#so here it goes. now that i made it anyway
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do you believe me now? | 3
in which spencer reid spends a rainy day teaching inexperienced fem!reader how to touch him. of course, her efforts don't go unrecognized, much less unrewarded
part one | part two
18+ (smut)
warnings: inexperienced reader, softdom!spencer, sub reader, oral m receiving, reader swallows lol, a truly sickening amount of praise, like really, you JOKINGLY refer to each other as dirty sluts, r has longish hair, spit mentioned once, thigh riding (moans loudly), its filthy idk what to tell you, i feel like i've crossed the desert on foot i don't even know what else is in here, your honor they're in love, i take you to dinner first, this part is stupidly long
a/n: had a fucking field day the three separate times i had to rewrite this el oh el... but think i like how it turned out?! anyway, if u like this PLS lmk bc writing it took a small piece of my soul, and yes there will be a part four!! take care of yourselves!! i love you!!!
You give Spencer half a minute or so before knocking on his door for a second time.
It’s miserable outside, and though the hallway you’re standing in now isn’t terribly cold, you’d much prefer to be in Spencer’s apartment, where it will be the same toasty 68.5 degrees as always. Not that the heating will magically dry you. And not that you’ll be there for long, if the date you’d scheduled last week goes on as planned.
You’re getting worried, about to knock for a third time when the locks finally click and the door opens to reveal a disheveled Spencer Reid—not at all looking ready for a date. You take in his ensemble; blue checked pajama pants, FBI Academy crewneck, the usual questionably paired socks. He’s rubbing his droopy eyes, which slowly widen as he notices your attire.
“Shit, I’m sorry, our date! I mean—you look really nice. I look… like this. Why don’t you come in while I get ready to go?”
He holds the door open a little wider and you step through, relishing in the familiar warmth as you pull your hood down and excess water droplets spatter on the ground.
“When did you get in?” you ask, hanging your raincoat up on a hook. You know he’d wrapped up a case yesterday evening, but you’d gone to sleep before the team left Cincinnati.
Spencer pauses in the middle of the room, staring at the antique flooring like he forgot what he was doing.
“Uh… four hours ago.”
“Wh—four hours? Spencer, you must be exhausted.”
He laughs awkwardly, running a tired hand over his face.
“I mean… I’ve definitely felt better.”
You kick your soaked shoes off and cross the room until you’re toe to toe with him. Immediately his hands settle on your waist and yours find his arms. His eyes are kind, and he’s clearly pleased by your presence despite his lack of energy.
“The weather’s terrible, anyway. Let’s just go out another day.”
His features have softened and you can see how tired he truly is—not just in his bleary eyes, but the way his fingers grasp weakly to you, the way his head bows slightly. It seems bone-deep.
“But I haven’t seen you in a week. I don’t want you to go home.”
Your lips twist. A clap of thunder rolls in the distance and the rain starts coming down even harder against the windowpanes.
“We could hang out here. We can take a nap!”
Spencer sighs—half resignation, half disappointment.
“But we made such good plans,” he laments.
You kiss his cheek.
“Plans that can be rescheduled. The bookstore will still be there next weekend.”
It takes him a moment to settle into the idea, but you watch the exhaustion win.
“Okay. But no nap. I want to be awake for you. Coffee?”
You nod enthusiastically, beaming at the prospect of getting to spend the day doing nothing with him. Spencer mirrors your grin, before pressing a kiss to your head.
“You’re so cute.” Heat creeps into your cheeks and you can’t think of a satisfactory reply, but in the end you don’t need to, as he tugs gently on your hands. “C’mon. Tell me what mug you want.”
The kitchen counter bites into your palms as you lean with your back to it, watching Spencer putter all around the kitchen as he works on the coffee. It makes you tired just to watch.
“Are you sure you don’t want to take a nap? Caffeine isn’t a substitute for sleep, you know.”
“I do know,” he agrees, measuring coffee grounds. “But other than last night, I actually slept fairly well this week.”
“You seem exhausted.”
“I… am tired in lots of ways. Not all of which can be resolved with more sleep.” he admits.
Your heart drops ever so slightly at the way his voice weakens as he looks through the fridge. Sometimes you remember there are still things you don’t know about him—sides you haven’t met. His work side is one of them, and it more than a little intimidates you.
“Bad case?” you ask, voice quiet and crackling with nervous energy.
Spencer nods, approaching and setting a carton of milk on the counter behind you—caging you in with his arms in the process. It’s hard to find the words when he’s this close, but you manage to stumble through them.
“Do… do you wanna talk about it?”
Spencer hums, tilting his head before gently saying, “not right now. But thank you for offering, lovely.”
“Okay, well—if you change your mind… if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better…”
Finally he stops with the teasing—the unabashed staring at your lips, the faux-attentive nods—and drops his head to your level to kiss you properly. It’s obviously an attempt to get you to shut up, you’re not dumb enough so as to miss that—but you don’t really care why he’s doing it so long as he does it at all.
“I feel pretty great right now, actually,” he murmurs against your lips, a hint of a smile coloring his words. “Do you want sugar in yours?”
“Um…”
Your eyes dart helplessly between his as he pulls away and you struggle to un-fluster yourself enough to answer his simple question. Spencer seems to delight in this. The longer it takes you, the bigger his perfect smile gets.
“You took too long. You’re getting sugar.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” you plead later on the couch, for the third or fourth time, setting your mostly-empty mug on the coffee table.
His eyebrows raise.
“I’m sure, honey.”
“But I want to help,” you pout, pulling your knees into your chest. Spencer regards you for a moment from the other end of the couch, before beckoning you closer wordlessly.
“You are helping,” he assures you, gently grabbing your wrist as you crawl into his lap. He rubs soothing circles into the delicate skin with his thumb. “You being here and being you is plenty.”
It’s the closest you’ve been to him since before he left, and while you’ve all but given up on asking him to sleep with you, it doesn’t mean you don’t think about it multiple times per day. It’s especially difficult to keep your thoughts PG when you haven’t seen him in a week, and his hair is all messy, and he’s got his pajamas on, and you’re in his lap, and he’s looking at you like that.
“What are you thinking about?” Spencer murmurs, likely concerned by your lack of response and the glazed-over look in your eyes. You reanimate, averting your gaze to the spot on your thigh he’s now rubbing absentmindedly.
“Nothing. I just missed you.”
“I missed you a lot, too.” You don’t even have to look up to know that his brows have twisted into a pleasant sort of bemusement, like you are a particularly complex puzzle—you can hear it as he continues speaking. “I’m still not used to having something external take up so much of my attention while I’m trying to do my job. I’ve never had that before. Not something good, anyway. It’s like every time I leave, I’m thinking about you more than the time before. And I was already thinking about you a lot.”
The corner of your mouth twitches as he rambles.
“Really?”
“Yeah, really,” he chuckles. “You prove to be incredibly distracting even when you’re hundreds of miles away. Do you know how many nights I almost called you before realizing it was one in the morning?”
A slow smile spreads over your face.
“Oh? Whatever could you have been calling about at one in the morning?”
You’re teasing him, and it works. He blushes adorably.
“Um… probably exactly what you’d expect. In hindsight I think it’s best that I refrained.”
“What?” You grin, incredulous, forgetting your shyness and leaning closer. “You totally should’ve. I’ve never had phone sex before. I would’ve done it.”
“No, you wouldn’t!” Spencer laughs. “It would have just been me talking to myself with you on the other line. I don’t think phone sex is really up your alley.”
“Shut up,” you laugh as your lips meet. He smiles into the kiss. Before you get too lost in it, you pull away, leaning back when he tries to follow you. “I think you’re over-complicating it. It’s just dirty talk, right? I can totally do that. It’s just, like… blah blah blah, dirty slut, something something…”
You trail off as he gives you a look. Poker faced—aside from the slightly narrowed eyes sparkling with humor.
“You want me to refer to you as a dirty slut?”
Maintaining eye contact is an uphill battle—you crack in a matter of seconds, resting your forehead against his and closing your eyes stubbornly.
“No. For all you know I want to call you a dirty slut.”
It’s a ridiculous, but he recognizes the bravado for what it is, still smiling slightly as he rubs your hips.
“Right. I apologize for assuming. But just for future reference, I don’t want to be called that, and I don’t think I’d be comfortable calling you that, either.”
“But you can call me other stuff,” you remind your boyfriend, pulling back and still not looking at him.
“Yeah? Like what?”
And just like that, you’re shy again.
“I don’t know… nice things. I like when you’re nice.”
“I like being nice to you.” It’s so sincere-sounding that you meet his gaze, examining his face. His eyes are clear and soft on you, the only source of warm light on such a grey day, as his hands keep running slow lines over your sides. “Kiss?”
And how could you ever deny him anything?
As has happened before, the kiss starts out innocent enough. And it’s not that it gets particularly heated, or anything—it’s just that it doesn’t end, and after a few moments your mouth slips open and so does his and that’swhat gets both of you worked up over a period of minutes. Pressure and heat that you’re becoming accustomed to build between your legs, and you don’t even notice that you’ve begun rocking back and forth in his lap until Spencer is attempting to still your hips with patient but assertive hands.
“Honey, that’s—slow down, sweetheart.”
Finally he gets a grip on you and you realize as soon as you stop moving that there had been friction occurring—and you’re pretty damn sure you know what you were grinding against.
Your whole body feels hot with arousal and embarrassment.
“Oh my god—I’m sorry,” you mumble, moving your hands from his shoulders to cover your face. “That was an accident, I—”
“It’s fine,” Spencer assures you, squeezing your waist gently. “I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing because I know we haven’t… gotten there, yet.”
A moment passes—your hands fall to the FBI stitching across his chest, studying the letters without really seeing them. You haven’t gotten there yet… but why not? Why haven’t you touched him, or even seen him? You think back to the few times he’s touched you and realize that you had been too busy with either your own insecurities or pleasure to genuinely consider how it might be affecting him. He says your name gently, drawing your attention.
“You okay?”
You nod haltingly, brow furrowed as you think.
“I—yeah. I was just realizing that I haven’t, like… touched you, yet.”
It’s silent for another long second, and you glance up, to where he’s studying you with a dissonant kind of relaxed scrutiny—a knowing confidence that probably comes with a lot more experience than you have.
“Do you want to?”
Woah.
Usually you have to beg on hands and knees and prepare a slideshow presentation before he agrees to doing anything sexual in nature. He’s never so overtly invited or initiated it before. Not that you’re complaining by any stretch of the imagination.
You nod shyly, still fiddling with the fabric of his shirt.
“If you want to, I can show you how. But it’s also absolutely okay if you don’t.”
Show you how?
Your brain is melting into sludge at the idea.
“I do,” you admit, meeting his gaze again. It’s kind, and you know he really wouldn’t be upset if you said no—but now that you’ve thought about it, you feel deeply compelled to try.
“Okay. Come here, first.” You lean forward expectantly, eyes fluttering shut as his hand finds the back of your neck and he pulls you into another soft kiss. By the time your lips separate again, your head is spinning. “We’re just trying something, okay? You’re allowed to stop whenever you feel like it. Really low stakes. Got it?”
You nod, still close enough that your noses brush as you do.
“Got it.”
He presses one more chaste kiss to your lips before pulling away and leaning back into the couch.
“Scoot back a little, angel.”
Wordlessly you do so, heart pounding with nervous excitement as he lifts his hips and slides his pajama pants down just enough to where he can comfortably pull himself out, and—
Your breath catches.
Now, you may be about as virginal as they come, but you weren’t born yesterday. You’ve seen porn, you’ve received unsolicited nudes—it is the 21st century. Yet never before have you thought to yourself; wow, that dick is the pinnacle of beauty. Perfect. Breathtaking. But there’s just no other way to describe him.
So that’s what hits you first—how unexpectedly pretty it is.
The size sinks in a quick second later.
You can’t tell with perfect accuracy how many inches he is, but you’re pretty damn sure he’s big. That’s meant to fit inside of you?
No, no—that’s a consideration for another day. Right now you need to stop staring like an idiot. You glance up at his face, and he’s sporting a cocky little half-smile which lets you know you’ve been caught. Motherfucker he’s so hot. It’s unnerving.
“Do you have something you’d like to say?” he asks politely, quite obviously containing his amusement. But you can’t summon a sufficiently sarcastic response.
Your voice comes so soft when you reply, “you’re pretty.”
Spencer melts, eyes impossibly softening.
“Pretty?” His smile is earnest now. He strokes your cheek and you can’t not lean into his touch.
“Mhm. I want to, um…” your lips twist to the side as you look back down, finding he’s not gotten less intimidating since you last checked. “But what if I’m bad at it?” you whisper. He chuckles, brushing hair over your shoulder.
“It’s kind of a hard thing to be bad at. And I’m gonna help you, okay?”
It’s the honesty with which he speaks to you that makes you feel so safe. There are no hidden intentions or words that seem to mean one thing but really mean another. Spencer wants you as a person more than he wants you as a body and that’s been clear since the first time he touched you. You take a deep breath.
“Okay. What do I do?”
“First, you’re gonna spit in your hand.”
You look up, alarmed.
“You want me to intentionally get my spit on you? Is that not your worst nightmare?”
“Believe it or not, I’m not super worried about yours,” he teases. “But if you’d prefer, I can spit in your hand.”
“Actually, mine is fine,” you laugh nervously.
Hesitantly, you do as instructed, even though it seems frankly bizarre.
“Good. Now just wrap your hand around it, like this.” His voice is quiet, focused as he guides your hand downward. Your heart rate ticks up again as he encourages you to wrap your hand around the base of his cock. He feels much warmer than you’d expected—his skin is silken beneath your touch but he’s undeniably hard and that sort of eliminates any sense of him being fragile from the equation.
“It’s gonna be less sensitive down here—and then, up here—” he slides your hand back up, covering your thumb with his own and swiping it just below the head of his cock on the underside. He hisses and you look up in fascination. “That’s the most sensitive part.”
Without further instruction, you do it again, keeping your touch light and watching his face for a reaction. His drawn brows twitch, furrowing deeper for a second, and his lips part. A heavy exhalation passes between them and quickly builds into a breathy laugh.
“What?” you murmur, over-eager to please and very nervous to do something wrong.
“Nothing. Just feels good, that’s all.”
“Don’t laugh,” you pout. Of course that makes him laugh again, and he leans forward to kiss your head.
“I’m laughing at myself, angel. I’m a grown man fighting for my life from a handjob that you’ve barely started. I knew it would be different with you but I didn’t realize it would be this different.”
Heat rises in your cheeks and you look away.
“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”
“I’m not lying,” he urges, grabbing your free hand and encouraging you to uncurl your fingers. His thumb traces circles in your open palm, before capturing your entire hand in his. “Do you feel how much softer your hand is than mine?”
You frown, attempting to feel whatever it is that he’s pointing out. Despite the fact that you think he has very nice hands, you realize he’s right. By no means would you say that they’re rough, but you can tell where his gun normally sits in his hands, where his fountain pen rubs against his fingers. “Yeah.”
“Yeah. Anything you do is going to be perfect because it’s you.”
Spencer drops his hand to your leg, rubbing it soothingly. The other moves to cover yours—the one wrapped around him.
“You’re gonna help me, right?” you ask quietly. Some adventurous part of you is very excited about this as an experiment—fascinated by the reactions you’ve already gotten from him and eager to push it.
“I am. Little bit tighter, honey. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”
You do as you’re told, and he’s murmuring more praise—slowly encouraging you to begin moving your hand with his own. A shaky exhale catches your attention, drawing your gaze to his face. His eyes are, of course, cast downward, but his expression is hypnotizing. Those lips remain slightly parted, and suddenly you wonder if he makes noises like you do. In that moment it becomes your life’s mission to find out.
For a while you continue letting his hand guide your movements, but he keeps things so slow for your sake that you’re getting impatient. You forgo his direction, picking up the pace but trying to keep the rhythm he’d instilled in the motion. His hand slackens around yours.
“Fuck,” he hisses to himself. The hand on your thigh rubs achingly deeper into the flesh. “Angel, what are you doing?”
“I want it to feel good.” Suddenly shy again, you slow down. His hips stutter, which you think may be a sign that it was working. “Am I—was that bad?” Spencer looses a breath, looking almost… frustrated?
“No, I’m just—I’m weirdly close to coming.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Well,” he mutters, “not usually. Mostly it’s embarrassing.”
You giggle, a release of some tension, and begin pumping your hand again. His breath hitches and he finally looks up at you, meeting your eyes with his own lust-glazed ones. Heat pools deep between your legs.
“I want you to come,” you admit quietly as you twist your wrist, brushing that spot underneath the head of his cock again. His jaw literally drops, and a look that is part confusion, part pleasure, twists his features. You see the surprise sparkling in his eyes and it only spurs you to keep talking. “I’ve never seen how you look when you do, but I’ve imagined it. I bet you look so pretty when you come, Spencer. ‘Nd then I would know that I can make you feel good, too.”
“You… you are making me feel good,” he assures you. The way his brow furrows and his lips are parted give you a feeling that’s entirely new. Normally, you’re the one falling apart under his touch—but when it’s the other way around there’s a whole new kind of pleasure in it for you. You feel kind of powerful. Maybe even close to confident.
“Really? I’m not this quiet when you touch me.”
“I’ve ha—ah—had more practice not making noise.”
“But why?” you implore, ignoring the fact that he’s slept with other women and enjoyed the sounds they made, and opting to brush your thumb across that extra sensitive part he definitely shouldn’t have told you about. His hips buck up and he hisses, which is immensely gratifying to you.
“Because I like to listen.”
“What if I do, too?”
In a moment of divine inspiration , you cover the tip of his cock with your hand, swirling beads of pre-come over your palm. Spencer moans and his hips jut up into your grip. It’s a beautiful sound, just as you’d hoped.
“Jesus, fuck.”
You understand why he seems to enjoy touching you so much. It’s so rewarding to watch as his breathing picks up and pleasure contorts his face—to watch him get messier and messier and lose his composure a bit more with each stroke of your hand. It’s so simple but Spencer looks at you like you’re exercising some arcane deviant power over him and he’s not sure he should be enjoying it as much as he is.
Distantly you think about how it felt when he had his hands on you—and then, in clearer focus, how it felt when he went down on you. Both were perfect, but something about his lips so gentle on the most intimate, vulnerable part of you had felt like ascension. Maybe it was the emotional component, or maybe it just felt fucking good. Regardless, it seems an irresistible thought.
You keep stroking him until his head is lolling on the back of the couch as he groans.
“Spencer?”
“Yeah, baby?”
He sounds so destroyed it makes you clench around nothing. Without any indication that you’re going to do so, you stop touching him, and the speed with which he lifts his head again is almost comical. Immediately, while he’s utterly defenseless and desperate, you ask, “can I use my mouth?”
His eyes widen, and then shut, as he processes your request with a tiny shake of his head—probably trying to clear the haze of pleasure from his mind before he answers.
“Honey,” he rasps eventually, opening his eyes and smoothing a hand over your hair, “you don’t have to do that just because I do. That’s not why I do it.”
“But I want to,” you murmur, shy and mildly embarrassed by what feels almost like a soft rejection. “I don’t think I could do anything, like, mind-blowing, but… I want to try.”
Your face is hot by the end of the sentence, and you can’t meet Spencer’s eyes as his fingers twitch over your hip. A quiet moment passes—but it’s short-lived.
“Okay. Go ahead, baby.”
Wide eyes dart up to his.
“Really?”
Spencer smiles fondly, brushing an invisible speck from your cheek.
“I don’t think I’m capable of turning that offer down. Not when it’s you.”
“Okay—um, should I just—” Spencer watches on, finding your sudden enthusiasm completely adorable as you scoot off of his lap and gingerly kneel in front of him. Your eyes are big and glassy as you look up at him, hands set politely on his knees. You squint suspiciously, eyes darting between his face and his cock, now about as hard as it’s ever been due to your toying. He knows it’s probably intimidating for a girl who has never seen one in real life, and he feels kind of bad about it. You do terrible, wonderful things to him that he doesn’t understand. “Wow. So... it looks bigger from down here.”
“Please don’t try to choke yourself,” he instructs hurriedly, leaning forward slightly. “I really don’t need you to do that. It’s fine if you can’t fit it all, I just—” he exhales shakily. Spencer is most definitely strong-willed but he can’t pretend like the sight of you on your knees for him, inches from his aching cock for the first time isn’t impacting his cognition. Most importantly he doesn’t want to make you feel pressured. He’s trying to not let how badly he wants this show in case you change your mind.
Spencer watches as you psych yourself out—wilting like a thirsty flower.
“But what if I’m bad at this?” you mumble, hands curling into loose fists atop his legs. Spencer pushes your hair back, tucking it behind your ears.
“What’s your worst case scenario?” he asks. Your answer is immediate.
“That I’m so bad you make me stop halfway through.”
Spencer can’t help but laugh again.
“I’m sorry—I just… honey, you are really underestimating how profound your effect is on me. I just almost came from a minute long handjob. I can assure you that I won’t make you stop halfway through because I’d rather not have your mouth on me. That is… that’s just not going to happen.”
You lean your cheek against his thigh. He might actually pass away.
“Will you tell me if I’m doing something wrong?”
“Honestly, as long as you don’t bite, you’re in the clear.”
Your eyes squeeze shut and your lips pull into an embarrassed little smile.
“Great. Thank you for that invaluable advice.”
“Of course,” he smiles. It fades slowly as you take a deep breath and look up at him, obviously steeling yourself, before leaning forward and taking him in your hand again. He watches with bated breath, repeating no sudden movements to himself over and over as your hand moves up and down a few more times and your head lowers.
You delicately, so lightly trace your tongue from the base of his swollen cock to just underneath the leaking tip, mapping a vein, and his hips buck as you take him into your mouth experimentally. Only the first few inches fit but the sight of your lips wrapped around him, the way you’re looking at him is so unbelievably erotic Spencer knows he won’t last very long.
From a purely technical perspective—he knows he’s gotten objectively better head. Still, something about the way you’re so delicate with him, so soft and timid in the way you lick and kiss and take him into your mouth has him fighting not to come already. Maybe it’s wrong, but knowing that he’s watching you do this for the first time in your life is obscenely arousing. The idea that you’ve never trusted another person this much; that you’re letting him be the one to help you navigate something as new and as important as sexuality. The more he thinks about it, though, the more he realizes: it’s not your inexperience that turns him on. It’s just you. Everything you do is so undeniably you—he recognizes your mannerisms in every tiny motion, in every glance, and it’s killing him. You’re like a dream as you look up at him with big nervous eyes, (no, really, he has had this dream) and he remembers he wants to be reassuring you—not pondering life and human connection.
“Look at you,” he murmurs, groaning and hips twitching as your cheeks hollow, wrapping his achingly hard cock in soft gentle warmth so sweetly it feels taboo. “So good, baby. So gorgeous like this.”
You whine around him, receptive as always to his obsequious praise, and he notices the way your hips wiggle as you seek friction. God, you must like this a lot. Spencer gathers your hair into a makeshift ponytail, resting his hand on your head as you begin to bob it. That, he wasn’t prepared for. He’d have been satisfied with just kitten-licks and suckling but he won’t complain about this. It’s slow, and so intentional as you keep watching him for feedback cues. Ever his observant girl, you’re constantly paying attention. Aware of his reactions. He needs to keep telling you you’re good or else you’ll assume you’re terrible.
“Over-achiever,” he whispers through a little smile as you down even more of him.
Spencer is for the most part a kind and gentle person. For better or worse he is also a man, and he can’t help but fantasize about getting you all teary and drooly as he holds your mouth open and sees how much of his cock he can push down your throat. But again—kind. Gentle. So when you get a little over-zealous, attempting to sacrifice your comfort for his pleasure, he pulls your head back slightly. “That’s far enough, angel. That’s—fuck. God, you’re good at this.” The words are thoughtless, muttered to himself more than you as he watches through a haze while you look up at him with glassy, half-lidded eyes, slipping him in and out of your warm mouth, a little faster now as you gain confidence.
You whine desperately around him, like you’re the one nearing orgasm and not him. The sound of your pleasure as you suck his cock makes him dizzy. His hips buck, pressing him a little deeper into your mouth. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he exhales. “Slow down, baby. I’m—” a louder moan from him like you’ve never heard as he thrusts shallowly turns you on profoundly. He’s so much more vocal than you’d have imagined—sonically and verbally. He breathes out a quick, “fuck, fuck, fuck,” pulling your hair slightly, and you’ve never wanted to touch yourself more but you know you can’t focus on both. Instead you work on making him come—you can worry about you later. He says your name, with an authoritative edge to his tone that makes you throb. “Honey, if you don’t stop, I’m gonna come—”
You swirl your tongue around the top of him like candy and he’s done for. Spencer tries to pull out, which only results in cum both in your mouth and on your face. The orgasm is his strongest in recent memory, and he grunts, watching your lips part and a little squeak escape as he comes all over your face—but you keep stroking him all the while. Once he’s 90% sure it’s over, he falls against the back of the couch, breathing heavily and looking down at you through hazy eyes. Oh, he’s going to feel terrible about this in a few seconds—but right now you look fucking perfect. Your eyes are wide, nervous as his essence drips over your face and down your neck—he groans when you swallow cautiously, averting his eyes to the ceiling lest he do another thing he regrets.
“Baby, I am so sorry,” he mutters, forcibly clearing the haze of orgasm from his mind and sitting up, fixing his pants and looking around before locating the box of tissues on the side table. “I’m so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” You look up at him attentively as he wipes himself from your face as gently as he can.
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t ask you first. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Spencer guides your head around by your chin, wiping your jaw and lips.
“It’s okay, Spence, I—”
“No, it’s not,” he cuts you off, trying to at least turn his guilt into a learning experience for you. He’s not deluded enough to think someone like you will stay with someone like him forever, because sometimes he does things like that, and he’s reminded that there are certainly people out there more deserving of you. At the very least he can clarify that nobody should ever do what he just did to you. “It’s really not nice to do that to someone.”
“Do you care what I think at all?”
Spencer freezes, finally forcing himself to look you in the eye. Despite the fact that he’s mad at himself, he’s sure it’s coming across as being directed at you. And he knows you’re sensitive, especially about this kind of thing.
“Of course, I do, baby. I’m sorry. Do you want to come back up here with me and tell me what you’re thinking?” he murmurs, cupping your jaw. Hesitantly you nod. The tissues end up on the table—which he will be thoroughlywiping down later—before you crawl back into his lap from the floor. Spencer helps you settle against him, hoping he hasn’t messed this up irreversibly. He keeps his voice quiet as he rubs your leg. “What were you going to say?”
“I was going to say,” you begin, “that it’s fine, because you’ll remember to ask next time. And because… I kind of liked it. I like when—when you do stuff like that.”
It’s a miracle he can hear you with the way your voice drops into an almost-whisper and you’re hiding against his shirt.
“Like what?” he murmurs. Although he’s not sure he’ll be able to handle the answer.
“Like… I don’t know. Like you can do whatever you want to me. Like I’m literally yours.” Each word makes you cringe further, but Spencer has to try hard to maintain a cool facade as he processes this. If he’s going to try and be chivalrous, you’ll have to move away from this topic—this revelation—immediately. Thankfully, you seem eager to move on. “So… how did I do?”
He almost laughs. It seems exceedingly obvious how you did, but as per usual, you require verbal reassurance.
“That was really good, baby. You did well.”
You blossom.
“Really?”
“I wouldn’t lie.”
“Was I the best girl out of all of the other girls?”
I wasn’t in love with any of the other girls.
Just barely, he manages to stop himself from saying it, pinwheeling his arms on the edge of a very steep verbal cliff. The realization that he’s been in love with you for a while hits him like a truck. But he can’t tell you that right now. He should wait until you’re less vulnerable.
Fuck.
He really wants to tell you right now.
“Actually—don’t answer that,” you decide, while all of this happens in his head in less than a few seconds. “I want to go back to pretending I’m the only girl you’ve ever seen in your life.”
“You’re the only one that matters,” he offers, relieved to express at least some portion of the much bigger truth. Then he frowns. “Not that the other women I’ve met don’t lead important lives. I actually know a lot of incredibly influential and intelligent people who are women. I have deep respect for all of them. Am I helping or making it worse?” he rambles. You giggle. He has his answer. “What about you? How do you feel?” he asks after a moment, tenderly, lowly, stroking your hair as you lean against his chest.
