synopsis: it’s been years since mark joined your realm, and for the mot part, you’ve not been his biggest fan. your mother – the queen of rivermond – has orchestrated your life up until now, wanting to be in control of anything and everything. little does she know that she’s far from in control and she might just drive you to defecting to somewhere less… magical. with the fae playing cruel tricks on mark one minute and acting like his friend the next you start to lose your patience and begin slipping up with your secret plans. not to mention you’ve been successful for years without being noticed but more recently things have been going wrong and you can sense someone spying on you. do you ask for help or work through it all? the lies and deception included?
tl;dr: a story of deception and little truth
genre: magic, faerie!au, mark is mortal
warnings: swearing, unrequited love, themes of bullying bc fae are cruel creatures, mutual frustration, mutual pining, deception (bc fae are good at that since they can’t lie), a little bit of fondling, a couple of steamy kisses, loving gazing, violent adn threatening behaviour (not often but will indicate at beginning of part if it contains said content)
synopsis: In the enchanting North Pole, Jaehyun, AKA Santa Claus, is feeling the chill of an unexpected breakup. As his world begins to lose its magic, the love of his life moves on in search of her own path. But when fate intervenes, can the couple rediscover the magic of love and the enchantment of the North Pole once again? Join Jaehyun on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the joy of second chances in this whimsical holiday tale.
tl;dr: jaehyun fights for his wife (he wants you back)
genre: fantasy!au, kind of domestic!au, magic!jaehyun, fem!reader
other: jaehyun is sexy santa, softboi at heart
w/c: who knows!
expected date: hopefully mid december.
Once upon a snowy North Pole, where Christmas cheer echoed year-round, a unique and enigmatic being named Nicholas Kringle, or simply "Santa" to the world, was going through a post-breakup crisis. Santa was not your ordinary jolly old man; he was the custodian of holiday joy, responsible for spreading happiness and gifts to children all over the world. But even Santa had a personal life, and it was in shambles.
The love of Santa's life, a charming and warm-hearted being… you, had left him on Christmas Eve, taking off on her own journey to find herself. Santa was devastated, not only because he had lost the love of his life. You had been the reason he’d kept breathing and had even tuned in to his aging process, something that was, quite funnily, controlled by a big red button on his dashboard at the workshop.
Without you, the North Pole began to wither. The once-perpetual winter was slowly turning into a more regular, mundane season. The elves noticed the change, but Santa, lost in his heartbreak, couldn't bring himself to fix it.
synopsis: you’ve been at jaehyun’s “secret” flat for a while now. you’re not quite sure how long, he says time passes differently here. not that you mind. you’re healing and there’s nothing you have wrong with that. having been away form everything that was bad for you, you’re coming to realise that things really were better with jaehyun. and no matter how many times he tries to tell you, he knows you have to come to that conclusion yourself.
tl;dr: you heal under jaehyun’s caring gaze.
genre: fantasy!au, kind of domestic!au, magic!jaehyun, fluff, smut, fem!reader
warnings: smut in the forms of kissing, titplay, basically motorboats oc, brief nipple play, heavy petting/fondling, grinding (?), oral (male recieving), jaehyun can’t hold his load oops, unprotected sex (wrap it b4 u tap it), creampie, brief cumplay lmao jaehyun is the teeniest bit kinky
other: jaehyun is my soft boi, wanna smooch and cuddle in his pastel coloured sweats, i’m british so he lives in a flat, soft smut… almost r*mantic,,, jaehyun is a boob man; do what you will with that B), jaehyun uses pet names bc i think it would be sickly sweet leaving his lips, time is relevant so i can do what i want with this thanks xox
wordcount: 8.5k
a/n: this is a continuation from the last chapter. i split it bc i needed inspo lmao so once again, not happy with how it ended previously so i had to write more. admittedly, it was origianlly one long piece but i realised i wanted to add more depth to when they’re living together (basically) so i split it therefore enabling me to write what i wanted about them being cute and stuff. yeah.
