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mouse-of-dimitrescu · 5 months

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The Incontinent ( NSFW )𓆙

Lucifer Morningstar X Fem Reader

The events of an evening where Lucifer's disappointment leads to a great fall.

WARNINGS: blasphemy, cunnilingus, fingering, a tiny bit of abuse, Dante's concepts. Wings?

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Lucifer had you in a chokehold ... literally. They had you pushed against the wall, face-level with them. Your legs dangled down and you felt their arm wrap around your waist to provide you a small amount of breathing support. As Lucifer's devoted assistant, you had benefits: sleeping in reasonably good quarters, avoiding the havoc in the other circles of hell, eating better food, and of course... The Devil's Playtime. Normally, you would arrive in Lucifer's chambers in the evening and pleasure them until they gave the signal for you to stop. However, on this fine evening, Lucifer was angry and disappointed with you. Earlier that day, you had completely forgotten about attending a demon battle with the Lightbringer and Mazikeen for you were occupied with Azazel's stupidity with which Lucifer obliviously had the pleasure of missing.

" Your majesty, please." You gasped, clinging to Lucifer's arm for dear life. Your face was red and evudent veins appeared on your forehead.

" What business did Azazel want?" Lucifer seethed, their face was very close to yours and you were forced to look into those cold sapphire eyes that you had come to adore.

" H-he wan-wanted to t-talk about...D-Dream." you tried to explain through interrupted breaths.

Lucifer let out a fustrated huff and threw you to the floor in one swift notion with perfect nonchalance. You landed with a painful thud and immediately gasped for air, holding your abused throat.

" What about Morpheus?" Lucifer rushed their words at you.

" His...future associations with Hell." You breathed out.

" The combination of the realms." Lucifer concluded, calming down slightly, you nodded slightly and weakly stood up.

Lucifer looked at you for a moment as you scrambled to your feet, letting out a sigh of annoyance.

" If you ever miss a scheduled event again, I will make sure that Minos sends you to the seventh circle of Hell, do you understand me?"

" Yes, your majesty." You nodded and bowed your head in defeat.

Lucifer hummed in approval and walked over to you, towering over your shorter frame. Their wings fluttered behind them and they grabbed your chin, lifting your head up to meet their cold gaze.

" You are a faithful servant. Always have been. It would be a shame to put all of your efforts and abilities to waste. Prove that you are still worthy to serve me." Lucifer's voice was dark and hollow, an empty mansion of uncured praises.

" Yes, your majesty."

Lucifer hummed again and in a harsh manner, let go of your chin, their finger nail slightly scratching your face.

" You know what I enjoy." Lucifer said and gave you the signal to undress them.

With trembling fingers, you undid the waistband of their red robe and tugged it gently off their shoulders, letting the fabric fall to a pool at their feet. Lucifer watched your every move as they always did but this time, it was slightly more intimidating. As per usual, you felt yourself growing wet, the heat in your lower abdomen ( which you were trying your best to ignore ) seemed to ignite inside of you. The devil set you on fire and showed no mercy. Lucifer lay on the bed, propped up against pillows as they spread their longs legs.

" Take your clothes off. " Lucifer instructed.

You slightly choked on air. The Lightbringer had never asked you to do this before but you obliged and self consciously followed their orders, searching their eyes for any sign of emotion. Lucifer's pupils dilated when they saw your naked body and they sat up, reaching for you. Their slender hands wrapped around your waist and pulled you close to them so you straddled their lap.

" Your majesty, I—"

Lucifer shushed you with a kiss and you couldn't help but smile into it. You let your arm wrap around their back, the other hand getting entangled in their soft hair, pulling them closer to you. You didn't know where you found the courage or the audacity but the Lightbringer failed to complain. Only when they pulled away and looked deeply into your eyes did you feel embarrassingly perceived.

" H'm, my little demon seemed to be desperate for that." Lucifer chuckled slightly. Their cold, melodious voice sent shivers down your spine and your cheeks blushed painfully. Lucifer smirked, their wings fluttering slightly behind them as they took in the humiliating view. Yes, you were desperate for anything they would give you, and now the devil saw how much they were worshipped. By the fluttering of those gorgeous wings, you knew what they wanted and immediately went down between their legs, placing your hands on their thighs and spreading them slightly more.

Lucifer reclined back and let out a satisfied hum. You felt their hand pull at your hair, guiding you closer to their dripping cunt. Knowing that the Lightbringer was in no state to be teased, you dipped your tongue between their folds and circled their clit, causing your devil to gasp and buck their hips, needing more. You attached your lips to their clit and sucked on the sensitive bud, drawing a small moan from Lucifer. You, like every other evening prior, needed to hear more from them. You rubbed your middle and ring fingers outside their cunt hole, collecting their arousal before slowly entering two fingers inside of them. Lucifer moaned loudly and you looked up at them just in time to see their head fling back with their pretty pink mouth slightly agape as they let out the sweetest moans and whimpers.

" Faster, my demon." Lucifer breathed out, feeling your tongue and fingers working inside of them. You began to pump your fingers in faster motions, using your tongue to stimulate their clit, obeying the Devil's orders.

A few moments later, Lucifer's moans began to get louder, their body writhing more and more underneath your touch. Their breathing was rapid and untame as their hips grinded against your face and fingers, praying for a release. Lucifer's eyes were shut tightly, the wrinkle in their brow was evident and you didn't miss seeing their wings move twitchingly behind them, causing their body to move too. Their nails scratched at your sculp, tugging harshly at your hair while the other hand clutched onto the bedsheets for dear life.

" Mm! Oh! My demon!" Lucifer moaned desperately. You felt their walls clench around your soaked fingers, their body moving wantonly against the silk sheets. Lucifer came with a loud cry, their wings spasmed behind them, their knuckles turning a ghostly white as they clutched onto some form of stability. You began to slow down your pace as you helped Lucifer ride out their high. They eventually gave you a satisfied smile and rested their head back against the headboard, breathing heavily.

You smiled and gently removed your fingers, planning to get up and retrieve a washcloth from the conjoined bathroom like always. Just as you were about to walk away, Lucifer grabbed your wrist and brought you back to them, letting you straddle their lap for the second time that evening.

" Thank you, my little demon. May I return the favour?" They asked in a sweet tone.

Your eyes widened and you blushed but nodded at the same time. Never in your death would you have thought that the Lightbringer would give you any consideration either than making sure that you serve them. You didn't want the night to end. You were afraid to lose this version of the devil that you had accidentally unlocked.

" Words, my demon. Speak for your angel." Lucifer whispered against your lips, holding your face close to theirs by your chin.

You nodded and breathed out. " Yes please, your majesty."

Lucifer smiled in an achieving manner and flipped you swiftly around so that your bare back rested against their exposed chest. They wrapped their ankles around yours and spread your legs open for you. Your hands automatically found their thighs, clutching onto them while breathing heavily. You felt Lucifer run a light finger over your slit, collecting your arousal and chuckling to themself.

" Do you always get this wet?" They asked.

Your face flushed with embarrassment and you knew you couldn't lie so you merely nodded and shut your eyes for a brief moment. Lucifer hummed in approval and attached their lips to your neck, nibbling on the soft skin. They used their middle and index fingers to part your folds, causing you to gasp slightly. Lucifer smiled in satisfaction and circled your clit with their middle finger while coming down to kiss you. You accepted the kiss happily and returned it with equal passion. Lucifer's digits circled your cunt entrance before entering you. The two fingers stretched apart your soaked walls and you gasped, moaning slightly. Your moans grew louder when you felt the Lightbringer's pace pick up. Lucifer wrapped a strong arm around your waist to steady you as your body moved desperately against them, searching for that release that you had long been denied within Hell's circles.

" So pretty, my little demon." Lucifer said softly, wandering their eyes over your body as they pleasured you.

Their newfound praise for you only spurred you on and you found yourself digging your nails into Lucifer's thighs, feeling their muscles under your hands as you moaned loudly. Lucifer's fingers were working magic but when your devil decided to add a third digit, you knew what it was like to fall.

Your mind became dazed, your moans grew louder and your only thoughts were of Lucifer and the pleasure that they were giving you. You felt your walls contract around their ling fingers and the Lightbringer smiled, knowing that you were close.

" Is my little demon going to cum for me?" They cooed.

You nodded desperately and mumbled a series of concurements that would have landed you in the lustful region of Hell if Lucifer allowed. Lucifer nibbled on your neck again, finding your sweet spot that made your cheeks burn even more and intensified your moans into strangled screams.

" Cum for your devil. Fall for me. I'll catch you." Lucifer whispered darkly in your ear.

At that you came, coating Lucifer's fingers with your arousal and bucking your hips wantonly as you reached your climax. After a few moments of writhing and moaning for your Lightbringer, you began to come down from your high. They began to slow down their pace and eventually slip their fingers out of you, causing you to whimper. They chuckled and brought their fingers to their own mouth, sucking on them, tasting you. You were left flabbergasted, their darkened eyes looked directly into yours.

" Did you enjoy that, my demon?" Lucifer asked with a growing smile.

" Yes, your majesty. " You breathed out with a small smile in return.

" Enough of the formalities. In private, you may call me 'Lucifer'". They corrected you, running their clean fingers through your messy hair.

" Thank you, Lucifer." You whispered, letting their sweet name roll off your tongue for the first time since your arrival in Hell.

After a shower, Lucifer lent you one of their silky nighttime robes which you hesitantly put on. It was an odd thing to see Lucifer in a light that, for you, shined brighter than heaven. Lying in their bed, Lucifer held you gently, tracing light lines over your collarbones. Your body suddenly began to feel warm and you looked up, seeing that Lucifer had wrapped their wings around the both of you. You smiled and rested your head back against their chest.

" So you're not sending me to the seventh circle?" You asked quietly, your voice peeking fearfully out of your lips.

" No my little demon. You are remaining here with me and I'll show you all that heaven denies."

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Was that okay? I wrote this at two in the morning, bear with me lols

#gwendoline christie #lucifer #lucifer x female reader #sandman lucifer x female reader #the sandman #gwendolineuniverse #the wings im sorry omg i cannot get enough of the fucking wings

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clepysdra · 1 year

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🦚 Minoan Lily Fit 🦚

This is my first stab at adding clothes to the game. Historical clothes, at that, and totally inspired by the work of @mrsracooney. The lily headdress is based on the crown featured in the Prince of Lilies fresco, excavated from the palace at Knossos, ancient home of the mythical King Minos. Apparently it is contested whether the head even actually belonged to the body of that fresco, as it was reconstructed at a much later date. Headdresses of these sorts are usually depicted on women in ancient Minoan art, so the head may indeed have belonged to a priestess, and the torso to an athlete or a god. Because of this, I have it enabled for both male and female sims. The headdress appears to have an assortment of waz-lily figurines, imbedded with red stones, with three peacock feathers emerging from the central waz-lily on top. You can still find peacocks wandering the grounds of Knossos to this day!

The loincloth is based upon the ones worn by Minoan bull-leapers in frescos (and also the one worn by the Prince of Lilies.) It is fine attire for athletes, priests, princes, and the youth alike. I converted it for female sims as well, as much Minoan art appears to depict women as bull-leapers. Pretty cool!

Minoan Bull-Leaper Loincloth:

Skirt category

Base game compatible

Male and Female Version

6 swatches

Disallowed for random

Minoan Lily Crown:

Hat category

Base game compatible

Male and female compatible

6 swatches

Disallowed for random

MALE BOTTOMS DOWNLOAD - Dropbox (no ads)

FEMALE BOTTOMS DOWNLOAD - Dropbox (no ads)

HAT DOWNLOAD - Dropbox (no ads)

MERGED DOWNLOAD - Dropbox (no ads)

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bey0nd-1he-stars · 2 months

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You owe me at least three days of rest in the infirmary - Solangelo

Masterlists

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Pairing: Nico di Angelo x Will Solace

Warnings: nightmares, think that's it

Word count: 1233

Summary: The three says in the infirmary with some change.

SEVEN | NICO

- I like being alone

but I hate being lonely -

Nico woke up in the infirmary in the worst way possible. The 4 hours of sleep he'd gotten had been filled with nightmares and flashbacks of the worst parts of his life. The walls of Tartarus and all of the things that had bruised him down there, both physically and mentally. The claustrophobic walls of being locked up in the jar, Persephone turning him into a dandelion. The last memory of Bianca flashing in front of his eyes, Percy coming back with the statue of Hades, telling him how his sister was gone. The soft eyes of Maria di Angelo looking down at him as they walked through Venice. Camping with Minos along the river Styx and Cupid manipulating him in his cave with Jason. He still hadn't told anyone about that. Jason and himself were the only ones who knew what really happened there.

With gasp Nico sat up straight in the hospital bed. Cold sweat was running down his face and his hair was damp and messy. A few tears ran down his cheeks and he furiously whipped them away with the back of his hand. His breathing was uneven and his throat felt sore. A gentle hand on his shoulder made him jump and Will immediately took it away, looking a bit offended. He offered Nico a glass water which he gladly took and gulped down the cold, calming liquid. Definitely better than liquid fire from the River Phlegethon. He mumbled a weak 'thank you' as Will softly took the empty glass from Nico's hand. The soft thud from the glass made him jump again. Everything felt off. Nico was more tense than usual and he was easily frightened which he definitely usually wasn't.

"You okay, Nico?" Will asked and squatted down beside the bed, resting his arms on top of the mattress. Will's eyes were worried when they met Nico's and judging by the worry in his voice and the wrinkles between his furrowed eyebrows the son of Apollo was very worried.

"I'm fine, Will," Nico snapped at him and turned away. The dark hair hiding his glossy eyes.

"I can see that you're not. You can talk to me, Nico," Will said softly, reaching out to push away the dark hair from Nico's face but he moved out of the way. Will let his hand fall and Nico could sense the disappointment and worry in the air.

"Please... Just, just leave me alone," he stuttered and turned away from Will. He was still wearing Will's too big clothes but Nico didn't have much of a choice. They were comforting and still reminding him that Will wanted to help even if Nico wouldn't let him. The soft material smelled sunshine just like Will and as Nico breathed in the sent he calmed down. The thought of Will's sent calming him down irritated him but couldn't help but feeling a bit graceful for his kind gestures.

"Okay... Tell me if you need anything," Will answered quietly and then he stood up from the floor and walked over to his desk again, leaving Nico to himself. Nico looked up, shocked that he'd done as he asked. Will was stubborn and Nico was shocked that he'd left without so much of one single argument. He shook it off. Nico reached for the glass again only to realize it was already empty. His head was full of things and it made him lose concentration on every little thing and that annoyed him. He was always on point, ready for everything and anything. Now he couldn't even remember how he'd swept down his water just minutes earlier. Nico placed the glass on the table again and when he looked over he saw the drawing of Bianca lying there. Will had given it to him at 5 am and it was the most beautiful drawing Nico's ever seen.

He was thankful for it and would probably even ask Annabeth for a frame for it later, when he got out of here. This was his last day and Will had promised to let him go in the afternoon at 6 pm. Now the clock was standing at almost 9 am so he still had a few hours left here.

"You want anything to eat, di Angelo?" Will asked. He was standing in the door, resting against the doorframe. The sun shone behind him, making him look like he was glowing himself. Nico couldn't say something, his eyes stuck on the son of Apollo. He managed to look away and a faint blush came to his cheeks.

"It would be nice with some fruit or pasta," he mumbled. Will nodded and walked out, leaving Nico alone in the infirmary. The silence gave him time to think clearly again. He'd pushed Will away again. The trust, friendliness and care was okay but when things like this happened, when his past haunted him in his dreams. He couldn't lean on Will with all that. He'd gone through Tartarus alone; he could manage through this alone too.

The sound of the door opening made him cut his thought and meet the gaze of Will Solace. He had brought a plate of pasta and a bowl of fruit to the infirmary. Nico smiled softly. Will placed it all on a small table and placed it beside Nico's bed. Out of habit, Nico jumped back a little to make place for Will on his bed. They'd eaten every meal like this, in Nico's bed facing each other. And Nico enjoyed it. Having this little thing with Will they always seemed to do. Will looked shocked at the gesture though. Nico had pushed him away, not even meeting his eyes honestly. Now he wanted Will to accompany him while they ate. But he still smiled at the gesture and placed himself on the end of Nico's bed.

"Sorry," Nico started and looked down. "I didn't mean to push you away but... it seemed easier that way. To not let you in and have you deal with all the stuff that runs my mind. It's not very pretty, if I do say so."

Will softened and reached out to take Nico's hand in his and this time he didn't pull away. He didn't know why but it felt right.

"It's okay Nico, I understand, I get it. But I want to help you. I want you to know that I'm here for you. No matter what it's about, I'm here. You can talk to me or not talk to me, that's up to you. But I'm here," the blond boy smiled softly and Nico felt a bit more at ease in his chest. The anxiety from his dreams was still there but it seemed to lighten up at Will's words. Once again he had to thank the boy in front of him. He pulled a hand through his dark curls.

"Thank you, Will," Nico pulled his hand from Will's but kept a small smile on his lips. He reached for the pasta Will had brought him and stuck a fork in it. Will shook his head at Nico but smiled with him. The tension in the room eased and Nico seemed quite happy with himself. Another thing to thank Will for, he thought and put the pasta in his mouth with a smile.

#will solace x nico di angelo #nico di angelo x will solace #nico di angelo imagine #nico di angelo x reader #william solace #will solace x reader #will solace #the sun and the star #percy jackson #riordanverse #solangelo fanfiction #solangelo

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ratwithhands · 4 months

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Made these designs very late at night, but I figured I'd try designing the clan leaders as Sapioflores.

Adaman is based on the Japanese iris (Iris laevigata), since it's a flower that grows in water/wet soil and the Diamond Clan lives in a marsh. The ornament he wears on his face is not only a traditional accessory (for Sapioflores), it also acts as a glorified hairclip to hold his long face leaves together. He wears a tasuki if he isn't wearing his coat both so he can get more sunlight and also to hold his sleeves out of the way when working. Speaking of, similar to Ingo, he prefers thick dark clothes to retain heat/moisture (and to mimic the muddy water he spends much of his time in).

