once upon a time.

  “𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙤 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚.”

                                     multimuses / multiship / literate / selective 

                                         muses / open starters / plots / rules

I haven't been here in a while and I'm sorry. It's not that I don't wanna write but... There are two reasons that I have been away: I've been training the person who will replace me at my work as I'm starting a new job on April 11 and it has been taking a lot of my energy.

The other reason is that I've been binge-reading books during my free time, mostly YA fantasy novels, and my TBR list keeps growing because it turns out that ig is a great place to find book recommendations.

For now, I'm finding comfort in reading. But I'll be back here at some point!! I do miss writing with you all. ♡

★ — Aiden & Eurydice ( @latibulx· )

Aiden still wasn’t sure why he had decided to take Eurydice in and give her a place to live after she had been released from the hospital, especially since he was the one who was responsible for the accident that was supposed to kill her. Did he feel guilty? Not really, but he was responsible for the state she was in, and that way, he’d at least be able to keep an eye on her and, if necessary, get rid of her.

Since she had no recollection of what had happened other than having been in an accident, Aiden showed up at the hospital every now and then and made sure that he was listed as her guardian. During one of his visits, he explained to her that his law firm was contacted to take care of her case, which, of course, was a lie, and that, since she didn’t have any papers on her, he would provide an apartment for her in the building he owns and in return she would have to work for him and become his secretary.

He gave Eurydice two weeks to settle into the new apartment and sent Hanna, the only other female working for him, to go shopping with her because she needed clothes to wear on her own time and appropriate clothes to wear when she was working in the office or accompanying him to meetings. He also kept a close eye on her during those two weeks with the help of the cameras that are installed all over the apartment.

Once the two weeks were over, Hanna was also the one who introduced Eurydice to the other lawyers as well as spent another two weeks training her and showing her the ropes of what she’d have to take care of in the office. Since Aiden wasn’t sure how useful she would be, he figured that he’d keep his other business a secret at first, however, it turned out that people easily trusted her and that she had a way to make them talk with ease and spill their secrets. That wasn’t just useful for his law firm but also more than useful for his other business.

A couple of weeks after he had first introduced her to his other business and explained the ropes as well as that he wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of her if she didn’t play by his rules, he had a job for her.

“Alright, let me explain the job and then you let me know whether or not you think you can do it.”, he said and leaned back in his chair, raising his hands and pressing his fingertips together in front of his chest. “I will be attending a business dinner and party. It’s going to be held at the home of an investor and one of our clients wants us to gather dirt on them so they can use it against them to get rid of them as their competition.”, Aiden explained before leaning forward, now resting both of his hands on top of his desk, looking at Eurydice. “I want you to come with me and sneak into the office there and download some files from their computer. Do you think you’re up for the task?”, he asked then paused for a moment before he added, “I trust you but I need to make sure that you believe in yourself to be able to handle this job. We only got one chance.”

There was an unexpected sort of freedom in having no memories from her past and who she might have been in the past thirty some years. Eurydice didn’t even know if her birth date was real or if it had been randomly given to her during the time she had spent in the countryside hospital, blissfully unaware for she was in a deep coma. That was all the nurses had told her some days after she had woken up because themselves knew nothing about possible family members that could have come to visit her. She had nobody to miss, nobody to hope for. Herself was no one which meant that possibilities were endless. 

And then, he came to visit her in that pristine white hospital room. Once, twice, then at least once a week. A generous lawyer who provided her with a shelter and a job; even though that had seemed too good to be true, Eurydice had nowhere else to go and so she had accepted easily his offer. She didn’t have any reason to refuse because he was the only person who had reached his hand out to her, he was the only one who had opened a door for a future that appeared less dark than the other locked doors she had been facing. Everything was unknown: whether it was the job of secretary she’d have to learn or her next step into the world, Eurydice had everything to be taught. 

And for that there was Hanna. Gorgeous, self-confident, intelligent Hanna. Eurydice couldn’t help but to envy the ease with which the other woman moved through the world, the crowd parting to admire her wherever she walked, her head held high and her lips painted red, her heels clacking on the ground as if to warn any potential idiot to stay back. She admired her. When Eurydice began to grow familiar with her own reflection, she had come to the conclusion that she’d never have the same powerful attitude as Hanna. She looked much more dull, her features neither ugly or pretty, a face that was simply forgettable. 

