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def-initely-soul · 3 years

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Can I get the "we team up for the couples contest every year as friends but this year you’re with someone else and i’m definitely Not Jealous and definitely Not Realising Feelings" prompt with taeyong? I'm asking it to be cute cause I know if I ask for sexual tension you're gonna write a novel 😂😂😂😂 so could you make it fluffy and light? :3

AHAHAHAHHAAHAHAH I-

*ignoring your jab at my inability to write anything small xD*

ofc i’ll make it fluffy and light!

pairing: taeyong from nct x reader (f.)

prompts: we team up for the couples contest every year as friends but this year you’re with someone else and i’m definitely Not Jealous and definitely Not Realising Feelings

genre: fluff; angst; f2l; PG-13

warnings: mature language

words: 1.8k

“So how you holdin’ up?” Johnny asks you and you resist to throw your drink at him.

You’re getting honestly tired of having people ask you that. It’s the sixth time someone did! For heaven’s sake, you’re fine!

You chuckle. “I’m fine, Johnny, why wouldn’t I be?” you respond, casually taking a sip of your apple cider as you walk down the food stalls, the scents of cinnamon and pumpkin filling your nostrils.

Your town has a Halloween fair every year to celebrate the holiday, days before it’s even Halloween. It’s a great opportunity to go out during this month, as families find some time for some quality time bonding and couples walk around to bask in the crisp autumn wind. There are food stalls everywhere, having some of the most delicious treats for the holiday, a haunted house at the end of the food stalls for anyone daring and a corn maze as well. As for those more willing to take a step back and use this opportunity to relax, there is a carousel, faded and dark to fit the mood, a fortune teller’s stall, as well as a ghost train ride.

Honestly, it’s not much compared to other funfairs but you enjoy whatever you can get. Every year you and your friends come here to walk through the corn maze, to board on the ghost train ride, to eat until you’re full. And also to join the couple’s costume contest with your best friend Taeyong. You’re not a couple, not even close but you both had such magnificent ideas for couple's costumes that you decided to give it a try. And it became something like a shtick. You and Taeyong being known among your friends as the ones that joined the couple’s contest together and enduring merciless teasing at that. Even if you said numerous times there’s nothing going on between you.

But this year Taeyong decided to join with someone else. A girl from his work named Dara.

You scoff. You didn’t even know her before he announced he was gonna join with her this year. And it was completely out of the blue too! He never hinted he was interested in someone, let alone tell you might want to stop dressing up with you.

Johnny cocks an unimpressed eyebrow. “Really? Then why are you clenching at your cup like a witch draining her victim?”

Your eyes widen as they immediately fly at your hand to confirm this; only to realize Johnny is lying.

He’s smirking at you as if catching you on the act. “Made you look…” he teases and you roll your eyes, refusing to answer him.

“I don’t get it though, why won’t you admit that you’re-”

“What?” you interrupt him with a stiff voice, “Jealous? It’s because I’m not!” is your zealous reply though Johnny’s features are drawn in, in a mask of suspiciousness.

“I would’ve said mad…” he admits and once again you freeze, realizing you’ve dug your own grave.

“But now that you’ve mentioned it… Are you jealous?” he looks at you curiously, not an ounce of teasing colouring his voice and you purse your lips together in a stubborn attempt to not give him an answer.

You desperately want to say you’re not. You can’t be. Taeyong is your best friend and who he decides to involve himself with is none of your business. You want to say those spiteful feelings inside of you are simply because he ditched you. You really do.

But somehow the words won’t come out your mouth. Somehow you can’t find it in your self to speak them into existence, instead resting heavily on your tongue and burning you.

“I-... No! Of course not…” you manage to say instead, swallowing the lump in your throat with great difficulty as you result in looking anywhere else but Johnny.

But your actions, unfortunately, lead your eyes to a much more unwanted sight. Towards the end of the stalls, near the haunted house, your eyes rest on a particular couple dressed as dead Bonnie and Clyde that talk enthusiastically, the girl’s hand resting on the guy’s shoulder.

Your chest constricts painfully, sucking in a breath as you bite roughly at your bottom lip to stop the sound that was about to leave your mouth. Your hands instinctively move upwards to hug yourself, partly telling yourself it’s because of the cold but partly knowing the actual truth.

You actually have feelings for your best friend. And it sucks to see him with someone else, doing a thing you used to do together, only they do it as a fucking actual couple.

Fuck, it seems to hurt more now that you’ve admitted it to yourself.

Your eyes sting as you struggle to not let your face fall and reveal your current state but your eyes don’t move from Dara and Taeyong, not even when Dara leans in to whisper something close to his ear with a deadly smirk. Not even when a few seconds later, Taeyong turns around to look straight at you with wide eyes.

Shit.

You turn around immediately, knowing you won’t be able to keep the tears at bay and you spew a ridiculous excuse to Johnny before storming off. Wanting to go as far away as possible. To just disappear.

A few minutes later and you’ve hidden inside the corn maze, too late for anyone to attempt to enter it, much less the one person you’d actually want to.

Taeyong is ridiculously afraid of corn mazes, not much like you. You adore them, finding your way out of one being both thrilling and challenging for you and you’ve never had been lost in one. That’s why the only time Taeyong ever went inside one was with you.

You sniffle at the memory, wiping your tears away and try as hard as you can to not shed another. You refuse to cry anymore over something that can’t change even if it hurts like hell.

And it does. It fucking does.

But purely will isn’t enough to help you stop the tears.

You hear a shuffling coming from somewhere in the distance, signalling someone entered the maze but you pay them no attention. You only hope that in the case they see you, they will be discreet about it and leave you to your misery.

You can’t handle being around people for the time being.

“Y/N? Are you here?” the shuffling is now accompanied by a voice, a voice you know too well and you panic realizing it’s much closer now.

You hurry to get up, brushing the dirt off your bride of Frankenstein costume before walking with a fast pace deeper into the maze.

Why the fuck is Taeyong here?! And more importantly why in the world did he think going into a maze would be a good idea? He’ll get lost!

Taeyong’s eyes catch you slipping away and at once he runs after you. “Y/N, wait! I need to talk to you!” he calls after you, following you and you curse at his stubbornness.

You refuse to answer him as you run deeper into the maze, hoping he’ll get the hint and leave you alone. You don’t want to face him right now, not when he probably wants to call you out on your little staring earlier or tell you how he got together with Dara.

You try to pat your face dry as you rush away, hoping you didn’t mess your makeup much. After all, you’ll need to get out at some point, let’s at least save as much dignity as possible.

“Y/N, can you just wait!” Taeyong yells exasperatedly, before murmuring to himself “great, I had to get lost as well…”. You can almost hear the pout in his voice and a giggle escapes you.

At once Taeyong snaps his head towards the sound before rushing towards you again. You curse yourself before moving again, refusing to get out of the maze cause at least this way it won’t be easy for him to find you.

“Y/N, please wait, I have to tell you something important!” you hear him say and your heart almost stops. You were right, he wants to tell you he finally got together with Dara. Oh, god, you’re gonna cry again, shit.

You pick up the pace, running once again away from him and you hear him curse in exasperation before-.

“I LIKE YOU!” the declaration fills the empty air and it takes you a second to realise Taeyong was the one speaking. But when you do, your feet stop. They get stuck to the earth beneath you as if you’ve stepped on glue and you can’t move to save your life. Your heart beats erratically, almost out of your chest as you struggle to comprehend what he just said.

“I-... I like you and I only went out with Dara cause I’d thought it’d make you jealous enough to admit you like me too and spur you into action. But it seemed to have the opposite effect…” he reveals with a wary voice, as he sighs, tired.

You stay alert, for everything he says as you struggle to understand. So he’s not with Dara? This was all a ruse?

And most importantly, he likes you?

“I know, it was pretty stupid of me and I’ll understand if you want to stay mad at me and refuse to talk, but please can we just get out? I’ll like to look at you while I’m talking to you and, besides, you know I’ll be probably stuck here if left alone…” he jokes lightly, uncertainty in his voice.

You take a breath and your chest fills and blooms with lightness. The heartbreak from before disappears and gives its space to a wonderful feeling of lightness and hope.

You turn around to find your way to him.

After a few seconds, Taeyong sees you coming up behind a corner and he exhales in relief. Before he sees your intense stare and your firm, decisive stride as you practically march towards him and now he fears for his life.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to tell you like that, please don’t-” he pleads quickly but is soon halted by your hands grabbing at his collar and your lips on top of his.

You take him by surprise as he makes a startling noise, but then as he finally realizes the predicament he’s in, he’s quick to drive his hands on your waist as he reciprocates.

It’s a soft kiss, tender as if enveloping you in his warmth and you bask in the comfort and elation that appear with his lips. You sigh in content as you press closer and his palm cradles your cheek lovingly, his thumb running over the apple of your cheek.

You stop kissing to catch your breath, staring at each other breathlessly with the widest smiles you’ve ever seen on each other.

Because this feels right. It feels like home.

