#i love the lighting in tos so much its so fun to study

[acetechne]

World Watercolour Month: 9. Vegetation

for some reason my first thought with this prompt was a little screencap redraw of that scene in The Man Trap where Rand and Sulu have to calm their suspiciously hand-shaped plant after an Incident. Out of context it looks like Rand is weirded out by Sulu's petting but she's an equally invested plant parent haha.

#star trek #star trek tos #janice rand #hikaru sulu #the man trap #world watercolour month #mixed media #watercolour #pencil crayon #traditional art #hapo art #screenshot redraw #screencap redraw #if there's episodes i should do redraws from #feel free to let me know #i love the lighting in tos so much its so fun to study

[d6volution]

ASKS ARE OPEN BLESS

anyways!!

jax w a milf reader. mommy kink.

okay, i got quite a few requests for something like this, so i decided to write something small to test the waters...... ehmm i dont feel very confident in this department, but if the feedback is good, then i will write a part two. ☺️

tags: sub!jax , vibrators, overstim, mommy kink, light bondage.

"L.. Look, y/n.. I already apologized to gangle— zooble and .. kinger just.. let me out of this crap, yeah?" Jax tried to use his usual charm on you but it was becoming painstakingly clear that you didn't care. You simply hummed in response and this only made him that much more agitated.

After all, it wasn't every day he was literally tied up to the headboard of his own bed.

"Mhm, mhm.. and that's what you said last week Jax... and.. the week before that.." You smiled and straddled his lap and he grunted, shifting a little.

"Yeah, and? Ever heard of having fun toots?" He said and studied your expression.

"Oh, suure.. in fact, I think this will be lots of fun after all." You trailed a hand down his chest. Slowly removing the straps of his overalls, allowing them to fall down his shoulders. You watched him closely, but he looked to the side. Avoiding your gaze as heat crept on his cheeks.

"Y.. Yeah, but not when I'm .. tied up doll, heh— d.. don't you think this is a bit much?" Jax swallowed, trying his best to control himself, but his body was actively giving him away.

"Too much? I think it's just fine.." You rocked your hips a little and you could feel the bulge pressing against your thigh. "See?" You chuckled, "You're usually much more confident Jax.. what's going on, hmm? Mommy making you nervous?"

"You wish, babe." His hands tugged at the resitraints once again, "A—And you can't blame me for getting turned on.. tied up or not you're still hot. But, this ain't my thing doll." He said in a frustrated tone and you removed yourself from his lap, leaving his bulge out in the open no longer hidden between the valley of your thighs.

"Too bad, Jax. This is punishment you know. For causing so much chaos in the circus. My poor little gangle, do you really love making her cry that much?" You spoke while digging in your bag of 'toys'. Jax was actively trying to pull against his restraints and see what you were grabbing. "Look I already said I was sorry, what more do ya want from m—"

You were walking back towards him with something behind your back and Jax squinted. ".... whats that?"

You hummed and yanked his overalls down, slipping them from under beneath him. "You'll see."

"Just be a good boy and stay still for me," Jax shuddered at your words unconsciously, he couldn't think of any smart remark when he watched your pretty hands pull his dick from its confines, he was already semi-hard.

"Nnh.." He gasped as you attached a egg vibrator to the base of his cock right along one of the veins that protruded from his girth. You didn't waste time in turning it on the medium setting, with the little remote you held in your hands. A smirk playing on your lips.

His ears immediately shot up and his pupils got small, "W.. What the h- hell..!" He jolted, his hips bucked forward as pleasure coursed through his body without warning.

"How's that feel hmm? Nice and snug?"

"Th.. this is nothin'— ghhk..!" He tensed up again as you switched the setting to its highest, the buzzing sound got louder as it stimulated his dick, which was completely hard and standing at attention now.

"Shhh, that's it." You climbed next to him and stroked his chest. Your fingers tip toed down to his hard shaft and fingers danced around the tip which was already dripping with precum. "You can take it right? After all, I did promise Ragatha I would help mend her dress this afternoon.. so stay here and be a good boy for me okay?"

"W.. What you.. you aren't gonna— ngh.. leave me here right? C-Come on doll, hh— mmf!" You shoved your panties into his mouth. "Found these in your room too." You smiled, it was warm and gentle. Completely contradicting your actions.

"And to answer your question, yes, this is punishment remember dear?"

"Now, if you cum before I get back.. well, this will not the be the worse thing you go through.~"

You switched it down to the medium setting, just enough to keep him going but not enough to get him there completely. He groaned and pulled against the resitraints as you walked out of the door, shutting and locking it behind you.

Jax shuddered and bucked his hips against the vibrator, his eyes getting glossy from the stimulation.. all he could do was sit there and take it. His moans muffled by the underwear in his mouth.

About 45 minutes went by before you entered the room again, Jax immediately perked up, his eyes were glossy from crying and his hands were trembling beneath the restraints. The once sassy bunny was being reduced to whining and begging mess before your eyes. And it was absolutely delicious..

"Hmm? Something you wanna say?" You said and sat next to him on the bed, removing the gag gently from his mouth he began to beg before the gag was even fully out.

"Pl.. please, please... y/n.. l... let me cum.. f..fuck.." He whimpered , but still couldn't face you. It was too embarrassing but he couldn't take it, he was so close but this wasn't enough to push him over the edge.

"Oh? Now you wanna be nice? Gonna look at me, little bunny?" You said and tilted your head a little, trying to catch his gaze.

He finally looked you in the, feeling more pathetic than ever. "Mm...mommy.. please... j..just let me come.."

Now you were a little taken aback, either he was extremely easy to break or... he was actually more into this then he was letting on. You felt your stomach do flips , being called mommy by the one person in the circus who seemed the most against it was invigorating.

"Hmm.. I'm not convinced. Beg some more and I'll let you come baby." You leaned in and placed a kiss on his jaw, trying your hardest to keep your hands off of him. This was for punishment , he didn't deserve that yet.

He looked frustrated by your demands but that was quickly wiped away by the pleasure that washed over him again as he got closer to his climax once more. Unfortunately it he didn't comply it'd probably fizzle out again.

"Nnhg.. please, please.. mommy... need to cum.. please.. i.. ill be a good boy.. pr-promise.." Suddenly the vibrator was turned up to high and he immediately came like clockwork, ropes of cum shot from his angry tip and all over his chest. He groaned and panted, his body trembling from the release.

"Mmn.. there you go, not so hard was it..?" You smiled and turned the vibrator off, giving him a chance to finally relax his body. "Such a good boy for me.. think you can take some more, hmm..?"

"Mmn.. w-won't tell anyone..?" He said, still strung out from his high.

"It'll be our little secret.~" You purred.

#the amazing digital circus #ask #jax tadc #sub!jax #submissive!jax #jax x reader #eeee i hope this ok #🫣🫣🫣🫣

[quillsanddaydreams]

what great men say

james potter x reader

—author’s note: I was extremely soft about James and just how goofy he is around his friends and I just had to write it down. So what does being friends with James and eventually falling for him include? Enjoy!

—warning(s): mentions of food, she/her pronouns!reader 

—wordcount: 3,196

You sighed looking at the time. He would be here any minute— he never came late. Tapping your foot, you turned your attention to the book open in front of you. Transfiguration. The subject that you struggled with the most. James excelled at it. 

The turtle he transformed the teacup into that day was stunning. Popping its head inside the green-gold shell as everyone looked on. James smiled teasingly wide when McGonagall had commended him. No one noticed when he shifted aside to talk to the turtle in a baby voice. It made you smile. You blinked. Words swirled on the page you’d opened. Shaking your head, you turned to concentrate on them.

“There you are!” James shouted as the librarian shot him a glare. He was huffing— apparently from running to the library. He made an apologetic face and slowly came and plopped down beside you.

“Do you always have to be loud?” you said as he playfully rolled his eyes.

“Well, a great man once said loudness is the way of life,” he huffed, breathing deeply as you raised an eyebrow.

“And is this great man you?”

“Are you saying anything to the contrary?”

You let a small smile play on your lips which etched his grin further.

“I wouldn’t dare,” you said as he adjusted his collar, looking smug.

“I mean, even great men tell the turtle they made from a teacup that it is a good boy,” you said nonchalantly, opening a notebook. James flustered.

“I didn’t tell Jake he was a good boy,” he murmured.

“Jake, huh?”

“Shut it.”

The two of you spend the next hour working on the transfiguration assignment. James was patient as he helped you through spells and theory. You laughed, studied and talked. It was just like that between you two. You were good friends, you teased each other, pulled a few pranks and had fun. There was something about him that made you open up more than anyone else. And you loved him. It was stupid really. 

James was utterly and completely in love with Lily Evans. Everyone knew that. You tried and you tried to push it back but you couldn’t help it. It crept up upon you- he had always been so kind to you, so adorably cute that you just fell for him. As torturous as it was, you didn’t dare to even hint him about it. Listening to him gush about the perfect head-girl, you never let your smile fade even if it never reached your eyes. 

James poked your side as you packed your books.

“Hmm?”

“Lily and I talked a lot last night,” he said excitedly as your chest contracted. You zipped up your bag, hanging it by your side.

“Oh yeah?” you asked, plastering on a smile. The two of you started moving out of the library.

“It was amazing,” He said, punctuating each word, a dreamy look on his face. “She told me about her muggle life- records, music tapes- that sort of stuff. She was surprised when I talked to her about Queen and Beatles, impressed even.”

He scratched the back of his head, narrowly avoiding a first year who ran past the two of you.

“Couldn’t tell her you introduced it to us and it’s what Sirius blasts in the room all day long.”

You giggled.

“Did he listen to all of them already?” you asked, desperate to change topics. The two of you turned around the corner. James scoffed.

“Pretty sure he heard each of them at least a hundred times.”

“It’s good music James,” you sighed. “Ask him whether he’s free next Hogsmeade weekend, I’ll show him a place he’s going to adore.”

“Ah, I have some head-boy duties with Lily, Remus is helping Slughorn for extra credit and Peter is practicing astronomy,” James said as you furrowed your eyebrows.

“So Sirius is free?”

“Yes, but we aren’t,” James shrugged as you laughed.

“Okay,” you dragged on, not sure where the conversation was going. “Ask him if he’d like to go with me?”

James turned to you, confused.

“You’ll go with Sirius, alone?” he asked as you hummed in response, shrugging. He scowled.

You turned back at James standing at the door to the common room.

“Tomorrow, same time?” you asked with a smile. He nodded giving you a half-hearted grin and moving towards his room. Did you say something wrong? Shaking your head, you retreated to your dorm.

-♡♡♡-

A loud knock shook you. You looked towards the window and… James?

“James what the hell are you doing there?” you asked, jolting towards the sill and unlocking it. The idiot was standing a broom nearly forty feet above ground.

“I was wondering whether you’d join us all for a trip to the kitchens?” he breathed, a small smile playing on his lips. You heard snorts making you look down at the ground. Sirius, Remus and Peter were rolling out in laughter, but you couldn’t think much about that.

“Are you insane? Bloody sit down on your broom or come in,” you said eyes wide.

“Fine, I’m coming.” James grinned, jumping inside. He grabbed your arms almost falling over you. A strong perfume attacked your senses. His face was so close to yours, you could count the faint freckles on his face. Messy strands of hair fell over his forehead making you want to run your hands over them. You blinked, steading yourself before taking a step back. James coughed.

“Um, I was sneaking out for some hot chocolate,” he said placing his hands in his jeans’ pocket, thumbs out. “I remember you complaining we never took you.”

“Oh,” you said, feeling awkward all of a sudden. “Let me just get my jacket, it’s kinda cold.”

Grabbing the nearest jacket, you put it on as James stared around your room. You had decorated it beautifully. Post cards, quotes and some letters were put up on a wall on the far end. His eyes fell on you as you turned to him smiling, ready to leave. He gulped.

“How are we leaving?” you asked and James gestured to his broom floating outside your window.

After much bickering, you found yourself sitting behind James, holding onto him for your dear life. That wasn’t to say you didn’t enjoy it. It felt good being so close to him, having your hands around his waist. You almost felt sad when you reached down. Sirius smirked at you as you climbed off the broom. He knew more than he probably should.

“What took you so long?” Peter complained. You saw Sirius open his mouth to say something but closed it on seeing your glare. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

“Well now that she’s here, shall we?” he said leading you ahead of the group.

James frowned at the two of you. Sirius whispered something in your ear making you roll your eyes playfully.

“What’s made you so off now?” Peter asked. Remus patted his shoulder.

“Jealousy is always a bad colour on people my dear wormtail,” Remus said dramatically. James raised it eyebrows.

“I’m not jealous,” James said pointedly and then shrugged. “What would I be jealous of?”

Remus rolled his eyes.

“Sureeee.”

You took in the warm room while the boys asked for hot chocolates for all of you. Sweet smell of banana bread and muffins eloped the kitchen. Remus called for you, handing you a steaming mug of cocoa. You sat down beside James tuning in to their conversation. He gave you a small smile as Remus and Peter quarrelled about their divination predictions. You laughed and you talked, feeling the week’s tension slowly slip off your shoulders. When it was time to leave, you felt oddly content. Making them promise to make this a monthly thing, you finally turned to leave. James held you back.

“I was wondering, if you’d like to have a bit more fun?” James asked, biting his lip. “Just us two.”

You looked at him curiously and licked your lip.

“And what will this fun, entail?”

“There’s this small place near the edge of forbidden forest,” he said and you raised an eyebrow. “I swear it’s not that dangerous. It’s honestly beautiful.”

James didn’t know why he was so bent over to spend some more time with you. All he knew was that he didn’t want the evening to end. He didn’t want to leave you just yet. So when you nodded slowly, he couldn’t stop the grin that spread on his face.

The two of you tip-toed through the castle, James’s invisibility cloak with him just in case. Checking the map, he turned towards you. Taking your hand in his; he whispered, “Run.”

Your eyes widened. James sprinted forward, taking you with him. There was no time to think. Trying to keep up with him— you made your way through the grounds, the air icy against your face. You were huffing by the time you reached the lip of the forest.

“What exactly were we running from?” you asked, taking in gulps of air.

“No one— we were taking too much time,” he said shrugging. “And adrenaline always feels good.”

He didn’t notice you glaring at him. You slapped his arm playfully.

“Hey—” he groaned, rubbing at the spot.

“Now that you’ve wounded me, shall we?”

You nodded, biting the inside of your cheek. Placing his palms on your shoulder James turned you, leading you towards a small clearing. Your arms erupted in goosebumps, feeling him right behind you. His breath tickled your neck. Did he really not know the effect he had on you? Reaching there, James gestured around dramatically. Fireflies buzzed around the area and the ground bloomed with wild flowers.

“Wow,” you gasped. James watched you, his face lighting up. Running your hands through the shrubs you looked up. Night sky was always clear at Hogwarts. But somehow it seemed even more beautiful then. You glanced towards James catching him staring.

“See something you like?”

“You look beautiful,” James uttered before he could stop himself. Your cheeks heated up.

You did. You looked gorgeous every single day. James swallowed, a distinct blush covering his cheeks. He felt your gaze on him, waiting for him to say something. He heard you sigh after a little while.

“You know, when I was small, I used to collect fireflies in a jar,” you said, sitting down slowly. James joined you. “Pretty little things they were. I would stare at them for hours. Mum hated them. Dad didn’t seem to mind. They would zoom around in the jar and I would take it in hand running through the house saying they were my army. Danger shall befall those who cross me— I used to say”

James let out a laugh, sighing as you both watched the stars. Sneaking a glance at him, you caught him doing the same. Light from flies lighted up his face, his brown eyes sparkling. You didn’t know who leaned in. His lips were soft against yours as you let your hands tangle in his hair. His arms went to your waist, tugging you towards him. The kiss seemed to light you up. Pulling back breathless you stared at him, seeing something that made your stomach. Guilt. You dug your nails into your palm, waiting for the excuses to come. And it came. He called out your name.

“Don’t.” You snapped.

Scrambling to your feet, you started moving back towards the castle. James followed you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think. I don’t know what happened and I—”

You twisted towards him.

“I’m not angry at you James,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. James frowned. “I— I just like you, okay? I’ve liked you for quite some time.”

James’ eyes widened a little. You let out a laugh, looking away.

“I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at myself. Do you realise how pathetic it is, to love someone knowing they’ll never love you back?  Every day I’ll tell myself; it doesn’t matter. That it’s a crush and it’ll go away. And every day I fall a little more in love with you knowing you’ll never feel the same.”

Silence fell around you and you wrapped your arms around yourself. You felt cold. James watched you, desperate to reach out. He wanted to stop you but he didn’t know how. All he could do was listen.

“I think, I think it’ll be better for me to stay away from you for a while,” you breathed, trying your best not to let the tears in your eyes fall.

You walked back to the castle leaving James alone. A tear fell down his face and he furiously wiped it off.

-♡♡♡-

The next few days seemed never-ending. Classes, homework and head-boy duties kept James busy. He practiced harder and longer on the field. But his mind wasn’t in it. It was full with the thoughts of you. He tried. He really tried to reach out to you somehow. To catch your eye during classes, give you a small smile, but you hardly even glanced at him. It hurt. More than he could ever care to admit. He had quite forgotten what it was like not to spend time together every single day. To not listen to you complain about your day, hear your laugh. He felt alone.

Bacon and eggs were laid out in front of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to eat. He toyed it around with his fork.

“Ahhh James! Just the person I was looking for,” Lily said with a bright smile as James looked towards her. “I was thinking maybe you could join me after lunch? We can review the prefect rounds’ details.”

James furrowed his eyebrows.

“Didn’t we do that last week?”

Lily’s expression fell, but she covered it up quickly.

“Yes we did, but I thought maybe we could go over them again?” she said expectantly.

“Uh- sure.” He said, moving his attention back to his plate. He pushed it away.

Sirius, Peter and Remus raised their eyebrows at him. James looked at them questioningly.

“Are you dead?” Remus asked.

“No?”

“Yeah I think he’s dead.” Sirius pipped in. James opened his mouth to retort but Sirius bet him to it.

“Look, I know finding out your friend is in love with you while you think you’re in love with someone else isn’t easy—”

“Especially when you’re actually in love with the said friend," Peter said, taking a bite of his toast. James opened his mouth.

“Especially then —but you gotta make up your mind. Go date Lily and find out how worthless it is and then go back to friend or go now and talk to her and tell her what you really feel about her.”

James blinked.

“I’m not in love with her,” he said slowly as they collectively groaned. He ignored them. “And how did you know that she told me she likes me?”

“It was obvious?” Sirius said as Remus rolled his eyes.

“You know what? Let him continue his idiocy for more. I want to see how long this can actually go on,” Remus said as others hummed in response, shrugging.

“What? You’re not even going to listen to me now?” James stated as his friends paid no attention.

“Not when you’re being a dumbass, no.”

James banged his head on the table. Remus continued to read his book while Sirius and Peter concentrated on their breakfast.

“What if, what if I said,” James began slowly. “That maybe I do love her. I do love her and I was the biggest fool in the world and screwed this up beyond repair?”

Remus stared at James, a small smile overcoming his features.

“You tell her exactly that.”

-♡♡♡-

You sighed turning the page. The story was captivating at first, but now— not so much. There was a knock at the window and you turned to see… James? Your heart thumped against your chest. He stood there, probably on his broomstick waiting for you to let him in. Pushing the covers aside, you got up and opened the small lock as James hopped in. Your chest clenched seeing him for the first time in weeks. You had missed him. His hair was disheveled and he fidgeted awkwardly, staring at you.

“James why are you here?” you asked softly. You wanted nothing more than to hug him. But you held back. You couldn’t do that to yourself, not anymore.

“I— um— I wanted to tell you something,” he said as you gestured at him to go on. There was silence.

“Well?”

James flushed, looking down.

“I— I had this whole speech prepared and now I forgot what I was supposed to say,” he said and you looked at him curiously. “I know it starts with me saying I might be the biggest dumbass at Hogwarts.”

“That I can agree on,” you pointed out, a small grin evident on your face. James cracked a smile hearing you tease him after weeks. Somehow, he never minded it when it was you. There was silence again, but this time it felt calmer.

“You see? I had a fascination with this red-headed girl,” he whispered. Your throat bobbed. He was here to talk about Lily? “This fiery girl who rejected me every time I asked her out. And my fascination just grew. So much that I couldn’t even notice myself falling for someone else. Someone who’d been an amazing friend.”

Your eyes snapped towards him and he gave you a light smile.

“I don’t love Lily. I don’t. And I hate myself for not realizing it. But even more than that I hate myself for turning you away. I’m sorry,” he said as you sniffed, letting his words soak in. He loved you, not Lily. You knew you must be looking like an idiot then, giddiness blooming through your body.

“Are you sure this isn’t the speech you prepared?” you said as James chuckled. He shook his head.

“My prepared speech was written by a great man and it did not end with an apology.”

“Oh? What did that great man end the speech with?” you said, joy evident on James’ face. He was enjoying this.

“Asking you out,” he said cheekily and you let out a snort.

“Well, that’s a let down,” you said, putting on a disappointed expression, noticing James furrowing his brows. “I was hoping the speech would end in some kisses; after all, don—"

You couldn’t finish the sentence as James pulled you closer by your waist and pressed his lips against yours. You sighed, tugging him closer by his neck. Pulling back, you rested your forehead against his taking deep breaths.

“I fucking love you,” James said, cradling your face and starting to press kisses all over. You giggled.

“I love you too. Tell that great man I’d like to go out with him this Hogsmeade weekend, will you?” you said as James let out a laugh.

—as for the taglist: I don’t make taglists, I have a blog @from-my-quill which is updated whenever I post fanfiction. You could have the notifications on for it and it will work just like me tagging you.

⟨⟨REBLOGS AND FEEDBACK ARE APPRECIATED⟩⟩

#james #james potter #james potter x reader #james x reader #sirius black #remus lupin #marauders #marauders x reader #the marauders #hp #harry potter #james potter x you #james x you #james potter x y/n #james x y/n #from anu's quill

[harrysgloves]

Here Comes The Sun

word count: 3.3k

story summary: After dating for 2 years, Harry finally convinces you to move in with him. Only to find out the person he loves most in this world suffers from depression.

warnings: Language // Mentions of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and everything else that goes along with that fucking terrible disease. // Fluff because I really needed it.

a/n: 100% needed this pick me up short story right now. The depression is real. Always remember to reach out for help if the load of your own depression/ anxiety/ insomnia/ mental illness gets too heavy for you to carry on your own. We all need help some times.

>>><<<

Things in your life had been going so well. Everything seemed to be fitting together so nicely like it was meant to be this way. That, honestly, should have been your first sign that a storm was just around the corner.

You'd finally agreed to move in with your boyfriend of two years after months of him begging and pleading with you.

"Come on, love. It'll save money." He said trying to be all sneaky, saying that was the only reason why he wanted you to move it.

"It jus' makes sense. Y'know ecologically. Less travelin' back and forth. Really, do it fo' the trees, love." He tried another time.

"Harry, if you care about saving trees buy a Kindle." You said as you laid down your own eReader to gestured to the book laying on his chest.

"Y'know how I feel 'bout those… things." He said with a wave of his hand before picking up his apparently superior "real" book. The sour look on his face made the side of your lip curl upwards letting out a hum as you picked up your tablet again.

"Well, when you get a tablet we'll talk about it." You said, smiling as you picked up where you left off in your book. Thinking you'd won the fight, there was no way he'd ever give up his love for turning pages for a digital reader.

You were very, very, wrong.

The next week you two hung out at his flat, cuddled up on the couch as usual. Your head laying in his lap as you tuned out whatever nonsense was on tv and scrolled mindlessly through news articles on your phone.

You only looked up when Harry moved his hand off your arm. Your eyes peered up at the smug bastard casually pulling out his new Kindle. The color draining from your face as he sat there with that infuriating cheeky grin.

"Anything we need to talk about, sweetheart?" He asked, eyes still on the screen of his tablet, that dimple popping out as he grinned.

"Oh, don't you sweetheart me!" You sat up abruptly beside him. The smile never leaving his face as he laid down his tablet on the coffee table.

"Why not, lovie? Something wrong?" He cooed, moving closer to you on the couch as you rolled your eyes at him.

"When did you get that?" You asked, gesturing to the piece of technology you swore he'd never EVER own.

"Two hours after y'left last week." His arms wrapped around you pulling you into his chest as you stared at him.

The cheeky jerk always tried to get what he wanted.

"H." You said, shaking your head at him.

"Jus' move in with me! Promise I'll pick up my socks and everythin'." He pouted his head laying on your shoulder until you pulled back slightly from him.

"Okay, I know that's a lie." You rolled your eyes, laying your head on his chest.

It wasn't that you didn't want to move in with him. You really did. You loved the guy. Even if he told the world's worst jokes and he hated your intense love of bad, corny, movies.

You considered him not just your boyfriend but one of your best friends. Not your absolute best friend because that bitch would murder Harry if he ever took her spot but he was close.

The only problem?

You'd managed to hide the fact you were diagnosed with depression for years. Any time any of your bouts of sadness seemed to hit he was conveniently out of town. By the time he came back they were close enough to being over that you could push through it. Pretend to be happy.

That's what you did best. Almost all the people in your life had no idea you struggled with a mental illness. That you had depression that fueled your anxiety which made your insomnia unbearable… which only made the depression worse.

It was a constant vicious cycle of depression, anxiety, and insomnia that you didn't want him to see. You liked being the person who made everyone laugh and have a great time.

You liked being the life of the party. Liked having fun and being adventurous but something in you would flip like a switch and suddenly you wouldn't be the same person anymore.

You'd spend days in bed, hardly moving, finding reasons to do your office job that you loved at home. You didn't see many people, blowing off your friends with excuses of being busy with work when really you were curled up in a ball in your bed staring at your bedroom wall, overthinking everything.

"Come on, what's t'big deal? I love ya and obviously y'not waitin' fo' marriage or anythin'." He said, laughing when you hit the jerk in the shoulder with the closest couch pillow.

"'M sorry but it was funny." He said with that annoying but oh so adorable sparkle in his eyes as he leaned his head back on your shoulder, sticking out his bottom lip to pout at you.

"Please move in? Pleeease?" He begged, pleading up to you with those bright green eyes you couldn't say no to.

"Fine but if you stop loving me that's your own fault." You sighed, settling on the fact that you didn't want your depression to hold you back.

If he loved you he would understand.

"Never gonna happen, love." He said leaning over to give you a kiss. Lips intertwining together causing the thoughts of worry to drift slowly from your mind.

>>>

It was only the first week of you two being moved in together when you felt that overwhelming sense of gray starting to edge its way into your mind. It was simple things at first, oversleeping, not feeling hungry, and not feeling up to doing much.

You easily chopped it up to the stress of moving and the adjustment period of getting used to living with someone else other than yourself. Telling yourself that there was no way you could be getting down when you had so much to be happy about.

Your nights after work were filled with nothing but cuddles on your couch. Pressed against Harry's chest as he read you the book you'd both settled on. Your fingers combing through his hair as you listened to every word pouring out of his mouth. Smiling softly as you nuzzled into his neck.

No, there was no way you could feel depressed when you had this to look forward to every night after a long day.

But you were wrong.

>>>

"Sunflower! 'M home!" Harry called out for you when he got back from the studio. A box of donuts in his hands as he shut the door behind him with his foot.

He could tell that you'd been feeling a bit off lately. You'd been sleeping more than you usually did. Complaining about your stomach being sick when he tried to get you to eat. Which never happened because you loved food.

When he rolled out of bed that morning to head to the studio you told him you were doing your office work from home. He thought it was odd since you usually loved going into your office. You'd been there so long that you considered almost everyone your close friend. Of course, you also didn't meet many people who weren't your friend which was one of the reasons Harry loved you in the first place.

You were always so sweet and kind. Going out of your way for people was something you didn't even bat an eye at. Your heart was made of pure gold and he loved seeing your smile light up a room anytime he took you out.

Lately though you'd been refusing to go with him to do things. Saying you had too much work to do. Something he tried to get you to stop doing to yourself. You had a bad habit of doing people's work for them when they gave you a half-assed reason why they couldn't do it.

He couldn't stand to see you work yourself to the point of stressing yourself out. Which is what he figured you were going through right now.

"Love?" He called for you again when you didn't respond. Throwing his keys and bag on the table haphazardly like he knew you hated but was slowly trying to break the habit of doing every day.

His eyebrows furrowed as he toed off his shoes. You usually came bolting down the hallway the second you heard his keys hit the kitchen table, telling him off for not putting them in the key bowl sitting by the front door. Something he didn't quite understand since you two usually ate in the living room and didn't even use the kitchen table unless people were over.

He walked through the quiet and dark house straight to the study. The door to the room jammed packed with his books creaked open revealing no one in there. Not even your laptop was in the room and nothing was out of place. It didn't even look like you'd been in there that day.

He closed the door behind him as he headed for the bedroom. He wasn't sure why you'd been in there since you said you had so much work to do and you were very adamant on no work being done in the bedroom. Saying it was only a place for sleep and sex.

When he finally got to your two's bedroom though he was surprised to find you curled up in a ball, buried under the thick comforter, asleep. Your hands gripping on the blankets as you huddled for warmth. Your easy breathing rising your chest gently up and down as you snoozed away peacefully.

A small smile formed on Harry's lips as he watched you for a second. This was exactly why he wanted you to move in, he loved seeing you already there when he got home. Even if you were asleep.

He placed the box of donuts on the bedside table before crawling into bed with you. The decompression of the mattress caused your eyes to flicker open as he laid behind you. His arm draped over your side as he pulled you closer to him.

"Mornin', love." He kissed your temple as you groaned in protest, not wanting to wake up since day time seemed to be the only time you could sleep anymore.

"Five more minutes." You mumbled, glaring at Harry when you heard him let out a small laugh.

"It's six in the evenin'. Y'won't sleep tonight if y'don't get up, baby." He said while his hand rubbed gently up and down your arm. The calluses on his fingertips scratched you slightly as you pulled away from him burying your face in the pillow.

"I'm sleepy." You complained, the pillow in your face muffling your voice.

"Y'never this sleepy." He said, pulling back from you slightly, brows furrowed in concern.

"I know. Just don't feel good." You shrugged as you rolled off the pillow to face him. You really should have told him then but the thought of him seeing you in a different light was terrifying. Logically, you knew he wouldn't judge you but the thought still loomed in your mind.

"Y'fevered?" He asked, touching your forehead with the back of his hand.

"No, nothing like that. Just tired." You sighed, wishing you weren't so much of a coward. Your teeth biting your bottom lip as your eyes darted away from his stare.

"Brought y'donuts. Those are always y'favorite." He said, hoping that would get you out of bed.

"Not hungry H. Wanna go back to sleep." You said, turning away from him again. You were so tired, your nights filled with nothing but restlessness and racing thoughts that somehow only subsided during the day.

"Y'stomach sick?" He asked, as he laid back down beside you. He wasn't sure what was going on with you but he could tell something was definitely wrong.

"Kind of." You said, Harry's mind racing with all the possibilities of what was going on with you.

Did anyone you know have the stomach flu? He didn't think so or at least you hadn't mentioned anything about it. Maybe it was the real flu he though but it wasn't the season for the flu and you'd be burning up if you had that. It could have been a common cold but you weren't sneezing or coughing.

His mind slowly started to piece things together for him. His eyes widening in realization before a small smile curled on his lips. He hugged you before pressing a kiss on your forehead.

You'd definitely needed all the sleep you could get if he was right.

"Alright, get some rest, darlin'. I'll come to get y'later." He smiled, turning to look at you with a weird glint in his eyes. "Love you."

"Love you too." You said, not sure what the hell had just happened but was glad he decided to leave you to your much-needed nap.

>>>

"I'll carry that." Harry said as he ripped the box from your hands. It had been the third time that day that he took boxes out of your hands that he deemed too heavy for you to carry out of your car from your storage building.

"H, why are you being so weird?" You sighed, rubbing your forehead, he'd been like this for weeks. His constant hovering was starting to become unbearably draining.

"'M not, don't want y'carryin' heavy stuff, that's all." He shrugged as he carried your box of photos to the attic as you plopped down on the couch.

It wasn't like he was going to let you unload your car yourself. He was already worked up about you clearing out your storage building yourself but it wasn't like you could keep things in there anymore. The rent had recently raised and really it was ridiculous for you to pay for a storage building when yours and Harry's place had an attic for storage.

"You should eat." Harry said sometime later in the evening when he had finished unloading your car for you.

"Not hungry." You replied, sitting up from the couch to stretch, your back cracking from how long you'd been sitting there not moving.

"Flower, please eat." He begged, his voice pleading with you as he sat down on the couch next to you.

"Harry, why is it a big deal?" You asked, turning to face him but you could tell he had suddenly gotten uncomfortable. You sighed, hands covering your face as you rubbed your eyes.

"You've been hovering over me for the past two weeks. What's going on with you?" You finally asked, hoping whatever it was could end quickly. You didn't have the energy to deal with everyday stuff let alone anything else.

"It's jus' y'know…" he mumbled, ears tinting pink as his eyes darted away from you. His hands fiddling with his rings as you raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know. Can you please tell me and start acting normal again?"

"'Ave you had your period this month?" He asked quickly, completely catching you off guard.

"What?" You had no idea what the hell that had to do with anything or why the heck he'd be worried about it.

"Y'know, y'period, 'ave y'had it?" He asked again, your forehead crinkling as you thought about it.

You hadn't had it yet but it was only one day late, which is completely normal for you when your stressed out from depression and not sleeping much. Your body liked to freak out on you when your emotional state wasn't the best.

"No?"

