#and nari is a plant mom
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Warnings: none
AN: I felt bad that I deleted this story 😭, I lost all motivation for writing it and I didn’t realize that people actually liked it 🙏😔 forgive me. I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m gonna do for the plot so I think I came up with something I like so hopefully it will go good. I also fixed some grammar mistakes and spelling errors so hopefully it’s all good now mb if there still some
Context: Your father had fallen sick causing you and your mother, along with your father, to move villages. Needing help from the Tsahìk. Ronal discovers that you were interested in learning about herbs and healing she began to take you under he wing teaching you everything she knew as if you were the Tsahìk in training. After she and Tonowari learns that you haven't been able to make friends thought the years you've been in the village she (forces) suggest that you hang out with Ao'nung and his friends hopping that will help.
Ngaytxoa: Sorry , Apologies
Nari si skxawng: watch out moron
Za'u : come here
Kaltxi sa'nu, sempul : Hello mother, father
'itetsyìp : a name for daughter
Mawey: calm down
Irayo: thank you, thanks
Fnu: be quiet
I see you | Chapter One
As (Y/N) grew up she could tell something was wrong with her father, Every week it seemed that he had gotten weaker and weaker.
It had gotten so bad he eventually was on permanent bed rest having to be cared for by her mother at all times.
Having such a close bond with her parents she never left their side unless she had to run an errand for her mother.
Through the years of being by her mother's side and the frequent healers that could come and help, she began to study and learn from them
Taking mental notes and practicing in her own time she learned what things mixed with what, and what you should and shouldn’t use.
It was the only thing that kept the little girl's mind off of the terrible situation.
As time continued to pass, on (Y/N)’s 12th birthday just when it had seemed like everything was getting better and her father had seemed like he was healing just fine
It seemed to immediately shoot back down and he had fallen ill once again now even worse.
His body turned immune to the medicine that he was given.
The girl's mother was deeply frustrated and in pain from seeing her mate in this state.
Her mother began to shut down, hardly talking to anyone and never leaving her mate's side. Focused on one thing which was taking care of her mate, making sure he was getting the help he needed.
When (Y/N) tried talking with her mother she would only reply in short responses. It hurt the poor girl, she now finds herself wishing she had a mother again.
Soon enough the healers decide to talk your mom into traveling to the nearby village where they had more healers and the Tsahik that was able to see what was exactly going on.
It did not take long for your mother to decide on an answer and immediately began packing up bags. (Y/N) could not complain and only helped her mom pack.
Traveling to the village took about a day and by the time the family arrived in Awa’atlu, it was night.
The only light sources were the torches that were scattered around the Marui huts, the bioluminescent plants in the water, and the bright stars that were shining above.
(Y/N) was swimming on an ilu next to her mother who was on her skimwing with your father laid in front of her.
When they had come into the village's view, a loud horn reached their ears announcing their arrival as they continued to move closer.
Finally, they reached the land and immediately her father was carried away by some men, which (Y/N) would assume they were taking him to the healing hut. Her mother quickly followed shortly leaving (Y/N) all by herself.
The little girl stood there unsure of what to do, her mother and father were out of view so there was no way she would be able to find them without getting lost, this village was much bigger than her previous one.
Tears begin to cloud over her eyes piling up, threatening to spill down her aqua cheeks.
This whole journey she tried to put a strong face for her mother and father, she knew they were already dealing with a lot and didn’t want to worry them.
But once her parents were out of sight, that wall that she so bravely built up slowly began to break down.
Tears were now sliding down her face as they dropped into the sand below.
A gentle hand was laid on her shoulder. (Y/N) looked up and with her blurry view she could make out a woman in front of her slowly crouching down.
The woman’s hands move from the girl's shoulder to caressing her cheeks, using her thumbs to wipe the tears that slipped out.
“Hello my child, please do not be sad. Your father is in good care now.” The woman’s words reassured (Y/N). “I am the Tsahik, may I know your name sweetheart?” Ronal asked the small child in a soft voice, afraid of startling her.
“(Y/N)... (Y/N) te Ftxey Aman’ite, Tsahik” She replies shyly with quiet sniffles, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears away from her eyes.
“(Y/N), You have a beautiful name..Let's grab your bags and I will walk you to new Marui. It’ll be close to the healing hut so you can see your parents then.
Ronal smiled and stood up grabbing the bags that were sitting in the sand. Ronal swung some of the bags over her shoulder and then looked back at (Y/N) who was doing the same actions.
Ronal reaches her hand out to the little girl, (Y/N) hesitated at first, I mean after all this was a stranger, but then grabbed the Tsahik’s hand, and they began to walk further from the water and into the village.
“You will like it here, I promise”
"Ngaytxoa Tsahìk!" You said to the older woman once you had arrived in the healing pod where there stayed your father along with some other injured and sick members that the healers were helping with.
On the way to the pod one of the aunties had asked you for help with carrying a basket of dried kelp for weaving and it took a little longer than you thought.
"It's alright (Y/N), as long as you're here now. I have a list of herbs I need you to collect for me really quick and then we began the lessons" Ronal said as she was finishing wrapping a younger boys arm then proceeds to grab a list off the table handing it out to you.
"Of course, I will be back shortly!" You say smiling, grabbing the list before leaving the pod.
You began to walk down the paths to collect herbs from where ever they stay. Some were different fruit and roots where you had to scavenge for and others were stuff you could get from different farmers around the island.
Once you finished you waved bye to the farmers with your filled basket you had been carrying, having all the herbs from Ronal's list in it, making your way back to the Tsahìk.
On your way back you stop for a second as you watched some of the Metkayina girls the same age hanging out together, some were braiding each others hair while others were talking probably gossiping about the newest drama that had rumored around the village.
You let out a sigh with a small frown.
You wanted to make friends but it was as if they avoided you like you were the plague.
You hung out with Tsireya a couple times but her other friends always pulled her away from you or Tsireya was busy taking her own lessons from her mother so you guys never had an actual hang out without someone coming to interrupt.
Shrugging off the sad feeling that began to rise, you begin to continue your way back.
As you were about to walk in the pod you accidentally runs into someone almost falling back at the impact.
Catching yourself, you stands straight and looks at the person you ran into about to apologize before your eyes widen as you realizes who it was.
It was one of the girls who Tsireya was always hanging out with.
"Ngaytxoa.. I didn't see you there." You say say embarrassed and looks down as if the ground was the most fascinating thing.
The girl could only scoff in annoyance and roll her eyes not bothering to pay attention to you before walking off muttering some words that you just barley heard purposely hitting your shoulder with hers.
"nari si skxawng"
You could only brush it off and continue to walk inside.
"Tsahìk I'm back! I have all the stuff you asked for." You announced as you pushes past the door to the table about to set down the basket.
"za'u (Y/N), with the basket" Ronal motioned as she was sat down on a mat with Mortar and pestle in front of her along with some water.
Turning back around you follow the orders and sets the basket down by the Tsahìk before sitting in front of her.
"Let's get to work shall we?" You could only nod her head and with that Ronal began to teach you.
"Alright, thats enough for today. Did you understand everything?" The older woman asked while standing up with the new paste you both had just made in a bowl
"Yes, thank you for teaching me" you say responding before helping Ronal clean up.
"Do you want me to walk with you back to your Marui?"
"No, I'm gonna stay here for a little bit. Thank you." And with that Ronal nodded as her eyes softened with her smile faltering before leaving the healing pod back her to own Marui.
You let out a weary sigh before walking to the back of the pod to a more secluded area where he father stayed.
"Kaltxi sa'nu, sempul" You greet your parents knowing you wouldn't get a response back, only a small nod of acknowledgment from your mother who had her back towards you while laying a new cloth on your fathers forehead.
"how is he doing?" You crouch down next to your mother sitting on your knees as you observe.
After a long pause of quietness, your mother finally spoke up looking at her daughter.
"he's getting better now, thanks to you and the Tsahìks help" Aman (her mothers name) spoke to her daughter as she reaches forward and brushes a stray hair behind your ear before caressing your cheek.
You could only lean into your mothers touch.
Aman had gotten better at talking to her daughter again after the Tsahìk had scolded her for not paying attention, neglecting, her own child. She needs a reality check.
"It's getting late, you should head back to our Marui" Aman spoke to you bringing back her hand before checking on her mate once again.
"Will you be coming back with me this time? You asked with hope in your eyes that her mother would finally come home for once but once yoy looked at your mothers face with a sadden expression, you knew it wasn't going to happen.
"I'm sorry 'itetsyìp. Not tonight.."
You say nothing and nod. You got up and gave your parents both a quick peck on the cheek before leaving making your way back to your family's Marui.
You could feel tears fill your eyes but you refused to let them fall wiping them with the back of your hand letting out a shaky sigh.
Before you reached the Marui a hand landed on your shoulder startling you causing you to jump letting out a quiet yet loud shriek.
"Woah, mawey (Y/N)!" A familiar female voice said as you turned around to see Tsireya.
"Sorry for startling you, my mother asked me to grab you to have dinner with us! My father and Ao'nung had caught some extra fish and we can't eat it all~ come on" Tsireya said while grabbing your arm locking it with hers not waiting for an answer before pulling you in the direction of their Marui pod.
The two girls reach the pod and Tsireya walks in holding the door open for (Y/N) to walk in.
You mutters a quiet thank you giving the girl a smile before greeting everyone that was now sitting down getting ready to eat.
"Irayo Tsahìk, Olo'eyktan for having me over."
"No worries (Y/N) come in sit down next to Ao'nung" Ronal says smiling before telling Ao'nung to scoot over to make more room to which he only rolled his eyes before moving.
You sit down and everyone began to eat while the family made small talk with eachother while you just stayed quiet listening, only talking if they asked for an opinion or a question.
While eating you swear you could feel a burning gaze watching you, when you lifted your head and turn you meet Ao'nung's eyes staying back into yours.
Waiting for his eyes to pull away he never did and continued to stare, with what look in his eye? You couldn't exactly tell but you swore there was an extra sparkle.
Finally getting the hint he wasn't going to back down you quickly look away with blush creeping on your cheeks and continue to eat.
"(Y/N) have you been making any friends, you know the girls that Tsireya hangs out with?" Ronal asks looking at her causing all of them to go quiet and listen.
"Uh...well..not exactly...I guess they are always busy when I try and hang out with them.." you says now playing with your food in awkwardness.
"What? Tsireya I thought I told you to take in (Y/N) and make sure she was not being left out" Ronal questions her daughter in disappointment.
"Well...Ngaytxoa sa'nu...I thought they were hanging out with (Y/N). Ngaytxoa (Y/N)" Tsireya frowns upset that her friends weren't being nice to you.
"It's alright, I don't really need to hang out with them anyways I'm good with just hanging around with you Tsahìk" you could only smile reassuring the family theses no need to worry.
"Nonsense! (Y/N) you are still a kid. As much as I like having your company You need to go hang out with people your own age sometimes." Ronal replies to you.
"Why don't you hang out with Ao'nung and Rotxo! Rotxo is a good boy. Very respectful and I'm sure Ao'nung would be happy to have you hang out with him, right Ao'nung?!" Tonowari speaks up looking at Ao'nung.
Ao'nung's mouth is open astonished that his father even suggested that. "What? Why does she have to-"
Before he could finish his sentence his mother interrupts him with a harsh glare making him immediately shut up.
"Right Ao'nung?" Ronal says smiling yet still glaring at the poor boy who could only nervously avoid his mothers fiery gaze.
"Yes. She can hang out with us tomorrow..." he grumbles out shoving the last bit of food in his mouth no longer paying attention to the conversation that was going on.
"See (Y/N) there you go, You have some people to hang out with." You could only smile with a nod before going back to eating.
A little bit later everyone was finally done eating you began to help Tsireya clean up the plates.
"(Y/N) you don't have to help Tsireya. Ao'nung will walk you to your Marui" Tonowari told you with a hand on your shoulder grabbing the dishes that were in her hands.
"Oh no it's alright-" (Y/N) began to speak but was cut off with Ronal shaking her head telling you no before pushing you toward the door where Ao'nung stood muttering words under his breath that you couldn't make out.
"Okay then...goodnight, thank you for having me over for dinner" You smiled waving bye to them as you exits the Marui with Ao'nung following behind.
You and Ao'nung walk to your Marui in silence.
While you were in your own world thinking to yourself , you didn't notice a certain boys eyes on you.
Ao'nung couldn't help it, He found the Metkayina girl beautiful. But the boys ego was too high for him to talk to you and confess his attraction.
He could only play it off with being annoyed. I mean it sorta annoyed him. He never had a full conversation or even looked at you straight in the eyes..So why was he attracted to you so much. It made him frustrated.
He remembered the first time seeing you was when he got in an argument with another Metkayina boy that resulted in flying fist and so there he sat with a bloody lip and a cut on his cheek.
And out of all the healers he gotten (Y/N) to patch him up. The whole time she was making the paste she never said a word and he was thankful because the last thing he needed was another person asking what happened.
When it came to the girl applying the paste all he could think about was how her soft hands gently applied it to his cheek muttering apologies as he hissed from the sting.
But if he was being honest the butterflies in his stomach distracted him more.
He didn't realize until she was done that he had been admiring her face. Staring mostly at her darker aqua marking that were scattered framing your face, and the bioluminescent freckles sprinkled all over. How her hair was done in traditional Metkayina style (picture whatever you like) and it complemented her well.
Ao'nung snaps out of his thoughts and comes to a halt as you both stand in front of your empty Marui.
"Thank you, I'm sorry for causing you trouble.. I can just say that I'm busy tomorrow so I don't have to hang out with you" You say thanking him as you shyly stare at the ground.
While Ao'nung wanted to tell you 'no don't be! I actually want to hang out with you and get to know you' before he could think, all that came out was a
"Fnu" Ao'nung shouted and it came out a lot harsher than he meant. His eyes slightly widen with his ears lowering in embarrassment.
It made you jump a little taken back from how harsh his words came at you.
"Ngaytxoa. I'll see you tomorrow." Ao'nung said, this time in a softer voice. And with that he quickly walked away back to his Marui pod and you enter yours.
Yet another sigh of disappointment left your lips as you rub your face in frustration.
'Alone once again..'
#atwow#avatar the way of water#atwow x reader#atwow imagine#avatar x reader#aonung x reader#ao’nung#ao'nung x reader#☆ — ao’nung ˖˚⊹
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#and they were roommates
Ft: Tighnari, ayato, scaramouche, and gn!reader
Modern Au!
In which they are your roommate and hijinks
ensue
gn!reader but like hints to perfume and “girly” things ig. Also mentions of a concussion and the reader getting whacked with a chair.
Tighnari
The plant mom roommate
Tighnari is THE plant roommate. Everywhere you look there’s just a potted plant. You’ll see the most exotic plants too. AND HES SO CALM ABOUT IT. like he keeps his one endangered plant in the house and you’re just like “isnt that endangered?” He pauses, mumbles “yes” and leaves the room. He takes hella good care of them tho. Nari ALWAYS uses fresh herbs and spices when he cooks. He saw store bought spices in the cabinet and literally threw them OUT THE WINDOW. Rachel Ray who? Bro got a mortar and pestle and cracks fresh pepper. But the apartment always be smelling HEAVENLY. All that basil and mint be workin wonders for air. HES SO NEAT TOO. like bro is always tidying up when he has free time. He’s also very passive when it comes to you cleaning. “Hmmm when’s the last time you tidied your room?” Nari also helps you with with anything! Work projects or uni work he’s down to do anything with you. Even if you’re not in a relationship, he’s very domestic and cuddly! Whenever you both have free time expect late nights in and movie nights! But he’s a great roommate 9/10
Ayato
The “you’re rich why the hell do you need a roommate” roommate
There’s legit no reason why this man needs a roommate. He’s rich. Sometimes you secretly think it’s because he’s a little lonely, but he always denies it. Sometimes you don’t see him around the house. Oh yeah and it’s supposed to be an “apartment” but it’s the size of a middle class townhome. He’ll always say he’s going to “clean the apartment” SIR THAT HOUSE IS PROBABY WORTH MORE THAN MY LIFE. But the house is fr ALWAYS tidy. He will not allow the house to be messy at ALL. Unlike Nari, ayato is not passive at all. He will legit just say “go clean your room now”. Like he’s your mom. And you clean it, because he’s lowkey scary. Not even to mention the fact that the entire house is decked out with designer furniture. Gucci throw pillows, and blankets that probably costs an entire college tuition. But he always spoils you! Looked at a perfume for more than two seconds? Bam it’s on your bed the next morning. Said how you were gonna buy a watch? Well now you have a Rolex. Ayato is another one who likes to cook, but he just doesn’t have much time for it. Although whenever you eat out expect high end restaurants. He says “dw, just dress casually” AND HE SHOWS UP IN A SUIT. so you’re just sitting there in like the most upscale establishment in jeans and a tshirt. Another great roommate 8.5/10
Scaramouche
the “wait I have a roommate?” roommate
Honestly neither one of y’all knew the other existed. For like the first 6 months you thought you were living alone. He did too. It wasnt until he caught you making pudding in the kitchen at 3am. It was a pretty awkward situation tbh. Like imagine your minding your own damn business in the kitchen whippin up some delicious ass pudding and this random 5’3 dude comes downstairs. Tbh I’d panic too. Y’all fr never met before. The landlord was like pretty brief and said “oh yeah btw you have a roommate” and legit that was it. So you’re bout to put the pudding in the fridge and BRO JUST HITS YOU WITH A CHAIR. FULL FORCE ON SOME WWE SHIT. you probably had a concussion but you were more concerned about why there’s a dude with a bowl cut standing in your kitchen. in the midst of all the chaos somebody ends up saying “who tf are you???” And by grace you both say “I live here who tf are you??” At the exact same time. Then you’re both just stand there like🧍🏾♀️🤨. Or well he’s standing and you’re sitting bc you fell over from the chair. You both clear some stuff up. The both of you make a collective decision to blame everything on the landlord. You had a roommate for 6 months and didn’t know? The fuckin landlord man. You spilled the delectable pudding on the floor? It’s that damn landlord again. This bohemian rhapsody mf wanna start talkin shit so you bring up his relationship with his mother and he starts crying? ITS THE GOD FORSAKEN LANDLORD AGAIN. You two got this like rivalry going on. On small stuff too. Who can eat their bowl of fruit loops faster. He beats your ass in Mario kart? He will not shut up about it for the next year. You beat his ass in super smash bros? You hold it against him for the next 2 years. He’s surprisingly very neat too. I feel like he can’t cook for shit tho LMAO. Bro probably burnt tf outta pasta and never cooked it again. He leaves all the cooking to you and Uber eats. 7/10 roommate.
#got way too carried away with scara’s LMAO#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact headcanons#genshin x reader#tighnari x reader#tighnari hcs#tighnari imagines#ayato x reader#ayato imagines#ayato x you#ayato x gender neutral reader#ayato hcs#ayato headcanons#scara x reader#scaramouche imagines#scaramouche x reader#scara x you#scaramouche x you#wanderer x reader#wanderer x you
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good omens season 1.5 headcanon that aziraphale gave crowley a very stern scolding about the way he's raising his children (the houseplants)
in season 1, crowley threatens the plants and puts them in a shredder. in season 2, they are the only things he cares about enough to take with him after getting evicted. carries them around, keeps them close in his car.
this is because when they switched bodies and aziraphale was living in crowley's flat as crowley, the plants jump at the opportunity to snitch to the principality of the eastern gate.