#kwritersworldnet #taeyong #nct #taeyong nct #taeyong fanfic #nct fanfic #taeyong scenario #nct scenario #taeyong fluff #nct fluff #taeyong angst #nct angst #taeyong halloween #nct halloween #halloween #halloween themed #halloween requests

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seyaryminamoto · 4 years

Text

Matching Heartbeats: Sokkla Saturdays 2020

Day 3: Arranged marriage - Touch

On FF.net//On AO3

Dimly lit streets in the dark of the night made for a strange place to meet someone for the first time. Thus, when a young man had appeared suddenly at the carriage stop, the lone young woman waiting there shot him a warning glare immediately: if he dared make a single move out of place, she'd make short work of him immediately.

Yet he appeared to be as anxious as she felt – though she was better at concealing it than he could ever be. He glanced about himself warily before sitting at a fair distance from her, swallowing hard before glancing in her direction. In the cover of darkness, it was hard to make out his finer features, but she had the distinct feeling his skin was darker than hers.

"Hey, uh… this is the carriage stop, right?" he asked, warily. She frowned but nodded slowly. "Oh. Good, then. Uh… do you happen to know how long it takes for a new one to arrive? I mean, just how long do we have to wait here for…?"

"No clue," she said, bluntly. She wasn't interested in holding a conversation… and truthfully, no one had ever heard of common transportation of any sort working on a reliable schedule, to begin with. Odd that this guy seemed to not know that…

"Great," he sighed, but he fell silent then. He made no suspicious moves, said nothing worrisome after that, and so, despite her better judgment, she relaxed a little. Perhaps he truly meant no harm.

Ten minutes of silence later, a slow carriage wheeled into the stop at last. He sighed in relief but then smiled at her, politely.

"Hope you have a nice trip," he said. She raised an eyebrow but nodded in acknowledgement as she stood up…

And just as the carriage's moose lions halted outright, the driver called out:

"Final carriage of the day!"

"E-eh…? Oh, no," she heard the young man say behind her, just as she reached for the carriage's door.

She expected a fight, a forceful demand to be allowed to ride with her… but neither thing arrived. Instead, the young man rose to his feet, casting uncertain glances about himself, as though wondering what other getaway vehicle he might be lucky enough to find at night, if he tried hard enough. She frowned.

"You… you look like you're running," she said, suddenly. He froze in place.

"I'm… not. There's nothing to run from," he blurted out, unable to mask his nervousness. Her analytical frown was trained on his scared visage.

"No?" she said. "So… if I, say, decided to be generous and offered to share the ride with you, you wouldn't accept it because you have nothing to run from?"

"Oh? Y-you'd do that?" he asked, and now his nervousness was accompanied by hopefulness. "Gee, that's… that'd be great. Thanks!"

"I didn't say I was offering it yet," she said, with a teasing smirk. The young man froze in place, blinking blankly.

"You… okay, so you're just messing with me?" he asked, grimacing now.

"I'm still weighing whether you're worth traveling with, for however short a time it might be," she said, raising her eyebrows. He grimaced.

"Well, I'm sure I will be a most forgettable traveling buddy, I promise you won't even remember I'm on the same carriage as you," he said, nodding pompously. "So… please? I do have to get away, you weren't wrong about that…"

"Honesty is a good policy. I wouldn't say the best one, but it's good to know at least one thing about you before letting you share my carriage," she smirked.

"Oi, you two! Are you climbing aboard or not?" asked the driver, glancing back at them with unrestrained irritation.

The young woman sighed and glanced at the stranger before gesturing at the vehicle with her head. He grinned brightly at her… and for a fleeting, strange instant, she couldn't help but think no one had ever smiled at her with such innocence before. Whatever doubts lingered on her mind, that was already one new experience… one thing she might have never had, if not for the freedom she was currently fighting for.

She hoped the softening of her eyes wasn't apparent in the darkness of the night, however. She climbed aboard the carriage and the young man followed, closing the door behind himself. They settled on the same side of the carriage, despite still retaining some distance from each other.

"Where to, then?" the carriage driver asked.

"The bay," she said, not expecting that her companion would speak at the same time as she had:

"The port."

They glanced at each other in astonishment by then, and the carriage driver snorted over the strange coincidence before spurring his moose lions to start their regular trotting.

"You're… heading to the port too?" he asked, dubiously. "Or just to the bay area in general? Weird coincidence, huh? For the two of us to head the same way…"

"You really are running from something, aren't you?" she said. He bit his lip before shooting a wary glance at her.

"And that doesn't seem to bother you in the least. Which makes me wonder if you're running from something too," he said. She blinked blankly before nodding in acknowledgement.

"I guess you can think for yourself just fine, huh?" she said. "Though I'd surmise it's easier to run away when you know the land you're running around like the back of your hand… whereas you, I suspect, have no idea where you are or how anything works. Thus… you're not from around here, are you? You're a foreigner?"

"Uh… sure. And you are from around here," he replied, biting his lip. "Which makes me wonder why you want to run away…"

"Like no one has ever tried to escape from home in the history of mankind," she replied, rolling her eyes, and he chuckled.

"Fair enough," he said. "I guess it sounds pretty stupid to run away when you have no idea where you're going… well, no serious idea, anyway. I've been in the Fire Nation before, don't get me wrong, but not in the mainland. I, uh, had a master in one of the outer islands…"

"A master? Of what?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Swordsmanship," he replied. Her eyes widened.

"Wait… Master Piandao?" she asked. "He agreed to train you?"

"Yeah, believe it or not," he said, grinning. "So, you know, give me a sword and I can be your bodyguard, if you need one. Come to think of it, I could use the coin from a job like that…"

"Fun as the idea may be, I don't exactly have a ton of money on me right now so I couldn't quite afford your salary," she said. "I have enough to pay for this ride, and then…"

"Then?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Then I'll have to save up," she said, simply. "Once I move on further."

"So… do you want to take a ship ride, huh? Is that why you're going to the bay?" he said, with a bright grin. He took her silence as a positive answer. "Great. Maybe we can find a ride together too! I have no idea where to go, so I can tag along with you for as long as you'll have me. Once I reach the Earth Kingdom I'll figure out my bearings properly…"

"Ah?" she watched him intently now, as he offered her a tight-lipped grin. "You're off to the Earth Kingdom, then?"

"For now, yeah. It's just a temporary plan… until I can find someplace else to stay safely," he said, shrugging.

"And you know the Earth Kingdom better than the Fire Nation?" she asked. He smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, not really. I've seen even less of it so far, but with how big it is, tracking someone down over there must be real tough," he said. "I'd say I have a good shot at shaking off pursuit by then."

"You're so set on running… did you kill someone, perhaps?" she asked, smirking. He snorted and shook his head.

"No, no, definitely not," he said. She huffed.

"Heh. That's boring. I'd have rather traveled with a murderous swordsman rather than a plain swordsman…"

"Why?" he exclaimed, still amused. "How is that any better?"

"It's more threatening, is all," she smiled. "Well, either way… I'm thinking we could help each other, to a fault. I know my way through the Fire Nation, I know exactly which ships to stow away on, which islands to stop at…"

"Stow away?" he repeated, blinking blankly.

"Didn't you hear I don't have that much money?" she said.

"Well, yeah… heh. Makes sense," he snickered. "Then we're going to be stowaways?"

"If you truly intend to come with me, yes," she smiled. "Then we can travel together in the Earth Kingdom for as long as it's convenient. If the time comes when our arrangement stops working, we go our separate ways. Easy, right?"

"Sure," he said, grinning. "Though… you really must be running away from something weird too, if you'd rather travel with a murderer who can intimidate people successfully."

"Eh… it just comes in handy, is all," she said. He smiled and shrugged.

"Alright. No need to share anything personal if you don't want to," he said. "Though… we could learn each other's names, right? If nothing else? We'll be traveling together for a while, from the sound of it…"

No, they certainly could not share that. She was fine with traveling with a stranger if that was what she had to do… but not quite as fine with revealing something as damning as her very name. For if he was a foreigner in the Fire Nation, just when a certain diplomatic delegation had traveled there from the Southern Water Tribe, then chances were he was part of that diplomatic delegation… and that'd mean he'd know exactly who she was, as soon as she spoke her name aloud.

The only way out was to lie, of course. And while it was clear he was no good at it, she certainly was far more skilled at that particular art than he was.

"I'm Ming Wei," she said, blurting out the name of one of her school classmates from ages ago. She caught the small twitch of his eyebrows, and she stared at him intently: "You?"

"Uh… Yuro," he said, knowing his hesitation would do nothing to afford believability to his claims. Then again, he had been able to tell her name was a lie, too: she had given it too readily, with a hint of defiance that didn't seem all that necessary when merely giving away a name. Just so, it was obvious she could tell that wasn't his name either.

"Yuro?" she repeated. He grinned and nodded. "Huh. Sounds like the name of a Water Tribe person. You're part of their delegation, then?"

"Uh… yeah. I am," he admitted, averting her gaze. Damn it. Yet he had already admitted he barely knew the Earth Kingdom, feigning to be a citizen of the large continent would've been an even more obvious lie than his fake name already was.

"And you're… running?" she asked.

"Well… yeah. Because you see…" he started, biting his lip before deciding it was all or nothing, at this stage. He had to go all out… otherwise his companion might see through him, turn the carriage around and toss him right back at the Fire Nation Palace's doorstep. "I've been the Southern Water Tribe Prince's bodyguard for ages. That's why I learned with Master Piandao, you see? But he is… an arrogant, annoying, lazy brat I can't stand, you know? I don't want to work for him anymore. So, you know, I thought if I ran away right now, no one would really notice or care: he's got all the Fire Nation's guards now, doesn't he? And he'll probably be able to take some of them back home with him if he wants, once his marriage is finalized…"

"Then… you were just waiting for the chance to get away?" she asked. He nodded promptly: something with that story didn't sit right, but just hearing the Prince was an arrogant, annoying and lazy man had been enough to put a stop to her rational thinking. Oh, she already hadn't wanted her whole life to be chosen for her, those words had merely cemented that belief further.

