SEHUN TEMPO, 2018

Per Aspera Ad Inferi

Here is a story that I am currently working on! It's really bad but I've been dying with these ideas ... and I'm going to produce a masterpiece. I will upload this first chapter to AO3 in the morning.. so Tumblr.. you get to see it first. PLEASE don't bully me -- it's bad. The Italian is based from the translator so I can't promise if anything is correct! PLEASE ENJOY! ❤️

TW: Mentions of Cheating, Bullying -- just please be cautious!

Chapter One:

Copia and Terzo’s favorite thing to do besides performing was watching how beautifully the Sisters sang during their class time. They both had their favorite sisters and it was blatantly obvious. They would constantly talk in Italian so no one else knew what they were talking about. The best thing about this freshman class of Sisters - they were all diverse and no one looked the same. One sister in particular was Ellie - she was shorter than the rest of the girls. She had multi-colored hair that was short and shaggy. Her appearance was quite beautiful with her larger features that both attracted the two men.

“Cardinale, che ne dici di quella sorella Ellie (Cardinal, how about that sister Ellie). Eh?” Terzo whispered into Copia’s ear with a smug look on his face.

“È davvero stupenda. La sua voce suona come un angelo. Una delle mie sorelle preferite. (She's very gorgeous. Her voice sounds like an angel. One of my favorite Sisters.)” Copia replied with a grin on his face.

“Un adorabile Ghoul mi ha detto che quando è arrivata per la prima volta ha avuto un'avventura con il nostro caro fratello. (One lovely Ghoul told me that when she first arrived that she had a fling with our dear brother).” Terzo replied leaning back in his chair.

“Terzo, non voglio sentir parlare della tua vita sessuale. Per favore, tienilo per te. (Terzo, I don't want to hear about your sex life. Please keep it to yourself.)” Copia replied, rolling his eyes.

“Cardinale, il nostro caro fratello ha avuto una storia con la sorella. Quando lei è arrivata era in un brutto momento e hanno subito legato. Lei ha tirato fuori il meglio di lui: era finalmente avvicinabile. Detto tra noi, la prego, cardinale, non lo ripeta. Secondo l'ha tradita durante il loro ultimo ciclo di tournée.Lo scoprì da un'altra sorella e non lo perdonò mai. Sono passati alcuni mesi e lui spera ancora che lei gli conceda un po' di tempo. Si assicura costantemente che lei stia bene e che si sia sistemata. Grazie ai nostri adorabili ghoul. Sembra adorabile, forse le piacerebbe uno di noi? Eh? Forse non è il tuo tipo, ma è sicuramente il mio. (Cardinal, our dear brother had a fling with the sister. When she arrived she was in a bad place and they instantly connected. She brought out the best in him - he was finally approachable. Between us, please cardinal, don't repeat this. Secondo cheated on her during their last tour cycle. She found out from another sister and she never forgave him. It's been a few months and he still hopes that she'll give him the time of day. He constantly makes sure that she's okay and settled. Thanks to our lovely ghouls. She seems lovely, maybe she would go for one of us? Eh? She may not be your type but she's definitely mine.)” Terzo whispered, eyeing Ellie hard.

Ellie made direct eye contact with Copia and a blush filled her cheeks before she looked away. Mary, who was very popular, was constantly bullying her and today was the last straw that Terzo or Copia could handle. They both heard Mary abuse Ellie and degraded her. She grabbed her backpack that was behind the stage and ran out of the room. Copia looked at Terzo sadly and sighed.

“Mary, what the fuck are you doing? Do you want to be…eh.. Kicked out of the program? You’re so damn close. Stop being rude to Sister Ellie.” Terzo spoke loudly as he stood up from his chair.

Terzo was usually never upset about Sisters beating each other up. It was strange he seemed really interested in her life story as well. Copia was confused about his change of actions. But, Copia decided that he would worry about that later and go check out Ellie.

Copia looked high and low for her but eventually found her out in the courtyard under a tree. She looked extra beautiful in the sunlight with the wind gently toying with her hair. He watched her for a bit before slowly approaching. When finally in her space, he cleared his throat to catch her attention.

“H-hello.. E-Ellie I came to.. Eh…. make sure you’re okay? Do you mind if I sit?” He said softly implying to sit next to her.

“Of course, Cardinal. I’m okay, not doing great but thank you for checking on me. It means alot. But, confused on why I was the subject between you and Terzo?” She replied sitting up straight.

“You… u-understood our conversation? Oh goodness, I’m sorry! I didn’t know you …” He stuttered quickly.

“Secondo was teaching me until that happened. So, yes I understood every single word.” She replied with a sad tone.

Her attention was drifting towards the Emeritus balcony. Secondo was up there with a Sister. Copia could see her expression change drastically. She frantically gathered her things and shot herself up. 

“My apologies, Cardinal. Excuse me.” She said turning around quickly and disappearing back into the abbey.

He watched Secondo with the Sister for several minutes and studied their body language. The face of the sister was what shocked him the most. Whatever he felt at this point had to be buried because fighting Secondo was not an option, at least for Copia. The pair were kissing each other and that’s when Copia decided he had enough. He took a single deep breath and got himself off the ground. His mind raced as he walked helplessly down the halls in the abbey. Copia accidentally ended up at the doorstep of Secondo. His leathered fist was about to knock on the door when it suddenly opened. A small sister came rushing out with tears down her cheeks and bite marks on her neck.

“Excuse me, Mary.” Copia said, moving out of the way and catching Secondo’s gaze.

“Entra, cardinale. Ho la sensazione che parleremo di una certa Sorella. (Come on in, Cardinal. I have a feeling we're going to talk about a certain Sister.).” He harshly said, turning around to gaze out the giant window facing the courtyard.

“Non voglio invadere la tua privacy... ma perché l'hai tradita? Perché dovresti fare qualcosa di così... peccaminoso? (I don't want to invade your privacy.. but why did you cheat on her? Why would you do something so... sinful?)” Copia replied, closing the door with some force.

“Cardinale, non mi aspetto che tu capisca. Alla fine sarebbe successo. Ma non volevo che accadesse così in fretta. Che tu ci creda o no, l'amavo. Sì, eravamo fottuti amici. Ma .. questo vecchio ha coltivato sentimenti. Non si adatta bene qui come speravo. Che Suor Mary otterrà ciò che le spetta. Ellie, oh mia cara Ellie... spero che si innamori di te o di Terzo. (Cardinal, I don't expect you to understand. It was going to happen eventually. But, I didn't mean for it to happen so quickly. Believe it or not, I loved her. Yes, we were fuck buddies. But.. this old man grew feelings. She doesn't fit as well here as I hoped. That Sister Mary will get what's coming for her soon. Ellie, oh my dear Ellie... I hope she falls in love with yourself or Terzo.)” He spoke with a monotone still facing the window. “Adesso, per favore, vattene dai miei alloggi. Dì al mio stupido fratello di comportarsi bene con lei. (Now, please get the fuck out of my quarters. Tell my dumb brother to behave with her).

Copia did as he was told and closed the door slowly behind him. He took multiple deep breaths and let everything he found out sink in. The dinner bell had started ringing and he made his way to the dining hall slowly. The hall was already full with sisters and brothers with the emeritus family at the head of the room. He nodded to the sisters as he approached the long table with Primo and Terzo filling their glasses with wine. Copia had a spot next to Terzo on the end and watched all the sisters mingle with each other.

“Where’s…Ellie? Have you seen her?” Terzo asked while slowly scanning the room.

“I haven’t seen her since she ran off earlier. Secondo was being…eh…chatty with Mary on that balcony of his.” Copia replied, fixing the napkin on his lap.

The hall doors opened slowly and Ellie walked in awkwardly looking around with swollen eyes. She headed for the food trays but my eyes shot across the room to where Mary stood up with her gang of Bullies. Copia swallowed hard because he knew something was about to happen. Mary and Ellie slowly approached each other and I slowly looked at Terzo. They couldn’t hear what was being said but the loud bang of the food tray caught both of their attention. Terzo stood up immediately and saw Ellie on the ground as she wore her dinner. Mary and her friends walked away laughing and caused an uproar in the hall. The laughs echoed off the tall walls and flooring. Copia and Terzo both caught Ellie’s eyes as she slowly wiped tears and food from her face.

Waltz of the Vampire (Vampire x Reader)

Pairing: Fem!Fat!Reader/Fem!Vampire

Genre: Fantasy (Vaguely Historical/Renaissance)

Warnings: None

Word Count: 3469 words

Summary: You forcibly attend the ball of the rich family that has just moved to town, unexpectedly finding comfort with one of their daughters.

Request: Hey!! I love your writing a lot! Would you consider an elf or a vampire whatever suits your fancy with a fat fem!reader. I try hard not to hate my body but it can be really hard sometimes and I know a lot of people go through it not just plus size folks but... idk it’s my weakness and a huge comfort. Anyway I hope you have a awesome day!!!

A/N: I really loved writing this request, and after I finish Thicker than Water, I might make a part two.

Serena has been to a lot of parties. Too many, in her opinion, even over her 326-year span of life. Her matriarch, “Mother” as she is called by her and the coven, believes there is no such thing.

