* 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬.

INTRO. ⠀DOSSIER.⠀ MEMOIR. ⠀APPENDIX. ⠀PLOTS. ⠀MAP.

daewon typically isn't one to enjoy being in the spotlight, but there's something different about entertaining a crowd of children. they're not scrutinizing him in the same way that those affiliated with the three houses do. they're looking at him with curious eyes, hanging on to his every word as he reads off the last few lines from twas the night before christmas.

as daewon gently closes the book he just finished reading, he addresses the crowd of small children once again. “alright, children, for our next story, i need the help of one of our friends.” he turns in yeonsu's direction, heading towards the area in the library he's occupying to lightly tap him on the shoulder.

“hey, do you want to help me read this one? i can only do so many voices to keep the children entertained.” he lets the question linger, holding up a bright red book with the words 'how the grinch stole christmas' on full display.

beonhwa honesty hour !

“maybe..?” the response comes out as more of a question than an answer. it's something daewon hasn't given much thought to; did he have trust issues? he had always just viewed himself as someone who's more reserved than others. “i mean, in a way, i have to have them. i've been taught to be a bit wary of others, 'as you never know someone's true intentions'. i've been lectured after times that i've trusted my own judgment for being too naive, too trusting, too empathetic.” too much like himself, if he really stops to think about it. the recollection of previous lessons he's learned from the house elders and their influence on his mentality leaves daewon with a bitter taste in his mouth.

believe it or not, the mugunghwa gala is something daewon looks forward to every year. the distinguished house would always go all out, from the spreads prepared to the alcohol served. this year in particular, daewon found himself indulging more in the latter.

there had been a white wine they were serving that he's found himself gravitating to—it was moderately sweet, with notes of pineapple, peach, and honey swirling around his taste buds. daewon didn't usually drink at any of the events held by the three houses; he would typically nurse any glass that was given to him, fearful of what his behavior would be like when inebriated, but this time was different. he needed to take the edge off with a little liquid courage to help him overcome the anxiety of the event.

the number of people that daewon has been forced to greet and spark up a conversation with was beginning to get exhausting, so equipped with the excuse of taking a moment to view the art that was going to be up for auction, he made a quick exit from the crowd.

the first painting daewon stumbles upon is what appears to be a woman with ginger hair holding a bouquet of flowers. her eyes are closed, her face serene; she looks so peaceful, it starts to put daewon at ease, a small smile finding its way across his features before he moves onto the next piece. 

daewon's chest feels constricted upon seeing the second painting; the earlier smile has now long since vanished, replaced with a deep frown. the woman's black hair and ruby lips resemble those of im hyejin. from her updo to the gentle yet poised expression on her face, she is emulating every bit of his mother's grace.

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ 💐 : your honest opinion of the three houses

“i would like to believe that we're all collectively trying to do what's best for the nation.” his answer is plain enough, yet he's still left feeling that it was far too generous.

the fact that daewon doesn't believe the words coming from his own mouth is the issue. from his time in the house of magnolia, there's been things that he's both seen and heard from others that make him harbor doubts about how great the three houses truly are.

🌸 : where is your favorite place to relax in beonhwa?

the two locations that come to mind offer him a great deal of comfort, though the ways may be vastly different. when he's in the library, he's in his element, surrounded by books and typically quiet library patrons. occasionally, there's some fuss—a noisy kid in the children's section, jinx deciding to come by and knocking books off the shelf, or whenever rivers decides he'd like to come terrorize daewon. sometimes he even seeks out the noise himself whenever yeonsu drops by. but for the most part, daewon gets to bask in the peace at his place of work.

while the library offers him peace and quiet, the moon tavern gives him the complete opposite. from the rowdy customers and general commotion, it reminds daewon of his own days living on the outskirts of beonhwa. it feels a bit like home.

“i suppose either the library or moon tavern.”

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ 🪙 : if the wishing well could grant you one true wish, what would it be?

the one wish that comes to the forefront of daewon's mind is something that would be so life-altering that he doesn't know if he would truly wish for it. if his mother were alive today, would he have met any of the people that he holds dear in his life currently? not wanting to entertain the thought, he opts for the next best option.

“i would wish to know the truth regarding my mother's death. i think that the night of the fire and what caused it have remained a mystery for far too long.”

🌲 : something you look forward to most this holiday season

“the mugunghwa gala, definitely not the socialization aspect of it, though. the kang family tends to outdo themselves every year with the refreshments served. i'm looking forward to seeing what sort of treats they'll have this year. on the topic of treats, i'm looking forward to being able to enjoy a nice cup of chai tea with a couple gingerbread cookies.”

beonhwa honesty hour !