"Yup. I'm tired of living my life doing what everyone expects of me," he said. "It was as good a chance as any to get away. Maybe my only chance ever."

And perhaps she was too emotionally compromised at this point, for she had sensed no dishonesty in those last words. If anything, all she felt now was empathy… which was rare. She didn't often feel empathetic towards anyone. But that strange swordsman's struggles were far too similar to her own… perhaps too much, but she didn't seem to think of that just yet. It was all too easy to understand chasing for freedom they had been deprived from throughout all their lives…

"And you knew about the delegation, then?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Was it made common knowledge, or…?"

"Well, in high circles, yes," she said, biting her lip. Ugh, why had she gone and said that for? Now he'd assume she was noble… which she was. But the idea was to throw him off… yet, busy as she had been daydreaming about freedom and about having found a kindred spirit, she hadn't focused enough on lying successfully anymore.

"So, you're… highborn? Or you work for them, too?" he guessed. She nodded.

"Work for them, yes. I… was the princess's maid," she whispered. He gasped.

"Oh? You were? Then… you're running for the same reasons I am?" he asked, his voice dubious.

"Something like that," she said, biting her lip. "I just… took advantage of the chaos. Getting away while everyone was riled up over the foreigners was the best chance I was likely to get."

"I see…"

They glanced at each other warily for a moment, suspicion crossing both their eyes… but again, they said nothing. The dim light filtering through the carriage's curtains wasn't enough for them to see each other better, and even if they could, their physical appearances weren't going to suffice in determining whether the other was lying in the exact same way they were…

If that were the case, though… the thought crossed both their minds, and anxiety surged inside them. Wouldn't it be outrageous that they'd run away together if they were, perhaps, running away from each other?

But no, they weren't truly running away from each other. They wanted to run away from letting their families make their choices for them. They were running away from a life of submission and abiding by tradition, from a life of arranged marriages that were only focused on the political advancement of their respective nations… and not in the least on the happiness they might find with their significant other.

So, whoever he was, or whoever she was, they were stuck on the same boat… the same carriage, at the moment, but soon enough it'd be a boat for real. This wasn't about affronting each other, it was about finding freedom, and if they were to find it together, at least they wouldn't have to face their upcoming hardships alone.

"Well… nice traveling with you, Ming Wei," he said, with a friendly smile. Despite everything, she smiled back and nodded.

"And with you, Yuro," she whispered.

The night covered their escape once they reached their destination: they paid the carriage driver quickly and then dashed away through the streets of the bay. He tagged along behind her, shooting wary glances all around them to make sure no one could see them as she determined which cargo ship was the best one to stow away on for their grand escape. Finally, she narrowed down one that appeared safe… and they climbed aboard at haste, hiding amongst crates below deck while waiting for morning to come, and for the ship to start moving.

As much adrenaline as they had at first, it decreased steadily while they waited: morning found them dozing off together in the ship's cargo deck, her head on his shoulder, and his against hers. Even after she woke up anew, she didn't dare move right away: why was his presence, his warmth, so comforting? Was it because he was the first man, outside her relatives, that she had ever allowed herself to touch so carelessly? Naturally, that only made her extra nervous – and then, curiously, he was just as nervous as her when he woke up too, blushing and apologizing profusely for getting closer to her while unconscious. She wondered, briefly, if he was just as sheltered, just as unexperienced with anything outside his family, as she was.

… And again, the likelihood of him being who she thought he was surged. It really might be him. He really might be running away from the same thing she was…

The cargo ship was slow and made several stops through the day: she had chosen one specialized in food trade, however, so they didn't lack for nourishment while they traveled through the Fire Nation's waters, stealing food occasionally from the crates whenever it was safe to do so. Still, whenever the ship stopped, the sailors would enter the lower deck to collect crates and deposit new ones: one time she had clasped her hand over his mouth to silence him as he was in the middle of reciting his favorite types of noodles when she heard the first footsteps coming closer, another time he had to lunge for her, pinning her down on the wooden floorboards just as she was in plain view, ransacking another crate in search of food, just as the sailors brought in a new haul of items. In every case, they knew they should have been affronted by the casual, careless touching between them… and yet their bodies' reactions were as distant from affront and discomfort as could be.

They fielded off each of the sailors' incursions successfully… until the ship stopped for what seemed to be the sixth time of the day. There weren't as many crates left anymore, so the sailors started to look deeper through the cellar… it was obvious this time that no matter how they held their breath or remained perfectly still, they would certainly get caught.

"Check the crates at the far end, Zan. It's gotta be there," said one of the sailors.

He tensed up beside her: they were near the crates they were hiding at. Oh, if that Zan guy caught them, he might turn them in to the authorities if he recognized either of them, and all their intentions of running away would prove futile…

He glanced at her with uncertainty, and she glanced right back, defiantly: she conveyed silently that he should follow her lead. He wasn't sure what that meant until the man was closer yet, enough that his unkempt, sweaty body odor reached them… and then her hands fisted around her traveling companion's shirt, pulling him in for a surprising, ferocious kiss.

And inexperienced, too. Which was fine, for he was just as inexperienced at it, going by how awkwardly his lips shifted against hers, not knowing what he was doing but following fit with her silent demand, as requested.

It was strange at first, but smoother moments later: she wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping to afford further believability to the story she hoped to feed the sailors once they caught them, and to her surprise, he embraced her waist too… even going so far as leaning down on her, pressing her to the floorboards as he grew to understand what he was supposed to do, gradually.

She had been focusing so much on selling their pretense that she had barely noticed it wasn't quite so much of a pretense anymore: this guy was seriously learning how to kiss by kissing her. And she was letting him. In fact, she was learning a thing or two as well.

Her right hand cupped his face, keeping him in place as she wondered if she ought to go further… and then it was his tongue poking her lips softly, so she of course rose up to the occasion. Oh, that wasn't fair, deepening their kiss had only made it even more pleasant… his tongue toyed with hers, swirling with it, rubbing against every place inside her mouth he might be able to reach. Well, damn, if she had thought this would feel so good, she would've likely started doing this with him from the moment they climbed aboard the same carriage…

"Oi! W-what're you two doing down there?!"

Ah. There it was.

Naturally, they were ejected from the ship, and they were left to watch it sail away as dusk settled over their current location. He was aghast over the fluke of their plan, having hoped that playing the eloping lovers convincingly might elicit sympathy from the sailors, but there was none to be found. She told him, however, that he shouldn't worry: it was a perfect opportunity to further mislead anyone who might be pursuing them, she told him as they walked together over the dock, still holding hands to continue furthering the pretense that they were but a couple of young adults who were so enthralled with each other they couldn't stop doing inappropriate things together… a perfect pretense indeed, for this way no one would suspect the truth behind why they were stowing away on ships in the first place. Yet after that kiss, she wasn't all that sure it was only a pretense anymore…

"So… where did they ditch us?" he asked, casting glances at the beautiful island warily. "This looks pretty, but…"

"It's pretty, yes. Ember Island," she said, simply. He raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know this place? Do you have friends here we can stay with, or do you think there are any other ships we can stow away on…?"

"Maybe we should wait a little longer," she said. "We could use a break… and I know how to sneak into the Royal Family's vacation house. We can spend the night there, and if there happens to be any coin stashed away in there, we can actually pay for our passage to the Earth Kingdom, no need to stow away anymore."

"Isn't that risky too, though? If we travel legally and someone links us to the royal families, they could give us away and send us back…" he mumbled with uncertainty. She smirked.

"Not necessarily. They won't really have reason to suspect it in the first place, right, boyfriend?" she said, tugging at his hand. His cheeks heated up and he smiled weakly at her. "We'll try to find casual clothes in the villa, so we look even less suspicious… and then we'll find a small boat, probably manned by commoners with no likely connections to the Fire Nation Royal Family. That way no one will ever guess who we are."

"Sounds fair," he smiled. "Also… we, uh, should practice our cover story some more. Just saying…"

"Should we?" she smirked.

"I have spent all my life devoted to the way of the warrior," he said, playfully pompous. She snickered at his words. "So, uh, I'm not exactly experienced at this sort of thing…?"

"And I've spent my whole life waiting on a pampered princess," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Hence, I'm not experienced either…"

"See? It's only natural that we'd need more practice. It's just to make sure we're perfectly believable," he assured her. She laughed and shook her head.

"As you wish," she said. Truthfully, she wanted to kiss him again. She had never expected that sensation to be addictive… but it truly was.

She led him to the Royal Family's villa, guiding him towards the back of it just as he suggested he could climb the front gates to prove just how strong and manly he was, in order to impress his new "girlfriend". Once she found the secret backdoor, and they were safely inside the house's premises, she suggested he could do it anyway, if he truly had wanted to impress her.