It takes you a moment to deliberate, fiddling with the fabric of his shirt.
“I feel good. I, um… liked it a lot more than I would have thought.”
“Well, that’s good. Much better than if you had hated every second of it.”
You hum in agreement, and he waits for you to say whatever you’re holding back. It comes sooner than he’d have anticipated.
“I feel bad about the times before. How did you just… go to sleep after? Were you not, like—insanely turned on? Not that I’m, like, irresistibly sexy, or whatever—you know what I mean.”
Spencer smiles because he knows you can’t see him.
“I wasn’t doing it to pressure you into feeling obligated to reciprocate, I guess. My line of reasoning was that it would be less intimidating if I didn’t even present it as an option until you wanted to try.”
“Oh.”
Spencer thinks he sees where this is going.
“Why?” he asks, leaning back and encouraging you to look at him. “Are you insanely turned on?”
“Wh—that’s—I didn’t say that!”
Spencer can feel how warm your cheeks are as he presses his lips to the side of your face.
“You can tell me if you are,” he murmurs, all smiley as he moves to kiss your lips. “If you want something, you need to ask for it. I’m not a mind reader.”
“Yes you are,” you grumble. “That’s literally what behavioral analysis is.”
Not quite true, but surprisingly, he doesn’t feel the need to explain to you the semantics of what he does for work right now.
“What got you all excited?”
“You know what,” you mumble, trying to look away again. Spencer doesn’t allow it this time, gently grabbing your jaw.
“Yes, I do. But I want you to tell me. If you want me to make you feel good, this is how you’re going to convince me that you deserve it.”
You whine wordlessly, looking at him with those big, lust-glazed eyes.
“You wanted me to teach you how to use your words, right? This is it. I’m giving you an opportunity. If you don’t want to, that’s okay. Maybe we can take a nap, like you said earlier.”
“No! I liked—um, I liked all of it. I didn’t know if I would, because I was really nervous. But when I first—you know—and you got all quiet… it was like you couldn’t even talk for a minute. I was kind of proud of that. Because normally nobody can ever get you to stop talking.” Spencer narrows his eyes incredulously, a small smile tugging at his lips. But he doesn’t interrupt—not when it seems you’re finally starting to get more confident in your words. “And I really liked the noises you made. I think that was my favorite part. I liked when you pulled my hair back, and how you spoke to me. And when… when you got me messy and I had to swallow it. I really liked how it felt because I couldn’t think of anything else, just making you feel good. I really wanted to… make you proud, I guess. Is that weird?”
Spencer shakes his head no, a fond smile on his face when your eyes meet his again.
“No. It’s a pretty normal thing to feel when you’re nervous and wanting to impress someone you care about. And I would have been proud no matter what, for the record. You were being very brave.”
You pull your bottom lip between your teeth, watching him expectantly. Spencer should have known you’re too needy to truly absorb anything he says to you right now. Which is actually pretty cute. Everything you do is endearing to him.
“Stand up.”
You frown.
“But—”
“Just stand up,” he demands calmly, preferring to think of himself as firm and not bossy.
You do, looking rather annoyed and confused as you plant yourself in front of him.
“Why?”
“You are so full of questions.” His hands slip up the side of your legs, under your skirt, and hook in the waistband of your underwear. Spencer looks up at you meaningfully and you nod, swallowing.
As he pulls down, Spencer can literally feel the resistance of the fabric clinging to your soaked core. Under his touch the skin of your thighs is warm and soft. He wants to feel it on either side of his face, he wants to hear you whine as his stubble rubs against it, he wants to feel it clamp around his wrist, he wants it between his teeth and he definitely wants it pressing against his hips as he—
But no.
There will be time for all of those things—especially the last one—later. For now, he’ll reach between your legs just to see—
“Oh, my god,” Spencer half-chuckles, half-groans, upon feeling how wet you truly are for him. He drags his knuckles from your dripping entrance up over your clit, pinching very lightly and earning a squeak from you which he ignores. “You really did like having your mouth full of me, huh?”
“I told you,” you breathe, visibly relaxing some as he continues to play with you for a moment. Then he pulls his hand away again, patting his thigh.
“Sit.”
“You want me to…”
“Yes,” he says, simply.
“But is it not going to… am I not going to mess up your pants?”
“You are even more neurotic about messiness than I am. I can wash them, honey. Come here.”
Spencer guides your hips over his thigh, watching your pretty face twist with uncertainty as you fully settle on him. Fuck, he can feel your warmth through the fabric instantly. Already he’s getting hard again.
“What am I supposed to do?” you whisper, bunching his shirt in your fists. Spencer slides your skirt up higher, revealing the way you’re nestled against his thigh. He spreads you a little further apart, exposing more of your clit to the material underneath you. Immediately you press against him—he watches the delicate flesh rubbing gingerly against him and his grip tightens ever so slightly.
“All you have to do is rock back and forth. It’s easy.”
Already you’re starting to do it—but he guesses it’s like earlier where you don’t even realize it’s happening.
“But… I wanted your mouth,” you admit, quietly, slinging your arms around his neck and burying your face there.
“Do this for me first. Just get yourself off like this one time and then you can have my mouth. You said you wanted to help me feel better because I’m tired today, right?
“Yes,” you mumble, squirming over him.
“Well, there are a lot of days when I get back home and I’m tired. I’m gonna need you to be able to get on top of me, just like this, and make me feel better. And I know you don’t know what it feels like to have something that deep inside of you yet, but it’s gonna be a lot. Even once you know how it feels to have me inside when you’re underneath me. I need you to practice for me right now so you’ll be ready, okay?”
You could come from the words alone. You nod, dazed with need as you roll your hips in a circle, pressing his thigh against your clit.
“Back and forth, baby,” he murmurs, guiding your hips forward with his hands locked around them. “Back and forth, just like this…”
You moan quietly, shamelessly, eyes fluttering as you look down and watch your clit dragging over the darkening fabric. It’s easier if you isolate your hips, grinding down without moving your legs or upper body at all.
“It feels really good,” you whisper under your quickening breath.
“Yeah? Does it?”
“Mhm.”
“Good, angel. You look like you know what you’re doing.”
It’s audible now, quiet and wet and dirty.
“I don’t,” you breathe. He sucks in a breath of his own, stilling your hips with fingers pressed deep into your flesh.
“Sit up, baby.” You really wish he would stop making you stop, but you don’t want to keep going in case he needs you to quit—so you rise slowly, thighs trembling as you kneel. Spencer groans at the strings of your arousal momentarily connecting your core to his pants before they snap, getting your inner thighs wet. There’s a dark, very wet patch over his thigh, shining like glass. He thumbs over your slick clit absentmindedly as he looks up at you like you’re a miracle. “You’re fucking soaked. I’ve never seen you like this. Is this all from making me come?”
You nod feverishly, hips grinding against nothing in search of friction. He sits you back down on his leg, allowing you to sloppily find your rhythm again. Spencer bounces his leg lightly and you cry out softly, buckling forward. His arms wrap around you, still pressing you down against his thigh as you rut against it.
“You’re sweet. Maybe I should have known how much you’d like it when I came all over your pretty face. You really like hearing that you did a good job, huh? I bet you like it even more when I prove it to you.”
You moan a “yeah,” barely processing his words.
“My good girl even swallowed on her first try. Took it so well. And now look at how you’re taking this. You’re gonna love riding, baby. Just going to be another thing you’re good at as soon as you try it.”
“Spencer,” you gasp, overwhelmed by the praise. He’s bouncing his leg at regular intervals and everything is so sensitive.
“I know it’s harder to finish this way, but just one time, remember? And then you can have my tongue for as long as you want. You are my only plan for the day. Just give me one like this.”
But it’s not really harder to finish this way. Then again, you’re so turned on you could probably finish if a breeze hit you just right. Regardless, the thought of him going down on you again pushes you even closer to the edge.
You don’t know how much time goes by like that, you rubbing against him like it’s the last thing you’ll ever do, him pressing up into you until the pressure is so taut it snaps. There’s no time to warn him, but you suppose you don’t really need to. You writhe against him, caught between wanting to keep going and not being able to take more stimulation. He lifts you up just slightly, trying to separate you from his leg. You exhale deeply as your body relaxes, already close to dozing off against his chest.
“We can’t have you tapping out just yet. I still have to fulfill my end of the deal.”
In the end, he fulfills it three times over, and you end up showing your appreciation in kind one more time—much slower and more comfortably in his bed. He gives you plenty of time to learn what he likes, taking your teasing and coquettish explorations like a champ and never so much as tightening his grip in your hair. Turns out, you don't exactly spend the day doing nothing.
And you do end up taking that nap after all. Just... much, much later. And with less clothing on.
#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid smut#spencer reid fanfic#spencer reid fic#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid x self insert#spencer reid x#spencer reid angst#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid x fem!reader#spencer reid x you#spencer reid x y/n#criminal minds smut#criminal minds x reader#criminal minds imagine
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The REAL Azul Ashengrotto x Reader
(Reader is GN and Azul is into morons)
(Also not a serious writing and not proofread im too lazy)
Once upon a time, in a prestigious school's classroom, there were two students; Azul Ashengrotto, the dormleader of Octavinelle, and the Ramshackle Prefect. Currently, you guys were sitting in the classroom playing chess.
The room was very quiet that you could probably hear footsteps from the hallway. Although, the quietness unsettled you since that meant Azul's focus in the game was intense. Your eyes looked at the chess board with nervousness as you know that he was going to win.
When you awkwardly observed the board, the white chess pieces were still on their starting places on your side.
You didn't even start the game yet.
The reason was because...
YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY CHESS.
You just happened to agree at the moment since Azul looked so confident that you wanted to prove him wrong! NOW, LOOK AT WHERE THAT TOOK YOU! Your pride is on the line and you have no idea how to play chess!
As you were sweating balls, Azul's crystal sky blue orbs that change color depending on his emotions glanced at you. You could feel his confusion as he realized you weren't starting yet.
"Prefect?" He finally spoke up from the long silence.
"Y-Yeah, what's up?"
"You're taking so long. May I ask why?" When he asked that, you froze up, thinking about what to say.
You didn't want him to think you were stupid or anything. Hey, it's hard being a magicless student in a magic school where everyone is somehow talented in many ways and you're just average! You wanted to prove that you weren't just average and boring.
"You're taking so long to answer that too?" He sounded a bit sassy as he said that before sighing, "Prefect, do you not know how to pl-"
"Of course I know how to play!" You interrupted him to save your pride.
Azul looked at you awkwardly and confused, "Err.. Okay? Start then."
A long wait happened after that. Nothing moved before Azul got fed up.
"Okay, let's just switch the board-"
"Wait!" You quickly stopped his hands from turning the board around which caught him off guard. He pulled his hands back slowly, a bit of shyness appearing on his face from that one single touch.
"Prefect, I don't understand-"
"I can play chess!" You interrupted him again.
Sure you can.
Azul thought in his head.
He waited as you looked at the board, trying to figure out what move to make. Then, you finally moved your knight.
In the wrong spot.
"Prefect, that's not where the knight goes." Azul pointed out.
"Oh, shit.." You paused before putting the knight back from it's place, "Well, I knew that."
"Did you? Hm?" Azul raised his brow at you and proceeded to point to the right spot the knight was supposed to go, "Also that piece moves here. It usually moves in an L shape you see."
"Ohh, I see." You nodded which made Azul confirm that you didn't know how to play chess.
"You see, huh?" He quickly teased you, starting to smirk.
"Okay, maybe I don't know how to play."
---
"UNO!"
"Uno?" Azul raised his brow at you again, "Prefect, this is chess."
"Oh, shit."
During the whole time, Azul was teaching you how to play chess and so far...
"Prefect, that's not.. where the pawn.. Okay."
"Prefect, why do you have cards out?"
"Prefect, wh- what happened to my bishop? How did you-"
"Prefect, how did.. huh? I'm losing?"
"Prefect? PREFECT???"
It was going great! On the board, you were winning! Azul was only left with two pawns and a king! He also had no recollection of anything that led to that moment but that doesn't matter because you're winning!
Azul's turn was up as he struggled to move his pieces from yours. He has absolutely no idea how you're beating him. He's usually not that easy to beat but.. you happened to be doing exactly that! Are you secretly very smart? Smarter than him?
That's kind of.. attractive- I MEAN WHAT?! WHAT?! WHO SAID THAT?! NOT ME! OBVIOUSLY!
Azul thought in his head. Again.
Anyways, as he was distracted by his confusion, you were clearly strategizing in your head.
Strategizing how to distract him so you can sneakily take away his pieces.
OKAY, so maybe it's cheating but.. it's not cheating if you get caught and so far you haven't by him. Yet.
It was your turn to move and you purposely bump your hand under the table to knock one of the captured pieces onto the ground. This caught Azul's attention, although he was still facing the board.
As you leaned down to pick up the fallen piece with your left hand, your right hand was trying to take one of his pawns but Azul was swift to notice and grabbed your hand. You sat up fast when you felt his grab.
A looong stare was given from him that it made you nervous and even more nervous.
"W-Why are you holding my hand?" You suddenly asked.
Azul looked at their hands together before getting flustered, his cheeks turning red while he snatched his hand away.
"M-My apologies.. ahem.." He cleared his throat and calmed down, "But.. Your hand was.. Ah.. It was grabbing my piece. Care to explain?"
"Uh.. Well, uhhh.." You were sweating while you tried to decide to make an excuse or tell the truth.
You told the truth.
"Uhm.. So.. I was like.. taking your pieces everytime you were distracted or looking away.. because.. I kinda wanted to win?" You explained to him.
Azul sighed and smiled, "You do realize it's just a game, Prefect?"
"Yeah but like.. I just.. wanted to impress you." You replied.
Honestly, that's what you wanted to do. Impress people but it wasn't just specifically him. However, the way you said it made him think it was so his face quickly turned redder than before.
"I-Impress me?" Azul felt a bit happy but also shy after you said that, "W-Well, I-.. I think you're quite interesting in your own.. way.. You don't need to impress me since I'm.. already impressed by you."
"Oh." You were surprised by his compliment.
Azul paused and stared at you because of your dry answer, "HOW DRY! Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
"I love you?"
Azul froze.
You guys got married btw
---
Omg my first writing stuff hey guys I need criticism bc I'm actually trash at grammar and stuff 😭😭
Also I don't know how to write the mc in mc/reader x Azul without them being an ass to Azul HELRPFO like I think it's funny
messing with Azul is like instinct to me 😭😭😭😭😭 I'll try my best to make an nicer mc/reader or smth
Also this is just a test on my writing skills bc I wanna make something with my twst ocs but I wanna write it since I KINDA NEED TO WORK ON IT
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Acotar Rant
If I see another take saying "What Rhysand did to Feyre utm was for her protection!!!" I am going to riot.
What protection? Sweetheart, point me in the direction of the protection.
"It was so she wouldn't break" Oh so sitting in a dungeon is more traumatic than being drugged and SAed?
"It was so Amarantha wouldn't hurt her!" Rhysand bringing Feyre out only brought Amarantha's attention to her, reminding her of Feyre's existence and putting her in the spotlight of the enemy.
"The drugging stopped Feyre from being forced to remember!" So give her alcohol in the dungeon, then she can choose to drink it and still forget.
Rhysand made Feyre give him lap dances until she threw up. Until. She. Vomited. Then forced her to do it again and again. She was coherent here enough that she remembers all of this.
"Oh it was so he could make Tamlin angry enough!" Tamlin was angry. He was scared shitless for Feyre's safety as pointed out in the text. Multiple times in the first few pages of Feyre seeing him again for the first time utm, he 'went very very still', 'went white', started shaking etc etc.
Tamlin was playing a mask. Feyre acknowledged it. She said herself "he loves me enough that even now he is still trying to protect me."
Tamlin was going to kill Amarantha the first chance he got anyway. He was under spells that even Rhysand couldn't penetrate, the supposed 'most powerful High lord'. If the one who is supposed to be the strongest can't break free from Amarantha what makes you think Tamlin can?
Rhysand abused Feyre under the mountain. He sexually assaulted her, physically assaulted her, emotionally traumatized her, for literally no reason at all.
So before everyone goes and runs with what Rhysand SAID he did, lets go back and remember what he ACTUALLY did.
#acotar#anti rhysand#rhysand#feyre archeron#feyre archeron deserves better#tamlin#pro tamlin#rhysand was straight evil in the first book#everything he says in the second book is just a sob story coverup#acotar rant
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fresh out of the salon [k.martin x reader]
prompt: kate gets her hair done after the season ends and you're in love with it
author notes: let me firstly disclaim that i don't know shit about hair outside of black ppl hair 💔 and i hardly know that. secondly, i don't know if kate is a natural blonde with dark roots or a brunette who dyes her hair blonde but im pretty sure she's a natural blonde so.. if she isn't just ignore all the times i call her that. thirdly im still getting kate's personality 🙇🏽♀️ so this might not be super accurate to her but whatever. anyways enough yapping, enjoy it.
word of the fic: hair
it was only a few days after iowa's defeat against south carolina. kate was quick to call you when she reached her hotel room; feeling drained from the intense atmosphere during the game and also heartbroken she left her basketball college career off with a loss. you unfortunately couldn't make it due to having to focus on softball season. if iowa had played a home game for the final, you could had comforted your girlfriend afterwards but sadly she was still in ohio; having to do a few promotional shoots for a brand.
having to stay away from you longer than nesscary annoyed the blonde, but money is money so she sucked it up. you two relied on facetime and constant talking to stay connected. your teammates teased you all the time about how you been glued to your phone everytime there was a break at practice, but could they blame you? it's kate we're talking about here.
it's around ten pm when the blonde finally facetimes you. her face being close to the camera once the call connected.
"why am i seeing more of your nose than you, kate?" you giggle. getting comfortable on your bed before putting your attention fully on her. kate makes an obvious pout that you can see very closely with her face almost squished against her phone.
"i want a kiss," the iowa basketball player pulls her face away, not too far, to give you a full look of her lips. you roll your eyes, but internally the cuteness levels going on right now from her were huge. you indulge her before counting down so she was ready to kiss the phone screen the moment you were.
she lays back onto the hotel bed pillows afterwards. a satisfied look on her face; kate was truly the only one who can make you do something as embarrassing as kissing a phone screen. you take in her full appearance now. the blonde had obviously slip on some pajamas after coming to her hotel room from the shoot. a matching hello kitty matching pajama set that you recognized as yours is on her body.
"who said you could take my clothes?" you make a fake angry expression that just makes kate shake her head in amusement. "i did and i'm your girlfriend, so deal with it," kate says.
you roll your eyes before noticing a slight difference with kate. her hair looks slightly different than how it was when she left iowa. the darkish blonde of the player now has nicely done highlights on them. when did kate get her hair done? and why didn't she tell you?
the silence from your side of the line makes kate pout, "talk to me, baby. i missed your voice all day."
a flutter goes through your chest at her words; kate always knew what to say to have you swooning. "you got your hair done!" you say. she giggles, looking away from the screen in shyness. the player wasn't used to someone noticing things about her appearance. it was a new feeling of appreciation that makes kate crave to be near you even more.
"yeah. since i was doing those photoshoots, i thought it would be best to give my hair some new life," kate leaves out the part about how the loss to south carolina made her cry and immediately want to go to the salon to feel new again the moment she left the stadium (in the end only getting her hair done earlier today), but that's a topic for later. two things could be true at once though.
"but no selfies?" it was now your turn to pout. feeling slightly sad that your girlfriend didn't send a selfie your way after the first step she took out of the salon. kate wants to kiss away your pout so badly, but can't; curse nil deals.
"i was going to, baby. don't pout at me, it just makes me miss you even more. i had a photoshoot right after the salon and couldn't really text," kate explains. the pout on your lips disappears with you back to missing her.
"it looks so good on you, babes. makes me wanna kiss you"
"then gimme a kiss. the screen doesn't matter to me," kate puckers her lips up. leaning back close to the screen as you do the same.
you two stay up until twelve. during the rest of the call you keep taking facetime photos of kate because for one, she was just so adorable and for two, her new hair was doing things for you. the highlights really brought out her eyes. you were definitely going to kiss her all over her face when she landed back in iowa.
you tell kate to go off to sleep when the clock strikes one, so she can be well rested for her flight back home tomorrow. she pouts until you agree to fall asleep on the phone; who would say no to that face?
© thinkingaboutjaedyn
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The Drifter: The Sea King's Curse (1.02)
Pairing: siren!hyunjin x fem!reader
Word Count: 25k
Genre: fantasy, smut, fluff, adventure
Summary: When the corpses of mutilated mermaids wash up on shore, the lawmen of Levanter Bay seek YN's help to find the cause. They end up discovering this goes much farther than expected.
Tags: Graphic violence (just fist fighting and monster slaying), kidnapping, animal death (hunting out of necessity), graphic descriptions of corpses, death, autopsies, thalassophobia, fear of deep water, megalophobia (fear of large objects), sea monsters, mind control, mind manipulation, mental illness, dark magic, mentions of war, slight ptsd. vaginal fingering, p in v sex, monster fucking, bigdick!hyunjin. underwater sex, public sex, outdoor sex, monster dick
A/N: this is only Part 1 of this "episode", so stick around for Part 2 and Part 3 <3
***
The sun always shone brightest near Peacock Lagoon. Hyunjin loved how the sunlight made the waters glimmer like diamonds. The colors interchanging dark greens and blues gave the lagoon its name. Secluded and enclosed, nobody could reach it except the merfolk from under the water. Large smooth rocks created perfect sunbathing spots for the merfolk to sit while they watched their young swim about in the water. Hyunjin took his usual spot on one of the higher rocks with his kin, his long blue and white tail laid out in a curved shape. The shimmery scales went up his body to his shoulders, curving around his soft underbelly and neck. Webbed hands, good for swimming in heavy waters, kept him propped up as he took in the ocean breeze. Summer was the best time of the year in his opinion.
“Hyunjin!”
A young mermaid came swimming up to him. Alina, round faced and bright, looked up at him from the bottom of the rock.
“Are you not going to swim?”
“Not right now,” Hyunjin sighed, watching the others play about in the water. “I think I might catch some sun before going home.”
“You'll dry out if you're here too long.”
“Then I'll dive into the water,” he shrugged simply.
“Alright, you know what to do if you change your mind.”
The young girl dove back into the water, and Hyunjin looked out at the mermaid lagoon. Old and young came to rest at the lagoon, socializing and taking in the sun. Hyunjin knew a lot of people here needed the closeness of community. Pirates have been seen drifting about the northern regions, and that always boded unwell for merfolk. While merfolk hunting and poaching is outlawed, there are still some who will take the risk for some gold. Hyunjin shuddered at the thought.
“Did you hear about Calista and Celeste?” He overheard a trio of merfolk sitting above him. “Their mother said they went missing last night.”
A soft gasp made him turn his head.
“How horrible! You don't think they were taken, do you?”
“What else could it be?”
“What did Tytos say about it?”
“Nothing! That's what upset her so much. Mizu and the other council leaders haven't said anything about the people going missing. He says they have hybrids on the borders, and the kraken, but they're happening anyways.”
Which Hyunjin found especially odd. Tytos, King of Hydrus, normally did not let things like this go. He always had a plan. But, from what his aunt told him, The King had fallen ill recently. Since then, Mizu, his head advisor, had taken over overseeing the kingdom. Perhaps his sickness is keeping him from thinking rationally. Hyunjin thought about the others as he stared off into the clear waters.
He recalled what his Aunt Yejin told him the other night. He’d been helping her grind up plants for her healing salves when she mentioned the omen. She told him she’d been on her way home from the mainland when she’d seen it. Through the few layers of ocean water, she said a streak of bright crimson red smeared across the night sky. Having witnessed it through dark waters, she believed, meant that fire and water would meet. Hyunjin had no idea how that could be possible. Then again, the older merfolks saw omens in everything. His grandmother says she saw his newest lover in a bucket of old rocks. Hyunjin had no lovers yet.
But the omen still worried him. With King Tytos so ill, and things turning sour so quickly, it felt foreboding. Hyunjin knew he should be focused on his navigator trials, since he’d be starting them tomorrow, but he couldn’t stop himself from being distracted.
Then they appeared. At least six rowboats of men materialized out of the blue right amongst the splashing merfolk. Hyunjin saw their sun beaten faces and tattoos and knew immediately who they were: Pirates. Everyone scrambled to escape, but the rowboats wedged into the group too closely. Black nets fell into the water, catching a mermaid or two easily. Hyunjin gasped when he saw one man standing in his boat, aiming his gun at the mermaids thrashing about in his net. The gunshot that rang out might as well have been aimed at him.
“Get ‘em in here! Get ‘em! Get ‘em before they get away!”
“Come ‘ere, pretty!”
Hyunjin cleared his throat, and let out a high-pitched, ear-splitting scream. The young siren hoped this might distract the pirates, but they hardly noticed him. How could that be? He gave another long scream, loud enough to rival a banshee, but the only one who saw him was the shooter. He smirked wickedly, and aimed his gun right at Hyunjin. He didn’t have a chance. Hyunjin threw himself into the crashing waves, fear striking him right in the chest, as he heard more gunfire through the water. Several other merfolk swam right past him to the tunnels underneath the lagoon’s waters. Pitch black to any normal human, the underwater folk navigate the dark waters with their night time eyes. The gills slitted into his ribcage flapped in every deep breath Hyunjin took.
“Hey, hey!” a merman wearing a golden breastplate and matching helmet, floated near the tunnel exit, golden trident at his side. “What’s going on? Hyunjin, what’s happening?!”
“Pirates, Mingyu! Pirates in the lagoon! Hurry!”
Mingyu whistled with his fingers, and other soldiers nearby went to him. Mermen and sirens came, as well as shark, squid and octopus hybrids. He needed to tell a council leader. Only one woman came to mind.
Bahng Yejin.
*****
“You go left, and I go right. Deal?
“Deal.”
The sun high in the sky, you took Mrs. Young’s advice about the best time to catch the boar. She told you and Chan the monstrous pig liked stomping into her yard around mid-afternoon, where it’d dig through her garden for roots, nuts, and fallen fruits. Chan tried explaining having a boar could be beneficial, since they also eat snakes and smaller rodents that might infest her garden. Mrs. Young thought differently. Treading carefully behind the garden fence, you stayed low behind the hedges on the left side. Chan, in his beige sheriff uniform and jeans, held his rifle at his side as he mirrored your movement from afar.
Mrs. Young’s bounty for wild boars implied a small group of them. While you and Chan did catch the smaller boars feasting on her berry bushes, it was the sow you both contended with now. At its height, the boar reached up to your hip with long horns that could lodge into your torso; length wise, it was almost as long as Chan’s height. You had no idea what the boar had been eating to get so big, but you both decided to take it on together. Something about the beast told you that simple fire spells won’t take it down easily enough. Mrs. Young claimed several hunters have already tried killing it to no success. It was simply too tough.
Chan and you met eyes from across the yard. The boar currently stood in the middle of the garden patch, black fur shining in the sun and low grunting exhaling from its snout. With the beast distracted, Chan lifted his hand to show you three fingers. On a count of three then.
‘One. Two. Three!’
You sprang out of the bushes first, putting out your palm to launch a ball of fire at its side. While it singed the fur, the enchanted flame only disgruntled the boar. It snorted, shaking its thick body and turned to face you. In a loud squeal, it charged. Hooves thumped the ground, its size doing nothing to slow it down. You only had mere seconds before a gunshot rang out. Your sword blocking its long, white horns, a splatter of blood went across its side. Keeping your blade locked between the horns, the boar had nowhere to go. It was certainly stronger than any animal you contended with before. Its loud squeals filled your ears, angry and eager to get at you. The two of you pushed into one another, sword lodged between two tusks that were inches from your torso and throat. With a few more shots, the struggling boar sagged in your arms. You managed to keep it halfway upright before Chan came out from the bushes.
“By the seas…This thing is so much bigger up close,” Chan marveled, poking the corpse with his foot.
“I wonder what it’d been eating. Does Mrs. Young grow like super berries or something?”
“Psh, maybe,” he sniffed.
Chan wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his arm, and looked towards the house not too far away. In the back doorway, you both spotted a short, withered old woman in a blue and white dress.
“Did you get it, Channie?!” her shrill voice from across the garden.
