[f(x)/SHINee] A Moment to be Real
A Moment to be Real
Pairing: Luna/Minho
Rating: PG
Word Count: 17,000~w
Summary: Luna is bored of the ordinary, mundane, sheltered life she lives, and Minho offers her the perfect escape. Persephone/Greek mythology AU
Note: Written for kpop-ficmix. Original can be found here.
- This is a remix of the fic A Myth of Innocence by ladadadi
- Inspired by this. Title and LJ-cut text taken from here.
I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment that's held in your arms
“I’m Still Here” Goo Goo Dolls
“Where do you think you’re going today, Luna?” Victoria hisses the moment Luna stretches her hand toward the gold knob of their front door.
Luna’s heart plummets to the ground. She turns around and sees her mother standing behind her. Her hands are on her hips, her eyebrows meet in the middle of her forehead, and her lips set in a straight line. Luna smiles at her mother with more teeth than she would normally show. What makes Luna think she can get past the goddess of the earth, who happens to be watching her every move?
“You know I don’t like it when you go out by yourself,” Victoria chides as she walks toward Luna.
“I won’t be alone,” she chuckles, giving her mother a reassuring pat on her arm. “I’ll be with Sulli, Krystal, and Amber at the fields.”
Before she can turn to the door, her mother adds, “Where will these fields be?”
Victoria raises an eyebrow and Luna can’t help the chuckle that comes out. “Sulli said she found a field just west of Mt. Olympus where daisies are in full bloom!”
“You never know what you'll find out there, or- ”
“What'll find you. There are all sorts of things that would like to take advantage of you,” Luna interrupts with a high-pitched voice similar to that of her mother’s. She giggles despite Victoria’s crossed arms and unblinking stare.
“I'll be fine," Luna dismisses. "You shouldn't worry so much."
Instead of grinning widely like she did all those years ago, she purses her lips together and slightly lifts the corners of her mouth. “Mother, really, I’ll be fine,” she whispers. “You know who I’m with and where I’m going. I promise I’ll come back safe.”
Victoria’s mouth relaxes a bit as she uncrosses her arms to embrace Luna. “Fine,” Victoria sighs as Luna stands on her toes to kiss her mother’s cheek. “As long as you behave and don’t let the rest of them leave you alone.”
“Yes, mother,” Luna sings as she skips toward the door.
“Stay safe. I love you,” Victoria says as she turns her back on Luna.
Luna smiles as she replies, “I love you too,” before walking out the door with a slight spring in her step.
Luna tilts her head as a figure sitting among her mother’s barley fields begins to move. Luna takes slow steps, pushing away the barley grains as she inches closer. As the wind blows long dark brown hair away from the woman’s face, Luna laughs as she sees who it is, Sulli the goddess of love. She must have fallen asleep while waiting. “What took you so long?” she asks, stretching her limbs as Luna runs to her. “You’re usually outside, tapping your feet at me by this time.”
“Sorry, Sulli,” Luna sighs as she looks back at the house. “My mother caught me just as I was stepping out.”
Sulli chuckles as she links an arm with Luna’s. “After all this time, you still try going out undetected? Your mother is a goddess, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she has ways of keeping an eye on you.”
Luna laughs along as she allows Sulli to practically drag her to the daisy fields, leaving all thoughts of her mother behind.
As Luna shakes her head at the latest scandal Sulli heard on Mount Olympus, her foot almost sinks as she steps on the ground below them. She looks back and no longer sees the asphalt road they were walking on earlier. Sulli leads Luna over to the grass as the latter runs her hands over the soft white petals. Sulli takes both Luna’s hands and spins the latter around until they both fall on the grass, their dresses being blown by the wind. Luna’s head spins as she tries to sit up but Sulli tackles her back to the ground. The warm rays of the sun, along with the slightly linen-like smell enveloping her senses soothe her enough to close her eyes. She can hear tinkling laughter from far away, as she drifts off to sleep among the white petals.
There’s a gentle jab to her arm as a figure leans over Luna. She stirs as she straightens her dress.
“You’re finally awake,” Krystal, the goddess of wisdom says as she pokes Luna’s arm again. “We’ve been waiting for you for the last few hours only to find that you’ve fallen asleep.” Luna brushes off the petals on her dress before she accepts Krystal’s outstretched hand.
Krystal’s calloused palms are rough against Luna’s own soft hands. “Have you been weaving again?” Luna asks as Krystal pulls her up.