All such playful banter and teasing continued through the evening, and neither one was sure why or how it was so easy to play with each other in this way. They found more than enough money, stashed away in a vault that she opened suspiciously easily, to afford passage to the Earth Kingdom, and they even used some of it to buy some food in the town, eating it together in one of the most lavish rooms within the villa, a comfortable lounge furnished with crimson cushions and couches, so comfortable he seemed tempted to fall asleep on one of them, right then and there.

"You know… for a maid, you have really smooth and pretty hands," he teased her, watching her as he rested on one of the couches. She was fluffing a cushion, which she tossed at him playfully, prompting him to laugh as he caught it in midair.

"I'll have you know, taking care of my appearance and my skin doesn't make me any less hardworking than some fancy warrior boy who took lessons from the most pretentious sword master in the nation," she said, approaching him and pushing the cushion into his chest. He only laughed at her response, reaching out to clasp her shoulders with his hands.

"The most pretentious, you say?" he smirked. "How so? He was always pretty cool…"

"The swords he crafts are the most expensive in the Fire Nation, period," she replied. "Not to mention he has always been known for being awfully picky about his students, choosing only the worthy… and how does he know who's worthy, huh?"

"He's wise and clever, that's how," he grinned. "And see, him being picky is exactly why his swords are that expensive. He had to to live off something other than teaching, don't you think?"

"And what do you think you'll live off of, then, in the Earth Kingdom?" she asked, leaning over his body, with the cushion still between them. "You'll be a sellsword of some sort? A mercenary?"

"Sounds fun," he smirked. "Want to join in? I could teach you to use a sword of your own, if you want to… heck, we should ransack this place for swords, too. I didn't bring one with me when I ran away, but the sooner I get one…"

"I don't think there's weapons in this place," she smiled. "This is, after all, a vacationing spot."

"How careless of the Fire Nation Royal Family to assume they're not going to need swords in their vacationing spot," he declared, smirking haughtily. She snorted and laughed, pressing her face to the cushion. "What if a door lock gets jammed? If you have a sword you can press it right between the wall and the door, and then you're free! See, we all need a sword once in a while…"

"Why didn't you bring one of yours on your trip, then?" she asked. He bit his lip.

"Uuuuh…" he averted his gaze from hers, and she snorted again.

"You can be quite smart sometimes. But then you also stop being all that smart moments later," she grinned. "Strangely… I like it."

"You do, huh? Means you can make fun of me pretty easily," he smirked. "Say, I am enjoying your weight atop me, lady maid, but, um, I just remembered we agreed on practicing our pretense relationship some more…? You know, so it's more believable tomorrow…"

"More believable, huh?" she said, raising her eyebrows. He grinned giddily. "Is that really what this is about? Aren't you just desperate to kiss a woman, now that you had your first taste of it?"

"Well… yes, that's also true," he admitted, shamelessly. She laughed and shook her head.

"At least you're cute. For a Water Tribe guy," she said, haughtily.

"You're cute too. For a Fire Nation girl," he smirked.

She bit her lip before leaning in… and he leaned too, catching her lips with his own. Something told her he had a whole strategy planned, regarding how to kiss her, how to touch her, how to keep her on her toes and overcome her sensually…

And as reckless as it was, she let him.

For he was charming in his own way, why lie? He had already been a remarkably skilled kisser, one who had taken to discovering how to improve his technique to perfection… the expected behavior of a talented swordsman. Everything that might come next should be, she hoped, just as amazing and fun as the heated kissing was, going by how his hands trailed over her hips, tugging at her sash shyly despite his lips were as savage as they dared be…

If she did it, she'd definitely close the door on the future she had been forced into. Oh, perhaps he was indeed who she had grown to suspect he was, and that would be its own kind of trouble… but if he wasn't, this would change her future for good. No more lying about, waiting to be of use for an uncle who thought little of her, Fire Lord as he was. No more spats with a mother who constantly assured her she only wanted what was best to her, and that traditions were what was best, somehow, even traditions she couldn't seem to explain with any reasonable arguments. No more butting heads with a brother who, for all his faults, was still the assigned heir for their father. No more waiting for the perfect opportunity to prove her worth with a father who could only see her as a child to protect. And no more pitying a cousin, heir to the Fire Lord, who had everything he could ever want, except for the one thing she was currently chasing after: the chance to choose for himself who he wanted to be.

For if she was caught with this guy, whoever he was, she would be disowned, tossed aside… and while the loneliness could be hard to bear with, it wouldn't be quite so bad if she was with him. He wanted to go all the way to the Earth Kingdom, didn't he? Why not go with him, to the very ends of the earth if he wished, if it'd mean he'd kiss her just as delectably and deeply, if it'd mean he'd laugh with her as he had so far, if it meant he'd touch her boldly once she tugged her own sash loose, offering him permission to continue onwards, his hand trailing over her abdomen…

It was madness, of course it was. She barely knew him, she was certain she didn't know his real name, and she had no idea if he was actually a dreadful guy who couldn't even clean up after himself, or do menial chores – because, to be fair, neither could she. But something felt so right as she bared herself before him, and as he did the same before her. Something worked, clicked, even if it might have been merely caused by the unabashed enthusiasm of two young people finding and making love for the first time.

Oh, it was so reckless. It was such a bad idea. And yet they went all the way, kissing and holding each other intimately through the night, thrusting away in a wild celebration of freedom, of having chosen for themselves, of having done what they pleased, all consequences be damned…

Such consequences couldn't be all so easily dismissed, of course, when they were startled by strange noises in the Ember Island villa by morning. She rose first, her lower body sore in a strangely pleasant way, and she cast a wary glance in the direction of the door before clasping her companion's bare shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, I think we're not alone anymore," she said. He groaned and blinked himself awake.

"Hmm… you're so pretty…" he smiled groggily. Her cheeks flushed: well, that was a nice enough compliment to wake to, considering it was the first time he'd seen her in proper daylight so far, but she wasn't sure it was the time for it anyway.

"Thanks. Now… we should get dressed," she said, raising her eyebrows. He hummed before he frowned. "There's people nearby. We need to get going, right now."

"Uh… oh damn," he said, biting his lip and sitting up. His hair had been tied in what she had interpreted as a top-knot before… now she could tell, as he pulled it up hastily, that it was actually a wolf's tail. A classic Water Tribe hairstyle… that she had never thought she'd find all that appealing until she saw it in him. Curses, he was far better-looking than she expected him to be, too.

They climbed off the couch, hastily cladding themselves in their traveling clothes. Caught up in their night of passion, she had forgotten her intent to search for casual clothes in the villa's closets, anything they could wear, as long as moths hadn't eaten them away since the family's last visit…

"What do we do?" he said, pulling up his trousers: his bare chest was a delight to gaze upon, too. To think she'd slept with her head perfectly rested on those strong pecs… ugh, whatever came next, whether they were caught or not, she'd find a way to run off with him again. She needed more of him, one night definitely hadn't been enough. "Who do you think is out there…? Does the Royal Family have, uh, hired help that works tending to the house while they're not vacationing? Or…?"

"No, they don't," she answered, coming back to her senses upon hearing his rational words. She had to get dressed fast too, to pull up her hair, and to remember every single hidden passageway within the villa that they might be able to escape through… "I have a plan. It'll be confusing, but you have to follow me."

"No problem. I'll go wherever you take me," he said, winking at her. He ought to stop that, or she'd pin him down and kiss him all over again…

"Well, then…" she said, lowering her voice as she slid her feet into her light shoes…

And then a loud knock on their lounge's door. They both froze in place.

"Are you in there?! Open up, now!"

The voice was familiar, and dread rose inside her gut upon hearing it. Oh, no. Of all people, it was her father who had found her. Curse everything…

"W-what do we do? Are there any ways out of here without going through the door, or…?" her companion asked nervously. She shook her head.

"My plan… we had to go to the corridor to reach the passageway I had in mind. I mean, unless you want us to jump out the window…?" she suggested. He frowned but nodded.

"Cool. It's just a second floor anyway, and if I land right, I won't break a bone. Hopefully. I can catch you down there, once you jump too," he decided, breathing out and stepping towards the window.

But before he could reach it, a clicking sound revealed the locked door had been opened, and the sound of another voice froze him on his tracks, next:

"You'd better not be in there, son, because if I get my hands on you after what you've pulled…!"

Oh, hell. Oh, hell by the thousands. This wasn't good.

The two runaways froze where they were, meeting the glares of the two men who barged into the lounge without missing a beat. A group of soldiers stood in the corridor, and the Fire Nation nobleman who had made his way inside the room ordered them to wait outside: the Water Tribe man beside him, clad in regal clothes, could only be, of course, Chief Hakoda. And the Fire Nation man was none other than the Fire Lord's brother, Prince Ozai.

"Well, well. This is just as bad as we suspected, huh, Ozai?" said the Chief, shaking his head as he glared at the young man by the window, who had lowered his gaze shamefully.

"You… you are in a lot of trouble, young lady," Ozai hissed, pointing at the young woman, who shrank in place. Well, that was a first. She had certainly never made him that angry ever before…

"U-uh, it was my idea!" the young man exclaimed, rushing back to stand before her, gazing pleadingly at the two newcomers. "I bumped into her, in the Palace, and then I asked her to run away with me, and…!"

"And she was stupid enough to go for it?" Ozai growled, still glaring at her. "You disappoint me, child. Is this what I raised you for?"