Every move they make is celebrated by a grand ball, invitations sent out to every available person. Mother claims it’s the best way for them to fit in, to hide in the crowd rather than the shadows.

Serena understands this, she’s seen it work wonder for their reputation time and time again, but she still does not like them.

Tonight is especially dreadful, a bad hunt the day before and a quick spat with her “brother” enough to sour the whole get together. Serena spends most of the night eluding suitors and dance partners, embracing a mysterious persona so she can enjoy some alone-time.

As she looks around at the dance floor, Serena concludes that she is not a fan of the new fashion statements of this era. A bit too strict, too formal, with precise lacings and starchy hoop skirts. It makes the dance floor too stuffy in her opinion, no room to twirl your fabric or move your limbs.

She sips on her special red wine, eye’s lazily perusing the hall for her siblings, hoping to gain some company, when she spots you. Selena is brought to a pause, mid-drink, as your embroidered skirt glimmers, catching the light as you twirl it across the room. Her eyes widen, determination peaked when she notices you don’t have a partner.

How beautiful.

----------

Oooh, I love this song.

You hum, unconsciously bouncing from side to side as your favorite piano piece begins to play. It’s a piece you have on your list to learn in the future, bubbly and cheerful with a bumpy melody and the option for a fun violin accompaniment.

The energy of the music quickly translates to the dance floor, where couple’s begin to giggle and improvise amidst the strict waltz and counted-steps. It’s a shame that it’s such a good piece because for the first time of the night, you really wish someone would ask you to dance.

When the news the MacArthur’s were throwing a huge welcoming ball had reached your household, your mother quickly began throwing together preparations for you to attend. You had sighed, set your feet in a preemptive ice bath, and ready for another boring night.

As a former socialite herself, from girlhood you were forced to attend party after party. While it had done as intended and transformed your sister into a perfect lady, it had the opposite effect on you. The stiffness of the hoop skirts, the suits, and all the damn people always stuffed up your throat and flushed your face. With your sister as the shining star, it was easy for you to slip into the shadows, and avoid the preening of your mother’s etiquette lessons.

Now, as a growing woman with more and more free-time, you used all of your abilities to avoid huge social gatherings. You found your place amongst small gatherings with local friends, sneaking wine from the cellar and telling stories in the freezing cold around a fire

But as the music increases it’s tempo, with flourishing skirts and plenty of laughter, you can’t help but lose yourself in the joviality of the gathering. The fancy dresses, the even fancier alcohol, and the decadent ballroom had you wondering if you had been missing out a bit.

If only Margaret and Min-Young were here, now that would be a party.

You giggle into your champagne, heels still tapping against the hardwood and hand slightly tossing your skirt back and forth. You easily fall back into your reclusive corner to avoid embarrassing eyes who may glance upon your solitude. But a tiny yelp escapes you when your heel accidentally digs into a foot. You whip around, faced already flushed red with embarrassment.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! I didn’t look where...I was…”

Behind you, dressed in a dark purple satin gown, is Serena Macarthur herself. She stands a solid two heads above you, hair done up in an immaculate up do and two shimmering ruby earrings dangling from her ears. Her face is serene, lips curled up in a bit of a smirk. You quickly jerk away and give a half-decent curtsy, noticing her beautiful black dancing shoes which you just stomped on. “I apologize, Miss Macarthur, I can’t believe I acted so foolishly. I didn’t realize-”

“Oh, there is no need to worry darling. I’m alright, no harm done.” She says, her voice low and musical, almost like a thrumming bass line. Her gloved hand is placed on your shoulder, the other slides up your neck and tilts up your chin to meet her eye line.

My god, she is stunning.

Her eyes are a color you’ve never seen before, not dissimilar to the sharp gemstones in her earrings. Serena’s makeup, simple yet sharp, does everything to accentuate the cardinal-red of her irises. You can feel the simmering blush heating up your skin as she continues to stare. “I was actually coming this way to speak to you, flower. It’s my fault really, for sneaking up on you.”

You shake your hands, nearly spilling over the champagne in your glass. “Oh no, it’s no problem. Like you said, no harm done”. You force a giggle, hastily taking a sip of your champagne. “May I ask what you wished to speak of?”

Serena smiles, a smirk which is just as sharp as the rest of her, though her eyes betray no slyness or ill-will. “I was going to enquire about your dress. I noticed it from across the room and was stunned by how enchanting it is.”

“Oh! Well, thank you very much.” You blush, unconsciously rubbing your finger over the embroidered flowers on the skirt. “I actually-”

“Whoops!”

In less than a second, you find yourself right next to Serena, as a drunk dancer trips and spills his drink all over the floor. You blink, brain not even fully processing what just happened, as you notice Serena’s arm on your elbow and the red wine splattered where you stood just moments ago.

Did she move me? But when-how did she-

“Sorry! Sorry about that.” The man slurs, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. His partner, a distressed young woman, grabs his elbow and forces him to stand straight. “Guess I’ve had too much.” His embarrassed partner chokes out a laugh as he continues to sway.

“Yes, it seems you have. Make sure to fix that, soon.”

Serena’s tone is barely above talking volume, but holds a command like a powerful shout, Both of the dancers jerk with surprise, furiously bowing as the female drags the man out of the hall.

Serena sighs, rubbing her forehead with exasperation. She turns toward you, smiles back on her face.

“Would you like to take this to the garden? Seems the party is getting a bit too rowdy for good conversation.”

You nod, still a bit befuddled by Serena’s quick mood change and even quicker reflexes. But you link elbows when she holds hers up in invitation nonetheless, following her outside.

---------

The Macarthur estate is beautiful, as expected, and the garden fits that image to a T. Even in the moonlight you can see the finely cultivated roses bushes which decorate it, along with the gleaming marble fountain and sitting space under an ornately decorated gazebo. The two of your heels click along the paved path as you walk towards the center, your half-empty drink still in hand.

“You were sadly interrupted, but you were mentioning something about the dress?”

You nod, taking another long sip of your champagne, hoping a little alcohol may temper your thoughts.

“Yes, I was just going to say that I made it myself.” Serena’s eyes grow wide, eyes darting up and down your attire, and you feel yourself fluster. “It’s a tradition in my family, you see. My great-great-grandmother was very diligent when it came to teaching her kids how to sew, even the boys, and it became such an insisted upon skill that all her children ended up making their own evening clothing for special occasions. It ended up filtering down that every child makes one special outfit themselves, for what occasion it doesn’t particularly matter, but something thatt is uniquely you.” You pull up the end of your skirt, pointing out the flower pattern. “I’ve always had a fondness for gardening, so I tried to incorporate that into my dress. Plus,” You smooth out your skirt, “Most party dresses I’ve found are a bit too restrictive for my tastes, I wanted something I could really get into some fun with, y’know?” You force a giggle, immediately wondering if that comment was a bit too salacious for high-society talk. Serena simply smirks, letting out a low chuckle of her own.

“I wholeheartedly agree. May I take a closer look?” She gestures to your skirt and you hastily nod. The two of you take a seat by the fountain, Serena’s glove accidentally brushing against your calf as she picks up your skirt. You try and control your shiver from the simple contact. She hums admirably as she runs along your work. “Such incredibly done Sunflowers, the detail you put in is astounding. And these are forget-me-nots, correct?”

“Oh yes, those are my favorite kind.” Serena’s hands continue to run along the linework, following the bumps and dips of each flower petal. “As you can see I had trouble with the lavender, what with the petals being so small.” Serena shakes her head, a fond smile on her face. She looks up at you, forcing you to hastily act as if you weren’t admiring her face.

“The work you put in makes them twice as beautiful, mistakes be damned.” You blush even harder, throwing your hand and taking a final sip of your champagne.

“Thank you very much, but I have a long way to go.”

Serena’s hand hasn’t left your skirt, now resting on her lap as she continues to look at you. You swallow the last droplets of champagne down your throat, trying to fill the silence.

“The band is incredible, did you hire them locally?” You stutter, setting down your glass. Serena continues to fiddle with your skirt.

“Some of them, yes, but the violinist is actually my older sister, Marigold.”

“Wow! Make sure to give her my compliments, she’s very talented.” Serena nods, before her eyes dart down your toes. As the music echoes out of the hall and into the garden, you had unconsciously begun to tap your toes to the beat. When she glances at you, she can see your head slightly bobbing, a content look painting your face. A small smile forces one on to hers.

How cute. She internally sighs, noting how soft the skin of your cheek looks, the nice curve of your jaw, and your adorable noise. The pulsing blood which would run down your throat, the crimson looking devine against your exposed collarbone and dripping below your breast line.

She stands up abruptly, forcing those evocative thoughts out of her mind. You were quite cute and good company, someone Serena would like to get to know. Sometimes the crossed wires of her brain confused attraction for bloodlust, mistaking the butterflies for hunger pains.. She is almost embarrassed; It was one of the common hurdles new vampires had to overcome, a bridge she thought she crossed years ago

You startle, looking up at her with innocent doe eyes. Serena holds out her hand, ignoring how she can hear your steady pulse, unintentionally matching the beat of the music.

“May I have this dance, fair lady?” She almost whispers, bowing slightly.

