#loona au

[panda-writes-kpop]

we're never getting back together (like ever?) ~ kim lip

a/n: apologies for the bad pun, but I had to. 😌 this fic is in celebration of the birthday of my favorite (fucking) boomer @kingmaker-a - thank you for being such a great friend (and for the photocards and album). 💕 sorry for the excessive boomer jokes, but it must be done 🫡 also we've got another entry in the paladin! roommates au with more lore about the Paladins (and some bullshit I made up).

tw: paladin! reader kinda reads like an OC but hopefully you can ignore it, reader and lippie get wasted, one too many boomer jokes, alcohol, parties, hangovers, katie and mala being professional little shits ™️

summary: Your roommates are little shits, but you have to thank them for (indirectly) getting you and your ex back together. Perhaps this is a funny story that you can tell at your wedding, given that you and Kim Lip are sober enough to remember the day.

♡ Masterlist ♡

Laughter was a common noise in the Paladins' apartment. You all poked fun at each other from time to time (it was mostly Katie and Mala calling the rest of you boomers).

What concerns you this time, as you nurse your nasty hangover, is the two people laughing from a room away.

Katie's bubbly laughter rings out through the hallways and into the kitchen. Her laughter was usually accompanied an accusing finger from stealing her baked goods (Mala was the one who did the crime, but you did the time with an hour long lecture about personal property) or a brutal roast about your age.

Your joints may be getting old, but your ears are doing just fine since you pick up on the second person who's laughing.

It's Mala.

Mala and Katie were little shits on their own. Together, they could set fire to an entire neighborhood or wreck havoc to your social life.

As you nurse your hangover cure of choice, you're hoping that they're laughing over their choice of lighter fluid.

"What a boomer!" Katie says before dissolving into another fit of giggles.

Fuck.

You trudge into the living room, looking like shit from the night before. Whatever the youngest Paladins are up to, it's certainly no good.

"What are you two doing?" You mumble as Katie puts her phone away and blinks innocently at you.

Wolf in sheep's clothing, I swear.

"Nothing! Mala was just showing me some photos from last night."

With a smirk, Mala presents you with their phone.

This can't be good.

The first photo you see is a picture of Katie with her arms wrapped around Dami. She's laughing as Dami's trying to pull her in for a kiss.

Cute.

Scrolling to the left, you see a more formal picture of Mala standing next to Tzuyu. They're holding hands while not making eye contact with one another. You wonder how long they'll dance around their feelings for each other before one of them confesses.

You swipe again and again, seeing various photos of your friends and their friends. In one photo, Sparrow's knocked out on the ground, curled up in between Kazuha and Yunjin. In another, Neon and Siyeon cheers each other with wide smiles on their faces. There's even a group photo of the five of you that will definitely be a wallpaper on your phone or laptop.

You swipe again.

Then you see it.

A picture of you, drunk beyond recognition, holding a beer in one of your hands. There's nothing wrong with this photo, except you're not the only one in it.

Your other arm is wrapped around Kim Lip, who is wearing a stunning white dress. If your friends didn't know any better, they would assume that the two of you were drunken newlyweds.

The problem is, she's not your wife. She's not your girlfriend. You haven't been seen together in months since she's your ex.

Maybe you two had only dated for a few months, but you really liked her. She was a goofy loser, just like you. Your heart aches as you stare at the picture, wondering what could've been.

"Do you think he's seen it?" Katie shout-whispers as Mala sighs.

"Do you think he makes that face normally?"

"Did this get posted?" You softly ask as Mala and Katie immediately shut up. "Did. This. Get. Posted?"

"We didn't post it." Katie bites her lip before looking at you. "You did."

You toss Mala their phone before scrambling to grab yours from your pocket. When you unlock your phone and open Instagram, you notice your post right at the top with you and Kim Lip in the photo.

And it has 3,000 likes. Great.

"Ah, Jinsoul texted me last night and..." Katie trails off before playing with her hair.

"What did she say?"

"Check your messages."

You click on the message bubble in the top right corner as the menu changes in front of you. Once your messages load, you notice that Kim Lip's name is right at the top.

You click on the message without hesitating.

I saw your post.

Do you have time to meet?

I want to talk things through.

~

You shouldn't be here.

It's 11:35 a.m. - she's five minutes late.

Your friends aren't late as the two youngest Paladins are dressed in the worst disguises you've ever seen - fake mustaches and all.

A few tables away, Mala holds up their phone with scrolling text that reads: you've got this! just keep your calm and relax.

Katie then holds up their phone, and her scrolling message is: don't screw this up you fucking boomer.

There's something to be said about the duality of man between your two friends, but you can't say anything to them as Kim Lip enters the coffee shop.

You wonder if she knows that this is the same coffee shop you had your first date in.

And you're sitting in the same booth where she told you that she didn't have feelings for you anymore.

You still weren't over her, months later.

She's just as beautiful as the day you last saw her.

Katie's right - You're such a fucking simp.

"Hey." She gently tucks a small bit of hair behind her ear before setting her bag on the table. "Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all."

Kim Lip slides into the booth beside you as you fiddles with the coffee up in front of you.

"Want anything to drink?" You offer before pulling your wallet from your pocket.

"No, I'm alright," She smiles for a moment before asking, "how are you feeling after last night?"

Terrible, I'm dealing with a headache in my brain and two headaches twenty feet away from me.

"A bit rough, but it's nothing that a little hangover cure can't fix." You take a sip of your drink before continuing. "But I'm sure that you didn't come here to just ask how I was feeling."

"Right," She shakes her head for a moment, "listen, I'm sorry about everything I said last night. It was completely unfair of me to dump all of my feelings onto you when you didn't ask for it."

You do your best to hide a surprised reaction, choosing to cough and cover your face with your hand instead.

What did she say? How drunk was I last night?

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Her eyebrow raises as you sheepishly nod. "Well, shit."

Kim Lip grabs her bag and pulls out her phone. She grabs her phone and quickly navigates to her gallery as you try to recall anything that happened last night.

I remember getting there, talking to a few friends, playing a bit of Truth or Drink... that's about it.

With a soft blush, she hands you her phone. You play the video, hoping that you didn't make an absolute fool of yourself.

You hear Jinsoul, the cameraman, laugh as she approaches the two of you. With tears streaming down her face, Kim Lip shakes your barely conscious form.

"I love you!" She screams into your face. "I miss you so much! I was such an idiot for dumping you. Please, please, please take me back!"

You don't even blink at her confession - how fucked up were you? - as she continuous to blubber in your ear.

The video ends with Jinsoul laughing again - you understand why her and Katie are friends after that debacle.

"So?" Her eyes meet yours as you hand her the phone back.

"Did you mean any of that?" You honestly ask as she pauses.

"I- I did." She bows her head as you take a pause of your own to process what she's said.

"I missed you." You hate how desperate you sound, but it's the truth.

You'd do anything for a second chance, and by the way her eyes lit up at your words, you think she feels the same way.

"I'd like that drink now, if you don't mind." She smiles as you sigh.

"Once I get rid of those two, sure," You vaguely gesture towards Katie and Mala, "I don't need them interfering in my boomer romance."

"They still call you a boomer?"

"They haven't stopped."

She laughs as a lovesick grin appears on your face.

"I don't mind them, really," You say, "They're just-"

"-annoying? overprotective? hilarious?" Kim Lip takes a few guesses as your eyes widen.

"-betting on us?" You say, astonished, as you witness Mala hand Katie a handful of money. "Those little hustlers!"

You go to stand up, but Kim Lip grabs your arm and pulls you back down.

"Careful, boomer, you might pull a muscle." She teases before winking at the two little shits who are laughing in the corner.

"That sounds like a you problem, since you'll be the one taking me home." You smile as she laughs.

"As long as we go home together, I don't mind what happens next." Kim Lip says, and you find yourself agreeing.

Perhaps there's still room for love in a boomer's old, tired heart.