“Yes, we did, Mrs. Young,” he replied.
She left the back door and walked onto the yard. A smile spread on her wrinkled face when she saw the carcass laying in the dirt. “Oof, she’s a big one, huh?” she asked, hands on her hips. “Not a single fella I hired could handle this beast, but you two got it within a few shots.” She glanced up at you, “Perhaps having a demon in these parts really is handy. Here ya go, honey.”
She fished in her apron pocket for a coin purse. Weighing it in your hand, you felt satisfied with the amount. “What do you plan to do with it now?” you asked her out of curiosity.
“Cook it, I suppose,” she shrugged. “We do have Founder’s Day coming up. I can make a few boar pies and my boy can sell the pelt in town. It’d be a shame to waste a good pig.”
“A huge pig, at that,” Chan nodded in agreement. “Where do you want it?”
“The barn for right now. Seokwoo is on his way home, so he and Irene can help me skin and carve it.” She beamed at both of you as you each took a side and lifted it from the ground. The boar was much heavier dead than alive. “Thank you so much for your help,” she said, “The damn thing kept eating all the roots in the garden. We might’ve not had a chance at a good harvest this year if you hadn’t gotten off your butt and come over here.”
“We’ve been preoccupied with other things, Mrs. Young,” Chan grunted, face red and neck veins showing as you both brought the dead boar to the nearby barn. Throwing it onto a pile of hay, you both took deep breaths and rubbed your aching hands. “There’s only three of us, after all.”
“Well, if we’re lucky, YN will stick around longer and help everyone else. Now, come inside,” she turned back to her house, “I just took some cherry pies out of the oven. You two can take one back to the station before you go.”
Not one to turn down a free slice of pie, you walked ahead of Chan towards the house.
It had been two weeks since the incident with Maurice, the warlock spider hybrid who’d kidnapped several children. Chan told you the King’s decree that nobody is to sail out of Levanter Bay appeared to still be in effect. Though, you couldn’t help noticing the fishermen going out to sea every morning and coming back towards evening. Chan claimed that the king granted them special permission to conduct business as usual, but the ferry between cities is prohibited. You’d been amused by his explanation when you mentioned simply taking passage on one of the fishing boats.
‘Not a good idea. Those guys aren’t fond of passengers and there’d be no room for Summer.’
You found it odd at first, but after seeing the extensive bounty board, you assumed Chan needed the help. Levanter Bay’s sheriff’s station only had Chan, and his two deputies, Minho and Han. You’d made pretty decent money in the time since then, and Summer appeared to like being in one place.
“You stay out of trouble now, Channie,” Mrs. Young said as she finished packing up baked goods in a basket. “And say hi to your Ma and Pa for me.”
“I will, Mrs. Young. You take care.”
“Channie?” you teased once out of earshot.
Chan blushed, “Shut it. Mrs. Young used to be the school teacher before she retired. I’ve known her since I was a kid, and she can’t help seeing me that way still. It’s the downside to living in a small town your whole life: everyone’s known you since childhood, so it’s hard to remove that image from their heads.”
“I can actually relate to that, in a way,” you said, tying the basket to Summer’s saddle before hopping onto her. “The clan leaders still see me as an underling from time to time, but I guess I still am considering they’re thousands of years old.”
“I sometimes forget your people are immortal,” he kicked his horse’s sides and the ride began. “Are you?”
“It’s complicated, I’d say. We can live for thousands of years, but if we die on a mortal plane, we end up back home again like nothing happened. Demons who’d died on the battlefield didn’t fade into the mist or burst into thousands of pieces. They…They came back.”
“Could they come back here, if they wanted?”
“I don’t know,” you shrugged. “Not many of us decided to stay in the mortal realm when the war ended. I’m one of the few who gave up my horns for it. I’ve been told I can come and go from The Mar since I’m a big hero and all that, but I don’t know about the others.”
The Mar elders carried no ill will to demons who wanted to return to the mortal realm, but they might not have given them the special treatment you received.
“Would you want to go back?”
You thought about this pretty often. The Mar, a desolate wasteland void of life or greenery, was home to demons of all elements and clans. It might not be fresh and bright like the mortal world, yet you still found yourself missing the place. Everyone you’d known and grown up with still lived there. Your clan, the fire demons, resided in the smoky, volcanic mountain ranges bordering The Mar. On winter nights in the mortal realm, you longed for the comforting heat of home.
“Maybe when it starts to get cold,” you smirked. “Your winters are nearly fatal.”
“You’d be gone for six months?”
“More or less,” you then looked over at him. “Why? You’d miss me?”
“Our town would. You’ve only been here two weeks and the people have taken a shine to you.”
“It’ll be a shame to go when the ferry is up and running.”
“From what I’ve heard that won’t be for a while, anyways.”
You both shared a knowing glance. A part of you wanted to call him out on his charade, but you couldn’t help yourself. You’d grown to enjoy watching the young sheriff squirm for answers whenever you questioned him.
It was quite cute.
Arriving back in town, you saw people moving about more than usual. Crews of workmen went down the street stringing garlands of white and blue flowers between buildings or hanging gold and pale blue streamers on the trees. Above the door of the town meeting hall was a white banner with blue letters and several small handprints around it. ‘Happy Founder’s Day’ it read.
“This Founder’s Day thing is big around here, huh?” you asked Chan as you rode by two women hanging special boat shaped lanterns from a store awning.
“It’s huge,” he said. “It celebrates not just the town founders but the town itself. Levanter could’ve been wiped off the map several times over the centuries, but it never has. While the world changes and rearranges itself, Levanter Bay has remained more or less the same.”
“I will admit I’ve been around the world and seen loads of places,” you said, seeing men taking long planks of wood down the road to the stage construction. “Levanter Bay is nothing like them. It’s wholesome and quiet. It’s also very…diverse.”
“Are the big cities not?”
“They are, but perhaps it’s more potent here because Levanter is a small town. It’s a little melting pot.”
“It is,” he nodded proudly. “It’s something special.”
A lovely summer breeze blew a salty wind through the singular street, coming up from the bay right outside the main town square. Levanter Bay boasted being the ‘sunny side’, but hardly any sun shone through. However, this didn’t bother the people of Levanter Bay, who took it in stride.
“I’ve hunted for him high and low. I’ve looked him in the eye. I’ve dreamed about the perfect way to make this devil die!”
You could hear Changbin’s singing from outside the local inn, The White Pearl. The muscular woodland dwarf, taller than most variations of dwarves, swept the floors of his nearly empty tavern. Considering it’s still early morning, most of his patrons have gone to the docks or the lumber yard for work. You imagined you could get first dibs on a daily lunch special before anyone else.
“Is that Mrs. Young’s pie in there?!”
Han, the youngest deputy, stood outside the station doors with a grin on his face. The squirrel hybrid’s tail twitched at the decadent scent of baked cherries and flaky crust inside the wicker basket. He sniffed around Summer before finding the basket, which he untied and opened to inhale deeply.
“Yes!” he beamed, “And she made coffee cake,” he melted at the cinnamon cakes inside. “We should kill boars for her more often.”
“We?” you laughed softly. “I recall you whining about us killing them.”
“They are only doing what animals do,” he shot over his shoulder, “Eating. Maybe she should’ve taken my advice and planted her food elsewhere.”
“You know she’d never do that, Han,” Chan called at his back, dismounting his seasteed.
Han went back inside with the basket, and someone else came out. Dark purple eyes gleamed at you happily, matching the high wings fluttering in excitement.
“How was the boar hunt?” Minho asked you both, leaning against the stair railing while Chan tied up his horse. “Was it as big as everyone was saying?”
“Bigger,” Chan replied, walking up the steps of the station. “Much, much bigger.”
“Coming, YN?”
“Nah,” you shook your head, “I’m gonna grab a bite to eat before the lunch rush starts.”
“You just ate at Young’s!” Chan called after you, disbelief coming through his smile.
“Demons have big appetites! See you around!”
You took Summer to the inn nearby, hearing Changbin’s singing as you brought her into the stables in the back. A low groan caught your attention, and you saw Honey sitting in her own stall by the back door. You grinned at her.
“Morning, Honey,” you fed Summer and went to scratch behind the grizzly bear’s ear. “He’s been singing for a while, huh?”
She gave a whine, followed by a yawn. You gave her another pet, then walked into the inn from the back door. The White Pearl’s kitchen never ceased to smell of savory cooking. By the hearth stood a skinny young elf wearing an apron and oven mitts. He’d stirred a spoon inside a simmering pot when he heard the back door close.
“Morning, YN,” Wooyoung grinned, sampling his soup before adding more herbs to the pot. “Soup’s almost done.”
You inhaled deeply, smelling the savory onions in the air. “Cheesy onion soup?” you asked hopefully.
“With garlic crusted bread,” he nodded over to large loaves of bread on cooling racks. “Ah, ah, ah! Don’t think about it!” he immediately warned when you stepped over to the bread. “That’s for paying customers, YN.”
“I am a paying customer,” you argued playfully, giving one of them a whiff. “Food comes along with my room.”
“Then you wait on it like everybody else,” he corrected. “Besides, what’s the point of the bread if you don’t have the soup?”
“True.” You looked to the door leading into the common area, and could still hear Changbin’s muffled singing. “Has he been singing this whole time?”
“Not the whole time. It helps him work. Dwarves always sing while they work, so Changbin does it here. Just…don’t ask what the song’s about. You’ll never hear the end of it-Oh, damnit, the cakes!”
You left Wooyoung to fuss over lunch, and walked into the common area. Now, you definitely had to ask.
“Kunwoo, Kunwoo, Kunwoo! You’re ancient as the mountains and as unforgiving too! Kunwoo, Kunwoo, Kunwoo, Kunwoo, now the time has come for all of us to slaughter you…”
“Who or what is Kunwoo?”
Changbin flinched when you interrupted him, and turned to face you. Pushing black curls from his face, he chuckled, “Don’t go sneaking up on people like that. It’s a good way to get shot.”
“You’re not armed,” you took a seat at the bar. “Who’s Kunwoo?”
Changbin’s good-natured expression soured at the name. You saw his hand grip the broom handle tightly, twisting it slightly.
“He’s a great beast that lives in the Blue Mountains,” he finally answered, putting the broom aside. “I don’t mean a normal bear either. He’s monstrous. He fights with anyone he comes across, and his teeth and claws can rip through anything. He’s been stabbed, shot at, run through with swords and it doesn’t affect him. My people think he’s not even a bear, but some ancient deity.” He scoffed, going around the bar to pour himself a drink. “He’s not a deity. He’s just a massive bear. A lot of people have gone to his lair to try killing him, but nobody comes back alive. My father is the only one who’s gone up there and come back. Well, most of him came back.”
“Meaning?”
“Kunwoo slashed his leg, and it got infected on his way down. Our doctor had to amputate it.” Changbin glared into his ale mug as if it’d done him a personal wrong. “He’s vowed vengeance on the beast ever since.”
“And that need for vengeance passed on to you?”
“It did after he killed Honey’s cubs.”
You gasped, wide-eyed. “What?”
“He kills anyone, I told you. Honey and her cubs were in the mountains, and she came across him. He slaughtered her young, and nearly killed her. I managed to save her, but her babies…They didn’t stand a chance.”
“Poor Honey,” you looked to a window as if you could see her there, “That must’ve been so devastating.”
“It was.” He took a long gulp of his ale, then slammed it down. “But, one day, YN…One day, I’mma find that bastard bear for what it did to my Dad and Honey, and mount his head on that peg right there.” He pointed to an empty plaque hanging from the upstairs balcony. “I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t care where or how, but I am going to kill it.”
“Where does he live?”
“In a cave in the mountains. I go there once a year after hibernation season.” A thought then occurred to him, “You should come with me. A demon warlock could give me the edge I need.”
You’d opened your mouth to answer him, but voices cut you off right away. The familiar scent of fish and sea air flowed past you as dock workers and fishermen appeared for a hot lunch or a drink. Changbin and Wooyoung went to work, while you counted out your earnings for the day on the bar top. The money from the spider hybrid case still filled your purse, and the boars added more onto it. By the time Chan admitted there’d been no ferry-ban, you’d be well off. Your mind drifted to a possible pilgrimage back home.
“Felix Lee! You’re back!”
Changbin stood behind the bar smiling at the newcomer. You turned to see a young elf walk through the door. His golden laurel crown stuck out against his light blond hair, and matched his dangling gold leaf earrings. The golden sun on the breast of his waistcoat resembled the one carved into your tiger’s eye necklace. A Sunwind elf. Freckled cheeks puffed with the charming smile he gave Changbin.
“I didn’t know you’d be back so early,” Changbin said, handing two patrons their pints of ale. “I would’ve cleared a room for you.”
“My last show got canceled,” the elf said, putting his guitar case on the side, “And I had no reason to stick around so I came back. Good thing I’m in time for Founder’s Day.”
“Very good thing,” he leaned in close to him, “Mickey and Vicky broke up, so I have no headliners for that night.”
“The Light really graces us both, huh?” he smirked proudly. “I’ll take my usual for right now.”
“Coming up.”
You finished counting up your earnings, and ordered lunch for yourself when you felt someone take the seat beside you.
“Well, that’s a face I’ve never seen around here,” Felix Lee sneered, eyes glinting with flirtation, “And I’m not mad about it. I’m Felix.”
“YN,” you replied. Small brown freckles crossed over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. You’re sure women everywhere fell for those freckles alone. “Sunwind?” you nodded to his waistcoat.
“No better place in the world,” he grinned. He noticed your horn stumps, but didn’t stay on them too long, “But I think Levanter Bay has it beat now.”
You giggled at his attempt, and said, “As wholesome as this place is, there are few places in the world as beautiful as Sunwind. Well, in my opinion, anyway.”
“I thought all demons liked the dark and damp places of the world?”
“Water demons, maybe,” you said, taking up the cup of berry juice Changbin gave you. “As a fire demon, I prefer places with sunlight and warmth.”
“Huh, how funny. So do I,” he leaned against the bar, “We should go there together. I can show you places there you’d never seen before.” He noticed the sun charm around your neck, and said, “Unless, someone else already has?”
“A few have, actually,” you replied cheekily. “You wouldn’t be my first sun elf, that’s for sure,” you took a sip from your cup while he chuckled.
“I bet you I’ll be the funnest, though.”
“That remains to be-”
“-YN! YN, YN, YN!”
Han rushed through the doors right over to you, watery eyed and panicked. His sudden appearance immediately put you on edge.
“Han?”
“YN, we need you to come back to the station,” he said, breathing heavily from his brief sprint. “Something…Something awful’s happened.”
“You the new lawman around here? I thought Chan was still the sheriff,” Felix lifted an eyebrow.
“Bounty hunter,” you answered quickly. “Han,” you took him by the shoulders to soothe his shaking nerves, “What’s happened?”
“They found a body at the docks,” he blurted out, “And-And Chan thinks it was pirates because it’s a mermaid and half her body is missing and it’s so horrible and she’s all flayed and pale and bloated. Minho says you might be able to ask her what happened, since, you know, you’re a demon and demons can speak to the dead sometimes-” he stopped himself short when he realized where he was, glancing at the people listening in, “Just…Please, come back to the station. We’ll pay for the time.”
A mermaid body? Half of it? Which half? You’ll admit it intrigued you. You told Changbin to give your meal to someone else, and you pulled on your jacket to follow Han.
“A mermaid? Where?”
“She washed up on the shore,” he said hurriedly. “Helga runs a fishing boat out of our port, and she says her crew found it near the dock. They only found her top half, and all her scales were flayed off. Minho says she must’ve died a few days ago, and just left to float in the water. It’s despicable, YN. They didn’t even have the decency to send her off in her peoples’ way.”
“Poachers,” you decided. “I heard of pirates who hunt down merfolk for their scales. Merfolk scales are a fortune a piece.”
“Not an excuse to kill a living being over it,” Han pouted, letting you walk ahead of him into the station. When you didn’t see Chan or Minho, Han said, “Minho’s in the morgue with her now.”
“And Chan?”
“He’s still at the dock with the people who found her. He thinks there are more bodies on the beaches, so he’s setting up search parties.” He shook his head, “I can’t believe this is happening now so close to Founder’s Day. We’re already gonna be swamped by the people coming into town for the celebration, and now we got this on top of that too.”
“It isn’t ideal.”
You both entered the morgue in the back of the station, a tiled room with the proper instruments and equipment needed to conduct examinations. Minho stood beside a white porcelain table where a corpse lay waiting to be examined. Han walked up to Minho, but you froze by the door.
The coral and seaweed in her long curls appeared dead and dried out, almost detached from her skull. Eyes devoid of color stared up at the ceiling blindly; her pallid skin looked waxy and stiff after decomposition. Death clung to your nose tightly, seeping into your lungs and making you sick. Your elders used to tell you that you’d become accustomed to dead bodies after a time, but you never could. Some of your kind relished in death and destruction. A display like this would excite them. It only saddened and sickened you.
“How old is she?” was your first question, coming out of your mouth as you came around the table.
“Twenty? Twenty-one, I suspect?” Minho suggested.
The most terrifying part twisted your stomach. At her waist, her killer chopped her in half with a hatchet or a butcher knife. Her insides spilled onto the table, a mass of gray and blue that smelled of decay and salt water. Stretches of flayed muscle showed where the poachers sliced off her scales: up her back, arms, torso and neck. You knew these places to be defensive areas, where the scales acted more as a layer of armor than flesh. You couldn't bring yourself to get any closer than a foot from the table. It felt intrusive. You felt as if you'd come upon something you shouldn't have.
“Do you know her name?”
“Not a clue. A Jane Doe.” Minho started by observing the folds of skin that remained. “They likely used a machete or a hatchet to cut her.” Finding breakages, he grimaced, “It took them several times to sever off the tail.”
“It’s harder to slice someone in half than behead them,” you said. “What do you hope to find examining her now? Most of the evidence would’ve washed off in the ocean.”
“It’ll be difficult to pull anything from the body in this state, yes,” Minho told you. “She’d been floating out at sea too long. I’d say about three or four days judging by decomposition, but you never know.” He looked at her face where fluids began leaking from her eyes and mouth. When he checked the flayed skin on her neck, he said, “Could you talk to her?”
“You can talk to dead people?” Han asked in surprise.
“No,” you shook your head. “Necromancy was never my strong suit, and even if I could, I can’t guarantee I’d be successful. Water and air demonkin are usually trained in that sort of thing.”
“Hm, what a shame,” he mused out loud, managing to open her mouth where more liquid came out. Han gagged at the smell, but Minho seemed unaffected. “I was hoping you might. It’d help us learn who’d done this to her.”
“Pirates, clearly,” you said pointedly.
“Yes, but which ones? Han,” he looked over at the youngest deputy, “Start searching the wanted list. Look for anyone charged with piracy or merfolk poaching.”
“Got it.”
He left the room and silence fell over you both. You wished you could find a way to talk to her. Your sense of scent only picked up the water and stench left behind. “Can’t you use your special handprint dust you have?”
“I can, but she’d have to dry out first,” he said.
He then looked at her arms, and frowned. Several black and purple bruises splotched her wrists and forearms, their shapes indicating fingerprints. Tears stung your eyes realizing what they'd done.
“They held her down,” you sniffed, “And chopped her while she was living.”
“Or hoisted her up by the arms,” Minho said stone-faced. “She's…She's so young, YN. She didn't deserve this. Nobody does.”
“All for gold. I might be a bounty hunter, but even I wouldn't do this.”
“You hunt animals all the time.”
“But not for sport. I'm either paid or it's to eat. I'd never do it like this.”
So callous. So cruel. You saw the young mermaid thrashing and screeching as faceless figures restrained and mutilated her. A surge of anger started in your chest and flowed towards your palms. They did not even have the decency to give her a proper send off; they dumped her into the ocean as if she were unwanted trash. That might be customary for their vile breed, but not merfolk. They are buried beneath coral and rocks to become one with the ocean floor as they decay.
“She should be given back to her people,” you said quietly.
“When we're done examining her, Chan plans to do that.”
That sounded like something he'd do. Minho finished gathering what he could find, which proved to be nearly nothing at all, then put her in a tub of ice. Coming back into the main room, you saw Han looking through papers.
“Find anything?” Minho asked him.
“Not yet,” he answered. “I didn't realize how many people are wanted for piracy until now. It's at least a hundred long.”
“Most of them are probably crew members or associates,” you said. “If you're on a pirate ship, you're a pirate to the law.” Hands in your pockets, you said, “What is the next step?”
“See if Chan finds any more bodies, and work from there,” he shrugged. “He'll likely propose a bounty to you when we figure out who is behind all this.”
“Should I keep my schedule open then?” Felix’s handsome face came to mind, and you smirked, “I did have some opportunities pop up.”
Han snorted but Minho said, “Trust me. Mayor Wallace will pay anything to make pirate trouble go away. It'll be worth the time.”
“I'll see,” you grinned, backing out of the room.
Right as you did, Mayor Wallace stormed into the station. His eyes immediately landed on you, “YN! Thank goodness that you're still here.”
“Morning, Mayor.” You and Minho exchanged a knowing glance, “What can I do for you?”
“I'm sure Minho already brought you up to speed, but this is worse than we thought,” he said gravely. “Four more bodies washed up on shore, not that far from where the last one was. A wisp came in from a boat out at sea and they say they found skinned mermaid tails too. Those monsters,” he gruffed, “First, they attack innocent towns and now are hunting down merfolk. YN, we need your help on this. The people of Levanter Bay don't shy away from fights, but these pirates…There are too many and they're dangerous.”
“And you want someone who's more dangerous than them?” You cocked your head to one side. “It'll cost, you know that.”
“Of course,” he said, “Of course. We can go over the details in my office.” He took a deep breath, “This is bad, y'all. Really bad. The last time we had pirates in these parts, they nearly destroyed our port. Everyone was out of work for weeks. If these pirates are hunting down merfolk…Well, I hope Chan with all his Hydrus connections can pull us out of this mess before Founder’s Day. Damn Founder’s Day! I gotta go speak with the council. We gotta put a lid on this before it causes a fuss in town. We will discuss details later on tonight,” he told you again before rushing back out the door.
“He really just flies in and out, huh?” You joked.
“Like a bird.”
“I guess I'll be helping after all,” you sighed. “Where do you need me?”
“Help us sift through these,” he gave you a stack of documents, “And see what we find.”
Taking a seat at an empty desk, you suddenly realize how many people are on the king's wanted list.
Too many, for sure.
*****
This was not a coincidence. Five dead mermaids washed up in the same place?
Chan stared out into the water from the dock, seeing the calm waters lightly moving with the currents. He thought of merfolk spots the bodies might’ve originated from, and only one came to mind: Peacock Lagoon. Chan imagined it now: all the young merfolk enjoying the water and sunshine in the large circular lagoon, peaceful and happy. But, only merfolk can go to and from the lagoon through the underwater tunnels. How could pirates possibly capture them there?
“This is the last one, Chan.” A tall woman came up to him with two other men, carrying another torso of a merman. Helga, in her tartan shirt, overalls and boots, stood taller than most men he knew. “What do you want to do with them?”
“Take them back to the merfolk,” he said, hands on hips. “That’s where they belong.”
“I’ll make sure it gets done,” she nodded at him. “Come on, boys.”
Chan looked down at the bodies they’d uncovered. Three females and two male. His mind drifted back to you, as it often did as of late. He wondered what you’d make of this whole thing. Chan confessed your quick thinking and eye for details impressed him. Your boldness added a flair that was unusual in these parts. He only saw something like that in Minho. He still grinned recalling you bravely walking into a spider’s nest to give him the distraction he needed. While you shook in your boots, you still stood up to the warlock because you cared more about the children than your own fears. He admired that sort of thing.
He didn’t know what exactly to think about you yet, but he knew one thing. Chan knew he enjoyed your company, and how you continued to amaze him each time you met.
He’d been examining one of the females when a familiar voice spoke from behind him.
“Channie! Psst! Chan!”
He turned around for the source of the noise, but he didn’t see anyone right away.
“Bahng Chan! Down here!”
He realized it came from under his feet. Bending down, he peeked between the dock boards to see someone floating in the water. When he got a better look, he saw the cat-like eyes of his cousin, Hyunjin.
“Hyunjin?” he blinked several times to see him properly. There was no mistaking the mole underneath his right eye or the seashell earring. “Is that you?”
“Be quiet!” he hissed. “Meet me by your dad’s boat tonight. I have stuff to tell you.”
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
“It’s not safe. Your dad’s boat tonight right after the sun goes down.”
“Hyunjin, does this have to do with the poachers? Can you help us? Do you know who’s behind this?”
“We. Will. Talk. Later.”
With that, Hyunjin dove back into the water and disappeared. Just like Hyunjin. He leaves more questions than he does answers. Glancing around the dock, he didn’t see anyone suspicious lurking about. Hyunjin never asked to meet in secret before. Chan worried what this might mean for his investigation. Standing up straight again, he watched as Helga and her crew loaded the merfolk onto their boat. He gave her coordinates on where to leave them, and he then walked to the edge of the dock.
Hyunjin was one of the few Hydrus relatives he spoke to regularly. Being of the “newer generation” he did not hold the same ancient grudges against humans that his elders did. Ethereal and delicate, Chan witnessed the young siren sing from sun up to sun down without ever cracking or straining his voice. He enchanted the pants off any living creature within hearing distance, and could even center it on a singular person if he wanted. However, despite his beauty and charm, Hyunjin carried a quiet melancholy about him that added mystery. His mother used to joke that Hyunjin always appeared to be in thought. He suspected that Hyunjin’s thinking is what prompted the meeting.
Pulling off his boots and socks, Chan removed his shirt as he hummed a tune in his throat. It loves his singing. He’d inherited his parents’ talent for song, except in his case, it attracted marine life instead of other humans. He learned how to use this very quickly. His shirt on the floor, Chan took a few light stretches before breathing in deeply. In a perfect form, Chan dove into the dark, cold water below. While most humans struggled to hold their breath, Chan tolerated the slight stinging around his rib cage. He’d forgotten how long it’d been since he swam underwater. On his defined torso, six slits appeared underneath his skin to act as his gills.
With a single kick, Chan flowed through the water quickly. All around him, he saw the ocean life going on underneath the surface. Schools of fish broke apart as he moved through them; he caught brief glances of color from the shelves of coral growing on the floor. He could hear the whitenoise hum of the underwater world, which comforted him more than unnerved him. The freezing temperature took a bit getting used to as always, but he warmed up to it as he swam further from shore. Once halfway into the bay, he started singing softly. It’d be gurgled to non-merfolk ears, but to him and any other creature it’s clear as a bell.
He likes jaunty tunes.
“Come all you young sailor men, listen to me! I’ll sing you a song of the fish in the sea! And it’s windy weather, boys! Stormy weather, boys! When the wind blows, we’re all together, boys!”
Chan waited. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of movement in the half-light. Nephrem rarely came up this close to the surface and this close to the dock, but he’d give it a shot. Chan continued singing, aimlessly swimming as he kept watch over the open space. While he’d told you the local sea serpent wreaked havoc further up north, hence why there’s no ferry rides, the creature enjoyed wandering into the bay from time to time.
He’d gotten close to the edge of the bay when a current brushed cold water over his legs. Chan chuckled when he stared down in the abyss. It appeared at first glance to be empty, but those with keen eyes saw the glint of green and blue pass underneath him. When he lowered himself down, he still felt the smooth scales brushing the bottom of his toes.
“Hello Nephrem,” he said.
He rolled over to see the thick, strong body of the serpent circle him as the beast turned his head. Wide amber eyes blinked at him, a low rumble coming from its underbelly when it rounded him. Years ago, Chan would be terrified. Any sane person would be in the presence of a centuries old sea snake. But, not Chan. Not anymore.
“Hey there, boy,” he said gently, reaching forward when the snake brushed its body close to him. The hard body passing under his fingers, he let Nephrem enjoy his gentle scratches for a moment, “You’ve been eating well. You’ve gotten bigger since I last saw you.”
He hissed softly.
“Some mermaids washed up on our shore this morning,” he told the snake. “My friends want to bring them back to their kin. Can you pass the message to Mama? You can reach her faster than me.” When it grumbled, he said, “Now, come on. Don’t be that way. They’re not pirates; they’re friends of mine. They won’t even be looking for you. Come on, do it for me?” Lacking a response, he said, “How about a shark?” No response. “Two sharks?” Still no response. It’d have to be a big trade to get a sea serpent near a merfolk residence. “Fine, three sharks! Big, meaty ones!”