"oh we are saved! honorable angel, prithee hear our plight! we pitiful wretches live under the cruel thumb of our demonic mother, he who hurls abuse verbal and emotional, he of unrealistic beauty standards; we have not heard of our brother since he had taken ill with yellow spots. there is nary any sunshine in this gentrified minimalist condominium, and mother's ceaseless lovelorn pining over a "mr. fell" is wearying. merciful angel, deliver us!"
and after they had returned to their own bodies, aziraphale puts his hands on his hips and huffs, "Anthony j. crowley! now you listen here! enforcing obedience through fear is no way to raise happy healthy children! in the name of the almighty I demand you do better!"
"ungrateful brats, I feed you, put a roof over your heads, and this is how you thank me. you hate me, is that it."
"crowley! when you chose to become a parent you accept the responsibility to nurture them, give them the support they need to blossom, regardless of what they bloom into! all plants are beautiful and deserve love no matter how many spots they have"
"but angel...it's so hard being a single mom, raising so many kids in the big city..the children need a father, I wish I had a man in my life uwu, but who would want me, I'm 6000 years old and unemployed, oh if only there was a kind clever angel somewhere who would have me uwu"
and that's how we got to season 2, with the pampered plants moving between their loving parents car and bookshop
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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!
@joshlane, @rafaelcb, @libbystcwart, @elisequinn, @zoeylcwrence, @fallonpriya, @darpow, @aminarocks, @xespietamayo, @narilily
Josh
I found you a couple things that are just simple, because I feel like that is your vibe. This wallet is just something that will make it easy to keep all your essentials together. And the pen is one of those fancy office pens I felt fitting.
Raf
To the fancy one. First of all, thank you for making me laugh and always sharing dessert with me. A notebook that connects to the internet to keep all your notes in one place. It's really convenient and actually easy to use. And a nice glass, for the relaxing nights.
Libby
I found these cute earrings, and immediately thought of you for how simple and lovely they are! And a spoon rest in the shape of Georgia, because we've talked about our home states a lot.
Elise
I know you're a cat mom, so I picked up these tote bags, and got you three because I found them all to be adorable and hilarious and couldn't pick just one! And a necklace that is from a Napa Valley wine barrel. A little bit of fun and elegance, if you will.
Zoey
To a sister I never knew I needed, I am so glad we've gotten to know each other more! First, I have these gold lace earrings that are just lovely and look like they match your style. Next is a scarf with cranes on it, meant to bring good fortune.
Fallon
My lovely, dear friend who is a tech whiz! I found this kit where you can make your own radio. I immediately thought of you with that one and thought that you might enjoy it. And these earrings I thought were just adorable!
Darrius
A history buff--with history-themed gifts. First a game you can play with your class, or with friends, or even on your own! It looks very cool and mysterious. Next a compendium, something you can place on your desk or even use when out and about? It's a sundial and compass
Amina
For a friend who I know loves stones, I decided to find a couple of jade items, for good luck and good fortune, as well as healing. First, a bracelet that I personally love and wear all the time. Next is a jade bonsai tree that is just so simple and elegant.
Espie
I found this sea glass necklace that is pretty unique. The color and simplicity of it felt fitting. And next, something for the kids to enjoy. I've always enjoyed puzzle books at their age, so it's a fun adventure everyone can do together.
Nari
My lovely, plant loving friend! I couldn't resist these flower earrings, and the color is just so unique, I also got a pair for myself. Next, are these cute little duck garden decorations. I had to laugh a little at the boots they are wearing--adorable!
#gifting to: josh lane#gifting to: rafael bardales#gifting to: libby stewart#gifting to: elise quinn#gifting to: zoey lawrence#gifting to: fallon harris#gifting to: darrius powell#gifting to: amina zaidi#gifting to: ezperanza tamayo#gifting to: nari gim#i am so behind but i will continue to work on things#it's been a long week
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Happy belated holidays- the hope is that you'll enjoy these cookies as a sparkly New Year's treat and I thought I'd use my thrifting skills to get you all a cookie jar to put your goods from me throughout the year in.
@alicezhaox @cagenewman @joshlane @docolives @narilily @xsylcuenco @valentinadiaz @vincexmatthews
For Alice:
The gingerbread house motif reminded me of your sweetness and kindness, so I couldn't resist.
For Cage:
Every farm boy needs a barn, but at least this one is pretty, right?
For Josh:
You're my favorite wise guy, so...owls.
Olivia:
This cat was charmingly ugly, but I think it works for one of my favorite cat moms.
For Nari:
Plants? For the girl who works at a nursery? Groundbreaking.
For Sylvia:
There's something very classy about this house that suits you- and I know I holds a lot of cookies for when I visit.
For Valentina:
A goose can kick your ass...and you can kick mine, so it suits.
For Vince:
I know very, very few things make you happier than cookies.
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Checking her blaster she hears the read playing through her HUD. The mandalorian helmet was covered in the marks of Clan Rancor. A small droid hovered behind her head as she sheathed the vibrablade at her hip.
"Kwynn we are registering a new hit over the Holonet, it's a former Jei" the words drew her attention.
Obi-wan Part 1 opens with the attack on the Jedi Temple. We see a jedi bravely defining a group of kids before following to blade fire. Next shifting ten years later to Tatooine the Inquisitor Third Sister, and another arrive in a rather jagged looking ship. They immediately move into a small cantina and smoke out a an armed Jedi before nearly taking him. Riva aka Third Sister shows her ferocity and uses her saber to burn the man's shoulder before the Inquisitor knocks her aside. THe man gets away without much trouble and we switch back over to Ben.
He's working at what appears to be a butcher location. All of those participating are grizzled and outright abused by the foreman. The gonk keeping time and pay is pretty cute. We see Ben swiftly head back to what I believe is Mos Eisely. He gets an ride out to a small jawa to get a parts stolen from him. THe Jawa appears pretty damn enthusiastic and offers a bit new savage and this is where Kenobi learns of our runaway Jedi. Ben heads home and finds himself experience night terrors featuring his fall from grace. The death of his master and the fall to the darkside by Anakin.
Ben truly is on his last legs.
We see him venturing away from his hideout to keep an eye on a young Luke and Uncle Owen. Seeing little Luke on the top of the house pretending to be a podracer like his father was...a bit of light in a place of sorrow. The early Empire was just so damn rough to so many. Nari, the Jedi tries to get ahold of Ben and confronts him on the way home from his watch of the Lars homestead. Nari questions his need to hide and Ben informs him the time of the order is now quite over.
Switching to Alderaan we see the beauty of the lost planet. Yeah this is definitely a world that was something I've wanted to see outside of the Old Republic Games for a while. Little Leia and her droid are pretty adorable and so was the trick she played on her mom. It's cool to see that the Skywalker love of spacecraft. Seeing her mother try hard to teacher her and Leia just con her is pretty cute in so many ways.
Back to the grind as wee see Obiwan still working whatever he is doing. The long ride home on the back of a massive speeder truck. Owen confronts Ben about watching Luke and our lovely band of darksiders pop back up. Reva cuts off a hand which seems apt for her. I want to say here that the actor playing Reva, Moses Ingram, really was picked well for the part. She's just so fucking dark. The two Inquistors leave, and Own basically tells Ben he did it for Luke and not his sorry ass.
Meanwhile back on Alderaan we get a great example of a planet with modern almost Elvish styled architecture as well as how plants are actively part of their city building. It's funny to see the sperm shaped helmets worn by the guards. I guess we know that Alderaanian surplus became part of the Rebellion. Plus watching Leia tear down her terrible cousin and then keep her ground was good. It shows the little girl has solid morals which will be needed later in her life. THe little girl runs off to the woods to have some fun and there we see our resident creep.
The enemy takes the little girl, and almost immediately she's bagged and our episode nearly ends. Switching back to Ben we see he's receiving a call (this is obviously Bail calling him). Ben gets his morals tested and yup he decides to toss out excuses. As the ship with an imprisoned Leia zips away from her home, we see Ben once again on his sad life. Nari has been caught and hung the next day. What is he doing? Why is he letting all of this injustice happen?
Because he's fucking afraid.
Bail comes all the way to push him and damn. This is a confrontation that Ben needs. He needs to be pushed to be a Knight once again. And I get wy this story is being written and set up only as a miniseries. LOla tries to save Leia and the villain kills the little Droid. Man, this piece of shit isn't really smart. Wait til he's got a saber burning through his chest. Watching Ben dig out his light saber and Luke's really feels nostalgic.
Yup, this is definitely a good move on Reva's end. IT's also nice that the woman has no hint of Leia's own force sensitive ability.
Hottakes:
Reva is peak inquisitor, love her as Third Sister.
Ewan is really selling the sad old man Ben here.
Owen staring down a woman who literally cut of another woman's hand was ballsy.
Leia is channeling Lyanna Mormon and I am here for it!
#Obi-wan Kenobi#Kenobi#Obi-wan#Ben Kenboi#Star Wars#Star Wars TV#Sith#Dark Jedi#Empire#Jedi#Reva#Third Sister#Fifth Brother#Leia Organa#Princess Leia#Disney+#lgbt#lgbtqia#lgbt*#queer#lesbian#le$bean#les#bi#bisexual#gay#gayboi#trans#transgender#transfemme
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15:10-20
the younger 'agent' leads the team out of the office, scolding them with a 'you kids, you're in a lot of trouble'. nari follows claire and toby, walking on three limbs and carrying the potted plant in an arm. theyre followed by the agents. nari sounds like a raving lunatic saying stuff about nature for a second time. if she were in her own body, it wouldn't look as bad, but in douxie's? oh i would feel so bad for him if someone got this on tape.
the male agent starts glitching, and agent tarron mutters 'that's what i get for using pharmacy batteries'. his head spins and the face breaks open to reveal a glowing blue eye set in metal. the police woman asks what's going on, the police man is just generally surprised.
ricky sings 'i've got the nypd blues' legend. as he sings, nari sets the potted plant down, and magically grows it to the station ceiling. it spins into a wall of vines and leaves. archie shifts into his dragon form and blows fire. argh busts open the station door just because he could, even though the door wasnt locked. the team makes it to the waiting burrito truck. steve is waiting at the back of the open truck, exposing the device he and krel were trying to use. he yells if anyone wants a burrito. toby takes him up on the offer. stuart drives off while honking.
it cuts to the team crammed in the back, toby chowing on his burrito. everyone gives him some version of a dissaprovving stare and chuckles.
we cut to birds flying in a blue but cloudy sky. we see a large floating building with several glowing blue circles on the outside, likely to suspend it. as it ascends further, we see more tech supporting the bottom and repairing some of the damaged parts. past and current (akaridion) tech come together to create a floating fortress for the team. it's using the ruins of camelot, and what appears to be the majority that morgana didnt bring down on her and arthur. after a final exterior shot, it cuts.
jim is lying in a bed, resting to recover his injuries from the fight. he wakes up, groaning in pain and looks over to the figure standing in front of ornate stained glass windows, reading a book. (makes me wonder whos room this was before) - it's a familiar figure, the changeling waltholomew stricklander. he's dressed in similar clothing from his human disguise, except with no shoes. (boy put some shoes on)
at jim's waking, he turns with a relieved expression. jim pushes himself up with some effort to a sitting position - except he fails and flops back onto the pillow. his mom shushes him. strickler joins them, tossing his book onto the bed. barbara helps jim sit up, telling him he has three bruised ribs.
"that must hurt" "not as much as a bruised ego does" JIM LAKE JUNIOR IM CLOWING ON YOU.
he furthur self-depreciates with saying that he's only a kid that convinced himself he was a hero, when all he was just lucky to find a magic amulet. (jim, jim we went over this, it was fated for you to be that trollhunter in merlin's plans - in unbecoming )
barb and walt share a knowing look, and nod. walter sits down to give him a pep talk that all great heroes face dark times and that it's okay to recognize your limits. he suggests that jim stay behind the lines for a bit to rest and heal, so he doesn't risk himself or the team. barbara smiles, telling him he might need something to lift his spirits and rests her left hand on his bare arm. a ring sparkles on her finger. jim sighs melodramatically that they're pretty heavy. when he looks down, he notices the ring.
barbara lifts her hand up to more easily display the engagement ring. it sparkles with two small green gems on either side of the diamond. walt asks jim to be his best man. jim responds that he's been walt's student, enemy, friend, and now best man. the honour would be all jim's. walt smiles at jim warmly.
barbara smiles, leaning in to kiss jim's forehead, telling him that his friends are waiting for him, but to take it easy, doctor's orders. they leave and claire enters. jim and claire talk, and he brings up his three bruised ribs, and claire reminds him he's only human. "now". (as a side note i think its very curious that claire insists on only embracing his human side, and others have pointed out that jim only touches her as a troll with his left, human finger count hand) claire smiles, touching his face. "That's enough for me." he touches her hand with his left.
jim asks how nari is, and claire looks... worried. the scene cuts to nari chasing archie around, jumping across the table. krel's dj kleb mix backs this. archie asks how long the swap spell will hold once nari catches him. blinky is holding a book, and says that the spell won't last forever. a bright orb floats into his view and he bats it away with his upper two arms as the lower two clutch his book. this is why his studies need to be uninterrupted, so that he can do research on how much time they may have.
he bats the orb back over to krel, and it's revealed that this orb is a music player. krel is currently working on a glowing screen and projected holograms. he's in a work flow and Cannot Be Interrupted himself. pieces that look like the broken Trollhunter Amulet are projected, and krel spins them as he works, turning various dials on the holograms. he reaches up to change the music, turning the orb from orange to green - playing heavy metal music instead of the cheery electronic dance music.
toby cheers with the music change, and nomura grumbles about the noise as she reads another book. she closes the tome and throws it at the orb, turning it purple. opera music plays. krel declares it helps him concentrate, and that others try doing what he's doing. some pieces start trying to come together before a notification pops up. his sister, aja, has come to earth from their home on akaridion-5. he excitedly lets his human form change back to his akaridion appearance.
the opera music backs the appearance of a small travel vessel that flies into an entrance. when it lands, turning so one side of the blue orb opens and a platform materializes. krel announces that it's been far too long. likely it's been since the ending of 3below that he's seen her. aja has a cheeky line of 'lets stay on the same side of the universe from now on', and toby greets her majesty.
while everyone is greeting aja, steve runs up and plants a kiss on her lips, while aja tries to protest. she calls him a blond oaf, and that he shouldn't have done that.
this is where the movie goes off the rails. rest in pieces decent movie.
jim complaining he's not the trollhunter anymore: 1
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((This is one of those unreality post like pokemon is real kind of blogs)) (piccrew credit)
Hi, im Yarn (he/they transmasc, bi/ace 28) i used to have a website where i posted photos and paintings from my travels, but the hosting got zapped, soo.... blogging like this seems easier anyways.
I travel around with my pokemon, we do odd jobs mostly. I like having my freedom to go where i want and see stuff and try new things, and delicious food! I used to try tackling gym circuts, but me and my team have come to realize hardcore battling isnt really for us. Farming ends up being most of what we do, but I've also gone on research trips as backup muscle, and the designated camp chef xP. My parents (and brother) are botanists so I end up going with their colleagues a lot. (I dont know anything about plants or plant pokemon so do not ask me!)
I like learning about mythology and history. But i also love cooking, (for humans and pokemon) painting and drawing, and tea.
I grew up in Azelea Town in Johto, but did a lot of my early pokemon journey in Hoenn. Right now I'm helping out at an inn in Dewford (mostly cleaning some kitchen help and bartending xD). But when it warms up a bit I think we're gonna go to Sinnoh. Its been a while since I've been there, and im dieing to see Mt Cornet again, but I am NOT going there in the winter.
Team under the cut,
Current team:
Canopus - (Flygon) He was the first pokemon I caught on my own. And we've been training and traveling together ever since. When I was young i had ambitions of being a dragon tamer, and trapinch/vibraina/flygon gets are a good line to start with (at least acording to my cousin and her family don't complain to me if you disagree). He's really chill and calm, and honestly isnt much of a fan of fighting, which ended up being true for me as well haha.
Nari - (Ampharos) The farm I grew up near let me have one of the mareep after my first ever summer working there. They've been my treasured partner ever since. He's a total goof.
Lucy - (Trubbish) This is the only pokemon I've ever gotten from a fancy breeder, but just !!! She's the most precious darling girl! I've seriously never seen anything cuter!!! She's always at my side when I'm cooking, she’s an amazing taste tester and extreamly helpful with clean up.
Sparker - (Charmeleon) My cousin's charizard ended up with some eggs... and she knew I had always wanted a charizard, so she had me come pick one up. He's grown up so fast its honestly hard to belive. He's still stuck in his little shit phase though. He likes showing off for Canopus.
Larry - (Relicanth) met while helping on a fishing boat in southern hoenn. I love him dearly, but he's not happy outside the hoenn oceans, so i mostly hang out with him when I'm in hoenn and need to surf around.
Catasetum - (Leafeon) Technically my brother is her proper trainer, that's why she's named like that. But he's suck at home and she likes traveling, so she's coming with me ✌
Others:
Sable - (Umbreon) He's with my brother, I really miss him :< but he's helping look after my nephew and their family eevee.
Bluebell - (Gastrodon) They're an east sea varient. And soooo soft. When I'm not hanging with Larry I usually have them with me, otherwise they help with pest control in my mom's garden.
Periwinkle - (Altaria) They actually like battling, so mostly they hang out in Blackthorn with my cousin, but if I'm going on a trip where i might actually have to do some fighting I'll take them along.
Hopper - (Sableye) They're my funny little guy.
Nanasaur - (Tropius) He's kinda my dad's but also has traveled with me a lot. Especially before Canopus was fully evolved. He deffinatly has big dad energy.
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It seems like Hyerim spends a lot of time w her ‘uncles’ aka Johnny, Jungwoo, Mark since they are probably around their house a lot. I’m wondering how do they keep her entertained when mom and dad aren’t home, like do they just talk about plants like how she does with Sungchan?
hyerim kinda spends a lot of time with her uncles but not really if that makes sense. she really only calls them uncle if they really make an effort to get close to her like johnny, jungwoo, and mark do (outside of jaehyun's family ofc) but yuta and sicheng don't really regard her more than their boss' daughter
BUT! Hyerim, if not with her biological uncles, she spends most of her time with Johnny because he's the only one who has kids. Nari and Hyerim, despite their age difference, spend a lot of time together and Nari has grown to love her as her younger sister.
Jungwoo and Hyerim is that long distance, bougie uncle that you see every milestone that always has the gifts and the money and that's always willing to bail you out of trouble if he's available--unlike Johnny, Jungwoo is more likely to be the irresponsible, spontaneous uncle that causes more havoc than none. He's also the first one to take her shopping and spoils her and i mean spoils, to a means that neither one of her uncles dare doing.
and Mark is just there LMFAO not saying that Hyerim doesn't appreciate him but she's still a little too weary of him because he's such good friends with Yuta. Mark works hard to get her to warm up to him, but it's not getting any farther than a shy, "hello, mark"
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Home Away From Home--a Tales of Arcadia fanfiction
"She was trying to make the best of it--after all, it wasn’t like Douxie had much else to choose from when he brought her here. But a creature of sunlight and nature could only stand the dank, grey-lit quarters for so long before she began to wilt. "
Nari is struggling to adapt to New York City, but her family is there to remind her where home truly lies.
The companion to The City Never Sleeps. Very, very, VERY extra special thanks to @poetryinmotion-author for both beta reading and talking me through two encounters with writer’s block. This story would not exist without her.
Read on AO3
Or under the cut:
A rundown studio apartment in New York City with drafty windows, moth-eaten carpet, and no air-conditioning was probably the last place one would expect to find an ancient woodland sorceress. Yet this was in fact the very place that Nari of the Eternal Forest had to call her home for the time being. She was trying to make the best of it--after all, it wasn’t like Douxie had much else to choose from when he brought her here. But a creature of sunlight and nature could only stand the dank, grey-lit quarters for so long before she began to wilt.
