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#extended edition character romance
witchwhaat · 1 year
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finished crash course in romance
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(yes, i will be using this shoma pic every possible occasion from now on aldjdhsjkkrfl)
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blueinkedfrost · 2 years
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Amelia and her sister Imoen remember their childhood as they return to Candlekeep after the Bhaalspawn War is over. Their old friends throw a party for them at Winthrop's inn, but Viconia and Hexxat aren't all too happy about it, for more than one reason.
This wonderful story by AvandraTheMarySueSlayer journeys from adorable Candlekeep flashbacks to a thoughtful romantic conversation between Viconia and Hexxat.
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speakergame · 2 months
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Progress Update - 3/4/24
Hello and happy March!
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? 😅 Well, I finally have some good news for you this time: I have some actual news!
I'm happy to be able to announce at last that an update is on its way! I’ve still got some assets to make and code cleanup and testing to finish, but I should finally have something to show you soon.
I’ll put a cut at the end of this and go into more detail about the what and why of what I’ve been working on during this long and unintended hiatus, but the tl;dr is that I hope to have an update out by the end of the month, and that said update will break any saves made in Chapter 4. Unfortunate, but unavoidable, since Chapter 4 had to be recoded from the beginning 😞
I just want to thank all of you once again for sticking with me through my extended silence! Especially to my patrons who’ve put up with me putting everything on pause month after month while I dealt with my real life shit, and to everyone who’s sent me kind and supportive messages to let me know Speaker hasn’t been forgotten. It really means a lot to me.
Okay, enough of that sappy shit! I’m gonna get back to work finishing this up 😁 I’ll put out another update later this month once I have a more definite release date.
Thank you all for reading! I hope you’re having a fantastic 2024 so far, and that the rest of the week treats you kindly. See y’all soon! 💙💙💙
(For those who want a more detailed breakdown on what’s been happening and what to expect, hit the readmore)
I won’t go into the personal life stuff I’ve been dealing with this past year that has slowed down my work, but as far as the actual game goes: 
To put it simply, I just wasn’t happy with it. Some of it could be because of how many times I had to reread the same section while I was coding the scenes that would’ve taken place after the last update, but no matter how much I edited or rearranged it, I didn’t like how that scene turned out. There was something… formulaic that had been happening with the way I always laid out scenes, and a bit of stagnation in the story, character, and relationship development that bothered me.
So I rewrote it. And when I still didn’t like it, I rewrote it again. And I still didn’t like it. I thought about scrapping the whole thing on more than one occasion as I struggled to get out of the corner I’d written myself into.
Inspiration finally struck at the beginning of this year, thanks in part to another interactive novel I follow, and I really like the direction I’ve taken it now. 
Instead of the RO split scenes happening where the last one left off, Speaker, Seer, and Gavin are gonna have a chat about Things™ to move the next story arc forward. Then Speaker will get some downtime, by themself at first and then in an extended scene split with the RO of their choosing. 
All the Big Plot Things that were going to happen in Chapter 4 will be moved to Chapter 5 instead, and 4 will be a bit more of a filler episode. A deep breath before the plunge, as it were.
This split won’t just be a quick conversation/reaction from the RO, but a full on different direction for the rest of the chapter based on who you choose. Most of them will involve leaving the house; all of them will involve actual one-on-one time (or one-on-two time, as the case may be) away from the others. And though romance isn’t required, all of them will have the potential to really move the romance forward if you so choose. One or two might even have a lock-in choice (maybe. I’m not 100 percent on that, so don’t hold me to it) 
These scenes won’t be in the next update, because they’re all very complex, but the update will definitely have the Seer chat and at least some of the by-yourself stuff. The update after will have the rest of the alone time stuff (including the clothes/body CC you’ve all been waiting for), and then the one after will start the RO scenes. I think.
I may actually split the RO scenes into separate updates, and let my darlings over at Patreon vote for the order they’re released. That way I can focus on one at a time instead of trying to split my attention six ways at once.
Okay, that’s enough rambling for me today. Time to get back to work! Still got a lot to get done before this is ready, but it’s so close now.
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amourdivine · 2 months
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୨ ♡ ୧ MASTERLIST   💌   PICK A CARD.
›    tipping. available at [email protected] via paypal. ›    personal readings. closed ›    est. december 2021.
disclaimer 🩰 tarot is a divination tool, it's not a substitute for medical and professional advice, nor is it meant to be taken as such. i don’t take responsibility for any choice(s) made by you or others regarding my readings. be mindful ♡
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romance ୨ ♡ ୧
who is secretly crushing on you?
next / current partner: how will they confess their love?
all about your valentine's day
18+ readings ୨ ♡ ୧
what about you turns them on?
future spouse ୨ ♡ ୧
your future spouse’s love for you
how will you recognize your fs?
daily life with your fs + extended 18+ reading
personal ୨ ♡ ୧
what is your main character story?
how would a poet describe you?
how does your pet see you?
what will your future home look like?
giving you a confidence boost
who were you in a past life?
embrace your inner diva!
how to protect your energy
all about your current energy
connections ୨ ♡ ୧
people’s assumptions of you
a letter from your future child
what do people feel when they look into your eyes?
what are their intentions?
what does your specific person think & feel towards you?
whose mind are you on?
what kind of person are they? 💗 new!
shadow work ୨ ♡ ୧
who is your shadow self?
spirituality ୨ ♡ ୧
hopeful messages from spirit
comforting messages from source
a message from the fairies
loving messages from your guides
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amourdivine. 2021 - 2024 © do not copy, redistribute or edit my content.
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mushm00nsblog · 3 months
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“A flower for you, my dear!”
Featuring: venti x reader, lyney x reader, ayaka x reader and lisa x reader (separate)
Synopsis: you’re on a date with them, when they suddenly give you a flower! how cute <3
Warnings: fluffy! Readers are already dating the character, reader is an implied female but there isn’t any pronouns used! Pet names ‘cutie’ and ‘dear’ are used! (Edited and refined)
Mush’s two cents: hello! this was just a cute lil idea for all these flirty genshin romancers that came to me as a shower thought. I originally thought of only the lyney one, but then I was like “erm I just wrote for lyney?? I need more characters!” and thought long and hard (it took me a few seconds) to come up with these. I wanted to make them all have different stories but make them off of the same concept, so I’m sorry if the repetition of the flower quote as you’ve seen before gets old... alas! I hope things appeal to your expectations. enjoy!
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venti
You swung your legs back and forth slowly to the melody venti plays beautifully for your ears only on a branch of the Windrise tree.
His eyes were closed as his experienced fingers plucked the strings, you watched him closely, sighing an admiral sigh as you take in his painting-like appearance.
A sudden breeze flows up through the open air, and you watch as the god of anemo’s braids flow along with it— allowing the wind to guide your hair in the same direction as well.
The breeze doesn’t last long, but by the end of it, you eye a flower flying towards your direction, not batting an eye at it as all that mattered right now was your rhythmic lover..
Suddenly, right as the flower flies past both of you in the current, venti sticks an arm out to catch it swiftly, ending his lyre playing abruptly and pulling you out of your trance.
“Oh look! Here’s a flower!” He exclaims when he grabs it out from the gushing winds grasps.
Venti holds the flower up to you, chuckling softly as your expression changes to widened eyes, clearly not expecting that. “For you, my dear.”
The wind had stopped and all that you’re met with is ventis eyes, his hand extending a lovely Dandelion up to you.
Your cheeks warm up as you take the flower from his hands, smiling sweetly before looking back up into your lovers eyes.
“Thank you, venti..” you speak, softly, watching your lovers eyes flutter closed once more as he picks up a different melody on his instrument.
Afterwards: “venti! how’d you grab that flower so quickly?” “ehehe.. who’s to say I wasn’t the one that sent it this way?”
Lyney
Having not had seen your boyfriend, lyney for a while, you both opted to make time for each other at your place, setting up a comfortable space on your sofa for some quality time.
You were both on separate cushions, a card game of Genius Invocation TCG plastered out on the center cushion in the middle of you guys.
As far as it seemed, you were winning the card game so far, having all 3 of your cards still playing as only two of lyneys were left.
He let out a playful gasp when you took down his first card, having him looking up at you with a little pout before he resets his facial expression to his usual smile.
“I admire your handiwork!” *he says with a playful glint in his eyes, before he suddenly looks as if he’d noticed something.
“Hey.. what’s that behind your ear?” he questions, making you take your eyes off the card game and focus on what exactly is behind your ear.
He leans forward, moving his hand behind your ear, reaching for something before pulling his hand back into your view, holding a rainbow rose!
Your eyes beamed as you gasped. “Oh look at that! It’s a flower!” he exclaims, putting on an act as if he wasn’t the one that made it appear. “For you, my dear”
You take the rainbow rose into your hands excitedly, your eyes shining as your admire the rose, blushing softly when your eyes meet his as you remember the meaning behind gifting rainbow roses.
“Thank you lyney!” You thank him, excitedly leaning in close to him and hovering over the cards to place a quick kiss to his cheek. “Let me go put this somewhere safe now..”
With that, lyney nods and watches you walk not too far away, placing your lovely new rainbow rose in a vase and setting it down on your coffee table in front of the sofa.
“There!” As you set down the flower, you admire it proudly, taking your seat a few seconds later.
“hey! what happened to my cards??” “now you see it now you don’t! looks like I win!”
Ayaka
You watched mesmerizingly as Ayaka finishes her Sakura Bloom Dance in Chinju forest, applauding once she finishes and watching her bow with a sweet smile on her face.
“Wow, Ayaka… I’ve seen this dance so many times.. but each time I see it I’m always amazed.” You say, sighing out when you finish speaking, and she lets out a little giggle at your compliment.
“Thank you, I do appreciate your admiring.” She replies sweetly. “There is something different about this dance in particular though..”
When she mentions that something was different about the dance she performed this time, you were lost. You hadn’t noticed anything but to be honest, you also felt like nothing changed about it.
You tilt your head, straightening out a bit as you wonder what she’s referring to, inevitably drawing a blank and asking her what it was.
She chuckled softly, looking off to the side and opening her fan to block her face before walking towards you, hiding something behind her back.
When she reaches you, she pulled out a bouquet of Sakura Blooms, handing them to you with her face hidden behind her fan.
“These flowers are for you.. my dear.”
Once you take the flowers: “ayaka? are you blushing?” “ah.. perhaps— maybe a little bit.”
Lisa
You often find yourself in the Favonius Library, reading countless of books all afternoon alongside your girlfriend, Lisa when she voices her complaints about nobody coming into the library as of late.
It had turned into a regular occurrence, and now the two of you find yourself here for dates as well.
That brings you to where you are now, sharing some tea with your lover whilst reading separate books at one of the library tables.
You had your head down in a book when she closed hers, letting out a yawn before she begins to play with some electricity in her hands.
Noticing her immediately once she closes her book, you pick up your head and look at what she’s doing, noticing that she’s forming something out of electro!
“Oooh what’s that, Lisa?” You ask, leaning forward a bit.
She looks at you once she notices you’ve seen what she was doing, her usual smile appearing on her face as she forms the object she was making quicker and placing it on the book you were reading.
“Hm..? See for yourself.” She says, pointing towards the object on your book before leaning her hands on the table, watching you look down to see… a purple rose!
“Wowww..! It’s so pretty!” You say, reaching your hand out for it before feeling a sudden zap against your fingers- making you pull back with a gasp and look at your hand.
Lisa only chuckled when she watched this, making you blush a bit out of embarrassment.
“Did you feel the spark, cutie~?”
Afterwards: “lisa! thats not funny!” “awh.. well what did you expect cutie~?” “..staaaaaaahhhp…”
aaaaaaah it’s currently 1:50 AM 😭😭I’m so sorry if this is out of character or doesn’t make sense, I was a little out of it while making it tonight since I’m a bit tired.
Reblogs are deeply appreciated!
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jessikahathaway · 6 months
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Lose Your Head - PJM (M)
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Written for the BTS Fantasy and Fangs Halloween Collab for @sailoryooons
A/N: Hali!!! I hope you enjoy this fic! It has been my absolute pleasure to write it for you <3 Happy Haliween!!
The collage was made by yours truly.
Special thanks to my bestie Ryn @queenofthedamnit for betaing this fic for me so I could post in time!
Title: Lose Your Head
Pairing: Park Jimin x F!Reader
Summary: As a constable’s assistant you have several duties to him and the police force. Not only as his assistant, but as his dear friend. However, when an ominous summoning sends you and Jimin both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, you fear there might be more at play than either of you understand. And feelings that you’d hope to bury for life bubble to the surface...
Genre/AU: Movie!AU, Thriller, SleepyHollow!AU, Romance, Smut
Rating: 21+
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Gender Inequality (Due to the time period), Mild Gore (descriptions of blood and decapitations), EDIT: Minor character deaths, Smut Warnings: Virgin!Reader, unprotected sex, creampie, oral sex (f!receiving), handjob (m!receiving), mild dirty talk.
Words: 19.4k
“Constable Park Jimin!” A page boy yelled from the street. Jimin turned his head from his work and watched as the boy came running in with a sheet of paper. “Sir! A telegram from Sergeant Kim Namjoon from New York City!”
Jimin walked over and smiled kindly at the boy. “Thank you Martin,” he handed a few coins over to him and patted his head.
“Martin!” Your voice called from the desk. “Come here,” you said. 
Jimin smiled and watched as Martin ran to your side. “Yes miss!”
You handed over a few pieces of bread that you’d made and a square of cheese as a treat. “These ones didn’t turn out as good as I was hoping, so you take them and share them with your friends, okay?” You said, waggling a finger in teasing jest. You both knew Martin wouldn’t dare take it all for himself. That’s what made him such a good leader of the small but mighty group of page boys for Buffalo and the surrounding areas. 
“Yes miss! Thank you miss,” he smiled, taking the bag and waving to you and Jimin from the door before taking off down the road to deliver his next message. 
“You spoil him,” Jimin murmured, coming up behind you. You jumped at his proximity for a moment but relaxed quickly. Jimin’s presence has always calmed you.
You two had been friends for years now. Ever since he brought you in off the streets in his youth, you’d been friends. 
Now, was friendship the only thing that had developed between the two of you in your almost twenty years together? No... Well, at least not for you. Jimin had grown to be so kind and handsome, if not a little mischievous and devilish all the same, making life incredibly joyous but difficult for you.You didn’t want to make things awkward, and your friendship was the most valuable thing you had. No monetary possession, or romantic affliction, would sway that for you. 
With a deep sigh you turned and Jimin was right behind you and his eyes widened at your quick movements. Your faces were close and you could feel the startled breath he let out fan across your face as he stepped back.
“He’s a good kid,” you said with a pointed look. 
Jimin smiled and nodded in his agreement. “I trust you,” he said, as he always did. Because you two trusted each other with everything. Jimin was a wealthy constable and came from a family of police officers and other military officials. However, he was an orphan, his father passing away shortly after his birth and his mother dying at the tender age of five. He’d been given his inheritance and a staff at his family’s home and the rest was history. The staff raised the young boy, seeing as how none of his other extended family wanted to take him in. 
So when on a walk in the winter of his tenth year in this world, he found you. Only a year or two younger than him, but orphaned as well-except there was no inheritance or family to save you. You’d been on the streets, and unfortunately, it looked like you might die there. 
You were sick and shivering outside the tailors shop Jimin frequented for his school uniforms. Jimin looked to his attendant and asked if they had enough tea to share with you. The attendant hadn’t wanted to take you along, but his young master was in charge and honestly, he couldn’t stand to walk past another sick child on the road. 
Over the years you’d asked Jimin what made him stop that day, what made him choose you. And his reply was always the same. “I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew that I wanted to help you.”
You looked down and saw the telegram Martin had brought in. “What does it say?” you asked. 
Jimin smiled softly, “I don’t know, I haven't read it yet, nosy,” he teased. 
You pouted at his teasing and swatted away the hand that tried to pinch your puffy cheeks. “He said, Sergeant, what would a Sergeant be contacting you for all the way out here?”
It was at this time you saw Jimin’s face darken a bit. “I have a feeling they’re dealing with a similar issue we were a year ago, also, my coroner training can be rather useful in certain situations,” he stated. 
Your stomach dropped. A year ago, you were chasing a serial killer. You and Jimin both had to scour the morgues, the crime scenes themselves, anywhere and everywhere this person could’ve been. You’d been so worried because Jimin had started receiving threats. It seemed like you were working double time to stay ahead of the serial killer to prevent more murders, not only for the people but for Jimin as well. Although it would make sense. Jimin is an educated man and the chief of the local police force has deferred to Jimin’s expertise several times over. You shouldn’t be surprised that someone else is looking to speak with him as well, and you had your own skill set that would be useful in certain situations.
Jimin got out his letter opener and examined the telegram. You waited patiently, not, for him to fill you in. 
His features darkened even more as he set the telegram down for you to see as well. 
Dear Mr. Constable,
It has come to my attention that there has been a string of murders out in a small town in southern New York. It has baffled the local police enforcement as well as some of my best men. I believe you and your assistant will be better suited to help the people of Sleepy Hollow. Attached are train tickets to come to the city to get a full debriefing for you and your assistant both. 
Please don’t delay in this matter, as there is much more at work than I think anyone truly understands. 
Signed: Sgt. Kim Namjoon, NYPD.
“What do we do?” you asked, worry and unease filling your chest. 
“We're going to New York City,” Jimin said softly. “He wouldn’t issue a summons like this without being in desperate need. The NYPD already doesn’t like us, I’m sure he’s not exactly thrilled to be calling on us regardless. But if we can lend him our expertise then the very least we can do is go and hear him out.”
Your temper flared at the mention of their dislike towards Jimin and yourself. “Just because we caught their killer doesn’t give them the right to be rude or unkind to us,” you said. 
Jimin grabbed your wrist and pulled you in closely. “People don’t like to be made fools of either, Y/N, please try to behave yourself when we go? I don’t want them putting a mark on your back too,” he asked. 
You sighed deeply, knowing it wasn’t going to be good picking a fight with the NYPD, even if you thought that they were being far too negligent in their own investigations. Jimin was right when he said they wouldn’t call without being in need. You nodded, letting the anger dissolve at least for now. 
“Go pack your things sweets, I’ll shut down the shop,” he said with a squeeze to your hand, letting go and heading towards the front. Ah, that nickname. He’d started calling you sweets when you were little. Even as a young girl you’d loved sweets, candies and pastries. So the name had stuck. Even now it brought heat to your face as you walked up the steps to your living quarters and did as previously instructed. You and Jimin usually packed light for these things so you just went about your usual methods. 
When you were rummaging through Jimin’s drawers for some socks you noticed a letter from a family friend listing off potential wives. Your throat tightened. Jimin hadn’t mentioned his search for a wife starting, or one even being a thought in his mind. No doubt people were being nosy and talking about things they had no knowledge of-
“Y/N, what have I told you about snooping?” Jimin sighed, leaning against the wall of his room. Your back straightened comically and Jimin couldn’t help the laughter that peeled out of him. 