"And y'not eatin' and sick to y'stomach. Right?" He still looked anxious as he continued to question you. While you grew more and more confused by the second.

"Uhm, yes?"

At this point, you felt whatever his train of thought had been at the start of this conversation had completely gone off the rails. He wasn't making any sense whatsoever to you anymore. He might as well start speaking to you in a different language if he wanted to be this confusing.

"And y'tired and sleepin' all the time."

"Okay, what does that have to do with you acting funny?" You asked when you had finally had enough of his crazy questions.

"Y'pregnant." He said with a bright smile on his face that quickly faltered the second you busted out laughing at him. Your hand quickly covering your mouth when you realized he was now the confused one.

"Harry. I'm not pregnant." You said once you had finally calmed down enough to talk to him again.

"Y'are! That's why y'been so different lately." He said so passionately you almost felt bad for not being pregnant. The poor guy looked like you'd kicked his dog.

"H, I have depression." You said, finally telling him the truth about why you'd been acting so different.

His eyes flickered around your face then towards your stomach. The wheels in his mind turning as he realized all the signs he had misread.

"Why didn't y'tell me?" He asked quietly. The look on his face filling you with guilt.

"'Cause I don't like talking about it." You said, wanting to leave it there but you knew you owed him more of an explanation than that. Sighing as you reached out to hold his hand, your fingers absent-mindedly running across his rings as you tried to build the courage to talk about it so more.

"I get all weird and down. I don't like being like that so I don't bring it up a lot." You said finally breaking the silence he was giving you to talk freely about what was going on.

"We've been together fo' two years." He said, his fingers lacing through yours to stop your fidgeting.

"Yes, Harry, I'm very aware of how long we've been together." You rolled your eyes at him, a smile on your face until you saw the hurt look on his own.

"Why haven't I seen it before?" He asked, staring away from you and at the living room floor. Your heart sinking as you realized he was starting to blame himself for not seeing the signs.

"They always seemed to hit when you were out of town and before, when I wasn't living with you, it was easy to not show it. Like, I could be okay for a few hours when we hung out and I could go back home and it wasn't a big deal." You explained, pulling his attention back on you as you tried to casually brush off the fact you'd go through hard periods of time completely alone.

"'S a big deal. I wanna be there fo' yeh." He said tongue wetting his lips as you pouted at him. Your head resting on his shoulder, trying your best to be honest.

"That's why I'm telling you now. Sorry, it took me so long to say it. I didn't want you to look at me differently." You sighed, his hand tightening slightly, enough to make you raise your head up to look at him.

"I wouldn't ever look at y'differently, sunflower. I love you." He said, a smile on your face as you leaned forward and kissed him.

Even though you knew deep down that he'd always accept you and not judge you for your depression. Hearing him say the words made everything better.

"I love you too, H." You said when you pulled away from him. Your eyes were unable to stop watering as you looked at him.

"Don't cry, puppy." He said as his thumb brushed away your tears.

"Happy tears." You said through a laugh as you tried to wipe your open face dry of the water. A weight felt lifted off your shoulders knowing he'd always be there for you. Knowing you wouldn't have to carry the burden of depression alone anymore.

#Harry Styles #Harry #Harry Styles x Reader #Harry Styles x you #Harry Styles x Y/N #Harry Styles Fanfic #Harry Styles Fanfiction #Fanfic #Fanfiction #Writing #Mine #Here Comes The Sun

[schtewpidcupid]

tw: knifeplay, mentions of murder, bloodplay if you squint very hard.

slasher whitney / fpc.....

It was foolish to be in the woods past sunset. You knew that, and usually you would’ve avoided it at all costs - the danger was too great.

But, despite being tired from a late night of studying and a busy school day, and knowing you had plans that evening, when some of your classmates suggested going to the lake you’d readily agreed. It seemed fun and, as of late, large group outings were becoming more common. There was safety in numbers, after all. You’d all stuck close together through the woods, until you got to the relative safety of the lakeside, where everyone had separated into their little cliques or grouped up to play an impromptu football match. You had elected to lounge around near a few students you recognised from your English class, laying back and basking in the late-afternoon sun while you listened to them gossiping. You swore you were only resting your eyes.

When you woke up, it was still, and quiet, and a cold breeze was drawing in from the lake. You’d fallen asleep. That, on its own, wasn’t an issue. The issue arose from the fact that everyone had apparently pissed off home and not thought to wake you to come with them, instead leaving you alone on the shore. 

Walking home through the woods in this town was dangerous at the best of times, what with all the creatures and the human creeps and the bizarre flora. Lately, however, there had been a particular fixation on not being out alone, especially at night - there was a killer on the loose. Even in this town, with its high crime rate and lack of moral decency, it was rare for anyone to be out-and-out murdered: attacks, yes; disappearances, yes; but murder? That was unusual, and the brutality of the crimes was enough to shock even the most cynical locals. The fact that your classmates had forgotten you wasn’t just rude or inconvenient; it was dangerous - more dangerous than any trip through the forest.

You were about fifteen minutes through your journey, alternating between short bursts of jogging and carefully picking your way through the foliage in an attempt to remain undetected, when you felt that you were being watched. That was the issue with sticking to the more well-worn trails, you supposed - there was always some pervert, lurking, waiting to catch someone unawares and take advantage. With a sigh, far too used to this kind of shit, you ducked off the trail and back into the trees, trying to make your way through and relying on the dying embers of late-evening light to guide you. 

It was less than a minute later, already far off the trail, when you were startled by a noise. A dull, heavy thump from behind you. 

Your breath quickened and your jaw set, a meagre attempt to calm yourself, before you took a look over your shoulder and almost immediately started sprinting away, before you could even fully register the figure you saw. Tall and somewhat broad, clad in all black, red horns rising out from beneath a hood, face obscured in shadow - a cricket bat, held loosely in one hand, tapping against the trunk of a tree. 

You run for so long that you can feel your lungs start to burn, heart hammering so hard in your chest that you swear it's going to break through your sternum, your legs aching as you run despite the way you are trembling. You're no closer to town and, in your panic, you realise you must have gotten lost, may even be running deeper into the woods, further away from whatever semblance of safety the dimly lit streets offer. Then, before you realise what is happening, your foot catches on something and you're tumbling, falling, arms out to lessen the impact, thorns and branches cutting into your palms. You try to scramble to your feet but whatever spell had been keeping you going has broken, and you just fall forward again, stumbling, no longer able to get yourself upright. Half-crawling, you try to get behind a tree - despite the dense forest, the thick foliage and the gloom, you've never felt so exposed as you do right now, crouched in your little hiding spot. 'At least,' you think 'I can't hear anything chasing me.'

Then the figure steps out from behind the tree, and-- you've been on your knees enough times to recognise the scuffed, steel-toed workmans boots that Whitney seems to always wear. You feel a flood of relief as you stare at the black leather and maroon stitching, and it must be plain on your face; Whitney huffs out a laugh. 

"Hello, sweetheart," you look up in time to see him throw his hood back and raise his red demon mask, and he grins down at you. "Funny seeing you here."

The cricket bat clatters to the ground, both of his hands grabbing your arms and hauling you back on to your feet before backing you roughly up against the tree. 

"Whitney," you whine. He buries his face in your neck, teeth grazing over your pulse. His mask is still perched atop his head, the hard plastic line of its sculpted lips brush against your jaw. "Whitney, you scared me."

You can feel him laugh as much as you can hear him; the shake of his shoulders, the exhale of his breath against your throat. 

"Sorry, slut," His voice almost sounds genuinely plaintive, "Wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Thought I'd mess with you a bit. Didn't expect you to bolt like that, though. You almost got away," his gloved hands trail down to your waist, the thick leather heavy against your skin through your school shirt, "but I caught you in the end."

Your trembling legs finally give out and you slump back against the tree, arms winding around Whitney's neck to keep yourself upright. He raises his head, fixing you with a predatory grin; he runs his tongue over his teeth and you can see his tongue stud glinting even in the half-light. 

"What am I going to do with you, eh?" One hand draws away from your waist and you whine in protest. The other hand shoves you up against the tree again, with enough force that your arms unlink from around his neck; he takes a half-step back and your hands come to rest pathetically on his shoulders while he regards you with a smirk. You think that this is the longest you've ever been fully clothed when alone with him, yet you feel just as exposed as you would if you were naked. 

It's only when his hand leaves his pocket that you realise it had even been there, that he'd been looking for something in there after he drew his hand away from you. And, evidently, from the object clutched in his hand, he found it. 

A knife. 

He must have seen the brief flash of panic in your widened eyes because he barks out a laugh as he brings the blade to the soft flesh of your thigh, cold metal tracing its way under the hem of your school skirt. 

"Maybe I should start letting you wear underwear again," he says absently, the tip of the knife creeping higher and higher up your inner thigh, "I'd love to cut them off you. Bet it'd be really hot." Your breath hitches at the thought, fingers gripping the epaulettes of his black leather jacket. 

When you feel the knife trace over the slit of your cunt, light as a feather but still cold and sharp enough to make you jolt, you moan out his name, whining with each subsequent pass of the metal against your slick core. He hums in response, eyes flicking up from where he was staring at his hand under your skirt. With a laugh, he brings his free hand up to your face, pushing two gloved fingers into your whimpering mouth. You can taste a tang of iron on the rough leather as you eagerly suck on them, your eyes slipping closed. 

"I've trained you well, haven't I? You're so desperate for me to fuck your mouth," His own mouth is parted and he stares at you almost reverently, watching you moan around his fingers in response. The hand between your legs pulls back, and though the knife had barely touched you, you immediately miss the thrill of the cold metal against your sensitive pussy. He brings the knife up so you can see it, your arousal coating the blade as it glints in the fading light - you aren't sure if your hazy eyes deceive you, but you swear you can see something red pooled around the hilt. Whitney stares into your eyes with a lustful intensity as he brings the blade to his mouth, the flat of his tongue slowly licking your slick from the metal. Your legs buckle, empty cunt clenching around nothing. It's too much, all the teasing and the adrenaline. You're aching for him to fuck you. 

"Good girl," he says, pulling the knife from his mouth and tucking it away in his pocket. He removes his fingers from your mouth, tracing them down your chin and leaving a trail of saliva. You probably look like a complete mess right now. 

"I'll give you a five minute head-start," he says, and you nod.

"Don't make it so easy for me this time, okay slut?"

He steps back and, through the haze of your arousal, you try and run.

#whitney the bully #slasher au #killer!whitney #as a genuine certified slasherfucker im INTO this au but also i want pc thats INTO IT #cupid's love spells

[ilovebeingcalledawhore]

ABOUT YOU | JISUNG

Content: Fluff, Arranged Marriage Au, Angst

Summary: Fate works in wonderous ways and you believe in it, you just didn’t expect it to have the person you’ve been wanting to actually be yours.

Note: not proof read, comment the corrections

Let me start this story off with a little description of my crush, Park Jisung.

Tall, talented, funny, and hellishly handsome. Everyone in the year group has tried to get his attention, become his friend or girlfriend, they wanted to be involved with the particularly lonely boy.

Unfortunately for them, he ignored every single thing they said, he didn’t even give a nod, a smile, or a quiet reply. He just stared straight into the wall or the window as he tapped his fingers to the beat of the music playing on his headphones.

No one knew why he did the things he did but not one of them was planning on stopping. At this point, I reckon people have already made bets on who’s gonna make him talk first.

I did like him like most of the girls in my year group but I didn’t have the guts to do what they do. I couldn’t walk up to him and give him a ‘hi’, I couldn’t even give him a little grin because the moment I see him, my body seems to freeze.

I’m slowly getting over it, I don’t look at him as much nor think about him as much, sometimes he’s way too quiet that I forget he’s in my class. I guess that’s a good thing, right? Liking a guy who hasn’t talked to you for two years straight isn’t that hard to get over.

September 20, 2020 [9:00 am]

“Crap” I muttered, my brows furrowing and my heels dropping to the ground. There was no ladder near me, not even a stool. I tried again, I tip-toed and tried to grasp the red paint bottle but its plastic coverage just slipped against my fingers.

“Come on” I muttered in disbelief, my hands falling to my sides and the little strands of my hair falling against my face. “Thud!” My ears perked and my eyes widened at the sudden sound, the red paint bottle was now in front of me.

I turned my head wondering who helped me and the first person I saw gave me doubts...Jisung. He was just a meter away, his back facing me, his hands in his pockets and his earphones on full blast making me hear little bits of the song he’s playing.

“Did he just....” I started but didn’t continue, realizing that no one would answer my question anyway. I ignored the little incident and turned my body back to face the red paint. I flicked the cap open and squeezed a bit onto my palette.

“Y/n!” My body straightened in shock. “Geez, Soobin you scared me!” I replied to the tall boy beside me and he grinned, his eyes disappearing while his dimples deepened. “I was just going to ask you something” he started, rubbing the nape of his neck.

“Are you friends with Jisung?” The question was indeed out of the blue. “What are you talking—“ I was just about to reply when a deep, low, quiet voice replied for me. “What if we are?”

I turned my head around and his close presence made the hairs on my body stand. His neck just before my eyes, making me tilt my head back to really see him. It was Jisung.

Soobin’s eyes widened at the sudden interaction and even I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. Beomgyu, the class president called Soobin over, so before he could say anything, I was left alone with the mysterious boy.

“Wait...why are you talking to me?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing and my voice faltering. “Your father is the owner of Elite Studies isn’t he?” Jisung asked, pulling his earphones off his ear. “Yeah” I muttered, wondering if he was going to ask for money, especially since my father is pretty known.

“Well, I’ll say it now before you get the news at home”

“What?”

“We’re getting married”

-

September 20, 2020 [3:45 pm]

“Mom! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I asked in disbelief, my parents just sighing at the ruckus I made. “It’s just for a year, show the media you’re together then file a divorce” my father replied, the plea in his eyes making me stressed.

I don’t mind getting married to him, hell, I’d love to but I don’t know him, not a single bit of him and he doesn’t know me! Are we going to start talking at school? Is he going to give me rides? Will he propose? Is he going to hold my hand?

I don’t know and I'm scared that he’s not going to like me.

_

September 28, 2020 [11:30 am]

I tightly gripped on my royally white dress, the beautiful silk and lace being something I’ve never found myself in. I took deep breaths calming my pounding heart, the sound of cameras were already filling the magnificent venue and I didn’t know whether that was our paid photographers or the paparazzi.

“You’ll be fine” my dad whispered as I hooked my shaking hands around his arm. I nodded to him but I guess it was more directed to myself, I hope that I’ll be fine.

“Please welcome the bride” I heard someone say and the big double doors of the church opened, I slowly walked in with a smile, trying to convince everyone that everything was alright and I was having fun on my wedding day. The sound of the piano, violin, horns, and cheers entered my ears as I waltzed into the venue. It was gorgeous but what else did I expect from my perfectionist of a mom? “Focus” I hear my father whisper and my body straightened.

Jisung looked magnificent.

You know when you like someone and you start creating scenarios in your head? Well one of them was this and it was actually happening. I was getting married to him. The pounding of my heart worsened but not from nervousness. I was scared that if the butterflies in my stomach flapped their wings even harder I would fly.

I stood in front of him and the music stopped. Calmly taking my shaking hands, I give him a half hearted smile. I hear the priest speak but I can’t even register his words, one second I see my mom crying, the other I already have a ring on my finger and moments after that, his lips were against mine.

October 2 2020 [7:47 am]

“How’s it feel to be married to me?” Jisung asks with a grin, taking a sip of his coffee. We were at a famous coffee shop in the business district and we were well aware of the paparazzi inside and outside the store. I roll my eyes at him, looking out the window, giving a sneaky glance at the photographer inside her car, acting as if she was checking her camera's gallery.

“In all seriousness though, how is it?” Jisung asks and I turn my head to face him. I didn’t know if I should reply with a joke or with a normal phrase but I had to answer one way or another. “It’s...” I hesitate, not wanting to say the wrong word. “It’s interesting”

“How so?” He asks, his eyes connecting with mine. “Well, it's not everyday you get to marry someone you genuinely like” I replied feeling a little brave and I watched as his eyes widened. “You liked me and you didn’t even talk to me?” He said in disbelief and I chuckled nervously at him. “Well you already had like....millions of girls talking to you, what would I be compared to them?” I uttered out and he shook his head with a little grin, one that made my heart flutter.

“I swear Y/n, you should really start telling what you feel, I can’t believe I spent 2 years wondering if you liked me back”

"Stop tripping" I roll my eyes. After the time I've spent with him, I learned that he was one hell of a funny lad and what I liked most about that was how he laughed. The sound of it echoing through my ears before I sleep giving me the best dreams.

“But I’m not” Jisung replied, his eyes not leaving mine. I chuckle, looking away, taking a sip of my drink.

October 5 2020 [6:03 pm]

Today, we had to put on a show. A public dinner with the Park family could go either extremely smoothly or horribly but it was part of the deal.

“Ah welcome!” Mr. Park greeted us as we entered the venue. Mr. Park was still sitting on his chair because only his black crane kept him standing. He wasn’t that old but he was weakening, sometimes I’d see Jisung holding him up, even on the wedding day, I watched as he sat still on his chair, chatting away, only having his wife fetch food for him.

He couldn’t stand, so I walked towards him and gave him a smile. Greeting him out of respect.

Here’s the thing, the place was wrapped in velvet and gold. It was a ‘private’ room away from the other customers but its wall was made of glass. Once the people from outside look up the second floor of the fancy restaurant, they’d see us but that’s exactly the point.

I immediately gave a light hug to Mrs. Park and walked towards Jisung. As if it was natural, he stood up and wrapped me in his arms, leaving a peck on my forehead. I let him finish his act then I sat on the fancy chair beside him.

“Go and order whatever you want” His dad welcomed us, so I gladly took the menu and as I read through the thick black and gold fonted paper, I felt Jisung’s hands go over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.

“What do you want?” I asked pertaining to the menu and warily sending a look to my parents just to see them chatting away. “I want you” he leaned into my ear as he whispered that and I glared at him. Well correction...I tried to glare at him.

“You’re stupid” I whisper and I felt him reply with a little peck on my head. “Stupid for you babe” I cringed at the name. “Don’t call me babe” I complained and he smiled. “What do you want me to call you?” he asked and I thought about it. Might as well get a special name for each other since we're doing this for a year.

“How about…...love?” I questioned, raising my brow at him. “I like that...love” he replied and I chuckled. Suddenly I felt eyes staring at me so I looked at Jisung just to see him going through the menu, his arm still wrapped around my shoulder.

So I looked up front and I found my parents and his parents staring at us with a smile. “Maybe it isn’t so fake after all” his mother whispered to my mom but I heard and...I felt chills running down my spine.

October 17 2020 [1:07 pm]

You were having lunch at his home, this being something you’re now used to. It was quiet and calm, your parents discussing about making a joint building and adding more staff meanwhile you were there reading a book as you shoved the pasta down your throat.

You hear Jisung laugh so you turn your head to side to see what he was laughing at, turns out it was you. “What are you looking at?” you scrunch your nose and he chuckled a little louder. The boy leaned closer and placed his lips on your ear, it was something you were used to at this point.

“That’s not the only thing you can shove down your throat, love” he whispered and your eyes widened. “Jisung!” you squealed making both your parents stop and give you guys a look. “It’s nothing” Jisung laughed so they disregarded it and continued their conversation.

November 10 2020 [10:06 am]

Today we were visiting Jisung’s family to say a little goodbye to them since they were going on a holiday trip in Greece. I wasn’t really in the mood since I was enjoying binge-watching this show called “I-land” but my mom had to interrupt and stop me.

“Where’s Jisung?” I asked Mrs. Park and she pointed towards his room. “Ah” I nodded and walked towards the white double doors of his batcave. I calmly walked towards it, making no sound and no fuss but I heard something that made me halt.

I heard sniffles, loud ones and a sad groan that made my heart beat fasten. ‘Was he crying?’ I thought to myself and I hesitated. Do I still walk in? Or should I wait for him to calm down? Maybe he’s just watching a video with someone crying? to say it simply. I didn’t know what to do.

So I decided to just talk to him anyway.

I knock on the door then hear him shuffling, the sniffles come to a halt and the tension inside the room emitted outside his door then seconds later, it clicked open.

-Narrator’s POV-

You noticed the way he wiped the dried tears on his skin and how he splashed water on his face to make him look livier. The redness of his cheeks and eyes still said otherwise so without a word you open your arms and wrap it around his torso.

The boy softens against your touch.

You get inside the room and shut the door, guiding the shaking boy to the bed. “What’s wrong?” you asked and he shook his head. “Please tell me”

“I can’t handle seeing you in pain” you feel sadness bubbling up your body and you feel him melting in your arms deeper, if he softened even more you’d fuse into one another. The boy sobbed into your neck, the tears dripping down your skin, painfully slow.

Still, he didn’t speak.

“You’ll be okay my love” the words rolled off your tongue easily like you were meant to say it. “Now, can you tell me what’s wrong?” you ask and you feel him nod into your neck. “I…” he starts. “I have to take my father’s place as the CEO…’cause he’s ill...he’s dying”

The world seemed to stop at that moment, he feels your body turn tense and worried. “My goodness” you mutter and he cries harder. You shut your eyes, sighing in frustration but still trying to keep calm for him.

“Fuck it” you mutter, gently cupping his face, raising it, making your eyes meet. The tears rolling out his eyes landed on your hands but you didn’t mind. You didn’t break eye-contact, you stayed there and drowned yourself in his tears.

“Jisung….I know you and you’re strong, I’m here for you...I love you”

You feel his jaw clench and the tips of his lips lifting, you expect him to say something as his mouth parts but instead he pushes your hand off and kisses you.

And you kissed him back.

#park jisung #jisung #park jisug x reader #jisung x reader #nct park jisung ff #nct jisung ff #nct jisung x reader #nct jisung scenarios #nct jisung imagines #nct jisung reactions #nct jisung x reade fluff #nct dream #nct #angst #haechan #jaemin #smut #jeno #chenle #renjun #romance #fluff #park jisung arranged marriage #jisung arranged marriage au #arranged marriage au #nct 12 #nct u #kpop #sm entertainment #NCT

[jenoptimist]

request:

can I request enemies to lovers with Lucas 👉🏼👈🏼🥺

✮ Pairing: lucas x reader (gender neutral)

✮ Genre: (one-sided) enemies2lovers | shopkeeper!au

✮ Additional info: miscommunication & misunderstandings

✮ Word count: 5.3k

♡ Yakult says: thank you so much for the request !! i decided to make this be in the same au as my florist!xiaojun fic but it takes place before it 🤪 don’t worry though, you can read this as a standalone !! 

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Dream Puffs stood in between a quaint bookshop named Moon’s Bookworms and the one and only tattoo and piercing studio in your small town aptly named, Nakamoto’s Body Art Studio. All three buildings adhered to a similar color scheme which consisted of various shades of brown; Moon’s Bookworms was displayed with gold plated, elegant lettering and a dark mahogany colored body, Nakamoto’s Body Art Studio was written with bright neon lights against an umber colored building and the Dream Puffs building was the color of pecans, its name displayed in large, white letters. The buildings across the street were the exact opposite; the flower shop Rainbow V was colored in pretty pastels and the bright thrift shop Tern & Ten’s Treasures was a fusion of artsy and chic. There was an empty outlet just in the middle of the two stores, directly across from Dream Puffs, that was very obviously lacking the loud personalities all the buildings on that side owned. 

Recently there had been rumors that the lot had been sold a couple of weeks ago and that whoever had bought it also would be moving into the apartment directly across from yours. Although your curiosity was peaked, not catching a single sight of the newcomer, you knew that you weren’t the only one. The other owners on the block had gathered around in the far corner of your cozy café, gossiping among one another. It seemed as if Yuta and Yongqin were doing most of the chatting, Kun and Taeil chiming in whenever they thought it was appropriate. Seeing as the rush of customers had officially calmed down, a few of your regulars in their usual seats, you allowed yourself to part take in their conversation when Yuta waved you over with that dazzling smile of his. 

“So, y/n, what do you think?” The tattoo artist asked, his cheek resting in the palm of his left hand. 

“What do I think about what?” You shot back quizzically as you sat down, automatically setting the nape of your neck on top of Yongqin’s arm when he rested it on the back of your chair.

“What kind of store do you think this mystery person will open up?” Taeil clarified, lazily fiddling with the straw in his iced-tea in between his index finger and thumb.

You hummed. “Maybe something for arts and crafts?” You weren’t good at guessing but you did know that a store that catered for specific types of painting and drawing materials were needed, judging by Taeyong’s constant complaints about how there should be an art supply store because shipping was too expensive every time he bought something online.

At your side, Yongqin practically began vibrating with excitement along with Yuta across from you. Their reactions were something you expected since the two of them, as well as and Taeyong, were extremely talented artists; where Taeyong and Yongqin drew for fun, Yuta’s job as a tattoo artists required him to draw on a regular basis and he absolutely adored it. As Yongqin and Yuta chatted excitedly, Taeil chiming in every now and again, your eyes zeroed in on Kun as he sipped on his latte, his eyes suspiciously shifty. Before you could voice out your question, someone entered the café and headed straight for the counter. You had sent Doyoung and Taeyong on their breaks ten minutes prior so you had no choice but to slip out of your chair and bounce over behind the counter.

While the customer’s eyes roamed the menu above you, you occupied yourself with wiping the counter and when you couldn’t pretend to clean anymore, you drummed your fingers on your thigh. Finally, the tall - and extremely attractive - man made eye contact with you. With a smile you hoped wasn’t awkward, you tapped in his three drink orders and asked if he’d like any of the sweets on display since he was studying them so intensely.

“Can I have one of each?” 

It wasn’t an unusual request, plenty of customers had asked before because Doyoung and Taeyong were extremely talented at what they did. You always found yourself fighting for the position to be their taste tester against Donghyuck and Jungwoo whenever they came up with something new. There wasn’t any friendly small talk as you prepared his order, in fact whenever you caught a glimpse of the customer, his eyes were continuously roaming around the building. You were particularly proud of the interior design of the place. Taeyong had spent endless hours painting designs on the walls while you and Doyoung chose the furniture you thought would suit it the best. Your favorite part in particular was the copper wire wall grid that was used to display the instant pictures of the staff posing goofily and the regulars. Judging from the way the customer’s eyes locked in on the pictures on the wall, he did too.

“Thanks for coming! Hope to see you again!” You chimed while you placed the money in the register. It was unlikely to happen, you knew, because the man wasn’t one that you recognized. Dream Puffs often had customers that stopped by because they needed a pick-me-up during their travels. The only response you received was the incline of his head and a gorgeous smile before he turned to leave. You watched his back as he strutted away, your head tilted to the side slightly. 

“Love at first sight?” Yongqin teased in a loud voice from your right and if you had been close enough, you would have thrown your cloth at him. 

“Shut up Yongqin!”

*

“You will not believe what I just heard!” Yongqin exclaimed from somewhere behind you. It was half past six in the morning and you and the boys were setting up, Taeyong had just taken out a fresh batch of pastries while Doyoung was bent over the glass display case for the food, organizing the goods meticulously and adding glacé cherries to the cupcakes. You hummed in question as you snatched a croissant that you knew would be deliciously buttery, flaky and soft when you took a bite of it. “The empty store! You’ll never guess what it’s going to be!” 

“A hardware store?” Doyoung guessed uninterestedly as he adjusted a cupcake. 

“No!” You watched, mid-bite, as Yongqin walked by you and stood so that he was in clear view of the three of you. “A café!” Both the statement and the hot interior of the croissant had your jaw dropping. 

“What?!” You exclaimed while you set your pastry on the flour covered counter, just beside the baking tray full of equally measured, unbaked cookies. 

“Yeah,” he said, dragging out the vowels as he slowly bopped his head, “I know right. Dream Puffs might actually have some competition now.”

“Out of all places to set up a café.” Taeyong mumbled, his brows furrowed, flitting over to the other side of the room to grab his bottle of strawberry flavored water. 

“Where did you get this information from?” Doyoung asked after he straightened himself out, crossing his arms over his chest.

Yongqin, who was watching Taeyong gulp down his beverage, mindlessly said, “Kun.” You pressed him for more information, recalling how shifty the said florist had been the other day. Yongqin tore his eyes away from Taeyong. “I don’t really know how he knew, he just let it slip yesterday.” He grabbed a glacé cherry and popped it into his mouth. “We should totally put on some disguises and scope the place out when it opens!” 

Taeyong snorted. “As if you work here.” 

“Well we don’t want you guys going out of business now, do we?” Yongqin reasoned as he ran his fingers through his pink streaked blond hair. “So, are you in?” 

“Of course.” You said, picking up your croissant and taking a big bite of it.

The plan was discussed in pieces throughout the day while the three of you manned the counter. Yongqin stood to the side, switching from chatting to your customers animatedly as they waited for their orders and telling the three of you how he needed a temporary employee because Chenle was going on vacation in a few weeks from June until August. He stayed until he had to return to his own store since his younger sister had to go for her break. As the day dragged by, you insisted that Doyoung and Taeyong to go home early - they deserved it for all the work that they do - while you stayed behind to some additional cleaning before you locked up for the evening. Not bothered to cook dinner once you were home, you called for some takeout as you toed off your shoes. While you waited for the delivery driver to call you to let you know they were downstairs, you flopped onto your couch and mindlessly scrolled through your phone. When the call came, you were quick to grab your cash and dash out your door. 

With a warm box of pizza in your hands, mini boxes of the sides you selected on top of it, you turned to make you way back up when a voice called out for you to hold open the door for them. You fulfilled their request by swinging your leg and waited impatiently for the weight to be lifted off of your foot so that you could run off and eat. 

“Thank you! Oh,” the stranger said when you managed to flash them a quick smile, “hey it’s you!”

Internally, you groaned. What would it take for you to be able to eat your dinner? It was going to get cold. Plus you ordered their fudge brownie that came with ice-cream. Nevertheless you plastered on a smile while turning your head to the side that the stranger decided to occupy and found yourself looking at the tall and handsome man from a few days ago. 

“Yeah,” you agreed, not knowing what else to say as you followed him into the elevator and also stunned by the fact that he could potentially have lived here all this time somehow without you ever seeing him. Although, maybe he was visiting a friend? “Are you the one who moved in across the hall?” You asked curiously after eyeing him press the button to your floor.

“Guilty as charged,” he replied, raising both his arms. Then, dropping them back down to his sides and stuffing them into his jacket pockets, he said, “my name’s Wong Yukhei.”

“Y/n. I’d shake your hand but, y’know.” You lifted the boxes of food for emphasis and he nodded understandingly. Yukhei got a few words in about the town, how cute he found it and how friendly the people were, before the ding! of the elevator finally signaled the end of your short journey to your floor. Yukhei allowed you to exit before him.

“Well it’s nice to officially meet you, neighbor.” Yukhei said, grinning cheekily as the two of you stood outside your respective doors, facing one another. 

After replying with sentiments that mirrored his, you finally entered your apartment and all but sprinted to your coach and dug in. Your new neighbor seemed nice enough. You wondered what brought him over to this town–there was nothing particularly attractive about it except for the people that lived there, not that anyone living outside of the town would know that or anything. It was when you were halfway through your third slice that something dawned on you. 

*

“I know who it is!” You said loudly, barging into Nakamoto’s Body Art Studio. As expected, Yongqin was getting his forearm tattooed by Yuta. You greeted Jaehyun, who was flicking through a magazine, with a high five as you passed by the reception desk and took one of the wheeled stools and sat on Yongqin’s other side, opposite Yuta. 

“Know who?”

“The new store owner! I met him yesterday.” Yuta finished the line he was working on before looking up at you briefly to acknowledge your presence before resuming his work. Yongqin was the one who prompted you to continue. “His name is Wong Yukhei. He was the really tall one from the other day.”

“The one you fell in love with?” Your friend teased. You mimicked his words, voice as high as possible, while making a face at him before groaning dramatically, thinking about how amiable Yukhei had been in the few minutes that you were together. 

“Guys, he ordered all of the food we had on display.” You chewed on your bottom lip. Maybe his friendly behavior was an act, he did know that you work at Dream Puffs after all–you literally co-owned the place. “You don’t think he’s going to steal everything the guys make do you?” Both of your friends scrunched their faces which only served to make you groan loudly again. 

“That’s rough buddy.” Jaehyun said from his position on the right side of the room, the sound of him flicking his page loud and clear when Yuta removed the tattoo gun from Yongqin’s arm. 

“What’s rough?” Jungwoo asked confusedly, his voice sounding further than usual, probably just having stepped out of the separate room that he used to pierce their clients. 

*

You stood behind the register, watching with narrowed eyes as Yukhei and some unfamiliar people filed into the building directly across from yours, each carrying supplies. It had been days and days of you heatedly watching their every move as they worked on their space. While they were all having the time of their lives interior decorating, you were practically tearing your hair out at the thought of having competition that was a mere twenty steps away from Dream Puffs. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust Doyoung and Taeyong’s ability to bake or your barista skills and it wasn’t as if you were the only café in the area or anything - there was another one just on the other side of town - but he really couldn’t have set up literally any other kind of store?

What was even more infuriating was that Yukhei was acting really chummy with you and the others outside of your working hours. It even became a regular thing for Yukhei to wait for your shift to finish so that the two of you could walk back to your apartment complex together. Admittedly, even though you enjoyed your own company, it was kind of nice having someone to talk to on the way home. 

“You’ll scare away the customers if you keep making that face.” Taeil said, his eyes never wavering from the page that he was reading. It was a new book for the book club that he created recently, said it would bring in more customers. He shared a table with Jeno, who was reading the same book, and Mark, who was playing Luigi’s Mansion on his Nintendo Switch.

