– A lot of asks have come in recently asking about when it’s time to stop planning and start writing and what you should know before you start the first draft vs what you should develop along the way. This is pretty much a checklist of things you should have generally figured out before you begin the first draft. Once you have the following things fleshed out, you should be pretty ready to go. There is always a point in the planning phase where you must accept that 90% of story development happens along the way and partially on accident. I hope this helps you feel more confident in starting your first draft after what I’m sure has been lots of over-planning. Happy writing!
Plot
What plot structure are you following?
What is the main conflict of your story?
Who is the protagonist?
Who or what is the antagonist?
What are the subplots in your story?
What events caused the conflict in your story?
What about the plot will interest your reader the most?
Where does the plot twist(s) occur in your story and how do they affect the it?
What is original or different about your plot that the reader has never experienced before?
What is your story, as a whole, primarily about? Family? Good vs. Evil? The change a character endures? Mirroring reality? Social commentary?
World/Setting
Where is your story taking place?
What areas or locations do the majority of your story take place in?
Is the story based on Earth, an alternate Earth, or a completely different place?
What are the rules of science/magic in your story?
What is the history of the world in your story?
What is society like in your world?
What is the government/economics like in your world?
What level of technology is there in your world?
What is the geography like?
What are some cultures/cultural aspects that will come into play during your story?
Characters
What role does the character play in your story?
What motivates your character?
What are your character’s strengths and weaknesses?
How will your character change throughout the story?
What is your character’s backstory?
How do they impact the plot?
What are their relationships with other characters?
What drives their actions?
What is in the way of them accomplishing their goals?
What Do They..
- Think they want
- Truly want
- Need
Representation/Symbolism/Theme
What are the major subtextual messages you want to get across throughout your story?
Have you created a cast of characters that represent any minorities?
What are the major symbols in your story?
How are you going to display these symbols to your audience?
How relevant are the symbols to your actual plot?
What is/are the major theme(s) in your story?
Are the themes of your story being conveyed through your setting, characters, or plot?
Is the conflict parallel with a real social issue that you’re commenting on?
How can your representation, symbolism, and theme be enhanced at this point in the writing process?
Have you run your ideas and plans by someone who could give you critiques in order to improve the representation, theme, and symbolism in your story?
I just want to emphasize that it is super important to maintain flexibility when you’re writing a fictional story. Details will change, your preference will change, characters will start to make their own choices, and you will be tempted to change things as you go. Let it happen. Be willing to let go of your past decisions if they no longer satisfy you or your narrative.
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MY CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS (Check it out, it’s pretty cool. At least I think it is.)
Rebloggable version, as requested by davrosbro. :)
Oooh! Yes! I love kisses. Kisses are where it all starts ;).
Okay, first, remember that a kiss is much, much more than just lips. It is lips, but also tongues, teeth, eyes, faces, hands, noses, bodies, heartbeats, breath, voice- and most importantly, a kiss is emotions. A kiss without emotion is just wet mushy lips stuck together. Ew. Gross. The most important part of a kiss isn’t the how, but the who- because of the emotions between the two people.
Okay so:
lips- Lips can slide, glide over each other smoothly, or they can be chapped and rough and dry and get stuck on each other. They can match, top-to-top and bottom-to-bottom, or they can overlap, with one person’s top or bottom lip captured between the other person’s lips (yummy). If there is lipstick or chapstick there is lipstick or chapstick flavor, otherwise, lips don’t have a taste (can you taste yours?). Lips also can smack- the sound of two of them coming together or pulling apart, because they’re wet and warm and soft.
tongue- Tongues are always wet, and always warm. They’re very versatile. They can trace over lips, teeth, or another tongue. They can be smooth and graceful or teasing and flicking. When tongues are involved, there is drool. It’s only sexy when you like the person you’re kissing, or else it’s kinda gross. :P
teeth- teeth can clack together awkwardly, or teeth can bite down sensually. A person biting their own lip is cute, a person biting another’s lips is sexy. A person biting gently is sensual, a person biting roughly is sexual.
eyes- Eyes can be wide open with surprise, half-lidded with desire, fully closed with pleasure. Eyes can gaze lovingly, lustfully, wistfully, hungrily, seductively- it all depends upon the emotions of your characters. Have them do whatever you like, but don’t leave them out- give them at least a mention!
faces- Faces are what the lips are attached to. Noses bump, cheeks flush, ears turn red, foreheads either wrinkle or relax. Kisses can leave lips, quite easily, and become kisses on chins, cheeks, noses, foreheads, ears, necks, throats. Kisses on noses or foreheads are cute and adorable, kisses on cheeks are sweet, kisses on chins, ears, and throats are very sexual. And a kiss on the lips can be all of those! <3
hands- Hands are super-important. In order to describe a kiss, usually you want to also describe the hands. Where are they? Does one character have their hand behind the other’s head or back, holding them close? Are they on someone’s shoulders pulling them near, or pushing them away? Fingers brushing someone’s cheek or palms grabbing someone’s ass convey two very different kinds of situations, even if the kiss itself is exactly the same.