#kpop x reader #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpopidol #kpop gg #girl group imagines #girl group scenarios #girl group x reader #girl group #girl group au #girl group fanfic #girl group reactions #loona x reader #loona scenarios #loona kim lip #loona imagines #loona fanfic #loona #kim lip #kim lip x reader #kim lip scenarios #kim lip imagines #kim lip fanfic #kpop au #loona au #kim lip au #x reader #fanfic

[zchnlswrld]

[ 14.24 ] art-student!heejin — angst

warning/s: fem!reader (also a student), mention of a pen knife and a small scar from it (dropping it in class), heejin is implied to be taller than reader, reader is said to have hair that reaches at least their chin, sad lesbians, this actually feels quite intimate wait, internalised homophobia(?)

the light in the bathroom flickered, still broken from jinsoul and sooyoung’s fight months ago, the bulb was due a change but you could still see her face perfectly.

heejin stared at each paint mark as she carefully wiped your face with tissue she had taken from the stall behind her, being much more careful than she was with her own face just moments ago. one of her hands held your cheek, under your hair, while the other went back and forth on your other cheek.

she drops the now red tissue into the sink, keeping her grip on your face, as she picked up a new piece and put it under the tap briefly. she leaned in closer this time, her eyes soft and full of an emotion you can’t quite understand.

“i’m sorry about yerim.” she begins to wipe just above your eyebrow as she speaks but you aren’t listening.

her thumb begins to stroke a small spot and you realise how warm her touch is. it’s not from sweat or how long she’s been holding you but from how it makes you feel inside. butterflies are everywhere and you feel fuzzy. she makes you feel fuzzy and warm and cozy and at home like she always has only this time it sends your heart to your stomach as you realise what it means.

heejin stands up fully to blow the small wet patch on your head dry. she teeters back and forth for a moment, hesitating while thinking about her next move. she can feel how intimate the atmosphere has become and she’s seen your eyes trained on her as she cleaned up, although she notes that it wasn’t a shy stare or a cautious one.

slowly she puts her other hand on your cheek, you don’t seem to mind that it’s not dry and heejin sees you slowly melt into her hold. both of you stare at each other and she steps as close as she can, all while watching you for any movement but nothing comes. you’re chest to chest and she leans down to become face to face with you.

there are mere centimetres between the pair of you. you can feel her soft breath on your lips as hers slightly part.

you’re almost 100% sure she can hear your heart beating, you know she can feel it, but it doesn’t matter because if you listen close enough you can hear hers too.

slowly you lift a hand to rest on her wrist and your thumb copies her movements from minutes ago. your eyes wander from her face to her collarbone and you notice a small mole you’ve never seen before, then you look at her empty wrist and notice a small scar you’re sure she got from a pen knife in class.

then you look back at heejin’s face. her eyes are glazed over as she observes you. her cheeks are a light shade of red, and not from your thumb. her lips were still parted as she looked for the right words to say.

after a moment she speaks. “don’t look at me like that.” it comes out as a whisper you can barely hear, the closeness making so you can just catch it. there’s a small break in the sentence and you watch a tear fall from her face however you do nothing to stop it.

“i wish you were a boy.” is all you can reply.

#loona 1/3 #loona imagines #loona imagine #loona x reader #artms #loona heejin #loona heejin x reader #artms heejin #heejin x reader #artms imagines #artms imagine #artms x reader #loona au #loona angst #loona scenario #heejin imagine #heejin imagines #heejin scenario #heejin angst #heejin loona #heejin artms #kpop imagines #kpop imagine #kpop x reader #loona fanfic #kpop fanfic #kpop angst #kpop idol x reader #RINA’S TIMESTAMP

[cherrydistrict]

“ They say that time heals Even those words became pain for me ”

Olivia Hye as Xiao for a halloween collab on twitter

#art #as soon as they said i could choose any costume i knew what i was going to do #loona #loona fanart #loona au #loona x genshin #loona genshin impact au #olivia hye #olivia hye fanart #son hyeju #kpop fanart #genshin impact fanart #genshin impact #genshin xiao #xiao

[purgatorignis]

I don't need no garden of Eden.

An angst loonaverse!hyewon AU.

Pairing: Olivia Hye / Son Hyeju & Gowon / Park Chaewon from LOONA.

Word count: 459.

“Let's grow old together, Olivia.”

Leaves scattered all over as the wind gently caressed their skin — Gowon smiled so bright that it left Olivia stunned in her place; helplessly engulfed in that warmth. But then she felt the corners of her lips tickled... Slowly formed a slight upward curve followed by shy nods and sparkling eyes full of excitement.

It was so warm.

And Olivia could never ask for more; that one sentence was enough of a motivation for her to get through her most hellish days, the only cure to her sorrow when it felt like the world was against her.

—

Time shifted.

The bright sunny day was replaced by a neverending darkness. No more sparks in the eyes, just a hollow veil of grief; no more chirping birds and windy weather, just the sound of galloping feet in the yard... And a faint crack in the heart.

Olivia wished her vision was lying to her at that time, and how much she wished she wasn't there... Staring blankly at the sight of three lassies running away from the building she was standing in.

No, Olivia wouldn't be this frustrated if she hadn't recognized that wavy blonde hair right away, illuminated by the faint twilight beneath the clear sky.

She just wished it wasn't true.

But the moment that blondie glanced at her with clear uneasiness in each of her step, yet quickly turned away before even meeting her gaze... Was the moment Olivia's entire universe fell apart and crumbled into pieces.

It was Gowon.

Without a single doubt, was running away from her... And vanished behind the trees.

No words, no farewell, she quietly escaped and left Olivia behind without even bothering to tell; without explanation, without signs nor warning, as if her existence meant nothing more than just a thin air. Meaningless, probably just like all the time they spent with each other all these years.

Was it all just a lie? Was everything we had meant nothing to you?

It convinced Olivia about the fact which she tried so hard to refute, a stinging feeling that she wished wasn't true all along; that she wasn't needed anymore. She wasn't even worth of a single goodbye from Gowon, let alone her love — even though it was the only thing that had been keeping her sane all this time, the only thing that kept her head up despite the distress and suffering chasing after her.

Their promises, plans and visions about the future...

Now it's all have gone into misery.

—

“Just one last word... One last moment to ask you why you left me here behind.

You said you'd grow old with me?

Or was everything just a lie all this time?”

#olivia hye #park gowon #loona #loona gowon #loona olivia hye #hyewon #loonaverse #loona angst #hyewon angst #gowon #fanfiction #loonaverse au #loona fanfiction #loona au #Spotify #hyewon au #golivia au #golivia #golivia angst

[daisy-mooon]

The worst thing empires SMP has ever done is have 13 members instead of 12 because now I can't fit all of them into my LOONA au

#shitpost #empires smp #mcyt #esmp #loona #kpop #loona au #au

[pefadraws]

Cover for my fanfic (the first act of it)

Once again, would’ve done may thing differently, but still love this piece a lot

And yes, I am posting my art for this AU on both blogs :>

#art #cover #loona #loona fanart #loona au #hxh x loona #hxh #heejin #hyunjin #choerry #chuu

[pefa-blog]

Chapter 8: Sky path

Landing noiselessly in a bare three-by-three meters room, made from bare concrete slabs, Chuu glanced around. Completely empty sans a bland postament and a sign above it, dimly lit by a lone wall lamp. A rupor in one of the corners looked like a relic of the previous decades, big and angular. Coming from a crouch, she noticed a single digital watch on the platform.

A solitary route, then, Chuu nodded to herself. Good.

“The Sky Path. Long road and patient enduring lays ahead of you,” she read off of the tableau, her eyebrows flying high at the brevity and lack of instructions. She put the bracelet on her wrist, over the glove. It counted down the remaining time, but had nothing else of interest.

A nondescript door opened loudly, revealing a path in what previously looked like a solid wall. From it, notably stale air slowly filled the room. 

Chuu left the room with the silent rupor behind, and began making her way down the hall, trying to hear any noise from the tower.

It was, unsurprisingly, silent.

Concrete structures were nice this way.