Irida is based on the winter peony (Kan-botan), since it blooms in freezing cold winters like the Pearl Clan would see in the icelands. Her face ornament was originally a larger set of accessories, but the stones were removed and put together into one piece instead. The mino and hat she wears are based on the straw tents used to protect winter peonies from snow. Since it's the snow and ice bothering her rather than the temperature, she still dresses pretty light underneath. Her obi is tied to have multiple bows on either side, as a way to mimic the appearance of the actual peony (like a sort of way to say she's constantly in bloom/at her best). Her clothes are cropped at the sleeves and bottom to leave more access for light.

uhhhh other design notes:

I was trying to figure out how to get Adaman's hair to be more blue because without any colour it looks like the left image and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. The current running joke with the writing team is that he drinks dyed water/dyes his hair to be prettier/cooler. Anyways dyed water looks like the right image

The cover on Irida felt like armour when I was sketching it and honestly I kinda want to see her beat someone into the ground with it on (particularly cause while I was trying to look up Kan-botan, I stumbled on Hanakotoba and peonies are supposed to represent bravery according to that)

I ditched Irida's bracelets and anklet in favour of the ornament sorry. They felt a bit clunky and I couldn't figure out how to reasonably fit them on the design so for now they're just not present. If I make a proper battle outfit for her then I might bring them back as limb guards

Adaman is probably soggy a lot of the time since he'll just go chill in the water. Likely just quickly scrubs off any major clumps of silt/mud and heads out if someone calls him during swamp time

Fun fact Volo was gonna be in this design set but I'm too tired. He's likely going to be white spider lily (Lycoris albiflora) mostly because of the whole "death to the universe" plot and also cause he's allies with Giratina. He's probably not gonna be too interesting anyways so it's fine.

Hope you like the art, let me know if you have any thoughts. Have a good night and see you guys later.

#pokemon legends arceus #clan leader adaman #pokemon adaman #diamond clan #clan leader irida #pokemon irida #pearl clan #pokemon au #au #fanart #digital art #Adaman probably used to blow his leaves out of the way when he was younger since he didn't have them clipped #and you're not supposed to cut them‚ but his leaves are long as fuck so it's like having foot long bangs #finally being allowed to wear the ornament was probably a massive relief for him #Also Irida probably sleeps in the snow/outside in the cold #I haven't fully outlined/posted how Sapioflores do daily activities but she seems like she'd be chill with it #anyways that's as much as I can write with what energy I have left #have a good night :)

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houseoflibra · 2 months

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Saint Seiya: Dark Wing Chapter 31: The Surplice's Memories

Page 1

Eulalia: - Scarlet Needle Antares Kick!!

Page 2

Page 3

Minos: - Ghwah!!

Page 4

Minos: - (What…?) - (My consciousness…) - (…as Minos, the Celestial Noble Star Gryphon…) - (My soul is becoming unstable…?!)

Page 5

Page 6

Minos: - (At this rate,) - (it won't be just my cosmo that will disappear. My soul will too…!) - Damn you… damn you!!

Page 7

Minos: - (No!) - (I refuse to accept it!)

Eulalia: - (Is that…) - (…the Gryphon Surplice?)

Page 8

Eulalia: - What an ominous cosmo…!

Minos: - My cosmo as a specter… I can still fight, - even if all I have left is my soul! - Yes, I have the perfect solution… - I captured Pandora and Necromancer before coming here.

Page 9

Minos: - I will be fine if I take their cosmo!

Pages 10 + 11

Eulalia: - No, wait!!

Minos: - Hahahah! Yes! - Those two are indeed ready, - just waiting for me, aren't they?

Page 12

Minos: - (Oh, Lady Pandora!) - (And you, Necromancer!)

Page 13

Minos: - (Give me your cosmo!!)

Yoruhime: - Celestial Noble Star Gryphon, - so you were shamefully defeated by the Scorpio Gold Saint, weren't you?

Page 14

Minos: - Defeated?! - If I will take your cosmo and go back to that vessel, this time I won't!

Yoruhime: - This time…?

Page 15

Minos: - Whaaa?!

Charlotte: - (Sigh…) - As warriors of the gods, - our strong beliefs and loyalty afford us great cosmo.

Page 16

Charlotte: - You were defeated by a Saint, - reduced to a mere soul, - and fled so shamelessly that you possessed that surplice. - Is that really what one of the Three Judges, close aids to Lord Hades, is supposed to look like?

Minos: - Damn you… - You lowly Necromancer - dare to address me, your superior, in such a manner?!

Charlotte: - Mort Resurrection!!

Page 17

Page 18

Minos: - What?! You were able to clear my cosmo threads - with a cosmo like yours?!

Charlotte: - You are currently nothing more than an ancient soul possessing a surplice... - You are like a vengeful spirit who possesses nothing - of the noble will of the Gryphon or any loyalty to Lord Hades!

Page 19

Charlotte: - You are not my enemy!!

Minos: - Grrr!!

Yoruhime: - You miserable soul, - risen in a twisted resurrection by an abhorrent power!

Page 20

Yoruhime: - By my hand, - may you rest in peace - once more.

Page 21

Minos: - This cosmo… - Is it soothing me and showing me compassion?…

Page 22

Yoruhime: - You will eventually be awakened again by a strong will. - Until then, - slumber peacefully among dreams of the night.

Minos: - (This cosmo feels like) - (a quiet and gentle night…)

Page 23

Minos: - (Forgive me… Lady Pandora.) - (I will go back to sleep now.)

Page 24

Charlotte: - In the end, he had a gentle cosmo, didn't he?

Yoruhime: - It appears that this surplice was used - to summon the most violent and cruel memories of the Celestial Noble Star Gryphon.

Charlotte: - The surplice… - …has memories?

Page 25

Yoruhime: - Perhaps surplices and cloths alike - harbor the memories and souls of those who wear them? - Maybe… - they can even transcend space-time or dimensions.

Charlotte: - Yeah… - maybe.

Yoruhime: - But it's still too early to relax, - Charlie.

Page 26

Yoruhime: - The cosmo barrier around the school is getting stronger.

Charlotte: - Huh?! - Then that means... - ...the Gryphon wasn't behind these incidents after all…

Yoruhime: - *nod*

?: - Well done, well done!

Page 27

Seirim: - Pandora, I didn't expect you to have - a cosmo technique like that!

Yoruhime: - So you're the one who used the Gryphon's surplice - to cause these incidents?

Seirim: - Yup! - (That was me!)

Page 28

Seirim: - I am a Clown of Lord Demiurgos, - one of the Four Horsemen, the "King of Diamonds", Seirim. - I am the one who was entrusted with conducting this "story", - the "Witch".

Page 29

Yoruhime: - (She called herself a Clown of Demiurgos…) - (They're completely unknown to specters and saints alike.) - (They're a formidable enemy…!)

Charlotte: - If I defeat you, - this barrier will be lifted, right?

Page 30

Seirim: - Ohh! - Despite appearances, you're unexpectedly aggressive, huh? - *giggle giggle* - Ok, sure! - I'll let you fight me, - little Charlotte!

Page 31

Yoruhime: - (Charlie hasn't been awake for very long,) - (and her cosmo was also considerably depleted breaking free of Gryphon's threads…) - (Shoichiro and the others aren't responding either.) - (Something must have happened to them.)

Page 32

Yoruhime: - (Harpy was supposed to lead the battle but she's out too.)

Zhu: - Yaaah!! - Jeez! - It's still standing?!

Yoruhime: - (And Sphinx) - (is also being kept out by the barrier.) - (The female Gold Saint was fighting against Gryphon…)

Page 33

Yoruhime: - (As for the other Gold Saint,) - (we should assume that he was also dealt with somehow.) - (And this was all…) - (…this Witch's doing!)

Page 34

Seirim: - *giggle giggle*

To be continued…

#saint seiya #dark wing #saint seiya dark wing #scripts

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offsidekineticist · 2 months

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I (finally!) finished my first OC Kiss Week fic! A little familial bonding between Theoven and @silversiren1101's wonderful OC Minovae for the prompt "Lost."

CW: Grief-driven depressive episode, implied child death, referenced chronic pain, reference to an angry outburst resulting in violence against furniture

You were not expecting visitors, so it takes you a moment to get to the door. The second it swings open, you are blinded with an explosion of sunlight shining past the silhouette in the door. Wincing, you raise an aching hand to block the sunlight from your eyes, but it’s no good. Even if you weren’t blinded by the flaming ball of gas in the sky, you haven’t been able to find your glasses since you threw them at the wall in frustration about ten minutes ago.

“Agh–damn. Sorry. I left my glasses inside–who is this?” you ask.

“It’s Minovae,” the figure replies, and you’re at once confused, concerned, and horrified. Confused, because ever since you reconnected with your brother, Gilly has been adamant that he not be allowed to know where you live, lest he and his wife tell the Order of the Rack where you are. You pushed back by pointing out–several times–that the Rack could probably find you on their own, given that you live in the apartment above Gilly’s alchemy shop; his name is literally written on the side of the building. Nevertheless, Gilly was insistent, and everyone involved thought it better to humor him than waste time arguing. For Minovae to be here, either he finally caved or–and this is the source of your concern–something has gone very, very wrong.

On the other hand, you are horrified because you stayed home for a reason! You are not in any state to be seen today, especially not by Regill or his wife. Your hair is unwashed and clumped together from greasiness; you haven’t shaved in days; you probably smell awful; and you don’t even have the energy to bother with proper facial expressions. You’ve been absolutely miserable to be around the past few days, constantly holding yourself back from snapping at people, including the kids (thankfully you haven’t slipped–yet), and so you chose to spare everyone that experience. Let Gilly take the children to a picnic with Aunt Mino and Uncle Regill. Give your family a break from walking on eggshells around you. Nobody was supposed to come to your house in the middle of your temper tantrum.

“Is everything alright?” you ask.

“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. Giliys just found these in his pocket and thought you’d need them. I volunteered to bring them so he wouldn’t have to cut the outing short.”

‘These’ were a pair of black fingerless gloves she was holding out close enough for you to see. The very gloves you’ve been raging about not being able to find. You remember now–Gilly had dragged you out of the apartment for a walk a few hours before the heatwave finally broke, so it felt too hot to keep the gloves on. The children had taken your bag at the time, and your usual clothes don’t have pockets, so you gave the gloves to Gilly for safekeeping.

It would have been nice of him to remember that before he–

You cut off the thought. You’re being unfair again. It was an honest mistake, one that he immediately took steps to rectify. You would have preferred Minovae not see you in this state, but you know Gilly doesn’t trust her or Regill enough to leave the children alone with them, and you’d rather suffer a little embarrassment than cut short the children’s fun.

(Though you’re not sure that leaving Regill and Gilly together unsupervised was a good idea. Hopefully Harper will be able to keep them in line–your daughter has them both wrapped around her finger)

You reach out with a shaky hand and take the gloves. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. I won’t keep you any longer, then. I’m sure you’re eager to return to the picnic.” You begin to close the door, but Minovae’s arm shoots forward and holds it open.

“Actually, it was a pretty long walk here from Kite Hill. No shade the whole way, and I forgot to grab a waterskin. Could I come in and sit down for a second? Maybe get a drink of water?”

She expects you to believe that she’s tired and thirsty after walking–without armor–for less than two miles in pleasantly warm weather. You want to slam the door on her arm for her obvious excuse to stay here any longer, but that would be rude. You step back into the apartment and gesture for her to enter. You almost close the door on her tail because you can’t see it without your glasses, but it (thankfully) springs forward at the last second and (less thankfully) almost slaps you in the face. It takes your eyes a moment to readjust to the darkness in the apartment–you’ve closed the curtains trying to reproduce the heat of the last week to stop your hands from aching–but your heart sinks when they do. This floor of the apartment is a single room, with a kitchen and dining area in the half nearest the door and a den area in the other half. Minovae is staring at what used to be the den. You can’t see it very well, of course, but you don’t need to be able to see it to know what she’s looking a: chairs overturned, books strewn across the floor, a bookshelf on its side, broken glass scattered by a pile of copper pieces, toy blocks spread across the floor. You know it’s all there without having to see it because you’re the person who made it like that.

“Oh. Yes.” You pause as you consider how to explain, and settle for understatement. “I was a bit overzealous while looking for my gloves. I was going to clean that up before anyone came home, but…” you gesture towards her. “Anyway, you wanted water.”

“Ah, yes, that would be lovely. Is it alright if I sit here?” You think she’s pointing at the dinner table, but she could be pointing at the bookshelf you knocked over. You don’t care which it is.

“Oh, that’s fine,” you say, moving towards the sink and taking a glass from the counter to fill it. When you turn around, a full glass in your aching hand, Minovae–or at least a large blob you assume is Minovae–is, indeed, sitting at the kitchen table. It’s a comical sight once you come closer. You have furnished your apartment with furniture made for smallfolk, so she is sitting in a chair too small for her, her knees poking above the top of the table. “Here you are,” you say, sliding the glass towards her before retreating to the wall opposite her.

“Thank you,” she says, taking the glass and taking a long sip. “Oh, that’s nice after a long walk.”

You stare at her flatly. You’re fairly sure she invited herself in because she found your appearance concerning. Now that she’s probably even more concerned, you’re morbidly curious as to what excuse she’ll make for why she still can’t leave.

“So, you did all that just since Giliys left with the kids?” Minovae asks, gesturing towards the den.

Ah, so she’s dispensing with subtlety entirely. Then you can do so, as well. “Despite my appearance, I am not so senile as to need a minder. You should go back to enjoying the day with your family.”

“You’re my family, too. And…” she hesitates “...I’m worried about you.”

“Because my face is blank,” you say. There are other reasons, you’re sure–your appearance, the den, your missing glasses, your absence from the picnic–but you’re not willing to discuss any of them, so you ignore them. “Believe it or not, this is my natural level of expression. After the bleaching, my emotions became…muted, but also disconnected. My face doesn’t naturally express much emotion. People find that unsettling, of course, so I learned to put on a face for them. Best not lend any credence to the idea I didn’t have emotions anymore.”

“Don’t tell me people believe that nonsense!” she exclaims in disbelief.

“One of my childhood best friends became completely hostile towards me because she believed it. Tried to get me fired several times. Even tried to steal Qweck away from me once,” you say, and while she does a good job of keeping it from her face, the way her tail is squirming in agitation tells you she’s furious on your behalf.

“So you learned to put on an act for them, because otherwise they would treat you like a pariah,” Minovae says, and you think you hear a note of bitter sympathy as she does.

“It’s not exactly an act–I think of it more like speaking a foreign language. My thoughts are in my native tongue, but my native tongue won’t be understood. So instead I speak as the locals do. Through facial expressions.” You briefly put on a wry, if somewhat melancholic, smile before again dropping the mask. “I just don’t have the energy today, I’m afraid. The change in the weather aggravated my hands. Better I stay home and rest for the day.”

“It’s not just today, though, is it?” she asks with a gentleness that feels patronizing. “You’ve been feeling…off…for awhile. Mayhew let me look at his sketchbook. And I accidentally saw–”

“His artistic impression of his father moping at the kitchen table,” you say, and you are glad she can’t see how exposed you feel by that.

Mayhew’s style is unusual, especially for a child of his mental age. He senses people’s emotions as naturally as you hear sounds, and that colors the way he sees the world to such an extent that “realism” to him means conveying feelings even at the expense of physical form. He usually does this through his use of color, choosing colors based on the mood. Mayhew’s most recent portrait of you, however, was more than just a recolored portrait. He drew your face, shattered and distorted like a broken mirror, against a dark red background, with black seeping through the cracks in your face like some kind of anti-light.

“He said that he made it to show you that your feelings are lying to you,” she continues.

“Did he now?”

Of course he did. Mayhew is a child–your child–and he’s idolized you since the day you met. Gilly calls him Junie–short for Theo, Jr–and it’s not just because of the resemblances in your coloration and mannerisms. Mayhew thinks the world of you, dreams of being like you, and this is the time of year when you remember just how unworthy you are of his esteem. Of course he thinks your feelings are lying.

You hadn’t realized that was what he was trying to show you, though. It felt like a very correct portrait to you, so you had assumed he finally saw through you.

“He’s worried about you,” Minovae says. You lean back against the wall with a soft sigh through your nose.

“I know. I know he is.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“Well, stop that,” you say, almost immediately kicking yourself for it. She isn’t used to deadpan Theoven. “That was a joke,” you clarify.

“I’m serious. You don’t seem alright.”

You close your eyes, bracing yourself. Clearly, she isn’t going to leave until you've given her some kind of explanation. You choose your words carefully before you open your eyes and speak. “It’s nothing permanent. It’s just a few bad days–entirely expected. It should subside sometime next week. Anniversaries of mistakes prompt reflection. And reflection is not always a nice experience.” You force a friendly smile to cap off the reassurance. “But I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.”

“I want you to be alright.”

“My dear, you are several years too late for that.” You can’t see her expression from where you’re standing, but the lack of reaction tells you the joke fell flat. “That was also a joke,” you clarify.

“One that you believe.”

“Of course. Those are the best kinds of jokes.”

She sighs heavily. “Just…is there something I can do?”

You shake your head. “No. It is too late for anything to be done. I checked. It can’t be helped now.”

“I meant to help you.”

“I know.” Because what else could help you? You are like this because you are guilty. The only way to get rid of the guilt is to pluck out its source–and that can’t be done.

“Are you sure nothing can be done? I’m willing to help–there are things I can do that most can’t.”

“Yes, things such as running the first successful Mendevian Crusade in decades, closing the worldwound, and convincing my brother to marry. But even the great Knight-Commander herself can’t resurrect a soul that’s already been judged.” The bitter words slip out before you can stop them. You stop to center yourself before–

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Do not patronize me!” you snap, and you immediately regret it. You close your eyes and breathe in deeply. Balance, you remind yourself. She is tearing open old wounds. She is trying to help. Both can be true. Both are true. Let that guide your words. “I’m sorry. That was rude. And uncalled for. I just…I don’t like that phrase. It…”

You search for words to explain safely, but can find none. There is no safe way to explain the way it grates for other people to apologize to you for a loss that is entirely your fault.

“Would you like to talk about it?” she asks.

“No.” Of course you don’t want to talk about it–you haven’t even told Gilly about it. He assumes this annual pity-party is about your arrest. He’s right, partly. It’s just that it’s not the arrest itself that haunts you.

Leave Mister Theo alone!

Minovae doesn’t hear the cry echoing through the years. She only hears the silence that rings after you say no. Perhaps now she’ll understand that you want her to leave.

“You’re going to need help if you’re going to clean this mess up before Giliys and the kids get home.”

“By the gods, do you ever stop?” you demand, fixing her with an exhausted glare. “What do I have to say to make you go? Are you going to stay until I tell you about her? Is that it? Gilly gave you our address, so now you’re entitled to see me bare my soul to–” you cut yourself off. You’re putting words into her mouth, expecting her to read your mind and know you want her to leave when you haven’t told her that’s what you want. “I’m sorry. That was unfair of me. What I’m trying to say is that I need to be alone today.”