There’s a light in Krystal’s eyes and a smile on her lips as she shakes her head. “Even better! Yunho finally let me get a sword to go with my shield and spear.” Luna blinks as Krystal holds up her latest gift, the bronze hilt shining in the sun; shielding her eyes as the blade catches the light. Luna steps back as Krystal points the sharp tip toward Sulli, who screams while hiding behind her.
Luna’s face hits the ground and Sulli’s scream rings in her ears as an arrow flies past them. Luna brushes the grass away from her face just in time to see Krystal splitting the arrow into two.
“Krystal, you’re no fair,” a familiar voice grumbles as grass crunches under the newcomer’s feet. “That was a new arrow!”
Luna chuckles as Krystal rolls her eyes. “You shouldn’t have tried aiming them at us then, Amber,” the goddess of wisdom mutters.
“What were you aiming at anyway?” Sulli asks, raising an eyebrow. “You two ought to keep those violent toys away from us.”
Amber points to the apple hanging on the tree nearby. “I wanted that apple.”
“You know you could have just asked me to help you get it like anyone else would, right?” Luna chuckles. “I’d have been more than happy to get it for you. I bet you just wanted to show off your new arrows.”
Amber scratches her head and laughs, sounding rather strangled to Luna’s ears. “Caught me,” she mumbles. “But I still have the best aim in Olympus, right?”
“Not really,” Krystal rolls her eyes as she points her sword at the huntress. “I swear Amber, if you accidentally kill us with those things one of these days…”
“Come on, Luna,” Sulli grumbles as she drags the latter toward the rock. “I’ll braid your hair, away from these combat-obsessed girls.”
“We’ll keep our weapons, just don’t leave us!” Amber shouts, flailing the arm that isn’t holding on to the bow.
Luna points to a nice, shaded spot by the apple tree. “A braid sounds good to me,” she agrees. She’s not in the mood for a braid, but it’s the only way she’d be able to stop the goddess from muttering her usual spiel about not wanting to be near any weapons.
Luna settles her head on Sulli’s lap as the goddess of love’s nimble fingers remove whatever tangles exist in Luna’s hair. Her fingers soothe Luna’s head as she begins dividing the brown hair into bunches. Before Luna can close her eyes, the sounds of clanking metal catch her attention. Her eyes move over to Krystal and Amber, who make themselves comfortable on the grass.
“Guess where I’m going soon?” Amber says as she puts down her bows and arrows.
“Where?” Luna asks, stirring a little so she can face Amber and Krystal better as Sulli braids her hair.
“Donghae and I are going hunting next week,” she whispers. “He discovered this new hunting place somewhere pretty close to the entrance of the underworld. It’s quite risky, but we heard the animals there are quite unlike those we’ve seen in our usual hunting spots.”
Luna’s never heard much about the underworld, given that she hardly associates with people outside her circle of friends. There are so many questions Luna wants to ask, yet she isn’t certain which question to ask first.
“Yunho is actually letting you two venture that far?” is what she manages to let out. If she dares to suggest something like that, her mother is going to lock her in her room and makes sure she never comes out.
“Yeah, he’s cool with it. As long as mom knows,” Amber chuckles as she pats Luna’s hand. “I mean, we won’t be alone. We have our stags, dogs, and hunting mates. It’s going to be amazing if we get to catch that legendary golden stag.”
Of course, Amber and Donghae would jump at a chance to hunt for something that rare… once Donghae can be torn away from his music and muses.
“Does it even really exist?” Sulli asks, tilting her head to the side. Part of Luna sighs in relief that she’s not the only one who’s not heard of this legendary creature.
“That’s a good point,” Krystal chimes in. “This could be one of the nymphs’ stories just to lead you all on a wild goose chase. Like what they did to those poor mortals who tried asking for their help.”
“The nymphs would know better than to try and trick Amber and Donghae,” Luna says, smiling at Amber. “They owe them a favor, to say the least.”
Amber raises a hand to the air. “See! At least someone believes in me. Thank you, Luna.”
Luna offers Amber a small smile as Sulli gestures for Luna to turn her head so she can braid the hair she’s lying on. Amber’s been hunting even before they became friends. She, sometimes with her brother Donghae, goes missing for days. She only returns when she’s found the animal she’s hunting for or if she gets bored from waiting. Sometimes Amber comes back with the stench of blood on her skin and it doesn't matter how long they've been friends, Luna still cringes when it reaches her nose. As much as they all complain to her about it, it’s part of Amber that they’ve learned to deal with.
“We’ve heard from Amber, now your turn, Krystal. What else have you been up to besides learning how to use that sword of yours?”
