Eyyy! this is my multipurpose multifandom blog so I can dedicate my main tumblr to art. I might post fanart here or maybe even fanfiction. probably won't update regularly, just when I feel especially inspired
Under better circumstances his voice would have brought a smile, but now it sent a bolt of dread through you. You paused in your snacking, peeking up at the figure looming in the doorway.
You were splayed out on the bed with a bag of chips on one side and a pile of candies on the other. It was exactly the sort of sight you had hoped Henri wouldn’t see, but you had been caught red handed.
When you came to visit Henri here on Jumin’s island, you worried something like this might happen. And yet… you couldn’t stop yourself from packing a few of your favorite emergency snacks. Somehow, you had managed to smuggle the delightfully unhealthy contraband past the doctor. Of course you had tried to follow his diet recommendations. They were a bit overbearing sometimes, but you knew he meant well. But… after a long day on the phone and computer handling affairs from back home, you needed a pick-me-up and that stash of goodies was looking too tempting to resist.
You swallowed the sweet treat still in your mouth and sat up against the pillows. “Um… It’s not what it looks like…” You tried weakly, although you knew that excuse would hold no water against anyone with eyes.
Henri hummed thoughtfully, stepping into the room fully as his eyes trailed over your selection of guilty pleasures. “It isn’t? It looks to me like you’re filling your body up with processed junk food,” he responded in a light teasing tone.
“…Okay, maybe it is what it looks like…” You sighed, looking away in embarrassment.
“Where did you even get these?” He asked curiously, picking up a chocolate and critically reading the text on the wrapper. He was no doubt checking to see how many harmful ingredients you were putting into your body.
“I… uhh… I brought them from home…” You admitted sheepishly.
He glanced back up at you briefly and you couldn’t quite read his expression. “…I see…” Henri paused for a moment as if weighing the possible outcome of his words. “I can’t stop you from eating what you like of course… but you did agree to give my methods a chance.” He reminded, trying to keep his tone gentle. He knew he had a tendency to nag, but he didn’t want to get too in your face about it and risk scaring you away.
You sighed and rubbed at your face, giving a tired nod. “I know… I just had a rough day and I… I don’t know…” You weren’t sure how to explain it without sounding silly.
Henri’s expression lit up with understanding. “Ah, you’re stress eating.”
“Yeah, I guess so…”
“You know, it’s not a very effective coping strategy. The rush of dopamine is only temporary and then you have to eat even more to recover the loss.” He explained, sounding like a worried parent trying to lay out the dangers of addiction.
You weren’t sure whether to be bothered by his nosiness or touched that he fussed over you all of the time. You decided to lean towards the latter for now. “Do you have something else in mind?” You huffed, pouting up at him slightly.
“Well… I can think of a few things…” He hummed, shifting a little closer as a smirk stretched across his lips. “There’s more than one way to release stress-relieving hormones.”
You perked up at that. However, before he got any closer, he reached out a waiting hand expectantly. “Which one do you choose?”
Your smile matched his and you picked up the bags of snacks from around you. Before giving them to him, you made a show of thinking the situation over with a loud hum. “Hmm… That’s a tough choice…” You teased.
Henri’s expression faltered slightly at the implication that you might choose a bag of chips over him. “How tough…?”
You couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at his expression. You just wanted to tease him a bit since he always teases you, but you felt a little bad now. You scooted towards the edge of the bed, holding out the bags for him to take. “It’s still you, of course.” You reassured.
Henri breathed a sigh of relief and smiled an “I never doubted you for a second” smile as he accepted the bags and set them aside so he could climb onto the bed beside you.
It didn't take long for the two of you to find yourselves bundled under the blankets, wrapped in each other's embrace. Henri snuggled you close, rubbing your back gently as he rested his head over yours. You had to admit that while it was no chocolate, this was pretty good too.
Your gaze eventually drifted back over to the abandoned snacks across the room. “…I’m still keeping those for special occasions though.” You asserted, worried that Henri would toss them when you weren’t looking if you didn’t say something.
Henri laughed at that and gave a small nod. “Fair enough. Just try to practice moderation.”
someone on twitter is trying to claim that use of an em-dash is an indication of AI-generated writing because it’s “relatively rare” for actual humans to use it. skill issue
I am extremely inconsistent with my dash useage in my writing I fear. Sometimes I have - one. Sometimes I have -- two. And sometimes I have --- three. I do not know the grammar rules about dashes I just put them where I think they go.
Actually I can answer the grammar aspect of this :D
So, this - is an n dash
This — (or --, two n dashes) is an m dash
N dashes can be used when hyphenating two (or more) words, for example, William-James. They can also be used for like a list of things. Oh! And they also can be used in dialogue when someone is stuttering. Almost forgot that one.
M dashes on the other hand are used in usually two instances that I can think of, abrupt stops in sentences, or in place of commas to add a tangent mid sentence.
So you might have a character talking or thinking and they get interupted or have a sudden realization, so you'd structure it like this:
“I'll come wi—” Solar started but Ruin cut him off with a scathing look.
And you can use it to tack on stuff to a sentence rather than creating a new one, like this:
He usually slept alone, preferring to not disturb his partners with his fitful sleep cycles—especially with how he’d woken up in fight mode more than once, accidentally punching Solar in the face before realizing where he was.
But yeah, that's a lesson in grammar lol, 'cause I love using m dashes and I actually really enjoy learning about grammer, even though you can pry comma splices out of my cold dead hands XD.
Also idk how to do m dashes on a computer but on my phone at least, I just press and hold the dash button and it pops up with three options: ‐ – and —
you can do em dashes (and other special characters, and emojis) on a windows computer by pressing windows + . on your keyboard! I believe the mac equivalent is control + command + spacebar but I cannot confirm.
Em dashes and semicolons are things I'm nervous to do wrong so I only rarely use them in an effort to push myself, but the instances of their use are definitely higher than zero
Alright. so…knowing myself pretty well, it’s likely going to be a long time before I muster up the energy to actually draw more stuff with this, so I figured I’d cover my bases and put down some character HCs on paper in case it is a long time before I do anything substantial with it.
Author's note: This was an entry for a fanfic contest. The theme was weddings and I had an idea to try playing with. Hope you enjoy! ^^
~~~~~
Wedding preparations are always tiring. They become even more so when expectations or standards are a bit too particular. Saeyoung was by no means a very picky person. In fact, you often had to nag him about keeping his preferences quiet for the sake of others. So it was a bit out of the ordinary to find that Saeyoung was so critical of every venue you visited. There was always something. It was too public of a spot, it was too closed off, it didn’t have enough exits, and the list went on. Nothing was quite right. You got the feeling that if it were solely up to him, he would just have the whole thing in his bunker.
You paused in your inspection of the current venue and glanced back over at Saeyoung to gauge his reaction. He looked deep in thought as he scanned the building. You wished you could hear his thoughts… He looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
His mind was racing with every possible worst-case scenario. He had to. After all, he had finally gotten everything he ever wanted. He was reunited with his brother. He had found a new family in the RFA members. He had even found the love of his life. He had…everything to lose. With his father and the agency still out there looking for him, he had far too many enemies to take any chances.
Finally, Saeyoung seemed to reach a decision. “Hm…yeah…this place is nice and all, but I just don’t think it’s us, y’know? I mean… we can definitely do better,” he said with a slight chuckle, attempting to keep his voice light and casual.
You couldn’t help but let out a small sigh. “This is the fifth place we’ve seen today. We’re kind of running out of options…” You tried to point out as gently as possible.
Saeyoung let out a small sigh of his own as he ran a hand anxiously through his hair. “You’re right, you’re right. How about we just…sleep on it for now? I have some more research to do anyway.”
You knew this ‘research’ probably involved running background checks on all the venue’s staff that would even breathe in the general vicinity of the event.
“...Okay. Yeah… It’s getting late anyway. We might as well go back,” you relented. You wanted to try your best to be accommodating. You knew that he had to do whatever he could do to feel safe.
Spirits were low as the two of you returned to the bunker. There was a certain unspoken tension that neither you nor Saeyoung wished to address. You both made light small talk about the day as you had dinner with him and Saeran as usual, but you could tell Saeyoung was still worried. As much as you wanted to try and talk through things, you didn’t want to push him before he was ready…. And so, even as you retired to the guest room for bed, the topic was avoided entirely for the night.
You awoke a few hours later. After a quick glance at your phone to confirm that it was indeed the middle of the night, you decided to get up and check in on Saeyoung. Experience told you that there was a good chance he got caught up in something and would need to be talked into actually going to bed. However, rather than a chance for playful teasing between you two, what you found when you peeked in was much more concerning.
Saeyoung sat on the edge of his bed, hunched forward with his head in his hands. Without thinking, you entered and quickly crossed the room towards him.
The sound of your footsteps jolted him out of whatever state he had been in and his head whipped up to lock eyes with you. “…Y/N…?” He asked quietly as if your presence had surprised him.
“Saeyoung! What’s wrong?? Did something happen?” You asked worriedly as you came to a stop by his side.