You had always been such a terrible snoop, Jimin thought it was more curiosity than anything dangerous. And oftentimes you stumbled upon things by happenstance. You turned with a guilty expression and handed the papers to Jimin. When his eyes found what you’d discovered his face hardened a bit. 
“People love sticking their noses in my business,” he said, voice tight. He looked at you then, placing his hand on your head. You stared into his eyes and there was something he wanted to say. You could tell, his eyes were screaming unspoken words to you-but there was a ring at the doorbell and you knew Jimin ordered a carriage for you both to head to the train station. The moment dissolved as he tossed the letter in the fireplace and you watched as he grabbed the rest of your luggage without a word and headed out the door. 
You bit your lip and sighed deeply. Lately, these moments with Jimin had been frequent. These-feelings... Your feelings for him. They were becoming harder and harder to control. Especially when... when other women got involved.
You knew Jimin was going to take a wife. You’ve known for years it wouldn’t be you. And yet? To be confronted with it so blatantly and for him to hide it? You and Jimin might have more secrets between you than you believed, and part of that hurt worse than the idea of another woman coming into the picture.
With quick steps you headed towards the door, grabbing your coat and hat. These thoughts would have to be put in the back of your mind right now. There was something going on and the NYPD was going to have to start explaining themselves.
With that you shut and locked the door, heading down the steps towards the carriage. Jimin was waiting for you patiently and took your coat and helped you into the buggy without a word, but his hand squeezed yours when he sat down. With a knock you were off, but Jimin kept his hand in yours for a while longer. You just let him hold your hand, because truthfully-you needed it too.
--
The next morning you rolled into New York City and as always, you are astounded by the immensity of the city. Buffalo is decently sized, but nothing on the level of the Big City itself. Jimin had gotten you and him to the NYPD building with minute difficulty, taking your arm in his as he escorted you and himself up the steps to the offices. 
The secretary there noticed Jimin’s presence immediately and called for Sergeant Namjoon. 
Jimin and you both stood in the waiting room patiently, when he appeared in the space before you.
Sergeant Namjoon has always been a formidable individual. His intensity and severe intellect had him in the higher rankings of the NYPD shortly after his transfer. He was nice enough, but wasted little words on niceties and flattery.
“Constable Park, and your assistant. Thank you for coming here on such short notice,” he said. “Please, my office is this way-I’ll brief you on the situation there.”
Just as you were about to follow Jimin and Sergeant Namjoon, the secretary stopped you. “Sorry miss, you’ll have to stay behind,” she said. “This is a conversation for the men I’m afraid.”
You were ready to argue when Jimin took your wrist. “She is my assistant, she aids me in my investigations-I would rather her come with me so I don’t have to explain everything a second time.”
You looked at the secretary with a smug gaze as she let you pass. Jimin poked your rib and made you wince. 
“Don’t look so satisfied you little sprite,” he said softly.
“Sorry,” you said, the tone of your voice revealing you were everything but apologetic. Jimin tried to bite back his smile but it was hard when you were such a shit sometimes. He loved your mischievousness almost as much as your tenderness. But unfortunately, now was not the time for your antics and he really had to focus on this summons for the both of you.
Namjoon led you into his office and shut the door, looking at you both with a deep expression that had you perplexed. What was weighing so heavily on his mind that he reached out to Jimin and you specifically? As far as your last investigation with the NYPD, ah... you thought they’d wanted you two out of their sights. 
This must be bad...
The Sergeant took a deep breath before leveling his gaze with Jimin then you. “I didn’t want to summon either of you-let me make that perfectly clear. But my superiors and I agreed that we don’t have the skill set to deal with what is happening in Sleepy Hollow.”
Jimin’s head tilted. “Sleepy Hollow?”
Namjoon nodded. “An isolated town towards Hollow’s Creek in the southern part of the state.”
Your face twisted in confusion. “How did the NYPD get involved in something that is happening way outside your area of operation?”
As much as Jimin wanted to correct your bluntness with the Sergeant of the NYPD, he couldn’t help his own curiosity. And Jimin wasn’t going to extend any extra courtesies, especially with Sergeant Namjoon.
Namjoon looked at you and sighed. “The police in the area requested more professional assistance. So I sent in a few men, and we have more questions than answers at this point.”
“What can I provide that the NYPD doesn’t have access to?” Jimin asked, raising a brow. “Forgive me for asking in such a blunt manner but I’m merely confused.”
You had a feeling you knew what this was about, Jimin no doubt did as well. But Jimin could be rather cruel at times-he wanted Namjoon to admit the weakness in his men and the NYPD. He’d been correct when he said people don’t like to be made fools of. 
Jimin is a prime example of his statement. 
He was used to being underestimated, he was used to his work being made into a mockery. But the frightening thing about Jimin was his patience. He could wait an infinite amount of time if it was something he really wanted.
Namjoon set his jaw and looked at Jimin with stormy eyes. “My men are baffled with what is happening at Sleepy Hollow. People are being hunted down and losing their heads. Quite literally.”
Your stomach turned at the sound of things. But you swallowed and continued to listen to the briefing. Jimin took notice of your upset but was quick to place his hand on your back to encourage you to sit down. The last time either of you had dealt with something on this scale it took a toll on you.
“Who are our suspects?” Jimin asked.
“We have none.”
Jimin’s brows raised. “No suspects? No one in the town has the prospects or motivations? What about alibis?”
Namjoon slammed his hands on his table, causing a few things to fall and you to jump at his outburst. Jimin, however, was unaffected. His eyes were set on the man in front of him. “I don’t know. We have no leads, no nothing other than a list of my men turning up dead or missing. Too many people have died and we have gotten nothing as a result. I need people of your... expertise.”
He meant the deck. 
Your deck.
It was known in a few places that you dabbled in the occult and macabre. Jimin didn’t like to mention it often because he felt it could discredit the genuine work you both do. But you and your tarot cards had been together since the streets, although you’d gotten a few new decks in your time with Jimin. You’d do readings, originally it started as a scam-trying to get money from people so you could eat but eventually, you learned the craft. You managed to look into the art of divination and had found your intuition and the work of the cards had yet to steer you wrong. 
When Jimin had discovered them, he was furious with you for working with the deck and the occult. But overtime, when Jimin saw your work with the cards prove its worth over and over again-he finally relented. He only asked that you not do any readings pertaining to him unless it had to do with a case. 
His past and his future weren’t for prying in. If you had any questions you could ask. This request was more than fair, so you abided by it. That didn’t mean you weren’t curious.
When you and Jimin had worked with the NYPD the last time, Namjoon had discovered your secret. Originally he wanted you and Jimin off the case, but thankfully your cards had led you and the NYPD right to the killer.
But they had made it fairly clear from then on they would want as little to do with you and Jimin as humanly possible. Whatever is happening at Sleepy Hollow, it was nothing good. 
“You made it fairly clear to us that we weren’t going to be aiding you in any investigations moving forward-” Jimin began when Namjoon cut him off. 
“Regular investigations. This-This case... She has insight into the occult that no one working for the police department does. I need you both on this case, I can’t lose anymore men blindly,” Namjoon stated. “Something evil is at work in Sleepy Hollow. Truly evil.”
Jimin’s face hardened. “Then we aren’t going, I’m not risking our lives for people that don’t appreciate what she and I can do together.”
You stood then, placing your hands on Jimin’s arm. “We should go.”
Both men looked at you in shock. “Y/N-”
“The people in Sleepy Hollow need help, and if what Sergeant Namjoon is saying is true then we need to get there sooner rather than later. The longer things like this are left unchecked the harder it is for them to return to normal.”
Jimin looked into your eyes and if you weren’t accustomed to his deep and searching gaze you would turn hot at the action. But you mirrored his expression. Eyes passionate and burning like they always were. You had a strong moral compass and Jimin knew you wanted to help these people if you could. 
You wanted to pay back what he’d done for you all those years ago. You want to help those who cannot help themselves and that is one of the several things Jimin admires about you. You easily could’ve lived your days out as his friend-he’d even planned on helping you get a husband at one point but you’d quickly told him you weren’t interested in marrying. 
“Who wants someone that can tell if our relationship is going to be happy or miserable? Someone who can ‘see the future’. Or who will know what our child is before the doctor? People don’t like the occult or those associated with it.”
Jimin remembers how sad he felt that day. How lonely your eyes looked. But you were stronger than anyone he’d ever met.
So when your passionate gaze pleaded with his now-he relented.
“Sergeant Namjoon, I would like a full debriefing file for me and Y/N. We will head to Sleepy Hollow by the week’s end?”
The Sergeant nodded. “Yes. I will have everything prepared and sent to your accommodations.”
“Very well then, come along sweets, you said you wanted to visit a bakery while we were here in the City,” Jimin said, wrapping your arm around his as he gave a polite, but stiff, nod to Namjoon before leading you out the door. 
“Yes! I want to try a New York cheesecake,” you said with joy, looking at Jimin with a smile.
One he tried to return. But it did not reach his eyes.
--
It was the night before you were to travel to Sleepy Hollow. The train left early in the morning, but you couldn’t help but want to meditate on your deck for a while before you departed. 
With the window open and the moonlight streaming into the room you sat on the floor with your deck sitting in your lap. You inhaled deeply and just let the energy and light of the moon fill you. Sitting in the still and darkness of night had always brought you a serenity you couldn’t quite understand to this day.
It just felt right to sit amongst the stars and feel the energy of the world and people around you working together. But then the energy shifted and you turned your head with a smile. “You know you can’t sneak around with me.”
“Doesn’t stop me from trying,” Jimin said with a smile, walking towards you. He handed you your dressing gown to cover your nightdress and you wrapped it around yourself. 
“What do you need?”
Jimin’s face faltered for a moment. “I can’t just come sit with you?”
You gave him a sympathetic look. “Not when you look like that, come sit and tell me what’s bothering you.”
Jimin moved with you to the bed and sat with you. You crossed your legs and set the deck back in its container until you packed them in the morning. Jimin’s eyes were locked on the cards and you raised a brow. 
Your friend sighed deeply and rested his head in your lap. You weren’t surprised by the action, Jimin was very physically affectionate, even if it could be frowned upon by others. You two were unmarried and merely friends. This level of intimacy between the two of you could be deemed inappropriate. But you and Jimin had never played by societal norms, why start now?
“I’m worried. Once we arrive the killer will very likely add us to their roster,” he said, head resting on your thigh. You ran your fingers through his hair and smiled. 
“Occupational hazard.”
He grabbed your hand and sat up quickly. You jolted at the sudden motion and Jimin’s face was very close to yours. “I can’t allow anything to happen to you.”
“What makes you think something is going to happen to us?” You asked, brushing some of his hair away from his face. Jimin put your hands together in your lap, looking at them with an unreadable expression. 
“The last time we used your cards in an investigation you almost died. They almost killed you.”
You were hoping he wouldn’t worry about that. But of course, Jimin has a tender heart and doesn’t want anything to happen to those he cares about. With a gentle squeeze to his hands you shook your head.
“I didn’t listen to the cards correctly, that’s my fault Jimin. It wasn’t intentional, accidents happen-”
“They can’t happen, Y/N, I don’t want you to use them unless specifically related to the case,” he said. 
You scoffed. “Jimin, honestly,” you took your hands away from his and you could tell he was upset. “What’s got you all worked up about the cards?”
“They’re dangerous-”
“Jimin, my cards are an extension of me,” you explained. “They are only dangerous if I am using them for improper means. Which I’m not. They are only as dangerous as I make them.”
“My words stand. I don’t want you using them unless they are being used for the case. That’s final.” He said firmly.
You gaped at him. “What the hell is the matter with you? Jimin, if I don’t use the cards then my readings could be less accurate. That’s more dangerous than me meditating with them.”
Jimin stood and walked to the door. “Those damn things have brought us nothing but trouble when you use them.”
The pain from his words ripped right through your chest. “We’ve caught killers because of that deck!”
“I’ve almost lost you because of that fucking deck!” He said, chest heaving. 
You two haven’t fought like this in years. Probably since the time Jimin found them in your room the very first time.
That’s when you finally saw it.
The fear in his eyes. The fear that was wrapping around him and surrounding his heart. He was hesitant to use the cards again after you led yourself right into a killer’s path. You’d just about been taken when Jimin and the NYPD showed up and stopped the killer in his tracks.
“Jimin...”
“I can’t lose you, Y/N, it would break me. I’d have nothing,” he said, holding your face. When he said things like this it made your heart ache. You wished he would say these things to you under different circumstances.
“You won’t lose me, Jimin. I promise. We’ll be careful. I’ll keep the cards discreet alright? We’ll pretend I don’t even have them, only you and I will know,” you said, holding his wrists. 
Jimin breathed in deeply. Resting his forehead on yours. Your heart stammered in your chest as he closed in and brought you in for a tight embrace. His one arm wrapped around your shoulders as the other pulled you in by your lower back, molding your fronts together. “Please... please be careful. This isn’t a normal case, the NYPD is even frightened of whatever we are about to embark on. I don’t know how dangerous this is. Everything in me is saying we shouldn’t tamper with this.” His words were muffled by your skin. 
His hot breath was trailing over your flesh and making your mind race. But you swallowed and answered as calmly as you could. 
“We will do this as we have done everything in our lives... together,” you promised, wrapping your arms around his neck and hugging him back. 
You two stayed like that for a while until you were too tired to remain awake any longer. Jimin departed with one final hug and went back to his room. 
After his warmth was gone the chill of the night settled in again. You found yourself wishing he’d stayed. Even as you fell asleep, you wished for his frame next to yours.
--
You stood at the ticket window with Jimin as he gathered your train passes. He tucked them in his pocket and gathered your things along with his on the cart. You headed towards the train with his arm in yours and when your luggage was taken by a member of the staff Jimin helped you up into the train.
Your cabin was private, your personal things being placed above you as the stewardess came around and asked if you’d like anything to eat or drink. 
The trip to Sleepy Hollow was a long one, making you wonder more and more why the NYPD even got involved. Normally they wouldn’t have the jurisdiction to work outside of the city let alone damn near out of the state. They claimed the townspeople asked for help, but what was so bad that they couldn’t just go to the nearest city’s police?
“Did you read the briefing packet?” Jimin asked, looking out the window.
You yawned and shook your head. “No, I was planning to read it on the way there.”
Jimin smiled then. “You were huh? You’ve always slept on trains, what made you think this was going to be different?” he nudged your foot with his. 
With a pout you pulled the paperwork out of your bag and started looking over it.
That’s when you saw it.
The photos.
The quality is never good but you clearly saw the bodies. They were grotesque and you felt your stomach turn at the sight but you knew you needed to see more if you were going to understand. 
Jimin was quiet, resting his eyes as you moved through the packet with curiosity. 
Five victims from the town thus far. All deaths have been ruled as decapitations. The heads have yet to be recovered.
Victim’s occupations and ages all vary.
23 - Butcher’s Son
61 - Town Treasurer
19 - Stable Hand
45 - Seamstress
33 - Town Crier
Along with six members of the New York Police Department - three of which have yet to be recovered at the time of this briefing.
All of this information was pertinent but somehow, it felt like there was something very big missing from all of it. 
“Jimin? Did you see any suspects? I know Namjoon mentioned they didn’t have anything solid, but I didn’t anticipate they had none whatsoever...”
A deep sigh came from your friend. “No, I didn’t. That’s one of the first things we need to assess when we arrive. Who are our possible suspects and how were they able to remain undetected for so long?”
You nodded. “Where are we staying?” you asked. 
“The local innkeep as said we are more than welcome to stay if we are helping them with the case. He’s got a room set up for us.” Jimin stated. 
“A room?” you raised a brow.
“The inn only has so many rooms Y/N, is sharing with me really so terrible?” he teased.
“I suppose not, we did it a lot when we were younger,” you smiled at the memories. 
Jimin chuckled. “Things were a lot simpler then huh?” He looked at you and you wished you could know what he was thinking at that moment. Jimin could be so expressive, but only when he wanted to be. In a flash he could hide his true emotions and thoughts behind a mask of ambiguity. Even being his friend as long as you had didn’t always help. 
“They were,” you said with a soft tone. 
The train whistle blew and you knew that you were coming up on your next stop. With a yawn you placed the packet down. If you agonized over it even more you weren’t going to have any breakthroughs. So you rested against the wall of the train and the seat, letting your head and neck grow heavy as sleep took you. 
--
You and Jimin got off the train in the nearest city and had to travel in a carriage the rest of the way. It was cramped, and your luggage hung precariously off the back of the warped wooden exterior but you kept your mouth shut.
The woods around the town made your skin prickle with nerves. Jimin seemed to sense your unease and placed his hand on your shoulder. “It’s alright, sweets...”
When you were younger you’d gotten lost in the woods. Jimin and you had been playing hide and seek in the woods near his family’s summer home. It was dark when Jimin and his nanny found you. Curled up in a tree trunk crying. Ever since then, the woods terrified you. You swallowed thickly and looked at Jimin with a weak smile. 
He brushed some of your hair away from your face and patted your cheek. “Steady, Y/N, we’re coming into town.”
You watched as you emerged from the woods into a small clearing. The town was surrounded by the woods and the houses all seemed old and decrepit. The people watched as the carriage approached. It pulled towards the stables and a group of people came around to greet you and Jimin both. 
The door opened and Jimin helped you out. 
“Welcome, Constable Park and your... wife?” A man with graying hair and soft blue eyes looked between you and Jimin.
Jimin shook his head. “No, this is Y/N, she is my assistant and helps me with my cases.”
A young woman towards the back of the group had immediately taken notice of Jimin and you fought the urge to hold him tighter. 
“Apologies, I am the mayor-Douglas Hart,” he introduced himself, shaking Jimin’s hand and giving yours a kind squeeze. “This is my daughter, Zalia Hart,” he said, bringing the young woman to the front.
She curtsied to Jimin and gave him a bright smile. “Hello Constable.”
You could see Jimin’s eyes examining her and you felt a lump form in your throat. 
“Zalia has been helping me during this entire process, since my late wife, her mother, passed away she’s been in my care, you see. I am eternally grateful for her help and she has agreed to cooperate fully with you and your investigation here,” the Mr. Hart explained. 
“I’m happy to help our people Papa, don’t worry,” she said, expression soft as she looked at her father.
Jimin nodded. “We are grateful to any and all help you can offer us. Our first priority is seeing all the evidence that has been collected and I want to see all of the bodies,” he stated. 
“Can we get settled first?” you asked, raising a brow at him. 
Jimin’s eyes locked on yours and he nodded. “Yes, let’s get our things inside and then we can start looking around a bit more.”
Mr. Hart and Zalia both nodded. “Please, get settled, Zalia will come and collect you a bit later,” the mayor said. 
