#Fantasy au-ish?
Text
Girl Of His Dreams (03)
Pairing: Fuckboi! Jungkook x Reader
Au: Strangers to Lovers au
Genre: Angst, fluff, smut (eventually)
Rating: 18+
Word count: 9.5K
Summary: You think Jungkook is the utter definition of beauty. Jungkook thinks you’re cute but just not his type. Throw a magic ring into the equation, that makes you look like the girl of his dreams and you have the perfect recipe for heartbreak and tears.
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
The pinging sound of your phone distracts you from your assignment. You put your pen down and look at your mobile screen to notice an incoming text message from Jungkook.
Jungkook: hey
You: hello
Jungkook: free for a chat?
Technically, you aren't.
You have assignments to complete and modules that need to be studied. It only makes sense for you to tell him that you're busy but then there's a part of you that's curious as to what Jungkook might have to say. Plus, you doubt you'd be able to focus on your assignment now, even if you try to. Your mind will keep going back to Jungkook and you will keep wondering if what he had to say was something important.
It's better you quench your curiosity and then get back to work as that will be more productive.
You: yeah sure
You: what's up?
Jungkook: nothing much
Jungkook: just wanted to talk to you :)
Jungkook: but firstly, i gotta ask, did you enjoy meeting Jimin and Taehyung today?
You: ofc I did!
You didn't.
It wasn't nice to be the unattractive one in a room full of attractive people. It wasn't nice to get judgemental looks from Jimin. It wasn't nice to watch Taehyung walk gracefully and realise how incompatible you're. But needless to say, you can't say all that to Jungkook.
Jungkook: well i'm glad
Jungkook: i look forward to our next practice session
You: me too!
A lie.
You chew on your lower lip as a thought occurs to you.
You: btw when is it?
Jungkook: I'm not sure
Jungkook: but most likely next week
Relief courses through your veins, at that. You'd at least get the time to prepare yourself.
You: works fine
Jungkook: we could meet sometime before that if you'd like?
You: for the competition?
You: like to discuss something about it?
Jungkook: nah
Jungkook: just to meet and get to know each other better ;)
Your stomach sinks at what he could possibly mean. But you try your best to not come to any conclusions, although the little wink at the end of his text makes it incredibly difficult for you to do so.
You: is this for anything in particular?
You: i'm asking because i'll have to check my schedule and make time accordingly
Jungkook: nothing in particular really
Jungkook: well we could maybe just go to a restaurant
Jungkook: eat and chat ;)
Uh oh. This definitely sounds like a date.
But you still refuse to come to a conclusion and decide to ask him directly.
You: tell me if I'm wrong but this is sounding like a date 🤔
Jungkook: well then maybe it is 😏
When you read the text that confirms your suspicions, you sigh.
You're aware that Jungkook thinks you're his dream partner. With that awareness comes the understanding that sooner or later he'd have asked you out on a date. Although to be fair, you didn't think it would be this soon. You thought you had more time before you had to face the consequences of your actions.
But then it's Jungkook. He does have this aura about him which gives off the impression that he just goes after what he wants, irrespective of the pace the rest of the world is accustomed to.
However, you don't feel excited at the thought of going on a date with him. If anything, it is making you feel guilty.
One month. Just one month. It's not permanent. The moment you remove the ring, Jungkook will stop seeing you as his ideal partner. Everything will go back to normal.
You repeat the words in your head like a mantra until you feel some of the guilt subside.
You: well then
You: it's a date
Jungkook: great!
Jungkook: are you free tomorrow? After the classes get over?
You: yeah, I am
Jungkook: great I'll come to pick you up
Jungkook: wear something nice for me 😉
Jungkook: oh also, what kind of food do you prefer?
Jungkook: Italian? Mexican? Chinese?
You: anything works for me
Jungkook: well that answer won't do :(
You: umm well then Italian sounds great!
Jungkook: done 👍
Wow.
You stare at your screen blankly as the whole conversation sinks in.
Looks like you are going on a date with Jungkook. That too tomorrow.
"I don't understand who made him a professor," Brie grumbles, looking done with everything.
"Trust me everyone in the class has the same question," you murmur, feeling a mix of amusement, frustration and annoyance.
The professor in question is Mr. Reymond, who writes whatever he has to, on board, while talking and explaining it to himself. Once done, he will ask the class if they have understood or not, but hey, he doesn't really care. Hence, he answers his own question and rubs the board before moving on to the next topic.
"Man, his classes always make me feel sleepy," she yawns. "It's such a pain in the ass to pretend that you're listening to his shit."
"Eh, it's not like he cares," you shrug, noticing the number of people who are busy chatting away, some even occupied with their phones.
Brie notices the same thing and wonders if she could get away with sleeping through the class. "Do you think he would care if we sleep?"
"Try it out, I guess."
"I should give it a try, it would be like a cool experiment," she nods, applauding herself for coming up with something this great. "Now, c'mon close your notebook and put your head down on the table."
You glance at her sideways. "I never said I'm gonna accompany you in your little sleep experiment."
"It's not like copying those notes blankly would do you any benefit." She rolls her eyes and takes the initiative to take your notebook away from you and closes it shut. "Now sleep."
You huff and contemplate. You won't lie, you are really sleepy. You woke up earlier than usual because you had to choose what to wear for today's date. It wasn't an easy decision to make as you had to settle on something that won't look too formal or fancy to attend classes in but at the same time won't look too casual to wear on a date. Ultimately, you squared down to a yellow dress. It's simple yet elegant, which makes it the perfect choice.
But the question in hand is should you give in to your sleepiness? You look at Brie who's looking at you with eyes full of expectations and sigh. A nap is worth it. Who knows maybe you'll wake up looking fresh.
Brie grins at you, satisfied and proud when you put your head down before she does the same.
As it turns out, Mr. Reymond couldn't really care less about his students taking a nap in the middle of the class. Good for both of you, as when the bell rings, you two wake up feeling refreshed and energised.
"Want to go to the nearby cafe?" Brie asks, as she packs her bag up.
"I can't, I have assignments to complete."
That's technically not a lie, you do have assignments that need to be done. However, it's not due to the assignments that you deny accompanying Brie to the cafe. You're supposed to go on your little date with Jungkook and it's only after the date that you'll be able to return to your college work. But you can't tell that to Brie and hence give her the half-truth.
She sighs and mumbles to herself, "I should have guessed that response."
You two head out of the class and you take your phone out with the intention of shooting Jungkook a text to let him know that your classes are done for the day.
"Hey, isn't it that guy?" Brie elbows you and asks in a hushed whisper. "What's his name?"
You furrow your brows, interrupted mid texting and look at Brie in a questioning manner. She motions you to look in a particular direction and your eyes follow hers.
Your mouth parts open in surprise and your steps halt when you realise who it is. "Jungkook."
"Jungkook! Jeon Jungkook! That's what his name is," Brie exclaims, finally feeling satisfied having put the puzzle of his name in place.
You look back at the screen of your phone and delete the words you had typed. Fuck, when Jungkook had said he would be coming to pick you up, you didn't think he meant right in front of your classroom.
"Isn't he a fashion designing student, though? What is he doing here in our building?" Brie asks out loud to no one in particular.
"You know him?" Your ask, your interest suddenly piqued.
"Well duh," she states with an expression as if that should be obvious. "Who doesn't know him? He's famous for being a fuckboy. Wonder what the girls see in him, though."
Well, that makes sense. After all, Jungkook has got quite a reputation for that. "I mean, he's attractive. I think that does it for him," you shrug.
She scoffs in amusement and looks at you in disbelief. "Y/N, please. He's not attractive."
Now, it's you who's looking at her in disbelief. "Are you blind? He's literally one of the most handsome guys I have ever come across."
"Eh, I don't find anything attractive about being a jerk," Brie replies without missing a beat as she looks over to where Jungkook is with eyes full of judgement.
Say whatever anyone wants, there's no changing Brie's mind about the opinion she holds of him. She had seen many girls cry over him and had formed a sense of dislike towards the guy from the very beginning. But it wasn't something personal until Jungkook broke Sana's heart.
Sana, who's a very dear friend of Brie's, is also one of the sweetest and kindest people she has ever met. The audacity Jungkook had playing with Sana's heart had Brie fuming.
She had half the mind to go and punch Jungkook right in his face but somehow managed to hold back her anger. But it wasn't only Jungkook who was on the receiving end of her rage, it was Sana as well.
She simply couldn't understand why Sana would ever expect anything more from Jungkook, despite knowing the kind of reputation he has. Brie did not mean to be that person, but she couldn't help but think that people walking up to him and offering their hearts on a silver plate gave Jungkook the perfect excuse to not own up to the hurt he causes people and say 'they signed up for it'.
However, according to Sana, she had genuinely believed that Jungkook cared for her and liked her enough to not let the relationship be just another casual fling. But of course, she was proved wrong.
Brie had several logical arguments why expecting something more from Jungkook was foolish. But the tears that streamed down Sana's face, had made Brie's heart soften. It made her realise that she did not need to make the points as Sana was most likely telling those things to herself anyway.
Things become messy when despite knowing, that you'll end up getting hurt, you go for it, thinking and believing that it's worth it. When the hurt and pain do catch up, who do you blame? The person who caused it or yourself?
If only Jungkook had a decent bone in his body and knew how to respect people's emotions.
Nevertheless, since that incident, Brie has been holding this resentment towards the boy for making someone like Sana feel this way. She simply can't keep calm every time she thinks about the amount of hurt he causes people and gets away with. Just like that, without any consequences.
Imagine her surprise when she realises that Jungkook; the very same Jungkook she despises, is walking towards the both of you.
The moment you have the same realisation, you look away from him and look down at your feet. You chew on your bottom lip and keep your gaze fixed on the ground, trying to avoid any weird looks you might be getting from the people around.
Jungkook stops in front of you and grins at the way you refuse to look at him. He bends down so that your eyes and his, are at the same level and greets you. "Hey, Y/N."
"Umm hey," you greet back meekly.
He assumes you're feeling shy and the thought makes him oddly satisfied.
"Are you ready for our date?" He queries.
Brie chokes on thin air and starts coughing loudly. "What do you mean by date?"
You look up immediately to answer Brie before Jungkook can but your words get stuck in your throat when you notice the look on Brie's face.
It's that of incredulity.
Her eyes go back and forth between you and Jungkook and it immediately makes you feel the same way you did under Jimin's gaze. You assume that she is most likely thinking the same thing Jimin did; why is Jungkook going on a date with you?
But the fact that it's coming from Brie, makes you more defensive than you were when it came to Jimin.
You almost feel betrayed?
"I think the word 'date' is pretty self-explanatory," you snap, without intending to.
Your sudden defensive stance and stiff body language catches Brie off guard. And before she can ask anything else, you leave the spot and start walking towards the main gate.
Jungkook walks right behind you.
"Who was she?" Jungkook pries once the two of you are out. Although the interaction was short, he could feel how the question asked by the girl caused you visible discomfort.
You take a deep exhale and feel immediate regret for the way you responded to Brie. You don't know why you reacted the way you did. Anyone would think the way Jimin did. Anyone would wonder why someone like Jungkook would take interest in someone like you. So what if Brie is your friend? That doesn't mean that she doesn't have a pair of eyes and common sense. Why did you even think that she would have a different reaction?
"She's Brie," you sigh softly. "She's my friend."
"I see," Jungkook nods, taking the hint that you do not wish to elaborate any further. "Should I call the car then?"
This has you blinking and stops your overthinking. "Car?"
Jungkook winks at you. "You didn't think I'd take you out in an uber, did you?"
Well to be fair, you didn't expect anything in particular. You were too busy stressing about how you should go about things to think about what Jungkook might have planned for the date.