She doesn't answer right away, seemingly needing a minute to deal with the whiplash of your outburst and immediate apology. You can’t blame her.

“Would it be alright for me to clean up while you rest?” she finally asks.

You stare at her, trying to search her face for sincerity but unable to make out her facial expressions without your glasses. She seems to have gotten her tail back under control, so the only clue you’ll get to her intentions (without squinting and moving closer like an old man in the comedies, at least) is her tone. “Why?”

“Because Mayhew is worried about you, and I think coming home to something like this will make it worse. And I don’t think you’ll be able to do it by yourself in the state you’re in.”

She’s right. She’s absolutely right. You’re a mess, and it’s hurting the children, and you can’t fix it yourself. And even if being alone is what you want, it’s not what’s best for your children.

Maybe it’s not even best for you.

You lean your head back against the wall and do your best to swallow the lump in your throat. “I’m sorry,” you finally say. “You shouldn’t have to spend your day off cleaning up after me. This is why I didn’t go today–none of you should have to put up with this. Especially not without warning.”

She gets up from her comically undersized chair and approaches you. She’s short for tallfolk, but you’re so small that she still towers over you. She puts her hands on your shoulders and looks down at you with an expression of earnest care.

“I understand if you didn’t have the energy, or if you didn’t want to be seen like this. But if it’s for our sakes, I think both Regill and I would rather that you let us help you.” She hesitates, and then says “I would rather that you let me help you.”

You don’t want that. You don’t want to be a burden. But you also know that mentality isn’t healthy–and how many times have your attempts not to be a burden hurt the people you were afraid of inconveniencing? You take a long, deep breath and remind yourself: when you feel the urge to do something self-destructive, do the opposite.

You bow your head, staring at the floor. “I think I will work on the mess. I don’t think lying in bed will help me much.” You have to fight yourself to get the next words out. “If you…want to help…I would appreciate it. Just…” you pause, wanting to make sure you say the right words, wanting to be fair but firm. You raise your head, looking her in the eye as you speak. “Do not ask me about it anymore. I don’t want to discuss it.”

She leans over and kisses you on the crown of your head. “I understand. I’m sorry for pushing.”

You take another breath. Breathe. “You were–are–worried. I can’t hold that against you.” You turn your head towards the mess of blurry shapes that used to be the den. “You know, without my glasses, it looks much less intimidating from here. We should consider cleaning from here. And if we find my glasses it might be effective to re-lose them. It may be easier.”

There’s a moment of silence, and for the third time you’re kicking yourself for forgetting she’s not used to picking your jokes out from the rest of your words without tone markers. You’re about to clarify–“that was a joke”–when she snorts.

She isn’t fluent in your native tongue, but you think she might be learning–and that means everything.

#pwotr pals #pathfinder wotr #friend's oc #oc: minovae arangeir #oc: theoven derenge #ockiss24

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halothenthehorns · 5 months

Text

Chapter 6: NICO BUYS HAPPY MEALS FOR THE DEAD

Even when Percy looked moments away from torturing Will just to get an answer out of somebody what happened on this quest, Nico licked his lips nervously before he could start anew. Would it be awkward to ask if it was all in his head every time he got this book it seemed like a worse than usual chapter?

Then he read the new title and sunk low in his seat, waiting for the bombardment of freaking out that would ensue about his next death entrapment of them all.

"Well that was very considerate of you, but I have questions," Magnus tried to begin as politely as ever. "Do they prefer chicken nuggets or burgers? What toys were available?"

"When it says buy, like where did you get the money?" Alex asked with diabolical interest. "Did you ask your dad for it? Try to pay them in drachmas? Mythomagic cards?"

"I'm over here hoping he didn't threaten the cashier with that sword," Jason admitted.

Nico was only blushing a tiny bit as he smiled at them. "Um, a bit of all three." He'd tried to ask Hades for money and information, but hadn't even made it past the front gates of his palace before he was bared by the fury's telling him now wasn't a good time.

Minos had helped him with the details among his own research and he'd just stolen the rest.

That unfortunate incident with the chicken nuggets and the dog chasing him out of the car would not be discussed.

At least I got a good night's sleep before the quest, right?

"Do you jinx yourself on purpose?" Thalia asked him in concern. "Like, you do know when you throw questions like that out into the universe, you're just going to get slapped with the opposite answer."

"I'm starting to get that, yeah," Percy mock rubbed his cheek.

"Will it stop him from doing it?" Alex snorted.

"Nope," Magnus sighed.

Wrong.

"So, should I just start wishing for a horrible night's sleep?" Percy groaned.

"Percy, I don't think anything can fix, whatever this mess of your life is," Jason told him with nothing but sympathy.

"I've already tried shock therapy, so I'm out of ideas," Thalia agreed cheerfully.

That night in my dreams, I was in the stateroom of the Princess Andromeda. The windows were open on a moonlit sea. Cold wind rustled the velvet drapes.

"There is either a really inappropriate dream about to take place, or a nightmare with monsters and dead people," Magnus shivered at that setup.

"My money's on both, Luke's nighttime routine with one of those bear twins," Alex rubbed his hands together. Magnus mock vomited over the side of the couch, though for a moment they weren't sure if he was faking it.

Luke knelt on a Persian rug in front of the golden sarcophagus of Kronos.

In the moonlight, Luke's blond hair looked pure white. He wore an ancient Greek chiton and a white himation, a kind of cape that flowed down his shoulders. The white clothes made him look timeless and a little surreal, like one of the minor gods on Mount Olympus. The last time I'd seen him, he'd been broken and unconscious after a nasty fall from Mount Tam. Now he looked perfectly fine. Almost too healthy.

Percy shivered with the kind of forbidden knowledge nobody could joke away. Somewhere inside his head was the answer to that mystery, and as his stomach churned while he looked down at his own shaking hands, he didn't think he was going to like the answer he'd inevitably get.

"Our spies report success, my lord," he said. "Camp Half-Blood is sending a quest, as you predicted.

Nico really hated that word, traitor. He knew everybody at camp thought he was one bad day away from being one himself. He'd really never gotten to know Silena that well to be calling her anything.

Our side of the bargain is almost complete."

They were already to late, Jason frowned in concern. Their quest hadn't even started and Krono's forces were almost guaranteed through the maze at their convenience. His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he imagined the camp in ashes- No, surely Thalia and Will weren't that good of actors. They'd be more than mildly distressed at this if that were the case. Annabeth's quest had come through, somehow.

Excellent. The voice of Kronos didn't so much speak as pierce my mind like a dagger. It was freezing with cruelty. Once we have the means to navigate, I will lead the vanguard through myself.

"The sarcophagus doesn't grow legs, does it?" Magnus asked in concern.

"Let's be more concerned if he's almost about to leave the coffin," Alex shook his head sharply. "What the heck kind of deal was struck to cause that?"

There was no answer except Thalia playing with her bracelet. She was grateful they didn't seem to connect Luke's life force with Krono's, it was such a twisted bit of magic she couldn't stand to link the two herself.

Luke closed his eyes as if collecting his thoughts. "My lord, perhaps it is too soon. Perhaps Krios or Hyperion should lead—"

No. the voice was quiet but absolutely firm. I will lead. One more heart shall join our cause, and that will be sufficient. At last I shall rise fully from Tartarus.

"Who the heck is that special last someone going to be?" Alex wasn't really joking even as he laced his voice with sarcasm. "Is it going to be some sweet underdog story about an invisible person finally feeling seen by Luke? Is it going to be some mad powerhouse?"

"We really need to take away whatever the heck is feeding his imagination," Percy told Thalia as he watched Alex.

"Or bottle it and use it as a weapon," Thalia agreed.

"But the form, my lord..." Luke's voice started shaking.

Jason shivered right along with him. Was it terror? Excitement? He didn't know which was worse, but any answer wasn't going to be great for Percy.

Show me your sword, Luke Castellan.

"I didn't even think this guy had a last name," Percy jolted in surprise. "I thought he was just born Luke Evil, or Luke Son of Hermes, and just dropped it to Luke."

Thalia didn't even have the heart to smack him for being an idiot. Sooner than she'd like, Percy would know all to well what came attached with the last name of Castellan.

A jolt went through me. I realized I'd never heard Luke's last name before.

"Annabeth never cursed it in front of you," Alex agreed, "we didn't get to hear Chiron chasing him around and yelling it."

"Now we just need to know his middle name, surely then somebody can do an evil spell to curse him or something," Magnus agreed.*

"We're not the fae folk Magnus, that's not how that works," Thalia couldn't help but snicker at him, keeping to herself Luke's middle name was Oro in case anybody wanted to try.

It had never even occurred to me.

Luke drew his sword. Backbiter's double edge glowed wickedly—half steel, half celestial bronze. I'd almost been killed several times by that sword.

"You've almost been killed several times by being in school too and we don't go around reminding you of that," Will said.

"Yes you do, frequently!" Percy yelped.

"It was a silly detail Percy, we assume everything's tried to kill you at this point, including the kitchen sink with lava in it," Magnus rolled his eyes.

It was an evil weapon, able to kill both mortals and monsters. It was the only blade I really feared.

Nico's hand twitched uncomfortably to his own sword that could do the same. That was branded the same. The only difference was his blade had never tried to kill Percy. He hoped that distinction would be enough nobody would try to disarm him if the truth of what he carried came out.

You pledged yourself to me, Kronos reminded him. You took this sword as proof of your oath.

"Yes, my lord. It's just—"

You wanted power. I gave you that. You are now beyond harm. Soon you will rule the world of gods and mortals. Do you not wish to avenge yourself? To see Olympus destroyed?

A shiver ran through Luke's body. "Yes."

Thalia knew in that moment she could hear that a thousand more times and it would still hit her fresh and raw every time. It just wasn't the same person to her. Luke might as well have died instead of her and come back as someone else.

The coffin glowed, golden light filling the room. Then make ready the strike force. As soon as the bargain is done, we shall move forward. First, Camp Half-Blood will be reduced to ashes. Once those bothersome heroes are eliminated, we will march on Olympus.

"It's an honor to be so bothersome we have to be eliminated before the gods," Percy said with all the snap of a dragon.

"C-compliments?" Will agreed hesitantly.

There was a knock on the stateroom doors. The light of the coffin faded.

"Does Kronos only talk to him?" Alex asked with his head tipped to the side. "Like, imaginary friend style?"

"I can't imagine why, I'm surprised there isn't a speaker attached to his lid so the whole ship can hear him monologuing," Jason rolled his eyes.

Luke rose. He sheathed his sword, adjusted his white clothes, and took a deep breath.

"Come in."

The doors opened. Two dracaenae slithered in—snake women with double serpent trunks instead of legs. Between them walked Kelli, the empousa cheerleader from my freshman orientation.

"This book stays rated K right?" Magnus asked with mild concern for their joke from the beginning of the chapter getting another uncomfortable piece set in.

"How should I know? How do you rate monsters turning to dust, because it's pretty traumatic to any age from where I'm sitting," but Percy looked just as queasy why she'd walked in like this was a red carpet ceremony.

"Hello, Luke," Kelli smiled. She was wearing a red dress and she looked awesome,

"The highest amount of praise a teenage boy can give," Thalia snorted.

"Oh gods, please nobody ever tell Annabeth I called an empousa awesome before her," Percy groaned, causing a round of snickering he really didn't approve of.

"You told her she was going to do awesome on this quest," Will reminded fairly without dropping his smile. "I think she'd give you a pass on the demon that's supposed to be hot."

but I'd seen her real form. I knew what she was hiding: mismatched legs, red eyes, fangs, and flaming hair.

"What is it, demon?" Luke's voice was cold. "I told you not to disturb me."

Magnus mock wiped sweat from his brow Luke was disgusted with her. Now they'd just get death threats and insults...though it did make him wonder why Luke apparently didn't have an attraction to her like Percy had.

Kelli pouted. "That's not very nice. You look tense. How about a nice shoulder massage?"

"I wouldn't let that thing near any part of my body," Jason shivered. "I'm not banking on the fact she'd just drink from my neck."

"Good instincts," Alex approved.

Luke stepped back. "If you have something to report, say it. Otherwise leave!"

"I don't know why you're so huffy these days. You used to be fun to hang around."

Thalia would have rather been slapped than realize she'd ever think the same thing as Kellie, and yet the sick feeling in her gut only seemed to settle in at home. How long exactly had these two been hanging out for her to claim this?!

"That was before I saw what you did to that boy in Seattle."

"Oh, he meant nothing to me," Kelli said. "Just a snack, really. You know my heart belongs to you, Luke."

"My heart belongs to my snacks too," Alex frowned. "Whatever she did to that boy in Seattle has to be something alright."

Magnus had a very concerning look on his face as he struggled with the idea of whether he wanted to know details of that or not. What could she have done that was so awful even this guy deemed it too horrible?

"Thanks, but no thanks. Now report or get out."

Kelli shrugged. "Fine. The advanced team is ready, as you requested. We can leave—" She frowned.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"A presence," Kelli said. "Your senses are getting dull, Luke. We're being watched."

She scanned the stateroom. Her eyes focused right on me. Her face withered into a hag's. She bared her fangs and lunged.

"Eep!" Magnus jumped in his seat no matter the lack of harm that was coming to him. "Can you die in your dreams!"

"Gods I hope not, I've had enough close calls," Percy was rubbing his chest in here plenty to prove it had been real enough to him too.

I woke with a start, my heart pounding. I could've sworn the empousa's fangs were an inch from my throat.

Percy's trembling fingers brushed over his thumping pulse one last time too. Not a reminder he needed, but when did he ever get a say in those?

Tyson was snoring in the next bunk. The sound calmed me down a little.

"I would have thought it was the ocean," Thalia snorted.

"To each their own, hopefully Annabeth snores," Jason snickered.

I didn't know how Kelli could sense me in a dream,

"I really didn't question that to much," Magnus admitted, "or I'd just fall back down the rabbit hole of wondering how she even existed."

but I'd heard more than I wanted to know. An army was ready. Kronos would lead it personally.

"So what specifically in that would you like to know less about?" Alex frowned. "Because I'm personally interested in any details I can get how to stop that!"

"The part about what they'd be wearing while doing it," Percy rolled his eyes.

"But the details make it!" Alex looked personally wounded.

All they needed was a way to navigate the Labyrinth so they could invade and destroy Camp Half-Blood, and Luke apparently thought that was going to happen very soon.

I was tempted to go wake up Annabeth and tell her, middle of the night or not.

"Regardless of those pesky, man-eating harpies inflicting curfew huh?" Will chuckled.

"Percy is the reason the curfew exists," Jason said in exasperation.

"Nuhu!" Percy yelped. "The Aphrodite kids, or heck the Hermes kids are far worse about that!"

"You're the only person in your cabin, so you get all the blame," Thalia reminded with a smirk.

"So are you," Percy shot back. He felt instantly bad for it though, as Thalia winced and looked away. Clearly that was a bit of a sore subject to her, she probably would have preferred if he'd reminded she was responsible for all of the trouble Artemis's Huntresses got up to when there.

Then I realized the room was lighter than it should have been. A blue and green glow was coming from the saltwater fountain, brighter and more urgent than the night before. It was almost like the water was humming.

I got out of bed and approached.

No voice spoke out of the water this time, asking for a deposit. I got the feeling the fountain was waiting for me to make the first move.

"You're grasping a fountains nonverbal cues better than anything Annabeth has ever actually said to you," Magnus snorted.

"Note to self, teach your cousin sign language too," Alex chuckled.

I probably should've gone back to bed. Instead I thought about what I'd seen last night—the weird image of Nico at the banks of the River Styx.

"You're trying to tell me something," I said.

No response from the fountain.

"It's perfectly normal to talk to inanimate objects," Will said innocently. "It's when they start talking back you should be worried."

"How many cups of coffee has that taken?" Nico asked slyly.

Will blushed and decided against answering.

"All right," I said. "Show me Nico di Angelo."

I didn't even throw a coin in, but this time it didn't matter. It was like some other force had control of the water besides Iris the messenger goddess.

Nico still disliked this coming up as much as ever, because he could never ask what the heck was going on. Would his sister have had different abilities than him, was this a manifestation of using the Mist like Thalia could? If she could send messages to Percy, why couldn't she do the same for him?!

He knew the answer though, no matter how many warnings she would have sent about not trusting Minos and to stop what he was doing, he most likely wouldn't have listened until something else had happened, like Percy saving his stupid life. Again.

The water shimmered. Nico appeared, but he was no longer in the Underworld. He was standing in a graveyard under a starry sky.

"It's good to get out and check the scenery every now and then," Alex nodded as if this had been a serious concern of his.

Thalia twirled her bracelet around and decided Nico might not want to know the Huntress's own ideas of his sister looking down on him from those stars. They might not all get a constellation, but they were a part of Artemis up there.

Giant willow trees loomed all around him.

He was watching some gravediggers at work. I heard shovels and saw dirt flying out of a hole. Nico was dressed in a black cloak. The night was foggy.

"Really setting the mood I hear, all you're missing is the ominous fire," Alex chuckled.

"I avoid human sacrifices if it's not convenient," the morbid joke slipped out only after a moment of hesitation. He finally got the reaction he was expecting too, Alex laughed.

It was warm and humid, and frogs were croaking. A large Wal-Mart bag sat next to Nico's feet.

"Which I really hope isn't left there when you're done, or somebody's going to end up on Grover's shit list," Jason grinned.

"One of the very few lists I strive to stay off of," Nico promised.

"Is it deep enough yet?" Nico asked. He sounded irritated.

"Nearly, my lord." It was the same ghost I'd seen Nico with before, the faint shimmering image of a man. "But, my lord, I tell you, this is unnecessary. You already have me for advice."

"I want a second opinion!" Nico snapped his fingers,

Will hummed with appreciation on that. "You should have like, three at minimum before making whatever life-altering decisions go into digging up holes."

"Next time you'll be the third," Nico promised, not bothering to hide his amusement.

and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out of the hole. They weren't people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes.

"Cooool," Alex grinned. "How long have you been at this? And you've already got minions at the tip of your fingers!"

"Um," Nico kept finding himself grinning in surprise somebody said cool in regards to him. "Just that past month. It used to take a lot of effort to concentrate and resurrect them without passing out."

Will couldn't help a frown at the end, watching Nico with concern how somebody could say that casually. Who had been there for Nico when he woke up? Just some old ghost?