Which turned out to be an asset because people weren’t wary about Eurydice. They talked to her, spilling secrets and confessions probably because she looked harmless, like someone who couldn’t figure out her own way in the world so what terrible things could someone like her do? Turned out that Aiden had another job for her, a job that precisely involved her set of skills. Who knew that being a dull, invisible and forgotten person would come in handy? Certainly not Eurydice. She wasn’t complaining though, not when Aiden had already done so much for her. 

Eurydice didn’t take a long time to realize that she wasn’t someone who would turn her back on a person who had helped her.

Listening to her boss’ explanation of her very first mission, Eurydice didn’t think it would be too difficult for her and told him so. “As long as I don’t have to climb walls or crawl through vents, I don’t see a problem.” Her muscles still needed to gain strength and mass as it turned out that spending years lying in a bed and being fed liquids wasn’t exactly the best way to remain healthy. She had already gained some weight in the past month since she had been released; Hanna was making sure that she was eating all of her three meals. Maybe Hanna will be able to doll her up for that mission, Eurydice made a mental note to ask her later for help with an outfit. “What kind of files are we looking for? Tax haven? Suspicious activities? Embarrassing pictures that will ruin a reputation?” Some guys from the team had given her a list of must-watch movies and it seemed like a lot of them were around the same theme: the mafia, illicit activities, drug dealers, heists. Eurydice had particularly enjoyed The Godfather and she had wondered if she’d ever have the opportunity to travel to New York and Italy. 

his  thoughts  are   t a n g l e d   up  in  a  dilemma.  the  more  hojin  tried  to  give  them  some  sense  the  worse  this  fever  felt.  he  has  been  ignoring  the  rumours  about  his  family  situation  for  awhile  now,  but  they’re  starting  to  reach  for  hojin’s  throat.  whenever  he  steps  outside,  joins  one  of  the  kim’s  dinners  ─  he’s  met  with  one  particular   h e a v y  amount  of  passive  aggressiveness  from  the  oldest  son.  almost  as  if  he  wants  to  make  sure,  hojin  remembers  his  place.  perhaps  he  shouldn’t  join  these  dinners  anymore.  they’re  tiring  too.  the  screen  of  his  phone  goes  black,  after  hojin  checks  with  the  date  again.  oh,  ─  valentine’s  day.

when  the  bell  rings  and  hojin  recognises  a  familiar  face  caught  in  the  camera,  he  smiles,  not  wasting  a   s e c o n d    to  appear  at  the  front  door,  ❛ of  course,  hurry  up,  it’s  cold  outside. ❜  eun’s  immediately  granted  access  to  hojin’s  house  as  he  steps  aside  ─  gently  putting  a  hand  on  the  other’s  shoulder  as  eun  walks  by.

❛ let  me  take  this. ❜  it’s  crazy  how  fast  his  mood  can  change  in  the  presence  of  eun.  that  a  single  peek  into  the  bag  makes  hojin  bite  his  lower  lip  in   j o y f u l  anticipation.  ❛ do  you  want  to  start  cooking  right  away  or  will  you  first  tell  me  why  you’re  here  on  valentine’s  day?  should  i  get  the  ice  cream  out  of  the  freezer? ❜

Eun doesn’t need to be told twice, far too happy to trade the cold weather behind the closing door for the warmth of Hojin’s place he is slowly but surely growing familiar with. Cheeks flushed red from the biting cold, he steps out of his shoes and doesn’t protest when the bag is taken from his sore fingers ( the thought of wearing gloves had reached him a little too late, when he was already well on his way over ) ; he tries so hard not to lean into the other’s touch, as brief as it is. Luckily one question is distracting and shocking enough for Eun’s mind to completely focus onto it and momentarily forget about wanting. 

“Believe me or not,” a bashful laugh slips past his lips, “but it has completely slipped my mind that today’s Valentine’s Day. I guess that explains the amount of promotion on chocolates at the store today. And all the red hearts. I was wondering why there was so many stressed men! This makes so much more sense now.” Valentine’s Day. That one special day for couples and love confessions. Suddenly, he finds himself hit with the realization that he might have interrupted Hojinㅡ what if he had plans with someone else? What if there was already someone over? What if, what if, what ifㅡ

IT’S  ALL  ABOUT  THE  YEARNING ㅡ CLOSED ㅡ @nxvalunxsis

How many times had Songhwa asked herself this exact question? She had long lost count even though she knew it was pointless for she had been given a cursed ability and that there seemed to be no way to get rid of it. Sometimes, in her dreams, she saw faceless and glowing persons that looked otherworldly enough for Songhwa to be convinced that they weren't real. It didn't stop her from begging them to take the ability back because she just wanted to be normal, she just wanted to live a quiet and dull life without fearing the inevitable future. The faceless beings always replied that it was impossible for it was her cross to bear and that it was gift she would learn to appreciate when the right time would come. When that would be, she wasn't sure. Songhwa didn't think that there would ever be a right time in her life.