This route was a much-needed change of pace, far from any imminent headaches or worries as long as she focused on her task and her task only. Girls and Hisoka moved to the background, unreachable, silent and completely out of her hands. Whether they were fine (hopefully, girls) or not (she could dream, Hisoka), was impossible for her to know now.

Given how spread out were the entrances they found, chances that others were also on solitary routes were high. That included Hisoka - Chuu made sure to keep track of the direction he wandered off. Unless there were merging routes further down the line, they wouldn’t encounter him.

And afterwards, if they were lucky, Hisoka would ignore them as he did up to this point, for the rest of the exam. If he was also inclined to act professional - Chuu snorted - he would include her in that list.

As she neared a dead end of the long hall, a door opened, leading her to a waide staircase that went on and on, before obscuring after an especialy abrupt turn. The path looked like someone just threw sharp and curved turns at random. Which probably was almost true - this was a prison-made-frequent-exam-ground. This staircase was likely an afterthought, accommodating various obstacles and trap rooms on other paths.

Chuu listened again, flooding her ears with nen, a trick she picked up long ago, from but there was still no sign of other participants. As it dissipated, her senses returned to normal and she was reminded once again of the stale air. Chuu frowned at that, but continued on.

She knew Hisoka's standards well enough by now, from all the commissions they ran for him. Starting with search for new possible opponents from more closed-off circles and unknown communities (even if he rarely followed up on the information they provided, despite paying for it a special price - doubled, for him), to finding the fruits that he left for later, for a rare check-up on their progress.

Chuu was also  familiar with his standards because she used herself as a gauge more often than not. He loved suggesting a fight to her every single time he contacted them. Being the most combat-oriented out of the three of them, she carried the brunt of his attention. Yves was a pretty decent fighter too! But, uh, Chuu had to admit that their leader was nowhere close.

They sometimes joked about Go Won stealthily assassinating him, but all of them knew that would never happen. 

Regardless, he was tolerable as long as they weren’t meeting in person. He was one of their regular customers, after all.

She felt confident in her assertions regarding Hisoka’s targets. HeeJin - pass, sweet fortunate girl. HyunJin - who knows, Chuu didn’t actually notice anything special about her, sans higher endurance, physical strength, appetite and shortened recovery period. That all looked uncomfortably familiar, but nothing exceptional either, not yet, at least.

Choerry... Only God knew what she was and what she could do. 

Earlier, when threatened with failure at cooking stage, Chuu had to shield both HyunJin and HeeJin from a certain death. Choerry, hopefully unknown to herself, oozed nen so potent and malicious, the closest unlucky examinee to their group keeled dead there and then. A couple of others were stuck gasping for air in frozen panic, but ultimately lived... albeit none of them walked out of the airship to make another attempt at a second phase. No doubt, they were physically scarred.

It wasn’t as bad, per say, as Hisoka’s bloodlust, but not that much better either.

Either a solid mediocrity in terms of fighting abilities with short temper... or someone gave her some stellar education and the girl was much more dangerous than Chuu first assumed.

She really, really hoped Choerry was just unaware of her actions at that time. 

If not... Well. Chuu probably should warn Go Won and Yves that she might have to resort to an emergency exit, huh?..

She stopped.

Hm. Not a minute passed, tete-a-tete with herself, and her mind began filling the space between her steps on its own volition.

When did she become such a worrywart?

That was rhetoric.

Chuu inwardly sighed and continued walking.

She preferred to have company on missions, whether friendly or not, for this exact reason. Chuu obviously could keep track of Yves and Go Won from anywhere (she brushed over their tags again, on the other side of the world, calm, confident, bored, not physically active), but this exam proved already that her need for a company was worse than she assumed.

...On the second thought, maybe the solitary route wasn’t all that great for her. 

A stair gave out from under her foot.

Thank God! - flashed in her head as Chuu lunged forward, pushing off of a step over, as the next one already started to careen to one side.

The spikes beneath those steps pointed at her invitingly for a split second, before she was gone.

Even without nen, Chuu ran faster than most could track, leaving steps to fall far, far behind her, breezing through the never-ending staircase.

The tower was known to be deadly for an average wanna-be Hunter, sometimes even more than the other phases. Chuu was curious to see what level Judging Committee deemed as an entry-level.

She already heard about the Trick Tower from Yves when she had her exam. She landed on a path of two, that, a quarter away from the finish line, stated that only one goes further. Her co-examinee was so determined to force Yves to forfeit her chance, that he never stepped out of that room again.

The staircase ended, turning into a long and twisty hall, but Chuu kept her speed. Her hope was that the next room had better air, because at this point it was turning a little bit into annoyance. 

Involuntarily, her mind made a guess on how HeeJin and HyunJin would fare here. She didn’t ask for it and while the answer wasn’t a definite death, this thought stirred her carefully pushed-out fear.

Okay, so, admittedly, HeeJin was in more danger here. HyunJin was tenacious. She completed all of the previous phases on her own, not much to be worrying about past the general what-ifs and Hisoka.

But that didn’t mean that HeeJin was helpless, far from it - if there was a fight, she would have a rather good chance to win against random examinee. Chuu haven't seen her sable in action, but the way HeeJin maneuvered around the great stamp during the second phase, spoke of great balance and dodging skills. A bit slow for her taste, but everybody starts somewhere.

Chuu saw how the girl led it to a rock and leapt on top of it, pushing off of the mossy surface, leaving the boar to barrel right into it. The impact against fortified snout did no damage, but the momentarily pause from it let letting HeeJin land a solid hit with the scabbard.

And that was after the marathon earlier! HeeJin looked dead when Chuu and Choerry caught up with them before the cooking phase, for goodness sake!

At the first glance, she would have never labeled the definitely pampered girl as “determined” or “resilient”, but Chuu was proved delightfully wrong.

Well... It was not completely unexpected. HeeJin had a good reason to persist, after all.

A sudden need for a document from a well-raised, well-fed, well-cuddled (have you seen that flawless scarless skin and sheer quality of that waist-low hair?) girl who had shaky knowledge of the basic basics of cooking? Yeah.

Chuu tsked. She won’t be prying, since she was in a similar position once. The difference was that none of them sought legal sources or extra comfort. And also were a trio of professionals who didn't need anything, really, but that’s beside the point.

However, she still wished Choerry would poke HeeJin just as she was poking Chuu at first. Alas, it looked like the purplehead wasn’t as nosy with those two. Unfortunate, but understandable. 

On this note, she ceased being annoying towards Chuu after swamp altogether, now that she thought about it. Was that a permanent thing or were they just taking a break?

Either way it was nice, even if it was fleeting.

...She. Looped back to these thoughts again.

This was precisely why Chuu wasn’t keen on the whole “get new friends, its healthy for you” idea. The ones who weren’t on her skill level were too worrisome, haunting her with the worst scenarios of what could happen to them. The other ones, who could stand their ground? Her trust in the wrong person could put all of them in danger. And the stronger the person was, the more likely they were to become a problem.

Chuu grimaced. It was so hypocritical of Yves and Go Won to tell her to “get new friends” while doing none of that during their exams!

She took a sharp turn and saw that the hall morphed back into stairs.

That went upward.

“Ah,” thought Chuu. “‘Long road’.”

Air continued to be stale as she entered the next hall, the door opening when Chuu was right in front of it and closing immediately as she passed. If anything, it became even heavier. The tendency was uninspiring and she mentally labeled air “oxygen-deprived”, since “stale” description didn't describe it properly.

But it wasn't the only annoying thing here.

Chuu was the first to admit that she was bad with distances and measurements outside of nen application, but if she had to guess, the stairs led her to almost the same level that she started on.

The new hall was wide and lined from wall to wall with the pressure plates on the floor, each having a pattern on it. Chuu could barely see the door on the opposite end of it.

She scratched her temple. This one she could just ignore, but if mental exercise and low oxygen air was where this all was heading to, this route was about to be changed from “bothersome” to “bullshit”.

“Congratulations,” said Chuu to nobody in particular. “You are promoted”.

Rupor on the ceiling, pointing towards a long, slowly descending in a barely-noticeable curve ramp, stayed silent. She had a sneaking suspicion it went around the whole tower.