You and Jimin headed towards the inn where the keeper gave you a polite nod. “Hello constable,” he greeted.
“How did you know I was the constable?” Jimin asked. 
“We don’t exactly get a lot of new faces around town. Well, except for recently. Unfortunate the thing that’s bringing people to our home is so horrific,” he said, face not matching his words. 
You took note of him immediately. 
“Well, let me introduce myself properly,” Jimin said. “I am Constable Park Jimin and this is my assistant Y/N,” he said. You gave the innkeep a smile, one he didn’t return. 
“A pleasure. I’m Jeremy Weaver, my wife is Adelaide Weaver, she’s out currently but if you need anything during your stay let her or myself know. Please, let me show you to your room,” he said, walking out from behind the counter to lead them up the steps. “Watch your feet, these steps are a little warped,” he stated.
You and Jimin climbed the steps and soon a few rooms came into view. There was another set of stairs that you assumed lead to the attic but when the innkeep started heading up them you tilted your head.
Jimin also paused at the change in direction and Jeremy took notice. “Our regular rooms are all filled up right now, but we have a bigger room in the attic that can house you both more... comfortably.”
He continued up the stairs and you and Jimin followed him. 
“I apologize for the confusion but there’s only one bed, we were under the impression your assistant was... well, we’ll get another set of linens up here and see if the old cot is still salvageable,” he stated. 
Jimin and you looked around. The room wasn’t massive, but it would be enough for you and him for the time being.
“Meals are served at eight, noon and five respectively. Your room and board has already been paid for so you are welcome to eat downstairs or you can take your meals up here. Just let Adelaide know. I’ll go down and start helping them get your luggage up here. If you need anything let me know,” he said, heading out of the room and. 
You sighed and set your bag on the bed and looked at Jimin. “He’s a little off, don’t you think?” you asked.
“I think we’ve been traveling for almost an entire day, and I am exhausted,” he said, sitting heavily on the bed and rubbing his face. You moved next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jimin has never traveled well, the whole experience has always been rather stressful for him.
“Do you want me to do the initial work?” you offered, squeezing his shoulder. 
“No, I’ll be fine, I'm just... Can we do a reading tonight? For the case?” Jimin asked. 
You raised a brow. His outburst about the cards last night made you hesitant to even mention a reading today. “What do you want the cards to reveal to you?” you asked instead, sitting down next to him.
“I want to narrow our field when it comes to our suspects. Could the cards bring it down to three?” He questioned.
“I don’t know if I have enough information on the town and the energy here yet... I could possibly get five. But three this soon isn’t likely,” you said. It was odd for him to request the cards so quickly. 
He nodded thoughtfully before standing up. A knock came to the door and Jeremy had returned with a stable hand as well as your luggage. Though there was no cot. 
“We weren’t able to find that old cot, we can put some blankets on the floor for someone,” he stated. 
Jimin sighed, his expression weary. “That’ll be fine, Mr. Weaver, my assistant and I will be departing for the time being,” he stated. “Come along, Y/N, we’ve got some preliminary investigating to do.”
You stood, heading to him as you both excused yourselves from Jeremy and the stable hand. The pair of you made it down the steps and out into the open air once more when Zalia’s kind face made an appearance. 
“Hello Constable! My father had me wait for you and your assistant to escort you both to the cemetery. We’ve already buried some of the deceased, but Mrs. Rellian and Gregor have yet to have their funerals. My father said you would want to see them,” she said. 
“Yes, thank you Miss Hart-”
“Zalia, please,” she said with a beautiful smile. 
Jimin usually didn’t get very personal during your cases. He never called people by their first names to avoid attachment-
“Zalia,” he corrected. “Please, lead the way.”
You wanted to hide the sour expression on your face, but Jimin quickly picked up on your lack of subtlety. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”
With a sniff you walked forwards. “Nothing, we’ve got work to do,” you said, hiking up your skirts a bit as you stalked after the radiant young woman. She’d done nothing wrong and yet you couldn’t help the fire that lit in your chest at the expression she wore. Eyes glimmering when she looked at Jimin. And he’d said her name. He never said anyone’s names! It was too personal!
With a deep sigh, Jimin followed after you. You were unpredictable sometimes. Jimin usually enjoyed your spontaneity, but right now it was irritating him more than anything. You were correct you both had work to do, but you never worked well if you were upset. It clouded your judgment. And Jimin didn’t have time for you to throw a fit when you’d only just arrived today.
He managed to match your pace as you followed after Zalia. 
“Y/N, are you really not going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, voice low.
You gave him a warning glance. “There’s nothing to discuss,” you urged. 
Jimin didn’t look convinced but you approached a small graveyard just inside the treeline. You reached back for Jimin unconsciously and he was there, even if you two would spat here and there-it didn’t matter. At the end of the day he had your back and you had his.
His hand squeezed yours and he led you towards the small hut just beside the graveyard they were no doubt using for a morgue and preparation area for the deceased. Zalia stood outside and Mr. Hart was waiting in the doorway speaking with someone who was still inside the hut.
Jimin sighed as he handed you a cloth to cover your nose and mouth with to ease the worst of the smell. Even from here the sweet and sour stench of death hung heavy in the air. As you approached a tall but skinny man stood just inside the hut with an apron and gloves on. 
“Constable, Miss Y/N,” Mr. Hart greeted. “This is Doctor Stewart, he’s been our town’s physician for years. He even delivered Zalia,” he said, eyes showing a tenderness towards the young woman who smiled at him.
She seemed chipper as ever. 
“Doctor,” Jimin greeted. “I have coroner's training, and my assistant has a keen eye for observation. Would you be able to show us these last two individuals that have yet to be buried? Zalia informed us there was a man and a woman.”
Doctor Stewart nodded. “Yes, Gregor and Lucinda. Gregor was our town crier and worked with the stable hands as well. Lucinda was a seamstress and sold her wares in markets in a few towns over... She’d just gotten back. Her daughter is devastated...”
“Lucinda was my late wife's friend...” Mr. Hart sighed deeply. “I hope they’re taking tea together somewhere better...” Zalia squeezed her father’s arm.
Jimin nodded his sympathies as he looked back at Doctor Stewart. “May we examine the bodies?”
Doctor Stewart looked at you briefly before nodding. “Of course, however I must warn you that the sight is hardly appropriate for a lady,” he warned. 
“I’m prepared to see whatever lies ahead, Doctor,” you said with an even tone. “I’ve experienced this before and I can assure you this won’t be my last.”
The doctor merely moved aside and let you and Jimin enter the small space. You were struck by the intensity of the smell first. It was horrific and even Jimin stiffened at the odor. But the worse fact was the sight of their bodies laying on the tables. He’d already done the work of covering them with sheets but there was a very clear issue.
Their heads were missing.
And not just from their bodies but from the scene entirely.
“Where are the heads?” Jimin asked and Doctor Stewart and Mr. Hart both got grim looks on their faces.
Mr. Hart spoke first. “We’ve yet to recover any of the heads that have been taken.”
“Taken?” You asked, turning to look at him with confusion on your features. 
“H-He takes them, when he kills them he takes the heads with him...”
Zalia’s quiet voice made your heart break. She was petrified of whatever she had running through her head. The vacant look in her eyes told you that much.
“Who?” Jimin asked.
“The horseman,” she whispered. “He takes the heads when he kills them and-!”
“Zalia, enough,” Mr. Hart said. “That is an old horror story told to scare kids-you are a young lady, this rambling about a horseman isn’t becoming.”
She quieted herself with a pout on her face, but you knew she believed it. She believed it was a horseman stealing these people’s heads. It was nothing but a nightmare told to frighten children but you couldn’t help but for the idea gave you pause. You’d seen things in this world you couldn’t quite explain. Just as you read cards that few understood. You wanted to speak to Zalia more about this horseman, even if it turned out to be nothing but a children’s horror story. 
“Doctor, can you reveal the bodies to us please?” Jimin asked. Doctor Stewart’s face turned into a grimace as he looked to Mr. Hart who was quick to wrap Zalia up in his arms before he did as instructed. 
You held your breath and the sheets were removed. Jimin squeezed your hand as you looked upon the deceased. “Oh God...”
Their heads were cut clean off. Bodies hardly touched other than the odd bruise and scratch. Doctor Stewart had already done their examinations and handed over the report to Jimin.
“They were healthy, Gregor had a slight cough but nothing that wasn’t manageable. Their deaths have been ruled as decapitations. My assistant, Yoongi, wrote up all of my notes and some of his own as well. He traveled to the city to work with Sergeant Namjoon with our case, but he should be back within the week.” 
Jimin nodded. You walked closer to the bodies and looked over them. You mapped their skin and noted any irregularities. Doctor Stewart seemed distressed at your lack of care being so near death, but you’d been around plenty in your lifetime. You doubt it would stop now. Jimin watched your figure walking around, he needed to be attuned to you at this moment. And he was making his own mental notes as well. No doubt to be discussed at a later time.
You went to adjust the arm when you felt a shock go through your entire frame. A dark forest surrounded in fog and mist befell your view. The sound of a horse stomping through the earthy soil... Towards you... A steed black as night with vibrant red eyes that seemed to glow in the evening air. 
It’s cold. The blade felt like ice as it ripped through-
“Y/N!” Jimin called frantically as he caught you before you hit the ground. He was stunned at the fact you’d collapsed. You’d never done that before during an investigation. Except when...
Jimin’s blood ran cold... You’d seen something again.
It was rare it happened but there were times that you’d see visions. You’d seen things about the cases. How people died. How they spent their last moments burned into your mind. 
“Y/N,” he breathed softly, brushing your hair away from your face as you lay limp in his arms.
“Here, a cool cloth for her,” the doctor offered. “On the back of her neck.”
Jimin placed it on your skin and massaged the muscles underneath gently. “Come on, Y/N,” he murmured, resting his head on yours. He hated waiting, he was worried and he needed you to open your eyes and look at him. His heart squeezed painfully, he hoped whatever you were seeing you wouldn’t be too frightened...
You started to rouse a few moments later. You could still feel the ice cold blade slicing through your flesh. Frantically you sat up, Jimin was quick to pull you back. “Easy, Y/N, rest a moment, deep breaths.”
Your heart was hammering against your ribs as you tried desperately to follow his instructions. Seeing what you did and reliving the last moments of these people’s lives was horrifying to say the least. With shaky hands you took the water from Doctor Stewart and sipped slowly. Jimin helped you up the rest of the way and led you outside so you could get some fresh air away from the bodies and death.
The sight from your vision was causing chills to run down your spine. Prickles of fear and anxiety rushed over your skin. You were far away from the small group of people as you sat down near the treeline.
“What happened, Y/N?” Jimin asked, standing beside you.
“They were being chased. Through the forest...” you began. “They were so frightened Jimin, and no one came for them.” The thought petrified you and brought slight tears to your eyes. He sighed heavily before he sat down next to you. His hand found yours and he gave you a gentle squeeze.
“Do you want to return home? Say the word and we can drop this case, Y/N... I don’t care about the NYPD-”
“No-No Jimin it isn’t that,” you said softly. “I don’t want to give up, we’ve only just arrived.”
“We need to be careful, Y/N, there’s a murderer loose in this village and we need to figure out who they are and bring them to justice before anything happens to more people,” he said.
“I’ll do the reading tonight,” you murmured. “We’ll need the information to go further, there’s not enough here to give us any definitives. The cards can guide us.”
Jimin nodded. “Of course, I’m with you...”
“And I’m with you.”
--
You were scrubbing yourself off in a bath. The warm water soothed the aches and stiffness from traveling all day. A knock came to the door. Mrs. Weaver came in with more hot water and you gave her an appreciative smile. 
“Y/N?” Jimin’s voice called from the other side of your bathing screen. 
“Yes Jimin, you can sit,” you said. Mrs. Weaver raised a brow at the two of you before heading out of the bathing room entirely, leaving you and Jimin alone.
“What’s wrong Jimin?” You asked, sitting back in the water.
“I read through some of Doctor Stewart’s assistant’s notes, Yoongi. He’s quite thorough, which is good for us. He noticed the pattern of the decapitations are either from the side or from the back, meaning your vision was correct. These people are running away from their attacker.”
You nodded. “It makes sense, I’d run if someone on a horse was chasing me as well... Did you get any more information on this horseman myth Zalia was speaking about?”
Jimin got quieter then. “I interviewed her personally,” he mentioned. “And the story is disturbing to say the least.”
Him interviewing the buxom young woman made your skin feel hot with jealousy... But you breathed in deeply and sank further into the warm water. “Tell me.”
“The headless horseman is a restless spirit. Whether he is an old soldier or mercenary not many know anymore. Zalia explained that the horseman is looking for his head. When he was buried, whoever did it-a witch in some tellings, his fellow soldiers in others, left him without his head-knowing he would rise again. And whomever has his head controls the spirit of the horseman. And she believes that is who the culprit of the murders are.”
“And what do you believe, Jimin?” You asked.
He was quiet for a bit. “I’m not sure Y/N, this entire case is a ball of different mysteries all wrapped up into one. I’m not sure who or what to believe.” 
“Trust me?” you breathed.
He was quick to respond this time. “With my life.”
“Hand me the robe over there?” You asked, standing up from the bath and wrapping yourself up in a towel. Jimin’s hand appeared from the other side of the screen, passing you your robe so you could get dressed. You took it and wrapped yourself up in the warm fabric. You walked out with wet hair and Jimin felt his breath catch in his throat. The robe was shorter, leaving your legs more exposed than usual.
Jimin knew you didn’t mind him seeing you like this, but usually he wasn’t so-affected. He’d been your friend for so many years and had noticed your beauty as you’d grown older but… but this was something else entirely.
You grabbed your nightgown and moved towards the changing area, but not before Jimin caught a glimpse of your thigh and swiftly turned his back to give you more privacy. What was the matter with him? You were his best friend, not someone to ogle when he was a little riled up... But he couldn’t help but think of your beauty. Not just your physical attractiveness, but your heart too...
“Jimin?” You asked, walking out in your nightgown and pulling your dressing gown back on. For now, these thoughts would be put to the back of his mind, there were far more important things he needed to focus on. The shapely state of your legs wasn’t one of them. Unfortunately.
“Come on, Y/N, we should probably head to bed,” he said, his voice calm and soothing to your ears. You nodded, following him out of the bathing room and up the steps. When you finally made it to the attic you found yourself more exhausted than you originally thought. Your head swam, eager for sleep. But you and Jimin both knew that you still had work to do.
When he shut the door to your room you both noticed that there was a thick assortment of blankets and pillows on the floor. No doubt Mrs. Weaver was up here to help with that. She was kind enough, if not a little quiet. 
You moved to your luggage and found your cards tucked away in the subtle compartment that you’d personally stitched into it. The box felt solid and comfortable in your hands. Opening it you pulled your deck out and moved towards the small table that sat right underneath the window next to the fireplace. Jimin moved to sit with you, collecting the notebook he wrote in during your readings. When you both were settled, you started shuffling.
“What would you like to ask first?”
Jimin thought for a moment. “What kind of evil are we dealing with?”
You shuffled the cards until you felt the need to stop. When you turned the card over your blood ran cold. 
“Upright Devil...” You murmured. 
Jimin stiffened in his seat and you looked at him with concerned features. But he wrote the card and its position down. “Usually your deck isn’t so literal.”
“Ask direct questions, get direct answers,” you warned.
“How soon before we discover the culprit behind these murders?”
You shuffled again, turning over the card and placing it on the table. “Upright Ace of Wands. Wands burn quickly-we will know the answer within days...”
“Are we in danger?” Jimin asked aloud. You shuffled the deck, laying down the next card.When you turned it over a frown curled across your features. The card was blank.
“This isn’t good... Someone is trying to tamper with my reading...” You murmured softly. You went to touch your deck when heat flared out from them. In shock you dropped them to the ground, watching as smoke and ash started curling up into the air from the deck. Your heart broke at the sight of your beloved cards burning... Instinctually you went to try and save them if you could. But, it was far too late. Whomever cursed your deck had succeeded. Your cards were gone.
Tears burned in your eyes. Jimin approached with shock written across his face. “W-What on Earth was that?” He asked.
“Someone knows Jimin. Someone knows exactly what I’m capable of, and I think that is the very person we came here to locate,” you murmured.
Jimin felt his throat tighten at the information. If someone knew that meant they were already ten steps ahead of you and Jimin both. You understood now why Namjoon had sent you and Jimin here. 
There truly was something supernatural going on, and you and Jimin very well might be the only people able to stop it.
--
The darkness of the night felt suffocating. Black surrounded the edges of your vision. The smell of sulfur and ash stung your nose as you tried not to choke on the rotten stench. A high pitched snort cut through the night and you turned to find him. Large frame, leather armor strapped down with a long burgundy cape billowing out behind him. No head sat atop his body... His horse stood tall, black as obsidian and lit by the piercing light of the moon peeking through the clouds. The horse pawed at the Earth, bright red eyes staring you down. The smell of the damp soil filled your nose and you realized you were alone... Jimin was nowhere to be seen. Your heart thudded in your chest as your palms started to sweat. The deep, ice cold fear trickled down your spine as you took notice of the large broadsword that was attached to the figure’s side. No doubt that weapon could cut your head off with ease, slicing through your neck like butter.
You couldn’t help your fight or flight-so you ran, taking off into the forest without ceremony. Your feet took off faster than your mind, but the horseman gave chase shortly thereafter. The steed carried his master quickly and effectively through the underbrush of the woods. You ducked and turned and jumped, trying desperately to get away from whomever this was. Whatever it was. Your lungs ached and the sound of the horse was only getting closer. Dread clung to your heart like a wet blanket.
You were going to die out here.
Young trees and pricking briars stung your flesh as you tried to move through the forest quickly and in a sporadic manner. If you could just get to the clearing for the village. Perhaps you could get to Jimin and-
Just as you managed to turn the corner, the horseman caught you by the scruff of your hair, yanking you back as you tumbled to the ground in a heap. The horseman hauled your head up, brandishing his blade and started bringing it down. With what you were certain to be your last breaths you screamed for the one person you could think of.
“JIMIN!”
Warm hands caressed your face. 
“Y/N! Hey, hey easy,” his sweet voice called.
Your eyes flew open, Jimin’s concerned face coming into your view. Tears welled up in your eyes, moving quickly you wrapped your arms around his neck. He brought you in close, rubbing your back as you trembled in his hold.
“Y/N… what happened?” Jimin asked-shocked by your outburst. He’d been sleeping by the fireplace before you started crying out in your slumber. “Sweets, deep breaths...” he cooed. Your body was shaking hard at the fear and how real that fucking nightmare felt. Were you reliving what happened to someone else? Or... Or were you fortelling something? Was that your future if you stayed on the current path you were on? 
“I’m scared,” you whispered. “It was so real, Minie,” you said, the simple childhood nickname you’d given him that only appeared when you wanted something or you were truly frightened. 