Your face flushes, nodding without a word, and slipping your bare hand into her glove.

Serena boldly grabs your hip and presses you against her, quickly taking the lead. Your brain fervently recalls all of your formal dancing lessons, pressing your head into her chest as she takes you along.

In her arms, following her perfected steps, that slithering self-consciousness sneaks back into your brain. Your logic tries to reason with it;

You wanted to dance, but now that this beautiful woman has gladly offered her hand, you want to stop?

But your insecurities are louder, screaming about every trip and every spare touch. This close, you can feel her firm musculature through the dress, spotting the hint of her bicep as she leads you. With her dainty and elegant hand on your side, you feel twice aware of your size underneath, every imperfection concealed by your dress.

You had fallen in love with this dress when making it, but had always been hesitant to wear it. You feared that once you put it on, that beautiful picture in your mind would shatter, leaving you forlorned of what could never be. Not with you wearing it, you had thought, avoiding your own mirror as you left.

“Something on your mind, flower?”

Serena whispers into your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. Your back jerks and contorts back into position, almost stepping your foot on hers. You shake your head furiously.

“Oh no! I-I just-” You stumble, trying to find an easy excuse, but are stopped when you take a look at her face.

She’s resplendent, even up close, not a hint of makeup to be seen. But across her cheeks, slightly faded from what looks like years away from the sun, are-

“My, you have such wonderful freckles.” You murmur, without a second thought.

Unbeknownst to you, if Serena could blush, she would. But the scrunched up look of embarrassment is telling, hinting that maybe this beautiful heiress has her own things she hides away.

“W-well, thank you.” She hastily utters, eyes averting from yours. It’s uncharacteristically shy and you can’t control the giggle that escapes you.

To give her some reprieve, you take your eyes off her face and trail them around the garden. They catch on the fountain, where the contrasting colors of your dresses stand out amidst the black. In the reflection, the two of you could not look more different. Serena stands a head above you, slim-fitted dark purple dress pulled across her curves, while your bright green dress cinches at the waist, flowing out like the flower's detailed skirt. It blows and beckons with every movement, brushing occasionally against your form and showing off the contours of your body.

Damn, you think, we look hot.

Just as fickle as it’s counterpoint, confidence quickly overtakes your mind, blocking out the noise of your doubt. You hold tight to your beautiful partner, in the beautiful dress that you made, and allow the happiness of this moment to exist uninterrupted, however short it may be.

The music increases its pace, the smooth line of a saxophone bringing up the energy. With a new burst of energy, you allow yourself to improvise amidst the  strict waltz. You lift your weight off your heels and try to glide from step to step, like the fast-paced tango dancers your mother once took you to see. Serena matches your enthusiasm, gripping your waist, even lifting you a few inches off the ground when a particular chord strikes. Her fingers slightly tickle your ribs, an ecstatic giggle escaping you and you falter a misstep. Your mind almost stops, embarrassed by your stumble and that insecurity sneaking back in, but Serena follows your new tempo with grace, urging you along with improvisation.

Your bodies follow the music with abandon, ordered steps devolving into impassioned stamps and twists, Serena twirling you around as the violin and piano sing from afar. Your heart and mind are running on adrenaline. It’s like when you were little, letting out your energy in any way possible. Serena’s laughter is magical and for once you don’t detest your awkward snorts and chuckles.

As the music slows, the two of you near-tumble back into the fountain, taking a seat with heaving chests.

“Whew, I haven’t danced like that in a while!” You say, brushing a stray hair back behind your ear. Serena nods, patting her stomach as she continues to laugh.

“Me as well. I forgot how fun it could be, when you’re not counting your steps.”

“Oh good, you do that too. I always wondered how no one got dreadfully bored just saying 1-2-3 over and over.” You mutter, taking in a deep breath and patting her thigh. Your other hand drifts down to the fountain water, letting your fingertips brush across the top and inadvertently catching your reflection once more.

It’s not the most flattering angle, your shoulders slump and the water slightly distorted, and those intruding thoughts try to slip in once more.

Oh shut up, let us have this.

Your logic sighs, batting it away without another second thought.

As the two of you sit, your energy eventually begins to drift back down, your muscles slightly tired from that short burst of impact. You sneak a glance at Serena.

While her outfit is still immaculate, her updo shows the smallest signs of dishelevement, curly black hairs falling down above her ears. In a way, she’s more beautiful than ever.

“Me and some friends are actually getting together next week. The shepherd's daughter, Violet, is getting married and they are throwing a little shindig at the barn to celebrate. Do you want to come?”

Serena looks up at you, slightly surprised, face furrowed with that hidden bashfulness. But she nods nonetheless, shooting you a bright smile.

Still high off your dance, you just barely miss her large fangs, which glimmer under the moonlight.

You smile back, only startled when the large bell tower from  the center of town chimes. Your head looks towards it’s large face and back towards the moon position. You’d guess it was midnight. Seems the two of you had lost track of time while dancing.

“Well, I should probably be going.” You say, standing up and brushing off your skirt. “I do have some gardening to attend to in the morning, going to need a solid amount of sleep. But,” You say, eyes demure and locked on your toes as Serena stands up, “I had a lot of fun tonight. More than usual, I would say.” You giggle, twirling a strand of your hair. Serena hmms in agreement.

“Me as well, flower. Your company has been the highlight of my night.”

In a bold move, Serena grabs your hand and lays a kiss on the back of it. Her eyes radiate that power and certainty from before, crimson irises shining in the night. Your blush crawls its way back up your neck.

“I-I can say the same.”

The two of you stay in that position for a moment, Serena pulling away her lips but keeping a lingering hold on your hand. Your heart thrums in your chest, while hers is deathly silent. Neither of you wants to be the first to pull away.

“I-uhm.” You stumble, hand still locked in place.

Now’s as good a time as any. You suppose.

In a quick movement, your hand loosens from Serena’s grasp and you give a quick peck on her cheek. In another, you have pulled away, sprinting towards your carriage.

“I-I’ll see you Saturday!” You shout, nearly tripping over a rose bush.

Left behind in the garden stands Serena, cold hand pressed against the burning skin of her cheek. Your kiss shot through her body like a lightning strike, almost jolting her frozen-heart alight.

That night, Serena goes for a hunt. She barely takes the time to change out of her formal clothes, nearly tearing the delicate lacework of her dress. Her claws catch on her gloves and almost rip apart, her heels scuffing the floor as she kicks them off and to the side. Her undead body is thrumming with life, untapped energy that longs to get out.

Her thoughts run a mile a minute, forcibly distracted by the Grizzly bear she currently has in a choke hold. It puts up a good fight, but Serena is running off of pure bloodlust.

At least, she thinks it’s bloodlust. A deeper part of her knows it's something else; The sparking fire of something new and a little bit frightening.

The last time she was personally invited to a ball, an event, a ceremony was less than a couple months ago. When you hold a position such as hers, look like her, they are common occurrences.

But to a party? Not a politically motivated meetup, but a genuine, let your hair down, party? Well, she hadn’t been to one since she was a youngling of 150.

And for the first time in a while, she is excited.

out my hair  ⏤ a headcanon about duri’s hair throughout the comebacks. 

word count: 1,372. about: i’m giving credit to demi for this one after she made the hair aesthetic because this is where i got the idea from. basically i kind of cover all the hairstyles/colors that duri had with each comeback, just to have some idea!

Duri has had his fair share of different hairstyles over the year, as much as the next person. He’s had bad hairstyles, good hairstyles, and ones that have been seen as pretty much just average. He’s had a few of his favorites as well, and he’s not entirely sure if there’s anything that he’s really actually disliked on himself. He’s believed there’s been a reason for them, maybe he made them work in a certain way and that’s why it went with the concept. He’s really tried to convince himself that the bad hairstyles were all really good, no matter what was said. Nonetheless, these are the hairstyles that Duri was blessed with or cursed with throughout the years of Knight’s comebacks, as well as his own solo work. 

For the pre-debut era of What is Love and History, Duri found himself having a length of hair that was rather short. He had finished his military enlistment in the winter of the year prior, and even though he didn’t need to cut it due to being a public servant, he still did it for an easier upkeep. However, upon finishing working as a public servant for the military enlistment, Duri had to keep cutting it, as it would continue to look a bit uneven. A stylist had finally got it even, resulting in him still having this rather short cut and style for the two pre-debut singles that Knight received. Generally for Mama, his hair would look the same, but some length would be added to it as it was just a few months later. 

The year between Mama and the release of the XOXO album, Duri would find himself growing out his hair. In Wolf, Duri would debut a hairstyle of long hair that was often styled in a ponytail for this era. It seemed to be received rather well and it was something that Duri actually kind of liked. It was different and he always liked trying out the things that seemed to be rather different. When it came to Growl, he would keep the long hair. However, this time it had been styled down, rather than being in a ponytail. Miracles in December would see a hairstyle that followed that of the Growl hairstyle, however, it was shorter. To be quite honest, Duri had always found this one slightly strange, as it almost looked a bit weird to him. During the Overdose era, Duri would show up with a shorter hairstyle again. This one did have much more length than the pre-debut and debut hairstyles did; it was nice to finally get the hair out of his face, to be quite honest. 