synopsis: before christmas, you and your niece wrote a letter to santa, asking for things that each wanted. this year, you’re struggling to make ends meet despite your standing. everything seems okay to the outside, you have a boyfriend who makes money, a loving family who supports you through everything but why is it you can’t remember the last time you saw your family – with your boyfriend? why are you struggling if your boyfriend owns a swanky penthouse? only so much can slide by and one fateful day you encounter someone you hadn’t seen in a long time. then it all goes pear shaped.
tl;dr: jaehyun saves you when you need it most.
genre: fantasy au, christmas au kinda not so much anymore, jaehyun goes soft.
tw: physical abuse ((not from jaehyun) content has been removed but full thing can be read on ao3 [here] if you so wish).
warnings: alcohol consumption (not excessive). swearing here and there.
wordcount: 9.4k
a/n: i got carried away. majorly. i started writing this like two weeks after i released the last one. i couldn’t let it rest, there was so much i wanted to do. mostly i wanted to bring him back but it ended up with a lot of plot so, there. also jaehyun is giving off kang taeoh in run on vibes for me. kissable. loveable. want to cuddle. to list a few. ngl there was a point where i almost killed off the oc bc i had “dreamy” spotify playlist playing and it just seemed like the music they play when a beloved character dies in a movie. n e way.
synopsis: your niece wants to write a letter to santa on christmas eve and when she manages to convince you to write one with her, it makes you wonder what would happen if he were to fulfill your wishes in your letter? ironically, you don’t believe in his existence… and want proof that he exists. what could possibly go wrong when he does make an appearance?
genre: christmas!au, santa!jaehyun, fantasy!au, fem!reader, cocky!jaehyun, smut, fluff, a lil’ crack if you squint
warnings: swearing, oral (m & f receiving), cunnilingus, protected sex (wrap it before you tap it please!), reader has big switch energy, they both tease each other a lil’, stimulation ig??, uh that’s it…?
wordcount: 6.5k
a/n: i had a dream about santa jaehyun back in july and this has been sat in my drafts since and queued since early november… honestly feels surreal that i’m even wrote this and am THINKING about posting this let alone actually posting it. this is my first fic on this side of this site, also my literal first smut, i have —ahem— studied some other works before editing the shit out of this before i felt safe enough to post this. by ‘studied’ i literally mean i absorb people’s writing styles and adopt small thechniques to help improve my own writing and especially since this is my first full-length smut so i’ve been taking tips and pointers about what is good and what’s not from other people’s works. anyway. get into it. i don’t think this will gain traction but i’ve stared at it for literal months and will be happy to just have it out there so that it can stop staring right back at me. also i’m terrible at covers and got tired and annoyed when making it so like,,, deal. don’t be afraid to leave some feedback! tell me how i did and what you thought about it, please!
synopsis: your niece wants to write a letter to santa on christmas eve and when she manages to convince you to write one with her, it makes you wonder what would happen if he were to fulfill your wishes in your letter? ironically, you don’t believe in his existence… and want proof that he exists. what could possibly go wrong when he does make an appearance?
[x] work your magic [⚠] 9.3k
synopsis: before christmas, you and your niece wrote a letter to santa, asking for things that you each wanted. a month later, you’re struggling to make ends meet despite your standing. everything seems okay to the outside, you have a boyfriend who makes money, a loving family who supports you through everything but why is it you can’t remember the last time you saw your family – with your boyfriend? why are you struggling if your boyfriend owns a swanky penthouse? only so much can slide by and one fateful day you encounter someone you hadn’t seen in a long time. then it all goes pear shaped.
[x] home [†] [❖] 8.2k
synopsis: you’ve been at jaehyun’s “secret” flat for a while now. you’re not quite sure how long, he says time passes differently here. Not that you mind. you’re healing and there’s nothing you have wrong with that. having been away from everything that was bad for you, you’re coming to realise that things really were better with jaehyun. And no matter how many times he tries to tell you, he knows you have to come to that conclusion yourself.
[x] the magic of second chances [❖] [†] …🖊
synopsis: In the enchanting North Pole, Jaehyun, AKA Santa Claus, is feeling the chill of an unexpected breakup. As his world begins to lose its magic, the love of his life moves on in search of her own path. But when fate intervenes, can the couple rediscover the magic of love and the enchantment of the North Pole once again? Join Jaehyun on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the joy of second chances in this whimsical holiday tale.