That she had met Hangyeol and that she had been able to confide about her ability was just sheer luck. They only understood each other because they both were...different from humans. That was enough, though. Songhwa hadn't believed that they'd meet again after she had painted him yet here they were, spending time together again. But the more time they spent in each other's company and the more she was bracing herself for a new prophecy to disrupt the apparent calm of their...friendship? She wasn't even sure how to define their relationship.

IT’S  ALL  ABOUT  THE  YEARNING ㅡ CLOSED ㅡ @nxvalunxsis

They weren't dating, but it awfully looked like they actually were. Korae wasn't spending a week without seeing Dongha whether it was for their lunch break or simply to relax after a long day at work. They had agreed to not label their relationship and just take things as they came, which Korae was comfortable with but there was no denying that she was beginning to think of him as someone who was important to her and that she wanted to keep in her life. She cared greatly for Dongha and loved the way he always made her smile and laugh, loved how safe she felt in his arms and how he seemed to always encourage and support her. Korae had never met another man like him.

“Both it is then.”, Noah said and sprayed a good amount of whipped cream in both mugs before topping it off with a couple of mini marshmallows sprinkled here and there. “This good or do you want more?” Spraying a bit of whipped cream onto his finger, he smirked at Gureum before he quickly dipped his finger against the tip of their nose before bursting into a wild chuckle upon seeing their confused expression. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

Once they were done with their mugs of hot chocolate, Noah clapped his hands together and pushed himself off of the couch. “Alright, let’s get to decorating.”, he said and emptied the bags filled with various decoration items on the couch next to Gureum. “There are lights, window stickers, candles, and a bunch of other stuff we can use to decorate the place.”, he said, grabbing a bag with a Christmas lights chain. “I wanted to get a small fake tree but, honestly, they’re way too expensive but I’m sure we’ll make this place look festive and cozy even without a tree.”

Noah wasn’t sure but something told him that Gureum would probably look for his approval before putting something up so he decided to say something about it right away. “Just grab something and put it wherever you think it would look good, I don’t care. I want this to be our Christmas decoration because I hope that we’ll be spending Christmas together.”, he said casually without much further thought put into it.

When decorations seemed to endlessly pour out from the bags like a rainbow colored waterfall, Gureum couldn’t hold themselves back from gasping in genuine amazement, their obsidian eyes glinting with wonder as they didn’t stop themselves from picking up a box of green and red candles to have a better look at it. Everything looked so pretty and Christmas-y, it definitely set the mood, making the whole place look like it belonged to one of those corny holidays movie. “Oh, you should have told me,” Gureum commented regarding the tree, wishing that they could have participated in more ways than one if Noah had needed it, “I could have helped to pay for it. But you’re right,” they smiled, nodding, “I’m sure it’ll look great even without it.” 

With Noah allowing them to decorate as they wished, Gureum reached for the window stickers and stood up from the couch, but couldn’t bring themselves to start decorating right away, not after their best friend’s words about spending Christmas together. That was something they had hoped for too, but they hadn’t been able to voice it as they had somehow convinced themselves that Noah would have better things to do. Gureum still couldn’t explain why Noah would rather spend Christmas with them, but they weren’t going to question it. “I’d really like to spend Christmas with you too, Noah.” 

★ — Minjun & Byeol ( @latibulx·· )

Minjun had been assigned to a research project in Australia but since they weren’t able to come up with any promising results in the timeframe they were given with the funds they were provided, the project had been terminated which meant that he was sent back home.

It’s been a week since Minjun had returned from his stay in Australia. Thankfully, he was given a week off which he used to visit his family and, of course, his little brother. At the end of the week, he prepared to go back to work and went through some paperwork that was sent to him to prepare him for possible future assignments as well as changes that have taken place while he was gone. One of those changes was, that he would have a new colleague to work with. The name listed on the document seemed familiar but he couldn’t connect it with anyone in particular.

Heading to bed early that night, Minjun woke up early so he wouldn’t be late for the first team meeting where he was going to be introduced to his new colleague as well as discuss which projects he would be part of.

