walked to the round wooden table where Wonwoo had placed the documents.
Gathering round and seated comfortably, the three of you began to carefully examine the documents like an efficient production line.
Wonwoo was assigned to the actual semantics of the documents, inspecting everything word per word and whether or not they mean something else other than what was thought at first glance. Soonyoung on the other hand was in charge of looking into those which contained shipping and trading information—he may not be the brightest of you three but he has trading experience all throughout his life which was more than what you and Wonwoo could do. Finally, you had the task of doing the final inspection, to see if the Soonyoung and Wonwoo had missed anything.
Yet despite all these efforts, even after five hours of perusing the said documents, in the end they all turned out to be rather boring pieces of yellowed paper.
“And here I thought we were going to find something phenomenal…”
Soonyoung was pouting, now more than exhausted as he slumped sulkily on his chair. You and Wonwoo were no different, as you sat silently on your places around the table with long faces.
“I guess we effectively wasted most of our afternoon,” you remarked, standing up to stretch your stiff muscles.
“I couldn’t agree enough,” Wonwoo snorted, “That novelty shop was phony from the beginning.”
“Well, what’s done is done,” Soonyoung exclaimed, also standing up to walk around the room. “And oh, speaking of that shop, the fortune teller asked us to give something to you, Y/N. Wait here for a moment while I run to my room!”
Without waiting for you to reply, Soonyoung already dashed out of the door and to the hallway, leaving both you and Wonwoo to exchange curious glances.
“You know something about that?” You asked him.
Your friend shrugged, “You left so suddenly that day and then everything was so hectic right after that we forgot to tell you about it.”
Understanding the situation, you simply sighed and waited for Soonyoung to return, which wasn’t that long since he was already back before you could even form any thoughts on what Madam Adora had left for you.
“I’m back!” he exclaimed, on his hands a small black box that seemed to resemble a box for a ring. “Here you go, Y/N!”
With that said, Soonyoung placed it on top of the table which you walked towards to see what it was inside. You turned it over and heard a small dull thud, giving the impression that there was a small object inside.
“Did you peek?” You asked him, seating back on your chair and taking a closer inspection at the object.
“What? Of course not!” He denied, which you deemed was true, considering that the seal on the opening was still intact. You smirked at him, revealing the fact that you were only kidding around.
“Well, let’s see what this is.”
Breaking the seal, you opened the box while the two onlookers peered curiously behind you. The climactic tension in the air rose dramatically as the three of you became increasingly intrigued by the contents of the box.
“It’s…” Soonyoung narrated, his eyes glistening at first but then faltered after realizing what it was, “It’s just a coin.”
Inside the box, nestled on maroon red velvet was a mere gold coin—one which Porta Persa uses as currency—the Dossimer.
You held it up between your fingers, studying it as closely as you could with eyes filled with bewilderment. Eventually, you made a nod.
“Yes, it’s just dossimer.”
Wonwoo sighed. “This day seems to be filled with anticlimaxes.”
“I guess that’s life for you,” you replied, shrugging. “Though I’m not that sure why she would give this to me. It’s not like I lack money or anything.”
“I’m as bewildered as you,” Wonwoo remarked, again adjusting his slipping glasses.
Huffing, you placed the coin on the table harshly, cluttering loudly across Wonwoo’s room. “Fate sure is playing tricks with us, and I’m not liking it.”
“Yet what else can we do?” Soonyoung asked. “We’re at a stalemate now. The investigation is going nowhere, the Cilvekan situation is worsening, and we might be persecuted by the monarchy at any time.”
Wonwoo simply sighed. “Indeed, nothing seems to be moving right now, but we still have to do something, no matter how little they are. It will have a rippling effect all over Porta Persa.”
While the two were bickering, you had unintentionally blocked them out, focusing only on the gold coin on the table, atop the documents you had inspected, wondering over and over again why it was on your hands.
“Are you suggesting we run away then? Run to the mountains of god knows where—“
Wonwoo had raised his voice already, further proof that the argument was getting heated, yet despite that, you paid no heed. Instead, you continued to stare at the coin, still tossing and turning ideas in your head.
The more you gazed at it, the more you felt like you were beginning to imagine things. The coin was glowing with a golden light around it, and while magic isn’t something odd, the fact that the coin was shimmering was definitely out of the ordinary.
Blinking several times, you tried to shook the hallucinations away yet the glowing continued and had now spread over the papers underneath it. You were sure you hadn’t drunk anything weird that day, or maybe it was the fatigue—but fatigue doesn’t really make things glow in front of your very eyes.
Funnily enough, it took you a moment to realize that none of what you had thought of was the truth, and strangely enough, the coin was actually and most definitely glowing.
“Um…guys…” you muttered, pulling on their sleeves as they were already about to pounce on each other. “I’m not imagining that the coin is glowing, right?”
Your words immediately stopped the two of them from their tracks and immediately turn their attentions to the coin on the table. Astonished as you were, they only gazed at it in confusion.
“It’s really…glowing,” Soonyoung remarked, his hands about to touch it.
“Wait—! Don’t go near, Soonyoung,” Wonwoo warned as he fetched a fountain pen on his desk to poke the coin with.
“Isn’t that as dangerous as well?” you asked him, wanting him to reconsider his course of action.
“It’s fine, I’m not directly touching it.”
With a sigh of forfeit, you only watched as Wonwoo moved the coin with nothing much of a reaction other than the bright white glowing.
“It seems to be making the papers glow as well,” he observed, moving his body around it to see all sides.
“Not all the papers. Just that one,” you corrected him since you were seated next to it on the table and had a better viewpoint. “Could you guys get that?”
Without anyone prompting him, Soonyoung snatched the paper from the table and looked at it with a rather confused look on his face.
“What is it?” you asked, turning to him with an expectant look.
“Not to add on our several disappointments today but these are just some shipping routes. I checked this earlier, you checked it again after, and we found nothing. And oh, it stopped glowing.”
“Wait! Why don’t we place the coin over it and see if it glows again?” Wonwoo this time suggested, pocketing his fountain pen, and then continued speaking after seeing the look of hesitance on your expressions. “And the coin is clearly safe, other than the fact that it’s, you know…glowing.”
“You pick it up then,” you instructed as Sonyoung returned the map of the shipping routes on table and laid it there flat.
“Fine,” he conceded sulkily and took the coin from where it sat and placed it over the parchment.
Amazingly, the paper did start glowing again, making the map invisible and then forming scribbles of white glow on the paper. The three of you crowded in front of it, trying to assess what you had discovered.