His words slammed into the young man with the truth he hadn't quite wanted to acknowledge, despite he had known, deep down, that it was the truth indeed.

"Or what I raised you for, Prince Sokka?" Chief Hakoda growled, and this time it was the young woman who shuddered upon hearing those words.

Oh, Prince Sokka. She had sworn herself that she would hate him on sight, and she would've done it for the sake of rebelling, no other reason: she had been against their arranged marriage from the start, appalled by the idea of not being free to make a single important choice in her life… and yet now that she had made that choice, the choice of running away and then giving herself to a stranger, she found she had played into fate's hand with each decision she had made. Curses, but that was embarrassing…

"You two are utterly ridiculous," growled Ozai, shaking his head. "The whole city is a pandemonium, looking for you both! Had Chief Hakoda not offered to search nearby islands, in case you had escaped by sea, you would have caused an even bigger ruckus than you did, Azula! Your uncle is up in arms about this, and you know it!"

"He can be up in arms about whatever he wants. If he wanted an alliance with the Water Tribe that badly, he could've looked for an old maid to marry himself…" she growled, though her words were half-hearted by now. Ozai scoffed.

"You forget your place, Azula," he growled.

"Uh… really, don't blame her, please…" Sokka continued, still trying to spare her of the worst consequences, only for Ozai to turn his wrathful glare on him.

"And you? You decided to seduce your future wife and run away with her, is that what you're trying to convince me of?" Ozai hissed. Sokka gulped and lowered his head. "How much sense does it make?! At the very least you could've found other people to run away with, it's completely absurd that you'd choose to run off with each other!"

"Uh, well, we didn't really know who the other was, so…"

"WHAT?!"

Both fathers shouted at the same time, and Sokka grimaced as he stood between them and Azula. It was bad enough that they hadn't bothered confirming the other's identities, no matter how they suspected them… it was even worse that their fathers would react to it as explosively as they did now.

"Oh, goodness… oh, you know what, Ozai? This… it'll be a funny story to share with everyone else once a few years have come and gone," Hakoda said, patting his shoulder. "Let's just look at it this way, shall we?"

"Only if these two fools go back to the Palace and marry each other as they were meant to. Curses, couldn't you wait one week? One week?" he hissed. "It's not much to ask, or were you truly that keen on getting in each other's pants?"

"N-no! Seriously, we didn't know who the other was!" Sokka said, blushing.

"Speak for yourself. I had the feeling it was you all along," Azula sighed. Sokka huffed, turning to pout at her.

"Well, I had the feeling it was you too, but I couldn't know for sure and neither could you!" he squeaked. "Though, I mean… we were running away from each other and ended up running together? I guess? Though, in a sense, we kind of, somewhat, did choose each other, in the end…?"

Well, that couldn't be denied. None of what she'd done since she had met him, two nights ago, had been forced on either of them. They had chosen it all, jumping headfirst into their adventure, wondering just how far they could go together until their respective families caught with them. And while she didn't look forward to moving to the South Pole, to live her life alongside the Chief's heir and spend her days amongst them as a reminder of the alliance between their people and hers, the knowledge that she had found him appealing, interesting and worth running away with before confirming who he was proved to be enough to make the situation slightly less unpleasant… at least, for now.

If things took a turn for the worse, she could always run away, too. But as she gazed at the young man before her, she had the feeling she'd be running with him, wherever she went next.

And that idea didn't bother her in the least, truthfully.

"I guess so," she said, breathing out slowly. "I certainly could do worse, husband-wise…"

"Heh. I'd definitely do worse, wife-wise, if I picked anyone else," Sokka smirked, and she smiled right back.

"Ew," Ozai said, blinking blankly as he averted his gaze from his daughter and her finally accepted destiny.

"Oh, I know she's your daughter, and you didn't want to give her away to anyone, Ozai…" Hakoda laughed, patting his back. "But hey, looks like they gave up! I thought they never would."

"We're going back to the Palace now. And the two of you are going to spend the night in different rooms until your ceremony is done. That's final," Ozai huffed. "Whatever you do after you're married… is your business."

He still shuddered after saying those words, no doubt unwilling to picture whatever two young adults, who were boldly flirt in front of their fathers, might get up to behind closed doors. He had no delusions regarding what had surely transpired in this very room merely a few hours ago…

"Get ready, then. You have five minutes to pick up whatever you've left lying about," Hakoda said. "And don't even think about doing anything crazy, now! There are soldiers all over this property, so you'd better not even consider running away again."

"Say, how did you find us so fast?" Azula asked him. Hakoda grinned and shrugged.

"Water Tribe longboats: not quite as sturdy as your nation's steel ships, but a thousand times faster, I'd say," he snickered. Ozai shot him a disbelieving glare. "By which I mean… I sent all my available ships out to look for you in every nearby island. Your mothers went to Fire Fountain City, Prince Lu Ten accompanied my advisor Bato to Shu Jing…"

"So, it's basically chance that you two decided to come to Ember Island?" Sokka groaned.

"Something like that," Hakoda grinned. "Truthfully, Ozai had a feeling you might have wound up here. He says this has always been a happy place for your family, after all."

He glanced at Azula as he spoke, offering her another proud grin before turning around, clasping Ozai's shoulder and dragging him out of the room. Despite Hakoda's grip was strong, Ozai's head poked through the doorway one more time.

"You have five minutes! Don't you dare do anything further to despoil my daughter's dignity, Prince Sokka!"

"I wouldn't, I wouldn't!" Sokka squeaked nervously, before Hakoda successfully dragged Ozai away.

Sokka sighed, slumping in place before rising back to his full height, smiling awkwardly at Azula. She bit her lip as she gazed at him: he was tall, well-built, and indeed, ridiculously handsome. He was fun to talk to, and he seemed to enjoy kissing her just as much as she had enjoyed kissing him. It was all far too perfect… and who was she to reject perfection when it fell upon her lap as it had this time?

"Is… is your hometown a good place?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow. "It's only… well, I'm a firebender. I don't really know if I'd deal with the cold well. And I know there's been a lot of conflict between our nations, back from the times of the war…"

"That's all water under the bridge at this point," Sokka grinned, "People down there have taken quite the liking to your dad, you know? Because he helped stop the war. I guess that's why I wasn't completely sure about running away, but… it didn't feel right to marry my dad's best friend's daughter just because they felt like setting us up together to strengthen the ties between our nations. I did want to have a chance to choose for myself… otherwise, it feels like they won the war for nothing, to a fault? They set the Avatar free from the iceberg and beat your grandfather, yet the next generation is still expected to do whatever's convenient for political alliances? Granted, things have gotten better for the common folk… but I don't see why people like you or me should be forced to do anything we don't want to."

"Do you still not want it?" she asked. It was his turn to bite his lip before shaking his head.

"I… may have had a change of mind. Though, you know, I would've liked to woo you properly. You know, taking you out on a date, introducing you to my family, like normal people do…"

"I think the last two days could count as a date," Azula smirked. "And… I just met your dad. So I'd hope that counts, to a fault."

Sokka laughed and shrugged, stepping closer to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. Her smile softened as she gazed into those handsome features… oh, she was lucky. She couldn't believe it, but she was absolutely, truly, lucky.

"Do you want to marry me, then?" he asked, his voice small. "I doubt I'm the greatest guy there is, but… I'll be the best husband I can be. If you'll have me."

"I'm not the greatest girl there is either, I literally took you on a trip as stowaways and we stole quite a bit of food from their crates, too. I've turned us both into criminals, haven't I?" she smiled. Sokka chuckled, pressing his forehead to hers. "But… I'll be the best wife I can be, too. Even if an icy pole isn't fun to live in."

"We can take trips to warmer places whenever the cold becomes too much to take," he suggested. "Though there's a few things we can do to warm you up while we're there, too…"

"Oh? Like what?" she asked, teasingly.

Sokka chuckled and leaned in, kissing her again, and once more it was delightful, as jolts of electricity seemed to flow between them. Well, they had resisted the match at first, but it seemed their parents had made the right choice after all. They had been ready to run off together, to live together, to fight together… and now they could do all those things, without having to run away at all. It was the perfect arrangement. Too perfect, perhaps. But who were they to turn down perfection?

Hakoda had to yank Ozai back once they returned to the lounge to find their children locked in a slightly intimate embrace, once the five minutes were done. Of course, the firebender would see red upon witnessing his favorite child, the daughter he treasured, exchanging saliva quite so enthusiastically with his future son-in-law…

"Come on, we knew this would happen, we did. That's the entire reason we let them run off, damn you, stop acting like an angry rhino-bull," Hakoda said, clasping Ozai's shirt's collar and dragging him away from the lounge. Ozai huffed, shaking his head.

"I told you it was a bad idea. I did! Leaving them unguarded so they'd run off together…?" he growled.

"And paying a carriage driver to pick them up after the last carriage was long gone, too," Hakoda grinned. "It was the perfect strategy."

"Up until the point where you didn't have any means to track them down after they stowed away as they did!" Ozai hissed. Hakoda grimaced.

"Well, that was a minor detail, but you figured out this was where they'd head, so no need to make a fuss about my oversight, right?"