Jimin scooped you up and sat down with you curled up in his lap. He pet your hair and rested against you, letting your hand splay across his chest to feel the rhythmic beating of his heart. “I’m here, you’re safe with me, Y/N-I promise,” he said, voice that soothing vanilla timbre that had always been sweet and warm. 
When you finally could look him in the eyes he gave you a gentle smile. Wiping the tears from your eyes with his thumb.
Jimin was frightened for you, but panicking would only worsen this situation. When you could talk you would, and he’d help you like he always does. Something dark was here, and it was already showing him and you how powerful it was. Jimin could feel your hiccups and cries softening when you leaned back to look at him. 
Your eyes were bright with tears in the night, sparkling from the light of the stars and moon outside the window. You were so... beautiful.
Jimin hadn’t really noticed before. A sweet face with mischievous brows that would wrinkle when you were up to no good. Cheeks that he would pinch and poke when you were mad at him for whatever reason. A cute nose that would always run during the springtime. Lips that looked soft and begging for a kiss-
Jimin inhaled deeply, trying to control his thoughts. You were frightened and this was not the time to observe your beauty. “You’re alright, Y/N,” he said, bringing you back into his embrace. “Don’t be frightened...”
You wrapped around him again, arms winding across his neck and shoulders. Your head settled on his collarbone as you both watched the fire. It was small and would no doubt be out by morning, but just resting against his frame was calming your racing mind. All you could think about was him. His strong arms and lithe frame curling into you, his warm palms running over your back and hip as he held you close. 
He spoke his next words into your hair. “What happened sweets, what did you see?” he said, voice soft and breathy. Your grip on his shoulders tightened and he squeezed your hip. “I’m here, nothing will hurt you while I’m here so please Y/N,” he said. “Tell me what you saw?”
“The horseman,” you whimpered. “It chased me through the forest and when it caught me I...”
“Okay,” Jimin murmured when your voice turned teary once more. “No more, don’t think about it anymore tonight, just relax.”
You sniffled early into the morning, Jimin rocking back and forth slowly as the sun started to rise. Finally, as the fire turned to embers then to coals you fell asleep and Jimin didn’t have it in him to move. So he pulled you under the covers with him, letting you curl up against him as you shared your warmth. 
As he started to lull into slumber he swore he saw something move from underneath the door, as if... as if someone was watching the pair of you. Jimin couldn’t think much longer on it as sleep pulled him under into the black abyss of warmth.
--
The next four days passed rather uneventfully. No one had ever witnessed the horseman taking a life. So there were no witnesses to interview.
You and Jimin tried to gather as much information as you could. Speaking with the townspeople and trying to understand what had happened and why the village has been thrown into such dark times when the place seemed quite quiet and uneventful prior.
The only thing you and Jimin discovered was the death of the current Mayor’s wife had come as a shock to the small community, and Zalia had been grieving for months on end. She’d only just recently started coming outside and being herself once more.
However, the young woman had started giving you a headache. She had been following you and Jimin around like a little lovesick puppy and it was making you nauseous. You didn’t think she was a bad kid, but honestly? The whole doe eyed bit wasn’t exactly innocuous.
She’d been trying to get Jimin alone and you were rather powerless to stop her. Jimin hadn’t exactly stopped her, and he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with her following you both around for the time being.
If you didn’t know him any better you’d think he was starting to become smitten with the little minx. The rage that boiled in your belly festered over the few days, causing you to snap and be rude to Jimin at random points.
You didn’t like being mean to him, you didn’t like snapping. But the obliviousness of him and the forward attitude of the little sprite had you irritated and wanting nothing more than to scrub yourself clean. Especially after the long day you and Jimin had today. She’d watched him and you work your asses off and hadn’t offered her assistance once, just ogling Jimin while his muscles strained to finish the task.
At the end of the evening you’d gone to the bathing room. You and Jimin had exhumed the other bodies today with Doctor Stewart and Min Yoongi and it had been a shit load of digging and you just wanted to bathe.
Jimin had taken the brunt of your sour attitude today and he was exhausted. But he knew once you’d bathed you’d feel better. He sat outside the bathing room when Zalia approached, a sweet smile on her face. 
“Hello Constable!” she said, voice soft and pleasant.
“Hi Zalia,” he nodded. “How are you this evening? Did you get dinner from your father?”
Zalia’s face remained neutral as she placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward. “I’ve been looking for you...”
“Me?” Jimin asked.
She nodded, locks of chocolate brown hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders. “Yes, but Miss Y/N is always around so I can’t ever speak with you alone...”
“Well anything related to our case I have to share with Y/N anyways so-”
Zalia moved closer, her chest starting to level with Jimin’s face. “And if it doesn’t have to do with your case?”
Jimin coughed, turning his head uncomfortably. “Zalia, I’ve had a long day and I’d wish to simply bathe and go to sleep. What can I do for you?”
“Kiss me,” she whispered, leaning in to capture his lips. Jimin was so stunned he didn’t even move until the door opened and you stood there in your bathing robe. He pulled back quickly but the look on your face said it all. You’d seen. And you were furious.
“What the fuck...?” you breathed. 
Zalia got a faux look of innocence on her face. “Miss Y/N! I didn’t know you were in there.”
You scoffed aloud, disbelief and hurt crossing your features. You had no right to be hurt, because it had just been made painfully clear to you that you and Jimin will never be anything more than friends. Without a glance in his direction you shoved past Zalia and headed towards the steps with fury in your wake. 
Jimin sighed and went to follow you when Zalia grabbed his wrist. “Don’t, she’s so mean to you Constable. I’m kind and sweet and I’d make a great wife-”
“You are not kind,” he said, turning to look at her. “You are a spoiled and vindictive young child. I am not interested in taking a wife like that. Go to your father, we don’t require any more help from you.”
With that Jimin wrenched his wrist from her tight grip and headed up the steps after you. When Jimin finally made it to the top you had shut the door and locked it. He sighed heavily as he rested his head against the door. “Sweets... let me in please?” he asked, voice thick from running up the steps so fast. 
“Go away Jimin.”
“I can’t, you know I can’t until you tell me what’s wrong,” he said, sitting down and leaning against the door.
You sat on the other side of the door, big tears rolling down your cheeks as you tried not to cry like an adolescent. But you couldn’t help the well of emotions that opened up when you saw the man you’ve adored for almost twenty years at this point... kissing someone else. 
You know Jimin isn’t innocent in the way of women. He went to college and was away for some months and there was a difference when he came back. He was always your Jimin but, for a time it felt different. You assumed he’d had sex and kissed people. But you didn’t think about it often, it hurt too much. And now to have seen it? Right in front of you?
Your little heart shattered. 
“It’s nothing,” you said, sniffling and rubbing your eyes. 
“If you’re crying it’s not nothing,” he said through the door. “Let me in, Y/N...”
“No,” you said. “Go away, leave me alone.”
Jimin sighed through his nose and rubbed his temple. “Y/N, don’t act like a child, tell me now. What’s all this about?”
“You’re so stupid,” you said with an incredulous laugh. “No woman wants to see the man they love kissing someone else,” you said weakly. 
Jimin could hardly believe what you said. “Y/N... don’t play games with me.”
“I’m not,” you sniffled. “Why would I lie about it now? I thought I was fairly obvious this time.”
His brain could hardly fathom what he was hearing. You? Love him? It was no secret you adored Jimin but for it to be in this manner? His mind was reeling. He needed to see you. “Open the door,” he said firmly. 
“Just go away for the love of-”
“I love you too.”
You froze. Standing then to take hold of the handle to the door. You didn’t know if you could open it or not honestly. With the way your knees were trembling at his words you couldn’t be certain you wouldn’t fall. Call it melodramatic but to finally have the man you’ve loved for over a decade say he loves you.
With those thoughts in your head you whipped the door open to find a very stunned Jimin on the other side. “You better not be lying to me, Park Jimin.”
Jimin seemed almost insulted as you had been earlier. “I’m not lying-mm!”
You couldn’t wait any longer. You pulled him down by the collar of his shirt and brought your lips together. Jimin wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you in closer. He melded his mouth to yours and walked you backwards into your room. He kicked the door shut with his foot and brought his hands to your face as he pulled away.
You tried to kiss him again but Jimin held you in place. “How long?”
Your brows furrowed as you looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“How long have you been in love with me?” he asked, brushing your hair back, lips heading for your neck.
“Since we were children,” you breathed, arms winding across his shoulders and upper back. 
Jimin placed gentle kisses along your neck and throat, hands wandering to your lower back. You mewled softly at his proximity and tenderness, but pulled back just a bit. 
“Tell me what happened with Zalia,” you said, pupils blown wide while you panted. 
“She said she was looking for me, I asked what I could do for her but then she kissed me and you opened the door. I swear that’s what happened, Y/N,” he said, eyes pleading.
You sighed and nodded, believing him. Zalia was a child, no doubt she was just trying to get to you by doing this. “I believe you.”
He smiled at you then, kissing you with a firmer pressure than last time. “Will you allow me some liberties tonight?”
You raised a brow at him. “Depends on what kind of liberties you’re asking for.”
Jimin rolled his eyes but you knew it was in jest. “Let me kiss you,” he said, nosing at your pulsepoint while his hands wandered a bit. “Tell me if you don’t like something?” he said, eyes now locked with yours. “You must tell me... I just want to please you.”
Your eyes widened at his blatant suggestion but you nodded anyway. “Yes, all of me is yours,” you said, turning to kiss him once more.
Jimin’s hands found your ass, squeezing it firmly, making you gasp at the rough handling. He took this opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth deftly. His kiss was eager yet patient, cradling your head before he moved away for a brief moment. “I must wash myself... would you like to help me?” Jimin asked.
You could feel the heat in your face, desperate that Jimin wouldn’t mention your coy attitude. “Yes, I’ll help you.”
He smiled, leading you towards the vanity that the washing basin was set in. Jimin sat you down in the chair as he approached with purpose. His hands were on his waist coat quickly, undoing the fastenings as he removed his shirts. When his chest was bare you felt your heart start to race. He stood right in front of you, his sleek physique and lithe frame sending your mind into a tailspin.
Jimin took the cloth and water basin and used the cool water to start washing his chest. “Help me?” he asked, bringing your hand to the washcloth. You did as he asked, stunned at what was happening but too aroused to stop. He’d said he loved you. You believed him, because the look in his eyes as he stared at you now was so intense. He wasn’t hiding anything anymore. The care and love for you was prominent in his eyes and it made your heart squeeze as he moved closer to kiss you as you washed his chest with the cool water. Jimin moaned when you ran the chilled cloth over his nipple, the feeling going straight to his groin. 
“Jimin...” you breathed against his lips as he trailed your hand with his over his stomach and daring a swipe beneath the band of his trousers. You gasped when Jimin tossed the cloth away and brought you into his embrace once more. Your bare hand made contact with his chest and he shivered at the touch. His skin was warm and heated to the touch, and he smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. And something else that was just distinctly Jimin. “I thought you needed help bathing?”
His husky chuckled filled the room. “I’ll bathe later, right now I need to touch you... I need you to touch me... You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, capturing your earlobe in his lips as he gently wrapped around you in a way that was so familiar yet new. “Do you trust me?” he asked, looking into your eyes then. 
His were deep and dark and full of warmth and lust. You smiled at him and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Always,” you murmured as you brought your lips together again, winding your fingers into his long dark hair. He groaned when you tugged eagerly.
“Hold on to me,” he said. When you tightened your arms around his neck Jimin picked you up, his hands settling on your ass as you wrapped your legs around his waist. He laid you back on the bed, looking at you with all the stars in the night sky encased in his gaze.
“Touch me,” you whispered, reaching for him.
“You’re certain?” he said, voice soft and kind. 
“Yes, I’m positive. Please,” you said.
Jimin didn’t need any more encouragement. His hands slipped beneath your dressing gown to make contact with your bare legs. The feeling of your soft skin had Jimin swallowing thickly. To finally have you here, in bed with him and to want him there. His heart was hammering in his chest. He peeled the dressing gown open and was shocked to see your completely bare body beneath him. His eyes found yours quickly and you gave him a sheepish smile. 
“Fuck...” he groaned, leaning down to capture your lips in a brief kiss. He then moved to your jaw as he intertwined your fingers together. He sighed against your collarbone and brought one of his hands to your chest, palms warming your breasts as he trailed his lips further to join his hand.
“Minie...” you breathed softly. “Please, more...”
Your wish was his command, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking on it gingerly. His hand massaged your other breast and you writhed beneath him with sweet whimpers falling from your puffy lips. Jimin smirked against your chest, if you were whining this much already he couldn’t wait to touch your sweet center.
It was overwhelming and passionate and everything you were hoping it was going to be. This moment with him made your heart race in your ribs as you felt his hands trailing lower. “Still okay?” Jimin asked, looking at you. 
“Yes, I’m okay-keep going,” you whispered. Jimin nodded, his hand finally making it’s way to your core while his mouth stayed on your chest for a while longer. His fingers gently cupped your sex and it sent shivers of bliss down your spine. 
“You’re so wet...” he murmured, blowing cool air on the heated skin of your breast. Jimin licked his lips before shuffling down the bed to get a better look at you. His mind was still reeling at the fact he had you like this. But the longer he looked the more shy you became, hands trying to cover yourself when he placed a tender kiss on your thigh. You squeaked in shock but otherwise watched with big eyes. He adjusted you so your knees hooked on either of his shoulders as he kneeled between your legs.
Your heart was in your throat. Was he really going to do this? Were you really going to do this? There was no doubt in your mind you wanted him, but there was also no return from this course. You knew you’d never get his lips out of your mind just from kissing. What would you do when you discovered how alluring his mouth can be?
“May I?” He asked, features pleading and earnest. “I want to please you...”
With a tentative nod you gave your consent. “Yes...”
Jimin wasted no more time, capturing your lower lips in a hot kiss. You choked out a moan, head falling back as piercing bliss flooded your veins. It was almost overwhelming to have such a sensation. The pleasure curling down your spine and pulsing through you with every rapid beat of your heart.
“A-Ahh~” You cried, voice whiny and soft as Jimin gave heady licks to your center as he gripped your thighs. Your fingers tangled in his hair as you tried to keep yourself from humping his face like a mad woman. But you’d never had pleasure such as this. Your own fingers and pillows had never been this sharp and precise with your arousal and Jimin was determined to make you cream his face. 
“Yes, fuck you taste so good,” he said, moving back for a moment to lick his lips and look into your eyes. Your vision was glassy, eyes lidded and chest heaving from pleasure. Jimin felt his arousal in his trousers, tight and uncomfortable as he tried to adjust himself. You watched with morbid curiosity as his cock inflated. 
You’d read dirty books before, listened in on other conversations from women your age about their husbands. But to experience it, to experience him was something else entirely. Jimin leaned back in for another lick to your center. The feeling was still as arousing as before, if not more so as he eagerly worked you up towards an orgasm.
“J-Jimin!” You whined, voice pitched as your center leaked more and more arousal because of him. Jimin licked it up, placing his puffy lips on your clit and sucking it into his sinful mouth as he introduced a finger into your core. You winced briefly as his fingers were bigger than yours but you quickly relaxed into the new sensation. 
“Yes sweets, that’s a good girl, cum for me,” he breathed. He gently curled his digit inside of you, touching a spot inside that had you writhing for more. His lips formed a soft smile as he pushed one more finger into your entrance. 
“Ah!” you cried, feeling the sensations tumble through you with no warning. You came harshly, Jimin’s sweet yet devilish mouth and tender touches had your body overwhelmed with pleasure. “J-Jimin...”
He licked his lips as he pulled back when your tummy twitched with sensitivity. His cock was throbbing in his pants but he wasn’t going to go any further without your permission. “I should stop... If I don’t stop I will take you before I even properly ask you to be mine...”
You looked at him with wide eyes as he caressed your face in his palm. His expression hadn’t changed. His lust was strong but the love and adoration he had for you was finally revealed and he wouldn’t hide it now. There was no point. He was wholly yours, and you were his. This is what you always knew to be true in your heart, but now? Now you were naked and in the warmth of your bed you found yourself melting against him.
“What about you?” you asked, looking down at his bulge and Jimin chuckled softly.
“I’m fine sweets, really-”
“Jimin,” you said softly, hand splaying across his chest as he looked into your eyes. “I want more of you. C-Can I have all of you?”
His face turned flushed, your bold statement disarming him for a moment. “Are you certain this is what you want? I don’t want to do something like this without you being sure-”
“Jimin,” you said again, hands cradling his face. “All of me belongs to you, my heart, my soul, every inch and every sour mood-it’s all yours, as long as you’re mine too.”
The heat in his belly was way too hot, burning him up from the inside out. Liquid fire coursed through his veins as he laid himself over you again, your naked frame curling around his partially clothed one.
Jimin couldn’t hold off, he kissed you with fervor, his lips and hands hardly able to stay in one spot of your body. “Fuck, I’m so hard baby,” he whispered hot against your skin. You wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing his jaw as you felt him running his thumb through your lower lips. 
“M-Minie,” you mewled, back arching as he dipped his thumb inside your still soaking wall. “F-Feels good, want you,” you begged. 
He smirked. “Yes baby, anything you want,” he said while thrusting his thick digit inside you a few times. You writhed underneath his ministrations, feeling the heat and dark pleasure swirling in your gut again. 
“More...” you said, reaching forward to grope his bulge gingerly.
Jimin rutted forwards a bit, licking his lips as he looked down at you. The passionate gaze in his eyes caused shocks of electricity to spark through you. He took your lips in another kiss as he dipped both of your hands beneath the band of his trousers. 
“Touch me here, gently like this,” he said, spitting in your palm before curling your fist in his palm around his cock. He moaned erotically as your skin touched his, pressure and warmth filling his stomach with butterflies. 
“Wow... you’re so hard,” you murmured, shocked by the new sensations of being with him. You’d never felt anything like this. His cock was thick and heavy in your palm, a subtle pulse going through your body as you watched Jimin’s face. His brows pinched like it hurt, but his mouth was hanging open slightly as you started to pump him. He shivered at the action, his hand doing less and less as you took over the action. 
Jimin tugged his pants down and off of his frame, only letting you relinquish him for a moment before his hand was guiding you by the wrist back to his aching dick. “M-More,” he moaned, mirroring your desperate pleas early. Unlike the demonic tease that was Park Jimin, you were merciful as you let your hand cover his length again. You brought your hand to the top of his length before swiping your thumb over his tip, making a sweet whine come from his throat. 
You smiled at him as he started thrusting into your fist, the momentum of his hips causing you to rock with the motion.
“Is it good, Minie?” you asked, biting your lip while giving him a nervous expression.
“Yes sweets,” he cooed, leaning down to kiss your cheek. “It’s very good, feels nice to have you touch me...”
“Jimin,” you said, looking into his eyes. “Will... will you put it in now?” you asked.