He took a moment to register your words, still lost in his thoughts. “...Um…yeah…I-I mean no.” He stammered out, pausing to rub tiredly at his face and try to recollect his jumbled thoughts. “Everything’s fine. I just…had a weird dream, hah…” He breathed out quietly.
You frowned deeply and sat down beside him, placing a light touch on his arm. “Do you want to talk about it…?” You asked softly.
He didn’t answer, so you continued. “Whatever it is…you can talk to me. We promised to handle things together, remember? You don’t have to talk about it right now, but I can tell you’ve been worried about something and it’s more than just whether we get married someplace with or without windows, so-”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Saeyoung suddenly interrupted your ramble.
“...What…?” You replied, caught off guard by his words.
Saeyoung took a deep breath in and let it out before he looked over at you. “Things aren’t going to be easy, you know. Living with me…won’t be easy.” He paused, glancing down at the engagement ring you wore on your hand. A sign of your connection to one another.
“...What? What are you talking about?”
He sighed again and gently took your hand in his. “I still have a lot of enemies. You could get caught in the crossfire of any one of them.”
“Saeyoung…”
“Every time I close my eyes… I see everything that could go wrong. And every time I open them again I think about how I’m not ready. If I fail to account for even one possible threat, you could get hurt…or worse…"
"Saeyoung." You called out a little louder, hoping to get his attention off of his spiraling anxious thoughts and back onto you. When he looked back up at you, you continued. "You don't have to bear everything alone anymore. Everyone in RFA has your back. Saeran and I too. We're all in this together. And if dealing with Mint Eye has taught us anything…it's that we're stronger together." You said with a soft smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
You brought your other hand up to gently touch his shoulder. "And to answer your question…yes. This is what I want. You are what I want, and nothing will change that."
The both of you were moments away from tears. Saeyoung quickly pulled you into a tight hug, burying his face into your shoulder and sniffling softly.
"I love you so much, Y/N." He murmured, his voice muffled by your shirt.
The second half went unspoken but you could hear it loud and clear. He was afraid of losing you. No amount of mere words could quell those fears entirely. They lived so deeply in his heart and you couldn’t chase them all out no matter how much you wanted to. All you could do was try to support him.
You let out a sigh as you hugged him back and let your own tears fall as well. "I love you too.”
Your happily ever after wouldn't be as easy as the fairy tales made them out to be…but you two would be okay so long as you stood together. You weren’t about to let go, and by the looks of his grip right now, neither was he.
Author’s Note: This is a short continuation of my slight AU which I think I’m going to call the...”College Friends AU” (to be distinguished from the usual College AUs where everyone is jammed into one school for the heck of it lolol). I didn’t plan on writing more since I usually just peddle oneshots, but this whole blog is just an exercise in actually creating something when I get vivid mental pictures instead of just ruminating on it til it dies. Anyways so long story short here’s a short epilogue. At least it finally gave me a chance to write the dynamic with Vandy.
If you haven’t read the first fic, I’d recommend doing so in order to understand what’s going on here ^^
~~~~~
Seven tapped aimlessly on his desk as he reclined in his chair and looked over the code for his most recent assignment. He would be lying if he said he was entirely invested in the task at the moment. His mind couldn’t help but wander, which meant he had to frequently read through the same strings of data multiple times. He paused in his half-hearted work when he heard the telltale footsteps of his handler entering his bunker. Great. That guy always knew how to pick the worst times to check in. It’s like he had some sort of sixth sense that told him whenever Seven started slacking. Absolutely uncanny.
The rhythm of footsteps was interrupted by a thunk. Ah yes, one added benefit to leaving a mess everywhere was that it tended to make it a smidge more difficult for his poor handler to safely and efficiently move through the space. He wouldn’t necessarily call them booby traps…although his handler might think differently. Seven was unable to suppress his snicker as he listened to the agent curse loudly. Finally, the door opened, revealing the disgruntled brunette.
“Geez, how many times do I have to tell you to pick up your junk?? It’s like a minefield out there.” The agent spat as he stomped into the room.
“My deepest apologies, Madam Vanderwood. I’ve just been sooo busy being a good little slave that I haven’t the time to tidy up!” Seven moaned dramatically.
Vanderwood laughed bitterly at that. “Hah, if that were true, I wouldn’t be on the phone with the boss half the time making excuses for why we’re behind schedule.” He moved closer, looking over Seven’s casual reclined posture with disapproval. “Let me guess, you’re still not finished yet.”
Seven leaned his head back, shooting Vanderwood his best carefree smile. “Ding ding! You would guess correctly!”
Vanderwood only scowled deeper at that, letting out a groan as he brought a hand up to rub at his tired eyes. “Is something going on with your RFA group or something?” He threw out a guess. He could tell something was different with Seven, but he wasn’t sure what.
Seven’s smile fell and turned to a look of genuine confusion. “Huh? No. Why?”
“I don’t know, you’ve just seemed more distracted than usual ever since we came back from our last mission. I know you have no problem with traveling overseas, so do you want to tell me what’s actually going on?” He asked firmly, looking not much different from a scolding parent as he placed a hand on his hip, waiting for an answer.
Seven brought a hand up to his face as he hummed in thought. “Hmmmmmm…Nope, not really. But I wasn’t aware we were sharing feelings now!” He sat up and whirled his chair around to face his handler with a sneering grin. “This is news to me, but by all means, go ahead and start the sharing circle. Ol’ reliable agent 707 is here with open arms!”
Vanderwood let out an aggravated huff, lifting his hands in surrender. “Okay okay, fine! Don’t tell me. But whatever it is, if I catch it affecting your work, we’re going to be having a much less pleasant conversation,” he growled halfheartedly, already too exasperated by Seven’s antics to remain as intimidating as he initially intended.
“Aye aye, Captain!” Seven chirped, giving a mocking salute.
“...Tsk, and get back to work! We both know you’ve barely touched your assignment all day!” He hissed, turning on his heel and stomping back out of the room.
Wow. He really did have some sort of Seven Slacking Sense. The thought nearly gave Seven chills. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and listened closely to the sound of Vanderwood’s retreating footsteps. He sat completely silent, waiting until he was absolutely sure the agent was long gone before he jumped up from his chair.
Vanderwood was right. He was distracted. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he had done during that last mission. That line he had crossed. The line he was…still crossing.
Seven gave one more suspicious glance around the room for good measure before he clambered his way on top of his bed. Fishing out a screwdriver from under a pillow, he rose up onto his tiptoes to reach a small vent high above the bed. With practiced precision, he removed the screws and slid off the vent cover, retrieving the prize stashed away inside. A small plain phone, clearly a burner. He had ensured that this device was completely untraceable so that he could make contact without leaving any kind of digital trail. That was the only way he could justify this.
He let himself drop down onto the bed as he booted up the device. A quick glance at the clock. Yes, it shouldn’t be too early in the morning over there…
The device powered on and he quickly punched in the number he had been careful to memorize. His tired eyes stayed trained eagerly on the screen as he sent the first text and waited for a response. Several long moments ticked by as he waited with bated breath. Maybe it was too soon. This was a bad idea. He shouldn't have…
Before he could spiral into deeper self-hatred, a response came through. He felt the weight immediately lift from his chest and he felt himself grinning as he read over the warm greeting that he'd received. Just like that, his mood was a little bit lighter and all he wanted to do was sit here and talk with Y/N all day.
As more texts were sent back and forth, he settled into a comfortable position sprawled out on the bed. He knew he was playing with fire. This was far too dangerous for both parties involved. He should smash this phone before something terrible happens… But man did the warmth of these flames feel good.
I’m learning Spanish right now so I’ve been thinking a lot about the wacky ways Saeyoung would probably try to help you improve your language skills. In this context, italicized dialogue means it’s being spoken in the target/foreign language! Also the small marked off section is supposed to imply it’s over the messenger. Anyways, this was just a short silly idea I had lolol.
~~~~~
"What'cha working on there?"
came the voice of your boyfriend as he peered over your shoulder to catch a peek at what you seemed so involved in studying at the table.
You chuckled as his fiery curls entered the edge of your vision and you felt him leaning against you. "I've just got to get through this next chapter," you explained, lifting your textbook and turning it so he could read the title. You were taking a foreign language class and it was already so much to remember.
His face lit up at the sight of the title, recognizing the language immediately. "Oh! I know that one! it's pretty easy once you practice it enough."
"Yeah... it's just tough to keep up with the practice I guess..." You groaned, rubbing your face tiredly.
He hummed in thought, absentmindedly resting his hand on your shoulder. "hmm... how about I give you a hand?"
"Uh... well, I guess it would help to drill some stuff with somebody. I'll have a test coming up soon and I'm not sure if I'm ready…" you admitted, assuming he was offering to go through flashcards with you or something.
He gave you a confident grin. "Oh don't worry! You'll be acing your tests in no time after we're done!"
If you had known what he really meant by this, you probably wouldn't have accepted his interference so readily. But it was too late. The gears were already turning and he knew exactly what he was going to do to help you.
You didn't notice the change right away. You got up the next morning and went through your usual routine. It wasn't until you opened the fridge and pulled out a drink that you spotted something so strange you had to do a double take.