Nephrem’s body rippled as he shook and Chan grinned. “Good boy. Come back and I’ll have them for you.”
Three sharks will be hard to catch, but not impossible.
****
“Park Jinyoung, human, aged 52,” Han read from the document in his hand, “Captain of the Black Harpy. Wanted for poaching in conservation waters, to which the sentence is two to five years of hard labor or four to six years in imprisonment. Bounty reward set at two-thousand as of February 15th.”
“Sounds like he could be our man,” Minho said, nodding to himself. “What else does it say about him?”
Han picked up the second page, “Huh, this guy has a pretty long list. Poaching is just the newest thing he’s being charged with.”
He handed the page to Minho, who read it before handing it to you. The three of you spent a good chunk of the day reading wanted listings and bounty advertisements. You all found a list of candidates who could be your pirate crew, but as time went on, the list dwindled to three people.
“The next one is Kim Jennie, human mage, aged 28 years,” Han continued, “Wanted for selling illegal goods, theft and poaching. According to this docket, the goods she’d been trying to sell were hybrid skins,” you saw his jaw clench slightly, “She’s charged as Park’s accomplice here.”
“Eric Nam, goblin, aged 35 years,” you picked up the third stack left on Han’s desk. “Wanted for questioning?”
“Questioning?”
“Wanted for questioning by The King’s Inquisitor in regards to crimes committed on the 10th of June of the 18th Age,” The date sounding familiar, you turned back to Kim’s page and found the connection, “Kim is reported to have been there too. It says it here: ‘Charged with the murder of Sheriff John of Buckville and others; the theft of several crates of fine sugar, spices, and cloth from ships weighed anchor and the destruction of Port Buck.’”
“Park has the same thing in his report too,” said Minho, rereading the pages over. “The three of them must be working together.”
“Buckville is on the other side of the country,” Han noted, pulling up all three wanted posters. “It’s likely they’re sailing the opposite side to avoid the navy and pirate hunters.”
“Any pirate hotspots around here?” you asked them.
“There’s a few further down south near the beach towns, but the closest one to us,” Minho consulted a map hanging on a nearby wall. He scanned Levanter Bay’s section of the map before finding one spot, “Cortuga is a pirate town on an island outside of The King’s jurisdiction. Several pirate lords of the time founded the land, and have since made it a refuge for pirates on the run or looking for a good stopping place. From what I’ve heard, the place is a lawless, forsaken city. All manner of crime is committed there, and the only person in charge is a pirate who is as ruthless as he is crazy.”
“It’s also out of The Crown’s jurisdiction,” Han added to it. "Since it’d gone unclaimed by any real government, people on the run can live there without worrying about being arrested.” Han stared at the map with Minho, eyes scanning over the painted canvas and fingers tracing a red line curving along with the coast. You watched him follow it south, then stop at a specific spot. “Peacock Lagoon.”
“What about it?”
“It’s a merfolk hang out,” he said. “They could have found a way inside and captured the mermaids. As they sailed away from the lagoon,” he went up to Cortuga, “They would’ve dumped the bodies somewhere in between and the water currents brought them over to us.”
“Then they’re likely still in Cortuga,” Minho said defeatedly, “And as long as they’re there, we won’t be able to arrest them.”
“Unless they somehow made their way back onto land…”
Park Jinyoung wouldn’t be the first pirate you’ve come across. During your travels, you met plenty of pirates and pirate lords. Most of them claimed to be dangerous people who are not meant to be crossed. That is, until they met you. Picking up his file again, you reread Park’s history sheet. He’d been charged with piracy at the age of fourteen, working on a pirate ship. Then, he’d gone throughout the world murdering, raping, and thieving. He disgusted you. You briefly wondered what sort of punishment he’d face in The Mar. No doubt, it will fit the magnitude of his crimes. It is part of the oath every demon recites when they pass their trials. ‘I shall protect the innocent and punish the damned’.
“YN,” Han came over to you, “I know you’re probably a big scary demon, but Cortuga isn’t a safe place. You could seriously be hurt there. The people who go there won’t be afraid of you.”
You snorted, “They haven’t met me yet.”
“You’re not seriously thinking of going?” Minho said in disbelief. “YN, we have no definitive proof this gang is even there. You might be walking towards a dead end and get yourself killed in the process.”
“Death doesn’t scare me,” you told them. When you saw their unconvinced faces, you said, “I’m not saying this to come off as tough or brave. Demons don’t fear death the way a mortal might. To us, it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning. The people who have something to fear are the mortals who end up dead.”
“Also helps that you already know what’s on the other side,” Minho said.
“Where’s Chan?” You noticed the darkening sky outside. “Shouldn’t he be back by now?”
“He’s likely still searching,” said Han, “Or went to go see his mother in Hydrus.”
“Worried about him?” Teased Minho, who went back to studying the map.
“He’s been gone a while, and I think he’d like to know what we’ve learned so far.”
You wouldn’t admit the idea of Chan in pirate infested waters did upset you. He might be part merfolk, but he’s only one man. Pirate ships can have crews of up to thirty men. Walking up to the window, you noticed groups of people returning to town. While lamps started being lit, the forest and beaches must be too dark to search through properly. There’d be no point in him searching late into the night.
You hoped to find Chan among them, worn out from a long day of scouring empty beaches and sparse woods for more evidence. He won’t like the idea of you leaving town to go to Cortuga. You suspect he’ll offer to go with you, and you couldn’t have that. As much as you admired his courage, Chan also had honor. His morals and natural need to defend others could get him killed in a place like Cortuga. Still, he’ll insist that someone accompany you. Han, while a deputy and good with a rifle, is too soft for a hard pirate town. But Minho, the dark fairy from Incheon, carried a bit more fire than his colleagues.
“He’s here…”
Chan walked through town from the docks, the road passing right by the station. You couldn’t help noticing his weary eyes and dragging feet. Yet, you also saw the state of his clothes. He held his boots in one hand, and his shirt in the other. Black pants rolled up to his knees, they appeared damp in the lamp light. Warmth crept up your cheeks when you realized he walked around shirtless. Nobody else appeared bothered by his dressed down appearance, so you guessed it’s a regular sight for locals. You stopped yourself from scanning his lean torso, tracing his muscles with your eyes and wondering how often he worked out to maintain the physique. Chan’s fitness was no secret to you, but it was a fact you normally ignored. Over the course of your stay in Levanter Bay, you’d grown fond of the sheriff. You supposed that platonic fondness naturally led to other types of “fondness”.
No, that’s dumb. You hardly know him.
“Evening, boys,” Chan greeted as he walked in the door. Hanging up his shirt and putting his boots by the door, Chan didn’t notice you at first.
“Evening,” Minho and Han both replied. “Did you find anything?”
“Four more,” he answered, walking into his office. “That makes five bodies in total,” he said from inside. “They’re all skinned too and missing their tails. Our pirates are clearly after authentic mermaid scales. I’m meeting my cousin Hyunjin at my dad’s place. I think he’s got information that can really blow this case wide open for us.” Walking back into the main room, you saw he’d changed into dry pants and busied himself with towel drying his black curls. You focused on his face rather than his muscled shoulders and arms.
Minho cleared his throat and nodded his head over at you. A blush immediately filled Chan’s ears when he finally spotted you. “YN! oh, um, wow,” he stammered, “I didn’t know you were…here.”
“Mayor Wallace offered me the bounty,” you explained awkwardly. "I’ve been helping Han and Minho look for more clues. We, um, found some possible suspects and we-were thinking of a way to capture them.”
“Oh, is that right?” he turned to Minho, avoiding the shirtless elephant in the room. Why is he not scrambling for a shirt or at least using the towel to cover himself? “Who?”
“Park Jinyoung,” Minho responded, picking up the page to hand to Chan.
“Yes, Jinyoung could be good for this,” he nodded, reading the page. “My dad used to mention him from time to time. He’s a rotten bastard, for sure…And Jennie Kim, that wouldn’t be a surprise. She’s attached to the man by the hip.” He handed him back the page, “Any idea where they may be?”
“Cortuga,” he answered. “YN thinks she should go there and bring one of them back here for questioning.”
“No,” Chan said abruptly. He turned to you, “No, you’re not going there.”
“And why not?”
“Because…Because it’s dangerous there,” he struggled to say. “You could get seriously hurt or captured. There’d be no way for us to come get you.”
“Who do you suppose should go instead?” you challenged, “You?”
“Yes, me,” he said. “I’ve dealt with more pirates than you know. I don’t get scared very easily.”
“Neither do I,” you replied stiffly. You saw the determination in his eyes, and knew you’d need to convince him more. “Chan, I’m not saying I believe you’re incapable or scared of them. I know you’re not. You’re a tough guy, but you’re also a tough guy with a moral code and an honorable inclination to defend and protect others. It’s why you’re a sheriff.” This evaluation of him seemed to stun Chan into silence. “The people on Cortuga are neither honorable nor honest. They don’t play fair. They’ll likely capture you for ransom or worse, and…” you hated the picture that crossed your mind, “It’s just better if I go.”
“No, it’s not,” he argued, walking to meet you by the window. “You’re tough, yes. You’re a demon and your demon form will likely scare the shit out of even the baddest pirate. But, you’re also a woman-”
“-Okay, wow-”
“-I don’t mean it like that,” he cut you off. “I mean that they’re not going to take you seriously.”
“I’ll make them.”
“And they might figure out a way to trap or subdue you, and then you’ll be stuck there with nobody to help you.”
“You won’t have anyone to help you either.”
“They’ll put a sheriff up for ransom, but a demon bounty hunter? They’ll have no problem just killing you.”
“They can try.”
“YN, please,” you heard the plea in his voice, “It’s dangerous, and I don’t…I mean, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to you-”
“-I’m not a baby, Chan. I’ve handled myself fine before-”
“-And I’m not arguing that-”
“-Then why are you so against my going there?-”
“-Because it’s unsafe-”
“-It’d be unsafe for you too-”
“-But it’d be worse for you-”
“-Hey!” Minho interrupted you both, walking across the room to stand between you both. “I’ll go,” he declared, “And you two can stay here.”
“Minho, come on-” Chan began, but Minho put up a hand.
“I’m the best with magic out of the four of us-Oh, don’t make that face, you know it’s true-” he said to you when you scoffed. “I’m a shadow fairy. We’re made of pure black magic. Even the toughest warlock or mage has trouble going up against me. Besides, I’m not as rough as you,” he turned to you, “Or as noble as you,” he said to Chan. “You said Hyunjin wants to meet you? Take YN and go speak to him.”
“And what about me?” pouted Han from his desk.
“You’re coming with me, love,” Minho told him. “You’re handy with a pistol and you can sniff them out better than me.”
“Minho, no,” said Chan.
“Chan, shut up and let me do my damn job,” Minho hissed. You noticed his wings give a quick flutter. “Hannie, we’ll leave in the morning. Let's get some sleep.”
“You got it, sir…” said Han, getting up from his desk and grabbing his jacket.
“I can also travel there faster than either of you,” Minho said next. “Meet up with Hyunjin, and we can talk about it when Han and I come back tomorrow.”
Chan stared at Minho indignantly, but Minho stared back. Deciding he won't win, Chan conceded, “Alright. You go to Cortuga, and YN and I will go talk to Hyunjin.”
“Good. Glad this got squared away. If you two don't mind,” he lifted himself off the floor with his wings, “I have a big day tomorrow.”
He flew out of the station through an open window, leaving dust trailing in his wake. Silence fell over both you and Chan.
“I wasn't saying I think you're not strong enough,” he began but you stopped him.
“No offense taken,” you assured him. “Honestly.”
He nodded, and said, “Do you want to come with me? It's alright if you'd rather relax at the inn. I heard Felix is in town, so he's likely going to do a set-”
“-And miss out on meeting a mermaid?” you scoffed, “Please. Do you know how rare seeing a mermaid is? Talking to one is even rarer.”
He chuckled, “Hyunjin's a siren.”
“Even rarer. You think he'd sing for me?”
“If you want to drown, sure,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “Come on then. My dad's boat isn't far from here.”
It was then you noticed the smell.
“Did you go fishing?”
“Huh? No,” he answered strangely. “I was out near the fishing boats, so that's why I probably stink a bit.”
“Is that also why you came on here soaked and shirtless?”
“I fell in.”
“But your boots and shirt are dry.”
“You should consider a career change,” he snapped, “You'd make a great sheriff.”
“I'll pass. I've carried enough responsibility to last a lifetime.”
You walked past him with a playful grin and he followed you.
Still shirtless.
Chan's father lived on a houseboat docked in the residential part of the marina. A small furry dog laid down on a bed next to the door, head on their paws under a wall light. The moment you and Chan approached, the charles spaniel lifted its head, floppy ears dangling.
“Hey Berry!” Chan beamed brightly, bending down and extending his arms as Berry ran to him, barking with excitement. “Hey there, girl. Aw, you missed me?” He laughed when she licked at his face, “I missed you too!”
Berry noticed you, and your body froze. Animals always gave you different reactions. You did your best to appear harmless, hoping the dog took to you as she cautiously approached you. Wet nose sniffing around your feet, when she did not immediately growl or snap her jaws, you thought you might be in the clear.
“You willingly pet and feed a grizzly bear,” Chan snorted, “Don’t tell me dogs scare you.”
“They don’t,” you answered, bending to gingerly pet Berry’s head, which she allowed. “I’ll admit I get skittish around new animals. I never know how they’ll react to me because, you know,” you lifted your eyes to your forehead, “The stumps?”
“Berry’s not like that. She likes everyone.”
Berry’s rough tongue licked at your palm, and you smiled as you scratched behind her ears. A shift of light ahead of you made you snap to the door where a man stood watching the three of you. He wore a loose flannel shirt and worn out denim and boots. You noticed he held something in his hand, but you couldn’t tell what from the distance and light. You knew he must be Chan’s father.
“Bahng Chan!” the man said, affronted. “What are you doing?!” He left the doorstep, shock on his face, and came towards you. His approach sent your body into a defensive mode. “Put a shirt on young man! There’s a lady present!”
The item he held happened to be a shirt, which Chan took sheepishly. “Evening, Dad,” he said, pulling on the tank top. “Jacob and Donny went home?”
“A few minutes ago. We’d been looking up these parts for more merfolk, but didn’t find anyone,” he replied. “Aren’t you going to introduce your lady friend, Chan?”
“Dad, this is YN,” Chan obliged. “She’s been helping with some bounties around town, and took up this case. YN, this is my dad, Jack.”
“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” you outstretched your hand.
“A demon with manners,” Jack said, amused. “The last demon I saw wanted to slice my head off rather than shake my hand.” The both of you shook hands, “I never thought I’d meet The Multak in person.”
The response took you back for a moment. “You served, sir?”
“In His Majesty’s navy,” he nodded, turning to walk back into the house. You both took this as a sign to follow him inside, Berry trailing behind at the rear. “I was there at the Battle of Busan when the demon forces took to the water on stolen ships.”
“Dad was a naval captain,” Chan said with a proud smile, “Before he retired.”
“You were in Busan?”
“On the front lines,” he nodded.
Jack’s home was modest and homey, the back end going out past the shore and into the water. Nautical trinkets hung from fishing lines like wind chimes, and you saw a row of medals and trophies along a window sill beside the back door. You also noticed a photo of Jack with a woman and a baby Chan. Yes, you knew she was Chan’s mother. They looked too alike to be anything else.
For a brief moment, you wondered what having a mother felt like. Demons aren’t born the same as mortals. You’d been created from fire and rock; a child born in the lava of the Burning Range around The Mar. You supposed the Keepers charged with caring for demonkin underlings could be your mothers and fathers. Your mentors in the training yards could be parental figures in their own way. One person in particular came to mind: Zunar, overseer of Keepers.
A demon of immense strength, he shaped underlings into full-fledged warriors for centuries. Muscular with the runic tattoos of your people on his body, he was one of the few fire demons with wings. You always asked him when you’d get yours, and he’d tell you that wings came at birth. All underlings, demonkin children, were under his charge from infancy to eighteen. While he did care and mentor all underlings, he took a special shine to you. He said you carried an aura far different than any underling he’d ever met. He prophesied that you’d grow up to do great things when your egg cracked in the lava river. He said it should have killed you, but you survived. You supposed his premonition came true.
“Upon one summer’s morning, I carefully did stray down by the walls of whopping, where I met a sailor gay…”
The singing voice broke you from your memories. You heard it coming from the stern of the boat.
“Conversing with a young lass, who seemed to be in pain. Saying ‘William when you go I fear you’ll never return again…”
While Chan and Jack talked, you stared transfixed at the source of the singing. The back of the ship led out to a low platform that acted as a porch. While the sides had railings, the very end remained open. Sitting on the edge of the boat was a young man. Black hair hanging down to his shoulders, you saw his back covered in blue scales that started dark blue at his tail and gradually became white towards his shoulders and arms. You didn’t see anything else but him. He drew you to him like a moth to a flame, and you knew you’d get burned.
“My heart is pierced by cupid. I disdain all glittering gold. There is nothing can console me, but my jolly sailor bold…”
The creak of a deck board interrupted his singing. When it stopped, your brain felt fuzzy and muddled. The siren turned around, and you couldn’t stop looking at him. His round face ended with a square jaw and pointed chin. Cat-like eyes, the color of dark topaz, blinked at you once before clouding with suspicion. Thick, pouty lips turned into a scowl when he looked up to see your stumps. You felt him surveying you, deciding whether you may be a threat or not.
“Who are you?” he asked, defensively. “Where’s Chan?”
“I’m YN,” you said breathlessly. “Chan’s inside with Jack. You…You must be Hyunjin, right?”
“He didn’t tell me he’d bring a stranger. I was expecting Minho or Han.”
“They’re busy with another lead.”
“And why are you here?”
“To help.”
“Why?”
“Because what happened to those merpeople is evil and needs to be punished, which is something I vowed to do,” you said.
“And because Chan offered you money. Yes,” he nodded at your stunned expression, “I know a bounty hunter when I see one.” He eyed the Sunwind charm and claws around your neck, “Where’d you get that?”
“An elf gave it to me after I saved her son from a spider hybrid.”
Hyunjin clearly appeared to be weighing this response. “They don’t give those freely,” he said.
“No, they don’t.”
“And those claws?”
“Werewolf and werecat.”
He stayed silent again, “What do you know of merfolk, YN?”
He turned fully to face you, and you saw the scales spanned from his back to his abdomen and chest. The only flesh available was the very middle of his belly and the sternum of his chest; only the contours of his face glimmered pale blue and nearly white. Light blue and white fringes went along the sides of his thick blue tail, the scales glittered like gems in the lamplight hanging from the ceiling. Seeing him up close, you saw the crown of tiny starfish and pearls attached to his head. It reminded you of the young mermaid you saw today, who had coral pieces in her hair. A beautiful, young siren like the ones in the fairytales and paintings.
“That they believe in water spirits,” you stared, “And find omens in the skies and currents of the seas. I know mermaids can call upon the magic of the ocean to aid them in battle, and that a siren’s song can lead a man to his death. I know they’re also stealthy people who can hide in plain sight.” You gave a small smile, “A naval commander I sailed with said the difference in mermaids and sirens is that with mermaids you can’t see a mermaid, but it can see you; with sirens, you can hear them, but you don’t see them until it’s too late.”
The corner of his mouth twitched at this saying. He turned back to the waters ahead, and you took this as a sign to join him.
“That’s all true,” he said. “But, what do you know of our king?”
“Not much, to be honest. I only know his name is Tytos and he was the one who stopped the mighty water snake, Cierian, from destroying Hydrus.”
“Those things are true, yes,” he replied, “But King Tytos is so much more than his deeds. Ever since I was a baby, King Tytos has ruled the seven seas from the capital city, Hydrus. He is an understanding, compassionate, honorable merman who does what is best for his people. He has built alliances with creatures we never thought to befriend before, and has opened communications between our people and the mainlanders. He listens to everyone’s opinions and concerns. He seeks counsel even from the smallest, most common of merfolk. Tytos is the king that Hydrus needed during those dark days.” You saw his eyes twinkled with tears, “He saved my father during a battle between our people and the bloodbane merfolk. He is a good, noble man, YN. He is respected and admired by anyone who meets him.”
“What’s happened to him?”
“We don’t know,” his voice became thick with tears as he looked at you. “He’s sick, but not a normal sickness that can be cured with tonics or herbs. It’s a sickness of the mind. He isn’t himself. My aunt, Chan’s mother Yejin, says he’s bed ridden most days, and that he gives all his commands through his chief advisor, a merman named Mizu.”
“Mizu? What’s he got to do with all of this?”
Chan came up from behind you with a beer bottle in his hand, concern on his face.
“Your mother thinks he’s poisoning the king,” Hyunjin revealed, “Or using some form of magic to control him and keep him sick.”
“How is this connected to our merfolk?”
He took a seat on Hyunjin’s other side, and the siren continued. “Your mother says that ever since he became ill, Mizu has been in charge. Mizu claims that Tytos ordered soldiers to withdraw from the smaller villages and return to Hydrus. This leaves those people defenseless. These new pirate attacks are the first in a long line of threats to come. She said one commander reported seeing a leviathan roaming the borders of the Caspian Seas. Another said that the fish populations are migrating further north as the predators grow in vast numbers. Hunters do what they can to keep them at a minimum, but they’re becoming a major threat to the plains. She and the other advisors have tried speaking out against him, demanding to speak to Tytos himself but Mizu forbids it.” His voice dropped to a whisper as he said, “He confined the queen to her tower, and banished Murrow.”
Chan’s mouth fell open, “He banished Murrow?!”
“Who’s Murrow?” you asked.
“He’s the commander of Tytos’s personal guard,” Hyunjin said. “Rumor has it he tried garnering support to overthrow Mizu from his position and ended up being arrested allegedly on The King’s orders.”
“And where is Ormand in all of this?” asked Chan. “He’s Tytos’s son and should be in charge after him.”
“Ormand is dead.”
“What? You’re kidding!”
“He and his men were ambushed by a group of bloodbane merfolk,” he said, “But a lot of the advisors think Mizu orchestrated it. The only royals left are the princes and princesses: Ronan, Arielle, Arista and Kenn. None of them are old enough to rule on their own; besides, they’ve been locked up with their mother this entire time. It’s awful, Chan. Everyone in the palace is terrified, and the people in Hydrus are starting to lose hope and faith that their king will pull through and come to his senses. We need your help.”
“How can I help?” he asked, “I don’t have magic.”
“But your friend, Minho, does. You’ve always said he’s the best magic wielder you know. Your mother suspects this runs so much deeper than what’s on the surface. She can’t confront Mizu directly, since then she’s likely to be taken out next. She can’t speak to the king because she’ll end up in prison like so many others. We both thought Minho might have a solution, or know of a way to break Mizu’s curse.”
“Minho is good with magic,” Chan said, “But he’s going to Cortuga tomorrow to talk to some pirates we think are responsible for what happened today.”
“You mean Park Jinyoung and his crew?”
“Yes,” he perked up, “Was it them?”
“It might be,” he replied. “I know his first mate is a mage. She’s likely the reason pirates were able to invade Peacock Lagoon in the first place.”
“Minho mentioned Peacock Lagoon,” you chimed in. “He said it’s impenetrable from above water.”
“It is,” Hyunjin confirmed, “I was there when it happened. There we all were enjoying the sun when they appeared out of thin air. Some of us sirens tried screeching to get them to leave, but it didn’t seem to work. They were immune to our powers.”
“Candle wax,” Chan suggested before sipping his beer. “They stuff it in their ears before going into merfolk waters to avoid falling into trances.”
“This lagoon of yours,” you began, “What are its defenses?”
“The reefs and rocks surrounding it mostly,” he answered. “An aerial attack would be possible, but the lagoon isn’t a town or a castle. It’s more like a meeting place. It’s one of our safe havens from humans. Whoever brought them there knew the precise location.”
“And you think this is connected to the other threats?”
“It must be. It’s not a coincidence all these things are happening right now. If people believe Tytos is too weak to fulfill his duties, he will be deposed and someone else will be put in his place,” Hyunjin then glowered, “Mizu has his eyes on the throne. I know he does. Why else would he be doing this?”
“Power does strange things to people,” you mused out loud.
“Can you help us?” Hyunjin’s question sounded cautious and uncertain. “Well, you are a demon,” he continued, “And if there is any being versed in dark magic, it’s demons. Dark magic is at play here, and we need someone who can defeat it.”
“And if anyone is good at defeating dark magic,” Jack said from behind the three of you, “It’s you.”
“I got lucky,” you told them. “I had help.”
“You’d have help this time.”
“I don’t even know what’s wrong with your king,” you told Hyunjin. “Have you seen him?”
“No, but Chan’s mother has. She can describe to you what she’s seen and what goes on inside the palace,” he said.
“My wife is good friends with the king and queen,” Jack said, drinking from his beer and petting Berry’s head. “If anyone can get close to them, it’s her. Yejin will help you the best way she can.”
“My kind don’t do well underwater,” you said. “It’s too cold for us fire demons.”
“You’d be fine,” insisted Chan. “We’ll go to Hydrus tomorrow and talk to Ma.”
“Chan, I don’t think I’d-”
“-You will?” Hyunjin asked with hope in his eyes. “Really?”
“We need to stop these pirate attacks somehow. Minho might learn what’s really going on when he questions Jinyoung’s crew,” he said, “And we can assess Tytos’s condition for ourselves.”
It was the least you could do. Hyunjin said he’d meet you both back at the house tomorrow, and you’d all go together. However, there was one detail neither of them failed to bring up.
“Um, you both might be able to breathe underwater, but this gal doesn’t,” you jerked a thumb at yourself.
“Don’t worry about that,” Hyunjin comforted you with a pat on the knee. “See you two tomorrow.”
A fresh sense of hope spread across Hyunjin’s face, and he glowed with pride. He pecked Chan’s cheek, then dove back into the water. You sat there on the edge of the porch with Chan, who quietly sipped his beer for a while. The faint sounds of the ocean came to you from afar, and a cold breeze made you shudder.
You hated the cold.
****
The next morning, you stood on Jack’s boat at the edge of the bay area. Minho and Han went ahead of you and Chan to Cortuga, where you prayed they’d be successful. Mostly because you didn’t know how successful your endeavor would be today. You stayed by the stern of the ship, looking down at the blue waters lapping at the bottom of the hull nervously. You didn’t mind sailing on the ocean. You didn’t mind lakes or rivers or ponds, but that was because you’re above the surface. The cold can’t reach you on the boat. Simply seeing the vast depths below gave you shivers.
“Don’t be such a scaredy cat,” Chan laughed from behind you.
He came out of the cabin without a shirt again. The sight of his naked torso distracted you from the deadly waters for a moment.
“I’m not scared,” you retorted. “I’m just confused on how I’m going to breathe underwater.”
“Well, you’d get kissed obviously.”
“Kissed?” you gulped, “By who?”
“Hyunjin,” he said simply, fixing his shorts over his hips properly. “A siren’s kiss grants you the ability to breathe underwater.”
“Um, well…I guess…”
“Besides, it’s not that you need to worry about,” he started stretching his arms and legs. You supposed you should do the same. Swimming was never your strong suit. “It’s the beasts.”
“You mean that supposed sea snake that has been keeping the ferry docked?” you asked, eyebrows raised in suspicion.
“Him, and others like sharks, squids, and all the rest. There are also the bloodbane tribes. Think of them like evil mermaids.”
“Hm, makes sense.” You bent your body sideways with your arm, “I don’t know how useful I’m going to be to Hyunjin. I don’t think my powers will work underwater.”
“You never know until you try, and besides, you won’t be going anywhere near the palace. We’re meeting Ma and Hannah in her shop. She’ll tell us what we need to know to get a feel for this from afar.”
“Do you really think the pirates are related to this?”
“I do,” he nodded. “It’s odd to see pirates and merfolk working together, but it might be that Mizu promised them something. That or the person they’re both working for has offered them something they each want.”
“There’s someone else involved now?”
“There has to be. Mizu didn’t wake up one day and decide he’s going to take over the aquatic kingdoms,” he said, twisting his body left and right. “This is bigger than just poaching. I can feel it. I know you can too.”