His eyes widened a touch before filling with lust. “Yes, spread your legs,” he said, moving back a touch. You felt the heat spreading through your cheeks as you did as instructed, spreading your legs to allow him between them. Jimin was patient, his hands rubbing along your legs as he held you by the back of your knees. His lips trailed along your shins, licking and sucking bites into your flesh as he made his way up your frame. The amount of preparation he was giving you made your mind reel. Every part of you would be kissed and mapped out by the end of this night if he kept it up.
Your heart was pounding in your chest as you waited. You didn’t know what to expect. You’d read dirty books before and had your fair share of heated nights in your bed alone but, to have someone else’s hands and lips on you... The sensations were ten fold now and you couldn’t help but tremble in anticipation.
You jumped when he rubbed his cock on your wet lower lips. “Easy, Y/N, deep breathe for me,” he said, spitting in his palm to rub on his length. You did as he said, gripping the sheets as you waited for him to finally be inside of you. 
Finally, finally he sunk in slowly. You whimpered at the foreign feeling, but Jimin leaned down to kiss you as he found your clit to ease any pain. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he pushed the rest inside of you.
“Jimin!” you cried, the stinging pain of his entry slowly dulling as time went on. A full feeling filling the base of your belly.
“Shhh baby, it’s okay,” he sang softly, kissing you again.
Your heart eased as the sensations became more and more familiar, the fullness turning from aching pain to an odd form of pleasure. 
It was nothing you’d ever felt before. “Okay,” you encouraged, hips wiggling in need. “It’s okay now,” you said, voice soft in the night.
Jimin nodded, giving a few tentative thrusts that took your breath away. “Fuck... so tight, so wet baby,” he breathed, his voice strained. 
“Oh... Jimin,” you said, head tilting back into the sheets as you began the sinful dance of lust and desire. 
Jimin’s hips moved fluidly against yours. Your fingers dug into his upper back, the pleasure wholly overwhelming but not in a bad way. You felt so hot, your skin was burning up as his hands caressed different parts of you. His hands on your ass as he pounded you harshly against the bed, your nails carving hot marks into his skin. But all he could do was smile as you cried out for him. 
“Yeah baby, take me,” he purred, voice sin itself in your ears, setting you aflame in the darkness of the night. His cock was relentless inside of you, hitting all the spots you didn’t know you were so desperate for him.
“P-Please, keep going,” you begged, voice pitched and breathy in his ear. Jimin felt his stomach clench in bliss at your fucked out tone. 
“Turn over,” he told you, pulling from your soaking pussy with a soft hiss.
You nodded eagerly, turning over as Jimin handed you a pillow to rest on. His hands smoothed over your ass before leading his weeping cock back to your center with ease. Once you were comfortable and his cock was nestled deep inside your sweet cunt he started his rhythm up again. 
“M-Minie!” You called, gripping the sheets between your fingers desperately as you tried to hold on to the last inch of your sanity. 
Jimin smirked at your pretty face shoved into the sheets as he pounded your eager core with his thick cock. “Feels good baby?” he asked, tone dark but sweet.
“Yes! Feels so good inside me,” you whined out. The bliss and desire swirled in your belly, an orgasm no doubt coming soon. 
“You’re getting tighter,” Jimin groaned. “Fuck, fuck are you gonna cum?” he huffed, looking down at you with a lust driven gaze. 
You nodded quickly, feeling the cord tightening within you.
“Then you better be a good girl and cum for me sweets,” Jimin purred, resting his chest on your back as he wrapped one arm around your lower stomach and brought his fingers to your aching clit.
You pushed your hips back against his and mewled loudly as Jimin felt your orgasm fall over you. Your body tensed and relaxed quickly, causing you to shudder in bliss as your cunt sucked him harder, then fluttered over his throbbing cock. 
“Give it to me baby, that’s a good girl sweets,” he cooed, kissing your jaw as he slowed his thrusts down to ease the sensitivity you’d feel in a moment. 
“M-Minie...” you hiccuped, eyes teary from the sensations.
Jimin smiled at your sweet face, kissing your head tenderly. “Too much? Need me to stop?” He asked, hips slowing to a stop.
“No-you too, want you to cum too,” you flushed, features bashful but still needy.
Jimin didn’t need more motivation, his hips picking back up into a slower but deeper rhythm, his cock brushed against that one spot. It had you seeing stars and your body jolted in slight sensitivity. But he didn’t stop, and you keened honeyed moans at him, your sweet sounds filling his ears and causing his cock to harden even further inside of you.
“Fuck you feel so good,” he growled out, resting his head in the crook of your neck. “I-I’m close, where do you want it?” he asked, breaths coming in pants as the pleasure swirled and filled his belly.
“Doesn’t matter Minie, I’m yours,” you cried, cunt clenching tight once more. 
“Yes baby, and I’m yours,” he moaned, biting down on your shoulder as he felt himself let go. You gasped at the feeling, not quite enough to bring you to the cusp again, but the whines and grunts from Jimin made you throb all the same.
Without a word Jimin pulled out to turn you over and brought his lips to your swollen and sensitive core once more. You squeaked out in shock but quickly found yourself melting against his soft and hot mouth. 
“Oh Jimin, please,” you moaned.
“One more baby, give me one more,” he said, introducing his fingers into your dripping center. His and your climaxes smeared against your thighs as they trembled from the overstimulation. 
“J-Jimin!” you cried, the pleasured cord snapping within you for the third and final time. Your heart was pounding in your ears as you tried to keep your breathing even. Jimin crawled over top of you, a smile on his glistening lips.
“You’re so beautiful Y/N,” he said, wiping his mouth before leaning down to kiss you. “Fuck I love you...”
“Jimin... I love you too,” you breathed against his lips. 
“Rest here sweets, I’ll get you something to clean up with,” he said, standing and heading towards the linen closet in the corner. You laid there and stared at the ceiling, mind racing with the night's events, your body still in the blissful afterglow of three orgasms with the man you love.
When he returned he did with a cool cloth and sweet lips laid across tender areas of skin. He insisted on cleaning you, chuckling with you as you snuggled under the sheets once you were both clean again.
Jimin wrapped you up in his arms and the warm blankets as you both stared at the night outside the window. You felt small and safe in his embrace, the night and his body coddling you as you started to lull into a slumber.
You both smiled as you fell asleep, hanging onto the other tightly-as neither of you could’ve anticipated what the morning would bring.
--
Jimin and you awoke to banging on the attic door.
“Constable! Miss Y/N! Wake up! Mayor Hart is here to speak with you both, Zalia’s gone missing,” Mrs. Weaver called through the wooden door. 
You and Jimin jolted awake as you both looked bashful at the other when you discovered your states of undress, and memories of the night before swirled in both of your heads. 
Jimin called out first. “Yes, Mrs. Weaver, Y/N and I will be down promptly.”
The pair of you got out of bed, but not before a sweet kiss from Jimin. “We will talk about us soon, yes?” he asked, holding your face in his palms. 
“Yes,” you said, accepting another kiss before getting out of bed and heading towards your changing screen. You noticed Jimin watching your frame walking away and you couldn’t help but feel the flutter in your chest.
You and Jimin dressed quickly, throwing your clothes on in record time, ensuring you both looked presentable before heading towards the steps.
When you got downstairs Mayor Hart stood there with a grim expression. “Constable, Miss Y/N,” he said. “Please help me, my Zalia has gone missing.”
You shared a worried glance with Jimin before looking at the distressed Mayor.
“Where was she last seen?” You asked.
“She ran off into the woods,” Mr. Weaver said. “Last night, she took off into the woods after speaking with the good constable here,” he said with a sneer.
Mayor Hart looked between the innkeeper and Jimin with confusion. “What do you mean? What happened? Why would she run off, Constable?”
“We had a disagreement,” you said. Mr. Weaver scoffed but you pressed on. “But I thought she would’ve gone home, not to the woods.”
“We need to find her,” Mr. Hart exclaimed. “With a mad killer on the loose anything could happen to her!”
“We’ll start a search party,” Jimin said. “Anyone able bodied will go,” he stated firmly.
“I’ll gather Yoongi and Dr. Stewart. Weaver we’ll need horses,” he added.
The innkeeper nodded, heading towards the stables without a word. Mr. Hart took off towards the doctor’s home, leaving you and Jimin alone once more.
A twisting sensation started in your stomach. Something was wrong. Very wrong…
You wrapped your hand around Jimin’s and squeezed, making him look at you with concern.
“What is it?” He asked, voice pitched with worry.
“Something is wrong, Jimin, I can feel it. Something is off,” you whispered, as if the ground beneath you could hear your troubled thoughts if you spoke them too loudly. Your heart was racing, palms turning sweaty at the fear coursing through you. Your eyes rapidly covered the village, and yet there was nothing out of place. 
But you could feel it. Almost as if it were a palpable object you could hold. The icy grip of fear coiled in your belly, causing you to grip Jimin’s hand tighter. 
“Sweets,” he said softly, turning so he was the only thing in your line of sight. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” You were going to start panicking if you kept it up. Your breathing was accelerated like you’d been jogging, he was worried you’d work yourself into a panic attack if you kept going. 
“You can’t feel that?” you asked, dread thick and heavy like a wet blanket over your shoulders. 
“No baby, I don’t,” he said, sympathy crossing his features. 
“Here, a horse,” Mr. Weaver said, leading one steed over to you and Jimin, already saddled up and ready to go. “Shouldn’t be a problem for you to share, hm?” he asked, raising a brow. 
Jimin shifted in discomfort before taking the lead from the innkeep. With that he took the horse and helped you up before climbing up himself. You in front and him holding the reigns in the back. 
Once you and Jimin were settling on the horse you headed towards the edge of the forest where Mr. Hart and now Dr. Stewart plus Min Yoongi.
“Constable, Miss Y/N,” he greeted, raising a hand to you both. Jimin had taken a liking to Yoongi over the day spent exhuming the other victims.
Well, he had taken a liking to pestering him more accurately.
“Hello Yoongi,” Jimin said. “Are you joining the search party?”
He shook his head. “No, I have to do some more examinations for Doctor Stewart. But, if you’re still looking by the time I’m done I will join, Mr. Weaver said he had an extra horse or two.”
Jimin nodded. There were a few more of the local farmers and some villagers that had offered up their assistance. People were going to go in packs of two or three, some on foot others on their own horses. A few people even had dogs they were going to use to hopefully locate the young woman.
Mayor Hart made it to the front of the small crowd and spoke loudly. “We’ll start out by Hollow’s Creek and move our way back towards the village. She could be anywhere, and so could the killer that’s been terrorizing our home. Stick together, do not lose your partner! Make sure you’re back before sundown. Be safe everyone, thank you for helping me locate my daughter,” he said, the pain in his eyes real.
You and Jimin followed Mayor Hart first, heading in after him as the rest of the people knew the layout of the land a little better.
The further into the forest you got, the more and more uneasy you felt. There was something wrong about these woods, there was something wrong about the trees and how they shifted in the wind. You could tell when things were shifted out of balance, energies had a funny way of hiccuping in normal day to day life. How do you explain when you’re having an ‘off-day’, hm?
But here in this forest, the energy, the veil between life and death itself seemed... skewed. Things were running in the corner of your eyes, making you think you’d seen Zalia. After the third or fourth time, Jimin sighed and forced your horse to a stop.
“Y/N, do I need to take you back to the Inn?”
You shook your head. “No, I don’t want you out here alone,” you said, your hand gripping his. “Please...”
Jimin sighed, and nodded. “I’m sorry, it’s been a few hours and yet we have nothing to show for it.”
That’s when you noticed, Mayor Hart had gotten away from the two of you.
“Jimin... where...?” You asked, voice wavering with concern.
He shook his head, looking around in confusion. “But he was just... we... saw him,” he murmured.
“Constable! Miss Y/N! We need to go!”
You and Jimin both turned to see Doctor Stewart heading up towards you on his horse. He was panting and flushed, the horse clearly agitated.
“Doctor Stewart,” you breathed, relief filling you.
“Hurry before-gah!”
You both gasped in shock and fear as he fell from his horse, his head rolling off to the side. His horse bolted, taking off into the forest. However, behind Doctor Stewart’s body was the Horseman...
He was just as he appeared in your dream. His broadsword was large and glistening with fresh blood. It was dripping off the tempered steel in thick rivers of crimson, falling to the ground in heavy drops. The horse was large and dark, a sleek black coat covering it. Deep burgundy eyes gazed at you, as if they were looking directly into your soul. Even as tall as the Horseman and his steed were, you knew he should be taller still. But there was nothing above his shoulders. His neck was cauterized and dark, thick chunks of skin and muscles wrapped around to form the stump his head should sit atop of. And yet, there was nothing there. 
He moved forward, collecting Doctor Stewart’s head.
He takes the head as he searches for his...
“Jimin...” you breathed. “We have to go, we have to go right now, go!”
He didn’t wait any longer, snapping the reins and sending you and the horse hurtling forward through the forest.
You heard the Horseman’s steed paw at the ground a few times before the galloping began. You and Jimin had a head start, but the long strides of the other horse would catch you quickly. There was nothing you could do, and if that damned thing caught up to you it would kill you and Jimin just as quickly as it had Doctor Stewart.
Your horse bolted through the forest, seemingly to know the way back home. However, you were quickly overtaken. Your horse fell after a shot from the Horseman took out one of its legs. You and Jimin fell off the buckling horse, rolling into the dirt and leaves of the damp forest floor. 
The wind was knocked out of you as you fell hard on your side, Jimin was pitched to the opposite side of you, his hand on his head that was now bleeding. 
The Horseman was circling the two of you. You crawled towards him, reaching him to check his head. “Minie,” you whispered, holding his head as his eyes seemed to go in and out of focus. “Look at me, hey,” you said, voice weak and frightened.
“Run baby,” he begged, you could tell he was working on not passing out. “He’ll take me first, run.”
“I’m not leaving you, ever,” you said. “If he takes you then he’ll take me too.”
“No...”
The sound of the steed got closer. You wrapped your arms around him and waited, ready to feel the ice of the steel cut your flesh all over again when-
“Halt.”
The Horseman stopped. The steed was steady, if not disgruntled that the hunt had been, apparently, called off. You and Jimin looked at each other before looking towards the voice.
There stood Mr. Weaver, on a horse with a cloaked figure behind him. “The mistress doesn’t want to lose the Constable,” he said with a firm tone.
You and Jimin both shared worried glances before Mr. Weaver and the cloaked figure got down from the horse. 
Zalia’s head of curly brunette hair cascaded down her shoulders as the emerald green cloak fell around her body. You were stunned. 
“You...”
Zalia smirked softly. “Didn’t think I was capable of it huh? Well, I showed you,” she said with a little proud lift of her head. “This is what real magic is, nothing like those foolish cards you were tampering with.”
Your heart ached at the mention of your cards.
“So you’re the one who destroyed them...”
“Well I couldn’t have you reveal me too soon now could I? My fun was merely just beginning. But now that I’ve got your full attention,” Zalia said with a swing in her hips as she approached. “I’m going to have fun ripping you apart.”
“Your father is-”
SMACK.
Your head was turned fully to the side as Zalia’s strike stung across your cheek. “Don’t mention that fucking worthless man. He’s hardly a father to me. He merely married my mother, and then forced me to watch her die when I had the power to bring her back... I still do.”
Jimin watched in horror as the Horseman stood idly by, as if awaiting his next orders.
“You summoned this?” he asked, looking at her for confirmation.
“You’d be surprised what women can do constable, even with just a little magic,” she said, snapping her fingers and Mr. Weaver’s eyes glimmered green. 
“He’s... What?” Jimin asked. 
“And you too,” she murmured, snapping her fingers again and suddenly-Jimin was moving to stand. 
“Jimin-what are you-ack!” Jimin had stood up, hauling you to your feet as well, but instead of holding you close, his arms locked around your neck. 
“Keep her there constable, I’m going to have some fun,” she sneered. 
You tried to wiggle out of Jimin’s hold but it was no use. He was solid against you, and you had a feeling whatever Zalia did to him, it wasn’t something to be so easily broken.
“Now, Miss Y/N,” she said, stalking back towards Mr. Weaver. “I’m going to take the man you love and make him mine. I’m going to have him wring your pretty little neck and then when he realizes what he’s done, I’ll have the horseman chase him through the forest. Then his lovely head will become the final piece of my puzzle.”
You swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in your throat. “Why Zalia, for what reason are you doing this?”
“Because I can,” she whispered spitefully. “You must know it too, Miss Y/N. The looks men give us. They think we’re so fragile and pitiful. They think we must be protected, that we have no power. That useless Mayor let my mother die. But I’m going to set it right, with enough head’s the Horseman will grant me power unlike anything I’ve ever known before,” she chuckled. “And when that happens I will bring my mother back.”
“What are you talking about, what is the Horseman going to do? He’s a servant to you isn’t he?”
Zalia merely laughed. “You think that’s all he is? He is a powerful being beyond your comprehension. He has magic of his own, and once that is unleashed, we will be unstoppable.”
You couldn’t fathom how far this young woman had fallen. She was deranged. So upset and hurt over the loss of her mother she’d gone on a killing spree, summoning a demonic creature of the night to do her bidding. You did feel for her, losing a parent isn’t easy, but to turn to this?
“How did you even do this?” You found yourself asking.
“I found his head,” she said with a smirk. “Finders keepers as the saying goes.”
“You truly think there won’t be any repercussions for this?”
Zalia shook her head as she giggled. “There hasn’t been any yet.”
“Perhaps not,” you sighed. “I’m sorry baby,” you whispered, jamming your elbow into Jimin’s lower stomach quickly. He coughed in surprise and immediately let go to hold himself as he doubled over. 
Mr. Weaver was moving towards you quickly but you managed to dodge his fumbling attacks. You were gunning for Zalia when a sharp pain spread across your scalp. Someone grabbed your hair. You turned your gaze and saw the Horseman’s hand stretched out and grasping onto your head. 
Zalia laughed harder. “You’re such a pathetic whelp, thinking that old trick would be enough to fool me.”
With a firm tug the Horseman had you on your knees. You looked at Jimin who was recovering from your blow, his eyes were still that sickly color of green. If only you could get to him somehow. Snap him out of this stupor. 
“However, Miss Y/N, I find you’re more trouble than you’re worth. This has all gotten rather boring for me. I still have a mayor to find and kill... Horseman,” she said. The grip on your scalp tightened. “Her head is yours.”
You desperately tried to get away, but it was no use. The hold on you was much tighter than Jimin’s and as you looked to the side you saw him standing there, expression blank. 
“I love you,” you breathed. “I’ve always loved you and I always will.”
You couldn’t help the tears now. 
At least you’d gotten to show him how much you truly love him. Last night seemed like such a distant memory now but as you stared into his eyes you thought for a moment the green flickered. 
“Touching,” Zalia said with a monotone voice. “Horseman, hurry up.”