How wonderful.

As time passed, Chuu had come to several conclusions. First, she had to begrudgingly admit that low oxygen was a decent hindrance. Even to her. Strong and resilient she might be, there was nothing she could do to avoid being affected. Chuu pushed off of the platform she was on with a bit more force than necessary, leaving a footprint in the cracked concrete. It wasn’t detrimental to her, but it was annoying nonetheless, being sluggish and slightly disoriented for seemingly no reason.

Credit where it’s due, it was a decent handicap for examinee of almost any level. 

Second conclusion - “traps” on her path could be generally broken down in two types.

There was a general transitional type with some traps sprinkled over it for flavor: falling stairs, dropping ceiling, slowly pushing together walls, hidden pressure plates in thin hallways, triggering anything from darts to electrocution, depending on the noticeability of it, etcetera. It forced the examinee to be constantly on alert, battling the spinning head and decreased patience. Having gone through many tests and training grounds in her youth, Chuu intellectually respected the thoughtfulness of how well it all worked together. 

She just wished someone else got it.

Passageways were long, as a rule, going in every direction, including straight upwards, halls and stairs and ramps. Their sole purpose was to waste her time and grate on her nerves. 

The second type of obstacle, though, was uncomparingly worse in her personal opinion. As Chuu only encountered reactionary traps, she assumed she got this in the bag.

Until she walked into one of those "stuck until you solve the puzzle" rooms for the first time as a naive little creature, and emerged as a beast.

The room greeted her with a large tableau on the wall and a horizontal panel with nine on nine depressions placed in a grid under it. In the corner, close to the tablet, stood a barrel full of colored rocks with slightly varied pictograms drawn on them.

Air, unsurprisingly enouh, was the same as it was before.

Upon closer inspection, tableau was a series of thin slabs placed one after another. The top one had a three by three matrix of symbols with a row of four question marks placed vertically to the right of it.

Realization dawned on her.

Who was responsible for designing this path?!

Chuu messaged Go Won in hopes for some cheating but there was no reply. She paid attention to her hatsu and it seemed that both the princess and their leader were patiently stealthing in Zetsu for whatever reason. Negotiation failed or was that already a follow-up?...  

Whatever. Chuu resigned herself to being stuck here for a while, considering the number of tablets underneath the top one.

Huffing, she turned the barrel over, scattering the stones on the floor. Kicking some of them out of the way, Chuu placed a make-shift stool in front of the tableau. Pouting at the puzzle, she took out a small promotional notepad, somewhat ready to tackle the obstacle.

She was done! Done done done done done done! With the puzzle, her route, the tower, other examinees, with herself, with the fucking air, Chuu was done!

She didn’t care about the examiners and their opinions, about the sadistic architect of the trial, she was done with this bullshit of a puzzle and God help her if they put another one in front of her! Chuu would punch every encountered door into debris, she was heading to the base of the tower and she was racing.

The observers better open the doors according to her speed or start ordering new ones now.

An hour! A full hour passed in that goddamn room! At some point she had to meditate to calm herself down because her head was starting to spin and there was no vents leading into that room. Chuu went through so many different variants, she was this close to tearing the room apart!

She was leaving this path behind her as fast as possible and nobody could stop her. 

After hours of running and crawling through hallways covered in dust from what seemed years of disuse, feeling much calmer, Chuu stared at the hatch in the floor. This was new.

Chuu pushed it open and stared down in the abyss. Rough in-built ladder went down, disappearing somewhere deep, where even nen-enhanced eyesight couldn’t reach. 

Chuu jumped in, grabbing metal handles, methodically climbing down and further away from the entrance. Lights lit up only when she was rather close, lighting up just enough to get to the next one, so there was no tell how of far the shaft went. She contemplated prying one of the handles off and throwing it down to have at least an estimate. On one side, it didn't matter, on the other, it was some destruction and Chuu would greatly appreciate some destress, but also examiners might not approve...

She grabbed the handle above her and tore it out of concrete, bending it under the force. 

Its clanging went on and on and on...

Hah. Its fall lasted so long, Chuu got absolutely nothing from it!

Except some petty satisfaction. Which was a win in her books.

To be fair, the tunnel in and of itself was great - Chuu was beginning to feel she made almost no progress vertical-wise and, unless there was a second tunnel she would have to climb up, this helped her by leaps and bounds!

After ten or so minutes of climbing, Chuu scratched her nose.

How fast she could climb at her fastest?

Was it faster than gravity or?..

Chuu let go, falling freely for a couple seconds, before catching handles again with both her hands and feet. She let go again. And again...

In two minutes she reached the floor. Dusting off her dress, she patted herself on the shoulder, both mentally and physically,  - climbing would’ve taken ages!

On the side of the shaft a door opened and she stepped through into, oooh, something new! A maze!

Most of her way down was spent in either that puzzle room or on stairs and halls. Given how many of the noticeable doors ignored her, she suspected that she got the longest route of them all distance-wise.

Chuu wouldn’t be surprised if her path went through at least half of the halls in the tower.

She rushed through the traps: another pressure plates on the floor puzzle, one puzzle that had the floor fall underneath her, one wall-climbing that, by her shaky estimation, went back up somewhere around a quarter or a fifth of the previous ladder and another two goddamn pattern puzzle rooms. Linking all of them were long halls and staircases that Chuu fondly regarded as time-suckers and just sprinted through. Crawling tunnels made sprinting troublesome, but she went as fast as possible in those too. Oxygen-deficient air was no longer so grating for her, serving instead as a reminder to end this quicker. 

Still, the hours ticked by. If Chuu assumed that restrooms were spread roughly six to seven hours of estimated successful progress away from each other, she had to be getting close to the bottom of the tower.

She arrived at a square room that looked like an arena next. On the opposite side of the room, there were draped silhouettes in tiny cells, five in total, thick bars separating them from the main room.

Please be what Chuu thought it was.

For the first time in her descend, a rupor turned on, with click that made her wince. 

“To proceed, win three rounds. Prisoners are deciding on victory conditions, you pick the opponent before the rule reveal.”

Chuu squinted, trying to discern shapes behind the bars. She picked the burliest, pointing a finger at them. “The first door on the right from the entrance.” 

“Please challenge me to a fight”, she thought. “Please challenge to a fight.”

Bars from the selected cell slowly moved up and a two-meter tall figure quietly approached her. Slow steps, each made with ease and confidence in themself.

“I challenge you to a fight!" boomed masculine voice as he threw off a hood, revealing a weathered tattooed face. A crooked smirk, dripping with superiority, split his face. "To the death!”

Chuu grinned.

“Second to pass - applicant ten! Time elapsed: nine hours, forty minutes!” Announcement was loud enough to be heard through the rumble of the door and Chuu let out a small victorious yelp.

She stepped into a huge round room with a almost six meter tall ceiling and dozens upon dozens of doors on the perimeter. The room was brightly lit by sparse lamps in the walls and four raised bowls with flame in the center, making it almost well-lit. The best part of the room was in its air - a normal blessed air that wasn’t tampered with in any way. Bless!

Across the room from her, was Hisoka, now staring directly at her. Two blood streaks from his wounds stood out on his top, stark contrast with icy-blue color of his suit.

There was only Hisoka. 

Oh no.

As the door went back down behind her motionless form, Chuu rankled through her memory. Did wounds make him more excited. Did it affect him outside of battle. When was he ever interested in acting professional.

Tense seconds passed with neither of them moving. 

In silence, extremely slowly, Chuu walked to the side and sat against the wall, not breaking eye contact with Hisoka for a split second. Her biggest interest was whether he would want to fight right now more or to keep them as their informants. It was a heavier, less funny thought now, when it grew into a very real concern. 

He smiled and waved at her.

Chuu made a small wave in return.

Hisoka broke the eye contact and pulled out a deck of cards, shuffling them. Chuu waited, ready.

In a second, he began building a tower, playing by himself.

After two minutes of watching his peacefulness, Chuu tore her gaze away and took out her phone, automatically opening Yves’ dialogue. Partially to ask for guidance, partially as a distraction.

