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thekidultlife · 4 years

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The Most Convenient Escape | Jihoon Soulmate!AU (5)

⍟ Pairing: Jihoon x fem!reader

⍟ AU: Fantasy/ Soulmate AU

⍟ Genre: ANGST, SLOW BURN, fluff

⍟ Warnings: mentions of abuse, drinking, and sex

⍟ Word Count: 8.5k

⍟ Synopsis: For all your life, you have a deep disdain towards Soulmate Bonds, so much so that you are able to write opinions about it in a local newspaper. However, as life would have it, you wake up one day bonded to a person you hardly knew. Throwing in an investigation, annoying roommates, and a revolution looming just beneath the surface, you had to seek for the most convenient escape.

⍟ A/N: So on to the next chapter! This is probably the longest I’ve written for this series! Anyway, please excuse my tarot reading skills, my knowledge is only limited to watching pick a car readings in youtube and google. Now that’s out of the way, please enjoy! -Hyeri

⍟ Taglist: @shoshishua, @woozisnoots (I also want to thank @minkwans and @oprandomfeels for leaving such a nice messages on the tags in the previous chapter!! I dont want to sound creepy but i do comeback to them if i needed motivation to write! so thank you!!)

CILVEKAN ESPIONAGE TURNS PARLIAMENT INTO A BATTLEFIELD by Jeon Wonwoo and Kwon Soonyoung

The Porta Persa Edition, October 12th

Words that break like cannon shots, arguments that burn like incendiaries, bulwarks of statements that are hardly impenetrable—such is a terrifying and impressive sight to behold upon the ancient halls of the Parliament in these last few weeks. The fate of the two Cilvekan agents who were previously caught in Lower Efendel had been a divisive force upon the venerated legislative body of our nation; rendering them into a heated stalemate.

Armed with wit and sound proofs, Conservatives led by Atlen County Representative Kang Jinho campaigned for stringent travel restrictions, as well as a thorough examination of all Cilvekan nationals entering and leaving Porta Persa. He contends that the security of this powerful nation must not be compromised for simple material gains.

Pointing an accusing finger at the trading and tourism industry which has seen immense growth in profits due to the inflow of foreign immigrants and visitors into the country, Conservatives have been critical of lax travel regulations over the years in which they view, as in Rep. Kang’s words, as a means for ‘alien entities’ to ‘wreak havoc in this peaceful land’ and ‘further their covert operations to diminish and weaken the stability of Porta Persa’. According to Rep. Kang, it is rightfully so that sacrifices are to be made to ensure that no foreign powers would dare to assert their influence over this country.

On the other side of the argument lie Santaragossa Assembly Representative Lee Jihoon, the flagship of both Libertarians and Moderates on this matter, who, with his rapid fire responses, have advocated for softer regulations and an extensive counterintelligence program instead.

In his speech to Congress today, Rep. Lee disputes that economic factors are hardly simple, and should not be diminished into mere ‘increase of gains’. In his words ‘There are people who, if harsher travel restrictions are thus placed, will be left for wild dogs to eat, for the weather to beat and rattle their bones on the cold earth. With no means of a livelihood to provide for themselves, what will become of them? For us who have a roof to sleep in, and food on the table to eat, it is easy for us to say that travel restrictions are a minor inconvenience. Yet for these people, harsher travel restrictions are equivalent to a death sentence.’

He further advocates for a better counterintelligence program wherein proper and stronger defenses are to be implemented only at the appropriate areas, as this is not only cost effective, but also ensures that the livelihood and the human rights of all people in Porta Persa, whether be citizen, immigrant, tourist and whatnots are protected and venerated…

◇

“Lee Jihoon was truly frightening during that session. I swear to god, sitting there feels like he’s attacking me personally.”

Unlike the usual, the three of you were not relaxing comfortably outside the lush courtyards of the Royal Academy, eating carefully prepared lunches and enjoying the view. Instead, late morning sunlight poured from the open windows, illuminating the wooden desk and chair you were sitting on, silently listening to your friends.

To your right, sat said friends: Wonwoo and Soonyoung who were fresh from the printers, the rancid smell of ink sticking to their regal school uniform. On Soonyoung’s hands was the freshly printed draft of your newspaper, which was to be released the next day.

He folded the newspaper and tossed it beside you on the desk.

“He’s been like that for what? A week now, I reckon?”

“Two, in my opinion.” Wonwoo answered, adjusting his glasses. He was the calmer kind of fellow. Soonyoung was more theatrical.

“Oh good god, it’s been two weeks already?” Soonyoung exclaimed, his lips ajar. “No wonder Y/N is here all the time!”

Wonwoo glanced at you, who simply turned away and faced the open window. “Why are you here exactly?”

You continued to grind Alizarin berries on your portable mortar and pestle with a nonchalant look on your face. “I’m making your allergy medicine.”

“Not yesterday and in the last few weeks,” Wonwoo retorted back, giving you an inquisitive look. “Now tell me, is it because of Lee Jihoon?”

Groaning, you continued to pour all of your irritation at the poor powdered berries in your mortar. “Must the reason always be Lee Jihoon?”

“Well, why are you here then?” Soonyoung shrugged, glancing at you with raised brows.

Exasperated, you sighed and left the mortar and pestle alone for once. In all honesty, the reason was indeed Lee Jihoon. After he saw your breakdown two weeks ago, you were avoiding him at all cost because you knew he was going to ask you about it and you were not one to divulge such sensitive topics.

Of course, you wouldn’t let them know. “The way my room looks is just nauseating.”

Soonyoung made an incredulous frown while Wonwoo snorted.

“Right.” They both said.

Having childhood friends has its own disadvantages: you couldn’t really hide anything from them. Yet you wouldn’t tell them anything for that matter. Your room was indeed nauseating, spinning around and around as your vision blur if you just stay in one position for far too long.The way your stomach churns and your legs buckle because of the amount of suppressants you were taking to block your soulmate connection was something you simply cannot express into words.

You stare at the red powder inside the mortar. The smell was making you lurch, reminding you of the suppressant, yet you expertly concealed it with a cough and a broad change of subject.

“Aren’t we supposed to go somewhere today?” you asked, adding more berries to the mortar.

“No, it’s on Friday, 3pm,” Wonwoo replied, checking his travel sized planner. “For some time, Soonyoung and I have been tracing documents from Luce Trading to see if they could give us some clues. But most of them inexplicably got lost or destroyed from last year’s flooding, but thankfully, Soonyoung found some in a novelty shop.”

Upon hearing, you quirked a brow at them. “That is quite interesting. It is possible that something important is in those documents, especially when they had deemed it necessary to destroy them. It seems like fortune is on our side today.”

Wonwoo nodded. “Exactly my thoughts.”

“I reckon, those documents can finally settle the question of who their actual victims are,” the other male remarked with a considerate nod. “We can actually take a step forward in this investigation!”

You forced a smile. Truly, you were elated but the way your heart was palpitating wasn't feeling that great to you. Wonwoo adjusted his glasses once more, a habit he has acquired whenever he was thinking of something.

"Quite frankly, I still haven't forgotten what Jihoon had told me a few months ago," he started, fidgeting with his hands. "And god knows if he's telling me the truth or throwing us off the scent."

"Oh that one..." Soonyoung exclaimed, nodding. You glanced at the two of them, looking betrayed.

"Why have I no knowledge of this?" You asked, eyes shooting daggers.

The two boys quickly exchanged glances and panicked.

"You haven't told Y/N?" Wonwoo asked the other male, who was beginning to pout.

"What…I thought you told Y/N!" He replied, pointing at you.

What seemed like a little misunderstanding was going to become a lot of bickering later on, so as you rolled your eyes, you put yourself between the two of them.

"Alright, enough. Just tell me what Lee Jihoon said," you spoke sternly, hands on your hips.

“It’s not as straightforward as you think,” Wonwoo recounted. “Jihoon kept going in circles about our newspaper, Alex Fireflower—”

“Me?” you exclaimed, furrowing your brow.

“Yes, you. And the Gestalt case,” Wonwoo continued, acknowledging you. “At first, I was under the impression that he was simply inquiring what my thoughts were with regards to the Gestalt case as a fellow classmate, yet as it turned out, he appears to be hinting that it was a suicide case.”

A bewildered look was what you gave him, not understanding how a blatantly homicide case could possibly be a suicide. “I need you to expound further than that.”

Your friend shrugged. “That’s where the problem lies. We know that the Gestalts might be involved in the sex trafficking ring due to the judicial records we’ve discovered before, yet to what extent is a matter we have no knowledge of.”