“Please don’t look, I don’t want you to see this,” you begged.
You saw a tear rolling down Jimin’s face as he seemed to try desperately to move. To get to you, but his body was frozen in its spot as he was forced to watch the woman he loved be beheaded. The green flickered again.
The sword was high in the air, it was about to come down and slice through your neck. You kept your eyes open, trained on Jimin until the last second when you heard the steel weapon whistling through the air. But before you could feel the sharp blade of death, you were tackled out of the way.
Mayor Hart was panting heavily on top of you. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He stood quickly, helping you to your feet when he bellowed loudly. “Zalia Marie Hart what in God’s name have you done?!”
The shock of the moment knocked her concentration, freeing Jimin from her grasp, but not Mr. Weaver. Jimin’s eyes cleared and the tears appeared when he saw you standing there. He jogged over to you and quickly wrapped you up in his arms. 
“Fuck... Fuck Y/N,” he said, pulling you in and cradling your head.
“I’ve only shown you a fraction of what I can do, and when I bring my mother back-”
“Zalia please,” Mr. Hart begged, voice strained with anguish. “Enough of this, come home darling... I miss your mother with every breath, I don’t want to lose you too.”
The young woman scoffed. “I’m not your daughter,” she growled, face growing more and more twisted and angry.
The older man looked like he’d been stabbed. The pain was evident on his face. “I may not be your birth father, but I raised you! I took care of you, I-I treated you as my own.”
“And I hate you for it,” she sneered.
Mr. Hart was gutted. “I stand by what I did, your mother would’ve never wanted you to turn into this.”
Zalia’s face turned dark, fury and spite filled her gaze. “You will pay for what you’ve done to me and my mother.”
“I cared for you! Both of you!”
“You let her die! I could’ve saved her, I still can... Once he has enough heads, he’ll give me some of his power. I will be unstoppable, I could bring back my mother. Your wife!”
Mayor Hart shook his head. “No sweet girl, no one should come back from the dead like that. Imagine what she would say, how many have you ordered to be killed?”
“I’m adding you to the tally, Horseman,” Zalia said. “Kill Douglas Hart.”
The Horseman locked onto her father. The horse pawed at the ground. Mayor Hart jumped onto his horse and took off through the forest at breakneck speed. The Horseman gave chase shortly after.
Jimin saw his opportunity.
With the Horseman distracted, he could move. With a frightening amount of strength, Jimin tackled Mr. Weaver. He wrestled him to the ground and started swinging. If he could get him subdued to a point where he wasn’t an issue, then taking down Zalia wouldn’t be as difficult.
You weren’t one to sit idly by either, so when you saw Jimin haul the older man to the ground you decided to take a similar course of action with the bitch herself. 
“Zalia,” you growled. Her eyes widened in shock at her own shortcoming. With the speed of a viper you took her down. You had her pinned to the ground shortly after, but she wasn’t giving up without a fight. She grabbed your hair and pulled, causing you to yelp in pain but you slapped her across the face to get her to let go. You currently had the upper hand, sitting on her waist as you pummeled her. 
After a few moments of fighting you heard the Horseman’s steed come to a halt. 
Mayor Hart was dead.
You had to figure out how to get the damned thing to stop. 
His head.
She said she had his head. Did she have it on her? Or was it hidden somewhere that you’d have to find-
In the burrows of her cloak you found it, attached to a chain was a small-shrunken head. You wanted to gag at the sight of it, but you grabbed it from the chain. Zalia was livid, thrashing around like a child so much that she flung you from her body, sending the head flying through the air.
“Weaver! The head!” Zalia cried. 
Mr. Weaver struggled against Jimin for a moment longer, before finally breaking free. Jimin scrambled after him, grabbing his ankle and slowing him down for a moment. But he was crafty, kicking him in the shoulder he’d fallen on. Jimin cried out, his shoulder no doubt on fire as the man tried to kick his way free.
You stood up and tried to run for it when the sound of hooves stopped you in your tracks.
You saw the Horseman, barreling towards you with a speed you hadn’t anticipated. Jimin yelled for you to move, Zalia was scrambling to find the head when everything stopped.
With a shaky hand you held out the head to the Horseman.
He was very still, the horse hardly making any movements. 
You were panting hard, nose bleeding as you tried to stay on your feet. You wanted to go home, you missed Martin and the page boys, you missed the bakery sweets down the road from your house and most of all? You missed the quiet mornings with Jimin as you both sipped on your coffees.
You wanted more mornings like that. 
The creature reached forward, taking the head from you in its grasp. 
“What have you done!” Zalia screamed. “My mother! You bitch I’ll kill you!”
Just as you were about to ready yourself to fight again the Horseman’s steed whinnied and stood on its hind legs. Jimin grabbed your arm and tugged you close to him once more as Mr. Weaver fell to the ground in a heap. The Horseman moved quickly, collecting Mr. Weaver and throwing him on the back of the horse. 
Zalia started to run, racing through the woods as fast as her feet could carry her. But unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done now. The Horseman gained on her quickly, grabbing her by the scruff of her hair. As she started to scream, the Horseman grabbed her and put her on the front of the horse. You were worried he’d turn back around, come for you and Jimin next but it never happened. 
The Horseman took off into the woods.
And that was the last you ever saw of him or Zalia and Mr. Weaver.
You turned to Jimin, who looked a little worse for wear, but he smiled at you all the same as he brought you in for a tight hug. “Fuck... I thought we were done for, but of course you came through. You always do...”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Jimin,” you said, eyes sparkling as the sun started to fade in the sky. He caressed your cheek and placed a sweet kiss on your head.
“Come on, if we hurry we can find that horse and head back to town before it gets too dark.”
Jimin held out his hand and you took it, intertwining your fingers as you walked into the twilight, hopeful of what the morning would bring.
--
You sipped your coffee at the dining room table with your cards laid out in front of you. When you’d returned home from Sleepy Hollow one of the first things Jimin gifted you was a new set of tarot cards. You smiled as the Empress showed herself to you as well as the High Priestess. Both significators for you, life was good.
“My love!” Jimin called from downstairs, heading towards the steps and taking them two at a time.
“Yes Minie? What is it?” You asked, heading towards the door. 
“Look at today’s headline,” he huffed, walking through the door with a paper in hand. 
“Did you give Martin the-”
“Yes darling, but look!” 
You smiled softly before doing as he asked and looking at the paper. 
Sergeant Kim Namjoon Promoted to Captain after Sleepy Hollow Debacle.
Your lips pursed at the mention of the Sergeant now turned Captain. “Why do I care if he’s promoted or not? He didn’t even thank us! We almost lost our lives and-”
“Look closer baby,” Jimin said. 
You did look closer and you couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that peeled from you at the sight. There in the font was a quote.
Without the help of Constable Park Jimin and his incredible assistant Miss Y/N, the NYPD would’ve been helpless in this case. My thanks go to them for their tireless efforts to help the people of Sleepy Hollow when the NYPD could not.
“How on Earth did you get him to say that!?” You cried, laughter and joy pouring from you.
“I wasn’t particularly happy that he sent us there either my darling, and I have a few connections to the newspapers. Jungkook owed me a favor, and got a small edit to the quote added in.”
You snorted and rolled your eyes, but smiled all the same. Jimin was just as petty as you, if not more so. “Well that certainly made my morning,” you said.
“I had a feeling it would make you laugh,” Jimin said, coming closer to place a small kiss on your lips. He noticed your cards on the table and looked back at you. “Anything good happening here?”
“Always,” you said, pulling back in for another kiss. Jimin brought you into his embrace and started walking you back towards your room. You squeaked in surprise but let him lead you regardless. “What about breakfast?”
“It can wait, I cannot,” he said with another deep kiss.
He had a small box in his pocket and a very important question he wanted to ask you more than he wanted breakfast anyways.
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antianakin · 3 months
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@theneutralmime
I think my personal view on Padme is that she was introduced as a really interesting character who then sort-of got swallowed by the romance and Anakin's story taking more and more precedence over her own development. Lucas said a few times that TPM is, in many ways, Padme's story more than anybody else's. Which is cool, but it means that when she sort-of disappears into being nothing more than a catalyst for Anakin's fall and Luke/Leia's incubator, it feels a little strange and jarring. The Padme of ROTS no longer feels like the interesting character we had in TPM. Even in AOTC, most of her interesting character development scenes (like meeting her family, her speech about the war, even just the extended arrival on Naboo where she talks about how she set aside her dreams of a family to continue a career of service) got cut in favor of (presumably) focusing more on the romance and how that affects Anakin.
Padme is someone who got introduced in TPM as a person who wanted to avoid violence as much as possible, she tends to play things safe because she believes it's the better political choice to make, but by the end of the movie she's learned that sometimes she just has to trust her instincts and do what she believes is right (this is the whole point of her being on Tatooine with Qui-Gon and seeing him insist on continuing with the podrace idea and the way this works out for him leading to Padme then choosing to approach the Gungans for aid in taking her planet back by force, a plan NOBODY ELSE believes in but her). So they take Padme on this journey where she becomes someone who trust herself and her instincts above anyone else, but who also deeply cares about doing the right thing to help the most people which is why she's in politics at all.
When we get to AOTC, she's continued that into her senator years and apparently only gotten even more reckless with age. But when her feelings for Anakin come into conflict with what she knows to be her duty, she has to make a choice. Does she "follow her instincts" and do what she wants, or does she continue to make that sacrifice because it's the right thing to do? And in the end, she makes the selfish choice.
My problem with what happens in AOTC is two fold. For one, I don't think it does NEARLY enough to convince me about why Padme likes Anakin enough to throw away her morals for him. The overall journey Padme is taking in this film I think is fine, but I don't think the chemistry between them works and I think the romance has aged like milk, which leaves me just kind-of wondering why Padme would risk SO MUCH for... a dude who can't even be considerate enough to respect her boundaries and who she believes makes jokes about fascism and dictatorships (or more accurately, who she has to CONVINCE HERSELF would make jokes about fascism and dictatorship so that she doesn't have to come up against the much more uncomfortable truth that it's not a joke to him at all). Anakin is creepy, insensitive, and sometimes almost unkind to Padme all throughout AOTC, when I THINK he's intended to come off as awkward but charming, enough to make Padme feel sort-of "young again" (I know she's only 24 in this movie, but she hasn't allowed herself to really ACT young for probably about 10 years) in a way that sweeps her off her feet a little. The romance doesn't work, it just doesn't, and I think a LOT of people would agree with me that it doesn't work even if we might not all agree on why that is. The editing isn't good, the dialogue is clunky, the chemistry is practically nonexistent. So when Padme makes her big declaration about how she loves him so much and then marries him, I find it hard to believe, and that is a problem for the rest of the narrative of the Prequel Trilogy.
The other problem I have with AOTC is that Padme is told to us to be a very MORAL person, someone who believes very deeply in doing the right thing and gets righteously upset at people being mistreated. She's someone who ends up seeing Jar Jar more kindly than almost anyone else and is capable of extending that experience with him to the rest of his people enough that she goes to make a deal with them that allows the Gungans better representation and treatment. She gets upset when she realizes slavery still exists on Tatooine and always treats Anakin and Shmi very kindly. She is incredibly upset by the possibility that her people on Naboo could be suffering and dying at the hands of the Trade Federation, enough that she ultimately decides to leave the Senate behind and find her own solution. She barely is willing to leave Coruscant in AOTC for her own protection because she doesn't want to leave before the big vote about whether they're going to go to war against the Separatists or not. And so I have a hard time reconciling that person with the person in AOTC who hears Anakin advocate for a dictatorship and chooses to laugh it off, or the person who hears Anakin say he murdered an entire village of Tuskens and not only chooses to COMFORT HIM about it, but basically CONDONES what he's done by saying it's only human, and then MARRIES HIM. The moral Padme who cares deeply about people seems incongruous with the one who falls in love with and marries Anakin. Fewer people might agree with me on this one since it requires being critical of Anakin, but I think there'd still be a solid group of people who'd agree that this just doesn't seem to match up.
So by the time those two things come together, that interesting journey of this person who wanted to avoid violence as much as possible but had to learn to follow her instincts if she wanted to get anything done starting to give in to selfish desires because she's sacrificed most of her life to serving her people kind-of... disappears. Because I don't understand why she even HAS desires for Anakin, selfish or otherwise, and loving Anakin by the end of AOTC requires her to be so immoral that it feels out of character for her. I don't think the romance INHERENTLY ruined Padme's character at all, but I do think it was mishandled and ended up causing some unfortunate implications about her with the contradictions that exist due to it being a badly written romance.
I like that Padme is, in some ways, almost equally as selfish as Anakin is. She's giving up her morals to marry him just like she is, her job makes this relationship just as forbidden as his does (more so almost, since the Jedi clearly KNOW about the relationship to some degree and don't do anything to actually break them up until Clovis happens and Obi-Wan feels the need to step in a little more and even with THAT they clearly are still aware of the relationship having continued and don't do anything about it, while Padme believes that if the Queen found out about her pregnancy in ROTS that she wouldn't be allowed to serve on the Senate). I like the idea of Padme paralleling Anakin in this, that she starts off such a moral person and that it isn't Anakin himself who causes her to start veering towards selfishness, but the invasion of Naboo and the corruption of the Senate leaving her feeling like she has no choice but to do what SHE believes to be right. And she IS right in that instance, but the implication we get in AOTC is that she's kind-of gotten... worse since then. She follows her instincts no matter what and it leads her to reckless places, up to and including a marriage to a Jedi that is forbidden to her. I even like that Padme is SO selfishly invested in this relationship that she's willing to lie to Obi-Wan to protect Anakin from committing a genocide and then begging him to run away with her so he can escape justice rather than facing the possibility that this is WHO HE IS and she's just been able to ignore it up until now.
I actually like that and think that that's interesting as a character, this... devolution that she has throughout the trilogy in parallel to Anakin and the Senate themselves. She's an immensely flawed person and her connections to the other narratives about how good things go bad can't be a coincidence.
But what sucks is that, over time, Padme has kind-of ended up getting interpreted as this person who was above those kinds of flaws, who wasn't selfish, who WOULD put her duty over her desires. People see Padme as this person who did everything RIGHT and just ended up an unfortunate tragic victim of it like the Jedi when that just... isn't true. And I think it's a reaction to how contradictory Padme's actions (especially in AOTC) seem to be to her character from TPM to just defend her as being RIGHT to be in a relationship with the person she loved despite the reasons for it being forbidden, as being RIGHT to defend Anakin against Obi-Wan's accusations in ROTS, as being RIGHT to prioritize Anakin's comfort instead of condemning what he did to the Tuskens in AOTC. But it misses that Padme isn't just the catalyst for Anakin's choices, she's not just this perfect thing he couldn't live without, she's someone who ENABLED those choices by being selfish herself. She's ALSO someone who started off with such good intentions, such lofty ideals, and was brought low by greed and selfishness and an unwillingness to be mindful about herself and her own desires. Padme might not have ultimately caused a genocide as a result of her selfishness, but it doesn't mean she WASN'T selfish in her choices and that her selfishness helped lead Anakin down a bad path just as much as Palpatine's machinations did. Anakin's choices are obviously still his own and not Padme's FAULT, but I find it frustrating when people try to exonerate Padme of all responsibility for what ultimately happened and pretend like she never did anything wrong in this story, that her love was pure and selfless and free of any attachment.
So on paper, I LIKE Padme's arc and I find it fascinating and the romance is necessary for that arc, but I do think the romance part of it was mishandled badly to the point that it makes Padme feel contradictory and incomplete and underdeveloped. Like if I'm supposed to believe Padme is willing to set aside jokes about dictatorship and the massacre of an entire village of Tuskens when I've been repeatedly told that she's a moral person who cares about humanitarian issues above anything else, I need more than just "this pretty boy is kinda dorky and sweet sometimes." I need know what would DRIVE her to pursue a relationship she knows is forbidden for a reason with a man who is pretty clearly unstable and almost dangerously obsessed with her. What insecurity is making a relationship with Anakin seem so immensely compelling to her, let alone a MARRIAGE.
So either I think the romance needed to be a little more... romantic and eliminate the things like the jokes about dictatorships and the Tusken massacre so Padme doesn't seem like a complete idiot who believes it's okay to murder people so long as those people are Tuskens, or Padme needed to be more explicitly someone who was a little corrupt herself so that Padme being okay with murdering Tuskens and jokes about dictatorship doesn't feel so out of character for her. Or both, maybe a little of both. She's corrupt enough to enter into a relationship with someone she knows she shouldn't without giving up her position as a senator because it's what gives her power, but she's not SO corrupt that murder of an entire village down to the last child is okay so perhaps leave that bit out.
Padme is a character I REALLY loved as a kid when I first watched the Prequels (which were the first Star Wars films I EVER saw) and so I still really like her generally due to pure nostalgia, but my feelings on her have gotten far more complex as I think about her and her narrative more critically.
Ahsoka I think works fine right up until you get to the Ahsoka show where she's just blatantly and wildly out of character and completely flat at the same time. There's things I wish were done a little differently in TCW for my own personal taste, but I think that generally the idea of Ahsoka as someone who only really knew Anakin through the context of war and as a child actually does work. Some of his more violent outbursts can be more easily explained away through the context of the situation as well as a child's sort-of more naive outlook on the adults around them. Ahsoka also never sees him do anything as heinous as the Tusken massacre or make jokes about dictatorships (at least none that I can remember), so unlike Padme, she's not ever blatantly ignoring anything that should be a massive fucking red flag. Well, there's the abusive training from TOTJ, if we choose to consider that canon, which I think Filoni was technically on the fence about. But even that is something that seems to not cause any long-term damage and that Anakin tells her is for her own protection, so it's easier to set aside perhaps than the massacre of an entire village down to the last child.
What makes the Ahsoka show frustrating is that it doesn't ALLOW HER to have an adult perspective on it where she looks back and sees all of the things her child self wouldn't have been able to notice. She never looks back and sees the outbursts of violence or some of his more unorthodox comments about the Jedi as the warning signals that they were. She elects instead to IGNORE everything that he's done in order to double down on the opinion she'd held as a child (and that she'd been able to KEEP up until Malachor) that Anakin was a genuinely good person overall rather than acknowledging that while Anakin had good MOMENTS, he was in fact a bad person and a bad teacher, and she can only move forward if she LETS HIM GO. Ahsoka deserved that and now she'll never get it and it sucks.