Soonyoung sighed. “I still don’t know what it is.”
“I’m as clueless too,” you added before stepping away.
“That’s a geass.”
The both of you turned to Wonwoo who was still scrutinizing it with meticulousness.
“I hope you’d care to explain?” you asked, walking to the place beside him.
Wonwoo closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses.
“It’s actually pretty rare. But basically, a geass is an agreement. However, it’s a thousand times more powerful than your ordinary paper and ink contract. It binds parties through magic which makes it unbreakable. If anyone attempts to do so, they will be met by a horrific death.”
“That’s nasty,” Soonyoung remarked with a scrunch on the nose.
“Indeed it is. Which is why nobody really attempts to seal agreements using geasses anymore because it binds for life. You only reserve it for incredibly important things. You could consider the soulmate bond as a form of geass made between two people.”
“Two unconsenting people, you mean?” You added, making a terse glanced at Wonwoo.
“Yes, right. So in this case,” Wonwoo continued, picking up the paper but making sure the coin is still in contact with it. “What we have here is a geass made between the Gestalts and…one Gustav Lemaire.”
“Hey, isn’t that the same judge?” Soonyoung called out, his brows knitting with intrigue. “You know, the one who dismissed the tax evasion case of Luce Trading? His name really fits the corrupt judge image so it stuck with me.”
“That’s novel,” you remarked with playful snide. “But anyway, if it’s between the Gestalts and the judge, then is this some kind of settlement?”
“It kind of is,” Wonwoo replied, as he read the script with narrowed eyes. “It says here…”
“It says what?” you asked, impatient.
“Give me a moment. It’s written in archaic script and I haven’t really mastered it yet,” Wonwoo said, still hunched over the document. “So, it says here that in exchange for the dismissal of the case as well as increased support for Luce Trading, the Gestalts agreed to…to illegally smuggle in Cilvekans into Porta Persa…”
Wonwoo turned his gaze back at you and Soonyoung as if he had realized something. His eyes were blank and his lips ajar as he uttered the same last words he had said like a whispered chant—clearly, it was a huge epiphany.
“I think we might’ve ran into something much bigger than we had expected.”
Dusk was already settling on the horizon when you were able to return to your gaudy dorm room; painting the marble white walls in a gradient of pink skies and sunset orange. You hesitated before turning the doorknob which usually led to the common room—wondering if Lee Jihoon went back earlier than usual, and what you were going to do about it considering what had happened a few weeks ago.
There was really nothing left to say.
You shook those thoughts away and just braced yourself for the unforeseen. It made no sense to overthink situations which happened weeks ago. Lee Jihoon’s presence in the dorm was pretty much lacking ever since the whole Cilvekan issue had blown up. He might’ve forgotten it already and it made you look ridiculous being so hung up over it.
Unsurprisingly, the common room was empty and you only sighed at your dramatics. You thought something had changed between you and Jihoon that night, but it seemed like it was only your imagination. The dorm was as empty as when you had first arrived a few months ago.
With an innocuous shrug, you stepped away from the doorway and went for the dinner table. The suppressant you had drank from last night was wearing off and you needed another dose before that invasive voice in your head starts speaking again. You were glad that your body had finally developed a tolerance to the painful side effects of the suppressants, or else, people would’ve easily noticed how much pain you were trying to conceal.
Opening your pack of alchemical compounds and ingredients, you took a transparent olive green bottle and swirled it around to agitate the particles that had settled to the bottom. Removing the cork, you took a whiff of the godawful scent and simply prepared yourself for the equally rancid taste.  Before you could though, you…hesitated.
Hm?
You looked down on the bottle you were holding, the solution inside swirling as much as your mind was. Why were you hesitating? What was stopping you from taking another dose from the same suppressant you had been drinking for the past month? It was strange. Truly strange that you were making a decision over such a simple task that you had done over and over again for the past few months.
Didn’t you want to block that voice? Didn’t you want to prevent yourself from hurting that’s why you’re doing this? Then why are you hesitating? What’s stopping you from drinking?
“I feel heavy…”
You muttered softly as if any more weight in your voice could make it more unbearable. It was indeed strange—every time you decided to drink it, the heavier your heart becomes as if some parts of it were slowly turning into ice. You felt guilty for something; felt sorry for something you had no idea of. Could it be that you were actually feeling remorseful for the things you’ve done to your soulmate?
Gazing at the bottle one more time, you only felt more sick and grossed out; your stomach belching. It was like the dark liquid inside was a direct representation of all the hate and cold heartedness brewing inside your heart, and you didn’t like how it looked. It felt like some kind of cruel karma finally hitting you back.
Please don’t leave me…
A voice echoed in your head. You instantly panicked, afraid that it was really your soulmate, but it wasn’t. It was Jihoon’s voice. Jihoon wasn’t your soulmate.
Please don’t reject me. I’m sorry…
You didn’t know how to describe the pressure, the pain wringing your heart. It was excruciating. You felt sick. The look on Jihoon’s face that night was all your mind’s eye could see; the way he pleaded for you to stay by his side; the way he held you tightly between his arms as if you were going to slip away at any second. It was like you had caused him direct pain even if you didn’t know how or why.
“Jihoon…”
Your eyes wandered to the bottle in your hands again, but this time you stuck the cork back in, sealing it away for now. Whether or not you’ll stop taking them was a decision you weren’t ready to make. For now, it was best not to tempt karma.
Before you could utter another word however, you heard the main door open and you hurriedly cleaned up your mess on the table. You placed the green bottle in its usual place, glancing at it with thoughts in your head, before dismissing them altogether.
“Y/N? I didn’t know you’d be here,” a familiar voice echoed across the room, making you turn in an instant.
Jihoon was still clad in his formal attire—an all-black suit that made him look like he was going to a funeral. He had been busy running around gathering support for the petition he was championing and it had truly been an exhausting day. He had just finished hanging his coat over the sofa when you averted your attention to him.
“I—well, this is also my dorm so…” you awkwardly replied, your hands gesturing wildly.
“Ah, right, right. Sorry,” Jihoon replied, now a bit embarrassed of his rather obvious observation before he decided to walk away from you.
Considering his usual attitude, you assumed that he would immediately march his way towards his room and lock himself away from the outside world. However, the fact that he was still in the common room, pacing back and forth like some anxious teenager, debating internally if he wanted this or that remain, hinting that he was not done yet.
“Jihoon…?” You asked, slightly worried about him.
“I—“ he began, then wavered, his mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish. It was embarrassing, but he just couldn’t find the courage to say what he wanted to say. Not after the fact that he had cried in front of you that night.