“Oh, yes, that tax evasion case filed against Luce Trading that was suddenly dismissed by court with no apparent reason…it seems malicious, yet I still doubt that it should be considered a connection to the syndicate” Soonyoung remarked.

“Those things usually happen yet everything involved in this case should be accounted for. Even including the possibility of it being a suicide,” Wonwoo continued.

“Yet logistically speaking, how can it possibly be a suicide?” You asked, clearly unconvinced. “Lee Jihoon is merely giving us chaff.”

“That is the reason why I cannot just stop thinking about it. It’s perplexing.”

“You’re just doing mental exercises, Wonwoo,” you dismissed him. “Trusting Lee Jihoon is definitely not advisable. He’s a politician. We might be unaware that he is in fact a part of that syndicate, and is simply playing cat and mouse with us.”

Wonwoo heaved a long sigh, leaning against the bedpost. “That, I won’t deny.”

“Rather than running on conjectures, we should proceed with the investigation instead,” Soonyoung interrupted solemnly. “We simply do not have the entire narrative.”

"I completely agree," you replied, leaning against the table as you go through another wave of stomach cramps with much composure. "Let's…lay out what we know first."

The two of them nodded at you, which you considered a signal to begin.

"So, we know that some government officials are involved in a sex trafficking scheme. Why do we know that?"

Soonyoung answered. "Because Wonwoo unintentionally eavesdropped a conversation between his father and a parliament member, who was trying to ask him to vote against the amendment of the Soulmate bond."

"He offered my father membership to the syndicate among other things…" Wonwoo quietly continued, perusing his thoughts.

"Right. We know that the Gestalt case is somewhat related to the syndicate. Why?"

"For one, that parliament member who had attempted to lobby for my father's vote was asking him to vote against the amendment which has stemmed from the Gestalt case. It could possibly be a stretch but we should not deny it."

Nodding, you continued. "And the fact that we had found out that Rene Gestalt had already died right after the High Court suspension. And had died under a different name and under a mysterious circumstance."

"If Rene Gestalt was a simple nobody, he wouldn’t have died in that manner," Soonyoung added. "And that tax evasion case shouldn't have been dismissed so easily."

"Luce Trading is more profitable than Kwon International, isn't it?" You asked, but Soonyoung immediately replied.

"Hey now! We had better sales for the past decade!"

You giggled, "Alright, my apologies."

"I still find it hard to fit the pieces though," Wonwoo interrupted. "Why Luce Trading? Why did Himi Gestalt die but not Rene? What exactly happened?"

The three of you exchanged glances.

"We need more information."

You leaned back, sighing as you felt the heaviness of the possible truth you have in your hands. Wonwoo and Soonyoung were pretty much the same. That’s why, more than anything, you didn’t want any sort of distraction, especially those that involve soulmate bonds.

“In the meantime, Y/N,” Wonwoo began, giving Soonyoung a look and then the two gazed at you with concerned expressions. “Are you truly, definitely, a hundred percent, alright?”

You knitted your brows, and immediately replied. “I’ve never been better.”

“No…! No, what we meant is…” Soonyoung was the one who responded. “You…you fought with your father, didn’t you?”

It was a sudden inquiry, you can admit that, but you were not at least surprised they had asked. Your father must’ve gone to Soonyoung’s father and then they informed him of the matter.

“A few weeks ago, yes,” you told them, nonchalant as you added more berries to the mortar. “I have decided to cut ties with him once and for all. He’s nothing to me now.”

You noticed that they were taken aback, but it was an expected reaction. The decision was indeed done in the heat of the moment, yet you didn’t feel anymore remorseful.

“You do not have to worry about me. I have you two, and our newspaper is doing quite well in sales,” you reassured them. “Cutting him off is simply removing dead weight off my shoulders.”

Without any warning, Soonyoung pulled you to a tight embrace and Wonwoo followed soon after. You simply stayed still in surprise, as they continued to console you silently, knowing that you didn’t need any words to make you feel better.

“Y/N, please know that we will always be here for you,” Wonwoo began. “We’ve been together since we were children, and we’ll always will be.”

“If you wish to get something off your chest, we are always here to listen. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself.”

You grimaced at this, but hid it easily by burying yourself underneath their embrace. You’ll tell them everything someday, but now, you simply wish to brave the storm by yourself.

“I will.”

◇

"Jihoon!"

Heavy footfalls echo across the marbled hallways of the Parliament. Rows of white columns line up on the curve, the view of Porta Persa easily seen with just one turn of a head.

"Jihoon, please wait for a moment!"

Harsh steps that march through with controlled frustration, and another set which was running after them. Nobody was on sight other than two men who were adorned by their heavy purple robes, billowing with the wind.

"Lee Jihoon!"

"What is it ?!" The other snapped, his eyes piercing and intense.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs sighed, his demeanor tinged with concern. The whole Parliament hearing was tense and unnerving, and Lee Jihoon seemed to be in the middle of the swirling storm.

"I simply wanted to see if you are doing well," Joshua offered, his voice calm, yet the other simply scoffed.

"What do you suppose?" he replied, his tone filled with frustration and sarcasm. "If we lose next week's vote, it'll be all over!"

Joshua reached out for Jihoon's shoulder, trying to help the other through his temper.

"Alright Jihoon, listen to me. We still have time. We can still convince the others to vote against the bill."

"But we need fifty more votes! Where in heaven's name are we going to find those?" He exclaimed and then groaned, resounding through the deserted hall.

"You need to calm down, Jihoon!" Joshua reminded, shaking some sense into him. "You're making a mountain out of a mole hill!"

The dark haired male blinked, stunned by the sudden loudness of his friend's voice. The high had finally subsided in his veins as he huffed and removed himself from Joshua's grasps.

"Jihoon…"

"I apologize. I'm simply exhausted," he replied, sighing as he turned his back to the other. "While this issue has been particularly draining, my soulmate bond is eating my energy away as well."

Joshua blinked, wondering what was the matter this time. They had left Jihoon in his dorm room that day as instructed, yet for some reason after that, he seemed to have become more snappish and gloomy.

Jihoon sighed once more, probably the nth time for today.

"She…she was crying when she arrived, you know. I have no inkling as to why but it did hurt me…seeing her like that," he continued, now more to himself than to Joshua. "I wanted to comfort her or do something, anything…but she pushed me away, both physically and mentally. It's been weighing on me since then."

Without a word, Joshua walked towards him and placed an understanding tap on his shoulder. "I wish I can offer you some help."

At this point, Jihoon simply shook his head with a downcast smile. "There is nothing we can do about it if she doesn't want me."

Those words, as he said it, felt more painful than he had anticipated. Yet that was the truth—she had blocked him, in more ways than one. Jihoon wished he knew why yet he had already spent enough sleepless nights on it that he didn't need more.

"In the meantime, it would be nice if we had those fifty votes before the weekend."

◇

Oct. 14th

Desmere District, Porta Persa

"So, it's here?" You asked, standing in front of a decrepit shop, flanked by two of your friends. "Are you sure it's here?"

You weren’t really one to judge but the way the roof shingles were about to fall, the dull green paint peeling off the door, and the dusty shop window filled by various junk accumulated over the years, was telling a rather clear story.

You could even hardly read the name of the shop.

“52nd Oppleton street, Esmond Novelty Shop….Yes, without a doubt this is the one!” Soonyoung replied cheerfully, grinning ear to ear, “Come on now! No time to waste!”

Wonwoo glanced at you with a knowing look as he followed after Soonyoung through the door. Today seemed to be one of those days where Wonwoo was in a rather irritatingly playful mood. “You heard him. No time to waste now, Y/N.”

It wasn’t new for you to be the victim of their teasing, but you didn’t appreciate it either when it comes. Thus, as you rolled your eyes and pursed your lips, you threw your hesitation out of the window. Following closely behind, you heard the charming bell chime above you as soon as you entered, yet the dust which wafted through the air was not as charming as you had feared.

“Welcome to our shop! Feel free to look around and see if anything suits your fancy!” A male voice greeted you three, though you cannot make out a clear image of him as he seemed to be covered by the centuries old dust.

“Ah, we’re actually looking for someone…” Soonyoung replied, fishing a piece of parchment inside the pocket of his vest. “Um…a Madame Adora?”

While the three of you seemed to be unsure, the tall burly man, which you have now seen after the dust has settled, nodded in understanding.