The label was in a different language.
"...What…??" You breathed out, your brain struggling to catch up to what was happening. You pulled out a different bottle from the fridge, eyes widening as you found its label had also changed languages.
After a few minutes of rummaging through the cabinets, you realized just about everything had been relabeled in your target language. Once you reassured yourself that you had not gone crazy in your sleep, you came to the conclusion that only one person could be responsible for pulling off something of this scale.
"Saeyoung!!" You called out.
It wasn't long before the culprit in question came strolling in at your call. "Yesss, my honey?" he greeted you casually, and it took you a moment to register that he was speaking your target language.
"Saeyoung, what in the world is going on??" You huffed.
"Immersion really is one of the best learning tools, Y/N. Trust me, I had to pick up a lot of languages on pretty short notice with the agency," he explained, shrugging.
You frowned, brows furrowing. "I understood next to none of that." You grumbled unhappily, hoping he would get the idea and go back to talking normally.
Instead he just laughed, ruffling your hair teasingly. "You'll get the hang of it!"
Oh you were going to kill him.
— — — —
[Jaehee] "I can't help but notice that Y/N has been speaking strangely in the messenger today."
[Yoosung] "I noticed that too! I wonder if their phone keyboard is broken."
[Y/N] "Help!! Saeyoung change me messenger. Language stuck!! No use good T-T"
[Jaehee] "...I'm sorry, Y/N. I can't understand what you're trying to say. There's something wrong with your copy of the messenger?"
[707] "Don't worry, they're fine lolol. They're just using a special version today."
[Y/N] "fix language set!! >:( no more help;;"
[707] "You're doing great, honey! ^^"
— — — —
You tossed your phone aside with an aggravated groan. Your entire version of the RFA messenger had been switched to your target language, but only on your end. Part of you couldn't help but admire the effort Saeyoung must have put into all of this…but that didn't change the fact that it wasn't exactly the kind of studying you had in mind.
"Aww, is my grumpy little kitty getting tired?" You heard Saeyoung coo from his place beside you on the couch as he wrapped an arm around you.
You just pouted at him, your brain too tired to try decoding all his words.
He chuckled at your expression, leaning in closer. "You did really good today. But of course I already knew my 606 was smart, hehe..." he breathed out softly, finally speaking normally again, much to your relief.
You couldn't stop the bashful smile that spread across your face at his gentle teasing and tender praise.
Your flustered look only spurred him on. He slid closer and leaned towards your ear, slipping effortlessly back into your target language and whispering, "There aren't enough languages in the world to tell you how you make me feel, you know. I love you, agent 606~"
You shivered slightly at the feeling of his breath, recognizing at least one particular phrase in that. Before you could form a coherent response, he brought his lips to yours in a gesture that needed no translation. Maybe his way wasn’t so bad after all if you got rewards like this.
Author’s Note: So basically, I was thinking of how easy it’d be to freak Saeyoung out if you didn’t cope with the whole situation as perfectly as his good end MC is portrayed to lolol. So I wanted to do a little something with how he might react to something like that ^^
(Not sure how common this is, but I know squirreling away is a thing that I can be prone to do, and I realized that’d probably freak him out pretty bad hhh I’m sorry Saeyoung)
~~~~~
Seven wasn't sure how long he'd been typing away on his laptop. Fifteen minutes? Thirty? He was just in such a hurry to fix the apartment's security that he hadn't looked up from his screen in a while. When he did, the color drained from his face and his stomach dropped.
Where did you go? You were sitting over on the bed not too long ago. He hadn't heard you leave…but then again he was trying to ignore you.
Auugghhh, why did you do this to him? You managed to steal his attention without even being in the room. With a huff of frustration, he set down his computer and other hacking equipment and hurried out of the room. He looked in the kitchen first, but you weren't in there grabbing a snack like he figured you'd be. He looked around the whole apartment, growing increasingly anxious as he went longer with no sign of you. Did you try going outside again? He rushed back to his computer to check the CCTV…but you weren't there either.
He was starting to panic. He pulled out his phone, getting ready to call you, when he remembered the tracker he slipped into your pocket after the last time you wandered off while he wasn’t looking. He hurriedly checked it and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that you were still in the apartment. You were…still in the same room?
Confused, Seven looked to the only logical last place to check.
You were huddled in the closet while you scrolled through your phone. Seven had been ignoring all your attempts at communicating. You knew he had important work to focus on and needed space to figure out…whatever it was that happened between him and the hacker…who is actually his long lost brother? It was all a lot for you to process. You just needed a little space of your own. Small, dark, and quiet, was just how you liked it when you felt overwhelmed.
Suddenly, the closet door was yanked open. You looked up to see Seven frowning down at you.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a clipped and frustrated tone.
"Nothing…" You responded quietly, instinctively shrinking in on yourself. Great. You made him upset again.
"You're doing nothing…in a closet?" He asked incredulously before he paused, sighing as he tried to keep his whirlwind of emotions at bay. "You should tell me before you disappear like that," he scolded. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved you were okay or aggravated that he panicked so quickly for nothing.
"Well…I tried, but you were busy…" You muttered, playing awkwardly with your hands.
That made him freeze. If he didn't already feel like a big enough jerk, he did now. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep the look of worry off his face as he knelt down beside you. You looked so pitiful all curled up like that and Seven could feel his heart clenching painfully at the thought of you sitting alone in obvious distress.
He let out a heavy sigh before speaking again. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot to do to fix the security system…" He explained. Although it was true he did have a lot of work to do, it was also a good excuse to avoid focusing on just how jumbled and overwhelming his own emotions were right now.
"I understand, Seven…"
"No, you don't, I just- can you come out of here…please? You can be mad at me if you want, but don’t just disappear. I can't focus when I can't see you," he said, his voice still a bit strained, but softer than before.
You let out a sigh of your own and nodded. "Okay…"
You pocketed your phone and crawled out of the cozy darkness of the closet, pulling yourself back to your feet.
Seven stayed close, placing a tentative hand on your arm as he guided you over to the bed. “Come sit down…” He urged gently. You were a bit confused, but you relented and sat on the bed as he directed. He moved quickly, pulling a blanket over your shoulders before disappearing from the room. He returned a couple minutes later with a sandwich on a small plate.
You gave him a surprised look which only encouraged him to avoid your gaze as he pushed the plate into your hands.
“You’ve been through a traumatic experience and you haven’t eaten anything all day. You need to take care of yourself,” He explained, trying to keep his tone as clinical and unaffected as possible.
You smiled up at him. For the first time since Seven got here and began pushing you away, you didn’t feel so alone. “Thank you, Seven.”
His face heat up at the sight of your expression and he frowned deeply. “D-Don’t take this the wrong way or anything! I just can’t get any work done if I have to worry about whether you're okay or not," he grumbled, turning away and heading back toward his corner of the room.
"What about you? You haven't eaten in a while either," you pointed out, hoping that maybe he would eat with you.
However, Seven had already returned to his computer. "...It's fine. You just eat. I'll eat later. Now, I've got to get back to work, so…don't bother me…but…stay where I can see you…"
You frowned, still confused by this whiplash of behavioral switches. "Um…but-" You started to protest, but he simply slid his headphones back on. You sighed instead, turning your attention back to your meal.
He still didn't seem to have any interest in talking with you right now. But as much as he tried to discourage you from interacting with him…it couldn't be clearer now that he cared. No matter how much he insisted he wasn’t the man you thought he was…he was still just as kind. You were sure of it now that you had seen a glimpse past his cold front.
You smiled softly as you watched him feverishly tap away on his keyboard. If he needed time, you could wait. You would wait for him.
Alright, I can’t get this concept out of my head and I can’t hold it in anymore. This is less of a headcanon/idea that I have myself to give y’all, and more of an open prompt for brainstorming that anybody can build off of and add to if they want. Cause I thought that might be neat. So just hear me out...
Choi family outing to Build-A-Bear (either in Saeyoung’s route timeline or Saeran’s route timeline. I’ll leave that up to your preference). Because those boys need to be spoiled in every way and more that they were denied during their actual childhood. What kind of furry friends do you think they would end up putting together? I’m really curious what kind of results come to mind for different people ^^
Since you and Saeyoung have seriously started your relationship, you've started looking for little ways to help him improve his self-care habits. A lot of his bad habits are pretty deeply ingrained from all his time working alone, so you have to try small things rather than expecting huge change right away. First order of business is his diet. Having you by his side does encourage him to take an interest in setting aside time to eat with you, so you don't have to twist his arm too much...unless he gets engrossed in his work. If left to his own devices, Saeyoung tends to get sucked into a project and you might not see him for hours on end. One thing you can do to make sure he gets at least one good meal in for the day is to pack him a lunch and leave it on his desk.
~~~~~
Saeyoung was headed back to his workstation, ready to get back to his coding. To his surprise, his workspace wasn't exactly how he left it. In front of his computer sat a bento box with a note attached. He curiously picked it up to read it.