I never imagined I would find myself in a situation that would require me to write these words, but life has taken an unexpected and devastating turn. My family, consisting of my beloved husband and our four children - two daughters and two sons - is facing a crisis that we cannot overcome alone.
Help us to survive and restore our homes
Hello world,
We are a family of 22, urgent… Ismail Hileh braucht deine Unterstützung für
Our home, once filled with love and laughter, has been shattered. The roof over our heads, the walls that protected us, and the place where our children grew up are lost. We lost not only our home, but the foundations of our lives. Now, we struggle every day to survive, with nowhere to go or a way to rebuild without help.
Help us to survive and restore our homes
Hello world,
We are a family of 22, urgent… Ismail Hileh braucht deine Unterstützung für
Our children, who should be focused on school and their dreams, worry instead about where they will sleep or when their next meal will be. The weight of their fear and confusion breaks my heart. As parents, we feel helpless and unable to provide basic necessities for our loved ones.
Help us to survive and restore our homes
Hello world,
We are a family of 22, urgent… Ismail Hileh braucht deine Unterstützung für
We are urgently asking for help because we cannot do this alone. We need to rebuild not only our home, but our lives. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly to providing our children with a safe place to sleep, food to eat, and a chance to dream again. Please, if you can find it in your heart to help us during this desperate time, we will be forever grateful to you. May your kindness and generosity be the light that guides us through this darkness.
Help us to survive and restore our homes
Hello world,
We are a family of 22, urgently seeking … Ismail Hileh needs your support for
I don't think fic writers know how much they matter
Do you know how many times you distracted me when I was hurt or lonely? Do you know how many times a line or a scene from fanfic marked me so much that I remembered years later, even though I can’t recall my own phone number?
Even if the fic isn’t perfect or popular or multi-chaptered… Sometimes there’s just one sentence that changed me.
synopsis: mortal mark faces fae intrigue. despite his obliviousness, his presence stirs admiration and hostility among fae classmates. when tensions escalate, he becomes a focal point, revealing underlying power struggles.
genre: magic, faerie!au, mark is mortal, a slap
wordcount: 1.8k
tags: @kiri-ah
Beginning your day just as the sun was setting was normal. That’s what mortals forget sometimes. Well, Mark did. Despite having lived here for three years and succumbing to your customs he somehow still managed to forget some of the most basic details.
More recently he had taken a liking to you and you weren’t sure why. You hadn’t spoken to him in a nicer manner than the rest or treated him more special than when the others weren’t around but somehow he still wormed his way into your everyday life.
Today was no different.
Although years had passed since you had first met the boy, he remained in your realm, mostly alive. You had never wanted to push your luck with him and had always kept your distance where possible but over time he simply thrived in your company. As you did in his but you wouldn't be caught alive saying that anytime soon.
Today was a beach day. You were taking a break from learning about stars and particularly poisonous plants and their remedies and instead, you were supposed to be spending the day learning about the Selkies. It was, to say the least, a laid back lesson where your lecturer had used this as an excuse to have a day off for themselves too.
Some of the boys had taken a liking to Mark and had taken him under their wing, which was odd behaviour for them, but one in particular seemed more genuine than the rest. Yuta, a Selkie who got on unusually well with Octopus when in his natural habitat if it were not for school and other important meetings being above land, had taken a liking to him. Often, you found that Yuta would be the one bringing Mark little things here and there, making him stand out from the rest of the group who just went along with it for a laugh here and there.
It was no different on this fateful day.
Mark had always been targeted by the others, poking and prodding and being glamoured unwillingly (although, who is glamoured willingly?) but you secretly prided yourself on the fact that you never joined in on these mean tricks the other fae pulled. You always found their behaviour disgusting but if you ever dared speak those words aloud you might just have yourself locked up in the Tower of Forgetting, a dark and dingy place that no one knew how long the current residents had been there for and they certainly didnt know themselves.
Besides that, you try to focus on the more important things going on throughout each and every day as you work yourself closer to the throne as your mother works herself closer to the edge, however, no one would even bother to think that she might “fall victim to flowerbed”, as your fellow fae called one’s death, anytime in the near future.