“Yes, yes. Please follow me. Her shop is at the back,” he replied and turned around, not waiting for you to respond.

Exchanging curious glances, you followed close behind—carefully studying your surroundings as you did. There were a lot of books for one. Stacks upon stacks of leather tomes piled on top of another which was rather deadly if one wrong move was made. The shopkeeper, seemingly used to this dangerous environment, easily navigated his way through the path provided.

There were a lot of miscellaneous items as well: old shoes, typewriters, some ornate desks which were long forgotten. Dirty porcelain dolls, dull grey candelabras, and even a baby grand piano covered with various knickknacks—essentially, this was a shop of extras: once loved, tossed away and buried under the sands of time. Their fate seemed to have given you a melancholic mood, yet there is little you can do to change it.

“Where do you find all of these?” Wonwoo asked, curious as he perused over an old book about outdated potions.

“There are numerous ways,” the man shrugged, dodging a stray pole which was protruding from a pile of junk. “Sometimes we buy them from people who move houses, sometimes they just give it to us, and some just find their way here.”

His words immediately reminded you of the thought that objects do have souls in them. They used to be someone’s important thing; they were once given meaning and context by the people who used to own them. This place had become their new home now, amidst the sea of other objects that were no different.

A light knock on wood snatched you from your thoughts as you averted your attention back to the matter at hand. The shopkeeper had stopped in front of a slightly ajar door, peeking carefully at the space.

“Madame, these people wish to speak to you,” he called out, yet he was met by silence and a rather loud creaking of a chair being moved. A grainy “let them in” soon followed, though you were not as sure since it was just above a murmur.

Nodding, the shopkeeper moved and allowed you space to walk inside the room. With rather modest postures, the three of you silently entered in file, easily spotting a worn out loveseat, which was probably a bright emerald in its youth, to sit on. It was a rather small space, enough to be a breakfast room, with second hand furniture and astrology-related objects littered around to give a sense of mystique.

“Robert, fetch those documents for me please,” the old woman ordered, who you hardly noticed with how she was almost covered by the wooden desk before her. The shopkeeper, who was apparently named Robert hummed and disappeared, closing the door shut.

As soon as he was gone, you scooted on your seat to take a closer look of the old woman. Just as you had anticipated, Madame Adora was petit, but was made to look larger by her bulky dress adorned by stars and moons embroidered in metallic thread. It had the same fabric as her headpiece which was wrapped around her head like a towel. The one which caught most of your attention however, was the large dangling sun and moon earrings which were as big as her head. You wondered if they were as heavy as they looked.

“Um…we’re—” Wonwoo began but was instantly halted by the Madame with just one hand.

“I know what you seek, my dear children,” she began, her voice croaky. Probably from smoking a bit too much; you thought as you noticed the ashtray on her table next to the burning sage.

The three of you raised your eyebrows, wondering what Madame Adora could’ve meant by her words. She seemed to be the eccentric type, and you wouldn’t be surprised if she busted out tarot cards and a crystal ball any minute.

“You are on your path to fulfill a great purpose for humanity. It is a fate neither you nor this country can avoid,” she continued, making you glance at Wonwoo and Soonyoung. You wanted to ask them if she was sane, but out of courtesy, you decided to keep your mouth shut.

“O-Of course…that—that’s what we’re trying to do,” Soonyoung replied awkwardly as he shifted on his seat. “But we do need to—”

“Yet be cautioned. This path does not offer refuge nor solace for the tired and weary. You will be accompanied by danger, deceit and the deep dark evils of this world. You will face adversaries stronger and larger than you had anticipated. Poke the bear, and its claws shall appear. Be strong and always seek for the truth.”

“Uh…yes, of course,” you replied, ending with uncertainty. “So the documents—”

“Ah, yes. Robert will be here soon,” she interrupted yet again. “While we wait, would any of you like a tarot reading?”

“T-tarot reading?” Soonyoung exclaimed, as he leaned forward, not sure if he had heard it right.

What a surprise. You simply smiled.

Interrupting your gloating, Soonyoung suddenly nudged you with his elbow, making you look at him.

“What?” you asked, your voice a whisper.

“Y-you do it, Y/N!” He replied, his expression not betraying the fact that he was a bit afraid.

“What? Me? Of course not! Do you suppose I believe in such buffoonery?”

“Now, now. It’s just tarot cards, what harm could it possibly do to you? Attack you with a paper cut?” Soonyoung immediately replied, even though he was the one who got frightened first.

“Soonyoung is right, Y/N,” Wonwoo joined in, though you knew he was trying to gang up on you. “Besides, you wouldn’t be so cruel to deny this poor woman an income, would you?”

You closed your eyes, and breathed in—incredibly irritated by this game Wonwoo was playing today. However, you just didn’t have the energy to pick up a fight with how your stomach was beginning to churn once again; the suppressants returning with a vengeance after the pain relievers had worn off.

“Fine then! I’ll do it,” you seethed through gritted teeth as you stood up and walked towards the old woman. “I’ll do it.”

Now much closer, you saw Madame Adora smile warmly at you, which made you feel a bit guilty for getting angry. Sighing, you turn your gaze down to the wooden desk, unable to look into her eyes.

“Boys,” the Madame suddenly called in her raspy voice. “Robert is waiting for you in the other room to look at the documents. Your friend will join you shortly.”

At this development, both Wonwoo and Soonyoung glanced at you, asking if it was alright for them to leave you. You smiled at them encouragingly. You’ll be fine. It’s just a tarot reading.

“Please don’t start without me,” you turned to them as they left the room. “I’m looking at you Kwon Soonyoung.”

Your friend simply grinned and gave you a salute. “Aye, aye!”

When the door was finally shut and you were left alone with the old woman, you glanced at her, wondering what was about to happen, or if she was going to do something.

“What’s your name, my dear?” she asked, something you hadn’t expected.

“Uh…I’m Y/N,” you soon replied, fiddling with a stray lock. You tried to deduce what the Madame was thinking, but nothing came to mind. She was eccentric and unpredictable; there was no use trying to predict the next set of events.

“Well then, please take a seat, Y/N,” she offered the armchair beside you which you quickly sat on. “Is this your first time getting a reading?”

“Yes, I…” you tried to evaluate your next words. “I’ve never been to a shop like this before.”

She simply chuckled at you, pulling out a deck of cards from a drawer. “I understand, dear. We readers are few in number, yet believe it or not, just like magical practitioners, it is necessary for us to have proper licenses.”

With the new information, you raised your brows and nodded, wondering why you haven’t known of this field before. As you continue to swim in your thoughts, Madame Adora began waving the smoking sage around the area.

Knowing your curious look, she gave a small smile. “To cleanse the space, my dear. Sometimes we carry residual energy from people, objects or situations. It is necessary to cleanse before we begin the reading, so we can only pick up your own energy.”

Nodding once more, you didn’t really know what she was talking about. You were no magi, and your knowledge of magic was limited to alchemy and potions, which was grounded more into the material world than the metaphysical.

“Alright then. What kind of reading do you wish to do?” She asked and you only gave her a blank look—completely innocent to the kind of readings a reader could perform.

Without you needing to say a word, the Madame nodded in understanding and explained it to you.

“A reading, in its base form, is a medium to provide some clarity. The Universe itself provides the answers. So if there is a question, a situation which you wish to seek clarity on, then we could begin with that.”

Even before the old woman had finished talking, your head was already turning gears and cogwheels. You wanted to ask about the syndicate and the investigative reporting you were doing, yet for some reason, a niggling feeling inside of you was telling you it wasn’t the right question to ask.

So you searched for it, concentrating on the feeling that you knew you could trust. However, at the end, you were surprised to where it had led you. You didn’t want to ask about it. It was done, it was there. It didn’t matter anymore. But you felt it. It was so strong that it made shivers creep under your skin. You know you needed to hear it.

You sighed. It’s just a tarot reading. No harm done.

“I…uh…” you gazed downwards, finding your wrist wrapped in ribbon to be quite fascinating; deciding for one last time if this was indeed the decision you were making.

“My…uh, soulmate bond.”

You were not sure if she had heard you with how small your voice sounded, but there was no way you would repeat yourself. The way you finally said those words out loud felt like some sort of acceptance; an acknowledgement that a soulmate bond existed between you and that person. Before, it felt like it was simply a figment of your imagination.

To your surprise, the Madame nodded at you, smiling proudly. “Then it shall be. Let us begin.”

You nodded back, watching as she began to expertly shuffle the cards.