noses- Noses are annoying. They easily get in the way, especially for first kisses! People have to tilt their head to one side or the other, and if they don’t, noses bump. I’d only mention noses if a kiss is supposed to be awkward or uncertain or nervous.
bodies- bodies are either close together, or far away. Someone can be surrounded comfortingly by someone’s arms, or terrifyingly trapped by them. Bodies are warm or hot, they are calm or nervous, relaxed or tense. Body language says a lot. Is your character pulling away, or moving closer?
heartbeat- Hearts can beat fast or slow, and that’s about all they can do- but there are lots of reasons why they do! A heart can beat fast with fear or excitement or nervousness; a heart can pound with lust or race with terror or sing with joy. Hearts can glow, cower, or shatter. When you really want to drive the emotions of a character home, mention the heart.
breath- To me, the most consuming part of a kiss is the breath. The air that someone else has just breathed going deep into your lungs is very intimate. Lips and tongues don’t have a taste, but breath does. Each person’s breath tastes different, smells different, and surrounds a person differently than anyone else’s breath. Breath can be warm and sweet, breath can be hot and sexy, breath can be hot and frightening. It is something that is very present and should not be left out. A lot of writers leave breath out. And it’s so important; it’s the most intimate part of a kiss. Someone else is breathing into your lungs, and it’s either heaven or it’s hell.
voice- Voice conveys much, even without words. A voice can groan, whimper, gasp, moan, catch, whine, scream, sigh. Voice can convey emotion powerfully, and while some kisses are silent, usually they’re not.
emotion- Emotion is the most important- and the thing you try not to say. You want to describe it, through all of the things above, so that it’s perfectly clear what your characters are feeling, without you ever using the “feelings words”. If they’re in love, their bodies will lean close, their eyes will smile, their voices will giggle softly. If they’re nervous, their palms will sweat, their noses will bump, their voices will shudder. If they’re afraid, their muscles will be tense, their faces will grimace, their lips will not open. Emotion is the color that you keep inside your mind as you write; it’s the base line that drives the description behind everything else you say.
Wow, that was a lot! Gosh I hope it wasn’t too much! Keep in mind not every kiss has all these things- this is just a list of things to consider when writing a kiss, and based on how long of a kiss you want to make. Keep in mind that typing “they kissed for a long time”…that’s six words, it takes half a second to read, so that’s a short kiss! If you want a long kiss, you need long sentences that make the reader linger.
So maybe to start off, pick three things on the list to describe in your first kiss. Don’t try to do it all- that would be too much for even the most epic kiss. Just pick what’s most important to this particular scene, to these particular characters, and describe those parts along with the lips, and you’ve got yourself an awesome, emotional kiss. <3
genre: han seungwoo x reader, fluff, domestic bliss
word count: 4k
plot: Your cousin asks you to babysit his children (14 y.o. Dongpyo & 13 months old baby sister Dohye) to celebrate the anniversary with his wife. Your boyfriend volunteeringly helps you out. Oh oh looks like you two are about to catch baby fever.
a/n: I finally decided to watch Broduce during quarantine although I already knew the outcome because I was too moved by some videos of Yunseong and Jinhyuk :( Anyways when Seungwoo said that if he had a son he’d like him to be like Dongpyo, I was like: say no more! (I hope you don’t mind that I made Dongpyo younger for this)
from: capt. seungwoo <3 [3:17pm]
wanna do something later? i miss u :(
to: capt. seungwoo <3 [3:19pm]
it’s been only two days... but i miss u too :(
and i don’t know if i have time today. i’m babysitting Jaesung’s children tonight because they are celebrating their anniversary and might come back late
from: capt. seungwoo <3 [3:19pm]
i could come by and help you out?
i’m meeting seungsik now but i definitely can come right afterwards!
to: capt. seungwoo <3 [3:20pm]
yeeess, i’d love that!
—
5:07pm. The streets are filled with cars rushing home and it almost looks like they are following the sun, eager to come home and finally rest. You just finished stowing away things in your small apartment that could be possibly dangerous around babies, now lazily scrolling through your Instagram feed and liking every other post. Then the doorbell finally rang and you rushed to the door to buzz them in. Almost a minute later there was a family of four standing in your living room.
“Sorry for being late,” your cousin said as he carefully put his bag down, “traffic, you know.” “It’s fine,” you replied and crouched down and shook little Dohye’s hands, beaming at the baby in the stroller. “Well, someone’s in a good mood today, aren’t you little sunshine?” Whether she did understand you or not, the little girl simply responded with a cheerful giggle that could melt anyone’s heart.
“She’s been energetic all day long. I hope she won’t give you a hard time,” her mother told you while undoing the buckles and taking the small child in her arms. Dongpyo was already sitting down on the couch next to the big black bag, seemingly busy on his phone.