"Good luck at work today, Saeyoung! ^3^ Don't forget to eat some lunch today. If this bento isn't emptied by dinnertime, I'll know ;P"
He couldn't help but smile, his heart warming at the sweet gesture. He was never going to get used to this...Having somebody care about him this much. It was still so surreal that he could hardly believe it.
"Uhh...Y/N?" He called out, poking his head out into the living area.
"Yeah?" You called back.
"You know you don't have to pack a lunch for me, cause I'm not actually leaving the house, right?" He asked, a mixture of confusion and amusement in his tone as he pondered your logic.
"If you don't have something ready and grabbable in your line of vision, you'll be working with nothing but chips and soda in your system. This way you can't forget!" You said with a laugh.
You were too busy focusing on the TV to notice Saeyoung come up behind you until he placed his hands gently on your shoulders and pressed a featherlight kiss to the top of your head. You chuckled and leaned back to look at him.
"How'd I get so lucky...?" He murmured under his breath, looking down at you with pure adoration.
You smiled up at him with an equal level of affection in your gaze. "I'm the lucky one, silly. You deserve to be spoiled a little...and I won't let you forget it!" You said firmly before stretching your neck up in an attempt to reach Saeyoung's face.
You missed his lips due to the awkward angle and kissed his chin instead.
You both giggled, wrapped up in your own little world together.
A small exasperated sigh came from across the room as Saeran averted his eyes from yet another display of affection and refocused his attention elsewhere. He vaguely wondered if you two ever got tired of doing that. Probably not. His brother was clearly nothing if not committed.
Saeyoung mentions on several occasions owning and quoting a book called “Expert Playboy.” He uses it in a very joking and teasing way, but I’d be willing to believe he actually does own it. Why would he pick up a book like that? Boredom? Curiosity?
Imagine, instead, a young secret agent fresh on the job, trying to adjust to the less than ideal life situation he’s been forced into. He thinks, “Well, I might as well make the best of it. If I have to be a secret agent, I’ll be a secret agent.” He leans heavily into the 707 persona he’s creating, and what does he probably use as the model of what an awesome and cool secret agent heartthrob looks like? The kind of suave lady killer James Bond 007 type of guy. So he picks up a book called “Expert Playboy” because, hey, this will probably help, right?
TL;DR, I theorize that the seeming throwaway line about a book to help you become a playboy is something that Saeyoung has because he tried to throw himself into a role he had no other choice but to try and fill.
Author’s Note: This is sort of a slight AU. A “what if” where Seven met his MC during his time abroad in college. Someone that managed to make a big enough impact that moving on was harder than it should have been. I know this might be slightly OOC, but I did try my best to keep things believable ^^; I mostly just really wanted something with a foreigner/Western MC, and when I learned that Seven went to college in America, I thought it’d be an interesting way of implementing that. I’ve been working on this for a couple weeks now and while I’m not completely satisfied with how it turned out, I do still think it’s a neat enough idea, so I’ll go ahead and share it. (I also do apologize for the length;; I don’t know how it ended up this long, haha... Leave it to Saeyoung to make me write probably my longest oneshot to date)
Edit: I wrote a short continuation piece that can be found here!
~~~~~
Ah, there was nothing like coming back to your quiet little apartment after a long day studying on campus. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for you to spend long hours at your college library. After all, you had the somewhat unpleasant honor of making it into an Ivy League school to begin with. This meant you had to work pretty hard just to make sure your GPA didn’t slip too much. Keeping up with things had been easier during your first year…back when you had a fun classmate to spend those long hours pouring over textbooks with. Now, it was just you. But that was fine. You managed on your own.
You trudged your way inside, kicking off your shoes and tossing your bag somewhere into the corner. With a tired sigh, you flicked on the light, nearly jumping out of your skin at the sight that greeted you.
A familiar young man with bright red hair and glasses reclined on your couch as if he had been waiting for you. He met your gaze with a smile and gave a small wave. “Hey Y/N, long time no see! You really need to find a better hiding spot for your spare key y’know. I would have thought you’d change it up by now,” He said calmly. His English was nearly flawless, although you could still hear his Korean accent.
“L-Luciel??” You croaked out, finally finding your voice after your mini heart attack. This couldn’t be the same guy you knew, could it? Your old classmate...Chilyoung Choi, or Luciel as he had used as a nickname between the two of you, the mysterious boy who disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared in your life.
“Yep!” He chirped as he hopped back onto his feet, still sporting a carefree grin.
Several feelings ran through you in that instant, from utter disbelief, to relief that your old friend was okay, to hurt as you realized the implication that if he was okay…then he really had just left without so much as a goodbye. You pushed that feeling down and chose to focus on the positive for now. Your friend was alive, safe, and in front of you after all this time. Pushing yourself forward, you threw your arms around the redhead.
Luciel stiffened in surprise, letting out a small “oh!” before he returned the hug. He admittedly wasn’t sure how you would react to seeing him again, but he was relieved that you seemed to be taking it well so far.
“...Don’t think this means I’m not mad at you for ditching me,” you grumbled into his shoulder, savoring the warm embrace a moment longer before the two of you broke away.
“A-ah, of course, haha…!” He chuckled awkwardly, not wanting to risk getting on your bad side right now.
You let out a heavy sigh. "So…what are you doing here?" You asked, trying to keep your tone from sounding too frazzled.
"Ah, well, I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing!" Luciel said as he gave his best casual shrug, speaking as if he hadn’t dropped off the face of the earth. This actually wasn't the first time he had checked up on you. He had looked you up on several other occasions, but you didn't need to know about that.
"...You were in the neighborhood…? I figured you'd go back to Korea after school."
"Oh…yeah. I did," he responded simply, making no move to elaborate. The truth was that he had traveled back to America while working on a new mission. He tried his best to ignore the proximity to his old school, and by extension his old acquaintances, but after a long and grueling few days of agency work, his impulses had won out in the end. He needed to see you in person…at least one more time.
You let out a more exasperated sigh, running a hand through your hair. You knew better than to push for answers with him. Even back then, he had always been a bit dodgy about certain subjects. If you pushed, he would just shut you down and start to distance himself. You would have to walk his crazy tightrope of half-answers if you wanted to get anywhere. "O-okay…well…you're here now, so…can I…I dunno, get you something to drink?" You asked awkwardly.
"Don't suppose you've got any Doctor Pepper?"
"Umm…I'll take a look," You mumbled before heading into the kitchen and leaving Luciel alone in the living room.
He took the opportunity to look over the room. He took note of any new items you’d added and smiled as he spotted old familiar ones. He always did feel relaxed here. You had been one of the only classmates of his that could make him feel a bit less anxious about everything. Somehow, you could make him actually feel the teensiest bit safe in the midst of his crazy secret life filled with far too many worries to count. Maybe that's why he was drawn to you…why he couldn't completely push you to the back of his mind and forget you when it was time for him to leave. Luciel’s nostalgic smile faded as his thoughts continued to wander. He was supposed to forget you. He should have…
“Well you’re in luck, I had a few cans of soda left in the back of the fridge and it looks like I’ve got a couple Doctor Peppers. Guess it was meant to be,” you said as you reentered the room with drinks in hand.
Luciel snapped out of his thoughts and accepted the drink with a small thanks. "So… you're still hard at it, I see." He commented, gesturing to your school bag on the floor, practically overflowing with your textbooks and papers after you carelessly threw it down earlier.
"Oh…yeah, I've got a bit longer until I graduate. Not everyone can be a genius like you and fast-track everything," you scoffed as you averted your gaze, instead focused on opening your can of soda.
"Aw, come on! I remember you not being too bad yourself. You could keep up with the best of 'em. You would never have survived the year as my study buddy if you couldn't!" He said with a laugh, giving you a playful nudge with his elbow.
You couldn’t help but join his laughter. You forgot how contagious his smile could be. “Hah, are you sure it wasn’t just so you could come play with my cat instead of work?” You asked teasingly.
Luciel’s smile widened. “Ah…I will neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” he responded in an equally teasing tone before taking a sip of his own soda. “Where is the little guy anyway?”
“Hm, not sure…Here, buddy! Come on out!" You called out for your cat, scanning the area.
"Eep!" Luciel squeaked in surprise. You turned back around to find your cat coiling his way around Luciel's legs.
You both chuckled slightly and Luciel was quick to bend down and scoop the kitty into his arms. you were torn between cringing and laughing at the feline's whines of protest as Luciel cuddled him enthusiastically, rubbing his face against the creature.
"Hey, be gentle with him. He's not as young as he used to be," you chided half-heartedly.
"Aw, but he's just too cute!" Luciel squealed happily.
You watched him play with your cat for a few more moments with a fond gaze before your expression grew more serious. "...So are we gonna talk about the elephant in the room? You just show up here after years of me not knowing if you were dead or alive? Come on, Chilyoung. You've got to tell me something." You pressed. You tried to keep your voice as level as possible but you couldn't stop a bit of hurt from leaking into your tone.
Luciel's movements slowed to a stop, instinctively holding your cat close as his expression darkened. He couldn't help but wince slightly at the use of his old fake name. Just one of many…
"...It was never my intention to hurt you...I had to leave the way I did. You won't understand, but I didn't exactly have a choice…And I didn't exactly have the luxury of keeping in touch…" He explained in a voice so low you almost didn't catch it.
