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#welp the untamed will never leave my mind
guzhufuren · 2 years
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The Untamed + text posts pt.2 (pt.1)
bonus: 
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fortheloveoffanfic · 3 years
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Protective Service
John Wick x Reader (A/n- More or less a filler chapter to for a hint of backstory and sexual tension. Welp)
Masterlist   Chapter 1   Chapter 2
Warnings- Brief mentions of murder and rape
Chapter 3 Tell Me Your Past.......
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Their almost kiss had weighed heavy on John's mind well into the next week. It made him feel guilty, like even if his wife was gone, doing that with someone else would be cheating on her, and worse yet, with someone like Y/n, Helen's polar opposite? He couldn't do that. Helen was good and kind, she was like flowers in spring, but Y/n……...Y/n was like a blazing, untamed fire; chaotic and dangerous. Hot. But he tried not to think about that last part too much. 
In the moment, when they were leaning in and she'd seemed more vulnerable than he'd ever seen her, it felt like a good idea, he was finally willing to admit the spark she'd ignited when they first met. But when Donavan interrupted, sliding into the vehicle next to her, John had come back to his senses, reminding himself that she wasn't waters that he wanted to charter. 
Pushing away the less that professional thoughts about Y/n had only been made harder when John heard them that evening, confirming his suspicions. The echoed sounds were muffled, but his trained ears could hardly miss a thing and John was actually surprised that he hadn't pieced things earlier. Donavan was always so protective, he hovered over Y/n like a watch dog and always seemed to bend at her whim. At first, John had thought that he was, like some of her other workers, loyal to a fault and too scared to oppose her. But there was something in the way he'd put his hand on her back as they walked into a room, and in the way she always let Donavan have the slight bit of say, it was clear she held him in higher esteem than she did the others. 
Knowing that Y/n probably had someone else should have deterred John, Donavan didn't really like him anyway, but instead, it had fueled his feelings. He was jealous when she took Donavan's hand as they got out of the car or when he was the one helping her in and out of the coat. Of course, there was no way of telling what the true nature of their relationship was, they didn't appear as affectionate as more conventional couples, but he did know that whatever it was, they were definitely more than friends. After all, friends didn't leave your bedroom at three am with their shirts off and their pants unbuttoned. 
The jumble of thoughts had haunted John every night before he succumbed to sleep, and when he'd bumped into Donavan on his way out in the wee hours of Wednesday morning while he'd gone to get some water, things had only gotten worse for him. Usually, it was easy to focus on work and push aside everything else, but that morning, it was easier to think of anything but. 
They were running late too, long after John had gotten ready, waiting in the living room for Y/n to emerge, he'd gotten a call from Donavan, asking where they were and why they hadn't reached yet. After a brisk, stiff exchange, John had been the one to disconnect first, easing his cell into his inner breast pocket before sighing as he started down the hall. 
His steps were silent, as they usually were and as he drew near Y/n's room, his brows knitted as he realized that her door had been left a crack open. That was odd, she never left her door open. It shouldn't have been possible for someone to get in with him knowing; John knew the inner workings of that place like the back of his hand, upon his employment; he'd re-vetted her staff, linked the hall cameras to his phone and obviously, if something had happened, he would have heard. 
Still, everyone was flawed, maybe he'd made a mistake. Thinking the worst, John reached for his gun, holding it at his side as he neared her room, his ears searching for anything out of the ordinary, while his eyes scanned the surroundings. Even at the door, nothing seemed out of place. Though, when John peeked into the room, that was a different story.
She was fine, thankfully and when John's eyes fell on her, Y/n stood in front of the silver framed, full length mirror, the front of her chiffon shirt unbuttoned, her brown leather skirt, tight on her hips and short at it ended above her knees. She was barefoot too, her heels laid out at the foot of the bed, and if John's eyes weren't betraying him, he could have sworn that he saw glassy eyes and a few tears reflected. 
Y/n didn't seem to notice, her stare vacate and fixated on her own reflection. Part of him wanted to call out, but most of John’s mind had evaded better sense and he was, for all intents and purposes, leering. Hesitantly, he moistened his lips, his wandered gaze enthralled with her appearance; soft waves framing her face, plump lips agape and perhaps most notably, pert breasts accentuated by black silk and lace. It was wrong to linger like that, practically ogling, but John didn’t think he could help it, he was already entranced.
He stayed like that, half hidden by her barely opened door, though still visible through the sliver, showing no signs of moving. Eventually, Y/n caught on, and she raised her head, locking eyes with him through the mirror, almost daring him to keep staring, especially when she dragged her lower lip between her teeth seductively, carelessly letting her fingers graze the edge of her open blouse, her nails just barely ghosting over the swell of her cleavage and then her stomach, before she finally turned around, moving to close up the top of her shirt. 
By the time she was facing him, Y/n had already done the first two buttons and was quickly moving onto the third, any signs of tears now gone, save for the singular droplet that had remained on her cheek. Even that was quickly brushed away though, “Everything okay John?” She quipped as if she hadn’t caught him staring mere seconds ago.
Clearing his throat, John turned his gaze before facing Y/n again. If she was going to pretend that it hadn’t happened, he'd show her that he was better at that game. “Yeah,” he nodded coolly, just remembering he’d taken out his gun and putting it away, “Next time tell me when you’re running late,” he huffed, “And Donavan’s worried about you.”
“I-” Sighing when he abruptly started walking away, Y/n let her hands fall to her sides, not bothering with an explanation as John stalked down the hall and she yelled, “We’re leaving in fifteen minutes!”
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The day had been long, and Y/n’s mind had been a weary mess for all of it. By the end, when the sun was just about to retire and the sky had just started taking on a burnt orange color, she’d decided to call it a day, harshly dismissing Donavan’s concerns and offers to accompany her as she left a few hours earlier than she usually did, though, requesting someone else’s company as she neared the waiting car. “Will you go somewhere with me?” Y/n probed as they settled in, hating how utterly vulnerable she’d sounded.