You sniffed, tilting your head to the side. “I’m not making a face.”

“Dude, you so are!” Mark, who was sitting across from Taeil, said after taking a sip of his banana milk. 

“Don’t listen to them,” Jeno told you nicely, “of course you’d be making a face, I mean, that guy is gonna make a store that could potentially out-business you.” 

You threw your hands at his direction as if to say exactly! with wide eyes. “We’re practically enemies!” 

“Enemies,” Taeyong repeatedly lowly from beside you, amusement ringing in his voice. “As if.”

You gaped after throwing him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean.” Before your friend could reply, your attention was redirected elsewhere with the call of your name. Taeyong bumped your hip and scurried off. You turned to face none other than the man himself. “Yukhei,” you smiled, “the usual?”

“Please. Oh and could I also get...” He listed five other drinks and then picked out some food to bring along with him. As you prepared his order, the two of you talked about your plans over the weekend and even though you were aching with the need to ask about his shop, you said nothing. 

“He’s the enemy.” You whispered firmly to yourself. “Do not get distracted by his cute smile!”

“Cute smile?” Yongqin startled you by popping up from behind you. “Is this about Yukhei?” He asked loudly, tone full of mischief, as he nudged your side.

“Who else would it be about?” Taeil countered. 

Mark and Jeno chuckled while you raised your eyes to the ceiling, briefly reconsidering your choice in friends. Maybe you should stop giving them free drinks. Your gaze flickered to what would be Yukhei’s shop and found him sipping on his drink as he leaned on the glass, chatting to someone. As though he felt your eyes on him, he did a double take and beamed at you. 

“He’s the enemy.” You whispered to yourself once again, hoping that you would actually begin believing it soon, as you raised your hand to wave at him–he kept smiling at you until the person next to him clapped his shoulder and you would have loved to know what he said because Yukhei all but whipped his head towards him, his eyes practically bugging out of his head.  

*

It had been almost a month since Yukhei had moved into town and he still hadn’t opened up his shop. That was something that you kept in the back of your mind, even as he continued to be cordial with you and the others. Although you kept referring him as ‘the enemy’ to yourself, at this point he was your friend. There was no point in denying it or anything, considering that somehow your relationship with him progressed from only speaking to one another when he ordered stuff from Dream Puffs and when the two of you walked home together, to actually hanging out. You guys had actually agreed to start watching movies together every Saturday night and regularly went over to each other’s apartment to keep each other company. 

In fact it was actually Saturday and instead of receiving a text from Yukhei about what food he should bring over with him, it was one asking you to meet in front of Rainbow V. After texting him an affirmative, you changed out of your pyjamas and headed out. 

The nearer you got to Rainbow V, the more you could make out the distinct figure of Yukhei; he was leaning against the door of his shop, his left foot on top of it as he scrolled through his phone. You allowed yourself to stare at him for a little bit longer before taking bigger steps towards him. 

“Hey,” you greeted once you were close enough, “what’s up?” 

Yukhei returned your greeting, stuffing his phone into his pocket as he stepped forward to mirror you before raising his hand. When you gave him the high-five you assumed he was waiting for, he clicked his tongue and wrapped his large hand over yours. Startled, you looked at him with wide eyes.

“Wrong,” he grinned, a playful gleam in his eye, “you forgot our handshake already? Y/n, you wound me.” He placed his other hand on top of his chest, where his heart was, dramatically as he said the last part. 

“I didn’t forget,” you countered. “You got it wrong, dummy, it starts with a fist bump.”

Yukhei huffed, the grin he wore turning into something much softer. “You’re right.” 

Instead of releasing your hand like you thought he would now that it was clarified, he continued holding onto it and even lowered it slightly as if he wanted a better look. He turned it this way and that way slowly while staring like he was inspecting it. As he did that, your eyes flitted over to the beanie that covered his forehead (you liked how it looked on him, it looked really cute on him,) before travelling down to the rest of his face; there was a spark of something in his eyes, his head at an angle, as he stared at your hand in his. It was the look someone got when they found something they had been missing for a long while.

You cleared your throat, warmth creeping up your neck all the way to your cheeks. “Is there something you want to show me?”

“Yup!” 

And with that he interlocked your fingers, fished what sounded like a bunch of keys from his pockets and unlocked the door. He made quick work of turning on the lights, allowing you to be greeted by the sight of minimal style interior. There were large potted plants by the door, a long island with seating as well as booth tables. String lights were hung all around the cream colored wall, providing additional lighting to the dim lights. Yukhei lead you around the space, excitedly telling you about the work that had gone into it and how he had difficulty choosing what kind of style he wanted. 

“It looks amazing,” you complimented as he gestured for you to take a seat closest to where the register was. “It’s going to be a great café, I can tell.”

“Thanks,” he smiled shyly, “that really means”-he paused, tilting his head to one side with confusion written all over his face-“did you just say café?”

“Mhm,” you nodded, “looks like Dream Puffs is going to have some serious competition now.”

Yukhei released a hearty laughed. “Y/n, I don’t know where you got that information but this isn’t a café.” Your jaw almost dropped in shock and you stumbled with your words before settling for a ‘huh’. “Yeah, dum-dum, it’s going to be a boba shop.”

“Boba. . .shop.” You echoed slowly. 

Yukhei nodded, “yeah.” 

Later on the stroll home, after the two of you spent an hour or two in his shop with him telling you what kind of flavors he planned to have on the menu and pulling some suggestions from yourself (“what about toffee popcorn with, I don’t know, maybe whipped cream and actual popcorn at the top?”), he asked who told you that he’d be opening up a café to which you grumbled ‘Yongqin’, he let out a heart laugh again. You could feel the tremors that went through his body as he laughed since you were tucked warmly under his arm and whether or not it was because his laughter was contagious or how weirdly intimate the situation felt - it was the way he took of his beanie and adjusted it on your head, insisting that you looked cold (you were) and the way the two of you were practically glued to each other’s side - but you huffed out a laugh before smiling to yourself and leaned into him more.

“Hey, y/n,” Yukhei called once you unlocked your door. You turned to face him and found him aiming his phone straight at you. “Smile.” Instead of smiling, you made a silly face at him and jogged inside your apartment after the tell-tale sound his phone made that indicated that he snapped a picture of you. 

It was only when you were taking off your jacket and shoes that you realized that he hadn’t asked for his beanie back. Although you knew that you could easily make the short trip to him across the hall, you decided that you would give it back the next time he was at your place.

* 

“A little birdie told me that you and Yukhei went on a date last night.” Yuta said the following morning, barging into your small office and then plopped himself on the couch that was placed near your work desk. 

You were quick to shoot his statement down with, “your ‘little birdie’ is wrong.” After typing a quick ‘Kind Regards’ along with your name and position at the end of your email, you swiveled your chair around so that you could face your friend. He was scrolling through Instagram, double tapping every few seconds. “Who was it that told you that, anyway?”

“I don’t snitch on my sources.”

“I’ll give you twenty-five percent off whenever you buy coffee for a week.”

“Sold,” he said while he typed something quickly on his phone before lowering it so that he could flip himself over on his stomach and look up at you through his lashes. “It was Taeil. He fell asleep in his office and when he was locking up he said he saw you two mooning at each other alone in Yukhei’s shop.”

“We were not mooning at each other,” you sniffed, skimming your hands down your thighs. “What? We weren’t!” You emphasized when he gave you an unimpressed look.

Just as Yuta was about to reply, probably something sarcastic by how he arched his brow, his phone chimed to signal a text. He tutted at you before re-arranging himself so that he could reply with ease. You watched as his eyes read the message quickly before the corner of his mouth quirked upwards and he huffed out a laugh, typing furiously. While a large part of you was curious as to what could have elicited that reaction, you chose to turn back to your computer screen and browse through your email inbox. 

“If you aren’t dating him,” Yuta said after a few minutes of silence that involved him typing away while you binned some junk mail, “then what’s this all about?” From the corner of your eye, you saw him lift his phone towards you so that you could read whatever was on his screen. Turning, your eyes skimmed through his text, your eyebrows all but crawling to your hairline. He allowed you to grab the phone from his hand so that you could zoom in on the picture that followed the texts from Mark–his words were all in capital letters followed by several exclamation points. You opened your mouth to say, well, literally anything but nothing came out so you snapped it shut. Wordlessly, you handed Yuta back his phone before logging out of your computer.

“I have to go,” You said lowly, dazed, as you stood up. “I have to- will you tell the guys I’ll be back soon?” Yuta gave you an affirmative and then you were off, practically sprinting towards the door. 

On the way back to your apartment complex, your thoughts were full of Yukhei. You could admit that you had a big crush on him. It was difficult not to, you thought, what with how sweet and thoughtful he was. He was also funny and knew how to brighten up the room. But did that mean you wanted to date him? You weren’t sure although you knew that you certainly wouldn’t mind going on a date with him to find out.

Soon enough, you found yourself in front of his door. You stared at it for a long time, your heart racing, before you found enough courage to rap your knuckles against it. There was no answer. You tried an additional two times before you decided to leave it be, that you could talk to him later after your shift because he would probably be by the door, waiting for you with that big smile of his. You nodded to yourself and turned to walk away.

“Y/n?” His groggy voice came when you had taken three steps away from his door. “What’s up? Are you okay?” You turned on your heel (he looked adorable with his bedhead) and nodded stiffly, your heartbeat picking up speed again. “Want to come in?” He invited, opening his door wider.

You cleared your throat. “Yeah.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?” He asked, locking his door after you shuffled in. 

“Yeah but there was something I needed to talk to you about.”

Yukhei took a seat beside you on the couch and you tried not to concentrate on his knee that leaned against yours or how he automatically rested his arm on the back of the couch so that you were practically laying on it. 

“Texting me wouldn’t have done, no?” He teased. 

You shot a quick glance at him, took in his cute little smile and then stared pointedly ahead at his carpeted floor. “I didn’t really think about that at the moment.” You replied, your shoulders lifting to your earlobes. The only thing you had thought about was how you wanted to see him when you confronted him about what Yuta had shown you. Yukhei prompted you to tell him the reason for your visit. “Well, um, earlier Yuta showed me a text from Mark and I’m- we’re- your phone wallpaper?” The arm beneath your shoulders was gone in an instant and Yukhei jolted to his feet. “So it’s true?” You asked, peeking at him through your lashes. His expression was one of horror, arms splayed at his sides as if prepared to explain himself.

“Please don’t be mad! Taeil took the picture last night because apparently he saw us? I don’t know, Mark told me so I asked him to send me the picture and, well, I thought it was cute you know?” You did know. Taeil had managed to snap a shot of you two in front of Rainbow V - didn’t Yuta say that he only saw the two of you in the shop? - and it was when Yukhei had been laughing with you under his arm, a smile resting on your face. “I know I probably should have asked you, I don’t know what I didn’t. I can change it now if you want? Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” you assured, looking him in the eye so he knew that you meant it. He visibly relaxed, the tension bleeding out of him at your words. Once he stopped looking so panicked, he looked at you with wide eyes before darting them towards the floor. It seemed the roles were reversed this time, what with him avoiding your gaze while you continued staring at him. He raised a hand to cover his eyes while the other went to hug itself around his waist. “Hey Yukhei,” he still refused to look at you, “would you maybe want to go on a date with me?”

That immediately gained his attention. “What?” His voice was soft, coated in disbelief. “Are you serious?” After you insisted that you were, never once breaking eye contact with him, a large smile blossomed on his face and he let out a loud whoop, punching the air in triumph. As if remembering that you were there, he dropped his arm, although the smile remained on his face. “Apparently there’s a boba place opening tomorrow, right in front of Dream Puffs, what do you say we try it out?”

“I’d love to but I’m worried about seating.”

“Don’t worry, I’m on good terms with the owner.” Yukhei winked. The two of you dissolved into a fit of laughter shortly after.

“I’ve gotta get back to work,” you said while you stood up from the couch once both of you sobered. “But I’ll see you later?”

“Of course!” Pleased smiles were plastered on both of your faces even as he walked you to the door. 

*

You had barely stepped foot into Dream Puffs before Yongqin wrapped an arm around you and lead you to a table where Kun, Yuta and Taeil were seated, two vacant seats in between Kun and Yuta. Taeil let out a small titter, a smile that was too wide etched on his face as you and Yongqin sat down. 

“Tell us everything!” Yongqin exclaimed, “spare no detail!”

“I will but first,” you said as you turned to face him. “You brat! You knew that he wasn’t opening up a café, didn’t you? You totally tricked me!” 

There was no hint of guilt from him, just a shit-eating grin that reached from ear to ear. “Maybe so. Now go on, tell us!” You rolled your eyes, feigning annoyance but couldn’t fight off the smile that gradually grew wider and wider on your face as you recounted the recent events that transpired between you and Yukhei.

#ummmmmmm so this probably wasnt what u had in mind when u said enemies to lovers?????? #honestly idek what this is myself rip #i think i might have to upload a completely different one :// #i didnt want it to be yk the usual things like being against each other in school etcetc #i guess enemies to lovers but they're assassins would have been good????? #why did i only think of that now rip oh geez #regardless of the fact that i completely botched ur request-i hope u enjoyed reading it at least???????? #also update on my problems on the app: its still doing that thing i mentioned while editing so i think from here on out i might have to use #my laptop when i work on my fics ://////// #im working on the werewolf!lucas fic now so hopefully i have it up by tonight !!! #anyway here come the tags: #wayv #wayv scenarios #wayv imagines #wayv au #wayv fluff #wayv lucas #nct #nct au #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct lucas #nct fluff #super m #super m lucas #wong yukhei

[lovenona]

You're doing it on purpose, Baji knows that much. With the way you dipped lower than usual, giving him a sweet view of your chest, of the curve of yoyr body. He knows what you're doing, and he's loving it. So, that's it, huh? You want to turn his shit against him the way he did you? Fine by him.

Baji catches another glimpse of your chest as you shift to remove your other shoe, now of the valley that he's intimately familiar with. It's dim by the entrance, but he can see the outline of your tits clear as day.

Yeah, he should've just unhooked that bra.

The thought of you finishing off by yourself doesn't sound bad, if he's honest. You could finish off in front of him, perhaps nice and slow and dripping, while he jacks off to the view. Maybe lick that cunt dry when you've passed out from trying to work yourself. Baji knows he could work with that. You, however, might not. Really, can you cum on your own when he's just a few feet away? Be satisfied with your fingers when his cock was out in the open? He doesn't think so, not with how much of a whore you were for him.

Baji has already toed off his shoes when you stood. He takes a step further in, shutting the boor behind him, blocking what luminance you had. He doesn't need light, no. Baji's already mapped your apartment out in his head. He's here often. He knows the light switch is just nearby, but he doesn't turn it on. It's fun, after all, to play with you in the dark.

When his body pushes against you, the yelp you release is a lullaby to his ears. Baji's lips find yours as he kisses you aggressively, vigorously; biting as he goes, his tongue teasing your lips, tasting that metallic taste that mixes well with the taste of you, fully aware of the way it drives you crazy. He backs you into the hallway, steps unhurried, sensual. A hand slips underneath your shirt as he unhooks your bra while the other finds its way between your thighs, feeling you up and the way you soaked yourself through your jeans. You really were dripping. Good. Baji presses his fingers, rubbing circles you through your jeans, loving the way you squirmed at the sensation, the way you finally moan his name tonight. It's the first of many. He'll make sure you repeat it over and over, imprint it in your brain a hundred times over, until, maybe, you might even accidentally write it down on your test paper.

And fuck your finals, he thinks. You could do that later. At reasonable hours. He'll make it up to you. Maybe. Perhaps eat you out while you study or let you cockwarm him and he'll try to not thrust into that pretty cunt. Either works.

You shudder when one cold hand moves to knead your breast and Baji chuckles lowly. "You cold, Adele?" he asks as he licks the side of your face, his hair tickling your neck as Baji bites the edge of your ear, "Let me keep you warm."

– baji

feels odd sending this today instead of soft toji prompts

sksjksJk soft toji sunday more like RAILED BY BAJI SUNDAY

baji’s kisses will kill me. i know this because the moment he bites my lips again i’m nothing but air that searches for stability only in his palms. it’s the taste of his spit and my blood that threatens to send me over the edge before we’ve even begun, that threatens to unravel me before i’ve even grown accustomed to it.

my own hands fly anywhere i can reach. they’re palming the front of his jacket, praying to rip the clothes from him; they’re searching for his nape, for his hair, for the subtle warmth of his cheekbones. i want to strip everything away from him until he is perfect and bare before me, until i can trace lines down his abdomen and press kisses to his childhood scars and utterly devour him whole. 

his hand is unhooking my bra and drawing circles over my jeans and everything we are wearing is too much space between us. i want all of him and this moment in my hallway won’t cut it.

but all of him feels so fucking good, his tongue in my mouth before my tongue in his while i explore the expanse of it, his sharp teeth and gentle softness. he is too much and not enough and i wonder where he’ll take me once the hallway is over – to my unmade bed and the clothes on the floor? or to the couch by the large window where one cushion sinks further then the others? 

but that is no thought of mine now when his hand is on my chest and i’m keening beneath him because i want more of it, all of it. and my mouth forms his name and my hands reach towards his coat and his jeans because i don’t know which i’d like to tear away first. 

you cold, adele? i shudder involuntarily at the sensation of his tongue along my cheek, his hair on my neck. i might have been, but not anymore. i might have been, but now i am on fire and only baji between my legs will put me out. 

i pull helplessly at the collar of his jacket before i can’t take the space anymore. i let my electric fingers undo the second button on my blouse to let him see everything, the goosebumps from the air and my bare chest and the expanse of skin i’d like to offer. 

“maybe i am cold,” i say, but i’m no seductress as i let myself fall headfirst into his touch. “tell me, what are you going to do about it?” 

#LORD. HAVE MERCY ON ME. #HAVE MERCY ON ME GOD #IM SCSEJTJEILIGJEGHEGJKSGAG;IJGHAGILA; #SJGOISHGAKGJESGOIRGJHARJ #sob sob sob. #baji.anon

[thdorkmagnet]

Light of the Sun and Star Chapter 38: Children of the Night

Summary: His whole life Marco Diaz has been raised by monsters, living under the cruel rule of their leader, Toffee. But one day Marco escapes into Mewni where he meets a magical princess and Mewman like himself, who begins teaching him all about her world. Together they will learn about life, love, and the lights within each of them, as they change their world forever.

Chapter Synopsis: Janna has chosen to stay with the Impures but struggles to break the news to her naïve friend, Marco. How will he take the news?

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Index

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. All rights go to them.

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All was peaceful in the Ordonia household, for now at least. Night had passed by in a flash, the celebratory dinner soon leading to a party which led to late hours of fun- if not creepy- activities which led to not a single member of the household getting a good night's sleep. Luckily though, sleeping in was never opposed by the Impures, who were used to staying up into the late hours of the night, they were the Children of the Night, after all. Marco, however, was not used to sleeping in for so long. Normally he left the window in his room open so that the sunlight could trickle in and wake him from his slumber peacefully. That or he was much more rudely awakened by the small forms of Daisy and Violet jumping on him and demanding he get up and play with them. But this morning Marco had the luxury of neither, meaning he had to rely on his sleepy, exhausted mind to wake him.

It was still pitch black in the Ordonia's guest room, one that Jade had kindly let Marco stay in, and his mind seemed to have been fooled by the lack of lighting into thinking it was still nighttime despite the fact that he was beyond well-rested at this point and should get up. But he was still stuck in a deep slumber that seemed intent on keeping him there for an indefinite amount of time still. Or at least it would have stayed that way, if it hadn't been for the sudden hissing noise that invaded his senses and more importantly, his dreams.

Suddenly, his peaceful picnic with Mackie Hand, dream Star, and cartoon sheep was cut short as the boy found himself moving in for a kiss with Star only to see that her head had been replaced with that of a snake. Marco screamed and quickly turned to see the rest of his guests were the same, all staring at him with beady eyes and forked tongues and the boy let out another loud scream of terror.

The hooded teen awoke from his dream with a start, sitting up in his bed and panting heavily. He blinked a few times, the dark room startling his senses as his eyes struggled to adjust, trying to remember where exactly he was and why it was so dark. But he soon remembered the previous day's events and he allowed his tense muscles to relax, letting out a deep sigh of relief. But this was short-lived as he felt something slither along his back and he froze, turning around ever so slowly to see what it was that was in his bed with him. Marco's heart nearly stopped right there as he spotted the intruder, a small snake, its blue and purple scaled body sparkling like it was made of crystal and its beady eyes locked with his own.

There was a beat of silence, before Marco screamed, his voice practically rattling the walls of his room as he scrambled to the end of the bed, putting as much distance between himself and the snake as he could. The snake seemed to stare at him in confusion, its tongue flickering out once before it began slithering closer, easily flowing over Marco's tangled bedsheets. "Ahh, no stay back!" the boy screamed, trying desperately to get away from the serpent as he jumped off the bed. But the snake was not far behind as its coiled body smoothly flowed off the bed, now slithering across the floor toward Marco. The boy squeaked before jumping up onto the nearest piece of furniture he could find which was a dusty desk, knocking his backpack off and scattering the contents across the floor. The snake easily maneuvered around the objects in its way, moving closer and closer to its target, all the while Marco continued to scream. "Ahh, someone help me! It's gonna eat me!"

The door to the room was flung open to reveal Janna, looking tired and half-asleep but a smug smile rose on her lips as she spotted Marco's ridiculous pose on top of the desk, he looked like a startled cat, his face paler than the girl thought she had ever seen, even his cheek marks switching to exclamation marks. Janna resisted the urge to laugh, as she just said to him sarcastically, "Uhh, is this some new morning exercise routine I should know about?"

Marco, however, was unable to answer due to his chattering teeth and he just began pointing down at the ground, only managing to stutter out, "Sn-Sn-Sn-"

"Ssnnack?" Janna guessed, giving the boy a concerned but clearly amused look.

"Snake!" the boy screamed, just as the reptile's body looped around his arm, the boy not even noticing it slithering up him until now. Marco yelled again, waving his arm around in an attempt to get the thing off while covering his eyes with his other hand. Janna, however, only gasped, her eyes widening as she screamed out, "Oh my gosh, Edith!"

"Edith? Who's Edith?" the hooded teen asked in confusion, before watching his friend race over and unwrap the snake from the boy's arm, allowing it to slither around her own arm instead, her grin wide and her eyes shimmering with joy. The half-Monster girl began scratching the serpent under the chin, as she replied, "Duh, it's this little lady here. Good job, Marco, you found my old pet snake."

"You had a pet snake?" Marco said in surprise, though he really shouldn't be. That made a little too much sense actually. He kept a wary eye on the serpent and leaning purposely away from it, just in case.

"Sure did, though I figured she died a long time ago, can't believe she's still alive after all this time," Janna said thoughtfully, still scratching her pet under the chin as it hissed in pleasure.

"But don't snakes eat rats? Isn't having her a little risky?" Marco asked, thinking of all the poor vermin that Nox had said were allowed to freely come and go in this place. He hoped none of them had ended up in Edith's belly.

"Normal snakes maybe but Edith here is a Gem Feeder, she only eats gemstones," Janna explained. She paused before adding, "Or rocks if we got nothing else."

Marco's eyebrow raised, staring over at Edith curiously. A snake that eats rocks, that had to be one of the more bizarre things he had come across in his time on Mewni. He took a step forward, bending down so he could study the serpent closer, asking hesitantly, "I-Is it okay, if I pet her?"

"Sure, go ahead," Janna said, holding her arm out, allowing Marco to pet her easier. The boy took in a deep breath, before raising a shaky hand toward the hissing snake, trying to swallow down the fear he felt bubbling up in his chest. The half-Monster noticed this, telling him, "Relax, Marco, it's not like she's gonna bite you."

The hooded teen swallowed, nodding slowly. He cringed before reaching out a hand again, gingerly touching the top of Edith's head. The snake's reaction was instant as she suddenly turned and hissed at him, barring her almost metal looking fangs, and Marco screamed, stumbling back in fear. He pressed himself flat against the wall, staring at the vicious serpent with a pale face and wide eyes. Janna, however, just smiled and told her friend, "That just means she likes you."

Marco had his doubts about that.

Suddenly, though the peace in the house was shattered as a loud shout from downstairs echoed its way up to the small guest room, starling the two teens within. Janna and Marco shared looks of concern, both clearly recognizing the voice as none other than Jade Ordonia. And she sounded angry. Very angry.

Marco and Janna tip-toed down the crooked staircase, keeping quiet so they wouldn't alert anyone to their presence just yet. But the two stopped about halfway down as they spotted Lord Nox standing in the middle of the living room, his tall form imposing and violent as he stared down Janna's mother, who held his glare with one of her own. Janna, instantly dropping into a crouch to avoid being spotted, Marco doing the same next to her, the two watching in nervous silence as the confrontation between the two Impure adults continued.

"I don't think you quite understand the seriousness of your actions, Jade," Nox spat, his voice vile and filled with so much hatred that it caused Marco to shudder. This was the most livid he thought he had ever seen the Impure leader, his bursts of anger nothing compared to this. He looked like he was about ready to rip Janna's mother to shreds. "What your ignorance nearly cost us. What it nearly cost her!" Nox's voice cracked at the last word, sadness creeping into his features for just a second. Marco gave Janna a quick look, making sure she was okay, but the girl had on an impassive mask, staring straight ahead while completely ignoring her friend's gaze.

"Of course I understand," Jade replied, her tone harsh but Marco and Janna couldn't tell if that was toward Nox or herself. "Don't you think I'm well aware of that fact! I've had to live with that guilt now for years."

"Don't try and play the victim on me, Jade!" Nox shouted, his tone practically rattling the walls, his fangs bared and his eyes gleaming a dark, evil green. "You knew very well what you were doing that day. You made your choice and it nearly cost Janna her life. And then you tried to cover it up. You lied to us, allowed us to believe she was dead."

"Until yesterday I thought she was!"

"That isn't an excuse!" Nox screamed and both teens cringed at the Impure's tone.

There was a short pause, but to Janna and Marco it felt like it lasted an eternity. Finally, Nox let out a breath, before saying in a much calmer voice, "Do not think that you will be let off easily after what you've done. I held my tongue yesterday, because Eclipsa knows that girl doesn't need to see any more suffering but this is far from over, Jade. Janna may have forgiven you, but as far as I'm concerned, you are a criminal and a traitor to your kind. There will be punishment for your actions, that I assure you. And after everything you put Janna through, I can guarantee it will be too light for my liking."

"I accept the fact that I made a mistake, that I wronged her and everyone else. Which is why I'm trying to make up for it," Jade said in desperation, her voice shaking as she struggled to keep her emotions at bay.

"Good, then you can face your punishment with the little amount of decency you have left," Nox replied.

Jade's eyes narrowed, her previous sadness draining from her all at once. "I know I did wrong, but don't you think that's a bit harsh?!" Jade shouted, clearly offended by the comment.

"No," Nox snapped, banging his staff against the ground once, instantly silencing any further outbursts from the woman and causing both teens to jump. He moved closer till their faces were now only inches apart, the look in his eyes deadly and grim as he spoke in a low, hostile tone, "I don't think you quite understand. If I had it my way you would be dead where you stand. And the only reason you are still breathing right now is out of respect for Janna, not out of sympathy for you."

Marco shifted uncomfortably from his position on the stairs, feeling more and more awkward with every passing second. He felt bad for listening in on what was clearly a private conversation, one he was certain he wasn't allowed to hear, and he found himself debating on whether or not he should stay and risking being discovered eavesdropping or quietly head back to his room and try to get his mind off the tense situation taking place downstairs (which seemed unlikely). The hooded teen bit his lip, feeling torn between these two decisions, turning to Janna in hopes she would know what to do.

The second he did, though, Marco couldn't help but stare sadly over at his friend, Janna's eyes flashing with emotions she was clearly trying to suppress, her body tense and her knuckles white from the death grip she was holding the railing with, Marco surprised it hadn't broken under her massive strength. He was about to put a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her in some way, when the girl suddenly stood out of nowhere, Marco staring up at her in confusion.

Janna's face filled with determination as she sucked in a deep breath, all the pain and negativity vanishing from her form, concealed behind an indifferent mask. The girl's eyes opened, plastering on a bright smile as she did, one that even Marco (who had watched the whole transformation completely transfixed) couldn't recognize as being fake or forced and he could only gap in shock at how believable it looked. Then to his greater surprise, Janna started walking down the stairs, without a care in the world, shouting over to the two Impures in greeting, "Morning mom!"

Nox and Jade immediately whipped their heads around to Janna, clearly surprised to see her there, their eyes wide with worry at being seen or possible overheard. A dark look flashed between the two adults, silently promising a longer discussion in the future before they directed their attention entirely on the two teens. They plastered on their own fake smiles, as Jade said cheerfully, if not a bit forced, "Hello dear, we didn't hear you get up." As she said this she raised a hand to touch her daughter's face, only to think better of it letting it drop to her side instead.

"Yeah well, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be," Janna replied with a casual shrug, trying to ignore her mother's hesitancy.

"And where is, young Marco," Nox asked, curiously. "Don't tell me he's still sleeping?"

"I'm right here!" Marco called out, his voice cracking against his will, as he quickly shot to his feet, trying to give them a bright smile, much like Janna had done but it felt forced coming from his lips, looking more like he was cringing than smiling. He noticed the suspicious looks from the two Impure adults and stuttered out an explanation for his odd behavior as he descended the last of the steps, "I was just... uh, tying my shoe."

Jade and Nox quickly looked down to said boy's feet, observing his completely laceless, slip-on tennis shoes without a word, Nox instead saying pleasantly, "Well it's nice to see you again, Marco Diaz. I trust you slept well."

"Oh yeah, I slept great!" Marco replied, in his typical cheerful tone as the uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to finally dissolve thanks to the Impure leader's efforts. "Uhhh, but I hope we weren't interrupting anything important," he added, sheepishly looking between the two.

Nox and Jade shared a quick look, before the leader said in a strained tone, "Nothing you should concern yourselves over."

"Hope we didn't wake you two," Jade added with a wide smile.

"Nah, I was already up," Janna replied with a shrug before she began scratching Edith's chin, whose small body was now half-way wrapped around her neck. "And old Edith here did the waking up for Marco."

"Oh Edith, you little rascal," Jade commented, stepping over to pet Edith herself, Janna instinctively flinching at her mother's sudden movement. "So that's where you've been hiding," the woman added in a scolding tone, shooting the snake a glare. But it switched to an apologetic smile as she turned over to the hooded teen, "I hope she didn't give you too much of a start, Marco."

"Oh no, she was fine," Marco lied, giving Jade an awkward, halfhearted grin.

"Really Marco? Cause you were screaming like crazy and climbing up onto furniture when I came in," Janna reminded him with a teasing look and the boy blushed bright red on the unnecessary reminder.

"Oh is that what we heard," Nox commented, giving the boy a thoughtful expression. "We just assumed it was a Shrill Bug."

Marco looked shyly over to Janna, asking in a whisper, "Is my scream really that high-pitched?"

Janna put an arm around the boy, telling him in an encouraging tone, "Yeah, but look at it this way. If you're in trouble, we'll be able to hear you pretty much anywhere and come to help."

"That's not really that reassuring," Marco commented, before flinching and pulling away from his friend's grip as Edith hissed at him again.

Nox chuckled lightly at the boy, before saying, "You should be grateful to have people looking out for you, Marco. Not everyone has that."

Marco thought that over for a second, before replying brightly, "Yeah, that's true."

"Hey mom, you didn't tell me Edith was still around," Janna spoke up.

"'Around' being a loose term," Jade commented sarcastically. "She's only here long enough to eat most of the time and then disappears for days on end." She paused, giving Edith another pat. "But yes, I'm just as surprised as you she's still breathing. Every time I think she's gone for good she just pops up somewhere again."

"Are you sure it's the same snake?" Marco supplied and the Impure woman immediately nodded.

"Oh yes, I'm quite certain. I'd know those beady, little eyes anywhere," Jade replied.

"Yep, Edith is one of a kind," Janna added.

"If you say so," Marco said politely, deciding to take the Ordonia's word on it since he knew close to nothing about snakes. He watched as mother and daughter continued petting and cooing over the serpent, who seemed quite fond of the affection, and couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friend being able to enjoy a moment with her mom. Nox, as well, had gone silent, though his eyes held more judgment in them, struggling to keep this moment at bay as the moment stretched on.

Finally, Marco let out a little laugh, saying cheerfully over to his friend, "Maybe we should take Edith with us when we go back, Janna. I bet Violet would freak out if she saw you had a pet snake."

Jade and Janna immediately froze, the latter staring at the boy blankly, fighting to keep her emotions at bay. Marco saw this and tensed up himself, giving his friend a confused look, his eyes swirling with worry that he had said something wrong. Jade didn't meet the boy's eye, instead staring intensely down at her daughter, waiting to hear what she would say, while Nox's keen eyes jumped back and forth between the two teens. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he could tell by Janna's reactions that it wasn't pleasant.

"Yeah, we might," Janna finally replied, giving the boy the most genuine smile she could manage, ignoring the judging stares of her mom and leader, keeping her focus entirely on her sensitive friend. But this seemed to be enough to satisfy the hooded teen as he just grinned again, his eyes shimmering with naïve innocence once more.

Nox, sensing the need to change the subject, quickly said, "Marco, I was planning on preparing breakfast for these two as a sort of welcome home present. Would you be interested in helping me out? Maybe you can even show me some of your Mewman-style cooking if you'd like?"