In 2015, when Overdose and Love Me Right came around, Duri would find himself with a short, flat style for both. This seemed to be a bit more on-trend, something that wasn’t entirely random. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about this one, to say the least. But, it almost felt lacking, like his face and voice were used to cover up the personality that his hairstyle these two eras simply just didn’t have. It would have been nice if there was something that was done slightly different for this, but he had accepted it; he was simply just easy like that. Six months later, Duri’s hair would take on a longer style. This time it was a reddish-brown with a bit more volume than what he had in the comebacks previously. This was something that he enjoyed, mainly because he had liked the color that the hair had taken on. 

As 2016 came around, he would find himself with something new yet again. This time, some of his signature dark brown-colored hairstyles would come out to play. When it came to both Monster and Lucky One, he would have a short hairdo that was styled a bit up and back, something that Duri felt really suited himself. Overdose came shortly after, which had resulted in a style that was down and slightly parted, another style that Duri really liked as well. To be quite honest, this was probably his favorite year when it came to hairstyles, as he didn’t feel a bit weird. The release of Fanfare would see a style that was also down but parted a bit more than that of his Overdose style. Gorilla was the time for bangs to really shine! His hair would be a bit thicker, with bangs covering his forehead, with small almost curled like hairs. This style would be kept similar for the release of Can You Feel It? His hair would just be a bit straighter and without the curled bits within it. 

For the beginning of 2017, Duri would turn black-colored hairstyles. As Roar came around, he would find himself with another hair cut. This time his hairstyle would be a bit of an undercut that was swooped up; he almost wished this style was a lot thicker, rather than them cutting his hair all over again. A few months later, with Easy Love, Duri would still sport a short style still, however this time the bangs were parted, rather than up. He liked his Easy Love hair a lot better than the Roar style, to be perfectly honest. The final half of 2017 was when Duri would find himself having a bigger change. For Kokobop, his hair would be dyed blonde with some brown peaking through and his forehead showing. This was his favorite style of the year, to say the least. When it came to Power, his hair would be bleached a brighter blonde than that of Kokobop’s style. It would be styled differently, with the part being a bit off to the side. 

In 2018, during O Sole Mio, Duri would keep the blonde-dyed hair and the bangs would be styled up, out of his face. However, it was clear that he would be going back to brown hair soon after the O Sole Mio promotions, as it had already begun to peak through during promotions. This remained true with the release of Universe when he would return with one of his signature brown hairstyles. This time his hair remained on the thick side, with his hair a bit up and off to the side. This will always remain his favorite style and something that would happen often for his hair; it’s something that he tends to work very well with. When it came to Critical Beauty, he would have brown hair again, this time with the bangs covering his forehead, and the hair being slightly flat. It was the return of yet another style, just this time with a bit more volume. A surprise would be taken when for Tempo, Duri’s hair would become a much lighter, lighter brown color. This time it would be a bit more tussled around, creating a nice look for the bad boy motorcycle gang or whatever it was that BC Entertainment was going for Tempo. 

In 2019, Duri would see his solo debut with the album WINTER. For this he would remain with the light brown colored hair, this time it was parted and a bit tussled as well, feeling like it gave a really good feeling to the concept of the album itself. As Love Shot came around, Duri would return to having brown hair, and this time his hair would return back to a shorter, less thick style. It was fitting and something that he really liked himself, even if it wasn’t as thick as he usually likes it. For Now or Never, he’d keep the same brown style, but it was just a tad bit thicker than that of Love Shot’s style. During his first comeback with the mini-album Boy, and a Flower, as well as it’s lead single, Beautiful Goodbye, he’d stick with the same signature style that was established, not going far off from the previous two styles in 2019. 

Now that 2020 is around, Duri’s hair has become darker. For Enough, he has gone with a black hairstyle, styled just like Love Shot, Now or Never, and Beautiful Goodbye. This most likely isn’t going to change when he makes his second comeback this April.

A Rose In Harlem

OC x Erik Story

Based on Teyana Taylor’s VII & KTSE

Warnings: Language

@chaneajoyyy

Chapter IX: Rize

February 6, 2014

22 HOURS BEFORE SHOWTIME.REHEARSAL, NINE PM.

"Ladies, Gents! Find Seats! Sit in them!" All twenty-four models followed Yani's request. We just wrapped our rehearsal, everyone did phenomenal. I can only pray that we get it like this at 583 Park Ave. Yani and I have been thee dynamic duo for the past seventy-two hours. I've been steaming outfits, she's been bagging accessories. I've been designing roll-away walls, she's been contacting every contractor in her contacts to design the black and gold glitter floors.

Honestly, in the past month, Yani and I have been on our hustle. I finished my last shoot and have been on go since. Erik and I have basically been like two ships passing in the night. I usually would leave before him, and come home after he arrived. We never talked about my father's birthday, our kiss..well..kisses. None of it. I've been too busy. Yasin and I have been texting here and there, but I haven't seen him either. He's been understanding about it though. The only person I've been spending my time with is Yani.

We've collectively gotten maybe eight hours of sleep in three days. So now, we're just exhausted and over it. We're trying to get this rehearsal over and done with. The theater's silence is my queue to step on the stage, I do so, scanning my models faces. They're looking like kids on Christmas Eve. So excited for what the next day has to bring. Their faces make me grateful, my smile spreads and everyone breaks out in applause. I decipher a few, "Yeah Syd!" "You did it girl!" and "Woos" in the crowd, I yield my hands up and down, they lower their yells. "Hey everybody, We're down to the wire here. We're less than a day away. We've been working our asses off for a month and a half. I couldn't have ever gotten this done without any of you. I'm excited for everyone to see our hard work. I'm even more excited for you to see your hard work pay off."

I point to Iyo in the control center, He dims the lights and lower the projector screen. "I now present to you.. UPTXWN." Applause rings out as the projector displays a drone clip of High Bridge among the sunrise and Syd's voiceover, "Uptown, Home of the greats. From The Bronx, to Harlem. The place I know, the place I love." The six models she started with appear on the screen, daringly sitting on the railing, laughing with one another in their high end garments. "Our hustles.. It always had this special..thing about it. We always went a little harder. Thought a little smarter. Emerged to the top a bit faster." Photos of me and all of Uptown's finest begins scrolling through from right to left. From a photo of me and Dapper Dan when I was fresh out of college. Diddy and I when I was an intern at Chanel. With Kerry Washington a bit after Save the Last Dance came out when I was twelve. Sistah Souljah, Kid Capri, Bianca (aka Young B), Cam'ron, Juelz, and Jim Jones back when Rock-a-fella were still together, Kalis, and finally, A$AP Mob & me when they were fresh in the game back in 2011.

"And when we're on top, we set trends. We define eras. Their stamps will forever be evident in our culture. Here's mine. Here's UPTXWN." All of the photos scroll backwards and the screen goes black for a few seconds. Images of the Big L tribute wall outside of the Harlem Up Deli Market, in black and white appear, then the same original six models; Sam, Levi, Von, Jade, Deanna, and Cass kneeling at different levels, crowded around the wall. Making sure not to block his face or name. Then Pretty Flako instrumental bangs through the theater's speakers. The TV flake transition changes to the Bailey house shoot. The drone shot pans around the corner of the property, all twenty four models posing looking like royalty draped in over $80,000 worth of clothes collectively.  The visual pans over to a slowed down visual of Nina flashing her bottom grill, her thick frame vibing out to the up tempo beat. Then to Xierra kneeling beside her, giving face in her side profile. The screen shortly displays a wide pan of the property and models again, then switches to Levi. Iyo's suggested scene of displaying the details of his tattoos on his shirtless body-- while simultaneously showing the VVS necklace, the embroidery on the custom one of a kind jean jacket; came out perfectly.

The photos of each model in each of their looks scroll through at the right speed so each detail is fully displayed. Every model stands up, showing off as their photos went across the screen. As Gina's photoset emerges, I turn to the screen so I can roll my eyes. I instantly become reminded of how flirty she was with Erik before Yani had to snatch her up to take these.  Yani stands beside me, peeping the entire scene, "Girl, suck it up. She in it now. Let's get it over with." I shake it off, turning back to the models.  

The park Marcus Garvey Amphitheater scene pops up, it was a gloomy overcast. Which was perfect for the theme. As the looping instrumental repeats, each model was either sitting at the top of the folding seats, or crouched on the seat of the folding seats. The collective total of every look? $110,878. I'm lucky I got such great relationships with these clients and these models didn't fuck up any of they shit. The first visual was Von, on the center stage. His long hair hanging over his entire face. He rocked this black long open hooded jacket, shirtless. Displaying his massive musical themed chest piece. It gave me a grim reaper vibe that I was definitely looking for. The jacket was a piece I asked Chris Brown's people to create for their Black Pyramid line. They fucked with the vision and agreed to do it. Von flipped the bottom of the jacket back with force, the rest of the models appeared on stage, smoke filled the stage floor as the all black visual came to life. Gina and Cass rocked matching contrast dresses, Cass was the only model not in black that day. I put her in a white intricate lace Erdem Dress. Gina wore the matching Black dress.