Nico just saw the frown, and the concern, and swallowed anxiously if he'd finally freaked Will out. Alex interrupted with, "Sweet, and you could do it down here?" Alex was starting to eye the walls in a bit of a concerning way.

"Probably," Nico shrugged nonchalantly. "There's plenty of skeletons in the ocean to pull from if I wanted to try, though it's easier pulling them from the soil for some reason."

"Please do not," Magnus did not care his voice cracked, it seemed to encourage Nico to move on just that touch faster.

"You are dismissed," Nico said. "Thank you."

"Politeness!" Will chuckled. Nico felt a tiny breath of relief come loose he'd rather not dwell on. He didn't need anybody's opinion.

The skeletons collapsed into piles of bones.

Percy still looked mildly disturbed, but it was definitely at the bottom of strange things he'd seen.

"You might as well thank the shovels," the ghost complained. "They have as much sense."

"Maybe we should thank the shovels too," Thalia sniffed. "I actually do owe my shield a thanks or too for saving my hide."

"I knew a guy who named his vacuum," Percy shrugged.

"That ghost sounds like he's being disrespectful on purpose," Jason frowned. "He's no different than them, just floating there. Is he saying he shouldn't be thanked for all his advice?" His creepy, murdery advice Nico shouldn't be around.

"It wasn't part of the ceremony, just something, I wanted to do," Nico said with a sad smile. He didn't have any specific memories of his mother encouraging manners or anything, but he liked to think that would have made her smile. It had just felt like the natural thing to do.

Nico ignored him. He reached into his Wal-Mart bag and pulled out a twelve-pack of Coke. He popped open a can. Instead of drinking it, he poured it into the grave.

"There had better be some serious reason you're wasting perfectly good Coke," Percy told him tragically.

Nico gave him an awkward smile he couldn't say yes. It hadn't gone remotely as planned. Did Percy consider everything he did a waste?

"Let the dead taste again," he murmured. "Let them rise and take this offering. Let them remember."

He dropped the rest of the Cokes into the grave and pulled out a white paper bag decorated with cartoons. I hadn't seen one in years, but I recognized it—a McDonald's Happy Meal.

He turned it upside down and shook the fries and hamburger into the grave.

"In my day, we used animal blood," the ghost mumbled. "It's perfectly good enough. They can't taste the difference."

"I will treat them with respect," Nico said.

"What's the difference? The grease, I mean, Greek of it all?" Alex snickered at his almost pun.

"The principal," Nico grinned. "It adds that little bit of extra mph," he even sprinkled his fingers like his sister was adding a last dash of cinnamon.

"Mmm, the perfect ingredient then," Alex laughed as he even smacked his lips.

"At least let me keep the toy," the ghost said.

"Be quiet!" Nico ordered.

"Well now you're just not being nice Nico," Percy grinned. "You should always bring enough of those for everybody."

"You can be quiet too," but there was nothing but an exasperated sigh in Nico's voice for knowing he could never make Percy Jackson do that.

He emptied another twelve-pack of soda and three more Happy Meals into the grave, then began chanting in Ancient Greek. I caught only some of the words—a lot about the dead and memories and returning from the grave. Real happy stuff.

"All we're missing is the ball pit," Percy tried to say without sounding too queasy.

The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes. Nico had summoned the dead with Coke and cheeseburgers.

"That is some serious mojo my dude," Magnus told him. He didn't think he sounded that terrified that somebody he now knew, like actually in person, treated this as their casual Saturday night. It was more strange to him than the idea of having a roof over his head again.

"There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."

"As much as I don't trust this ghost, I don't think it's great he's the one cautioning you over that when he's just begging you to do some wild stuff," Jason frowned.

"Yeah, yeah," Nico muttered inaudibly. Like he needed another person to tell him what an idiot he'd been for having Minos around.

Jason heard the reluctance in his voice, he realized he'd said something wrong, but he wasn't sure what. He glanced awkwardly between Percy and Nico, who had been more awkwardly still trying at stilted conversation and avoiding each other all morning, and then Will who looked as confused and concerned as he felt. He felt a flash of sadness for Nico, it didn't seem like he'd made many great friends since his sister's death, he certainly never went around mentioning someone he'd rather have down here who would know what had upset him.

"I've got it under control," Nico said, though his voice sounded fragile.

He drew his sword—a short blade made of solid black metal. I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't celestial bronze or steel. Iron, maybe? The crowd of shades retreated at the sight of it.

"I've been meaning to ask about that," Alex looked so eager, they could literally not predict what was about to come out of his mouth. "Where'd you get the sword? Does they have a name?"

"Um," Nico looked more baffled at his sword being called a they. Was Riptide a they? "It doesn't have a name, and it's a long story," he sighed. "It involves a clown, a fish, and I'm pretty sure Phil hasn't forgiven me for wrecking that statue, so, later."

"You mean, a clown-fish?" Percy tried to correct.

"No, no, fish, clown, two separate dudes," Nico shrugged.

It wasn't even the top twenty weirdest things any of them had tried to wrap their heads around. Alex still looked very much like he was going to protest until he got this story in detail, but Nico was trying to keep reading and had once again masterfully maneuvered out of sharing his own autobiography Alex was clearly after from all of them.

"One at a time," Nico commanded.

A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool. It made slurping sounds as it drank. Its ghostly hands scooped French fries out of the pool.

"I really want to say eww here," Thalia looked far to intrigued to sound right anyways, "but I'm more curious what would happen if anybody other than a ghost drank that."

"To clarify, it takes you chanting, right?" Magnus asked with a heavy frown. "Because if I start shoveling fries, a burger, and a coke all at once and swallow, I will blame the consequences on you."

"I promise not to chant over your food while you're eating," Nico said with a little to much of a wicked smile to encompass that promise he'd never chant around him. "Seriously though Thalia, it wouldn't have an effect on anything but a ghost, the ritual just gives them back their human form. So, unless you lost it, it would just taste normal."

"Huh," she grinned, very curious if Artemis knew about this ritual and used it to commune, or if the gods even needed such a thing and could freely interact with any ghosts from their past that lingered.

When it stood again, I could see it much more clearly—a teenage guy in Greek armor. He had curly hair and green eyes, a clasp shaped like a seashell on his cloak.

Percy wondered how self-centered it was of him to feel very awkward that an obvious ancestor of his had been the one to get to drink.

Then Alex laughed enthusiastically and ruined the idea it was just his idea. "I'm really getting the impression why Percy thought you wanted his soul though just from this moment. What are the odds of that one Nico?"

Nico looked like he was going to keel over from stress rather than answer.

Percy swooped in anyways, pigheaded or not, "a child of Poseidon got to the water fountain first, it's a matter of pride!"

Alex just gave one last chuckle and was clearly going to let it go, while Nico took deep breaths and fought back tears of shame how stupid obvious his obsession had been. How Percy wasn't cringing in disgust away from him as far as he could he didn't know.

"Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."

The young man frowned as if trying to remember. Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "I am Theseus."

"Cool!" Jason yelped like he'd just gotten the best birthday present and the rest could all stay in their wrappings. "Can you summon back any hero of old?!" The idea of being able to converse with The Caligula for any length of time and ask him about all his rulings and advice sounded like a dream!

"Not exactly," Nico said sullenly. If he could just call his sister up like this whenever he pleased, he liked to think he wouldn't always feel so alone.

Jason didn't ask any further questions, though it was obvious he really wanted to.

No way, I thought. This couldn't be the Theseus. He was just a kid. I'd grown up hearing stories about him fighting the Minotaur and stuff, but I'd always pictured him as this huge, buff guy. The ghost I was looking at wasn't strong or tall. And he wasn't any older than I was.

"That was just depressing," Will frowned. The age of manhood back then had been like fifteen or something. In theory, they all knew the heroes of old had been about the age they were now.

To hear it described so vividly though only emphasized the idea no demigod in history had really gotten an easy life.

"How can I retrieve my sister?" Nico asked.

Theseus's eyes were lifeless as glass. "Do not try. It is madness."

"Does a ghost telling you something's mad make that better or worse?" Magnus asked.

"I'm going to leave that up to the ghost your questioning," Alex shrugged as if this were an every day occurrence for him.

"Just tell me!"

"My stepfather died," Theseus remembered. "He threw himself into the sea because he thought I was dead in the Labyrinth.

"Tragic," Jason said with sympathy.

"Now see, why couldn't my life parallel that story," Percy huffed.

"Because if Sally pushed Gabe off the roof she never would have discovered her passion for the arts," Thalia tragically reminded.

I wanted to bring him back, but I could not."

Nico's ghost hissed. "My lord, the soul exchange! Ask him about that!"

Theseus scowled. "That voice. I know that voice."

Percy felt like there was a mosquito bite on his brain. Something he longed to scratch at but knew he shouldn't or it would just get worse.

"No you don't, fool!" the ghost said. "Answer the lord's questions and nothing more!"

"I know you," Theseus insisted, as if struggling to recall.

"How did Theseus die again?" Magnus asked wearily. "Does dying affect your memory?"

"Very much so," Nico sighed. "They're specters who forgot themselves without the ritual, and even then, it won't all come back."

"And, um, let's just say it wasn't a happy ending I'd want to end up with," Percy said with a wince. He remembered stories about sons of Poseidon mildly better than others and hoped his powers never failed him when he was thrown into the ocean.

"Right," Magnus agreed reluctantly, realizing he probably shouldn't ask again unless it was about the original Perseus.

"I want to hear about my sister," Nico said. "Will this quest into the Labyrinth help me win her back?"

Will's laugh was nothing but sympathetic. "I'd help you out no problem Nico, with anything other than this."

Nico smiled. Will had already said as much, but it was still nice to hear.

"Win her back?" Jason couldn't help but fret over that word. "Is the labyrinth a game and you win a prize?" The dread in his voice made it sound like one he didn't think he'd participate in if given the chance.

"There are many things to discover down there," Nico answered as cryptically as possible.

Theseus was looking for the ghost, but apparently couldn't see him. Slowly he turned his eyes back on Nico. "The Labyrinth is treacherous. There is only one thing that saw me through: the love of a mortal girl. The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me."

"We don't need any of that," the ghost said. "I will guide you, my lord. Ask him if it is true about an exchange of souls. He will tell you."

"A soul for a soul," Nico asked. "Is it true?"

"A part from the absolute ick factor of that being discussed," Alex said cheerfully, "are we going to get details on how that would work?"

"No," Nico said flatly. The little he'd gleaned from Minos had put him off this idea until his last desperate attempt with nothing left to lose. He would not be sharing what he'd considered doing to Daedalus' soul to retrieve Bianca's with it.

"I—I must say yes. But the specter—"

"Just answer the questions, knave!" the ghost said.

Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghosts became restless. They stirred, whispering in nervous tones.

"Anything that makes a ghost nervous and I am out," Magnus muttered.

Then again, Nico obviously made them nervous, so maybe that was a little to broad. He still wasn't happy about whatever was coming next, he knew that much.

"I want to see my sister!" Nico demanded. "Where is she?"

"He is coming," Theseus said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."

"It's not Hades is it?" Alex asked, sounding far to much like that's something he wanted to happen. "I am honestly expecting him to show up any time now to scold you for messing with this stuff, all the underground talk, the ghosts, it fits perfectly!"

"It was not Hades," but Nico wasn't going to elaborate any more than that. He was not looking forward to that stupid ranch anymore than he was that stupid cavern with Pan.

"Who?" Nico demanded.

"He comes to find the source of this power," Theseus said. "You must release us."

"The one occasion I will always agree the pronoun game is the worst," Alex shook his head with disgust. "Just say his bloody name!"

"He forgot the name of the ghost following Nico around he obviously knows, he might not know whoever it is that's about to show up, just that he doesn't want to be around him," Jason offered halfheartedly.

The water in my fountain began to tremble, humming with power. I realized the whole cabin was shaking. The noise grew louder. The image of Nico in the graveyard started to glow until it was painful to watch.

"Stop," I said out loud. "Stop it!"

The fountain began to crack. Tyson muttered in his sleep and turned over. Purple light threw horrible, ghostly shadows on the cabin walls, as if the specters were escaping right out of the fountain.

In desperation I uncapped riptide and slashed at the fountain, cleaving it in two. Salt water spilled everywhere, and the great stone font crashed to the floor in pieces. Tyson snorted and muttered, but he kept sleeping.

"Man, that was like, the coolest thing too," Alex pouted.

"Hopefully Tyson can fix it," Magnus offered.

I sank to the ground, shivering from what I'd seen. Tyson found me there in the morning, still staring at the shattered remains of the saltwater fountain.

"Nico," Will managed through numb lips. "What happened?"

"I got caught," he shrugged with the kind of nonchalance of this being an everyday occurrence.

Then again, they were all presently kidnapped, so maybe it wasn't such a traumatizing thing the second go around. Better company here anyways.

Just after dawn, the quest group met at Zeus's Fist.

"Where Luke was tied up and this problem was resolved in a timely manner for once?" Magnus sighed.

"I'm starting to get worried about your active delusions man, what are you eating over there," Percy shook his head. "If ever something went that easy, I'd be convinced I was being had."

I'd packed my knapsack—thermos with nectar, baggie of ambrosia, bedroll, rope, clothes, flashlights, and lots of extra batteries. I had Riptide in my pocket. The magic shield/wristwatch Tyson had made for me was on my wrist.

"At least they packed the essentials," Will said in relief, but then continued in a rather concerned tone, "but what about the snacks?"

Nico fought hard to smother a snort of mirth as he looked at this blonde guy in shorts and flip-flops. This was probably his first time ever leaving camp down here. It was all so innocent it almost hurt him.

It was a clear morning. The fog had burned off and the sky was blue.

Campers would be having their lessons today, flying pegasi and practicing archery and scaling the lava wall. Meanwhile, we could be heading underground.

"And they're all jealous of each other," Alex chuckled.

"Are you nuts?" Will looked at him scandalized. "We were all thanking our lucky stars we weren't heading to the place that didn't have grass! We all pitched in and held a thank you seminar Percy and Annabeth were at camp to do this quest!"

"Thanks man," Percy sighed. At least he knew Will was joking that time...or he'd somehow hadn't been invited to a seminar about him and he really wasn't upset about it.

Juniper and Grover stood apart from the group. Juniper had been crying again, but she was trying to keep it together for Grover's sake. She kept fussing with his clothes, straightening his rasta cap and brushing goat fur off his shirt.

Percy recalled watching that with a dull sense of confusion. Like that was something his mom would have been doing, not a girlfriend. His eyes had flickered to Annabeth at the time, who had been staring at the rock as if it were going to move and crush her any moment. He'd reached over and zipped a pouch on her backpack left half open without her noticing like that would be of any help.

It had felt silly and stupid at the time, he was really grateful she hadn't noticed then, and the book not mentioning it now.

Since we had no idea what we would encounter, he was dressed as a human, with the cap to hide his horns, and jeans, fake feet, and sneakers to hide his goat legs.

"One of these days I just want you to not though," Thalia grinned. "The amount of people who will just think he's walking around in the weirdest outfit ever would be so much fun."

"We'll get him a cane so everybody will be to awkward to look long too," Percy agreed indulgently.

Chiron, Quintus, and Mrs. O'Leary stood with the other campers who'd come to wish us well, but there was too much activity for it to feel like a happy send-off. A couple of tents had been set up by the rocks for guard duty. Beckendorf and his siblings were working on a line of defensive spikes and trenches. Chiron had decided we needed to guard the Labyrinth exit at all times, just in case.

"What do you mean? That sounds like the best sendoff ever," Jason smiled. "You get to come back and see all the improvements they made, like a then and now skeleton in the works!"

He seemed to be missing the detail they were doing all that in case they didn't come back, and nobody had the heart to correct him.

Annabeth was doing one last check on her supply pack. When Tyson and I came over, she frowned. "Percy, you look terrible."

"The standard morning greeting," Percy sighed.

"He killed the water fountain last night," Tyson confided.

Alex clasped his hands as if blessing the book for that particularly strange sentence.

"What?" she asked.

Before I could explain, Chiron trotted over. "Well, it appears you are ready!"

"It is criminal he is that excited first thing in the morning, let alone about this," Will sighed.

"He's probably lacing his morning hay with coffee beans," Nico agreed.

He tried to sound upbeat, but I could tell he was anxious. I didn't want to freak him out any more, but I thought about last night's dream, and before I could change my mind, I said, "Hey, uh, Chiron, can I ask you a favor while I'm gone?"

"Of course, my boy."

"Be right back, guys." I nodded toward the woods. Chiron asked an eyebrow, but he followed me out of earshot.

"Last night," I said, "I dreamed about Luke and Kronos." I told him the details. The news seemed to weigh on his shoulders.

"I feared this," Chiron said. "Against my father, Kronos, we would stand no chance in a fight."

Chiron rarely called Kronos his father. I mean, we all knew it was true.

"You didn't until he told you," Thalia snorted.

"I assume other kids around camp actually look up the myths. I just wait to live it all out in person," Percy shrugged.

Everybody in the Greek world—god, monster, or Titan—was related to one another somehow. But it wasn't exactly something Chiron liked to brag about. Oh, my dad is the all-powerful evil Titan lord who wants to destroy Western Civilization. I want to be just like him when I grow up!

"How I imagine every rich brat talks to be honest," Magnus scoffed.

"It's a good thing Chiron lives off the saddlebags on his back then and is nothing like them," Jason chuckled.

Thalia smiled to herself they had no idea they'd met a rich brat, and Rachel would have been laughing right along with them.

"Do you know what he meant about a bargain?" I asked.

"A bargain is offering one exchange for another, usually with one person getting a much better deal," Magnus smirked.

"Now if only you knew the definition of shutting up, then we'd have it made," Percy chuckled.

"I am not sure, but I fear they seek to make a deal with Daedalus. If the old inventor is truly alive, if he has not been driven insane by millennia in the Labyrinth...well, Kronos can find ways to twist anyone to his will."

"Maybe Daedalus is insane, and Kronos will twist him all the way back into being sane, and then you swoop in and rescue him," Alex offered.

"That sounds like a lot of twists and turns," Percy sighed. "Any chance we can just skip to the part where he's on our side?" Then Percy winced for reasons beyond him.

"Then we'd lose out on all your brilliant commentary," Will mock pouted.

"I could live without some of it," Percy huffed. He most certainly wouldn't have advertised his every embarrassing mistake for starters.

"Not anyone," I promised.

Percy smiled with pride for that, until he noticed Thalia's uneasy little wince. He settled quietly into his seat beside her and didn't draw attention to that which Nico had read over without a single bit of surprise.