“I will be doing a simple spread for you. A first card or cards would explain your energy, and then his energy. Afterwards, your strengths and weaknesses, then the state of this connection. Finally, we will be asking for the future of your soulmate connection.”

Unaware of how specific tarot can be, you only stared at her quite agile hands, not fully understanding everything.

“Please be reminded, dear that energies do change. What is shown here is simply the current energy of the soulmate bond. You and your soulmate still do have the agency to change your future, yet for now, this is what it is.”

You definitely liked the sound of that. If tarot had been in any way fatalistic, you would’ve soured on it in an instant. You always believed that you had some semblance of control over your life, or at least you wanted to.

Quietly, the Madame began drawing out cards, mostly cards which jumped out while she was shuffling. As she began to neatly arrange the cards into a grid-like form, you watched out for any reaction or expression from her. As it turned out, the most you could get was a slight raise of a brow.

When it was all done, she flipped the deck over and placed it beside the spread. Peering overing, you saw that there were a lot of cards, some were upright and the others upside down. You wondered what these all meant.

“Well then, my dear,” she spoke to you, glancing all over the spread and then nodded in understanding. “Let us begin with your energy—Eight of Swords, Queen of Swords reversed and the Hermit reversed.”

“Are those good or bad?” you asked, curious, yet the old woman simply tightened her lips.

“What I could say is that, you may seem to be trapped in your situation right now, whatever your situation may be. Look at this woman in the Eight of Swords,” she replied, holding out the card to you. “ She is blindfolded and surrounded by these swords. She seems to be trapped and imprisoned. It could be your thoughts or what you are telling yourself, as swords symbolizes our mind and how we communicate. You could be suffering from self-doubt.”

Taking in her words, you could feel a lump forming in your chest, knowing that she was indeed right.

“And then we have the Queen of Swords, which is you. When she is upright, she is a force to be reckoned with: intelligent, independent and the speaker of truth, however dear, we have her in reverse, which only shows the shadow side of this energy. The Hermit in reverse is telling me the same thing. My dear, I must apologize, yet this is what I see. As you continue to trap yourself with negative thoughts, you are slowly closing off your heart, becoming coldhearted and bitter, leading you into more loneliness and isolation. Whatever has caused you to become like this was incredibly painful that you have been pushed into fear, creating these defensive walls which then became the swords blindsiding you at this moment.”

You were silent, knowing full well what the old woman was talking about. You wanted to be angry at her for speaking a truth you were trying to avoid all this time, yet there was only sadness in your heart.

“I’m so sorry dear, but this is what the cards say, but please rest assured that your energy could still change. Considering the strengths of this connection, I have high hopes that this soulmate bond will succeed,” Madame Adora consoled you, seeing the deep hurt in your eyes.

“It’s fine,” you replied, swallowing the bile forming in your throat. “Please continue.”

Hesitantly, the Madame moved to the two cards beside the first ones she had read. “For your soulmate’s energy: the Two of Pentacles in reverse and the Hierophant.”

“As for now, your soulmate is in an imbalance. Look at how this person is trying to juggle the two pentacles in the card. He could hardly balance them at all. It could possibly be that your soulmate finds it difficult to manage their career and this connection with you, as this is a pentacles card which usually pertains to finances and the material world. Or, it could possibly be that they cannot find the balance between their traditional values and the constantly changing world with the Hierophant. Their views are definitely being challenged by you and your connection. Nevertheless, they seem to have felt your withdrawal and decided to focus on their career instead, which has now become two burdens on their shoulders.”

Making a downcast look, you felt guilty for making him feel that way. If he had indeed felt your pain through the bond, then he was no better than you. He was hurt too and the thought of you unintentionally inflicting pain on someone was something you were not keen on.

“Now then, let’s move to the strengths of this connection with the Chariot and Strength cards, which are incredibly powerful cards to have. Even this whole spread is powerful, considering how much Major Arcana you have.”

You leaned your head to the side. “Oh, is…is that so?”

“Yes. The Major Arcana holds more significance than the Minor Arcana, that is why having numerous cards from this suit could mean that this connection could be life changing for the both of you. With that said, having the Chariot and Strength implies that the both of you have a tremendous amount of strength and willpower. You and your soulmate are influential people who will stop at nothing to achieve your goals. That is why, even through all the pain and difficulties this bond will bring, this connection will survive.”

Not knowing what to make of that, you simply nodded. You were unsure if you do want this connection to survive. You hardly know your soulmate and you had no interest in doing so. You had long abandoned the idea that you will find love in a soulmate bond.

“Well now, look here, Y/N. I have been called upon to draw three cards for the weaknesses of this connection. We have the Five of Swords, the Nine of Swords in reverse and the High Priestess in reverse,” she continued, showing you the three cards.

“At this moment, there is conflict and disagreement in this connection. It could possibly be that the both of you have fought and that was the reason for your stagnant energy and his withdrawal, and with the Nine of Swords in reverse, usually this card means your anxieties and fears, and in reverse, it could be a release of those negative energies. However, in this reading, it seems like the both of you are hiding this inner turmoil in your hearts. Look at the image here,” the Madame pointed at the Nine of Swords.

“The woman is crying on her bed at night while these swords loom above her—she is crying alone, only the night is her companion, when everyone else is asleep and oblivious to her pain. In a way, you both are mirroring each other. You try to keep this conflict in your heart, making you feel disenchanted with this connection. You had lost hope of finding this love you seek. They on the other hand, try to bury themselves in their career or material possessions. They want stability and a sense of normalcy, yet cannot find it. The Universe has been providing divine guidance, yet with the High Priestess in reverse, the both of you cannot hear or perceive the signs.”

“This is further clarified with the Hanged Man and the Tower, both in reverse. These two cards represent the state of this connection, which further confirms the stagnation and fear of change in this connection. I felt this in the beginning when I was tapping to your energy, but dear, have you been blocking your soulmate bond?”

For some reason, you could only look at her and speak no words. There was fear in your eyes and guilt in your gut. It felt like you had done something unforgivable. You cast a glare to your arm, unable to utter any words of admittance.

“Dear, may I see your wrist?” Madame Adora asked softly. You were hesitant at first but eventually gave in, pulling the ribbon that was wrapped around your wrist and placed it on the table.

Gently, she examined the dull black bars on your skin as you watched curiously. You would ask what she was doing if she hadn’t begun speaking once again.

“You are in pain, dear. Deep, deep pain you need to heal from. It’s not a fresh wound, but scars inflicted from so long ago yet continuously being pried open over the years. You keep on ignoring, burying these scars, hoping that time would help it heal someday,” she said, her fingers on the marks.

“Yet when this soulmate bond came, it had forced you to face them even if you have no wish to, even if you were not ready to. This bond is making your fears rise to the surface—the fear of heartbreak and of disappointment. Thus, instead of waiting for someone else to do this to you, you decided to nip it in the bud. You try to convince yourself that you wish to be alone, that you are comfortable alone, yet deep inside you, you long for someone to share the heaviness which weighs down your heart.”

Without even realizing, you had furrowed your brows and was glaring at the offending soulmate mark on your skin. There was a feeling deep inside you which refuses to accept the old woman's words. It was too painful to acknowledge the yearning that was deeply-rooted in your heart. It was too embarrassing to say that you had made a mistake.

You were simply protecting yourself. Those scars had long healed itself. You had already cut ties with your father and that was the end of the story. There is nothing more to talk about. There was no need to face any more of this. There is no need to reconcile with your soulmate.

Gritting your teeth, you could sense anger rise deep inside of you.

“But dear let me reassure you that despite everything, you will come together in the end. For the future of this connection, you have the Two of Cups which signifies a union. It is my soulmate card because as you can see, these two people are sharing, exchanging cups—”

—!!

You slammed your fist on the table abruptly, the cards jumping in disarray. Madame Adora looked at you sadly as you snatched your wrist away, holding it close to your chest. Your eyes were burning with rage, yet the old woman knew that that anger was rooted from deep longing and sadness.

“I don’t want it,” you muttered in a low voice, and then, after a short pause, began shouting as if it would relieve the guilt in your chest. “I don’t want it! I don’t want this! Could you please leave me alone!”

Without waiting for a reply, you ran out from the room, from the shop. You were in no capacity to continue the investigation with your friends when you are in this state of instability. You just want to leave and disappear for a while.

Just for a while.

◇

Back inside the room, Madame Adora was greeted by Soonyoung and Wonwoo, who were surprised to know that you had left running out of the shop.