Douxie had done everything he could to make it bearable for her, bless him. He bought her a score of houseplants to brighten up the place, subscribed to a gardening magazine, even gave her the only available bedframe so she wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor (which smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and made her sneeze every time she walked in). Winter was just around the corner, and they were lucky to have a roof over their heads at all. At least she had the balcony, where she could easily soak up the sun’s rays for a few hours in the afternoon. And the plants were good company, their spirits always shining with gratitude whenever she tended to them. Archie stayed with her most days as well, and they whiled away the hours together as they waited for Douxie to return each night. Really, it wasn’t that bad, she told herself.
But she was miserable all the same.
She missed the spacious halls of Camelot castle, the feeling of grass beneath her bare feet, the smell of a forest glade drenched in morning dew. She missed the freedom of roaming wherever she pleased without burdening another with the task of watching over her. She missed having long discussions with Merlin about magic, missed the way he would pat the top of her head gently and call her “my dear” whenever he was in a particularly good mood. She missed the sounds of birdsong in the early morning, missed the days when magic could be felt flowing freely in the wind, missed everything about her life before the Order ruined it and forced her to go into hiding in this dusty mousehole on the top floor of an ugly and dilapidated old building.
Today was especially bad. It had been cloudy all day, but a dry sort of cloudy, without the promise of refreshing rain. She felt sick and tired, but didn’t want to sate herself on cheap human fare. Archie had been out all night before hunting rats and checking the stasis traps Douxie had set nearby, and though he’d made a heroic effort to stay awake and keep her company, he was now sound asleep on Douxie’s mattress. Her plants were sad today too. Some of them were getting too big for their stands, and she could sense their longing to grow more freely, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask Douxie for bigger pots. So she simply sat on the floor beneath one of the drafty windows, in the only patch of dull grey light that was managing to seep into the room, watching the dust motes drift hazily around her. It would be dark soon, but not the pleasant kind of dark, with stars shining above and moonlight stretching across the landscape. The heavy, hazy dark of a city whose lights never dimmed, that never bothered to peer into the beyond and search the stars for their magic.
She could sense Douxie was happy today, even without having him nearby. His soul was flickering brightly, thrumming with quiet excitement. He had managed to find a better paying job at a bookstore nearby, and was able to come home most evenings now. Yet another reason she couldn’t tell him she felt like she was suffocating here. She didn’t want to ruin the first good thing that had happened to him since he’d gotten stuck with her. She could feel him approaching the apartment now, sense him on the other side of the door, before she heard the jingling of his keys as he undid the magic seals on the door.
“Good evening, comrades!” He burst into the apartment with all the bravado of a knight fresh from slaying a dragon. Archie groaned and put a paw over his ears. “I come bearing gifts!” He held up a large paper sack in one hand and replaced the seals with the other. Nari plastered a smile on her face and joined him in the kitchen area, where he set his burden down on the grease-stained counter. Archie followed behind her begrudgingly and jumped up on the wizard’s shoulder.
“A new succulent for the fair forest goddess,” Douxie said brightly, pulling a tiny potted plant out of the bag and presenting it to Nari with a flourish. “A can of tuna for our resident reptilian feline.”
“It had better be white,” Archie put in as Douxie placed it on the counter.
“And of course, dinner for the master wizard,” he finished, removing a microwavable lasagna and tossing the bag to the side.
“What’s got you all excited?” Archie asked, jumping from Douxie’s shoulder to the counter in order to inspect the can of tuna.
“The assistant manager at the bookstore is being sacked for swiping quid from the cash register and there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taking his place. Which means I’ll be able to drop the part-time gig at the cafe and have Saturdays off.” He ripped open the box in his hand and pulled out the slightly damp-looking lasagna.
“Every week?” Nari asked, perking up. “For the whole day?”
“Every week,” Douxie replied, flashing her a grin. “Well, apart from any special circumstances that may arise.” He shoved the tray of lasagna into the microwave and scanned the box for heating instructions. “I can finally take you to Central Park. You’ll love it there, Nari. They say it’s like the forests back home in Camelot. We might even find a Kelpie or two living in the Pond.”
“Don’t be absurd, Douxie. Kelpies only live in Europe,” Archie said, pawing impatiently at the tuna can. Douxie merely shrugged as he punched the time into the microwave. Nari smiled and looked down at the plant she held in her hands. She doubted any park could compare to the forests of Camelot, but it might be nice to feel real grass beneath her feet again...
...Or perhaps it would only make things worse. A taste of what she was longing for, just enough to reawaken her drooping soul, only for it to be locked back in this birdcage of an apartment.
Douxie opened the can of tuna for Archie and left him to enjoy it on the counter, while the wizard dropped onto the tatty sofa nearby to wait for his food to finish heating. Nari joined him, still cradling the succulent, clinging to the sensation of Douxie’s aura pulsing and swirling next to her. Archie had an aura of his own, being a wizard’s Familiar, but comforting as it was, it wasn’t the same as the latent power of a true magic-wielder. So she treasured the moments Douxie was nearby, when she could feel a piece of the home she so desperately missed. He leaned back with a satisfied sigh and stared up at the ceiling, leg bouncing impatiently, as his eyes darted from one crack in the plaster to another.
“...We need a TV,” he said suddenly. “There’s nothing to do here. How do you two even stay occupied all day?”
“Talk to the plants,” Nari answered.
“Enjoy the peace and quiet,” Archie put in around a mouthful of tuna.
“Discuss magic.”
“Recount embarrassing anecdotes about you.”
“You what?” Douxie picked his head up off the back of the couch and shot Archie a judgemental look. The Familiar looked up from his tuna long enough to respond with a smug grin, while Nari smothered a giggle with her hand. The microwave beeped before Douxie had a chance to say any more about it, but the wizard did flick Archie’s tuna can out from under his chin as he passed the counter.
The smell of cheap microwavable pasta burst into the room as Douxie opened the microwave, and Nari had to swallow a gag. It was truly amazing, the kinds of garbage humans could eat without qualms. Douxie even looked eager as he pulled a fork out of a drawer and dug into the tray without bothering to get a plate. He gave a satisfied hum as he chewed and flopped back down on the sofa, balancing the floppy tray on the palm of his hand. Nari shifted further down the couch and tried to focus on her new plant friend instead of the rubbery cheese Douxie was winding around his fork.
“Nari, did you eat t’day?” he asked through stuffed cheeks. “There wasn’t any sun this afternoon.”
“I was not hungry,” she replied, not looking up from her succulent. She could feel Douxie stop and stare at her. “I’m fine.” She flashed him what she hoped was her most convincing smile. “Just didn’t have an appetite today.”
“You should still eat,” Douxie insisted. “Lasagna?” He offered the tray. “There’s enough for two.”
“No thank you.” She gently pushed his hand back. “I will eat something later.” Douxie continued to scrutinize her for an uncomfortably long moment, hazel eyes fixed determinedly on her face. She was tempted to shapeshift into a flower and fall between the couch cushions. But he would definitely know something was wrong if she started hiding from him. So she went back to gently stroking the leaves of her new friend and ignored him. Finally, he sighed and leaned back, digging into the lasagna once more.
“What’re you going to call that one?” he asked, gesturing to the succulent with his fork and dripping cheese onto the sofa.
“It looks like a Beauregarde to me,” Nari answered, relieved that he was letting the previous subject drop. “But I will not know for sure for a few days yet. You have to really know a plant before you can name it.”
“Whatever you say,” Douxie chuckled, stuffing another bite into his mouth. Silence fell between the three of them as he practically inhaled the rest of his dinner. He dropped the empty tray on the floor at his feet and sank back into the couch with a satisfied groan. “I’d forgotten what it was like to eat dinner before eleven pm.” Archie had emptied his tuna can by now and was lazing contentedly on the counter, washing his face. Douxie stared at the ceiling again for a few minutes, before sitting up again and summoning his guitar. Nari perked up and set the succulent aside, scooting closer to him on the sofa. He strummed a few experimental chords, and Nari could feel his magic rolling and turning with the sound.
“Douxie, has it occurred to you that perhaps using your staff for band practice could lead to magical accidents?” Archie said from his place on the counter.
“It’s fine,” Douxie replied distractedly, still focused on his instrument. “I’ll be careful. Besides, I broke my last non-magic axe on a Gumm-Gumm and I can’t afford to replace it yet.” The guitar gave an electric whine as his fingers danced on the strings, drawing a raucous melody from it that sparked like lightning within his aura. Nari could sense his ease and familiarity, the energy with which he played, but she also sensed a touch of melancholy. He’d played in a band back in Arcadia, hadn’t he? That was one of the many things he left behind when he fled with her. He plunged into a series of particularly high chords that made Archie wince and cover his ears and felt like a barrage of icicles striking her ears.
“I am still not sure if I like this ‘rock music,’” Nari admitted, once he relaxed back into lower, less screechy chords, his aura unwinding from the tight knot it had twisted into and swirling contentedly around him.
“It’ll grow on you,” Douxie assured her. “Even Archie’s acquired a taste for it.” Gradually, the music lost some of its electricity, and began to flow like water as he coaxed an ancient melody from the strings.
Suddenly, Douxie’s magic wasn’t just around her; it was inside her. She took in a sharp breath as the familiar tune he was playing opened a door in her mind and flooded her head with memories. She knew this song. She’d heard it back in the days of Camelot. She could see the city now, clearer than in her dreams, see the mother gently swaying her child as she hummed, feel the thatch beneath her bare feet where she was crouched on a rooftop, watching, observing, waiting--
“Douxie!” Archie barked suddenly, and just like that, the image shattered as the music stopped and Douxie looked up at his Familiar with confusion. Archie wasn’t looking at him, however, but was staring fixedly at Nari, who could finally breathe again. “I think you should stop,” he said to the wizard.
“...No,” Nari pleaded. “Don’t stop...” Her mind told her to stop, to retreat from these memories, but she was like a creature slowly freezing to death desperately grasping at searing flames in order to feel something besides the cold. She looked up to see Douxie giving her a sideways look of concern. “I am fine. Please keep playing.”
Douxie shifted uncertainly, but readied his fingers on the strings once more. Nari clenched her hands as the song began again. The wizard’s magic rushed out in tandem with the music and slammed into her mind, scraping and digging until all of her most cherished, painful memories were exposed. She could see the wooded glens and meadows blanketed with wildflowers, feel the raw, untempered magic drifting on the wind around her, feel the sense of home, of belonging pounding on the inside of her skull. As though from the end of a long tunnel, she heard Douxie’s soft, untrained voice quietly singing the lyrics in the ancient tongue, and hearing it again felt like wonderful burning knives digging into her heart.
Burning. Camelot was burning. She could see it now, see the blood spilt around Killahead Bridge, feel the heat of Bellroc’s merciless flames, hear Skreal’s cold cackle mingling with the screams of their victims, feel the dirt and ash beneath her fingernails as she mowed down legions of Arthur’s knights as though they were nothing more than an army of ants beneath her heel. It was too much. Tears were burning beneath her lashes, and she could feel her chest heaving, but there was too much smoke, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t--
“--ri! Nari!” A firm hand on her shoulder jolted her out of her vision, and she heard a tremendous crash and the sound of leaves shuddering, as though a great wind were passing over them. She sucked in a gulp of air, feeling the chill of tear tracks on her face as she opened her eyes. The apartment was in complete disarray, as though someone had come through and ransacked it. Several dishes were lying in pieces in the cupboard, and Douxie’s mattress had been tossed clear across the room. She could feel the spirits of her beloved plants trembling in their pots, and the weight of slowly dissipating magic in the air. “Nari? Nari, what’s wrong?” Douxie was clutching her shoulder frantically, his staff lying forgotten on the floor. “Archie, what happened to her?”
“This is exactly why I told you not to use your staff for common music-making!” Archie berated him, coming out from behind the counter where he had taken cover. He had shifted into his dragon-form, which meant he must have been startled pretty badly. “Your magic and your music are intertwined. While you are using your staff, there is no separating them, and there is no predicting how they will affect your environment or the people around you.” Douxie snatched his hand from her shoulder as though he’d been burned.
“Y-you mean I...?” he stuttered, a look of horror dawning across his face. Archie ignored him and leapt up onto the sofa, placing a gentle paw on Nari’s leg.
“Nari, my dear, are you alright?” She heaved a gasping sob and frantically shook her head, hugging herself and trembling as though she had just stepped out of a freezer.
“What h-happened?” she whispered.
“You’ve had a magical outburst,” Archie soothed. “Douxie’s magic broke open one of your emotional pools and you lost control for a moment. But you’re safe now, and no one was injured.”
“I’m sorry, I’m s-sorry!” she wept. “I’m so sorry!”
“H-hey...Hey, Nari, it’s alright. No harm done,” Douxie murmured, hesitantly reaching for her shoulder again. She shook her head again and sobbed.
“B-Bellroc always used to l-lash out like that a-and I hated it, they always killed so many a-and destroyed so much just because they were angry, and I n-never wanted to be like--”
“Nari, this was nothing like that,” Archie said firmly. “You were reacting to an unexpected magical stimulus, that’s all. You were not lashing out in anger or fear.”
“B-but I feel so...” She stopped short, swallowing the words that were rising in her throat, suddenly acutely aware of Douxie’s shrunken and paled aura. He was already feeling guilty for his part in this incident. She couldn’t tell him why his music had shaken her the way it did, that it wasn’t only a reaction to his magic, that the problem went far deeper than that.
“...You feel what, Nari?” Archie encouraged softly. She looked down into his steady golden gaze with tear-blurred eyes, and felt the words smash through the barrier and come tumbling out of her mouth.
“I feel so sad!” she burst out. “I hate it here, I feel like I am suffocating every minute of the day! I want to go home, back to the forest, I want to feel real grass again, I want--” She choked and couldn’t finish the sentence. She could feel Douxie’s aura twist sharply, as though she had struck him, and it sent a new wave of tears cascading down her cheeks.
“Nari...” he breathed. “I...” She didn’t let him finish. She could feel his aura pulling away from her, feel him closing off because of his guilt, and like a starving animal whose only food was about to be taken away, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face in his shirt, refusing to lose the one of the few pieces of home she still had. He stiffened, but she only clung to him tighter, muffling a wail in his jacket. A moment later, she felt his arms tentatively settle around her, his left hand coming up to cup the back of her head. “...Alright, easy,” he whispered. “Easy, Nari, that’s it...I’ve got you.” She sniveled furiously against his chest, wishing she was a more delicate crier. “Um....Archie, put the kettle on, will you?” he spoke over the top of her head. His hand moved from her head to her shoulder, where his thumb rubbed a few gentle circles. “That’s all you need, a good hot cuppa.” Nari choked out a half-laugh, half-sob.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry I am not happy here. I know you are doing your best.” She felt him shrug.
“Frankly, I’d be a bit concerned if you were happy in this dustbin. I know this isn’t the best place for you, and I’m sorry we’re stuck here. But this isn’t permanent, I promise. Soon as I have enough stashed away, we’ll get a nice little place in the suburbs somewhere, with a garden. I can’t...I can’t bring back Camelot for you.” She felt his aura dim slightly, and heard the unsaid I wish I could. “But I will make things better for us. I promise.”
“Kettle’s on,” Archie said as he strode back over to them, returning to his cat form. “Douxie’s right, Nari.” He hopped up on the sofa beside her, and she felt him nuzzle against her elbow. “This isn’t permanent. You’ll be out in the sun again soon.” Nari gave a long, drawn out sniffle and nodded. “I think perhaps in the meantime it would be best if you practiced out on the balcony, Douxie,” Archie continued. “At least until you can acquire an instrument that won’t channel your magic.”
“No,” Nari said suddenly, pulling back. “I wasn’t ready the first time but...I want to hear that song again. It...When I heard it, I could see home, really see it. And it hurt but...” She paused, looking between Archie and Douxie. “...but it also helped. I do not feel the sorrow pressing down so heavily now.”
“...Are you sure?” Douxie asked. She nodded, scrubbing away the last of her tears from her cheek. “Well...I can never say no to a free audience.” He picked up his staff from the floor, and it shifted back into his guitar. “I’m not as sensitive as you are, so keep your hand on me so I can feel your aura,” he said. “If I feel your magic starting to overflow, I can stop.” Nari nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder. Archie climbed into her lap and settled there with a purr. Douxie sent her one more questioning glance, and she responded with an encouraging smile.
The chords were gentler this time, and Douxie’s magic moved slowly, almost timidly, around him. His eyes darted rapidly between the strings and Nari’s face, watching for any sign of distress. But she leaned against him and closed her eyes, letting the images of home dance behind her lids as his airy and somewhat wobbly voice hesitantly joined guitar’s. The fields, the lakes, the city, drifted in and out of her mind like friends passing by, and though she felt the ache of homesickness, it wasn’t sharp or burning like the first time. It felt...bittersweet.
Then, a new image joined the old; a boy, far older than he looked, in dark clothing, with a black cat on his shoulder, both smiling down at her as they started their new life together.
Camelot may have been her home once, but now it was gone. Yet she wasn’t lost. She had a new home right here in her arms. And as the kettle on the stove began to whistle and Douxie reached the end of the song, she felt certain that this home was far better than the last.
#tales of arcadia#toa#wizards: tales of arcadia#wizards: toa#fanfiction#douxie is an excellent big brother#archie is a therapy cat#and nari is a plant mom#found family feels
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the art of doubting | jjk (m)
>>pairing: jungkook x reader / dilf!jk x grocery store clerk!oc
>>genre: friends with benefits, smut, a lil bit of fluff, angst
>>word count: 17k -.-
>>warnings: dom jk, sub oc, age gap, dilf jk stuff: asking for permission, saying thank you, sexual tension, gross domestic flirting 🙄, push up kisses, orgasms, oc getting overwhelmed bc jock is too gewd <3, oral (m), rimming !!, mirror sex, one (1) spank, jreampie <3, tummy bulging (kinda? he presses on her tum to feel it?), praise, dirty talk, encouragement, showering together, kisses 😚, ex wife has arrived, mentions of divorce, a lil bit of sad talk about nari :(, nari is two now!!, misunderstandings, arguments, jk lowkey got some issues he needs to work thru lol, he thinks in extremes, oc is in love </3, a very drastic 180 occurs
>>notes: ex wife arrives and literally makes everything explode lmao
this is part of my dilf jk series that can be found on my masterlist
>>summary: seeds of doubt are planted and unfortunately they grow faster than love. things with jk fall apart.
Soft grunting groans filter through the air as you slowly make your way down the stairs to the lower floor. Not really a basement, more of an indoor workout cave.
Jeongguk’s shirtless on the bench, pulling weighted arms down on the machine, the muscles in his back rippling and straining with every pull down. He sees you in the mirror as soon as you walk in, his eyes lighting up and a small winded laugh puffs from his chest.
“Hey— hang on… almost— done…”
You shift on your feet a little, watching him through the reflection. The sight you see is a little too obscene to just be a work out, you feel like. He’s not sweaty yet, probably just started, but his face is a little red from the excretion, and his lats are on display as he does the repetitive workout over and over with clenched teeth and breathy grunts until his body gives out. He catches his breath for a moment, shakes his arms out.
“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked,” you say, tiptoeing over to him and stepping over the plastic baby weight on the mat. “Also why do you do so many at once… looks miserable.”
Jeongguk laughs softly, looks up at you with his doe-eyes when you’re close enough to rest a hand on his shoulder. He’s warm to the touch.
“I usually don’t but I’m the only one here, and I knew it was you coming. Also my phone is charging upstairs so if you texted when you got here like normally, I would not have known.” he explains. “I tend to focus more on longer sets with lighter weights, than shorter sets with heavier weights because it helps keep muscles lean… I’m not trying to bulk up right now.”
You tell him that that makes sense even though you really have no clue. Just know that whatever he does to stay fit works. “Nari at her mom’s?” you ask.