Today, like most of your waking moments, you were at the waterside, studying. Your teacher had taken to studying in the dusk of the evening wanting you to enjoy the particularly fragrant air as the sun set before jumping into the astrophysics of the universe. Mark, as usual, sat closer to the back, a soft floof of hair bent towards his writing paper as he fiddled with a lamp a blacksmith had gifted him. You assumed there was some kind of trick to it – as fae never gave anything away for free – but nothing ever came of it and it worked just fine for the boy and never faltered or distracted any of the fae during class so there was no room to complain.
Yuta, a pink haired selkie, had taken a liking to the boy, infatuated with Mark’s round ears and unwebbed feet. It was oddly overbearing but you never said anything, doing your best to keep your distance as you had found it rather irritating trying to talk to the boy.
Chaeryoung was sat next to you this dusk, doodling away in the margin of her leaf-bound textbooks, taking little to no attention in of what was going on around her.
“Mark,” Yuta says in a loud sing-song voice, drawing shapes with his finger on Mark’s paper, “has anyone ever told you that you have such lovely ears? They’re so… perfect. Even with their imperfections.” His mouth rested against Mark’s nape when he spoke this, sending chills down your spine just from observing, let alone Mark’s.
The rest of the group was busy talking amongst themselves but quietened down to tune in to the conversation without actually stopping their own conversations. It was an awful trait fae had that you despised as you never felt alone in your conversations.
Mark lifts his head, cheeks flushed from either embarrassment from the attention being dragged his way or from the strange compliment of sorts, and meekly says, “Yes. Usually, it’s you who likes to point out my lack of pointed ears.”
Yuta grins, happy to have had an effect on him, “Well, I do think that it is a rather remarkable feature of yours – what with being human and all…”
At this point on of the other boys, Jaehyun with dark hair and a muscular build glares over at Yuta, “You’re bringing too much attention to that of what holds no importance,” he pauses for a second, the disgust clear on his face and his lips upturning more with every passing millisecond, “...to the lesson.”
Silence falls over the once chittering class and the surrounding nature seemed to have disappeared by the spoken words from Jaehyun.
This was by far not the most threatening thing one of the folk had said to the human boy but it wasn’t the nicest either.
You weren’t one to pay close attention to who was nicest to the humans but you were sure as hell not going to forget those who were the nastiest.
At the prime human equivalent of thirteen, you had found that you held a particular disgust for those who were nasty without reason. So you stayed alert while the class played on.
Taffy, the poor soul stuck with trying to teach you coughed to gain your attention and went back into reading the stars. Today, She was also taking into account the moon and why it controlled the waves the way it did in Rivermond, hence the beach day (even though it was held at dusk).
Some human forty minutes later into the lesson, Mark raised his hand to answer a question that Taffy had posed. He got it right, and looked pleased with himself when Taffy told him as much, cute, you thought.
Yuta thought so too, deciding to spew, “Oh Mark, you’re so smart! Sometimes I wish I could obtain useless information about the human realm the same way you do with our realm.”
Jaehyun scoffs, “Honestly, Yuta?”
Chaeyoung looks up from beside you. Heads were turned towards the back, staring at Mark as Yuta made himself comfortable laying on his front next to him. Jaehyun had risen from his spot, somewhat distraught and annoyed to confront Yuta about it too.
“You’re always commenting on ridiculous things, alright?”
Although you couldn’t tell who this first comment was directed at, you could see clearly that he was mad and you weren’t sure what for. It didn’t seem the appropriate grounds to get this upset. Your eyes widened as Jaehyun kicked his curled boot into Mark’s soft flesh, effectively toppling him over into Yuta too.
“You’re nothing but a poor, human, orphan and everyone in this class knows it, including the Queen’s daughter as much as she pretends to be an insubordinate fool,” he begins, angering you.
“Excuse me?”
That one didn’t even come from you. That one came from Chaeyoung. She had always stuck up for you, much like she had stuck up for Mark when he had first joined but you also knew that she was a foul gossiper too when it came to it. Over time you would come to learn that she would reel it in a lot more but she was still at the forefront of everything secretive this side of the river.
Her lilac dusted hair was swung over her shoulder and her carefully crafted two-piece gown was tugged on by you as you tried to stop her from saying too much when she too rose from her crossed legs position.