“Ah, did Y/N lose her temper again?” Wonwoo asked as he had heard you shouting earlier. “We must apologize, Madame.”

“No, it is I who wishes for your pardon. I must have hurt your friend,” she replied. “Please give this to her as an apology.”

The two men watched as the Madame pulled out a small box from one of the desk’s drawers and placed it on the table. They wondered what the Madame had said in the reading that made you lose composure.

“We will deliver this to her immediately,” Soonyoung replied as he took the box and dropped it inside his pocket. “And thank you for the documents.”

“It is meant for you. I had been called upon to buy the desk which it was stored in, and when you came to this shop in search for such an item, I knew it was meant for this purpose,” Madame Adora replied, intertwining her fingers together. “But more than that, please watch over Y/N.”

Both Wonwoo and Soonyoung exchanged glances. “W-we will.”

“Simply watch over her and give her support. She is going through something which only she can resolve.”

As the Madame said those words, her gaze was caught by the single card by her side. It was the card at the back of the deck—usually meant to summarize the energy of the whole reading.

It was the Lovers.

◇

It was already dreadfully dark when you had decided to return to your dorm room.

The wisteria trees were already a midnight grey, the unlit path, a dark purple. Only a few streetlamps offered illumination through the pitch-black night as you waded through the campus in silence.

You took your time alone—wandering on random alleyways, sitting on deserted park benches, watching people pass by as they live their own lives, with their own problems. Nothing seemed real during those hours of isolation in the midst of the crowd. It was like the pain was too far away for you to reach; the events from that afternoon too far away to be reality.

Yet you knew you needed to return somehow. Thus, with eyes exhausted from crying tears unshed, and the ribbon you used to conceal your soulmate bond in your hands, you opened the door to your dorm room and saw its gauche splendor in shameless display.

With a sigh, you wrapped the ribbon on your wrist haphazardly, not caring if not seemed sloppy as long as the black bars were far from your sight.

Walking to the common room, you scanned the area for your roommate, wondering if he was asleep or still at his office on a Friday night. It would be better if you didn’t see him, you thought. There would be less explaining to do.

Yet the common room was depressingly empty. It had occurred to you that you never even spent much time in there as much as you would’ve liked. Was it simply because you were avoiding him or you were just not interested in sharing the same space with him, you didn’t know.

As you move past the wooden dining table and towards the kitchenette for a glass of water, you bumped into something fleshy and soft which definitely made you shriek and fall onto the floor in a painful thud.

“What…on earth?” you muttered, gradually coming down from your sudden adrenaline rush, your sight refocusing.

To your astonishment, you found one Lee Jihoon lying on the floor, obviously drunk by the whisky which was once inside the bottle he was clinging on to for dear life. Apprehensively, you crawled towards him, to check if he was still breathing. Yet before you could touch him, his dark brown eyes were on to you, still cold and jaded as the nights of December.

“Jihoon—“

You were about to reprimand him for bringing in prohibited alcohol inside the dorms and for sleeping on the floor during a cold autumn day, when you realized that his skin was red. Bright red.

Concern immediately shoots up to your brain as you reach out to him.

“Jihoon!” You exclaimed, shaking him to sobriety. “Jihoon! Are you intolerant to alcohol?”

Despite your concern, he could only hum groggily. “It’s…fine.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s fine’? How many bottles have you drunk?!” You asked, looking around and saw several bottles of the same whisky he was holding. “Oh god, you even chose one with high alcohol content! You shouldn’t be drinking this.”

“It’s…fine, Y/N. I only had a few… just a few…”

He simply groaned in reply, lying comfortably on the floor without a care in the world. You only stared at him in exasperation, brushing your hair as you sighed.

You felt an urge to just leave him like that on the floor until dawn breaks. He can take care of himself, and being drunk probably isn’t something new to him. Yet you knew you can’t just do that. Whether or not he was Lee Jihoon, you had the obligation to not leave him to die of alcohol poisoning or of hypothermia.

The last one was a stretch, you admit but still, there was no way you could leave him like that as someone who tries to be compassionate at every point of day. At least, the sofa was a lot better than the cold floor.

Reaching for his arm and placing it around your shoulders, you tried to carry Jihoon to the sofa just a few steps away. Yet you hadn’t anticipated how heavy he actually was as you barely dragged him across the room, huffing and panting. You were not one with the best fitness

“Come on, Jihoon. Hold yourself up! You’re simply too heavy for me to carry!” You exclaimed as you tried not to stumble on the way.

“Mmn…I’m sorry...I’m trying…” he drawled, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused—obvious indications that he has drunk too much for his own good.

Just a little bit…

Taking that one step remaining, you immediately tossed Jihoon to the soft sofa with a long and exhausted sigh. He only groaned, his hair in a disarray. You had only noticed now that he still had his work clothes on: a grey suit piece sans the tie which he must’ve tossed somewhere in the immediate past.

He had his eyes closed as you sat closely to him, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath. Jihoon seemed to be in peace this way, far from the constant creases in his brow or on his lips. Brushing away a stray lock of hair from his face, you noticed the angles on his face, the fullness of his cheeks, the rosiness of his lips. Was he always this familiar to you? It was a question you had no immediate answers to. Yet you had never anticipated to end your exhausting day with a drunk Lee Jihoon, yet that’s where you are now.

“I should give him some medicine to ease the redness,” you muttered to yourself as you stood up, your mind already listing the ingredients you needed to make one tablet, but before you did, a hand had stopped you in your tracks.

“Please…don’t leave me,” his voice, still lethargic, echoed behind you and you were forced to turn, your eyes captured by his unrelenting gaze.

“Jihoon…” you spoke softly, returning to your seat beside him as you helped him sit up clumsily. “But you’re still flushing.”

“Doesn’t matter…” he replied back, leaning unsteadily until you caught him in your arms. Now he was peacefully resting his head on your shoulder, burying himself into your embrace.

“J-Jihoon…?”

To say that you were wholly surprised was an understatement. You were floundering and unable to make anything out of this situation. This was something incredibly out of character for the Lee Jihoon you thought you knew.

“Y/N…I must….must apologize,” he began, which definitely made you furrow your brows in bewilderment. “I’m so sorry… I—I failed you…”

You stared into the air incredulously, not understanding what page Jihoon was in.

“You didn’t fail me,” you replied back. “You didn’t fail anyone, Jihoon…”

However, it seemed like your words fell into deaf ears as he snuggled up to you, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

“I’m so sorry…Y/N…please…please forgive me…”

Concluding that this was probably one drunk confession, you allowed him to find comfort in your presence, placing a consoling hand on his back as he continued to apologize to you.

This was a side to him you hadn’t expected to see. It was vulnerable, raw and unapologetically real—words you never thought you’d associate with Lee Jihoon. Yet there you were, as you hugged him back, finding solace in his arms as well when there was no one in the world you could share your burdens with.

“It’s okay, Jihoon…” you replied to him as you closed your eyes. “At least you tried, and it’s good enough for me.”

“Yet…yet…why can’t I feel you…?” he cried out, his voice clearly in pain. “Why can’t I reach you…? I…I always…alwaysss wanted to know you…to hold you like this…”

“Jihoon…”

You wished there was something you could say or do, yet you didn’t even know what he was talking about. It felt like the two of you were talking in a circle of riddles; finding yourselves in different pages.

“Y/N…please don’t be angry…please….please….don’t reject me,” he continued on as if in a trance. “I’m so sorry….so sorryyy….”

There was something in his words, or the way his voice shook that had pierced right through you. You wondered what you had done to him to plead to you like this. Yes, you did push him away a few weeks ago, yet that was the farthest you had gone to hurt him. You couldn’t understand what was happening, nevertheless, you still felt called upon to take action.

Moving your hand, you brushed his soft locks gently.

“I won’t reject you, Jihoon. I won’t push you away. I promise you.”

◇

PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL CRACKING DOWN ON CILVEKAN NATIONALS by Jeon Wonwoo

The Porta Persa Edition, October 27th

In a historic vote, the Parliament has passed a bill on harsher travel restrictions for Cilvekan nationals as well as an extensive program which allows for the investigation of all Cilvekans in Porta Persa. This bill marks a tantamount win on Rep. Kang Jinho and his Conservative party—warranting a speculation of a bid on the Prime Minister seat.

This soon-to-be law highlights restrictions set on the amount of Cilvekan nationals leaving and entering Porta Persa wherein local governments can monitor their actions inside the country. It is also in the prerogative of the local government to deny entry to any Cilvekan wishing to enter. According to Rep. Kang, it is necessary to be able to detect any sort of preemptive strike against Porta Persa to avoid endangering the security of the people.