“Are…are you ok?” Your brows were furrowed, now wondering what was the matter with him. “I can make some basic potions—“
“No! No, I’m fine. I’m fine,” Jihoon interrupted and then pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “It’s just, well…you remember a few weeks ago when I got drunk? I realized I haven’t thanked you yet and I just wanted to make it up to you and well…”
Upon hearing his words, you immediately raised your brows in surprise. This was definitely not what you had expected.
“No, it’s ok! You don’t have to thank me!” you replied, now a tad bit embarrassed as well, as you gave him a small smile.
“But I want to,” he said with the usual firmness in his voice, glad that it was back. “And despite being roommates, we never had the chance to get to know each other better.”
“Oh,” was the only thing you could say at that time. He had a point though—you both were partners back in that stupid ball, plus he had seen your breakdown before and you had already seen him crying. You both should just call it quits and end the not-so ‘indifferent’ relationship you had between the two of you.
“Maybe we could have dinner together…?” Jihoon asked tentatively as he checked his pocket watch. “I know a place you might like.”
“Out-outside?” You asked, wholly astonished by how fast things had turned out. “I-uh…”
Honestly, there was no harm in having dinner with your roommate. You already live virtually together, so what’s a small dinner to the both of you anyway? And for some deeper reason, you wanted to indulge him. Maybe because you felt sorry for him that night, maybe you had grown fond of him over time, you don’t know. You weren’t sure. Maybe something did change that night.
“Only if you want to, of course. We can eat here as well—“
“It’s fine, Jihoon,” you interrupted, fiddling with your fingers because you couldn’t bear to look at him, especially with how fast your heart was racing. “Let’s have dinner together.”
It was a rather lovely night outside.
The skies were dark and the moon and stars were twinkling brightly underneath you. Yet what caught your attention the most was where Jihoon had taken you for dinner.
Lanterns of various colors lit up above you, hanging on string and bathing the whole area in a warm and vibrant glow. There was live music as bands strum their mandolins and played their fiddles, creating an ambiance of celebration and vivid colors.
A lot of people had gathered in the area, raucous laughter and loud chatting could be heard from everywhere. All of these placed next to a cliff side which had the best view of Porta Persa at night; the lights from houses and street lamps shimmering against the dark backdrop of the port city like distant stars high above the night sky. It was truly a sight to behold, especially when things had gotten tense and gloomy lately.
“It’s a night market,” Jihoon explained, still clad in his all black attire though he had removed his tie and unbuttoned the first two on his shirt. “Since the ports are where most tourists enter Porta Persa, we coordinated with all the local governments in the country and established a night market to boast the different cuisines found in Porta Persa.”
Your eyes were still filled by the sights while Jihoon began talking, yet despite that, you were listening to him intently, and his explanation just made you explode with amazement.
“Oh wow! Really? That’s actually quite ingenious!” You exclaimed with a bright smile, turning to him as you both walked around to check the stalls. “We should definitely feature this in the Edition! Look at what most people are missing out!”
Jihoon made a small smile at your comment, watching as you checked every single food stall for something you haven’t seen yet. He liked it when you were just having fun, unbothered by the problems of the world—just genuinely at the moment, smiling and laughing in front of him. If you could stay like that, he felt like he was at peace.
“Look Jihoon!” you called out to him excitedly, on your hands was a grilled fish on a stick. “This is a delicacy from the Oihe region! They would soak the fish for a month in Rejhu juice, which is a fruit only found there that has impressive preservation properties, and then grill it! It could go on for several months which is perfect for the region’s harsh cold climate. That’s what the lady told me though.”
“I haven’t tried that yet,” he remarked, and then smirked, “Maybe I’ll take some from your share.”
“Eh…but this is mine,” you pursed your lips and turned your head. “You go buy your own.”
Acting like a petulant child, Jihoon couldn’t help but chuckle at your antics, much to your chagrin. With an irate expression, you looked at him, who was covering half of his face with his hand as he laughed—you didn’t really appreciate being laughed at.
“What’s the matter?” you asked with your eyebrows knitting, your hands on your waist.
“No, no, I’m sorry,” he replied, still in his laughing fit which eventually subsided into a smirk in a few moments. “I just—I never expected you to act like this at all.”
“Act?” you leaned your head to the side in bewilderment. “But I’m always like this.”
“I always thought you were the serious type, you know,” Jihoon explained, his lips curving; his eyes glistening against the vivid golden lights up above you. “I just never anticipated you could be so adorably childish as well.”
“Adorably childish?!” you repeated, now a bit flustered that you had been acting that way the whole time. “That—that was never my intention!”
Jihoon only smiled at you and patted your head gently. “It’s okay. I like it.”
You couldn’t muster a reply to that comment because of how heated your face had become. No one really complimented you like that, and above all, it was Lee Jihoon who did it—the same person you were rather indifferent four months ago.
“Come on, let’s go have some dinner,” he simply said without further ado. Taking in your silence, Jihoon decided to move on and walk around the market, leaving you in your thoughts.
In the end, both you found yourselves sitting on a table with a clear view of the Porta Persa skyline, giving the situation a rather romantic ambiance which you never really had planned on. Before you, warm food of various origins were placed neatly on the table, waiting to be eaten and fill your hungry stomachs.
“You have…. rather interesting choices,” you remarked upon seeing Jihoon’s meal of choice while you carefully dissected your fish from before.
“Hm?” Jihoon looked up to you with a questioning look, a fork and a knife on his hands. “Oh, these are from Santaragossa. They might be a bit spicy, but I do miss them from time to time.”
“Ah, you were from Santaragossa? I always thought you were born and raised in the capital,” you replied, taking a sip from a citrus fruit blend you found rather interesting.
“Why so?” he asked, downing a piece of braised meat. “I assumed I gave an impression of someone from the provinces.”
“Not at all,” you gave him an austere look. “You seem like you run the place.”
“Do I now?” Jihoon asked, his lips again curving into a tiny smirk. “I never realized you thought of me that way. I appreciate your sentiments though.”
“But what is it like?” you suddenly asked. “I mean, living in Santaragossa?”
Jihoon leaned his head to the side, wondering why you were asking him this so suddenly.
“That place was my childhood. The summers were cool and the winters were not too cold. Most of the land are large vineyards and olive groves so I would run around a lot and play with the animals and so on. There is also a large lake near the house which is a great place to swim in during summer months. I do have private tutors, so please don’t get the wrong idea that I wasn’t in school.”