“Everything you need for Dohye is in the bag. Diapers, baby food and even some toys to keep her entertained.” Your attention diverted back to your cousin who was going through the bag to check all items. “All right, thank you.”
After checking the final things with you, Hyejin took your hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. “Thank you so much for doing this!” “Yes, thank you. You are the best!” Your cousin engulfed you in a hug and then walked over to his children. “Behave well and help Y/N out, okay?” he playfully ruffled Dongpyo’s hair and bent down to kiss the little girl on his lap, followed by his wife showering the two with affection. A little annoyed like most teenagers in puberty the young boy told his parents off.
Halfway through the door Hyejin turned around to say, “Call us if there are any problems!”
“Don’t worry, Seungwoo is also coming. I’m sure we’ll manage,” you reassured them while ushering them out, “Just enjoy your anniversary!” "Oh, say hello from us then, yeah?” Jaesung waved one last time before the door closed.
“Finally!” the fourteen years-old exclaimed, making you chuckle. Seeing how his sister started squirming in his lap and hitting his face, you offered to take her while Dongpyo dutifully laid out her blanket on your floor and set up a few toys. “So, your boyfriend is also coming?”
“Yup, I think you’ve only met him once. Remember when we picked you up from dance practice because your mom was in labor? He drove us to the hospital.”
“Oh yeah, but isn’t he too cool for you?”
“Hey, wouldn’t be the other way around?” You played along. “Dohye agrees with me.”
“Nah, he really looked cool driving with one hand and calming you down while you were nervous as a cat.”
Just when you were about to retort the doorbell rang again as if your boyfriend knew you were talking about him. “Dongpyo can you get that, please?” Without further ado the boy got up from the comfy spot and buzzes Seungwoo in. A few moments later he enters, dressed in black ripped jeans and a white tee which was mainly covered by the purple The Rolling Stones hoodie (you got it for him as a birthday present and he claimed it was his favorite piece of clothing ever since).
“Hey guys, I brought some cake!” Seungwoo proudly lifts the white bag with his usual endearing smile. He fist-bumped Dongpyo and walked over to press a chaste kiss on your cheek before he set the cake down on the kitchen counter.
“You should marry him,” Dongpyo’s ogling eyes followed your boyfriend first, then his body. Eager to have some cake, his hands were already reaching out for the white bag when you stopped him. “Dongpyo stop. Let's save the cake for dessert, alright?”
With a pout, the boy looks up at the older guy in hope of him being able to convince you otherwise but the latter apologetically shook his head, “Sorry pal, you heard the boss.” He then proceeded to carefully stored the cake in your refrigerator as Dongpyo dramatically put his head between his hands.
—
About half an hour into the babysitting you were sitting down on your floor, watching Dohye grabbing colorful wooden bricks and stacking them on top of each other. Sometimes she would even chuck them in your direction as if to tell you that you should do the same.
Meanwhile the two boys sat comfortably on the couch as Dongpyo showed some of his dance covers on his phone but also a few viral video clips he saw on social media, both unable to hold back their laughter. By now they have become close mentally - as well as physically. They were leaning onto each other, leaving no space between them, and Seungwoo had one of his arms draped over the boy’s narrow shoulders. It was a position you were very familiar with.
“Hey Y/N, have you seen this video of a ferret dancing? It’s soooo cute,” Dongpyo leaned down from the couch to show you his phone screen whereas Seungwoo held onto his shirt so he wouldn’t fall down. Mimicking the ferret’s movements with Dohye’s rattle in your hand, you answered, “Yes, I replayed it so, so many times and even sent it to Seungwoo.”
Enticed by the rattle, the little baby dropped the blue brick and started crawling towards you. With open arms you welcome the girl as she climbed in your lap, willingly handing the rattle over. Immediately Dohye aggressively shook the toy and filled the room not only with rhythmic rattling but also joyous laughter.
Feeling your lower back starting to hurt from sitting on the ground, you scooted over to lean against the couch with Dohye safely pulled against your front. “Wow, this is funny haha!”
When you craned your neck to see what Dongypo was laughing about, you realized that Seungwoo’s eyes had been set on you. It seemed like he was in a daze, the way he smiled so fondly at the sight of you holding and playing with the baby.
The image of you and him having a baby of your own crossed his mind ever since he walked through the door today and saw you two together and truth to be told he liked it - a lot.
His hand then slowly reached out for your head and gently stroked your hair, careful not to get any strands tangled with his rings. Enjoying the calming feeling, you returned his sweet gesture with a genuine smile that made his heart flutter like the first time he met you.
This intimate moment didn’t last long, though, as Dohye suddenly began to cry. “Oh no, what’s wrong, Dohye?” You picked her tiny body up and smelled her diaper. “Well, it doesn’t seem like you need your diaper changed.”
“I bet she’s hungry, Y/N” Dongpyo said as he put his phone down. “Can you get the baby food from bag, please?” You slowly got up from your place and rocked the girl back and forth in hope of calming her down. “Shh, don’t cry. Your big brother is getting your food right.”