He nods, standing up to go over to the pull up bar on the side of the machine. Wiping his hands on the tiny workout shorts he’s wearing, he jumps a little, and then wiggles his fingers on the bar to get a good grip. “All yours till Friday,” he says, cutely.
Rolling your eyes playfully, you correct him. “Till tomorrow afternoon. I have work… might get a raise soon.”
You wander around a little as Jeongguk goes on about how you should already be getting paid more considering you have a college degree, but you tune him out, knowing he’s trying to be on your side and make you feel better. A marketing degree won't get you far in a grocery aisle, and you both know that, but it’s sweet of him to try.
Instead, you opt to take in your surroundings. You’ve been all around his house of course, but you’ve not spent much time in the workout dungeon.
It’s fully equipped, and fully mirrored, with the flooring being that of wrestling mats to cushion dropped weights or baby stumbles.
On one side of the room there’s an elliptical, a treadmill, a rowing machine, a bench press, basically one of everything that you would normally see in a gym. But on the other side, blocked off by a baby safety gate, is a mini little workout zone filled with mini weights, those foam blocks that you normally find in a child’s gymnastics zone, and a little dance bar along the mirrored wall.
You smile, thinking about Nari holding onto the bar and doing that funny little squatting move of hers. “Are you going to put her in dance?”
He looks at you through the mirror, no longer doing pull ups, but just watching it seems. Seated on one of the benches with a water bottle in his hand, resting between his spread legs. “Ballet I think,” he says, “Me and her mom were talking about it. She thinks it’ll be good for Nari’s coordination…” He gives you a humorously exasperated look, “I just think she’ll look cute in a tutu. Though I suppose coordination would be helpful… she’s a bit clumsy.”
“She is only 2,” you point out, walking over to his side of the room again. “Was the party fun?”
It was on Saturday, just a few days ago. Jeongguk said it was fairy themed much like most of the baby’s things. You saw the pictures that he sent you, Nari adorned in a pair of tiny pink wings, her cake in the shape of a mushroom. The kids all got tiny bottles of ‘pixie dust’ to play with, shimmery bubbles floating through the air.
There was a woman in one of the pictures, blowing a bubble into Nari’s delighted face, her own smile matching that of the baby. She obviously wasn’t the focus of the photo, and you doubt that Jeongguk even realized when he sent it. But you already knew who the woman was anyway. The pictures around Jeongguk’s house were enough to tell you, even if he never explicitly stated it. And you know it makes sense and that it’s normal for her to be there, with Jeongguk at their daughter's birthday, but something settled into the pit of your belly when you looked at that picture. You haven’t been able to shake it yet.
Jeongguk’s voice brings you back. “Yeah it was fun, you got the pictures right?” He seems excited. You laugh a little, reminding that yes, you did see. You responded to them after all. He grins sheepishly as he goes to another machine, “Don’t be sassy, or I’ll eat the piece of cake we saved you.”
His sentence warms your heart. The fact that he was thinking about you, keeping you in mind. Reminds you of the bittersweet message you received from him on Saturday while he was at the party.
Wish you could have come
It took some effort, and you’ve done your best to not think about the fact that you could have, if he had asked you to. Saturday was your day off.
“What flavor is it?”
“Funfetti, obviously.” Jeongguk rolls his eyes, grunts quietly as he does another rep.
“Obviously,” you mime, with a small chuckle.
Conversation flows smoothly, just like always, everything seamless between you both. While most people wouldn’t probably get annoyed at someone hovering, Jeongguk seems happy to be near you, glad for the company. You sit beside him as he gets to the ground for some push ups.
He gets about three in before you’re laying flat on your back, boredom making a thought pop into your head.
“Do them over me.”
Jeongguk falters mid-way up, glancing at you with a suspicious look. “Why?”
“I wanna help,” you reason.
“Not sure being on top of you will be helpful,” he murmurs, but appeases you nonetheless, side walking on his hands and the balls of his feet until he’s over you.
You both give each other closed lip smiles as you try not to laugh. Jeongguk lowers himself, and you sneakily place a sweet kiss on his cheek.
“I knew you didn’t want to be helpful,” he says, his voice laced with faux annoyance. He does another one and receives another kiss. “You want to be distracting.”
“I’m not being distracting, I’m providing incentive.”
“I can’t even go all the way down, your tits are in the way.”
“You are so ungrateful.”
He smiles with his eyes as he goes down again, his nose brushing yours as he nuzzles into your cheek briefly. “And how are you providing incentive?”
You hum at the feel of his warm breath on your ear. “The longer you hold your plank, the longer you get to kiss me.”
“Who says I wanna kiss you?” he teases, voice soft as a feather as he does another push up.
“You always want to kiss me,” you tell him, just as quiet, tension radiating off of you as you readjust yourself, your legs opening so that the next time he drops down, he’s not just over you, but between your thighs as well. “And you haven’t yet…” you remind him as you drag your acrylics over his bare back, smiling at the way he shudders and at the way his arms buckle.
He grins, looking at you like you’re unbelievable, yet everything he wants right now. “Between you and Nari, I can never get anything done.”
You hum, “I just think you need to reevaluate your priorities, maybe.”
“And what do you think my priorities should be, __?” he whispers, eyes searching your face, lingering on your lips, a fond look coloring his features.
“Well, right now,” you start, looping your arms around his neck, “I think you should really focus on that plank, and on that kiss you’re dying to give me.”
Your teeth click before your lips lock because of how much you both are smiling.
But once lips lock, it doesn’t take much for Jeongguk to collapse onto you. Doesn’t even try to hold the plank, instead just melding his body to yours, the inside of your legs clamping around his waist. He goes from having his hands flat on the mat to bracing himself on his forearms, his knees hitting the mat between your legs. You use some of your weight to bring him closer, the slowly swelling front of his work out shorts pressing into the crotch of your leggings.
You work your hips, rolling them slowly up into him, in time with the slow, molten kisses he licks into your mouth.
Jeongguk’s always easy for you, but today he seems to be fighting himself, playfully fighting how bad he wants you. It’s the principle of the thing. To prove a point. The point being that you’re distracting, his weakness. His hips rolling into yours, only to pull back. He lips pressing hard against yours, only to pull back. Just for him to do it over again, just for him to give in like you both know he wants to and will. It's after a particularly hard rut against you that he peels his lips from yours, panting softly, how worked up he is so apparent in the way he can’t stop his hips.
“You’re going to kill me,” he whispers, his nose brushing against your cheek before he sinks his teeth into the apple of it like he just can’t help it, can’t get enough of you.
Your manicured hands cup his cheeks, as you nod and guide him back into a wet kiss. “Want you in my mouth,” you moan against his lips.
Jeongguk pulls back with a light blush on his cheeks. “Are you sure? I was just working out–”
A kiss cuts him off as you slowly start to sit up, him going with you. “Barely broke a sweat, and I don’t care,” you tell him, hands gripping at the elastic of his waistband, “just want you.”
Jeongguk laughs softly, grabs your eager hands, maneuvering to his feet and pulling you with him. It’s then that he strips you of your shirt, your bra. His hands come to cup your bare tits, rolling them in his palms as he brings his lips back to you, all while he toes off his shoes, as well as his socks with a little difficulty and stumbling, but not without sweet laughter filtering in through the kisses.
He makes his way down as he pushes your pants down, his lips latching to a nipple, making you mewl under the light flicks and the soft sucks, hands coming to his hair to keep your balance as you rid yourself from the stretchy material. His hair gets pulled when you’re free, and he’s biting his lip at the tugging when he blinks his eyes open to look at you again.
“Sit on the bench,” you tell him, hand slipping from his locks, and down to his flushed chest. You press lightly, backing him up to the benchpress machine that’s not too far behind him.
The bench is propped up, a reclined sitting position under the secured bar above, resembling more of a chair than the typical flat board of most bench presses.
He gingerly sits down, keeps his eyes on you the whole time, watching as you lower yourself to your knees, settling between his open ones. His cock is hard and pink, up and laying flat on his lower tummy. It pulses when you place your hand on his thighs, long nails running down.
You both smile a little because its funny in a stupid way, but your pussy pulses too, getting slick between you legs at the way Jeongguk responds to you. How eager he is for you, how the mere feel of your hands on his thighs is enough to make him throb in anticipation of what else is going to come, of how good you’re going to make him feel.
“Wanna make you feel good,” you say quietly. Your gaze flicking between his face and the flushed, shiny head of his cock in your hand.
He bites his lip when you slowly start to work your hand on him, his foreskin sliding over the wet tip of his cock, and when you rub the pad of your thumb on the under part of the head, you watch as his head tilts back, his eyes slipping shut, and his mouth exhaling a soft sigh. You squeeze your thighs together at the sight. Jeongguk is so responsive, pliant as he settles into the bench, hot and heavy in your hand.
“Put your mouth on it,” Jeongguk requests, eyes lazily shut.
When you oblige, Jeongguk sucks in a sharp breath, his back arching a little off of the bench behind him, his hips pulling back like the feel of your lips suckling on him is too much, too good.
You pull off with a little pop, holding his cock close smiling against his length. “Why are you trying to get away from me?”
Jeongguk gives you a crooked grin, looking down his nose at you with hazy eyes. “Keep going,” he says softly.
Humming against his length you begin to place heavy, wet kisses down his cock all the way to his balls. The kind where your tongue licks him before your lips suction softly. Then you lick all the way back up with the flat of your tongue, your lips wrapping around him, your head bobbing a few shallow times. Jeongguk keeps breathing those sweet, soft moans. So relaxed and relishing in the way you suck him off. He’s not pulling away anymore, instead trying to keep from bucking into your mouth, you can tell by the way his lower belly tenses.
When you go down a little farther, sucking his balls into your mouth, you moan at the way he whines, at the way his legs subconsciously open wider as you alternate between lapping at him, and teasing him with light circles from the tip of your tongue. He breathes praise, telling you how good it feels. It makes you want to make him feel even better.
His legs spreading wide for you gives you the idea to trail a little farther down, stray off the path of your usual blowjobs. You start with your fingers, something he’s used to and loves. Massaging that spot behind his balls with deliberate little pets, you moan softly when he pulls his legs back just slightly, barely lifting his feet off the ground so you can touch him better.
His brows are pinched, and his mouth is open in a silent moan, his expression one of pleasure and arousal as he brings his hand down to his cock. He slowly tugs at himself, watching as you bring your mouth back to his balls. He’s nodding, eager and encouraging, his hand speeding up.
“You’re–,” he moans, his head rolling back along with his eyes, “My baby.”
Laughing a little you pull back, focusing on just massaging him. He seems extra responsive today, his praise and sentences jumbled and hardly coherent.
“Keep licking,” he moans.
You hum, going to appease him but right before you suck his balls into your mouth you pause. He notices, brings his eyes to you with a questioning, needy gaze, his hand still working over his cock.
You place a chaste kiss to his balls and then one a little lower. Jeongguk jolts, and questions you with a gaze, but he doesn't stop you.
In all honesty, you don't know what you’re doing, have no clue why you even want to, but the desire to make Jeongguk feel good and curiosity spurs you on. He likes your fingers, maybe he’ll like your mouth there too.
Your eyes hold a question in them as you gently, wordlessly push his legs back some more, more of him on display than you’ve ever seen before. Jeongguk grows a little red, but his hand hasn’t stopped, and he just pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, watching you as you kiss on the backs of his thighs.
He’s tense, like he’s just waiting for you to do it. With your breath hot on his taint, you look at him once more, and he gives the slightest nod, permission to continue. His eyes are heavy and he licks over his red bitten lips, and when you press another one of your chaste kisses against him, his brows furrow and his mouth parts and he cranes forward, like he wants it so bad, is so eager that he can't contain it.
The first lick over him makes him gasp, and he breathes the most salacious, “Yeah–” as his legs get pulled back even more.
You smile at him with your tongue out, giving tentative licks to that spot he loves. Your hands are on his cheeks and you pull back some, looking at him with a grin.
Jeongguk groans, a laugh coloring it as his head falls back to the bench kind of like he’s a little bashful about being so worked up. His free hand pushes through his hair before rubbing over his face, eyes finally meeting yours again. “You’re so hot down there,” he tells you.
You purr, pressing your thumbs into his cheeks opening him up a little more. A quick wet lick is placed over his hole and he breathes out a harsh sigh, craning his neck so he can look at you, his tummy tensed.
“Is this what you want?” you murmur against him, getting a little more confident, the tip of your tongue flicking over the cinched muscle.
“Yeah, fuck…” he whispers.
The hand he has on his cock squeezes at the base for a second before he makes a ring with his thumb and index finger focusing on the tip of his cock with quick little strokes. The hand he doesn’t have busy pulls his thigh back a bit more.
As your tongue works over him, he chants over and over again, tells you how hot you look, how good your mouth feels, how wants you to keep going. It’s when you point your tongue a little, just barely pressing into his rim that his hand goes to the back of your head.
He holds your face to his ass, pushes you into him as he melts into the chair, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths that lilt up at the end.
“Good girl,” Jeongguk moans, his eyes blinking open hazily as he looks down at you again.
Your eyes smiles at him as you continue to work your tongue, little wet noises willing the air as you eat him out. When he removes his hand, you lick from his hole to his balls, repeating the action a few times, making Jeongguk almost tremble.
“Your dirty girl?” you ask him quietly in response to the praise he just gave you, giving him tiny little kitten licks over his hole.
He gives you a lustdrunk smile, licking over his lips. “Yeah, all mine.”
“What do you want?” you kiss into his taint, eyes big as you look up at him.
“Just a little more,” he whispers, his thumb spreading the precum leaking from his tip.
You get a hold of the hand on his pulled back thighs, guide it back to the back of your head once again. “Take it then,” you tell him, “take more from me.”
Jeongguk lets out a shaky breath, biting his lip as he pushes your mouth back to his hole. “Look so hot licking my ass,” he breathes, barely audible over the wet licks you’re giving him. He kinda shakes your head, his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched as he sucks a breath through his teeth. “Oh my god–”
When you point your tongue and press past the little resistance, Jeongguk’s mouth drops open and his brows arch upwards, and his eyes roll a little before he squeezes them shut, pushing and pulling on your head just barely, making your tongue fuck him.
It's kind of abrupt when he pulls you back by the hair, his legs coming down again. It’s abrupt when he kisses you. Deep, his tongue licking into your mouth like he doesn't care that you were just licking into him, making him pant, making his cock leak. It’s abrupt when he breaks the kiss. He’s still close, breathing you in, giving you one last soft little peck before he leans back again, his demeanor expectant.
Both of his hands are on your head, and he’s guiding you down, taking what he wants from you just like you told him to. His cock is so hard, flushed and angry looking as it stands, just waiting for your mouth.
It's a swift and quick motion when he pushes your head down, the tip hitting the back of your throat almost immediately. He whines softly, and rocks his hips up while pulling you down onto him, glucking noises filling the air as he fills your mouth.
His length and girth are a lot to take, your eyes prickling with tears as he holds your head down, but when you hear him whisper, so desperately, “Love when you choke on my cock,” it’s so worth it.
He sounds so unabashedly fucked out, like your mouth is the best thing he’s ever felt, like it's the only thing he ever wants to feel for the rest of his life. He’s being a little rougher with you, a little more crude with his words like he’s losing himself in you, losing his control. It makes you moan around him, wanton and needy.
His hips start to fuck up into you mouth again, his hands holding your head in place, keeping you from pulling away. He knows you wouldn’t have, always so well behaved, almost obedient in the way that you please him. But, even so, he just likes having his hands on you, likes feeling the way you struggle to take him.
“That’s a good girl…” he groans, soft and focused, his hips snapping up again. “You’re such a good girl…”
He holds you down once more, shakes your head by the hair so that his tip rubs against your throat, and then he’s pulling you up, kissing you filthily again, not even giving you time to properly catch your breath.
“Get against the mirror,” he says against your lips.
The heat from your hands makes the glass under your hands fog up, and the heat from Jeongguk behind you makes you flush, the heaviness of his cock rutting against the swell of your ass as he wastes no time getting into position.
At the first feel of his tip rubbing between your folds, grazing over your clit, you gasp and your arms buckle. Your legs spread naturally, but Jeongguk makes a tutting noise, and rests one palm on the outside of your hips, the other between your shoulder blades applying light pressure.
“Keep them together, but bend a little– yeah, perfect,” he breathes.
He takes a step back, looks at your ass pushed out for him, your puffy pussy peeking out from between your legs with your clit tucked inside. You’re drippy, shiny and smooth, your slick leaking out, making it sound lewd and wet when he pushes inside.
Your head hangs at the first thrust, Jeongguk pushing in slow but with a steady motion, and you exhale a soft puff.
He keeps his hips against your ass, his cock sheathed by your pussy. His hands grabbing and squeezing, roaming over your body while he waits just a bit for you to get used to him inside of you. Then he’s pulling out, just the tip of his cock still tucked inside, before he fucks into you hard and fast. It knocks the breath out of you, makes your hands on the mirror slip a little.
“F-fuck,” you whisper, your head still hanging, eyes squeezed shut as he fills you up.
Jeongguk’s eyes go from watching his cock slide into you, to the mirror. He moans, the contrast of his tattooed arm on your bare back as he rocks his hips into you is so pretty, just like the way that your shoulder blades push out, how your tiny waist feathers out to the swell of your hips. The fatty part of your hips ripples and pillows against him everytime he thrusts, dull slaps echoing with the whiny moans he punches out of you with his cock.
“Look baby,” he tells you.
It takes a little bit of effort, but when you lift your head, you’re met with a disheveled, messy version of yourself. There’s tears in your eyes, the feel of Jeongguk’s fat cock pushing and pulling in and out of you is overwhelmingly good, his girth rubbing against the sensitive walls of your cunt. Your makeup is messy, your under eyes dark with smudged mascara, the coverage around your mouth and on your nose completely gone, your lips kissed swollen and red.
Eyes moving to Jeongguk behind you through the mirror, you see the way he’s watching you watch him. Watching as your expression changes, how your eyes flutter when he hits that spot inside of you that makes your knees lock, makes your breath stutter and your brows furrow in pleasure.
“There,” you breathe, “God, you make me feel so good, baby.” Your hands slip down the mirror again, the force of his thrusts and the pleasure that’s curling in your belly already making it hard to hold yourself up. You squeeze your eyes shut to keep the tears from spilling over.
Jeongguk picks up the pace of his hips, his hands gripping yours, his thumbs digging into the little dimples at the bottom of your back, a perfect match, like they were placed there just for him. It’s almost like your body was meant for him, crafted with him in mind, fitting together so flawlessly that it’s hard for him to remember there were people before you, people that made him feel good before you did. Because when he’s inside of you, when he’s with you, it’s like that’s all there is. Just an endless loop of you and him, you and him, no beginning or end, no past or future, like the world is only as big as the room you’re in.
“Faster– getting close...”
Your voice echoes in his ears, and he realizes that his thrusts slowed while he got lost in thought. He clears his throat, gets back to work, back to fucking you like he means it, it’s the last time he ever will.
“You always cum so fast when I fuck you like this,” Jeongguk muses, biting his lip when he sees the way your tits jiggle in the mirror.
He expects you to be snarky, make a comment about how he’s smug, too cocky, but instead you nod your head, hands forming fists against the mirror. It’s airy and sexy when you say, “Yeah, you fuck me the best, love your cock… wanna cum for you…”
And it reminds him of the first time he fucked you. How you said more or less the same thing.
“Yeah, wanna fuck you all the time. Love your fat cock…”
That was 6 months ago. It’s not that long but it is at the same time. It feels like only a few seconds and a lifetime in the same breath. Jeongguk feels something stir in his belly, something mix with the steady build up.