He crossed your mind as he always did. Nor’goth. The monster who seduced good, honorable men and made them his slaves. He promised them power in exchange for their servitude. You’d spent a majority of the war fighting against those who worked for Nor’goth: lords who sought out wealth and power; criminals who wanted excuses to hurt others; the foolish and the weak seeking his protection. No. No, Nor’goth is in The Abyss where he belongs, powerless and slowly dying.
A splash from nearby caught your attention. You stopped stretching and looked over the stern to see Hyunjin floating in the water. He grinned up at you, making your heart flutter. Sirens truly are things of beauty.
“Morning YN,” he said, “Ready?”
“As ready as I could ever be, I suppose.”
“You'll be fine,” he assured you. “Come down here.”
You climbed down the back steps of the boat and sat on the bottom landing. Your bare feet slipped into the water, which you then immediately yanked back.
“It's cold!” You exclaimed, hugging your knees. “I'd rather fight pirates. I'm gonna go and fight pirates.”
“Stop being a baby, and get in there!”
A hard shove from behind made you tumble into the water. The temperature might be a bit chilly for a mortal body, but for you, it pinched your insides until they turned to ice. You swore the water completely doused your fiery insides. The brief moment underwater, your feet not touching anything solid, sent you scrambling to the surface. You scowled at Hyunjin and Chan’s laughter and vowed revenge somehow. Chan made a perfect dive into the water and through the crystal surface you saw him transform. While his legs remained separated, you saw webbing grow between his fingers and fins elongate out of his toes. Six clear slits cut into his ribcage, opening and closing with each breath. His fair skin even seems to shimmer in places, iridescent in the morning sunshine. Chan turned from a small town sheriff into a halfling merman.
“Wow…” you let out in a breath, seeing him dive further beneath your feet.
“Your turn.”
“Huh?”
Hyunjin gently grabbed both sides of your jaw so you faced him. You never noticed the small mole underneath his left eye. Up close, you found yourself falling into a hazy trance.
“Don't worry,” he said, leaning closer, “It only hurts for a second.”
“What hurts?”
Then he kissed you. His lips and hands were the only sources of warmth your body found, and it clung to them fiercely. However, the comfort did not last long as he pulled away.
“Now I can tell all my friends I kissed a demon,” he smirked, and then took hold of your hand.
And brought you under the surface. Holding your breath out of instinct, you let out small air bubbles as the sharpness hit your abdomen. You kept each breath in, but it became difficult as the sharp burning pain extended to your back and your mouth opened up. Gulps of water filled your mouth and throat, your vision blurry and stinging underwater, and you tried reaching the surface. But suddenly, the pain faded away. The sensation of your breath coming through the gills made in your skin felt surreal. The blurriness from before went away in a few blinks, and you saw everything as clear as day. Both Hyunjin and Chan remained stationary, giving encouraging smiles as the realization hit you.
“Wow!” You let out a giggle, glancing around the vast space around you. “Wait. I can talk? Can you guys hear me?!”
“Yes,” Hyunjin laughed, his voice clear even through water, “We can hear you just fine.”
You kicked yourself forward a few feet, your body used to struggling under the weight of your clothes. Yet, you found yourself gliding smoothly past both men. You made twirls, spins, and dove up and down. The water made you feel weightless. You saw coral reefs, vibrant and rocky, on the ocean floor. Going closer, you saw the tiny sea critters living in their own ecosystem. Life bloomed even underwater. You took in the colors, the species and fish you'd never seen before. The sand on the floor felt soft like powder, floating out of your hand in each current. Now you understand why water demons stuck to their rivers and lakes back home. The world was different under the sea.
“Come on, little explorer,” Hyunjin led you away from an octopus you'd been observing, “You can see more later on.”
Hyunjin led both you and Chan further out to sea. The dark blue ahead of you shrouded any dangers ahead with its cloudiness. You forced yourself to focus on the bits of fish and seaweed you could see as you swam by. It was halfway through that you heard high pitched sounds coming from nearby, mingled with deep tones responding back. Hyunjin grinned at the whale calls from beyond.
“Looks like we found ourselves a ride,” he grinned at you and Chan.
“Huh?”
Hyunjin guided you towards the sounds, and out of the cloudiness you saw them. Several large blue whales swam by you in a herd, communicating with one another. At first, you thought they were only fish but then you realized the smaller beings swimming with them were merfolk. Merpeople, sirens and aquatic hybrids clung to the whales’ sides and fins. It appeared to act like a transport system.
“When I say go,” Hyunjin said to you, “You go.”
Chan, already accustomed to this, hopped ahead of you as a whale passed by you.
“Go!”
With a slight shove, you crashed right into the bumpy side of the whale. Briefly, you wondered if you'd hurt it. Catching hold of a larger bump, you kept yourself steady as the whale kept swimming.
“Don't worry,” Hyunjin said, holding onto the space next to you, “They don't feel it!”
“Is this how you get around?”
“Mostly, when going from city to city.”
“There are other cities?”
“Tons! Hydrus is the capital, but there are plenty more across the seas.”
You took in the scenery as the whales went down their path. The rushing waters turned the passing scenes into dashes of color mixed with seafoam. You gave an elated giggle. The whale's deep breaths pulsed against your hands, the bumps pushing gently into your hands. The other merfolk chattered and laughed together, as if riding a tram car or an airship. Some of them sat atop the whales, eating clams and other shellfish. You watched them talk to one another, seeing their faces and taking them all in. He wanted to ruin this. He wanted to make the merfolk his slaves, stripping them of their freedom and turning them into amusement attractions. You envisioned them all rounded up in cages, forced to sing and perform until they died. It stung your eyes.
“Don't be scared,” Hyunjin said, misreading your emotions. “Just hold on tight and don't let go.”
“He wanted to destroy all of this,” you said, gulping back a lump. “He would've if we hadn't stopped him.”
“Who? Nor’goth?”
“Yes. He said merfolk were pointless, and that he'd give them a purpose,” you saw two children racing one another alongside one of the whales, giggling with delight. “He wanted to enslave your people. He would've torn everything down.” It hurt you imagining those children without homes or families.
“I heard he was awful, and so were the people who followed him.” He then asked, “Were you one of them?”
“No,” you shook your head. “Never.”
“YN was the one who killed him,” said Chan.
“You were?” Hyunjin asked, surprised by the news.
“Yes.”
Hyunjin saw your dejected face. “Did you know him well?”
“Too well.”
“Was he family?”
“In a way. He was Lord of The Range, where my clan lived.”
You sometimes thought of him late at night. Nor’goth, Lord of the Burning Range, Commander of The Fire Clan and Guardian of Damned Souls. Nor’goth, who sat upon a throne of molten lava and handed out punishments. Nobody believed you when you said he hadn't always been that way. He might've had his warped views about mortals and believed in demon supremacy, but he held true to his oath once. When you finally met in Incheon, a land of rivers and lakes and trees, the Nor'goth you'd respected turned into a different being altogether. You saw how his own darkness consumed him; the way his arrogance and bigotry blinded him to the old ways, and that he must be stopped.
“That must've been hard,” Hyunjin’s voice broke you from your thoughts. “It's not easy fighting against those you know.”
“It wasn't, but he'd become so deranged by then that I didn't see him as the lord I'd known. I saw him as another monster who needed to be put down.” You looked back to the two children, who'd stopped their race to eat. “He would've killed them. He would've killed all of them.”
‘We must take this world and make it ours!’
‘This world is not ours, Nor'goth. It is theirs. We have no place amongst them!’
‘No! THEY have no place amongst US!’
Zunar had been there that day. He'd led the distraction off to the west to draw Nor’goth's minions away from him. As the whale carried on, you remembered his solemn face when you volunteered to distract Nor’goth. He knew it must be you, but he wished it were otherwise. You swallowed thickly. His blood felt like fire on your palms, his choked gasps blocking out the battle raging around you. He'd died fighting, as every demon warrior hopes for. Back then, you didn't know he’d return home to heal. You only knew the one person you looked up to had died in your arms, and it'd been Nor’goth’s fault.
“Hydrus, next! Hydrus is the next spot! Please gather your belongings and wait until the transport comes to a full stop!” A male siren sitting on the whale's head shouted down the line.
You saw what resembled an airship stop up ahead. More merfolk stayed floating on a platform as the whale pulled into the station. When it came to a complete stop, some people let go of the whale, while others stayed “aboard”. Someone took your hand, and you thought it was Hyunjin. Yet, when you looked, Chan swam beside you. His fingers delicately wrapped around your wrist, you felt his thumb pressed to your vital point. Your pulse quickened at his touch. He never gripped too hard or tugged you behind him. He always kept the same pace. You liked it.
“Welcome to Hydrus, YN.”
Swimming out of an old ruin doubling as a “transport station”, you saw the city up ahead. A city of lights and stone buildings stood a mile or so away from the station, where more merfolk lived in peace.
“It's beautiful,” you marveled, seeing the marble towers even further off, “And that's the palace?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “Come on. It's even better up close.”
The three of you went into the city together. By the stone buildings and cobbled streets, Hydrus had once been a city that went underwater. Coral, seaweed, and other small creatures made the cracks in buildings their home; luminous fish lived inside the lanterns going down the streets. You passed people doing their morning shopping, and children on their way to school. It resembled any other city, only for merpeople.
“This is the trade district,” Hyunjin said as he took you down an adjacent street and into another lane. “Tailors, jewelers, blacksmiths, butchers, and anything else that can be made is sold here. Chan's mother owns an apothecary down here.” He brought you to a small shop wedged between two taller ones with a silver shooting star sign hanging over the door.
“Silverstar Apothecary,” you read the sign.
Through a display window of books, bottles and vials, you saw a young mermaid behind the counter. Her black hair tied back in a long plait, you noticed the gold bands braided into her hair. Bands that matched the yellow coral encrusted around her temples and eyes. Chan's smile widened at the sight of the young woman, and he swam ahead of you inside.
“Hey, fishead,” he smirked, leaning against the door.
The woman looked up from her work on the counter and sneered back. “Hey, blobfish.”
The two siblings laughed and rushed to embrace one another. Hannah clearly took on her mother's genes with her mermaid tail and coral head pieces.
“I'm so glad you're here!” Hannah cheered, spinning him around. “Ma’s gonna be so happy when she sees you!” She released him to turn to a beaded doorway. “Mama! Mama, Chan's here!”
A woman came through the beaded curtain, her eyes landing right on Chan when she entered. The young woman in the photo now had laugh lines and crow's feet; black hair streaked with thin gray hairs contrasted with the amethyst gems and geodes in the crown of her head. She has Chan's downturned eyes and cupid's bow lips. Her tail was white with lavender stripes, fringes of pale purple flowing off the sides. She was beautiful. You understood immediately why Chan's father became so enamored with her.
“Channie!” She cried out, hugging her child tightly. Her face buried in his black curls, she savored the brief seconds she held him. “Oh, my baby's home!”
“Ma!” Chan chuckled, “Mama! I wasn't gone that long!”
“Anytime you leave it feels like an eternity,” she said, releasing him. She then hugged Hyunjin, kissing his cheek. “And you too. Your father came in here looking for you. He said something about your spear throwing.”
Hyunjin gasped, “The test! I'll see you all later!”
He dashed away, leaving air bubbles in his wake. Then Chan's mother noticed you, and paused. You didn't sense fear in her at all, but instead clarity.
“Eternal fire,” she said, mesmerized by you, “Always burning, never doused or snuffed. What's your name, demonkin?”
“YN, ma'am.”
“No, your true name. What is it?”
“Multak,” you didn't see why this mattered.
“Shield of fire,” she said, a smile growing on her face.
“Mama?” Chan called to her, but she seemed to be entranced. “Are you okay?”
“I've seen you before, demonkin,” she said, ignoring him. “I saw you in the stars.”
“Oh, Ma,” Chan dismissed her. “Come on, there's nothing written in the stars except old stories.”
“You've come to help us, haven't you?” She asked you.
“Yes, ma’am. Your nephew said it might be related to some bodies that washed up on shore.” The way she stared unnerved you. She stared as if her salvation had just arrived.
“I'm Yejin,” she said, giving a bow. “Welcome to Hydrus, YN.”
“Thank you, ma'am.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, and you said, “Hyunjin mentioned the king has been ill lately?”
“Very,” she nodded. “Come. I think I know what's happening to him.”
She led you all behind the curtain into a work room. A room full of plants, equipment and books remained lit up from the three glowing fish in the lantern above. She took you over to a table next to the bookshelves, where she kept a leather bound book propped up against the window. On the page, you saw a drawing of a man with drowsy pale eyes, sagging skin and thin hair. He appeared to be in a daze, thin purple and red lines coming from his eye sockets and onto his skin. The book was written in a series of runes going from top to bottom. You kept the runes straight as you read them.
“Fogginess of the Mind?” You read the text out loud.
“Also known as brain fog,” Yejin said. “It's quite self explanatory. The afflicted experiences immense memory loss, loss of time and place, and is in a state of sedation. Mind control, brainwashing and manipulation is a lot easier with Brain Fog.”
“And you think Mizu is using this on your king?”
“Yes. He must be. People in the palace say he looked more or less like this,” she pointed at the drawing. “The vacant expression, the pale eyes, and most importantly, the veins.”
“And nobody else has realized this except you?” you asked, a bit suspicious. “Only you’ve seen the king?”
“YN, really?” Chan asked, affronted. “My mother would nev-”
“-I haven’t seen him, but the queen, Calypso, has,” she answered unfazed.
“And she told you everything she saw?”
“She did. Calypso wouldn’t lie to me about her husband’s condition. I was the first person she reached out to when he started to fade,” she said. “She told me whenever she tried talking to him, he slurred and didn’t seem to know where he was. When he saw their youngest son, Kenn, Tytos thought he was Ormand. Kenn is six. I’ll let you realize how odd that is.”
You looked back at the book. The runic text on the side was faded, likely written by a mage or warlock hundreds of years ago.
“I would have told the other advisors, but to do that would raise Mizu’s suspicions,” she continued. “I knew I needed to keep quiet until I had definitive proof to accuse him, and a way to heal Tytos. I’m sure you know illnesses of the mind are harder to treat than physical ones.”
The text explained that the afflicted would eventually lose all sense of self, and slowly begin a descent into insanity. You examined the drawing again. Tytos most likely lost all proper sense at the beginning, and now cannot tell one of his children from another. Your stomach churned recalling a similar incident during the war.
“I’ve seen something similar to this before,” you said, rereading the symptoms. “During the war, I was sent to Bouyard on the east side of the country. It’s one of the larger towns, and is in a very comfortable position on a hill. It’s near impenetrable from its vantage point. It was a perfect spot for any army wanting a few days of rest. One of Nor’goth’s lieutenants, an air demon named Darnesh, came to Bouyard and demanded to be given entry. When the lord there refused, she cursed him.”
“And the curse was similar to this one?”
“Yes. He was delirious, nearly blind, muttering incoherently, and half-naked when we found him wandering in the forest. Darnesh entered his mind and manipulated him into letting her forces stay in his city. Of course, her army slaughtered everyone inside and took his family hostage, but she did much damage to our side by keeping him so subdued. When she had no use for him, she left him to battle with his own madness.”
“How terrible,” breathed Hannah. “Did the man get any better?”
“An alchemist I knew managed to save him,” you said, “But I heard it took months for him to be himself again.” You pictured Tytos in a similar state, “I don’t know if this is the same thing, but it’s close to it. I’d need to see the king in order to be certain.”
Your throat closed up, and when you took deep breaths they came through your newly formed gills. It can’t be them. Darnesh was killed in battle. You didn’t see it yourself, but those who’d left the waters of Busan alive saw her be slain by a dragon-hybrid.
Because if anything can truly kill a demon, it is dragon fire.
“I need to see him,” you said again. “How can I do that?”
“Not easily,” she replied. “I'd normally suggest asking for an audience with one of the advisors, but that is impossible these days. You could’ve snuck into the palace, but Mizu has tripled the amount of guards around the place. All passages known and unknown are sealed and guarded tightly. The palace has become a fortress; nobody can leave except by Mizu’s written permission.”
“Well, people have to get in somehow,” Chan said, coming to the book. “They need food and supplies if they want all those guards to stay alive.”
“Under heavily guarded supervision,” she answered. “The only way in is through special permission or a summons.”
“And we obviously can’t wait around for Mizu to summon you,” he said. “He might end up doing that when the king is already dead.”
“I can ask for an appointment with the king,” she suggested. “I’m sure with a bit of persuasion and a secret weapon, Mizu will be more than willing to allow a brief audience.”
“Special tonic?”
“Invisibility potion,” she nodded to a cabinet of vials and bottles behind her. “I can whip one up quickly, you can drink it right before we enter the palace, and be there in secret.”
“Can’t you turn invisible?” asked Chan.
“Briefly,” you said. “A potion will be fine. I mean, they taste awful, but if it helps us get into the palace, then it can work.”
“I’ll send a request right away,” Yejin said, already moving to a table nearby. “I’m not sure when a reply will come,” she grabbed a fishbone quill and began writing on a small slip of paper, “But Sungwoo is a night owl. He’ll answer at any time.”
“Good to know,” you nodded. You looked at her books on the shelves. Perhaps the answer to the king’s illness is in one of these. “Do you have any ideas on how to cure Brain Fog?”
“Usually a clarity potion or some sort of herbal tonic can clear his mind,” she answered, folding the slip and placing it in a small pouch, “But I can’t find anything strong enough to relieve him.”
“Do you remember the spell the mage used?” asked Hannah.
You did your best to picture the event in your mind. The young lord laid on the ground, half-crazed and muttering, while the elderly mage held a cystal above him. “He’d used a black and white stone, and mumbled this enchantment that sapped into the stone instead.”
“A black and white stone?” Yejin said thoughtfully, “Black Tourmaline?”
“Black what?”
“Tourmaline.” She went over to the bookshelf, and scanned the shelves. “It’s meant to protect and banish negative energies. It sounds like your mage used the stone,” she pulled a book off the shelf and quickly flipped through it, “As a harvesting tool.”
“Yes!” you nodded, remembering a bit more of the ritual. “Yes, that’s exactly what he did.”
“Here!”
Yejin showed you a drawing of a jagged black stone labeled ‘black tourmaline’. You assumed this must be the same stone, “Black tourmaline. ‘Considered the king of protective crystals, black tourmaline is believed to associated with grounding and protection…’” she turned the page, “Many magic users suggest black tourmaline in curse warding or sapping rituals. The proper incantation paired with black tourmaline will ensure your afflicted is absolved of their negative energy and relieved of their curse.’”
“Do you know where we can find it?” Chan asked his mother eagerly. “Do they sell it down here?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” she frowned, closing the book. “It’s not native to our lands.”
“But it will be to Minho,” said Hannah. “Fairies use crystals all the time. He might have one or know where to get it.”
“I can ask him when we get back home,” Chan told her. “He might know something we don't know about all of this.”
“Great!” Yejin smiled, relieved to have a solution. “I’ll give this request to the postman, and then we’ll see how our plan unfolds.”
“How soon will Sungwoo respond?”
“Soon enough. You kids enjoy yourselves in the meantime. I’ll send for you when he answers me back!”
Yejin then swam out of the room, and left the three of you alone. You picked off a book from the shelf, reading the title and wondering if it’d be of any use when Hannah caught your attention.
“You won’t find the solution in Ma’s books,” she told you. “If she hadn’t found it by now, then it’s not in here.”
“You never know. It could be easily-”
“-Drop the book,” she insisted, taking the book from you, “And come let us show you around, YN!” Hannah beamed at you, swimming ahead out of the store. “There's loads to see here!”
Always up for an adventure, you eagerly followed her. The promise of new sights and experiences excited you, but the situation at hand hung in the back of your mind. Sources told you Darnesh died after a dragon-hybrid cut her with its flame forged sword. Those who’d been there say her body turned into wisps of smoke that clouded the air with noxious gas. When they told you what he killed her with, you understood at once. Only substances like dragon fire can truly kill a demon. Even you, a child made from flames like a dragon, was no match for their magic.
When you needed to reforge your sword, you used dragon flame to embed your runes. Your kinfolk didn’t understand, but Zunar did.
‘For the day he returns?’
He won’t return. Nor’goth cannot come back from where he is now. Even if he is imprisoned, The Abyss slowly but surely will drain him of life. He must be dead or dying by now. Yet, all the possibilities rushed you all at once. While Darnesh or Nor’goth cannot hurt anyone, those they taught their ways can and will. You’ve come across them in your time in the mortal realm: hyped up, arrogant humans who’d been given dark gifts and brainwashed into finishing “The Dark Lord’s work”. You finished them easily enough.
‘You may have chained me, but you cannot chain a belief!’
“Hey,” Chan swam up beside you, “You’re not admiring the scenery. Something up?”
“Yes, Chan,” you said irritably. “Someone down here is using demon magic, and I don’t know who they are or how they got it.”
“Come on, it can’t be demon magic. It’s most likely extreme dark magic. If it was demonic, it would’ve spread, wouldn’t it? My dad said he’d seen whole regiments be cursed with pestilence.”
“Pestilence is different from this,” you shook your head. “If the king has what I think he has, it’s not contagious.”
“Well, don’t start counting chickens before they’ve hatched.”
“You’re being annoyingly calm about all of this,” you griped at him. “These are your people too!”
“It does bother me,” he stopped mid-float, “But right now we need to have some patience. I’d like to practice that patience with a drink or two and you…and, okay, Hannah too because she’s already here…” He saw your unconvinced expression and brought you closer. His fingers wrapped around your wrist until they slipped over your palm and between yours. Why did he do that? Why did you let him? “Let’s loosen up for a little bit. You do it plenty at home, and how many times in your life will you get to see the magnificent city of Hydrus?” he raised his eyebrows and smiled to convince you.
“It is…” you hesitated, “It is beautiful here.”
“See? Now, come on,” he kept your hand in his and guided you down the street, “Hannah will probably want to show you all the jewelry and enchantment places around here. They really are incredible.”
Hannah and Chan spent a good amount of the day showing you around Hydrus. The city truly was magnificent. It offered so many things you'd never seen before: mermaid charms and jewelry carved from gemstones and coral, small fish domesticated to be pets, books about merfolk culture and artifacts, items embedded with aquatic runes and the range of weapons sold around the city. You held a spear made entirely from leviathan bone, one of the strongest materials known to man. A woman offered you a necklace of aquamarine inlaid in silver, and another showed off a sculpture made of kelp and coral.
“A star searcher,” Hannah told you when she saw you eyeing a square piece of glass in an astronomy store. “It can help you find any star constellation you might need. You usually use it with a guide, so you know what each star means or represents. It's not very handy in fights, but a lot of whale navigators and seers use them. Ma has one at home.” She swam closer to you, grinning teasingly, “So, what do you think of my brother?”
“What?” The twinkled star searcher kept your attention from her.
“My brother,” she whispered. “What do you think about him?”
“He's…”
What did you think about Chan? You did think he was good looking, and you enjoyed working with him. His easy going nature. His care for others. His insistent need to protect and defend people. You found those to be admirable qualities. Yet, you didn't know how you really felt about him. You saw him through the window looking at the street. He spoke with two men, laughing and catching up with them. His smile, wide and straight, gave the tiniest inkling of warmth in your cold body. You nearly smiled before you caught yourself.
“He's a good man,” you finally answered, picking up an advertised star guide.
“That's all?” She asked in disbelief.
“I haven't known him very long,” you admitted. “I know he has a good heart, always thinks of everyone else before himself, and has a lot of leadership qualities. He'd make a great Divinity soldier.”
“Okay, yes, my brother is a good guy,” she waved off, “But I meant how you feel in terms of, well, attraction?”
“Why are you asking this?” You said, adding a soft laugh to ease the sharpness.
“Because my brother never lets go of your hand, and smiles when he looks at you,” she pointed out.
“He’s only looking out for me. I’ve never been here before, so he doesn’t want me to get lost or eaten by a shark or something.”
She giggled, “Ah, YN…My Ma will probably say your stars will line up eventually.”
“I passed my test! Hannah!” Hyunjin appeared in the doorway, grinning widely and giddy with excitement. He scooped her up into a hug, “I passed my test! I get to go to the next trial!”
“That's amazing!” She giggled, yelping when he spun her around.
“What test?” You asked him, putting the star searcher back on its shelf.
“To be a whale navigator!” he let go of Hannah, “You have to go through a bunch of tests to become one, and I passed the first one!”
“Congratulations,” you said kindly.
“Thanks,” he beamed, breathless. “We're going to celebrate! Come with us!”
“Oh I wouldn't want to-”
You didn't have a choice in the matter. Hyunjin took you ahead of both Hannah and Chan, guiding you down the crowded streets until you reached a tavern. Inside, you saw merfolk filling up tables, talking over plates of food. Hyunjin, Hannah and Chan appeared to know many of the people there; one or two stopped Chan for a brief catch-up before moving onwards. Hyunjin brought you over to a table in the middle of the room, where the people seemed to be the loudest. A young mermaid came to the table, asking for food orders, and you let your companions order for you.
“How could they possibly cook underwater?” you asked curiously when she left.
“Like that.”
Chan pointed to a kitchen area behind you. An older merman stood by what appeared to be a stone grill built on top of a heating vent. Seeing the churning lava inside it, you guessed it was a heating vent from a nearby volcano or other source underneath the floor.
“Also, magic, duh?” Hannah pointed to two women by a boiling pot: one held it with her hands, effectively heating the contents inside, while the other stirred.
“Interesting,” you nodded. “I imagine it’s pretty salty still.”
“It’s not Wooyoung’s cooking,” Chan said, “But it’s just as good.”
“What I want to know is why are we at Rock Lobster when we can be at Scuttle’s eating fresh crab?” asked Hannah, a bit annoyed. “YN should be seeing the best Hydrus has to offer. Scuttle’s is peak-”
“-I brought us here because Scuttle’s is too quiet and fancy and a lot of elite people go there,” Hyunjin cut her off. “Nobody will overhear us here,” he glanced around the rowdy room of merfolk. He was right. “The people who saw us will say we were here, but they’ll think we’re just three relatives showing around our demon friend.”
“And why do you not want people to overhear us?” Chan asked, smirking softly as he spoke.
“Because Mizu was at my exam.”
“What?” This caught everyone’s attention.
“Yes, he was there.”
“What for?” Asked Hannah.
“He told us he came to see the potential navigators,” Hyunjin said. “He mentioned something about His Majesty needing personal navigators, or whatever but that's not what struck me as weird. It's not really him, but what I saw him doing afterwards.”
You leaned in closer, “Start from the beginning.”
“Okay, so I take the test, right? I get the spear through each dummy head, and pass with flying colors. When I finished, the overseer asked all those who finished to wait outside the range yard so we don't distract anyone. I finish my test and go outside like they asked. Once I'm outside, I notice Mizu’s seahorse carriage is still there, but he'd left right after his little motivational speech. I went to the carriage-”
“-Hyunjin,” Chan cut him off, “You went to his carriage? Do you know how stupid that is? Did he see you?”
“No. He was too busy talking to someone to see me at the window. His driver was flirting with some girl, so he didn't see me either. Anyways,” he continued, “I overheard him talking to someone!”
You almost did not want to hear any more.
“Who? Did you see them?”
“No. He was alone in the carriage, but…” Hyunjin scrunched his brow, “It was weird. He had his eyes closed and he was gripping his knees really tightly.”
“Telepathy,” you said. The waitress brought back food, but you couldn't stomach anything. “He was likely speaking to whoever he is working for. Did you hear any of the conversation?”
“Only the end bits,” he said, grabbing a blue drink. He then whispered, “He mentioned something about his plan taking longer than expected, and that with the pirates and sea snakes distracting the crown and mainlanders, the throne will be in their grasp.”
“Then he is after the crown,” Chan concluded.
“Or the person he is answering to is,” you said, gripping the sides of your cup tightly. “You said his eyes were closed, right?”
“Yes, they were.”
“I have to ask: Was Mizu always power hungry or shady? Did he ever disagree with the other advisors or the king on certain discussions?”
“Ma said he might've not been the nicest guy at times,” Hannah answered, “But he deeply loved and respected Tytos. He wouldn't have hurt him on purpose.”
“That means this mysterious puppeteer got their hooks into someone who already showed signs of dissent,” Chan said. “Did Ma ever tell you when this started?”