Alas, no matter how big the room was, being one on one with Hisoka was an uncomfortable experience. She hoped more people would come in soon.

Over sixty-two hours left until the end of the third phase.

-Extra-

Previous day, 7th of January

Application Pestercard

[embroideringCutie] opened a temporary dialog with [vanillaMiracle] at 01:40

[EC]: WHY DIDNTYIU REMIND ME ABOUT HIM

[EC]: HE IS HERE

[VM]: Who?

[EC]: HYSKOA

[EC]: HISKKA

[EC]: THE PSYCHTIC GERDENER

[VM]: I’m sure I warned you

[VM]: Wait a moment, Ill ask DT

[VM]: She says i told you after my exam

[EC]: HE IS RIGHT HERE OH GOD V VM HE IS NEN WINKING AT ME

[VM]: He is not, he wouldnt be too obvious

[EC]: HE TOOK OUT HISCARDS

[VM]: Siiiiiiiiiiiiii

[VM]: iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[VM]: iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[EC]: VM!!!

[VM]: iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

[VM]: Just move further away, there has to be a lot of participants at this point

[EC]: Wonnilla

[EC]: he is 44th

[VM]: Suiting

[EC]: there arent nearly enough people here!

[EC]: ????

[EC]: nmd

[EC]: returning to the topic

[EC]: WHY DIDN’T YOU REPEAT YUOR WARNING

[VM]: I thought it wasn’t needed, miss how-dare-you-doubt-my-memory

[VM]: Just censor Hisoka out. Go say hello to someone, get to know someone passable, forget about him

[VM]: It is too early here

[VM]: Annoy someone disposable

[VM]: OR a better idea

[VM]: You can make some friends for a change? Hmm?

[VM]: Remember that DT explicitly asked you to?

[EC]: friends, sure

[EC]: like you did? :I

[VM]: He ruined that possibility for me! 

[VM]: And FORGET about him already

[EC]: unnie, its impossible

[EC]: no one is able to forget about him!

[VM]: Except you, apparently

[EC]: (╥﹏╥)

[EC]: theres just a lot on my mind,

[EC]: Wo-nni-lla

[EC]: I know you are tying to fall back asleep! :<

[EC]: get back here and keep me company!

[EC]: welp, you are asleep

[EC]: Im

[EC]: so

[EC]: boooooooooooored

[EC]: ugh

[EC]: this is a circus of fashion disasters

[EC]: and not only in fashion

[EC]: I look around and might as well see zombies, they look HOPELESS VP

[EC]: HOPELESS

[EC]: wastes back home showed more promise then they do!

[ EC]: when are you going to wake up again :C

[EC]: it HAS to be one of the dullest halls ive EVER been stuck in. We are just standing in big dark dull room underground and everyone is SO grumpy

[EC]: okay fine got it Ill patiently wait for your princess sleep to end

[EC]: :D!!

[EC]: morniiiing!!!!

[VM]: I can keep you company until we need to get going

[VM]: But don’t expect any excitement. If you forgot, we’re in the same timezone

[EC]: one weirdo here offered me to drink some canned juice he brought. Is he stupid? Stranger danger aside, who would take a drink from a stranger at the HUNTER EXAM?!

[VM]: Ah, him. Joy. If you could kill him off subtly without any examiners noticing, youll do a favor to future generations

[EC]: I mean I did obviously, got curious what was in i

[EC]: ??????

[EC]: wow

[EC]: good morning, you are clearly still asleep this is hunter exam killing is allowed

[VM]: Yes, but having a good impression would be nice, E C

[EC]: huh?

[VM]: You told me to play nice the previous year, remember?

[EC]: oh, right

[EC]: !!!!!

[EC]: THERE IS A CUTE GIRL INCOMING

[EC]: MY AGE NOT FASHIOM DISASTER PIGTALES SISTER GOTTA GO BYEE

[embroideringCutie] left the dialog

[VM]: Have fun, EC

[vanillaMiracle] closed the dialog with [embroideringCutie] at 04:21

Dialog is being deleted.. .

Previous chapter | All chapters | Next chapter

#hxh x loona #hxh #loona #loona au #wabrw #chapter

[cornsyrupfromhell]

Baby Loona AU

#helluva boss #helluvaboss #loona helluva boss #blitzø #fanart #fancomic #an important detail in this au is that moxxie still has a feud with loona he just has a feud with a baby now

[saphirdevil]

modern au adaaaa where she is dating me-

#resident evil #aeon #ada wong #leon kennedy #fanart #xavi art #leon x ada #ada x leon #i wish i was leon so badly #for my bday wish #let me be a beautiful butch white girl so ada would want me #please pretty pleaseeee #re loona au #she is like the secret 4th member of the loona club

[dragon-spaghetti]

Ice cream for dinner is The Ultimate Treat ✨

(Please click for better quality!!)

#drag's art #helluva boss #helluva boss blitzo #helluva boss octavia #helluva boss loona #life can be okay au #I spent an hour on the lineart for this 🥲

[goga-honey]

My helluva swap au! sry my handwriting is so shit, I didn’t think I’d post this

#myart #procreate #messy sketch #helluva boss #character design #sketch #fanart #helluva au #alternate universe #swap au #blitzo helluva boss #helluva blitz #helluva fizzarolli #helluva striker #striker helluva boss #helluva moxxie #moxxie helluva boss #helluva millie #helluva boss millie #helluva verosika #verosika mayday #loona helluva boss #helluva loona #helluva vikki #vikki helluva

[purgatorignis]

A Warm Shelter —

an Olivia Hye/Gowon (hyewon) AU.

“One hot americano, please.”

Hyeju ordered, without taking her eyes off her bag as she was trying to find her wallet.

“I guess you didn't like latte anymore, huh?”

The barista's voice slipped smoothly into Hyeju's ears like water flowing to the river. It was quiet, warm and friendly—but Hyeju's heart was racing, like a drum beating out a frantic rhythm.

Suddenly her senses were becoming sharp. Even though her heart was beating like crazy, she could hear the sound of the doorbell as some new customers made their way inside, her eyes caught onto the familiar wooden clock on the corner of the shop, and... A sense of longing crushed her heart as she smelled the scent of her favorite warm latte, one that was so specific that it left no room to be mistaken as anyone else's recipe.

Oh.

Everything clicked into place now.

Hyeju knew it was familiar.

Everything in there was familiar.

“Hyeju?”

That soft, crunchy-like voice greeted her again, forcing her to look up. She was afraid to see what kind of expression she would face as soon as she lifted up her chin—only to be met with the sparkling, bright brown pupils, along with a warm smile on her ex-girlfriend's face.

Hyeju felt like her world fell apart.

Tags: Angst, Exes, Hurt/Comfort, Open Ending, Short Oneshot.

Word Count: 1,3k.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47829262

#fanfiction #hyewon au #loona au #loona fanfiction #hyewon #hyewon loona #gowon #oliviahye #loona #angst #oneshot

[blitzy-blitzwing]

This was cute. 🥰💖💖

Commission for @radicheart

#that Alastor looks cool af #Alastor #Loona #this is an AU #my artwork #commission #Hazbin Hotel #Helluva Boss

[pefadraws]

HxH x Loona AU

Two kids recognizing Hunger in each other’s eyes

#kim lip #jinsoul #art #loona #loona fanart #loona au #wabrw #hxh x loona

[kkurades]

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ HEART ATTACK MASTERLIST ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