Obi-Wan I sort-of disagree with you on in that I don't think Obi-Wan's ever BLIND to his faults. I think this is part of a major misconception of his character that a lot of people seem to share. But Obi-Wan spends like all of AOTC being VERY aware of Anakin's faults and has to figure out how to let go of his worries in order to have faith that Anakin has learned enough to fix and learn from his own mistakes. So by ROTS, it's not that he's blind to Anakin's faults at all, he's just chosen to have faith that even when Anakin stumbles, he'll always pick himself back up again. We see this most evidently in his reaction to Anakin's temper tantrum in the Council chambers about not being made a master where he's clearly disappointed in Anakin's behavior, but he later tells Anakin that despite that, he's still ON HIS SIDE and tries to give Anakin guidance on the situation. He takes Anakin's apology later as a sign that Anakin is sort-of figuring things out a little more, but he is uh. Wrong. Anakin's apology is sort-of half-assed AT BEST, but I can see where Obi-Wan would at least see it as good first step in the right direction. But I don't see Obi-Wan's faith in this film (or in TCW) as a flaw or a blindness because he cares too much about Anakin. It's his STRENGTH. Much like the Jedi themselves, just because his faith was betrayed and misplaced doesn't mean that he was wrong to decide to have faith in the first place. It was STILL the right, healthy choice to make.
The guilt we see him have in the Kenobi show is more a product of the uncertainty surrounding why Anakin did what he did than it is about Obi-Wan caring too much about Anakin to handle what he did. I think if Obi-Wan had KNOWN about Palpatine, and Padme, and the visions, and how all of those things came together, he might've had an easier time of it. But he knows VERY VERY LITTLE about why Anakin is making the choices he's making, and in that uncertainty, the easiest thing to do is blame HIMSELF. Especially since, at the beginning of the show, he believes Anakin to be dead. In some ways, it might feel easier to blame himself than it is to blame Anakin or even Palpatine. And this ISN'T healthy, but I don't think it's necessarily a problem because he blinds himself to Anakin's faults. His journey at the end is about accepting that he may NEVER know why Anakin did what he did, that there might not have BEEN anything he could've done differently or better to cause a different outcome, and that there is likely nothing he CAN DO to keep Luke and Leia from going down the same path. All he can do is have faith again, faith that he did the right thing by giving Luke and Leia to the Larses and Organas, faith that the Larses and Organas will raise Luke and Leia well, faith that Luke and Leia will not be like Anakin and repeat his mistakes.
Rex is definitely just a product of not knowing the truth. I imagine he'd have a LOT less positive gushy things to say about Anakin if he knew Anakin was the one who betrayed them all and became Darth Vader. I'm STILL waiting for someone to show us Rex's reaction to that because I would maybe DIE to see Rex react to finally discovering that particular truth. With what we do have though, I think Rex is mostly come to peace with what's happened to him. I don't think it's that he's choosing to ignore the things that hurt so much as that he's gotten himself to a place where he CAN just... let himself remember good moments with people he'd cared about. The end of it sucked and there were moments in the middle that sucked, too, but there are still a lot of good memories acquired during the war, good people he'd met, good lessons learned. Rex seems like he's in a pretty healthy place by Rebels, having had to live with the truth about the chips for a while and do what he can to live his life as happily as possible with what's left of his family. He can't do anything to change what happened, so he's let it go. He obviously does still have some PTSD from the war, that's always going to be true, but he genuinely seems like one of the most healthy characters in Rebels despite how shit his life has been.
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khruschevshoe · 5 months
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Jim and Oluwande got the worst end of the deal. I'd even say they regressed as both characters and partners and anything they had built up in s1 was almost completely stripped away from them. The way they're portrayed together and apart in s2 is not only unlike the characters we saw in s1, but their rich storyline was reduced to extreme side characters used only as plot devices in a way they absolutely did not have to be used. I LOVED them in s1, and I was so disappointed by what s2 did to them and their potential growth, which I think applies to pretty much everything in s2, not only them.
Mind if I piggyback of this ask to go into all my critiques of the handling of Jim/Olu in Season 2? Thanks!
OFMD Critique: Tealoranges, Dropped Storylines, and Wasted Potential
God, the issues I have with the writing of Season 2 extend in so many directions. Jim's character, I felt, was well-handled for at least the first two episodes but then slowly starts skewing wrong as early as episode 3 (I am still chewing glass over the way their reunion scene with Oluwande was written- or, rather, NOT written). Episode 4 was good, but everything after that? Someone said that Jim in the back half of the season feels more like Vico than Jim, and though I do love and appreciate Vico, it's completely true. Jim doesn't feel like the same character we've come to know, whether from Season 1 or even what is set up in early season 2.
And yet, I STILL feel like they're written better than Olu, if you can believe it? So, I haven't talked about this much, but I feel like Olu is done dirty from almost the moment he is introduced in Season 2. At least Jim (through editing alone, but hey, we'll give the show the smallest benefit of the doubt) gets an acknowledgement that they miss Olu during that flashback sequences while they talk to Archie- Olu doesn't even get that. I read about a deleted scene that would have had Pete and Olu desperate to reunite with Lucius and Jim in episode 1 and I feel like that was DESPERATELY needed to make the Season 1 finale -> Season 2 jump make any sort of sense. I like Zheng, but for the love of God, her romance with Olu (which I had my own issues with for the disservice it does both their characters) is not worth destroying the tealoranges build up from Season 1. Just cut something from the first episode or one of the Zheng/Olu scenes from the second episode to make it make sense.
Then, moving onto later in the season- I've posted about how Olu and Jim deserved the grand, epic reunion otherwise 1x10 and everything set up with them in Season 1 doesn't make sense. Could the writers of the show have possibly redistributed some of the glorious cinematography from Ed and Stede over to Jim and Olu? All I need is one shot of their reunion (a proper, emotional one, not played for laughs or friendship or whatever) framed by the sun to parallel Ed and Stede's being framed by the moon and I would have been happy on that front.
And then later in the season...I was down for the poly elements if they could have been executed better. Fanfics have shown that the Archie plot could have been executed well. But the fact that Zheng is straight up NOT MENTIONED until 2x7 by Olu? And then Jim says that he's been pining for her the whole time? I'm sorry, but it doesn't compute. Show, don't tell. There's a reason why I'm down for Jim/Archie/Olu (if executed well), but can't see Zheng/Olu at all.
But of course, 2x7 comes along and we get the "family who fucked" line. And the implication that Olu could have ever left the Revenge without Jim, when in Season 1 he became a wreck because Jim left for A FEW DAYS, much less was FORCEFULLY SEPARATED from him for MONTHS. Then in the finale, at the lupete wedding, they were separated out, him with Zheng and them with Archie, and, well, at that point...I was tired. I'm not gonna lie. Because this wasn't questionable or problematic writing, it just fundamentally DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
And this is just on a romantic relationship POV. I hated seeing Olu lose his leadership arc from Season 1 and his loyalty to Jim and his nuanced emotional level-headedness/sense of logic. Season 1 really felt like it was slowly building up the idea that the ideal Captain was neither Stede nor Blackbeard but someone a bit more rational, a bit more grounded, a bit more communicative with his crew- someone like Olu. And he gets shoved into the back in Season 2 and reduced to the guy who can't sort scrolls or know that the BOATS ON A MAP MATTER. He gets no influence on plot or major decisions when he was often the voice of reason in Season 1 (we all remember Lucius being a romantic voice of reason in Season 1, but rarely remember that Olu was a major supporting deciding factor in a number of decisions made on the Revenge).
And as for Jim, I wanted more exploration or even just acknowledgement of their trauma post episode-4. I wanted an actual organic continuation of their character arc post-vengeance quest and post-Blackbeard, not just them getting defined by "funny knife thrower with a girlfriend and an ex-boyfriend who they want to get with his crush." They were so much more than that, and it killed me to see the two people who were basically main character 3 and 4 in Season 1 get shoved aside for unneeded subplots about Ricky and Zheng or Gentlebeard's three separate breakups when Jim and Olu's plotline had so much more potential than any of that. They weren't just star-crossed lovers- they were a slow burn ship built of absolutely interesting, complicated, and well-developed characters who brought out the best in each other with a DEVASTATING midpoint to their arc and it honestly would have made a better season not just for them as characters, but for the show overall if someone had just realized that the parallels between a couple that fights and claws to stay together no matter what (tealoranges) and a main ship that was still figuring itself out (Gentlebeard) would have SLAPPED.
(I am now picturing a version of this season where instead of the Izzy fakeout death/Gentlebeard reunion in the beginning of the first episode, we get an Olu/Jim reunion in episode 3 to parallel whatever reunion the writers wanted to slap together for Stede/Ed. I would have actively cried over the Olu/Jim reunion and it would have drastically improved the season.)
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harmofud · 5 months
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Why Every BG3 Origin Character Could Work Romantically with Every Other BG3 Origin Character (Astarion Edition)
Just so everyone knows before reading this, I haven't finished the game yet so some of these might get updated later. I just started Act 2, but I was spoiled almost entirely for Astarion's, Lae'zel's, and Shadowheart's stories, partially for Durge's and Gale's, and almost none at all for Karlach's and Wyll's. Please do try and avoid putting spoilers in the comments and tags, because I would still like to experience some of these moments in game first.
Astarion x The Dark Urge: Astarion has a deep seated well of rage and fury that manifests into a very palpable bloodlust. He likes murder. He is a vampire spawn after all. His very existence requires causing some kind of suffering, and it is all made easier if he enjoys it. It's something he could either indulge in or struggle to unlearn, and Durge's character arc mimics that. Astarion also values trust, something he is afforded very little of because of his nature. In Durge, he would find someone who struggles with themselves and also struggles with the lust for death. They would either become the greatest and most horrific power couple there ever was, or they'd support each other in their mutual struggle to be good.
Astarion x Gale: Astarion craves power. Above all else, above even his want for revenge, he wants the ability to protect himself, whether that be through murder and theft or through a good-old fashioned illithid tadpole. Power for protection is his M.O. Frankly you could make a case for every character on this list being a potential romance because they have power and he wants it; however, he likes power that is from beyond the pale. Pure brute force is not something he tends to approve of unless it is an entertainment for him; if given the option, he'd prefer something subtler, something that can continue to give and grow. Gale fits that description perfectly, and is both subtle and not shy about his magical prowess: both things that would draw Astarion in.
Astarion x Karlach: He doesn't tend to like pure brute force, but Astarion does like hot people, and Karlach is Hot with a capital H. Not only do they have a shared experience of being taken advantage of and being forced to do the bidding of beings that they couldn't even pretend to hold a candle to, but that same feeling of requiring freedom no matter what unites them. They would both do whatever they have to to remain out of the clutches of those who want them back. There's also that wonderful dichotomy of Astarion being supernaturally cold and Karlach being supernaturally hot, and I imagine they'd find each other very pleasant to cuddle. Imagine being warm in bed at night for the first time in 200 years.
Astarion x Lae'zel: Of all the origin characters, Astarion and Lae'zel's morals and opinions match the most, even more so than Durge's. He likes being brutal and unforgiving, and Lae'zel is so much more pointed in both of those aspects than anybody else on the list. He would find her brutally strong in a cunning sort of way, someone who potentially could and would stand up to Cazador and any other number of enemies with him once she has marked him as an ally. I think he would view Lae'zel as a challenge to woo, and I think her almost complete refusal to engage with him in a way that he understands (she never smiles and her requests for a good time are blunt) would make him try all the more to get her to do something other than scowl at him.
Astarion x Shadowheart: At first, I think Astarion would find Shadowheart kind of cagey, but that's okay because he'd be cagey right back. She's cunning and manipulative to those she doesn't like, and he could very easily mimic that. I think they'd have a mutual distrust and dislike of each other that extends into a kind of regretful appreciation for the other's manipulation tactics. The two of them would ironically be the most real with each other compared to everyone else because they both know the other one is hiding something and hiding it well. They know what manipulation looks like, and Astarion might appreciate someone who knows how to manifest that. Also, they both carry secrets that would justify people murdering them/expelling them from society, and I think once they both reveal that to the other, they'd quickly become friends and companions, something they both sorely need.
Astarion x Wyll: The epitome of the 'I can fix him' arc. Wyll and Astarion could not be more at odds with their morals, and I think at the beginning Astarion would be upset at how constantly and unfalteringly kind and compassionate Wyll is, even to those he doesn't like and doesn't want to save (Karlach). After all, where was the kindness and compassion for Astarion in over 200 years, right? Why did no one stick their necks out for him? But when presented with the kindness over and over again, with Wyll making sure that Astarion is okay, I think he would warm up to Wyll. There's also the fact that both of them were/are under the thumb of something much more powerful than them, and Astarion would have some sort of pity in his cold dead heart for someone still clearly in the throes of a demon's grasp. I think he would try to 'fix' Wyll by making him care more for himself and think of himself sometimes over others. It also helps that Wyll is noble born, so things that Wyll would do for flirting and romance would be more graceful than Astarion is used to.
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autistichalsin · 1 month
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So, it was confirmed that there would be no DLC for BG3...I'm gonna cry! I hoped for it! I truly did, because there was a chance they fix and add many more ditails, such as extending Halsin and Mintara's romances, extending Thorm's story with his family. Maybe they would have brought back Isobel's story from EA, when it was Halsin who killed her. We could have found out more about Orin and Gortash...
I saw that and it bummed me out a lot more than I want to admit.
No offense to DOS fans or the people who worked on it, but I don't want another Divinity Game... I want to see more from THESE characters. And I'm sure another studio could do it, but the odds of them keeping all the characters are slim. Most likely they'd pick one or two fan favorites and keep the rest to mentions :(
I was hoping for a golden/definitive edition if nothing else.
I am one of those people who liked the EA story with Isobel, but I am perfectly fine with canon as it is not having it. So I wasn't too bummed about that. But the rest, yeah...
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literary-illuminati · 9 months
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Book Review 40 – Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
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Okay, 40th book of the year! And yes I’m going to be smug about that, no matter how pathetically it pales in comparison to some of the rest of you. To commemorate the occasion I decided to acquire some actual Culture of the kind I can talk about reading to older relatives and have them nod approvingly. I’d say I wish this had been assigned in some English class I took, but honestly I’d have just ended up skimming and using sparknotes and generally ruined it for myself.
Baldwin, as it turns out, really does live up to the hype. This book was absolutely sublime. I feel like it’s going to be impossible to be fair to whatever I read next.
The book follows David, an American expat in late ‘50s Paris. Specifically, a queer man with truly apocalyptic levels of internalized homophobia and lack of self-awareness spending his late 20s valiantly pretending not to be gay while contriving every possible excuse not to go back to his father and the rest of his life in America. The book takes place while his girlfriend is taking an extended vacation in Spain deciding whether she wants to marry him, and he meets Giovanni, a gorgeous Italian man who’d left his village and ended up in Paris under unclear circumstance, while he’s working at a gay bar David views with visceral contempt even as he visits it. They have a passionate romance, and unsurprisingly it all falls apart in a mess of a tragedy that ruins just about everyone involved (Giovanni most of all).
This was the most beautiful thing I’ve read all year. I’m not even sure it’s particularly close. Every single page had a line or two of incidental narration or dialogue that struck me enough to want to save it – I’d given up trying to note them all by the end of the first chapter. The narration has the sort of elevated, literary quality where everyone is two or three times more eloquent and articulate than they really should be, but when the things they say are so lovely it’s hard to mind that minor offence against verisimilitude – the constant peppering of French into everyone’s dialogue is honestly much more of an annoyance, if only because it keeps making me wonder what language all the other dialogue among these French Parisians is supposed to be in. The exact details of their speech (and tendency to monologue about the details of their psychology) aside, just about every character felt really, achingly real, all broken by the world in one way or another and dealing with it with whatever self-destructive coping mechanisms they have to call their own. Insert your favourite Richard Silken quote here.
Tangentially to the actual content of the book; I of course know Baldwin was one of the canonical Great Authors of the 20th century (I knew this before I knew literally any other fact about him), but my god does the edition I have of the book lay it on thick. There’s a 17-page forward that seemed to be an incredibly dryly written English essay talking about his influences and the role of Paris in American literature and etc (I skimmed the first few pages and skipped the rest, as is my habit with forwards by people who had nothing to do with actually creating the book and whose name I don’t recognize), followed by several more pages of a timeline of the authors life. I swear it’s like they’re trying to make reading this seem as much like homework as possible.
Even more tangentially; I was aware that Baldwin was gay, before reading this, and more vaguely aware that some of his work explored this. But I was expecting more, like, Great Gatsby-plus levels of subtext, not just explicit and unsanitized portrayals being the focus of the entire book. That came out in ‘59! Not exactly an obscure or reviled one either. I feel like I could go back and retroactively give myself permission to sneer and roll my eyes at a lot of ‘grounbreaking queer representation’ now. (This is a sign I have spent altogether too much of my life reading discourse on tumblr and tiwtter).
Trying to talk about the themes of Giovanni’s Room is probably just wasted effort – spend five minutes and I’m sure you can find an extensively researched essay by someone whose devoted years of their life to the subject. But it did really strike me how, like, fundamentally inegalitarian the book’s vision of romance is? Aside from David and Giovanni themselves I mean (and even then, David’s internalized homophobia expressed itself in large part through a terror and resentment of being made the woman (domestic homemaker) to Giovanni’s man (breadwinner)). David and Hella’s relationship is just drowning in ‘50s patriarchy, of course, with the future they sketch out for themselves both baldly hierarchical and just incredibly bleak, and David’s parents and upbringing aren’t exactly inspirational reading either. But Paris’ gay underground isn’t exactly portrayed as a liberated and welcoming space – it’s disgusting older men blatantly exploiting and being exploited by desperate younger ones, everyone involved pretending they don’t know what they’re doing and hating themselves and each other for it. All just incredibly unsentimental and anti-romantic.
David as a character and as a narrator really was fascinating, too. In that he’s such a fucking mess with zero awareness of his emotions who keeps making everything worse and seems to almost cause as much heartache for everyone around him as he possibly could. If he wasn’t the protagonist he’d be the most loathsome character in the book, or at least close to it. Was great.
Though one thing that really does drive home how historical the setting is is just how coincidental so many social meetings are. The cast is largely a bunch of bohemians and vagabonds and expatriates without real fixed addresses, and so much of their interaction revolves around just happening to run into each other as they frequent some of the same locales. Which, like, yes, that is just how socializing worked for most people until a historical ten minutes ago, but still very alien to me, someone with an electronic correspondence planning and scheduling ~90% of social things I’ve done since I left school.
Anyway yes, this isn’t an easy read – most emotional and heartwrenching thing I’ve read all year by far, and the only thing last year I can really think of that might beat it is the final chapters of The Making of the Atomic Bomb – but it really is a beautiful one. Five stars.
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Dragonfly [TEASER]
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zhongli/f.reader
genre: morax/zhongi, immortal!cursed!reader, miko/shrinemaiden!reader, angst, romance, hurt/comfort(?), slow burn, traveler is NOT y/n, implied xiao/traveler,
warning(s) for the full fic will include!!: mentions of death/repetitive deaths, mentions of war, mentions of past suicides, the suffering of immortality in a mortal body, for the sake of this fic dragonflies are semi-common in teyvat/liyue lol, xiao considers zhongli/reader parental figures, things will definitely not follow canon timelines (probably), Xiao is a frequent/important character, characters may be ooc (im sorry)
w.count: 13.6k (pre-edit)
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a/n: this is a small snippet of babies first genshin fic featuring zhongli!! its only about 1.1k words long and appears about 3.5k words into the full story lol. im currently in the process of editing since the full thing is fully written!!