“I got it! It says that it needs to be heated up in the microwave for a minute to a minute and a half,” the boy read the instructions and walked over to your kitchen. However, he struggled to open the glass so Seungwoo offered to help him, “Here, let me.”
He then opened the little glass on his first try and proceeded to put it in your microwave as he already knew his way around your kitchen. “Oh, I think this might be a little too hot?” Seungwoo worried after taking the glass out and rolling it between his hands.
“Let’s stir the heat out and wait a little then... Dongpyo, is there perhaps a baby bib in the bag too?”
All of you made your way back into the living room, you sitting down on the couch with a still crying baby and joined by Seungwoo while Dongpyo looked for the baby bib. Tying it around her neck turned out to be a bit harder than expected since she started to squirm around.
After finally succeeding, you decided to switch with Seungwoo so you could feed the little girl. You carefully blew on the small spoon as Dohye watched you with big eyes and drool coating her mouth already. Ten minutes later the glass is empty and a big content smile grazed the girl’s lips.
“Wow, you eat really well, huh?” You wiped her mouth with the bib and booped her little nose. “You come after your dad, I guess.”
—
“Are you sure you don’t need me to help you cook?”
“I’ll manage. Just watch the kids, honey” You couldn’t help but giggle at your own cheesy words and squeezed his muscular arm before sending him back into the living room. As soon as you calmed Dohye down, the next kid started to complain about being hungry. This whole situation made you feel like it was your little family.
Before you could indulge further into your imagination, you diverted your attention to the ingredients in front of you to cook pasta. While the noodles were boiling, you were busy cutting onions and carrots for the sauce when suddenly a pair of arms wrapped themselves around your middle. Shortly after his head hovered next to yours, “Looks good, babe.”
“There is nothing to see yet,” you playfully nudged him, yet he pulled you closer against his body. “Wasn’t talking about the food,” Seungwoo then cheekily pressed his lips against the side of your face and proceeded to steal a few slices of carrots, running back before you could stop him.
Looking over your shoulder you saw that he was sharing the stolen goods with none other than Dongpyo, both a giggling mess. In your eyes the two were like a real father-son duo and you began to wonder what it would be like if you two were to start a family. A blush bloomed on your cheeks, yet you pushed the thought back to focus on cooking again.
As soon as you served the pasta, Dongpyo came rushing and very eager to dig in. You left the TV on and put on a children’s show to entertain Dohye while the rest of you enjoyed dinner.
“I’m so fuuuuull! Thank you for the meal, Y/N,” Dongpyo said as he lazily rubbed his tummy and closed his eyes for moment. “Too full for the cake, though?” Seungwoo asked the boy across him, raising his eyebrow. At his words, Dongpyo’s eyes opened with a twinkle in them, “Never!”
While you put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, Seungwoo was already taking out new plates and of course: the long-anticipated cake. “I hope you like cherries, Dongpyo,” your boyfriend presented three chunky pieces of cake covered in pink and white frosting with little cherries on top. “Voila, the cake is really delicious. I tried one piece with Seungsik today,” he winked at you and forked a bite-sized piece, raising it to your mouth.
You welcomed the sweet taste as the frosting melted on your tongue, humming in agreement. Just when the three of you sat down on the couch again, the baby started crawling towards your boyfriend and grabbed his sturdy leg to pull herself up, her eyes set on the pink and white delicacy. Seungwoo quickly put his plate on the coffee table and picked the girl easily up.
“Aigoo, do you want some?” You two only laughed when she stretched her short arms towards your plate and almost lunged at it, only to be held back by your co-babysitter. You scooped a small amount of the frosting on your pinky and placed it against her plump limps which she gladly took.
“Oh Y/N, be careful of her-”
“Ouch!”
Dongpyo’s warning came a little too late as you massaged your poor finger, while Dohye somehow managed to giggle innocently yet diabolically at the same time (in that moment she reminded you a lot of her brother).
—
“Do you want to see my new dance routine?”
“Weren’t you too full to move just now?” You questioned the young boy.
“It’s all good now. I don’t think I will throw up.”
“Well, that’s very reassuring.”
Soon your small living room turned into a stage as Dongpyo prepared several dance covers of girl groups. His little sister started to jump up and down on the couch, with Seungwoo holding her arms, to cheer him on. He even managed to persuade Seungwoo to join him who acted hesitant at first but matched the teenager’s energy once he got up.
You and Dohye clapped as soon as the little showcase ended. The two guys plumped down on the couch, slightly out of breath. Seungwoo wasted no time to strip himself off his purple hoodie, leaving him in his loose white tee. The tattoos adorning his milky skin caught the younger one’s attention, “Wow Seungwoo, you have tattoos? Y/N, your boyfriend is soooo cool!”