You were a bit taken aback by his solemn response. Was he in some sort of trouble after all? You frowned with concern and stepped toward him, touching his arm gently. “What are you talking about? What happened to you?”
Luciel sighed, silently opening his arms and letting your cat scamper away. He then lifted his gaze to meet yours, giving you a sad smile. “I can’t talk about that…In fact, I’m not really supposed to be here at all…I just…” He paused, his smile fading as he looked away in shame and rubbed his neck awkwardly. “...I guess I just really wanted to see you again…hah…pretty stupid, huh?”
“...Luciel…”
He quickly shook off the gloomy expression and gave you a fresh smile, only managing to worry you more. “But this can be our secret, right Y/N?...No one can know I was here, okay?” He asked, his tone chillingly serious despite his cheerful facade. He sounded almost…scared.
Your expression hardened into one of determination as you pulled him into a tight hug. He held himself stiffly, not sure whether to push you away or not. After a moment, you pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on or what it is you’re going through…but you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone. I promise. I’m just glad to see you again. I'm glad you're okay and I'm glad you're here…I missed you too.”
…Ack! You used friendly support and affection! It was super effective! Critical damage -707 hp.
Luciel just stood there, staring at you like you’d grown two heads. If you didn’t know any better, you’d even say he looked flustered. “Ah…I…uh…haha…yeah…” He stammered, struggling to get a hold of his hammering heart. You always did this. You made it easy for him to let his guard down. That was…dangerous. Much too dangerous.
You just chuckled at his anxious state, taking his arm and tugging him towards the couch. “Now come on. We don't have to talk about anything that you're not comfortable with right now. Let's just sit for a minute and relax," you reassured him, sensing that he needed some comfort.
He followed your lead without protest, although you could have sworn you heard him mutter something in Korean under his breath as he tried to pull himself together.
You both sat on the couch, falling into an awkward silence at first, but slowly beginning some friendly small talk. True to your word, you kept yourself from asking any of the big questions you really wanted answers to. Something you could tell Luciel greatly appreciated. Instead, you caught him up with a few things that had happened since he left. You didn't really think your boring college experience was particularly enthralling, but Luciel seemed to be enjoying every word of it. He never had the time to slow down and really enjoy a proper college experience. He had a job to do and people to help. He could never be like you. So he found it particularly relaxing to hear about the life of a regular student.
In return, Luciel offered you a few small pieces of info. They were all pretty vague, more like a few gracious breadcrumbs to sate your curiosity and keep you from asking more questions than they were actual explanations. You learned that he worked for a big fancy group where his genius computer science skills were being put to use. He told you that was the reason for his traveling. He made an effort to make it sound like a cool plus, but you could tell he was unsettled about something.
"Luciel…are you really okay?" You asked hesitantly.
"Oh yeah sure. Living the dream," he responded lightly.
You weren't very convinced.
Luciel looked over at your concerned expression, letting out a small chuckle. "Seriously, I am okay, Y/N. You don't have to worry about me. Sure, my job isn't exactly easy, but I can handle it. It's no problem for someone like me!" He insisted. Another lie. His job was terrible. It made him do terrible things and it made him feel like a terrible person. But he couldn't tell you that part. No. He just wanted to indulge in a little peace with you and pretend to be normal for a single fleeting moment.
You gave him a critical look. You knew he wasn't being completely honest but you also knew there was nothing you could do about it. "Well…even someone like you still needs help sometimes. I know I can't do much. I'm just a boring college student with a cat. But if there's ever anything I can do…I'm here, okay?"
"...Yeah," he muttered, expression softening and his smile turning a bit more genuine. There was a moment of silence as you looked at each other, drinking in each other's presence.
The moment was broken by the buzz of his phone. Luciel’s expression immediately soured as he fished the device from his pocket and flicked it on. He groaned, letting out another grumble to himself that was foreign to your ears. "Yikes…Duty calls," he finally said in English once more before he rose to his feet. He had to get back before anyone from the agency realized he was gone. None of them knew about you. He was never supposed to make any real connections during his brief time here, but he had managed to keep whatever this was a secret…And by God, he was going to keep it that way.
"You're leaving already? Is everything okay?" You asked anxiously, following his lead and rising as well.
"Yeah, yeah. Great. I've just gotta…uhh…have you got a back door?"
"Oh, uh…yeah. Just through the kitchen."
"Good, good…" He trailed off, mind running a mile a minute. His attention suddenly snapped back to you. "Ah, you remember what I told you, right? I was never here,” he reminded you hastily, sounding like he was in a hurry to leave.
You smiled. “Who was never here?”
Luciel mirrored your smile. “Haha, yeah. That’s the spirit! Now, I hate to drink and dash, but I’ve really gotta go. Thanks for…thanks for everything, Y/N. Take care of yourself,” he said, his voice softening at the end. He gave you a more hesitant and lingering look before heading to the kitchen, making a beeline for the door.
“Wait! Luciel!” You called after him as you followed him around the corner.
“Yeah?”
“...Keep in touch this time, will you?”
“...I…Yeah. Roger that,” he responded, lifting his hand in a small salute before opening the door and slipping back out into the night like the ghost he was.
Luciel could barely think as he hurried his way back to his temporary hideout where his handler would undoubtedly be looking for him. It was fine. Luciel was smart. Exceptionally so. If anybody was qualified enough to keep such complicated double lives separate, it was him. He would just have to think of a new way to get under his handler’s skin again to keep the agent distracted. It would be easy. Maybe it was a bit of his ego thinking, or maybe it was the addictive nature of your company, but Luciel couldn’t help but think that he could do this again. Was it really so bad to enjoy himself for once? It wasn’t like you were associated with him in any meaningful way someone could trace. All Luciel would have to do is cover his tracks properly and you would be fine…right?
Ughh…He groaned quietly in frustration, lowering his head as he hurried along the dark streets. Who was he kidding? He didn’t deserve to be selfish like this, did he? He shook his head, forcing himself to stop the senseless back and forth. He would think more about this later. For now, he needed to get back to work…and pray that there would be no punishment for indulging himself in such guilty pleasures.
My last imagine was more focused on being friends with Seven as you would in any route except his own, where you're somewhat close but nowhere near as much as in his route.
Well I just finished replaying Seven's route for the first time in years and I also finally bit the bullet and spent my hourglasses on finishing the Secret Ending (I'll have enough for Another Story someday TvT), so I was thinking of doing a follow-up to my last imagine... this time being close enough to see Saeyoung a bit more genuinely ^^! I guess I'd say this is the "Seven's route Good End + Secret Ending" timeline.
So...
Imagine playing Animal Crossing with Saeyoung (and Saeran!)
It had been a long time since the two of you had played any video games together. With everything that's happened, life had just been too hectic for that kind of thing. But now that things were starting to settle down, you guys have the time to indulge in simple pleasures again.
You suggested that Saeyoung try showing Animal Crossing to Saeran, thinking the cozy slow pace game would be perfect for the brothers to bond over. Saeyoung was totally on board with anything to try connecting with his twin, so he grabbed it right away.
Saeyoung started a fresh island and let Saeran be the Resident Representative. The two of them share the town, but he lets Saeran make most of the overall island layout decisions.
The simple repetitive daily tasks and soothing atmosphere is rather therapeutic for Saeran, and once he got the hang of using a gaming system, he took to it pretty quickly. He tolerates Saeyoung's presence on the island but tries to keep some distance. This doesn't always work, since Saeyoung still tries to engage with whatever Saeran's current project is.
"...Hey, get your weird cat shrine away from my hybrid garden... it's ruining the ambiance..."
"Eh? But Saeran, those are the flower guardians! What will become of the poor flowers when there's no one to protect them from evil?"
"Cats don't protect flowers, idiot. Get rid of it."
"...okay;;"
Saeyoung does still like to dive into the game's code and find ways to break the game's boundaries, but he does it in a way that's not obtrusive to Saeran's town decorating.
Saeyoung's decorating in general, while it can still be unconventional and a bit silly, is less over the top than it used to be. Because of the emotional walls he used for the longest time, Saeyoung used to rely heavily on "fishing" for reactions in order to connect with others. Rather than being able to converse on a deeper level, he would exaggerate behavior and push buttons to get reactions, either positive or negative.
Thanks to you, Saeyoung now feels comfortable connecting with others on a deeper emotional level. Don't get me wrong, he still likes to play, still enjoys the occasional prank, and still loves the look on your face when he manages to catch you off guard. But now he doesn't feel like those have to define the majority of his interactions. This means you now get to see some of his more earnest attempts at decorating! …Just don't let your guard down too much. That's when he strikes.
"Wow, Saeyoung, I'm impressed. This is actually a pretty good bedroom design."
"lololol why do you sound so surprised?"
"...do I have to say it? ;;;"
"><; okay okay. Now, if you like this one, wait until you see the basement!"
"Yeah, let's go! I really like what you've done with the place so far. It's actually pretty practical and-.....ah...Saeyoung...?"