Chiron managed a smile. "No. Perhaps not anyone. But, Percy, you must beware. I have worried for some time that Kronos may be looking for Daedalus for a different reason, not just passage through the maze."

"What else could he want?" Magnus frowned. "How many things can he get from one dude."

"Hercules has defeated everything in the past," Percy reminded in exhaustion just thinking about him. "It's more than possible Daedalus had more than one thing going on."

"What else would he want?"

"Something Annabeth and I were discussing. Do you remember what you told me about your first trip to the Princess Andromeda, the first time you saw the golden coffin?"

I nodded. "Luke was taking about raising Kronos, little pieces of him appearing in the coffin every time someone new joined his cause."

"Still disgusting and terrifying by the way," Will promised as if anyone had forgotten that.

"And what did Luke say they would do when Kronos had risen completely?"

A chill went down my spine. "He said they would make Kronos a new body, worthy of the forges of Hephaestus."

"Kronos clearly needs to get caught up on all the AI movies proving why that won't turn out like he wants," Jason snorted.

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Daedalus was the world's greatest inventor. He created the Labyrinth, but much more. Automatons, thinking machines...What if Kronos wishes Daedalus to make him a new form?"

"He could tell him no," Alex said stoutly. "That powers within anybody's control!"

"I don't think it worked out so well with that evil king," Magnus reminded uneasily. They didn't yet know what had happened to him and his son from that, but going by the history of all these Greek stories, he was guessing, not well.

That was a real pleasant thought.

"If pleasant means bone chilling," Thalia muttered, getting her own flashes of that all over at just the thought of that reveal.

"We've got to get to Daedalus first," I said, "and convince him not to."

Jason frowned as he wondered how far Percy would be willing to go to convince him though. What level of favor would Percy consider to get Daedalus on his side? Would he kidnap the inventor and drag him back to camp just to keep him away from Kronos against his will?

Chiron stared off into the trees. "One other thing I do not understand...this talk of a last soul joining their cause. That does not bode well."

"Must be a pretty special soul to complete such a ritual," Alex said with an almost serious face for a moment before following it up with, "so I guess that leaves Percy out."

"He's got you there," Magnus snorted, "New Yorker's are one in a million."

Percy laughed along at them downplaying this, as well as trying to take some comfort perhaps if his was the soul needed at least that meant this would never happen.

I kept my mouth shut, but I felt guilty. I'd made the decision not to tell Chiron about Nico being a son of Hades. The mention of souls, though—

Magnus and Alex exchanged surprised, uneasy looks for that. They already knew Kronos would be begging to get Nico on their side by any means necessary, but if Percy's guess was right and he was somehow the child of the prophy meant to help drag Kronos's soul the rest of the way out...well they already knew Minos was evil and could be up to something far worse. What if all this talk of helping bring Bianca back was just practice to get Nico ready for something far worse?

What if Kronos knew about Nico?

"We still haven't gotten clarification how anybody knows anything around here," Will shook his head as if this were a mild concern, "no sense in useless worries until then." He bit back the exclamation Nico would have been safer at Camp in the meantime whether anybody knew his parentage or not only because Kronos was no longer a threat. He'd just have to come up with other arguments.

What if he managed to turn him evil?

"He's literally hanging around with an evil ghost and still making morally ambiguous almost good decisions about not wanting to murder people," Jason reminded with a casual shrug. "I like his chances."

"Thanks," Nico muttered in surprise.

It was almost enough to make me want to tell Chiron, but I didn't. For one thing, I wasn't sure Chiron could do anything about it.

"I'll give you that one," Will agreed briskly. He didn't exactly do a stellar job of the campers already under his care.

"Even the best marksman has a limited range," Thalia said with a bit more sorrow. Even if Chiron couldn't have done anything, he surely would have appreciated a heads-up just in case he could later.

I had to find Nico myself. I had to explain things to him, make him listen.

"Strapping someone in a chair for a lecture is worse than anything Kronos would do to him," Magnus reminded.

"I'd offer snacks?" Percy said.

"Nico?" Magnus let him pass judgment.

He considered for a moment, his stomach in knots over the last time he'd let Percy make him listen. It had only opened a whole other can of worms he was still processing.

So for now, he waved his hand and said, "I'll consider it."

"I don't know," I said at last. "But, uh, something Juniper said, maybe you should hear." I told him how the tree nymph had seen Quintus poking around the rocks.

"Which I'm still mildly offended you didn't do yesterday," Jason scowled, "or her, when this happened!" The safety of their home was not something that should be trifled with!

"Juniper's not great with people," Percy reminded, "and I've had, like, a million other things on my mind!"

"Which is 999,999 more than he usually does," Thalia smirked.

Chiron's jaw tightened. "That does not surprise me."

"What does surprise him is when we spend Father's Day hiding his arrows from him and call it advance practice," Will chuckled. He realized after the fact he was probably being a little to nonchalant about this when he got some strange looks for that, or they just didn't think it was funny. Probably the first though.

"It doesn't sur—you mean you know?"

"Percy, when Quintus showed up at camp offering his services...well, I would have to be a fool not to be suspicious."

"Fair enough," Percy huffed, he still thought somebody could have at least gasped.

"Then why did you let him in?"

"Because sometimes it is better to have someone you mistrust close to you, so that you can keep an eye on him.

"I always hated that saying," Alex scowled, "the adage only works in enclosed spaces to know what your enemy is doing intimately, and even then if they're clever enough they'll pull a wool over your eyes. Otherwise, it's safe to be as far away as possible. Or just kill them."

It wasn't much of a guess which Alex leaned towards.

"There's a certain strategy in both," Jason passively said.

He may be just what he says: a halfblood in search of a home. Certainly he has done nothing openly that would make me question his loyalty. But believe me. I will keep an eye—"

Annabeth trudged over, probably curious why we were taking so long.

"What, is she jealous Percy's having a conversation without her in it for a change?" Alex chuckled.

"She's probably convinced Percy will monopolize himself into being Chiron's new favorite," Magnus mock agreed.

"Percy, you ready?"

I nodded. My hand slipped into my pocket, where I kept the ice whistle Quintus had given me. I looked over and saw Quintus watching me carefully.

He raised his hand in farewell.

Our spies report success, Luke had said. The same day we decided to send a quest, Luke had known about it.

"That's happened the last few quests though where he's up to date," Magnus shook his head. "Can't explicitly blame that on him."

"Take care," Chiron told us. "And good hunting."

"If he asks you to bring him back a skin, tell him to get in line," Alex mock waved.

"You too," I said.

We walked over to the rocks, where Tyson and Grover were waiting. I stared at the crack between the boulders—the entrance that was about to swallow us.

"Well," Grover said nervously, "good-bye sunshine."

"Hello rocks," Tyson agreed.

"Hopefully not the last thing they agree on," Jason said with a wayward smile.

And together, the four of us descended into darkness.

"Real happy, go-getter of a last sentence there," Nico shook his head as he passed the book along to Will.

"At least you never leave camp angry at anybody," Alex offered. "By the rules of writing, that would spell trouble with a capital death."

"My life is not an actual book," Percy told him blankly.

"Well the narrator sure isn't reliable enough for this to be a biography," Magnus smirked. "How many times did you say you're voice has cracked from puberty break?"

"And we're moving on!" Percy yelped.

PJOPJO

*There are no canon middle names for any characters in the series except Will, and it kind of drives me nuts.

#pjo #Percy Jackson #Jason Grace #Thalia Grace #alex fierro #Magnus Chase #nico di angelo #will solace #percabeth #solangelo #fierrochase #percy jackon and the olympians #battle of the labyrinth #mcdonalds #reading the books #big three kids

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h4desian · 1 year

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hey, sorry if you don't do this anymore but do you have more fem takaritsu headcanons? i live for your au 🥺🥺🥺

My askbox is always open for headcanons! In fact I'm begging for more people to ask me about them as well as for other couples

Fem!Takaritsu:

Onodera sometimes clings to Takano while sleeping. Not that she minds tho.

Everyone thinks Masami's glasses make her look strict, but Ritsuko secretly likes how she looks when she wears them.

They frequently go on dates once they start dating. Takano enjoys taking secret photos of Onodera when she isn't looking.

They also have movie nights at home. Takano once decided to watch a horror film in the hopes that Ritsuko would be scared enough to cling to her the entire time. Takano ended up being the scared one while Onodera didn't even flinch.

Masami LOVES dressing up her girlfriend. She occasionally buys dresses and other cute clothes for Onodera. It makes Ritsuko feel bad because some of them are a little pricey, but Masami doesn't mind as long as they look good on her.

Ritsuko, on the other hand, enjoys spoiling Takano in her own unique way, such as brushing her hair, applying her makeup, painting her nails, and so on. You get the idea.

Onodera is embarrassed by her poor cooking skills, so she tries to practice by preparing simple dishes. They're not as good as they could be, but it's her way of saying thanks to Takano for always cooking for her.

Everyone at Emerald is suspicious of them. Kisa and Mino are the ones who are the most curious about their relationship. Hatori prefers to respect their privacy (but totally knows that they have the hots for each other, no one can fool her).

Unlike canon Ritsu, Ritsuko can interact with animals just fine. Due to the apartment's policies, they can't have animals. All the times Takano had to take Sorata in and didn't have problems were just pure luck. They wanted to have a kitty, and what was Takano's solution? Well, she gave Onodera a cat ear headband. She didn't find it as funny as Takano did.

Fem!Sagaoda

Saga frequently invited Oda under the guise that Sorata was lonely and needed someone to keep him company. In reality, it was Saga who was lonely.

Oda was initially intimidated by Saga because her seniors knew that many boys wanted to ask her out, and it got worse when she learned that she frequently rejected people.

The moment Saga realized she was in love with Oda she was on ber bed while screaming into a pillow and kicking her feet and being like "AAAAA GET OUT OF MY HEAD".

Fem!Saga is slightly more tsundere than canon Saga, whereas fem!Oda is equally as sweet and shy.

Oda made matching bracelets for them. They still have them as adults.

Hope you like them anon 💞

#sekaiichi hatsukoi #fem nostalgia #fem takaritsu

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justfinishedreading · 2 years

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Yakuza Lover, volume 1 by Nozomi Mino

I wanted so much to love this book, oh I wanted it so much, the covers in this series are gorgeous, they’re bold, striking and sexy and I’m so tempted to collect the books just for them, plus I love the idea of reading about a sexy Yakuza (gangster) relationship. I had high hopes… but unfortunately…

Warning: Spoilers

We meet Yuri (are there any other Japanese names writers can use?), a feisty 20-year-old college student who has a chance encounter with yakuza boss Oya. By the middle of volume 1 they’ve already professed their undying love to each other. Here’s how it happens:

Meeting Number 1: Yuri and her friend are at a party, they stumble into a room where people are doing drugs, things escalate and Yuri hits someone with a chair in order to defend herself and her friend, Oya shows up, asks if she’s hurt, gives her his coat and card and tells her she can leave (that’s it).

Meeting Number 2: Two weeks later Yuri tracks down where he lives to return the coat, he shows her a closet full of expensive women’s clothes, shoes and bags for her to pick something as a present. He tells her he’s trying to seduce her because he found her readiness to protect her friend attractive, he says he’s been struck by cupid’s arrow and with the way he lives he doesn’t have time to wait for the right moment. She’s unsure about getting swept up in this potential romance with a yakuza and to his credit he backs off (after she pushes him away…). As he escorts her to a car that will take her home HE IS SHOT IN THE FACE, he’s fine though, tis but a scratch. He leaves to deal with it, she’s taken home.

Meeting Number 3: Some (unspecified) time passes (days? weeks?) with no contact, suddenly Oya calls Yuri out of the blue in the middle of the night to come to him, they exchange a few words, mostly him about how much he wants her and they start making out.

END OF CHAPTER 1!

Continued Meeting Number 3: They fool around, Oya asks if she wants to leave, Yuri says she likes his tattoo, isn’t ready for sex but wants to be with him a little longer. Eventually she returns home because her family don’t know she’s sneaked out of the house to go snog a gangster.

Meeting Number 4: Some (unspecified) time passes (days? weeks? a month?) with no contact, Yuri hears on the news that an unknown yakuza belonging to his organization has been shot, she fears it might be him and phones him, he doesn’t answer but his car shows up. They have sex, he tells her he loves her, gives her earrings made from the bullet that hit his face, she says “I promise you that I’ll remain by your side until your dying day.” He says “I want to make all your wishes come true. No matter what they may be. That’s how we treat women who have vowed to stay by our sides despite the lives we lead. I swear to love you until my body is no more.” Then he presents her with a hill of presents; clothes wrapped up in many boxes with bows.

END OF CHAPTER 2

Eternal Love in just 4 meetings with 3 displays of generous gifts and barely any conversation other than to say how attracted they are to each other.

Now I love romantic comedies, I like smutty manga, I’m not above these things and feel that there’s nothing wrong with consuming romance that’s the equivalent of junk food, as long as readers are aware that these unrealistic and toxic relationships are just that. So I came to this with a pretty open mind, and it’s evident by the quantity of sex scene what it is that this manga is trying to delivery, but the pacing is awful, we’re seeing these two characters fall in love with each other faster than we have time to get to know them ourselves, there’s no sexy tension because it’s created in too few pages, and while I understand that unhealthy relationships are addictive to read about there are so many red flags in the writing which I can’t turn a blind eye to. Why is Yuri so sure she’s in love with Oya by the fourth time they met?

1. He’s a powerful and attractive man, dangerous to everyone else but kind to her therefore she feels special.

2. He has a dangerous lifestyle which makes being with him scary and exciting, this is the rope bridge effect (google it), where the heart pounding from fear and excitement gets misinterpreted as desire and love.

3. Most importantly: she has no say in how the relationship progresses, although Yuri seeks him out for their second meeting and tries to call him by the fourth out of desperation, for the most part she is waiting for him to call her, leaving her schedule free in case he calls, stating that she has spent more time staring at their call history than at his face, he told her (and later tells her again) “I’ll call you again if I’m still alive.” She is in a state of helpless longing, of uncertainty and has quite clearly interpreted this as love: “I’ve realized the reason I felt so lost and hopeless over something so minor as a missed call is because I love him.” No, it’s because you can’t contact him and talk to him like normal people do, he says he might die at any moment, and you haven’t heard from him in who knows how long, weeks? Months? After they declare their undying love for each other she still doesn’t know if she’ll be able to see him every other month. Later in the volume she mentions she saw him once in two months.

It’s reading stuff like this as a teenager, even as an adult, that creates warped ideas of what love is. Towards the end of the manga Oya tells Yuri “I’ll always forgive you, no matter what you do to me.” Don’t write crap like that! It makes people think that love is loving no matter what, to love someone is to accept all sorts of bad behaviour.

In chapter 3, Yuri wants to buy Oya a present and takes on a job as an assistant hostess at a club, it pays very well, she’s good at it and the Mama (lady who runs the joint) wants her to become a proper hostess, but Yuri doesn’t want to be too busy in case she “might miss Oya’s phone call.” She actually says that. Oya shows up at the club, turns out he’s the owner, of course Yuri doesn’t know this because they don’t actually know each other well at all. The Mama tells Oya that Yuri would be a great hostess, Yuri gets worried that he’ll be upset that she’s been working at a club AND THEN SHE GETS UPSET THAT HE ISN’T UPSET.

To clarify: she wants to buy him a present. Takes a job somewhere she thinks he might not approve of. Then gets anxious when he isn’t upset that she’s working there. What is this???

Oya then tells the Mama he’ll pay the club all the money Yuri would have earned it if she was a hostess there so that she’ll now just be his. Why? He’s the owner of the freaking club!

YURI AS A CHARACTER We know only two things about Yuri’s personality: 1. she’s feisty, not afraid to defend herself, get violent and push guys away, 2. She’s hardworking and during summer break takes on multiple jobs because she gets bored.

So what’s she studying at college? Is there a specific career she’s aiming for? At the start she’s looking for a boyfriend, is she lonely? Just looking for some fun? Would like to start a family in the future? What are her hobbies? Does she like fashion? Politics? Reading? Does she have any strong opinions on ANYTHING? We don’t know. Writers often use the excuse that blank protagonist help readers imagine themselves in the story, but if you think about it we can and do enjoy stories with well-developed characters.

Sometimes in these times types of stories authors will tell us that the female protagonist has attributes that make her seem like a strong or interesting or relatable character, a character we can admire and love, but these turn out to be superficial and don’t really make their way into the story. In the beginning we’re told she’s feisty, this is her main attribute but she’s a doormat when it comes to Oya. Sure she was quick to protect her friend but maybe she’s just quick to turn to violence. Sure she was thoughtful enough to return Oya’s coat when he had previously told her there was no need, but perhaps she just wanted an excuse to meet him again. How much of her supposable personality is really in this story?

Luckily it does get better in the very last chapter, we see more instances of her being feisty in situations she’s not happy with, we see her take charge in her romantic relationship and sexual relationship with Oya, and we see that she can be very cheerful and silly when she’s not having to worry about whether Oya is going to call or not.

OYA AS A CHARACTER My biggest problem with Oya is his appearance, I love everything about the cover of this volume apart from his weird head. Oya to me looks way too effeminate, to the point where I think this manga would have worked better if it was a Girls’ Love manga with a lesbian couple. Looking at Oya you can’t see that dark, yakuza side to him, and it makes me more cautious of him, I’ve read a few mangas who get the yakuza with a kind heart look so much better, some cases a perfect sexy but dangerous vibe (ok most of these are Boys Love); Twitter Birds Never Fly, The Way of the Househusband, Tight Rope, Great teacher Onizuka, Gokudou Darling in particular was perfect, Beast & Feast, Kobi No Kyoujin to name but a few. Oya’s yakuza vibe is weak, he’s little more than a pretty boy, a possessive rich guy with a chauffer and credit card. His dangerous side will come out more in the story but the visual character design just doesn’t work.

And what is up with his hair? If he has one eye always covered because he has a huge scar and that’s going to be revealed in future volumes, ok, but if not then please can I get my male love interest with two eyes? And there’s something about how his teeth when they are drawn in close ups during sex scenes which is not appealing, I think it’s because they are draw in a more realistic style which clashes with the non-realistic style of the rest of the manga.

Lastly he may look around the same age as Yuri, she’s 20, maybe he’s 25? But he refers to himself a number of times as an ‘older man’ which makes me uneasy… ok so how old are you exactly? Is there an icky age gap that you’re keeping from me?

His redeeming feature is that towards the end he is willing to do some silly things with Yuri in public and just enjoys being a lovey-dovey couple.