He then put his index finger under his chin, “I think I’m getting tattoos, too, when I’m older. They look so cool on you.” At this you two couldn’t stifle your laughter, earning a confused look from Dongpyo. But who could blame you? It was very hard to imagine such a sweet, baby-faced boy to get tattoos inked on his skin.
“Sure thing, buddy,” Seungwoo ruffled the boy’s hair, unable to hold back his smile.
“Oh, but it hurts a lot, right? Maybe I won’t get any after all...” Dongpyo leaned back against the couch, hugging the cushion tighter.
—
You didn’t know how much time had passed when you took care of the mess in your kitchen but when you returned to your living room, you discovered a sleeping baby lying on top of your boyfriend’s chest. Your heart melted at this sight and the corners of your mouth immediately tugged upwards. Wanting to capture the sweet moment, you took your phone out and wasted no time to get a few shots of the two, careful not to disturb them.
Just when you crouched down next to the couch to get an up-close shot, your knee joints betrayed you. The pop seemingly woke up your boyfriend from his slumber as his eyes slowly opened and you were met with warm, brown orbs.
Catching you red-handed, Seungwoo cracked a smile and whispered, “What are you doing, babe?”
“You two look so adorable, I just couldn’t resist!” You smiled sheepishly and began to stroke his hair with your free hand, pushing a few strands away from his eyes.
“Mh, as much as I’m enjoying this, I think my back might kill me soon,” he softly spoke with his eyes closed again, welcoming your gentle touch. “C’mon, let’s put her in my bed.”
Seungwoo clutched the little girl closer to his chest and slowly got up without making any noise. He pushed her a little upwards so she could rest her head on his shoulder. You walked ahead, opening the two doors for him, and pulled the blanket aside to let him put Dohye down. Then you tucked her safely in and placing your stuffed bunny, which Seungwoo had won for on your first arcade date, next to her.
The two of you sneaked out of your bedroom, leaving the door ajar just in case she woke up. Now standing in the small hallway, Seungwoo wrapped his arms around you from behind, putting just a little bit of his weight on you. “My back still hurts from your small couch; you should carry me like this,” you could basically hear his pout above your head.
“Shut up, my couch is not that small. It’s just because you are stupidly tall!” You hushed him as you wriggled in his arms to turn around and playfully pinched his cheeks. There was a shift in his eyes; usually he would retort that you were ‘stupidly small’ but this time he just gazed at you, eyes filled with adoration.
With your chests pressing against each other, you were not quite sure whether it was your heart that was racing or his. Maybe it was both of yours but it didn’t matter, anyways.
“What are you thinking about?” You asked in a small voice, your index finger now tracing his dimple instead.
“I was just wondering, what it would be like if we had a baby,” Seungwoo confessed and smiled innocently at you. Heart skipping a beat, you were slightly flustered by his unexpected answer and felt your ears heat up.
“You would be a great dad.” Before he could react, you got on your tiptoes and simultaneously pulled his face a little bit down to meet him with a brief, yet sweet peck on the lips.
Once you released his face and let your hands slide down to the juncture between his shoulders and neck, you felt his arms tighten around your body and tugging you even closer to him. Being not satisfied with the peck, he leaned in for another kiss.
His warm lips melted against yours and you felt the butterflies erupt in your stomach like it was the very first time. As your lips moved against his, you could feel him smiling into the kiss. There was still a faint taste of cherries lingering on his lips adding to the sweet and addictive kiss. For a moment you forgot about everything because being in his arms just felt right.
“Wow, it’s like my parents never left,” a sudden voice exclaimed from behind you. The two of you shyly pulled away from each other and looked at the intruder. “Don’t mind me, I’m just going to use the bathroom.”
With that being said, Dongpyo quickly disappeared into your bathroom. You were slightly embarrassed by getting caught but to make you blush even more, Seungwoo then said, “I want to have a kid like him later, haha.”
—
Their parents came back around 9pm. Dohye was still fast asleep in your bedroom, by now cuddling with your stuffed bunny, while the three of you watched an episode of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bokjoo.
“You guys came back early! How was your dinner?”, you asked them as you let the couple in. “Oh, it was wonderful and the food was really delicious. You two should check out the restaurant sometime,” Hyejin gushed. “Anyways, we called it a night early because I missed my babies too much.”
She wasted no time to pull her son into her side and ruffle his fluffy hair, eliciting a soft whine from him.
“Ah, I almost forgot! We’ve got you a little gift,” the woman nudged her husband who pulled out a small white box from his paper bag. “It’s from our favorite chocolatier. But it’s only a small gift so whenever you have time, come over and we will make you a nice meal to thank you properly, yeah?”
“Alright, let’s go home now. I think we’ve bothered you enough for tonight,” your cousin chimed after putting his little girl in her carrier and giving the two of you a hug.
Once you closed the door behind them, Seungwoo pulled you into his arms again. Just before he could say anything, a yawn escaped his mouth.
“Are you tired?”
“Mhm, just a little bit.”