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...
The dragonfly’s respite did not last. The little critter’s wings began to hum again and soon began to hover off and before Morax could stop his feet, he found himself following it. Not long from where had previously stood, he stopped at seeing where the small insect had flown to in lieu of himself. 
The eyes of the archon landed on the first person Morax had seen since entering the temple- although uninvited, presence unknown and undetected. Reaching out a delicate hand with her index finger extended, the dragonfly landed easily on the appendage. 
A priestess knelt elegantly in the tall grass, previously inspecting herbs when she heard the familiar buzz of wings. The hakama pants that folded at her legs were neatly pleaded without a crease out of place and her kosode tucked perfectly into the trousers- not a wrinkle to critque. Her hair had been loosing tied back with a red hair ribbon that fluttered in the breeze that kept the tall grass swaying like waves of spring. 
The wind picked up when the dragonfly lifted off her fingers and off back towards Morax. It was like the little creature had led him straight to her and now was directing her vision back so they could meet. 
It was all thanks to that one, small bug that Morax and first made eye contact with you.
“Oh,” your small voice of surprise- at seeing such an odd looking man in the overgrown, private gardens of the temple- carried on the same wind that the dragonfly danced in. You stood and dusted off your knees, knocking any sticking dirt off your bottoms before standing up properly. You inspected the man in front of you.
Arms dark as dirt with cracks of glowing gold. Clad in a white cloak that split three ways down his waist with a hood pulled over his head. The hair you could see whipping lightly in the wind behind his back was dark in color matching his arms. His boots added a heeled inch of two to his already impressive stature and you could already tell he wasn’t exactly something mortal. It would be ridiculous to think so just at the side of his arms alone, not to mention the air around him seemed so… powerful. 
“My apologies, I wasn’t aware we were expecting a guest today,” the courteous smile you sent him made him wonder if you weren’t at least a little apprehensive of his unexpected presence. 
“You weren’t made aware because no one aside from yourself is aware of my being here.” 
“I see,” you muse. “I hope you are aware that qualifies you as a trespasser.” 
“Trespasser?” Morax gapped, losing his composure for a moment. His brows dipped in offense, his pride kicking into his throat through his words. “I am no such being.” 
“Ah, but aren’t you? You said yourself, no one knows you’re here. Yet, you end up in the presence of this temple’s Miko. If that does not mean you’re trespassing, what does?” Morax’s eyes hidden under his hair and hood flick from your head to your feet and back up again. You were the head shrine maiden of the temple? You seemed so young and yet you held such an important position? It planted a pebble of doubt in him.
Then again, if he focused on you properly, he could barely see a small circular arua around your frame. It was like a barrier was placed around you, one protected you from the outside and anything that could taint you. Honing your spiritual power like that so young, he almost tutted in impressiveness if you hadn’t challenged his very being moments ago. 
Still, Miko or not, he still outranked you. Crossing his arms over his chest, his golden-lined arms pulsed with a soft light. 
“With such skills you claim, are you still so unaware when a God stands before you? A pity.” 
“On the contrary,” you smile to him and his brow twitches at your nonchalance. “I’m being quite respectful if you want my opinion. If you were simply a noble who lives among the palace homes, I would’ve quickly dealt with you since only a select few from outside our open walls who are allowed entry into the temple. Much less this garden which is private to my attendance only.” 
“Are you implying you could force me away at any moment should you please?” His voice grew tight in challenge. His sense of traquilty from before discovering you was dimming and the frigid air of his battle sense were returning even as the wind continued to caress you both. 
“I assure you I would do no such thing. I’m simply proving that even in the presence of a God, I will not yield since I do not even know which is in front of me. Not to mention, this is land has no God to speak of or for.” 
Oh. 
Morax felt something stir in his chest at the teasing tilt in your voice that spilled over your lips that curled into a smile. Your eyes were so clean and clear, it was like staring into crystals and he had the urge to create a new form of geo just to replicate them. The feeling was foreign to him, but it shocked him greatly when he realized it wasn’t unwelcome stir. 
He finally dropped his crossed arms and began to decrease the distance between you both. Morax came to stand in front of you so he could get an even better look at your features. As such, you could now look easily under his hood as he stood above you. His eyes seemed to glow a lovely shade of amber that complemented his glowing, golden skin and dark hair. 
“Address me as, Morax,” he instructed. Your taunting smile turned soft and wide as your eyes closed in the most pleased expression he had seen in years. His amber eyes widened at the innocence and the small bells of laughter that left your throat towards him shook his unshaking core. 
“That’s much better,” you said obviously now pleased. “I’m, y/n. It’s an honor to meet you, Morax.” 
It was his name rolling off your tongue- spreading into the wind that had blown harshly for but a moment- that sent an earthquake that started at his chest and spread through his whole body. It was the sound of his own death sentence and he was once again shocked at how he easily accepted that he would definitely be back to this temple. Be back to this garden of overgrown grass and floral.  Morax would definitely be back to you.
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a/n: thoughts? opinions? pls im so anxious i could throw up over this LOL
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betatrolls · 3 months
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Updated about me 🔥🔥
(pt: Updated about me 🔥🔥 /end pt)
Main info:
(pt: main info: /end pt)
IMPORTANT- IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IRL BLOOD, GORE, VIOLENCE, ETC BLOCK "#men suffering" ASAP !!!
⚠️‼️-> MINOR <-‼️⚠️
currently fronting: ummm idk. lol
any pronouns are fine, in order of preference they are she/xenos/they/it/he
dni: basic dni, zionists, proshippers (includes anti-anti), and exclusionists (terfs, aphobes, against mspec gay/les, folks who use tma/tme, etc). otherwise, we block freely.
FREE PALESTINE!!!!
please don't send me chain mail asks :)
who is pissmaster you ask?
my drawme
What happens on this blog:
mostly reblogs, as well as assorted personal posts and occasional sort-of-art
if you're looking for my stimboards+etc, visit @betatrollsstims
if you're looking for my fantroll roleplay blog, visit @tiredconservationist
if you're looking for my planetary roleplay blog, visit @the-real-earth
I'm not very active on any of my sideblogs rn but I'll get back to it eventually
Tags:
#post - all of my original posts
#honk honk - only gamzee's posts
#faygoposting - self explanatory
#ask - asks
#system stuff - posts related to systemhood
#posts to show pissmaster - posts i want to show my irlsie
#fave - favorite reblogs
#ultra fave - ultra favorite reblogs
#nayapost - only kanaya's posts
#[emoji] interest - we have a few of these, reblogs that interest specific headmates, mostly art of our sources that we like but some other stuff
#mewtuals - my beloved mewtuals ^w^
#men suffering - men in physical or emotional pain, usually physical, usually wrestlers drenched in blood
#cronuspost - cronus. when he posts
#feffypost - feferi post !!
Fandom dump:
Homestuck, Gravity Falls, Scott Pilgrim, Clone High, Grease, Neil Cicierega, My Little Pony (g4), Death Note, Voidbound, Undertale/Deltarune, Invader Zim, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Evil Bong, Dan Vs, Dracula the novel, Danganronpa, All Tomorrows, Mystery Flesh Pit
Non-fandom interests:
Clowns in general, Palaeontology, Speculative Biology/Speculative Evolution, Anthropology, Cryptozoology, Astronomy, Medical Science, Folk Mythology, Ancient History, Chemistry, We're gonna be here all day if i try and list EVERY field of science I'm autistic about but that's the basics
Music:
Find my Spotify here, my main playlist with everything on it is "The Everything"
My top five musical acts in no particular order are Insane Clown Posse, My Chemical Romance, Lemon Demon, Jack Off Jill, and Radiohead
Identity:
We're a system, specific disassociative disorder unknown, but suspected to be DID
I'm diagnosed with autism, as well as C-PTSD
We have several issues with no diagnosis and/or suspected cause, which I will likely update this with once we've gotten a clearer answer because I love oversharing on the internet
We're a poly-type otherkin, find my list of kintypes here
We hoard and use xenogenders, find our hoard here
Bits and bobs:
Collectively, our Classpect is Maid of Heart (classpect quiz)
However, our "True Sign" given by the official Extended Zodiac quiz is Lepia
INTP babey
this section is all personality typing huh. whatever
Taste in men warning
Asks are appreciated
Coulrophile. Slash Ess Are Ess.
clown collection here
#4bec13
fantroll info (subject to change)
second fantroll info (check the "oc: peepee poopoo" tag for more peepee poopoo and the "keyz fantroll" tag for all of my fantroll posts)
For mutuals:
On request, I will sprite one of your fantrolls for free. If you don't have a fantroll, i can make you one, or an edit or resprite of a canon character. [examples coming soon]
I will also make you sprite flags like the one in my banner– more examples here– as well as character icons like mine !
Categories coming soon:
individual headmate profiles, blinkies masterpost, and links to past analysis posts
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velvet-cupcake-games · 6 months
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Made Marion Development Update, October 2023
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Robin Beta and Early Access Cometh!
Happy spooky month, everyone!
Our excellent news for the month is that we are on-track to release Robin's route in early November as targeted!
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Are you ready to storm the castle?
As of today, I have 1.5 scenes left to code in Chapter 3 (by far the longest chapter). I'll have the chapter 4s ready by the weekend of the 28th, when I'll start the full Robin beta.  I'll give the beta at least two weekends (especially since the first is Halloween weekend), so as long as Steam certification goes well I will be releasing Early Access before November 15.
Anybody who has pre-ordered Made Marion will be able to download and play their copy when Early Access releases. I will announce an exact release date once our beta client is ready and we're certified for Steam (I wish to release on Steam and Itch at the same time). I will extend our special pre-order pricing for a couple weeks after Early Access is available as thanks for everyone's patience.
This Early Access release will contain Robin's route only, but it is Robin's complete route. Once it is released, there will be no major plot changes (only minor edits if anybody finds bugs or typos that were missed in beta). The only additions in the future will be some minor cut-ins and a few secondary character plot sprites that are currently silhouettes (there will still likely be some silhouette characters in the final version, but some characters who play a very minor role in Robin's route have major roles in other routes and will receive sprites). I am confident that the first release of Robin's route will be fully enjoyable to early players, with the complete story and all major graphics, sound, and all CGs included!
Robin is ready for romance, are you?
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buckets-and-trees · 10 months
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Exactly Like You
Not a fic, but an IMAGINE? It's borderline a fic.
Fandom: The 355-adjacent Characters/Pairings: Nick Fowler x female!Reader Word Count: 1k  Summary: This trip was for YOU.
Content Warnings: non-descriptive brief smut, stockholm syndrome
Additional Notes: This is what happened when I got carried away playing the Once Upon a Spooky Time sleepover game for the Bucks & Noble Book Club launch week... This is not my typical writing style, but this is actually how a lot of my plot notes go for when I do write fic. The game was to imagine yourself in a spooky film or tv show. Not edited. SCENE SETTING: Imagine this is a film. We're going to go single film, psychological thriller, director TBD, but let's make it an A24 flick. Michael Giacchino is scoring the soundtrack, because he's masterful creating exactly the vibes with the music to create the optimal viewing experience (from big to tiny background) AND shows up with clever track names.
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You are a very competent, normal, hard-working, single millennial female who has focused on building up a good career finally gets a nice career-worthy promotion. It's nothing crazy, but it's noteworthy. Now that you have worked a few months on the position, with a bit of that salary increase that came with it, you decide to and are encouraged/supported in taking a three-week vacation during the brief slow time for just a beat before the company's busy season starts to build up again. You always wanted to write, and so you’re going to a cabin in the forest - close enough to some civilization but far enough that she can be secluded and revel in being alone, about a 30-minute drive from a tiny town, any other cabins aren't close together, etc. It’s a few hours from where you live. Aside from liking the location and the look of the place when you were scoping it out online, the thing that sealed the deal on THIS cabin over the others you were looking at? This extended stay Airbnb is a listing that can be booked automatically and SELF-CHECK IN so you don’t have to awkwardly meet up with the host/owner at any point. You *can* be outgoing, you have good family and friends, but you also like your alone time, and so when you also tell everyone you’re going to go and disconnect from everyone and not to expect to hear from you, they don't bat an eyelash too much. It’s not your first solo trip, just the first extended one.
You show up, the area is gorgeous, and the cabin is not ostentatious by any means, but it's a little bit bigger and a little bit better than you were expecting, and it feels a little too perfect and you jokingly text some people back home that this place has settled it, you’re officially going to embrace the semi-hermit author life living in a cabin in the woods, and you’re never coming back ha ha wink wink.
First days are so nice. You do a bit of writing, surf a bit of internet, watch some movies and shows that have been on your list, do some reeding, really just unwind with no obligations for the first time in a long time. Internet goes out, you message the owner through the Airbnb app on your phone, and the owner says he's on a work trip, but will either try to get someone out to fix it or come by when he's back in town and fix it himself in a couple of days. He apologizes for it being an inconvenience, you reassure him it's fine because you wanted to be disconnected from normal life in general any way, no big deal for a couple days sans wifi.
No one from the company could get out to fix the wifi, so he shows up himself two days later. He's also shown up with some lunch as a peace offering - but no pressure, he'll just leave the food if she doesn't want to have lunch with him, and he'll definitely fix the internet first. He's far too attractive and very down to earth but just a little too charming, and you’re a bit disarmed and thinking this is way too romance-novel perfect, and that even having that thought is silly, but you’ve just been reveling in books/movies/tv/your own writing so you just tells your brain to calm down.  He goes about "fixing" things. Wifi's not working on your laptop still, so he asks to see it to "fix" it. You are checking and see it’s not working on your phone yet, either. He asks you to hand it over, and you do because he clearly seems to be competent and know how to fix the system. He says it might take another few minutes, but shoots you a smile and apologizes again for the troubles with the wifi. And his gaze on you is so nice but so intense, and you make an excuse to go unpack the lunch instead of hover/so you can get out of there and breate for a second.
When lunch is ready, so is he. Lunch is charming and normal, feels too nice. You clean up together, you thanks him for coming by to fix the wifi, he casually says he fixed it for him, but not you, and you’re like, “Wait what?” and he explains he’s not leaving, either. And neither are you. If he’s not actually Nick Fowler, he is Seb playing another Nick Fowler character – money, well connected, government background/worked with too many criminals and turning too many assets, and so he's set up this little “trap” waiting for exactly the right person, and it’s you.
Plenty people have come and gone, he’s been watching and waiting. This is it, though. He’s picked, he’s sure of it. He’s never giving the phone or the laptop back, but he’s sure you will love this, too. There’s a typewriter for you to write, and as he’s saying all of this, he’s been closing in closer and closer to you, and he’s been charming and intoxicating this entire time, but now that he’s turned on his hunter mode, you’re quickly falling under, and he presses you up against the counter, cutting off your feeble protests and questions and excuses with the feel of him pinning you with his hips and then kissing you. He fucks you on the counter, and it’s too much to process because this isn’t what you want – except that most of it would be if you’d been able to write it your way instead of being caught in his game – and oh what he’s doing to your body feels too good. And he moves things to the couch, then to the bedroom, and keeps you fucked out and worn out all day, and over the days and weeks gets you so insanely drowned in Stockholm syndrome and the sex…
And he’s soft, but also dark, demanding, doting, dangerous… he’s all of it. TBD if you survive. If you’re a good girl for him, there’s nothing to worry about.
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Twisted Wonderland Analysis Masterlist
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Character Studies
Is Leona “irredeemable”?
Does Leona need to become “king” to be happy?
Jade and Floyd’s realistic sibling dynamic
Octavinelle and misspeaking Jamil’s name
Is Kalim “stupid”?
How Kalim embodies the mindfulness of Scarabia
Hercules character parallels in chapter 6
Inspiration behind Ortho
The Shroud Brothers and coping with loss
Would Lilia let Silver and/or Sebek participate in a war?
Sebek and internalized hatred
Trey and not standing up for/to Riddle
Farena/Falena vs Mufasa
Cater and Trey’s dynamic
Rook and Vil’s friendship
Trey and Rook’s friendship
Jade and Rook’s anger and upset
The “curse” of Rollo’s unique magic
Leona and the King of Beasts’ Song
Rook, mature and responsible
The Octatrio’s “friendship” // Part 2 (comparing Octatrio with Tamaki and the twins from Ouran)
Sebek and his place in Diasomnia’s “family”
Silver and Sebek’s friendship / Part II
Silver and Sebek’s mirrored Dorm Uniform cards
Ace’s character in the first year friend group
Idia and Rollo; similar yet different
Rollo’s punishment
Azul, land/sea and his insecurities
Cater and the importance of memories and photos
Malleus and Silver, “Waking”
Trey and Vil’s relationship
Why does Riddle not hold resentment toward his mom?
Jade and Rook’s subtle facial expressions
Leona in Club Leadership
Vil and Leona’s “effort”
Character foils in the manga adaptation
Leona’s extended motivation in the light novel
Riddle’s backstory expansion in the light novel
Lilia and Uncle Iroh
Kalim and Jamil’s relationship (at the individual and the societal levels)
How each NRC student reflects the spirit of his dorm
Malleus's potential spouse
Leona and depression
Crowley and how he manipulates/cares for Yuu
Different reactions to VR simulation
Nicknames
Common misconceptions (Leona, Malleus, Floyd, Rook)
Lack of apex predator nicknames (from Floyd)
Potatoes and Cucumber as nicknames (from Vil)
Why Floyd nicknames others: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3
Storytelling
Chapter 2 rewrite
How I’d change chapter 5
Chapter 6’s character development (Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil, and Vil)
Disney and Twisted Wonderland
Fandom Forgiveness (of Riddle and Azul)
The importance of visual storytelling in conveying character (Cater)
The importance of visual storytelling in conveying character (Leona)
Elitism in magic education / Follow-up (TWST world lore + Fellow Honest & Gidel)
Tsumtsum Cupcakes
Twisted Love
Romantic love, as it is portrayed in TWST (Ghost Marriage edition)
Romance and love as “healing and helping” the characters
***IMPORTANT MESSAGE on romance and love as “healing and helping” the characters (and irl people)***
Canon Riddle and romance
Canon Cater and romance
Canon Leona and romance
Canon Azul and romance
Canon Floyd and romance
Canon Malleus and romance
Canon Malleus and romance (updated/newer version)
Would TWST work as a dating sim? Part 1 / Part 2
Fashion & Style
Yuu’s uniform; how it characterizes them across various TWST mediums
Jade outfit analysis
Floyd outfit analysis
Fairy Gala Ortho’s design
Fairy Gala Ortho’s Groovy symbolism
Union Birthday Ortho vs Birthday Boy Ortho
Masquerade Masks & Meaning
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