"You haven't changed in the least since the war, Hakoda. Not even a little bit. Always with the outlandish plans and ridiculous ideas…"

"Heeeey! Those plans saved our asses, and Aang's, a thousand times! As did my jokes, I'll add…"

"Your jokes? Perhaps it's you who are a joke, Chief Hakoda, altogether…"

"Well now, I'm the joke? Say, who's the one who can't stop throwing hissy fits about his daughter making out with her future husband, huh?"

Ozai growled, covering his face in his hands as the image returned to his mind. Hakoda beamed brightly upon silencing his friend successfully: he had maintained correspondence with Ozai long after the war had ended, they had met up on occasion since then, too. When Fire Lord Iroh, advised by Avatar Aang, had determined that preserving balance ought to be aided by crafting alliances between nations, he had wondered if perhaps a convenient marriage between his son and Ozai's daughter would do the trick. They were both clever since childhood, talented fighters, prone to witty banter that their respective siblings couldn't keep up with… it was, as far as Hakoda could tell, an ideal match. But how to convince them of it?

The idea of allowing their strong-willed children to escape, while subtly directing them towards each other, had come to mind three nights before the Water Tribe delegation arrived in the Fire Nation Capital. Ozai had been horrified by the idea… and more horrified upon realizing Hakoda had set everything in motion long before he could do anything about it. In the end, they had no choice but to wait and hope that Hakoda's insight would have been accurate, and that their children wouldn't despise each other instead of falling in love, as he had hoped they would.

And by now, while walking away from the room where the two soon-to-be spouses continued to profess their growing affections for each other, Hakoda could only grin proudly: Ozai's bad mood notwithstanding, his plan had been an absolute success.

#sokkla #sokkla saturdays #sokklasaturday #sokka #azula #ozai #hakoda #the AU I'll never write in full #but it's fun to play in it once in a while #hope you guys enjoy it!

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putschki1969 · 5 years

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Saw the ask about the keiko popularity thing and was just wondering where/ how you've seen that manifest before? I've been a fan of kalafina for a while but I've never really noticed this significant gap in popularity btwn keiko and the other 2 that you're referencing but maybe I'm just out of the loop lol (Also random question but do you have a bias in kalafina? Idr u ever mentioning it before so I was curious if you had to rank them how would you? For me I love them all but itd be h>k>w)

Hi there!

Before I get to your question I would like to address something. Please have a little patience with me. This is not directed at you personally, it’s something I would like everyone to read. Here goes nothing…〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

I have been getting a LOT of asks lately. It seems like every reply I post spurs on a new wave of asks. XD While I love answering Kalafina-related questions the sheer amount of asks is slowly starting to get a bit intimidating. There are times when I am feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. I literally spent the entire weekend writing replies even though I had planned to work on something entirely different. You might wonder why I am telling you all of that. It’s not meant to make you feel bad, I am happy people are curious about Kalafina! I am definitely not asking you to stop sending me questions! I really enjoy sharing my Kala-knowledge. I am also not planning to close my inbox or anything, that really wouldn’t feel right. But there IS something I would like to ask of you! Many of the questions I receive are direct responses to posts I make. Instead of sending an ask would it be possible for you to comment on said post? I know, it requires you to have an account and it takes away the anonymity but it would make life so much easier for me. And in most cases such as this one I don’t see why you would feel the need to hide your identity. Plus, it would keep things better contained. Right now I am often replying to multiple asks about the exact same topic. That can get pretty tiring, not just for myself but also for all the people who follow my blog. Okay, that’s it. This is just a suggestion, I am not forcing anyone to do anything but please know that I would very much appreciate it!

Now let’s get to your actual question:Anon is talking about THIS post I made on Saturday.

Well, I have never noticed a “significant” gap in popularity either which is why I wrote that many people underestimate Wakana’s and Hikaru’s popularity but to say that there was NO gap would be an outright lie. Let’s be frank here, from a superficial point of view Keiko IS without a doubt the most “attractive” Kala-member (especially according to Japanese beauty standards). And as we have already established, Keiko was the one to typically draw the attention to herself. She would be the one taking the lead in interviews, her position was always front and center so naturally people would notice her first.

Kalafina have always had a huge “casual” fanbase, you know, that person that’s usually into idols and randomly discovers Kalafina or your typical otaku who comes across one of Kalafina’s anime tie-ins and then starts to kinda stan them but never really gets too involved. It’s those fans in particular that would often gravitate more towards Keiko because she represents literally everything they like and dream of. This actually applies to a majority of foreign fans as well. Only a fraction of foreign fans delves deeper into the world of Kalafina, for most of them Kalafina is defined by two things only: “epic anisongs and a cute girl with a hime-cut”. It’s sad but true…

That is why I can say with some certainty that Keiko has definitely always been “the most popular” in the grand scheme of things.

Kalafina’s super loyal fans are a completely different story though. I would say the members are equally popular among the core fanbase.I might even go as far as to say that Keiko is the least popular but I have no numbers to prove it.

As for my fave, I actually mentioned it in the post you are referring to. I am a big fat Keiko-stan, always have been, always will be. But for me having a favourite is not really changing anything. I honestly love and respect them all and I try my very best to never neglect any of them. But yeah, sometimes I tend to focus too heavily on Keiko XD

#kalafina #reply #Anonymous #keiko #wakana #hikaru

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kardinalsynspeaks · 6 years

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It finally happened. There wasn't one moment in particular that spurred everything into motion, yet here I am. My mind has arrived at the crossroads I knew it would reach the moment my heart was broken beyond what I felt I could ever repair. I just...don't care much about almost anything anymore, and that doesn't mean I'm not passionate. I still have my goals, love my family and friends, and still feel driven to fulfill promises old and new. I still have empathy, kindness, and love within. Everything else? Nothing. It's not like when I stuffed everything to the back of my brain and tried not to think about it, then said I was uncaring. This is an entirely different feeling. Beneath it all is something on the opposite end of the spectrum. I can't classify it as rage or anger, mostly because I'm not actually upset...but it's white hot. I feel it pushing me to action; forcing me to ignore my natural propensity for passivity and sliding me along into uncharted territory.

Upholding vows and promises have been the cornerstones of my character my entire life. I don't think I would have been strong enough to survive to this point without having a will of iron, yet I wonder what makes me so much different than others. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day, does it? I'm precisely who I need to be. I don't feel whole...not quite, but I know it's close. I had to lose half the light of my world to find myself and discover how powerful I could truly become. I felt sorry for myself for too long afterward. Mourning is a natural human reaction to trauma, but I'm not dead. I still have a heart, and I still have so much more to do to fill it. I'm unsure whether I'll ever put myself in a position to allow anyone to hurt me again. Love, like most things involving other people, stops being an appealing option when one party has even the slightest bit of doubt. My patience will be sorely lacking in that area for quite some time, which is odd, because I'm unusually patient in every other way. The wound is nearly healed, but if a bear trap nearly caused you to lose a foot while you're in the woods one day, I guarantee you would pay closer attention to the ground every day for the rest of your life. I bear her no ill will. Hopefully she'll get that one day. Heartbreak didn't turn me into a monster. It turned me into something, but it couldn't make me cruel. My kids don't need an animal for a father, and there are far too many wonderful things the world has to offer to allow this experience to taint it. And, at the end of the day, I still believe in her and know she'll eventually figure out how to be happy with herself and her place in the world. I've learned you can love someone dearly and not be in love with them. I don't think I am capable of being in love right now. I'll always know in my heart we're soulmates because a soulmate is more than just a fancy label you attach to the person you happen to date at any time. I felt like I knew her through hundreds of lifetimes the first time her eyes met mine. The last time we were face to face and looked at each other...same thing. She's my mirror and I'm hers. And none of that means anything romantic. Soulmates don't always end up together, and that's perfectly acceptable. Our children know I loved her with the heat of one thousand suns and that I'll never allow anything bad to happen to her. I can rest easier with that knowledge. What the future holds, I don't know, but we're not good for each other now. To be more precise, the man she was married to for four years isn't good for her. I don't know who is good or bad for me at the moment. To be quite honest, I don't really care one way or the other. Either love will find me or it won't. I already have all of the love I need. It's funny...I never wanted kids, yet these two ended up saving me and making me want to be better. Life is such a strange thing.

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d-noona · 4 years

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MAKE OVER

Chapter 6: Euphoria

Jung Hoseok x Reader

Reader as Kang Hyeonji

SUMMARY: When Kang Hyeonji transformed herself into a striking redhead, the entire male population of Seoul stood up and took notice. But her make over was for Jung Hoseok’s benefit alone. He began to show interest in the new look but not in the way she wanted. Suddenly he was over-protective, perhaps a little jealous. It seemed that the idea of having a relationship with her couldn’t be further from his mind. The girl however wants more. So it was time for an ultimatum. If Hoseok didn’t want Hyeonji to lose her virginity to another admirer, he had no option but to make love to her himself.

After seeking help from one of Taehyung and Jimin's recommendations for her make up tutorial Hyeonji took several lessons with Seokjin. He was a splendid man who had a face of an angel who taught her to differentiate a blusher from a bronzer.

Hyeonji was practicing her daytime make-up routine the following Sunday morning when the telephone rang. "Can you answer that, Mum?" she called out.

There was no reply and the phone kept on ringing. Hyeonji suddenly remembered that her mother had gone down to the corner store to buy the Sunday papers. Carefully, she put down her new mascara wand then hurried downstairs to sweep the receiver.