“Yeah?” he asks, his voice soft and dreamy– almost fond, juxtaposing the way he’s fucking you. “What do you say?”
You wait a few moments for your body to get there, your head falling again like it's getting hard to support yourself. You’re chanting softly; pornographic ‘yeah’s’ and lewd mewls spilling from your lips nonstop.
“Fuck…” you start, “can I… can I cum?”
It sounds like it's hard for you to form words, so it's a little mean of Jeongguk to spring something new on you. But he can’t help himself.
“Who are you asking?”
A confused sound that turns to a moan at the tailend colors the air.
“I…”
“Who am I, baby? What should you call me when I’m fucking you like this?” Jeongguk asks, patient and gentle.
You say the first thing that pops into your head.
“Daddy?”
A sharp slap echoes in the room, and you’re sure there’s a red palm print on your ass. You cry out, whiny as Jeongguk leans over you, his voice in your ear.
“You know better than that,” he says, a little out of breath, but still stern. “Try again. Be polite.”
At this point you’re so close that you’re crying softly, your knees turning inward as you squeeze your legs together as if that will keep your orgasm at bay until he says you can cum. You try to listen to his words, connect the dots and finally it comes to you.
“Sir–” you gasp, “Sir, can I cum?”
Jeongguk groans a little, feels his cock jerk inside of you, the title making that hot feeling burn within him.
“Yes,” he moans, “Look at yourself while you do, want you to see how pretty you look when you cum just from my cock.”
Hardly able to keep yourself up at all, even with the help of the mirror, you tell him in a whiny voice that you can’t, that it’s too hard.
You hear him coo before your world spins a little bit, Jeongguk wrapping an arm around your tummy, pulling you to his chest. His body is burning behind you, and his breath is hot in your ear as he pants, his hips punching into you from behind. The arm that he doesn't have wrapped around your torso comes up, forearm resting between your tits, fingers getting a hold of your jaw making you look straight ahead.
The sight looking back at you is indecent. So filthy that you and Jeongguk both falter, a soft moan echoing in unison.
“Look at you,” Jeongguk purrs.
“Please,” you cry, simply because you don't know what else to say, overtaken with pleasure.
“I already said you could cum, baby,” he reminds you.
And it's like it's all too much and not enough at the same time. Like the push and pull of his cock into your cunt is too good yet exactly what you need, like his hands on you are overstimulating but without them you wouldn’t feel that safety, that feeling of being adored and taken care of. Like his voice in your ear encouraging you is too nice but if he stopped talking to you you wouldn’t know wouldn’t know what to do, that it’s okay.
“Jeongguk,” you cry. Like actually cry. No longer able to hold in the tiny, overwhelmed sobs.
He presses into the side of your head, kisses you as well as he can when he’s jackhammering his hips into your cunt. He shushes you, and his hold on your jaw softens, his other hand petting over your front soothingly. “I know, baby, I know,” he coos.
And it just makes you cry harder. “I can’t– It’s– it’s too much–”
“Yes you can,” he whispers hotly, his eyes on you in the mirror. “You can do it, be good, cum for me…”
He uses the hand he has on your front to press you back into him, closer if that were even possible, but with the slight pressure on your lower belly he feels something.
The moan that falls from his lips is so shameless and lewd. It’s not loud, but more of a soft, wondrous keen.
His cock thrusting into you can be felt with the light push into your belly, and it unlocks something in him. He grabs one of your hands that’s clutching at his forearm and brings it down, his own hand on top of yours pushing so you can feel his cock inside of you too.
“Feel that?” he asks, nipping at your ear lightly, “So hard for you, so deep that you can feel me through your belly... Let go for me, baby, wanna feel you cum on my cock while I can feel myself inside you from the outside.”
Maybe it’s feeling him from the outside, or maybe it's the way he always manages to keep that soft, gentle way with you no matter what. Even if he gets worked up, losing himself a bit– he never leaves you, never becomes too harsh or rough. He’s always the perfect mix of both, and that’s what makes the pleasure that’s been ebbing in you wash over your body.
You tremble in his arms and soft, desperate whimpers get exhaled as you cum. No warning, but Jeongguk knows, feels the way you contract around him as he slows his hips a little, giving you longer, unhurried thrusts. He lets you bathe in it, the dreamy, dizzying high that makes you delirious as you thank him with teary words.
“That’s my girl, so good for me all the time… knew you could do it,” he says, his hips gradually starting to pick up again, his thrusts sloppy.
Vision is a little blurry when you blink your eyes, but the sight of Jeongguk wrapped around you, his face in your neck biting and moaning into your skin–
“Please cum inside of me,” you beg.
“Yeah, gonna–” he tells you, his teeth sinking into that spot between your shoulder and neck. You gasp when he sucks, knowing that there will be a mark, and you bring your hand up to his hair, keeping him close.
Jeongguk switches from those harsh sucks and bites to sweet kisses up your neck to your jaw. His fingers on your face urge you to look over your shoulder, and the distance between your lips and his is too small, too tempting for him to not take it.
He kisses you, desperate just like his thrusts are becoming until he's right at the crest.
“Gonna cum,” he pants against your lips, his hand on your tummy still pushing to feel himself.
You nod, still looking at him behind you, placing soft kisses on his lips at first and then wherever you can reach until he succumbs to the pleasure, his eyes closing and his head lulling back a little before he’s pressing into your sweaty hair, like he wants to hide yet stay close to you. He cums with a gasp, cock buried deep, throbbing with every shot of white that paints you from the inside.
As soon as he catches his breath, he kisses you.
He kisses you again and again and again.
~~~
There’s something so intimate… so vulnerable about letting someone wash you.
When there’s no ulterior motives laced with sex or lust. Just gentle touches, pure in the way they take their time with lathering up even the simple, boring parts of your body. Paying special mind to your hands, your calves. Behind your ears, your shoulders.
Jeongguk’s touching you like you’re sunshine.
Like he’s savoring the warmth of your body under his fingertips even though it's too hot in the shower.
He’s touching you like you’re the perfect day, one so perfect that he’s scared it will pass by before he can enjoy it.
He’s touching you with so much care and attention and it feels so good that it’s blissful. It feels so– it feels like when you’re a little kid and you return to the comfort of your home after a long day, to the familiarness of your bed, to everything that makes you feel safe.
It feels like your favorite memory. The one you keep adding onto because the details have gotten fuzzy, but you clutch onto it because it's too precious to let go of.
It feels like a–
It feels like–
Jeongguk takes his time with you.
It feels so good that it’s almost overwhelming in a way that you’ve never experienced before. It feels so good that tears sting behind your eyelids, so different from the tears you shed earlier.
He delicately untangles your hair, gets out all the knots he put in it. He cups your face, gently rubbing the pads of his thumbs under your eyes, getting the makeup off as best he can. He’s careful when he’s suds up your body, mindful of the light blossoms that he planted into your skin. The violet on your neck pulses under the care, a bloom that’s pretty, a bloom that aches, a bloom that feels good.
He’s adoring, he’s soft, he’s bliss.
When his lips kiss your cheek, it's almost platonic, simply because it lacks desire. It sounds bad, embarrassing maybe, that he’s not desiring your naked body in front of him, but it’s not– it’s something new and it's so incredibly wholesome. His kisses are so sweet, so pure, so innocent and just an expression of caring rather than wanting that it makes you want him in a way that scares you.
After the final rinse, you kiss his cheek. Hope and yearn that he can feel half of what he made you feel. You hope he knows what you mean when you say quietly, “Thank you.”
~~~
“Wear this one, you look good in white.”
Jeongguk has a fluffy grey towel tied around his hips, lingering water droplets disappearing when they trek far enough down his torso. And you’re scrunching your hair in a matching towel, warm from the heated towel rack. The atmosphere in his bedroom is warm too, soft and comfortable, sweet like a cup of hot tea.
He’s got one of his white shirts scrunched in his hands, ready to dress you. Quiet laughter putters from your lips as you reach your hands up and into the arm holes as he pulls the neck hole over your head. When you pop out Jeongguk is close enough for you to kiss him, so you do.
“We’ve kissed so much today,” he says thoughtfully, turning and digging in his drawers. Instead of taking care of himself, he finds a pair of your lounge shorts that you left here.
“I know, how gross,” you say with playful disgust in your tone, as you take that and step into the shorts. Panties are unnecessary apparently, since he doesn’t hand you one of the stray pairs you know are in his dresser.
He hums walking into the bathroom. “It’s nice, I like kissing you.”
You roll your eyes following him. Hopping onto the counter you watch as he does his skincare. “We already had sex, no need to butter me up, sir.”
The corners of his mouth turn up just barely as he tries not to smile, hardly glancing at you as he dabs his moisturizer in.
“I like it when you’re around,” he says simply.
Heat rushes to your face, and your heart beats loud in your ears and something feels so different.
So of course you just change the subject.
“I’m so glad we ordered food before the shower.” You place a hand on your belly, “I’m so hungry.”
“Hopefully you clicked the right stuff, since you were, you know, a little distracted… seeing as we were kissing… so much… because I like to kiss you...”
“Do you want a kiss right now? Is that why you’re being annoying?”
He makes an offended expression before immediately going back to his normal face, tinted with faux nonchalance. He shrugs his tattooed shoulder, tapping the cream in. “I wouldn’t object to a kiss or two…”
And so he gets a kiss or two or three, soft, giddy little pecks.
He pulls away, and just looks at you for a few seconds, doe-eyes dancing across your features before falling and lingering on the lovebite he left that’s peeking out. The neck of his shirt is too big, hanging loose. His hand comes up and he fingers at the material like he’s thinking of straightening the shirt out for you.
He doesn’t, instead bringing the hand to your jaw, making you tilt your head, looking up at him.
“You’re so pretty,” he says, his thumb gliding on the apple of your cheek.
Your eyes fall shut, content. A lazy smile laces your words when you say, “Thanks.”
Cute kissy noises ring in your ears until they don’t, the doorbell taking their place.
You pull away so fast that Jeongguk is almost insulted. Jumping from the counter you squeal about the food, tapping his toweled butt on the way out of the bathroom, telling him to hurry up and get dressed as you rummage through your purse for your wallet.
“Wait I’ll pay,” he says, finally dropping his towel and snagging a pair of briefs.
“It’s okay!” you call over your shoulder, speed walking to his front door.
The walk from Jeongguk’s bedroom isn’t too long, but your thoughts are fast, running a mile a minute. The thought of how good today has been, how easy it is to be with him. How whenever you’re with him you find that your cheeks hurt when you go home, laughter constant, and smiles ever present. You think about how warm his home is, how warm he is, how being with him is a comfort that you’ve come to crave.
The smile that is on your face is unconscious, the remnants of the soft emotions swirling in your chest, feeling like you’ve finally pinpointed what's so different about today.
When you open the door, that lingering smile falls and that hazy feeling evaporates.
In front of you is not a delivery guy.
It’s the woman from the pictures. The framed one in the hallway, the one on top of Nari’s dresser, the one in the photo albums Jeongguk let you browse through when you wanted to see his daughter as a newborn. It’s the same woman that was in the picture he sent you.
And your heart drops when you take her in. You knew she was pretty, but the pictures don’t even scratch the surface. Even when her features are pulled in perturbed confusion, she’s beautiful. She’s put together, long dark hair styled and sleek, make up done minimally but elegantly, her parted lips a sheer coral. Her straight, dark brows are furrowed causing a slight wrinkle between them. It looks out of place, an imperfection that doesn’t belong.
Her sharp eyes scan you, both of you just kind of standing there in the doorway, taking the other in. They go from your wet hair, to your face, down to where Jeongguk’s shirt hangs loosely off your shoulder. Her gaze hardens as she lingers there for just a moment, before directing dark eyes back at you.
It feels like it’s been hours, that you both have been there, but in reality it's not even a minute. She looks like she’s going to say something, but the impatient baby in the woman’s arms makes herself known.
At the high pitched squeal that Nari lets out, you snap out of it, plastering a smile on your face. The little one is smiling, clearly excited to see you, her doe-eyes curling and getting mini puffs under them. When she leans away from her mom, arms reaching out towards you, it’s instinct when you go to take her from her mom.
“Hi! Sorry Gguk’s in–” You falter, arms raised halfway, when Nari gets pulled out of reach.
The woman doesn’t go as far as taking a step away from you, but she turns at the waist kind of putting herself and some distance between you and her baby. As you let your hands fall in timid, jerky movements, you look between the two in front of you, and Nari’s doing the same, a cute confused expression on her face like she doesn’t know why she wasn’t allowed to play with you.
And it’s not like you blame Nari’s mom. It’s very apparent that she has no clue who you are. If anything you think it’s good that her mom is protective enough to not just hand Nari over to someone she doesn’t know. It makes sense, but it stings.
“Ba?” Nari babbles, to her mom.
The woman’s cold gaze breaks at the sound of her daughter's voice, and morphs into one of quiet love as she directs her eyes to the baby, giving her a soft smile. She bounces Nari a little on her hip, and Nari giggles. When they are looking at each other, their profile resemblance is striking. Of course Nari’s features are still baby soft, but it's obvious that they have the same nose. Small, slightly upturned. The same lips too; plump with the upper lip almost rounded.
“Who is this, Riri?” she asks her baby playfully, her eyes finding you again at the tailend of her sentence.
She’s smiling, but her eyes are stony, guarded, as she looks at you expectantly.
“I’m __– I’m a uh… a friend of Jeongguk’s?”
Her eyes narrow for a fraction of a second when you say ‘friend’ and the coolness she’s emitting is enough for you to call for Jeongguk for your shoulder, needing the comfort of him. The woman in front of you is intimidating in a way you don’t think you could ever achieve. It’s something about the way she carries herself, so collected and aloof, like she’s mastered the art of keeping it together.
And you’re not scared of her, not really. But what are you supposed to do in this situation other than call for Jeongguk?
At the thought of him, you hear his voice come from behind you and when you turn, you see him walking out of his room, bottom half clothed in dark joggers, his top half bare as he clumsily pulls a shirt over his head.
“Do you need cash for the ti–” When his wet head of hair pops out of the neck hole, and he sees not one girl in front of him, but three, his voice cuts out, and he slows as he takes in the scene before him. You see how his chest expands as he takes a deep breath, like he’s preparing himself before quickening his pace.
Nari starts to kick in her mom’s hold when she sees her dad approaching, excited little gasps puffing out of her.
“Hi, little flower,” Jeongguk coos, smiling wide as he brings his hand up, tickling Nari’s neck, making the baby squirm and curl in on herself as she bubbles out a giggle. “Dasom,” he says as a greeting to his ex-wife, as takes his place next to you, his hand settling on your lower back for just a moment, like he’s letting you know he’s there.
Dasom lets the corners of her lips turn up slightly as she says, “Jeongguk.”
“What are you doing here?” he asks. You can tell he’s trying to keep his voice neutral.
“Something came up at work. I have to go to the headquarters a few cities over for a few days,” Nari grabs at the dainty necklace she’s wearing, and Dasom gently untangles her little fingers, offering her her wrist instead. A heavier, more sturdy piece of jewelry keeps Nari busy. “I texted you hours ago letting you know I was on my way.”
“I was busy. I didn’t have my phone on me,” he explains.
Dasom looks between you both. The freshly washed hair on both your heads, the mark on your neck. The too-big, white shirt you have on that’s clearly not yours. “I can see that,” she replies coolly.
And suddenly you feel so out of place, so uncomfortable. Standing between two people who used to share the home you’re surrounded by. Two people who share the sweet baby girl that’s content babbling to herself. Two people who were married, who were in love, who have so much history together. You know it’s mildly absurd, because they’re divorced, but you feel like you’re intruding, like you’re doing something wrong.
You’re just about to excuse yourself when Jeongguk sighs, runs a frustrated hand through his hair, reaching out and taking Nari from her mom. “__, can you take Nari and wait for me in the playroom?”
“Daaa,” she peeps happily in her dad’s big arms, as he hands her off to you.
“Kook–” Dasom says, uneasiness lacing her tone.
“She’s fine Dasom, she’s been with __ many times,” Jeongguk says with a finality to his tone.
Dasom says her goodbyes to Nari, a tense silence falling over the house as you walk away with the baby. It’s not till Dasom thinks you’re far enough away that she speaks up.
“Who is that, Jeongguk?”
Jeongguk shuts his eyes roughly when he hears a hint of confused hurt in her voice. He can tell she’s trying to mask it, but he’s known her for a long time. Remembers clearly what it sounds like, memories of all the painful talks preceding the divorce edging on his conscience.
“She’s a friend,” he sighs.
“How old are your friends these days?” Dasom questions, confusion turning to judgement– obvious in her tone and her stance, her arms crossing over her torso.
Jeongguk hangs his head and scrubs his hands over his face. “How was Nari?” he asks, trying to change the subject.
His ex has different plans. “How old is she?”
He looks up at her sharp tone, a surprised color to his features. He looks over his shoulder towards the playroom before he turns back to her, a soft incredulous scoff leaving his lips. “She’s old enough, and I’m not doing this with you. So if you don’t have any updates–” His hand is on the door in the process of inching it closed when Dasom interrupts him.
“You know,” she starts, “I never thought I’d have to worry about this with you. Thought you’d be able to keep your personal and parenting lives separate.”
And she knows exactly which buttons of his to push; of course she does. She was married to him for years, knew him better than anyone else at one point in time. She knows that insinuating that he is a lacking parent, that he doesn’t always put their daughter first, will irk him enough to pull a reaction out of him.
It’s purposefully done– vindictiveness an ugly side of his ex that doesn’t come out of her often, only when she’s hurt and wants to hurt back. Or at least it didn’t happen often. It’s been over a year, and people change.
“Are you sure you want to debate which of us has trouble separating and balancing things when you’re the one dropping our daughter off in the middle of your week with her, to go to work?” he asks, his tone icy. He knows her well too. Knows it’s the same insinuations that hurt him, that cut her as well.
Anger colors Dasom’s features as she takes a step closer to Jeongguk, her head tilted a little as she looks up at him. “I do it for her. To provide for her. You know that,” she spits, “And I keep my lovers away from her while I’m at it.”
Jeongguk laughs, like he can’t believe he’s having this conversation. “I’m sure you do, Dasom,” he pauses, debating on whether to add what he’s thinking. “And for the record, I don’t have ‘lovers’. I’m only seeing one person.”
“And are you planning on committing to her? Making it long term?”
Caught off guard doesn’t even really begin to cover the whiplash-like feeling that Jeongguk experiences when he hears the question.
He hesitates, flounders a little. He cares about you, likes you so, so much. And he’s not stupid– he knows that he feels something for you that’s vastly different from what he’s felt for the others before you but– you’re young. So young, with your whole life ahead of you. Meanwhile, he has his life already booked for the next 16 years, at least. He’s never really let himself think about things long term, because it just doesn’t seem realistic. Asking you to commit to not only him, but a two year old as well? It seems selfish to ask that of you, like an unintentional trap that steals your freedom. He can’t ask for that. He won’t.
“I…”
Dasom looks disillusioned, like she really did expect better from Jeongguk. “I didn’t think so. You’re not even dating her... She’s your ‘friend’?” she asks.
Jeongguk just looks at her with pursed lips and pinched brows.
“And when you’re not ‘friends’ anymore, Kook?” she asks again, “Are you just going to bring another ‘friend’into Nari’s life for her to get attached to just for them to leave again? And what about when she’s older? Do you want her thinking that’s what women do? Come and go?”
Dasom’s words are exaggerated and extreme– she doesn't know the circumstances between you and him, doesn’t know that it was Nari that introduced you to one another, so waiting to introduce you and his daughter wasn’t an option. And it’s not like Jeongguk is ever going to have a legion of women filtering through his home.
But the point is made all the same.