"Oh sure, I'd love to!" Marco shouted, before enthusiastically running into the kitchen, already searching through cupboards and things for ingredients. A few seconds later there was a small scream, followed by shattering glass as Marco seemingly dropped a dish.

"Marco, everything okay?" Jade asked.

"Uhh, yeah, just... didn't expect a giant eyeball to be behind your cups," Marco replied, hesitantly and the thee Impures smiled at the sheepish tone.

"Well, duh where else was she gonna put it," Janna playful shouted over to the boy.

Marco's head poked out from behind the door, saying, "Ummm, literally anywhere else."

"I'll admit, I'm curious about your reasoning, as well," Nox spoke up and Jade turned to him with a stony stare.

"It was made of glass so I figured it would only make sense to keep it with the glasses," Jade explained sharply.

Nox didn't reply to that, seemingly ignoring Jade as he just walked into the kitchen saying, "Come, Marco, I'll help you clean up the glass, and then we can get started."

The moment the leader was out of the room, Jade turned to her daughter and asked worriedly, "Why didn't you tell him?" She paused, before adding hesitantly, "Are you reconsidering going back?"

Janna shook her head, keeping her focus on petting Edith and not her mom, as she replied softly, "No, it's not that. I just need more time to get him used to the idea first. He's... kinda sensitive and I don't want to just throw all this on him out of nowhere."

Jade nodded, as an uncomfortable silence began to build between them, neither able to quite face the other. After a moment, Jade simply said, "Well don't take too long or you might end up making it worse for him."

Janna's eyes filled with pain for a moment as she listened to her friend happily chatting with Nox in the next room, without a care in the world. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, sadly muttering out, "Yeah, I know."

…

Despite the slow and delayed beginning, the rest of the day in the Impure village was packed full of activities and events, so many that Marco and Janna began to lose count as every half-Monster seemed intent of dragging the teens around the village to show them something extraordinary. Marco seemed to especially be enjoying himself loving getting to learn about the Impure's intriguing, albeit creepy, culture. He learned from the young children how to play games like poison tag or making bone necklaces or even showing him how to make white outlines of what the kids said were "sleeping Mewmans" with chalk. Two young girls especially seemed to like being near Marco, talking to him in slow, breathy tones, or batting their eyelids at him, which Marco didn't think was too healthy or good for their eyes, and giving him piles of bone necklaces to wear. But oddest of all was how they would weirdly giggle and look away for some reason every time he said something to them, even if it wasn't funny. Maybe he just didn't understand Impure girls.

A few of the adults even answered some of Marco's questions about how they functioned in the light-less environment of the caves, teaching him a few tricks along the way such as how they washed their clothes in the underground stream, which plants growing on the cave walls were edible... how to fight off large beasts that regularly tried to sneak into their village. One group of Impures showing him how to make their famous skin flakes and garlic spider chow, which Marco reluctantly ate, doing his best not to spit it out despite it's terrible and bland taste. The older Impures answered questions about the past and their legacy, Marco particularly interested in stories relating to Eclipsa though very few of them knew more about her than what Nox had originally said.

Then of course, there were the festivities, many of the Impures showing off for their visitor, decorating their homes in long swats of purple cloth with bright gems on them that seemed to glow like stars despite no natural lighting being able to creep into the cave. Little statues of Eclipsa seemed to be on every corner of the quaint town, Marco unable to go two feet without seeing one. And he was even treated to a wonderful puppet show, along with a group of Impure children, about how Eclipsa used her dark magic to banish every last giant spider from the cave and send them into the woods outside where they belonged.

Marco was left in pure fascination over all of this, his natural curiosity and love for knowledge leaving him in a state of bliss as he was privileged enough to be taught things about the secret and well-hidden culture of the Impures.

Janna, meanwhile, seemed off to Marco, hanging back from all the fun and games mostly just watching it from a distance or if she did participate barely spoke a word, only making a sarcastic quip here or there. And the more this went on, the more convinced Marco became that something was wrong with his friend. With every hour that passed, she seemed more and more reserved and quiet, until finally, the answer clicked in Marco's brain. She was worried about leaving the village.

That had to be it. Of course she would be upset over that, after all, this was her old home, she probably didn't want to leave it so soon but Marco had already told Star that they would be back within a day or two. So, Marco decided that the best option would be to talk to her whenever he got the chance and let her know that they were going to come back and visit the village real soon. But with everything going on he didn't get a chance for quite some time as hours upon hours flew by in a haze of creepy, lighthearted activities.

Eventually, day drew to a close for the Impure village, the only indication of which being the many clocks scattered about the town (which even then didn't seem to match up with each other) and word of mouth by Nox, who seemed to know exactly when it was at all times, Marco wondering if maybe this was one of his powers or something. Things began to gradually slow until only a few Impures wandered the streets, and the three took advantage of the dimming activity to head back to their home, but not before Marco and Janna received cheerful goodbyes from the Impures, who all wished them safe travels. Nox even blessed Marco with what he called "The watchful eye of Eclipsa" which the hooded teen found both sweet and slightly creepy.

Finally, though Marco and the two Ordonia woman sluggishly shuffled back into their home, all letting out relieved sighs after such a long, draining day. "Ahh, it's good to be back," Jade commented, walking over to the couch and plopping down onto it, her legs sprawled out across it.

"Hey, make some room, you're not the only one tired, y'know," Janna commented playfully and her mother obeyed, sitting up straight and allowing her daughter to take a seat by her side.

"My, what a fun day, wasn't it? I can't think of the last time everyone was so upbeat and energetic over... well anything," Jade said with a bright smile.

Marco nodded and took a seat in a chair across from them, "Yeah, everyone was great! We should totally do that again, sometime."

Janna and Jade shared a quick look, the older woman giving a subtle nod over in Marco's direction, trying to encourage her daughter to say something. The beanie-wearing girl took in a quick breath, before saying, "Well actually Marco-"

But just then the phone in Marco's pocket went off, the familiar cheery ring-tone of "Space Unicorn" blaring out of it as the hooded teen smiled, saying excitedly, "Oh, hang on Star's calling!" The smile on his face was incapable of growing any wider as he hit the answer button, speaking brightly into the speaker, "Hey Star!"

The boy's cheek marks spun in a dizzying circle as the muffled voice of Star could be heard from the other line, though it was too quiet for Janna or Jade to make out. "Oh yeah, we're having a great time! Everyone here is super nice!"

More talking from Star's end, the boy seeming to hang on to her every word as she spoke and Janna couldn't help but smile at the sight. Even apart, those two couldn't get enough of each other, it was pretty adorable to watch, honestly. And definitely something she was going to miss when-

The girl frowned, as her thoughts now hung heavy on her mind, the old incessant reminder nagging at the back of her mind. She still had to tell Marco she was staying. She knew she couldn't keep putting this off, she needed to just get it over with, like ripping off a bandage, but Janna was fairly certain this would be one of the hardest things she would ever have to do. But at the same time-

Her gaze jumped over to her mom, as a tidal wave of emotions washed over her, trying to ignore the twist in her gut or the now rapid beating of her heart. No, she needed to see this through till the end.

A quick laugh from Marco, after Star said something apparently funny, brought Janna crashing back to reality. "Haha, yeah! So how are the twins? Are they doing okay?"

Another twist to Janna's gut. Oh man, how had she forgotten about the twins? Vi would be crushed when she heard she wasn't coming back for a while. Janna would have to find some way to make it up to her later.

"Aww!" Marco cooed in response to whatever it was Star said. "That is so sweet! I didn't even know you knew how to tell bedtime stories, Star!" Janna was able to pick up the subtle flirty tone of Star, before Marco added bashfully, "No, not surprised! I don't think there's anything you can't do."

The muffled coo that followed was unmistakable and Marco's smile somehow grew even wider, his suns glowing bright white for a brief second, before returning to their normal hue. Star seemed to ask something and Marco nodded, saying, "Mm-hmm, we were just getting ready to leave, actually. We should be home within a couple of hours, tops!"

Then, without a word to either Jade or Janna, Marco stood and began walking up the stairs to his guest room, presumably to pack, saying in an excited cheer, "Oh man Star, I can't wait to tell you everything that happened! So apparently Janna has a pet snake named Edith who only eats rocks, and her mom likes to hide all these creepy eyeballs all over the place and-"

Marco's voice slowly faded into the background as the boy disappeared into his room, the door closing shut a moment later. Once he was gone, an awkward silence filled the living room, Janna and Jade staring off into their own corners, not meeting each other's eye. The steady ticking of a clock was the only sound heard and with every measured beat the worse the silence grew. Until eventually, it was Jade who broke it, stating precisely what both of them had been thinking, "You have to go tell him."

"I know," Janna muttered, sounding more annoyed than she had intended.

"You can't put it off any longer, Janna," her mother pointed out and Janna internally groaned. "I mean, I think you've waited about as long as you possibly can-"

"Yeah, I know that too," the girl replied sharply, massaging her eyes with the palms of her hand's for a minute. "I'm just... not looking forward to this part," she admitted, giving a lost look over to the closed door.

"Well, it's best to get it over with," Jade said, giving her daughter's hand a quick pat before standing and heading toward the kitchen. "You'll feel better once you tell him," she added once over her shoulder.

The moment her mother was out of sight, Janna crossed her arms and mumbled under her breath, "Easy for you to say." The half-Monster girl felt a slithering around her neck and turned to see Edith resting happily on her shoulder and she asked her pet sarcastically, "Any chance you'd be willing to talk to Marco for me."

Edith's forked tongue flickered twice before she slithered down Janna's back and down the couch, heading to her little pile of gemstones in the corner. The beanie-wearing girl sighed, saying in a disheartened tone, "Yeah, didn't think so." She gave one last uncomfortable glance toward the door before forcing herself to her feet and headed up the creaky staircase. She had put this off for too long already, she had to tell Marco the truth... even if it killed her.

Janna could hear humming when she got to the door and she inwardly groaned at the happy, cheerful tone. Geez, Marco, why do you have to keep making this so much harder? She quickly opened the door, staring inside as Marco was busy stuffing his remaining supplies into his large backpack, his phone laying on the bed beside him, now clearly off. The hooded teen smiled as Janna entered, saying in his typical naive greeting, "Hey Janna!"

"Hey," the girl replied, leaning against the door frame as she tucked her hands into her pockets. It was now or never. "Listen, can we talk?"

Marco froze, his right hand halfway stuffed into his backpack as he just stared at her in shock. After a few seconds, the boy nodded numbly, pushing his backpack aside as he said, "Uh, sure, what did you want to talk about?"

Janna sucked in a deep breath, before saying hesitantly, "It's about... going back, uhh, I don't know how to tell you this but-"

"It's okay, I already know what you're going to say," Marco interrupted, shooting her with another of his bright smiles.

"You do?" Janna said in surprise, an eyebrow raising in response. Had he seriously figured it out, already?

Marco nodded. "Yep and I totally understand," the hooded boy said, rising up off the bed and approaching the girl. Once he was standing in front of her, he put a hand on her shoulder while giving her a long, sympathetic look as he added, "I know it's hard for you, to leave your family like this after you just got them back..." Huh, maybe Janna hadn't given her friend enough credit before. "...but I promise we'll come by and visit again real soon."

"What?" Janna muttered, her eyes widening in surprise and her body tensing up. Or maybe he was still as naive as ever.

"So soon, in fact, it'll be like you never even left," the boy continued, not picking up on his friend's change in demeanor.

Janna paused, sucking in a deep breath, before gently moving the arm off her shoulder. "Marco, that's not what this is about," she said softly.

"Huh?" Marco replied, his eyebrows pinching together in confusion as he seemed to be trying to decipher this new piece of information. "Then what is this about, if it's not because we're leaving?"

Janna said nothing, staring long and hard into Marco's eyes, her eyes full of regret and guilt as she tried to convey the words her mouth couldn't quite spit out. Slowly, realization dawned on the boy, as his confused expression turned to one of understanding and then to sadness, his eyes flashing with so much pain that it made Janna ache to see it. "Oh," he said quietly, his gaze slowly lowering to the floor. "It's because, you aren't going back... are you?" His brown orbs slowly raised to meet hers again and Janna felt a lump form in her throat.

The half-Monster girl shook her head, replying sadly, "No, I'm not. Mom asked me to stay for a while and... I said yes."

The boy's face seemed to fall even more as he whispered awkwardly, "Well, how long have you... known?"

"Since last night," Janna replied honestly.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Marco asked, his eyebrows scrunched together and his eyes misty with unshed tears, clearly trying to hide his true emotions from the girl.

Janna shrugged, before answering, "I was waiting for the right moment."

Marco sniffed, wiping a few tears from his eyes as he pointed out numbly, "Not sure this counts as the right moment."

"Well, turns out there isn't one a right time for this, but it had to be done," Janna replied flatly, it was everything she could do to keep herself together, seeing her friend crying and to know she was the cause of it crushed her. She was never good at this stuff, anyway, though. This was more Jackie's territory, she wasn't sure how to handle a crying Marco.

And more than anything she definitely wasn't ready for his next question. "So does that mean... this is goodbye?" The girl's startled stare met the teary eyes of Marco's as she found any response she might have fading from her mind, all her thoughts consumed by the hurt look on her friend's face.

Finally, she was able to get out in what she hoped was an uplifting tone, "Well not forever. Just for right now."

Marco's eyes drooped with despair as he pointed out sadly, "Didn't you promise Violet to make her your apprentice?"

"I'll still teach her someday, but for now she'll just have to learn some stuff on her own," Janna said with a halfhearted shrug, though she clearly sounded torn up over the statement.

"Okay, but what about Tom?"

Janna flinched at the mention of her crush's name, unable to think of a good response for that. Instead, she merely stated, "Look, Marco, it's not like I'm never coming back, I just need to figure some stuff out here first."

"Like what?" the boy asked curiously, rubbing a hand up and down his arm.

Janna froze. She hadn't really been planning on talking to him about this (or anyone really), but the words had just slipped out of her mouth without her realizing it and now she had no choice but to confess. Sure she could try and dodge the question, but it felt wrong to deceive Marco, especially now of all situations. Finally, she let out a quick breath and said, "This is a great opportunity for me, Marco. And I'm not just talking about mom, I have a second chance to be a part of my people again, to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life." She paused on the last one, before adding, "You and the others already know what you want. You've got your whole commission going and your always off working to make the world a better place, which is great for you guys... but I don't fit in there anymore."

"Since when have you cared about that," Marco said in confusion. "I thought you liked being unique and didn't care about having dreams or goals or whatever."

"I didn't," Janna replied. "Until I realized that you were all moving on without me."

Marco gave his friend a shocked, sympathetic look, he couldn't believe she felt that way but hadn't said anything before. "Oh Janna, we didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Janna cut in before the boy could go into a long-winded apology. "I get it. I don't blame you guys. Being in Butterfly Castle has been a blast for me and I wouldn't take away any of that... but it's time for me to move on, start the next part of my life."

Marco nodded, giving her a wain smile as he muttered out in a shaky tone, "I understand." Then recalling Nox's words from the other day, added, "You should do whatever makes you happy."

Janna let out a long, deep sigh before saying tearfully, "Thanks for that."

Then, out of nowhere, Marco pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her small frame as if his life depended on it and if it were anyone else they would probably be suffocating at this point. But since Janna had her enhanced strength and stamina, it only managed to slightly knock the wind out of her. She recovered quickly though, gently squeezing him back, burying her head in his shoulder as she allowed her walls to come down for a brief moment. "I'm gonna miss you so much," Marco whispered, his voice cracking and Janna felt her heart jump into her throat at the sound.

"Same here," she replied, allowing a single tear to slip from her eye, falling to the carpet below.

The two stayed like that for another minute or so, neither wanting to let go or allow the moment to end, the teens trying not to think that this might very be the last hug they would ever share. Until finally, Janna pulled away taking a step back as she watched Marco wiping the remaining tears from his eyes, sniffing softly. She just stood there awkwardly for a minute not sure what else to say or do, afraid any action would cause her friend to break down into tears again. But the boy remained remarkably calm as he gave Janna a wain smile, saying, "Well, I better finish packing. Star and the others are still expecting me back, y'know."

"Speaking of," Janna said, giving him what could almost pass for a sheepish grin. "Think you'd be willing to tell the others about all this for me." Her voice grew softer as she added, "I'm just not sure I can face them right now."

Marco nodded numbly, saying, "Yeah, no problem." From there, the boy walked back over to the bed and began shoving in item after item into his backpack at an excruciatingly slow pace. His face was set in a sad frown, but he did his best to hide the deep sorrow he was feeling as he felt Janna's stare on him. He wanted to show her that he understood and respected her choice (even if it hurt) and crying was only going to make her feel bad. "Sooo, what am I supposed to say to everyone else when I come back from the 'camping trip' alone?" Marco asked in an attempt to break the unbearable silence that had formed in the room. "Can't exactly tell them the truth."

Janna shrugged, saying in her typical creepy monotone, "Just say I was eaten by a bear or something."

Marco, despite his sorrow, gave her a wide, frightened look, "What? No way! I can't tell everyone that!"

"Why not? No one would suspect anything," Janna pointed out.

"Uhh, until you show back up at Butterfly Castle one day," Marco argued.

"Eh, I'm sure I could think up some sort of explanation," Janna replied casually.

Marco smiled, shaking his head softly. He was gonna miss his friend's Jannigans so much, what would life in Butterfly Castle even be like without her? But before he could break down into tears again, he forcefully pushed the thoughts out, before standing up and slinging the backpack over one shoulder. "Well, I guess I should be going," the boy said softly.

Janna nodded numbly, giving him the most upbeat smile she could, which only ended up looking more pathetic than anything else, saying in a near whisper, "Yeah. Well see you around, Marco."

"See you around, Jan," Marco replied, his voice equally as crest-fallen. And with that the boy walked out of the room and Janna's life, momentarily pausing in the doorway, his whole body tense as if he was fighting off some unknown force. Janna half-expected the hooded teen to suddenly turn around and beg her to come with, but instead he just took another reluctant step forward. Janna listened as the boy's footsteps echoed down the hall and then the staircase, shuffling his way through the living room before she heard the tell-tale sound of the door being pulled open. She held her breath as she waited for the door to be slung closed, the boy once more seemingly pausing in the doorway.

Until finally, the door slammed shut and, just like that, Marco was gone. For a few miserable moments Janna just stood alone in the tiny and now empty guest room for a few moments, thinking. Until, all at once she found her legs threatening to give out on her, Janna collapsing onto the bed with a loud sigh. The half-Monster, pressed her palms tightly against her eyes, not allowing any tears to leak out, trying her best to hide them from the world and from herself. But she quickly lost that battle as there, in the safety of the empty room... Janna wept.

…

Lord Nox strolled through the dark streets of his beloved village with purpose, his heavy cane banging against the ground with every other step. The Impure leader loved his nightly patrols and had made a habit of making multiple rounds through the town, despite how unnecessary it was. The village was completely hidden and safe from outside forces, no one would ever try and break in unless they wanted to ensure the wrath of hundreds of Impures. Still, Nox found it better to double-check just to be safe, hoping it would help ease his mind some and keep his children feeling at peace. Many Impures had graciously offered to do the patrols for him over the years, saying he shouldn't feel obligated to perform his pointless patrols when any of the cave scouts would fit the role just as well. "You have enough on your plate already, Lord Nox," they would always reason. "Why add yet another burden to bear?" But Nox would always brush these comments aside, stating that he preferred to perform this task himself and didn't wish to simply bestow it to someone else. He took his job as 'Father' of the village very seriously after all, and he wanted everyone in the village to know this. Besides, he found the quiet soothing, a pleasant break from the long days he spent caring for his children.

Despite this, Nox found his mind elsewhere tonight, distracting him from his task as protector. His green eyes lazily drifted about the village as he struggled to keep the pestering thoughts at bay. Thoughts about Janna and her return that may or not be short-lived judging from her reaction earlier, thoughts of young Marco and his naïve outlook on the world that had thrown Nox's into disarray, thoughts of Jade and her traitorous actions. The last thought, more than any of the others, were his main point of intrigue and worry though. He had trusted her, given her the benefit of the doubt when she had returned empty-handed to the village that day looking so defeated and brokenhearted his heart had ached for her. And yet she had betrayed his trust, lying to him and the others just to save her own skin, all in an attempt to cover up her crime and it made Nox sick just to think about it.

Which brought him back to the punishment. Despite what he said to Jade, he didn't know how to proceed as of yet, not without upsetting Janna. Though he hadn't been lying when he said whatever he decided would be far too lenient for the woman. He supposed removing her from any missions outside of the village would be a good start, but would that really change anything? Could Jade ever even be trusted again? And what else could she have been keeping secret from him all these years? Well, whatever he decided, Nox would have to be extra sure to keep a close eye on Jade Ordonia in the future.

Suddenly, Nox was pulled out of his troubling thoughts as a creeping uneasiness ran up his spine, instantly putting him on edge. The leader stopped dead in his tracks, his dark green eyes surveying the area around him cautiously. He sensed something wasn't right, a feeling radiating deep in his gut telling him danger was near, while his cheek marks burned with warning. Although Nox had inherited the Mark of the Impure, his own Trait hadn't faded with time much like many of the others did. Instead, his ability had only grown stronger with time and with years of practice it almost never proved wrong.

Calling on this power now, he focused on the world around him, allowing his power of 'awareness' to take over, waiting with held breath for something to shift in the shadows and expose themselves. It was subtle at first (it always was), a creak of wood on the rooftops above, a heavy footstep where there wasn't supposed to be one, the unknown scent of what could only be an intruder, an accurate picture beginning to form in the dark lord's mind. Three, no four, men. All waiting just out of sight, one above on the rooftops, two hiding in the alley to his left, and the last... Where was the last?

Nox, realizing his mistake, felt a presence behind him, and quickly turned, managing to block the swing from his unknown opponent, countering by slamming the end of his cane into their chest, a burst of green magic sent coursing through their body for a second as they cried out in agony. The intruder was thrown back, falling hard to the ground with a noisy thump.

Nox's eyes narrowed into daggers as he took in the form before him, growling under his breath, "You."

Nox's Trait flared up again in warning as he felt the remaining three intruders converging on him all at once. The Impure leader growled, his cheeks glowing a sinister green, as well as his cane, as he prepared himself to do battle... only for a burning white light to engulf his form as he cried out in pain and surprise, his voice echoing through the village he had now failed to protect.

…

Marco sighed, keeping his hands tucked into his pockets as he sadly made his way through the Impure village. Not a soul seemed to be out at the moment, the dark streets empty and lifeless, Marco figuring everyone had probably turned in for the night, which meant the hooded teen was left alone to try and fight off his dreary, depressing thoughts. He felt lost and strangely empty, like a piece of himself had just been taken and ripped away and every attempt to alleviate this pain only proved pointless. He tried to keep his mind off of Janna, which ultimately proved futile as his conversation with her had left his stomach in deep, twisted knots. He tried reasoning with himself over and over again that it was her choice and that he should be happy for her and let her live her own life, but still the feeling persisted, leaving his eyes misty with tears. Nothing worked.

Finally, the boy pulled his hands out of his pockets, rubbing his eyes with his palms failing to make sense of the deep aching he felt. It wasn't like Janna was gone forever, she was just living in a different place. She would still come by to visit or he could even visit her whenever he wanted, sure it wouldn't be the same but it wasn't like he would never see her again. So why did he still feel so miserable?

Marco reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and for a few seconds just stared at the blank screen. Should he call Star? She would know what to say to make him feel better and he honestly really needed to unload all this on someone. The boy paused, tossing the idea around in his head for a few minutes before deciding against it, shaking his head and tucking the device back inside his hood pocket. This wasn't something he could just blurt out over the phone, it would have to be in person, which meant he would have to bear this burden alone a bit longer.

Marco looked around, seeing the same, empty town that provided him no answers or relief and he wondered aloud, "What am I still doing here?" Why didn't he just go home already? He told Star he would be back by now but part of him just couldn't bring himself to leave. It was like some small part of him was hoping Janna would come running around the corner any minute and tell him she changed her mind and wanted to come back with him.

The teen shook his head clear of these thoughts. No, what was wrong with him?! He shouldn't be thinking these things! He had to be supportive of his friend, Janna wanted to stay and that was that!

The boy let out a deep breath, pulling out the pair of dimensional scissors he had borrowed from Star from his backpack. He stared down at them with determination, his hand squeezing them tighter and tighter until his knuckles turned white, the scissors shaking in his grip.

With a heavy heart the boy raised a hand to cut open a portal, trying to clear his head of any thoughts about Janna, when the echo of a scream reached his ears. Marco turned in the direction of the yell in surprise, his heart rate increasing as he could hear the amount of pain the voice seemed to be in, and he muttered in fear, "Nox?"

"Well, well, well, what a surprise," a dark tone said behind him and Marco swerved only to stumble back in surprise by the large form that now towered over him. "If it isn't Buff Frog's little brat."

"Meatfork," Marco whispered, taking another step back, hoping to put as much distance between himself and the deadly Monster before him. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

The warthog smiled, a cruel, viscous smile that sent cool waves of fear coursing through Marco's bloodstream. "Just doing a little bit of what you might call, a hostile takeover and lucky me, I just found the jackpot." The Warthog's teeth were all crooked and full of vile promises as he stared down the boy, like a cat staring at a mouse, causing Marco to swallow hard.

"You're not allowed to be here," was all Marco could think to say and Meatfork just laughed at the boy's ignorance.

"Last time I checked, neither were you," the Monster replied. "But don't worry, I'm sure Ludo will be happy to see you, once I bring you to him, that is."

"I'm not going anywhere," Marco said with more determination than he felt, moving so he was in a defensive stance like Higgs had taught him.

"Oh that's funny," Meatfork said with a cruel chuckle. "Thinking I was giving you a choice!" With that, the Monster threw a punch Marco's way, the boy jumping back to try and dodge it, while quickly pulling the strap of his backpack off his left shoulder. With his other hand, the boy grabbed onto the other strap before swinging his backpack around with all his might, slamming it hard into Meatfork's face. The boy tried not to cringe at the loud crack sound he heard on impact but watched as the Monster fell to the ground with a dazed look. His backpack hit the ground a second later, the contents quickly scattering out across the empty street but Marco was too distracted to even notice nor care.

The warthog rose to his knees, rubbing a claw against his head, flexing his jaw to try and see if there was any permanent damage before he finally flashed the boy a cold look. "That was a lucky hit, brat, but you won't be getting another," the Monster stated, rising back to his feet with a grunt.

Marco braced himself for another attack, his eyes jumping from his left to his right, hoping to find some sort of escape from the unwinnable fight. He felt his back press against something hard and he cringed as he realized he had backed himself into a corner, literally, his form leaning against a misshapen wood wall of some random house. The boy tried to keep his calm as he struggled to form a plan, he definitely couldn't beat Meatfork one-on-one, so his best chance right now was to try and outsmart the Monster and hopefully stay alive long enough to escape.

The Monster smiled wickedly before charging at him again with a loud yell, his namesake raised and ready to puncture his enemy straight through. Marco, thinking fast, jumped out of the way at the last second, landing hard on his back but watched as Meatfork's metal appendage stabbed into the wooden surface instead.

The warthog Monster stood frozen in shock for about a second before he growled and turned to Marco in fury, the boy shuffling away as best he could with his elbows. Meatfork went to try and stab at the boy again, only to realize his fork claw wasn't budging, wedged deep into the wall which seemed intent on holding him in place. The Monster tugged on the wall but his hand didn't budge. He tugged again and then again, and again. Every time filled with more and more anger until eventually, he was pulling on it with all his might, his feet now against the wall to try and give himself better leverage as he groaned against his straining muscles. Marco seizing this opportunity jumped to his feet and started to run away, hoping to try and warn the Impures of the invasion. But he didn't get very far as Meatfork finally managed to rip his metal claw free, tearing off a piece of the wall with him and causing him to fall to the ground again. But he was up and after the boy in less than a second, Marco just about to step out of the small path and into a more crowded street when Meatfork managed to grab ahold of Marco's hood and promptly flung poor Marco back into the enclosed street. The boy let out a cry as his body hit the uneven stone ground, sliding a few inches before bringing him to a painful stop. The hooded teen coughed a few times, the breath was momentarily knocked out of his body as he slowly rose to his knees.

Marco looked up to see Meatfork drawing closer again, the smug look of victory on his face sending chills down Marco's spine but he refused to let his fear show as he glared up at him with the most defiant look he could muster. "Well, looks like you lose, brat!" The Monster stopped, now standing over the boy, his namesake raised as he prepared to go in for the kill. "You're all alone and no one is coming to your rescue this time."

As soon as the words left Meatfork's mouth, a low hiss resonating through the small area, right before the two blushing Impure girls from before latched onto the Monster's back, hissing loudly. Meatfork screamed and stumbled around mindlessly as the two began clawing at his back, one shouting, "Leave our boyfriend alone!" while the other yelled over to the boy, "Marco, run!"

Meatfork finally regained his senses enough to fight back, managing to grab onto one of their wrists and throw them off his shoulder. The other clung on for dear life, as she kicked and scratched with all her might, trying to bring the stubborn Monster down, even biting into him with her sharp pointed fangs, which caused Meatfork to scream in agony. Marco ran over to help the fallen girl up, while her friend was slammed into the wall by an enraged Meatfork, finally managing to make her lose her grip and fall off of him, landing hard at his feet.

Meatfork panted a few times, a hand pressed into the wound on his shoulder as he glared daggers at Marco and the first Impure girl, the boy holding her in a protective embrace. While behind him, the other girl groaned as she sluggishly rose to her feet. "That's it, now you brats asked for it! We could have done this easy way but no you just had to make this the hard way, didn't you!"

"You tried to kill me!" Marco argued, his voice cracking on the last word.

"You would have lived from that, probably," Meatfork commented with an uncaring shrug. Suddenly, though Marco noticed the Monster's hand reaching behind his back and the boy gave him a baffled stare. What was he doing?

That was before he saw the metal, cylindrical device in his claws and Marco gasped, instantly recognizing the object and what it was for. Meatfork held the flashlight out toward the unsuspecting Impure girl behind him and Marco, reacting on instincts, began running toward the Monster, intent of keeping the light as far away from the girl as he could. Once he was close enough, his leg shot up, kicking the Monster's arm and causing the flashlight to tumble through the air before hitting the ground with a sentencing crack.

Meatfork let out a cry, gritting his teeth as he clutched his throbbing arm to his chest. At least, as best as he could with his forked claw. He sent another deadly glare at Marco but the boy was quick to move away from the incoming swipe, dodging around the Monster and taking a few weary steps back. He risked a glance over at the girls, who were both standing side by side again, watching the boy completely wide-eyed which was quite baffling to Marco since he didn't do anything all that impressive. But the hooded teen quickly returned his attention to Meatfork, hoping to keep the attention on him and off of the still-recovering girls.

"Is that all you got?" Marco taunted, praying he sounded as confident as he hoped.

But to Marco's confusion, Meatfork just chuckled under his breath, before saying, "Oh no, boy, there is a lot more where that came from." With that the Monster brought two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle, while Marco could only stare in puzzlement.

That was before a bright light suddenly filled the small space, an overhead beam that Marco hadn't even seen attached to the roof before being operated by a grinning Monster... who had the spotlight aimed right at the Impure girls. The two shrieked in pain, cowering into each other to try and escape from the oppressive burn. "No! Stop, you're hurting them!" Marco screamed, but the Monsters didn't seem to care. And so, with his heartbeat pounding in his ears, he quickly raced over to the two, standing in front of them and spreading his arms wide to try and shield them from the light as best he could.

The girls gratefully clung to him, letting out relieved sighs as they were freed from the horrible heat, while Marco glared up at the Monster with defiance. "Leave them alone!" he shouted. But then, out of nowhere, a thick rope fell around their frames before being pulled tight, Marco and the two Impures squished together as their arms were pinned to their sides. The hooded teen grunted as he tried to pull free of the binding rope, the two girls doing the same, but it wouldn't budge, the more he struggled the tighter it seemed to get.

Meatfork watched in satisfaction as his prisoners slowly wore themselves out trying to break free, giving a quick look over to the short alligator Monster who had managed to lasso them when they weren't looking. Perfect, all according to plan. Pain shot through Meatforks' shoulder and he cringed, putting a claw over it once again. Almost.

He gave a subtle nod over to his other ally, who quickly shut off the spotlight, as he sauntered superiorly over to the three trapped kids. "Don't bother struggling, Impures," the Monster hissed, fixing them with a toothy grin. "That rope is infused with magic, there's no way for you to break it."

Marco stared up at the Monster with horror, a deep dread beginning to fill him. They had clearly thought this all through and the thing that worried Marco the most was that he knew that the Impures were no match for Ludo's crazy scheme, using the Impure's greatest weakness against them. How had they known about the Impure's being hurt by light? Who else was a target? How many more had they taken? Was Janna safe? Was Nox? How long had Ludo been planning this invasion? These thoughts and a million more circled through Marco's head making him feel sick, but all he could manage to choke out was, "Why are you doing this?"

Meatfork chuckled, before saying eerily, "You'll find out soon enough, Marco Diaz."

Then the Monster turned to his ally, saying, "Take them to the others."

Marco felt panic run through him again, as the alligator Monster began tugging on the rope, forcefully dragging him and the girls away. Marco and the two screamed and shouted for help but no one could hear them, the rest of the Impures already captured and being transported against their will just like them. And just before Marco was dragged into the unknown darkness, the boy let out one last scream of desperation, calling for the one person who could possibly hear him and save him from his plight. "Janna!"

…

"Those idiots!"