Jade and Deanna were back to back. Jade was wearing a black deep v neck, with a leather ribbed comme des garcons jacket. With a cascading gold necklace reaching her stomach. Accompanied with black and gold aviator Louis Vuitton shades,  Black ripped Levis I thrifted on the East side, and Jefferey Campbell's Legion booties. Deanna was wearing my favorite outfit of that day. A black long sleeved Oscar De La Renta ruffled shirt with cut out shoulders, a Burberry black ruffled skirt, and black Averil Doc Martin boots. Her bamboos and three finger ring spelling out her name put a street edge on her look that was near and dear to my Harlem bred heart. GG beat every woman's face and gave them the same cohesive smokey eye with the black, In The Spirit MAC lipstick. The only difference makeup wise was Cass' white undereye liner.

Once again the photos of every model starts cascading slideshow style. Johan was my second favorite look for that shoot, He rocked a black high low long sleeved Alexander Wang shirt, black distressed Givenchy jeans, and his personal black on black Ralph Lauren Hi Boots. I was going to put him in some other shoes, but I saw the ones he had on and they looked way better with the fit. We accompanied that look with a black Cuban link necklace, the matching bracelet, and Dolce & Gabana retro flip up  round glasses.

Everyone's rave reactions trigger my tears of joy, it's all of our first times seeing the visual's final product and I couldn't be any more proud. This has really been my baby. I've nurtured it, I've put in the work for it. This moment was like its graduation. Everyone looks at me, "Awwwwww!" Yani gives me a big hug, "I'm proud of you, kid." I squeeze her, "I'm proud of us, kid." I push out a laugh.

The final shoot displayed the brownstones on Mount Morris Park, the street right outside of Marcus Garvey Park. Where my parents' old brownstone was. I only needed my original six for this one, since all twenty-four wouldn't fit on the stoop. That day, it was sunny. Not one cloud in sight. Perfect lighting for the intimate shoot. The theme was spring, specifically, pastel colors.

I dressed Jade in a pastel yellow Ted Baker maxi dress, I accessorized her outfit with vintage canary yellow teardrop earrings with a matching tennis bracelet. She wore some nude Christian Louboutin spiked peep toed heels. She stands up when she finds her face and yells while twerking, "Long Hair! Red Bottoms! Long Hair! Red Bottoms!" Everyone, including me burst out in laughter. She kept saying it so much during the shoot, I let her keep them. Paid the $1,500 tab too. Deanna was draped in a Monroe and Main white two piece suit with black accents on the collar and cuffs. We accompanied that with my personal pearls I got from my mom before she passed, some white Manolo Blahnic pumps, and some VVS diamond earrings while her hair popped in the sunlight. She wore her low cut with a rose gold tint. I put Cass in a pair of nude Emilio Pucci wide legged trousers, a White Alexander McQueen peplum top, and a matching nude blazer was draping over her shoulders. Her accessories was a silver double C Chanel choker, charm rings from Tiffany Co., and a vintage Chanel crossbody, gifted from Karl Lagerfeld himself. He said I needed something old for my collection.

The guys were matching my girls' fly. Von parallels Deanna with a Tom Ford cotton two piece suit,  I laced him with some white Versace loafers with the gold Medusa emblem on the center, with the Cuban link chain Johan wore at the Marcus Garvey shoot, and golden Panthere De Cartier  rounded sunglasses. Levi's parallel was for Jade's look. He wore a pastel yellow Calvin Klein. Accompanied with a large size canary ring on his index finger, and the Burberry vintage loafers. Sam paralleled Cass, in a nude ASOS suit with the matching vest. I kept it simple and just accessorized it with my dad's gold pocket watch and black Stacy Adams dress shoes.

I thought the presentation was over, but then the screen transitioned to me working behind the scenes. Me pointing and directing at the Bailey house, with the wind blowing like crazy, me filming on Highbridge at the crack of dawn, Iyo even snuck some footage of the meeting we had in Morningside Park. It looks like Yani snuck some footage of me putting the image board for the fashion show stage together as well. I'm just admiring the scene of watching the hard nights and amazing days I shared with an incredible team. The last shot was me sitting on my old stoop. I was just reminiscing, thinking of how my mom, dad, and I would eat ice cream in the spring in the same spot. I looked up, as I normally do when thinking of them, put my hands together and mumbled, 'allah , shkraan lak.' The camera was too far to catch my phrase. Afterward I bowed between my legs so I could have my emotional moment to myself.

Everyone hops on the stage to crowd around me and initiated a group hug. Once everyone slightly disbursed, I see Gina still sitting in the audience with Erik, I guess he just got here. I hear the doors open again and see Yasin, smiling at me.

--

By half past 10, everyone had gone home except for Yani, Nina, Gina, Erik, and Yasin. Nina is waiting on Rashad to pick her up, and I guess Gina is looking to Erik to take her home. She's literally been all up under him since his arrival.

"Tomorrow's gonna go great, babe. You got a great team behind you, you've been super focused. It can't go any other way." Yasin lands a kiss on my temple as I blush at his encouragement. I blink in Erik's direction, he's giving the same look he gave us at Rashad's party. He then grips Gina, pulling her closer to him, "Yeah. You got it Syd. We gon head out. See ya later." with that, Erik and Gina strut to the exit. Nina's phone dings, "Oh, bae is here! See ya tomorrow Syd! We gon kill it, boo!" She hugs me and Yani then jogs out the double doors, "Nice seeing you again Yasin!" he nods, "You too!"

--

"So tell me something about you, Sin! I've only talked about me when I see you. What was lil Yasin like?" We are strolling down Saint Nick Avenue after getting grilled jerk chicken from King Barka. We decide to sit on a park bench right outside Saint Nick Park to chat since I wasn't quite ready to go home. "Well, I was born and raised in Brooklyn. Flatbush. My moms is from Brooklyn as well. My dad's side of the family is from Harlem, the eastside, but they love uptown just as much." I grin as he continues, "I was a bad ass kid growing up. Always fighting, getting into trouble at school, I even got expelled in middle school." "Well damn! How did you go from that to--" I wave my hands around his silhouette, "This?" He takes a bite out of his chicken and flashes a sexy smile, "My mom sent me to live with my Uncle. The one that retired and gave me the maintenance business."

"Ahhhh, I see. He whipped you into shape?" He snorts, "Oh, he whipped me alright. A lot. He taught me what it is to be a man." "Where was your father?" He continues eating, pausing his story for a spell, "Uh.. He was in prison. He pushed weight for about ten years, he got caught up. He didn't snitch, so he got twenty. He got out after eight years for good behavior." "How's your relationship with him now?" He shugs, "We're cool. We had a little spat when he first got out. I had to be the man of the house for a while for my moms and sisters. I resented him for it." I take a hold of his free hand, "We patched things up recently." "So him and your mom still married?" He nods, "Yeah. Moms held him down. That lady.. She deserves the world." He finishes his dish as he glows at the mention of his mother.

"She had to get two jobs before I turned sixteen and worked with my Uncle. She held down our household for three years, alone, before I was able to step in and help her. After that, she went back to school. She finished the year before my pops got out, now she's a nurse. Doing what she loves to do." "That's great. That's what life is about, doing what you love." "Definitely." He throws away our empty plates and we keep walking down the avenue, "So what do you love to do Yasin?" "I love music." I stop in my tracks.

"Let me guess, you rap?" he sucks his teeth, "Nah, girl. I play instruments. Three; Acoustic guitar, piano, and snare drum." "Ah, okay! When did you discover your talent?" "I was... ten, I think?" "You make songs?" He pulls a slick move behind me, grabbing me by my waist. I roll my eyes as we continue to walk, "I haven't made a song in five years." "Why not?" I feel him shrug behind me, "I've been busy." I turn around to grab his hands, "You're never too busy to do what you love." He smiles at me, I sense the same glow about him that he had when he spoke of his mom. "Especially when it makes you this happy...just talking about it." Yasin closes the gap between us, "Maybe, you're right. Look at you. Doing what you love. You're inspiring Syeda. Beautiful, too." He strokes my left cheek with his palm. I freeze, much like I did a couple weeks back in my apartment with Erik.

Speaking of Erik, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do about what happened since my dad's birthday. I guess Erik knows what he wants, and that's Gina. So why am I freezing? What's stopping me? All of a sudden my inner thoughts are silenced when Yasin seals our distance, gently kissing me. My knees buckle and he hoists me up by my butt, cuffing the bottom of my cheeks. That makes me even weaker, he breaks off from me, "Damn girl. You good?" My eyes flutter as I respond, "Yeah. Yeah. I'm good." I pull him by his shirt to kiss him again.

--

Finally after a long time, I can finally answer your question about my favorite looks (although it will be a very poor answer because I can't think of much at 2am). 💀

The ones that come to mind automatically are Jongin in overdose, Chanyeol with silvery hair (although i'm one of the few people who likes it), Kyungsoo in the tempo and love shot era, with Sehun is the look he's had this year (I'm a fan of the long hair process) and the iconic looks of Baekhyun and Jongdae in the obsession era. I know I lacked members but I notice that I have been with them for a few months and I still don't remember many things (but ask me anything about my first fandom because 8 years there they showed it)

Sorry if I've harassed you these days but lately I've needed to talk to someone (not so sad but I feel full of energy). Apart from that I enjoy making you these asks. 🤧💕

I told you recently that I'm already thinking of making your gift, although I will need a marathon of videos to choose a color of the ones you mentioned. 🙃 Anyway, my question of the day is what other groups do you like? (that reminds me that I'm almost sure my ss will make me a playlist). You who suspect it is yours?