AM I GOING TO CONTINUE READING THIS SERIES? The problem with this manga is that it’s not funny enough to be a proper silly comedy, the relationship isn’t developed enough for it to be a compelling romance (toxic or healthy) and the tension isn’t paced and built-up well enough for the sex scenes to be hot. Towards the end it does get better, there’s a chance the beginning of the relationship was rushed so we could get quicker to them as a couple. It would have worked better if we met them as a couple from the very start, perhaps with some occasional, and brief, flashbacks.

However reading the blurbs online for the other volumes it seems like the standard romance cliches are going to be in play: she’s going to be in danger so we’ll see him save her and a love triangle develops so he’ll have to deal with jealousy. Cue the damaging misconception that jealousy and possessiveness are great indicators of love.

I wanted to like this so badly, but the writing just isn’t good, I’ve read enough to know what a really good junk food romance is and I’ve read enough of Sweat and Soap by Kintetsu Yamada to know that healthy relationship can make compelling reading. No matter how beautiful the Yakuza Lover covers are, it’s not enough.

Review by Book Hamster

#just finished reading #yakuza lover #nozomi mino #yakuza #gangsters #yuri x oya #toxic romance #smut manga #manga blog #reading blog #beautiful book covers

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the12thnightproject · 1 year

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Chapter 18: New Player/Old Adversary - When Katsu and Sasuke are finally able to compare notes, the potential identity of the assassin creates additional danger for Katsu.

Shingen x OC; Kenshin x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter: here

Logline - Disguised as a boy, Katsuko finds herself working for Shingen, but her dangerous masquerade becomes difficult to sustain when she falls for the man with a fatal secret

Though I was exhausted, my brain wouldn’t shut down, even as my body managed a fitful doze full of bizarre dreams. Was I in an old time American western movie set? Or maybe just the American west in general, since all I knew of the place was from movies. Akihira was there, and he threw Sasuke through plate glass window. The broken glass turned into arrows that chased after us both. Shards of glass landed on the ground and took root, bursting into giant Redwood trees.

Weird as that was, it was better than what followed - my recurring dream about Iekane burying me alive in a tiny coffin, that as per usual, had me waking myself up with a gasp. Had any time passed at all? It was impossible to tell as rain and clouds obscured the position of the sun. I was as tired as before.

Ugh, if I was going to be plagued by dreams, why couldn’t they be hot and sexy? I pondered that – the few times the dream Gods had gifted me with a sex dream, I always woke up before we got to the good stuff. My subconscious was undermining me.

Alright. Sleep was a necessity. Determined to get some rest, I focused on the patter of rain on the roof, trying to time my breathing in the rhythm, until at last I dropped off into at least a semblance of sleep. Until…

Arrows!

I sat up. Though it was possible the archer who had attacked Mai had been hired from another part of the country, perhaps one of Oda’s territories, Mitsuhide had said there had been an attack in Azuchi as well. Could that assassin have been hired from here? While I was sure Mitsuhide would have investigated that, if he had learned something, it was the kind of information that he would not have shared. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t find that out on my own when I went out for the message run.

It was still raining when I returned to Shingen’s room to grab the messages he wanted me to deliver. “The good news is, it’s not snowing,” he said, sounding apologetic about the deluge.

“I like snow, actually,” I said. Having spent so many winters in Aki’s home in the mountains (not to mention growing up in Nagano), I knew how to handle snow. You could brush snow off, and wear winter furs to keep warm. “It’s fine. If I run fast enough, I can duck between raindrops.”

“I’d let you use my mino, but you’d be dwarfed in it.” He said, glancing at where his rain cape was hung next to his armor.

“Yeah, I’d look like a little kid wearing his dad’s clothes.” Shingen had at least twenty centimeters on me, and the mino would have been made to fit over his armor. Although the thought of wearing his clothes – something about that made me feel...

Nope.

Anyway, I hadn’t been complaining (out loud anyway) to Shingen, so his apologetic attitude might have been related to guilt over sending me into the storm while he stayed inside – which, “Don’t worry about it… it is my job.” What was it Americans said about their postal service… neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… something something?

It would have been nice though, to have that towel that he had stolen from “Angel,” because I was certain I was going to need it when I came back. But it wasn’t like this version of me would be able to ask for its return.

After delivering the messages and checking all the drop sites, I detoured to Susumu’s restaurant before heading back to the castle. Given that it was located close to two Inns and a posting station, his clientele was more transient than most places – if someone was looking to hire, they might just begin by asking questions here, were few would stick around and remember them.

Normally at this time of day, it was not very crowded, but the rain had chased many people indoors. I waited for Susumu to be able to take a break, realized that he couldn’t, then followed him into the kitchen area. Given how busy he was, I offered to help wash dishes in exchange for information – I would have offered to help cook, but my skills in that area aren’t up to restaurant level.

“What is it you would like to know?” he asked after I had made a dent in the to-be-cleaned pile.

“Many travelers pass through here.” I scraped at stubborn bit of leftover rice glued to a bowl. “I wonder, do you know if any recent ones have been recruiting for a mission in Azuchi?”

“I wouldn’t necessarily know, unless I happened to be standing in the correct place at the correct time… and if such recruiters were careless enough to allow me to hear.” Susumu chopped ginger nearly as fast as Kenshin worked his sword.

“Oh.” With a sigh, I cleaned a few more bowls. Once again, I thought I had had a flash of inspiration, only to reach a dead end. “So much for that idea.”

“Recruiting might not have been necessary. There’s a fair percentage of Imagawa vassals who chafe at Yoshimoto’s inactivity and their own loss of status.” Susumu didn’t look at me – and it didn’t take a lot of effort to see why not. Everyone was aware that Yoshimoto was Shingen’s cousin. Susumu had to be hesitant about telling tales of my employer’s relatives.

At the moment, I didn’t care about that. Yoshimoto had been with me when the attack was made on Mai. He’d saved her. That ought to clear him of any wrongdoing, unless he was of the mind to unsettle Kenshin. Unless he’d been able to save Mai because he had knowledge about the attack ahead of time? “A split faction? Or most of them?”

“The Imagawas suffered a terrible defeat by Nobunaga. They were a proud, some say over-proud clan, and some would do anything to reestablish themselves. I have heard…” Susumu trailed off and shook his head. “I should not talk of such things.”

“I will keep your name out of it.” It was an easy enough promise to make, and I meant it.

“Yoshimoto does not have the respect of his people. They believe he has not done enough to restore the clan to its former glory.” Susumu lowered his voice. “They seek someone who will promise to do so.”

Hm, that at least nominally cleared Yoshimoto, I suppose.

“Has someone promised that?” Who could promise that? Kenshin was more interested in battle for the sake of battle, Shingen wanted to reestablish a community in Kai – neither of these seemed to be on the grandiose level that Susumu hinted at.

“It is said that even from his exile Ashikaga Yoshiaki continues to try and raise troops against Nobunaga and –“ Susumu quieted as a server entered the kitchen.

While the two of them conferred, I considered the information. The fifteenth shogun Yoshiaki had been driven from Kyoto by Nobunaga. It was said he had become a monk. It was also said he unwillingly became one. Unlikely that he had an army of his own. Yes, I could imagine that he would want to raise an army. I couldn’t imagine him succeeding though. But maybe my image of a weakened and deposed leader raging ineffectively to the hills was incorrect.

“Can he do that – I mean, can he succeed?” I asked once we were alone again.

Susumu shrugged. “The ways of the powerful are unknown to me. Yoshiaki has his name to trade upon. But to some, to those who value lineage and history, it’s impressive currency.”

I considered asking Susumu how much he thought Yoshimoto knew about all this, but retracted the question unsaid. Such information was better off coming from Yoshimoto himself, rather than further involving Susumu.

I finished the dishes, thanked Susumu, and went back out into the downpour.

Upon my sopping wet return to the castle, I was unable to find either Yoshimoto or Sasuke. Never had I so badly missed having a phone! While I was still lurking outside Sasuke’s quarters, I was waylaid by Mai, who exclaimed dismay over my sodden state.

“Oh, Katsuk-“

I gave her a warning look before she could finish speaking, then looked around to make sure no one had heard. Once again, I had that feeling that someone was watching – but maybe Mai’s almost use of my true name had me feeling paranoid?

“Sorry. Katsu. You’re soaked.” She glanced down at the floor, where even as I stood, a puddle was forming as water dripped off my clothes.

“Yeah, water is wet. Who knew?” I gestured at Sasuke’s quarters. “Do you know when he’ll get back?”

“Sometime today? I don’t know.” Mai dug around in her kimono and pulled out her hand towel, which she handed me. Well… that would dry my face anyway. I wiped the water out of my eyes, from where it was continuously dripping from my hair. It didn’t seem right to hand her back a wet towel, so I figured to wash it with the rest of my clothes. At this point, even with the additions to my wardrobe, I was going to run out of dry clothing soon. “He’s off on some kind of mission for Kenshin, and well, he’s been acting a bit odd.”

“Sasuke?” Sasuke was generally a bit odd, what would Mai consider to be odder?

“No, Kenshin.” It sounded like it was painful for her to admit that.

Oh, well then. I’d been planning to wait until after I talked with Sasuke, but since I had an opening. “Do you think maybe he it’s because he can tell you’re lying to him?”

Now it was Mai’s turn to shush me, and furtively look around. “I don’t know.”

“Honestly, I think you should tell him what’s going on.” I heard a soft whisper of a door creaking open and hurried out of earshot of whoever that was.

“I can’t. I’m scared he’ll…”

Right. Got it. “Bad things will happen.” I turned toward my own quarters. Mai held up her kimono so it wouldn’t drag in the wet trail I was making.

“Uh huh.” She rubbed her arms. “He’s wonderful and so sweet. But he worries so much about me, I just want to ease his mind.”

I would have to take her word about his sweetness; and it was clear his friends and vassals loved him. Certainly, I respected his leadership and skills. But it sure seemed like a lot of people here were awfully worried about his mind.

Apparently taking my silence as disapproval – which, it was, Mai continued. “Anyway, you have no grounds to talk about keeping secrets. At least there’s only one of me.”

Alright, point to Mai, especially given that she only knew about Katsu and “Angel” and Katsuko, and not about Kaya who had… oh, that reminded me. “I encountered a friend of yours last night.”

“Really?” We paused in front of my door. “A friend who doesn’t live here?”

I raised my hand about 15 centimeters above my head. “About this tall, silver hair, permanent smirk, and a vicious sense of humor.”

“Mitsuhide! Where was he? I’ve missed all of them so much.” She smiled fondly.

I couldn’t imagine Mitsuhide prompting a fond smile and gave her a look.

“Deep down. Deep, deep down, he’s a sweetheart.”

I coughed. Mai saw the best in everyone.

She fidgeted with her obi. “He doesn’t want anyone to know he’s sweet, so he teases a lot. How did you run into him?”

We were still outside my room. I knew I should invite her in for a longer conversation, but honestly, I just wanted to dry off, and have a moment to myself. “Broke into his room and he threatened to kill me.” Of course, later, he had given me some sincere advice, so maybe deep down he really was a sweetheart. “Just another day in the life – but I’m still soaking wet from the rain, so I’ll have to give you the details later.”

I scooted into my room, and without any guilt, closed the door in her face. “Ack! Katsu! You can’t leave in the middle of a good story!”

I could. And I did. Mitsuhide is not the only person who knows how to tease. Besides, if I told her the whole story about last night, I’d also have to tell her about Kaya/Angel’s encounter with Shingen, and I wasn’t ready to share any of those details. I knew what Mai would say about that anyway, something along the lines of “Hit that, have fun, and tell me everything.”

But would it be right to have that kind of fun without telling him I was also Katsu? Ironic, considering how many lies I had already told him, but this was one thing I didn’t want to lie about. Or, maybe less that I didn’t want to lie, and more that I wanted him to see all of me at once – in the individual sense, not in the naked sense… well, he had already seen me naked. To treat me like I was both smart and attractive – he thought Katsu was smart. He thought Angel was attractive. For that matter, I wanted to be with him and have him not call me “Angel.”

It made me feel like a generic grocery brand.

I just wasn’t ready. It would alter things, and not in any manner that would be pleasant for me. We were past the point where Shingen would welcome the knowledge of my identity. Identities.

I was about to change into dry clothes when I heard that “toc” at the ceiling. “Sasuke?”

He swung down. Happy to see him. Wished he’d waited another five minutes so I could have at least one conversation where I wasn’t soaked – but I couldn’t ask him to go back into the ceiling while I changed clothes without giving him a reason. “I heard you were looking for me?”

“Yeah. I am. I mean, I was, since obviously I have found you. Well, you found me. So therefore, no longer looking.”

“Uh oh.” Sasuke shot a worried glance at me.

“What?” Ok, at least I could take off my wet footwear.

“You tend to word vomit when you’re trying to figure out how to start a difficult conversation.” He plopped down on my futon, apparently ready for a long haul.

“I do?” I thought about that. I suppose I do.

“Alright. I’m braced for whatever it is.” Sasuke grabbed the cushion from my pillow block and hugged it.

He looked so ridiculous that I relaxed a little. “Alright. First of all, it wasn’t my decision not to tell you about this, but last week, someone tried to kill Mai.”

Sasuke’s hand tightened on the cushion, and he muttered something to himself, that … ok, weird, that almost sounded like Klingon. He took a deep breath. “That was not the kind of difficult I expected. Start from the beginning, please.”

I tried to pull the cold, clammy fabric away from my back. “How far back do you want? From after that attempt last month?”

Sasuke blinked rapidly. “The thing last month was an attempted assassination?”

I closed my eyes. Shingen hadn’t even told Sasuke? “Sorry. I guess you really do need to catch up. Shingen didn’t want Kenshin to be told, but I thought that at least he would have mentioned it to you, since you were there that night.”

Sasuke took out three ground spikes and began idly juggling them. “If he was trying to keep information from Kenshin, he’d have kept it from me, and if he wanted it kept from me, he would have kept it from Yuki. What exactly is the situation, since you appear to have all of the pieces.”

No, only the assassin had all the pieces. The rest of us were scrambling. From the beginning, I explained what I knew and why I thought keeping it from Kenshin could backfire.

“I agree. If Kenshin senses… although if he thought… I mean… bad things could happen.” He sighed. “There are a lot of wonderful things about Kenshin. I would do anything for him, but when he cares about people, that caring doesn’t manifest in – conventional ways.”

Why couldn’t anyone here admit that Kenshin was a bucket of pigs’ blood away from a psychotic break?

“At this point, someone needs to talk to him.” To get him to look at me, I stole a ground spike. “Since Mai refuses, Shingen left the decision as to who and how up to you.”

“Me?” Sasuke looked as surprised as he ever did, which is to say, not much, but his shoulders tensed up. “Why?”

“Not that you’ve been around lately, but aside from Mai, rumor has it that you’re the only one who has any mitigating influence on Kenshin.” I thought that was kind of obvious, even to me, but maybe not.

Sasuke flopped backward onto the futon and stared up at the ceiling. “That… may not be true any longer. He listens to his vassals, especially Iekane, who for whatever reason, appears not to like me very much.” Sasuke continued to ramble in that direction, but I have no idea what he said, because as soon as I heard the name “Iekane” everything faded into a Peanuts style, “wap wap wap wap wap wap.”

It couldn’t be. Could it?

I sunk down next to Sasuke and grabbed the cushion away. Now I was the one who needed a security blanket.

“You’re not going to be sick are you?” Sasuke asked. “Because right now you’re looking extremely green, and there is a potential for sympathy vomit if I am too close.”

“No. No vomiting.” At least I hope not. “Um, how old is this Iekane?” Is this what my brain had been trying to tell me? Had I caught a peripheral glimpse of him, not enough for recognition, but enough to trigger my unconscious mind? But if he’s been living in Kasugayama, how did I manage to not run into him? Unless he very early on figured out my patterns – damn it, I did have a daily pattern – and made sure to avoid me.

“I don’t know. Maybe about a year or so older than I am,” Sasuke replied.

“Does he smile a lot, but only with his mouth?” I almost asked if he had dead eyes, but that was only my imagination and warped memory that made him look that way to me.

“I haven’t paid attention. Maybe. Katsu, you’re scaring me.” He grabbed the cushion back.

“You’re good at probabilities, yes?” He was the guy most likely to be winning bets.

He nodded.

“What are the odds that Kenshin’s vassal Iekane is the same smiling bastard Iekane who tried to kill me four years ago?” I didn’t even have to work out in my head how Iekane could have risen to the status of vassal in four years. If he fooled Aki, he could fool anyone.

Sasuke pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. “It’s a common name and factoring in age, locality, and potential murderous instincts-“

I am never asking Sasuke a rhetorical question again.

I jumped up and grabbed my sword, then thought again and picked up my daggers as well. “It could be a coincidence.” I was practically begging Sasuke to tell me it was a coincidence. “I mean, it’s probably a coincidence.”

Sasuke was already climbing into the ceiling. “I don’t believe in coincidence. Kenshin is likely in the training room at this time – meet you there.”

It was obvious what kind of state of mind he was in that I could actually hear his feet above me even as I took off running at ground level.

Damn it, why doesn’t anyone here talk to each other? And yes, I was as guilty as everyone else, but how much of this could have been avoided if we had all been sharing information instead of hoarding it?

My bare feet slapped against the floor as I dashed along the corridor.

After skidding to a halt in front of the door to the training room, I reached for the –

Sasuke’s face appeared above me – dang, the crawl space really is faster. “Katsu,” he said in a stage whisper. “Don’t open the door.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Very bad things.”

The door slid open, and I was face to sword with Kenshin, his expression carved from a block of granite. Behind him, a continent of his personal guards, all of whom had their swords drawn as well.

#TBT12Lies #throwback thursday #twelve lies i told shingen takeda #ikemen sengoku #fanfic #shingen takeda #ikesen shingen #sasuke sarutobi #ikesen sasuke

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intrestingatparties · 2 years

Text

Day One: “Don’t Hold Your Breath”

Whip | Tears | The Chair

@themerrywhumpofmay

Srry I was busy yesterday.

Characters: Nero, Accuri

TW/CW: Stabbing, whip, restraints, gag, blood, sibling whump (sorta), immortal whumper/whumpee (also sorta), interrogation, stabbing

Thick leather straps pinned Nero to the dentist’s chair, completley immobilizing her limbs. A moist (and likely dirty) cloth served as a gag.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Accuri said, holding a long cord braided with broken glass, his purple eyes shimmering in excitement.