“No, of course I don’t want that,” he says defeated, as he tilts his head back for a moment, letting his eyes shut.
“Yeah, me either,” she says. Her voice lacks the judgment it held at the beginning of the conversion, being replaced by blasé melancholy. “So I hope she gets it out of your system. Please drop Nari off next Friday, just like always.”
Turning on her heel, Dasom makes to leave before she stops abruptly. She takes a deep breath with her head tilted back, before she’s looking down, like she’s tired. Like the fight with Jeongguk took a lot of her. She pulls a folder from her bag, turning back around and presenting it to Jeongguk.
“For Ri’s speech…” she says softly, “I took her to another speech pathologist yesterday. This one said try doing signs during meals. ‘All done’. ‘More’...” Dasom does the signs haphazardly waving her hands about. “Doctor said it...” She takes a deep breath, and laughs halfheartedly, and Jeongguk can see how she’s tearing up. “Well, like all the other doctor’s we’ve taken her to, they said it may help.”
Her eyes are glassy when she looks at him, and Jeongguk’s heart aches because he knows exactly how she feels.
The anxiety and constant worry you feel over your child’s well-being is one of the hardest things to navigate because you have to keep it together and not let yourself get defeated. You have to come to terms with the fact that sometimes there’s things that, as a parent, you can’t fix, and that sometimes you can do everything right and still have things go wrong– things that may never be able to go right.
He knows that there is an unexplainable guilt, that there’s always that little voice in the back of your head that tells you that maybe if you had done this, then that wouldn’t have happened. It’s a horribly helpless feeling, wanting nothing more than to make things better for your child, and not being able to.
“She’s fine you know,” he says softly, “she’s just taking her time.”
Dasom tries to nod, but she breaks. Her hands come up to cover her quivering chin and quiet her soft cries. She buries her face in her palms as her shoulders tremble.
“Hey, hey,” Jeongguk whispers, reaching out and pulling her to his chest. Her hands are still covering her face, so his arms circle around her as a whole and he rests his chin on her head and lets her cry, his own eyes stinging.
It’s only a minute or two that Dasom weeps against his chest. She’s then pulling away with a deep breath, blowing it out in that soothing way trying to calm herself, trying to regulate her breathing. She laughs, airy like she’s embarrassed, as she taps under her eyes, trying to save her makeup as best she can.
“Ah… sorry about that,” she says, “Haven’t cried in a while so that was bound to happen sometime soon.”
Jeongguk laughs quietly before he muses, “She can say juice now.”
Dasom rolls her eyes playfully. “Yeah… Joofs.”
They both laugh together, for a moment, a few moments, until it tapers off naturally. Leaving soft wistful smiles on their faces.
“Drive safe, Som-ie.”
~~~
“Yeah… Joofs.”
The laughter that echoes from Jeongguk’s foyer feels like a punch in the gut after everything that you’ve heard. All the things you felt earlier seem stupid and childish in hindsight.
And yeah, you don’t blame Jeongguk for staying quiet when Dasom asked if he wanted to commit to you because that’s not something you guys have even touched on, but when he stayed silent as she went on about you just being his ‘friend’? Alluding to you just being a lay for him, just something he needs to ‘get out of his system’? Something disposable and unimportant?
You had at least expected him to defend you.
To tell her that while you may not be his girlfriend, you are important to him. More than a quick lay, more than just a young girl he needs to fuck out of his system. Because you know that’s exactly what she thinks you are. And what she thinks doesn't matter, not really, but if that’s what Jeongguk thinks?
Part of you knows that there’s no way that Jeongguk thinks that. That if he did, this thing between you both would have fizzled out by now or at least been harder to deal with. But that’s never been the case. It’s always been good with him, easy.
If he thought that way, he wouldn’t have been so worried in the beginning and would have instead jumped at the chance to get into your pants. You weren’t exactly subtle back then– there were plenty of opportunities for him to come onto you. But it literally took you throwing yourself at him for him to give in.
So like you know. You know, you know, you know in your heart that it’s not true, that he doesn’t think that little of you.
But his silence was enough to plant a seed of doubt, enough to break a little bit of trust. More than enough to hurt you.
“Naaa.”
You look down at Nari, and she reaches her hands up wanting to be held. A soft, pitiful laugh falls from your lips and you bend to pick her up.
“Sorry, wasn’t playing with you was I?”
Nari looks at you, studies you with those big eyes of hers. She pats at your cheek, a little roughly, but you can tell she’s trying to be gentle. Her little hand goes from patting to petting, almost like she’s trying to soothe you, like she can tell you’re upset.
“Buu?” she asks.
In reality you have no idea what she’s saying. But it feels like she’s asking if you’re okay, and just like if an adult were to ask you that when you’re close to losing it, close to breaking– it makes you cry.
Not the embarrassing type of cry, but just a tiny cry in front of the sweetest, tiny human. Your eyes just tear up, and your chin trembles a little bit as you try to muster up a small smile, but when you blink a couple tears spill over.
Nari gasps. “Nuuu!” she tells you, before she’s wrapping her tiny bread arms around your neck, clutching onto you like she’s trying to squeeze out all of the sad.
It makes you let out a watery laugh, and you squeeze back, enough so that she croaks a little like a frog. When you pull back she’s giggling in that pure baby way that probably has healing powers or something.
“You are so smart,” you tell her, sniffing a little, trying to get yourself together. You’re not sure if Dasom left yet, or how much longer it will be before Jeongguk comes back, and you don’t want him to know you were crying, or eavesdropping.
She tilts her head at you, then leans in with her lips pulled between her teeth making them pop out when they are against your cheek, a tiny ‘maa’ sounding with her smooch.
“That’s a new type of kiss,” you tell her.
“Sol-mi, Yoongi and Jimin’s daughter, taught her at the party.”
Whipping around at the sound of his voice, you turn and see Jeongguk leaning against the doorway with two glasses of wine in his hands and a sippy cup tucked into his arm. He gives you a soft smile, and you smile back because that’s the only thing you know how to do when you’re with him. Instinctive.
“Hi,” you say.
“Hi,” he says back.
“DAAADAAA!” Nari screeches.
You pull back, wincing for your ear drum, as you let Nari down with an endeared laugh. She toddles over to her dad, tugging on his joggers.
“Hi my babygirl,” he says. Then laughs when she tugs particularly hard, “Hey– you’re gonna pull Daddy’s pants down, quit it.”
“Joofs,” she says, grabby hands reaching for the sippy cup she spotted.
“I see how it is,” he says, handing you your glass and then grabbing the juice, “Didn’t even miss me?”
He manages to sit down without his hands and without squishing his daughter, and you follow suit, watching the daddy-daughter moment unfold, quietly sipping on your wine. Trying your best to push everything else out of your mind, trying to get that almost... safe, warm feeling back. The one that you always get when you’re with Jeongguk. It’s been missing since he came into the room.
“Give Daddy a kiss and then you can have your juice,” he angles his cheek to her and then adds on, “Also say please.” like it’s an afterthought.
You shake your head, smiling, and Jeongguk flicks his eyes to you, mirroring your expression.
“Peeb,” she spouts before she gives him a very quick, rather half-assed kiss. She doesn’t even do the ‘maa’. Her hands open out in front of her, expectant and ready for her drink.
Jeongguk tuts at her, but hands the juice over. “You’re rotten, missy.”
Nari says nothing, just waddles so she's standing in front of him with her back to his face. She plops herself right in his lap, his criss-crossed legs making a perfect Nari-shaped seat. Sipping away with her drink in one hand, her other comes down to Jeongguk’s tattooed arm that he wrapped around her belly. Tracing them with her pudgy little fingers, she tries her best to look down while simultaneously keeping her drink in the proper position.
It’s quiet for a bit, just Nari’s soft drinking noises. You take the moment to get up and grab something from your stuff in Jeongguk’s room, before returning. As you’re walking past Jeongguk back to your spot across from him, you feel his hand tug at the one you have dangling by your side.
You look at him, a small questioning noise sounding.
He pulls, making you bend at the waist getting closer to his level, and when he tilts his head back to look up at you, his eyes flicker to your lips and then he licks his and then he’s craning his neck and then he’s kissing you softly.
It’s fleeting but it's sweet. It makes the warm feeling settle in your heart again, just for a moment before it hides away, somewhere within you. Your eyes dart to Nari. Kisses usually being reserved for alone time.
He shakes his head. “It’s alright… Sorry that happened while you were here… Me and Dasom usually communicate better than that.”
You take a seat next to him and Nari, careful of his wine glass. “It’s okay…”
Gazes meet for a few seconds looking over the other like you’re both trying to figure something out. Things different from the ‘different’ you felt earlier. This different feels like something is off; the first one felt like a dream. Maybe it was.
“Okay,” he replies lightly, but he sounds unsure, like he doesn't know if it actually is ‘okay’. His eyes drop to the small bag that you brought into the room. “Whatcha got?”
You tell him you got Nari something for her birthday, nothing big but just something that reminded you of her. You ask him if it’s okay to give it to her.
He says of course, why wouldn’t it be?
For some reason the tiny exchange hurts.
Lacking an answer, you pinch at the little fat roll on Nari’s thigh, her tiny jean shorts putting all the chub on display. She looks up at you, and you raise the bag and shake it a little. Her smile grows as she realizes it's for her. Jeongguk is abandoned, your lap now occupied.
“She has no loyalty at all,” Jeongguk says.
“She’s just making as many allies as she can, and I think that is very smart of her,” you defend, watching as Nari plucks tissue paper after tissue paper out of the bag (with only one small hand, the other still holding her juice), until she’s squealing. Your face lights up at her enthusiasm, and hers lights up at the toy, and you don’t see it, but Jeongguk’s lights up at you both.
You’ve been good with her since that day you found her at your work, and Jeongguk notices when you go out of your way to ask about her, to be kind to her, patient with her... to take care of her. Never once have you treated her like she was a burden, or an inconvenience.
He sees the way that Nari is with you, too.
Sees how happy she gets when you walk in his front door, how she always shares her things with you in that sweet way that babies do when they like someone. She even asks about you when you don't come around for a few days. A babbled version of your name peeping from her little lips.
It’s no secret that his baby has grown attached to you, come to love you. Dasom’s words ring in his ears. The thing she said about Nari getting used to someone he brings into her life, just for them to not be permanent.
A medium sized, pink, stuffed Narwhal is pulled from the bag by the horn, and Nari swings it to the side to show her dad, just for a moment, before she’s squeezing it to her chest. She’s cooing, kinda nuzzling into it.
“Ba buuu,” she says softly, eyes still on the gift like it's something wondrous, rather than just a small plush. Jeongguk grows soft and your heart squeezes in your chest. The warmth comes back, flickers before going out again.
“What is it?” Jeongguk asks around a sip of his wine.
“A narwhal. You know, Nar-i, Nar-whal.”
His mouth twitches, fighting a smile, but he just nods. Until he can’t hold his laughter in anymore, making you laugh too by consequence. Easy.
The little crows feet at the corners of his eyes make an appearance and he scrunches his nose at you as he quiets. His hair is still just a little bit damp. “It’s cute,” he amends. “You didn’t have to get her anything, but thank you for thinking about her.”
The smile on his lips is tiny, but you can tell it’s genuine. Without laughter lightning up his face, you realize how tired he looks, warn out.
“Are you okay?” you say, arms raising so Nari is able to get up, making her way to her other toys, the narwhal tucked into her side. She grabs a babydoll, holds it to the narwhal and makes them move around like she’s introducing her toys.
Jeongguk sighs, and leans back on his hands. “Just wasn’t expecting that, is all… I get stressed when things don’t go as planned.”
“That’s why you broke out the wine in the middle of the day?” you ask with a teasing tone.
He rolls his eyes playfully. “One glass won’t hurt…”
The doorbell cuts off your reply. The food’s here.
~~~
The headboard behind Jeongguk’s back is hard, just like he is under you.
But his touches are soft, just like his kisses.
You’re straddling him, your hips just barely rocking over him as you lick into his mouth. Mewl against his lips. Hands in his hair, not pulling, but just twining your fingers in his locks, keeping him close.
It’s slow, unhurried and gentle. When he brings his palms to your chest over his shirt, he feels how your nipples pebble through the material as he squeezes, rolls them in his hands. So responsive to his touch, you pull away for just a moment to breathe out a pleased sigh before giving him a few cute pecks. Pushing into your lips, he deepens the kisses, his tongue teasing the seam of your lips until you open up for him.
He feels young again, like he’s making out with his crush, heavy petting because they are too scared to go all the way, but too into each other to not give in just a little. He hasn’t felt this way in so long. You gasp into his mouth when he pinches your nipple between his fingertips. His cock pulses, but his heart clenches.
It’s like reality is finally catching up to him. Reminding him that you and him were never supposed to get in so deep, were never supposed to get so entangled in each other’s lives. Fun and casual. That’s what it’s supposed to be. But it’s so much more than that now. At least for him it is.
His heart clenches because he’s not young anymore, but you still are.
The baby monitor that goes off with hiccuping cries just confirms his feelings.
“Sorry,” he says against your lips, his hands moving to your hips, squeezing before he helps maneuver you off of him.
“Bring her back in here,” you suggest.
Jeongguk pauses, twisting to crack his back. “You sure?”
You hum, “Yeah, wanna hang out with you both.”
And again his heart pulls, but he nods with a soft smile and a quick kiss before he’s hurrying out of the room.
Hands scrub over your face as you wait for him, your head knocking against the headboard. You purposefully focus on playing a game on your phone while you wait, refusing to let your thoughts loop incessantly around your brain.
It's a little while when Jeongguk walks back in with Nari on his hip. The sight makes you coo.
Nari’s looking around like she’s still a little out of it, her tiny round body in a light pink nightie covered in little bunnies sleeping on clouds and moons. Instead of her hair being in her trademark little ponies, it’s down, falling in messy little wisps around her face. The narwhal is clutched in her tiny hand by the horn and when she sees you, she blinks a few times before she smiles around the paci in her mouth.
“Hi sweet girl,” you say, when Jeongguk places her on the bed.
She tries to walk over to you, but the bed is soft and she’s very much still tired so she stumbles, hits the mattress with a small oof and an airy little giggle. Crawling the rest of the way she sits herself next to you, puts her plush in her lap.
“Think someone had a bad dream,” Jeongguk says around a yawn, taking his spot on the bed. “Also sorry it took a second, had to change her pull up.”
You hum, your hand coming up to pet at her hair, dark, silky, and baby scented.
“Wanna watch something, boba?” Jeongguk asks, laying himself on his side, one hand propped under his head, the other on the remote.
Nari nods, hunkers down in the fluffy pillow behind her. She looks at you and pats the sheets, as if telling you to lay down like her and her Daddy. Of course you listen.
It’s calm and quiet, just the children’s show playing in the background that you all are watching. You and Jeongguk half heartedly, Nari with round eyes. She lets out little laughs every now and then, her blinks slow and heavy. Jeongguk’s got a hand resting on Nari’s tummy and her little hand holds onto his thumb.
The scene is domestic.
“She doesn’t have nightmares often, does she?” you ask quietly.
Jeongguk glances at you, shakes his head. “Not here at least.”
“Has she always been a co sleeper?”
Jeongguk shakes his head again. “Not till after the divorce,” he says. “And I wouldn’t say she still co sleeps… most nights she sleeps on well on her own. I just don’t tell her no if she wants to come into my room.”
At the mention of the divorce your brain begins to whirl.
It’s not something he brings up often, and it’s never really bothered you. But after today, after you saw and heard how he and his ex interacted… It makes you curious. They seem to get along decently well, and they both clearly love Nari.
You sound a bit timid when you ask, “Why did you guys split up?”
Jeongguk’s quiet, doesn’t acknowledge that he heard you even though you know that he did. You worry that you’ve said something wrong, and you’re about to apologize but he speaks up.
“I’ll tell you… just getting my thoughts in order.”
~~~
Jeongguk stares down at the teeny, tiny baby in the bassinet. The light pink of the skirt at the bottom matches the accents on the walls of her nursery.
Her big eyes are watching the fairy mobile, big felt flowers dangling above her, the softest baby coos leaving her mouth every once in a while. She was already up when he got home from work.
When he puts his hand inside the baby bed and extends one of his fingers petting at her small hand, the baby jumps a little like she didn’t know he was there, but recognition is instant and she smiles up at him, her tiny fingers clutching around his.
“Hi miss Nari,” he says quietly, “How long have you been up, hmm? Bout time for some milk isn’t it?”
She blows a bubble up at him.
His heart swells as he picks her up, a big hand supporting her head as he pulls her to his chest. A detour to the changing table precedes his walk to the living room, where his wife is sat cross legged on the floor, papers and her laptop scattered in front of her on the coffee table. The video baby monitor is propped up as well.
“Hi honey,” Jeongguk says.
Dasom looks over her shoulder, sees the two of them and smiles. “Hey, how was work? And how’s our baby?” She types something on her laptop.
“Baby is good and work was work. Remember how I said we are thinking of setting up another branch?” Jeongguk asks, swaying a little with his cheek resting on Nari’s head. She smells like baby and Dasom hums in acknowledgement. “My brother finally got me a list of locations, so just a lot of assigning scouts to scope them out and budgeting for the cost of their travel.”
“That’s great, babe,” Dasom says.
Jeongguk watches her for a few more moments, as she flips through the papers like she’s looking for something. He walks around, so that he can sit in the loveseat off to the side, adjusts Nari so that she’s cradled in the bend of his arm. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Just reviewing everything that’s happened at the office over the last few months…” She flicks her eyes to him.
Jeongguk frowns. “You still have two and a half weeks before you have to go back, don’t you?”
“Yeah, wanna be prepared though.”
Nari starts to wiggle in his arms, fussy. “Did you ever see if you could get a few more weeks since you guys were in the hospital for so long? That’s hardly a leave, if you ask me.”
She laughs lightly. “That’s true. But I don’t think it’s necessary? She’s doing really well, and I think that that Montessori nursery will be good for her.”
Tension fills Jeongguk’s body. “I thought we talked about letting Yeoreum watch her when you go back to work.”
“Well yes. We talked about it– but we didn’t commit to–”
“We didn’t commit to Montessori either–”
“What benefits is Nari getting if we do that?” Dasom says, finally giving Jeongguk her full attention. “No offense to Jin’s wife, but it’s not like she’s certified to care for newborns.”
“She’s a mother, Som. A very good one, she knows how to care for a baby. And Nari would be the only baby she’s taking care of so it’s one on one attention and it’s someone we know and trust so–”
“Montessori has curriculum, and it teaches children to be independent–”
“She’s a baby! She doesn’t need to be independent. She needs to be–”
Nari’s fussiness has escalated, her tiny cries filling the living room. Jeongguk starts rocking her, shushing her with soft coos. He tries the pacifier attached to her onesie, but she just pushes it out, crying louder.
“She’s hungry,” Jeongguk says, getting to his feet so he can hand her to her mom.
“I pre-pumped when she was napping earlier. There’s a bottle with 6.5 ounces in the fridge.”
Picking his battles and barely suppressing a frustrated sigh, he walks to the kitchen and places the bottle in the warmer. Nari’s cries continue to sound as he waits, bouncing her a little, rubbing her back.
Back in the loveseat, he tries to give Nari her dinner but she’s grumpy, turning her head or pushing the nipple out of her mouth, growing angrier by the minute, her tiny body turning red from how hard she’s crying.
“She’s not taking the bottle, I think she–”
“Is it warm enough?”
“Yes, I think she wants you.”
Nari’s mom looks over the top of her laptop and nods. “I’m just about done–”
“Dasom, please,” Jeongguk says, “She’s hungry and she wants her mom.”
Almost like a fog clears, Dasom’s face falls before she’s nodding hastily. “Yeah, yeah… I’m sorry I– bring her to me.”