Janna froze, standing outside the door to her mom's room with a puzzled expression on her face. She had finally recovered enough from her breakdown earlier to go see her mom but the worried and annoyed tone she heard in her mother's voice made her pause. Janna put an ear up against the door, waiting to see if she could learn more about what was going on before going in, a frown on her face and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration and confusion as she waited and listened.

The girl could hear shuffling from the other side of the door as if her mother was frantically messing with some sort of cloth material. Her mother groaned in annoyance, before saying in a voice just dripping with venom, "This wasn't supposed to go this way, he was supposed to wait for my signal. Ugh, what is he thinking?!"

Janna felt a deep knot form in the pit of her stomach, unable to quite suffocate her rising suspicions. She had a very bad feeling about all this. Needing more direct answers, Janna decided to face her mom in person, slamming the door open and revealing herself to her startled mother.

Jade froze in place, staring over at her daughter with a look of surprise etched onto her features, a suitcase overflowing with clothes and things laying open in front of her. There were even more clothes scattered across the bed and at her feet, all unfolded and wrinkly as if her mother was in some sort of rush, throwing them haphazardly into the suitcase with no rhyme or reason.

Janna's keen eye picked up all of this, before pausing on her mother's face, who looked sick with guilt and the feeling in Janna's stomach only increased. The beanie-wearing girl gave her mother a cynical scowl, asking her accusingly, "So what's going on in here?"

"Janna, I can explain," Jade began in her normally calm, reserved tone, but there was a noticeable shake there now that Janna easily picked up on.

"Really? What you just decided to go on vacation or something and didn't tell me," Janna replied, gesturing over to the suitcase. Jade followed her gaze before giving her daughter a pleading look. "This isn't what it looks like."

"No, I imagine this is actually much worse than anything I could think up," Janna said, leaning against the door frame, waiting for her mother to explain herself. "So then tell me, mom. What is this about? Cause I'm all ears."

Jade sighed, staring off into the distance as she muttered out a quiet, "You weren't supposed to find out this way... I was hoping to ease you into the idea first but then-"

"Mom, what's going on?" Janna asked firmly, her voice leaving no room for arguing or evading the question.

Jade sighed deeply, before muttering softly under her breath, "I told Ludo I needed a few more days."

"Wait, Ludo!" Janna exclaimed, moving away from the door and stepping further into the room. "What does he have to do with this?"

"You know him?" Jade asked in surprise.

Janna scoffed, putting a hand to her hip as she glared up at her mother. "Uh yeah, I fought him after he tried to kill me and Marco!" she snapped. "He's kinda hard to forget."

"I see," Jade muttered weakly.

"But I think what we're missing is the real question here," Janna said, deep hatred and suspicion growing in her voice. "Which is, how do you know him?"

"I-I snuck him into the village," Jade admitted hoarsely.

Janna's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, before shouting, "What?! Why would you do that? Ludo is crazy! Ugh, no wonder the Monsters couldn't find him before, because you were hiding him this whole time! What possible reason could you have for-" Suddenly, Janna froze mid-sentence, a terrible thought crossing her mind. "Mom, where is Ludo right now?"

Jade paused, looking nervously down at the floor, but this only seemed to confirm Janna's suspicions as a vile glare spread across her features.

"Mom, what did you do?" It was less of a question and more of an accusation and Jade flinched at the low, dangerous tone. As well as her daughter's eyes, which flashed with hatred.

However when she spoke, her voice was level and even. "I gave him the tools necessary to conquer our race, he should be rounding them all up as we speak."

The girl paused for a moment, letting that information sink in, before exclaiming at the top of her lungs, "Are you completely insane! What in Eclipsa's name made you think this was a good idea?! Marco is still out there mom! He could be in Ludo's hands right now! Did you even think of that?"

"An unfortunate sacrifice," was all Jade replied with.

Janna gave her an incredulous look, before blurting out, "And let me guess you were just gonna run away and leave everyone in the hands of some crazy maniac!" The girl paused, taking short, shallow breaths as anger burned through her.

"I did what I had to do, for our people," The older Impure replied with conviction.

"Oh and how does that work exactly!" Janna snapped bitterly. "Because from my perspective you just betrayed everyone we've ever known!"

Jade sighed. She knew her daughter wouldn't on board this at first, but maybe once she explained everything she would see why all this was necessary. "The prophecy states that-"

Janna chuckled dryly, cutting off her mom's excuse, putting her hand over her eyes as she shook her head. "Oh-ho-ho here we go," the Impure girl said sarcastically, lowering her hands so her mom could see her rolling her eyes. "That made up prophecy you're always babbling about and using to make excused for yourself."

"Janna," Jade reprimanded. "The prophecy is true. Eclipsa will rise again."

"Right, which gives you every right to betray our people!" Janna shouted.

"I am not trying to betray them," Jade countered. "I'm trying to save them."

"By handing them over to Ludo!"

"Yes! You're just too young to understand this now, Janna, but I'm doing the right thing."

Janna huffed. "No, your not, your just telling yourself that so you don't have to face the consequences," Janna muttered.

A hurt look flashed across Jade's face but she quickly buried it, stating, "Sometimes we have to make difficult choices for the greater good."

"Is that what you told yourself after you abandoned me?" Janna asked bitterly.

Her mother froze, unsure how to answer that, pain and guilt flashing in her glowing vision, but Janna no longer cared. "That's not what I-"

"Let me ask you something, mom," Janna said, her tone empty and her eyes numb and devoid of life. "Did that box you left me for have something to do with Eclipsa?"

Jade's eyes widened, before she stared guiltily at the floor, unable to answer.

Janna sighed slowly, burying her emotions behind an emotionless mask, she would have to deal with those later, right now she had more important things to do. So she merely turned on her heels and started for the door, Jade calling out to her in a panic, "Janna, wait! Where are you going?"

"To go save my real family and clean up your mess," Janna responded bitterly.

"They'll be okay, Janna," Jade shouted desperately, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I made Ludo promise not to hurt anyone. It'll all be okay, trust me."

Janna stopped, slowly turning around to face her again, locking eyes with her mother for the last time, her green eyes full of hatred and sorrow as she spat out, "You know something, mom. You were right about one thing. Trust is something you earn, but it's also something you can lose. And you lost any trust I had in you when you put Marco in danger."

"Janna, please," Jade begged, tears flowing from her vision, a broken look of desperation and pain all over her face as she spoke. "Please, please, don't leave me. I can't lose you again."

"Sorry mom," Janna said impassively, her eyes showing no hint of remorse as she added softly, "You already did."

Without another word, Janna turned her back to her mother once again, storming out of the room and never looking back. A few seconds later the front door slammed shut and Jade collapsed to her knees, tears pouring from her vision as she mourned for all she had just lost for the 'greater good'.

…

The Impures had all been rounded up and brought to the temporary prison of Ludo's devising, a spot just on the outskirts of the rustic village, the entire town huddled together against a rocky wall. Spotlights were set up all around the area, propped against tall stacked piles of rocks, shining down at the Impures feet, creating a ring of lights successfully trapping the half-Monster creatures inside. Many still had the tight, unbreakable restraints tied around them to discourage any escape attempts, not that there was much they could do without having to brave the unbearable light.

Despite the hopeless situation, the Impures stayed strong, shooting vile and defiant looks at their captor, Lord Nox standing directly in front of his children, doing his best to shield them from harm despite the ropes while keeping his head held high to show Ludo and the Impures he felt no fear.

Ludo, watched the whole thing with boredom, sitting on a pile of pillows as he just stared blankly at the group, a claw tapping impatiently against his arm as he waited. Finally, he let out an annoyed sigh, exclaiming, "This is taking forever! Where is Meatfork? He should be back by now!"

As if on cue, Meatfork approached, saying, "Right here, boss. Just had to pick up a few stragglers on my way here." He inclined his head to Marco and the two girls, who all stared in horror at the make-shift cell holding the half-Monster race captive. The girls were freed from their ropes only long enough to be shoved in with the rest of their people, one of the spotlights moving to allow them through without harm before immediately being put back into place. The girl's mothers ran to their respective child, scooping them up into protective arms as they shot death glares at Meatfork, who ignored them, his interest on the boy he held tightly by the hood.

"And look who I found, boss?" the warthog Monster said proudly, before giving the boy a shove, making him fall hard to his knees with a loud grunt, unable to catch himself with his limbs trapped in the confining ropes.

Ludo looked down at Marco for a second before asking, "Am I supposed to know who this is?"

Meatfork resisted the urge to face-palm as he explained in exasperation, "It's Buff Frog's kid."

"Ah, right. I knew that," Ludo said quickly to try and cover his obvious slip-up. He slid off the pillows, coming face to face with Marco as he said menacingly, "So, Buff Frog sent you to spy on us, huh, Mango?"

"Um, it's Marco actually," the boy corrected, his voice holding a slight quiver but otherwise showing no fear. "And I wasn't sent here to spy, I didn't even know you were here at all. We all thought you disappeared or something."

"A likely story!" Ludo shouted angrily, his eyes narrowing some on the teen. "Then, tell me, if you aren't spying on me, what exactly are you doing here?" he added suspiciously.

Marco, seeing his opportunity, asked, "Well what are you doing here? And what do you want with the Impures?"

At that, the small bird Monster turned to the half-Monsters with a knowing smirk twisted onto his beak. "Well, I'm glad you asked. I'm here to raise an army." He leaned an elbow against the boy's chest (who gave him a confused stare at the action) saying triumphantly, "I mean, just imagine how powerful I'll be with a bunch of Impures following my commands, I'll be unstoppable and then the other Monsters will have to make me their leader."

"We will never follow you," Nox spoke up, easily overhearing the Monster and Mewman's conversation.

Ludo growled, sitting up from Marco and storming over to the leader. "Shut up! You will do as I say or else!"

"We do not fear the threats of small-minded creatures, least of all yourself," Nox spat venomously, his fangs gleaming in the light.

Ludo stumbled back in fright, but quickly recovered, shouting, "Oh yeah, well we'll see about that! I'm in charge here and you can't do anything about it!"

"We did not fall to your ancestors, Ludo Avarius, and we will not now, our wills are stronger than yours," Nox said in a chilling tone, the look in his eyes enough to kill Ludo right there.

Marco's mouth dropped open at that. So Ludo's family were the ones from the story Nox had told him. The hooded teen was so shocked by this that, without thinking, he blurted out, "Wow, Ludo, your family sure does lose a lot."

Ludo's eyebrow twitched once, before he began stomping the ground in anger, throwing a childish tantrum as he screamed, "Shut up, shut up, shut up! The only reason my family lost was because everyone kept cheating! But this time I'm going to win! No matter what! And no one can stop me! Not you!" He pointed to Marco. "Not you!" His finger quickly jabbed in the direction of Nox. "And certainly not Buff Frog!"

Once the Monster's tantrum finally seemed to have ended, he adjusted his skull crown a little better on his head, panting heavily, his claws clenched into fists at his side. For a moment, everyone seemed to just stare at Ludo in shock, everyone speechless by his childish actions, until finally, Vigo spoke up from behind Nox, "You're insane!"

Ludo growled again, before flashing a hated glare at the Impure. He turned to Meatfork and shouted, "Move the light in!"

The Monster minions obeyed their orders, the light slowly moving toward the Impures, who all shuffled back in desperation, their window of space evaporating at an agonizingly slow pace. Nox pushed his children back as best he could, but they were running out of room fast.

Marco seeing this, felt panic rush through his system, crying, "Please, Ludo, you don't have to do this!"

The tiny Monster turned to him in surprise, before the look hardened into an evil grin as he said, "Oh but I do."

"This is wrong, can't you see that? Can't you see what you're doing to these poor people? Are you really going to hurt them just so you can get your way?" Marco pleaded, hoping desperately to appeal to Ludo's heart. But the Monster just wasn't interested.

"Why not?" Ludo replied, with an uncaring shrug. "It's not like I didn't give them a choice. They did this to themselves, really. If they want it to stop all they have to do is surrender."

Marco glared at the Monster, about to bite out an angry remark, when he felt something sharp at his wrists, a pair of teeth clearly nibbling at the ropes. The hooded teen waited until Ludo turned away to watch the progress on the Impure's demise, before looking over his shoulder and nearly crying in relief. A pair of rats, one with an eye-patch, were chewing at the ropes, their sharp teeth making quick work of the powerful strings. He gave them both a thankful smile, before facing forward again so as to not draw suspicions. He did his best to ignore the Impure's worsening situation, trying to think up some sort of rescue plan in the limited time frame he had. He did a quick count of Ludo's Monsters counting at least ten and there were probably more in the shadows that he couldn't see. How were they going to get out of this? Even if he did get untied, what should he do? He couldn't beat Ludo and all his minions by himself? Marco swallowed, completely overwhelmed with decision. He needed help. There was no way he could do this on his own.

As if on cue, one of Ludo's minions suddenly asked, "Do you guys hear flapping?"

"Flapping?" Meatfork said skeptically, only to freeze the sound reached his own ears. Everyone paused, even the lights ceasing their track toward the helpless Impures, listening in silence as the gentle echo slowly grow steadily louder and more apparent, the sound bouncing noisily off the walls. Ludo, let out a groan, covering his ears with his claws and shouting, "Where is that noise coming from?!"

Just then a purple bat dropped down from above, moving at an incredible speed, its small wings flapping at a reckless and nearly unbelievable pace and heading right for Ludo. A smile lit up Marco's face as he recognized the familiar creature as his creepy friend. The small Monster, however, just stared at Bat-Jan in surprise and disbelief, that was until she shifted back into her Monster form, using Ludo's face to spring off of so she could do a full flip in the air and land gracefully on her feet with a dramatic flourish.

Ludo, however, wasn't so lucky as his small body was sent crashing backwards into his pile of pillows, the other Monsters quickly shouting out, "Boss!" several rushing over to help him up.

Marco was overjoyed to see his friend there, screaming in a choked tone, "Janna!" Relief flooding his system now that he knew he was no longer alone in dealing with this deadly situation. Janna would help him get through it, as long as she was there then everything would be okay. "You came!"

"Course I did, I heard your scream and came running, just like I said I would. Couldn't leave my friend hanging, after all," Janna said, shooting the boy a smile, though for some reason, it seemed halfhearted and the boy even thought he could see tear stains on her cheeks. But before he got a chance to ask what was wrong, a loud screech drew their attention as Ludo suddenly bolted upright from the pile of pillows with an annoyed yell. His crown was nowhere to be seen but the large bruise on his face was as clear as day, as well as the look of hatred he was shooting the beanie-wearing girl. "How dare you attack me, you pesky brat! You'll pay for that!"

"Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed, today," Janna commented in her typical sarcastic wit. "What's the matter, Ludo. You cranky cause you didn't get your nap?"

Ludo was fuming with anger now, clearly provoked by the girl's taunts, his face turning a dark shade of red from his anger, and Marco was surprised he didn't see smoke coming out of his ears. "Who do you think you are?! I'm in charge so you have to do what I say, or else!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm soo scared," Janna said in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes. "What are you gonna do, shine a flashlight at me?"

An evil grin crossed Ludo's face, a malicious glee in his eyes as he commented darkly, "Thanks for the idea." He then turned to the nearest Monster operating a spotlight and shouted, "Get her with that light!"

The Monster minion immediately nodded, swerving the light around so it was now headed toward Janna, who simply smirked, showing no fear as she slightly turned her head in the direction of the incoming beam. "Huh, so that's how it's gonna be," she said with an uncaring shrug. Her body once more shifted into bat form, quickly dodging out of the way of the bright light. "Well your gonna have to catch me first." Ludo ducked to avoid getting smacked in the face by her again. He growled in annoyance, before shouting to his minion, "Follow that bat!"

From there Ludo as well as the rest of his Monsters were completely engrossed in capturing and defeating their irritating opponent, the bird Monster pointing at the batgirl wherever she went, while screaming confusing directions at his lackeys in a shrill screech. Meanwhile, the rest of the Monsters did their best to fulfill their bosses orders, trying fruitlessly to try and snatch her up out of the air but found themselves only either grabbing air or sometimes even receiving a kick to the face as she turned back into her Monster form for half a second. All while the bright spotlight tracked her endlessly, always just inches away from touching her before she darted out of the way.

With his friend providing a perfect distraction, this gave Marco ample time to escape, the rats on his back gnawing through the last remaining rope, freeing the hooded teen from his tight bindings. The boy rubbed at his sore wrists, trying to get blood flow back into his numb hands before noticing the two rats staring up at him. "Thanks for the help, little guys," Marco said with a grateful smile. But it quickly turned into a serious expression as he added, "Do you think you can go free Nox and the other Impures."

The two nodded and squeaked their approval, saluting the boy before scampering away. Marco, satisfied that his small friends had that problem taken care of, focused his attention on the greatest threat to the captive Impures at the moment: the spotlights. The boy immediately began running toward the nearest one, no plan or strategy yet in his mind for what he was going to do, he just knew that he needed to do something and fast before Ludo came to his senses and carried through on his threat. He did, however, notice that each of the high-powered beams were all sat upon an uneven pile of rocks, which seemed to be ready to collapse at any moment if the unsteady and nervous faces of their Monster operators were anything to go by. Which just happened to give Marco an idea.

Once he was close enough, the hooded teen let out a loud yell and kicked the pile of rocks with all his might just like Higgs had shown him. A second later, the rocks crumbled and sent the unsuspecting Monster and the heavy spotlight crashing onto the ground, shattering the fragile glass on impact. Marco smiled, in complete disbelief he had actually pulled that off, all his prior kicks far from accurate or good according to Higgs.

But there was no time to pat himself on the back, the danger to him and his friends still very real, and he immediately started toward the next pile, hoping he would be able to pull off this same technique again, needing to destroy every last source of light he could find.

Meanwhile, thanks to Marco and Janna's efforts, a pathway for the Impures escape was opened, two of the dreaded beams either destroyed or occupied. The Impures were all about to rush out, but Nox quickly halted them with a simple shake of the head, saying softly to his children, "No not yet, we must wait for the proper moment, otherwise our friends' efforts will be pointless."

"What must we do then, Lord Nox?" Vigo asked, keeping his voice respectful despite the obvious impatience he was feeling. "Those kids can't hold them off forever. And we are in no position to fight like this," he added, holding up his bound wrists.

The leader paused, thinking carefully about their next move, casting worried glances over to the two teens. Janna was quickly becoming surrounded by Monsters and Marco was bravely running to the next spotlight, determination and resolve in his every step. And seeing this, Nox couldn't help but feel uselessness in this situation. Here he was letting mere children fight for him and his people, watching them risk their lives, while he did nothing to help. He felt a fire begin to rise in the pit of his stomach, spurred on by Marco and Janna's selflessness and bravery, a protective instinct to help these two and aid them in the struggle. The only question was how.

That was when he heard the squeaking below him and upon looking down he saw two rats trying to eagerly gain his attention. "What are you doing over here, little ones? This is no safe place for you," Nox stated simply and the rats quickly squeaked out their answer.

The Impure leader's eyebrow slowly raised at the rapid explanation from the two rats, both of which he could understand flawlessly, before turning to the young teen with a smile. "Clever boy," he whispered under his breath, before lowering down and offering his bound wrists to the rats. "Very well then, please hurry and free me, friends."

The rats quickly went to work nibbling on the confining ropes, while Nox cast a serious look up to Vigo, commanding, "Find my staff and bring it here. We might have a fighting chance in this, after all."

"Yes sir, Lord Nox," Vigo said, before passing the order to another Impure, who had hidden the leader's staff in the large crowd the moment they had been dragged there, desperate to keep the sacred device out of Ludo's grasp. As Vigo turned back, though, he became captivated at the sight of the two teens, fearlessly facing Ludo and his army, fighting to help free his people. Perhaps he had misjudged the intruders, after all. "I had no idea those kids were so brave."

"Yes, let's just hope you get a chance to thank them later for that bravery," Nox replied grimly, his stomach churning with worry for the courageous teens.

Marco was just inches away from the next rock pillar when he felt something grab onto his arm, the tight grip making him hiss in pain as he was yanked to a sudden and violent halt. He looked over his shoulder, only to see the angry and towering presence of Meatfork, who glared daggers down at the boy. "Oh no you don't, kid," he spat out, somehow tightening his grip even more, making Marco worry his arm would bruise. "You're not ruining our plans this time."

Marco squirmed, trying to break free of the iron grasp, moving a leg back in preparations to kick, when he heard a loud hissing coming from inside his hoodie. The boy looked down, a cold, creeping feeling overcoming him, as he watched a familiar head poke out from the front of his hoodie, its forked tongue lazily flashing in and out. "Edith!" Marco screamed in surprise. "Have you been in there the whole time?" the hooded teen added with a squeak, his face paling at the thought.

But if Marco looked freaked out, Meatfork looked downright terrified, his eyes growing impossibly wide as he stared into the beady eyes of the crystal-coated snake, Marco feeling the grip on his arm loosening as the Monster's claw shook with fright. "I-Is that a-a sn-snake?" Before Marco could even think to answer, Edith suddenly slithered out from his hood and wrapped around Meatfork's arm letting out a low hiss as it did. Meatfork immediately released his grip from Marco and began screaming and trying to violently shake the creature off.

Marco could only watch dumbfounded for a moment at the sight of the strong, aggressive Monster reduced to a panicked mess by nothing but a little cave snake. But the boy snapped out of his stupor quickly, taking advantage of the Monster's distraction to attack the rock pillar with another kick, this time more precise and intentional then his last, he needed to hit it just right to make this work.

There was a loud rumbling as the rock tower began to shudder and crumble in on itself, falling at a steep angle, sending the Monster on top and the spotlight free-falling to the ground. Meatfork had just managed to pry Edith off his arm, throwing it away from himself in disgust, when a shadow fell over him and he looked up to see a cascade of crushing rocks headed for him. He barely had time to scream and hold up his claws in a feeble defense, before he was buried under the small avalanche.

Marco, meanwhile, dove out of the way of the rocks just barely managing to catch Edith before she hit the ground. The hooded teen sighed in relief that Janna's prized pet wasn't hurt, while the snake merely let out an oblivious hiss, her beady eyes blinking mindlessly. Marco looked over to observe the damage he had caused, he could barely see Meatfork's unconscious body poking out from beneath the pile of rocks, only an ear and his metal hand completely untouched by rocks, while Ludo's other lackey lay groaning and dazed on the floor, the shattered spotlight next to him.

Marco rose to his feet, panting slightly from the ordeal, before smiling down at the snake. "Nice work, Edith. We did it!" The Gem Feeder merely gazed lazily over at him, completely unaware of the part it had played. But the boy didn't notice, setting the small creature down on his shoulder, saying, "Now come on, we got more spotlights to take out!" And as the boy ran off, it didn't take long for the snake to once again slither its way inside his hood, Marco shuddering but saying nothing, his focus entirely on his next objective.

Ludo smirked, having finally backed the annoying Impure teen into a corner, Monsters surrounding her on all sides, the light aimed above her so she couldn't fly away with her dumb bat trick. The girl simply gazed around at his minions warily, her eyes not betraying the obvious fear she had to be feeling at this point, but Ludo knew better. She had lost. Of course she would be afraid, as would all who crossed him from now on. He smirked triumphantly down at her from his perch on one of his taller minion's shoulders, taunting her cruelly, "Well, looks like I win! There's nowhere for you to run now, is there?"

"No, you got me," the beanie-wearing wearing brat said in defeat, slowly lowering her gaze from him.

Ludo let out a victorious laugh, shouting, "Yes, I win! Just like I always do!" He turned to his minion holding the light device, who had moved during all the chaos so he was now in front of the group. "Now hit her with that light! Teach her a lesson about crossing the all-powerful Ludo!"

"Yes, Lord Ludo," the Monster quickly lowered the light so that the blinding beam now completely engulfed the half-Monster. Ludo grinned wildly, waiting for her screams of pain to reach his ears, this would show them that he wasn't weak or pathetic. He would become the new Monster king, once he proved to these worthless half-blood freaks who was in charge. But, to his surprise no scream came instead the girl just stared blankly and uncaringly ahead, her hands in her pockets as she slouched against the rock wall behind her. "What?" Ludo screamed in disbelief.

"Oh did I forget to mention that I'm not actually affected by light," the girl said with a mischievous smirk.

"But how?! That's impossible!" Ludo shouted, unable to comprehend what this Impure was saying was true.

But Janna just shrugged, saying calmly, "Nah, just highly unlikely. What can I say, guess I'm just unique."

Ludo growled under his breath in fury.

"You're about to be dead is what you're going to be," the Monster Ludo was perched on said with an angry frown. "You're still surrounded and there's more of us than there are of you!"

"Oh, I'm so afraid," Janna replied with a roll of her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "But y'know before that happens, I should probably remind you all of something."

"Oh yeah and what's that, Impure?" Ludo asked bitterly.

"I may not be affected by light," Janna said, with a cryptic grin. "But I know for a fact that you guys are." And with that, the girl uncrossed her arms, revealing the small rock she had in her palm, which she threw with all her might, smacking into the spotlight and flipping it over so that the light hit the Monsters instead, their sensitive eyes burning in the bright light, all letting out cries of pain as they shielded their eyes from the beam. "Ahh it burns!" Ludo screeched.

At that exact same time, Nox (now freed from his bindings) was handed his staff, his eyes flashing purple for an instance, his cheek marks doing the same. He raised his cane high over his head, before slamming it down with all his might, smacking the ground and sending out a blast of dark green energy, which seemed to radiate from the ground, creating large glowing cracks wherever it touched as it spread out a rapid rate.

Marco stopped, watching in awe at the display of magic, the air around him became thick with some dark force he couldn't place, the feeling nearly unbearable, making his hair stand on end and goosebumps jump up his arms. He had never seen anything like this before, this was different from even Star's magic, her's was beautiful and wild and amazing, but this felt... dark, wrong, but still mesmerizing somehow as he found himself unable to look away.

A dark green energy burst from the staff, shaking the walls around them, instantly shattering the bulbs on the remaining spotlights, so that the only source of light left in the cave was the magic spewing from the staff and the dark glow of the Impure leader's eyes. Ludo and the others, slowly began to regain their sight back, all gaping numbly at the power and raw energy flowing off of the Impure. None moreso than Ludo, who looked both deathly frightened but beyond curious at the pure magic on display before him.

"You fools have made a grave mistake entering into my domain! You have dared to invade my home, frighten my children, and threaten harm upon them!" Nox shouted, his voice growing deeper and deeper with every word until it was nothing but a violent and sinister roar. He stormed closer to the Monsters, every footstep leaving behind a glowing green imprint in the hard stone. "You are lower than scum! You are unworthy of your miserable lives and the only reason you still breathe is because I have yet to decide a punishment befitting your treachery! So if you value your life you will leave my realm now!"

"Um hey boss, maybe we should do as he says," a Monster lackey suggested shakily down to Ludo.

"Nonsense," Ludo shouted stubbornly. "We aren't leaving until I get my Impure army!"

Nox raised his staff again, shooting off a burst of magic, which the Monster ducked under, the strike shattering and melting a rock, leaving behind only burning green goo. Ludo and the others all stared at it in shock for a second before Ludo screeched out in panic, "Retreat!"

Every Monster scrambled to escape the cave, all screaming and shouting in terror, pushing each other out of the way in their haste to escape, many cutting open portals to flee through, while others simply ran for the exit. Nox, simply watched them go, the look of anger in his eyes never wavering, his staff still glowing in warning.

In the middle of all the chaos, Meatfork finally pulled himself free of the pile of rocks, groaning in pain, a claw pressed tightly to the wound on his shoulder which had been agitated by the rockslide. Ludo ran up to him out of nowhere, shouting, "Meatfork, get me out of here, right now!"

"Right, sure thing, boss," the warthog stated, still looking dazed and out of it. He pulled out a pair of dimensional scissors, quickly cutting open a portal which Ludo quickly ran through without hesitation. Meatfork gave one last glare in the direction of his vile enemies, a particularly nasty one sent in Marco's direction, rubbing his shoulder once more, before he too exited through the portal, the vortex sealing back a second later.

Marco watched in disbelief as the Monsters finished fleeing the cave, soon not a single one of Ludo's lackeys anywhere in sight and a cheer rang out through the cave as the Impures celebrated their victory. After a moment, Nox's power seemed to diminish the power around his staff vanishing as he turned to the others, spreading his arms wide, "My children we are safe once more!" Another cheer came from the crowd of half-Monsters, their leader giving a small nod toward some of his men, who quickly ran into the tunnels clearly intent on capturing the escaping Monsters that were left.

Marco let out a breath of relief before he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Janna, smiling at him as she asked softly, "Hey, you good?"

"Yeah, thanks to you," the boy replied, shooting her a grin. "You were awesome out there. The way you punched Ludo and then tricked them into chasing you!"

Janna shrugged, before saying in a boastful tone, "Yeah, I know." She paused though and added, "But don't think I didn't notice you taking out those lights, you were pretty clever yourself." She gave him a light jab with her elbow to emphasize her point.

"Huh, yeah, guess I was," Marco said thoughtfully.

"You both acted quite bravely," Nox suddenly spoke up as he approached them, Vigo at his side who was staring blankly ahead. The two Impures stopped so they were now standing before the two, the leader with a look of pride on his face. "You two are clearly the heroes of the day. We owe you our lives." Nox turned to his subordinate and asked, "Wouldn't you agree, Vigo?"

The Impure gave the two a passing glance, before staring off into the distance, saying, "I suppose."

"Come now, Vigo, enough of your pride," Nox said in a nearly scolding tone. "Isn't there something you'd like to say to our saviors?"

Vigo let out a tired sigh before giving Marco and Janna a long look, finally stating, "Very well, I suppose what you did was quite commendable and you have my thanks... even if you are outsiders."

"Uhh thanks," Marco replied awkwardly, not sure what else to say. He hadn't expected any sort of compliment from Vigo of all people, the shock of it all sending his brain for a loop.

Janna however, seemed unaffected by the Impure's odd behavior, saying with a smug smirk, "We'll send you the bill."

Marco elbowed his friend, hissing in warning, "Janna."

Nox simply chuckled, giving the two knowing smiles."You have both proven yourselves worthy in my eyes today," he said. "You have my eternal gratitude." The dark lord bowed low to the two, the other Impures quickly joining in until the entire village were bent over in thanks in front of the two teens.

Marco flushed shyly, waving his arms in front of himself as he said, "Oh no, no, you don't have to do that. We were just happy to help."

"Eh, I could get used to it," Janna said with a shrug.

Once the Impures had risen to full height again, Marco's face returned to its normal hue and he was able to breathe normally again. He still didn't like being the center of attention, even if it did feel nice to be praised by others.

The hooded teen noticed Nox staring off in the direction the Monsters had escaped, the dark look in his eyes making the boy shiver and he asked softly, "Um, Lord Nox, aren't you worried about Ludo and the others coming back?"

Nox paused for a second in deep contemplation, before saying grimly, "That is a possibility, yes. But we will be on guard for the next time, they won't be able to catch us by surprise again."

"Well, why didn't you just capture them earlier when you had the chance, instead of letting them escape?" Janna asked, burying her hands into her jacket pockets.

"Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing," Marco added, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, couldn't you have just used your magic to capture them."

Nox stared blankly down at the two, before letting out a deep sigh, saying, "I'm afraid it wasn't that simple." The Impure leader held the staff tightly in his hands, staring down at it in almost reverence. "The magic in my staff is very powerful, yes. But, as with all dark magic, there is a limit to how much I can use at a time, otherwise, it might end up corrupting me or even begin drawing on my life force to feed. And I'm afraid I was quickly reaching my limit."

"So then that whole menacing act back there was just a bluff?" Janna asked, an eyebrow slowly raising.

Nox gave the two a playful smirk, as he said proudly, "Quite an effective one, wouldn't you agree?"

The two teens nodded, Janna gazing at him in admiration.

"Lord Nox, there is still the matter of how Ludo and his minions were able to get in here in the first place," Vigo spoke up, giving his leader a grave look. "If they did it once, they can surely do it again."

Nox's face seemed to grow darker at that, as he said sharply, "Yes, that is a concern. There is no way any of them could have gotten in here on their own accord. They must have had help."

Marco was listening in to this exchange with curious interest but he froze as he noticed Janna's body tense out of the corner of his eye and he turned to her with a worried expression. He saw some sort of pain hidden in her brown orbs and the boy felt his heart beating a little faster in his chest. He was just about to question her when the beanie-wearing girl suddenly blurted out of nowhere, "Yeah, about that."

All three turned their attention onto Janna, who seemed intent with staring down at the ground, her face slightly contorted as she seemed to be fighting back her rising emotions, her arms hugging tightly around her chest, her body shaking slightly.

"Janna?" Marco said fearfully.

Finally, the girl seemed to push through the storm of negativity that seemed to have consumed her as she stated, "I know who let them in." She paused, sucking in a deep breath and closing her eyes tight, before admitting in a cracked tone, "It was my mom. She betrayed us."

…

Jade slowly walked through the thick vegetation of Mewni's wilds, the moon casting shadows onto the world around her, bathing her in inky blackness, while all around her the forest seemed alive with creatures of the night, just like her. She kept her eyes on the ground, doing her best to ignore the tightness in her chest, the feeling practically unbearable as she forced out any and all thoughts of her daughter. She blinked the stray tears away, knowing they would do her no good. They wouldn't bring Janna back. Not now, not ever.

She kept her back to the caves, her every step carrying her farther and farther away from her old life, from the place she had once called home, full of people she had once called family. Only now, she was an enemy to it. Now, she had truly lost everything.

And yet, she regretted nothing.