This bill also boasts a program which, in conjunction with the restrictions, shall implement a vast inspection of all Cilvekan nationals present in the country. They are to undergo a thorough investigation conducted by the police and shall be warranted to arrests if ill-intentions against Porta Persa is proven.

With this bill, according to the Parliament, the government shall be able to ensure that the national security of Porta Persa shall not be threatened by any means, even if it meant sacrificing privacy and material gains. Sacrifice is and always will be inevitable on the road to peace…

◇

In the pitch black darkness of the night, echoes of footfalls resounded across the streets of Porta Persa. There was breaking of glass, breaking of wood, and shouts of women.

Fear was high in the scent of the night. The streets of Porta Pera enshrined by men and women—rounded up in handcuffs and tied by accusations. Half the town was awake and afraid, half the town asleep and aloof.

The night had just began.

-Hyeri

#seventeen #svtcreations #caratwritersclub #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen angst #seventeen fluff #seventeen woozi #lee jihoon #woozi #the most convenient escape

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arigatouiris · 5 years

Text

daughter of artemis // p.p — [14]

c h a p t e r f o u r t e e n

Pairing: Peter Parker x Demigod! Reader [Female pronouns]

Warnings: swearing; angst [a lot of it]; greek mythology rewritten [completely my interpretation of it, oops]; slightly based off the games god of war and assassin’s creed odyssey; hurt/comfort; cliche; fluff [on later chapters sometimes]; mentions of sex and gore; slight alternate universe

Follows events after Endgame, but Tony, Natasha, Steve, Loki are alive in this universe.

Word count: 4888

Author’s Note: I thank each and every one of you for writing back to me and telling me how I don’t have to update at anyone else’s will but my own. You can’t imagine how much this support means to me. Thank you all! And I do feel a bit sad that this story is ending, because I honestly had so much fun writing this. This is the penultimate chapter, and chapter 15 is the last one! However, I am writing a Bucky Barnes fanfiction too, which comes out soon, so if you want to be added to the tag list, please ask!

Also, I’m not taking anymore taglist requests for this story, so for those of you who want to be a part of the Bucky story’s tag list, just send me an ask! Thank you all!

14 // τέλος end

❅

Apollo had teleported them back to his temple at Phocis. (y/n) looked around in awe, Apollo’s temple was merely just a mile away from Artemis’ temple, but she had never been to his. Apollo had a soft smile on his face, but the minute he turned to his niece, his eyes narrowed.

“You’ve never been to my temple?”

(y/n) blushed with embarrassment, “Maybe, if you were nicer to me when I was younger, I’d have come.”

“Maybe, because you didn’t visit my temple, I was never nice to you.”

“You didn’t know I visited your temple until just a few moments ago, uncle.”

Apollo turned red with childish anger. “You could have still come, I’m still your uncle and the freaking Sun god.”

(y/n) chuckled. Deciding to walk to her mother’s temple first, she turned to Apollo’s shrine and walked over. She removed her shoes at a distance and headed to his shrine, just before kneeling down and putting her hands together in prayer. Apollo watched, a bit surprised, but feeling warm. If there was one thing that kept Apollo alive and well, especially where his strength came from, it was from the peoples’ prayers. There were people who believed Apollo did the right thing, and he desperately tried to protect humans and ward off evil, to the best of his abilities. And these prayers proved that his efforts were noticed.

Stay safe, sun god, you’re all I have, (y/n) prayed, giving her uncle a fit of coughs. Laughing, she grabbed her shoes before rushing out barefoot.

“I’ll meet you in a bit, alright?”

Apollo knew that her time in Artemis’ temple would not just take ‘a bit’, but he was willing to wait. After all, it had been five years since the girl set foot at her mother’s temple. She deserved the time she took.

Every time she set eyes on her mother’s temple, (y/n) was in awe. It wasn’t an outstanding building, not as outstanding as Apollos’, but Artemis’ temple resembled the feeling of home. Not having been here for five years, (y/n) noticed the roots and moss that had grown on the temple walls, little creatures had made the temple shrine their home, a sight Artemis would have loved. (y/n)’s heart warmed at the way her mother’s temple had changed, not in a bad way, and felt fortunate.

Suddenly, as soon as the girl set foot inside the shrine, her eyes widened. She heard her mother’s voice, almost a whisper, the tune she would hum on most days. The song, Time After Time.

Clutching on to the dagger, (y/n)’s eyes were vigilant. She took her dagger out and held it in front of her, looking at it as if she were looking at it for the first time. The humming grew stronger, but she felt no presence in the air. Her mother’s humming then turned to her mother singing, and (y/n)’s heart ached at the memory. It was as if her mind was playing a terrible trick on her, a trick she enjoyed at the time being, but knew would cause a nostalgic pain in her heart, later on.

(y/n) didn’t even realize she had closed her eyes, holding the dagger, standing right in the middle of the shrine. Squirrels and mice were scurrying along, with the soft singing bringing winds inside the temple shrine. Opening her eyes, she felt a presence. (y/n) turned to the exit of the shrine and saw a large stag, with unusual golden eyes that were glowing even in the daylight. The stag looked majestic, but fair—almost an albino, but albino stags had red eyes, as did most albino animals.

The singing stopped and only one sentence played in her ear. Looking at the dagger slowly, she thought of her mother’s words: One day, you may have to use this. For a hunt.

Her mother had told her these words when she gave her the dagger. Turning to the stag with surprise, she noticed how the stag then began to run away from her, thus concluding her suspicions. Her breath shook and a laugh exited her lips. It was never the henchmen, she thought before turning to the back of the shrine. Rushing over there, she found her mother’s ancient bow and a couple of arrows, and gripped onto the dagger tightly. She ran after the stag and paused, breathing the air around her. If this was a hunt, she knew what to do. Reading the footprints on the ground, (y/n) tracked the beast using its prints. After reaching near the beast, (y/n) hid behind a couple of bushes before marking her prey. She noticed the stag, bending down to eat grass, and the girl waited.

Most often, hunting was done incorrectly when the hunter chose to be impatient. You don’t hunt an animal you do not respect; her mother had always told her. The animal you hunt provides you sustenance and clothing, you must give it your time, your effort, your patience, as the animal gives you its life.

(y/n) smiled recalling her mother’s words. She waited for the stag to finish its meal, and head to the little stream to drink some water. While it was then about to graze on the grass, (y/n) mumbled a soft prayer, and shot an arrow to the beast’s backside, bringing the beast down in one shot. While it screeched in pain, (y/n) walked over to the stag and was mesmerized with the glow in its eye, tears filling her own at the realization of what was to come. Taking her dagger out, (y/n) kissed the hold of the blade, before muttering a prayer. Always show your gratitude to the animal whose life you are taking to provide for your own, her mother would tell her.

And in one stab, there was light all around her.

A golden glow exploded around her and she wasn’t really sure if she was in the same forest as before. Getting up slowly, she looked behind her and thought her heart would explode. There she stood, Artemis, surrounded by a golden aura, unmistakingly the most beautiful woman (y/n) had ever laid eyes on. It didn’t take long for her to start crying, for a child craving its mother’s love, and her mother standing right there after years of not having been able to meet.

And even if this was just a vision, (y/n) was happy she got at least this. Running to her mother, she embraced her, half expecting her hands to go through her mother, but was grateful for a solid presence, holding her back.

“The rat passed away a while ago, so this is me now.” Artemis’ voice was just the same as she had remembered.

Pulling back, but their arms still connected, Artemis wiped the tears off her daughter’s eyes.

“This… This was just a guess.” (y/n) let out, unable to look away from her mother’s face.

“A correct one.” Artemis said, winking.

(y/n) embraced her mother once more and breathed in. She knew that this was not permanent, but however this was possible, she was glad that it was. Five years of not being able to see her mother, or even hear her voice had caused a hole to form in her heart. This being possible meant that this was indeed a god’s blessing.

“How are you here?” (y/n) asked, a while later, still holding onto Artemis.

“A part of me has been in that stag for five years now. You’ve hunted well.”

(y/n) let out a dry chuckle, “I’m not so sure.”

“There we go again with the insecurity. My fawn, you’re so good at this. You have been so brave. I am so proud of you. It was not easy, (y/n), and I know this. You have come here all on your own. Realized things all on your own.”

“You sent me visions. Especially when I went to New York for the first time.”