━━ among the idols you were anonymously known as cupid because you always managed to get helpless, in love idols together so what are you supposed to think when hwang hyunjin asks cupid to couple him with you

pairing: yandere!idol!hwang hyunjin x fem!idol!reader

genre: social media au, idol au, fluff, angst, crack, strangers to lovers

featuring: minnie of (G)I-DLE (faceclaim), stray kids, chuu of ex-LOONA (faceclaim), seulgi of RED VELVET (faceclaim), winter of AESPA (faceclaim), sullyoon of NMIXX (faceclaim), wonyoung of IVE, chaeryeong of ITZY, momo of TWICE, sunghoon of ENHYPEN, jongseob of P1HARMONY

warning: swearing, dark humor, yandere!hyunjin

status: on hold

tag list: @mchslut, @rainbowsaz, @wonyoungsvirus, @mkiia, @g4m3girl, @alexialuvsya, @redm4ri , @i-dont-know-me-either, @hyunxo, @curly-fr13s , @asters-abditory, @hyunverse, @selcayuri, @slay-kidsjinnie, @smh-anon, @beatr2x, @sserafimez, @whippedforbeomgyu, @borahae-reads, @lcv3lies, @hanjistarss, @mynameisnotlaura, @kiraisastay, @mistirimoose, @flvr4ane, @mimi-sierra04, @captivq, @eatseokjnie, @zoeeeeeeeeee, @popcatx0, @lexxxxs-things, @kookie9704, @sunshineandrainyflowers, @cheshireshiya , @lxriearxella, @sunny-nana , @leomggg

MAIN MASTERLIST ˚୨୧⋆ STRAY KIDS MASTERLIST

## PROFILES !!

cupid’s children

cupid’s admirers

cupid’s partners in crime

## CHAPTER INDEX !!

one | the other woman

two | karate kick

three | dirty swine

four | delulu fans

five | wonderland

six | blondes

seven | cult leader

©cupidsheqrt , 2023.

#kpop smau #kpop social media au #minnie #gidle #red velvet #seulgi #loona chuu #winter #sullyoon #nmixx sullyoon #aespa winter #wonyoung #ive #twice momo #twice #momo #hyunjin #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin x y/n #hyunjin smau #hyunjin social media au #stray kids social media au #stray kids masterlist #stray kids smau #stray kids x reader #stray kids imagines #stray kids #skz imagines #skz fanfic

[pefa-blog]

Chapter 7: Puzzle pieces, part 2

They put their trays on the opposite sides of the table, Choerry brazenly sitting on it, throwing her legs to the other side, before sheepishly looking around to see if anyone paid attention. Chuu jokingly tutted, smiling, but didn’t think about it twice, sitting down.

She got some tea for herself, along with a couple sandwiches - she wasn't hungry yet, but who knew when she would be able to eat next time this break? Choerry, on the other hand, had a full dinner on her tray and a large cup of coffee.

They ate in silence, listening to the international news broadcasted on several monitors hanging around the room. Plot about an exhibition of Rudalph Justo held in Milaw, a famous surrealist painter and photographer, whose works were rarely shown, ended as she began chewing her last sandwich. 

Next, a hot new sensation, that the presenter plastered on a serene expression for, clasping hands on the table, - a cruise ship called Tethys mysteriously disappeared in the Gaftlou sea. “Disappeared”. Its mayday message barely got out the position they were in before cutting short, leaving initial reasons of distress call unknown. Rescue airships and boats arrived as fast as it was possible at its estimated location, but found no signs of Tethys, almost no debris, and not a single survivor.

More than the mystery of the causes behind this, the plot revolved around describing the list of politically prominent or just otherwise influential people who were on Tethys.

The catastrophe itself happened in the most north part of Gaftlou Sea after it left the waters of the Bottoranean Sea, far from the nearest land and, more importantly, on the edge on an undefined line where the Moebius Lake started. The rescue airship and search brigades, both water and air-operating ones, were there as soon as possible, combing for any survivors or clues as to what had happened, working so quickly, that in two hours there was a solid wall scanning both air and water.

But nothing. Not a single survivor or body, boat or submarine.

Needless to say, as much as it was most (but still not very much) likely there was something from the Moebius Lake responsible for that, the situation was getting exceptionally politically tense.

After another minute of mournfully describing the beauty and engineering might that was Tethys, fulfilling the quota of both empathizing political loss and and attempt to make ordinary people care about it in conjunction with loss of the ship and other passengers, news moved to riots in Neta Bolgad and Chuu lost interest.

She sipped her tea, musing aloud. “Would Sea Hunters be called to assist on this or?..”

Choerry shook her head, somewhat uncertainly. “Really depends. Not all Sea Hunters are… interested in such work. Once man-caused reasons would be ruled out, they are more likely to look into it, otherwise, doubtful - not their field of work. Discovery and research - yes, investigations - nah. While Sea Hunters usually don’t ignore a newly discovered shipwreck if they stumble upon it, they have a lot of other things to do. Preliminary inspection of a recently sunken ship isn’t one of them. There is a lot of underwater, much more than there is land.” Choerry shook her head, this time dejectedly. “You don’t really know how much it really is, until you spend your time with a Sea Hunter for a month or two.”

“Aren’t there sea plants for you to discover?”

“Not at that depth and I am more keen on working on overwater flora.” Choerry took the remains of the bread and used it to gather the leftovers from the plate. “There is one Sea Hunter, who is interested in untangling mysteriously lost ships, but this one,” she pointed at the screen that was playing a short phone-recorded clip of the riot, “is thirty years too young to catch their attention.”

Makes sense, Chuu supposed. 

She took another sip. “Guesses?”

“Hmmm… Someone indebted to a young mafia family - or loyal to one - enough for a suicidal mission? Some sort of personal debt or grudge?” Choerry pushed an empty plate away from her, taking her cup of coffee off the tray. “Or, perhaps, someone made a really intense covenant,” she said less legibly, momentarily widening her eyes for emphasis, as she dumped two sticks of sugar into her cup.

Pressing her forehead to the window, Chuu stared at the densely gleaming city they were sailing over, her hand pressing the phone to her chest. 

What would she tell Yves and Go Won? What should she tell Yves and Go Won? 

She hadn’t done anything incriminating to think of forgoing the message entirely, not yet, at least, but the joy they will have over the possibility of her gaining new friends was overshadowed by her own worry and conflicting emotions. She already basically took HeeJin and HyunJin under her wing, she accepted that, but she never has been in a situation like this before. Was it possible to be friends with them but more of an acquaintance with Choerry? Or was it a package deal? Chuu herself was more or less slotted in the group at eleven which made them her friends by default. The previous friendships she had kinda dwindled down after that - either they grew distant or died.

It wasn’t even like she was constantly worried. Just… more taxing then usual.

Sadly, Chuu couldn’t even fully root her distrust of Choerry in a potential of danger to their squad - even if that was a very legitimate worry, with apparent Crime Hunter attached to the girl - but for the most part it was a recent barrier. Could two years still be classified as recent or?..

She grimaced, closing her eyes. At times like this, Chuu thought, she disliked being the most emotionally aware between the three of them.

Despite her current indecision, she needed to leave a message. Who knows when she will get another chance? Chuu knew they were fine, but they might worry whether she was okay or not, being in the same vicinity as Hisoka. They didn’t know of anything else yet which looped her thoughts back on the issue at hand. Should they?..

Chuu sighed. Just... A quick message and then sleep. She would keep it short - this day both took and gave more than she expected. She opened Pestercard and pressed on a record prompt, holding it for a few moments. Chuu took a deep breath and forcibly smiled, letting the button go.

“Hi~! I am currently on an airship, heading towards the third phase. You would not believe how eventful this day was! The Exam is going well so far, some weirdos present, as expected, but also, hey, I found maybe three new friends?.. Two for sure, the third is a question mark?” ending the question on an uncertain note, she grimaced as if they could see her. “It’s complicated. The first phase was stamina-oriented, we had to run a marathon, the second one,” Chuu sighed, taking a pause. ”Second one was a mess, starting with cooking and ending with jumping down the ravine. I nearly poisoned our examiners, ugh,” she dragged a hand down her face. ”Can you imagine the Gardener's face if that happened?.. Other than that, it was not all that bad. Hope your mission is going well, keep safe, eat well! Love you! Mvah~!”

Choerry dialed the first number and stood, waiting. Since the majority of the applicants were already sleeping, the halls were empty, the only stragglers far and few between, mostly on the floor over her, where their resting quarters were. The rooms were expected to house much less people further down the line, on the last one or two stages, and were currently packed with occupants lining up walls and huddled in groups on the floor.