As you watched him talk about his hometown, you noticed how Jihoon had brightened up, rekindling fond memories from his childhood. He seemed to be at peace and less troubled than he was a few hours before, and it gave you a sense of serenity as well, gazing at him like what you were doing at that moment.
“Just by looking at you, I could already tell that it’s such a great place,” you remarked, grinning. “I’ve never really left the capital before, that’s why I always wanted to go to one of the provinces. Since you definitely sold me the idea, I might want to go to Santaragossa someday, given the opportunity.”
A thought struck Jihoon in an instant.
“Hypothetically speaking, if I’d invite you to come with me to Santaragossa next week, would you go?”
At that very moment, in the middle of a night market, you were stunned to silence.
-Hyeri CHAP 1 | CHAP 2 | CHAP 3 | CHAP 4 | CHAP 5 | CHAP 6 |
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wreckofawriter · 4 years
Text
Old af Ship
I'm a fool, I forgot about this ship!! It's really old but here it is anyway:
@notsolong-pause: Male ship, the golden trio era, I’m female, blonde, shoulder-length hair. I’m pretty short: 5’2 and slightly plump (like my top part is rather thin, but then I have checks and full thighs and that what can make me look bigger, than I am and I have like million insecurities bc of that) Also I have heterochromia (one eye - grey, the other one - bright green), I am a proud ravenclaw (wit & wisdom as they say :), my patronus is a crow. I love embroidery, reading, sun (and everything related, I am obsessed with sun, I guess)), I am a coffee addict and I LOVE green apples, although many people say they are too sour. I’m an introvert, which means in my case that I love to talk and have conversations about million things, but only with those, who I find “the right people for me”, and I’m useless in small talks. I’m rather talkative, tho, if not with people who I don’t know. But I’m not completely awkward. I hate when people are disrespectful towards anyone at all. I love things with stories, old things. I’m almost incapable of communicating with guys who are also shy, bc the whole thing is just awkward and I hate awkwardness with my whole heart. I’m almost never angry and I hope I can make something big one day. Which makes me a mad dreamer, I guess. And I value great mind a lot. That’s the most important things, I guess. Especially an Apple part XD
I ship you with:
Fred Weasley!
You hated rude people, especially those who were rude for no reason at all. And Draco Malfoy happened to fall under that category
Appearently the younger boy thought he could embarrass one of your bestfriends infront of an entire class.
And while your blood boiled your shy nature kept you from doing anything but glare at the platinum blonde.
Thankfully someone did manage to feed your hunger for revenge with some sort of pimple potion. Seeing Draco covered in the ugly warts for a week definitely eased your pain
You didn't actually know who it was until a few days later when Draco and his gouls cornered Fred and George outside the great hall
You had watched as the younger tried to pick a fight with the twins who did nothing but laugh and make fun of him
When Draco pulled out a wand things got serious. The twins seemed hesitant to raise their own weapons (knowing the consequence would be detrimental considering their mother)
You on the other hand were less so. The anger you had built up Spilled from the tip of your wand in a knock back jinx
Both the twins had been a bit stunned when Draco was sent flying backwards, eyes turning to you who's wand was still out
You quickly stuffed it away people rushing away as Snape appeared at the end of the hallway
In seconds the entire area was thrown into darkness. You were confused to say the least attempting to make your way through the black smoke
Your arm was suddenly caught and you were dragged down the hallway eventually emerging from the darkness to see the twins beaming infornt of you
Fred immediately began to gush about how bad ass you were, causing your cheeks to go red and your eyes find the floor
He stopped midsentence when catching a glance of your embarrassed face. Your flushed checked and shy gaze was one of the most adorable things he had ever witnessed
Thankfully George broke the sudden silence and the moment passed
Fred thought about you a lot all of the sudden. When ever he would talk to you you would get flustered and avoid his gaze and he couldnt help but love it
You reminded him of a shy puppy, yet you had jinxed Malfoy, it was enduring to say the least
You ended up studying together per request of Fred and found out he was actually crazy smart.
What used to be a small crush bloomed into something more as you grew closer, elbows started bumping while jotting down notes and soon his arm was around your shoulder
George liked to pick on Fred beyond belief, finding his infatuation with you hilarious
He asked you to the yule ball but made it unclear weather you were going as friends or not
You assumed it was and Fred was sure he just scored a date with you
He was dumbfounded when you appeared outside your common room in a stunning lace ball gown
He managed to make it through the first few hours with out kissing you like crazy, of course you were oblivious to his struggle assuming you were still just friends
Dancing was a bit awkward at first, neither of you all that good at it and both of you were flushed by the proximity of the other
After a song or two you voted used to it, and it became fun instead of stressfull
Just as one of the last songs were ending Fred tightened his grip on your waist and closed the distance between you.
You were stunned by the kiss, in momentary shock as his lips moved against yours
Your lack of response led Fred to belive he had made a mistake pulling away quickly and stuttering out apologies as you tired to figure out what was going on
When you caught onto his rambles and their meaning you panicked and simply pulled him down to kiss you again
That cleared things up
Protective Boyfriend™
No body talks shit about you without getting their ass beat
He's really into PDA, doesnt care who's watching. If you're uncomfortable with it then he will cut back on his affection in public
Gets a jealous but doesnt let it show all that much. He trusts you completely he's just scared of losing you
You guys have dates outside all the time, by the lake, in the forest, at hogsmade just walking around for the hell of it
Not Edited
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jamiebluewind · 4 years
Text
Character Descriptions for Fantasy High 2.9!
***
As always, let me know if I need to edit or add anything and tag/ask/PM me about art and stories so I can check them out!
Warning: trauma, abuse, mental abuse, neglect, starvation, manipulation, memory loss mention, dark themes, isolation, imprisonment, fantasy racism, vomit mention (please let me know if I missed any)
All pronounciations typed out have a rolled R.
***
Facts
The party is currently at 44,100 exp. each. Next level is at 48,000 (which will probably take 3 more big battles, 2 if Brennan is super generous with RP awards).
Abernant family had all their land and wealth reclaimed by The Court of Stars for their treachery and failure to prevent a war with Solace. Elianwyn committed treason and betrayal as well.
To save Adaine, the group decided to break up into 3 teams: Pylon 1 (Ragh, Tracker, Cathilda, and Sandra Lynn), Pylon 2 (Gorgug, Fabian, and Riz), and Recovery (Ayda, Fig, and Kristen). Team 1 and 2 would simultaneously take out the pylons. Then, the recovery team would go in (invisible and/or disguised) and gets Adaine and Aelwyn. They would all meet back at Van where they would most likely use Ayda's teleport to leave Fallinel (or regroup to plan their next move).