From Sunday I wish you a nice week and I hope you achieve everything you intend in this days! 💛

Hi there UuU, hey about all the looks that you mentioned, wowowowow yes, agreed. I do like Chanyeol on his silver hair!! I even made a drawing of him from CMB because of his hair and the outfit he was wearing on the MV haha, he made quite an impression on me at the time

(I’ll look for that drawing to show it to you, I’ll tag it hehe)

OMG! That sounds fun! I need to do a video marathon myself, there’s always a lot of stuff going on that one time isn’t enough 😊 also like all the theories from the fandom and “hints” or winks to other types of art?? Like for example there’s this famous fandom post of how love me right makes a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland, it’s awesome

For your question about other groups, I’ve listening a lot to DAY6, gi-dle, more recently to stray kids (so funny, cause I had listened to some of their songs but not paying to much attention and then, I collect dolls and I found one of Hyunjin, and I bought it 0-0 and idk anything about stray kids and here I am buying fandom merch haha and so I payed more attention and I do like their music so an unexpected surprise :3), also to seventeen because my sister loves them and I’m starting to get into them too and then there’s just a mix of everything else (NCT, shinee, red velvet, superM, BTS, black pink, dream catcher, CLC, AKMU, ...) haha. How about you?! :))

And lastly.. you mean who do I suspect is my SS as in... you? 🤔 haven’t figured it out yet haha so you remain secret... for now 🕵️‍♀️ but I’ll be paying attention lol

Return To Me

Emma Swan is dying. Her last remaining hope is a heart-transplant, and those aren't easy to come by. But, as luck would have it, fate finds her worthy, and on a stormy autumn night, Emma is given a second chance at life. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Boston hospital, Killian Jones has been devastated by the sudden loss of his wife.

Inspired by the 2000 film of the same title with Minnie Driver and David Duchovny. Author Note: Shout out to my home girls @welllpthisishappening and @bleebug for looking this over for me and being soundboards for my gushing feelings. They’re awesome. Find on A03 here.

------------------------------------

Chapter One. “Care to dance, captain?”

Killian had been staring at his wife, not bothering to hide the adoring expression on his face. She'd noticed. For her part, Milah found it sweet. His eyes crinkled when he smiled, crow's feet well-earned throughout the seven years they had been together, and nothing made her heart leap quite like the smile that reached all the way to her husband's eyes.

He rose, gave a slight bow, and extended a hand to her. “It would be my honor, m'lady,” he said, and she laughed, shaking her head at his theatrics. She took his hand, letting him lead her to the dance floor, where a dozen couples were already swaying serenely along to an old, sweet love song.

The Boston marina had been decorated exquisitely, hardly an expense spared, for the gala that evening. Museum heads, entrepreneurs and business executives alike had all been invited to the black-tie event, whether they had donated in the past or potentially would in the future, in hopes of raising both funds and awareness for the ship restoration program Killian manned. It was his passion, and this gala was the highlight of his year, as far as his career was concerned.

His eyes flit around the room, trying to make out the faces scattered throughout the immense ballroom to see if he recognized anyone. The turnout was phenomenal. This was fortunate for him, as most of the funding for the grandiose event had come out of Killian and Milah's own pockets. But, by the looks of things, it had been well worth it. The marina, as expected, held a pristine view of the harbor and sea. The wall facing the ocean was nearly all window, from floor to ceiling, and as night had fallen, the effect was absolutely mesmerizing. A lighthouse in the distance flashed, and the moon cast its white light over the water, the dark waves nearly as beautiful as the stars looming over it.

Most of the lights had dimmed after dinner, once the dancing began. Only the grand, ornate hanging chandeliers spread throughout the ballroom were lit now, casting a warm glow over the guests as the dance floor began to fill. Milah was a sucker for this sort of music, those crooning, golden voices that seemed to capture an entire era and take their listeners back to a simpler time. It made her melt, and Killian was fully aware of this. The song playing faded into one they both knew well, and Milah couldn't help the happy little sigh that escaped her as Killian began to sing along softly for only her to hear.

She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, hands coming to rest at the back of his neck. Her fingers immediately found the hair that flipped out just a touch over his collar and began to toy with it gently.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” he asked.

Milah feigned thoughtfulness for a moment. “You know, I don't think you have. Not in a few hours, at least.” A devilish look came onto his face. “Allow me to show you.” He leaned in slowly, sweetly, and took her mouth in a kiss. The world around them melted away, fading into soft light and a slow song. Usually, she wore her hair down, letting it do whatever the thick, unruly curls were going to do that day, and he loved it. He loved the wildness of her hair, found it to be just a small glimpse into her spirit. It had been one of the first things he'd been drawn to when he'd met her. Next, her eyes. He was lost in them then, as they swayed across the dance floor. The twinkling white lights around the room made her blue eyes shine brilliantly, even with the main lights dimmed. On this night, she had gone all out, especially with her usually untamable hair. The curls he loved were twisted and tucked delicately into an elegant up-do, similar to the style she had worn for their wedding day. Of course, managing this feat hadn't come without its qualms. After several frustrating attempts to figure out a style for herself in the days leading up to Killian's fundraiser, she had eventually given up and made an appointment with her hairdresser the day of the event. It was, in Killian's opinion, well worth it. She looked stunning. A tea-length navy dress—one of his favorites—hugged her shape, accentuating all the right curves, and he couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. Not that she minded. She certainly understood the sentiment, as her eyes had hardly strayed from him all night, glued to he tailored, blue-black suit he'd worn just for her.

“If you're trying to get laid tonight,” she'd said cheekily that afternoon, as they were both getting ready, “You're off to a great start.” He'd waggled his eyebrows at that and kissed the lipstick right off her mouth, despite her laughing protests. They were, undoubtedly, the most beautiful couple in the room, made only more alluring by the way they danced, and how they looked at each other. Eventually, the man of the hour was called to the microphone. With a swift kiss to his wife's cheek, Killian left her and made his way to the front of the room, where one of his event organizers was standing with a microphone. “Thanks, mate,” he told him, clapping him on the shoulder before he took the mic in hand. The lights had been raised, and he took a moment to find Milah in the large crowd. Once he did, he shot her a wink. Killian cleared his throat, testing the volume of the microphone. “Thank you all for coming tonight,” he began. “None of this would have been possible without my event coordinators, who secured this marina for us. I think we can all agree it's absolutely lovely.” There were murmurs and a few claps of agreement. He didn't have much more to add. The affair was extravagant, but its purpose was fairly simple. Donors who had given money to the ship restoration company in the past were profusely thanked and honored, potential donors were further wooed. Killian promised them all they would be able to see the fruits of their donations first hand, as some of the organization's more prestigious restoration projects—a gorgeous antique yacht, an old sailing ship circa 1800, and a small historical battle ship halfway through its restoration process—would be docked outside in the front of the marina within the next hour. This drew a few whoops of excitement and a raucous round of clapping. Killian beamed and found Milah's smiling face in the crowd again. “I wouldn't be standing here today,” Killian went on as the applause began to die down, “Without the constant love and support of my beautiful wife, Milah. Darling, you are the wind in my sails.” Her smile grew, stretching so wide across her face it threatened to split it in half, and he wore one to match. When he returned to her, he took her hand in his, issued it a kiss, and they danced the rest of the night.

+++ Emma lay nearly as still as death, face ashen, staring up at her hospital room's ceiling. It had been painted with that horrible “popcorn paint” that had been so popular in the 90s. Something about it made her smile. Her heart monitor sped up just a touch, its high pitched chirping picking up tempo. “What is it?” Mary Margaret asked, leaning in. She had been firmly planted by Emma's side since the moment she and David had brought her in a few days ago. She held her hand, stroking the back of Emma's with her thumb every now and then. Each brush of her fingers sent warmth spilling through Emma's terrible, useless heart.

Emma's voice was hardly above a whisper when she spoke, raspy and rattling and weak. She hated it.

“Remember...” she laughed, stopping to catch her breath. Mary Margaret smiled patiently. “... That time we—” A cough overtook her, and Mary Margaret squeezed her hand as she fought through it. “.. Tried to get that... stupid popcorn paint..”

“Off my ceiling!” Mary Margaret finished for her, and Emma gave her a grateful, albeit weak, smile. “Yes! What a horrible weekend that was!”

Emma chuckled as Mary Margaret sat back down in her chair, releasing her hand as she scooted it closer to Emma's bed. “Your worst idea,” Emma murmured, and Mary Margaret put her hands up in mock surrender.

“All right,” she said, “I'll give you that. But how was I supposed to know the popcorn was only painted on to cover that terrible salmon color?”

“Who paints their ceiling... pink?” Emma asked in a whisper.