“I just started learning the art of war.” Luna’s hands get clammy as Krystal prattles on about wars and weapons. If she ever opened her mouth to talk about those topics, she knows her mother would change the course of discussion at once. Would Krystal be this fascinated in conflict if she had a mother who judged her every move?
“Honestly, the more exciting part is the mental process behind battles,” Krystal says as she points to her head. “There are a lot of ways you can actually win without having to kill people. Bloodshed is overrated.”
“Can we not talk about bloodshed in mine and Luna’s presence?” Sulli groans as she ties a ribbon around Luna’s newly braided hair. “It’s disgusting, and it just gives me a headache.”
“Thank you, Sulli,” Luna whispers as Krystal rolls her eyes at Sulli. The idea of death and bloodshed isn’t what makes Luna’s stomach churn. Krystal talks about these matters as though they’re threads in a tapestry she’s weaving. What happened to the girl who who cringed at the sight of blood? Is the Krystal in front of her the same girl who prefered playing with her pet owl and weaving pretty pictures into her tapestries?
“So Sulli, how’s that couple you’ve been trying to get together?” Luna asks. She’s not the type to pry into other people’s lives, but this is the only way Luna can make Krystal and Amber stop talking about bloodshed and hunting.
Luna chuckles as Sulli groans. “I swear, I have never encountered a more stubborn set of fools,” Sulli mutters as she uproots some grass and throws it at Amber’s direction. “I don’t get why the Yoon heiress insists on staying with her fiance when it’s so clear that the Lee heir from the other city is her soulmate!”
“Hey! What are you throwing grass at me for?” Amber grunts, throwing grass back at Sulli. “I’m not the one telling her to stay with the man.”
“Sorry, Amber,” Sulli sighs. “I’m just running out of ideas on how to make them see they’re made for each other!”
“What’s wrong with her not marrying her soulmate?” Luna asks, tilting her head to the side.
“Didn’t you mention last time that the Lee son was there to establish political ties with the family of the Yoon heiress’ fiance?” Amber raises an eyebrow at Sulli before anyone can answer Luna’s question. “If the Yoon heiress runs off with the Lee heir…”
“It’s going to turn ugly,” Krystal finishes for Amber. “Sulli, think. Do you have any idea what happens if you just let a man who’s supposed to establish diplomatic ties elope with another man’s betrothed?”
“They’ll thank me for it later,” Sulli throws more grass at Krystal and Luna. “They needed to meet their soulmates!” Luna brushes the pieces of that grass land on her, before throwing them back at Sulli.
“Sulli!” Krystal groans as she buries her face in her hands. Luna rubs circles on the goddess of wisdom’s back as the latter inhales and exhales.
“I just paved the way for true love~” Sulli sings as she throws flowers at Krystal.
“The Lee boy’s hot-headedness is already causing some problems for the negotiations. And with this whole soulmate business, it’s just going to get even worse. What were you thinking?!” Krystal throws her arms in the air, and Luna has to pull her down to prevent her from charging at Sulli.
“If this causes an all-out war in the future, who’s going to have to fix it? I am,” Krystal continues as she reaches for Sulli’s hair. “If that day comes, I am coming for you.”
“I just had to put everyone out of their misery~” Sulli says, as she runs away from Krystal.
Luna sighs as she pries Sulli’s arm off her as the latter screeches and evades Krystal and her now-drawn sword. She shakes her head with a small smile as Amber throws her a quizzical look. Luna just waves a hand as Amber slowly turns away from her.
They’re all changing in front of her eyes, she thinks, yet she’s still stuck in the same place. This is all she knows-the harvest, the fields, the forests, and of course her mother. As it is, she has been living an isolated life, hidden away from the rest of the gods and goddesses. She’s lucky that she’s allowed to meet and befriend Sulli, Krystal, and Amber.
She reaches over to the withering daisy petals, sighing as she watches the flower return to full bloom at her touch. This is as good as it’s going to get. She’s too fragile to protect wild animals and innocent maidens the way Amber does; she’s not intelligent and talented enough to learn all the things Krystal teaches the mortals. She isn’t considered the most beautiful goddess in Olympus, that’s Sulli’s title. She doesn’t even know if the other deities on Mount Olympus even know she exists.
Luna gasps as Amber’s arrow zips past her ear. She waves a hand at the rest of them, indicating she’s not hurt, as Amber puts a hand over her heart. Luna strokes the fallen arrow. It’s the first time she’s gotten this close to something like this. How many animals has Amber injured-or even worse, killed-with something like this? Luna shudders at the thought and scoots as far away from the arrow as much as possible.