***
New Characters
Tell-ah-mine Low-men-el-da
Fabian's grandpapa
Tall elf with regal green robes, a silver circlet, long platinum white blond hair with a widows peak, and shimmering blue eyes
Crinkle in the corners of his eyes shows his age in sort of an Elrond way. He look of a dude in his late 40s/early 50s who took excellent care of his body and kept it tight
Moves with supernatural grace
Can turn into silver sand and float away
Has no concept of what time means
Obsessed with the fact that his grandson will die before him (Your human blood has brought mortality to this family. You will one day die.)
Offers to send word to an elf who is a fabled eye smith who lives on the high mountains at the heart of Fallinel that can craft a working eye (from songs, whispers, beams of moonlight, jeweled edges of the blue of the sea, and shimmering poems pulled from the ether itself) for Fabian, but has no clue how long it will take (a moment, a year, or a hundred years).
Can't pronounce words in common very well, especially words he's never heard before (which delights Fabian and pisses off Gorgug)
Calls Fabian Aramais Seacaster fa-bee-ahn ah-rye-ah-my-ess Seacaster (which might actually be the proper pronouncations of his name in that region as "Seacaster" was said correctly and that's how all the other elves say his name as well) and calls Hallariel ha-lair-ee-el
Weeps without moving his face, but also sometimes makes a soft eeehhhh sound when he cries (at one point he cried over a drop of water)
Gifted stewardship of Khy-low Meh-new-rah 3000 years ago after he crafted The Sword of the North Star (he was the smith of fung-dran-ghoor) for the ancient king of Fallinel Th-wrist-win Eversong.
"Without the Elven Oracle, we are lost."
Saw the Abernants as power hungry and cruel and can't understand why they would leave Fallinel. He found Anguin in particular to be a crass and small man with no nobility, only a thirst for power.
Thinks Riz has a harsh energy, is "a little dick", and calls him "a strange green mouse thing"
Got physically ill when a gun was explained to him, calling it gross and some dwarven kind of thing before vomiting which he turns into a flock of white crows
Vhan-lair-ee-el
Fabian's aunt
Tried to heal Fabian's pneumonia with elvan singing
Said "I have failed" when her singing doesn't work before she fades into starlight and vanishes
Hal-door-in and [unnamed youth]
Elven teens in white linen shorts arguing because [unnamed] believes Hal-door-in took his lute.
Calmed by a distant song which stopped their fight.
Faf-threth-riel
Lithe elven youth (around 17 or 18 years old) with a blond mop of hair covering one eye
Bakes elven whey bread
Lived a sheltered life
Ragh was the first half-orc he met
Mostly into Ragh due to Ragh being half orc, excessively talking about his green skin (like the boughs of a tree leafy, my leafy man), being big and beefy (your legs are like the mighty trunks of trees), was really into rage (like when Ragh punched a seat cushion) to the point of it making Ragh uncomfortable
Sang in bed
Treth-thren-ren
Elven youth who does morning dance yoga
Tried to get Fabian to eat a grape
Oak Warriors
Elemental plant based automaton soldiers made of pure magic
Look like 8 foot tall green men with leaves coming from their faces
***
Changes to Established Characters
Aelwyn
Matted long blond hair
Dry skin, chapped colorless lips, and thick bags under her eyes
Severely dehydrated and trance deprived (probably hasn't been allowed to trance for nearly a year)
5 points of exhaustion. Only magic is keeping her from going to the 6th level and dying.
Her "room" is a large large beautiful elven chamber with silver and marble. Ambiant light glows from the white stone.
Trapped inside a 15 foot diameter orb that's constantly turning so she can't trance
Crawling on hands and knees while trapped, shaking with the effort
Doesn't give Adaine up to Kear
Can still remember how to cast the message cantrip
Feels strange and addled (unable to think clearly; confused), can't remember what's real or imagined anymore, doesn't clearly remember what happened in her past (including what she did to get imprisoned), and forgets what she and Adaine have already talked about (causing a lot of reputation).
Thinks her parents "tried their best they could" and that "they expected quite a lot of us, but isn't that what- doesn't that... didn't that make us great?" (possibly due to something her father said or did since her imprisonment as it echoes a few things he's said)
Gilear
Looks scruffy (from not shaving), dirty, and has pit stains
Somehow didn't mess up being diplomatic with Fabian's grandpapa
Unbuttons the top button on his shirt when he "lets loose"
To Fig about Sandra Lynn and Garthy: Are you aware of such... hanky panky?
Learning of Sandra Lynn's infidelity with Garthy "Honestly? Perhaps this is... fucked up. It makes me feel... like there wasn't something uniquely wrong with me. Maybe a tiny little w for Gilear."
Spent the night walking through the forest with Hallariel's father, reciting poetry (badly)
To Fabian after Hallariel's father threw up "You're low and he's low. It's Gilear's day baby! It's Gilear's day."
Tried to ask Hallariel's father for her hand, but even though Fig gave him bardic inspiration and Riz helped by covering Fabian's mouth, he failed... so much. ("Lord Tell-ah-mine of Khy-low Meh-new-rah I like you am-" *makes himself throw up* "We get it. We both get it. We... We're the throw up boys." *passes out*)
Ayda
Hid in the van the entire visit
Might have rejection sensitive dysphoria (which is common in those with autism or ADHD)
Did a sending spell to Zelda for Gorgug for 150 gold (after reminding him that she very much does not like anyone in her debt or visa versa)
Offered to exact vengeance on Zelda for Gorgug
Is powerful enough to know teleport and learn plane shift (so level 13 or higher)
Stated that Adaine is her best friend and decides that since Fig is also Adaine's best friend, by the transitive property she is best friends with Fig as well (and Fig agreed). Learning this, she says "Fantastic. I grow richer by the day. I'm emotional." before starting to cry fire "I'm emotional. I'm gonna fly away." She then flew away, returning after she had calmed down.
Ragh
Ate grapes and started burping musical notes after he left Khy-low Meh-new-rah.
Lost his virginity to Faf-threth-riel who then got creepy and kinda racist, making Ragh very uncomfortable (and want to get out of there asap)
Fabian
Lost both points of exhaustion thanks to the 8000 thread count elven sheets (did they get to keep the sheets or at least one sheet for help with exhaustion?)
Felt really good when he tried out dance yoga, even wondering if he should be some kind of yoga dancer instead of a fighter (how about a whirling dervish dancer like Cathilda?)