“I go where you go,” he offered stiffly, his gaze trained slightly off to the side, discreetly looking out the window, trying to work out where they were headed. They weren’t on the usual route, instead, they were headed in another direction, to the suburbs; specifically Oyster Bay. "Where are we headed?"
"I thought you go where I go?" Y/n shot back brashly, not looking his way, instead toying with the petal of a deep red rose from a bouquet she'd gotten. She hadn't mentioned who the flowers were from, nor had Y/n outlined why she'd been given them, though John supposed that it wasn't his business. 
With a heavy sigh, he rubbed one of his palms up his thigh, trying to quell his annoyance. Why couldn't she ever just answer a question directly? "You can't just go somewhere and not mention it beforehand. I'm your security, not your secretary."
"I know," she gritted, trying to loosen her hold on the beautiful bouquet so the flowers wouldn't be ruined. "It doesn't matter anyway, we're already here," the car had stopped in front of the gates of a cemetery, the only population being that of stone and marble headstones, some with flowers and keepsakes among them while others were painfully barren. "Are you coming or not?" Y/n got out, taking the flowers but leaving her handbag, not even waiting for John as she casually walked off. 
It didn't take long to catch up with her though, and soon enough, John was meeting her where she stood, near two matching grave markers, each constituting deep grey marble in a rounded arch, with gold engravings displaying who was buried beneath. He'd found her lingering in front of one, the clearly older one, while the other just was about a foot and a half away. She'd already placed the flowers in a little holder, tracing the arch of the cold stone before standing again. 
Meredith Cecilia Romanov  1969-1999 Mother and Wife Gone, but never forgotten.
"This is my mother," Y/n swallowed thickly, not really sure why she'd chosen to tell John, and definitely not wanting his sympathy. Tears were hard to fight, and just maintaining her disposition was a trying task, even as she continued, words coming without permission, "Today's her birthday, she would have been fifty."
Out of her periphery, Y/n could see John starting, not the way he had that morning, with the swirl of lust on his dark eyes. That time, it was exactly what she'd dreaded; pity, though, mixed with something else, something like…...understanding. "I'm sorry," he managed, almost raising his hand to reach out before remembering that it wasn't his place. 
"Its okay," she shrugged, sniffling softly, "It was a long time ago," blinking quickly, Y/n swiped under her eye dismissively, "I barely knew her, and I…..I've learned to accept it." In a way her father couldn't.
"Doesn't make it easier," it was a plight John knew all too well, the pain and suffering of losing someone prematurely, before you'd done with them everything you wanted to. There was so much he'd wanted with Helen; peace, a home, a family. And he knew part of Y/n felt some semblance of the same, like she'd been robbed of everything they could have shared. And she'd been so young too, probably no older than ten when she’d found out her mother was gone, forever. "How did it happen, if you don't mind me asking."
"Its……" She trailed off absently and Y/n's eyes went vacant and glassy, "It was….horrible." There couldn't have been another way to describe it, at least not at the top of her head. 
"That covers a lot of ground," John noted, hoping that she'd open up a bit more, so he could be a little closer to her. He knew it was wrong, she was his boss and far beyond his reach, especially with Donavan in the picture. But then again, Donavan wasn't the one standing in the cemetery with her.
Briefly, she glanced at him, before turning away to explain, "I was seven, and she…..as far as I know, went shopping …...it was around my dad's birthday, she went to get him a gift or something, I guess. They snatched her, at the mall. People looked for days, he looked for longer, hoping she'd be alive," despite her efforts of staying steady, her voice broke, "She wasn't, and on his birthday, he got this box…...and a note, ‘happy birthday, from your wife’. It was bad, he knew it was bad, but he still screamed when he opened it; it was her left hand, ring and all still there."
"Fuck," John breathed under his breath. He'd heard the rumors, the little whispers that had said that had spoken of how Meredith had passed, but most of them had seemed too fictitious to be true. He was quickly realizing that they were true, every single one of them, "I'm-"
"When they found her body, in a canal, near the Eastside River," Y/n continued, surprising him, "She was barely recognizable, and the autopsy said that she'd died from severe blood loss after everything they'd done. And that she'd been raped, more than once, by more than one man."
"Y/n," John gasped. He'd done terrible things, killed with his bare hands, but none of them could have ever been that horrific. What had happened to Y/n's mother, it was…..unspeakable, terrible, and there was probably not one person in the world that he could think of as deserving a faith like that. "Who did it?" If he could, he'd take revenge for her, not that it would matter. It wouldn't bring Y/n's mother back.
At his question, Y/n huffed a dry chuckle, memories of Saturday washing over her; the reason she'd been so angry. "The fucking Irish," she breathed, taking a moment before straightening her back, pocketing her hands in her grey coat, and turning to walk away.
*****
Tagging-@harrisongslimited @magnificentclodpiebanana @keandrews @greenmanalishi  @rdjloverxxx @danceoftwowolves  @planetkt @wheretheriversrunintothesea  @jupiterdawngirl​
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Darius and Remus story
This takes place before the canon timeline of the current story. and centers on our two favorite merchants Remus and Darius (Remus is he/him and Darius is she/her pronouns for this)
I haven’t written in a very long time, so let me know what you all think. (constructive criticism always welcomed)
Trigger warnings: A brief mention of a deadname
**************
Darius woke up the sweet sound of snores from Remus’ bed, well by sweet she actually meant discordant nightmare beast snores. But it kept the staff of the tavern and any would-be thieves away, so it wasn’t all that bad.
Quietly (not a hard feat over the noise) she stretched and dressed for the day ahead.
Darius was well into taking the stock inventory for the day when the beast abruptly ceased it’s noise and slowly rose behind her, she could see him from the reflection of the rooms mirror, his rat’s nest of hair made him look like an abomination.