“No,” she shook her head, “She never mentioned a specific time. I only remember her coming back one day and saying the king was sick, and that she wasn't allowed to see him. She only got her audience with him because she'd gone to treat the queen for stress and nerves.”
“The person controlling Tytos is likely controlling Mizu as well to an extent,” you said. “They likely promised him the throne in exchange for his help.”
“Mizu used to be a decent guy,” Chan mused. “I wonder what made him turn back on the people.”
“Ambition, power, greed, a sense of validation and attention,” you listed as you faced a terrible scenario. “The basic reasons, pretty much. Did he ever say a name or title?”
Hyunjin thought for a moment, then said, “He called them Creator.”
You nearly choked. Coughing, you felt Chan patting your back as you swallowed before anything came out onto the table. “Creator, you say?”
“Yes, why? Do you know who that is?”
“Darnesh used to consider herself a creator, because she crafted new people out of the ones she cursed,” you said, throat stinging from the cough. “But, it can't be her.”
“Then someone who followed her?”
“Possibly. A lot of demons were exiled or burned at the stake for their war crimes,” you said. “It could be any number of them who managed to keep their powers or use human vessels to contain it. If Mizu is following their orders, it makes sense that they're a former demon.”
“You can stop being a demon?” Hannah asked, unsure about your information.
“In a way. Varaleth is the Queen of the Mar, and Shadowland lords are capable of removing a demon's powers. They do this to avoid the demon using it to escape their prison cells or hurt other people,” you explained. “Exiled demons don't have their natural gifts anymore. This demon is likely using a subsidiary version of what Darnesh used.”
Your chest began tightening. If there is a demon going around trying to take over other mortal lands, they may be attempting to bring back their masters. First his lieutenants, and then finally Nor’goth himself. When the waitress brought out lobster tails, clam stew, crab legs and shrimp, you barely touched the delicacies. You did not want to bring up any more theories until you saw the king yourself. That was the only way you'd know what to do from there.
A band started playing music, and Hannah and Chan took to the small dance floor by the stage. You and Hyunjin sat at the table, watching the siblings have their own dance off with you two clapping for the winners.
“It scares you a little, doesn’t it?” Hyunjin asked, picking at one of the shrimp in the bowl.
“What does?”
“The thought that a demon might be trying to stir up trouble again,” he said. “You grew very quiet when I mentioned a possible third person involved.”
“It…” you rolled a crab leg between your fingers as you said, “It does. I spent years of the war trying to bring down Nor’goth and his circle of bigoted zealots. I nearly lost my life a few times trying to do it. If any of them ever returned or their work was picked up by another, all the fighting and loss we went through will have been in vain.”
“So, you really did fight in the war,” he said. “Aunt Yejin said she saw an eternal flame flying down into the water from the sky. She told me the flame burned down fields of infected, sickly coral and kelp and up from the ashes they came back strong.” He grinned at you, thin eyes glinting playfully, “She thinks you’re that flame because you’re a fire demon and because of your name.”
You snorted amusedly, “She reminds me of my mentor.”
“Your mentor?”
You nodded, “Back home. His name was Zunar. He was one of the overseers in the range. His job was to form little underlings into strong warriors of The Mar, and he was good at it. He used to have premonitions and read things in his flames.” You chuckled recalling his most recent one, “He once told me that my fires would burn away all the wickedness in the world; that one day my fire will burn bright and I’d vanquish the one who couldn’t be killed.”
“Nor’goth,” Hyunjin said, “He predicted you’d kill the demon lord and bring back light into the world.”
“Lucky guess,” you murmured, watching Chan spin Hannah around.
“Or that he truly had a gift and saw your destiny.”
“Then in that case I already fulfilled my destiny,” you replied. “What does one do after they’ve completed the objective fate gave them?”
Hyunjin scooted closer to you, “Enjoy the life left to you.”
He slipped his hand into yours and guided you to the dance floor. Music flowed easily through Hyunjin, whose body immediately swayed and twirled to the steel drums and maracas playing. You took in the sight for a brief moment. Scales spanning over his slim torso and arms, they shined this way and that whenever he moved. The scales on his cheek bones, jaw, and forehead stood out against his skin and sharpened his features. He was beautiful. Hyunjin did not need music or singing to make himself the most enchanting creature in the room. Sirens are a rare sight, often living in the deepest parts of the ocean. You’d gladly take in Hyunjin as long as possible.
“Stop staring and enjoy life, demonkin,” Hyunjin teased, pulling you towards him. “Or is that hard for a demon to do?”
“Not for me,” you brushed into him, “Not when I have the chance to see a real siren without losing my life.”
He snickered, “I’ve known a human or two who had the pleasure and not lived to tell the tale. But you?” He drew you closer, voice dropping so only you heard him, “I think I could make an exception.”
You laughed through your nose, unable to take your eyes off him, “Have the pleasure and not meet a painful end? Sign me up.”
Hyunjin may have been of the sea, cold-blooded and built for freezing temperatures, but when he kissed you, it warmed every muscle in your body. Full lips massaged against yours until they opened, and locked right onto them. Chills slipped up your spine with his hand, traveling over your back to the nape of your neck where he held you as you kissed. Your own hands slid over smooth scales and into his flowing black hair. Mortals never understood how precious love and romance can be; they take it for granted in so many ways. In The Mar, there’s so little room for it. The first person you ever kissed happened to be a water fairy with bright eyes and pink cheeks. Ever since then, you savored every kiss you earned, received or stolen in private moments.
“It’s a shame you came for the king,” Hyunjin said against your lips, eyes closed, “Because you should be coming for me.”
“Why can’t I have both?” you replied, licking his lower lip before kissing him one more time.
“Greedy,” he chuckled in between kisses.
“I am a demon, darling.”
The two of you danced and kissed longer. You found yourself drawn in by his natural charms, his kisses like honey on your tongue and words lulling you into his trap. You might’ve stayed there all night if someone hadn’t touched your shoulder. Turning, dazed from Hyunjin, you saw Chan. Your mind instantly sobered at his eyes, delighted by the atmosphere around him. Seeing him in the glowing lights, you couldn’t stop yourself from remembering the shirtless Chan from yesterday. The family merfolk genes proved to be a curse upon you and a blessing for them.
“We, um, should go now,” Chan said, not meeting your eyes. “My Ma’s probably waiting on us to get back.”
You saw the lights of Hydrus begin burning brighter as night came over the ocean. All the warmth Hyunjin created left you in seconds. An empty feeling filled your stomach as you kissed the siren goodbye and left with Chan.
“What was that all about?” Chan asked, neither upset or disgusted. He sounded more curious than anything.
“Psh, like you never kissed a stranger before,” you chuckled, rolling your eyes.
“I actually haven’t,” he admitted to you. “All the girls I kissed were girls I knew.”
“And I bet you kissed loads,” you said, “A handsome halfling like you must’ve attracted all the girls at school.”
He laughed, pink tingling his ears, “So, you think I’m handsome?”
“Even a blind woman would think you were handsome, Chan,” you said, thanking the gods that he couldn’t see your soft smile. “You've got brains, brawn and beauty, and small town girls like the sort of guy. They’re like the heroes in fairy tales.”
“You do too,” he told you.
“I do what?”
“Have brains, brawn and beauty,” he answered. “If you knew the effect you had on certain people, you wouldn’t need magic to defend yourself.”
“Pfft, sure. I doubt Mizu will find me so beautiful he lets me come in and ruin his plans.”
“I didn’t say everyone, just…certain people.”
You reached the apothecary, and you tried not thinking about Chan and how his hand feels in yours. Hannah’s question about how you felt about her brother came back when you saw Chan talking to his mother. He’ll likely suggest coming with you. He always wanted to be your back up.
“I received the acceptance quite quickly,” Yejin told you. “He says he can get us an audience with the king while the queen distracts Mizu. He is…very fond of her.”
“I bet his boss said he could have her if they succeed in their plan,” you snorted. “Hyunjin told us he overheard Mizu talking to someone called The Creator. Does this mean anything to you?”
Yejin considered this as she rifled through bottles on her shelves. “No, nothing immediate,” she said. “But, it could always be a reference to his master.”
“I believe his master may be an exiled demon,” you told her. “A lot of my kin were exiled after the war; this may be someone who followed Dranesh. I will need to see the king for myself to be certain, but if we have a demon here, there will be only one way to defeat them.”
“And how would we do that? There are no dragons underwater, YN.”
“You said I am an eternal flame, right?”
“I saw it in my visions, yes.”
“Well, my magic is not the only weapon I have,” you smirked.
Pulling your sword from your back, you held it with both hands. The fire magic runes etched along the sides glowed orange and yellow upon being unsheathed. You swung it around a few times, but since it was underwater it only steamed and glowed.
“When the war ended,” you explained, “My blade had broken after stabbing it into Nor’goth’s chest. When I went to reforge it, I used dragon fire instead of our usual magical elements.”
“How did you get close enough to a dragon to do that?” she asked, curiously.
“Our blacksmith had recently acquired a baby dragon, and he used it to forge new armor for the warriors,” you sheath your sword. “I forged mine in dragon fire for the next time I fought a demon.”
“What made you think you’d ever fight a demon again?” Chan asked.
‘You may banish me to The Abyss, you may take my power and my heart, but my children will continue my work! You will never be rid of me!’
“Well, there are demons still in the world, and I did it in case I ran into them,” you shrugged.
Chan sensed your hesitancy, but didn’t say anything about it. “Sungwoo replied to your request, Ma?”
“He did,” she nodded. She picked off a bottle from the shelf, “He said he can get me a few minutes with the king. We won’t have long before Mizu interrupts us, but you’ll at least be able to make a proper diagnosis.”
“Works for me,” you said. “When do they expect us?”
“Now, actually. Here,” she gave you the bottle, “Drink this when we reach the palace. It will make you completely invisible.”
“Sounds easy enough,” you replied, studying the bottle.
“But, make sure you stay away from the sharks.”
“Sharks?”
“Mizu recently tamed a few sharks to act as watch dogs,” she said. “If they sense you, they will kill you.”
The idea of getting horrendously bitten by a shark crossed your mind. But, it’d be worth it to see the king. Yejin suggested you’d leave sooner than later. She told you she’d be meeting Sungwoo first, and then she’d be taken to the king. Calypso promised to keep Mizu occupied so he had no reason to check on his victim. As you made to get into a seahorse-driven carriage, Chan reached for your wrist.
“Be careful,” he said.
“I always am,” you replied playfully, “See you later, handsome.”
Inside the carriage, you hoped the silence between you and Yejin stayed as such, but she had other ideas.
“You fear his return, don’t you?”
Her question stunned you for a moment. You thought to lie to her. She wouldn’t understand if you explained yourself. She wouldn’t understand the nightmares or fears that creep over your neck whenever it comes up. Every nerve in your body bundled in your stomach thinking about him.
“He’s banished to The Abyss,” you said, clearing your throat. “He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“But people who followed him still roam this realm,” she said. “If they tried hard enough, they could restore him to his full power and we’d be thrown into war once again. More death. More devastation. More-”
“-He won’t come back because I’ll put my sword in him before that happens,” you snapped. Your heart thumped hard in your chest, going up to your throat where you struggled to breathe. “He was…It was…” you gripped the carriage door handle. Your skin stretched tight over your knuckles and you couldn’t uncurl them.
“A hero’s burden,” she said, touching your free hand. Her hand was cold from the blood in her body, it still comforted you. “I did not witness the final stand, but I can still imagine it left its mark on you.”
You remembered Nor’goth’s orange eyes, mocking you from afar and eager to take on your challenge. Sweat stuck your shirt to your body, and you still felt the weight of your armor on your shoulders. The stench of the dead and decaying filled your nose, smoke and fire lingering in the air as you threw fireball after fireball at him. He’d laughed at your weak attempts, but that was your whole plan. Distract him long enough for the Orc and Elf forces to attack. Except, the large crossbows the Orcs crafted jammed, and were destroyed by Nor’goth’s forces; the Elves managed to shield and heal you when Nor’goth’s claws slashed through your chest, but became overrun by goblin loyalists. You touched your chest, rubbing out the phantom pain there. It eventually became just you and him. Bleeding, bruised and drained of magic, you stood on the highest point of Incheon's ancient tree, The Great Oak, and faced Nor’goth head on. Dodging bolts of shadow magic, you used an old branch to reach him from above.
“I wasn’t the only one there,” you excused, not looking at her.
“But you were the one to vanquish him. Friends of mine told me they saw you standing on the topmost level of The Great Oak with your flaming sword burning brightly.”
You squeezed your eyes shut. The swirling winds meant to douse your flames only fanned them hotter. They almost carried you to him, blade in both hands as you stabbed it right into his heart.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry, YN,” Yejin immediately said, sensing your tension. “I didn't mean to-”
“-He taunted me the entire time,” you said, voice unsteady as you spoke. “He told me that I’d regret not joining him. He said I was strong, but not strong enough. I almost believed him, but then…”
“But then?”
“I thought of my mentor Zunar and all my loved ones back home. I thought of the friends I’d made in the mortal world, and saw the beauty it held. Nor’goth wanted to corrupt it. His plans would not be contained to just mortals. He’d eventually try enslaving the other realms as well. If I didn’t kill him, he would’ve destroyed everything good.”
“Your love for humanity outweighed your fear,” she sounded proud of it. “I think that’s quite admirable. You remind me of my son.”
“Chan?”
She shook her head, “No, Lucas.”
“Chan never mentioned a younger brother,” you said.
“He doesn't talk about him often, but,” she let out a sigh, “He was my youngest. The sweetest boy you ever saw.”
You thought back to the baby photo and the medals in Jack's house. “Did he fight too?”
She nodded. “He died in Busan, fighting alongside his brothers in arms,” she played with a ring around on her finger. “He said he felt it was his duty to serve his country and that he wanted to help others. He was a field physician on the front lines. They told us he'd been killed pulling people out of a burning wagon; it exploded when a goblin threw dynamite into it, and my son was trying to save those left alive. Chan…He doesn't talk about it. He and Lucas were very close.”
“It couldn't have been easy to deal with. I'm sorry that happened.”
She grinned appreciatively. She peered out the window once again, and saw the stone palace ahead. “Ah, we’re almost there,” she said to you. “Once again, Multak, you are running straight into the beast’s jaws.”
“That’s what the blade is for.”
The two of you shared a smile. It was in her smile that you saw Chan. Wide, bright and full of mirth each time it flashed at you. You waited until carriage came to a full stop to pop open the bottle and drink. Within seconds, a warm tingling sensation started at your fingers and toes and gradually made its way over both skin and clothes. You looked at your hands to see nothing but the carriage seat and floor.
“This is magnificent, Yejin,” you beamed at her, though she couldn’t see you. “I could never have achieved this on my own.”
“Remember what I said,” she said quickly as guards came to her door, “Stay away from the sharks and remain as quiet as possible.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The palace guard opened her door, and a slight, withered merman floated on the bottom steps. He wore a deep red vest with gold buttons down the front; a seashell pin made of pure gold shone on his breast. An advisor, you assumed.
“Yejin,” he said in a high voice, “So good to see you, my lady.”
“And you, Sungwoo,” she replied, getting out of the carriage. “Forgive me for calling upon you so late.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” he said, offering his arm which she took. “Considering the current political climate, I believe there is always time to discuss any possible solutions.”
You waited until the guard shut the door to swim through the opposite side. When the guards returned to their posts, you quickly lunged towards Yejin and Sungwoo before they could close the doors.
Like other buildings in the city, the palace was a reconstructed and repurposed mansion. Tall stone walls inlaid with gold seams were occasionally broken and fixed with patches of coral. The different coral reefs and shelves brought splashes of color to the eroded walls, and covered up large cracks in walls or windows. Inside, you saw more glowing fish swimming around giant bowls meant to act as light fixtures, bringing warm light into the palace. You imagined under Tytos’s rule the palace might’ve been lively and full of people.
“The palace has truly changed,” you heard Yejin say a few feet ahead of you. “Remember when the children used to swim all over the palace, and drove their nurses insane?”
Sungwoo laughed, “Ah, yes I do. This place was once a place of life and laughter. Tytos never believed in closing himself off from his people; they were once free to come and go. It’s a shame the place has become so…quiet.”
You found this conversation strange. Surely, they both already know all of this, so why say it out loud?
“How is Calypso?” Yejin asked him as you followed them up the stairs.
“More or less the same. The other advisors and I have tried assuring her that His Majesty will eventually make it through this terrible illness,” he said. “Ever since the death of Ormand-”
“-May the waves be kind-”
“-May the waves be kind,” he repeated. “Ever since he passed, she has spiraled into a deeper depression. She doesn’t leave her chambers, and hardly eats. The children are confined to their rooms, and rarely see her anymore. Mizu-”
“-Tries his best to comfort her, I assume,” Yejin said right as she passed a guard. “His top concern has always been the royal family.”
“Calypso in particular,” Sungwoo sighed. “I hope we see the end of this struggle, and get back to what truly matters: Hydrus.”
“As do I.”
They brought you to a chamber at the end of a hallway. It appeared to be a sitting room with the usual amenities available. While you supposed there’d usually be someone in here, now it remained untouched and unoccupied. Yejin sighed sadly.
“Where is she?” she asked Sungwoo, concerned but dreading the answer.
“Exactly as I’d told you in my letter: she is entertaining Mizu at the moment,” he said. “But I cannot guarantee he will stay there for long. You know he has eyes and ears everywhere in this palace.”
“Then we must be quick about this,” she nodded. “Take me to him.”
You waited until Sungwoo opened the double doors and Yejin went through them to shoot yourself forward. It was Yejin’s horrified gasp that brought you further into the bed chamber.
“As you can see, my lady,” Sungwoo began, “His condition is worsening.”
The man Hyunjin described to you did not match the one sitting before you. On a stone bed near the balcony windows was a frail, thin man with long white hair. The silvery hair must’ve been lustrous at one point, but now thinned immensely and left red sores on his scalp. Sun-kissed skin lost most of its pigment, and lean muscles turned into flat bones and sagging skin. Yet, it was his eyes you noticed the most. You never knew the color of the king’s eyes, but you knew they weren’t pale with blindness. A breath caught in your throat when you saw the deep purple veins extending from them like rivers on a map. Cracked, dry lips parted in each rattling breath, a rambling stream of words barely reached your ears. Yes, this was worse than simple Brain Fog.
“Oh by the gods,” Yejin cried, hands over her mouth. “It is worse than I thought.”
“He has no appetite for food or drink,” Sungwoo said. “He can hardly see anything beyond his own delusions. The affliction is progressing, Yejin. He can hardly tell one person from another, which I suspect makes him easier to influence and control. He doesn’t even know his eldest son is dead, and he can’t distinguish his wife from other women.”
You went around the other side of the bed, and hovered over the king. A foul stench seemed to come from his very pores; his yellow teeth and dark gums showed signs of his body giving into his illness. This is not brain fog. Brain fog only affects the mind and the body. The young lord you remembered resembled a skeleton when they found him. Tytos is well on his way to a similar situation. Tears blurred your vision as you touched his bare chest. Feeling bone right against your fingers, you sensed his heart beat slower than the average man. His lungs struggled to breathe; he would need assistance with it soon.
Mizu and his “Creator” are slowly killing Tytos.
“Please,” Sungwoo pleaded, “Please tell me there is something you can do, Stranger.”
You perked your head up, stunned and frozen in place.
“I cannot see you clearly, but Yejin mentioned she’d bring an ally,” he whispered, leaning over the king to speak. “She mentioned that you might know of a cure for this wretched curse.”
Yejin nodded her encouragement, then you said, “It is exactly what I feared it’d be, Advisor. This is not simple brain fog; it is something much deeper. If we do not act quickly, the king may die.”
“Do you know how to stop it?”
“Yejin and I have our theories,” you said, “And I think it may work with a bit more research. I have a friend on the mainland who is much more knowledgeable in dark magic than myself.”
You could tell Sungwoo expected a more solid answer, but he still nodded his understanding. “It’s better than grasping in the dark,” he said, standing up straight again.
“But, I promise you, Advisor, that we will cure the king.”
The king groaned at the sound of your voice. “Arielle?” he croaked, "Is that you?”
You hesitated, body frozen beside the bed. Looking at Yejin and Sungwoo, they looked at one another in confusion. Then, you said, “Yes, Papa. It’s me.”
“Oh, sweet angelfish,” he wheezed, “How good to hear your…your voice. I…I brought you a seashell from Oceania.”
“It’s beautiful, Papa,” you replied. “Thank you.”
“Where is-Where is Ormand, darling?”
“Ormand is gone, Papa,” you heard Sungwoo gasp, but you continued. “He died, remember?”
Tytos furrowed his brow, then you saw tears fall from the corners into his temples, “Ormand…Not Ormand!” he sobbed, “My sweet boy! My son! Where is he?!”
“He’s with the waves, Papa,” you touched his hand, feeling the skin smooth like stones. “He’s at peace.”
“Ormand!” he cried, “Where is Ormand? Take me to him!”
His bones cracked as he sat up from his bed. “Your Majesty, please,” Sungwoo kept him from rising, “You must rest. You will see Ormand later.”
While Yejin calmed him with a tonic she’d brought with her, you grasped the king’s hand. “Papa,” you called him, “Papa, what was Ormand’s favorite color?”
“Huh?” he stared in your direction, confused and unfocused. “His what?”
“Favorite color,” you repeated. “Mama wants his shroud to be his favorite color, but none of us remember.” You shared a glance with Yejin, who is as sharp as her son. “Do you?”
Tytos sunk deep into his thoughts, brow furrowed and lips trembling. You saw him struggle for the answer. “Orange,” he croaked, “The color of the sunset. He loved going up to the surface at that time to watch the sunset. He used to tell me it was…was the most beautiful color imaginable.” You saw tears brim his drooping eyes, “Oh, my sweet boy…My children…Where are they? Where is Calypso?”
Yejin came forward, touching his other hand, “They are well, my king. They think only of your health.”
The sound of doors slamming open came from the next room, and quickly Sungwoo rested the king back into his bed. You stepped away towards the shadows where the guards walking in did not see you. Behind them, a merman came into the room. Crimson spikes and fringes went along his back, sticking up and jutting outwards. They matched his red and purple tail, and the scales spread along his arms, neck and stomach. He didn’t wear a crown, but the thick necklace made of golden doubloons played as a symbol of high status. Crystal eyes narrowed at the sight of Yejin beside the king.
“Lady Yejin,” his raspy voice gave you chills, “I was not expecting to see you here so late.”
You then saw the guards following him guided sharks in by leather harnesses. Small and gray, their sharp teeth still kept you up against the wall.
“I came to visit His Majesty,” she said, head up high and hands clasped together, “Calypso has been very worried about him.”
“As she told me herself.”
With a snap of his fingers, the two guards with the sharks began moving about the room. You realized then Mizu must have been tipped off about Yejin’s visit. Keeping yourself flat against the wall, you heard your heart beating in your chest.
“As you can see, Lady Yejin,” he continued, “His Majesty’s illness has progressed far beyond your expertise. The most we can do is ease his pain and suffering until the waves take him from us.”
“Nothing would please you more,” Yejin seethed.
“Oh, my dear lady, how can you say such things? My heart hangs the lowest out of us all for the king.”
One of the sharks came within a few feet of you, and it turned its head in your direction. You slowly took side steps, hoping to get out of its range before anyone else noticed.
“His Majesty needs his rest, as Advisor Sungwoo knows,” Mizu said. “If you’d kindly follow me, then we can discuss arrangements for…for his passing.”
“The king can still be saved yet, Mizu,” Sungwoo said. “We must not give up hope.”
“I hate to say that I believe all hope is lost. The king is not in his right-”
“-Arielle,” Tytos cried, “Arielle, my angelfish, where have you gone?”
“You see? The Princess is not even with us, and he cries for her.”
Tytos looked in your direction, reaching out to you. “Arielle, tell your mother…tell her he loves sunsets.”
Mizu paused, watching the king closely and comprehension came over his pale, pointed face. “Let us leave His Majesty to rest. He has had a long day of treatments.”
“What treatments?” Yejin asked, affronted as a guard started leading her and Sungwoo away.
“The usual ones…”
Mizu began listing various medical treatments that he likely hadn’t administered. The shark who’d sensed you pulled on its leash to reach you. Panic struck your stomach and went up your chest as you went along the walls.
“What is it, girl?” the guard asked his companion. “Do you smell something?”
You found a potted seaweed plant, and hoped it might mask your scent as you stepped behind it. The shark kept its black eyes on the pots.
“Probably just a fish, Poseidon,” his comrade said to him. “You know these sharks. They sense a little blowfish and they lose their senses. Come on, before Mizu gets upset.”
The two guards left, the latter having to tug on the shark’s leash to make it move. Once the doors shut, you moved out of the plants. On the bed, the king muttered incoherent words and continued falling into a daze.
“Make sure Lady Yejin and Lord Sungwoo are escorted back home,” you heard Mizu in the next room. “Then post guards at these doors. We do not need anymore people disturbing the king’s rest.”
The moment you heard the doors open again, you swam away from the bed. Mizu entered the room alone this time. He sucked his teeth when he saw the king mumbling and groaning.
“Ah look what they did,” he hissed. “All that hard work…”
Standing by the plants, you watched Mizu lean over the king. He rubbed his hand over the king’s forehead, his thumb pressing to the center. In small circles, you heard muffled words being said as he rubbed the spot in circles. The bits of clarity the king might have faded away as Mizu strengthened the curse again. He went back to remaining nearly silent.
“The Creator will have you soon, Your Majesty,” Mizu said disdainfully. “She will have you soon.”
You watched him leave the room, and heard the soft click of a latch on the other side. Locked in the bedroom with Tytos, you returned to his bedside and examined where Mizu touched him. Black ash contrasted against his pale skin, starting from the center and reaching the bridge of his nose. You didn’t dare touch it in case the powder was contagious. But yes, this was Dranesh’s curse. You knew if it progressed further, the king would surely die. You couldn’t let that happen.
“I will find a way to cure you, Your Majesty,” you whispered to him, pushing strands of hair from his face. “I promise.”
This time the king didn’t respond to you. Not able to leave through the door, you went for the balcony left open. You’d circle around and meet Yejin back at the shop.
You had work to do.
****
You and Chan decided you had enough of Hydrus for one day, and with night fast approaching, you returned home. Hyunjin and Hannah insisted on going back with you.
“Do you really think Minho can help?” Hyunjin asked you as the transport whale took you away from the city. “Chan says he’s the best with magic.”
“He is,” you said. “I’m sure we’ll find the crystal and figure out how to cure the king. Now that we know what’s going on, we should be able to do it.”
You looked out into the water. The sunset skies above broke through the first few feet before your surroundings gradually darkened. You did your best not to imagine what predators might be swimming about near your ship. Kim Jennie had been enchanting them to attack people they come across. Another part of your theory appeared correct: the pirates are creating distractions and threats to lessen Tytos’s approval amongst the people. Soon, they’ll turn on the king they think left them defenseless. A warm hand then touched yours on the whale bump.
“There’s nothing out there,” he comforted you.
“How do you know?”
“Because what you think is out there doesn’t come up this close to the surface,” he nodded upwards. “We keep our routes higher up to avoid them and also for the whales to breathe.”
“I see.”
You felt him watching you. His eyes, still twinkling like stars, examined you in the half-light of the moon. When you looked at him, his black hair blew back from his face, billowing in the waves flowing through them; the starfish and pearls on his head gleamed like the scales on his face. You thought about your kiss in the tavern, how it warmed your insides.
“It’s a shame, you know,” you began, “That we met like this.”
“Like how?” he drew closer to you, Chan was too busy talking to Hannah to notice.
“In an investigation into the merfolk crown and the possibility of war,” you said. “Though, I’m sure if we met another way, I’d be a skeleton at the bottom of the ocean.”
Hyunjin laughed, “Oh, I wouldn’t eat someone as lovely as you. At least,” he smirked, “Not in a way you wouldn’t like. It’s not every day a siren meets a demon, especially a fire demon at that. One of my friends met a fire demon once,” his fingers brushed over your knuckles, and his eyes glanced down to your lips, “She said it was an interesting experience.”
“I can imagine sirens are more so than us.” You couldn’t help noticing his pouty lips, full with a prominent cupid’s bow. “Maybe next time I’m in town, you can show me around? I’d love to see all of what Hydrus has to offer.”