The grapes he put in his pocket (after refusing to eat them) turned into song
Indifferent towards saving Aelwyn and doesn't want to be on the retrieval team
When he started feeling anxious about the Aelwyn stuff, Riz told him to lose himself in dancing again to feel free (Riz: You are the only one that I wanna see dancing right now.) It made him feel much better.
***
Other Characters
Adaine
Taken by Court of Stars
Her jacket and spellbook were taken
Trapped in an orb which is soft and doesn't hurt her, but the constant movement of its slow turning doesn't allow her to be still or trance
The walls of her room glow with runes and there are many perminant magical effects, making her captors capable of some crazy things (like prepared directional counter spells), but the setup wouldn't counter cantrips
Escaped the orb with dispel magic (dc 15) which makes a couple counter spells go off and an alarm sound
Hid in Aelwyn's room. The sister's spoke before she was recaptured and placed back in her orb. Adaine told Aelwyn that she was going to get her out
Discovered that her room was close enough to Aelwyn to talk to her via the message cantrip
Repeatedly cast Ray of Frost to turn her orb into a slip and slide to stay entertained
Instead of speaking to her father in elvish, she responded in common. Also cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter on him.
Anguin and Kear said she would be executed for treason for staying in Solace and refusing to cooperate. She demanded a lawyer and then the Ambassador to Solace, citing her age and being a student at Augefort Adventuring Academy which summoned a recorded hologram of Arthur Augefort.
Arthur Augefort
Has a recorded hologram that is activated when a student claims the need of his diplomatic help in foreign affairs.
It threatens the listeners with graphic and terrifying violence and doom, giving them the options of either rectify the actions that summoned him (Yes) or refuse and welcome the aforementioned punishment for their actions (No).
Gorgug
Fabian's grandfather called him Jhor-judge
Finally got a message to Zelda via Ayda using her sending spell (Zelda. Safe in Fallinel. Gonna finish cell tower soon. Sorry about everything, but hope your break is going well in spite of this. Miss you.) and got a reply the next morning a little while after waking up (Sorry. Was at a party. You don't have to build a cell tower. That's crazy. It's all whatever Gorgug. I don't blame you.)
Didn't sleep well, but still got the benefit of a full night's sleep due to elven sheets.
Kristen
Got in a fight with Tracker and then got 3 nat 1s on persuasion checks when she tried to make up with her.
Slept in Adaine's room
Doesn't know how to make a cell tower
Took one of the 40 to 50 foot long diaphanous silk scarves with her
Gave (inspiring?) speech ending with "Friendship is thinker than water and we need water to live." which gave everyone 11 temp hit points
Accidentally called Pok a "smiling elf" and then blew it off as being due to her being human
Can now see Shadow Cat in the picture (along with Tracker, Sandra Lynn, Garthy, Riz, and Sklonda and possibly the dead cambian, Pok, Jace, and Adaine's mom) and reacted by saying "Was I spooning the cat all night in the milk!?"
Sandra Lynn
Dropped out senior year and got her diploma after the fact to join an adventuring party
Joined as a replacement member for an existing adventuring party that was already active in the world and included an older much more powerful married couple.
Fresh out of high school, fell in love with one person from the couple (nonbinary or gender intentionally hidden) who "did not treat her very kindly"
When it all came out, she was ejected from the adventuring party, her romantic partner took great pains to smear her name (so no one would accept her), no other party would take her as a replacement, and she was forced to become a Celesian Ranger
Gilear knows who the couple were, but doesn't want to tell Fig (could she know the people involved?)
Key-heir/Khear
Child-like elven maiden with long brown braided hair, a white gown, and a large staff.
When confronted by Arthur Augefort's hologram, she chose to not heed his warnings.
***
More from 2.9!
***
Previous
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iris-writes-things · 6 years
Text
Crazy, Millennial Love Story chapter 10
Read on AO3, FF.net or under the cut!
Tumblr media
This chapter contains a lot of text messages, so for formatting reasons I recommend you read this chapter on AO3!
Keith's photography business is officially coming off the ground and things are finally looking up. But when a mysterious new client tells him about Allura's dark past, Keith gets second thoughts about setting Shiro up with her.
Chapter 10 of ? Ongoing 2362 words Modern/romance
Anonymous
Hello Keith! I recently came across your account, and I was wondering if I could hire you for a shoot in the financial district some time this week. I can pay you an hourly rate of 50 dollars, and an additional 500 for the photos. When would you be available?
(Received 9.53 AM)
Oops! Sorry for the late reply 😅 I think if we’d have to hurry too much if we go now. Limited daylight and all. How about tomorrow at noon? Where would you like to meet up?
(Sent 2.12 PM)
Tomorrow at noon sounds great! You’ve done a shoot for Allura before, right? Shall we meet in front of the Altea Infrastructure building?
(received 2.13 PM)
Yeah, that’s good for me. See you there!
(Sent 2.34 PM)
(Read 2.35 PM)
Keith tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his new client to show up, watching the hustle and bustle of men and women in suits rushing from their office buildings to quickly get lunch and return to their cubicle as fast as humanly possible. He’d made sure to show up half an hour early, in case they showed up early, but that was forty-five minutes ago! He let out a deep sigh. He didn’t even know their name… nor their gender… nor what they look like. Even their phone number was listed as anonymous!
His heart sank into his shoes. He had no idea who he was supposed to meet up with! What if it was some creep?! Come to think of it, Shiro had insisted he tag along to his very first job as a model, maybe Keith should have insisted his roommate return the favor, but you know, hindsight is always 20/20. He’d just have to deal with whomever the fuck showed up.
The buzzing of his phone snapped him out of his train of thought. He fumbled it out of his pocket with nervous, trembling fingers.
Allura
Look up.
(Received 12.13)
And so he did. Up five floors was Allura waving at him from the window. He chuckled and waved back.
“What are you doing here?!” She called down to him.
“Waiting for a new client! They’re probably gonna be here soon!” He shouted back up.
“Good luck! I have to go now, my board meeting is about to start, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!” She said, showing off her crossed fingers from the open window.
“Thanks!” Keith laughed out loud, looking back in front of him as Allura closed up the window she had just leaned out of.
“Sorry I’m late!”
Keith’s eyes darted to the source of the sound. Approaching him was a man, tall, tanned skin with his platinum blond hair tied in a messy, yet effortlessly beautiful bun. He was gorgeous in much the same way Allura was. Not Keith’s type, but conventionally very attractive.
“Friend of yours?” The stranger asked, pointing up at the widow of the board room.
Keith gazed up, barely processing what was going on. “Uh… Oh, yeah! Allura has pretty much kickstarted my career as a photographer. She’s pretty great.”