He smiled sleepily and kicked off his sheets draping himself over her.
“At least brush your teeth” Darius smoothly chastened, but didn’t move Remus off her, despite the apparent morning breath issue. “huuugs” They sleepily moaned, Darius huffed but awkwardly returned the embrace, before pushing she partner off.
“get dressed, it’s gonna be busy today” She finished her inventory list and started packing various items and trinkets into boxes and backpacks for her market stall. She had some rare meats and cheeses that would certainly go down well with the locals. That trip into Honeysuckle valley was worth it for extra coin she’d earn from a noble. Remus pouted but obeyed pulling his own clothes on, and chewing on some dried jerky for breakfast while Darius finished up and then scoffed at his unruly curls. She grabbed a comb and attacked the hair.
“Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Remus squirmed a little under her hands, bating the comb away and glaring at her, but was met with her own withering gaze. He stopped complaining and submitted to his partner’s onslaught until the messy locks at least looked half decent.
“Your hair is so uncooperative” she complained, no matter what she did it always looked wild and untamed. Well, at least she got the tangles out. “It ravels in chaos like I do!” Remus gleefully informed swinging his legs like a child “obviously” she rolled her eyes and smirked at him “come, we need to set up before the early birds arrive for the deals”
Remus grabbed all the heavy boxes while she carried the bags down and loaded them onto packhorse walking through the dimly lit streets of the early morning towards the plaza, this town was small enough that there was only one market plaza. Darius had a regular and prime spot pre-paid for but every so often someone would try to claim it. One look from a smiling Remus daring them to start something was usually enough to have them quickly on their way.
“So what are we operating today” Remus bounced on his toes ready for action, he hair once again a chaotic mess.
“you heard, them in” she muttered setting her stall up just right. “I’ll be the wolf in sheep’s clothing”
“I love it when they think they are safe when I leave” he chuckled a positively feral grin lined his face “Poor lambs”
******
The day was largely uneventful, Remus brought in immense crowds of scared people unaware that they were about to be charmed out of there coin until Remus ran into town guards bearing the Everstall crest. Oh? Now, what were guards from the capitol doing in this nice but little town?
Deciding that he just HAD to find out Remus hung back and observed them putting up posters and passing out flyers, most interesting behaviour for guards…
Welp time to find out what the fuss was Remus bounced up to them and hung upside down on a nearby lamppost, startling a poor- and clearly new guard.
“Hello~ little knight” The knight stared at him, swallowing visibly while shaking a little, nothing Remus wasn’t used to, in fact, it was funny every single time! Swinging his body and landing in front of the young lad he plucked out a flyer and froze.
“Um..” the guard tried to begin
“Shhh!” Remus laid his finger on the guard’s lips as he stared at the image of one he knew very well. His mind reeling. A reward for the whereabouts or safe return of lady Erin.
The picture, painted in great detail with color showed with long-haired with curly hair he knew was soft and fun to mess with. Dark brown skin with Green eyes set in like jewels and just the right amount of chub to make him adorable.
This was his Sibling’s boyfriend, but… a sinister toothy smile and demented eyes bored into the guard.
“Want some information then”
“Y-You know about her” the guard squeaked out. “Yesss” he hissed harshly putting his arm on the Guard and pulling him in closer like an old friend. The guard was visibly disturbed, and pale. Good scared guards paid extra “Now where have I see her before, was it Ravenwell no, no perhaps it was Wolfalls! my memory is so bad hmmm”
Remus poked the guard’s coin purse and then held out his hand. The guard promptly give him 5 gold
“Ah yes! NOW I remember it was actually Dawnkeep!” he patted the guard “Best hurry or else she’ll of moved on”
the Guard scurried away as fast as he could, not knowing that he’d been given a village in the opposite direction of Freycrest. Ha! As if he would give up one of the two people that make Roman happy! Darius would want to know about this. Darius, apparently already knew, and had charmed money out of an adventuring party wanting the reward. She had held her coin purse open and her honeyed words had enticed them into giving up their coin and a few much-needed trinkets and supplies along the way.
From then on both understood that the game had begun. Whoever could get the most money out of the foolish, naive Party’s and Guards on the hunt for their dear boy, would be the winner! Remus swung and jumped through the streets, the job of rounding in patrons forgotten for now, while Darius charmed and persuaded many out of their coin for the shop and for the latest in gossip. Been a well know merchant dealing in both wares and information had its perks, she didn’t need to go anywhere. When the sun finally set over the horizon Remus returned to pack away the traded wares and left overstock. Darius was polishing a particularly pretty gem she’s managed to snag off a stubborn man insisting it was worth more. He’d made a commotion and became quite threatening, Normally Darius would take care of herself but the guards took an interest and well that was another story.
She had a nice cane to set it into (A gift from Remus) a friend of hers would do it for a modest price, it would go well with her waistcoat and hat, she couldn’t wait to pass by their Village. Pocketing the Gem she idled along the streets while Remus chatted endlessly about the people he ‘met’ that day seems like there would need to leave tomorrow, to avoid rumors of the creepy party stalker, how disappointing. Still, they could make it to Ambervale earlier than expected, that was always a nice thing to do, she would have the first pick of the ale market. Remus was already seated and finishing his first tankard of beer, a glass of wine was already poured for her.
“Darius! You took your time!” he was practically bouncing up and down, no doubt excited to see if he’d won or not. He patted the chair enthusiastically “come on sit, sit, sit!”
Darius rolled her eyes fondly but made a beeline for the chair anyway, seating herself as slowly as possible and swirling the wine and taking in the fruity aroma before taking a small sip. It was pleasant enough, for a town wine, Remus would like it too.
“So how much did you get?” He proudly displayed his Gold “I got 20!”