You watch silently as Jungkook types something on his phone and moments later a Mercedes pulls over. You're too much of a noob to guess what the model is but you can tell it's expensive (well, to be fair, all Mercedes cars are).
He quickly walks up to the car and opens the backseat door for you. "Come on, hop in," he urges you, looking excited.
You thank him with a small, unsure smile and get in. Jungkook shuts the door before jogging over to the other side and getting in.
He sits next to you and asks the chauffeur to start the car, having already told him where to go.
However, you have no idea. You're in a car which has three people in it and it's only you who has no clue where you're headed. This doesn't sit right with you and causes your curiosity to spike.
"Where are we going?" You query looking at Jungkook expectantly.
"You will see when we reach there," he replies with a small curve of his lips. "That dress looks really cute on you, by the way. It suits you."
You have never believed any of Jungkook's compliments. You know he only says that because he is viewing you through the rose-coloured glasses the ring has put on him. Hence, every time he gives you these little compliments, you just pretend to accept them with a smile.
But for the first time, it occurs to you, how thoughtless it is of you to not compliment him in return.
Hence your eyes go on a little mission to find something you could compliment him on, knowing full well that there's plenty you could acknowledge and sing praises of.
However, your little mission is proven to be fatal when you get distracted by how ethereal Jungkook looks.
For the first time, you take notice of the white shirt he's wearing. The plain simple piece of clothing makes him look like an angel but the top three buttons which are kept undone make him look like sin.
With his right hand gripping the roof handle, his elbow rests on the window pane and the position somehow makes the veins in his arms bulge out. You find yourself feeling grateful for the rolled-up sleeves as it lets you have a clear view of his thick muscular arms that are inked with tattoos.
Your eyes move from his arms to the expanse of chest that's visible and the sight has you gulping. Gosh, why does it make you want to run your hands over his chest? You shake that thought away and think that it's a wise decision for your eyes to move on to somewhere safer; where you won't be having these unholy thoughts. Your eyes trail up towards his neck and eventually to his face.
His lips. They look so soft and plump and it makes you imagine how they'd feel against yours. The little mole under his lower lip adds to the beauty of his mouth and makes them look even more kissable. You don't even want to get started with the way his lips are curved upwa–
Wait. Why are they curved upwards?
Your eyes snap to his and shit. He's been watching you along.
Your whole body heats up in embarrassment and you scold yourself for having these thoughts.
Jungkook is attractive but that doesn't mean that you should be going on thinking about how kissable his lips are. It was one thing when you were doing it earlier but it's a whole different thing, now. You don't want to imagine kissing him because you'd never let something like that happen.
Him kissing you under the influence of the ring would be the same thing as someone spiking a person's drink and taking advantage of them. You'd never be able to live with yourself, if you were to do that.
You know what you're doing right now is probably no better but as long as it's harmless flirting and silly dates.
Only a month. Only a month. Only a month.
"Done checking me out?"
You look away, flustered and ashamed. "I wasn't."
He knows you're lying.
He also knows that you know that he knows, you're lying. Hence, he decides not to argue. Instead, he takes out his phone and connects it to the car's speaker.
Your brows knit together when you hear the melody that's now playing through the speakers.
"That's my favourite song," you inform Jungkook, your state of surprise turning into that of joy. Your mood lifts instantly as the light-hearted song greets your ears.
"I know," he responds, trying his level best to hold back the smile that's threatening to make an appearance.
Now, that has you looking at him weirdly. How on earth does he know that this is one of your favourite songs?
"How do you know that this is my favourite song?"
"Let's just say I stumbled upon a post yesterday that happened to let me know of this fun fact." The smile that he was trying to hold back, finally breaks across his face and his eyes sparkle with mischief.
Your brows shoot up. Here, you were thinking that maybe it's just pure coincidence and that maybe he likes this song too. But, no. Boy knew exactly what he was doing.
A fleeting thought appears in your mind as to what pictures he might have seen and whether you even looked presentable in them. But you find it easier to get rid of that thought by telling yourself that he's still here. If he had found those pictures ugly, he would have not gone on a date with you.
"So you were stalking me?" You squint your eyes at him in a scolding manner. "You just keep proving to me that you're a red flag."
Jungkook raises his hands in the air as if surrendering. What other option does he have anyway? He has nothing to say to defend himself. It's not like he wants to even. He isn't ashamed of his doings, at all. If anything, it was fun.
"Don't blame me. It's all your fault anyways," he retorts. "Your profile appeared on my for you page and how could I resist the urge to stare at that gorgeous face of yours?"
A red hue appears on your cheeks. You may not believe in his words but the way he looks at you every time while complimenting you, makes you want to hide from his intense gaze.
"Well, my profile let you know of my favourite song," you state, trying to deflect the topic. "What else did you happen to learn from my socials?"
"Let's see. You have a family dog, he's an Australian Shepherd. His name is Jack," he mused while running a hand through his hair. "Your favourite subject is biology and maths. You have a thing for Tom Hiddleston. And chocolate-flavoured ice cream is your favourite."
Damn. They are all correct. You didn't even know someone could know so much about you just from your instagram page.
"You know almost everything about me," you almost stutter your words out.
"I hardly think it's much. I bet there's a lot I don't know about you," he comments.
There isn't. Nothing interesting, at least.
Clearing your throat, you once again, change the topic of conversation and make it about him. "Compared to what I know about you, you do seem to know a lot about me."
He hums, acknowledging your point. "Well, what would you like to know about me?"
You shake your head, refusing to make things easy. "Nah, nah, nah. I'm going to stalk your insta and deduce my facts."
He laughs with his head thrown back, putting his neck on display. "Sure, then. Go ahead. Do your research."
You huff as if to say, challenge accepted. Taking your phone out from your bag, you type his name on the search bar and click on his profile when it shows up.
"Look at that, you haven't followed me yet," Jungkook whispers right next to your ears as he leans towards you to get clearer access to your mobile screen.
You yelp, not expecting him to be that close. Shuddering when his breath hits the skin of your neck, you pray to whatever god there is to give you strength to make it through the car ride.
You try to focus back on the screen and on the silly challenge you have taken. Scrolling through his insta, you realise there isn't really anything that gives away much about Jungkook. His account is full of pictures of his designs and some occasional photos with his friends and of him partying.
What's worse? All posts are captionless.
Not wanting to accept defeat, you choose to scroll down even further. There must be a time when he put up pictures without giving them much thought. Maybe when he was in high school? Yes, that sounds about right. That's definitely the age when people find even a leaf on the ground worth posting on their social media.
However, your strong sense of determination dims when you reach his last post only to find that it's some quote.
You huff and lock your phone screen, which makes Jungkook lean back, finally allowing you to breathe freely.
"This is unfair," you complain with no real bite.
"It's not my fault, I'm just a private person," he defends himself with a wide bunny grin.
"But you know so much about me."
"I assure you, you'll get plenty of time to make things even," he winks, suggesting that this might be both of your first date but definitely not the last.
"You're under my observation," you inform him in a serious tone. "Just wait until I have got you all figured out."
"I will be patiently waiting," his eyes crinkle in the corner as he enjoys the playfulness of the conversation.
Before you can come up with a response, the car comes to a halt and you're reminded that this car ride isn't going to go on forever. You wish, it did though.
Maybe it's the ring that makes you feel confident enough to say what comes to your mind but somehow, you were comfortable like this with Jungkook. But now it feels like the small bubble you were in, has popped. You will have to step out and you are sure people will give you the same looks Jimin and Brie did.
Before you can mentally prepare yourself, a valet opens the door for you. You smile at him and step out.
Your mouth falls open when you realise where you are. It's one of the costliest Italian places in the city.
"I knew you'd like it."
Jungkook feels content seeing the look of awe and surprise on your face. It tells him that you were not expecting to be here and perhaps that's exactly what he wanted.
"I-I do," you stutter trying to find the right words to describe how you're feeling. "It's just that I wish you had told me that we were coming here. I would have dressed accordingly."
"If you were to ask me, you are dressed just right." Jungkook comments. "And you don't need to worry about dressing right. Irrespective of what you wear, you are always the prettiest in the room."
You give Jungkook a small smile to let him know that you appreciate his words. However, his words don't have much of an effect in easing your nerves.
How can it ease you when you know that everything Jungkook is saying is because of the ring? You know you aren't the prettiest. Something which is highlighted even more by Jungkook's presence next to you.
Jungkook takes a hold of your hand— totally oblivious to your insecure thoughts— and with a wide excited grin guides you inside.
"Good evening sir. Good evening ma'am," the receptionist greets the both of you with a warm welcoming smile. "May I please have the name the reservation was made under?"
"Jeon Jungkook," Jungkook replies.
The receptionist nods and does a quick check on his computer before looking up. "Sam will guide you to your table. I hope you enjoy your time with us."
A waiter approaches both of you and upon reading his nametag you realise that it's Sam.
"Please follow me," he requests, politely.
You and Jungkook trail behind Sam until he leads you both to a more secluded area and ultimately stops near a two-seater round table. On your way, you keep your eyes fixed on the ground and try to make a curtain out of your hair so that people don't get a look at your face.
"Please take a seat. Your attendant will be with you shortly." Sam bows, before taking his leave.
Now that you feel a bit more comfortable with the area being secluded, you set your hair back in position and take notice of your surroundings.
You look around in amazement and take in how quaint the place is and how peaceful it feels. Unlike the low murmur outside, there's a low soothing music in the air which greets your ears and makes you relax. The lights are dimmed and to make up for it, hangs a chandelier right above the table and a beautiful vase of bright red roses sits at the centre. Dare you say everything looks very romantic?
The sound of chair scraping against the floor catches your attention.
"Per favore prendi posto," Jungkook says with an Italian accent. Tries to. It comes out so adorably terrible that you end up laughing.
He frowns, confused. "Was that funny?"
You try your best to stop your laughter but the confused expression on his face doesn't help. A few moments later, as your laughter dials down to small chuckles, you finally manage to reply to his question. "It was unique. I have never heard that accent before."
Jungkook squints his eyes and extends his hand for you to take. "Why don't you teach me then?"
You put your hand in his and let him guide you to your seat. "I know for a fact that every time I try to do an accent, it comes out terrible. So, I'm not even going to try."
Once you are seated, Jungkook does the same. "Well, I should at least get points for trying. I listened to a few Italian phrases over and over again during our entrepreneurship class."
"Well you do get points for your efforts," you smile cheekily and shrug.
"Well you're worth the effort," he flirts, not missing the opportunity.
Worth the effort. Something about those words makes your smile drop.
Mayhaps, it's because you have recently been questioning your worthiness and have been wondering exactly how much of the good things and experiences that you have always wished for, do you actually deserve.
Going on a date with a handsome guy and having your heart flutter at the romantic gestures made by him, had always been something that you wanted to feel and experience.
Here you are. Having exactly that experience but feeling way different than you had imagined.
Here's Jungkook, saying how you're worth the effort and all it does is remind you of the fact that it's all because of a ring. That you need a ring for someone to think that way.
Ironically, it makes you feel worthless.
"Good evening, I'll be your attendant for today," a waitress arrives and introduces herself to the both of you with a smile. However—and you might be wrong—but the smile she shoots at you and the one she shoots Jungkook seem different.
"Uhh right," Jungkook trails off awkwardly, realising that the two of you haven't taken a look at the menu at all. "We have not yet decided what to order."
The waitress smiles, putting her beautiful set of teeth on display. "That's not an issue, sir. Just let me know when you're ready and I'll take your order."
With that she bows and leaves.
"Take this," he hands you a menu book while he opens another copy of the same. "I have never been to this place before but I have heard that the food is good."
Your eyes scan the list of food items on the menu book and the prices next to them. Everything is overpriced but it does not surprise you. As long as the preparations are good, you think.