Artemis chuckled, “I did not send you any visions, (y/n).”

Then what visions were they? (y/n) blinked a couple of times, but chose to fret on that later.

“Why didn’t you just tell me anything, mother?”

Artemis sighed once before brushing the girl’s hair off her face. Of course, everything would have been simpler if she had just told her daughter, as many witches and vicars did. However, Artemis knew that merely telling her would not be enough. The personality that came with (y/n) figuring things out for her own, and how she grew to nurture love than hate was something no one could teach her. Not even her own mother.

“Some things I cannot tell you, love. But, you have done so well.”

“I really thought that once I become a god, I wouldn’t feel so incomplete. But after meeting Pepper and… and my father, and Peter… I just…”

“Never be ashamed of what you are, love. There is that amazing quality about mortals that even gods can learn from them,” Artemis kissed her daughter’s nose and said, “They are the only ones who know how to truly live.”

(y/n) smiled, not completely certain, but satisfied. “I know the song now.”

Artemis smiled before saying, “I’ve loved that song. It’s the song that was playing when your father kissed me.”

(y/n) scrunched her face, “Why did you—?”

Artemis laughed before saying, “Tony and I loved each other that night. It was all I could ask for, being a god. There was a forever in that hour, and I knew everything that I had been missing out on before.”

“I didn’t need this answer.” (y/n) deadpanned.

A comfortable silence passed. Artemis hummed as she did years ago, listening to the wind and the chatter of animals around her. She looked beautiful in the forest, where she was meant to be. (y/n) could barely look away from the goddess, but this was her mother and this vision was not going to last.

“I’m not meant to kill Zeus, am I?”

Artemis turned, her wild hair flowing gracefully behind her. Her eyes were green, a radiant and beautiful green.

“You were never meant to kill anyone.” Artemis spoke, blinking slowly.

“But, the henchmen—”

“They are not of the living world, (y/n). They are merely moving stones and blood, and you are putting a stop to that dark use of godly magic.”

“What about Zeus? What happens now? What about Olympus?”

“Sometimes, prophecies happen without you having to complete them. When someone assigns you a prophecy, they do not take away your choice; they merely add you as one of the many catalysts that can bring about the change that’s mentioned. You might think that the dissolution of Olympus is entirely in your hands, but the fates are not as foolhardy to place such a big responsibility in the hands of a child.”

“But you once told me that even the movement of a butterfly’s wing can bring about a massive change.”

“Maybe, this needs the movement of a butterfly and not the efforts of a child.” Artemis winked.

(y/n) narrowed her eyes, “I do not understand—”

“You are not meant to, love. The oracle stated that you would bring about the dissolution of Olympus, but it is because you destroyed two henchmen did the gods start leaving. Now, with Zeus not even in his own cabinet, there is not a single god alive that trusts him. What you did, has already brought about the prophecy, (y/n). Now, even if you do not complete the entire ordeal, there is no one who can undo this.”

(y/n)’s eyes widened at her mother’s words.

“However, this took a great task,” Artemis said, smiling at her daughter, knowingly. “It took getting over that anger of yours. And Peter Parker helped you.”

(y/n) had understood his role in her visions. (y/n) knew that when she finished what had to be done here, in Greece, she would return to live a life in New York. What waited for her was a boy, a boy who could make her forget about whatever she had not known before. The boy, who was the very first person she met as soon as she was teleported into the place, as a 13-year old child.

The boy whose eyes were always asking her to stay.

“It was always him, (y/n). An unexplained force of action let me know that Pepper would be the one who would make you believe in a parent again. It was the same unexplained force that made you cling to Peter’s form even when you never knew him. Without Peter, however, you would never have gotten over that anger,”

“Love changes you.” Artemis said, kissing her daughter’s forehead.

(y/n) shut her eyes and felt tears fall down her cheeks.

“I miss you so much, mom.”

Holding her daughter’s form close to hers, Artemis held her for the last time. Breathing into her child’s hair, a single tear trickled down the goddess’s eye, as she began to turn into the brightest light (y/n) had ever seen.

“I’m right here with you.”

When (y/n) could not feel her mother’s hands around her, she broke into a sob that wasn’t particularly sad. She had seen her mother, sought answers for all those years gone by, and was certain now that there was a closure to how she felt about her mother. Now, (y/n) was certain she could move on; now, she was certain that there was nothing holding her back.

There was only one thing that was left to do. Standing up, with her mother’s bow and arrows with her, (y/n) rushed to Olympus, bare foot, to meet a particular goddess who was the reason her hate began.

❅

(y/n) was wearing black tights and a white top, with a black jacket and no shoes when she entered the great palace of Olympus. Apollo stood behind her, feeling a tad bit awkward about her choice of clothing, and also feeling slightly nauseous once more. Leaning toward his niece, she didn’t think twice before asking her.

“Is Wang’s a good Chinese place?”

Narrowing her eyes, she turned to her uncle and snapped, “You’ve been ordering from Wangs? They have terrible food! It always messes up your… Uncle, is that why it’s been cloudy for the past few days? You’re constipated!”

Apollo turned red and looked away.

“Try Delmar’s next time?” (y/n) said, rolling her eyes, walking into the council chambers.

There was no Zeus, as expected. Athena, Demeter and Hestia were absent as well. Dionysus waved at (y/n) upon seeing her, still drunk, causing (y/n) to bow back at the god. Hera was not in the council, but this (y/n) had already known about. Aphrodite sat there, looking bored.

“You’re looking for the Boar, I take it?” She asked, staring at the child.

“Have you moved him?” Apollo asked, confused.

“No,” Aphrodite sighed. “No, he’s right there. But, he’s so weird. Sitting there like a freaking stone. Ugh, when is this place coming down already?” She frowned before looking at (y/n), “Hey, niece, you’re bringing this place down, right?”

“N-No, not really.”

Aphrodite screamed in anger before turning upside down on her seat.

“I am so getting the hell out of here. Uncle Hades said he had a spot reserved for me down there. Or I’ll visit Australia or something. Or I’ll go visit the New Asgard. I hear they have a beautiful Queen now.”

“Do what you want, Aphrodite.” Apollo said, grabbing the girl and taking her out of there.

“What’s happened to her?”

“Don’t pay her any attention. She’s hated Olympus more than any of us. Especially after Zeus made her marry—”

“Don’t say his name.” (y/n) frowned, feeling terrible for the both of them.

Heading to the cells, Apollo and (y/n) walked quietly, side by side. He was thinking back to five years ago, in these very halls, when (y/n) and himself shared a terrible relationship. Truth was, he had always wanted to get to know her, to hold his niece and tell her stories and recite poetry to her; he always had a soft spot for his sister’s daughter.

But he had never managed to get past his initial bitterness. For Artemis almost losing her spot in the council, and being looked down upon for getting pregnant in the first place, Apollo unquestioningly blamed the child, while he knew it was not the child’s fault.

It was a defense mechanism and even though it was wrong, he couldn’t stop after he had started. And till date, he deeply regretted his actions. Placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder, he brought (y/n) to a halt and looked down to the ground. Regret was leaking out of him, his eyes held the pain he had ever since (y/n) was born, and only hoped and prayed that she would one day see past his pretentious tough exterior.

(y/n) turned to her uncle and blinked, confused by his sudden halt. Tilting her head sideways, she noticed how uncomfortable her uncle looked.

“Are you alright? Is it your stomach?”

A moment later, Apollo embraced the girl, shocking her. He was shaking now; crying was something Apollo was not used to. (y/n)’s eyes widened before her hands flung around him, wondering what had gone wrong.

“I have been such a terrible uncle to you,” (y/n) was shocked at his words, “All those years… As Artemis begged me to give you a chance, I pushed you away… Afraid… I wasn’t… I wasn’t fit to call myself your uncle… I never hated you, I just… I am so ashamed—”

She pulled away and looked at her uncle with adoring eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek and all she could see was a broken man trying very hard to apologize to a child he considered his own.

“I love you so much, uncle. Don’t ever apologize. You’ve been the best.”

Apollo bit his lip and chuckled dryly.

“I love you, too, you stupid, reckless demigod.”

When (y/n) grinned at him a moment later, Apollo swore he saw his sister smiling back at him. He could suddenly feel her all around him, a golden glow that she would emit as they rode their chariots above in the skies. He felt as if his heart was lifted, and his eyes were wide when he heard a few words in his sister’s voice.

At ease, Apollo, it’s over now.