"Yeeesss? ^^"
"...Why do you have an... Elizabeth 3rd altar in your basement? Wow...that's...very detailed."
"Jumin said I should inject more culture and class into my decor tastes lolol do you like it?"
"....Hah...Yeah."
"Hooray!!"
If either you or Saeran have a particular villager that you really want, Saeyoung will get them from the online “villager black market” for you. He'll do his best to get you two whatever you want in general, honestly. Even if it's rare. If he can't get it on his own he'll just cheat the system. He has no problem breaking the rules to put smiles on the faces of the two most important people in his life.
Saeran actually plays more often than Saeyoung does, and he may invite you over if the two of you are close enough. He's really good at breeding hybrids, and you end up leaving with one of your favorite kind of hybrid as a gift.
Please volunteer to play with both boys, not just one. They both love it, and it slowly becomes something special that the three of you share. Things have changed a lot, but times like these remind you what a wonderful little family you've been welcomed into.
Hey, I’m not sure if anybody has ever pointed this out before or if a lot of people have noticed this, but I’m returning to the Deep Story after a long time while I’m saving up for Another Story and I came across this guest email that I never really paid much attention to before now.
A small detail here that’s easy to look over is actually kind of big. This tells us that right off the bat, still during early game when you aren’t even in his route, Seven went through the trouble of setting up some sort of firewall or safety measure around your personal data. He has no real reason to do this since it’s completely unrelated to RFA work if some random, seemingly relatively harmless, hacker group wanted to find some of your info. He has more important things to worry about. He says himself that rather than spending time looking into your personal records after the initial background check, he’s more busy looking for Unknown. And yet, he does what little he can to help us. As always, Seven goes the extra mile to protect the people around him. Even when he’s supposed to have only known you for less than 5 days.
You're finally getting to visit his island. He's been hyping it up for a while now and you were admittedly curious how a man like him would decorate his virtual space. You're not sure what you were expecting, but you honestly should have seen this coming. When you get there, it is the craziest hacked town you've ever seen. There's everything from scattered trees bearing every conceivable collectable crafting item to the town hall being submerged in the ocean to every villager being replaced with Zipper T. Bunny. You have a slight suspicion that some of his feature manipulation was done specifically to coax an entertaining reaction from you. You are both astounded and concerned.
"Seven, you can't do that! What if your account gets banned for hacking??"
"Hehehe...they'll never catch me~"
He will hook you up with the best items if you ask nicely.
He is capable of decorating like a sane human being, he just has more fun making you freak out.
After your first visit, he starts sending you cute letters every so often. It never fails to make you smile when you log on and check your mailbox to find one or two short and silly letters from the great 707 himself.
"Baam! It's God 707 coming in to bless you with the spoils of my hard work. No need to thank me, it's all part of my job to provide for my honey~ Hahaha, I sounded a bit like Zen there for a second, didn't I?"
"...Seven, please stop mailing me golden toilets."
You two may even be able to rope Yoosung into joining if you can get him away from LOLOL long enough.
"Lololololol, Y/N, I told Yoosung I'd get him some new armor in LOLOL if he could catch a tarantula...and he just about cried when he missed!"
"But there were so many of them! Seven, you didn't tell me there would be so many! How did you even spawn that many at once??"
"That's beside the point."
Overall, you guys have a lot of fun together. Seven is often pretty busy, so you treasure the nights that he has the time to go fishing or bug hunting with you, the two of you chatting the whole time. It's a time of peace. Or... well, as peaceful as anything can be when you're doing it with Seven. But you wouldn't have it any other way.
Warnings: Abduction, mentions of stalking, and general yandere behavior.
Author’s Note: I don’t usually write AU stuff, but John Doe is pretty versatile, so here’s a sort of Little Red Riding Hood-esque AU. It’s fairly vague when it comes to those details though, so it could also just be read as general supernatural fantasy.
~~~~~
Oh no. No no no. This couldn’t be happening. You’ve walked the path through the forest to and from your grandmother’s cottage tons of times. You knew the way like the back of your hand. You couldn’t seriously be lost, could you? As you glance around the area and find all the trees to look the same…your heart sinks with the realization that you are indeed lost. You had to hurry and retrace your steps. It was already approaching night and it wouldn’t be too long before the sun disappeared completely behind the horizon and it became too dark to see the way back. It wasn’t like you to get lost. Sure, these woods could be a terrible maze for the inexperienced, but you were better than that. You weren’t sure what had gotten into you. It was almost like something had guided you off the trail without you noticing. Of course, that was rubbish.
The folks from town always liked to tell stories about the forest, or more accurately, about what supposedly lived inside the forest. Most were the usual tale intended to scare curious children into obedience. “Never wander too far off the path, lest the monsters get you.” You’ve never seen any monsters, though. You knew those were just silly superstitions for the young and gullible. You were no child, and you stopped believing in monsters a long time ago. At least… that’s what you told yourself. After all, not believing was easier than being afraid.
The howling wind and the crunching of leaves under your feet were all you could hear as you trudged back down in the direction you were pretty sure you had come from. You definitely didn’t hear the way twigs would snap occasionally nearby. You definitely didn’t see the way the growing shadows of dusk seemed to dance in the corners of your vision. And you definitely didn’t feel the sensation of someone watching you. Because…well, that would be irrational, right?
“Ugh, come on! I turned right at this tree for sure...or…was it the other way…?” You muttered under your breath as you tried to regain your bearings. It took everything you had not to panic. Things would be bad if you got stuck out here all night.
Suddenly you heard the telltale sound of footsteps. You turned towards the sound and froze in place, your body going rigid. In the shadows stood…something. Yellow eyes gazed at you from the darkness before the figure slowly stepped closer.
The figure stepped into the light, revealing itself to be a strange man of some sort. He had long and wild hair that seemed to move on its own, which you attributed to the wind. His clothes consisted of mismatched blacks, and he wasn't even wearing his cloak correctly. If you were to meet this fellow on the street, you probably would have assumed he was just some sad vagabond without access to a good bath. But here? Deep in the middle of the forest? Well, you were a little more on edge when he gave you a face-splitting smile.
"...Hello" He greeted simply.
You gulped nervously before responding. "Uhh…hello."
He moved a bit closer, looking you up and down. You felt a bit self-conscious under his gaze, wrapping your cloak a little tighter around yourself.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" He hummed, sounding genuinely curious.
You supposed the question was innocent enough given the circumstances. "Oh, well, I was bringing a basket of treats to my grandma today. She lives on the other side of this forest…But I seem to have gotten lost…" You admitted with a hint of embarrassment.
The man's smile grew impossibly wider at this news. "Oh. You know, it's not very safe for you to be out alone this time of night. There are a lot of weirdos around here."
As he said this, a chill ran up your spine. Yeah. You were pretty sure you were looking at one of those weirdos right now. There was something about him that was just…off, and yet your mind couldn't place what it was. Maybe it was the way he looked at you. You couldn’t tell if it was a predatory gaze or just a burning fascination. Either way, it was unnatural.
“I can bring you home if you want,” he offered.
You perked up at that. Maybe he wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t like you had a lot of other options. If he was willing to lead you back to town, you couldn’t afford to say no. “Ah…I wouldn’t want to be a bother, but…” you trailed off, looking away with a nervous smile.
“It’s no bother! I’d love to!” He exclaimed, stepping forward and taking your hand into his.
You looked up at him with surprise. His skin was surprisingly soft and warm. “Um, well, in that case, I would really appreciate the help,” you relented. You just needed to quit being paranoid. Sure he looked and acted a bit strange, but he was simply a Good Samaritan offering his help.
With that, the two of you set off in a new direction. His hand was still wrapped around yours, but you chose not to comment on it. It was probably easier to lead you that way in the dark.
“So…Do you live around here?” You asked, hoping a little conversation would lighten the mood.
“Yes! It’s not far from here.”
“You must know the forest pretty well then, huh?”
“Oh yes! I know pretty much every knot on every tree!” He boasted cheerfully.
You chuckled at his overenthusiasm. You were just glad that he knew his way around well enough to navigate his way back to town, in the dark no less. Except…It’s been several minutes of walking now, and you still didn’t recognize your surroundings. In fact, the woods only seemed to grow denser and darker the further you went.
“Um…Are you sure we’re going the right way?” You asked, glancing up at the stranger.
He looked over at you, his wide smile still firmly in place and a strange glint in his eyes. “Absolutely! It’s not much farther.” He insisted.
Okay…You were starting to feel a bit nervous again. It was probably fine! You just must have gotten more lost than you realized.
“You know…You’re really cute,” He stated, squeezing your hand slightly.
That made you bristle, not sure whether to be flattered or uncomfortable. You thanked him nonetheless. This was fine…
“You always carry that basket and skip your way back and forth through the wood without a care in the world! It’s so adorable!” He gushed, sounding like a schoolgirl discussing their crush.