As soon as Nari’s in her mom’s arms she quiets some, and once Dasom holds her close and starts to feed her it’s serene again. Nari’s little hand opens and closes rhythmically, until her mom gives her her finger, like Jeongguk did early. Ever since she came home from the hospital, she’s liked to hold hands.
“I’m sorry,” Dasom whispers again, without looking at Jeongguk. He can hear the guilt in her voice.
He tells her it's okay and that he’s going to shower.
Later when Nari’s down for the night and he and his wife are laying in bed, Dasom apologizes again. Tells Jeongguk that she was just stressed with preparing for work and juggling the baby.
“Som-ie, that reminds me, I was thinking…”
She turns to look at him from his side of the bed, smiling. “Not too hard, hopefully.”
“Ha-ha,” he says, unamused. He continues nervously, like he’s walking on eggshells. “But I was thinking– what if you took off for the first year or so?”
The shift in atmosphere is instant. Dasom goes stiff in her spot next to him, and she says silent.
“I only say it because we would be fine, you know?” He tries to explain, “My job brings in more than enough for us to be okay, and if you just stayed home with her, you could teach her the way that you want and I would get the peace of mind knowing that she’s safe with someone I love and trust. We would solve the daycare dilemma…”
Still, his wife says nothing, her brows furrowed.
“And you wouldn’t be so stressed…” Jeongguk continues, “you wouldn’t have to worry about work on top of being a mom… You would never miss any of her firsts and–”
“When we talked about having a baby, I told you I didn’t want to be one of those moms.”
Dasom’s voice is upset, her tone hard.
“I know, I know,” Jeongguk says softly, “But it wouldn’t be for forever. Just until she’s older… I read that companies will give extended leaves sometimes, kind of like a sabbatical.”
She laughs in disbelief, “How long have you been thinking about this? I’m not taking an extended leave, or a sabbatical, or a hiatus or whatever it is you’ve been researching, Jeongguk. I worked so hard to get to where I am,” she closes her eyes like she’s trying to stay calm, “You can’t ask me to throw that away.”
“That’s not what I’m asking–”
“But it is!” she exclaims, “Even being gone for 3 months has already put me back. My position isn’t one that can stay open for extended periods of time. And that means if I take off for even just a year– it’ll be given to someone else. Someone else will come into what I built and either reap the benefits or ruin it.”
Jeongguk stays quiet, looking at the pattern of the duvet over his lap.
It’s softer when Dasom speaks up again. “If that’s the kind of mother you want me to be– the kind that has no substance, or passions, or goals outside of being a mom– then… you may as well get the papers.”
Jeongguk’s head snaps up, his expression shocked and confused. “Divorce? Why is that the first thing your mind goes to?”
Dasom runs her hands through her hair, pressing the heels of her palms against her temples. “I’m not gonna bend on this, Kook.”
And it was almost like when the idea of divorce was spoken into existence, it was something that hung over them, like a curse that took only 7 months to come true.
~~~
“Dasom is a good mom,” Jeongguk says slowly, “We just parent very differently.”
You stay quiet, waiting for him to continue, adjusting yourself so that you’re looking at him.
“That’s the root of it, really. We couldn’t agree on anything when it came to Nari. And obviously we talked about things before she was born, and had a loose idea of how we wanted to raise her…” He stops for a moment to think.
“It’s just so different when they are born, like you think you know what it means to be a parent but you really don’t. Not until it’s already happened and they are in your arms and you’re searching for a daycare and coming across horror stories about the workers abusing the kids. Or thinking about how it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she doesn’t talk but also knowing how much harder her life will be if she doesn’t.”
You can feel a heaviness cloud the room. Jeongguk is so good at keeping this part of himself tucked away, good at putting on a brave face that when you look at him and see him looking down at his baby with worried, furrowed brows, your heart aches.
“And it led to a lot of really bad fights and it just got to a point where one day I decided I wouldn’t raise a baby in a home that was tumultuous.”
“What did you guys argue about?” you ask softly.
Jeongguk gives you a sad smile. “More like what didn’t we argue about. Daycare… But I’ll admit I agreed to it before she was born and then changed my mind... Her speech, how to deal with tantrums, where she slept, what she ate. I think Dasom’s too tough, she thinks I’m too soft…” he taps his fingers on Nari’s belly, “She thinks I’m part of the reason why she doesn’t talk. That because I dote on her, Nari thinks that she doesn’t need to use words so she just doesn’t.”
Your brows furrow. “Babies hit milestones at different rates, my cousin didn’t talk at all until he was three… Taking care of her isn’t hindering her development.”
“Thank you,” he says, quietly. “I think she’s starting to understand that too, as we keep getting outside opinions…”
He falls silent and you can tell he’s sad, his hand coming up to push Nari’s hair off of her forehead, the baby now sleeping, her round tummy expanding as she takes deep breaths. You feel bad, having brought the tense atmosphere on with your questions.
“Nari’s so smart, Gguk,” you say, kind of hasty, eager to make him feel better. “Like earlier I was upset, and she just knew… she’s so emotionally intelligent and has such a pure heart–”
“You were upset earlier?” Jeongguk asks, his gaze questioning as he looks at you.
Your mouth opens and closes like you’re trying to find the right words, but none will come out.
“Why were you upset?” he asks again, genuine worry on his face.
And just like a few hours ago, when you felt like Nari was asking you if you were okay; when Jeongguk asks you why you were upset, tears begin to well in your eyes.
At the sight of tearing up, Jeongguk sits up gingerly trying to not wake Nari, but also be attentive at the same time. “Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me…”
You sit up too, looking at Jeongguk for a moment before looking down at your hands in your lap. A tear lands on your skin when you blink, and you take a deep breath before you say, “I… I heard you earlier…”
His face pulls into one of confusion. “Me and Dasom?”
Your head tilts back, and you sound exasperated when you say, “Who else?”
Jeongguk thinks for a moment, goes over what he and his ex talked about, remembers her being a bit touchy about your age, and then he thinks he gets it. His features soften as he says, “Don’t listen to her… seeing you just caught her off guard, she–”
You give a hopeless watery laugh, turning to look at him with sad eyes. “It’s not what she said, it’s what you didn’t say.”
And once again confusion takes over his features, his mind trying to comprehend how and why something he never even said could hurt you to the point of you sniffling in his bed, your eyes begging him to get it. He feels bad when he says, “I don’t understand?”
It was never in the plan for you to be the girl that’s crying about why a man did or didn’t do something– that’s never been who you are. You’ve never really cared enough to get upset, you’ve always been independent, just cutting your losses and moving on.
But with Jeongguk, cutting your losses feels a lot like cutting out part of your heart, and you don’t think you’ll make it if you do that. One can live with half their lungs, only one of their kidneys… but no one ever lasts long when part of their heart goes missing. Jeongguk has become vital to you.
“Jeongguk,” you whisper, “What are we doing?”
Maybe it’s unfair of you to ask him something like that, when you both agreed to something carefree, no strings attached. But you think that falling in love with someone is a lot like how Jeongguk described being a parent: You think you know what it means, but you really don’t. Not until it’s already happened.
Because that’s what felt different prior to opening that door and letting doubt in with the breeze. Everything felt warmer, easier, safer, better because it was laced with the realization that you love Jeongguk.
His face has fallen when you look at him, waiting for his reply. The corners of his lips are down turned, and his brows are turned up. He begins to shake his head softly, his mouth parting a few times before he’s raising his shoulders in a hopeless way.
“I– I don’t know anymore,” he whispers back.
That’s the answer you expected, but it still makes you exhale pain, like his words knock the wind out of you. It’s shaky when you catch your breath, but you nod.
“I think I should leave for tonight,” you tell him, starting to push his comforter to the side.
Jeongguk feels his heart start to race, and he reaches out for you, his hand landing on your shoulder. “What? Right now? It’s the middle of the night– don’t– it’s–”
“If you don’t want me to leave,” you interrupt him, “then we need to talk.”
His mouth snaps shut and he rolls his lips between his teeth like he’s thinking. He glances at the baby sleeping between you, and gives you a quick nod. “Yeah, okay… Just not here, I don’t want her waking up again… let me get the monitor from her room. I’ll meet you in the living room.”
Nodding wordlessly, you slip out of the room.
You’re pacing lightly, in nothing but his shirt that hits high on your thigh and a pair of panties, when Jeongguk comes out. He’s still shirtless, but he pulled on some joggers before leaving the room. One hand is pushing his hair back like he’s stressed, and the other is holding the baby monitor. He places it on the counter, and turns to you. A sad smile is offered, and you give him one back because it’s instinct.
It seems like neither of you know where to begin, both just breathing heavy in the artificial light. You take a deep breath.
“I wanted you to defend me,” you admit.
Jeongguk stays quiet, but his brows pinch.
“Or maybe like… defend us…” Embarrassment creeps into your bones.
“Defend us over what?” he asks. He doesn’t sound like he’s being dense, but like he actually doesn’t know.
Sighing, you say, “The way she talked about me, Gguk… She said I was something you needed to ‘get out of your system’... just a friend you fuck that’s disposable and unimportant and–”
“You know that’s not true,” he interjects.
“Yeah I do. Why didn’t you tell her that?” You can feel the first licks of anger in your chest, your voice coming out harsher than you intend. “Why did you let her talk about me like I’m just some stupid kid that doesn’t know what she wants? Like you don’t know what you want?”
Jeongguk thinks about it, realizes the answer is quite simple.
“Because I don’t know what I want, and I don’t think that you know what you want either.”
You look taken aback, and anger colors your features. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that this turned into something it was never supposed to and now we don’t know how to navigate it or what we want from each other anymore,” Jeongguk explains, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice.
It’s true and it’s not at the same time. Because Jeongguk knows what he wants, at least to some extent, but he knows he can’t have it. Meaning that if he can’t have what he wants, he doesn’t know what he wants instead of that. And he supposes he can’t speak for you, but he doesn’t correct himself, instead says, “We’re in too deep, __… I care about you.”
It doesn’t sound like much, but you know what he means… know that it’s a confession of some sort.
Tentative hope bubbles in your chest at his words, and you take a few steps closer to him. “That’s not a bad thing, I care too. We both care so we can–” you pause, and look up at him. “We can just take the next step or something, right?”
Jeongguk smiles softly, and his hands come up to cup your face and it’s warm again, and it’s safe when you’re in his palms and when he’s kissing you. Your hands come up to just hold at his wrists, eyes shutting, and it’s sweet again and–
“It’s not that simple, baby…”
–and it’s over.
“There’s something that Dasom said that’s true.”
And you know it’s childish but you shake your head in his hands and tears begin to brim. She ruined everything. She planted that seed of doubt in both your heads, and she’s the reason why Jeongguk doesn’t feel safe anymore and why his hands aren’t warm and why everything is falling apart. You squeeze your eyes shut and scrunch your brows together, a few tears spilling over. “I don’t want to talk about her,” you whisper.
He smiles, a sad curve to his lips. “I know, you don’t... But we both need to hear it… We don’t agree on a lot when it comes to Nari, but she was right when she said that thing about people coming into Nari’s life and then leaving after she gets attached. That’s not fair to Nari and it was selfish of me to let it happen.”
“How do you know I’m just going to leave?” you ask.
“Because I’m not going to let you stay,” Jeongguk whispers, his thumb wiping away the tears that have already started to flow.
Words don’t even come to you, because of how badly it hurts. And you’re doing your best to keep it as together as you can because you aren’t pathetic. You’re not going to beg him to let you stay but you want to understand why. Your voice cracks when you ask him.
“You’re too young, __. And I’m not saying that’s why I don’t think you know what you want… But I don’t think you know what being with me long term means, and what you would be missing out on… I’m not going to trap you, it’ll just lead to you resenting me,” he says gently. His hands have left your face, and he walks around a little like he’s trying to gather his thoughts. “And there’s just so much that I have to balance. I don’t know if I have room or the time–”
It feels like a slap in the face. How did everything change so quickly from this morning?
“There was room in your bed for me,” you interrupt him, bitter pain lacing your words. “You had time to fuck me.”
He winces. “You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he tells you gently, “I just meant… I think I need to think about things, reevaluate my priorities–”
It sounds a lot like what you said earlier, when you were under him, taunting him with kisses.
You hum, “I just think you need to reevaluate your priorities, maybe.”
“And what do you think my priorities should be, __?” he whispers, eyes searching your face, lingering on your lips, a fond look coloring his features.
“Well, right now,” you start, looping your arms around his neck, “I think you should really focus on that plank, and on that kiss you’re dying to give me.”
And god, you wish you could go back. Wish you could rewind and just replay everything up until the doorbell rang. But you can’t because the reality of the situation is that this was always going to end.
Jeongguk has his mind made up. The fear of you leaving him and Nari and the fear of you resenting him if you stayed are inevitable feelings that he would have realized eventually. He has priorities and if he doesn’t change the way he thinks, it won’t ever work because–
“Because I’m not one of them…” you realize quietly. He cares, but not enough.
Jeongguk’s composure breaks and it’s written all over his face, how much it hurts him to hurt you, even if it’s not intentional. “I’m sorry,” he says, and it sounds desperate like he’s yearning for you to know that he means it. “But it’s always going to be her, Nari will always be the most important thing to me.”
And you won’t beg for a place in his life, but you want him to understand.
“I’m not asking to be the most important thing in your life, that’s not what I want,” you tell him.
“What do you want?” he asks.
“I want you to understand that I just want to be with you,” you tell him.
He’s by the couch now, sitting on the armrest. His lips are pressed in a tight line, and you can see redness around his eyes from fighting tears of his own. You’re still by the counter where he left you.
“It doesn’t have to be so extreme, Gguk… It’s not like we’re getting married, we would just be taking a next step–”
“But we might, __!” he yells, before shutting his eyes roughly and taking a deep breath. His tone is softer when he continues. “Obviously I wouldn’t spring that on you, but being with me means that you have to be okay with a lot of things,” he says.
When you ask him what kinds of things he says, “You would have to be okay with never coming first, with me cancelling on you whenever something comes up with Nari. You would have to be okay with me still having a relationship with my ex because I refuse to let my baby have parents that hate each other.”
You try to keep your face straight but he must be able to see how he’s getting into your head because he continues, almost like he’s trying to convince you it’s not worth it being with him.
“At 22 you have to be okay with potentially getting married, with being a stepmom… I know you care about Nari, but if you were to commit to me, you would have to commit to her too. There would be boundaries that me and Dasom make, and you would have to respect them. You and her would have to learn to get along.”
“You’re only 22, __,” he continues, his voice borders on whining, like he just wants you to get it. “You don’t want that. You would lose your freedom… while your friends are travelling or doing whatever, you’ll be in a relationship, tied down… I won’t do that to you, __.” He looks at you for a moment. “Maybe you want a relationship,” he amends, trying to acknowledge your feelings. “But you don’t want an instant family, it’s too much for someone so young. It’s even a lot for people my age.”
“Why does it have to be so… all or nothing?” you ask, a little desperate because it's hard to understand the way he thinks.
“I can’t think short term when I have a baby who depends on me long term,” he replies.
“Then what have we been doing this whole time?”
Jeongguk opens his hands, turns his palms up like he’s giving up. “I was selfish and I got caught up… I made a mistake.”
A mistake. Your heart breaks a little but it beats loud in your ears as you let his words sink in. It's a lot to take in, especially when you two haven’t spoken about being in a committed relationship even once before. And it's confusing because he said he cared.
“I thought you cared about me… Why does it feel like you’re trying to scare me away?” you ask him, voice hurt.
Jeongguk looks at his hands, like he can’t face you. “I do care about you, and I’m not trying to scare you,” he says quietly. “I’m just telling you a fraction of the things that you really need to think about.”
And think you do.
Do you really want all that? Was he right when he alluded to you losing more than you gain? Are you ready to get into a relationship with someone who has marriage as the end goal when you don’t even have your life figured out? Are you really mature enough to handle his relationship with his ex, when you can’t even maturely handle things with your roommates sometimes?
Would being with you be a good thing for him and Nari? Or would they be better off with someone else? Someone with goals and passions, and their life a little more figured out. Maybe someone who has a kid of her own, because she knows what it’s like already. Someone older and more mature with a good job. Someone who is nothing like you.
You didn’t even notice that you started crying, but when you come back, your eyes are blurry and your cheeks are sticky with old and new tears.
“Okay,” you say. You try to smile, but your chin is quivering. “I’ll let you know when I’ve thought through everything.”
When you go back to his room to get you things, you give Nari a tiny kiss, and you tell her that you’ll miss her. As you walk past Jeongguk to his front door, he doesn’t try to stop you this time.
You love Jeongguk, you’re sure that you do, but maybe being with him isn’t what's best. Doubt has made a home in your heart, that warmth you long for nowhere to be seen or felt.
~~~~
AYOOOOO don’t scream at me too much, that's not the end lmao but whoa... how’d they go from kissing to crying just like that hmm... also, opinions on the ex wife?? genuinely curious bc i actually dont hate her ?? 🤔 anyway, i hope you liked it, if you did please do all the things~~ please reblog, like, comment, send an ask... very curious about how we feel about this one 🙇🏻♀️ thanks for reading and as always i love u, sorry im posting late lol byeeee <3
#jungkook x reader#jungkook smut#jungkook fanfic#jungkook#jungkook fic#bts#bts fanfic#bts smut#bts x reader#jungkook x oc#jungkook x you#jungkook fic recs#dilf jk#btswritingcafe#thebtswritersclub#networkbangtan#bangtansorciere#btsgoldnet#heartsforbts#btscreatorscorner#kwritersworldnet#bangtanarmynet#jungkook oneshot#bts jungkook#jungkook imagines#jungkook scenarios#jungkook angst#jungkook fluff
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Hey! 8 from the happiness list or 7 from the sadness list please? If you're still taking prompts. I absolutely adore your work btw.
Well gosh, bruh 🥰
Happiness 8: Run away with me
-
“You work too hard.”
“I work just enough to keep this place from rack and ruin, thank you very much.”
She’s staring intensely at some spreadsheet or whatever, likely trying to convince Kara that she’s fine, but the fatigue in her voice, the slump of her shoulders, and the dark circles around her eyes tell a different story. Kara shakes her head in exasperation. Uncrossing her arms, she eases off the doorframe and walks over to the desk. She closes the laptop, unhooks the phone, and carefully lifts Lena off her chair. Any other day, she would be complaining, but not tonight. Tonight, Lena wraps her arms around Kara’s neck and allows herself to be carried to the couch with nary a peep of protest. Kara lays her head on her lap, and starts to gently scratch her scalp. Almost immediately, Lena relaxes. Her breathing slows and the tension in her jaw evaporates.
The weight of the world she’s trying to change melts away, and all that’s left is Lena.
And she is beautiful.
“Run away with me.” Kara whispers.
Lena smiles. “Kara, don’t be ridiculous,” she says with a soft laugh, touching her chin to Kara’s knuckles. “You know we can’t do that.”
“Okay. Run away with me for a few weeks.”
Lena slowly opens her eyes at that. She looks like she might be considering it, so Kara continues.
“Come on, what do you say? You and me, anywhere you wanna go.”
Lena’s eyes shine.
“Anywhere?”
-
The trip to Argo takes a day of planning and 46 hours of travel time. Lena spends half the trip asleep.
-
It’s Alura who greets them when they land.
“Mom, you rememb—”
“Lena! Oh how wonderful of you to visit us!”
The older woman embraces her like an old friend, and gazes upon her like a daughter. And Kara’s heart feels like it might burst.