“Perhaps if you hadn’t been busy saving the king, I could have shown you the absolute best.”
“It was for the case, pretty,” you pouted. “I am being paid for this gig, you know.”
“Well,” he leaned in until he was centimeters from kissing you, “Next time I see you, I’ll make you forget about your cases completely.”
Your body tingles with anticipation from the closeness. You understood then why sailors fall for sirens and their deadly songs. He brushed his plush lips to yours, then locked you in for a kiss.
“I hope that’s a promise.”
“A promise, and I never make empty ones either.”
***
A/N: thank you so much for reading! Things are only just starting for this gang, and it's a rollercoaster lol please like and reblog, thanks <3
Episode 1 < > Episode 2.A
#stray kids#stray kids fanfiction#bangchan#hwang hyunjin#hyunjin x reader#hyunjin x you#chan stray kids#hyunjin stray kids#stray kids fanfic
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Hii!!! i really love all your writing and wanted to request smth if that's okay!
could i request law x so who's into lolita fashion/subculture? Like, on days that they're able to they'll wear really extravagant looking lolita dresses and such, and is just overall really girly, and might be embarrassed about being such, esp with someone like him. but maybe he even likes that they're aesthetic opposites. idk fjsjfjfk
Ty!! <3
(idk if i need to say this but lolita fashion doesn't have anything to do with the. other uses of the term. sometimes ppl make accusations abt it but the jfashion and book are not related)
Lolita Style S/O w/ Law
Content: can be read as GN reader that wears skirts, all SFW
Notes* Thanks for being patient with me while I worked on this request! A couple of things popped up for me (and my new-used computer quit suddenly so I have to wait to see if it can be repaired or if I should just buy a brand new one) so I’ve been trying to work around this. Back to mobile tumblr I go 😢 ! Anyway- I know all too well how lolita culture gets sexualized in people’s eyes so this is a completely nsfw-free request. I made this more relatable to those in sweet style lolita more than gothic lolita since you’d commented about them being opposites and personally, I think it would be super cute for him to be paired with someone with this style. Hope you like it :)
Law
Law isn’t the type to pay attention to what people wear as long as they are dressed in proper uniform when need be. Self expression is something personal, and he’s aware of different everyone’s style is
Though he finds it hard not to notice how you dress on your days off, whether it’s just around the sub or out on the town
It’s a lot of pastel, and a lot of fabric
You hadn’t thought of what Law or the others might’ve thought the first time you dressed up, so when you kept catching Law staring at you at various points of the day, you started to feel a little nervous
Later though, the two of you had crossed paths and he stopped you there to ask about your choice of clothing
While you explained how you enjoyed the colours and the overly girly feel of it all, he listened to every word, and even asked you some questions- like how everything fit together, and how you chose to match your accessories to your clothes
He was intrigued, and being a knowledgeable man, he wanted to learn about you and your clothing style
He’d even gone off to do his own research at the next island, and secretly commissioned a seamstress to make a little purse modeled after Bepo’s face for your outfits because god knows this guy can’t sew for shit
Law had been waiting for you outside of your door, his present to you held in his hand, in a sweet little bag. You weren’t expecting to see him, nor were you expecting any sort of gift- it was nowhere near your birthday- but here he was. He pushes himself off from leaning against the door when he sees you.
“Here. I’m not sure if it’s alright, but I thought you might be able to use this.”
He hands you the bag, and you thank him before going off about how he didn’t need to get you anything, and asking what the occasion is as you dig through the white, glittery tissue paper to open it.
“No occasion. I just thought you’d like it.” He tries to act nonchalant and calm, but he’s watching your face for any changes to see if you like it or not.
You pull out the bag and gasp- it was perfect. Fluffy and pristine white, perfect for an outfit you’d been trying to put together for a while now- and it looked like your dear crewmate. You pull it to your chest with a big smile, going on a bit of a ramble at how cute it is, and how you’re going to use it right away.
The entire time you’re squealing over your new gift he’s smiling to himself, even if he doesn’t realize it.
The next time you change into your style, you make sure to keep the mini Bepo bag at your side. It goes great with your outfit
Bepo freaks out a little at the likelihood of the purse and his own face, but you quickly calm him down and explain that it’s not the head of a polar bear that you’re carrying around
Law watches you fawn over the bag with him from a distance, smiling to himself
He joins you later to walk around town with you. He’s come to enjoy how your style stands out so well beside him against his usual darker clothes
Law will also help you get dressed if you let him, buckling your shoes for you so you don’t have to fight the layers of skirt to reach your feet, or helping you pin up your hair pieces
You’d asked him once if he’d like to try men’s lolita style and he was very quick to shut that down.
“It looks better on you than it will on me.”
He really just likes seeing you as the unique one
#one piece#harleywritesop#hwop#trafalgar law#law one piece#op law#harleyasks#law x reader#trafalgar d law x reader#trafalgardwaterlaw#trafalgar op#trafalgar one piece
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yk what i keep thinking about?
pro hero izuku that has changed a shit ton since middle school, you remember his shy demeanour and his cute personality. you had a little crush on him back then and helped him from bullies when you could since izuku really couldn’t defend himself back then.
after you both graduated, you never saw him face to face, sure you’ve seen him a little on TV but never payed that much attention to him. esp since you are a doctor now that literally on duty almost everyday so there wasn’t much time to ogle at your middle school crush
then, the hospital gets raided by villains and everyone gets held hostage, luckily dynamite, red crimson and deku are here to help!
you get carried out by deku, which is there where you get a better look at him and lord of mercy.
he looks roughed up and you never knew that was a thing you had until now.
looking at him, cuts on his face, his nose slightly bleeding, a serious expression on his face, his muscles literally begging to be released from his tight hero suit, his taller frame and beat of all, his head band to keep his hair out of his face.
you couldn’t… you really couldn’t.
he sets you down and unties you, asking if you’re ok but you can barely respond because when the fuck did his voice get so fucking deep??
he goes off, fights the villains and all you and your colleagues watch those heros defeat those villains in awe because those three together were a dangerous combination for single women.
those three come back and you all thank them tremendously.
izu gives a speech about how it’s just what they do or whatever, you really couldn’t concentrate because his smile is even more angelic and his freckles are just so beautiful.
your friend tells you it’s so obvious that you’re staring at him and to stop because the media is probably making a meme out of you but you don’t care. if you take your eyes off of him, it feels like he’s going to turn into a succubus at this point.
you take your shot and ask if you could heal him, your quirk enabling you to do this.
you take him to the ambulance van, away from prying eyes as you friends cheer you on and the two other hero’s teasing him.
you make some lie about how your quirk works better with skin to skin contact, he’s ever so understanding and takes off his suit to reveals the whole of torso.
and fuck me is he BUFF
scars littered everywhere across his body, freckles are adorning his body and your salivating at the mouth.
you quickly put your hands on him, longing out the process by feeling him up everywhere and muttering some random medical shit that you know he wouldn’t get.
he’s just looking at you skeptically, but you couldn’t see him anyways as your eyes are closed.
but he just allows you to have your moment.
you just keep going while he keeps looking at you and after a fat 2 mins of this, he just says your name
your surprised he remembers you so you just look at him just for him to say sum shit like
“if you want something else to feel, that can easily be done.” while leaning back and smirking so seductively
And you’re just shocked bc when the hell did he get this confidence??? like actually??
you’re getting hella flustered
and he’s just looking at you
and your like “fuck it sure”
after like 15 mins (head cannon that izu loves his quickies) you both come out and he’s like “thanks for healing me” and your like “no problem” playing it off in front of everyone
while literally everyone else is looking at you guys shocked because it’s not like you both were quiet (izuku made sure of that)
katsuki is hell bent on proving you both fucked but izu is a scarily good liar
so they go off and all your colleagues are literally begging for details about what happened but you don’t spill a thinggg
you feel something weird in your bra however and realised that izuku literally put his business card there, that’s sly bastard.
should i write this up? 😝
#authors#mha x y/n#mha x you#mha drabbles#mha x reader#mha fanfiction#mha#izuku midoriya#mha izuku#bnha izuku#izuku x reader#izuku mydoria#izuku midoria x reader#mha midoriya#midoriya x reader
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[“put that down! you’ll hurt yourself with that.” / “you’re so pretty when you smile.”]
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅• •❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
ೃ⁀➷: summary: idia bought a new multiplayer game, and he wants to play it with his player one, you.
ೃ⁀➷: word count: 2.3k (2334)
ೃ⁀➷: reference/Inspiration: playlist
ೃ⁀➷: event: [200 followers event]
[author's note:] JDJDKD MORE IDIA CONTENT WOOHOOO this was supposed to be his belated birthday gift from me but uhh cough cough writer block hit me like a bitch soo.. didn't finish before new years, and it's now like- 4 months late??? anyways, thank you anon for requesting idia with dialogue #3 and #7!! my last yandere idia work had him a little creepy so i made him cute this time loll i hope it's to your satisfaction anon!
[warnings:] lowercase, yandere behavior, more fluff than yandere, established relationship, reader is a gamer, cuddling, kisses, reader is ticklish, poor explanation of game mechanics, mentions of fear for judgement, reader is portrayed as a crybaby, one paragraph mentions idia being a creep, game is a rip-off of minecraft (fantasy version), toxic teammates.
[note:] If there is anything else triggering here that I didn’t list in the warnings section, please tell me. i don’t condone this type of behavior, this is merely just for entertaining purposes and some sort of coping mechanism for me. if you continue to read beyond this point, ignoring my warnings, i am not responsible for your actions from here on out.
[GN reader]
IDIA SHROUD seemed to be in a good mood today, at least according to what you've seen so far. probably because his latest purchase is the cause of his being in such an upbeat mood. not that you're complaining; it was rather cute seeing him all excited and giddy when he found a new game to play. it's like a whole new, different side of him comes out whenever he starts to ramble about the features of the game and why he should absolutely play it right now. of course, as his player one, you're automatically going to be the first person he's going to play with. not that you mind, really. playing with idia was always a fun experience; it reminded you a lot of how you would spend your free time back in your world.
(those days of laziness, those days of unproductivity where you did nothing but lay down on your bed and do nothing—no school work to do, no club activities to do, no studying for an upcoming exam—just pure idleness. then when you're bored, you could just use your phone, PC, or iPad to entertain you as the day goes by, playing nonstop until late hours in the evening. god, you miss those days.)
you often wondered what genre of video games this new world had to offer. you knew that it wouldn't be so different from your own world, but you weren't sure just how many of your friends were affiliated with gaming entertainment. out of fear that judgement would be placed upon you if you shared this interest of yours, your love for video games has been hidden—so to find someone else (with that someone else being idia) that likes video games and is very well versed in them is a dream come true. it was a long process to get him to play with you, let alone consider you a friend and not try to avoid you every 2 seconds—still, it was a feat you were proud of because now you get to experience many, many different sides of idia that you would have never known 9 months ago.
(you once heard idia curse like at least twenty times in one breathe when one of his teammates was being shitty and a prick, he sounded so angry and scary that you backed into a corner to avoid getting burnt by his scorching, bright red hair that grew the more angrier he got. the only reason he stopped was when he heard quiet sobs in the corner of his room and turned around away from his computer to see you huddled in the corner of his room. quickly he went over there, completely abandoning his game and comforting you. he hates seeing his cute prefect cry, especially because of him, he's not the great at comforting but when he hugged you so tightly, your quiet sobs turned into silence. right then and there he swore to never be the reason you're crying and when you do, he'll be right there with you.)
you are currently cross-sitting in his very comfy bed, watching as idia set up two controllers and plugged in the PCs to turn them on (you're still surprised he's got more than 2 PCs, which, if you really think about it, his family background makes it make sense). after waiting for the PCs to turn on, he then connects the controllers to the PCs and opens up the game on both screens. you would insist on helping him set up, but due to you literally being isekai'd into this unknown world of twisted wonderland, you aren't too familiar with many things besides the whole magic stuff—plus, you aren't too keen on breaking any of idia's stuff because of your lack of knowledge on how to do technology.
(technology in general is so extremely confusing, you would argue wholeheartedly all day and all night, and idia would agree with you and low-key flex on how knowledgeable he is in the field of technology, just to impress you and show how reliable he is. secretly, he likes it when he's useful to you.)
"sorry! it took a while to set up..." in slightly shaking hands, he hands over the controller to you while holding the other in his free hand. he looked rather nervous when he faced you to give the controller, like he's worried he wasted your time waiting for him. it reminded you of a puppy looking up to its owner apologetically when they did something wrong, so cute, you thought, adorable even, you added.
"haha! it's okay! you didn't take that long anyway." you gave him a reassuring look, a soft smile, and bright eyes, showing him that you weren't bothered by having to wait a bit as he set up for you two to play.
both screens show the in-game loading screen, and the bar quickly fills up due to the fast internet speed (one you're quite envious of). slowly it fades to the starting screen, where a big text is bouncing 'tap to start' in both of your faces. Idia presses to start immediately, wanting to get into gameplay as fast as he can while you take a moment to admire the visual aspects and effects of the game in silent awe. you always had a thing for the visual stuff that was shown in-game. by slowly pressing the button on your control, you enter the game and begin a fantastical journey with idia.
“put that down! you’ll hurt yourself with that.” he says worriedly as he watches you damage your avatar's HP bar this early in gameplay. usually he gets really annoyed when he plays with noobs and normies; they stink at comprehending basic knowledge, do dumb things in-game, ask too many questions, and ruin the whole gameplay experience for him. 'ugh, how annoying.' is his usual reaction to such—of course he wouldn't think of that towards you! never ever would he ever think this way towards you; even if you do things noobs and normies usually do, he can't bring himself to be annoyed—you were too cute in his eyes. he would never admit this to your face, though, and he still gets red just at the thought of him thinking you are cute. It's true though; don't get him wrong, but... the embarrassment that comes with thinking about these thoughts is just too much for his poor little heart! honestly, he's for sure that one day you'll be the death of him, does he care though? not really; in fact, he would probably love that.
(he blushes so hard whenever he thinks of you in his clothes; it's the way your natural scent clings onto his shirts, the way his shirts made you even cuter than you already are—one of the only reasons he doesn't wash his clothes immediately because he wants to savor your smell to memory. he's a creep, yes, but he's one devoted creep.)
"whoops! sorry didn't see that, haha..." nervously laughing at your mistake, you eat whatever consumable you have in your inventory to try and restore as much health as you lost. as your avatar munches on the food in its hand, from the corner of your screen, you can see idia's avatar walking towards you. once it's near enough to your avatar, you can see the animation of a bunch of items being dropped and your inventory picking up due to the proximity between the items and your avatar. you opened your inventory, curious about what he just gave you since it looked like quite a lot of items, and confused about why he was giving you so many items in the first place. your eyes widen in shock as the items he's given you are one stack of steak, every weapon in-game (sword, axe, pickaxe, shovel, hoe), but in steel, and a full set of steel armor.
your mouth continues to gape open as you put on the armor set on your avatar. how did he get so much stuff this fast? it hasn't even been an hour yet! "where.. did you get so much stuff!?" you ask naively, following idia around as you don't want to get lost, die, and lose all your stuff. "stole half of those from villages, some from mining, and a few from trading" he says so casually as he continues to walk in an unknown direction, like this was a regular thing for him, not to mention this was a hard difficulty! he's playing this game like it's not easy mode! "could've gotten more if it weren't for those stingy mobs..." furrowing his eyebrows, he let out a small huff of frustration, pressing slightly harder on the buttons on his controller, not noticing how your mouth dropped down even further at his passing comment. as she presses on, walking in an unknown direction, you're hit with the hundredth reminder that he's on a whole other level than you when it comes to gaming.
three hours in, and you guys decided to play on public servers, where you'll get to play different game modes other than the usual story and survival modes. once the two of you picked a game to play, the room quickly filled with laughter, shouting, incoherent grumbling, screams of terror, and many more in between. you two decided to save a team game as last since idia wasn't enthusiastic about playing together with other players because he just wanted to play with you, and there was an underlying fear that you would encounter toxic teammates. but since you were practically begging him to just try it at least once, he couldn't help but give in to your pleas.
it was fun, he supposed. it wasn't as annoying or infuriating as he thought it would be, but he still had to keep up not making really snarky remarks when certain players were interacting with you. he'd hate to have you see such a mean, ugly, and disgusting side of him. other than that, it was an okay experience. he thinks it would've been better if it was just him and you on a team; wouldn't it be kind of romantic? you and him against everyone else?
then what he feared most would happen actually happened. suddenly some fucking jerk is screaming insults at you for not being good enough, and before that teammate got two more words in, he exploded on them. curses upon curses spit out his mouth in rapid speed, and the voices of that said teammate slowly but surely die down as their ego and pride go down with them. in the midst of anger and chaos between him and the teammate, you could feel tears building up inside you; everything around you started to blur, and the sounds that filled your ears were starting to get tuned out. you couldn't even hear that idia stopped screaming curses, turned off both PCs, and went to take the controller from your hand, lift you up into his lap, and slowly wrap his arms around you.
once he had you fully in his grasp, he tightened his grip, making sure not to let you get away from him. he wasn't good at words, especially when trying to comfort someone, but seeing you cry was making him cry too. he did, after all, swear to always be with you when you cry. raising one of his hands, he placed it at the back of your head and gently pushed towards his neck. then his hand went down to rub your back, up and down, up and down, at a slow pace. letting you cry it all out in peace while also letting you know he's there with you.
a few minutes have passed, and your sobs have gone silent. your eyes have become droopy and sleepy, and it feels almost impossible to keep them open. suddenly, a hand lifts your chin, and you feel a pair of lips come into contact with your forehead. it wasn't like a quick kiss; no, the kiss lasted for at least a few seconds before pulling away. even then, upon pulling away, you feel another kiss on your cheek, this time a little quicker than the forehead kiss. then another kiss on your other cheek, then another on your nose, another on your jawline, another on your earlobes, and finally, his lips hovered over your own lips.
you could feel the hesitation when he let out a nervous breath; the thought of your lips on his always sends him into an electrifying and drunken daze. he can't think straight when he's this close to you, but even then, it gives him an unusual feeling of contentment and confidence. the luck he has to be able to snag such an adorable, cute, amazing, and beautiful person like you in his life. he almost can't believe it. swallowing his own nervousness for your comfort, he presses against your soft lips delicately. soon after making physical contact with your lips, he feels a smile form on your face—a small smile, yet it was enough for him. any smile from you is enough for him, because seeing you happy is the best view he could ever lay his eyes on.
feeling out of breath, he's the first to let go but also the first to frown at the loss of touch. i want to stay like this forever, he thought as he watched you emit a giggle after the kiss. fire burns brightly in his heart, and he starts to wonder if you being the death of him will really come true. his cheeks burn that ever-warm red that he knows you've seen many, many times before, but he can't help it. when you pull him into a world through rose-tinted glasses, no way could he be immune to such an effect.
"i really can’t take it when you cry like that… smile for me, alright? you’re so pretty when you smile."
•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅• •❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•
PLEASE DO NOT COPY, REPOST, SHARE, TRANSLATE OR REUPLOAD ANY OF MY WORKS TO OTHER SITES WITHOUT MY PERMISSION + REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.
#event💌#200 followers💌#200 followers event💌#Yandere event💌#200 followers yandere event💌#Yandere twisted wonderland#Yandere twst#Twisted wonderland#Twst#Yandere twisted wonderland x reader#Yandere twst x reader#Twisted wonderland x reader#Twst x reader#Twisted wonderland Idia Shroud#Yandere twisted wonderland Idia Shroud#Twst Idia shroud#Yandere twst Idia Shroud#Twisted wonderland Idia Shroud x reader#Yandere twisted wonderland Idia Shroud x reader#Twst Idia Shrouad x reader#Yandere twst Idia Shroud x reader#Idia Shroud x reader#Idia x reader#Yandere Idia Shroud x reader#Yandere Idia x reader#┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Yandere#⭒❃.✮:▹One-shot#gender neutral reader
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Redeemers: Greenest in Flames! Part 3
Narration: *The tunnels below Greenrest is dark, damp, and filled with the echoes of skittering rats. The walls are cracked, covered in moss, and cobwebs hang from the ceiling. Jaune leads Cinder and Neo with the help of a torch, shining light on the ground to reveal any rats for either Cinder to lob a firebolt or Neo to shoot with her hand crossbow.*
Cinder: …You know, after running through a town under siege from masked men and a dragon, this would have been the last thing I thought I’d have had to do today.
Jaune: *Awkwardly chuckles* It’s certainly a change of pace, isn’t it? But hey, if it’s a job that needs doing, we gotta do it.
Cinder: *Rolls her eyes* There’s hardly any rodents around this tunnel to even warrant a “rat problem". I’m sure the fleeing refugees that are going to be running through this tunnel are not going to be too picky about a few rats.
Neo: *Is silently counting each rat she sees. With each kill, she casts an illusionary sound of a bell.* Ding... Ding…
Jaune: Well think about it this way, the real goal here is to secure the tunnel, investigate the secret entrance, and make sure it's safe for us and the villagers. Killing the rats is more of a side objective to make sure that they don’t bite someone and spread a plague in the keep.
Cinder: Fine, I’ll admit there’s importance to this task. But only if you admit that it’s bullshit that we are the ones doing it and not the guards.
Neo: *Casts Minor Illusion to conjure a voice.* “You’re just upset that I’m getting more kills than you.”
Cinder: By all means, the title of “Rat Queen” is all yours.
Neo: *Sticks her tongue out as she nails another rat.* Ding.
Cinder: Anyway, now that we have a lull in excitement, how about we take this time to become better acquainted? Seeing as the possibility of us all dying together has risen significantly.
Jaune: Grim way of pitching it, but sure. What would you like to know?
Cinder: Well , what made you want to become a paladin? No offense, but you seem a little… “too sweet,” for this kind of work.
Jaune: Oh, I guess you can say that’s because my dad is a paladin. And so was my grandpa. And my great grandpa. And my great-great grandpa…
Neo: *Conjures Minor Illusion* “Does every man in your family have to be a paladin or something?”
Jaune: N-No, not really. It’s not like it’s a mandatory thing. It just sort of made sense. I wanted to help people, and paladins help people. *Laughs bashfully* I know, I know it's a boring answer. But I can't put it any other way other than... I like to do it. It's my calling.
Cinder: Gods, you really are “sickly sweet.”
Neo: *Gags mockingly*
Jaune: *Blushes* W-Well what about you? What made you want to worship… Satan?
Cinder: *Huffs* I don’t worship Satan, Boy. I am a servant of the demonette, Lilistor. She’s an up and comer, and has gained quite the following since I came along. As for how I came to be in her employ… let’s just say I wasn’t in the position to be too choosy with how I survived. Lilistor was there when I had nothing else… *A brief moment of silence.* Enough about me, what about you Neo? What made you into the career criminal you are today?
Neo: *Shrugs before casting minor illusion* Because stealing is fun. *Fires off another bolt that sticks a rat in the rear, causing it to squeak and immediately limp into a hole in a nearby barricaded passage. Neo looks annoyed and crawls over to the hole to reach in to try and grab the rat. All of sudden she hisses in pain and yanks her arm back out, shaking her bitten hand.*
Jaune: Neo! You ok? *Goes over and checks her finger*
Neo: *Pouts with a single tear in her eye, glares at Jaune and then points demandingly at the barricaded passage.*
Jaune: Sure, I think I get it. Hold this a second. *Jaune hands her the torch and puts both hands on either side of the passage before rearing a single swift kick into the rotten wood to make a much bigger hole.*
Narration: In the dim light of the torch, a single rat lies still, with an arrow piercing its rear end. The black shadows behind it dance and twitch with the glow of hundreds - maybe even thousands - of bright red eyes, each pair of them a pinprick of glowing malice within the darkness.
Jaune: …Uh oh.
Neo: *Unable to scream, did the very next best thing, dropping her torch and jumping into Jaune’s arms like a cat running up a tree.*
Rat Swarm: *Start surging out in a wave of vermin bodies, immediately engulfing the torch and making towards Jaune’s armored boots.* Squeaksqueaksqueaksqueak!
Jaune: *Back pedaling frantically towards Cinder* C-C-C-CINDERRRR!
Cinder: *Stares in shock for only a moment before snarling and pushing past Jaune and Neo and holding out her arm* Burning Hands!
Narration: The dark tunnel suddenly fills with flames. The sound of roaring fire and death squeal of hundreds of rats were deafening. The smell of smoke and burnt hair was overwhelming. The heat of the hellish power was scorching. After a few seconds, the fire from Cinder’s hand stopped coming forth, leaving the only light in the tunnel to be the pile of small burning carcasses.
Cinder: *Slightly out of breath* Alright, so maybe there really was a “rat problem.” You two alright?
Jaune/Neo:
Jaune: Y-Yeah. Good job. Guess all that leaves is to check the entrance. *Goes to put Neo down before suddenly being choked.*
Neo: *Holding onto Jaune’s neck like a vice, conjuring another auditory illusion.* “If you think I’m stepping on this ground after that, you have another thing coming. Carry me.
Narration: Jaune, Neo, and Cinder make their way to the end of the tunnel and find the locked grate. It’s worn and rusted, but it should be able to open with a good twist of a key or a hard knock. They can peer outside through the grating to see some overgrown foliage and the night sky.
Cinder: Hear anything?
Neo: *Shakes her head.*
Jaune: Looks like the raiders haven’t found this entrance yet. That’s good.
Cinder: *Seems pleased.* That’s very good. Now all we have to do is head back-
Bell Toll: RING. RING. RING. RING.
Cinder: What is that?
Jaune: …That’s a church bell. Something is wrong. We have to hurry back to the keep!
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
The Party: *The party meets back together at the highest parapet of the keep with Governor Nighthill, who is currently looking off towards the sound of the ringing bell in town.*
Adam: What is it? Reinforcements?
Neon: Ours or theirs?
Nighthill: No. That’s the bell of the Temple of Chauntea. It must be villagers calling for help!
May: *Pulls out a periscope* I see a group of invaders surrounding it. It looks like they have a battering ram.
Jaune: We have to help them. Governor, we just secured the tunnel. What’s the fastest route to the Temple?
Nighthill: The river winds right behind the church. Follow the water and into the surrounding treeline, you should be unnoticed. Quickly, form a rescue team and get there as soon as you can!
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hi! i'm actually really interested in the "is cait sith reeve" debate and was fascinated by your post since you firmly believe cait sith is his own person.
i'm playing through dirge right now so i can't comment fully on what transpires there, but based on rebirth alone i'm having trouble believing cait sith isn't controlled by him. i know your post said rebirth excluded a scene that made it clear cait sith is his own person, but I'm not sure what you're referring to exactly. The only thing I can think of is the original game, where Cait Sith sacrifices himself and says not to forget him even if another Cait Sith comes along...which is a good point, though one could potentially argue that Reeve is just sentimental.
Anyway, what I want to know is: if Cait Sith has a personality separate from Reeve and can move independently while Reeve is busy, then why does Cait Sith repeatedly go offline in Rebirth while Reeve is busy? This is the main argument I see and one of my favorites, so I think answering that could help your own. The only arguments I can think up are either that the devs wanted to give players clear hints that Reeve controls Cait Sith, or that he wants to make sure he's monitoring Cait Sith when the cat interacts with the party. But besides that, Cait Sith really doesn't act like a different person. Sure, he has an accent and is silly, but he doesn't make any comment whatsoever (as far as I know) that indicates he isn't Reeve himself. In fact, the party treats Cait Sith and the Shinra employee controlling him as the same person, and Cait Sith doesn't attempt to rebuke it. (Outside of maybe lying that he's a mere amusement park attraction?)
i do admit, if dirge seriously contradicts this interpretation, it's weird for the devs to go against it...but as someone who once believed cait sith and reeve were separate and changed their mind after rebirth, I just don't think there's enough evidence based on rebirth alone to claim that cait sith is his own person.
on that note, you mentioned cait sith has his own likes and dislikes separate from reeve and i'm actually really curious about that! do you have an example of that? :D It sounds like fun trivia lol (i really like reeve and cait sith...)
anyway thank you for reading till the end! sorry if this is unwelcome
There's a scene in Dirge where Reeve and Cait walk out of the same room together, reacting to one another independently:
Further, Cait Sith only goes into stasis twice in the entirety of Rebirth as far as I can recall? Once at the end of a board meeting that Reeve was active in, but seemingly not for the entirety of the board meeting, as Cait Sith appeared to be mid-conversation and trailed off when Reeve got bad news—this makes sense if he's connected to Cait Sith and has the capacity to control him directly as needed, but not if he had to do so actively 100% of the time. The other time is in Cosmo Canyon, because he's clearly not interested in their woo-woo metaphysical nonsense, and he cites it as taking time to recharge his batteries.