That definitely got your attention. Had he been following you? How long was he watching you? You stopped walking and looked at his face. As if a spell of ignorance had been broken, you suddenly became acutely aware of every imperfection that seemed to scream that this was no ordinary man. His hair was just a little too lively, shifting like it had a mind of its own. His eyes were just a little too big, pupils dilating like an excited animal. And his smile? How did you not realize sooner that there were way too many teeth? His hands were like someone had tried and failed to replicate human anatomy. His nails were long and black, resembling claws, and the number of fingers was all wrong.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, tilting his head in confusion.
You yanked your hand out of his grasp, giving him a look with equal parts suspicion and fear. “What are you?”
“Huh? I’m a regular guy.”
“Then…then why are your eyes so big?” You asked in an accusatory manner, glaring at him with rising hostility.
His smile widened and his eyes crinkled. “The better to see you with.” He stated as if it was obvious.
“A-And…what about your hands?” You pressed.
“The better to hold you with~” He purred, stepping towards you.
You took a shaky step back, wanting to stay out of the creature’s reach. You weren’t sure who or what this creature was, but you knew that you had to get far away from it. With a deep breath, you turned and broke into a sprint. You did your best to weave around the trees and jump over the stray branches. You weren’t sure if he was following, but you had to keep moving. The forest seemed to twist and turn around you until you had no idea in what direction you were running.
Finally, you came to a stop in a clearing. In the center was a large cabin with an irregular curving design. Where were you?
“Ah, there you are, love! I told you we were nearly there!” Came the creature’s voice as he silently crept up behind you and slid an arm around your waist. “Welcome home!”
“What?! This isn’t my home! You said you would help me get back to town!” You shrieked, looking fearfully into the creature’s yellow eyes.
He squeezed you tighter into his side, tilting his head with curiosity. “No, silly! I said I’d bring you home. You’ll like it here.”
This couldn’t be happening. You were too scared to pull away as the creature nuzzled his face against your shoulder.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I’m ̸̧̨̥̰͙̗̱̮̙̖̹͇͛̈̇͂ͅ*̸͎́̆ ̸̠̟͉̥̭̣̔̌̾͝~̶̢͖͍̜̰̺̳͈͒͛̋̒͋̇̑͐̒͑̾̍̕͜͠ ̴̟̤͙͎̈́̈́͌̃̕͠*̵͔̦̒̃͛̀͒̌̈͌̅̕ ̵̡̼͙̪̙̠͙͌͗̊̈́̂͆̒ ̴̢̻̯̰̟͕͙͍̻͑̋͂̉̽͑̽͘ͅ ̵̡̢̧̖̜͈͓̱͈̩͓̜̩͒͑͐͋̎̌̾͑͜*̴̛̤̮̠̜̜̘̖̄̊̅̀̿͂̈̍͐̔͘͠ ̸̺̙̲̥̪̻͙͙̞̎͜͝ͅ~̷̠̥͇̤̦͍͕̟̾̓̒̽̈́͛̏̚ ̵̢̞̰̘̤̀̍́̓͌͆̒̄̍͜͠ͅ ̸̪̣̱̍*̵̗̰̬͔̟̺̻̫̭̍̊̾͒́͂͘ ̸̠̝̔̽̆͆̉̓̉̃̚ ̸̛̱̳̺͐̈́̂̒̀̃̓̑͒͝ͅ ̵̣̱͎̗̠̱̱͚̩̼̇̂͆͒ ̸͍̠͚̥̳͍͓̠̻͋̏̍͋́͜͝*̷̧̗̭͚̰͖̠̥̯͍̥̙̆̾̏̈͝ ̵̻̈́͒͊̾̈́̕ ̷̠̱̣͎̞̀ͅ ̸̧̺̟͙̟̟̟̗̟̽̿̒́̈́̆̀̇̓̿͌ ̴̡̡̨̧̛̮̙͉͈̻̳̩̦̰̎͜, but you can call me John Doe!
Around the start of the decade, we have seen a significantly increased interest in the concept known as “liminal space.” This is a “transitional” place, often possessing wide, open, and empty areas. These areas lie somewhere between the familiar and the unfamiliar, similar to the concept of the uncanny valley. Many people report a strong feeling of dread or fear in such places, sometimes even expressing paranoia about an unseen presence. If you are one of these individuals, congratulations, you are correct! Recent study suggests a higher probability of paranormal contact in these transitional spaces.
Certain entities may be contacted repeatedly if the correct methods are used. One such recurring entity is known only by the alias: John Doe. Some daring thrill-seekers in the paranormal hunting community have managed to compile a somewhat reliable method of contact.
“John Doe” tends to hang around in empty “liminal spaces.” Odds are if you have ever felt the prickly feeling of being watched while going down a long hallway or a winding staircase at night, it’s been because this spirit has been nearby. While the development of this ritual is fairly recent, the presence of this spirit is not. It’s suspected that John Doe is only the most recent name it’s gone by.
While contacting the John Doe entity can be extremely dangerous, there are some personal benefits if you’re able to pull off a successful interaction. You can ask John Doe to do something for you in exchange for an offering. Some players have reported having unexplainable luck in their jobs after performing the ritual. Some have reported learning that their enemy met a mysterious death just days after the ritual. You won’t get material items like money, but chances are good that your luck will start to turn around. Of course, that is if your contact is a success. This game is not for the faint of heart. If you do choose to play, please read the instructions carefully and proceed at your own risk.
PREREQUISITES:
The window of time needed in order to perform the ritual is between 12:00 AM and 4:00 AM. No players have reported success attempting to start the ritual outside this timeframe. It’s also recommended you begin the ritual as early as possible in order to give yourself enough time later. This is best performed by a single person. It’s recommended you do not bring anyone with you when attempting contact.
THINGS YOU WILL NEED:
(1) A location to perform the ritual. It must be a building containing what is considered a “liminal space.” This could be anything from an abandoned mall to an office building with access to multiple stairwells and/or long hallways. If you feel your hair start to stand on end upon entering, you’ve probably found the right spot. It’s STRONGLY advised that you choose a location far away from your home.
(2) A minimum of 5 human teeth. This will be the primary offering. It’s unclear exactly what John Doe does with these teeth, but it seems to favor them above all other objects. Most players report using old milk teeth leftover from childhood. If you do not have access to your old milk teeth, you might have to find more creative means of collecting this material. It’s not advised to use animal teeth or fake teeth, as this may lead to a rejected offering.
(3) A knife or other sharp object.
(4) Paper and a writing utensil.
(5) A bottle of holy water (just in case).
STEPS AND TIPS:
1. It’s strongly recommended that you bathe yourself with a mild and unscented soap before attempting this ritual. Any strong artificial scents may increase your likelihood of a rejected offering. It’s best to remove as much natural and artificial odor from your body as possible.
2. After you have collected your supplies, make sure to lock your front door before leaving for your chosen location. (This will be important later!)
3. Once you arrive at your chosen location, you will need to find the ideal spot to start. Begin by entering the liminal space. (It’s important that the area is completely empty. If for any reason, there are other people in your chosen location when you arrive, do not proceed). To find the ideal spot, begin walking through your chosen location. Keep moving until you start to see movement in the corners of your vision, hear unexplainable sounds, or begin to experience chills. These are signs that the entity is nearby. This may take some time. Take time to ensure you find the best spot in order to increase the likelihood of an accepted offering. Be sure to pay attention to where this spot is because you will need to find it again later.
4. Prepare your offering. Take your paper and begin by signing your full name and writing a small note explaining what part of your life you might need help in. When you’re finished, place one or two drops of your own blood on the paper. Place this note on the floor along with the teeth.
5. Quietly leave the immediate area. Wait a few minutes before returning to your spot to check if your offering is still where you left it.
6. If your offering is still there, don’t worry, there is still chance for success. It’s possible you failed to find your ideal spot in step 3 and need to try again. If your offering is rejected, you must wait until the start of the next hour to try again. (For example, if your offering is rejected at 12:30AM, you will need to wait until 1:00AM to try again). At the start of the hour, repeat steps 3 through 5.
7. If you can’t find your offering after returning to your spot, way to go! This means your offering was accepted and John Doe has taken an interest in you. Take a minute to sit in your spot to show your gratitude to the entity for considering you worth its time (but be careful not to stay too long! Try to avoid lingering for more than 5 minutes).
8. When you’re ready to leave, stand and face the darkest corner of the room. Thank the entity for meeting with you and announce that you are leaving. At this point, you may feel overcome with a sudden desire to stay longer. IGNORE THIS FEELING. Make it very clear that you have no intention of staying and that you do not wish to meet again. Leave quickly.
AFTER COMPLETION:
Congratulations on a successful contact! If you performed everything correctly, you should find yourself experiencing an improvement in the area of your life that you wrote down. As tempting as it may be to repeat this ritual the next time you need a little extra luck, it's strongly advised that you never attempt contact again. John Doe liked you enough the first time, but it’s best not to try a spirit’s patience.
EXTRA TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING: BE PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING!
DO NOT mention your love life in your note. If you express any difficulty in your love life, the entity may get the wrong idea. While a successful contact requires John Doe’s interest, you want to avoid attracting too much attention at all costs.
DO NOT leave without saying goodbye. The entity may take this as an invitation to come with you.