After much thinking, you choose to order lasagne while Jungkook orders risotto.
When the waitress is done taking the orders, she asks if there's anything else the two of you would like. You can't help but notice how despite the question involving both of your choices, her question is directed at Jungkook. Her eyes remain fixed on his and she totally ignores your presence.
It's only when Jungkook asks if you'd like some red wine that she is forced to acknowledge you.
"Yeah, sure." You could really do with some wine now.
You exhale a sigh when the waitress leaves. To not overthink what her behaviour could possibly mean—although you already have some idea—you try to make a conversation with Jungkook.
"This place is really nice," you look around, appreciating the little details that make this place such a calm and soothing one. "You have good taste."
"To be honest, I just googled the costliest Italian place near me and this came up."
You quirk a brow, finding his thought process to be somewhat funny. "So you just wanted to show off how rich you are?"
He finds your question amusing. What he finds even more entertaining is how directly you ask him about it. "Well, being rich is supposed to be attractive."
"I mean I guess everyone has their preferences," you nod, not giving his words much thought.
However, your casual tone has Jungkook suddenly curious about whether you find it attractive or not.
"What are your preferences? Do you find rich guys attractive?"
"I won't necessarily say so. I mean sure, it's ideal if a person is well off. But it's not like being rich is a character trait or something."
Jungkook finds himself feeling confused by your words as it doesn't make it clear to him. You said you don't really find it attractive but then you also mentioned how it's ideal if it's someone who's well off.
You notice the look of confusion on his face and elaborate your point a little. "If you were to imagine the perfect case scenario, you'd obviously imagine there to be no lack. Why would you daydream and imagine a person having any sort of struggle, be it financial or of any other form?"
Jungkook kind of gets your point. Perfect case scenario; the person is well off. But it still doesn't satisfy him as not everyone can afford that lifestyle. "Not everyone's rich, though. There's only a small part of society that can be classified as rich and well-off. Does it not make the rich ones more attractive and more desirable?"
You hum, finding the conversation interesting. "Again, like I said it's about individual preference–"
"What do you prefer?" He cuts you off, reminding you how his initial query was about your preferences. He couldn't care less about other people's choices if he were, to be honest.
"For me, I don't think I have considered a person's bank balance before going out with them," you muse, thoughtfully. "So no, I don't think being rich makes someone attractive."
"How come?" He prods finding your response simply absurd.
"For one, it's their parents'. No one becomes rich at the age we are unless you're in the entertainment industry or you own a startup that took off really well," you hum and pause for a moment or two, trying to figure out how to put your thoughts into words.
"Second, money is never stable. You can be a billionaire one day, a millionaire the next and broke the day after. It could go vice versa as well, you could become a billionaire from being broke," you add, your words spilling out one after the other. "Wealth will come and go but if my attraction is based on that, then it's bound to be fickle."
When you had initially said that a guy's wealth is not necessarily attractive to you, Jungkook presumed that you were lying. But as you speak he can sense the amount of thought you're giving into your words and realises that you were speaking the truth.
"Being wealthy is advantageous though."
"Never said it wasn't–" you agree, "–and trust me no one knows that better than the people who come from a humble background."
"What is that supposed to mean?" He tilts his head, trying to understand where you're taking this conversation.
"Some like to assert their superiority by displaying the advantages they enjoy. They believe that others need to be reminded of the luxury the rich can afford. Which is kind of stupid because, people who aren't well off, are aware of it already."
"Do you think I consider myself to be superior just because I'm rich?" A challenging look enters his gaze as he asks the question that comes to his mind immediately after hearing your words.
"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you didn't," you reply, not faltering under his gaze and perhaps for the first time, it's you who smirks in satisfaction.
Jungkook, who had been leaning forward and had one of his elbows on the table, now reclines such that his back touches the chair. He looks at you for a few moments and then suddenly breaks into a fit of chuckles. Something that causes you to giggle as well.
Jungkook has never been shy about the wealth his family has acquired over the years. Be it in the way he throws luxurious parties every once in a while or be it in the way he chooses different cars to arrive at college, he always makes a statement about his wealth. It is also one of the many reasons why he has never had to put much effort into getting the girls he has been interested in.
He does not know how many of them have found his habit of displaying his money attractive and how many have found it the opposite, but one thing's for sure; no one has ever called him out for it right on his face. And he just can't help but find amusement and humour in it.
He doesn't even know how the conversation came to this, because to be honest, it's a very weird topic of discussion for a first date. But he won't lie, he enjoyed it nevertheless. It was refreshing.
The rest of the evening goes by just fine. Once the wine gets in your system, you loosen up and giggle at the smallest of things. The dishes, although overpriced, are delicious and are a great treat for both of your tastebuds.
Perhaps, the only thing that makes you uncomfortable is the waitress. Every time she comes to your table, she somehow manages to intentionally ignore you without making it obvious. Her total disregard for you and the unnecessarily wide grins she gives Jungkook, makes you squirm in your seat.
However, you try your best to ignore it. You succeed at it even. But once you two are done with your food, she comes with the bill and what you have been trying to ignore, becomes unavoidable.
You take the bill, intending to split it in two when you notice that she has left a small note at the bottom.
Call me when you get bored with her ;)
And right below it, is her number.
Your mood deflates dramatically when you read it. Is it that obvious to others, that you aren't exactly what someone would prefer? That sooner or later, someone would get bored of you?
Believing the answer to these questions to be yes, you pretend to not have noticed the little note and pass the bill to Jungkook.
After one month, when you remove the ring and when Jungkook ultimately stops seeing you as his dream partner, who knows maybe he will end up using her number. Yes, you can totally see that happening. She's also his type. Unlike you.
Jungkook opens the menu book, inside which lies the bill and notices what the waitress has written for him. It makes him chuckle. "She left her number for me."
Your left eye twitches a little. "I know."
He shakes his head at the waitress's silly behaviour, not paying it any mind.
You won't ever say it out loud but maybe you expected a little more reaction from Jungkook. Anything to defend you and recognize how disrespectful her words were.
But you try pushing those thoughts away. It's only for a month and Jungkook is most likely more than used to girls giving him their numbers. Moreover, it's not like Jungkook would be here sitting in front of you on a date, had it not been for the ring. Who are you to expect things from him when you're doing something so low? Beggars can't be choosers.
"I am gonna pay my share of the bill using card," you inform him, unzipping your purse.
Jungkook frowns at you. "You do realise that I'm the one who's paying right?"
"Nope, we are gonna split the bill in half," you vehemently disagree.
He is baffled at your weird behaviour. He's the one who asked you out on a date, he's the one who chose this place and hence, shouldn't it be a given that he's the one who's going to pay?
"There's no way I'm letting you pay," he states, leaving no room for argument.
Splitting the bill in two, is simply what has always seemed right to you. You have always been the kind of person who would offer and prefer to pay for their share. You believe that to be morally right.
But maybe, if it were someone else, you wouldn't be so hellbent on paying. You would have understood that it's only a first date and that they are more than comfortable paying. If it were someone else, you'd most likely accept their generosity and later take them out on a date to make things equal.
But it's Jungkook. The same Jungkook who thinks lowly of the real you. If you were to let him pay, you doubt you'd be able to sleep peacefully at night.
You see how determined he is to not let you pay but you refuse to back down. You gnaw on your lower lip as you come up with something that might just be a little childish and silly.
Before Jungkook can comprehend a thing, you're getting up from your seat and quite literally start running. Jungkook sits there with his eyes wide in surprise as he fails to understand what just happened. It's only after a few moments that he realises that you're headed towards the reception, to pay.
This makes him get up from his seat at the speed of light and he too starts sprinting like a man on a mission.
However, and much to his dismay, when he approaches the reception, your card is in the process of being swiped.
Jungkook heaves, not prepared to be running right after having a meal. "My goodness, you're something."
"For someone who looks this fit, you really shouldn't be running out of breath after sprinting a few steps," you tease playfully, trying to steer away the conversation from the topic of paying the bill.
He immediately tries to take deep slow breaths to give the impression that he isn't having a tough time getting air in his lungs. "I can breathe just fine. I was just caught off guard by you suddenly taking off."
"You left me with no other choice," you shrug as you collect your card back.
Having finally accepted defeat, Jungkook swipes his card and proceeds with his payment.
When the both of you are done, you two head out after thanking the man at the reception for their services. Once out, you take a deep inhale of the fresh air, feeling glad that you're out of the restaurant and of the fact that you'll most likely never see that waitress again. You think you're finally done with all the uncomfortable situations for today and find yourself looking forward to returning to the dorms.
You're proven wrong when Jungkook asks a question you didn't even know had the potential of making you feel distressed.
"Let's take a picture."
He takes his phone out and opens the camera application. The moment he turns the camera towards you, you bring your palms up to cover your face.
"Ah, no I look so tired. Don't click my pictures."
Jungkook frowns but complies and brings his phone down. At least, for the time being.
"You weren't this shy when we met the first time," he wonders out loud. You feeling uncomfortable modelling in front of Jimin and Taehyung was understandable, after all, you were meeting them for the first time and you don't have much experience with modelling. The fear of embarrassing yourself is natural. However, the more time he spends with you, the more he realises how shy and skittish you are. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just different from the first impression he had of you.
Your eyes snap to him when you register his words. Your mind reminds you of the things you did before the ring and it immediately makes you cringe.
"Please don't remind me of that," you mumble in a small voice, suddenly finding your heels very interesting.
"Hey," he whispers upon realising that he might have said the wrong thing. He places his index finger below your chin and makes you look at him. "I meant it when I said that you're always the prettiest in the room."
It's all because of the ring. You know Jungkook would never say this, otherwise. Despite that, the insecure voice in your head quietens downs a little.
"Even though your hair is a little messy," he adds light-heartedly and pats the top of your head to smooth out the frizziness. "You still look unearthly."
His eyes hold a certain warmth and gentleness to them, that you haven't seen from him before. It makes the rest of the world fade away and makes you whisper, "Thank you."
Had it been anyone else, Jungkook would be making his move and would be kissing them right now. But you're not just anyone else. You're, you.
Jungkook has always had a certain formula for dates. Ask them out, book a table in an expensive hotel, take them to the destination in one of his luxurious cars, flirt around a little to make them feel flustered and once the date is coming to an end, kiss them. It's always been that simple.
However, the date with you was different. Except for a few particular moments, he didn't feel like he had the upper hand at all. It was like going on a pre-planned journey but then you took over the driver seat and took him along with you on a ride.
"Do you want to take a picture?" This time, he asks in a gentle tone, instead of just stating it like he did the previous time.
Although you still feel unsure, you nod.
Jungkook, happy that you finally agreed to take a picture, brings his phone up and positions it such that the both of you are in frame. He tilts his head so that it's touching yours and clicks the picture.
He looks at the photo and grins, satisfied with the result. "Look at the picture, it is cute."
You fail to find anything cute about yourself but hum, nevertheless.
When you reach your dorms, it's around eight in the evening. Thanks to Jungkook who wanted to go around the city a little and took the long way back.
Nevertheless, you are glad to be back in the comfort of your dorms. Thankfully your roommate isn't here, which saves you from the grilling questions she would be throwing at you, otherwise.
You complete your assignments, clean up your room and make yourself a packet of ramen before going to bed.
With your cheek pressed against the pillow and your arms tightly hugging the plush toy you got recently, you recall the events from today's date.
It was one of a kind, that's for sure.
At first, it didn't feel quite right. But gradually, you just went with the flow.
The more you spend time with Jungkook, the more you get comfortable saying the things you usually would. Of course, it's not all rainbows and sunshine but it's still enough. If the Y/N from two weeks ago were to learn about the way you talk to him now, she would most likely never believe you.