She listened to the beeps, looking at the stars. Choerry slowly rolled from balls of her feet to tiptoes and then back. After a while, an autoresponder offered to leave a message.

She ended her call and went to voicemail in Pestercard, clearing her throat.

“Hello! Exam is a lot more fun than you told me, traitors! I now have new friends, three girls my age! They are very nice and doing their best and it would be great if you were able to meet them! Two stages have already passed, a marathon test and then a test from Gourmet Hunters! Gourmets were Menchi and Buhara, have you heard of them? The other one was called Satotz, I don’t know his specialty, but he is violet and very classy. And walks funny! He made us run for hours! First in a tunnel, then up the stairs, then through a swamp. Fog was extra thick and it was swarming with many hostile creatures and plants! Two of my friends got lost but found their way back to the group… Though Chuu and I returned and followed them for a bit to be safe! Afterwards we had to cook a pig to be tested by, you know, gourmets, and it was a complete disaster. They can't cook, so many people just roasted them as-is and Menchi got angrier and angrier with each one! I didn’t even get my turn, she declared that the phase ended with everyone failing. Since she failed everyone because she was throwing a fit and not for any solid reason, Chairman Netero had to intervene and we got to do another test! It was jumping into the ravine to get spider-eagle eggs, they were so delicious, you should try one someday! Um, what else?.. Oh, right, it took me so long to cook my dish because my initial one got ruined by other examinee. I planned to pay him back after the phase, but then I got failed, got angry, kinda forgot about him and then he died in the ravine.” She sighed, then frowned and added to herself in a quieter voice. “Speaking of, I should throw away those berries.” Choerry leaned against the window, eyeing the river they flew above, before returning to the message. “So! Our examiners are what you would’ve expected, but there are enough of the weird applicants too! There is one covered in pins and the other one looks like a jester and just drips bloodlust everywhere. My new friend, Chuu, said that the second one was disqualified last year after nearly killing an examiner. The difference in levels of applicants this year is crazy.” She paused, mulling over what else there was interesting that day. “We are currently on an airship, heading towards the third phase. We get a night to rest - and eat, however dinner obviously paled compared to spider-eagle eggs - so I'm going to end here and go! Have fun!”

She hung up and selected another number, this time immediately going for Pestercard, keeping the message short.

“Wow, you dirty, sneaky, filthy liar! Hunter Exam is so boring, you said, no challenges at all, you said, examinees are soooooo weak, you said. Liar! Fool! And a loser! Guess who is having fun and making friends! So much is going on here, I pity you and your exam year,” Choerry poured all dramatism she had in that last phrase, throwing hand over her forehead for complete effect. After a several seconds long pause she broke into giggles. “Have a lot to tell you when we meet next time, so just you wait! Hope you are having fun! See you later!”

Since the third one of her best friends already explicitly told her she was not to be contacted for a while, at all, she left no message. By nature of her job, Kim Lip had periods of time where she went completely silent. She was used to it. In fact, Choerry was the most contact-ready, compared to them, unavailable only in places without coverage or when invited to accompany one of them on serious jobs which was not that often.

With her last call she immediately went to voicemail, since it would be a late night at home, her cousin already sleeping, and, as soon as she heard the prerecorded message, Choerry felt a fond smile growing on her face. 

"Hello, Yerim! I’m currently on an airship, flying towards the next stage of the exam. I already passed two stages! The first one had a lot of running, hours and hours of running. For a while it was just the tunnel, then stairs, can you imagine running half an hour on stairs? Yerim, who even needs such long stairs?!" Choerry unconsciously started gesturing at this point. "Then we had a fifteen-minute pause. Then more running! This time through a swamp. Speaking of, I also have new friends! They are mostly my age too and very friendly! You would love them! I will be sure to bring them home at some point!.. A lot of other examinees are strange though." The girl briefly frowned, but began smiling again almost instantly. "The second stage was cooking! We had to catch a pig and cook it adequately for a gourmet to accept. I thought it was easy until some idiot applicants angered one of the examiners by dismissing their occupation. And then they roasted their pigs whole, Yerim! It looked unappetizing! And presented them to a gourmet! A true disaster!" She turned her back to the window, leaning against the windowsill, and eyed her shoes and feet that she just cleaned from dried mud. "So, in general, I’m having a lot of fun and generally out of the harm’s way. I will go rest now. Hope you are doing well, too! Hear from you soon! Bye!"

Her first conscious thought as she was being shaken awake, was that her body was murdering her. Had she ever felt so thoroughly pushed through a meat grinder? No, definitely no. Unless this was the case with brain blocking especially painful experiences, in which case she did not want to know.

It was an experience beyond her soreness. Before HeeJin knew what was going on, her sable was halfway unsheathed and she was hissing from pain in Choerry’s face. That was when she caught up with the message her muscles sent and also realized she was nudged awake by her friend, not somebody else.

The girl was not offended at that, thankfully, and held out an unscrewed bottle of water, instead of asking anything. At that moment HeeJin understood that she was blessed by befriending a literal angel.

Miracle of her being able to get anywhere on her own merit was also called Choerry. She silently watched as HeeJin slowly stood, holding onto the wall for her life, before hurrying out the man who had the privilege of occupying the bed that night since he arrived at the room first (throwing out, her subconscious corrected - when man smirked in refusal, the girl carried him bridal-stile to the door and threw him there, a scene so weird, HeeJin wasn’t sure she hadn’t dreamed it up). She wasn’t clear, why, but then Choerry swept her off her feet, carried her to the bed and gave her the fastest and most brutal massage session she ever experienced. Choerry was good, don’t get her wrong, HeeJin was just unprepared for the assault on her tense muscles.

A unique morning for sure.

Feeling almost human, she visited showers which she was too exhausted for the previous day. She wasn’t the only one there, the other being a woman she was pretty sure she remembered carrying a sniper rifle, and HeeJin hadn’t looked up once when she couldn’t inconspicuously face the other way from her. She removed her lenses and mascara off of her moles before the shower, leaving her pretty recognizable. HeeJin carefully wasted time, silently beginning the woman to be reasonable about time left before landing and leave first. Luckily, she did. 

HeeJin was hastily towel-drying her hair as she was jumping into her spare clothes, when an announcement was made about a slight delay for an hour or so, causing her inwardly howl in joy.

Humming from boosted mood, shifting her previous outfit from washing machine into drying one, hoping that it would be ready by the time they got to the next phase and she wouldn’t have to put it in her backpack while still damp.

At breakfast she sat to the other girls, feeling as best as she could in these circumstances. As they were expected to already reach their destination, the majority of the people already finished their meals and left, leaving the room not as crowded as it must have been. The international channel turned on at the dining hall was of little interest to her, disasters and thievery not something she looked into (and even so, there were better sources for news than, well, news, that one she learned young), allowing her to focus on an unhurried conversation as she ate. 

Chuu and Choerry were already done with their food when they reached the most predictable topic.

“So, why are you taking the Exam?” addressed Choerry them brightly. “I already can guess Chuu’s reasoning, but what about you two?”

She could? Ah, right, they got to talk when she crashed. She slowly stirred sugar in her tea. What was a most positive way to frame her reasoning?..

The table lapsed into silence.

“Okay, got it, too personal,” said Choerry in the same upbeat manner. “So what do you think of our examiners?”

HeeJin quickly shook her head. “No, no! I mean, yes, but, I was just choosing the phrasing, just give me a second...” she clasped her hands in front of her, staring at her fiddling thumbs. Truth or omission, truth or omission?..

HyunJin looked up from her second serving of omelette with personalized toppings. “I want access to information only Hunters get,” she said.

“Just information?” raised her eyebrows Choerry. “Not benefits or opportunities?”

“No. I am looking for an answer… There was an unnatural event near my town and I want to know what happened there,” said HyunJin, gathering the last bits of her breakfast.

“How unnatural?” asked Chuu.

HyunJin chewed, looking at her spoon with half-lidded eyes, before putting cutlery away with a finality. “Supernatural.”

Choerry hummed. “Then it is a great position to look for the explanation.” 