After arriving at the facility, Minjun finished his coffee on his way to the entrance and tossed the paper cup into one of the bins next to the front desk, bowing his head to the secretary before pulling out his ID and sliding it across the scanner.

Once inside the restricted area, he stopped by his office where he dropped off his bag and put on his lab coat before he headed to the meeting room. He wasn’t surprised to see that his brother was already there so he went straight to him and threw his arm around Minsoo’s shoulder with a smirk which Minsoo responded to with a nudge to get his brother off of him.

After greeting everyone else and just as he wanted to complain in a playful way, the door to the meeting room opened once more and a familiar face entered the room. Byeol. Minjun looked at her with a pleasantly surprised expression and pointed at her. “Ah, Byeol-ssi. Now I know why the name seemed so familiar.”, he said and let out a chuckle but before he could approach her and talk to her, their boss walked into the room and told everyone to sit down so they could start.

Minsoo quickly shuffled to the other side of the double line of tables in the center of the room and sat down next to Byeol as they had already been teamed up together ever since she started working there. Meanwhile, Minjun took a seat opposite of them.

Her alarm clock rang at 6:00am sharp which happened every Monday morningㅡ that is if she was home. Occasionally, one could find Byeol by the ocean in the middle of the night or on a boat with a team of scientists and other marine biologists to study the sea life under various conditions. There was never a moment to feel bored, especially when there was still so much to learn about and discover and this was partially the reason why she had become a marine biologist when the time had come for her to choose what she wanted to do of her life. The main reason was that she had always been fascinated by what laid underwater, in the darkest depths, where very few humans had been able to go. 

However, that morning, there was one thing in Byeol’s mind: Minsoo’s older brother would join their team and work with them. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she highly doubted that this Minjun was the same Minjun she had been butting heads with some months ago when she had been sent to Australia to work on an important project that unfortunately hadn’t been completed. No, she definitely didn’t want to think about it: Byeol was still incredibly bitter about what happened, especially when the project could have led to great discoveries. 

Pushing aside the memories of those days that now belonged in the past, Byeol stretched her arms and sat up in bed, more than ready to start a new day. As she went through her morning routine, she also mentally listed her main tasks she’d have to start or complete today and despite the endless amount of things she had to do, she still hoped to add a quick little trip by the sea side at some point. Round glasses perched on her nose, a light blue button down shirt under a creamy blouse that matched her pants and Byeol was ready to go to work half an hour after having woken up. 

When she reached the laboratory a while later, she had switched her blouse for her lab coat and was carrying a cup holder with four cups from the coffee shop right next to the facility. One for her, one for Minsoo, and the two remaining for their colleagues. She had wondered if she should get one for Minsoo’s brother, but she didn’t know his preferences when it came to his morning drink. The last thing she wanted was to get on the wrong foot with him, especially on his first day. “Good mornㅡ” The greeting died on her tongue when she was met with a very familiar face, one that still made want to hurl her hot cup of coffee at. It was the guy from Australia! She couldn’t believe it. And he dared to smile like this, what an assㅡ 

IT’S  ALL  ABOUT  THE  YEARNING ㅡ CLOSED ㅡ @f8less

The lake glistened like jewels under the cold sun of early March, when the temperatures were still relatively low enough for a warm scarf and a coat to be worn which was exactly what Gureum was wrapped in, the lower half of their face concealed by a pale green knitted scarf they had bought at a flea market a couple of years ago. Hands wrapped around a warm cup of caramel latte, they were mesmerized by the scenery, from the calmness of the water to the bicycles riders, from the gentle waving of the branches to the distant laughter of children running after each other. A sense of peace filled Gureum's heart and mind and they found themselves to be completely relaxed, no intrusive thoughts to make them doubt whether they deserve this very moment or not. And the smile that was hidden behind the scarf couldn't be ignored for it reached their eyes, making them curve in the sweetest manner.

A gentle brush against their left shoulder had Gureum's attention moving away from their surroundings to their company. Sejoo. Gureum was a little startled when their eyes immediately met for they hadn't expected him to be looking at them; no matter how much time they spent with him, they couldn't quite get used to the fact that Sejoo was willingly here, choosing to spend an hour or two on his day off with Gureum even though he had all the reasons to refuse. Gureum felt seen and Sejoo was the lighthouse guiding them all the way back to him, each single time.

It was silly. Gureum wanted to shake their head at their own hopeless self but then, Sejoo did it again: he said something so unexpected and warm that their heart lost its gentle pace, making itself known as it hammered over and over again against their chest, almost as if it was trying to show the other that it was his to take. The way they laughed? That wasn't what people usually noticed or remembered about them.