Most importantly, you don't dread spending time with him as much.
Ignoring the waitress incident, you'd say that the date was enjoyable even.
One moment, which stands out to you, however, is the little moment you shared with him towards the end of the date. You weren't surprised by the words he said but the seriousness with which he said them almost had you breathless.
A small smile appears involuntary on your lips as you recall the look in his eyes and it almost makes you feel….shy?
But the moment you realise what you're doing, you shake away the feeling. It's all because of the ring, you remind yourself repeatedly until the little warmth that you were feeling is completely gone.
Pledging to not think about the date and Jungkook anymore, you tightly shut your eyes and wait for sleep to take over you.
When your eyes open, you're in a whole different place.
You don't know where you are but it feels comfortable, familiar and safe. You look around a little in hopes that maybe you will recognise the place but you fail to find any clues.
After some time, you notice a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
But wait, is this a tunnel?
You don't know. It might as well be a cave. You can't tell, really. Whatever it might be, you don't feel the urge to figure out the exact answer as it feels so familiar. As if you have known this place forever.
However, the light has you curious. What is it? Where is it coming from? What lies out there?
You hesitate for a split second if you should leave this place of comfort but in the end, curiosity gets the best of you.
You take tiny steps and head outside. The bright light makes you wince in discomfort. A look of irritation appears on your features as your pupils try to adjust to the brightness. You squint your eyes hard and try to look for the source of the light. However, you look away immediately, finding it impossible to stare at the object.
Giving up, you allow your pupils the time it needs to adapt. When you feel comfortable enough to look around, your eyes take in everything about the environment you currently find yourself in.
It's new, somewhere you have never been before which makes you feel nervous. Who knows what you're going to encounter here? What kind of people you'll meet? What experiences will you have?
A sudden cheer coming from a distance catches your attention and without giving it a second thought, you start walking in that direction. Anything is better than being alone in an unknown place.
However, after a few steps, what you see, dissipates your fears.
You see swings, seesaws, slides and a variety of other rides that look incredibly fun. Birds chirp away, colourful butterflies fly from one flower to another and fishes swim in the pond.
It's a playground, you realise.
You look down at your feet and only then do you happen to notice that you're barefoot and that you have been walking on soft grass all along. Excitement blooms in your chest when you see how beautiful everything around you is. You have never felt anything like this before. There's so much to do, so much to enjoy and so much to see.
Deciding that it's the fishes you want to see first, you rush to the pond side and crouch down.
You stare in awe as you see a variety of fishes, varying vastly in size and colour, swim around in the water. Some occasionally come to the surface which causes small bubbles to come out of their mouths. Then, your eyes land on the water lilies and you gasp at how beautiful they are. You look at the water droplets that rest on the petals and you feel awe at how perfectly round they are; like little pearls. You dip your hand in the pond and the cold water brings contrast to the warmth you have been feeling on your skin since stepping out.
Warmth. Light. Too much light.
Suddenly something clicks in your mind and you realise that the source of light you were trying to figure out a few moments ago, was the Sun.
You giggle at the thought that it took you so much time to realise that.
You're so silly.
Shrill excited screams greet your ears and your eyes snap in the direction the noise came from. Your smile widens even further when you realise it's a group of children playing together. They look so happy and ecstatic chasing each other that it immediately makes you want to join.
You get up and run in their direction. "Can I join?" A bright grin plays on your lips as you look at them expectantly.
The children stop playing and look at you. Their bright smiles fade slowly and something cruel, and menacing takes over their features. The sky turns grey, thunder roars and owls start to screech.
You immediately know that there is something wrong. You turn around and start running with all that you have got.
But you only make it so far.
A tall, dark, hooded figure appears in front of you and out of nowhere, you lose your mobility. You try your best to move your feet and run but to no avail.
The mystery figure starts laughing loudly and you start feeling this crushing pain in your chest that's somehow both physical and emotional. You wail and cry for mercy but no one shows sympathy.
God, you should have just stayed where you were. Why did you choose to come out?
Your eyes snap open and the first thing you do is turn on the lights. Looking around you realise that you are in your dorm and that it was just a dream.
However, that realisation doesn't soothe you. You find yourself still being in flight or fight mode and the crushing pain in your chest refuses to leave.
You get up and grab a glass of water. With a displeased scowl on your face, you replay the dream you just had.
You have never had a dream like this before. You may have dreamt of monsters and magical places but never have you felt the emotions so vividly. And for some reason, the dream was scarier than any dream you have ever had.
You go to the washroom and splash your face with water. Taking a few deep breaths, you place your hand on your chest and try to calm yourself down.
After five minutes or so, you feel a bit steady. You splash your face a few more times before looking into the mirror.
It's only a dream, you tell yourself.
There's no point in trying to look into it or in trying to find some deeper meaning behind it. It may take a few minutes more for the remnant emotions to fade but there's no point in getting so worked up over it.
You sit on your bed and scroll through Instagram, hoping that it will act as a distraction and once again, find yourself waiting for sleep to take over.
The next day, you go to class looking like a zombie because sleep wasn't your friend last night. After that dream, it just simply refused to visit and as a result of which you were forced to stare at the ceiling like a fool.
You would have honestly preferred to miss the first few classes but then you refused to do so as you owe an apology to Brie. Talking to her and letting her know that you didn't mean to react that way comes way before getting an early morning nap.
With a practised speech (because you can't risk letting anything about the ring out) that you hope conveys your emotions, you walk into your class and look if Brie's here already. When you notice that she isn't, you find an empty seat and put your bag on the seat next to you, to save a seat for Brie.
You take out the storybook you started reading only a week ago and start reading it. However, after a few moments, you feel as if people are looking at you. You try to ignore it, thinking that it's just your mind playing games. But it soon becomes so uncomfortable that you are forced to look up from your book.
As it turns out, it wasn't just your mind playing games. People really are looking at you and are murmuring among themselves.
Before you can even come up with assumptions as to what this is about, someone taps on your shoulders, aggressively.
And of course, it's Brie.
"Explain this," she demands and shoves her phone at your face and looks at you, expecting an answer.
"Geez, calm down," you say with a light awkward chuckle.
"Sorry, can't," she clicks her tongue in annoyance and urges you to take a look at her phone.
You do so and look at the screen and you suddenly understand why people are looking at you weirdly. It's the same picture you and Jungkook clicked yesterday using his phone. The only difference is, it's now on Jungkook's instagram available for everyone to see.
"Shit," you whisper as your face pales.
You didn't for once consider the possibility that he will upload the picture on his Instagram.
There's nothing you can do now, you realise. It's already out and by the looks of it, is a topic of discussion among your peers.
Your eyes fall on the ring and a feeling of annoyance sparks within you. You thought this ring would make things easier for you. You just wanted one month of peace and happiness.
Why then, do you find yourself unable to feel those very emotions?
If you enjoy my work, consider subscribing to my patreon and be the first to read my updates!
Much love ❤️
#Jungkook x reader#jungkook angst#Jungkook fluff#Jungkook smut#Jungkook au#Jungkook series#College au#Strangers to lovers#Fantasy au-ish?#Jungkook x oc#Fic: gohd#Fuckboy jungkook
304 notes
·
View notes
Text
Bard-aby <3 except he's only loosely a bard bc i don't subscribe to absolutes <3
rambles:
BARNABY WITH PANTS??? BLASPHEMY!!! however this is a (dnd-inspired) fantasy au so. pants! loose pants tucked into modified boots because no one can tell me No!
based off of Clown's pokemon au human Barn, it seems like he might be a bit of a jewelry guy! he was wearing rings! and had an earring! also i think Barn just looks great w/ some extra shinies, yk yk
since ties aren't really a Thing in fantasy settings, i combined the iconic pattern w/ his vest for a two-in-one. then suspenders bc they fuck severely! his belt buckle is a bone both as a nod to the pattern on his tie / house decoration, and to go along with how Wally has an apple buckle! besties stay twinning!
you can't see it but on his other side he has his pack & his smoking pipe holster, which attaches to his belt! it's very high quality leather that he spent so much money on. his pipe is important to him - he carved it himself out of wood from an important tree from his childhood, so he wants it to be properly stored & protected! he has two kinds of tobacco for it - normal, and magic tobacco that essentially allows him to cast minor spells w/ the smoke
the feathers on his hat are from Ms. Beagle! in my mind he left the farm to go adventuring on a bit of a bad note, but his mama made sure to give him a couple feathers to take with so that she'd always be close <3
he keeps his claws blunt so that he doesn't accidentally scratch people/things, and so that he can play stringed instruments without cutting the strings. while i imagine for this au he plays a wide range, he prefers Loud Handheld Instruments that allow him to sing along. so in mind he has an Accordion here! loud! jaunty! but i imagine he also keeps a recorder in his pack for when Frank needs annoying. (he did have a lute, but he broke it over someone's head in the act of defending Wally's honor)
im still trying to pin down the right balance of colors for his outfit, but! for a little au tidbit - all of his spots are the same two blues as his ears. in this im imagining that he, at a young age, learned a very basic cosmetic spell that allowed him to change his spots color to mimic Ms. Beagle's! he wanted to look like his mama! but by the time he's in his late 20s he no longer changes his spots
ohhhh i forgot to add his pockets. Oh Well
#i wanted him to look um.... Put Together?#barn strikes me as a character that likes to look a lil sophisticated in a way!#and i wanted that to come across in this fit... dont know if i succeeded#i still wanted to have Bard-ish / Barnaby Vibes#i can easily imagine him reclined by a tree absentmindedly playin his accordion... smokin... in this outfit hat tipped down over his eyes#barnaby my beloved <3#and bardaby my beloved <3#also ill admit!!!#that lute is traced from a real image lmfao there was no way in hell i was scribbling that thing from scratch#scribble salad#wh fantasy au#i lowkey feel bad for barnaby when he finds out about the whole warlock thing#bc hes been traveling with wally for Years#barnaby likes to think that he knows everything about his little buddy#and then wally has to be like 😬#yeah im actually not technically a real person#also there's this 'demon' i have a pact with & also a weird kinda non-platonic Cant Be Accurately Labeled intimate relationship with#oh and i sometimes sacrifice innocent people to it in a pinch. the rest of the time we eat enemies' souls#and barnaby just has to! deal with that! like oh great! his bestie has been lying to his face since they met!#ands its been Seamless Lying!#suffice to say barnaby has a crisis#and now since wally can be more open about home#there's a sort of... pointless Rivalry for wally's attention/affection#even though barnaby definitely misjudges the situation and how home feels about wally...#oh switching gears back to the instrument thing!#in my mind barnaby also knows how to play the harp really well#and howdy's tavern has a corner for live music - which includes a permanently placed harp <3#so i think on quiet days barnaby will go play the harp while howdy cleans glasses & the others do their own quiet things#maybe its raining outside! or Snowing! but the tavern is cozy and warm & there is beautiful music <3
644 notes
·
View notes
Note
Do you think Chadley has ever experienced a hug?
Real answer: Probably not, or at least not while he was under Hojo's "care" at Shinra. Anything that graces Hojo's hand is deprived of any comfort, I wouldn't be surprised if Chadley's conception was especially cold given how he was made Hojo's assistant.
Wholesome answer: He came across hugging and physical affection when he researched ways for siblings to bond. And then he brought it up to Sephiroth by explaining that it's beneficial to both parties as it releases endorphins. That's about as far as he got into his explanation before Sephiroth happily pulled him in for a hug.
59 notes
·
View notes
Note
Was there ever a time when Sephiroth came really close to something similar to the Nibelheim incident?