HyunJin nodded sagely, biting off half of the bun.

Well, if they weren't the prying type… “I need a document.”

Three pairs of eyes stared at her unreadably.

“An identification, recognizable as official around the world,” she hurriedly added, her fingers fidgeting under the table. Should have she said it was for legal protection? Or else, lied completely?

Something flashed in Choerry’s eyes and she lifted her chin in understanding. “How many fields have you filled on an application form?”

HeeJin's jaw went slack for a moment before tensing til her teeth hurt. Was she too conspicuous?

Before she could form an answer, Choerry closed her eyes, raising both open palms, nodding regally. “I have no idea of the specifics, but you’re fine. You are well-behaved and clearly indulged, but that’s not too noticeable,” she waved her hand pacifyingly.

HeeJin did not feel like she was fine, she felt like she should shave off her hair after the exam, instead of just shortening it. Should she pretend to be a boy for a while? Her voice was sufficiently deep, that might work if she didn't talk much…

More importantly, had she made a mistake not having a full disguise for the exam?!

“You are really pretty, but not memorable enough, relax,” said Chuu, as if reading her thoughts, probably seeing the building panic on her face. She smiled reassuringly, pushing HeeJin’s cup of tea closer to her before turning to Choerry, switching the topic. “And what is your guess about me?”

“Benefits,” stated Choerry as HeeJin clasped the cup for stability. “You could’ve gotten information from your friends that already passed. And you told me you weren’t after the Hunter lifestyle.” 

Chuu leaned back on one arm, thoughtfully eyeing Choerry. “You aren’t against that? I will be using my Hunter title for whatever I fancy at the moment.”

“No,” Choerry gave her thumbs up. “I do not care what you do with your license. Being Hunter is different from getting a license. You aren’t a Hunter just because you got a piece of plastic, there is more to it. You can do whatever you want with the benefits!”

Chuu slowly nodded, seemingly deep in thought.

“And you?” HeeJin turned to Choerry, shifting conversation to the only unknown.

Choerry smiled so brightly, HeeJin’s worries almost completely evaporated. Almost.

After more than an hour later, in which she even got to make a full set of her stretches, getting a chance to show off her split done with one leg on the backpack for extra angle, they finally saw their destination in the distance. When HeeJin looked in the window, she was clearheaded enough to come to two conclusions.

First, that tower was incredibly tall, the top of it lost in the low clouds.

Second, that came as a startling realization after the first one, amplifying it, - it was wide.

To land on top of, the dirigible steered upward and HeeJin watched in anticipation as the tower grew and grew, approaching. 

She was still a bit dazed by the fact that she was stepping on a real-life Babylonian tower, when she got out of an airship. By Choerry’s estimation (HeeJin's distance guessing was spotty at best), it was almost two kilometers in diameter and, after hearing that, she decided not to think about its height.

It was cold, but not as windy as she feared. The tower was built out of large concrete slabs, both the platform and its completely vertical, cylinder-shaped base. 

When all of them got out and initial rhetorical murmurs died down, Beans cleared his throat.

“We are at the top of Trick Tower. This is where you enter the third phase. As for the test itself, the examiners have informed me that you have seventy-two hours to reach its base alive.”

Seemed… reasonable, unless they expected them to climb on the outer walls. She hoped that was not the case as she watched nearby clouds.

The dirigible rose into the air and the loudspeaker turned on, loud enough to be heard through rotary wings and barely working, at that moment, turbines.

“Begin your descents! Good luck to all of you!” 

Slowly, the crowd started ambling in different ways, the forty-six of them soon to be barely seen on the expanse of this platform. HeeJin did a quick head count, as they walked away. Frowned, stopping. Counted again.

“Something happened?” asked HyunJin, Chuu and Choerry hopping in a different direction, almost racing to the edge.

“There were forty-six examinees passing the second phase, weren’t there?” No, she was right the first time. Weird.

“Yes,” HyunJin cocked her head in confusion, also looking at the wandering applicants.

“There are only forty-four now,” slowly said HeeJin. “I did count us.” HyunJin blinked in puzzlement and her eyes began jumping from person to person, checking for herself. “We lost two people somewhere.”

“Huh. Weird,” seconded her thoughts HyunJin.

Silence wrapped them again. They slowly walked towards the edge of the tower, more to get away from other applicants than to approach it. Time limit was strictly set, examinees having only seventy-two hours, but HeeJin desperately wanted to delay facing the dangers below these slabs, even if just for a few minutes, and HyunJin seemed to be indulging her for a while, until she decided that “enough” was “enough”. 

HyunJin shook off a slightly melancholic mien she had, looking to the edge of the tower and facing her. “Do you think the secret doors are just scattered wherever?”

“Probably,” agreed HeeJin. It was the only logical conclusion of what an entrance looked like - trapdoors, hidden in the smaller rectangular slabs. She turned around and squinted, trying to see what other people were doing, but they were scattered way too far for her to see clearly. “We should search for ours. Unless you want to look off the edge?” she noticed two familiar figures running towards them and waved her arm to show that they were noticed.

“I’ll pass,” said HyunJin. “Don’t trust the possible wind there.”

“Ah,” lowered her arm HeeJin, turning to the girl. “You’re right. I was hesitating since yesterday's ravine - not looking forward to that experience so soon - but you made that fear sound more grounded.”

HyunJin nodded, looking away.

HeeJin tilted her head. For whatever reason, the girl got less spirited as soon as the tower showed over the horizon. HeeJin was in no condition yesterday to keep track of her friends’ moods, but, maybe, the first day of the exam was more taxing for HyunJin than she gave it credit.

Smiling softly, HeeJin gave HyunJin’s hand a quick comforting squeeze, hoping that her eyes conveyed the support and understanding she intended. Her reward was HuynJin’s momentary jolt of surprise and, after a second, a small smile. To her bewilderment, the girl returned the hold for a few moments, before they both parted their hands.

(The fact that amount of comfort she got in last two days was more than what HeeJin received in almost half a year was a depressing thought and it was shoved far away before she could take notice of it)

“Have you looked over the edge?” asked giddily Choerry, barrelling into them. “We are so high!”

“No, we decided that, maybe, another time,” said HeeJin, catching Choerry by elbows, steadying her. “You?” she asked, knowing the obvious answer.

“We did!” replied Chuu, coming to a stop on her own, before Choerry could open her mouth. “It is amazing! The walls are so even, you see them gradually melting in one another in the perspective. It is also possible to climb it down, there are enough handholds for a skilled climber,” HyunJin inhaled in exasperation on her right, “but probably shouldn’t be done - some gigantic ugly creatures are flying close-”

“-And we both think that they are a safeguard against that,” finished for her Choerry. “So how is a secret door hunt going?”

“Not great,” said HeeJin, scratching her head. Huh, her hair was still a little bit damp, she should get her beanie off. “We were kinda lost in thought for a while and didn’t look for it.”

“Neither did we,” shrugged Choerry. “Shall we, then?”

They found the first door soon enough, but Chuu, who found it, opted to help others to find theirs instead of going down. Now that they knew what size of slabs they were looking for, the rest of the search was finished in under ten minutes.

“We probably won’t see each other for some time,” stated Choerry looking at her door, as they gathered around it. Each of them picked one and the last one automatically went to her.

“Most likely,” replied HyunJin, smiling. “Good luck, everyone.”

“See you at the bottom,” said HeeJin, feeling nervous at the prospect of having to do this all by herself. Breathe in, breath out. If she couldn’t theoretically do it, she would’ve failed long ago. She can do it.

“I’ll do a countdown!” nodded Chuu, hopping to her door, the furthest one.

HeeJin returned to hers and stood in front of it. For the first time since the beginning, she would be as alone as possible. Gratitude she felt for the support and help she got from the girls was difficult to put into words, but it was time for her to do her best. By herself.

Chuu threw her arm up into the air, three fingers outstretched. With a small wave, she held it up again, two. One. Chuu raised fist and swung it down.

They stepped forward.

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#hxh x loona #hxh #loona #loona au #loona fanfiction #wabrw #chapter