“Only twenty darling?” she smirked and Remus instantly knew he’d lost “I got 60”
“Teach me how to do that trick of yours already!” Remus whined, Darius had always been able to charm coin from people like candy does from children. And she never told him how.
“Darling your much better at other things” she calmly replied, ruining a finger across his cheek, Remus was adorable like this. “Like what!?” Remus’ demented scream rang through the tavern, worried patrons now had one eye on the pair. Darius had expected it and didn’t so much as flinch, smiling fondly.
“Don’t worry” Darius smoothly addressed the bar “He won’t bite as long as he has drinks…or if you ask nicely”
As one the bar seemed to surge forward placing money down for future drinks, Darius did love it when a plan came together.
“You should try the wine, it’s right up your ally” She raised her glasses and the bartender promptly served a second glass, leaving a bottle on the table.
“It’s been a profitable day and we’re leaving for Ambervale tomorrow”
“Only if we cuddle tonight” he continued to pout.
“sweetie, you snore,” she stated flatly, Remus knew it wasn’t out of malice, he brightened up instantly.
“and sleep in the buff!” He added proudly. “I know.. How is this convincing me again?” Darius shook hear head Remus was admittedly confusing sometimes, it was part of his charm that he was so unpredictable, their relationship never got stale. Remus’ smile was sincere as he tried the wine.
“I miss cuddling you, we’ve been too busy lately” Darius’ cheek heated up at Remus’ sweet side showing up, it was true how long had it been since they’d had couple time?
“fine” she agreed quietly, standing up and grabbing the bottle of wine, Remus was beaming at this point. “Well take some shot glasses and vodka barkeep”
Remus took the ordered drinks from the stunned tender and followed Darius upstairs, they pushed the beds together and drank into the night just the two of them, before settling down to sleep. Remus being the cuddle bug he was, protectively curled around Darius who pretended to struggle and then settled into his chest and tangled their legs together.
It would be a late start, but she could live with that every once in a while.
———-
Mod: AHHHHHH, I ADORE THIS! Remus and Darius together are so sweet and I love how they protect Patton while making some coin.
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marshmallow-phd · 5 years
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Lies Untold
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Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe
Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au
Pairing: Luhan x Reader
Summary: For generations, your family has been the protectors of mankind. You were considered one of the best and due to that reputation, you were sent on what could be the most important mission for the organization. Going under cover in a college to sniff out a particularly large and threatening wolf pack seemed easy enough. But when you meet one of the members, everything you’ve known since birth will be overturned and your loyalty to your family and heritage will be tested.
Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I Final
**
You were pretty sure this wasn’t going to work, but any alternative seemed just as stupid.
Clipboard in hand along with a fake syllabus you’d spent all last night making, you marched up to the front desk of the museum. Well, not really “marched”. You were trying to give off the impression that you were a nervous, harmless college student, so it was more like a slow shuffle up to the woman who held the key to your target.
“Excuse me?” you said quietly. You kept your gaze down, only flicking it up for a second or so to look at the museum worker.
She smiled at you. “Yes, how can I help you?”
You cleared your throat. “I’m, uh, I’m supposed to be doing this project on ancient Greek pottery for class and our professor is giving us extra credit if we use the examples that were supposed to be on display here, but I guess they’ve been taken down?” Thank you, overly helpful museum bulletin for that nice piece of information. “I didn’t realize that when I started my paper and I’m already falling behind in this class and I just – I really need – do you think-” You putting on the fully blown desperation act. If you kept going the snot and tears would be flowing soon enough.
Sympathy was written clear as day all over the secretary’s face. “Oh, dear. Give me a moment and let me see if the curator is here. I’m sure we can let you see the vases for a few minutes.”
“Thank you,” you hiccuped. Scurrying out of her seat, the secretary left the main lobby and disappeared into another part of the museum.
Now along, you quickly surveyed her desk. The keycard you were searching for was lying conspicuously right next to the mouse for the taking. But you had to leave it there. Snatching it right now would be too obvious. However….
As nonchalantly as you could, you knocked over the display of pencils that were resting in a mug with the museum’s logo printed on the smooth surface. Just as you were hoping, it clattered onto the desk, spilling the pencils everywhere.
Keeping up appearances for the camera, you hurried to the other side, clumsily trying to put them all back in the cup. While one hand was occupied with the mess, the other was working on opening the drawers as sneakily as possible.
Bingo.
Three extra keycards were lying there in the drawer, just waiting to be taken. You pocketed one and then closed the drawer before putting the mug back and rounding the desk once more. Phase One: complete.
A minute or so later, the secretary was back, along with the curator of the museum. She was a kind looking woman, in her fifties or so. You almost felt a little bad for lying and taking from her. Almost.
Guilt was certainly an emotion that followed you around lately. Its point of origin was one that you didn’t want to think about. Going into that part of your mind… it was too dangerous. A fog would begin to take over your thoughts and you didn’t know up from down, wrong from right. Everything grayed together with no visible way of separating it again. It was best to stay out of that mindset as much as you could.
“I’m told that you’re supposed to be doing a project on Greek pottery?” the curator asked.
You nodded, holding out your clipboard for her to see. “It’s a pretty big paper. I need to do well on it if I want to pass the class. It’s not my major, but-”
“That’s alright, dear,” the curator smiled at you. “Just follow me.” Without really waiting to see if you were behind her, the curator led you straight to the back door that you’d seen the alpha slip into before. Maybe you didn’t need the keycard after all.
Sliding her own keycard that was clipped to her jacket’s lapel, the curator opened that forbidden door and motioned for you to go inside.
The left side of the long hallway was dotted with doors also locked up tight, but instead of just being able to swipe the card again, each door was secured by a keypad that required the right number sequence to enter.
Crap.
To make matters even more difficult, the curator covered the keypad so you wouldn’t accidentally see the code she was typing in. Not that it would help you at all. Each door probably had its own sequence. And you didn’t need to get to the pottery. You needed another door that held something even more valuable.