One incredibly insomniac evening, Sephiroth takes to wandering around the lower bowels of the science department. Since Hojo isn't awake at this time of night, Sephiroth supposes now would be an amazing time to go snooping for classified information, if only to satisfy a niggling bit of curiosity before it's time to sleep for real.
This innocent inquiry quickly spirals into full fledged agitation when he happens upon an old collection of experimental video logs, each tape depicting various trials, surgeries, and testing scenarios performed on a very special young boy. Unsettled, but hungry for potential answers, Sephiroth snatches the collection and retreats to his room to view the tapes, knowing full well that he might relive the trauma all over again but too invested in Hojo's private findings to stop himself.
It is worse than he remembered. Far, far worse. Seeing himself, so small, so frightened, is bad enough. Hearing Hojo's various anecdotes on just how unique and durable he is... it's a whole other level of disturbing. And yet Sephiroth watches everything, every violation, every brutal breaking of boundaries. There are even things he was not conscious for--intense dissections, methodical reconstruction, stitch by precious stitch. Watching his tiny fingers twitch on the gurney, watching the fragile rise and fall of his little chest. Sephiroth watches until his eyes burn, until the room around him begins to jerk and sway. He's sick. He cleans himself. He's sick again.
And he doesn't stop.
Angeal and Genesis come to collect him days later, nervous and uneasy at the sudden disappearance. Genesis would normally jump at the chance to rub it in Sephiroth's face that he's now on probation for so many absences...but this feels different, almost dangerous. The room is cold when they enter, finding Sephiroth pacing, the scattered line of tapes torn to plastic scraps at their feet. Sephiroth is wild-eyed, disheveled, muttering incoherent nonsense over and over again, scratching at his arms. He refuses to let them touch him, nearly ready to fight them if not for his evident exhaustion.
The sight of him like this is so incredibly abnormal that Angeal has to push Genesis out into the hall before he has a panic attack. Angeal manages to coax Sephiroth back to a feasible level of understanding, taking his arm and gently guiding him into the bathroom. Genesis anxiously hovers outside the door, listening to their muffled voices in the stillness. They remain there for a long time, the faucet occasionally running, Sephiroth's voice gradually easing back to its normal stoic calm. When they exit the bathroom, Angeal orders Genesis to help him guide Sephiroth along to the medical wing, the two friends neatly and efficiency prodding and coaxing Sephiroth step by step.
Sephiroth remains there for several weeks, his treatment classified behind closed doors. Angeal and Genesis hate the silence but continue to wait for him day after day. By the time Sephiroth is back on duty, he is more detached than ever, seemingly uninterested in his surroundings thanks to the steady supply of tranquilizers laid out for his private use for the next six months.
All remaining intact tapes are subsequently confiscated and destroyed.
#asks#ff7#ffvii#final fantasy 7#crisis core#sephcanons#sephiroth#genesis rhapsodos#angeal hewley#TW for medical abuse#Angst#Hojo#AU ish#But not really#Honestly I just felt like being mean#😈😈😈
74 notes
·
View notes
Text
'a midnight stroll my hand?'
#3rd life smp#renthedog#rendog#trafficblr#wolf howls#inthelittlewood#red king ren#3rd life martyn#folklore fantasy au#3rd life folklore fantasy#ish#i guess#trafficshipping#treebark#my art#2022
903 notes
·
View notes
Text
Depths (Nix!Krueger x Reader)
In which Krueger is a *completely* innocent water spirit who just wants to talk to you... C'mon, don't be harsh, sit down, relax, *hold your breath*-- or don't.
[Inspired by Dall ASMR's Nøkken series on YouTube]
I have been frothing at the mouth for more dedicated Krueger content, here is my offering for anyone else who has been put in a stranglehold by the other Austrian war criminal of the COD fandom-- if I had a nickel...
This is my first fanfic I've publicly posted online and my first truly sort-of completed one (may eventually write another part-- *eventually*), also posted it to my ao3: grizz_ly.
Reader is gender-neutral.
Word Count: 3,484
Content Warning: Yandere-ish behavior, attempted murder/drowning of reader, successful drowning/murder of other people, descriptions of drowning
────────────
“Do not venture close to the water,” you were incessantly warned upon first arriving, “Do not speak to it, and do not let it take you.”
When you tried to ask questions the townsfolk would shush you– it was taboo to speak about the lake or what it was.
When prying anyway, you would get hushed pity directed toward those with sons and daughters who had been ripped from their loved ones; they would stray too far away from the safety of beaten trails and end up swallowed by the lake, spit back out onto the shore with blue-tinged skin and clouded, vacant eyes– now forever young.
In the back of the local inn, when the locals had one too many, you’d hear the speculative whispers of it…
“... vengeance from a displeased water spirit?”
“... perhaps a curse from the devil himself… a punishment for our sin.”
“... they simply drank too much and believed themselves to be stronger swimmers than they were.”
As the discussions grew louder and slurred they would be scolded into silence, lest they invoke the lake’s wrath or fuel baseless superstition.
Whether one considered the tales of malevolent beings superstition or fact, one thing was certain– no one ventures to the lake. It was not worth the risk. Even the harshest skeptic carefully planned their routes away from the lake.
You too took great care to avoid the lake when you finally departed the village. Stepping onto the beaten grass of the worn path you began your several-day walk to the next point along your journey. As you passed by where the lake would be according to your map you heard the muffled sounds of… music?
You had heard many things out in the forest: birds chirping, the rustling of the brush as you stepped past, the gentle purrs of a rushing stream– but you had not heard music. You had never heard music this enchanting in fact.
You could not help yourself as you stepped off of the path into the tall grass that swayed in the breeze, and now with your movement. Your feet seemed to move on their own. You just wanted to… get a better listen to the music. As you ventured further away from the path you justified it with the notion that you would simply avoid getting too close to its edge. Just a look and listen wouldn’t hurt. How could it? It couldn’t.
The ground underfoot grew soft as you maneuvered between trees and the tall grass transitioned to a lush moss. You soon found yourself on a raised ledge overlooking the water– though not too far up, the drop is only around half of your height.
You can’t see the bottom of the lake; its visibility is done no favors by the tangles of weeds concealing the bed and lilies dotting the surface. The lake dazzles with the sun’s rays, though the overlook is dim due to the cover from the trees, which also allows for a comfortable chill to permeate the air.
Despite its serenity, it was… underwhelming.
You had expected something. With how dangerous the lake had been described– as a vicious, indiscriminate killer of the young– it was almost too calm, too peaceful, too… normal.
“Hallo,” a voice called out from a nearby rock peeking out of the water, it caused you to snap your head towards the source.
You size up the man. The first thing you notice is the net covering his face with foliage and other flora tucked into it, his attire besides that being plain garb and a cloak carelessly draped into the water, thus wetting the hem. The second thing you noticed was the instrument, a violin– likely the source of the music you heard.
As the silence dragged on it was broken by the sounds of a few strings of the violin being plucked as the man fiddles with it, “Ach… do not tell me you are too scared to speak? Schade…”
The stillness of the lake is emphasized by the quietness of this moment– why is it so quiet? No chirping birds, no rustling animals, no splashing fish… the only other noise besides your breathing is him slowly tuning his instrument.
“Hm…” you can see his veil shift as he seems to tilt his head, “That bad?”
“What do you mean?” You say slowly.
“What the townsfolk must have said to you…” he chuckles, “I must admit… I thought you’d run off by now, it’s been too long since anyone has spoken with me… the– the verdammt villagers blame me and paint me as a monster, but you– you don’t seem as… quick to assume, yes? Innocent until proven guilty, ja?”
You suppress a flinch at the momentary vitriol in his voice when talking about the townspeople, “I–”
“Please just… stay here with me for a moment and… speak to me? Bitte?” You can hear the hope in his pleading.
“... Alright.” You say with a hesitant nod.
“Thank you,” he says as he focuses back on his violin, after a beat he speaks again with a laugh, “You know… I asked if you could speak with me. I’m sure you have questions, so, ask them– just an idea. Just an idea.”
“Sorry, I–” you try to think of a question feeling suddenly pressured and struggling to find the right thing to ask. You settle on the most obvious, “What’s your name?”
“I go by many names… you can call me Krueger,” he says simply, “Yours?”
You give him your name and he simply hums in response. He is… not working with you here to help carry along the conversation to attempt to force you to speak more.
“...” you steel your nerves and force out your next question, “What are you?”
“Harmless–” Krueger laughs, “You treat me like I am going to bite your head off or drown you, relax some of that tension you’re carrying… I wouldn’t hurt a fly–”
“You know what I mean,” you say hesitantly, “You’re not human. At least I don’t think you’re human.”
“Ach, I am offended,” he says shaking his head with a playful click of the tongue, “I am that awful? Not even a person… you hurt me so.”
“You… are you messing with me,” you ask.
“No… no, never, never,” Krueger says as he plucks the strings again before clicking his tongue, “Maybe– only a smidge…”
You then sit in the familiar lull of the conversation– you should get back to the trail, it’ll be a long walk and you start to feel like you’re wasting time.
“I should–” you begin but are quickly interrupted.
“Stay… stay?” Krueger says, “Yes, I agree. Aw… I’m sorry, am I getting to you, I don’t mean to… I just like to have a bit of fun… it’s in my nature…”
“I need to–” interrupted again.
“Is someone expecting you,” Krueger asks.
“...” You wonder if you should be honest, “No.”
Kruger huffs, “Then you do not need to leave. Sit, sit– just for a moment. It is peaceful here is it not? Take in the sights… it’s the journey that matters.”
You want to leave but at the same time… this… man? Creature? It doesn’t matter– Krueger does not seem like the monster you expected. What harm could humoring him do? Besides you feel intrigued by the strange man.
So you sit on a nearby log that is almost precariously close to the water, placing your packed belongings at your feet.
Kruger pauses, “You’re staying?”
“Should I g–”
“Bleib, geh nicht!” Krueger exclaims as he puts his arms out in a surrendering motion. He slowly relaxes, clearing his throat before he speaks again, “I mean– Of course, you would stay. Yes, yes. Of course”
You drum your fingers against the log as you watch Krueger. He climbs off of his rock and stands in the opaque water, keeping his violin held firmly on his shoulder.
“How deep is the water?” You ask.
“Not deep, no, not at all,” Krueger says, “Why? Would you like to join me?”
Not deep…
How could so many drown in shallow water? Your thoughts travel to your memories of the words of the townsfolk in the inn.
Krueger…
You feel your stomach sink as you reconsider your decision to stay. Krueger seems to sense your apprehension.
“Would you like to hear a song?” Krueger pleads, “It was my music that drew you here wasn’t it? I am quite the violinist, ja? I’m sure you’d love to hear the rest… surely…?”
You can’t deny that the music had drawn you here, and you did want to hear more.
You wave your hand, “Please, go ahead.”
Krueger adjusts his violin to rest against his shoulder, gently placing his chin on the rest. He moves his net off of the violin and then starts to play. His fingers move across the fingerboard, deftly weaving an intricate melody. The way he plays is hypnotizing. You rest your head on your closed fist as your expression goes from amused to moved. You don’t even notice him moving closer, too consumed by the music to pay attention to him slowly wading through the water towards you.
Before you realize it, he grabs at your bag, splashing away with something in his hand.
Your compass.
“Hey!” You say as you stand up, “You can’t just– give that back!”
Krueger slowly trudges back to the rock he had been sitting on, securing his violin on top before inspecting your compass.
“Ah, your compass is fine,” he announces as he inspects it, “I was just curious– since when was curiosity such a crime?”
You shake your head in disbelief, your features contorting into an anger-induced shock, “You can’t just– give that back. Now.”
He doesn’t seem to be listening to you instead muttering about the quality of the metal and craftsmanship of the compass.
“Are you– are you being serious!?” You yell, “Come back here!”