“Don’t you dare use your bastard mouth to talk dirty about anyone this side of the river!”
Yuta gasped.
Jaehyun slowly turned red in the face but Chaeyoung still held her ground.
He grips her by the scruff of her neck and lashes out at her. Pushing her across the sand, she tumbles until she is somewhere close to Mark and Yuta, although they too are scrambling to their feet at this point.
Without hesitation, angrily you stand and slap Jaehyun across the cheek. “Never,” a quick finger wag in his face, “ever touch a female like that again or you’re going to regret the last not-human breath you ever took.”
His eyes are wild, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do, tell on me to Mummy?”
“You bet your sorry arse I will,” you’re glaring now, fingers trembling with anger, “and you better watch yourself before I tell her to have you and your rotten-mouthed mother banished to the other side of the river come dawn!”
Jaehyun wouldn’t have been bothered by this comment, had his mother not been trialled months prior for starting whispers about the Queen and her human tendencies. It was against the common law of Rivermond to talk about the Queen in any respect other than the highest possible.
Naturally, this comment made him shut up but the two of you remained nose-to-nose, breathing heavily and completely forgetting your surroundings.
Mark remained on the sand, trying to push himself away from the scene unfolding before him but it had proved difficult when Taffy’s invisible classroom shield gave off a thud when he backed into it too fast.
Heads turned towards him and he stood, a deer in headlights. Taffy let go of the classroom shield momentarily and let him escape, sending Chaeryound after him, knowing she had always taken a liking to him. A good student always remains on your mind; fortunately, Mark was one of her best and she couldn’t bear seeing him in fear. So Taffy let him go for a moment, prepared to blame her poor hold on the shield to the shock of the argument brewing in front of her but everyone knew she was better than that. You knew she prided herself on a stronghold of her class. She let him go because she felt sorry for him.
a/n: hi! sorry for being so long gone! how was it? feel free to drop me hints or suggestions or what you thought; it motivates me more :)
synopsis: In the enchanting North Pole, Jaehyun, AKA Santa Claus, is feeling the chill of an unexpected breakup. As his world begins to lose its magic, the love of his life moves on in search of her own path. But when fate intervenes, can the couple rediscover the magic of love and the enchantment of the North Pole once again? Join Jaehyun on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the joy of second chances in this whimsical holiday tale.
tl;dr: jaehyun fights for his wife (he wants you back)
genre: fantasy!au, kind of domestic!au, magic!jaehyun, fem!reader
other: jaehyun is sexy santa, softboi at heart
w/c: who knows!
expected date: hopefully mid december.
Once upon a snowy North Pole, where Christmas cheer echoed year-round, a unique and enigmatic being named Nicholas Kringle, or simply "Santa" to the world, was going through a post-breakup crisis. Santa was not your ordinary jolly old man; he was the custodian of holiday joy, responsible for spreading happiness and gifts to children all over the world. But even Santa had a personal life, and it was in shambles.
The love of Santa's life, a charming and warm-hearted being… you, had left him on Christmas Eve, taking off on her own journey to find herself. Santa was devastated, not only because he had lost the love of his life. You had been the reason he’d kept breathing and had even tuned in to his aging process, something that was, quite funnily, controlled by a big red button on his dashboard at the workshop.
Without you, the North Pole began to wither. The once-perpetual winter was slowly turning into a more regular, mundane season. The elves noticed the change, but Santa, lost in his heartbreak, couldn't bring himself to fix it.
synopsis: In the enchanting North Pole, Jaehyun, AKA Santa Claus, is feeling the chill of an unexpected breakup. As his world begins to lose its magic, the love of his life moves on in search of her own path. But when fate intervenes, can the couple rediscover the magic of love and the enchantment of the North Pole once again? Join Jaehyun on a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the joy of second chances in this whimsical holiday tale.
tl;dr: jaehyun fights for his wife (he wants you back)
genre: fantasy!au, kind of domestic!au, magic!jaehyun, fem!reader
other: jaehyun is sexy santa, softboi at heart
w/c: who knows!
expected date: hopefully mid december.