In the room you didn’t really need to enter were rows and rows of faded, cracked pottery safely guarded behind thick glass that was padlocked shut. On the table in the middle was a two-hundred-plus catalog explaining each piece’s history.
“I’ll let you spend some time in here,” she said. “You may take pictures, but, please, don’t use your flash, and let me know if you have any questions.”
“Thank you so much!” you smiled. “You’re a life saver!”
The curator waved your compliment off, but seemed extremely pleased to be praised. She left you alone as promised without another word. Your lips snapped back into their normal neutral state.
Now what?
You still didn’t know which door you needed to get through and now you had another obstacle standing in your way. You were going to need outside help again.
Shoving the clipboard into your bag, you turned the handle and propped the door open with your bag so you didn’t accidentally lock yourself out. Technology was definitely not your strong suit, but even you could tell that hacking this dinosaur of a keypad wasn’t going to be easy. You pulled out your phone, taking a few pictures of the pad from different angles and sending them off to Carter before dialing his number.
“You sure are racking up the favors now, aren’t you?” was his greeting.
“Shut up,” you hissed. “I’ve hit another snag, that’s all. I’m pretty sure the book is behind a lock like the one I sent you. But I don’t have a way of getting the code.”
“Did you look to see which numbers are faded?” Carter asked snarkily.
You mimicked him quietly before replying, “From what I can see, none of them are faded enough to give me even an inkling of what the combination could be.”
“Welp, you’re SOL.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s an older basic model,” he explained. “No port for maintenance, so no hacking it from there. It doesn’t work wirelessly from what I can see, so you can’t get in that way either.”
“Fan-freaking-tastic,” you growled through clenched teeth. “I might as well just break the door down.”
“Now that doesn’t sound very subtle.”
Before you could retort, the sound of the main door’s keypad beeping reached your ears. You hung up with Carter without even saying goodbye and rushed back into the room, shoving the door closed. But it wasn’t the curator coming to check up on you.
Two male voices passed by your door, making your ears perk up.
“I don’t know. I just don’t think there’s any more in the book about them that we don’t already know, Junmyeon.” At the sound of Luhan’s voice, your heart lept in your chest and it wasn’t out of nervousness. You pressed a hand over it as if to try and calm or quiet it down. Such a simple thing like hearing his voice shouldn’t be making you react like this. The thick gray fog was starting to cloud your mind again and you almost missed the vital information about to be passed in front of you.
“I know. But there might be something about hunters in there that we missed.” A heavy sigh came after that comment. “I’ve never heard of them actually sending someone undercover before. They’ve always preferred to just attack in numbers. I don’t know how to fight this.”
So, they knew about you. Well, at least partially. Shit. Now you were going to have to be even more careful. You felt like a sitting duck. You couldn’t go home with your tail between your legs just because the wolves started sniffing around. Johnny would never let you hear the end of it, even if your parents said it was okay to put personal safety first. No, you had to stay and see this through.
At least, that’s what you told yourself was keeping you here.
When you heard another door open, you decided that was your time to leave. Checking to make sure the hallway was clear, you quietly made your way out back into the main lobby. You nodded to the secretary, who waved goodbye to you, completely unaware that you were walking out with one of her precious keycards.
As soon as you were out on the front steps, however, a hand grabbed your wrist. Whirling around, you tried to break the hold, but your heel lost balance on the edge of the first step, nearly sending you backwards until Luhan caught you around your waist.
“Whoa, there!” he chuckled as he steadied the two of you out.
Now your mind was really messed up. Standing there, slightly leaned back while Luhan hovered over you with his arm around you was making you feel… somehow calm and in hyper drive at the same time. The instinct to fight and get away from the supernatural wolf was being beaten by something else that couldn’t be named. A shimmer in Luhan’s eyes brought you back to your senses, pushing him away.
“Don’t you know better than to just randomly grab people?” you snapped.
“I’m sorry.” But there wasn’t really any apologetic evidence in his face. He was looking at you with a soft expression that had never been sent your way before. You didn’t like it.
“Did you need something?” You crossed your arms. Your gut reaction whenever he was around was to put up a titanium wall that couldn’t be stormed through. What could possible happen if you didn’t was an experience you weren’t sure you could live through.
“I-” He stopped. “Just checking on you. Since you left rather quickly last week.”
“I’m fine,” you reassured him a little curtly. “But I have to go.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you later.” Shoulders drooping, he turned and headed back inside the museum. Your foot took a step towards him involuntarily before you could stop yourself. You blinked.
What were you doing? Get out of there!
Forcing yourself to turn back around, you flitted down the steps and to the bus stop where you could get away from the area as fast as possible. You ignored the rattling of the window as you pressed your forehead up against the cool glass. Understanding was starting to come to you, thought you still couldn’t fully explain it. There was just something about that boy – that wolf – that was stirring up your stomach and making your heart flutter. You felt calmer after looking into those dravite eyes. Like the world and time themselves were no longer moving and you didn’t have to worry about what was coming next because you at least had that moment.
But you did have to worry. The wolves now knew that there was a hunter under their noses, learning about them. You didn’t know if they knew that you were trying to get to their closely guarded secret. The one you now knew for sure was kept in the museum. And maybe that could still give you the advantage. Would you be able to carry out your mission and get away without blowing your cover?
Did you even want to succeed anymore?
The idea of letting everyone back home down was just adding to your stress. Some would be quick to label you a coward. Others would just shrug and say they knew it would be a failure from the beginning. Most believed that the straightforward approach was best. Ambush the pack and take them out. None of this sneaking around and playing games for those people like Johnny, who couldn’t care less about the book and its secrets.
Maybe the reason they preferred it that way was because then they could stay disconnected. They didn’t see them interact on a daily basis or watch them laugh and do basic human things. Was that what was going on with you? Were you becoming like John Smith or Sam Worthington’s character in Avatar? Were you simply becoming sympathetic to the wolves?