Two days ago, Nero would have made fun of the way the man god wore a purple suit and tie every hour of the day. Minos might have even made a joke about William Afton, ‘The Purple Guy’.

This was not two days ago.

“You want to go home. I want to know where Minos is.” There was a sharp crack, and pain shot through her chest like lightning to a rod. “So, you tell me where he is, I let you go.” Liar, she thought. You’re having too much fun. “I’m taking the gag out now, okay?” The idiot seized and held her jaw, using his other hand to pull out the piece of fabric.

“You’re psycho,” Nero spat. “You can’t actually believe-” she was cut off by blinding pain across her face, a scream escaping her lips.

Accuri smiled as she clenched her shaking fists, her breathing erratic.

“This really isn’t that hard.” Nero glared at him, blood dripping into her eye. Another crack of the whip made Nero strain against her restraints, cutting into her skin.

“Dangit!”

“I just want to help him, you know. Keep him safe.” From you. The unsaid words cut through her skin just as effortlessly as the whip.

“Over-” she gasped, blood splattering Accuri’s clean suit- ”my dead body!” The god laughed.

“That was the plan, remember?”

“Shu- shut up!” Nero choked back a sob. She struggled, trying to break free. She dully noted that Accuri had raised the whip, ready to strike, considered it, and then lowered the weapon.

“One of these days,” he sighed, ripping one of the glass shards from the whip. “You two will listen to me, and all three of us can get what we want.”

“If we all got what we wanted, I’d be dead. Therefore, I actually wouldn’t get what I wanted.”

“By the time I’m done, you will.” Accuri thrust the broken glass into Nero’s upper arm, dragging it upwards and covering it in blood. Nero bit her tongue, only exhaling once he was finished and had left it imbedded in her shoulder.

“You done?” Nero asked him.

“We won’t be done until you give me what I want.” Nero laughed bitterly, breath catching in her sore and bloody throat.

“Don’t hold your breath.” Accuri grinned.

“Technically, I could though. You probably could too if you tried.”

“I’ll pass.” She closed her eyes, relaxing as Accuri undid the leather straps. His footsteps receded, and Nero pulled the restraints off the rest of the way. She eyed the god, who stood in the room’s corner, surprisingly respectful considering the circumstances.

She raised a hand to her face, wiping the blood away from her eyes. Pulling the glass out of her shoulder, she threw it at Accuri.

“Thanks,” he said, catching it. “I was looking for this! Where did you find it?”

“Shut up.”

“Fine, fine. Have it your way.”

#the merry whump of may #don't hold your breath #day 1 #whump writing #oc whump #Disillusionment Arc 2 #whump challenge #whump community

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j-a-nuary · 2 years

Text

Date Roulette: Taeyang

Saturday

Intro Week Start Seungri Week Start Daesung Week Start Previous Next

-----

I was staring into space, reliving certain aspects of the previous night when I realized that the director was addressing me.

“Have you ever worn a harness before?”

I blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

"A harness," he said again, "like for stunts."

"Oh, uh… not for stunts, no."

What sort of jobs did they think I had done before?

"Alright, ah, Yujin?"

One of the women nearby walked over. She was holding a bundle of beige straps.

"Okay, Yujin here is going to help you get strapped up, and then our safety team will help you get used to it."

I just nodded, going with the flow. If nothing else, I was curious about what was about to happen.

Yujin, and another person from wardrobe assisted in getting the harness on. They tried to hide it under my clothing as much as they could, but I was still left with straps hanging out of the side slits in my top.

“You look like you’re about to go parachuting,” Taeyang said when I joined him in the common area of the changing room.

I grabbed two of the straps that were hanging out and mimed like I was drifting through the sky.

Taeyang laughed, then looked me over.

“You’re quiet today,” he observed.

I shrugged, considering staying silent as a sort of joke. Of course, what good is a joke if no one else gets it?

“I…” another brief replay entered my mind’s eye before I finished the sentence, “am relaxed.”

“You should fall asleep on the sofa more often.”

I tilted my head, then shrugged again. I didn’t trust my voice to not give anything away through tones.

-----

“So what you’re saying is that I’m not impressive enough?” I joked with the director.

“No one is impressive enough on their own. We want this really over the top.”

-----

“Eonnie!”

I quickly zoned into where Chaeyoung was waving from behind some staff members.

“Chaeyoung-ah!” I greeted her, confused but pleasantly surprised by her arrival. I slipped between the seemingly much larger than yesterday group of people.

“We brought food for you,” she handed me a cup, “and coffee.”

“Ah,” I suppressed my disappointment, “thank you.”

“Wait, that…” the cup was pulled from my hand before I could lift it to my lips, “this is yours.”

Seungyoon smiled at me as he handed me a different cup.

“What’s the difference?”

“I was told that you prefer tea,” he winked as he said it.

“Oh cool,” I ignored the wink. I had the feeling he was purposely trying to get a rise out of me.

“ Thanks my dude .”

“ No problem . So what’s with the harness? Can’t do the flip?”

“I can do the flip,” I protested, “I’ll do a flip right now. But the director wants it to be,” I waved a hand through the air, “more, you know?”

“Can you really?” Chaeyoung asked.

“Yeah, let me just… Yoonie?” I handed my cup back to Seungyoon and found a suitably empty stretch of floor.

“Wait wait, let me get my camera,” Chaeyoung handed Seungyoon the little holder of coffees that she had and started digging through her bag.

“Okay,” she raised her phone, pointing the camera at me, “ready.”

Somehow, for some completely illogical reason, being faced with the phone camera made me shy.

“Ah, yo… okay, fine.”

I demonstrated the flip in question.

“Amazing!” Chaeyoung cheered.

“Not bad,” Seungyoon said.

“There you guys are,” Mino made his way over, “why didn't you answer my text? I had to text Taeyang.”

“You texted me?” I asked, retrieving my cup from Seungyoon.

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure we got the right tea.”

I sipped the tea, and grimaced slightly.

“It’s wrong?”

“It’s fine,” I tried to reassure him, “just too much sugar. I didn’t see anything on my phone this morning.”

Mino just shook his head, but didn’t seem too upset by any of it all.

“We could get you another one,” Chaeyoung offered.

“No, what? No,” I waved away the offer, “you guys are way too nice sometimes. This is fine.”

A staff member approached, offering me an electric handheld fan, and a bottle of water.

“ Oh, cheers , thank you,” relief started to slowly wash over me.

“So what are you all up to today?”

“We,” Chaeyoung indicated to herself and Seungyoon, “actually just finished an all night recording session.”

“Jesus, shouldn’t you go get some sleep?”

“If I sleep now,” Chaeyoung shook her head, “I’ll be all messed up tomorrow.”

“That’s fair,” I nodded.

“Not to mention all the caffeine,” Seungyoon pointed out, “I couldn’t sleep right now even if I tried.”

“Neither of you are driving right?”

-----

We seemed to be taking more breaks than the previous day. Not that I was going to complain.

I had a feeling it was because the director was making a lot of changes, but somehow none of them impacted what I needed to do very much.

-----

“But can you go forward?” Chaeyoung asked me.

“Flip? I mean I used to,” I stood and folded at the waist, grabbing my ankles to try to stretch my back.

“Let’s find out, huh?”

“Really?” Seungyoon asked.

“Yeah just let me… uh…” I stared at the ground and swung my leg back and forth a bit. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at Chaeyoung.

“You’re about to witness a death,” I joked.

Chaeyoung lifted her hands to her face, peeking between her fingers.

I did not nail the landing. But it could have been considerably worse than it was.

“Not bad!” Mino cheered.

“Can you teach me?” Chaeyoung asked.

“Right now?”

She nodded emphatically.

“You’ll have to use your hands for now,” I shrugged, “but we’ll get you there.”

-----

“One point, two points, three points, fatality!” I quietly yelled as I stabbed Taeyang with the fake daggers.

Taeyang rolled his eyes, batting at my hand with the fan as I tried to poke him again.

“Ooooh, blocked. Okay,” I swung my chain slowly, “let’s go old man.”

For once, Taeyang stopped being so serious.

“You’ve come to take me out, huh?” he affected a gruff elderly sounding voice, “after all these years.”

“Your sins die with you,” I swung the chain at his legs.

Some very slow drama later, I had my chain “around” Taeyang’s neck. He pretended to choke, but lifted a dagger I had dropped and pretended to stab my side.

“Ah!” I let go, dropping to my knees. Fully immersed in the play, I dabbed at mouth, wiping unseen blood from my lips.

“At least…” I took a ragged breath, “the sun is still out.”

With that, I took a dive off the edge of the raised set.

I heard Taeyang yell.

Fixing my eyes on the ground, I reached down to meet it. A quick kick of my legs sent them over me, then under. I stood up in a gymnast’s pose.

“Are you okay?!” Taeyang leaned over the edge of the set, “you gave me a heart attack!”

“You should have seen his face,” Seungyoon jeered.

"I'm fine," I called up at Taeyang.

Chul was by my side now. He covered his face with his hand and exhaled heavily. I felt a little bad.

Sometimes you just had to give in to the drama.

I clasped Chul's shoulder, "you good?"

"I literally never know what you're going to do," he groaned.

I laughed aloud.

-----

"Come on," Taeyang goaded me on, "all those flips and you can't do one more push-up?"

Both of our faces were bright red. I tapped one foot against the wall to restabilize myself on my hands.

"Listen," I groaned, "that only requires my hands for a second."

"Just dip," Taeyang said, demonstrating as he bent his elbows. His chin just barely brushed the floor before he pushed himself back up.

In itself, that may not sound impressive, but given that his legs were also currently extended upwards, I was finding myself having to once again give props to his athleticism.

I huffed a bit, trying to steel myself. Slowly, I bent my elbows.

A cracking pop noise came from my wrist. It didn't hurt. In fact it kind of felt like something was now in its proper place. The sound itself surprised me though, so I quickly let my legs drop.

"Did you just break something?" Taeyang was staring at me, once again alarmed.

"No," I rolled onto my back and started wiggling my wrist. A slight crunching noise came from it.

"It's just an old injury," I explained.

“Okay,” the director called out, “we should be done, but don’t go too far away everyone. Break for…” he checked his watch, “one hour. We’ll text you if we don’t need anything else.”

I immediately tugged the overshirt of my costume off and started unbuckling the straps of the harness.

“You okay?” Taeyang laughed at my rush.

“I feel like I’m being sawed in half,” I complained.

"Here," once again, I hadn't seen Chul's approach, but I gladly lifted my hands and let him undo the clips that I couldn't properly see.

Harness now off, I surreptitiously pulled the side of my undershirt up to check the damage.

There was an angry red welt growing under my ribs.

Chul handed me a bottle of water, and twirled his fingers, silently telling me to turn.

I spun slightly, back to Chul. I felt him lift the back of my shirt. He clicked his teeth, and called out for another staff member.

“You should have told them it was too tight,” Taeyang scolded me.

“It has to be tight to do its job,” I muttered.

“Cold,” Chul warned me a split second before pressing a cool water bottle against the abrasion on my back.

I grit my teeth to bite back a yell, instead making a sound similar to what I might sound like after taking a too hot bite of food.

Taeyang curiously peeked at my back.

“I’m going to tell Seunghyun that his week should just be in the hospital at this point.”

“Shut up,” I groused.

Another staff member approached, carrying a red bag.

“Come on,” I groaned, recognizing a first aid kit when I saw one, “it’s not that bad.”

“Shush,” Chul hushed me, “do you mind if I touch you?”

“Whatever, can I just sit down?”

“Sure, here,” Chul directed me to sit on the side of the raised staging area.

I sat, then laid back. My entire body was exhausted once again.

“Here,” Chul dropped a towel on me, “roll over.”

Groaning, I laid the towel over my front, then rolled over so that I was laying atop it while Chul knelt next to me.

“I’m going to lift the shirt,” he warned me.

I nodded.

I felt my shirt lift, and then what seemed to be Chul applying some sort of medicated cream.

“You’ve got to stop hurting yourself,” he scolded me.

“I’m not doing it on purpose.”

-----

I was completely exhausted. Stretched out across a few chairs in the large wardrobe area, I almost immediately fell asleep.

I was woken up by Taeyang shaking my shoulder.

“Yah, why is your phone turned off?”

“Hmm?” I groaned, feeling the soreness that had settled very solidly into my body.

“We’re actually done. We tried calling you but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Ah, fuck,” I pulled myself up, stretching in an attempt to loosen up the tightness in my chest.

“I put it on airplane mode last night,” I explained, “and forgot to turn it back on this morning.”

“Dummy,” Taeyang huffed, “anyway, we’re done.”

I dug my phone out from my pile of stuff and turned airplane mode off.

“When you sa…” I grimaced as a few dings immediately came through, “when you say ‘done’, what does that mean?”

“Tomorrow’s a group day, the video people have enough roll, we’re done.”

“Nice,” I yawned and stretched again, “see you at home then.”

Taeyang tilted his head, but nodded, “don’t stay out too late. You never know what time they’ll try waking us up.”

“Got it,” I stood up, “but I gotta get changed now so…” I waved him away.

-----

Hair tucked into a hat, face hidden behind a mask, and body covered in loose and light long sleeves and pants, I felt unrecognizable enough to wander around on my own for a while. I looked into windows, got iced tea, and let myself off the hook for not being on camera.

Sitting on a bench under some late blooming trees, I finally checked all the messages I had missed.

From: D-Lite Disappointing, but rational.

I rolled my eyes.

From: Chaeyoungie Eonnie~! You and sunbae are filming today, right? Can we come see?

From: Yoonie What kind of coffee do you like?

From: Hugeboy I know you do cream, but do you take sugar in your tea?

From: Hugeboy Text me when you’re free.

I smiled at my phone. Maybe I wasn’t so alone here.

From: Zico [attachment]

From: Zico I might be able to line up a job for you, if you’re interested.

The attachment was a clip of Taeyang and I on the set. The angle was a little low, but we could still clearly be seen.

It was me and him pretending to kill each other.

“At least…” I dramatically coughed again, “the sun is still out.”

Where I hadn't been able to see Taeyang’s face as I fell in real life, the video gave me the perfect angle. I chuckled as his eyes bulged and he scrambled forward.

I also hadn’t seen it at the time, but on the side of the screen I saw Chul scrambling towards me.

I watched myself fall, catch on my hands, and swing my legs back and down so I could stand up again.

I heard Mino and Chaeyoung cheer through the phone, something that I had not heard when I had done it.

The clip ended there. I had my hand on Chul’s shoulder, laughing. Taeyang was glaring at me from the stage. Chul looked like his soul had just left his body.

I hadn’t known that anyone had been recording that. But looking at it now, I was glad that they had.

From: Zico I know someone who is looking for background dancers. But you don’t have to actually dance.

I re-read the message, trying to make sense of it. What do dancers do if they don’t dance?

To: Zico Then what would I have to do?

Switching to Mino’s messages, I obliged his request.

To: Hugeboy I’m free.

To: Hugeboy [image]

The picture was a simple selfie, but I tried to catch as much of the flowers overhead as I could.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, I got a response from Zico, regarding Mino.

From: Zico You’ve killed Mino.

From: Zico You’re free, right? Come meet us.

With that, he dropped a location pin.

-----

When I arrived, I couldn’t help but cringe at the ridiculous car parked in front of the restaurant. At least there was more than one.

I glanced down at myself. My outfit wasn’t necessarily bad, but I had my doubts about how the host might feel having me be seen here.

To: Zico I feel like I should have dressed up.

I lingered, waiting for a response before continuing inside. Luckily, Zico appeared to be a phone addict.

From: Zico Come in, I’ll come get you.

I tried to tap into what little bit of “class” I had picked up from my wealthier relatives. Head up, bored expression, pretend everyone works for me.

I walked inside.

“Can I help you?” The host was, as predicted, giving me a look that said the only help he wanted to give me was to give me directions on how to get back outside.

I cast him the most dismissive look I could muster.

“No,” I glanced at my watch, “I’m meeting someone.”

I could feel that I was being assessed before he responded.

“Perhaps you’d like to take a se-”

“Luna?” Zico’s voice came from a passageway to one side. It was followed by the man himself.

“Hello,” I nodded to him.

“Come on, we’re down here,” he gestured for me to follow him.

I wanted to check the host’s face, but I resisted. If I had to play the part of importance, I had to stick to it.

“A little casual, but not bad,” Zico stated as we walked past a series of sliding doors. Most of them were shut, but an open one made me realize that we were most likely going to a private dining room.

“The host wanted to kick me out,” I pointed out.

“That was probably because you’re foreign, not your clothes.”

That was fair enough. I had been in Korea long enough to know that this was a bit of a trend in some places.

“Somehow that makes me feel better,” I laughed.

Zico grabbed the edge of a door and slid it open. Standing aside, he bowed slightly and gestured for me to enter first.

I chuckled at the display of manners and headed inside.

I stopped almost immediately.

“Kyung,” I said it without thinking.

Park Kyung looked up from his phone, looking momentarily lost. His eyes landed on me and he shot me a confused smile.

“Luna?”

“You two know each other?” Mino asked.

“No,” I laughed, “sorry, that was weird of me.”

“It’s fine,” Kyung’s smile grew wider, “Zico warned me that you’re weird.”

Zico shrugged as he moved around me and sat down next to Kyung. I shot him a dirty look.

All that did was pull another shrug from him.

“Take a seat,” Kyung leaned forward, indicating the chair across from him.

I sat down, mentally preparing for whatever was about to happen.

“So,” Kyung scooted forward in his seat, pouring me a cup of tea as he spoke, “how did you manage to make Mino obsessed with you immediately?”

He lifted the cup now, offering it to me earnestly.

“Uh,” I took the cup, “I…”

I paused, turning my head to look at Mino before continuing.

Mino’s eyes were wide, staring down into his own cup. I could also see redness growing on his neck and cheeks.

“Obsessed?” I nudged him slightly, “is that how it is?”

The redness grew a little faster now.

I turned back to Kyung.

“I still don’t believe that’s true. But if I had to guess,” I sipped the tea, both to build tension as a way of teasing Mino, and as a way to consider my words.

“I think it’s just that I’m,” I shrugged, falling back on the same theory I had had since the beginning, “new.”

“No,” Kyung leaned back, shaking his head, “that's not it."

"Hyung, don't," Mino implored.

"Hush Mino," I reached over and lightly pat his hair. In response he shook his head, but leaned just the slightest bit into my hand.

"Then what is it?" I asked, maybe a little rudely.

Kyung pointed at me, smiling in a "I've figured you all out" sort of way. Shaking his finger slightly, he pointed at Mino and then back to me.