Once upon a snowy North Pole, where Christmas cheer echoed year-round, a unique and enigmatic being named Nicholas Kringle, or simply "Santa" to the world, was going through a post-breakup crisis. Santa was not your ordinary jolly old man; he was the custodian of holiday joy, responsible for spreading happiness and gifts to children all over the world. But even Santa had a personal life, and it was in shambles.
The love of Santa's life, a charming and warm-hearted being… you, had left him on Christmas Eve, taking off on her own journey to find herself. Santa was devastated, not only because he had lost the love of his life. You had been the reason he’d kept breathing and had even tuned in to his aging process, something that was, quite funnily, controlled by a big red button on his dashboard at the workshop.
Without you, the North Pole began to wither. The once-perpetual winter was slowly turning into a more regular, mundane season. The elves noticed the change, but Santa, lost in his heartbreak, couldn't bring himself to fix it.
The week following your first encounter with Mark was a tumultuous one. The initial shock and discomfort you felt at his presence had not diminished; instead, it festered like an open wound. Every day brought new challenges and moments that tested your patience.
At the heart of your frustration was the realization that Mark was not like the other fae students. He was, after all, a human, and his actions and reactions were a constant source of bewilderment. While the fae moved gracefully and spoke in riddles, Mark stumbled and bumbled his way through every task and conversation.
You found yourself assigned the unenviable role of Mark's guide, a responsibility you had begrudgingly accepted. Each morning, you met him at the appointed spot, where Chaeyoung eagerly awaited his arrival. She seemed determined to be his friend, a sentiment that both baffled and annoyed you.
Mark's attire remained a sore point for you. While the fae wore exquisite, ethereal garments that shimmered with magic, Mark stubbornly clung to his mundane human clothes. He claimed they were more comfortable, but to your eyes, they were a glaring reminder of his otherness.
One particularly sunny morning, you decided to address the issue. "Mark," you began, your voice tinged with irritation, "you really should consider wearing fae attire. It's not only a matter of tradition but also a matter of safety. The magic in our clothing protects us from certain dangers in this realm."
Mark blinked at you, his expression one of genuine confusion. "Oh, I didn't know. I thought these clothes were just fine. But if it's a safety thing, I guess I should give it a try."
You nodded, somewhat mollified by his willingness to comply. But your exasperation returned in full force when he attempted to change into fae attire right then and there, in the middle of the courtyard. Fae clothing was not donned so casually, and you hurriedly averted your eyes, scolding him for his lack of decorum.
As the days passed, you tried to teach Mark the intricacies of fae culture and etiquette. You introduced him to the delicate art of flower language, explaining that the fae often used blooms to convey unspoken sentiments. Mark, however, struggled to remember even the most basic meanings. His attempts at using flowers for communication were met with unintended hilarity rather than the intended grace.
One evening, you attended a gathering in the faerie court, where all the students mingled and danced under the silver moonlight. It was a tradition that dated back centuries, and the elegance of the event was a stark contrast to Mark's clumsy movements.
As you watched him fumble through a dance with Chaeyoung, your frustration reached its peak. You excused yourself and retreated to the garden, seeking solace among the moonflowers. Their pale, otherworldly beauty had always comforted you, but tonight, even they couldn't soothe your troubled thoughts.
Mark found you there, out of breath and flushed from his dance. He seemed genuinely concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.
You turned away, not wanting him to see your vulnerability. "I'm fine. Just needed some fresh air."
But Mark didn't give up so easily. He sat beside you, his presence oddly comforting despite your earlier irritation. "I know I'm not like the others here," he began, "but I'm trying my best to fit in. I don't want to cause trouble."
His words struck a chord within you, and you finally turned to look at him. His earnest expression revealed the sincerity of his intentions. For the first time, you saw Mark not as a burden but as someone genuinely striving to belong.
Maybe, you thought, it was time to let go of your resentment and give him a chance. After all, Mark was a newcomer in a world that was as strange to him as he was to it. And perhaps, in time, he would prove to be more than just a source of frustration.
synopsis: you struggle to stay silent one beach day in the lesson
genre: magic, faerie!au, mark is mortal
wordcount: 1.8k
tags: @kiri-ah
warnings: threatening behaviour
a/n: wow hi! it's been forever :) i'm such a lazy writer now. my bf is at work and i got tired of doing nothing so i edited and finished off this part. who knows when i'll be back? enjoy!