“If you say so.” The man shrugged. “Ah, I’m afraid I haven’t properly introduced myself yet.” He said, holding his hand out for Keith to shake. “I’m Lotor. I do much of the same thing Allura does as a social influencer, but I tend to lean more towards modeling.”
Lotor… The name rang a bell to Keith, but he wasn’t sure where to place it. Keith looked at his hand, tilting his head slightly as he pushed his doubts to the back of his mind, shaking the man’s hand. “Keith. Nice meeting you. So, where did you wanna get your pictures taken?”
“I was hoping to do something a little grittier than your last shoot. I know a nice abandoned warehouse near the harbor that hasn’t been turned into a trendy office building yet, so I was hoping we could take the pictures there?”
Abandoned warehouse? That didn’t sound suspicious at all. “I, uh, I’m not sure… I didn’t bring my lighting rig for that, and I don’t have a car to haul it all the way to the harbor… I don’t know if it’s gonna work.” Keith stammered, scratching his face as he pulled this weak excuse out of his ass.
“Oh, don’t worry! The roof has more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese. You should be good with the lighting.” Lotor reassured happily in a sing-song kind of tone.
Shit. “Okay, sure. If you wanna, why not.” Keith gave in, laughing nervously.
***
As it turned out, Lotor’s intent wasn’t nearly as malicious as Keith was afraid it would be. He would even go as far as to say that working with the was actually quite pleasant. He clearly had a vision of what he wanted the pictures to look like, and had no problems with being posed and directed.
"You know, I actually used to date Allura." Lotor spoke up as he sat down on a wooden pallet he had just used to pose on.
Keith lowered his camera, allowing it to hang around his neck. "Really? How'd that go?" He asked curiously.
Lotor bit his lip, glancing away. “You know… Dating someone like her isn’t all everyone makes it out to be… Her way of life can be demanding. Hell, she can be demanding. Pushy, even. And that’s keeping her work as a social influencer out of it! She’d take me on dates, and only afterwards I would find out she only took me out because she was getting paid to advertise the place! I’ve… I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not proud of… That I’m uncomfortable with… Just because she wanted those likes.”
“Yeah… That sounds pretty shitty.” Keith sighed as he sat down next to him. “But if you hated that lifestyle so much when she did it, why are you still doing it now?” He asked, maybe a little harshly. Sure, he felt for Lotor. Nothing is worse than a partner who pushes you too far. Keith knew that from his own experience. But why keep doing it after breaking up with them? Besides, Keith had seen the way Allura works. She didn’t seem to be anything like the way Lotor described her.
“Because I’m doing it on my own terms now. It’s different…” Lotor mumbled, hollow eyes staring at the dusty concrete floor, tracing one of the cracks with the point of his shoe in boredom. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use the following I gained during my time with Allura to earn the money I needed get my own place, but those are the only ties to her I have left.”
“I’m sorry, man… I didn’t know.” Keith said, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up.
“I can’t blame you. A lot of people don’t know.” He sighed. “The new guy that seems to be romancing her. This ‘Shiro’... You know him, right?” Lotor asked, turning to Keith.
“Yeah. He’s, uh, he’s my roommate. And, like, my best friend.” Keith admitted, feeling his shoulders slump.
“Oh… I’m so sorry you had to find out this way…” Lotor whispered, carefully wrapping his arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Just, you know, do me a favor and look after him, okay? I mean, it’s been years since I dated her, so it’s perfectly possible that she’s a changed woman, but there’s no way for me to know for sure. I’d hate for your friend to get hurt.”
“I will. I promise.”
***
It was 5 PM by the time Keith returned to his and Shiro’s studio apartment. “I’m home!” He called, tossing his keys to the kitchen table, only to be greeted by the sound of a running shower. Pouting, he walked up to the bathroom door and pounded on it with all his might. chuckling at the shrill shriek it earned him from Shiro. “I said I’m home!”
“I heard you the first time!” Shiro called back.
“Then answer me.” Keith told him sternly, even though there was nothing stern about the look on his face as he smiled fondly. “What are you washing your ass for anyway?”
“Allura got a press screener for a movie you and I have been stoked about for like half a year, so she invited me to come watch it tonight.” Shiro said through the door, shutting off the shower.
“Wait, hold on, Allura got a press screener for Revengers: Infinite Altercation?! You have to tell me all about it when you come back! Or could you, you know, borrow it from her?”
“Can’t. Technically, I’m not even supposed to be watching it with her, so I gotta be all hush-hush about it.”
“Okay, fine…” Keith said, rolling his eyes. “But you’re still coming to see it with me when it comes out in theaters.”
“That’s a promise I can keep.” Shiro said, smiling as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.
There was no way Shiro would have just stepped out like this mere months ago, Keith thought to himself. Allura had done good things for both of them, but Shiro’s newfound confidence had to be at the very top of the list. It was hard to imagine that the Allura he knew could ever be like the Allura Lotor had apparently dated, but that didn’t stop Keith’s heart from sinking at the thought that the very same could happen to Shiro. It could be mirrors and smoke. It could be a slow descent that neither of them could see coming. He swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat, pushing the thought to the back of his mind and forced a smile. “You better.”
“What are you doing tonight?” Shiro asked curiously, disappearing into his bedroom to get dressed.
“Just editing the photos, I guess. Probably pigging out on potato chips and getting drunk when I’m done.”
“Sounds like a solid night.” Shiro chuckled as he emerged from his room, fully dressed. He gave Keith a firm pat on the back. “Don’t wait up for me, okay?”
“I won’t.” Keith smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. He watched Shiro like a hawk as he made a move to leave the apartment, panic creeping up on him. Finally, he snapped, taking hold of Shiro’s wrist. “Be… Be careful, okay? Call me if there’s anything wrong… Hell, if you’re uncomfortable, call me. Okay? Be safe.”
Shiro smiled and pulled the smaller man into a hug. “I will, I promise.” He whispered before pulling back. “I know it’s hard to see your little man grow up, but I’m not leaving the nest just yet.” Shiro joked, wearing the broadest, brightest smile on his face. A rare treat, even for Keith, even though it was becoming more and more common.
“Come on, man, can’t a bro be worried about a bro?” Keith asked, laughing nervously as he went along with the joke. Had he been that obvious?
“It’s okay, enough joking for now.” Shiro said before taking a deep breath, keeping himself from laughing any more. “I’ll be safe, I promise. I’ll be back in the morning, so seriously, don’t wait up for me, okay?” He said, squeezing Keith’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Okay…” Keith mumbled, breath hitching as he watched Shiro leave.