He rested his forehead against yours, eyes lovingly gazing into yours again like earlier.
“Do you wanna stay the night?”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
Seungwoo rummaged through your closet, looking for a comfortable shirt amidst all the t-shirts that you’ve either got or stole from him. Finally, his eyes set on a grey oversized tee which you actually could wear as a dress. Stripping off his slightly sweaty shirt, he welcomed the new soft fabric that no longer smelled like his cologne but by now had picked up your sweet scent.
When he joined you in the bathroom, you were already brushing your teeth whilst scrolling through your Instagram feed. He made his way behind you, smiling at your reflection in the mirror because the pink shirt that he’s been missing for the past week just happened to be engulfing you in that moment. But how could be upset when you looked like an angel to him?
Before you could grab your hair yourself, Seungwoo gently pushed them back and held them for you so they wouldn’t get in your way until you were finished with your routine. Once he started with his routine, you sat down on the edge of your bathtub. Waiting for him, you went through your gallery and took a look at the photos from earlier again.
“What’chu shmiling at?” He asked you with a mouth full of foam, watching through the mirror.
“Just the pics of you and Dohye sleeping together. They are really cute, I think I’m gonna post one of them!” You excitedly stood up and stayed by his side, holding your phone in front of him whilst swiping and showing him your favorite snapshots.
After he was done with his own routine, the two of you wasted no time to snuggle up in the comfort of your bed. Like every other night you rested your head on his shoulder with his arms secured round your frame as if you could easily slip away anytime. A pleasant silence fell over you, only your shallow breaths were audible.
Your eyes were fixated on a sliver of light that shone through your blinds, unable to close your eyes and succumb to the sweet promise of sleep yet. The image of Seungwoo and the kids wouldn’t leave you alone. Sure, you’ve seen him plenty times playing with his own nephew already but today felt different.
“I was just wondering, what it would be like if we had a baby.”
His words kept repeating and repeating themselves in your head.
“What’s on your mind?” Seungwoo spoke so softly, it was barely a whisper. He started gently stroke your hair as he slightly turned his head towards you, his lips now almost brushing your temple.
“Just thinking about what you said earlier...” You tilted your head, meeting his eyes in the dark. “You know, what it’d be like if we had a baby, and I can’t stop thinking about it – but in a good way!”
If you had looked a little bit closer, you would have seen that his gaze softened even more at you rambling about how he would spoil the baby to death or you two dressing up your child like a model, making it the most fashionable baby out there.
“The thought of a baby really doesn’t scare me anymore. Especially when I have you by my side,” you confessed. Instead of teasing you for corny confession, he pushed his body off the bed and hovered above you, his head already diving in to claim your lips.
Seungwoo didn’t say a word during your ramble but he put all his feelings into the kiss and you knew – he didn’t need to say it aloud because you knew he felt the same. His right hand caressed your face, thumb going over the apple of your cheek.
“I really like the sound of that,” his lips stretched into a smile before the landed right on your temple.
Suddenly his smile turned smug, “We could try making one right now.”
“Oh, shut up!”
—
The next morning you checked your notifications only to find yourself chuckling at them.
ssunhwa: oh I didn’t know I was an aunt already
pyopyoson: huh is that black mob of hair mine? anyways, I want pics with him too
“Jungkook, I’m hot,” you whined as he peppered your neck and jaw with butterfly kisses. He pulled away to look at your face. His hair was tousled, eyes twinkling underneath his long lashes and his lips swollen and pink from all the kissing. “I know,” the corner of Jungkook‘s mouth tugged into a sly smirk. You felt the heat rushing towards your face and your cheeks turning redder. Flustered, you dropped your head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. “That’s not what I meant! It’s really hot in here...”
One of the hands that had been drawing circles underneath your shirt, traveled up to stroke your hair. You felt his torso slightly shaking against your own as he let out a deep chuckle. “So what are we going to do about it?”
genre: fantasy, greek mythology au, heavily inspired by the Percy Jackson series
count: 2,166
moodboard: seungcheol | hyejeong
summary: A millennium ago the Gods and Goddesses faced an ancient creature which was even older than earth itself. Even with united forces they just could not defeat the primordial being. Thus, they realized that they needed help and decided to rely on the latest race: the mortals. Each one of the Olympians chose the strongest, wisest and most skilled among the humans to be given a gift of the Gods and Goddesses. With a lot of effort and suffering, they managed altogether to banish the strong enemy in the deepest abyss where it would hopefully would never return. Therefore those humans were obliged to ensure this and protect their world from any harm. From the moment on they were gifted, they all shared a special bond that brought them together once earth was in danger. The humans were fated to die sooner or later but their gifts were passed on the next person in the bloodline, so the legacy could always live on.
Centuries after centuries passed and the humans evolved fast - to the modern times. The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus were long forgotten and replaced with one almighty god. Many several vehicles, machines - and the best of all - the internet were invented. Cities expanded, there were no longer kings and everyone was equivalent. The Gods and Goddesses might have been forgotten but they were still watching over them, being interested in the humans' evolution.