“zinnia. the drastic changes from astrantia to zinnia are kind of satisfying in a way that i can't properly explain. the way the leaves change color, the god awful heat begins to cool off, yet it's never too cold that you need to bundle up heavily, and of course the most important thing—apple cider!”

beonhwa honesty hour !

“they're both things that are based around satisfaction, right? i think i'd rather keep the ability to have a variety of beverages. there are too many different teas that i'd like to be able to enjoy. besides, have you ever had to sneeze in a room that has fallen completely silent? it feels like the sound of it is amplified, and everyone's looking at you like you're suffering from the plague.”

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ 📜 : are you on the nice list, or the naughty list?

“neither?” the question itself is one that makes daewon huff out a laugh, it's something so silly to him at this age. it reminds him of something one of the children in the library would ask him. “i'd like to think i maintain a healthy balance of good and bad actions, so i don't think i fall into either category.”

finding holiday gifts for others was something that daewon would like to think he was fairly good at, except when it came to picking out something for his own fiancée. he had never been the best at picking out gifts for dasom; his own mind and self-doubts always became his biggest enemies when it came to her. constantly being left with the nagging worry that the ideas that he came up with on his own were too boring, or even worse, too impersonal, he enlisted the help of her older brother.

running to juyeon for help in any aspect regarding his sister was no stranger to daewon. whenever he happened to have trouble with his fiancée, he sought the other out for advice. like history repeating itself once again, daewon found himself here in the busy crocus market with his friend, on the hunt for an acceptable gift for the kang family's princess.

“thanks again for tagging along with me, juyeon. i'll try to make this quick.”

🧁 — your muse asked daewon for assistance in baking for the crocus baking contest, but little did they know he has no idea what he's doing. baking mishaps ensue! (bonus pts if your muse is super competitive and makes daewon a taste tester instead of him actually helping)

🎵 — daewon is not one for public singing, but your muse insists they need just one more person for caroling. he caves in to their plea, but there's one key problem — he keeps forgetting the lyrics. is it performance anxiety or is he doing it on purpose? who knows.

🌿 — daewon is actively avoiding getting stuck under the mistletoe, but so is your muse. somehow in the midst of both of them attempting to avoid it, they end up stuck under the mistletoe together. will they kiss to get it over with or will they swear to secrecy that them stumbling under the mistletoe together even happened and hope the superstition isn't true? (bonus pts if we let dae's intrusive thoughts win and he eats the mistletoe / bonus pts x2 if your muse knows about mistletoe poisoning lmao)

📖 — an event hosted by his house, in the place that dae works? oh yeah, total shocker that daewon is going to be there. daewon is volunteering for storytelling and he insists that he can't read this particular story without the help of your muse. it would be just ruined without your muse, and c'mon think of the children!

⛸️ — daewon is zooming around the ice and your muse happens to stumble in the way. unable to come to a complete stop at the speed he was going, he ends up shoulder checking your muse. (bonus pts if they use this to get sweetbrier treats out of dae)

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ 🪷 : your go to order at the sweetbrier tea house

“it's definitely the pomegranate green tea. the pomegranate is good for your immune system, while with it being a green tea, it gives you a little boost of energy. you don't get hit with that same heart racing feeling that you get from drinking coffee, but rather a small boost that refreshes you. the aroma is heavenly, it's only slightly sweet, and sooo delicious with just a slight bit of honey.”

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ ☕️ : you have a table at the sweetbrier tea house, but you only have room for three guests. who would you choose and why

the hypothetical scenario makes daewon furrow his brow, his lips pulling together into a tight line. the sweetbrier tea house isn't a place that he particularly enjoys frequenting. from the establishment being overcrowded due to its massive popularity to the mindless chatter of those who are inside, there's not much that he enjoys other than the tea itself. “me, myself, and i. the reasoning is simple — i'd be able to savor my drink and leave quickly.”

beonhwa ask meme #1 — ice breaker !⛄️ 🌿 : one person you would like to get caught under the mistletoe with this crocus

“actually, you know what? it's really a damn shame..” he pauses his words for dramatic effect, feigning a crestfallen look. “the house elders are looking to surgically remove my lips this crocus. they were saying something about how they're sick and tired of all my 'smart-alec' remarks? that doesn't even sound like me, does it?”