Krueger laughs slightly as he approaches the edge of the water again, “I apologize here…”
As you reach for the compass he pulls his hand away, “-- It truly is a marvelous compass, where did you get it?” He seems so sincere and innocent– like he didn’t steal from you a moment ago.
“Krueger–”
“Oh, I do so love it when you say my name,” he says, “What is it?”
“You know exactly–”
“Ah, yes, your compass? Why do you need it? Wouldn’t you like to stay here a bit longer…” If you could see his face you are sure he’d be frowning.
“Krueger–!”
“Oh, you spoil me so…” Krueger sighs, “You can have it back…” You put out your hand, but then nearly boil over as he completes his sentence, “If you come get it from me.”
“Give it.” You say.
“Take it,” he retorts, “The water is fine… what harm will it do? It is a nice day.”
You feel a chill run up your spine, “No. I…”
Your body realizes the danger of this situation before you do. You feel the phantom sensation of movement, your legs begging you to leave your compass and run.
“Give me my compass,” you say, but the waver in your voice betrays your faux confidence.
Krueger is still for a moment before he motions with his hand for you to come closer, “Fine.”
You stomp over, teetering on the edge of the lake and nearly losing your balance as you crouch. You seethe with anger as you jut your hand out, “Now.”
Krueger hands it back, you lean forward to try to grab it sooner as he moves agonizingly slow. Suddenly he lunges at you. In a swift movement clamps his hand onto your presented wrist and tugs you harshly. As you lose your balance you topple into the water.
Time slows as you fall towards the water.
The lake is deeper than you had imagined– or maybe it just feels deeper as you aren’t allowed to bring yourself back above the surface with Krueger keeping you under.
Despite being under the surface you can hear him laugh as if you were still out of the water.
“What? Can you not swim?” Krueger coos as he tries to ensnare you in his arms further, “Or did you just not get enough air? Ah, did I take your breath away perhaps? … Well if I didn’t I will…”
You flail about in the darkness, your movements sluggish as you try to move your limbs in the water. You try to grasp at anything to orient yourself. Your feet connect with the bottom of the lake as you kick.
“Stop,” Krueger growls as he strains to try to hold you down, “It is not so bad. Stop– stop fighting.”
Panic runs icy hot in your veins.
“I know… I know…” Krueger says as you thrash in his arms, twisting and turning wildly, “Come now… don’t struggle. Don't you want the last thing you feel to be love? Why must you fight me… I just… want to hold you. Tsk, that is not so bad…”
The water stings your eyes.
“Let me hold you. Deep breaths… deep breaths…” Krueger murmurs trying to lull you to just give in, “Let me take you away from it all… rest… rest now… you’re safe… I’m here…”
Your lungs burn as your chest spasms.
Krueger speaks to you in a hushed tone full of affection, “I can’t help it… when I see someone as beautiful as you, I want to hold you, squeeze you, and preserve your beauty forever… wouldn’t you like to be forever beautiful… forever young… forever loved… lass dich lieben.”
Your mind runs amok as you seem unable to form any coherent thoughts not consumed by fear or spoken by your survival instinct.
“This moment would be so beautiful if you– if you would just let it!” He can’t keep his annoyance from bubbling up at your continued resistance.
Your vision vignettes, the dark water growing impossibly black.
You want to let go. You want to stop fighting. You want to breathe… but you don’t want to die.
Your hands feel fabric and you pull, which elicits a yelp from Kreuger. Krueger stops trying to grasp you as you feel him move back in the water allowing you to resurface.
Your head pops back up above the water and you gulp air as you greedily fill your lungs. Your head reels and your eyes pound in your skull. Your heart hammers in your chest as you splash away, almost losing your balance several times as your feet slip against the slimy rocks lining the lake bed. You crash into the jagged face of the overlook you had been standing on, digging your back against it as you breathe through your bared teeth. You try to scramble up but it’s too slick to get a good grasp on any of the rocks, and the foliage just slides through your fingers.
You reach up to grab a dagger from your pack, brandishing it at Kreuger who is casually readjusting his veil. He is in no rush to get back to you. Instead, he allows you to tire yourself out as you fruitlessly try to drag yourself from the lake, scuffing up your hands and back in the process.
“If you wanted to see me without the veil you could have asked,” Krueger says, “I would have said no, but it’s the thought that counts.”
“You–” You say through harsh breaths, “You– Why?!”
“It’s not personal… you humans always take everything so personally,” Krueger tuts, “You put up quite the fight… impressive, almost.”
“You’re a monster–”
“I am not… well, perhaps I am a monster, but not like that… I am a monster with feelings… that you just hurt.” Krueger tries to trudge towards you but stops as you wave your dagger around, reminding him of what the consequences would be if he got too close, “Do you even care that you hurt them? Ach… who is the real monster. Hm?”
“You!” You scoff, “You are the monster!”
“I am not a monster…” Krueger takes a deep breath, “I am simply… following the natural order of things. I am innocent in all of this.”
“Innocent?!” You exclaim, “Innocent?!”
“Yes, yes, that is what I said I am glad you are listening,” Krueger says, “I am innocent. As are you–”
“You are–” You let out a frustrated yell as you try to clamber out of the water again to no avail.
“I’m what?” Krueger just watches you, amused by your behavior, “I know what you are… a fighter, ja? It’d be so much easier if you accepted this…”
You start to swear at Krueger, cursing him out. You internally curse yourself for having gotten into this situation.
“You’re a murderer,” you say, “How many people–” You can’t even choke out the words through your disgust, “How many?”
“I am no murderer,” he scoffs, “I am simply doing what I am meant to do. I am innocent here, merely a victim of the natural order of things. Murderers kill unlawfully, none of what I do is unlawful as it is according to nature’s laws. I am not a murderer by definition.”
You stare at him with wide eyes and brows knitted in repulsed disbelief, your anger momentarily put on pause, “There is no way you’re being serious.”
“I know what you are thinking,” Krueger’s veil moves as he shakes his head, “I do not want you to be hurt, and I won’t hurt you– I am not cruel, I am not a monster. It wouldn’t hurt… you are not thinking straight… you are just panicking… let me hold you…”
Krueger attempts to move towards you again, reigniting your fury.
“Stop– stop swinging that thing about, you are going to hurt someone.” You almost slash Krueger’s arm as he reaches out towards you causing him to snap at you, “Schluss jetzt!”
He tries to lunge again to grab you. You plunge your dagger into the soft flesh of his inner arm.
“Scheißkerl!” Krueger exclaims as he clutches his arm and stumbles back.
You take your chance and grab onto an exposed tree root, hauling yourself onto the overlook in your adrenaline-fueled haste.
“No!” Krueger growls as he grabs your ankle. You had not noticed his claws, but they were impossible to ignore as they dug into you, surely drawing blood, “No! You will not leave! Stay! Stay with me! Stay!”
You flip yourself onto your back and kick at him, your foot connecting with his head. It barely phases him, only making him more desperate. He climbs further out of the water grasping onto one of your thighs with his hand as he tries to use it as an anchoring point to pull himself up, or pull you down– he wasn’t picky.
“You will die out in that forest!” Krueger says, “I am offering you a peaceful death in my arms–! I am offering you mercy– You should be thanking me–! Do you forget you don’t even have your compass?!”
You grab the strap of your pack with your hands not caring to make sure your belongings are secured before you lift it– far too consumed with your need to survive by any means necessary. Your belongings could be replaced, but you could not. You swing the heavy bag at Kreuger’s head staggering him back and causing him to slide down into the water. You crawl back from the lake securing your pack over your shoulder as you begin to make distance. Krueger screams, all pretenses of civility dead.
“You– you!” Krueger says, “You verdammter Wachbirn!”
You jump to your feet and run from the lake, hoping that you can find your way back to the path– praying that you will make it to your next destination. I’ll be fine, you think, follow the path, simple enough.
You are too focused on escaping from your brush with death to listen to the impotent rage of Krueger. “I could get you if I wanted to! You just aren’t worth the effort– you ungrateful– Ach! When you are delirious from starvation I hope you remember how you denied my offer! How you chose to die alone, painfully,” Krueger calls out, “I hope the last thing you feel is regret!”
Krueger grumbles, his face twitching as he watches you slowly fade from view, obscured by the branches and brambles of the woods. He grips the dagger lodged in his arm and wrenches it out with a grunt, too consumed by anger to even fully take in the pain.
“You left your dagger!” Kruger cries but receives no response.
He turns and throws the dagger as far as he can into the lake with a loud bark of frustration.
He slinks back into the water as he takes in the solitude that has been his only lasting companion, “They’ll be back… they always come back…”
────────────
Translations:
Hallo = Hello
Ja = Yes
Schade = A pity
Verdammt = Damned
Bitte = Please
Bleib, geh nicht = Stay, don't go
Lass dich lieben = Let yourself be loved
Scheißkerl = Son of a bitch/Bastard
Verdammter Wachbirn = Damned/Fucking Idiot (Austrian term for idiot)
#Krueger x Reader#Call of Duty#Sebastian Krueger x Reader#Nix!Krueger#Fantasy AU#possible ooc#but can you write most COD characters completely in character#in what character?#still love them though#TW: Drowning#TW: Attempted Murder#yandere#-ish
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
~Family Reunion~
____
Ridel had not seen his cousins since they were kids, and finally reunited with them in Eorzea; Nahkal in ARR, and the both of them with Bria during the Dragonsong War. Ridel was a blubbering mess.
(Nhakal Ra and Bria Ra belong to @jolsondraws)
Bonus:
#ffxiv#au ra#Ridel Moonshadow#Nahkal Ra#Bria Ra#ffxiv spoilers#hw spoilers#arr spoilers#ish#ffxiv art#ffxivart#final fantasy 14#final fantasy xiv#artists on tumblr#art
93 notes
·
View notes
Text
Some sketcheys of this AU because I needed to get some of it out of my system
#hm i should make an original art tag#darth maul#maul#asajj ventress#senator maul au#the other two nightsisters are just random designs not ocs or canon characters i just wanted to add more dathomirians#because making maul the shortest in a group is one of my favorite visual gags#and i think it's fun that he'd be the most 'colorful' of the group#all clothes are reds n grays because i got lazy . i am not great at designing outfits. and even worse at picking colors for the designs#i gave him (all of them really) silver-ish jewelry because 1. i like the color more and 2. more fitting imo. silver is more magic propertie#i think in this au ventress is in the age range wookieepedia lists as her legends age. so she's like. younger than padmé#an apprentice senator. still learning about the senate and senatorial life so she can take maul's place when he quits#i think the other half of the delegation (or at least the other senator) would be significantly older than them. they're both so young#they need an older person who can be the voice of reason and experience#ventress gets big clotheys because 1. she's a teen here she deserves the proper coverage and 2. it's fun to go the opposite route of usual#fantasy designs where the guy gets a lot of layers and the girl gets clothes that show too much skin#but don't worry he IS wearing space underwear. a bad (or good) camera angle will not catch sight of his peanus in that second sketch
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
Suddenly felt very compelled to draw a fantasy!Aziraphale
#i've been reading some fantasy AUs can you tell?#he's technically supposed to be the human-ish form....? of a dragon...?#this all came to me at 1am#good omens#good omens fanart#aziraphale#mine#mine: good omens#my art
83 notes
·
View notes
Text
happy byler week :)))) cleradin my beloved <3333
i decided on a whim last night that i will be participating (on most days at least) but i am ✨extremely underprepared✨ and now i'm suffering for it haha. i like how this drawing turned out though <3
closeups + info under the cut!
time: 2hr 41min
program: ibispaint x
#i could not figure out how to draw mike today so i repurposed an old(ish) sketch of him for this#the design is actually for a fantasy royalty au i've been working on#that's why he's not wearing armor or anything like that it's just like his everyday clothes#he does have a sword in the full sketch though#will is supposed to be will the wise tho not the will from that au#will byers#mike wheeler#byler#byler fanart#bylerweek2023#day 1 d&d/cleradin#cabin's catboy cabin
97 notes
·
View notes
Text
500+ follower event!