In order that the chosen humans would never forget their duty, a camp in which they trained and lived was built. It was located in a realm between the human world and Olympus, giving no access to humans except for those with the sacred blood. Thus far they all have lived there with honor and satisfaction. Their sense of duty remained strong wherefore none of them dared to have an intention to leave the camp forever. However one dark night a young woman decided to divert and disappear without leaving a trace behind. With her bag hanging around her torso and the cloak hiding her body, she quietly became one with the darkness and slipped away like the night at dawn. But she would never return.
Cars moved through the streets, people were talking to each other and some other people were waiting impatiently for the traffic light turn green. Then the street was flooded from both sides, it was most likely impossible to not touch any stranger. After a few turns you arrived at the apartment complex. Before she could enter the building, you turned around as she felt like being watched by someone. Your eyes found the way to a pair of piercing silver ones owned by a young teenager girl. She just stood there still, with no facial expression, staring at the older girl. No matter how hard the latter tried, Hyejeong simply could not take her eyes of the girl - as if she was in a trance. The girl was marvelous and had an illuminating around her. She gave a very powerful vibes off, making Hyejeong feel like she would do anything for her as soon as the girl opened her mouth. It was like as if she was a goddess.
All of sudden the girl turned around and disappeared in a stream of people rushing through the street. Finally she broke out of her trance, still hazy from the mesmerizing sight. Hyejeong quickly gathered herself again and made her way into the building. Standing in front of the apartment, she could hear muffled voices from the other side of the door. She recognized one of them as her mother's and the other two seemed to belong to grown up male voices. Angry words were mainly thrown by her mother, the conversation was heated. "Mom?", called Hyejeong while closing the door carefully behind her. The argument died down immediately. Her mother stood in front of two men - one was very tall and tanned, he had longer hair and a full beard, the other one wearing a huge beanie was a head smaller and had dark skin and only a goat beard. The girl drew everyone's attention to her. Once the woman saw her daughter, tears began to form in her already reddened eyes and she embraced her tightly. "Mom?", she asked once again, "What's going on?" Her mother didn't quite reply, instead she mumbled apologies again and again. A sudden faked cough interrupted her mantra as if something clicked inside her head. The mother loosened her arms and took her daughter's petite hands in hers instead and looked straight into her eyes. "There is something I have to tell you, something that affects especially you." She tried to sound serious, even though her voice was slightly cracked. Hyejeong, who was rather confused, nodded at her words telling her to continue. "Do you know how your father and I used to tell you that you were very special when you were younger?" The girl furrowed her eyebrows and responded, "Yeah, that's what every parent says to their children." Her mother smiled sadly, "Well, you are right but we were right as well; you are very special." Hyejeong felt the confusion consuming her more and more. Her mother was not acting like her usual self and she couldn't help it but to blame it on the two strangers standing in their apartment. "You know, before you were born, I used to live far away in place no one knows about. There were dozens of other people living there and we all had the same reason: our legacy. I inherited it from my mother, she from hers and so on up to the first of our bloodline. We are gifted with special abilities by the Goddess Artemis and obliged to protect the world from all the danger that would leak through barriers of the Olympian world. And the moment you were born, you would be burdened with the same fate. I disliked the thought of it, I wanted you to grow up as an ordinary person. That's why I ran away from my so-called home and started living with your father. We have been hiding from them well, but now they found us and these two men here want to take you with them to this special place." As the girl listened carefully to her own mother, she felt her hands squeezing hers lightly during particular parts, as in the personal ones. Hyejeong couldn't believe her mother's words, it was all nonsense to her. Why was she talking about a Greek goddess - the one she used to admire the most, to be precise? By now confusion had engulfed her completely. "Mom, are you serious about that?", she studied the woman in front of her, "Oh my god, you are serious." And again her mother only gave her an apologetic look. Then the tall man raised his voice to gain attention. Both of them introduced themselves as Carystus and Pamphilos. "Carystus? Like the son of Chiron, a centaur?", Hyejeong asked trying to suppress an inappropriate laughter upon hearing their strange names. The taller man nodded proudly, "I see, you have taught your daughter well, considering the circumstances." His words were directed towards her mother who just murmured something about that she could not let go of who she was. Then the strangers proceeded to explain what this place - or rather camp - was and why she needed to go with them. According to them, the Camp was in a intermediate world where many other children like her lived together with mythical creatures. And in the past years the amount of monsters, who crossed the barriers to the human world and the mother referred to earlier, increased. Carystus could tell by Hyejeong's face that she was not a single bit convinced by their words. Comprehensible. She probably thought they all were crazy. Thus, he told Pamphilos to show his real form. Without hesitation the short man loosened his belt and pulled his pants down. Hyejeong on the other hand turned her head away in disgust and shut her eyes tightly in addition. Unexpectedly, her mother reassured her that it was okay to look. Hyejeong on the other hand looked at her mother as if she has gone crazy, but she eventually peeked at the exposed man. The sight left her mouth hanging. It was usual for men to have hairy legs, but his were furry! As if it wasn't strange enough, he had hooves instead of feet. This exposure was the last straw that broke the camel's back. The poor girl sat down, feeling too overwhelmed by the events. It was too much for her mind. The strange girl, her mother's unusual behavior, that man, everything. All of it came at once and tried to fit in that head of hers. She could already feel the phantom pain. "Satyr. You are a satyr.", her voice was trembling. The half human, half goat creature confirmed her statement with a nod, feeling sorry for her. She must be close to a mental breakdown. Hyejeong was thankful that Pamphilos didn't say anything. Another word spoken by his mouth would just have confirmed his real existence and Hyejeong preferred the thought of him possibly not being real.