That didn’t explain the way Luhan plagued your mind or invaded your dreams. Nothing did. Except…
Once – when you were fifteen or so – your parents brought in another hunter to train you in archery. His name was Darien, a few years older than you, maybe in his early twenties or so, you couldn’t remember. He had dark blue eyes framed by jet black hair that made his features even more striking. With a tall stature and a body that he took great care of, it was no wonder that the other girls were jealous of your one-on-one tutoring. But none of that was the reason that you soon fell head over heels for him. It was how he handled the bow, how quick he could be, the best at combining speed and accuracy while maintaining grace in every movement. There was an elegance to the way he shot the arrows. Soon, your eyes started inserting a glow around his whole person every time you stared at him.
Looking back, you were utter humiliated at how upset you were when you found out he was already engaged to someone else, like you ever actually stood a chance. You were a kid, he was a grown adult. But you were convinced that you were in love him. Typical teenager angst.
That was the one and only time in your life that you’d ever felt those kinds of emotions towards someone and therefore that was all you had to compare with whatever it was that Luhan was doing to you.
But there was no comparison. Not really. The two incidents felt isolated, on completely different planets. With Darien, it was more of an adoration. No matter how hard you racked your brain, trying to figure it out, you couldn’t understand what the underlining definition of your emotions towards Luhan was.
Now back at your apartment after riding the bus around and around for a few hours, you found yourself standing in front of the bulletin board, contemplating where you should go from here. Part of you honestly just wanted to rip the whole thing down, tear it to shreds and run away.
No. You couldn’t do that. So, instead, you did the next best thing.
You took the board off the wall and stuffed it into your closet before swinging the door closed. You needed a drink.
Before leaving you changed into a more bar appropriate outfit, getting out of the innocent college student gear of a hoodie and jeans. Sliding your arms into your favorite jean jacket, you locked up behind you and began to walk towards the business district where a majority of the bars were located to give easy access to the university population.
You passed by the first few bars you came across, deciding that they were too full from your view through the windows. Being around crowds of careless drunks was not what you were wanting at the moment. Not that you would protest possibly throwing a punch at a drunk frat boy who thought he could invade your personal space because he worked out.
Remember, these methods are only to be used in self-defense came your mother’s voice in your head.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The next bar that caught your eye was exactly where you didn’t need to go.
The Moonlight.
You should keep walking. You should not put yourself in any position to be closer to the confusing wolf. You should find another bar on the other side of town and –
You walked inside the bar, hating the fact that, while not empty and secluded, it definitely wasn’t as rowdy as the others you’d nixed. Maybe they weren’t even actually that full. Maybe your brain was self-consciously taking you here. What an idiot.
The next preventative step to avoid disaster would have been to sit at one of the small round tables as far away from the bar as you could get. So, naturally, you sat right down in Luhan’s section of the bar.
“What can I get you?” he asked in the most droll voice when he approached.
“What?” you frowned. “No friendly greeting? Not even a smile?” His unusually gruff demeanor was not what you expected – and you didn’t like it. Great, even more of a reason for that drink.
“From our run-in earlier, I didn’t think you were in a friendly mood,” he replied. “In fact, I’m kind of surprised to see you in here.”
“I’m sorry,” you sighed, looking down at your nails. There wasn’t much to pick at, but you managed to do so anyway. “I shouldn’t have treated you like that. Things are just… very complicated in my head right now.”
There was that smile you’d come to know. “Well, then. I guess you came to the right place to clear it up again.”
You pointed at him in a very un-menacing manner. “That’s the plan. So, can I get a whiskey and coke?”
Luahn made a face. “So boring.”
“I’m not drinking for pleasure.”
Still slightly smiling, Luhan narrowed his eyes at you before expertly flipping a short glass onto the bar, simultaneously filling it with whiskey from the large bottle and coke from the nozzle after adding ice. He slide the full glass over to your side. “There you go. A glass of boring sugar.”
Maybe you were being a little cheeky, you took the glass and gulped down the drink in just a few chugs, dropping it down on the bar with a slight clatter just for emphasis.
Luhan just stared at you. “That was fast.”
You shrugged. “I told you. I wasn’t drinking for pleasure.”
His look of awe slowly transformed into a look of concern. “What’s going on, (y/n)? You don’t seem like the kind of person who normally does this.”
“I….” You laughed. “I honestly don’t know how to describe it.” Because it’s all about you. “I just need to… not think for a little bit.”
“That’s not a healthy coping mechanism,” he pointed out.
“No, but I didn’t necessarily say I was looking for a healthy solution, now did I?” You didn’t think there was one anyway. Sitting here across from him was making it a little better, even if you were still just as confused. Maybe it wasn’t the alcohol that you needed in the end.
You weren’t a consistent drinker and that first glass was already starting to hit you. But when Luhan started filling up it up again, you didn’t protest. You did, however, take this one a little slower.
“Hae In’s going to throw a fit when she finds out you went out without her,” Luhan chuckled after walking away for a minute to help another patron.
“Oh, Innie will live,” you smiled.
Luhan frowned thoughtfully at the nickname. “Why do you call her that?”
You cringed, both from the sting of a particularly strong gulp and the question. “Well, when I was younger, I couldn’t pronounce Hae In very well. Or at all, really. So we came up with Innie as an alternative. It just kind of stuck ever since.”
“It’s cute.”
You pursed your lips. “Cute is not normally a word associated with me.”
Leaning forward, Luhan rested on his elbows, a smoldering gaze blazing in his eyes. “Well, I think you’re very cute.”
Okay. That was… flirty. Now you were blushing. You could actually feel your cheeks and neck burning up. But just as you opened your mouth, another customer called out for Luhan, making him straighten up and leave you alone to do his job. You downed the rest of the drink in a sad attempt to cool yourself down.