“Crazy people,” Mary Margaret said, leaning back in her chair. They settled into a comfortable silence. The sound of Emma's monitors were oddly soothing, a rhythmic symphony of chirps and beeps helping to keep her alive. She had been listening to them for so long, attuned to the sounds each individual machine made in a day, that it was hard to remember what normal life sounded like without them.

It was a simple room, with outdated wallpaper and a sparse amount of pictures on the wall. The closest frame to Emma was an Anne Geddes original of a baby poking its head out of a giant tulip. The first time she had seen it, she'd found it creepy. Mary Margaret had loved it, naturally. After almost a week, it had grown on Emma, too.

Everything had grown on her. The hospital staff, with their infinitely perky attitudes, had been insufferable in the beginning. The room was drab, but after a few days, she had softened to its old-fashioned charms. The hospital itself was apparently one of the top in the city of Boston for cardiac issues. Naturally, with a heart that was practically useless, it was where she wanted to be.

Mary Margaret had suggested, quite rightly, that if the hospital was going to put their money anywhere, it should be in its doctors and technology, instead of updating its interior decorating. Emma agreed.

While she tried not to make complaining an unbecoming habit, internally it was a hard ritual to break. Life hadn't always been kind to Emma swan. Its knocks had turned her into something of a cynic. She had been born with a heart defect, a bleak prognosis looming over her life, a laughing villain threatening to come for her one day and take it all.

Eventually, she was told, her heart would give out on her. She'd had frequent checkups in her life, most of which she had attended. Some foster parents were better than others about getting her to her necessary appointments. Others took the extra funding they were allotted for taking on a terminally ill child and kept it for themselves.

She never found out what had happened to her birth parents, if they had given her up when they had found out about her condition, as so many would-be parents had done in the history of the human race, or if they had known from her conception they weren't going to keep her.

Eventually, she stopped wondering.

For all the horror stories she had accumulated throughout her time in the foster system, she had a few good stories to go along with them. If she hadn't liked a place, she ran. Her heart condition hadn't truly manifested itself until her teenage years, wherein running away from group homes was far less manageable.

Life had picked up a bit, though, when she was sixteen, and had been introduced to Ruth Nolan. It was her last home in the foster care system, and for everything she had endured throughout her life, she at least ended her time in the system on a good note.

With Ruth came David, her son. Ruth had been the mother of twins, David and his slightly older brother, James. Tragically, James had died as a baby, and the hole he left had never been filled in Ruth's heart. She doted on David, a sweet, hard-working boy who returned her affection ounce for ounce. When Mr. Nolan passed years later, Ruth opened her heart to foster care. She had a few children come and go, offering them a sanctuary in the only way she could, and Emma had been the last to come to her.

David was only two years older than Emma, but he eagerly took on the role of her older brother. She spent two years with the Nolans, and they became the closest thing to family she had ever known. David went off to college, returning a few years later engaged to a woman he had met in one of his childhood development classes, Mary Margaret Blanchard. They were sickeningly sweet together.

Emma had stayed in touch with both of them. But for all the support they had given her, she needed to go her own way. The pendulum swung, and with the good in her life inevitably followed the bad. She met a man she thought she loved, fell hard, and was let down.

As it turned out, most young men weren't interested in a woman with a death sentence.

Where Emma had begun to withdraw, David and his new wife, Mary Margaret, predictably sought her out all the more. They had both moved into Mary Margaret's apartment, a spacious loft just outside Boston she had been previously sharing with her college roommates, and promptly began begging Emma to come visit them.

Eventually, they wore her down. When her heart condition began to worsen to the point where she could no longer hide it from them, they were there for her, fussing like a pair of mother hens.

In time, she moved in with them. She was reluctant at first, but one night, as she was pouring herself her third glass of wine, Mary Margaret had let slip that she was terrified something would happen to Emma and they wouldn't find out about it until it was too late. Suddenly, their frequent check-in texts and daily calls weren't so vexing.

+++

Eventually, her doctor sent them all home.

The past week had proved a frightful scare. Emma's face, taut with constant, thrumming pain, pallid as a corpse, was enough cause for worry.

But, most alarmingly, was what had happened while she had been on a ride-along with David earlier in the week. They had just swung through a drive-through for coffee, and as David turned to his foster sister to get her order, Emma had gone into convulsions. With a flick of a switch, his sirens were on.

In the days she had spent under the hospital's care, they had made her comfortable. She would be sent home with a handful of new prescriptions she couldn't pronounce, some for the mounting pain, some for other things. There wasn't much else they could do; they told her as much. Most helpfully, her position on the heart transplant list had been moved to top priority.

While her doctor framed this as a good thing, it did little to assuage Emma's unease. She had just skipped over multiple others on the list, and it felt like cutting in line. The idea of getting a new heart more quickly was terrifying, in itself, and the fact that this jump in priority level was necessary in the first place was something she didn't care to think about. Mary Margaret, as expected, was thrilled at the news, clearly only honing in on the single detail that Emma could potentially be getting a new heart sooner, should the new donor arise.

Nevermind the fact that they had essentially issued her a death sentence. Make sure she's comfortable, were the unspoken words. She hasn't got much time left.

She's dying.

The wind whipped her hair as the hospital's automatic doors slid open, as air burst through the entrance like a reaper, its cold grip making Emma shiver violently. Tendrils of blonde hair kept whipping over her face, and she paused to tug a few pieces out of her mouth. David squeezed her shoulder gently.

"I'll get the truck and pull it around."

He jogged off, disappearing into the inky darkness enshrouding the parking lot. The nurses had insisted Emma be escorted out in a wheelchair. Mary Margaret stood just behind it, huddled into her tweed coat, chin tucked into her scarf.

"I feel really sorry for anyone who has to be out in this tonight," she murmured. "There's supposed to be a pretty bad storm coming in from over the water."

Emma squeezed the arms of the wheelchair anxiously, fingernails digging into the fake leather. They waited in silence for David to return, listening to the wind whistle around the building. After a few minutes, a pair of headlights came into view in the drop-off area, and David flashed his brights at them.

Mary Margaret nudged the wheelchair forward a bit, prodding the automatic doors to slide open. She offered an arm and helped Emma stand. David had come running up, clearly ready to help. Once she rose, Emma waved them both away.

"Guys, I got it. Thank you," she added, "But I got it. Let's just go home."

+++

"Keys, please."

Milah was watching him fondly, holding out her hand. Killian dug around in the pocket of his suit for a moment, fumbling a bit, before he looked up at her with wide, adorably panicked eyes. She scoffed playfully and reached into his other pocket, pulling out the keys to their car.

"Thanks, love." Killian said, with only a hint of a slur to his words. He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked, and she reached up to hold his hand.

She hummed. "You haven't had that much to drink in a long time."

"Mmm? Oh, yeah. Was a good party."

"Seemed like half the room wanted to buy you a drink."

A slow smile worked its way over his features, stretching languidly like a cat. She was absolutely right. His event had been a huge success, one likely to keep his chest puffed with pride for the rest of the week. Old donors were impressed, promising to keep their monthly donations to the program coming in steadily, and would-be donors were thoroughly wooed. Several had come up to him after he had unveiled some of their finished projects, pressing a drink into one of his hands and a check into the other.

The old ships stirred up something wonderful in people. Killian's love and passion for the projects was tangible, infectious. He spoke of them the way some men talked about women, their beauty unparalleled, potential untapped, taking people back centuries as he painted mental pictures of the ships in their prime. Even those who knew nothing about antique naval vessels and sailing ships wanted to see them brought back to their former glory.

"He would have been so proud," Killian whispered, his words almost lost to the sound of their footsteps as they made their way back to their car in the dark.

Milah had heard him. "Liam would be proud of you, Killian," she clarified. He only grunted in response.

Thunder rolled in overhead, low and ominous. They felt the first few droplets of rain as they slipped into their car. By the time Milah pulled out of the parking lot, it was pouring.

+++ The three of them settled back into the loft quietly, their only conversation a murmured, half-hearted debate about who would use the bathroom first. Emma won.

She was tired, could feel it all the way to her bones. When she caught sight of her face in the bathroom mirror, she gaped. There were dark circles cradling her eyes, her skin ghostly white.

Mummy, she thought in horror, I look like a mummy. The medicine cabinet door creaked as she jerked it open, and as its door swung out and away from her, so did the mirror attached to the other side of it.

An array of orange pill bottles met her eyes, seeming to stare her down, and she looked at them dejectedly, knowing she had more rattling around in her purse, fresh from her recent hospital stay, to add to her collection.

Pills for the invalid, given out like candy by doctors with pitying eyes and tight-lipped smiles.

The purple pills would keep it beating as long as it was meant to, the white ones would manage the pain, the round pink ones would keep the purple ones from thinning her blood too much, the long yellow ones would manage the nausea from the round ones, and so it went, in a diverse color wheel of prescriptions refilled at the end of each month.

This past week had been a scare, to be sure. The worst week of her life, in fact, as far as pain went. She could feel it getting worse, each beat of her crap heart thumping sluggishly and with more strain each day. There wasn't much they could do for her now, apart from sewing someone else's heart into her chest.

She took down a few of the bottles, uncapping them and setting aside the pills she was supposed to take before going to sleep. She brushed her teeth quickly, skipping the less vital parts of her night routine in favor of the soft bed she knew was waiting for her.