"Hi there," she said breezily.

"Hyeonji? Is that you?"

Her heart caught the sound of Hoseok's voice, reminding her forcibly how much she loved this man. The realization wrenched her momentarily out of her newly found optimism, bringing her down to earth with a thud. But then she regathered herself, her spirits lifting with the thought that Hoseok was actually calling her. That was a first!

"It certainly is me, Hobi. Don't I sound like me?"

"Actually, no...you sound different, somehow." He replies.

"Really...?" Well I look different too, she was tempted to add, but didn't want to spoil the surprise when he eventually saw her in the flesh. "Sorry. It's just the little old me," she went on, smiling to herself. Her height was one thing she simply could not change. Though the four-inch heels she'd tried on yesterday and which would buy shortly certainly gave her a taller view of the world. "So to what do I owe the dubious honor of you call?"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

Hyeonji chuckled at the shocked tone of his question. "Who, me? Never!"

"Have you been drinking?" he sounded almost crass. "This early on a Sunday morning?" it was five past ten. "Which brings me to a repeat of my question. Why are you calling me?"

"What? Oh, I um...I'm on my way to help Mother move some furniture around. She's decided she's bored with the layout in the living rooms. Actually, I think it was just an excuse to get me home and feed me up. Anyway, I thought of you saying the other night that you don't get fed properly at home, and I was wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch."

"Join you for lunch," she repeated, swallowing convulsively and immediately going blank. "You don't have to sound so thrilled," came his testy remark. "I realize I'm not your Mr. X but I've always thought you enjoyed my company."

"Oh, but I do!" she hastened to assure him. "I mean, I...I..."

"You have something else on? Is that it?"

Hyeonji tried to pull herself together. It was the shock, which was all it was. She glanced in the wall mirror above the telephone table and nerves immediately besieged her. Would Hoseok think she looked fantastic when he saw her? Might he be inspired to ask her out on a date, like Jungkook had? A real date?

"No, nothing else on," she said at last. "And I'd love to join you and your mother for lunch. Would you like me to help you move the furniture as well?"

"Would you?"

"Love to. Make-overs are my thing this week," she says.

"What?"

"Nothing," she muttered, and wished she were more confident of Hoseok's reaction to her own make-over. "I'll come see you in about fifteen minutes, then. Just come over when you see my car."

"But...but..."

"Look, I'm ringing you from my mobile and I'd better hang up before I get into trouble."

He hung up and Hyeonji groaned into the dead receiver.

Fifteen minutes. Oh God...

With a shriek, she dropped the receiver back into place and dashed upstairs, throwing open her wardrobe and searching for something Hoseok might like. No pants, she reminded herself, and past over the cheap tights and track suit pants she lived around the house. Her eyes went to the black crop top she'd bought the previous day, the only item of clothing she could afford.

But she had nothing to go with it. In despair, she pulled a pair of white shorts, though bought two years back when she'd been larger, she never actually got around to wearing the thing since it didn't fit her then. She tried on the shorts, looking at the mirror it hugged her bottom nice and tight. It looked good. Plus it was too hot for jeans, and she didn't have enough time to find anything else.

Ten minutes had flown since Hoseok had called. Shoving her feet into tan sandals, Hyeonji spun round to the dressing-table to finish her make-up, but her hands were shaking so badly she had to abandon applying mascara. Fortunately, she'd already done her eyeshadow and eyeliner, adding enough depth and definition to her eyes for casual daytime wear. She had a light powder on and cheek tint were in place. All that was left to do was her lip tint.

This last thought sent Hyeonji's pulse racing. There was only one man she'd want to wake up with in the morning with her make-up still intact. Somehow, the red lip tint found its proper place without wondering all over her face. It gave an impression of a plump luscious lips.

She did a quick brush of her hair, several deep, steadying breaths and she was ready. Just in time, too, for when she leant across her bed to glance through her bedroom window she was greeted by the sight of Hoseok's new red car coming up the hill.

Her stomach tightened another notch, her heart pounding. One last glance at her shorts and crop top brought a grimace of and another flicker of doubt. The last thing Hyeonji needed at that moment was to come downstairs and be met with her mother's open scorn.

Zil walked in the front door just as Hyeonji approached it. "And where do you think you're off to with your face all done up like a dog's dinner? No. You don't have to tell me. I can guess. I saw his car pass by as I walked up the hill, and you're running straight over to parade yourself in front of him. Dear heaven, but you're a fool, Kang Hyeonji! That girlfriend of his would still run rings around you for looks and style. You can tart yourself up all you like and it won't make a blind bit of difference. Not where Hoseok is concerned. Of course there are other men around here who aren't so particular. Not that they ever marry the girls they ask out."

For a few seconds, Hyeonji's confidence in her appearance wavered. But she'd come too far to allow anyone to undermine her newly found self-esteem. Not that her mother's nasty comments hadn't hurt.

"Maybe I'm not in Tinashe's league in the looks department Mum," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "But I still think I look pretty good. And I'll have you know I'm not running over there to parade myself in front of Hobi. He rang me while you were out and asked me over for lunch. It seems that he and Tinashe have broken up. Maybe I don't stand a chance with him, Mum, but that's no excuse for your trying to put me down like that. It was mean."

To give her credit her mother looked shocked, then stricken with remorse. "Oh, Hyeonji... I... I... Oh, dear. Oh, I'm so sorry. I... I just don't want to see you hurt..."

"Then stop hurting me," she countered, sweeping out of the house before her mother could say another word, anger propelling her down the front path. As she stalked out onto the roadway and turned right, Hyeonji indulged in some none too ladylike mutterings.

"My, my," drawled a male voice. "Does that brand-new temper come with the brand-new hair?"

Hyeonji scudded to a ragged halt, her eyes whipping up to see Hoseok leaning against his open car door, watching her. His eyes immediately narrowed on her newly made-up face, then lifted to once again take in her new crowning glory. She couldn't tell if he approved of her transformation or not.

"You...you don't like it?" she almost groaned after a few seconds silence, one hand flying up to touch her hair in that age-old feminine gesture which invited reassurance. Hoseok straightened and slammed the cardoor before glaring back her way. "Don't be ridiculous. What's not to like? You look fantastic. But I think you already know that, don't you?"

Hyeonji glared back at him. So much for Hoseok being bowled over her sudden beauty. "I only did what you suggested the other night," she defended hotly. "True. But honestly I never expected you to do it. I guess I underestimated the power of your Mr. X. So...has he seen the new hair yet?"

Hyeonji bristled, then lifted her small chin too at Hoseok straight in the eye. "Yes, he has, as a matter of fact."

"I suppose he said you looked fantastic."

Once again, Hyeonji was spurred on to play an ironic game with the truth. Somehow, it soothed the pain of Hoseok's ongoing blindness. How could he not guess? She agonized inside. Couldn't he see her love for him?

"Actually they were his exact words," she tossed back coolly. His frown was instant "Where is it that you see this...Don Juan?" he demanded to know. Hyeonji smiled a darkly devious smile. It amused her that Mr. X didn't favor with Hoseok. If only he knew!

"Oh he lives nearby, and I run into him from time to time. But as I said before, my love life is really none of your business, is it? Now shouldn't we be going inside to help your mother with the furniture?" she went on with more forcefulness than was usually her nature. "Time is wasting, you know, and I have to get back to practicing my new make-up before the working week begins. I aim to knock their socks off tomorrow morning."

He threw her an incredulous glance, then shook his head "They say women change their personalities when they change their hair color. I'm beginning to believe it."

"Oh? Did you know Tinashe before she peroxided her hair? Was she a sweet little thing before she became a bottle-blonde?" raising an eyebrow at Hoseok. "We're not talking about Tinashe here, Miss Sarcasm. Which is exactly the sort of thing I'm referring to. You were never one to be bitchy before. Neither did you go around swearing under your breath."

Hyeonji places one hand on her waist then looks at Hoseok straight in the eyes "Maybe you just never heard me before. Maybe you don't know the real me at all, Hoseok. Maybe you've never stopped to smell the flowers."

"Stopped to smell the flowers? What in the hell has my stopping to smell the flowers got to do with you turning into a shrew?" says the infuriated man. Hyeonji laughed while Hoseok scowled. It was that moment when his mother opened her front door and came onto the porch to stare over them.

Mrs. Jung was a beautiful woman. Somewhere in her late forties, she was tall and slender, intelligent brown eyes and a shimmering black hair which fell to her shoulders in a stylish bob. Unlike her son she obviously liked women in trousers for she lived in them. Today she was wearing a loose pair of fawn cotton trousers with a bright floral floaty over blouse.

She lifted her hand to shade her eyes from the sunlight, squinting down at this strange young woman with her son. Heyonji smiled with satisfaction when she realized Hoseok's mothers didn't recognize her.

"Hi Mother," Hoseok waved. "Be right with you. Hyeonji here is going to help us."

"Hyeonji?" his mother repeated, frowning.

"Hyeonji? Oh my goodness, it's Hyeonji! From next door!" she smiled at her. "Yes, it's Hyeonji from next door," Hoseok said as he pecked his mother on the cheek, then threw Hyeonji a dry look over his shoulder. "In a fashion..."

"I'm so sorry Hyeonji dear," Hoseok's mother directed at Hyeonji with an apologetic smile. "I didn't recognize you with that stunning new hair color and style. My, but it suits her, doesn't it, Hoseok? She looks like a different girl entirely."