Reeve is still working as Director of Urban Planning during all of this, so I find it super hard to believe that he's spending 99.9999% his time at a computer or mentally controlling and speaking through a doll while also running the department that is trying to put Midgar back together after the plate drop—particularly not since we have official meta stating that he's an Inspire, which I cited in a reblog.
Beyond that, there's this bit in the OG, which Cait Sith says to himself, in an empty room:
There is no explanation for this if Cait Sith is entirely remote controlled. There's no one else here to hear it, no reason for him to express these feelings—or even have feelings in the first place!
In Rebirth it's even more clear, because he expresses physical strain as he's literally holding the Temple up by keeping himself wedged under the platform. He's uncomfortable, he's physically taxed, he's in pain. Again, most of this occurs in an empty room, and would not happen if he was just a toy that Reeve had to control directly like a complex RC car or something.
The concept of likes and dislikes that are independent is less solidly shown in-canon, but they have distinctly different personalities, and Reeve is very clearly not interested in things like prophecies and the Promised Land and all that—he is a scientist at the end of the day, a civil and mechanical engineer—and yet Cait Sith's whole shtick is to tell fortunes! This is also something that he seems to enjoy doing quite a bit, even if he's not very good at it. (He gets better. Kinda.)
Cait Sith is obviously connected to Reeve, but it's equally obvious that he's not analogous. Presumably Cait Sith doesn't care when he's equated to Reeve because he is Reeve's eyes and ears in the field, even when he's not in direct control. The fact that he only really talks about himself as an individual when he's alone kind of implies that he'd rather the others not know, because he doesn't want them to be upset about what's going to happen to him; if he were nothing more than a glorified RC toy, this wouldn't be a concern, because he wouldn't have concerns at all.
#reeve tuesti#cait sith#final fantasy 7#ff7#final fantasy 7 rebirth#ff7rb#ff7r#dirge of cerberus#ff7 rebirth spoilers#fandom ramble#hashtag cait sith is not reeve 2k24
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Lucid Dreamer
Gepard notices that it's been. Quiet lately. Like weirdly quiet. TOO quiet. He hasn't seen Sampo Koski in almost a week, which is about the longest he's ever been absent. And he is NOT worried. He's not! So what if they've been getting along more lately! So what if Gepard sometimes looks for him in his favorite hiding places! So what if he's been dreaming about blue hair and green eyes! It's nothing!!
But they're….strange, these dreams. Gepard doesn't usually remember what he's dreamt. It's out of his mind seconds within waking up. But these stick with him, they won't leave him be, they feel different somehow.
He dreams of Sampo bringing food to the frontlines and eating breakfast in his tent with him. Sampo always sneaks him extras. He dreams of chasing Sampo through the alleyways, Sampo sometimes letting himself be caught, Gepard sometimes catching him, and trying to ignore how it feels more like a game now more than anything else. He even dreams that Sampo tags along with him on one of his few civilian days. Sampo runs errands with him, prattles about inane bullshit while Gepard picks out groceries for the week, drags Gepard into some bakery he's never been to but he thinks Serval mentioned once.
And sometimes, it feels so close to reality, that Gepard half expects to see Sampo, shamelessly swaggering into the frontlines with all the guards' breakfast like his wanted poster wasn't only recently taken off the walls of Belobog. He's disappointed when it's always someone else instead. He tells himself his disappointment is ridiculous and if Sampo wants to go prowl around the Snow Plains or wherever he is, then fine. It's not any of his business.
…But it IS his job to investigate any unusual criminal activity relating to the frontlines. And the frontlines are Sampo's usual haunting grounds, and this is unusual activity, and Sampo IS technically a criminal, so it is absolutely part of his duty to look into this - is what Gepard tells himself the entire tram ride down into the Underground.
Natasha tells him he's gone, and Gepard has to steel himself. He knew Sampo made enemies wherever he went, there are a lot of people who would love his head on a platter, but he didn't think-
Natasha corrects him that she means literally gone. As in off-planet. Sampo always leaves her a note before he goes anywhere, so she knows not to expect any supply runs from him. He should be back in exactly two weeks. Thank the Preservation.
Gepard goes back home. He waits.
The uneasiness doesn't leave him.
"Where did you go?" Sampo stops dead in the middle of some story about Seele, and how you'd think someone with as blunt a mouth as her wouldn't have so much trouble asking a woman out, even if that woman IS the Supreme Guardian, and stares at him. He nearly fumbles his cigarette.
"Ahaha, what do you mean, I'm right here?" Sampo smiles at him the same way he always does. Gepard has no idea why he asked. It just popped out. He can never tell when Sampo is lying, anyway.
"I don't know. I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time." Gepard idly mouths at his own cigarette. He almost never smokes, but he wants to ration their stocks of Blizzard Immunity, and it helps with the cold. It's seemed colder lately, for some reason.
Gepard flicks his lighter once, twice, sighs at the third time because a metal prosthetic and thick gloves make the damn things so difficult. Sampo reaches over and wordlessly kisses the end of his cigarette to Gepard's, lighting it. "Thank you."
Nothing happens for almost a full 30 seconds. Something churns behind Gepard's ribcage. Because Sampo never leaves a "thank you" hanging. This is the part where he gives his spiel about how helpful and kind he is and Gepard either brings up how long his rap sheet was before Bronya helped clear his name, or just stares deadpan because seeing Sampo squirm is weirdly satisfying.
"…I'll be back in one more week."
Gepard jolts awake in his cot, mouth dry and eyes bleary.
The hell.
The next dream he has, Sampo looks tired. Sometimes he seems normal. Sometimes he says strange things, like how he wishes he'd gone to some restaurant in Belobog. Ate his favorite food more recently. Brought something with him. Gepard asks why he can't do that now. Where would he bring something? Sampo only shrugs. His rebuttals have less energy.
Gepard doesn't know if he wants to dream more, or less.
He ticks down the days on his calendar. Natasha hasn't told him any different. She promised she would if she got any kind of message. Sampo returns tomorrow, from whatever vacation or seedy business dealings he's been off having. He is not excited about it. He is not looking forward to it. He's not!!
Gepard falls asleep late that night, unable to settle. He dreams again.
He's alone. There are tons of people everywhere, the frontlines are always crowded. But he's alone. They all pass right by him as though he were a ghost. Gepard starts to walk before he realizes his feet are even moving.
He checks the trashcans in the dead end alley. He checks the supply crates that someone always stacks too high because they don't feel like finding more space for them. He pauses to check the soldiers that march past him, watching their footprints in the snow.
He finally finds Sampo on the rooftop along the northernmost wall, the one that looks out over the plains, towards Everwinter Hill, towards where the Stellaron had once been kept. With a full moon and an entire land of white snow, Gepard can almost see clear out to the horizon.
"Found you." Sampo stiffens, and Gepard is almost prepared for him to sprint off the roof. He doesn't. But he doesn't relax either. Gepard sits down next to him and stares out at the wastelands.
"…I fucked up." It wasn't what Gepard had been expecting. Sampo never 'fucks up,' Sampo just gets into incidents that are entirely, supposedly, not his fault and that he just happens to always be within the vicinity of.
"What did you do now?" It must be really bad if Sampo is coming to the Silvermanes for protection.
Instead, Sampo ignores his question completely. "See out over there? Right on the other side of that mountain. There's a safe house that way. It's hidden under a lot of snow and dead trees, but it's there. And in that safe house is a box full of letters. I need you to deliver those letters for me."
Gepard's brow furrows. It's a weird favor to ask. Sampo would never tell anyone where his hidden safehouses were. It defeated the whole purpose of a hidden safe house.
Something is wrong, something is really really wrong.
Gepard turns back to look at him again and startles, all of his questions dying in his throat, because the entire left side of Sampo's head is suddenly matted down, dark and sticky, his skin is dyed red red red-
"In three more months, there's gonna be something big happening." Gepard grabs Sampo's hand and it feels slick and warm against his palm. "I won't be here. So I need you to do my end of things for me." Gepard tries to keep hold, but something is fading, something is slowing, the sun is coming up but the colors are all wrong, everything feels like encroaching fog, Sampo's hand slides right through his. "I was gonna come back with my mask to finish setting the stage, but…" Gepard makes a frantic grab for Sampo's wrist, the air twists, he comes back empty-handed. "They have you. And you're the Iron Wall of Belobog. So it'll be ok."
Gepard finally manages to find his grip, snatches the front of Sampo's dark wet jacket and yanks him forward to hold onto him, and this close up, he can see it better, his colors are bleaching out, leaking outside the lines as if Sampo will become part of the background, as if he's fading into the strange fog that's been closing in on them. His fingers are already starting to feel empty again.
"Wake up."
Gepard jolts awake, uncurls his hands from where they're fisted in the blanket, scrubs the dampness off his face. Breathes. Breathes. Breathes. Today is supposed to be the day.
He throws on his civilian clothes, and he goes down to the shipyard the IPC had built. He finds a spot where he can see every person that returns to Belobog, and he waits.
And he waits and he waits and he waits.
No one he recognizes appears.
#sampard#gepo#hsr gepard#hsr sampo#gepard landau#sampo koski#honkai star rail#hsr#blood#there was more to this but it didn't feel right included here so part 2 tomorrow maybe?#I just think Penacony being the land of dreams presents some FASCINATING possibilities like showing up in other people's dreams#the end of masquerade duet killed me just beat me dead#Sampo going through all this trouble just to protect Belobog...#poor Ray got such an earful that night haha#In the Penacony dreamscape someone can change their appearance however they want but I think in this case where one of the dreamers AREN'T-#-on Penacony it would take more concentration to keep that illusion up#and if someone were say. hurt and badly bleeding. it would start to fall apart eventually as they lost their concentration.#but oh my heart#Sampo being away and missing Belobog so badly he shows up in his friends' dreams just to do the same mundane shit they always do...#He probably showed up to everyone#he sat around and kept Natasha company in her clinic. he pestered Seele until he provoked her into asking Bronya on a date.#he played one last song with Pela and Serval. he told them he'd always kept his old bass guitar.#he took Hook out on one last joyride on his scooter and he even let her sit up front and steer like she'd always wanted.#and he stood around to shoot the shit with Gepard#he got to go do things like run domestic errands together with him. as if they could have been something more than what they were at the en#it was nice to get the chance to do all that#it was nice
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tickle socks 🧦🎀
Lee Felix
Ler Minho
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Minho found a pair of tickle socks on a website and finding it very fascinating for his collection he decided to get it and he thought about who he should use it on first…
His target was Felix since the sunshine boys feet are very sensitive to about anything.
A week goes by and the socks are here and while Felix was out Minho went into his room and slipped the socks into his drawer and waited for Felix to put them on at some point.
Now…how exactly did the sock work?…
Well first the person has the put the socks on and it came with a remote…the socks will lock when the said remote lock button is pressed and it will send off a ticklish like vibration.
Later that day Felix had finished washing up and etc and he looks in his sock drawer when he saw the light pink socks to which he didn’t recall having them there but he was just tired and didn’t care at the moment so he put them on, he had no idea what was coming to him.
Minho then came in.
“Hyung? What is it”
“Lix you see…I gifted you those socks for a reason”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll show you lay on the bed”
Felix being confused he layed on the bed and Minho tied his wrists together with ties and Felix got even more confused and worried.
“Hyung why are you tying my wrists together what is going on??”
Minho gave Felix a soft smile before speaking
“Don’t worry it will be over soon~”
Now Minhos words had Felix scared and confused until Minho pulls out a small remote and he gently says “do you wanna know what those socks do they do something very special”
Minho clicked the button and Felix immediately felt a ticklish shock on his feet
“AH! WAIHAIT-HYUNGAHAHAH”
“Keep laughing sunshine~”
“NOHOHO STOTOP-“
Felix desperately tried freeing his wrists but he couldn’t all he could do was sit there and let it happen
“PLEASE NAHAHAHA AhahaHAHAAHA”
“Minho then gets in the bed and lays Felix on his chest and just casually cuddles the poor boy as if he wasn’t being tortured right now”
“Gosh your too cute it makes me want to this longer”
“STOHOP NOHOHO ITS TOHOHO MUCH”
To make things worse Minho started nuzzling his nose into the sunshine’s neck making Felix squeal
“HAHAHAHA HYUNG STOHOHP NOHOHO I CANT”
“How can I when your just so cute keep laughing for me~”
The neck nuzzles and the tickling socks was just too much for Felix to handle tears were streaming down his cheeks as he continued to laugh, Minho turned off the socks not wanting to kill the boy completely but still wasn’t finished yet
“Don’t think I’m done just yet lix~”
He started squeezing the boys sides making Felix scream in laughter again
“HYUNG NOHOHO I CANT HAHAHAHA PLEASE.. Ahahah…”
Felix was tired and was drifting to sleep and Minho stops
“Aww I made you tired”
“Yohuhu almost killed me”
“Awww sorry was I too rough”
“Nohoho it was fine but can you cuddle with me”
“K I wasn’t really planning on moving anyways”
The two slowly fell asleep and jeongin was outside of the door silently running back to his room now realizing Minho has another tickle tool
This is quite short but I’ll get better eventually 💀
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Hera, a Goddess Who Deserved Better:
First of all, hello to everyone still here! GOD it’s been a long time, but you now how it goes life and all that. Anyways on with the discussion and of course…
🚨SPOILERS FOR EP. 273🚨
We see Hera floating in an unconscious state having flashbacks to her time with Zeus and all the while her mother is repeatedly calling her name.
The parallels here are heartbreaking but also cathartic in a way. Hera has had a tough go of it despite being Queen of the gods. Raised to fight a war, torn apart to win said war, and being Queen of The Gods in exchange for being married to perhaps the most prolific philanderer the world has ever known.
In chapter 119 we see her being dissatisfied and frustrated with what her life has come to, feeling that she had so much potential and purpose in her younger years, only to be stifled (literally and figuratively) following the war and her marriage to Zeus.
It’s been speculated amongst the community that Hera had been the next fertility goddess before Persephone and to see that vindicated in this way in her declaration to Kronos was more than gratifying to see. I especially loved the parallels between the opening scenes of Episode 119 and this one:
It was stunning and meaningful
Also there’s more of a sense of finality to Hera’s separation to Zeus following the revelation. He paints it as protecting Hera but as always his true motivations are put into doubt.
Given his insistence on wanting to know if she loved him, it’s likely he knew from his experiences with her mother, that some kind of love based connection was necessary. And like the men in his line decided to use that connection for his own means. War or no war him withholding the truth from her and siphoning her power is enough to brand him in my opinion. And unknowingly Hera was in turn made to feel as if she needed to limit herself and power as to placate him and make him feel ‘safe’ (again Episode 119):
I could definitely be wrong, but with all this information I can’t really see a formal reconciliation between the two. And after that cute kiss with Echo as well as that somber goodbye to a comatose Zeus… I can’t see her being around him anymore in any capacity.
What’s even more heartbreaking is the words of the old harpy to Demeter back in Episode 264. When she declares Persephone the Fertility Goddess of her generation, she also states that the one in Demeter’s generation was sapped of her power before she even had a chance to fully come into them.
Zeus literally stole her youth and power from her for his own gain… god I need a minute. And his b.s about ‘keeping everyone safe’ despite his promise to Métis who wanted Hera to finally be free… is it bad I want Hera to beat him down? That may be too much to ask for.
She literally had no time or chance to discover herself and potential before she was basically stuck with Zeus and her role as Queen and goddess of marriage. While she is adept at her role and enjoys some aspect of being royalty, I can’t help but wonder what her life would be if she had her own choice? If the war had ended and she was more detached from Zeus, what would her world and future look like through her own eyes and merit?
No wonder she was so protective of Persephone, they are one and the same. I’ve always expressed that they are two sides of the same coin with Hera trying to prevent Persephone from falling into her same path that was marred with unhappiness and limited choices.
So the remaining questions seems to be what will be next for her? Past the confrontation with Kronos I’m wondering what she’ll do now know her full potential and being practically reborn? Will she return to her Queen of the gods role or will she just do her own thing for a while? But before we get there of course, her battle with Kronos is going to take center stage for the time being. While Persephone’s power/fight involved mostly nature given her ‘nature’ I wonder if Hera’s will be the same? Or with the star/space imagery will it be more space based somehow?? I’m not sure but I guess we’ll see in the next episode!
Until next time y’all! ✨
#lore olympus#lo persephone#my post#lore olympus webcomic#lore olympus zeus#lore olympus hera#lore Olympus spoilers
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Snippets of the Travis Stoll fic because i need motivation:
“I’m mature because you left me to take care of an entire cabin of people when I was twelve.” Travis rubs his arms self-consciously. “I had to grow up. Kids would die if I didn’t.”
~~
Travis Stoll loses his virginity when he is twelve years to a sixteen year old daughter of Demeter on the grass behind the Ares cabin, and honestly, he wishes that their landmines had blown him up.
He is twelve years old and a counselor now, and Tammy is in charge of the camp store.
He's counselor now. The children shivering on the floor of cabin eleven, they're his responsibility.
But he doesn't have enough money for blankets and toiletries, and Tammy-- Tammy tells him that if he comes with her and does what she asks, she'll give both of them to him for free, so he does.
He goes with her.
He's twelve years old. He knows what rape is. Knows this isn't it, because he consented, right?
(Wrong.)
~~
Travis’ leg is bouncing up and down. It’s a bit rhythmatic, and calming, if anything could be considered calm. He’s tense, and stiff, and the sound makes him wince every once in a while, when he forgets it’s his leg that’s tapping on the cool flooring, and not someone else’s winding footsteps. Malcolm would just pop! Into existance, scaring the shit out of Travis, but at least letting him know it wasn’t someone else, but… Travis doesn’t want Cecil, or Connor, -or anyone else really- to see him like this.
Not now, when they’re all so scared- when he’s so scared.
~~
“Come on,” Travis fake whines at one point in an attempt to forget everything, “Drop the illusion! Become your true self!” He pouts, as Malcolm continues to ignore him, typing something without looking, at a speed that most would probably consider fast. “Your authentic identity! Drop all pretences in a society that worships fakeness! Embrace your realist inner spirit! Should I go on?”
Malcolm sighs, and while he rolls his eyes, he mutters, “You’ve been spending too much time in Cabin Ten.”
“Have not,” Travis scoffs.
“Have so,” but he shifts anyway, ceasing the- admittedly childish- argument (which was not cool, thank you very much, some of us have bad and annoying coping methods, Malcolm-), the short blond hair shifting to a slightly longer, curlier brown, and the grey eyes turning green.
It didn’t change much, really- Malcolm was still incredibly short- seriously, 5’2?- but Malcolm now had two bandages around his mouth and nose which were slightly wrinkled due to his mouth being shut.
Travis assumed Connor put them on. Malcolm often didn’t bother with bandages, and Drew was more clinical in her approach. It didn’t matter, really, except it made Travis wonder if Malcolm was missing them. His friends. His friends Travis has taken from-
Malcolm nudges him, whispering, “Hey. You alright?”
Travis opens his mouth to respond, but the only thing to come out is a strangled sigh.
~~
Travis is prone to wandering. He thinks it might be a Hermes kid thing, the reasoning spread somewhere in between the cabin being so incredibly small that you share bunks and sleep on the floor, and that if you ever have to go to the bathroom in the night, chances are the entire cabin knows about it because they either get stepped on, or move, or the fact that Hermes is the god of travel.
Travis doesn’t really like either explanation- he was selfish like that, wanting one thing to himself, just one thing, but, well. He was counselor, wasn’t he. Chiron always said, counselors have to share, counselors have to–
Why isn’t he allowed to be selfish?
~~
Travis started in on the waffle fries, drizzling them with syrup first.
“You know they’re called waffle fries,” Malcolm pointed out, looking slightly disgusted, “because of the shape, not because they’re actually made of waffles.”
“Don’t limit me.”
“It’s another cabin eleven thing, isn’t it?”
“Camp thing, really. Surprised you haven’t noticed yet- you’ve been here, what, two years now?”
“It’s not like I often go to the dining pavilion,” Malcolm retorted, and Travis gives a Cheshire Cat grin at the opening Malcolm has given him.
“So you admit you never eat? Cause you know what that sounds li-”
“I do not have an eating disorder, I simply prefer eating in the kitchen before everyone else.”
“So what problem did this come from- ooh, wait no, let me guess- it is because,” Travis waved his arms for dramatic affect, “you were having too many sensory overloads so you got permission to eat in the kitchens, come on, Mr. Pace, congratulate me!” Travis half bowed in his seat, but Malcolm didn’t seem to notice, staring at his own hands a moment too long.
“Hey,” Travis tries. “You okay?”
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dreamies as your disney world boyfriend
pairing ▸ dreamies x reader
author's note ▸ i am working on the SERIES I PROMISE GUYS... it's just quite long... oops. i needed to channel my inner disney for inspiration for this sorry. the prompt seemed to make more sense in my head so i guess it's just, 'dreamies at disney' now lol. ALSO SOME DISNEY TERMINOLOGY in there i apologize. should make sense but if it's confusing ask me lmfaooo
mark lee
photographer boyfriend obviously
doesn’t even complain about how many photos you want to take
is actually dying inside but hides it away with dad jokes to cope with the pain
“it’s not even noon yet and dis-knees are killing me bro”
will only complain about the heat
“It’s like we’re on the surface on the sun dude… like satan’s armpit. that’s crazzzzyy.”
you couldn’t help but laugh
but then he just KEPT GOING
“it’s like we’re in the inside of a mouth… there are things sticking to things that-”
and you cut him off right there.
can’t help the fact that bro is a D1 yapper.
will not wear mickey ears though no matter how much you beg him to :(
favorite ride: slinky dog dash
least favorite ride: dumbo
huang renjun
the boyfriend that actually disney bounds with you
so y’all are disney bounding as nick wilde and judy hopps from zootopia (renjun’s idea)
chenle took him to shanghai disney once, so he’s a big fan of duffy and friends
oh how disappointed he was when he realized that the mascots don’t exist in WDW
“preferred parking? i would prefer parking to be free, thank you very much.”
mood is very sour upon entering
“i know you’re cold but i did tell you to bring a jacket.” rude.
however once you two start collecting your first character signature he’s locked in
somehow more excited to meet the characters than the kids are? (ur 24. reality check!)
he gets more into it as the day goes on
YOU BET HE’S WEARING THE MICKEY EARS.
although he already had fox ears on to begin with anyways
favorite ride: mickey & minnie’s runaway railway
least favorite ride: seven dwarfs mine train (it was too short)
lee jeno
foodie boyfriend
wants a turkey leg like really badly
“that guy has a turkey leg… sir- um sir- where did you get that turkey leg”
you have to bribe this man with food.
which honestly is okay by you because you just wanna take photos of the food.
"yknow with this ride being 50 years old, you'd think they could've made the boats a little bigger. have to man spread now"
whatever you’re thinking of, that’s literally not what he meant.
he’s an innocent lil guy. (seriously, it just came out wrong.)
holds ur hand on all rides.
let’s you grab onto his muscles arms while you are nervous on the thrill rides
no mickey ears though. (it’s the bow that always throws them off)
favorite ride: rise of the resistance
least favorite ride: teacups
lee haechan
out of pocket boyfriend who will not stfu
“bambi’s the only movie i really couldn’t watch… i could not be as strong as bambi”
after you give him the, “wtf” look he just continues. on.
“cause if my mom died well… there goes my friend group.”
will randomly start singing disney songs in the middle of waiting for a ride.
in those show/ride/attractions he’s the only one clapping and screaming.
especially true for the beauty and the beast sing-a-long attraction, cause yknow he’s gonna scream his lungs out.
yeah he’ll wear mickey ears, but you bought him a goofy hat instead. It was more fitting.
“can’t believe disney made a character after me… should i sue?”
also complains a lot. way too much.
“EPCOT? more like every person comes out tired.”
favorite ride: pirates of the caribbean (he kept making a booty joke over and over again)
least favorite ride: toy story midway mania (bc he lost)
na jaemin
hardcore boyfriend photographer (pt 2) + ‘mom’ boyfriend
man knows all your best angles and where to take photos
“picture, picture over here… yes yes right… in front of the castle angel. oh that’s so pretty… in… in… down… up… okay! smile!”
you two spend like half the day taking photos, jaemin needs to show off his gf ofc.
cares for you the whole entire day, makes sure you drink enough water
aggressively refills your waterbottles every second he gets.
“when it doubt, chug it out! (queue jaemin chugging his own bottle)
he unfortunately will not wear mickey ears. (jaemin i believed in you.)
he’s not the one being taken photos of, so no mickey ears for him.
“princess i don’t wanna hear it. the humidity is good for you. this is like nature’s pore declogging.”
favorite ride: frozen ever after
least favorite ride: none (bc he did everything with u <3)
zhong chenle
in between buying you everything and calling everything too expensive boyfriend
HOW THE FUCK DID HE GET A MEMBERSHIP WITH CLUB 33.
this man pulls you into that sus green building on main street, and your jaw drops.
club 33, is an exclusive, membership only restaurant at disney. it’s like an elite society filled with rich upper class, but at disney. (never been inside not sure how to describe it but oh boy is membership expensive.) the waitlist got so long in 2007, they closed it for 5 years. look it up on wikipedia disney lore goes hard
“i just asked a couple of friends, and they recommended me this place.” boy.
you’re panicking because you’re severely underdressed. (you’re in a jessie costume.)
he reassures you, since you’re at disney, and being dressed like this is normal.
once u have one of the most expensive meals of ur life, chenle drags u to every single thrill ride.
he also buys you a balloon and a bubble wand <3
but for some reason when you arrive at the gift shop he realizes he’s spent a lot.
“okay enough gift shop. look away from the gift shop. this vacation already has us in poverty.”
AND BRO ACTS LIKE THIS THE WHOLE TRIP IM NOT KIDDING.
he’ll buy you a nice meal at one of the restaurants and then…
“we’re not getting churros they’re 5 dollars.”
no mickey ears either why do you even ask
“next time i’ll take u to shanghai, it’s better okay?”
favorite ride: tower of terror
least favorite ride: it’s a small world after all
park jisung
anti-disney everything boyfriend
gets frustrated at everything. cannot read the map.
when he goes on small world…
he severely questions his mental sanity. like actually guys i think he needs help.
“this ride is for kids.”
the ride in question: the barnstormer! a 40 second kiddie roller coaster that has top speeds of up to 25mph!
literally jisung’s 13 reason.
he was screaming his little heart out poor baby.
“I’m not wearing those. Stop.” you do not stop. “Take these off of me right now.”
he wears the ears for half of the day though so a win is a win.
“we’re going to the other park? we’re not going home? there’s 3 more??????”
favorite ride: none
least favorite ride: all
#nct dream#nct imagines#nct dream fic#nct fic#nct#nct dream imagine#nct x reader#nct dream scenarios#nct scenarios#nct mark#nct jeno#nct renjun#nct jaemin#nct haechan#nct chenle#nct jisung#mark lee#lee donghyuck#lee jeno#park jisung#na jaemin#huang renjun#zhong chenle#chenle#renjun#jisung#jeno#haechan#jaemin#nct dream drabbles
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#xue yang#xiao xingchen#yi city#song jiyang#cqledit#cql#the untamed#the untamed edit#mdzs#gif#Liam's stuff#Liam whispers into the void#was actually working on another gifset but accidentally made this..??#idk i just saw the potential and ran for it without thinking too much of it lol#i *guess* i could've made it better but lbr it's just a very spontaneous self-indulgent gif i didn't (for ONCE) put too much time into#so here it goes. now that i made it anyway#oh and lmk if it requires any cws! cuz like... it IS a little bit horrorish perhaps but tbh i'm not sure if it warrants the tag#anyway. this was fun!#now just gotta ugh finish the gifset(s) i was actually working on#and get back to regularly refilling my queue. which for me is for some reason more tricky than it really needs to be. but WELL#cw blood#cw flashing gif
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