"There it is," he said. He sounded triumphant somehow.

"You're wrong," Zico muttered, "and a little drunk."

Kyung burst out laughing, clapping his hands as he swayed backwards.

"No, no that's definitely it," Kyung insisted.

"I know what you're thinking, and I know that you're wrong. Now stop," for perhaps the first time that I had seen, Zico sounded harsh, "you're being rude."

"I mean, let him have his fun," I shrugged, dropping my hand from Mino’s hair to pick up the cup again, "he doesn't have to be part of the conversation."

"Sorry," Mino murmured, leaning to bump his shoulder against mine, "he's usually really nice."

"I'm still nice when I'm drunk," Kyung protested, "here, let me go again."

He hauled himself out of his chair. Shaking out his arms he finally stood up straight.

"Nice to meet you," he bowed to ninety degrees, "I am Park Kyung."

With that, he half sat, half fell, back to his seat.

I looked him over before turning my attention to Zico and Mino.

"So he just always has to be the center of attention?"

“These assholes were busy on my birthday,” Kyung pouted as he gestured at the other two before placing his hand on his chest, “so I’m allowed to be the center of attention now.”

“Ah,” I nodded, “and then Mino invites his crush and ruins the mood.”

“Exactly,” Kyung grinned at me.

“Let me apologize,” I started ruffling through my bag, “what are you drinking? Next one is on my card.”

Mino put a hand on mine, stopping me from pulling out my wallet.

I clicked my teeth at him, shaking off the hand.

“I know you like to pay for things, but I can handle it.”

“Oooh,” Kyung jeered, “amazing. Mino, you found a rich woman?”

“I’m not rich,” I stated, placing my card on the table, “see? Nothing fancy.”

“You’re not exactly poor either,” Zico shook his head, “that apartment…”

“Luna,” Mino turned his head and leaned over, obviously trying to not be overheard, “it’s pretty expensive.”

“You don’t know what my finances look like,” I shrugged, “just because I don’t show off doesn’t mean I’m about to go broke buying a drink.”

“Okay ,” Kyung leaned forward, “let’s make it two then, huh? You have to catch up anyway.”

“Alright,” I shrugged.

“Or four? We should do the whole table, right ?” Kyung indicated the four of us as he spoke.

“It’s your birthday,” I smiled, “it’s up to you.”

I didn’t see how he had summoned a waiter, but he only ordered two drinks. Somehow, I felt like I had been given a passing grade.

Not too long of a wait later, I was handed a glass of red wine.

“Really?” I asked after the waiter left, “this is what you’ve gotten drunk off of?”

Kyung only smiled and tilted his glass towards me in a non-connecting cheers.

“No,” Zico explained, rolling his eyes, “he has decided that he approves of you, so he got something less strong.”

“Ah, I see,” I responded, not seeing at all.

-----

After we had finally eaten, I leaned forward to stare down Zico.

“Now, when you invited me, you sai-”

“I thought Mino invited you,” Kyung interrupted.

I shot him a dismissive look before continuing, “you said something about a job?”

“Right,” Zico nodded, “I know someone doing a music video. Circus concept, you know? So they need people who can do flips.”

“We did the circus theme first you know,” Kyung bragged.

“Didn’t Speed do it before you? Speed Circus?” I asked.

“You know about Speed?” Kyung asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Yes,” I took a sip of my wine before deciding to tease Zico, “I know about the hot brother.”

“Wait a minute…”

“The what brother?”

“I can’t believe this.”

Zico and Kyung started talking over each other. Mino, it seemed, had reached a lovely sort of mellow drunkeness level. Just enough that he seemed completely ambivalent about any conversation happening.

“Yah, aye, relax! ” I raised my voice slightly to cut through the commotion, “one at a time guys.”

Kyung immediately pointed at Zico, that trouble-maker grin on his face again.

“You think his brother is hotter than him?”

“Obviously,” I shrugged.

“Obviously?” Zico spat, “what does that mean?”

“It means that it seemed like an answer that was so clearly the correct one that I expected you to already know it,” I ran my finger through the air, making sure the sentence made sense as I said it.

Mino snorted. When I looked at him, he shook his head, covering his mouth with his hand.

Zico leaned back in his chair, resting his temple against one extended finger. For a second, I remembered a specific album cover of his.

“Anyway,” I shook my head, “about the job?”

“No,” Zico’s knee started bouncing, “not that I care, but we’re going to talk about this.”

“I am so convinced that you do not care.”

“He’s mad that you like Taewoon better than him,” Kyung prodded at the situation.

“Better is a relative term,” I pointed out, “Jiho obviously got more of the musical and marketing talent…”

Zico’s knee stopped bouncing.

“But Wuno definitely got the looks.”

It started up again.

“Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t taken up modeling.”

“What?” Zico looked incredulous, “I modeled fo-” he cut himself off, “Mino, send your girlfriend away. I can’t deal with this.”

“Yah,” I turned on my flattery voice, “you’re both handsome. He just looks better.”

Kyung burst out laughing, while Mino tried to hide his own laughter in his cup.

“Also, I’m not Mino’s girlfriend,” I quickly added.

Mino’s suppressed laugh turned into a choke.

I patted his back. He reached out and grabbed the arm of my chair, nodding.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

Mino nodded.

“Okay, so,” I turned my attention back towards Zico, mindlessly moving my hand up from Mino’s back to run my thumb along his earlobe, “for the third time, about the job?”

“No,” Zico huffed, pouting his way deeper into his chair, “I’m not helping you any more. I knew you liked to tease but that was to-”

“Yah,” I interrupted him.

He glared at me, but remained silent.

“Tell me now if you’re actually mad,” I demanded, “but remember: if this is something you’re sensitive about, I had no way of knowing that.”

Suprisingly, Kyung allowed the moment to unfold naturally.

Zico took a deep breath, then sighed.

It was like the breath had released his tendons. His muscles relaxed, and he was instantly transformed from confrontational to tired.

“It’s just that I alw-”

“No,” I waved my hand, “I don’t need to know the whole story. Unless you really want to tell me, then fine. Look,” I tapped my fingers against my chest, “I’m sorry that I caused you to feel bad. I won’t do it again.”

“Amazing,” Kyung nodded, “good job. All while seducing Mino too.”

“Huh?” I looked at Mino, finally registering what my other hand was doing. I quickly dropped my hand from his ear, “oh, uh, sorry.”

“No it’s fine,” Mino mumbled.

-----

“You’re sure you’re okay to drive?” I pressed Zico as I watched Mino roll down the passenger window of the car.

“Yeah,” Zico nodded, “I am literally sober right now.”

“Prove it,” I demanded.

Laughing, he stood up straight and tapped either hand to his nose.

“I didn’t drink tonight,” he explained, letting his arms drop to his side and jerking his head towards the car, “I knew how they’d get. It’s why I drove.”

Kyung’s head poked out of Mino’s open window.

“Yah, stop flirting with Mino’s girl and come drive me home.”

“I’m not Mino’s gir-”

“Whatever! Just hurry up man!”

With that, Kyung’s head popped back into the car.

“How are you getting back?” Zico asked me, smiling slightly at his friends’ antics. “Do you need a ride?”

“I’ll get a taxi or something,” I waved off his offer, “besides, if you dropped me off at the house there’d be a complete shitshow.”

“True,” Zico laughed.

“Yaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,” Kyung started groaning out of the still open window.

“Go go, Kyung’s about to lose his mind.”

“-aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh…”

“Okay,” Zico finally opened the driver’s side door.

“...aaahhhaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!” Kyung’s groan turned into a cheer.

“Text me when you get back though, okay?”

I gave him a vague wave as he shut the door.

-----

I hummed to myself, alternating sips of water and cheap beer as I looked out over the river. Sure, I could take a taxi home, but I had other options.

To: Seunghyun Busy? Want to let me use you?

From: Seunghyun What do you need now?

I snorted at his response.

I dangled my legs off the edge of the retaining wall next to the Han. I took a quick video of my feet wiggling back and forth over the water and sent it to him.

To: Seunghyun [attachment]

To: Seunghyun I just need a ride home

My phone was silent for a moment, then…

From: Seunghyun Where are you?

I shared my location with him.

From: Seunghyun 20 minutes.

-----

Seunghyun groaned slightly as he took a seat on the wall next to me.

“You’re going to get your pants dirty,” I observed.

“They can get washed,” Seunghyun took out a pack of cigarettes as he spoke, “do you mind?”

I shook my head.

We sat in silence for a while, both lost in our own vices.

“You know,” Seunghyun started, “we have all week together coming up.”

I hummed a confirmation.

“I was surprised that you messaged me instead of Daesung or Jiyong.”

“Why’s that?”

“I didn’t think you’d want to start early.”

I laughed, shaking my head.

“But didn’t you say you were the perfect tool to put Jiyong in his place?”

“Yes, I did say that,” he paused, taking an extended drag before continuing, “but I didn’t think you were cold enough to follow through.”

“You’d be surprised what I can do.”

“Surprise me then.”

It sounded like a challenge. It was the sort of thing that if said by two people, maybe three after last night, would push me over the edge into doing something real stupid with real disregard for consequences.

From Seunghyun though?

I laid back, interlocking my fingers behind my head.

“I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

“Ah,” he slowly laid back, mirroring me, “I guess you already did anyway.”

“Hmm?”

“The text.”

“Mm, that’s right.”

Another few minutes of quiet took over.

“Do you have a schedule or something?” I asked.

“For next week?”

“Mm,” I confirmed.

“Yes.”

I waited for him to expand on that.

He didn’t.

“Did you want to maybe tell me what it is at all?”

“Not yet, but,” he sat up again, then turned to look down at me, “on Monday, wear something loose.”

“Loose?” I echoed in confusion.

“Yeah,” he fished another cigarette out of his pack, “something easy to get in and out of.”

I propped myself up on my elbows. I tilted my head, raising an eyebrow for good measure.

“Excuse me?”

“Stop daydreaming,” Seunghyun chided, “it’s nothing like that.”

“I’m not the one making plans where we need to be able to get out of our clothes easily,” I pointed out.

“You really expect the worst from people sometimes, huh?”

I let myself fall back to the ground.

“Can you blame me?”

“No.”

-----

“Wait,” Seunghyun put a hand on my arm, stopping me from getting out of the car.

He shuffled off his jacket and handed it over to me.

“Is this Versace?” I was half joking.

“Bottega Veneta,” he corrected me, “put it on before we go in.”

“Why… oh, right,” I pulled the thing on, “that whole thing.”

“Right,” he flipped his sunshade mirror down, messing with his hair a little bit before unbuttoning one of his shirt buttons.

“If they ask, we’ll say we got some dinner,” he continued with his meticulous un-grooming as he spoke, “a drink or two. And then we went for a walk on the Han. Good?”

“Does that timing work out right?” I asked.

“I was already out when you texted, they don’t know where I was or who I was with.”

I nodded. Seems that I was not the only one taking not-quite-kosher breaks.

“Also, let me get the doors for you,” he flipped the sunshade back up and got out of the car.

I felt silly waiting for him to move around the hood and open the car door, but if he liked playing pretend so much, who was I to stop him?

-----

The first person we saw upon entering was Daesung. Not my first choice, but you have the play the cards you're dealt I suppose.

“Ah, that’s where you’ve been,” he teased from the sofa in the living room. He had a laptop open in front of him.

“Did you have a nice secret date?” Daesung’s eyebrow was quirked upwards, but his smile seemed genuine enough.

“Yes,” Seunghyun answered in his typical brusque manner.

“It wasn’t a date,” I rolled my eyes.

Daesung glanced between the two of us as I took a seat on the armrest of one of the horrible little armchairs, while Seunghyun dropped into the proper seat of it.

“Hyung?”

“No, I suppose it wasn’t a date. We just had dinner and drinks,” Seunghyun said, “entirely different than a date.”

“If that’s all it takes to make a date,” I grumbled, “I go on dates with Soo-Ah all the time.”

“Friends can go on dates,” Daesung laughed.

“We’re not friends,” I gestured towards Seunghyun.

“We’re not?” Seunghyun asked, looking up at me, “then what are we? Partners?”

I was going to kill this man.

Instead, I just rolled my eyes and readjusted to be more comfortable on my chosen perch.

“Fine,” Seunghyun shrugged, “we just met up to talk about next week.”

“That’s right,” Daesung nodded, “you’ve got to plan how to not kill each other for a week.”

“I think I’ll just avoid places with weapons.”

“What’s the fun in that?” Seunghyun nudged my thigh with the back of his hand.

I sighed, standing up and stretching my hands upwards.

“Alright,” I groaned slightly, still feeling the soreness from the harness, “I’m going to bed.”

I started slipping off Seunghyun’s jacket, but he stood up and stopped me.

“Keep it,” he readjusted it about my shoulders, “you need some better clothes anyway.”

Behind Seunghyun, I could see two things.

One was Daesung, giving me a goofy sort of look that seemed to be poking fun at the serious way Seunghyun was acting.

The second was Jiyong, quietly watching as he poured himself a drink of something in the kitchen.

“Anyway,” I huffed.

I didn’t complete the sentence. Skirting around Seunghyun, I reached out and gave Daesung’s hair a quick ruffle as I passed.

"Goodnight Dae."

Daesung looked like he was going to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, he just swept his eyes down and back up my body.

I didn’t stop to engage. Especially not with the other two around.

“Going to bed?” Jiyong asked when I got a little closer to him.

“Yeah,” I decided to detour through the kitchen to get myself some water before going to bed.

I saw Jiyong’s eyes look behind me. I didn’t turn to look. I didn’t really need to know what either of the two men in the living room were doing.

“You don’t happen to know what they have planned for tomorrow,” I pulled the fridge open, “do you?”

That drew Jiyong’s attention back to me. He shook his head.

“Ugh,” I bent down, picking up a bottle of water, “I’m getting tired of surprises.”

“By the way,” Jiyong spoke quietly, “I just wanted to let you know that I did some thinking.”

Closing the fridge door with my knee, I cracked the seal on the water and tilted my head at him.

“I’m going to leave you alone this week.”

“Really?” my brow furrowed. This was… unexpected to say the least.

“What do you mean?”

His eyes slid back towards the living room. This time I gave in and checked as well.

Seunghyun was back in the seat. From where we stood, I could only really see the top of his head and his hands on either armrest.

Daesung was tapping at his laptop.

I could hear a slight murmur as they spoke to each other, but couldn’t make out the words.

Turning back to Jiyong, I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

“Well, two things,” Jiyong sighed, “one, you keep making good points.”

“I’m smarter than I look,” I said.

That drew a small smile from him.

“And I know I’m putting too much pressure on you. So, until it’s my turn, I’m backing off.”

“Sounds smart,” I nodded, pursing my lips, “but I have a question.”

“Hmm?” Jiyong’s eyes seemed glued to my lips at this point.

“Is this a test?”

“How’s that?” his gaze met mine again.

“Are you just trying to figure out if I’ll message you first or something? Because,” I tapped a finger against his chest, “I won’t. If someone tells me they want space, I give them space.”

He smiled, but shook his head.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Okay then. Goodnight Ji.”

-----

From: D-Lite So what really happened with Seunghyun?

To: D-Lite I needed a ride back, and he likes to make Jiyong uncomfortable.

From: D-Lite I figured it was something like that

To: D-Lite Why do you ask?

To: D-Lite Did you get jealous?

From: D-Lite I’m not jealous

To: D-Lite Suuuurrree

From: D-Lite I’m not.

From: D-Lite I just wanted to point out that I also drive.

To: D-Lite Oh? Does oppa want to give me a ride sometime?

From: D-Lite Don’t start pet

That sent a slight shiver through me.

Last night had been… “great” seemed like too high praise. Fun was probably a better descriptor.

Either way, probably best to avoid a repeat.

I stared at the screen, trying to figure out how to delicately redirect the conversation.

From: D-Lite Honestly though, I’m glad you seem to be comfortable with each other now.

It was like he knew .

From: D-Lite Just in time haha

To: D-Lite For what?

From: D-Lite For filming.

I considered that. It wasn’t really just in time, was it? It was ever since Seungri had shown his true colors.

To: D-Lite We’ve been comfortable for a while

From: D-Lite Really? I thought it was just since… Wednesday maybe?

To: D-Lite No. It was since the whole thing with Seungri I think

To: D-Lite Or maybe since the night of the musical

To: D-Lite Either way, we get along fine

From: D-Lite Good. You should be able to have a good week then.

-----

I was just beginning to nod off when my phone chimed again.

At first, I was inclined to ignore it. My initial instinct was that it would be Jiyong asking to talk again.

Of course, he had apparently decided to back off a bit.

However, he had decided to do that before and it hadn’t worked out as planned.

He wouldn’t break that fast though, would he?

Curiosity got the better of me.

From: Zico So are you alive or…

To: Zico I am safe, I am at home, I am in bed

To: Zico How’d the other two do?

From: Zico [image]

It was Kyung and Mino both asleep on a surprisingly worn out sofa. Mino laid on his back, as much of a starfish as he could be given the narrow platform he had. Kyung was cuddled up on his chest, mouth open and obviously snoring.

To: Zico Cute

From: Zico I guess

From: Zico Are we good?

To: Zico How do you mean?

From: Zico You and me

From: Zico From before

From: Zico When I was trying to be helpful but did it all wrong

I considered the message. I supposed…

To: Zico Yeah.

To: Zico Why not? You meant well enough I guess

To: Zico What about the thing tonight? About your brother?

From: Zico Not gonna lie, you touched a nerve

From: Zico One I wasn't expecting

From: Zico But you didn’t do it on purpose

To: Zico Sounds like we're good then

From: Zico I think so

To: Zico I just have one more question

From: Zico Go for it

To: Zico What was Kyung's theory?

From: Zico What?

To: Zico About Mino

From: Zico Oh...

From: Zico Should I be diplomatic? He thinks you may be a... strong figure for Mino

To: Zico Strong figure?

To: Zico What's the not diplomatic answer?

From: Zico I just want you to know that I hate this conversation and I do not necessarily want to have much talk about this after I say it, okay?

Oh this had to be good.

To: Zico Okay???

From: Zico I'm serious

To: Zico Okay, fine. I'll change the subject afterwards haha

From: Zico Kyung thinks Mino is a sub, and that you apparently seem dominant in some way

From: Zico End.

I snorted. The second message had come as I was halfway through reading the first. It appeared that Zico really was uncomfortable with the topic.

To: Zico Fuck I really want to ask more questions

From: Zico Please don't

To: Zico Fine... I need to sleep anyway

To: Zico You should too

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