Fun fact: alcohol heats you up and now you were practically on fire. The jacket came off to help with the heat, draping it over the back of your chair for safe keeping.
You stayed for several hours, slowly sipping on another two drinks while talking to Luhan in between other patrons demanding his attention for refills. Though it was ultimately a short amount of time, it just might have been some of the best hours you’d ever spent on this planet. You’d laughed and smiled the whole time, getting to know Luhan on the human level that you never were meant to. But you didn’t care. You liked spending time with him like this. Why had you been so resistant to it in the past?
As the night grew older, you decided it was time to head home. Luhan’s own grin faded when he saw you get up from your seat. When you got to your feet, however, you started to wobble unsteadily and he hopped over the counter, using only one of his hands as a base on the bard before landing in front of you.
“Well, that was impressive,” you giggled. Oh, yeah. You weren’t drunk, per se, since you still had good control over yourself and there was only one Luhan, but you were definitely tipsy.
“Okay, I’m walking you home.” Luhan turned to tell his coworkers but you slapped his chest.
“No, I’m fine.”
He ignored you. “Hey, guys, I’m going to see her home since we’re pretty slow. Just put her tab on me.”
“Okay!” One of the female bartenders yelled back, waving the two of you goodbye.
Luhan waited for you to put on your jacket, snickering at your struggle, and then he escorted you out of the bar with a hand at the small of your back.
The night air felt so good against your skin. You walked in the direction of your apartment with ease, albeit still a little wobbly, just enjoying the quiet. It wasn’t quite closing time yet and so only those wanting to beat the crowds were heading to their cars or calling services to pick them up.
“I think I like you like this,” Luhan suddenly said.
You whipped your head at him, surprised. “Intoxicated?”
“Oh, no!” he laughed at his own slip up. “I just meant… more relaxed. You don’t seem like you’re looking for a way out this time.”
“That’s because I think I might give up looking for a way out,” you admitted.
Luhan stopped in his tracks. “You… what?”
But you didn’t elaborate. You just kept on walking in the direction of home, staring up above. The moon was getting smaller, waning more and more each night until it disappeared again. You hated that. You preferred big and bright, like a flashlight in the sky.
“So, are you going to stay? Here in town?” Luhan tried again.
“Yeah,” you sighed. “For now. While I can.”
The mood was dampening again, but Luhan could be counted on to lighten it up again after walking a couple blocks in silence. “So, did you come to my bar to see me?”
You scoffed, your acting as if that was ridiculous being of terrible quality. “No. Everywhere else was just full of people. I don’t like people.”
“But you like me?” He was giving you a crooked smile.
You shook your head, now walking backwards to face him. “I’m not allowed to like anybody. Especially….” You stopped yourself from exposing what you knew. Good. You weren’t that intoxicated to make that slip.
Luhan raised an eyebrow. “Especially….”
You pulled a dumb category out of the air, telling in a flirty manner, “Especially the unmanly kind.”
His jaw dropped, offended. “And you’re sticking me in that category?”
“Pretty boys aren’t usually manly,” you giggled, even patting his head for good measure.
“Not manly, huh?” Taking you up on your challenge, Luhan scooped you up in his arms, twirling you around while you cried out in joy.
When you were back on your feet, you were more unstable than ever but you couldn’t stop laughing. That’s when you realized that you were right outside your door now.
“This, uh,” you cleared your throat. “This is me.”
Disappointment was all over Luhan’s face now that the journey had ended. “Oh. Okay. Well, I’m glad you made it home safe. Sleep well.”
He turned to leave, but you stopped him by grabbing his sleeve. “Wait.”
Hope now filled his eyes as he stared back at you. This was the ultimate crossroads. You either let him go, staying where you were and reverting back to your previous guarded self or you took the plunge and explored what it was that you were feeling for him. Either way, you knew there was no turning back. You knew exactly what you were doing when the next two words left your mouth.
“Stay. Please.”
Wordlessly, Luhan nodded.
Feeling like you were moving in slow motion, you turned and unlocked the door. You stepped into your apartment with Luhan right behind you. With this seemingly harmless choice, you knew you were committing the ultimate betrayal. But regret was nowhere to be found.
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sleepymarmot · 4 years
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The Untamed liveblog, eps. 22-32.5
God, that’s so many!
22
The opening scene is Healing
Poor Yanli D: This is hard to watch
Ooh, Meng Yao as a spy makes more sense. I was thinking about Qing or Ning and wondering since when either of them counted as Xichen's "old friend".
23
"Yin Iron" "Stygian Tiger Amulet" THESE ARE LITERALLY THE SAME WORD "YIN" WHY DO YOU TRANSLATE IT IN ONE CASE AND NOT THE OTHER
It's painful to watch the fear and reverence Meng Yao still holds for his father figure. The flinching, the hiding, the immediate supplication -- when was the last time he felt safe and respected, before the bullying with the Nie and having to watch and even partake in atrocities with the Wen? I hope he can finally have some good things in his life now.
"These past few days when you were in a coma, Second Young Master Lan came here every morning and evening and played his guqin for you to relax your mind and spirit. If he hadn't done that, I'm afraid you wouldn't have woken up so soon." Awwwww!!!
Ohh so now that your illegitimate son is a hero you want to acknowledge him huh!!! Motherfucker
LOVE how Xichen immediately calls him "A-Yao" while standing right between his shitty fathers
This is not the context I expected for their first duet
LWJ just took his sword in a dignified and showy gesture and left the banquet, and now I can't stop thinking of an urban fantasy where people use magic with their phones and grab them from the table in the same dramatic manner when they need to leave
MOTHERFUCKER not only uses Yao to make himself look better but does this shit to the Jiangs too. Is he that malicious, or that stupid?
Wei Wuxian to the rescue!