Sacrifices were in order to breed results, she knew this better than anyone. She wouldn't doubt her choices, she wouldn't fear her decisions, for all of them were made for the greater good. Janna would see that someday. She was too young now to understand that all this pain was necessary, that without suffering, nothing could ever be achieved. And once she realized this, she would return to her... she hoped. She knew it was a fragile wish but it was one she clung onto tightly. She wasn't ready to accept that Janna was truly gone yet. She would rather for once live in ignorance.

The Impure woman stopped as she came across three figures blocking her path. They all wore dark robes that seemed to blend in with the night itself, their faces hidden behind white masks, all of which bore the symbol of a spade on their cheeks. But Jade showed no reaction to the three strange people before her, instead, she simply bowed her head, waiting to be addressed. "Did you perform your task, dear sister?" the one in the lead asked.

"Yes, I did," she said simply.

"And you can ensure that things will go the way we want it?" the leader asked again.

"Yes," Jade responded."Ludo's invasion will fail, but the seed has been planted in his mind. He will be unable to resist its call."

"Good. You did well, sister." The leader suddenly turned, his gaze rising to the moon, the others following his example. "The path of fate has been set. There will be no altering its course now."

…

Meatfork let out a few deep breaths, trying to regain some composure after the humiliating defeat, becoming startling aware of every ache and pain on his bruised and tired form. The wound on his shoulder burned like fire and his limbs felt sluggish and heavy, even his head felt like it had been brutally squeezed by a vice, not a single part of his body wasn't sore right now and that pain was almost as strong as his anger. Almost.

In a moment of rage, Meatfork pounded a fist into the ground, growling under his breath as he placed every curse he could think of on that stupid brat and his terrifying snake, only to let out a hiss as his hand throbbed in agony, probably fractured from being crushed under so many rocks. Yet another injury to add to the list. The Monster gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe he had been outwitted by such a pathetic tactic. When he got his hand on the Diaz brat he was going to make him pay.

Meatfork took a moment to gaze around at rest of the Monsters and none of them seemed to be faring any better than him. Most were uninjured, but the look in their eyes showed their disappointment in yet another failed tactic. Some still seemed scared out of their minds, shaking and muttering under their breath, their eyes wide and alive with terror. One was even curled up in a ball in the corner, sucking its thumb as it rocked back and forth, in a feeble attempt to comfort himself.

The warthog Monster had missed the majority of the fight against the Impures but judging from the way the others were acting, it seemed like the half-Monsters were far more dangerous than they had given them credit for. Whatever their leader had done, it had really done a number on everyone and Meatfork was almost glad he had been unconscious for that part.

The Monster's gaze suddenly switched to his leader, Ludo sitting with his back turned to him, staring off into the distance it seemed. His boss had been oddly quiet since they had returned and Meatfork was both confused and worried about this fact, knowing that a silent Ludo was practically unheard of and that could only mean one thing...

Meatfork, cleared his throat before saying to his boss, "Master Ludo, what do we do now?"

Then, out of nowhere, Ludo started laughing. Long and hard and crazy, his body practically doubling over as he cackled evilly, and Meatfork cringed in concern. Had it finally happened? Had Ludo actually lost his mind? All of the Monsters had feared this would happen someday but none of them had ever prepared for what to do if that ever actually happened. If his boss had finally cracked though, Meatfork was positive it would only spell disaster for him and the rest of the Monsters. "Um, boss?"

"Oh Meatfork, isn't it obvious what we need to do?" Ludo asked, finally turning around to face him, a bright smile on his beak, his eyes practically shining with joy. Yep, it was official. Ludo had cracked.

"Not really, since we kinda just lost," Meatfork pointed out softly.

"Meatfork! Did you not see the power that came from that guy's staff?" Ludo exclaimed giddily.

"Uhhhh..." the Monster began, not wanting to admit to his boss that he was unconscious for the whole thing.

But Ludo didn't seem to care about his lack of response, continuing as if his lackey wasn't even there. "Forget an Impure army! If I can get my hands on that staff thing, I'd be unstoppable! I could take down Buff Frog all on my own! And then, nothing could stand in my way of becoming the Monster King!"

Meatfork and the other Monsters could only watch in silence as Ludo broke down into laughter once again, his cackles unending now that he had a full-proof plan to take back what was rightfully his, already gloating to himself over his assured victory. The others all shared concerned looks, but no one made any move to stop Ludo, they had no choice but to go along with their bosses plan, the promise of revenge and a secure future at the top of Monster hierarchy stronger than their growing doubts and suspicions about their small leader's sanity.

…

Janna sat on the steps of the temple, watching numbly as Impures ran to and fro around her, everyone full of life it seemed but her. The entire town of half-Monsters had been this way since getting back, their victory leaving everyone both jittery and energized, and the Impures seemed insistent on celebrating into the late hours of the night. All except for Lord Nox and Vigo, who Janna could see quietly discussing something away from the crowd, no doubt trying to decide the best course of action for Ludo's possible return. They needed to be ready, after all, in case the little guy tried something again. The search party had been a bust, to which Janna had been informed by Nox just a few minutes ago, there was no sign of any of Ludo's minions... or her mother.

Janna felt her stomach lurch at that thought, the grip on her legs tightening some as she fought to keep the emotion at bay. Of course her mom had escaped, she had known she would, but some small part of her had been hoping that maybe, just maybe, her mom would stay behind for once. And yet that fragile hope had been crushed the moment Janna entered her empty house and found her mom's room completely picked clean, not a shred of evidence left behind, not even a note telling her she was sorry. She had felt suddenly suffocated in the house (she could no longer bring herself to call it "home") the desperate need to leave more powerful than reason and she had left without so much as a glance back, there was nothing left for her there.

Now here she sat, tired and beyond exhausted from the physically and emotionally draining day and yet she couldn't bring herself to rest. Her mind was much too full for that, a million thoughts and feelings swirling around her, making it nearly impossible to decipher anything from the crowded mess. The only one that stuck out in her mind at all, was simply the question: How could I have let this happen?

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her form, disturbing her thoughts, and Janna looked up to see Marco standing over her with a soft, soothing gaze. "Hey, how you holding up?" he asked, taking the seat next to her, his eyes never straying from her own sad orbs.

Janna shrugged. "Okay, I guess," she muttered, her voice probably doing nothing to convince her friend in the slightest.

She hadn't been sure how Marco would react when he heard the news about her mom's betrayal. Nox, Vigo, and the other Impures had reacted exactly how she expected: with anger. They had all been outraged at Jade's traitorous actions, turning on her in an instant and declaring her a criminal of their kind. Again no surprise there, Janna had known this would be the result of her mom's dumb decision. And on top of that, everyone seemed to be either extra sympathetic toward her now or in reverence for her heroic actions. She couldn't go two seconds without feeling some pitying stare or look of awe observing her closely. Geez, was this how Star felt all the time?

Marco, however, hadn't said a word since her confession, the most she had gotten from him was a quick look of shock which soon turned to empathy. But he had seemed to know she needed her space, leaving her alone to sulk for a while until he felt it was the best time to come forward and try and talk to her. Now his eyes were full of understanding like he was sharing in her hurt somehow, and it was oddly comforting to see. It sure beat all the empty looks of pity the others were giving her now.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Marco finally said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Nah, it's fine," Janna said, letting out a deep breath and leaning back so she could stare at the dark cave ceiling. "I always kinda knew this was how it was going to end." Marco gave her a quizzical look and she quickly added, "Okay well maybe not this exactly but... deep down I think I knew she hadn't really changed."

"Wait, if you knew then, why'd you want to stay with her?" Marco asked with a look of such naïve innocence that Janna just had to shake her head in disbelief.

The beanie-wearing girl shrugged, before admitting, "I don't know, I guess I just thought if I pretended everything was okay, then it would be somehow." The girl groaned in disgust before burying her head in her hands, muttering, "Stupid, right? I must sound like a complete idiot. Here you were talking about doing what makes me happy or whatever and yet I was about to choose to make myself miserable for no reason! On some dumb chance that I might be wrong." The girl threw herself back on the stone steps in annoyance, glaring as she added, "And look how well that turned out."

Marco stared at Janna's dejected form for a second before shaking his head, telling her firmly, "You're not stupid, Janna."

The girl looked up at him with surprise, saying with forced sarcasm, "Oh yeah, and how do you figure that?"

"Because I know you," Marco replied instantly. "And I know how badly you wanted your mom back, believe me I get it, but that's not because you're stupid, it was because you were desperate. I'm just glad you came to your senses when you did."

Janna didn't reply at first, just letting her friend's words sink in. "Yeah, I guess that's what it was," she said softly. "Still, I can't believe I actually wanted her back after what she did."

Marco shrugged. "She was your mom, of course you'd still care, even if what she did hurt you. And I know it didn't work out but I'm proud of you for at least giving her a second chance."

"Guess she didn't want it though," Janna snapped bitterly.

Marco paused at that, giving his friend a long look as he tried to think of the right response for that, finally telling her, "Y'know Buff Frog told me once that everyone has the ability to change but not everyone's going to. And she clearly didn't."

Janna let out a snort, before replying, "That's putting it lightly."

"But look at it this way," the hooded teen continued, giving his friend an encouraging smile. "At least you found out who she really was before it was too late."

Janna's eyes met Marco's then, brown and green observing the other closely, seeming to convey a million emotions in this single exchange. And for the first time since sitting down Janna smiled. It was small and halfhearted but it was a smile nonetheless and Marco would take anything he could get. That meant he was making progress on helping heal his hurt friend. "Yeah, you're right," Janna said and the slight warmth and confidence in her tone made Marco's entire body feel light with relief.

Wanting to cheer his friend up even more, he instantly added, "And now you have a chance to be happy for real." He gestured to all the Impures. "I know it's not the same as your mom, but these guys could be your family instead."

Janna stared at Marco in complete disbelief. Here was her emotionally distraught friend, clearly torn up over her leaving and yet so eager to make her happy that he was willing to lose her forever if it meant making her happy. He was doing everything in his power to respect her wishes and Janna could tell from the barest ounce of sadness hidden on his face that he wanted nothing more than to beg her to go back with him. And yet, he didn't. Because he cared about her. Because he was a true friend, who would do anything for her, something her own mother would never even do. And Janna couldn't help but smile in endearment as she listened to her friend continue, at that moment making her decision. "I mean, they already care about you a lot and after what happened tonight, they'll probably treat you like some kind of idol or hero or-"

"No thanks," Janna interrupted, her tone light and friendly once more and Marco turned to her in surprise.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyebrows pinching together in that cute way they always did when he was baffled by something.

"I changed my mind," the girl explained, keeping her eyes straight ahead, not giving anything away just yet, but her playful smirk had returned. "Sure I could stay here and be just another Impure in a sea of thousands but y'know I think I'd prefer being the weird, creepy, one-of-a-kind girl with you guys."

"So wait are you saying, you want to come back?" Marco asked hesitantly, clearly trying not to raise his hopes too high, though this it didn't keep his cheek marks from spinning in an excited circle.

Janna nodded, finally meeting Marco's eyes again, giving him a warm smile. "Yeah, I think I'd rather stick with my real family."

"Oh wow, Janna that's awesome!" Marco exclaimed throwing his fists into the air in elation. But he quickly froze as he asked worriedly, "But wait what about figuring out how you are and all that stuff?"

Janna shrugged, her smile never wavering as she said, "I guess I realized that being you and Star and Jackie's friend is enough for now. I don't need to know anything else but that."

"Aww Janna!" Marco squealed, before wrapping his arms around his friend in a hug, the second one that night. But this won couldn't be more different than the last. This time it was Janna who clung tightly to her friend, squeezing her friend just tight enough she didn't hurt him but still was obviously pouring her soul into the hug. And unlike before this one didn't feel them with sadness or grief but rather relieved them from it, as the warmth the two shared slowly began to melt the tight aching in their stomachs, leaving only joy in its place. And with each passing second Marco could swear he felt his friendship with Janna grow just a little bit stronger, rather than seeming to tear the two apart like before.

But the touching moment was interrupted as the two heard a hiss and the hooded teen felt something moving around inside his hoodie. The two quickly parted as a blue head popped out from Marco's collar, Edith staring up at her owner lazily. "Huh, so that's where she's been this whole time," Janna commented, scratching her pet snake under the chin.

"Yeah, she's been in there for a while, she even helped me take down Meatfork, you should have seen his face when he spotted Edith," Marco replied, laughing at the memory. "Honestly, how could anyone be so afraid of this sweet thing." The boy began stroking Edith's head, cooing softly, while the snake leaned its head back clearly enjoying the attention.

Janna raised an eyebrow before saying, "Uh, was it anything like your face this morning?"

Marco flushed at the memory but admitted, "Yeah, probably. But Edith's not so bad once you get used to her." He paused before adding, "But I don't really want her living in my hood sooo..."

"Fair enough," Janna said, picking up on her friend's silent plea, grabbing the snake's thin body and lifting her out of the hood, laying Edith down in her own lap. "Besides I think I already know who she's going to go to when we get back home."

Marco smiled at Janna referring to the castle as 'home', before asking, "Who?"

"Daisy and Violet, duh," Janna replied. "That seems like a pretty good gift to bring back from our camping trip, don't you think?"

Marco laughed, staring down at the snake thoughtfully before saying, "Oh yeah, they'll love her." He paused before adding, "Well okay maybe Daisy won't at first, but she'll get used to the idea, I'm sure."

"That's about what I figured," Janna replied. The two just stared at Edith for a minute in silence, before Marco risked a glance up, saying softly, "Hey Janna." The girl raised her head and met his eyes. "I'm glad you're coming back."

"Me too," Janna said softly, giving her friend a grateful smile. Then in full Janna style, she playfully elbowed her friend, adding in her smug tone, "Besides, you guys clearly need me around. You wander off for two seconds and get yourself kidnapped by Monsters." She let out a fake sigh of exasperation. "Honestly, I can't leave you guys alone for a second."

Marco laughed at his friend's antics so glad he didn't have to go without those in his life. He never realized just how much he enjoyed his creepy friend's Jannaigans until he had almost lost them forever.

Suddenly, Janna sprung to her feet, saying, "Speaking of, we should probably head out, I'm sure Star's going ballistic wondering where you are right now."

"Good idea," Marco replied, standing too, the two now side by side.

"Janna," a voice suddenly said and the two turned in surprise. Lord Nox was observing them closely a short distance away. "I see you have chosen your path."

Janna nodded, before saying confidently, "Yeah, I have. My friends need me and this place just isn't where I belong."

"She's chosen her own happiness," Marco spoke up.

Nox stared at the girl for a long time, before he nodded slowly, saying, "Well, we will miss you greatly but I do understand. Your loyalty to your friends is commendable." His gaze slowly drifted to Marco before adding, "Besides, I believe Marco will need all the help he can get if he's going to keep his promise to me."

Janna gave Marco a confused look, but the hooded teen just smiled at the Impure leader saying, "I will keep my promise, Lord Nox. I swear."

The man smiled. "I know you will, Marco Diaz." His gaze returned to Janna as he added, "And just so you know, whenever you wish to return, you will always be welcome, my child. No matter where you go, you will always be one of us."

Janna nodded but said nothing to that, not sure how to respond. She waited patiently, as Marco pulled out his pair of dimensional scissors and slowly cut open a portal. Once he had, he gave a quick wave over to Lord Nox, shouting out a goodbye before stepping through.

Janna, however, paused for just a second, slowly turning her attention back to the dark village and its inhabitants, letting everything sink into her subconscious in hopes of remembering this moment. Then, she suddenly turned away, allowing her body to shift from her Monster form back to her regular old Mewman one. She let out a relieved sigh, glad to be back to what she considered her true form, before taking the short few steps back through the portal, leaving behind her old world once again. Only this time, it was her choice to go.

And as dark gray walls shifted into dark green forests and star-filled skies, Janna couldn't help but suck in a deep breath of clean air, excited and ready to be home with her family once again.

#Star vs #Star vs AU #My Writing #Light of the Sun and Stars #Starco #Janna Ordonia

[bangtanbetchfics]

Eros (m) | kim taehyung capsule

genre: fluff rating: mature pairing: artist!taehyung x female reader word count: 1.6k suggested listening: sweet luv - lovelyz | bloom (true light) - gwsn | 20cm - txt | playlist warnings: nudity summary: taehyung encounters an issue in pursuit of his art degree, and you're able to be of assistance. notes: i had so much fun writing for artist!tae. have at it! :) *** collaboration info: come join us as we explore europe with BTS through fanfiction. our members chose an european location and a bts member/combo to adventure with, inspired by the group’s most recent extended time off. our fics range from fluff to smut, exploring our fantasies and ideations of what it would be like to travel with the boys. we invite you to go on this journey with us! fellow collaborators: smuttymess | som-siren | chaosbulldog navigation: jinkook on vacation (aperitivo) | masterlist

“Are you ready for this, Taehyungie?”

Taehyung lets you comb your fingers through his warm brown locks. He gives you a smile as you put his newsboy cap back on. You lean on his shoulder, looking out the small window of the airplane at the clouds that float by.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He sighs out. “I’m so nervous if I’m being honest.”

“Why? You’re brilliant, Tae,” You pick up your head to look up at him, and he’s looking down through his long lashes at his tangled fingers. “And no one can take that away from you.”

“The best artists in Rome got into the same Master’s program as I did.” You shrug, and you take one of his hands in yours. 

“That means you’re the best then, right? You’re all the way from Korea.” He lets out a little chuckle and squeezes your hand in relief. 

“I’m so glad you’re here. If only for a few days to see me off.” He rests his head on yours and focuses his attention out of the window as well.

You weren’t a couple, but the two of you were always like this. 

Close, but not too close. Love for each other, but not too much. Hugs and cuddles here and there, but not too many. 

Your friendship always toed the line --- and you couldn’t help but wonder if Taehyung knew about your true feelings for him --- but you didn’t want to mess up the long friendship between the two of you.

***

As you reach baggage claim, Taehyung spots a woman with a puppy and heads over to her —- pulling you right behind him.

The woman smiles as he pets the dog and moves its paws in the air. You cover your mouth and laugh.

“She seems to like your boyfriend a lot.” The woman looks at you, and you shake your head. 

“Excuse me? Oh! He’s not my boyfriend.” A surge of heat rises to your cheeks as the woman raises her eyebrows. She seems to think otherwise.

Taehyung was a beautiful human when he was like this: carefree and unrestrained. His eyes always lit up at anything smaller than him, and you always relished in seeing him smile. Taehyung endeared everyone in his path — even you — a lonely university student before you met him. He brought you into his eclectic circle of friends, and your life was never the same after that.

“Tae, we have to go — our bags are here.” You whisper as you tug at Taehyung’s wool coat to get away from the woman, before she insinuates anything else. 

Taehyung pays you no mind until you tug again. His eyes widen like saucers and then a pout takes over his face, but it makes you giggle.

“What? What’s so funny?” Taehyung asks, tagging along after you.

“Nothing.” You laugh as you pull him along.

***

“I’m so screwed.”

As you look up from your book, you pull your glasses off and look at Taehyung as he hangs his coat.

“What’s up Tae?” Taehyung lets out a deep sigh. He throws his backpack to the floor and sinks his head in his hands as he sits down next to you. He smooths his hands from his eyes to his chin.

“My professor wants me to deliver sketches and studies of the female form. By tomorrow.”

“Okay, so? What’s the big deal?” He turns his head to look at you. “It’s the study of the female form, so the model has to be nude when I draw them. This is college , so of course they’re not providing the model to students.”

“That’s it?” You ask as you laugh, closing your book.

“What Italian babe wouldn’t want to get naked for you?”

“Am I supposed to say: hey —- wanna get naked and model for me, random stranger?” You bowl over in laughter and Taehyung’s face gets dark. His meanest faces were still cute, and you laugh again at his expression.

Despite Taehyung’s modelesque looks, he had absolutely no game. Women and men were always throwing themselves at Taehyung, but he never had any idea on how to respond to the attention.

“You think that’s funny? It’s literally due tomorrow.” A hand comes up over your mouth as you stop mid-laugh, and Taehyung crosses his arms. He takes the pencil from his ear and drums it on his temple.

The room is silent for a few moments as the two of you think long and hard about a solution.

“I’m a woman, right? I can do it.” Taehyung shakes his head quickly. “Absolutely not. Hell no.”

“Am I not worthy to be your muse, Taehyungie?” Tae looks down at the floor and kicks an imaginary piece of dust around. 

“That’s not it at all.” You look at him, taking his hand. 

“Then what is it?” Taehyung looks back at you, and then quickly back to the ground.

“Uh, N-Nothing.” Your hand warms on his and he pulls away to rub his hands together.

“Then let me help you.” You move your body closer to Taehyung’s and he gets up. He paces around the room for a few moments before he puts his elbows over his forehead.

“I don’t think I have a choice, do I?” He sighs, looking over to you. 

“I guess you’re my model now.” Taehyung leans over the couch and hangs his head.

“Just say thank you next time.” You deliver a punch to his arm and he rubs the spot, smiling to himself.

***

“Are you ready, Tae?” You yell through the bathroom door. 

“Ready!” 

Your hair is freshly done, and a cream silk robe drapes over your naked body underneath. You twist up a stick of red lipstick and then apply it, as you look in the mirror one more time before you let out a deep breath.

You step out into the main room, and Taehyung motions for you to sit in a pearly white chaise lounge in the middle of the room. 

He doesn’t look at you at first, but as you sit down, his eyes grow wide and he stares at you for a moment. 

You swallow your nerves and tuck your hair behind your ear. 

You don’t think Taehyung’s ever seen you this done up, as he can’t seem to take his eyes from you. 

“Is there something I should be doing?” You say as you gain the strength to clear your throat. You then drum up the courage to meet your eyes with his. 

Taehyung visibly gulps before he speaks.

“Pose however you’d like, and then slip the robe off a little bit,” You nod and drape yourself over the chaise, your head hanging back over the arm of the chair. You pull the robe down to your shoulders, exposing your breasts --- but just covering your legs. 

It was always on your mind at how it would be the first time Taehyung saw you naked, but you never would've pictured this scenario. 

“How’s that?”

“Here let me help you.” Taehyung clutches the arms of his chair and then stands up to wipe his palms on his trousers. He moves over to you, and untucks your hair from your ear -- his fingers trembling.

“More like this.” His deep voice reverberates in your ear as he leans over you, and it causes your heart to race. 

That voice of his always did something to you, but today it was especially poignant. 

“You have to look in my direction.” He looks into your eyes to adjust your head for a second before he releases your chin. 

The two of you look at each other, but you lower your eyes from his intense gaze. 

It’s in that moment you realize Taehyung absolutely does have feelings for you. 

Your eyes follow his walk as he heads back to his seat.

***

Taehyung pulls his sketchbook and charcoal from the table, and the sound of the pencil scratching the paper starts to fill the room. You watch Taehyung’s eyes flick up and down to you as he works.

“Beautiful.” Taehyung whispers to himself as he sketches the curves of your form.

The electric exchange between your eyes continues on, and you can feel each of Taehyung’s gazes growing more intense. 

It almost seems as if they’re pooling with desire, but you look down quickly to shake your head.

Can’t be.

“You’re not supposed to move.” Taehyung chuckles. “Let’s take a break.” 

Taehyung moves to sit near you on the chaise, and shows you the page he’s been working on.

“Oh my god, Tae!” Taehyung looks at you with concern in his eyes. “Is it terrible?”

“No, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” You take the book from him and trace your fingers over the drawing in the air. Your eyes pool with tears a bit as you look down at yourself on the page.

Your fingers clutch the edges of the sketchbook, and you take a firm breath out.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Tae.” 

Taehyung takes your chin in his soft fingers, and turns your face to face his. 

“I told you that you have to look at me.” Your breath hitches in your throat as you look into his eyes.

Taehyung tilts his head and places a velvety kiss on your lips.

“I know .” He pulls back to look at you. You gasp out and look at him, and he gives you a warm smile.

“You’re my muse. Always have been. I love you.” Taehyung pushes the hair out of your face, and brushes his thumbs over your cheeks. 

You look up at his glossy, vulnerable eyes and he presses his lips into yours again. 

“Love you too, Tae.” 

After a moment, you kiss him back and wrap your arms around his neck.

notes: hope you enjoyed this pure fluff! :) fellow collaborators: smuttymess | som-siren | chaosbulldog navigation: jinkook on vacation (aperitivo) | masterlist

#genre: smut #ksmutclub #btssmutclub #kim taehyung smut #smut #kim taehyung #kim taehyung x reader #taehyung x reader #bts #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts smut

[starfaring-princelotor]

Future Sight

Summary: Prince Lotor, prefect of the Slytherin house, has interesting adventures with his Ravenclaw friend. 

Pairings: Lotor x F!Reader

★ Disclaimer: I do not ship Lotura and I kindly ask that this story to not be tagged as Lotura. This is a Lotor x Reader/Self-Insert OC story which is in no way related to Allura at all. Please be respectful of my chosen pairing. Thank you. ★

Warnings: N/a. 

Future Sight___Historic Significance___ No Time Like the Present___Thinking Ahead___Best Friends

Green and silver.

Lotor didn't like the green color of his house scarf. He always thought it stuck out too much, clashed too much with his skin tone, and made him an eyesore to look at. Of course, fashion wasn’t the reason why he was sorted into Slytherin house. Nor was it the reason why he even attended this school in the first place. He was here to learn all he could and if he had to wear this horrendous color, then so be it.

He rubbed his hands together to try and maintain their warmth, despite thick, wool mittens already keeping his fingers well-insulated. Snowflakes were kissing his nose, his freckled cheeks, and even dusting his eyelashes in a white, soft veil. Just down the brick road, he would finally be in Madam Puddifoot’s shop enjoying a warm cup of his favorite tea. He could sit in his comfy corner and catch up on some reading, maybe even enjoy a sweet biscuit, too.

Green. Such an ugly color. Silver was not bad, silver was much more to his liking, but if he had to pick his favorite, it would be…

With a shove, he pushed open the wooden door as the tell-tale sound of a bell jingling announced his arrival. Nebulous eyes spotted the typical late-night owls. Sendak, Shiro and, what was his name? The short angry one. Keith? Yes. A few other patrons were chatting amicably amongst themselves as he took his usual vacant seat. Perfect view of the exit plus two walls against his back. Old habits die hard, even when thousands of miles away from danger.

The cup on the table filled to the brim with piping hot tea and he could already smell the fresh floral scent of lavender. Madam Puddifoot was a blessing, already knowing his order by heart. The Prince unraveled his stifling scarf from his neck, nose crinkling a bit at that distasteful color again. Green. Ugh. It was such a disgusting color, was such a loud shade of green, that it painted him as an obvious target. After he folded and placed it by his side, Lotor removed his mittens then glanced up to study the people.

If he had to pick his favorite, it would be...blue.

His gaze landed on you, sitting adjacent to his corner and adorning the Ravenclaw scarf around your neck. Blue was nice, it suited you. It suited him. Blue and purple? Come now, that was a perfect combination of colors. Lotor’s cold hands greedily wrapped around his tea cup as he brought it up to his lips, the heat melting any trace of winter on his sharp features. Still, he was staring at you, staring at that nice shade of deep, navy blue covering the lower-half of your face. If he squinted hard enough, he could see your lips moving against your scarf while you read off a piece of parchment.

“You’re late. Five points from Ravenclaw.”

Already, you could feel the heated stares aimed at your back as you hunched your shoulders in a bit of shame. Sheepishly, you smiled at your professor then took your seat besides a stoic Prince Lotor. His book was open, cauldron already simmering with ripe ingredients, and he was completely focused on the task at hand. Or, at least, so you thought. Once the professor had passed by, he sent you a piercing side-glance.

“I thought you Ravenclaws were intelligent,” there was no malice behind his tone, but a light snark that almost made you snort in response, “Class started 15 minutes ago.”

With a quick wave of your wand, all your materials laid out in an orderly fashion on your side of the table, “I was, uh, reading. Lost track of time. It happens to everyone.”

“Is that the excuse you tell your fellow housemates?” Lotor nodded his head to the table to your left, a playful grin spreading on his lips “You do realize you are a terrible, terrible liar.”

“I’ll be sure to study up on how to lie properly in the future,” a joke, a smirk, and soon a small chuckle emitted from him, “But right now, I really should catch up on...what are we making today?”

“Page 78.”

Once you flipped to the correct page, you blinked as a certain eager light flicked on behind your eyes. One of the forbidden potions. The Love Potion. Ashwinder eggs, peppermint, pearl dust. Yes, yes, good, you had the ingredients so far. Except two. Immediately, your nose wrinkled in annoyance, seeing that you were missing powdered moondust and rose thorns. Rose thorns were easy to acquire. The other…

“You are missing two ingredients.”

“Hey, hey, I know that,” as luck would have it, you did not need them immediately until the brewing period was close to ending, “I know exactly where to get them, too.”

“Really now?” that amused tone again, the bastard, “Like how you knew exactly what time class started?”

This time, it was you who chuckled in mirthful humor. He had a certain charm to him, you’ll admit.

Lotor never really expected anything once the owl’s came flying in. Gift deliveries from family and distant friends was not something he grew up with, so over time, he learned to keep his wishful thinking low. Or rather, non-existent at this stage in his life. Though, he still couldn't help but watch the birds flutter and drop presents rather majestically in front of their partner’s table. It wasn’t until he saw you did his attention switch from boredom to mild curiosity.

You weren't smiling, but you there was hope shimmering oh so brightly behind your eyes. Lotor could see it even from a few tables over. Expecting, you were expecting something, and even after all the deliveries were finished and no more owls filtered in, you were still looking up. While everyone else eagerly shredded their packaged presents open with little “Oh, yes! A new broom!” or “Yay, they really sent me a warmer cloak!” you finally caved in and heaved a sigh with shoulders slumping in defeat.

Disappointment. It was a bad color on you.

It wasn't his business to pry. It really wasn't, but his determination to know why you had such a forlorn look on your face was strong. Lotor crossed paths with you on his way back to the dorm rooms, or rather, you almost walked into him. Head down, eyes on the floor, you only stopped an inch away when you saw those toed-boots coming into your vision. Slowly looking up, you could read the inquisitive nature written all over his face.

One brow raised, head tilted just the slightest, lips set in a line but eager to speak a question. He was calculating something in that head of his, something he had to dance around before outright asking you. No, he may be housed in Slytherin, but he was raised with proper etiquette, proper mannerisms. After a few blinks, Lotor leaned on one leg and crossed his arms over his chest, tucking the end of his scarf in the process.

“I see your head is in the clouds today,” he was mocking, but it certainly did not come off as poking fun at you.

Either you got used to him or he was losing his touch.

“I was thinking. I do it all the time. It’s a normal thing, you know,” you replied with a somewhat firm tone, but his pointed ears could pick up the buried feelings.

Lotor, ever the dutiful prefect, began walking towards the Ravenclaw dorm wings with two things settled in his mind. One, he needed this walk, this time to reflect on the day and, to put it bluntly, speak to you. And two? Well, he won’t admit this out loud and he would gladly pin this on his gentlemanly nature, but he also wanted to make sure you wouldn't get hurt wandering back to your room. Of course he knew you weren’t purposely being an airhead. This time, his gut told him you were telling the truth.

You were thinking too much.

“A knut for your thoughts?”

“It’s gonna cost more than a knut.”

Finally, a joke out of you. Flat, but it was something, if that small smile tugging at the corner of your lips was anything to go by. Had Lotor been in a more impish mood, more eager to pick on you, he would have made some flippant comment back. Something along the lines of “Best I can do is two knuts” or “A knut and I will not tell your house prefect you were wandering in the wrong corridors.” Instead, he folded his hands behind his back and waited for you to speak.

He could handle silence. He was a patient man. 

“I...was hoping I’d get something in the mail today, that’s all,” you shrugged one shoulder as if brushing off the creeping sadness, “I mean, Christmas is nice and all but I - eh...it’s not really - the whole family time together thing just - did you get anything?”

Ah, yes. The classic diversion when speaking about something uncomfortable.

“No, I did not,” he admitted, “I do not celebrate Christmas.”

The two of you stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face each other. It was unfair how much taller he was compared to you, towering over you by simply standing there. A hand came up to rub at your neck, that blue hue of the scarf appealing to him more and more, then you discreetly scanned the empty hallways. No one else was around and yet you still kept your voice hushed, like you were about to tell him a dirty little secret.

Instead, what you asked made him raise both of his brows in surprise.

“Do you - I don't know - do you wanna try celebrating it with me? I mean, like a gift exchange, not the whole...Since, well, seeing we both didn't get…?”

Palm reading was, in your honest opinion, a bunch of bull-fuckery.

Although it was a requirement under the class curriculum, the idea that your future could be read by lines on your hand just did not sit well with you. Logically, it didn’t make sense, either. You can tell the age of a tree by its rings, but determining the unknown from looking at a hand? Part of you wondered if you could actually learn this magical teaching passed down from the witches and wizards of old.

Maybe they could see something you couldn’t.

“Okay, let’s see here…” you gently held Allura’s hand in yours, palm up of course, “This is your life line and it’s long so that means you’ll have a...long life.”

Meekly, you grinned at her, hoping she bought it.

“And that is your head line. It’s, mm...medium length, but kinda forked at the end so…” your brows knitted in confusion, turning to your open book for translation, “You’re brave and protective, but have an...insecure heart?”

She tilted her head and sent you a doubtful but encouraging smile, “Are you sure that’s correct? It seems a bit contradicting, doesn’t it?”

Dropping her hand, you leaned back into your seat then rubbed your cheek, grumbling to yourself for this failed reading, “I mean, technically, isn’t all of this contradicting? Aren’t bodies always changing? So, like, your skin too? I don’t know, this lesson seems...bah.”