Mary Margaret shot her a sympathetic smile as she exited the bathroom. Emma didn't have the energy to return it. Mary Margaret had lit a candle, and its lavender scent wafted up and intertwined with the smell of chamomile as David steeped his tea. He worked nights most weeks, doing his time on third shift as a night officer before he could move up to first. It would be a while before he was ready to sleep, despite the late hour.

"Tea?" David asked, holding up an empty mug.

Emma shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn with the back of her hand. "No, thanks, though. I'd be asleep before it could even cool down enough to drink." Mary Margaret stepped up to hug her, and Emma reciprocated, leaning into her for a moment.

"Thanks for being there," Emma murmured, and Mary Margaret nodded vigorously. When Emma pulled away, she could see tears shining in her friend's brown eyes. "None of that," Emma said, pointing a finger at her in playful warning. "Crying isn't allowed."

Mary Margaret laughed, despite herself, and nodded. "No crying in baseball."

Emma smiled back at her, as she always did when they quoted one of their favorite movies. "Goodnight, guys."

"Night, Emma."

She made her way up the open staircase slowly, taking advantage of the railing, trying to keep her steps as steady as possible, as they were definitely watching her. As Emma tucked herself into her bed, she could hear the distinct sound of Mary Margaret's quiet crying. +++

It was still dark when she awoke. Someone was shaking her gently, and it took her eyes a few moments to adjust.

"Emma. Hey. Wake up, sis."

David, she realized. She squinted against the onslaught of white light as he turned on his cell phone's flashlight. It was better than cruelly turning on her bedroom light when she wasn't prepared for it, but only marginally.

Emma groaned and leaned back into her pillow, throwing her arm over her face to shield her eyes. "What," she croaked, "Where the hell's the fire? It's not even morning!"

David's voice trembled when he spoke next, and it grabbed her attention by the horns, forcing her to pull back her arm and look at him. "No fire, just listen. You're getting a new heart, Em. The hospital called. They have one for you, right now."

Emma gaped at him, mouth hanging open like a fish. "They... what? Heart?" She said eloquently.

David laughed and put his hands on her shoulders, shaking her lightly again. "A heart! There's a heart waiting for you!"

Emma felt her mouth go dry, and her stomach did a jerking little flip inside her. "I... oh, shit."

10 Of The Absolute Best Songs From U-KISS

August 28th marks the anniversary of idol group U-KISS! In fact, this talented group is celebrating their 10th anniversary since debut. U-KISS is a special group to me. They were one of the "first" idol groups for me in many ways. They were the first Kpop group I ever saw in concert. They were one of the first groups I ever stanned. Their press conference was the first one I ever attended as a reporter. They were the first group whose fandom I ever officially joined. They were the first group I ever bought merchandise from, and they were also one of the first groups that taught me exactly what it feels like to have a bias (Hello, precious Kevin!) and a bias wrecker (Still looking great, Eli!). As such, U-KISS was an important part of my life and a group that I will always think about with great fondness. Although more groups have entered my life since I first began to love U-KISS, there is no doubt I will always have a special place in my heart for all the wonderful members and their countless, amazing songs. To celebrate 10 years with this influential and talented group, let's look back at ten of their very best title tracks. Since they have so many Japanese releases as well, we will focus on Korean title tracks instead. They are listed in no particular order. 1) "Believe" - 2012 Want a great song that seems to capture the very sound that drew so many people into Kpop around this time? Look no further than U-KISS's "Believe." Mixed with a bright, electronic sound on the beat, their strong vocals and rap lines will still have you singing your heart out all these years later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_E0J2WIfw0 2) "0330" - 2011 This is an iconic U-KISS song that will bring a rush of sentimentality to fans as they listen. In fact, I may or may not have teared up watching this MV as I put together this list. For fans, this song will never get old and will forever remind them of one of U-KISS's best eras. https://youtu.be/h1zOhQQpw6U 3) "Neverland" - 2011 "Tell the DJ turn it up up up and da-da-dance a little more." If you can listen to this song without dancing, then I seriously wonder if you're even a Kpop fan at all. The perfect visuals! The dramatic makeup! The difficult dance! The fun beat! The catchy English lyrics thrown in so international fans can sing along too! This, ladies and gentlemen, was the golden era of Kpop at its finest. https://youtu.be/n3dF0Y7deb0 4) "Stop Girl" - 2011 Although "Neverland" may arguably be U-KISS's most famous song, "Stop Girl" is still one of their best! A sexy, hard beat balances out their smooth, clear vocals and gave birth to a new, mature sound for the amazing group. In fact, that strong beat still has such a modern sound that it is still relevant and perfect for Kpop fans today. Add in the crisp music video and you have one of U-KISS's best projects! Fun fact? They also released this song in English! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_AwyTp9qb0 5) "Man Man Ha Ni" - 2009 Ah, 2009... what a year! Back in this classic era, Kpop music videos might not have had the technology to be super high quality like the videos of today, but they made up for it with amazingly outrageous hair, outfits, and terrific dance songs that were made to get stuck in your head for days. Listen to this song and you will instantly be transported back in time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04v7dRrHvbg 6) "Bingeul Bingeul" - 2010 Since U-KISS is primarily active in Japan these days, many newer Kpop fans might not be that familiar with them. If someone were to ask me what their sound was like in early days, I'd tell them that it was a mixture of a young G-Dragon, classic 2NE1, and Brown Eyed Girls. As with most older Kpop videos, it can be hard to find the MVs in HD quality, but this is still such a fun video to watch. This was also one of their first songs to get really popular in Korea, with many other idols doing the dance on variety shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtLWGX5yHFs 7) "DORADORA" - 2012 In 2012, U-KISS came for me hard with this deliciously sexy song. Six years later, this song is still a bop and the dance still makes me go crazy! If you don't believe me, check out the choreography for the chorus (thank me later!). "DORADORA" is probably the most quintessential U-KISS song out there and still a fan favorite. Watch it below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vfiaNtF9B4 8) "Standing Still" - 2013 "Standing Still" is and forever will be my all-time favorite song from U-KISS! The music video is also a lot of fun and still keeps my attention today, even after seeing it too many times to count. From maknae Dongho's cool, man bun hairstyle and dramatic makeup (still squeal-worthy!) to Kevin's sexy moves front and center for the choreo, from Eli's stunning visuals and gorgeous hair color to AJ's deep, throaty rap, I will never get tired of this MV or song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOPHIx81bQE 9) "She's Mine" - 2013 U-KISS has always been known for their great, smooth vocals. As such, it made sense that they focused on vocals and just added in rap features for most of their tracks. With "She's Mine" in 2013, however, they changed things up completely! Leading off with fierce raps, they later transitioned to simpler vocals in the second part of the verse before adding in layered harmonies on the chorus. The sound was fresh, unique, and very sexy, and the result was a song that could easily be played on radios today. In fact, the layered and close harmonies style is something you still hear a lot of medium-tempo tracks from groups like BTS and GOT7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL2Gasb6QTg 10) "Quit Playing" - 2014 "Quit Playing" (also known as "Don't Flirt" or "끼부리지마") was something of a shocker for fans when the video was released. The slower track had a very sensuous vibe— something that was further emphasized with the seriously sexy music video. With this video that pushed the limits in Korean music (they even featured a threesome!), U-KISS was making sure everyone knew they were now grown men and more mature, but they were still one of the most relevant groups in Kpop at the time. https://youtu.be/r0pJ-mBHiV0 BONUS: "Stalker" - 2016 With such amazing vocals and great talent, why not show them off? That's exactly what U-KISS did in 2016 with their song "Stalker." The song had another great beat and dance to hook fans, but the special part of the song came via the vocal chops of members Hoon and Soohyun. While Kevin was almost always the most recognized vocalist of the group, Soohyun showed everyone he was a power to be reckoned with when he hit those clear, strong high notes towards the climax of the song. In addition, this was teir last Korean music video to be released and the last video to feature Kevin. As of yet, they have not made a comeback with the remaining members. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pN7REpLn3I The years have brought many changes, but U-KISS currently has five active members. However, Jun is currently promoting as a member of the temporary unit UNB, and Soohyun is now serving in the military (with others soon to follow). With various other things happening in the members' lives, we don't know when we will next see a release from U-KISS. However, we do know that fans continue to wait for them and the great music they will undoubtedly provide. To continue the celebration, click here to watch a special V Live broadcast from the members! To all the current members (Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop, Eli, and Jun) and the past members (Alexander, Kibum, AJ, Kevin, and Dongho), I want to say a personal thank you for being such a huge part of my own Kpop journey! Congratulations to U-KISS for 10 amazing years since their debut! We wish you all continued success on your own music journeys! lee1086 is the co-founder and director of What The Kpop. When not writing or editing articles, she is watching Kpop music videos or Korean variety shows. She is a huge fan of Super Junior and the perfection known as Eunsihae. She also loves EXO, SHINee, BIGBANG, and many more. When not obsessing over the flawlessness of Donghae or trying to decide if her SHINee bias is Taemin or Key, she is playing the piano, loving on her dog, and hanging out with her family and friends Media: As Credited Read the full article