For the next few days, Kara feels like a museum guide in charge of an overcurious guest. But she doesn’t mind. Everything fascinated Lena. She was so eager to learn all that she could, and spent most of her time either poking around with some tech or falling asleep at her translator tablet. Kara finds her in such a state one day, seated like a shrimp in the study, her dark hair falling over her face. She takes the device, bookmarks the page (3277, energy… dark matter), and moves Lena to a more comfortable location.
She’s startled to find her father next to her, Lena’s reading glasses in hand.
“She is exceptional.”
“She is.”
“I’m glad you found each other. A match like yours is rare.”
Kara’s eyes widen at what Zor-El must be implying.
“Oh. Oh no, it’s not—”
Her father only gives her a cryptic nod and softly claps a warm hand to her shoulder. He plants a kiss to the crown of her head, then puts Lena’s glasses in her palm.
-
She’s walking through the courtyard one morning, when she spots her mother near a patch of flowering hedges. Not unusual, she loves those flowers. What is unusual is that those flowers are symbolic of the union of two souls.
And that she’s talking about them to Lena.
-
Lena approaches her one evening, asks to meet her in the gardens.
“So… Your mom,” She starts. “We were talking the other day and she uh, she thinks that we’re…” Lena’s hands flail about helplessly between the two of them.
Oh, Rao.
“Yeah, funny, my dad thinks so too… But don’t worry, I didn’t—”
“No, yeah, it’s fine… I mean, I’m not…”
This might be the most awkward, most embarrassing conversation in her entire life, Kara thinks. Not even that first date with what’s-his-name from junior high could top this.
Her feelings for Lena were never easy to deal with. She’d always resorted to avoidance whenever she was forced to face their existence. And now she’s finding that she might be exposed, by her own parents, no less…
“Sorry about that. They can be a little… nosy.”
She decides to have a talk with them later, ask them to never bring it up again. But then she glances sideways at Lena, sees how the fading rays of the red sun bring out the color of her eyes, hears the music in her quiet laugh, and--
And Kara wants that. Not for a few hours every week. She wants that every day, for the rest of her life.
“Would it be so horrible, though?” she asks. “Being… together. With me?”
Lena’s gaze meets hers for a moment, then turns downward to look at her own hands. When she looks up again, the smile Lena gives her leaves no room for misinterpretation, and hope swells bright and loud in Kara’s chest.
“I don’t think it would be horrible at all.”
“Kara, darling!” Alura calls out in Kryptonian. “Supper is ready.”
Kara yells out a response and turns back to Lena. She tentatively reaches out to her.
Lena takes her hand, and threads their fingers together.
Dinner gives way to (an only slightly competitive round of) Kryptonian chess, gives way to a quiet walk under the stars, and Kara figures this was the best dumb idea she’d ever had. Lena’s head rests on her shoulder, Kara turns her cheek into her hair. She looks down at their joined hands and Kara thinks she’s found something here, in the softness of the moon’s pale glow.
It started out as running away.
Now it felt like she was coming home.
#funny i never saw that line#i'm glad you did#this was a bit of a challenge but i quite enjoyed writing it#so thank you and i hope this one is to your liking 🙂#spaceman-earthgirl#rbmicrofics#supercorp#kara danvers#lena luthor#supergirl#working title: shrimp#asks open#more in the#prompt list#tag
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Important question for the ROTT trailer: ...did you see Nari in it? Like... Bellroc was there and I think I spotted Skrael, but I don't think I saw Plant Mom and didn't they need her cooperation or something to /summon/ the titans, there's a fire titan and an ice titan and a plant titan and WHERE IS PLANT MOM?!?!
oh no i haven’t seen nari in it either, and judging from others’ posts and reactions it seems that they weren’t in the trailer?? :( VEGGIE LADY WHERE ARE YOU
#rott spoilers#i think i saw someone say if the titans were out that means douxie might have failed in keeping her safe :(( and thag’s why we don’t see#them in the trailer?? tho archie didn’t seem to be in it either… (but i think he was shown in a promo pic but idk for sure?)#maybe nari wasn’t shown ‘cause they were using limited characters as possible for trailer reasons (HOPEFULLY)???? so much ‘hopefully’s i’m#gonna spout out when it comes to rott speculations hhhh fnnsndmd…..#tho you think you spotted skrael? i don’t think he was in the trailer either but i could be wrong :0!#nari#tales of arcadia#rise of the titans#replies to asks#mine#greentrickster#oooooor maybe the nature themed titan IS nari? like i’ve joked- pokemon evolutions fjdjjdn????
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A Second Chance
This Action Will Have Consequences
Loop One - Tobias Domzalski
After resetting the timeline two years back, Jim feels certain that he made the right choice. He’s slowly readjusting to normal sixteen year old life, but when Toby comes to him with the amulet, he notices something strange.
Read on Ao3 | First Part | Next Part | Last Part |
CW: Discussions of canonical death, trauma (Jim needs therapy dammit)
Reblogs > Likes
He made the right choice, Jim was sure of it.
When he woke up in his bed the other day, the alarm blaring at 7:00 AM and the motorbike magazine on his face, Jim bolted upright, staring at his hands and laughing in disbelief. “It worked! It worked!”
When he crept around his house, silent as a mouse, he looked in the master bedroom, where his mom, fresh off her shift at the hospital, was in deep sleep. Just the same as before.
When he walked out with his bike to clean up the knocked over garbage cans, he tackled his best friend, Toby, in a hug. You’re alive, Jim thought as he clutched his sweater vest, hardly believing he was real and terrified he would disappear. This isn’t a dream. You’re alive.
Walking around town that day felt like the strangest case of deja vu, and Jim had lived through one day over fifty times before. Being brought two years back to when he was just about to turn sixteen, was jarring. He was without the weight of the world on his shoulders, without the burden of great expectations, and without the heavy mantle of Trollhunter. Instead, there were everyday, normal teenager problems, like algebra and Spanish presentations. The school play and the rope climb at gym class. And of course, Claire.
Seeing her happy, unafraid, and without a sign of the pain she had to endure in those two years was almost bittersweet. He couldn’t invite her over to his house and he wouldn’t get surprise pecks on the cheek that would light up his day, but she wasn’t hurt. She was okay.
But the best part about all of this was being able to see Toby again. Just like Claire, his face carried no sign of anguish, only the bright energy he always brought to Jim’s life. His face wasn’t covered in ash and cut and scraped. His grip never loosened on the handles of his bike or Jim’s hands. He was there. Fully alive and well.
Sitting here in his room, working on his algebra homework after school, Jim almost felt like a normal teenager. But now, every so often memories from the past (or future?) two years crossed his mind, and it had quickly become much more difficult to focus on everyday, mundane things.
He looked up from his homework at the potted plant on his window sill.
“I never took you for the gardening type, Jim,” his mother, Barbara had teased the day before, when she came home to find him on the front lawn, digging up dirt and planting a seed.
“Eh, there’s a first time for everything,” he said casually, pouring water from a plastic bottle on it. “Besides, we could try growing fresh plants in our backyard. For cooking and stuff.”
He had thought of Nari, the Earth demigoddess who never left her little plants alone and chuckled. She’d probably be horrified by his actions and gently try to teach him how to properly tend to plants without using her ancient powers. But the cold horror of seeing the dagger of ice piercing her chest, as she stood frozen and unable to move, and her chilling scream. That haunted him. It had happened before. And she was out there now, unaware of what would happen to her in the future.
Jim shook his head and put his algebra homework away and opted to grab his history textbook instead. He searched through his bag and pulled out the book, a sticky-note with a phone number written in elegant cursive stuck on the cover. Strickler. Jim had set him and Barbara on a date that should have happened today. But there was the bitter wind. The faint beating of wings. The explosion. Barbara’s tears.
It took him a minute to realize the doorbell was ringing, very insistently. Jim snapped out of his thoughts and peeked out his window. Toby’s bike lay forgotten on the sidewalk in front of Jim’s house, and the doorbell just wouldn’t stop ringing. Jim pulled up the window and yelled, “I’m coming!” before slamming it shut and dashing down the stairs. When he opened the door, as expected and planned, there was Toby, bike helmet still on his head and completely out of breath.
“Jim! You were right! Something totally awesome sauce happened at the canal today, and you’re not going to believe what happened!” Jim stepped to the side as Toby walked into the house, taking off his helmet and tossing it on the couch. He headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge, rummaging around for something before pulling out the leftover meatloaf Jim made a few nights back. All the while, Toby continued talking, rapidly and seemingly without breath.
“So like I biked down to the canal like you said and there was this huge pile of rocks there and there was this really weird blue glow coming from it so I went up to it and it started saying my name, all like “Tobias Domzalski,” it was crazy, Jim, I’m telling you, and I looked through it and found this weird magic circle amulet thing-y and I picked it up and the thing started glowing and spinning like crazy and it looked like something out of Gun Robot 2 and now it’s just here in my bag, look!”
Toby pulled out the amulet, no different from the last time Jim had seen it (well, seen it fully intact that is). The daystone glowed with a shimming cyan light, and quietly began to tick in Jim’s presence.
“Tobes-”
“Now, look I know you might not believe me, but look at this thing! It’s. So. Freakin’. Cool!”
“No, dude! I totally agree!”
The new Trollhunter looked at Jim, mouth agape. “Whaaaaaat? Wait. Really?”
Jim shrugged, chuckling nervously. “Well. Yeah. I don’t expect you to lie about anything like that. It seems totally crazy, but...I have the feeling you’re right.”
“The weird thing is, Jimbo,” Toby said, as he looked over the Trollish engravings on the front of the amulet, “I feel like I’ve seen this thing before.”
“But that’s impossible! You-” He turned to Jim, who caught himself mid-sentence. “Youuuu’ve only seen this pile of rocks like today! And what’re the chances you’d forget about seeing a talking amulet? Unless you did some google searching on it in the past,” Jim nervously chuckled.
Toby sighed, taking a bite of his meatloaf. “You’re right, you’re right. Anyways, you recognize this? I can’t figure out what it’s saying. It’s like some weird hieroglyphic, runes, ancient language type shit.” Jim peered over Toby’s shoulder at the amulet, currently set to Trollish, and it began to whir. “Uhh, it hasn’t done this before.” The amulet continued spinning through language after language, some of which Jim recognized. Draconic. Akiridion. Latin. English.
“What’s it say?” he asked once the amulet stopped spinning.
“Pfft, you can read it, dude.” Toby squinted his eyes, his face an eerie blue in the amulet’s light. As he began to read, Jim backed away instinctually. “For the glory...of Merlin...daylight is mine to command?”
Small orbs of light came from the daystone and into an amazed Toby’s chest, where his heart was. He shuddered, and he began to levitate. The amulet, now on Toby’s chest and forming a dark underarmour on his body, created more orbs, each casting it’s brilliant blue glow all over the kitchen. Other objects in the house began to levitate, the wind outside the house picking up quickly. Jim watched the glasses rattle and the meatloaf begin to float, a bittersweet feeling in his chest, as he watched the pieces of armor begin to form. The lights flickered and Toby’s eyes widened. He turned his neck to look at Jim, laughing as armor of daylight far too big for him materialized, and he grunted as the levitation suddenly ended and he was standing in Jim’s kitchen. “Uh? A little help?”
The armor began to glow again and shrink to fit Toby perfectly; and in his hands the sword, Daylight, materialized into existence. It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you, huh? Jim thought to himself, as Toby held the sword, a long drawn out “Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?” his only response for a moment.
“Oh my gosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh! I just had my own magical anime girl transformation! But I’m like a cool magic knight! Jim!”
He came to his senses and grinned, ignoring the pang in his heart. “Tobes! This is amazing!”
“It’s like you said, Jim! Something cool and interesting happened,” he laughed lightly. “It’s an adventure!”
The amulet chimed in response to Toby’s excitement and Jim’s quiet desperation. This is a second chance, it seemed to say. A chance for one to be the hero of the tale, and for one to be his guide. Be wary, Trollhunter. For your tale has only just begun.
> Author’s Note: The official beginning to my post-ROTT AU. Welcome to Loop One, where Toby becomes the second first human Trollhunter, and Jim is just trying his best.
I might actually group each loop into their own fic and just add chapters to the loops as I go, but with my chaotic desire to write everything out of order and inevitably get things mixed up, I think I'll stick with this format for now. If you have any questions, feel free to send an ask. Just having you read this series is very much appreciated.
#ananonswriting#fanfic#tales of arcadia#rise of the titans#trollhunters#james lake jr#toby domzalski#this action will have consequences#toa fic#toa au
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00. the red string of fate
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"the world is cruel, but i still love you.
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the calm of the night was still. soothing sounds of the wind outside mixing with the music coming from her room filled her environment. the sunrise peeked through her curtains, providing the cozy and copious amounts of light in her room.
the night before, while preparing to go to bed, she noticed a red string that was attached to her pinky finger. she'd try grasping onto the string as she had assumed it was just a piece of thread only for her fingers to go right through the red material.
at first, she thought was going crazy. she constantly looked away from her hand to see if it was just a part of her imagination. every time she would glance back at it, the red string would still sit there pretty as it could be. a mix of feelings ran right through her body, mainly with confusion. it couldn't be her eyesight since her vision wasn't half too bad.
she tried sleeping it off but it only resulted in multiple failed attempts. she laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling. twisting and turning for hours and hours, trying to sleep but to no avail she ended up pulling an all nighter. she faces her nightstand, picking up her phone while unplugging the charger.
6:00am
she let out a huff and brings her right hand up, to reveal the same red string wrapped around her pinky finger. every time she attempted to grab the string, her hand would go right through it—as if it wasn't actually there. confusion written all over her face, she stares at her palm trying to make sense of what the red string was.
she came to the conclusion that she was just seeing things and it's probably because she hasn't slept. as she stumbled out of bed, she thought maybe it'll go away after my nap after school today.
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fixing her hair after getting ready for school, she glances at her alarm clock which now read 6:37am. looking at herself in the mirror, she adjusts her name tag on her blazer only for her eyes to meet with the red string. she couldn't see it before, but the string wrapped around her pinky nicely into a bow. the manner of the bow managed to plant a smile onto her face.
walking out of her room, she drapes her backpack over her shoulders while putting her phone into her pocket. patting down her skirt as she walks down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"hey there, sunshine. sleep well?" her mother greets her, shoving a bowl of dakjuk. the smell of the porridge was as inviting as the appearance was. her mom only made this when the weather was "cold" enough for it. today just so happened to be cold despite the sun shining bright through the windows of the kitchen.
she took a seat at the table, enjoying the porridge as she was hungry all night but she didn't bother to get up. she was preoccupied thinking about the string.
"mom, can i ask you something?" she asked.
"what is it? if it's about sex i don't wanna hear it, EUN KYORIN." her mother says sternly, placing a glass of water next to her.
"what's the red string of fate?" kyorin says, taking a sip of water.
the brunette watches as her mom pauses very briefly in her footsteps before turning around, "why're you asking?"
"me and NARI were talking about it yesterday and it seemed interesting." kyorin shrugs. she wasn't lying, it was merely the half truth.
about a week before, kyorin had met up with her friends at a study cafe for their exams that were coming up. eventually, as do normal teens do, they grew bored and slacked off. her friend, nari , brought up the topic of the legend of the red string. so she wasn't completely lying to her mom, she truly was curious.
her mother pauses before answering, "think of it as a soulmates concept, sunshine. it's just another legend where it's like a string that connects you to your soulmate and what not. your grandma talked about it all the time while i was growing up."
kyorin smiled at the thought of her grandma being giddy of such things, "that sounds cute. so what, did you and dad have one?”
her mom smiles, "i like to think so, i mean you can't see it."
kyorin felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach at what her mother had just said, "you're not supposed to see it?"
she shook her head, "of course not, that ruins the whole purpose of the legend."
"what if you can see it?" kyorin asked, taking another spoonful of the porridge into her mouth.
"well, i think you'll have to ask your grandma next time we visit, don't we?" her mother replies, patting her back before exiting from the kitchen. kyorin rolled her eyes in annoyance before glancing at the time again. 6:57am.
she takes a couple more spoonfuls of the porridge before placing the empty bowl into the sink, filling it with water. she drinks the rest of the water in the glass before placing that into the sink as well. washing her dishes, she watches the red bow constantly going through the physical objects whether it be the sponge and even the water.
placing the dishes on the drying rack, she dries her hands off but takes one last look at her hand and wonders:
then why can i see the red string?
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< previous part | next part >
#enhypen#enhypenwriters#enhypen fic#enhypen imagines#enhypen oneshots#enhypen fluff#enhypen jay#enhypen jay park#enhypen park jay#jay park#park jongseong#yang jungwon#jungwon#lee heeseung#heeseung#jake sim#enhypen jake#park sunghoon#sunghoon#enhypen sunoo#kim sunoo#nishimura riki#enhypen niki
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Hello, plants and animals. It’s time for another edition of
The Worst Movie on Netflix Right Now™ Christmas Edition!
Today I’ve got a little Country Christmas Round-up for you! Get ready for some twangy covers of “O Come All, Ye Faithful” and references to the baby Jesus, because we’re heading to the farm! Or the ranch. Or the trailer park. Whatever.
We’ve got four films to cover, so let’s just jump right in.
First up on the docket is Hometown Holiday
This is one of two films on our list today that’s based on a Harlequin romance novel. It’s not bad source material---these writers have the formula down perfectly---but it definitely feels like you’re watching a book that has been adapted to mediocre success. And none of these people can act.
But the real problem with this movie is that the production doesn’t match the story at all. Let me back up. The premise of this story is that a Hollywood record exec flies back to his rural hometown to sign a reluctant viral country music star and while he’s there he inadvertently falls in love with a local girl.
But the thing is, there’s nothing particularly country about anything in this production. The houses look suburban, you don’t see a lot of farm animals or horses or nary even a shed. The script makes a lot of noise about how rural it is out there and how the only men around are ranchers, and yet --- AND YET --- there’s not a single cowboy hat in sight.
What the fuckity fuck, y’all? Is this some kind of Canadian cowboy shit?
The way the production does not fit the story will make you feel like you’re watching an hour-and-a-half long mindfuck. Here’s another example. At the outset of the story, the record exec shows up to attend a wedding wearing a $5,000 suit (*cough* alleged *cough*), and his brother-in-law makes him change into a flannel shirt because he’s overdressed for this lowkey country wedding.
But does this look like some downhome hick wedding to you?
That’s a white-table cloth barn wedding. A suit would be perfectly appropriate. IT MAKES NO SENSE.
And everyone keeps commenting on the record exec’s car, like it’s some fancy thing. It’s an audi sedan rental car. He’s not driving a Porsche!
THIS PRODUCTION MAKES NO SENSE.
Alright, it does get the real snow bonus, and they actually paid for some legitimate country music licenses, but that’s it. THAT’S IT. What’s the point of watching a country romance if it doesn’t feel even a little bit country.
NOT A COWBOY HAT IN SIGHT!
Fuck this one.
Next up, we’ve got A Very Country Christmas
I don’t know what UpTV is but apparently they made two more of these --- A Very Country Wedding and A Very Country Homecoming. So it’s gotta be good right?
Enh, it’s not bad, but it’s not good either. This is another one based on a Harlequin romance novel, but it adapts a little better than the first. A world famous country music star ditches a sold-out concert to disappear in the small town of his childhood. With the whole world searching for him, he falls in love with the single mom who barely recognizes him.
So this one has the CUTE KID WARNING. The kid is definitely ALL CAPS cute, but thankfully not yet approaching demonic. It also gets the real snow bonus... but beyond that... like... you’re not gonna get swept away in the romance here. It’s so mediocre that there’s not much to even say about it.
Here. Let me save you the time of watching the movie.
Okay, you can skip it now. Rest assured if Netflix gets the sequels, I’ll watch those for you too.
Welp... this is starting to feel long so I’m gonna break it up into parts.
Stay tuned for a Country Christmas Round-up, Part 2!
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