What if Allura really wasn’t who they thought she was?
***
When Lotor returned home, his apartment was completely shrouded in darkness. Nobody had apparently bothered to turn any of the lights on. He sighed as he turned on the lights in the hallway and made his way to his living room, which was completely dark as well, the only light in the room coming from his television and Ezor’s cell phone.
All three of his friends were sprawled over the couch, tangled up in each other, half watching whatever trashy tv show was on. They hissed, squinting when he turned on the light fixture that hung right above them. “Ladies.” Lotor greeted, a fond smile gracing his features.
They hummed in acknowledgement, boredom evident in every last bit of their being.
“So, how’d it go?” Ezor asked as she threw her phone to the salon table.
“It went well, thank you very much. The seeds of doubt are planted, and I got some very pretty pictures out of it, too. Double win for me.” Lotor smiled proudly, showing the already edited photos that had arrived in his inbox mere minutes ago. “If all goes according to plan, all we have to do is wait.”
“Man, I hate this. You could’ve just let me beat up the new guy and tell him to stay the fuck away from her. Much quicker, that way.” The largest of his friends, Zethrid, asked as she sat up, knocking the two other girls off of her with a yelp.
“Yes, it would be quicker, but I doubt it would be more effective. Besides, beating up a nerdy, gay photographer isn’t a good look for you. It would prompt immediate retaliation and I can’t risk that.” He said sternly, prompting the large woman to groan in frustration.
“Sorry to rain on your parade, Lotor, but the same plan didn’t work for the last three of Allura’s friends. What makes you think it will work this time?” Axca asked, leaning over the back of the couch.
“Because he has trust issues, and we have leverage.” Lotor smirked as he sat down on the couch between Ezor and Axca. “I didn’t tell him Allura would turn on him, I told him Allura would turn on his best friend. If I can get him to mistrust Allura and break their friendship from the inside, he might be able to convince his friend to no longer pursue Allura. Either that, or his relationship with his best friend will crumble along with his relationship with Allura, leaving him all alone. Whatever happens, the fallout will be interesting to watch.”
“That… Actually sounds like it might work.” Axca admitted.
He nodded in agreement. “Now all we have to do is sit back and relax.”
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goldenbroadwaygirl · 7 years
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❝ ···┋My Message || Self-Paragraph || Coming Out Music Video || Includes Press Reactions┋··· ❞
She took a deep breath and collected herself. It has to be now or never. It took her sixteen hours to make this song. She knows it's rushed, but it has deep meanings and it represents who she is. It is what it is. Mira pulled out her phone and dialled Raven's number. It rang once before her best friend's screaming ensued:
"Mate, you're alive! You are all over the fucking media. Can you believe this shite? I'm bloody freaking out and absolutely furious that you never bothered to tell me you liked girls. I'm deeply wounded, Mira." Though she was screaming over the line, Mira could easily tell that her best friend was being supportive. If Raven were actually offended, she wouldn't be this enthusiastic, neither would she even be talking to Mira in the first place.
Mira sighed. "Rave, I know. I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but to tell you the truth, I've buried this part of me... deep down. For so long. I think I actually forgot who I really was." She took another deep breath before continuing.
"I really need your help. I need the squad to gather together. I need all your help."
"Of course, whatever it is. We're here for you, babe."
"Thanks, hon."
The instructions were easy. First, gather at Jesse's apartment's rooftop parking lot. (It's all about the aesthetics, you see. Besides, that parking lot is clean af.) Second, bring some bomb ass clothes, something that will scream: I'm fierce. Third, make signs about empowering women and LGBTQ+ related slogans. Fourth and a MUST, bring a rainbow flag. Lastly, go bloody smash the fuck out of it and show them how it's done.
"This is so awesome, Mira!" Raven practically squealed as she leaped from the ledge she was standing on, and proceeded by grabbing one of the signs. "I'm totally parading this one."
Raven held up the one with the slogan that says: I'm not your babe.
Mira laughed. "Suits you." She clapped her hands before ordering everyone to gather around. "Alright, ladies, we only have Carlos on duty right now. He's the only camera man I'm able to borrow at this hour, so let's try not to give him a hard time, eh?"
"No promises!" Teased Cara, who was rocking her short platinum blonde hair.
They all smiled before Carlos held up and played Mira's track on the speaker when the girls were in position. It started out with a panning shot of Mira, Jesse and Raven looking fierce and ready to cut a man in half. The make-up was on point too, (credits goes to Cara) while their outfits make the aesthetic standards. Mira started lip-syncing to the track, making sure that she's maintaining eye contact with the camera as she sings the first verse:
         ❝      Can't believe all the things they say about me                  Tell me I've gone crazy                  But I am what I am                  So come take a look                  It's my world that I want to have a little pride in                  This is my message                  And my world and it's not a place I have to hide in
Carlos takes a series of pan and zoom shots of the girl's faces and the surrounding as they slowly walk their way in the parking lot. They take a cut for the second verse and the girls are all finally carrying their signs, all raising it up with passion as they march together while Carlos used a steadicam to take a tracking shot of the girls marching forward with Mira.
        ❝      You can't tame me, can't tame me                  I am what I am                  I don't want praise, I don't want pity                  And what I am needs no excuses                  I deal my own deck                  Sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces                  This is my message
                 (Even if it makes others uncomfortable)                  (I wanna love who I am)                  (Even if it makes others uncomfortable)                  (I will love who I am)
Mira grabbed the megaphone Raven brought and started lip-syncing into it for more dramatic effect. She was feeling entirely uplifted and empowered. Her friends are here, showing their support and participating in her spontaneous coming out project. Mira couldn't ask for better friends. They ended the song with the last verse and Mira decided to shoot that scene when it's dark out. Thank goodness Raven and Jesse brought glow sticks, it absolutely looks fantastic in the dark.
       ❝      You can take my wings but I'm still goin' fly                And even when you edit me I ain't gonna lie                Yeah, keep talking and I'mma keep writing songs                I am what I am                I don't want praise, I don't want pity                So come take a look                It's my world that I want to have a little pride in                This is my message                And my world and it's not a place I have to hide in
               (Even if it makes others uncomfortable)                (I wanna love who I am)                (Even if it makes others uncomfortable)                (I will love who I am)
It took three hours to edit the whole music video. It was rushed, just like the song, but it was spontaneously gratifying. It is what it is.
Mira patiently awaits as the last seconds of processing reached to completion. It's finally out there. She's finally free.
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