Allura flipped through a few pages, reading what was written to understand a bit more before she tries reading your palm. Every student had a different capacity for magic and, as luck would have it, she was more attuned with it than most. She motioned for your hand and you gladly offered it, open and all.

“Hm, I am not quite sure if I can do a proper reading on your palm. There’s this white line here I am unfamiliar with - “

Immediately, you pulled your hand back, laughing nervously at your moment of forgetfulness, “Ah, ha ha, no, that’s just, uh, that’s just an old scar. Here, try this hand instead.”

Allura decided not to bring it up, but her curiosity was piqued, and that scar did look quite jagged, “Very well, now, hold still. Mm hm...life line is a bit of a wiggle and it crosses past your ring finger, so that’s a good sign. Oh, but this crease, do you see these two lines? Right here, they’re very close to one another.”

You leaned over and squinted, trying to see what she was talking about.

“This line, the thicker it is, the more intelligent you are,” her fingertip trailed over the shorter one, “But this one that runs parallel besides it? It means you have a hard time accepting it.”

Well, that was way more accurate than you expected. As a Ravenclaw, there was always the stigma that intelligence was a critical trait among your peers. But you didn’t want that. You wanted something more, something more worthwhile than being known as that one smart Ravenclaw chick. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that you excelled in the knowledgeable areas, but book smarts was not why you attended Hogwarts. Never.

There was more out there and you would die before accepting the magical world as it was on the surface.

“Huh,” you scratched your cheek, eyes flicking to a certain dark purple classmate sitting on the other side of the room, “Hey, does it say anything about cool friends in my future?”

It was a full moon tonight, something Lotor appreciated even more now that the day was winding down to an end. Between Divination and Astronomy, he finally had time to put his knowledge to the test. Professor Trelawney seemed out of her mind and maybe part of him didn’t believe in the whole bit about being able to see into the future, but it still fascinated him to at least try. From the Slytherin balcony, he gazed up at the moon, at the stars and planets and the never-ending deep space, then closed his eyes.

Darkness.

Was he supposed to feel something? Or...see something? Before he closed his eyes, he saw the constellations of old. He saw the glow of the moon. Perhaps he was supposed to hear something instead? But no, nothing but the faint hoot of wild owls reached his ears. This was ridiculous and part of him did feel foolish for trying this...this...this spell! Maybe if he focused harder, tried to feel the magic drift down from the stars -

A scarf. A familiar blue scarf faintly faded into his vision, but it was too dark to see it clearly. It was floating, neatly folded just as he first remembered seeing it from across the tea shop. The Raven emblem was stitched meticulously three squares from the bottom of the wool fabric, centered as a testament to the house name. Ravenclaw, the intelligent, the creative, the wise house.

Then, he heard the sudden sound of shredding. Tearing. Invisible, sharp claws tore at the scarf like paper, ripping it and ruining what was once pristine and perfect. Something was fiercely pulling it at the ends, tugging as if fighting over the last piece of meat. Dark, it was too dark to see anything but the scarf, until the sounds stopped as soon as they started. It was in tatters, unfixable and laying on the ground in an ugly heap of rags. It all happened in a matter of mere seconds.

Lotor snapped his eyes open and took in a shuddering breath. His heart was pounding in his chest at how real, how raw it felt when his senses witnessed the decapitation of that clothing. Calm, he had to calm his heart and take deep, steady breaths. Clawed hands gripped the stone railing as an anchor, as a way to support his shaking knees from buckling under his weight. That was so damn vivid. Real. The Prince's wide-eyed gaze drifted from his nails to the snow-covered land then...to a figure wearing a blue scarf sneaking close to the Forbidden Forest.

It was a full moon tonight. You needed powdered moonstone. The man instantly connected two and two together. A scowl marred his lips and he turned to rush out of the Slytherin chambers. So much for an intelligent Ravenclaw, recklessly traversing where no student should this late at night. Sneaking off the grounds was easy, especially with Kova being his guide, but once the tall, dark trees came into sight, the cat left him alone.

You fool. You absolute fool.

The sound of a twig snapping caught your attention and you quickly swiveled around, tip of your wand lit low enough just to illuminate the calm water at the bank of the lake. A familiar tall figure stepped into the light and, although you were relieved it wasn’t anything scary bumping in the night, his stone-cold expression still surprised you. A cross of his arms, as if waiting for an explanation, and you lowered your wand slightly.

“Are you mad? What are you doing out here?” you bluntly asked and, oh geez, those were the wrong words if his glowering eyes were anything to go by.

“What do you mean ‘What am I doing out here?' You must be bloody daft!" he spit back, shoulders raised in defense, “If you wanted powdered moonstone so badly, you could have just asked to borrow some from me instead idiotically risking your life.”

“That’s not it, I didn’t want to ask,” you weren’t stubborn, you were just curious, “I wanted to see...Look, the full moon is out tonight and I wanted to see the moonstone myself -”

Lotor shook his head in disapproval then stepped closer to you when you shied away from him, “We are leaving. Right now.”

“No! Just give me a minute, please? I just want one, that’s it!”

The Prince scowled at your stubbornness and he was just about to use force if you kept rebelling against him, but the second the clouds parted and moonlight filtered through the trees, both of your attention switched to the serene waters. One by one, bland rocks began glowing in a faint hue of yellow, until they were just as bright as the light coming from your wand. A soft “Ooh…” left your lips while the argument faded in the back of your mind, eyes now wide with pure wonder.

Now that...that was a good look on you. Beautiful, even.

“Hurry up,” he commanded just as a wolf howled in the distance, much too close for his comfort, “We must return at once.”

“Thanks, Lotor! I’ll be quick, I promise.”

Snapping out of your moment of awe, you quickly gathered at least a pound of moonstone into your satchel. Once you stood next to him, stupidly proud of your accomplishment for the night, he guided you out of the bleak forest with a hand on your lower back. Now that both of you were out of immediate danger, his mind was able to relax and really consider the one question nagging at his skull.

What exactly was he doing out here?

Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop always had the finest of bindings in their book spines. Lotor’s fingertips drifted over the expertly tanned leather, skin enjoying the smoothness of the etchings on the cover. Yes, this one was nice, perfect even. At least, in his eyes. But was this the right one for you? This is why he didn't celebrate Christmas. Having to think, truly think, about what to gift others was a hassle and he knew what he liked did not always apply to others.

Especially you.

After that fiasco with the forest and sneaking the both of you back into the castle, he was still feeling bitter. Lotor scolded you for potentially risking yourself, yes, but he couldn't blame YOU that he was out there by his own free will. He could’ve left you alone, could’ve trusted that you knew how to defend yourself, but part of him started to wonder why he even spent more than a few minutes thinking about the what-ifs.

He knew why. It was that damn vision that spooked him.

Of course, the ever eloquent Prince he is, avoided such confessions. No, no, it was better to just punish you for being too eccentric in your quest for knowledge. Too dedicated to water your thirsty mind by letting your curiosity take its course. He can’t lie to himself, it really was a sight to behold at the lake, but was it worth the danger? Was it truly worth risking being killed? To you, yes. But to him? Absolutely not.

Lotor knew how to get you to listen to his words.

You could’ve gotten expelled. Then where would you learn about magic?

The logic was sound to you, oddly enough.

“Hey Lotor, filled up your dream journal already?”

It was Shiro, prefect of the Gryffindor house, who pulled the Prince out of his lingering thoughts. In all truth, his dream journal was not even past the first page. Professor Trelawney will not approve of that at all. Shiro peered down at the journal, the blue-dyed leather with the insignia of a wave imprinted across the front.

“Oh, no, you are mistaken,” Lotor nonchalantly flipped through the blank pages as if testing to make sure it was, indeed, a book, “This is not for me.”

“Mmhm,” Shiro nodded in thought then placed a hand on his chin, “Is it for that Ravenclaw - “

“No.”

Cue the smug grin on that damn Gryffindor’s face. A catty grin, a knowing grin, and if they weren’t close friends, the Prince would’ve turned around and left him standing there all by his goofy self. Lotor frowned then sighed in defeat, knowing that Shiro would never let it go if he didn’t come clean now that he outed himself.

“Yes. Yes, it is for her,” he admitted and his friend nodded as if he knew all along, “She asked if I would...participate in celebrating Christmas with her.”

“Christmas? I thought you don't like Christmas?”

“I do not.”

“Huh.”

If Lotor relied on anyone’s opinion, it might as well be his close friend, “Is this a worthy gift?”

Shiro’s eyes softened when he asked that one question, knowing that his friend was actually seeking his advice over something quite important, “Lotor, the Prince who could get half the school on their knees with his presence alone, is now hesitant in the face of a journal.”

He let out an exasperated sigh, ”Do not mock me.”

“I’m not, honest!” Shiro shrugged with his hands up in surrender, “It’s the truth. You could get anyone, but you don't. You’re picky. Not because it’s a bad trait or anything, but it’s because you’re clever. You know what you want, you’re an observer.”

Lotor clapped the book shut with one hand.

“You don’t need my advice, Lotor. You know that,” Shiro patted his friend’s back, trying to give him an ounce of confidence in his choices, “...But, if you’re looking to court her, I heard from Pidge that she likes the color green.”

“- and an ounce of powdered moonstone. Fresh, potent powdered moonstone.”

You read the instructions to yourself as Lotor stirred his cauldron. The potion was not nearly ready and he knew it would take another few days to finish it. The professor graded on quality, not quantity, so he took his time trying to perfect it. Though, he will admit, without your potent moonstone, he may not have had the chance to create such a refined potion in the first place.

“Hey, Lotor?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for not ratting me out,” you grinded the stone in your bowl, working it to a find dust, “I, uh, really appreciate it. I thought you’d turn me over like an omelette. And you’re right. About the...reckless thing.”

“Of course I was right.”

“Oh, c'mon, I’m trying to apologize.”

“Well? I am waiting.”

You purse your lips, knowing he was picking on your again, even if he was trying his best to suppress that haughty smirk on his face. Willingly giving him a moonstone gem for this love potion was just the start of your apology. You knew you messed up and, unfortunately, it was in your nature to venture into the unknown to discover. To learn. Surely he could understand such a thing? But dragging him in danger was never your intention.

“I’m sorry. There.”

“Apology not accepted.”

“Buh - !”

There was a smug twinkle in his eye when you scoffed in surprise.

“Okay, okay, I am sorry for being A Big Stupid,” you paused, “And for putting us at risk.”

Now, Lotor turned to face you.

“And?”

“And I won't do it again, geez,” you couldn't help but let out a small laugh because, well, you were actually enjoying this weird banter, “...Not unless you want to come with me next time.”

“I believe that night was enough fun for me, thank you.”

“I heard Mothman lives in the forest.”

“Mothman does not exist.”

“How do you know? Did you see him?”

Now, you were just egging him on. With a shake of his head, Lotor pulled out the next ingredient needed for the potion: rose thorns. He could have simply bought thorns at Dervish and Banges shop, but something convinced him to ask Professor Sprout for a fresh rose instead. Not just any rose, either. Not a red one, but rather, a black one. She had questioned him about it, explaining that if he was to give it to someone he likes, red was more of a romantic gesture. A sign of blooming love interest. Better chances of wooing someone for the Yule Ball.

One by one, he carefully clipped the thorns off and left half in your bowl. You didn't ask him, but he knew you didn't have any thorns, unless you once again traveled into the forest for a mere plant. If giving you a few rose thorns prevents another catastrophe like that night, then he would gladly throw a few your way. A honest, thankful smile from you had Lotor’s stomach stir in...odd feelings.

“Do you smell anything in yours?” you leaned closer to the lip of your cauldron then wafted your hand over it, bringing the scent to your nose, “I don’t have anything on my end.”

Lotor followed suit, but alas, he did not recognize any scent coming from his potion. Part of him was slightly worried he did something wrong, mixed in the wrong ingredient at the improper time, but he made sure he was meticulous in his work. No way, maybe it just was not done yet. Maybe this smell would come by closer to the end of the brewing period. That had to be the answer.

“No, nothing over here, unfortunately.”

“Huh. Well, it is still a few days until it is finished,” you closed your book, packing away your supplies, “Love potions are hard to make, after all. Anyways, see you in Divination later?”

A nod from his end while he quickly scanned over the instructions once more, just to make sure he didn’t mess up somewhere along the way. But, unknown to you, he had another reason for avoiding your eye contact. Shiro’s words echoed in his mind, If you’re looking to court her, and the black rose was right there. Lotor planned this from the very beginning, but why was he hesitating?

He can lie to others, but he can’t lie that there was something he wanted to explore with you. However, while he was teetering between his thoughts, you were already walking away from him. Nebulous eyes watched forlornly while his mind admonished him for keeping his tongue caged. That would have been a perfect moment! A perfect time to ask if you would permit him to learn more about you on a deeper, intimate level.

And, well, he wasted it. You were gone and the rose was mocking him.

“You think he’ll like it?”

Silence.

“I think he’ll like it.”

Again, no response, except a flick of Kova’s tail while she perched on Narti’s shoulders.

You were sitting across from her in the library, hand garnishing a smooth, round black orb. Normally, no one would bother to look twice at this thing, but you made it. You poured your soul and hard work into polishing this blue sandstone until its magical properties took form. Finding a gift for Lotor was harder than you thought simply because, well, it was difficult to even know what he liked. The only thing you heard from his close friend, Acxa, was that he likes to hold things.

Hold things. How vague was that?

So you sought out to find this gemstone. Within it, it was almost pitch black with speckles of white imitating galaxial stars. But, depending on who holds it, a different nature takes form. Right now, the interior of the stone was sloshing in deep, azure waves, toiling and circulating to imitate your emotions rather clearly. Your mind was unsure, going back and forth on your decision whether this ball was worthy for the Prince Lotor. Acceptance was always a weird trait for you.

The orb was just as chilly as if you were touching ocean water with your bare fingertips.

Kova’s paw landed on top of the gift and you took that as a good sign.

Or the cat wanted to playfully bat at the round toy.

#lotor x reader #who is ready for some magic?? #spacestories

[peachenle]

parted clouds (1) - jungwoo

genre: rich kid! / bookshop owner!au | fluff

member: nct’s jungwoo x reader (ft. doyoung)

word count: 4100+

༄࿔˚✧ synopsis: The bitter winter wind brought melty snowflakes onto the pages of your well-used book, and you were in dire need of a replacement.

note: Inspired by @stormae​‘s rich kid!au stories, found here. || Welcome to my first story, please do not hesitate to tell me your thoughts. I would love to listen and learn!

Part: one | two | three | four

The pages of books seemed to be the only things that could gently cut through the multitude of delicacies of your pressing future. Taking any chance you could to get away from the life you held, you relied on scouring famous libraries to satisfy your cravings for escape. When you would notify your parents of your sudden vacations, they would always brush you off, far too busy for you. Your parents knew you could take care of yourself, but the naivety in you still drew you towards them, sometimes hoping they would share an ounce of concern or interest in your endeavors.

Your father owned a pharmaceutical company. Agonizingly created from nothing at first, a tiny pharmacy held in the back of a friend’s store, it developed into multiple branches until enveloping its competitors. While you were never too keen to learn of your father’s business strategies, you knew whatever he was doing was resulting in success and wealth. You lived a life of privilege and with it came a lot of dignity and responsibility. Your parents entrusted you to take up pharmacy (plus the necessary business classes) and eventually the entire company. While you didn’t exactly mind the future that was curated for you, since it was always like this growing up, you couldn’t help but sometimes find it suffocating.

Your years were generally monotonous. Your summers were filled with vacations of luxury, visiting distant and equally as wealthy relatives, or watching - more like just attending - charity tennis matches. The sun ever present and threatening above your shaded box seats in each stadium. Sometimes summers could be spent exploring islands by yourself, connecting with locals, at which you were there for the sake of philanthropy and making it obvious that your father’s company ‘totally cared about helping other countries!’ as you were the little poster child, and the ever present heir. The autumns consisted of schooling, or rather, a new beginning to a new year. Getting used to classes, with the continuation of endless studying.

Winters were always bitter. Easily, your least favorite time of the year. Days spent passing by advertisements that boasted of family gatherings and despite all the luxuries you had in your life, you never had the luxury of the things that played on holiday commercials. You received gifts, maybe far too many than was necessary, with return addresses that linked to business partners, or sometimes their sons, hoping to get on your good side for some important business deals. Spring was fine, and much like the autumn you were generally focused on school, in which you continued to spend many hours working on organic chemistry specifically, the absolute bane of your existence. The weather was more pleasant, the reappearance of pollen tickling at your senses and the abundance of flowers helped to melt the bitterness away from the previous months.

Out of the monotony, you found solace in reading. In a disgustingly privileged use of your wealth, you took sudden trips to fly around the globe to discover libraries of rich history and intellect. But with your third year of university in full motion and tens of trips to different international libraries behind you, you felt surprisingly drained. Libraries were meant to be resources of endless knowledge, but since you had visited so many in your mere years of university, you felt uninspired to seek out new ones… or maybe just for this particular break. Maybe you were tired of being surrounded by the pretentiousness of the architecture of the famous libraries like in Alexandria and Tianjin, or the tourists who were more interested in the art of sharing online than the art that was binded within books in the buildings they had visited.

You felt a little stuck and tired. And maybe a little let down. Your parents were out of the country, per usual, this time in Croatia - you hoped it was for work, but it could’ve be for their own personal vacation. There was a bit of paranoia in you since you were being left behind during the holidays, and the fact that your family owned a totally immodest villa in Dubrovnik did not satiate that feeling. You weren’t sure if you wanted to travel out to another big library, which was ironic as you were currently sat in between the shelves of your university’s library. You just liked being surrounded by literature, and you wanted to find that somewhere else.

You stretched out your legs, your copy of Romeo and Juliet (your literary guilty pleasure) slipping from your thighs and onto the carpeted floor. Your much needed winter break was within your fingertips. Your classes for the day were far over but you felt little desire to return to your high rise, opting to relax and reread the second Act before your guilt for making your chauffeur wait took over. However, you knew you couldn’t stay hidden in the Capulet orchard for too long and gripping your beloved play, you slung your small backpack over your shoulder and made your way through the shelves of the library to find the exit. You admired the modesty of your university’s library; it was comforting. Though you enjoyed your excessively large and historical literature databases, many of your hours before and after classes were spent in this one. The high ceilings by the entrance evened out the cramped maze of books that was underneath them. Large windows on the second floor allowed for an ample amount of natural light, and if you came at the right times, they granted view to the perfect scene of the shift from golden to blue hour over the university. Sometimes you thought you could feel the shadows of the tall trees outside wave across you. But the air conditioning in this section of the library was very temperamental and could even transport you to a different climate than the one you were supposed to be in: a small price to pay for a nice reading nook.

The outside of the library was a sweltering cold. Your hooded overcoat couldn’t catch the little bites on your face from the snowflakes that flew around the exposed tips of your hair.

In an inelegant fashion (how could one possibly look graceful in a coat the size of oneself?), you waddled across campus to find your usual dark car waiting for you on the side street. A driver quickly rushed to the side of the car to let you into the little moving shelter from the wind. You were welcomed with a rush of warm air, which was quickly reflected by you with a sigh of relief. The typical Seoul traffic was painstakingly boring and granted that the snow decided to kick it up on this particular evening, it took twice as long for you to reach home. After another lengthy trip up the elevator to your apartment, you crashed into bed with a drink in one hand and the same tragic play in the other.

The final week before your break began was hallmarked by a flurry of deadlines and nights of little sleep - typical university attire. Amid the chaos, your group of friends, who were far closer to the stranger or acquaintance side of the spectrum, discussed their plans for their vacations while you were supposed to be studying in the library. Some were off to the Southern hemisphere for some sun time fun in December, or to the classic pompous ski resorts. No one you knew wanted to stay in Seoul. Because why stay home when you have extra time to travel? Though everyone, including yourself, were a bit of weekend warriors - taking little side trips when classes were on a pause for the week - everyone still couldn’t get enough time to fly off to their houses scattered over the continents.

A boy, far closer to the friend side of the spectrum - dare I say: your best friend - named Doyoung, toed your knee beneath the table. His family did not work in the same sector as yours, heads of a media conglomerate, but your business classes allowed you two to cross paths.

“You going to a new library?” He asked with genuine interest. Doyoung was one of the few people who seemed to care enough to know about your little hobby.

“Nah, I think I’ve gotten tired of all the treks I’ve taken just to see some books I can find elsewhere,” you sighed, watching his face shift in confusion.

Doyoung scoffed, “You and I both know you’ve been to places that own the only copy of some literature.” You smiled, and seeing your reaction, he smiled too.

“I still want to get out of Korea this month,” you found yourself sounding like your peers, acting as if it was such a struggle to be limited to your birth country, “But it’s true, not going to a library. This semester has me bummed out, I need to find something new.”

Doyoung looked away from you, thinking hard. “Well, while I’m not as much of a glorified bookworm as you are, I know you’ve been rereading that same god-awful play again. Spend this break stocking up on new reads. Or actually you should come along with me to Zermatt and ski! It would be fun; I know how much you enjoy the snow.”

“You’re not serious are you?”

“Oh no! Of course not! Romeo and Juliet isn’t that bad,” Doyoung smirked at the sight of your eye roll. “Darling, I would love for you to come along, but not for skiing. I saw you outside on the way here and it’s truly a wonder how you can even walk on snow.”

You reached across the table to hit him on the shoulder.

He smiled at you, “Stop moping; there’s plenty of things to read in Seoul, and there’s got to be a shop with a decent selection of books that’ll satiate you and your cringey love for romance.”

Though Doyoung could be a teasing mess, he had a point. A few of the books you had been going through for this month had fallen victim to the bitter snow, thanks to your frostbitten fingertips who had let them fall in icy puddles or heaps of snow in the first place. While they were somewhat salvageable, their pages were too wilted and you couldn’t bear to handle them in that state. It would take a bit of your own mental strength to come to terms with replacing some of the copies that you had spent a lot of time with. Still there was excitement in the fact that you had more of a reason to find a shop and pick out some completely new stories.

Finding a good bookstore in Seoul was hard. You’d hate to admit it, but your standards were quite high when it came to sources of literature. The map you pulled up on your phone was littered with pins of local shops, but gazing at reviews and images of the stores themselves discouraged you from finding anything. Even zooming out and searching further away from your home led you to nothing.

On the final day of classes before break, Doyoung treated you to a light lunch, since he was leaving early that afternoon. You listened to him excitedly talk about his upcoming trip and of a couple new songs he had been obsessed with.

“It’s like, the perfect song to snowboard to. Gets my heart pumping before I even step onto my board,” Doyoung flashed a smile.

“I thought you were going skiing.”

His smile faltered. “You can do both at a ski resort, sweet child. Doesn’t your family like winter sports? Don’t they own stuff in the Alps?” He asked incredulously.

“We own a house or something in the Tarentaise Valley; not that I’ve ever been though. I’ve always enjoyed the Mediterranean Coast during the winter, far more than the Alps, Doyoung. I thought you knew this about me,” you quipped, placing a hand over your chest.

“I do, I just can’t relate,” he began to put on his scarf. “But I hope you do something interesting this break.”

You rolled your eyes, aimlessly rotating your cup of half finished green tea. “I hope so, too, but I just haven’t decided.”

“Oh for god’s sake, listen, kid. I know org. chem kicked your ass this past quarter, but you need to get a hold of yourself. You’ve been so unmotivated, even though I gave you a suggestion already.”

Doyoung actually looked a bit upset, and concerned by the way you were acting. Though you couldn’t pinpoint the source of your lack of energy lately, you were flattered that he took notice. You spun the porcelain cup on the table a few more times, as he suddenly glanced down to tap away on his phone.

Gently massaging your temples and letting your fingers twirl a bit of hair behind your ear, you sighed. “I know. I’m in dire need of a recharge.” Your phone buzzed in your lap and you raised your eyes to meet Doyoung’s. He looked at you expectantly.

“I sent you a place to go, so you have something to start with. I’ll see you later,” he poked your cheek with a smile. His eyes were laced with a bit of pity as he had to leave already. You watched as he left the cafe, before checking to see what he had texted you.

And it was exactly what you had predicted, an address to a bookstore, like he had suggested. But it wasn’t one that you came across while you had searched online, since it was new, sort of. It was reopened under a new name and management, the building and the books were probably just the same, but it somehow slipped past your searching.

Doyoung attached a little message too: My driver mentioned a new ‘library’ near the ski gear place I sent him to. Have fun.

You smiled at your phone, and quickly typed a ‘thank you, you’re too nice’ to Doyoung. To which he responded with a ‘I really am.’

Now you couldn’t reach this place completely using your personal driver. You were used to high rises and the skyline of your home city, so naturally your driver quirked an eyebrow at you when you told him you would have to get out and walk through the alleyways to reach your destination.

You quickly found the alley you were meant to be in, and in a higher level of a building you caught sight of the ski gear place Doyoung mentioned. At high noon, these buildings casted sharp shadows across the damp stone pathway. Colored signs lined its walls and a couple aging flyers boasting of a ‘Grand reopening’ led you to the store, which was crammed between buildings much larger than itself. The large paned window was mostly covered by stacks of books on the inside, definitely not allowing much of noon sun through its path. A damp looking bundle of books tied together with a string of ribbon was placed on the doormat, as if it had been just delivered. The shop seemed lifeless, and you were a little nervous no one was home.

Still, you picked up the bundle that blocked your path and pushed the door open, hoping to return the package before it got too ruined.

Upon entering, the shop was a bit more spacious than you expected, but still cramped. The sun peeked through the window to paint patterns across a small coffee table that held haphazardly placed books. You noticed there even was a small fireplace, changing the shop from cramped to cozy instantly.

Though the door caught a small bell to signal your arrival, you didn’t see anyone. To the left of you, the front counter with a modern cash register was empty. Unsure of what to do with it, you set the bundle on the desk, next to a small espresso cup. Judging by its lack of contents, you knew someone had to have been here. Your snow soaked boots stood upon a slightly worn welcome mat and you took in your surroundings as you removed your overcoat.

You found that the shelves across from the doorway were interestingly sectioned off by language. Most of the books seemed used, the spines along them were marked with evidence of constant opening. The lighting was dim within the shelves and the store was still vacant of any movement that wasn’t yours.

“Welcome!” A soft and polite voice called. You jumped at the sound, and looked around for its source. A boy with brown hair, loosely parted at its center, held his hand up as if in a wave from the end of the little hallway created by the bookshelves. You awkwardly nodded at him, not really happy when someone approaches you when you had your nose stuck in an open book.

He stared at you for a bit, with a polite smile. He had soft features, a sharp nose, and perfect teeth that matched the genuine joy that flashed in his eyes. He was boyishly cute. And then his eyes widened as if he realized something. “Ah! I’m so sorry! I was in the back room and I didn’t notice when you came in.” He bowed a few times and his cheeks were slightly flushed, but he still held that little smile. “It’s not everyday a pretty girl comes into my store. Sorry again,” he let out a small laugh. Though what he said seemed flirty, he didn’t give off that sort of feeling. It seemed as honest as if he was stating a fact.

You couldn’t help but smile back at him, “No need to apologize to me, but there were some books outside that could use a good apology.”

He gasped and bolted to the door, which wasn’t much distance to cover anyway, since the store was small. He exited before you could stop him, so you grabbed the bundle of books from the front desk and followed his path. You opened the door to see him staring at the ground in front of the store. He met your eyes, and blankly blinked, looking visibly confused.

You held the books up, “I took them inside when I entered.”

His face relaxed, and his cheeks were even redder - definitely from the cold. He smiled and let out another laugh, his tongue sticking out slightly. He let out an “Oh” as you handed him the books.

He reached above your head to hold the door so you two could return to the warmth of the store.

“My name is Jungwoo, by the way. How could I help you today?” He again gave you another sweet smile as he walked to sit behind the front counter.

Jungwoo didn’t ask for your name, so you kept it to yourself and went straight to the point. “My friend suggested that I find some new things to read over break, but I was also hoping to get another copy of this.” You held up your tattered copy of Le Souligneur. This bad boy had been with you for a couple of years. But you made the mistake of trying to read outside in the snow, and not only did it dampen with snowflakes, but you dropped it on the road a while ago. And it slipped across some black ice, with a little puddle to stop its journey.

His eyes lit up even more, as if that was even possible. Jungwoo’s eyes seemed to never stop catching the light in the store. He leaned closer to you, tilting his head slightly to stare at the title of the novel you held, since it was a little faded. “Ooh!” His hands raised to clap a few times. “You’re in luck, I picked up a Korean version right before we opened. It’s your first time here, so I hope you know that most of the books here are slightly used, is that okay?” Jungwoo spoke with a very gentle voice, but the rise and fall in his words were cheerful and polite. He looked at you expectantly for a short beat, before walking to the shelves that were marked in Korean.

“Yes, that’s perfectly fine. I don’t mind using books with a bit of history in them,” you replied with a polite smile, even though his back was turned to you as he grazed a finger along the spines of the books, looking for your novel.

“Feel free to look around! I only have one copy and I honestly haven’t finished shelving all the books in proper order. Might take me awhile,” Jungwoo lightly laughed. You made a mental note to come back to this store, he didn’t need to say much for his happy aura to infect you.

“It’s unique that the books are separated by language,” you mused, sifting through the English section.

“Yeah! I’ve picked up a little bit of a couple different languages, so I’ve just been interested in expanding my vocabulary, and reading has been a great help! So opening this store also became an outlet for my studies.” He called through the shelves.

“Really? Is it just a hobby? Your language learning, I mean.” You caught a glimpse of him, Jungwoo stopped for a moment, thinking of what to answer.

“Well not at first, I had a private tutor when I was younger. I learned Mandarin, French and English then - wasn’t really my choice,” you noticed he exhaled a miniature huff, as if thinking of the memory irritated him. “But I’m currently trying out Russian and Thai!”

“That’s funny. I was in the same boat! Except I didn’t learn French, my parents only forced me to learn English and Mandarin,” you two continued to converse with books separating you.

Until he rounded the corner, holding a French and a Korean version of Le Souligneur in each hand. “I would assume reading this would be a good start to a new language! French is a gorgeous language, a bunch of tenses, but it's fun,” he smiled at you. “This one will be on the house, I’ll go wrap it up for you; feel free to keep looking around. And I’m sorry, I never got your name.”

You politely tried to refuse the free book, though very intrigued to crack it open and take a peek, and decided that you would limit today’s haul to the two books. Naturally Jungwoo just laughed and shook his head as he folded the novels in brown paper. But when you told him your name he paused to look at you.

“Your name… Why is it familiar? I really don’t think I would’ve forgotten someone like you,” Jungwoo stated, reaching to take your debit card from you.

Your shoulders dropped a little, “My father owns a pharmaceutical company, so you might’ve come across my name somewhere in that regard.” Even though it was true, you didn’t really like mentioning your family and their status to people you had just met and those who you believed weren’t in that similar social sphere. You were afraid that they would treat you differently if they learned you were from a place of wealth and power. But Jungwoo just smiled, as per usual, and nodded.

With the books in your arms and your belongings rightfully in their place - including your overcoat over your shoulders, you looked around the shop once more. Behind Jungwoo was a cabinet of displayed books, many of them signed and of beautiful editions. While you didn’t recognize most of the titles, you tilted your head quizzically and knew that they had to be expensive. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you manage to get your hands on those books behind you?”

He raised his eyebrows at you, “Huh? Oh! My family owns a pretty big publishing company based in China. I guess being in a family in that business scores me a few benefits,” his smile softened, “Possibly one of the few things I love about that. Anyway, now I’m back home after having lived in China for most of my life. I plan to attend university next year, too,” Jungwoo’s grin returned in full force. “When we came back to Korea, the first thing they did was buy me this bookshop, and I immediately put those books up there and threw out a lot of the old books to change it up.”

You couldn’t help but let out a gasp at hearing him say he tossed books away. That was surely a crime. But he continued, “Wait, no! Don’t worry, I donated most of them, and I kept some other novels at home,” he clasped his hands together under his chin, “I couldn’t live with myself if I actually threw books away.”

You laughed, and breathed a little slower. “That’s fine. I like what you have here.”

He crossed in front of you to open the door, “Then I hope to see you back soon! Thank you for coming, and if you need help with that French book, you know where to find me.” Jungwoo held a playful glint in his eyes.

You returned a smile and jovially responded, “I’ll definitely take you up on that offer.”

#nct #nct scenarios #jungwoo #nct u #jungwoo scenarios #jungwoo scenario #nct fanfic #jungwoo fanfic #nct fluff #doyoung #im rly scared rn #pc

[the-grumpy-panda]

That's Not A Snack Box...