If your offering is rejected a second time, it’s not advised that you try a third time. John Doe may not have any interest in you, and continuing to persist may only aggravate the entity. However, if you feel strongly about your chances and are daring enough to take the risk, you may try a third time. If your offering is rejected a third time, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. You’ve overstayed your welcome.
If, at any point during a failed or successful ritual, you feel the sensation of hands attempting to grab onto you and stop you from leaving, splash your holy water in its direction and tell John Doe that you don't want to meet with it anymore. Leave as quickly as possible.
When preparing to leave after successful contact, you may begin to hear indistinct whispering voices that seem to be asking you questions. Do not panic. This just means that John Doe has taken a little more interest in you than usual. Simply restate that you intend to leave and continue on.
If, however, you hear a clear and insistent voice in your ear, you may have attracted too much of the entity’s attention. It’s possible you failed to complete step 1, as even the faintest presence of natural body odor can encourage the entity’s interest. It may ask to come home with you. It’s important for you to remain calm. Any noticeable expression of fear will only encourage further interest. Calmly tell John Doe once more that you are leaving and do not wish to meet again. After leaving, it’s recommended that you do not return home right away. If possible, make a few stops or take a longer route than usual.
If you return home to find that your front door is unlocked, DO NOT ENTER. You may have given John Doe too many wrong signals and as a result, it has followed you home. If this is suspected to be the case, It's highly advised that you do not re-enter your house before sunrise.
Some players have reported spotting a figure following them after completing the ritual. John Doe may be attempting to follow you if you spot any of the following: a lump of black hair and eyes approximately the size of a small volleyball, a shadowy humanoid figure, or a man with long black hair and a wide smile. If you believe the entity to be following you, you can try repeating the ritual and ask to be left alone. Do not under any circumstances attempt to confront the entity directly. If you continue to feel as though you are being followed, you may need to consider relocation.
The player is responsible for any personally unfortunate results due to playing. Play only at your own risk. Good luck.
Warnings: Clingy, possessive, and otherwise yandere behavior. Implied kidnapping. Mentions of disturbing environments and extremely brief offhanded mention of gore.
Author’s Note: This can be read as standalone, or interpreted as taking place after Ending 4.
~~~~~
How long have you been here now? A few days? Weeks? It’s so hard to keep track. Sometimes it feels like you’ve always been here, but you try to remind yourself not to take those thoughts seriously. After all, those weren’t your thoughts…those were his.
With a sigh, you hug yourself a little tighter and sink a little further into the ratty couch you were currently curled up on. It wasn’t the most comfortable couch you’ve had the pleasure of sitting on in your life, but it was much better than letting yourself come into contact with any of the countless heaps of trash that covered the dilapidated farce of a living room. There were very few places in your c̶̑͜a̴̟̤̓̀p̶̞̅̚t̵͎̓̓o̷͙͑̈́r̷̝̙̍'̸̬̐s̵̬̅ boyfriend’s home that felt safe. All attempts of exploration had resulted in increasingly distressing discoveries. The last time you tried opening a window, you had nearly been sucked into some sort of bottomless void. This had earned you a lighthearted scolding from him as if it should have been obvious not to open that particular window at that particular time. He spoke as if it was simply a case of passing weather. It felt like every extra minute you spent in this filth hole only served to chip away at your sanity a little more. If only you could just figure out how to get out! The problem was that you rarely got enough time to think without him breathing down your neck.
“Oh! There you are, my love!” The familiar voice called out from behind you. You jumped, whipping your head around to settle your gaze on the creature currently strolling over to the couch to sit beside you. John Doe. That wasn’t his name—not really—but it was the best way your feeble human tongue was capable of addressing the otherworldly being.
You turned your face away, forcing yourself to ignore Doe’s attempt at crowding your personal space. He flopped onto the couch, scooting closer to you and leaning in with his usual grin. “I have a surprise for you,” he announced, waiting for any kind of response from you.
“I think I’ve had enough of your surprises,” you huffed, sending a sour look towards him.
He laughed off your hostility, grasping your hand gently. “You’ll like this one. I know you’ve been a little homesick lately…so I brought you something to cheer you up!” he told you before reaching behind his back and revealing a medium-sized white box.
You cringed in anticipation. What would it be this time? A severed head? A pile of bloody organs? Maybe even something so terribly incomprehensible that you would never be able to sleep again.
Doe carefully began to open the box. It was…
…Pastries. Perfectly normal, delicious-looking pastries. Huh. Somehow that was the one thing you didn't expect.
Doe puffed up with excitement at the sight of your shocked expression. "I got them from that bakery you like," he explained, bouncing slightly as he awaited your praise.
You were at a loss for words. You hadn’t expected anything quite so…sweet from him. It reminded you of how you felt when Doe first showed interest in you, back when you were naive enough about his true power to feel flustered by his advances. You felt a rush of emotions, from happiness to homesickness to sadness and to frustration. Before you knew it you had broken into tearful sobs.
Doe paused, taking in your emotional breakdown for a moment before he set the box of pastries aside and reached out for you. “So cute~” he cooed, pulling you into his arms with all the patronizing affection of someone fawning over a whimpering puppy.
Part of you wanted to take solace in his warm body and firm yet gentle grip, but the more rational part of you remembered that this thing was the reason for your distress in the first place. “Stop it, Doe! Don’t touch me!” You spat, pushing away from him.
Doe reeled back, holding his hands uncertainly against his chest and looking as if you had physically struck him. Strange, considering all previous attempts to physically incapacitate him had led to little more than an amused chuckle or two.
“You’re…angry…” He stated in a half-questioning tone.
You took a moment to compose yourself, take a deep breath, and collect your thoughts. “I don’t like it here, Doe…” You said softly.
“Huh? Why?” He asked with a small tilt of his head.
You nearly snapped, wanting to shout about how obvious your discomfort should have been or how the place was slowly driving you mad, but you decided that yelling probably wouldn’t solve anything. If anything, it might just make him more inclined than he already was to take control of your mind again. It was best to stay as calm as possible when attempting to reason with him. “I’m just not happy here. I want to leave.” You said firmly.
Doe’s smile fell, twisting into more of a grimace. “But…you can’t leave. Why aren’t you happy? I can make you happy…just…” He trailed off, looking around with increasing apprehension.
With an annoyed roll of your eyes, you crossed your arms and turned away. There was no use arguing with him like this. If he wasn’t going to listen to you, you wished he would just leave you alone to wallow in peace. “You just don’t get it,” you sighed.
This simple and quiet act of rejection seemed to cut Doe deeper than any blade could ever dream of, because he continued to grow more panicked by the second. He wracked his brain for the reason you were so upset with him. He had tried to make you comfortable in the shared space, he had made sure to give you plenty of attention, but it seemed like everything he did only managed to push you further away. Why were you still so cold with him? What was he doing wrong?
“...You,” he called out, his voice shaking slightly. “I can- I can fix it.”
Confused by his words, you glanced back over at him. Doe’s body seemed to be…melting? His messy hair writhed with agitation and his skin dripped like hot wax. You weren’t quite sure whether to be worried or scared. Maybe both.
“You can’t fix it,” you groaned. In order to do that, he would have to actually understand how messed up this entire situation was, and you were pretty sure he still had no intention of letting you go.
Doe ground his teeth and reached out to clutch at your arm. “I can fix it!... Please let me fix it,” he begged desperately. He couldn't take the thought of you hating him. He would do anything if you would just love him. Or at the very least start by not ignoring him.
You felt a pang of pity. No! You couldn’t pity this creature, you tried to remind yourself. But…he did seem to genuinely want to find a way to make you happy… Maybe you could work with this?
“Fix it how?” You asked with a hint of suspicion.
“However you want!” He replied instantly, desperation and hope swirling in his sunken eyes.
You cringed. Either he was playing dumb, or he really had no idea why you were upset. You couldn’t help but feel a little pity for him when he seemed so eager to please. You let out a long and drawn-out sigh as you thought over your options. This was the most he's shown since bringing you here of any willingness to give up control. “... Okay, we can…talk about it I guess," you relented.
Doe's form reinflated and he beamed with excitement. Talking was a huge improvement over the cold shoulder as far as he was concerned. He started to move closer to you, wanting to reach out and embrace you. Halfway through the motion, he remembered your previous anger and paused, taking a moment to think it over before awkwardly retracting back into the seat beside you. That was what you wanted him to do, right? He wanted to make this work.
The two of you sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, neither of you wanting to be the first to start what would likely be a very long discussion filled with tedious negotiation attempts. Who knew how long it would take to reach a compromise of any kind, that is if you could reach one at all. Maybe he was just too twisted to truly reason with…But for some reason, you had a little bit of hope.
You reached for the pastry box—sitting on the strangely viscous surface of what you could only assume was a crude approximation of a coffee table—and pulled out one of your favorite sweets. Wordlessly, you broke it in half and offered the other piece to Doe. His unblinking gaze followed your movement. You tried to ignore the shiver that his stare always elicited. He accepted the offering with a softened smile. Baby steps. As long as he was willing to give, you supposed that at least trying to work things out wouldn’t be too bad for now.