Turning around, the two of them paused in front of the Boar’s chambers, and Apollo wondered what (y/n) was going to do. If she killed this henchman, she would become a god. This was it. This was the final call, she was either going to do it, or not. Apollo prayed for the latter.

“Grandfather, I know you’re in here.”

Apollo’s eyes widened and he turned to his niece with shock. He then looked at the Boar, whose gaze was fixed at (y/n)’s form, and a gassy substance exited from his eyes. Apollo had seen uglier things, but the half melted form of the Boar, and Zeus’ upper torso, floating in front of him. Gods, he has the worst power ever, Apollo thought before scrunching his face.

However, the real question was how his niece came to know of this. Had she always known that Zeus was inside the Boar all along? How had she known something that he, a god, had not? It didn’t make sense to him.

“I know you’ve always had the ability to possess things. That’s how you’ve been wooing the ladies, too. Hercules was born that way, it was the oldest tale in the book. So was Hephaestus—”

“Silence, you insolent little trash! I will end you and remove you from this council—”

“Yeah,” (y/n) folded her arms together. “That’s the thing. There already is no council. No Kingdom left for you to rule. You can’t hurt me anymore, grandfather.”

If it were possible for a storm to brew inside the premises of a single cell, Zeus made it seem easy. Black clouds grew out of him and formed cracks in the walls, he could escape the cell as easily as one could snap fingers. However, Apollo was stunned to see how (y/n) was not moving. She watched the scene unfold in front of her with no emotion on her face. As if she were used to whatever she was seeing. And this was something that shocked even Apollo.

“The other gods now know where you are, you know?”

Zeus’ eyes were glowing white, and he paused for a bit.

“All that hiding to prevent the gods from knowing where you were, to escape questions from them for your lack of action. I’m standing right in front of you, and here you are, hiding in one of your lousy creations. I wonder what the other gods will have to say to you about this,” (y/n) said, smirking.

Apollo was impressed.

“I won’t lay a finger on you, grandfather. But, I cannot promise that she won’t.”

It was a second later did Hera arrive. She stood beside (y/n), and stared at Zeus’ form. Zeus held thunderbolt in his right hand and was about to shoot it down on (y/n), however, Apollo was not going to let that happen. Immediately summoning his bow, he shot down Zeus and impaled his hand to the wall, earning a nasty scream from his father. Apollo felt torn at doing this, but he was certain there was no other go.

“Hello, husband,” Hera didn’t sound pleased. Looking at (y/n), she scoffed, “Can’t believe I needed this runt’s help for this.”

Apollo turned to the Queen and looked confused. Her help? When did this happen?

“I banish you from Midgard. And hereby dissolve Olympus.” Hera said, rolling her eyes.

Zeus now had links attached to his hand, preventing him from using his powers to their complete extent. This is a punishment that a coward deserves, (y/n) thought before turning to Hera.

“What are you going to do now?” (y/n) asked, blinking.

“I’m going to leave this nasty shit hole,” Turning to the girl, “Take care of brown eyes, he seems to fancy you a lot more than you think.”

(y/n)’s eyes widened. She’s the goddess of marriage, she thought, turning away.

“I think I’ll m-manage.” (y/n) let out, stuttering.

“Nonsense.” Hera said, folding her arms.

She recalled how agile the girl was when she entered Hera’s room from the window. Hera noticed (y/n), and just when she was about to smite her, the girl raised her arms and bowed down. Hera knew there was no use hurting her after she had surrendered.

“I want to know where Zeus is.” (y/n) said, still bowing.

“So what? So you can kill him and turn me into a widow?”

“No offense, but he isn’t the best husband, really,” The girl looked up at the Queen, still kneeling down, “And no, I will not be killing anything today.”

Hera stared at her, “Ugh, I smell love all around you.”

(y/n) smiled, “His name’s Peter Parker, and I did pray to you about—”

“I heard you. Whatever. He’s the one who attacked you.”

“Who? Peter?” (y/n) asked, confused.

“No, malaka. Zeus. He resides in the Boar.”

(y/n)’s eyes widened, “Did you just swear at me?”

“What are you going to do about it?”

Hera turned to the child before sighing. (y/n) looked up at her and blinked a couple of times.

“You should kill this creature to become a god.”

(y/n) shook her head, “I don’t want to be.”

Hera chuckled darkly, “That’s why you prayed to me.”

(y/n) blushed, “Please.”

“What about the prophecy?” Apollo wanted to join in on the conversation.

“I didn’t complete my prophecy, I didn’t kill the boar, so I am still mortal and a demigod. It’s who I am.”

Apollo smiled, and when he looked at Hera, she turned away, frowning. Apollo turned away after that, and pretended as if nothing had happened.

“I am still a god,” Zeus bellowed, grabbing everyone’s attention. “What makes you think I won’t come after you?”

(y/n) smirked and said, “You are a coward, Zeus. Let me see you try.”

❅

This might be the last time, she thought as she stood in the temple of Artemis. She placed the dagger in the shrine and sat down, folding her legs. Apollo watched her, not ignoring the feeling in his heart that his sister was here recently. He was impressed with his niece’s growth, and what was more impressive was how calm she was.

“How did you know?” Apollo asked, still staring at her.

“How did I know what?” (y/n) asked, looking elsewhere, as the wind blew.

For a whole minute, Apollo saw his sister in her. She was one with nature at the moment, her hair swaying wildly in the wind, her eyes traversing across random things in the air, her legs bare feet and her heart wild.

“How did you suddenly know what to do?”

(y/n) smiled at nothing in front of her, “Peter made me understand that I had a life there. A family… He’s always been telling me what I wanted to hear, just… I never understood it until recently.”

Apollo chuckles. Being an oracular god himself, he knew how important Peter was in her life. Which might have been one of the biggest reasons why he made her see those visions in the first place. But, he wouldn’t tell her that at that moment.

“Funny thing is,” She mentioned, now turning to Apollo. “He told me he’s always wanted to see Greece. I wish I could show him mom’s temple.”

Apollo normally never just granted wishes on a whim, but this was his niece. Rolling his eyes, he realized that this made her his favorite mortal. And even though gods were not allowed to pick favorites, (y/n) was indeed out of the ordinary.

“You can.” Apollo said, snapping his fingers.

(y/n)’s eyes widened and Peter appeared out of thin air. Apollo looked unimpressed, and the girl stood up instantly and stared at the boy in front of her.

“You won’t believe what just happened!” Peter let out, his eyes wide. He must have been in school, she thought, since he wasn’t wearing his suit. “Where am I?”

Peter looked around for a moment before unconsciously letting out, “I saw people, (y/n). There w-was this vision sort of thing, and-and I saw this really, really pretty woman who was thanking me and I saw you…” Peter slowly turned to spot (y/n) in front of him, smiling up at him.

He blinked a couple of times and struggled to catch his breath. I saw this, he thought, recalling his vision. After the woman had thanked him, he saw (y/n), standing there and smiling at him, just as she was at this very second. Peter’s heart was rummaging against his chest as he took a step closer to her, and took her hands in his. She hugged him a second later, and Peter held her back, breathing into her, knowing from just her facial expression that everything was alright.

Pulling back, Peter leaned down to kiss her just before placing his lips on what looked like a palm. Jerking back violently, Peter grimaced at his english teacher, who was also the god of the Sun. Apollo scoffed before wiping his hand on the back of (y/n)’s jacket.

“This is a temple for god’s sake.” Apollo snapped, causing (y/n) to laugh. He walked out of the temple, leaving the two of them alone.

Peter looked at (y/n) and smiled, “Mr. Stark thought you left… I had to tell him you were coming back.”

(y/n) nodded, “There’s nothing for me here.” She said, finally, looking at Peter.

“So, what made you want to come back?”

“Don’t make me say something super cheesy, Peter Parker.” (y/n) rolled her eyes, leaning into Peter’s arms.

Peter kissed the side of the girl’s head and stood there, staring at the front of Artemis’ shrine. There was a statue of the goddess, filled with vines and squirrels running all over it. The sight of it warmed Peter’s heart, and he was certain that the beautiful woman he had seen in his vision was her. She was thanking him for letting (y/n) learn how to love, and he wasn’t too sure if he could take the credit.

She was always someone who knew how to love; if not anything, she knew how to love better than anyone he had ever met. Peter was simply there to receive it, and collect it, and preserve it.

I love you, he thought before turning with her, as she led him out of the temple. What Peter didn’t know at that second was how (y/n) had thought the exact same thing.

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