As decided by popular vote, a food themed ask box event!
Running from 9-12-23 to 9-19-23, hopefully the menu makes sense!
Milkshake themed!
Here’s our menu for the special 500+ follower event running from 9-12-23 to 9-19-23! To enter your order, just put it in my ask box! I may suspend the ask box if I get overwhelmed, but all asks put in during this time frame are eligible for this event.
Who can go on an order? Why, you and a character of your choice as long as they are +18. Please clarify if this is a character from a specific fandom, otherwise I will assume One Piece as that’s my most active fandom at this time.
For yourself, please include a short description for your pronouns (F!, M!, GN!, AFAB, and AMAB), appearance, style, and personality. I just need a reasonable amount of information to write your stand in with. If there’s a particular quirk or detail you want focus put on, please do include it!
If I’ve written for you before, an OC may go in your place! I’m sticking to just what’s in the ask box, so if you don’t include it, I won’t know!
All I ask is that you keep it relatively simple, polite, and short since I don’t know if there’s a character limit to the ask box. Should you need multiple asks, make it clear which are yours.
If you intend to ask for a +18 order (smut), I advise you to be at least 18 as I voluntarily flag all my +18 content. In this particular context, I especially need to know AFAB/AMAB so I may write appropriately.
Flavor – Universe
Vanilla – Canon
Chocolate – Modern
Toffee – coffee shop au
Vanilla swirl – Office au
Strawberry – Fantasy
Cake – royal au
Chunks – fantasy creature au (feel free to specify who is what)
Add ins – Relationship
Caramel syrup – Childhood friends
Chocolate syrup – Strangers
Strawberry syrup – Unbalanced relationship
Fruit – Arranged marriage
Gummy candy – Enemies to lovers
Cookies – Coworkers
Flambe (on fire) – Fling
Powdered sugar – One sided crush
Toppings – Reception?
Sprinkles – Nervous
Whip cream – Confident
Cherry – Sweet
Fries - Casual
Additional shots* - Get a room!
NSFW+18 ONLY
Alcoholic shots (kinks) to be added to your milkshake or your partners! Please phrase it as “shot of X for (A)/me” to identify who receives the act. There is no limit but bear in mind a complicated order could take much longer! And some shots may interact in unusual ways, so if you have a squick please bear that in mind.
To specifically request something not be present when it is otherwise implied, please ask “to hold X”.
White Russian – Creampie/Cum play
Hot Damn – Praise kink
Mind Eraser – Degradation
Afterburner – Choking/breathplay
Jell-o shot – Edging
Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Oral
Alice in Wonderland – Size Kink
Motor Oil – Marking
Kamikaze – Temperature play (Served hot or cold for temp preferences)
Jager Bomb – Rough Sex (Extra strong is hate sex)
Green Tea shot – Soft Sex
Pink Schnapps – Dom/Sub (The person receiving this shot will be designated the ‘Sub’)
Black Jack – Restraints
Brain Hemorrhage - Overstimulation
Special side treat (totally optional!)
Mochi Ice Cream – Yandere
Vanilla – Obsessive
Red bean – Possessive
Grean tea – Delusional
Strawberry – Protective
Coffee – Manipulative
An example of an order would be as follows:
“Hi! Doffy and I would like a strawberry cake milkshake with strawberry, caramel syrup and powdered sugar (for me!). Whip cream and a cherry on top, please! A red bean mochi would also be nice! Add in an Alice in wonderland, black jack (for me), pink schnapps (also me), and a hot damn too! I go by “Sky” and I’m a short but lanky guy (masc pronouns please) with black curls, tan skin, and dark eyes. I’m nervous and tend to freeze when shocked before rambling. I blush really easily too… unfortunately.”
#500 follower event#shake date#anime event#ask box event#one piece#I JUST REALIZED WHY THE UNIVERSE CHOICES SEEMED SO ODD#IT'S CAUSE TUMBLR DESTROYED THE FORMATTING#FOAMING AT THE MOUTH RIGHT NOW#FIXED-ISH#MODERN AND FANTASY NOW HAVE SUB CATEGORIES#SORT OF#RATHER THAN A LIST OF WEIRD AU CHOICES#I AM SO SORRY
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Knight and His Prince
Virgil contemplates his relationship with his beloved prince, Roman. Patton contemplates his relationship with his son and said son's first love.
Lots of fluff with a twist 💜
A/N: My piece for a little exchange among friends; my giftee being @its-the-cat-queen! It was so much fun to write for her aus; a nice pile of fluff to counteract my usual angst ;)
That being said I genuinely don't know what to tag this with so please let me know if I need to add anything. Enjoy!!
Read on Ao3 here!
-----
The early evening around them was warm, washing their camp in the soft glow of sunset; the firelight kissed Roman’s beautiful face as the dark creeped in around them. The prince had let his little hare out to sniff at the dandelions; the bounty of late summer. Virgil carefully removed his hood, laying it on one of the large stones they’d pulled forward as seats to rest on.
Roman was inspecting his sword again, running his hand carefully over smooth steel and worn leather. His crown was set just barely askew on his head. Virgil smiled to himself; his prince never could quite keep the circlet balanced, but he dared not take it off.
It’s possible he loved the crown almost as much as he loved Virgil.
The thought made Virgil’s smile widen, just a bit, as he plopped down next to his prince and leaned his head on his shoulder.
“It’s been a good day today,” Roman said, wrapping his arm around the knight. Virgil hummed in lieu of an answer, listening to the prince’s steady heartbeat and honey voice. “I’m looking forward to the journey home.” He turned to Virgil, his face alight with a new idea, “We should throw a ball! And invite the whole kingdom, and we can even set out food for the poorer families, so everyone can enjoy the festivities.”
Virgil’s smile widened further at that; “My father would object to the entire affair if we didn’t provide an actually nutritious meal alongside the party treats. Not to mention, only one of your dads’ cooking is edible.” Both paused for a moment, shuddering as they remembered Roman’s papa Remus being left to his own devices in the kitchens one fateful night. The green pile of goo that had been set out on plates as if it was anything close to food. The horror from Roman’s dad Patton when the king returned to find such a sad excuse for a meal.
Although, Roman and Virgil had ended up feasting on roasted chickens tossed in bread crumbs and golden strips of potatoes that evening, after the initial disgust and panic; it was the highest form of cuisine, in Roman’s humble opinion.
The rumble of Roman’s words in Virgil’s ear was soft, comforting. Even when laughing, the prince stayed gentle for Virgil’s sake. He felt Roman’s arm wrap around his shoulders, and the prince began carding fingers through his knight’s hair as he rambled, planning out the grandiose party they would host.
After a while, Roman’s hare hopped closer to the pair, and the prince lifted her gently into his lap to stroke her ears. He went quiet, staring off into the middle distance as if contemplating the woods beyond. The crackle of their fire and the calls of distant birds was the only noise for a long while, before suddenly Roman looked to Virgil again and asked, “Will you dance with me?”
Virgil flushed, a little embarrassed, as he admitted, “I don’t know how to dance. And we don’t have any music.” The rabbit turned to sniff at his cheek, as if sensing his discomfort.
“I could teach you,” Roman said gently. “It’s easier to learn when you can go slow.” He gently nudged the rabbit off his lap, and she wandered away to forage for more treats, always staying close enough to watch the pair. Roman stood, and offered a hand to Virgil, which the knight took with little hesitation. The prince pulled him close, so that they were chest to chest, and put a careful hand around Virgil’s waist.
Roman was always so warm; his hands soft and welcoming, his heart steady and soothing. Virgil felt himself relax, even if he was about to make a fool of himself. He faintly remembered one of his fathers trying to teach him a few steps, all while Virgil stood on the tops of the elder’s feet.
It hadn’t gone well.
Roman began to carefully guide the pair in simple motions, holding Virgil’s hand and waist, leading him with confidence. If it were anyone else, the knight would have been staring at his feet, flushed scarlet in shame. But this was Roman, his Roman, who never looked at him unkindly.
His Roman, who sat with him as they shared books, and praised him for his ideas, and protected him from all of the strange beasts of the world. His Roman, who had never laughed at him, only with him. His Roman, who was staring into his eyes right now with all the adoration in the world, making Virgil feel like he could do anything.
His Roman, whose crown was slipping off his head again.
Virgil laughed, gently pushing the prince back and reaching up to straighten the crown. The taller man bent slightly, so Virgil could reach, and Virgil couldn’t resist the swell of bravery he felt as he softly leaned closer to kiss the prince’s forehead after the crown was set.
When Roman met his eyes next, they were filled with awe. As if Virgil had just slain some magnificent beast, or done something amazingly heroic. His hand came to caress Virgil’s cheek as they stared at each other.
“I love you,” Roman whispered, as if the world were only them. “I’m the luckiest man alive, because I have you by my side.” The prince returned Virgil’s kiss with his own to Virgil’s cheek, and Virgil felt his face heating once more.
“I love you too,” Virgil replied softly, almost surprised as the words came out of his mouth. “You make me feel like I can do anything in the world.” They pressed their foreheads together, feeling the world around them go soft and quiet’ as if it was only them, only this spot, that made up the entire universe.
But, of course, the moment had to end, as a familiar voice split the air from father off in the field.
“Roman! Your daddy’s here to pick you up!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patton couldn’t help a giggle at watching the two toddlers, even from afar. Roman’s face was split with a bubbly smile as he led Virgil, hand in hand, over from the edge of the playground. Virgil had his own tiny smile, and followed Roman like he was the other boy’s whole world. He was so proud of his baby; always looking after his little friend. Poor Virgil had had such a rough first month at daycare, and now he and Roman were almost attached at the hip.
“Daddy!” the kiddo cried, “Daddy we played prince again!” Roman’s yellow paper crown slipped from his head, (Patton suspected it wasn’t for the first time today) and Virgil tugged lightly on their conjoined hands, making the bubblier toddler stop.
It was hard not to squeal, watching as little Virgil retrieved the accessory, and very carefully set it back on Roman’s head, as if it really was made of gold. Patton also noticed that Virgil was carrying their shared toy, Mrs Fluffybottom, in the pocket of his onesie, and it was vaguely reminiscent of a kangaroo.
“Princes, again?” Patton asked, crouching down in front of the two boys. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the daycare attendant walk away, knowing Patton would take both boys home today. Roman nodded, and hummed an affirmative, his whole body bouncing with his excitement. Virgil, too, was bouncing, just a bit, and he swung their conjoined hands lightly.
“I’s a knight today.” the smaller toddler said softly. The daycare was doing a lot to help the boy with his confidence, and by extension, his enunciation. Still, Virgil speaking up at all was rare, preferring to follow Roman’s leads and let the other boy talk for him when adults or other kids were around. Patton gave the boy a warm smile, and ruffled both kiddos’ hair at the same time, producing the sweet sound of giggling.
“I’m sure you were a very brave knight,” Patton said, offering an arm in case Virgil wanted to be picked up. Both boys gave the affirmative, and Patton found himself with both arms full, hefting the two toddlers up and heading towards his car. “Are you kiddos excited for your sleepover tonight?”