"She does indeed," Hoseok said in a tone which had his mother raising her eyebrows at him before turning to take Hyeonji's arm. "Who did it for you, dear?" she asked as she led her inside. "I'm always on the lookout for a good hairdresser."

They stopped together in the tiled foyer while Hyeonji raved about Taehyung's abilities and moderate prices, till Hoseok finally interrupted. "Have I come home to move furniture or not?"

"Don't be rude, dear," Mrs. Jung told him dismissively. "The furniture can wait. It's not going anywhere. I'll just go put on the jug and catch up with Hyeonji here for a bit. I haven't had a good talk to her in ages. Remember when she used to come over every Sunday, Hoseok, and you would make her sit in your room all afternoon while you showed her whatever game you were working on that week? I used to think she deserved a medal for how patient she was with you. And how kind. Not too many girls her age would have bothered being friends with an egocentric computer nut like you, dear."

"I didn't mind, Mrs. Jung," Hyeonji confessed. "Truth is I enjoyed it though I can't say I always understood everything. Hobi's nothing short of a creative genius. I dare say he gets that from you."

Mrs. Jung smiled her pleasure at the compliment. "What a nice girl you are," she said. "But my son is no genius. Not in the things which count, that is," she muttered as she turned to walk down several steps into the sunken living areas of the house.

Mrs. Jung's home was roomy, split-level and messy, Hyeonji saw as she traipsed after Hoseok's mother. And it smelt like a tavern. Housework was clearly not a priority with Mrs. Jung. Funny. Hyeonji couldn't remember it being so unkempt in the old days.

"Sorry about the mess," Mrs. Jung excused with an unconcerned but elegant wave of her right hand. "My cleaner had to quit through ill health a couple of weeks back and I'm on a deadline for a book. I've been meaning to advertise for a replacement but haven't got around to it."

An idea popped into Hyeonji's brain "How much does a cleaner earn

"What?" Mrs. Jung asked in confusion. She repeated her question. Hoseok's mother slanted her a sharp look. "Do you know someone who might be interested?" Hyeonji hesitated "I might..."

"Your mother?" Mrs. Jung guessed, turning to put the kettle to plug it in. "Well...yes. Dad left her with a lot of debts, you see, and her pension doesn't go far. I suggested that we take in a boarder to help make ends meet better, but I don't think Mum liked that idea much."

"Why don't I go ask her, then, right now?" Mrs. Jung offered. "And while I'm at it I'll ask her over to lunch with us. I've got plenty of food. Meanwhile, Hoseok, load up the dishwasher for me, like a good boy, will you? If Hyeonji's mother's house is anything like her garden then she'll be horrified at the state of this place. Hyeonji, love, would you mind collecting the dirty glasses from the living room?"

Hyeonji was happy to. What a nice lady Hoseok's mother was. As soon as Mrs. Jung left, she whizzed around the living room, straightening it up a bit while Hoseok made clattering noises in the kitchen. When she came out with the last four dirty glasses he had just closed the dishwasher door and started a cycle.

"I'll wash this up in the sink," she said, and set to work straight away. Hoseok leaned against a nearby counter, his arms crossed his eyes thoughtful upon her, "When you say your father left debts behind, just how much debt do you mean?"

She sighed "A lot," Hyeonji admitted. "The year before he died, he took out loans against the house to finance his latest business venture, which went bust like every other one of his great get-rich-quick schemes. Unfortunately there was no life insurance to cover these loans. The repayments take nearly all my salary each week."

Hoseok straightened, his expression appalled. "But that's terrible! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"Why should I have? It's not your problem Hobi."

"Some best friend you must think I am," he said sharply. Hyeonji was astonished by his annoyance. "But I... I..."

"I want you to tell me exactly who these loans are with and what interest you're paying" he said sharply. "Why?" Hyeonji confused with what Hoseok was trying to imply. "Because I want to help you that's why. That depends if you'll let me, it depends on how much stupid pride you've got."

Her chin shot up. "I have quite a bit. And I don't think pride is stupid!"

"That's what I thought, so I could do one of two things. I could have my accountant look at these loans and see what's the best way to refinance them at the lowest possible interest. Men like your father always have to borrow at exorbitant interest rates because they're a credit risk. On top of that, interest rates have dropped lately. Alternatively, I could organize to pay off debts myself by giving you an interest-free loan. Either way, your repayments would be substantially less than they are now."

Hyeonji's face lit up. "An interest-free loan! Oh, Hobi, that would be wonderful! Simply wonderful!" but her face fell. "But they're not my debts. In a legal sense, that is. They're Mother's. She would have to sign any documents. And I don't think she would agree to your last suggestion. I mean... she might think it was funny."

"What do you mean funny?" he asks. "She might think there were strings attached to such an arrangement." Hyeonji replies honestly. However this left Hoseok with a confused look. "Strings? What strings?"

"Hoseok, don't be thick, please. Between you and me." Hoseok's shock was not altogether flattering. "She think I would demand you sleep with me in exchange for money? Why in God's name would she think such a thing?"

"Don't take it personally. Mum doesn't have a great opinion of men in general when it comes to sex," she said "My father was a womanizer, you know."

"No," he said slowly, that frown still in place. "I didn't know. You never told me. You never told me anything about yourself or your family." Now he was sounding frustrated.

"You never asked..." Hyeonji shrugged. "Well, I'm asking you now!" says Hoseok who is now irate.

"Why?" as she tilts her head and looks at him. "Why?" he immediately responds. "Yes, why this sudden interest?" Hoseok was taken aback, thoroughly exasperated. "Why must women make mountains out of mole hills? There is no mystery to my interest. Neither is it sudden. I've always cared about you, Hyeonji, I guess, I've been so wrapped up in my business going that I haven't had much time to think of other's problems. I suggest you put this change of heart down to my maturing at long last, of you have to put it down to anything. I did just turn twenty five."

"Yes I know," she said dryly. "I bought and lit the candles on your cake"

"You still haven't forgiven me for forgetting your birthday, have you?" he asked.

"I'll forgive you anything if you have your accountant get me some more money each week. I'm dying to buy myself some lovely new clothes to go with my new look. Believe me, Hobi, you can organize that refinancing business. I'll be your willing slave forever." He gave her a decidedly disgruntled look. "So I'm to be responsible for even more changes in my Hyeonji. Your Mr. X won't be able to resist you soon. Frankly I'm not so sure I want to send you into the arms of some good-looking bastard who's had oodles of women and who didn't appreciate the lovely person you were before you became a fashion plate."

Hyeonji was startled, then flattered by the jealous edge in his words. It occurred to her that inventing the mythical Mr. X was the best she'd ever done. She'd never had so much attention from Hoseok in her life. Suddenly, she was a reasonably attractive female, complete with her secret sexual obsession. The fact that the secret sexual obsession was Hoseok himself might have escaped him, but the concept of her madly in love with some good-looking Casanova clearly bothered him. Surely that had to be a reason to keep going?

"I don't think you're in love with this man at all," Hoseok pronounced abruptly. "From what I've heard, it's a simple case of infatuation. When and if he ever takes you to bed, you'll realize that. Men like him rarely live up to the romantic and sexual fantasies women weave around them. They're much too selfish to be good lovers."

"That's a very interesting theory," Hyeonji said thoughtfully. "And do you think you're a good lover, Hobi?"

"Me? We're not talking about me!" he grumbled irritably. "We're talking about lover boy here."

"I was just wondering," she said with feigned innocence. "After all, you confessed the other day to being selfish. And you just said selfish men weren't good lovers."

"Yes, well, there's selfish and there's selfish. I like to think I excel in anything I put my mind to. So yes, I think I'm a good lover. Are you going to argue the point, Miss Picky, or accept my word for it?" Hoseok says extremely annoyed.

Actually, I'd like a demonstration...

Hyronji thought with a quickening of her heartbeat. She stared first into Hoseok's beautiful brown eyes, then down to his equally beautiful mouth before letting her hopefully unreadable gaze drift down his even more beautiful body. Her own ached with longing for that body. It was a bittersweet ache, filled with delicious sexual awareness, yet framed with in a frustration so acute, she wanted to scream and shout and stamp her feet.

"I guess I'll have to accept your word for it," she managed to say, though her words were clipped. "I certainly won't be ringing Tinashe and asking her, that's for sure. The best thing you ever did was to break up with her."

"Break up with Tinashe? I haven't broken up with Tinashe. Wherever did you get that idea?"

"But the other night...you said..."

"I said we were having a trial separation. Actually it was her idea. She had some bee in her bonnet about my taking her for granted, which was probably true. So she told me she wasn't going to see me for a month, during which we were to have no contact whatsoever, even by telephone."

"I see." Hyeonji felt her brave and exciting new world tip out of kilter. "So when is this month up?" she asked, voice flat and heavy. "Next Sunday." He raked his hand through his hair. "And it can't come soon enough, I can tell you. This has been the longest, most frustrating four weeks in my life!"

Chapter 07

Masterlist

#BTS #BANGTANSONYEONDAN #BTSJHOPE #JUNGHOSEOK #JHOPE #myhome #YOURANGEL #BTSJHOPEXREADER #MAKEOVER #BTSFANFIC #BTSROMANCEFANFIC

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