A heavy silence suffocated the room. Minutes passed and passed until Carystus tried to convince the girl again to come to the camp with them. He asked the other two people to leave them alone. The mother was hesitant at first, not because she didn't trust the man - she had known him for too long - but rather because of her young daughter. Just like that the two of them conversed for a longer period until her father arrived at home with her little brother following behind. The boy was just as confused as his sister when he first saw the men - Pamphilos had put on his pants again. Their mother explained to him that they were old friends of hers who came by to visit. He decided not to ask any further questions and disappeared into his room with a bag of chips. Usually his mother would have scolded him for snacking before dinner, but she was too worn out from the argument and the talk to her daughter. Her husband who knew about everything well put his arms around her and rubbed her arms lovingly.
The long conversation seemed to come to an end as Hyejeong stood up and went to her own room, too, as she felt like needing some time for herself and sorting her thoughts. In the meantime the two intruders decided it was the best to leave the family alone and declined politely the father's invitation for dinner. But the atmosphere during dinner was still gloomy as the adults ate alone, both of their children staying in their rooms. One of them didn't feel well, the other was too full from his snack. Nevertheless their mother put their food in the refrigerator in case one of them might leave their room at night because they were hungry.
The moon set and the sun rose faster than they thought. Dark circles framed Hyejeong's eyes. She didn't get much sleep, pondering all night about what to do. Eventually she made her final decision. "I thought a lot about it. And you have every right to hate me", she spoke to her parents who were just awake as her, "I will do it."
As she looked at their faces, she wanted to her words back. There was a flash of sadness and disappointment in their eyes and Hyejeong hated it. Adter all they had tried everything to keep her away from that and went through rough hardships for her. "We could never hate you, Hyejeong. You are our child and you will always be. I-It's just-", her mother was the first to break the short silence. Her father then continued his wife's sentence, "We are just surprised. Why?" She tried to explain to them that she had a strong feeling. "To be honest, in the past years I felt like I was missing something. A great something that would make me feel complete. Sure, I love being here and being with my friends but it doesn't feel... Right. Maybe the camp where you used to live, Mom, is the place where I really belong to. I'll be back when summer break is over. And if I really do possess any abilities given by a Greek goddess, then I would love to learn more about them." As his daughter kept talking, the man couldn't help himself but to think how similar she was to the woman he fell in love with in that forest many years ago. She, too, had told him multiple times that she needed to follow her feeling and instinct, that she needed something to hold on. And that 'something' was him.
After Hyejeong revealed her decision to her parents, she thought she must have gone crazy. Trusting her feeling. It wasn't like her life was a fantasy movie. But again she had seen Pamphilos' true form with her own eyes; mythical creatures did exist. Hyejeong only needed a backpack filled with clothes and some personal stuff that reminded her of her family since the camp would provide her with anything else she needed. Her parents accompanied her to Carystus and Pamphilos who were waiting happily in front of a navy blue car. They said goodbye to each other with a heavy heart before Hyejeong climbed into the back of the car, looking out of the window. Carystus was the last to say goodbye. He dropped a small, bordeaux-red velvety bag into the woman's hand. "I suppose you still know how to use them?", Carystus asked to which she just nodded. Seeing their worried face, he quickly added, "Don't worry, we'll take good care of her."
"I know.", she replied with a last smile towards her daughter.
genre: fantasy, greek mythology au, heavily inspired by the Percy Jackson series
part 1
summary: A millennium ago the Gods and Goddesses faced an ancient creature which was even older than earth itself. Even with united forces they just could not defeat the primordial being. Thus, they realized that they needed help and decided to rely on the latest race: the mortals. Each one of the Olympians chose the strongest, wisest and most skilled among the humans to be given a gift of the Gods and Goddesses. With a lot of effort and suffering, they managed altogether to banish the strong enemy in the deepest abyss where it would hopefully would never return. Therefore those humans were obliged to ensure this and protect their world from any harm. From the moment on they were gifted, they all shared a special bond that brought them together once earth was in danger. The humans were fated to die sooner or later but their gifts were passed on the next person in the bloodline, so the legacy could always live on.