Roman cried “Yeah!” as loud as he could, and Virgil hummed again, nodding against Patton’s shoulder. “Virgie is the best knight EVER!” he hollered, pulling his wooden sword from his pocket and kicking his feet as Patton buckled them in. “We’re gonna build a castle an’ bring out all the animals to be our subjects, an’ we’re gonna throw a party an’ invite everybody from all over!” He started to babble, planning out the story he and Virgil would be playing out when they got home; occasionally pausing to ask Virgil his opinion or ideas, to which the other boy offered that same soft smile and warm voice. They would have a ball, and dancing, and cake (if daddy said yes). Patton had a feeling he and Remus would end up in attendance at some point, and was already looking forward to seeing his eccentric artist husband crouching to play with their boy; whether that be crawling around as the monster for him to slay, or sitting cross legged at the coffee table holding a pink plastic teacup.
Patton loved how much Remus wanted to encourage Roman’s ideas. He loved how vibrantly Roman saw the world. He loved being the king to Roman’s storybook prince.
Patton tried to listen in as he drove, happy to hear his son so happy; and happier still to hear Virgil softly following along. He remembered a few months ago when the pair had met; the initial worry to find out that Roman was being bullied by a few of his classmates (and more worry to think that the boy hadn’t told them), and then not two days later Roman coming home to say that a brave knight had appeared to save him from those meanies. Then said he wanted said knight to come over and play after school.
Patton also remembered meeting Virgil’s fathers, being more than a little relieved to find that he and Remus weren’t the only gay couple in the neighborhood anymore, and there wouldn’t be any awkward comments or meetings for the boys’ sakes. Knowing that separating the kiddos would only do more damage to their development.
The pair really were wonderful for each other.
Roman helped Virgil feel safe, and the teachers had told both families how Virgil was more likely to try new foods for lunch, explore and play away from the teachers. He had even pet a porcupine when the class went to the zoo a few weeks ago. Patton had the photo of both kiddos gently touching the quills in wonder framed and attached to the fridge; he knew Logan had done the same.
In turn, Virgil reminded Roman to be more mindful and gentle. Patton smiled as he remembered taking the boys to the park so all four parents could actually talk, and watching Roman lead Virgil around by his hand, but also constantly check in on the smaller boy. Asking Virgil’s opinions, what he wanted to do, was he tired or thirsty?
Not that Roman had been fussy or selfish, but he had a loud and vibrant personality, and used to be prone to forgetting his manners. Now, though, Roman was more patient and careful. Always attentive to Virgil, and by extension, the other people around him. Even when Virgil wasn’t around, Roman had stopped throwing his toys around when he was upset, and more often asked his questions with please’s and thank-you’s.
Patton snuck another glance at the boys from the rear-view mirror, and his heart absolutely melted as he watched Roman lean over from his car seat and give Virgil a little kiss on the back of his hand, just like the knights and princes in his favorite movies.
Tonight, they would have pizza and maybe some ice cream, and cuddle up to watch movies. He and Remus would be tasked with building a fantastic castle of pillows and blankets. All of their little ‘kingdom’s’ stuffies would be brought out in force. If Patton was lucky, he’d get some pictures from the entire affair; if he was especially lucky, he would get a picture in the morning, of the two toddlers snuggled up in a messy blanket nest, exhausted from their fun.
Yeah. The kiddos would be okay.
#wacats writes#ts fic#sanders sides fic#prinxiety#fantasy au#human au#gift fic#writing prompts#art trade#ish#ask to tag
83 notes
·
View notes
Note
YES HIGH-SEA ADVENTURES!!! I love the idea of them coming across a kraken or something of that nature
Sally's at the front of the line like "FOR GLORY" meanwhile others are freaking out or trying to keep the ship(and themselves, but mostly Eddie) stable
Also the bit with Eddie and Frank😭<3 so good
Sally, Julie, Frank: throwing themselves at the kraken
Eddie: attempting to back them up, failing <3
Wally: getting snatched by said kraken
Barnaby: holding onto Wally's ankle with one paw & holding onto the ship w/ the other
Poppy: dragging Howdy's deliriously sick self into a corner for "safety" & screaming
#and the ship's actual crew are the ones getting shit done <3#listen when there are three available fighters#& one things they can bring down a kraken with his bare hands#another is just wildly hacking at it & is mostly just damaging the ship#and only the third is actually doing anything but her magic is fire-based so thats horrifying on a ship#yeah. yeah#& then eddie of course also gets snatched bc he's an easy target#so now barn is holding onto both wally and eddie while biting the guardrail as an anchor#trying to yell for help lmao#wally's staff is downstairs so he cant cast & the situation isnt dire enough for him to tap into home's real power#home is patiently watching and waiting and eating popcorn#eddie's screams of fear are very entertaining <3#wh fantasy au#rambles from the bog#of course i imagine that wally Does have to play the 'home' card#its a small-ish ship! a brig! not a lot of crew needed to operate that babe!#and since barnaby has his hands full / howdy is borderline unconscious#eddie is (affectionately said) useless / wally doesnt have his staff / etc#home is needed!#in my mind wally's boot comes loose and he goes weeeee right into the water in the kraken's grasp#and a minute later a 'second' - black - kraken (home) completely bodies the real kraken#and wally climbs over the side perfectly fine but very soaked#barnaby: ARE YOU OKAY??? WHAT HAPPENED#wally: home took care of it @:]#sally: what does that mean#wally: they took care of it @:]#everyone: *terrified yet impressed silence*#and then wally passes out bc letting home out like that takes an almost lethal amount of energy & effort <3
51 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ooc // pre-tumblr, I actually had multiple stories! Not listed chronologically.
Anti-government multiverse theory story about four queer teenagers with various powers and their maze headquarters
An AU (???) of above story where two of the teenagers fall in love in, like, the most fanfic-tropey way possible (Some tropes include: Meeting in a coffee shop (one working there, the other being a sleep-starved college student), fake dating (for a ball), one of them Getting Sick and the other helping, one teaching the other how to do their version of art, etc.)
A story where a guy and girl fall in love but oops girl has Deadly Flower Disease (not the hanahaki thing) and dies before he can tell her he loves her
Very happy-go-lucky girl manages to have a (female) demon fall in love with her and have said demon banished from hell for falling in love with a human
Above story having demons be dead children?? Specifically this demon being a “demon of regret”, where a miscarried (/aborted? I’m not sure past me knew what abortion WAS) child was a “child of regret” and having a different look to other demons
Two magic twins, the god of magical knowledge and the goddess of magical energy. One cannot exist without the other, and with either gone, magic will be undone completely
Said two magic twins falling in love with two different characters: the goddess falling for a necromancer/bard combo, and the god falling for a prince, that, due to a controlling mother figure (not even his real mother, son of two women but kidnapped as a baby), could not speak “the common tongue”, and could only speak in an ancient language
A story where you (aka y/n) were roommates with a persona at the time, who had magical powers similar to error sans (I was an undertale fan pre-tumblr), but was corrupted by Shadow Magic Creecher and eventually succumbs to her corruption (this one I can talk about for AGES it was so fleshed out)
Different anti-government story about a teenager with powers finding out they’re destined to die and make the afterlife better for everyone, with more like, fluff in-between their plot points (Their villainous mentor figure finding love in a past rival and their sister figure fucking killing a guy out of revenge for her sister). This one is the most recent, and I can still probably make something out of this
Vague fairy species, positivity, negativity, and Bambi, one dying quickly, one living a human lifespan, and one who’s actively poached and hunted
And more!
Honestly, I can look through the old notebooks I had in 2021 and vaguely give you a description of Every Story I Ever Thought Up
#honestly I love the AU idea so much it’s so tropey and cliche but also urban fantasy and I was exploring so much at the time#I kinda want to rewrite it to not be an AU and just have it standalone#It would be a nice webcomic I think#I loved those characters so much#a lot of these were in my Quotev Era#because I was kind of intimidated by Tumblr but took a lot of inspo from it#Honestly#yeah let’s make that tropey ball of nonsense why not I have everything planned out already#it wouldn’t be great considering it was 2021 ish writing and my art style at the moment is kind of rigid in everything#but I’m gonna make it[#dip my toes in and stuff#Jesus I need to go to bed#ooc post#Ooc#etc tags
6 notes
·
View notes
Note
To distract us with some angst…um…what would happen if Seph had to attend one of his lab sessions with Hojo and Hojo was especially cruel this time, only for Genesis to come across the aftermath? (i live for gen hating hojo’s guts on speh’s behalf and making life difficult for him when he has the chance)
Genesis hates Hojo with a passion, and always has. He's always been vaguely aware of what the scientist does to Seph. He also, in part, has a feeling he understands the truth about their strange connection. Not that he'd tell Seph this. In fact, he wonders if Sephiroth has guessed as well. Either way, messing with Sephiroth is HIS thing. And even then--that's just competition between friends. Not outright TORTURE.
In a severe instance in which Genesis has discovered a post-lab Sephiroth suffering mightily from Hojo's procedures, his first instinct is to go in there and outright murder Hojo where he stands. But logic wins out. Genesis knows that despite the fact that he has little qualms about killing Hojo, his standing in Shinra would be hugely impacted if he were to be caught. So he tries different tactics. He goads Sephiroth into signing up for a six-month mission far, FAR away from Midgar, wheedling a story about how Costa del Sol has been accosted by a murderous skyscraper-sized shark and how Sephiroth simply MUST be stationed there or else everyone will die! Or drown. Whichever. Genesis is a skilled liar, and can spin one hell of a story to convince people into getting his way.
Thus, Sephiroth gets what is basically a full half-year of vacation. Genesis spends the downtime plotting and when Sephiroth finally returns back to HQ, Genesis delights in introducing him to a new and improved Shinra Science Department, curiously Hojo-free. Turns out, with Sephiroth gone, Genesis very graciously volunteered his services to keep the scientist company in the meantime. And whoops, could you believe it? Hojo just so happened to slip one day during a private meeting! Cracked his skull clean open. What a mess. A TERRIBLE set of circumstances! Darling, Genesis was just SO shocked to have witnessed it! How unfortunate!
Sephiroth doesn't buy it. But he also doesn't really care. Genesis smugly purrs and asks him how his trip was, and if he got any sun.
#asks#ff7#ffvii#final fantasy 7#crisis core#sephiroth#sephcanons#genesis rhapsodos#hojo#Sephgen#genseph#sephesis#Au ish
33 notes
·
View notes
Text
His father would kill him. A God shouldn't be as invested, as he was, with a singular mortal. Every day he kept up with her doings. There was something exciting about the way he could watch her tackle the small grievances that he could throw her way. The God's abilities should be used to cause waves to steer boats in the wrong directions or cause a greedy noble to lose his wealth in an accidental fire. Peter fed off the misfortune of others. Yet he found himself satiated by misplacing the woman's things or causing her to trip on rubble.
She was strong. That much was clear. No matter what he threw at her, he watched as she overcame the obstacles. Tonight he decided that he wanted to see more from her. He lived for the surprise. When he would see the widening eyes of men who were lost at sea or the shock when someone misplaces a deed that causes a family to lose their home. But he's never seen the look of shock on her face. Tonight he was determined to change that.
Every night he would flood her dreams with sultry and devious acts—wanting to leave her breathless in the night. Flashes of him and a romance that brewed between them was easy fodder for her sensual dreams. He wondered if she'd warn her friends or family that her nights were filled with visions of hedonistic acts with the God of Mischief. Once a full moon illuminates the kingdom, he decides to manifest her dreams into reality.
A small tap onto the door of her home, standing in his best noble attire. He decides to showcase some restraint, his wide wings only faintly showing enough to prove to her that what she would see is not of this realm. All he wanted was to see the look on her face—he wants to know that she thinks of him just as much as he thinks of her.
When the door opens, he grins and walks in as if he were already welcome. "No need to wait any longer, my love. I'm here." // @nonscnse
8 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
bleudinosaur
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
dolanqebhendriksen
Untitled
baeksploration
Untitled
mewblueberry
Untitled
phoeruby
💗👗👙