Here's a new flavor to add to the mix. Flowers Are Bait is what I'd consider a dark psychological thriller romance. The story starts with our girl, So Yiyeon (Leeyeon), out in the woods on a moonless night. Why is she out in the woods in the middle of the night - with a chainsaw no less, you ask? Well, our girl is a tree doctor. In fact, she loves plants more than people and certainly is much more comfortable around them.
Tonight however she's not the only one out in the lonely depths of the forest.
Yiyeon comes across a man busy burying a body. A body that's still alive. And the murder doesn't take kindly to someone interrupting him.
A chase and a scuffle - and a chainsaw to the head later - the murderer is unconscious and, through manhwa hijinks, Yiyeon finds herself involved with the mafia. That's right, the mafia will let her live but in exchange she's responsible for taking care of the now comatose body of her would-be killer. As long as she keeps the body alive and hidden, she can continue living as well. So each night, for two years, Yiyeon goes up the locked room in her house and she prays a simple prayer.
and then, one day
he does.
Here's where the story really starts. Because Kwon Chaewoo, murderer and comatose patient, doesn't remember anything. Not how he got there, not what happened, not even who he is. And, in a fit of panic, in order to save her life, Yiyeon tells him they're married.
Because what kind of story would it be otherwise?
So begins a story of nature vs. nurture. Is a man that can't remember his past and what made him into who he was still the same man? How much can you trust the face he's showing and how much are you waiting for who is underneath it to surface? How far can you play the game of being his wife and avoid getting entangled with him physically - but emotionally as well?
What are you going to do if he ever remembers who he once was?
What I'm enjoying about this story - aside from getting to gleefully sing 'someone's going to get muuuurdeeeered!' - is that Yiyeon isn't an innocent. She's been through a dark past that's only been hinted at so far but its very obviously messed with her psychologically. She's tough and determined at times and scared and helpless at others and neither one of those negates the other. She very much feels like a woman that's been single her whole life in the way she approaches everything, used to doing things herself without anyone else to rely on. She has a good heart as well even if its obviously been damaged in the past.
The story isn't just from her perspective though. Chaewoo isn't just spooky window-dressing. He's sharply intelligent and he's constantly trying to fit together the pieces of what Yiyeon tells him vs. what he observes about her actions. He's aware there's more to him than she's saying and yet he's latched onto her as his only anchor in the blank slate of his life. He accepts that she's not telling him the full truth and doesn't hold it against her. She's got a reason and he knows it even if he hasn't, yet, figured out what it is. There's no doubt this man is terrifying - and yet, compared to some of the things we're finding out about Yiyeon's past - terrifying isn't necessarily a bad thing if it will terrify the things that haunt her. And as a couple they swing from cute to hot and everything in-between. Watching Yiyeon open up to him is surprisingly healing.
So - will they - won't they - and how many bodies are going to end up piling up in the process? I don't know but I'm completely enjoying the ride so far.
rating: PG13 for now but if it slips to R soon I won't be surprised
warnings: blood, murder, death, torture, needles, assault, horny people, stalkers, obsession, police indifference, blackmail, dead chicken, heights, being unwanted, body scars, hospitals, desperately lying about sexual compatibility
a/n: SPOILERS - SQUID GAME SEASON 3 - WATCH TIL THE END this is a one shot with an alt ending to fix myself, totally self indulgent; no further summary, as it would spoil the show
contains: usual Squid Game stuff - mentions of drugs, death and depression; comfort, softie Thanos
w/c: 1.5k
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
It's 2 AM and your doorbell is ringing.
You are more than pissed at the sound and whoever is pressing the damn bell.
You’ve been doing extra and double shifts at Club Pentagon, since Nam-gyu was gone. He’s been completely unavailable since Halloween, his phone going to voicemail every time. None of you heard of him. One of the guys even went to check on him at his place, but his roommates said they have no clue where he may be. Chances are he OD’d in a ditch somewhere were high.