You're equally as wonderful! You have a lot of ideas and you're easy to talk too, approachable as well! I hope you're having a good day!

AAAAAAH. Thank you so much, this is such a sweet message. The same goes to you, plotting with you and roleplaying with you is such a delight because you're fun and easy to talk to! I'm looking forward to see how our threads evolve! Have a great day and take care!

Minjae was irresistible, yes. He could tell by the gaze of the audience as they watched them perform on stage: eyes wide and glittering from what they had witnessed, lips parted slightly in awe. It was the same for Tsuneo, and he loved seeing him unleashing his passion while those clothes he worked on so hard finally came to life beneath the lights. Asides from that, the man before him was equally beautiful… he was quite overjoyed that Minjae had come to trust him so much that he invited him to be a part of his private and professional life, even at the risk of being rejected by doing something that was slightly outside of the ‘norm’.

Tsuneo closed his eyes indulgently as Minjae began to apply to moisturizer with warm and soft fingertips. It was a therapeutic experience, and he guessed that Minjae must be quite used to this regime. “I can’t be charming all the time,” he retorted gently, smile broadening while his eyes remained closed. Actually, Tsuneo tended to be the one doing the spoiling when it came to friends and lovers. He did not expect nor did he ask for that to be returned, but acting spoiled in front of Minjae was quite liberating.

“Heavy with thoughts of how adorable you look, Minjae,” he murmured, voice dropping in volume gradually as his fingers explored his features. The moisturizer had long since absorbed into his skin, so there must be no reason for the stray touches other than curiosity and admiration. He reached up to defend his chin against the offending poke - only to gently entwine their fingers. “I feel much better now. You have an expert touch.” Warm brown eyes opened slowly to gaze up at the young man with fondness.

Minjae almost rolled his eyes but settled for a small shake of his head, the words of disagreement dying on the tip of his tongue when Tsuneo protested about not being charming all the time. He had seen it all, had seen the smiles and thoughtful gestures, the glint of cheekiness in his eyes and the silent ways he showed he cared. Minjae didn’t claim to be fond of observing people: he already had so much on his plate, there was time he couldn’t waste just looking at others. However, when someone had his attention, he enjoyed getting to know the small details about them, about how they acted when they thought they were not watched. So, yes, Tsuneo was indeed very charming. 

“What a sweet-talker.” He mumbled but was pleased nonetheless by the compliment and it showed in the way the smile on his face broadened. He could get used to this, Minjae thought, his eyes wandering over to their joined fingers which did not fail to send a burst of warmth through his chest. And when his eyes found Tsuneo’s moments later, he realized that not only he could get used to it but he wanted to. He wanted the flirty banter and the laughter and the softness. He wanted to take care of Tsuneo just like that, until there was no trace of tension left in his body. He wanted all of that and more. Greedy much, he mentally clicked his tongue at his own selfish desires. “That comes with years of trials and experiences. As much as I would like to claim that I have an innate talent for self-care, that is unfortunately untrue.” 

The sheet mask felt cold at first but quickly warmed up after it touched his skin. He kept his eyes closed and patiently waited for Gureum to be done putting the mask on him before he opened them and looked at his best friend. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw that they were putting on a mask as well.

Upon hearing them ask if they should take a picture, Noah softly smiled at them and replied with a nod before he reached next to him where he had previously put down his phone.

“Come here.”, he said and grabbed a hold of Gureum, gently pulling them close to him so their faces were right next to each other. After switching to the front-facing camera, he held up the phone and adjusted the position so they were both in the frame before he snapped a couple of pictures. For the last one, however, Noah turned his head and gave Gureum’s cheek a peck, and snapped the picture before they could even react.

A squeak of surprise slipped past Gureum’s lips when they were pulled closer to Noah. They had honestly thought that they already were close enough for the pictures; turned out that their best friend had been right because, now, they both were visible in the screen of the phone which made them release a quiet chuckle at the sight of them both wearing sheet masks. They did look cute and had they not been wearing a mask, Gureum would have been undoubtedly beaming. 

Thankfully, the mask and their position did not stop Gureum from striking a couple of cute poses: a wink here, his hands cupping his face there. They’d have to take more pictures, Gureum thought before their mind grew blank and their eyes widened almost comically. The cause of such a reaction? A single peck, on their mask covered cheek. Immediately, heat gathered all over their face and they blinked at the picture appearing on Noah’s phone. Yeah, it definitely was a peck.