THIS is a snack box! Oof. An extremely outdated and severely tired Crocodile Dundee joke? I'm sorry. So very sorry. But it's time for another snack box adventure. This time from Australia! Land of Brody Dalle! Land of Isla Fisher! Land of the Irukandji jellyfish! All beautiful and deadly in their own unique way. Thanks, Australia. This sugary, salty and unhealthy excursion is courtesy of Snack Crate. A bit pricier (although I did opt for the 'premium' box) than other boxes I've tried, but this box is quite hefty and fully loaded with a wide assortment, and for a few bucks more, they also offer a drink option, which I of course threw in as well. I want the whole experience. So as a (possibly) one time splurge, I feel alright with the price. For anyone not wanting to splurge big, there are a total of three box sizes to choose from. Of course, the lower the price, the less goodies you'll receive. Two day shipping is also already included in the price. Express shipping is also available if you simply can't wait two days. But I'll tell ya, I ordered my trial box on a Friday evening, and the very following Monday afternoon I had it in my hands. That's a hell of a fast turnaround, and I praise Snack Crate for that. The insides were wrapped in a pleasant and fun themed paper, also included was a sleeve of Australian based stickers (Fun! I'm not going to secretly decorate the desk of the girl I secretly like as if I were a ten year old...) and the always appreciated sturdy booklet with some fun Australia facts, information and a run down of all the treats included in the box. All it truly lacked was a hand written welcome and a picture from Rose Byrne to class it up a bit. Come on Australia, she just looks like a princess, put her to use! For ease and comfort, I'm just going to run down the treats in the order they appear in the booklet. So, put on some Colin Hay (an Australian transplant, but I'll allow it) music and settle in, we're off to a land of snacks atop the counter! -Violet Crumble! A crunchy honeycomb toffee center coated in milk chocolate. I was not expecting this to be as crunchy as it is. It bites as if it were frozen. Even with the density of the center, it melts nicely in your mouth. It's a very airy sort of nougat. For being as hard as it is, the airiness is still a perplexing note. This is a candy bar to study! It's also fortunately very tasty. A very smooth honey infused toffee flavor that is delicious and makes me wish more treats used this formula. A great way to start this box!

-Milo Snack! Crunchy cereal pieces mixed with chocolate powder and dipped in milk. Hmm. Cereal pieces is a vague description. Dipping in milk seems odd to me for some reason in a pre-packaged item. Can't specifically explain why. Let's open this oddity and see what we see. Upon opening I discover it looks like one of those ready to go milk and cereal bars available nowadays. This looks like Cocoa Krispies smooshed up and then yes, a layer on the bottom of whatever milk substance companies use to make sure milk congeals and sticks to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, this bar smells exactly like dried dog food, so my first, and very tiny, bite is taken with trepidation. Not a winner here. It tastes merely of very old and very stale Cocoa Puffs. -French Fries Original! Australia's original potato straw snack! Just a simple and classic salty potato chip flavor, but in straw form. These do have a pleasant crunch, though. -Tim Tam Original! Two chocolate cookie biscuits filled with chocolate cream and covered in chocolate. For all the chocoholics! The name Tim Tam seems familiar. Either I've had them before somewhere along the way, or they are so popular in Australia, knowledge of their existence has permeated out. Like Natalie Imbruglia. You know the name, but you can't remember when last you saw her and if you liked her music or not. Time to try it again. Ha. These deliver exactly what they promise. Chocolate on chocolate covered in chocolate. A nice cookie crunch that's not too hard, the middle is tasty and the covering chocolate is smooth, creamy and adds to the whole flavor. A good treat, but one that could also get old quickly. Eat in small doses. -Fantales! Smooth and velvety caramels, coated with milk chocolate. Quite dense. Be prepared to be gnawing on this little sucker for a couple of minutes. It's not great, but it's certainly not awful. Comparable to a Milk Dud I suppose, but with a higher chocolate component and better made. I'd eat one if offered, but not a caramel treat I'd actively seek out for myself. -Arnott's Shapes Pizza! Pizza flavored biscuits. Um, what exactly do pizzas in Australia look like? These crackers resemble coffins to me. Which is fine, I'm into it, but is this a general Australian pizza shape or am I just a rambling moron inadvertently insulting an entire country? I'm not really getting a "pizza" taste here. It's more like an oregano infused cracker. Not bad for what it is, but it's lacking something and doesn't deliver the promised flavor. Or maybe it does. Someone send over Karen Martini to make me an Australian pizza, please. Thanks. -Twisties Cheese! Apparently Australia's most popular snack. Corn and rice snack with cheese flavoring! Let's crack a bag! They look like Chee-Tos, but the taste is definitely different. This cheese coating seems a bit creamier or milkier and they're not as salty as Chee-Tos, which is a big bonus. All said and done, though, I like these but I don't love them.

-All the snacking has made me thirsty. Luckily I opted for the drink! Here comes Solo Original Lemon! A refreshing drink made with 5% crushed lemons! The can says so! And it absolutely shows in the flavor. This is not just another "lemon-lime" sugared up soda. Oh, no. This is like a very genuine and nicely home made lemonade with some carbonation thrown in. I dig it. It is refreshing and tasty. Back to the foods! -Chomp Caramel! A crispy wafer layered with caramel then coated with chocolate. I have nothing else to compare this to other than a Charleston Chew, but it is most assuredly not a Charleston Chew. It bears the same shape, the consistency is close, but the flavor of the Chomp is far superior and the addition of a thin wafer layer gives the Chomp bar a very nice and welcome crunch and added fun element. The caramel here is very smooth, and it eats easily, as opposed to a Charleston Chew trying to yank your fillings out. A solid winner, here.

-Allen's Pineapples! Pineapple shaped gummy candy! A bit more solid than gummy candies I'm used to, and the pineapple flavor is very subtle. Another not great but not bad candy. Pairs well with the Solo Lemon drink, though, for a weird sort of tropical taste trip. -Wagon Wheels! Marshmallow filling between two soft biscuits and dipped in chocolate. Sounds like a Moon Pie to me! Let's see if we'll notice any differences. It's certainly a lot thinner than a Moon Pie. The cookie, while soft, still has a bit of a welcome crunch to it, the chocolate is very chocolatey and what I didn't know at first was this Wagon Wheel also has a thin layer of jam within. It doesn't say what kind of jam, so it could be Vegemite jam. But since my American taste buds aren't heaving, it's safe to assume it's some sort of fruit jam. I like this a lot, and far better than the Moon Pies I'm used to, which admittedly I haven't eaten one in probably twenty years. Just not a fan. The Wagon Wheel also gets to be too much of a good thing. A mini Wagon Wheel would be a perfect serving size. -Milky Way! Yep, a Milky Way! But the Australian version is only filled with a light and sweet nougat. Which means it's a 3 Musketeers bar. Nice try Australia! I'm on to your ruse. You owe me one Abbie Cornish. -Iced Vovo! A biscuit topped with pink fondant, a strip of raspberry filling and sprinkled with coconut. These are a beautiful cookie. Ready made for presentations and for putting on airs. If you were fifteen and had no idea how to impress anyone, that is. And that's not a slam against the cookie... but it is still just a cookie. Taste wise, they are sadly just okay. I like the cookie part, I like the raspberry stripe, but the fondant and the coconut just don't work and those two items should never be paired together to begin with. But I'm going to place the majority of the blame on the fondant. A raspberry coconut cookie could have been lovely. Fondant is... it's just somehow not right. Ever. I know you know what I mean. How cake makers get away with using it so much is a mystery to me. -Chokito! A Milk chocolate bar filled with caramel and crispy rice. Or as the packaging proclaims... "Chewy Caramel Fudge! Crunchy Balls! & Loads Of Chocolate!" This doesn't quite work. It tastes like all the ingredients are quite cheap, and seems like a drunk babysitter just dumped leftover pieces from other treats into bowl and gave it to you to shut you up for a minute. This candy bar made me sad. -Cherry Ripe! A mix of cherry, coconut and dark chocolate! Australia's oldest candy bar! I would have been much better served by this were it bite size pieces instead of a whole bar. It's good, I enjoy it, but it has far too much coconut. The cherry notes are wonderful when they finally fight their way through the coconut. -Peppermint Crisp. Milk chocolate bar filled with thin cylinders of peppermint flavored toffee pieces. Those who know know I'm no fan or friend of mint, but I'll try this bar all the same. Nope. Nope Nope. Nope. It's like a candy cane covered in chocolate and the inside color is that of mouth wash. Nope Nope Nope. Don't want. -Caramello Koala! A chocolate bar filled with caramel. Pretty direct. And exactly what you'd expect. It's made by Cadbury, so it's safe to assume most of us have had a chocolate and caramel product by Cadbury at some point, or at least something strikingly similar. No muss or fuss here, it is what it claims to be and serves its purpose.

-Cheezels! Corn and rice rings with a zesty cheddar cheese sauce! Very similar in taste to Chee-Tos Paws but a bit crunchier. Not bad. Slightly too salty for me, all the same, though. -Cadbury Picnic! Crispy wafer with caramel, peanuts and raisins covered in chocolate. A very hard candy bar. Watch your teeth with these. Taste a lot like a frozen Baby Ruth bar somehow. It's alright, but it's hardness level wouldn't make me a repeat buyer.

-Golden Vines Anzac Biscuits! Just a big ol' honking cookie. Apparently these were sent to Australian soldiers in WW1 as a reminder of home. This might be one leftover from then. It's hard, it's dry, and it's only remotely sweet. Tastes like an oatmeal cookie that only used honey for sweetening. All that being said, I can honestly see the appeal to this cookie. Once I swallowed my initial bite and set it aside, the flavors really took hold and I want another bite. It's very large, though, so I imagine this one cookie will last a few days, if not a week. Which makes their part of soldier history make a lot more sense, as well. This seemingly bland and innocuous little cookie is the surprising little cookie that could. Thumbs up. -Wizz Fizz Sherbet! A sweet powder that fizzes in your mouth! Thanks Wizz Fizz. I am now coated in your powdery wares because opening this little pack was like opening a gag gift. Despite my efforts to prevent such a thing, the moment the package got the tiniest tear, its contents flew everywhere. So now I must appear to be a messy baker covered in powdered sugar, or some sort of coke fiend who knocked over his mirror. Including a tiny spoon in your packaging just the right size for a "sniff" isn't helping. Are you trying to be the "cool" "street cred" candy maker? Plus, your product doesn't fizz whatsoever in my mouth. It sat there, lumping up like a gob of remorse. This product sucks. I hate everything about it. -Last in line for this sojourn is Allen's Chico's! Cocoa flavored gummy candies! Gelatin and cocoa just do not mix. It's like uncooked brownie batter left atop your fridge for two weeks. Dang. Ended on a sad note. Just the way things go sometimes. Might be a good time to revisit the 1996 Australian bio-pic "Shine." Or perhaps 1978's "Patrick." Thanks again, Australia. Until next time, I am momentarily The Grumpy Koala. Koala's sleep up to twenty hours a day! Waking to eat, and "socialize." Now that's a life. Cheers, mates!

#pineapple #gummy #marshmallow #vovo #chokito #cherry #coconut #koala #caramello #cadbury #powder #fizz #chico #snack crate #snack box #subscription box #review #snack review #food #australia #chocolate #candy #milo #cereal #french fries #tim tam #cookies #caramels #fantales #pizza

[northcountryschool]

April 17, 2020

Photo: Chickens in the barnyard.

At North Country School the belief that nature is our master teacher is woven into all that we do. It is the thread that connects us to the majestic wild spaces that surround our 220-acre campus, to the seeds we sow each spring that become our food, and to the barnyard creatures that we care for together on our farm. The children who attend North Country School and Camp Treetops form a deep understanding of the life cycles of our natural world, and the lessons learned through that understanding are carried with them their entire lives. Observing the cycles of the natural world—the changing of the seasons, the sprouting of a seed, the growth of a seedling, the laying and hatching of an egg—can bring calm, appreciation, and reflection to our current lives where those peaceful moments may be in shorter supply. During a time when much of our community is scattered around the globe, we take solace in the fact that our current and past students and campers bring that connection to nature with them. We hope that, wherever you are, you can take a moment with your loved ones to observe and enjoy the outdoors. Know that we on the North Country School campus will be doing the same. 

Please keep sending us your photos, and we will add them to our NCS at Home: Spring 2020 photo library. Email photos to [email protected].

Note: Our campus is closed to all students for the remainder of the school year, with the exception of the international students who remained here during spring break, rather than returning to their home countries during the early stages of the outbreak. These 18 students, along with our houseparents and faculty, are staying on campus and enjoying outdoor adventures in the contiguous wilderness during this time. They have been and will continue to take appropriate safety and prevention measures.

CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION

Top: Jack teaches 6th-grade English class. Middle: Gavi teaches 4th- and 5th-grade math class. Bottom: Gavi’s math lesson. 

This week our teachers, like so many educators around the globe, continued to think of new and creative ways to engage with students. 6th-grade humanities teacher Jack introduced his class to a fun vocabulary game using the educational website Quizzizz, while 4th- and 5th-grade math teacher Gavi taught her class a fractions lesson using a tablet as a whiteboard, which allowed her to work through equations alongside the class in real-time. 

Top: Cocona meets an Olympian on Zoom. Middle: 9th-grade English class poem. Bottom: Meredith teaches 9th-grade English class.

Japanese teacher Meredith and school nurse Shannon worked together this week to connect a US Olympian to several of our on-campus students. Four of our Japanese students, along with several other on-campus students, had the opportunity to talk over Zoom with Chris Kinney—a bobsledder on the US Olympic team whose grandmother is Japanese and who has worked in Japan. Chris competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and will be competing in Beijing in 2022. The students were able to ask Chris questions in both Japanese and English, and learned about what life looks like for an Olympic athlete. 

Meredith’s 9th-grade English class has been studying poetry over the past two weeks, examining the different ways writers throughout history have used poetic writing to translate the human experience, and applying that concept to the challenges of our own time. This past week, the class read the poem “To Prisoners” by Gwendolyn Brooks, and watched a video of other writers and former prisoners discussing the work and its impact on their own lives. The class has also been working on their own poems about their experiences in nature. Below, find an excerpt from 9th-grader David’s untitled villanelle poem:

Then, I thought in the dark

I pictured myself, under an ice shelf, just by myself

I think, I reflect, I want to restart

Can't see trails, but I followed my heart

The light, it shines, in myself,

I came, I saw, I came, I saw the art

I think, I reflect, I want to restart

A PLACE TO PLAY

Top: Rebecca roasts a marshmallow. Middle: Roasting marshmallows. Bottom: Nurse Jess and her son, Wyatt, in a running race.

While life on the NCS campus may look different in many ways, students and adults are still getting in plenty of outdoor playtime. This past week, the students living in Cascade House made homemade marshmallows, and then roasted those marshmallows over a campfire by one of our lean-tos. Nurse Jess and her son, Wyatt, also took the time for a fun outside activity, participating in a “race around your house 5k” at the suggestion of Wyatt’s local elementary school. 

Top: Badminton with stage lighting. Middle 1: Participating in the Saturday Night Activity from home. Photo Credit- Jane Mellow. Middle 2: Student Ella and her brother, Pete, participate in Harry Potter LARPing. Bottom: A clue from the Harry Potter LARPing activity.

Our students and adults put their creative spin on play this week, adding fun and surprising elements to more traditional activities. During out-time this week, the students living in Mountain House played badminton under colorful stage lighting in The Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center, which added an extra layer of drama to the competition. This week’s Saturday Night Activity brought our on- and off-campus community together to participate in a bridge-building competition using unconventional materials. Students, teachers, and alumni used spaghetti, string, tape, and a marshmallow to build their structures, with the students of Cascade House declared the ultimate winners of the competition. Our on-campus community also spent this past Saturday participating in a Harry Potter live action role playing quest organized by teachers Courtney and Melissa and farm intern Bri. Students and teachers were divided into Hogwarts Houses and given clues to locate and decipher at various spots around campus. Students traveled around our campus trails, exploring outbuildings and participating in battles in order to complete their magical adventure. 

NCS AT HOME

Top: 9th-grader Bladen hikes Hurricane Mountain. Middle: 7th-grader Olivia does work from home. Bottom: Olivia participates in the NCS rainbow hunt activity.

Though the majority of our students are in their respective homes around the globe, we have been thrilled to see that they are still engaging in NCS skills and interests with their families. We have loved hearing from our long-distance community members as they explore the outdoors, cook, and engage in creative work. This week we received updates from 9th-grade day student Bladen, who hiked to the summit of nearby Hurricane Mountain with his mother, and from 7th-grader Olivia, who did some schoolwork beside a pond and participated in the NCS Find a Rainbow Challenge with her family.

Top: 7th-grader JT completes school work from home. Middle: 7th-grader Colton bakes the “What’s Cooking?” blueberry muffin recipe. Bottom: Sisters Dominica and Kalina bake a berry pie.

This week we also received updates from 7th-grader JT, who has been participating in his online classes from his local home as well as making progress on his fiber arts knitting projects. 7th-grader Colton and sisters Dominica and Kalina have been practicing their Edible Schoolyard skills with their families, with Colton baking the blueberry muffins featured on the “What’s Cooking at NCS/CTT” blog, and Dominica and Kalina cooking up a pot of egg drop soup and baking a colorful berry pie.

FARM AND GARDEN

Top: Farm intern Nick harvests greens from the aeroponics room. Middle: Garlic sprouting in the field. Bottom: Spinach in the greenhouse.

Our barns and growing spaces have been busy with activity this week, with new green growth in the fields and the exciting start to harvesting in our aeroponics room. Farm interns Nick and Bri cut the first arugula, spinach, and mizuna greens from our aeroponic towers this week, and the delicious greens—which are grown without soil—were enjoyed in meals prepared by our kitchen staff. 

Out in the fields, we saw the first bright green garlic shoots pushing through their mulched beds. The garlic was planted last fall by our 7th-grade Edible Schoolyard students, and welcoming the resilient crop after many months covered by snow and ice was an optimistic sign of good things on the horizon, as well as a warm reminder of the many hands that made light work of planting that crop. In the greenhouses we continued to harvest vibrant spinach greens, and look forward to the upcoming weeks when a bounty of herbs, greens, vegetables, and flowers will be filling the greenhouses and outdoor garden beds.

Top: Noni cares for the horses. Middle 1: Goats in the horse barn. Middle 2: Undyed spun wool. Bottom: Dyed wool hanging in the fiber arts studio.

Down at the barn, art teachers Noni and Katie have been helping Barn Manager Erica care for our many creatures, prepare our ewes for the upcoming lambing season, and ready our wool for use. Noni spent some time in the pasture with our horses, lending a hand with some necessary grooming as the herd sheds their thick winter coats. Meanwhile, our goats paid a social call to the horse barn, enjoying a snack of hay in the foyer. Erica and Noni also worked on skirting, or cleaning, our wool fleeces this week, as well as preparing our spun yarn for use in the fiber arts program. The spun scanes of yarn were brought to the art studio for dyeing and drying, and will soon be ready to be turned into students’ and campers’ future weaving and knitting projects. 

We hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy, and that your communities are caring for and supporting one another. We will continue to update you about our community throughout this time, and encourage you all to reach out to us as well.

CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY:

Mondays: Check our Facebook page every Monday for a video from our School Counselor, Lauren, on tips for getting through this challenging time.  

Tuesdays: Creature Query- Barn Manager Erica Burns will be answering questions about the animals on our farm using fun and educational videos. This week Erica taught us how to prepare our sheep’s wool for spinning. Check it out on our Facebook page.

Wednesdays: What’s Cooking at NCS and Camp Treetops?- Edible Schoolyard instructor Elie Rabinowitz, along with other community members, will provide simple recipes and cooking resources you can use to prepare delicious meals at home with your families. This week Garden Manager Tess will share a garden-fresh spinach and feta frittata recipe, and next week Head of Kitchen Paulette will show us how to make sticky buns. Check out all of the recipes on Facebook and on Tumblr.

Thursdays: Birding with Jack- 6th-grade English teacher Jack Kiernan will offer the NCS community an opportunity to connect through the world of birds by providing the resources to become familiar with birds that our community is seeing around the globe. If you are out for a walk or sitting at home, looking out the window, take a moment to log the birds you see with the NCS eBird account. Jack will provide videos and information about birds being logged, as well as birds he is seeing on his daily birding adventures! Check it out on our Facebook page and on Tumblr.

Fridays: Check our Facebook page every Friday for a video featuring a Japanese mini-lesson by teacher Meredith Hanson. This week Meredith talked about forest bathing, a Japanese practice of calmly being in nature.

Saturdays: The NCS Saturday Night Activity- Every Saturday at 8 p.m., NCS teacher Larry Robjent, along with other NCS faculty, will be hosting fun activities similar to those typically held on campus with students. Participate live from home with your own families. Last week, Larry and English teacher Melissa Orzechowski built bridges using 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of string, one yard of tape, and one marshmallow. This week, Larry and a guest host will run a reverse auction.

For more information about the #ThisWeekAtNCS blog, contact Becca Miller at [email protected].

For general school information, call 518-523-9329 or visit our website: www.northcountryschool.org

#ThisWeekAtNCS

[hogwartselementumrp]

Congratulations Brie on your acceptance as your OC  Elfi Greengrass! I want to thank you for the dedication you have already shown in reading all the links on the main, asking questions, taking direction, and not only being willing to discuss and adapt ideas but doing multiple rewrites even on details I told you that you didn’t have to. It’s clear that you are already invested, and it makes me even happier to welcome you as the newest member of our little rp family. With all that said and nothing really said about Elfi yet, let me just tell you that you have crafted a character that I can’t wait to interact with and develop connections with even aside from the obvious built in and I can’t wait to see how she weaves in with everyone else’s characters as well. She has a lot of potential to go in almost any direction as war looms more seriously and I can’t wait to see what you do with her. So, send in your account, I’ll make you a link to join the OOC blog, and let’s get her on the dash! 

OOC

Name/Alias: Brie

Preferred Pronoun: She/her Age: 26 Timezone: PST but I sleep like I am GMT Activity Level: I am about a 7. I am a freelance writer and sleep during the day. So, I am usually on late into the morn around 7-8 am. I also have a two-year-old so being a mom has its restrictions, yet I am very honest when it comes to not being able to be on and for what reasons.

How did you find the RP (new members): searched next-gen-hprp

Original Character Information:

Desired Character: Elfi Greengrass

Face Claim: Adelaide Kane

Now, please check our dorm page! To see which house is needing a character and in which year!

School Functions (check Quidditch availability’s): (blank until added later after plotting?)

Character’s Sexuality: Pansexual

Why do you believe this will be a good character in this specific roleplay? I feel Elfi would bring a new life to the Healer Program given as she is not the norm of a character especially to the Bloodline she was born into. Given as she is a link to Scorpius Malfoy’s past, some character drama might be fun to engage in. It also helps to note, she is a ton of fun!

Elfi Greengrass is twenty years old, in her 2nd year of Uni and is in the house of Ravenclaw.

                                             ❝Some people are like clouds. When they disappear it is a beautiful day.

↳ MAGIC

Elfi is well-versed in most magical areas of wizardry, secretly, she enjoys learning as much as she can even into her older years. She is best practiced in Potions, Dueling, healing magic, and Transfigurations. She studious and tries as much as she possibly can in order to have control of Dream Manipulation but to this day she still has much work on controlling it, given as it is still hard for her to understand. She is best with the element of Air.  

↳ BACKSTORY

Elfi was born in Paris, France to Daphne Greengrass and a Pureblooded Frenchman in a one-nightstand. Her mother never recalled the man, only saying that he was of pureblood and beautiful. Though to her mother’s dismay, she looks just like him. Her blonde hair lost among the girls pitch black hair and green eyes. Her mother’s family was not happy to know that she had let herself have a child out of wedlock, but given as it was with a pureblood man all was forgiven.

Now her mother and her stepfather live in Paris, France though Elfi was instructed to go to Hogwarts like her mother and her ancestors before her. She went to Hogwarts and was the first of the family to be placed in Ravenclaw. She valued intelligence over ambition. Throughout Hogwarts, she was known as the Ravenclaw who knew how to party. She was friends with most people no matter what her name was she did not care what stigma was held against it. She was friendly, yet flirty which got her into much trouble most times.

Given her history with her cousin and her aunt, she tried to steer clear of him. She did not understand why her Aunt had left. She saw her every now and then but cared not to ask how she was. It was not right of her to leave. As time passed Elfi had many boyfriends and girlfriends but still to this day has not settled keeping more to her own company in fear that who she will get with will leave her just like her father and her aunt left their own families.

Magically speaking, she is okay with the other elements having spent much of her time outside of sleeping, partying she was studying. She still has many issues with the Earth element given to her personality does not allow her much freedom of feeling grounded. She knew that her given house was a disappointment to most of the Greengrass and Malfoy family, hoping to make them happy, she had taken it upon herself with the ambition to graduate Hogwarts University with top marks and a job waiting for her out of Uni.

When she found her element, it scared her. She was afraid that if people found out that she would be shunned. Granted, it should not have been a surprise given to the fact she would be a spirit elemental given that most of her family made up of the element. Though, she had no idea what her father might have been.

Hogwarts went by in a party hazed blur with late nights studying in the library and spirit rooms and multiple parties of all kinds she graduated with all EE’s as she eased her way into Hogwarts University. Currently, she is in her second leg of University classes for the Healer program. She hopes to one day have her own practice and participate as a Mediwizard in games. She takes her work very seriously, but she still knows how to have fun. Her classes include the Healer Program and Extensive Quidditch. She is an unregistered Spirit Elemental and professes Air as her element.

Since the destruction of Hogsmeade here usually safe havens are no longer standing. When she is at University, she can be found studying, but since the destruction and take over of Club Penguin her job has moved to a shady bar in Knockturn Alley called, White Wyvern. Though it is not as safe as the Hogs Head, funnily enough, it makes for good stories. Currently, with their Weekend hangout locations no longer available she is left to roam the rubble in search of a place she may once feel save again, in her own skin and element. Maybe, some point over time she will find it.

She loves spending time with people of all kinds hoping soon the gap will be bridged between all the elementals like it had of blood. But, of course, such things take time with blood needing to be spilt before things of action actually come to pass. She just hopes in her time at the university she will be able to aid whenever that actually comes to happen.

↳ PERSONALITY TRAITS

» {+ positives} intelligent, ambitious, spontaneous

» {- negatives} selfish, manipulative, flirt

↳ BASICS

» blood status: pureblood

» elemental power: Spirit

» affinity level: high affinity + relatively studious

» date of birth: October 3rd

» wand: 8 inches, Red Oak, Unicorn Hair, Supple

» faceclaim: Adelaide Kane

Remnants from the night before played over and over in her head. Had she really gotten blazed at work? Course not, it had to be a dream. But as she sat up, her silk sheets sliding off her, the throb in her head said otherwise. So many shots. She just had to try to keep up with those guys. It was a love/hate relationship her competitive nature. She should have been smarter. Bartenders are not suppose to drink the merchandise. That was the owner’s one rule and she had blew it. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could charm her way maybe even with her maxi-push-up bra, that was if the girls were into that sorta thing and if not maybe she could bring a guy. If Scorpius did not hate her still it would have been nice to use his looks. But, given the fact she was talking about manipulating him…it probably would not work anyways.

Elfi groaned loudly. Her roommate lay sound asleep snoring in her bed. She would need a hangover drought and quickly. She threw the covers back as the cool of the dorm air sent chills leaving goosebumps in their wake. She tip-toed across the wooden floor yet a creak still seemed to evade her light footing.

           “Elfi…quiet…bitksh” Her roommate grumbled turning over in her bed with a half attempt at cursing her. Elfi snorted to herself with a quiet giggle. Even in her sleep she was bossy. Elfi rolled her eyes as she came out of their housing door towards the bathroom. She had no idea what time it was nor did she really care, unless it was not a weekend day. Then, she was jolly well fucked. Elfi yawned walking into the co-ed bathrooms. The showers steaming the bathroom mirrors as she grabbed a towel from the public rack cursing to herself at her foggy brain for forgetting the shower caddy. Her wand lay in its holder just resting around her shin within its leg strap. With the flick of her wrist, her caddy came flying to her hand. She loved magic.

Since times were becoming more evasive she decided to invest in the hidden wand holder. It was especially nice for late night hook ups and home intruders, or well the guys her roommate brought home. They were not the most trusting. Not some you’d find at an American Ivy League Fraternity, or were they?

“Hey sugurbums want some company?”

“Hey Elfi. If you want, wouldn’t mind the company.” Her best friend smiled back at her his hair underneath the head of the shower soap running down his face.

“Another late night?” She asked, undressing and making her way in the shower beside his. Maybe it was weird to other people that they were so open with themselves and each other. But, never saw anything weird about showering alongside the other. They had been friends since Hogwarts and before. He was gay. She thought him attractive, but never cared it did not matter. So, I what was there to be weird about? He was the only one to ever know her for who and how she truly was.

“Yeah. And dirty one.”

“Eww. Ha. No sex talk until after we are both dressed. That I draw the line at the idea of you getting happy in the next stall.” Elfi shook her head laughing.

#accepted

[the-official-account]

This started off as a rant but became something really pretty and close to my heart.

Tw: mentions of depression, racism, anxiety, some self-harm, Death.

I feel horrible, some deep pervading guilt is snaking its way through my ribcage. Ducking and dodging and looking for a reason to be. I haven't done anything wrong.

I'm good at school. I haven't always been. When I was in elementary school I hate, hate, hated reading. People threw around big words I couldn't understand or spoke to me as if I was too stupid to know what sadness was. I colored what I was supposed to and redid every assignment. The Dinosaurs in real life we're green, and red-brown, yes. But they wanted purple and yellow and blue (the rarest color in nature, even then I knew it) colored dinosaurs. None of it made any sense. They wanted me to be senseless. Stop trying to be mature. But I wasn't trying.

So I stopped wandering my fractions by simplifying them- I did it the improper way, I stopped trying to explain that I couldn't draw my mother's likeness, that she didn't look like a potato--but what I could draw was my "color world". What you see when you spin dizzy in a meadow-- I stopped shouting out the fun facts I had memorized from my national geographic book, I stopped making up nursery rhymes to sing when I didn't know the ones the other girls knew-Cinderella, Bubble gum, etc. I only knew boys go to Jupiter from when I'd dance with the other girls back on the island- I stopped myself from wondering why anyone would want to date a boy if it were possible, I'd date a girl, but too bad it impossible. I stopped wearing the tank top and jeans skirt combo that made me feel amazing.

I stopped with my synonyms of "improbable" and "Aloof" a word that described me to well, but that nobody was willing to learn. I stopped aptly correcting my teachers, because no matter how apt, 20 years superior meant ultimately superior.

I shut my mouth and bowed my head and toed at the carpet.

I became the best a little black girl could be in that little midwestern town. Perfect, and therefore, as good as average.

Every time My Smile faltered or a tear slipped past the "facade" -- another word I became far more than acquainted with-- Meant 10 hard pats on the head, clenched fist.

I loved reading then.

Now every time I stumble means ten minutes contemplating if life is worth living, still. Fun facts escape my lips sometimes. Today it was "desertification"- twenty minutes. I told upperclassmen about my personal motivations, letting a piece of me I was supposed to keep tucked deep inside the false bottom of a drawer see the light- ten minutes.

Two taps on my desk mean "put the book away, " so I don't read much, u throw myself into assignments. Notes, vocabulary, notes, and graphs. I spend the summers working on my handwriting. I play music and pretend I don't use my whole body weight to play every note.

Desperate for the resolution at the end of the song.

Desperate for the music, the rhythm, the pattern, the math, the sense I can find in it. The drowning out of the noise that echoes off concrete high school walls and back an forth and so on between my ears. Making we want to cover them tight and rock on my heels. Back and forth and so on.

I like math, I didn't always. I just don't like people, and chatter, and noise. The type of laughter that pierces your sense of security. The joke was bad, green-black. Offensive.

I laser hyper tunnel vision focus on the blackboard and scrall about quadratic functions. Eventually I understand.

In reading, things click.

In science, patterns erupt.

Social studies means people.

BUT geography means maps and vocabulary. Origins, destinations, reason for.

I didn't work hard, I didn't study. I developed Stockholm syndrome for my messed up methods of escaping loud lazy laughter. Middle school meant the dinosaurs weren't purple, thank-you-very-much, and the flowers in color world found structure, shape, and meaning. The horizontal lined blur we're not stems, and petals, leaves with chloroplasts who needed energy more than I needed friends, could you imagine?

I lusted for learning, loathed being the "sponge who absorbs knowledge"- the sponges at home only held a quarter cup at most- I was a canyon. A river. Atch the knowledge be swept away, combined and connected, watch it pool.

I forgot names and faces, but remembered vaguely "Arithythmia" and I "Volcanoes are 2000°".

I got my pride and validation from "smart girl" but wanted someone to know my name.

I smiled and puffed out my chest when called "mature" and learned it was a fact of life that the other kids would never understand.

So now here I am. I've seen the warnings, I study as I need, do my homework, my grades are impeccable, my room a bit messy, sure, but there is little room for complaint.

Yet I questioned, "What did I do to deserve this? What did I go through? Not cancer, like the other little girls on TV, I have all four limbs."

I thought I'll be shot like all the other little black girls with good grades and bright futures that I saw on the news.

Now I cling desperately to scraps of future, something that no one in my generation can be guaranteed, I carry my trauma in a little binder I annotate and tear pages out of.

A funny-sounding alarm whirrs to life when I call myself undeserving.

A drill sergeant paces to and fro and so on in my head, He "huts" and "Huzzahs", cutting me off every time I furrow my brow about what. I just said, or did.

Twenty minutes of thought becomes pushing on. And two sides rage.

I haven't spiraled in so long, I know burn out before she destroys me in her whir of red-velvet overwork.

Anxiety has a bright yellow name tag. I know her.

Optimism came back when I allowed my self to be young and stupid. He is my reckless best friend, toxic and lovely. I liked it better when I could accept my "improbables".

One day, I'll be able to draw Blue Dinosaurs without a single Over Thought. Breathe good air and not forget to breathe good air when I make sudden eye contact, or someone gets too close. I'll look at pretty girls and love will not be improbable, though reciprocation is. 12 percent chance. Okay.

I will love my good grades, my music, my art, I will love my flaws and friends, one day, I might even love my family. And that little midwestern town. And that black Martyr I saw on the news, and my father, and old friends, and books. I will have a snake and green things. And most of the beautiful all

I won't give a shit.