The doorbell ring turns into loud banging against the door.
“(Y/n), open up! It’s Thanos!” -the familiar deep voice shouts. “Please!”
I’m gonna kill him! -you huff, half meaning it. You’ve been in a situationship with him - but that doesn't mean you wouldn’t put him through your window if he came over for money to get high or if he wants to have sex. You’re disheveled, underslept and overworked. You hop out of bed, wearing only an oversized Club Pentagon logo T-shirt as your nightgown. You rip your door open - almost out of its frame.
“You son of a bitch…” -you yawn. “You have any idea what time-...”
“Please! I need your help!”
Your eyes grow as big as saucers.
Thanos is not alone. He is holding a very small baby, possibly no older than a few days, wrapped in a pink swaddle.
“Where the hell did you get this baby?!” -you whisper-shout and hit his arm. “Did you knock up some poor girl?!” -with his libido, that would make sense. A woman getting sick of his shit and dropping the baby on him is your first and only guess.
“Fuck no, I always wrap up or pull out!” -he goes all defensive. “It’s not my kid.”
“Then why do you have it?!”
“It’s a long story.” -he sighs. “Just let us in! Please!”
You angrily curse under your breath but let him in.
“You better explain yourself.” -you say as you sit at your kitchen table. He gently places the baby on the table. The baby is quiet - not a peep out of them. “Boy or girl?” -you start.
“A girl. Baby Senorita.” -Thanos smiles softly as he looks at the baby in an adoring manner. He rocks her gently. His big hand envelopes almost her entire body.
“Okay, please tell me that’s not her legal name, or she’s gonna end up on a pole in 18 years time!”
“No, it's temporary.” -he chuckles.
“And? What happened? How did you get this baby?” -you press. You need all the information!
Thanos takes a deep breath. He tells you the wildest, most unhinged story you have ever heard in your life - and you’ve been hanging out with Thanos and Nam-gyu for years!
He tells you about the Pink Guards and the players in green tracksuits.
He tells you about Red Light, Green Light - where a doll somehow shoots people who move at red light. He tells you about Six-Legged Pentathlon - where people are tied together and need to complete mini-games, like ddakji and gonggi. If they don’t pass, they get killed. He tells you about Mingle - how his bro, Gyeong-su, died because of him. Whoever that is…
Then he tells you about Hide and Seek - where taggers have to kill the hiders. He tells you about Jump Rope - where so many people died, because of their sustained injuries from the previous game. He tells you that’s when the baby’s mom and Nam-gyu died, too. He tells you about a fancy dinner and about Sky Squid Game - where only 3 people had to be eliminated, but MG Coin, some guy he took crypto advice from on YouTube, got greedy and nearly killed his own baby. Apparently, Thanos was holding the baby and pressed the button, while MG Coin and this guy who played these games before - you assumed another player - were fighting and they both fell to their deaths, making Thanos and the baby the winners of Squid Game 2024. They each won 22.8 billion ₩. He was knocked unconscious and dropped off just an hour ago with the baby in downtown Seoul. You look at him in disbelief. Each sentence he speaks out loud makes the frown deepen between your brows and your jaw drop lower. None of it makes any sense!
“Thanos… with all due respect, man… how fucking high are you?!”
“Bitch, I ran out of pills days ago!” -he snaps. This startles the baby and she starts crying. “Ah, shit… look what you did!”
“Me?!”
“You woke up Baby Senorita!” -he picks up the baby and starts rocking her, holding the tiny thing against his chest. He starts singing but quickly fails to remember the lyrics. “Hush Senorita, don’t you cry, Thanos gonna buy you a… uh…um.. A la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la-la-la na-na-na-na-na…”
“Whatever.” -you roll your eyes. It is so far-fetched, you don’t even try to wrap your head around it. “Why are you here?”
“Because I don’t trust anyone else, but you, (Y/n)!”