Beginning your day just as the sun was setting was normal. That’s what mortals forget sometimes. Well, Mark did. Despite having lived here for three years and succumbing to your customs he somehow still managed to forget some of the most basic details.
More recently he had taken a liking to you and you weren’t sure why. You hadn’t spoken to him in a nicer manner than the rest or treated him more special than when the others weren’t around but somehow he still wormed his way into your everyday life.
Today was no different.
Although years had passed since you had first met the boy, he remained in your realm, mostly alive. You had never wanted to push your luck with him and had always kept your distance where possible but over time he simply thrived in your company. As you did in his but you wouldn't be caught alive saying that anytime soon.
Today was a beach day. You were taking a break from learning about stars and particularly poisonous plants and their remedies and instead, you were supposed to be spending the day learning about the Selkies. It was, to say the least, a laid back lesson where your lecturer had used this as an excuse to have a day off for themselves too.
Some of the boys had taken a liking to Mark and had taken him under their wing, which was odd behaviour for them, but one in particular seemed more genuine than the rest. Yuta, a Selkie who got on unusually well with Octopus when in his natural habitat if it were not for school and other important meetings being above land, had taken a liking to him. Often, you found that Yuta would be the one bringing Mark little things here and there, making him stand out from the rest of the group who just went along with it for a laugh here and there.
It was no different on this fateful day.
Mark had always been targeted by the others, poking and prodding and being glamoured unwillingly (although, who is glmaoured willingly?) but you secretly prided yourself on the fact that you never joined in on these mean tricks the other fae pulled. You always found their behaviour disgusting but if you ever dared speak those words aloud you might just have yourself locked up in the Tower of Forgetting, a dark and dingy place that no one knew how long the current residents had been there for and they certainly didnt know themselves.
Besides that, you try to focus on the more important things going on throughout each adn every day as you work yourself closer to the throne as your mother works herself closer to the edge, however, no one would even bother to think that she might “fall victim to flowerbed”, as your fellow fae called one’s death, anytime in the near future.
Today, like most of your waking moments, you were at the waterside, studying. Your teacher had taken to studying in the dusk of the evening wanting you to enjoy the particularly fragrant air as the sun set before jumping into the astrophysics of the universe. Mark, as usual, sat closer to the back, a soft floof of hair bent towards his writing paper as he fiddled with a lamp a blacksmith had gifted him. You assumed there was some kind of trick to it – as fae never gave anything away for free – but nothing ever came of it and it worked just fine for the boy and never faltered or distracted any of the fae during class so there was no room to complain.
Yuta, a pink haired selkie, had taken a liking to the boy, infatuated with Mark’s round ears and unwebbed feet. It was oddly overbearing but you never said anything, doing your best to keep your distance as you had found it rather irritating trying to talk to the boy.
Chaeryoung was sat next to you this dusk, doodling away in the margin of her leaf-bound textbooks, taking little to no attention in of what was going on around her.
“Mark,” Yuta says in a loud sing-song voice, drawing shapes with his finger on Mark’s paper, “has anyone ever told you that you have such lovely ears? They’re so… perfect. Even with their imperfections.” His mouth rested against Mark’s nape when he spoke this, sending chills down your spine just from observing, let alone Mark’s.
The rest of the group was busy talking amongst themselves but quietened down to tune in to the conversation without actually stopping their own conversations. It was an awful trait fae had that you despised as you never felt alone in your conversations.
Mark lifts his head, cheeks flushed from either embarrassment from the attention being dragged his way or from the strange compliment of sorts, and meekly says, “Yes. Usually, it’s you who likes to point out my lack of pointed ears.”
Yuta grins, happy to have had an effect on him, “Well, I do think that it is a rather remarkable feature of yours – what with being human and all…”
At this point on of the other boys, Jaehyun with dark hair and a muscular build glares over at Yuta, “You’re bringing too much attention to that of what holds no importance,” he pauses for a second, the disgust clear on his face and his lips upturning more with every passing millisecond, “...to the lesson.”
Silence falls over the once chittering class and the surrounding nature seemed to have disappeared by the spoken words from Jaehyun.