24
Love how WWX enters dramatically, helps his siblings, and leaves
"...and he has an intimate relationship with Second Young Master Lan..." excuse me?
I gotta say, as someone living in a country of ill reputation which official symbol is a two-headed eagle, every close-up on the Wen two-headed eagle as a symbol of malice has me in stitches
wait, the old Lan master is still alive? where has he been all this time?
Cheng, if you can't control your anger, maybe you shouldn't be a teacher
When will it finally occur to WWX to consult with Wen Qing, the only person in the world who knows his secret
Wow, Cheng really disappointed me. I did not expect him to be this prejudiced. Does he secretly think the same way of WWX too? If you're of even slightly lower birth, you're forever a nobody? His mother indoctrinated him well... When WWX turned to him with a surprised expression, I really thought it was to call him out on this... Btw I'm really nervous of where Yao's storyline is going -- if it'll end in "he's scheming and ignoble, what else could be expected from a bastard" I'm going to flip a table
25
One of advantages of a flute over a sword is that you can twirl it in your hand in casual conversation
So they're really making Guangyao evil huh :/
Unbelievable that nobody had enough decency to free the prisoners
YANLI WENT OFF
This is outrageous! Yanli should have escalated in response. You're accusing me of incest? Well I have another brother, would you accuse him too? Should I go and officially inform my brother, the leader of the clan, that clan Jin has delivered a terrible insult to the entire clan Jiang? Etc. How can one just stand quietly and take that?!
God it sucks to be Yanli and have the most dramatic and scandalous moments of your romantic life happen in front of literally everyone
Hell yeah WWX and Qing can finally talk!
26
Uh, have we met Su She before? And what is Guangyao's mistake? That he invited a disobedient vassal of clan Lan as if he's a representative of an independent clan?
Wise things to do when you discover your "ally" is committing war crimes: explain in detail to people in power you trust, like your relatives or friends, and form a united front with them Less wise things: run away with little explanation, leaving a whole village of corpses behind
27
Why can't JC just say Qing and Ning saved his life?! Surely that would hold more weight than the vague "they helped us"
I just realized who immoral advisor!Guangyao reminds me of: Weyoun. Exactly the same facial expression!
omg WWX is so good with kids
current cause of heartache: Jiang Cheng suppressing his smile when WWX is parenting a little child
28
really gonna kill your brother or die trying because he wants to live independently in a wasteland with a handful of refugees, huh
I truly don't understand why JC is being so stupid and selfish about this. I thought his hatred would be the result of misunderstanding or lies, but he's just being like "oh woe is me, my brother is doing the right thing and that's improper"
GIRL DO YOU WANT TO MARRY THIS NERD OR NOT MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND this storyline is becoming really unbearable
"I have a child", "You're pretty but always grumpy", and other heartfelt greetings for your crush whom you accidentally met on the street while being considered a war criminal
"IF THE ZOO BANS ME FOR HOLLERING AT THE ANIMALS I WILL FACE GOD AND WALK BACKWARDS INTO HELL" is pretty much the summary of WWX's actions in the last two episodes
tbh a bit disappointed that Wei Wuxian Literally Did Nothing Wrong and his reputation was just misunderstanding or propaganda. Well, the flashback isn't over yet, he has time to do something worth throwind himself off a cliff over!
It's episode 28 and I just noticed the ending titles have inbuilt Chinese subtitles for the song. No such courtesy from the translation!
29
had the perfect moment to kiss when they were alone in the cave but alas, censorship
wow he really replaced Cheng with Qing as the Sibling To Bicker With
not very nice of him to use Wen Ning as a personal zombie servant!
30
Hilarious how Yanli "generously" brought a bowl to Ning but he has to eat while still awkwardly standing outside. this is a show about the Highest Echelons of Nobility and nobody else is invited
it's very bittersweet how they pretend nothing happened and act like a normal family again
wait, so that fight was just pretend? what? for whose benefit??
Why is Qing so upset that WWX was visited by his siblings?
god, that decoration is ENTIRELY lotus-themed
so he's going to crash his sister's wedding, make a scene, and everything goes straight to hell and leads into the endgame. correct?
there's highkey Murder in Guangyao's eyes for all that LWJ wears his face like a mask, that's even more noticeable with JGY. You can really hear the kill bill sirens going off behind his eyes in pretty much any given scene he's been running on pure self-preservation as long as he can remember himself. he doesn't know any lasting way of interacting with the world other than kissing the ass of his current boss because he has never had the chance to learn one. I don't know if he even comprehends how the others despise him for it.
31
oh, Guangyao is making preparations for taking over everything huh? so he's gonna use the celebration to murder someone and frame WWX? very ironic that only yesterday I wrote that Yao "has done nothing wrong ever in his life". welp. he's done SOME things wrong since then!
oh alright so the murder and framing have already been happening. when JGY looked like he poisoned that dude it was because he did
torn between "wtf happened" and "that's what happens when you're a pet class but your pet attacks the wrong target". at least now I understand why everyone hated him! oh boy, I really don't want to watch what is about to happen
poor Yanli just can't have nice things
I was afraid Qing would confess love... That would have been very unnecessary, so thank god!
this is very much not the context I expected for the "Wen siblings in the Jin residence" image in the opening sequence
32
Why didn't WWX turn himself in? I thought that was what he came for?
Is "cremains" a real word in the English language?!
IT'S NOT EVEN A BIG WOUND JUST CALL HER A HEALER! WANGJI CAN HEAL AND HE'S RIGHT THERE!!! alright, THAT was a big wound. just seconds after I typed the sentence above...
33
"Well, maybe this time it will go differently" thought I, laughing at my futile hope, as the opening scene of the show was replaying. And then, to my surprise, it WAS slightly different!
Now it's time to rewatch some moments from the first two episodes with new understanding. And then call it a day, because finally the race to find out what happened is over, and there's a perfect spot to take a break at the end of the big arc.
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