You open your mouth, but your words die on your lips. His brown eyes are full of sadness. He must have seen things. Things that broke him. You know he isn’t lying, he wouldn’t, he is horrible at that. But to believe all of this? People playing children’s games and getting killed?
You let out a deep sigh.
“I’ll get her some stuff. You two stay here until we figure it out in the morning, ok?”
Thanos nods and walks to your bedroom with the baby.
He’s worn out. He is tired and terrified. He played the last two games without any drugs left in his system and it was taking its toll on him. He falls asleep almost immediately in your soft, clean bed - no stench of sweat or blood… or death.
However, he is tortured by nightmares and the ghosts of the games. He sees Mi-na, Gyeong-su, Se-mi, Min-su and Nam-gyu… all the people he cared about in the games. He jolts awake, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. It’s over - he reminds himself. He’s out and he’s alive - but at what cost? He feels he will be haunted forever.
He sits up in your bed, massaging his forehead. He looks to his side to see the baby and you sleeping. Your shopping trip was a little longer than expected, but you got the essentials - formulas and diapers. Once you got home, Thanos and the baby were sleeping. Since you only had one bedroom with a double bed, you fell asleep next to the baby.
You’re curled up in a fetal position. Thanos decides not to wake you and makes himself coffee - even though his body is craving something else. Something much stronger. His entire being is trembling. He knows it is the lack of sleep and the things he has seen - but he can’t help it. For a split second he wants to leave. He wants to leave the baby with you and never look back. He convinces himself, that the baby would be better off without a junkie like him. He just wants to get high as a kite and forget the games have ever happened. He wants to forget he has seen and smelled death for 6 long days - the death of people he cared for.
He drops the cup that shatters to pieces on the tiles. The noise is so loud, the baby wakes and starts crying - which wakes you up, too.
“Shhs, it’s ok.” -you pick up the baby. “It’s ok. Shhs.” -you coo. “Thanos?” -you walk out of the bedroom. You see him sitting on the floor, next to a broken cup, his face stained with tears and worry. “Hey!” -you hurry yourself to his side and kneel next to him. “What happened?”
“I broke a cup.” -he sniffs.
“Fuck that! I meant you!”
Instead of responding, he pulls you and the baby into a hug. With one hand, you hold the baby, but with the other you pat Thanos on his back.
“Hey…” -you say softly. “It’s gonna be ok. I’m gonna be right here. For the both of you. As long as you need.” -you reassure. Thanos lets go of you and looks you in your eyes.
“Promise?” -he asks.
“Of course.” -you brush his cheek. “I could never abandon you.”
Thanos can’t say a word. His eyes are fixated on yours - he feels he found something else in you: hope. He feels at home with you - the storm immediately calming in him at your touch. He holds your hand and kisses your palm.
His sweet action makes you blush. For the first time, it doesn’t feel like he just wants a quick release. It feels rather genuine and caring.
“Su-bong…” -you whisper. You never used his real name before. “Let’s go back to bed and figure it out in the morning.” -you stand up.
He nods and follows you.
“I’ll get you another cup.” -he says.
You chuckle softly and kiss his cheek.
“You need to get me a lot more than just a cup since you and Baby Senorita are going to stay.”
He smiles.
You both know it will be dysfunctional situationship, but nonetheless it will be all yours.
Oomimi: I made the cake with less sugar so you can take some home to share with your granny.
Akagi: Ey, Shinsuke!! What a lucky granny you’ve got, eh?
Kita: Hehe. Indeed.
Osamu: What?? The cake is homemade???? (*furious sniffing to try to smell the ingredients)
Atsumu: And by Oomimi-san?!! (Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!! Old married couple!!! *squeals)
Aran: Aaaagh! Stop pushing, you two!!
Gin: Wow! A lighter! (*he didn’t know they could use one!)(They can… right?) Suna: (he’ll properly collect evidence of smiling Kita-san this time)