This was by far not the most threatening thing one of the folk had said to the human boy but it wasn’t the nicest either.
You weren’t one to pay close attention to who was nicest to the humans but you were sure as hell not going to forget those who were the nastiest.
At the prime human equivalent of thirteen, you had found that you held a particular disgust for those who were nasty without reason. So you stayed alert while the class played on.
Taffy, the poor soul stuck with trying to teach you coughed to gain your attention and went back into reading the stars. Today, She was also taking into account the moon and why it controlled the waves the way it did in Rivermond, hence the beach day (even though it was held at dusk).
Some human forty minutes later into the lesson, Mark raised his hand to answer a question that Taffy had posed. He got it right, and looked pleased with himself when Taffy told him as much, cute, you thought.
Yuta thought so too, deciding to spew, “Oh Mark, you’re so smart! Sometimes I wish I could obtain useless information about the human realm the same way you do with our realm.”
Jaehyun scoffs, “Honestly, Yuta?”
Chaeyoung looks up from beside you. Heads were turned towards the back, staring at Mark as Yuta made himself comfortable laying on his front next to him. Jaehyun had risen from his spot, somewhat distraught and annoyed to confront Yuta about it too.
“You’re always commenting on ridiculous things, alright?”
Although you couldn’t tell who this first comment was directed at, you could see clearly that he was mad and you weren’t sure what for. It didn’t seem the appropriate grounds to get this upset. Your eyes widened as Jaehyun kicked his curled boot into Mark’s soft flesh, effectively toppling him over into Yuta too.
“You’re nothing but a poor, human, orphan and everyone in this class knows it, including the Queen’s daughter as much as she pretends to be an insubordinate fool,” he begins, angering you.
“Excuse me?”
That one didn’t even come from you. That one came from Chaeyoung. She had always stuck up for you, much like she had stuck up for Mark when he had first joined but you also knew that she was a foul gossiper too when it came to it. Over time you would come to learn that she would reel it in a lot more but she was still at the forefront of everything secretive this side of the river.
Her lilac dusted hair was swung over her shoulder and her carefully crafted two-piece gown was tugged on by you as you tried to stop her from saying too much when she too rose from her crossed legs position.
“Don’t you dare use your bastard mouth to talk dirty about anyone this side of the river!”
Yuta gasped.
Jaehyun slowly turned red in the face but Chaeyoung still held her ground.
He grips her by the scruff of her neck and lashes out at her. Pushing her across the sand, she tumbles until she is somewhere close to Mark and Yuta, although they too are scrambling to their feet at this point.
Without hesitation, angrily you stand and slap Jaehyun across the cheek. “Never,” a quick finger wag in his face, “ever touch a female like that again or you’re going to regret the last not-human breath you ever took.”
His eyes are wild, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do, tell on me to Mummy?”
“You bet your sorry arse I will,” you’re glaring now, fingers trembling with anger, “and you better watch yourself before I tell her to have you and your rotten-mouthed mother banished to the other side of the river come dawn!”
Jaehyun wouldn’t have been bothered by this comment, had his mother not been trialled months prior for starting whispers about the Queen and her human tendencies. It was against the common law of Rivermond to talk about the Queen in any respect other than the highest possible.
Naturally, this comment made him shut up but the two of you remained nose-to-nose, breathing heavily and completely forgetting your surroundings.
Mark remained on the sand, trying to push himself away from the scene unfolding before him but it had proved difficult when Taffy’s invisible classroom shield gave off a thud when he backed into it too fast.
Heads turned towards him and he stood, a deer in headlights. Taffy let go of the classroom shield momentarily and let him escape, sending Chaeryound after him, knowing she had always taken a liking to him. A good student always remains on your mind; fortunately, Mark was one of her best and she couldn’t bear seeing him in fear. So Taffy let him go for a moment, prepared to blame her poor hold on the shield to the shock of the argument brewing in front of her but everyone knew she was better than that. You knew she prided herself on a stronghold of her class. She let him go because she felt sorry for him.
afterword: so. here it is. updated whenever. there’s no schedule. only me doing my bit here and there. please enjoy. please don't hesitate to tell me what you think! it actually helps and motivates me :) anon is on!