Her eyes wander over to Krystal and the sword she’s got pointed at the sky. Swords have the power to kill people and save lives at the same time. It looks as heavy as the responsibility it bears. Krystal may be strong and capable, but Luna still sees her as the young girl who came crying to her when her pet owl went missing.
Sulli may not be as adventurous as their other two friends, but she has a long list of lovers pursuing her. She just has to stand there and be pretty for men to do her bidding.
All her friends go on all these adventures in strange lands, meet all sorts of people, and bring forth change wherever they go. Meanwhile, here she is, doing the same things, over and over.
“This is enough. This is fine,” she whispers as she stares at the fields. “This is all I’ll ever need.”
✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
The others told her they’d be coming, but Luna steps into an empty riverbank with only the birds and butterflies for company. She sighs as she slips off her green dress and lets it hang on the nearby tree branch. She might as well enjoy whatever peace and quiet she has while her friends aren’t around. Admittedly, Luna can barely get her own thoughts out when she’s around them. It’s for the best. After all, it’s not like she has anything new to tell them. Besides, what does a simple maiden who tends the flowers and the fields know? She’s not exactly a great goddess; nor a nymph who lives to protect the forests and the trees.
The whoosh of fallen leaves makes her turn toward a short vine hanging behind her head. At her touch, the vine reaches toward her, its branches resembling fingers. “Will you be my new friend?” Luna giggles as she shakes the “hand” in front of her.
“YES I WILL BE YOUR FRIEND!” a familiar, high-pitched voice screeches. Luna turns around just for a tall, green-clad nymph to throw herself at Luna. There’s a tug at Luna’s hair and she grasps at what she thinks is the other girl’s arm. Water gets into Luna’s eyes, and she flails her arms, splashing more water at anyone within reach.
The chaos only stops when two bodies pull them apart. Luna looks up to see Krystal pulling her by the arm. It is only at that moment Luna gets a good look at her assaulter: a tall nymph with green-tipped hair and a leaf-and-twig wreath on her head. Luna shakes her head. She should have recognized Joy from her battle scream alone.
“I still don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to tackle me in the water,” Luna grumbles as she wrings her brown hair. “Especially when I wasn’t prepared. Now my hair’s all ruined and my mother will kill me.”
“It’s just hair, Luna. Hair that will dry by the time we get home,” Joy rolls her eyes as she hangs up her dress to dry. “I can’t believe your mother still has you on a tight leash!”
Luna blinks as she looks at Krystal, whose hand suddenly falls off Luna’s back. The only time Krystal has that murderous gaze is when people thought of bringing up the childhood playmate she accidentally killed in sparring practice.
“Joy!” Irene, the flower nymph, hisses at her younger sister before flipping her pink-tipped hair. “Have some more tact.”
Luna sighs as she tries not to roll her eyes. It’s not like Joy was lying anyway. Her mother has a long list of things she can’t do and an even longer list of people she can’t meet. It’s a wonder how free-spirited nymphs like Joy and Irene get along with her.
“It’s fine,” she shakes her head as Joy’s mouth hangs open, most likely to apologize. “But can we not talk about my mother? We’re here to have fun, aren’t we?”
Luna turns to Krystal, but before she can say a word, a loud “HIDE US, QUICK!” reaches their ears. Luna chuckles at Krystal who rolls her eyes. “I guess that answers your question?” Krystal mutters so softly that Luna almost misses it.
Sulli charges toward them at a pace Luna never knew was possible for her. Wendy the water nymph and Seulgi the nymph of light catch up from behind, and all three of them have matching expressions of dread. It’s a comical sight until the blood stains on Seulgi’s and Wendy’s dresses catch her eye.
“Don’t even ask…” Seulgi sighs, and Luna reaches to pull the nymph into her arms.
“Sulli here thought it would be a good idea to get us to help set up some music for her little matchmaking project,” Wendy groans as she sinks into the riverbank. “It was going well for them…”
“But… what happened?” Luna asks, her fingers combing through Seulgi’s golden-tipped hair.
Wendy inhales as she makes a water drop float. “The father of the girl saw what was happening and he sent his men after us. Seulgi and I got hit by arrows, while Sulli and Amber were busy getting the couple to safety.”
“Where’s Amber?” Krystal raises an eyebrow at the rest of them.
“Right here~” Amber says as she steps into the riverbank. Luna’s eyes grow wide as Amber shows a bleeding arm to Sulli. “I am NEVER helping you with your matchmaking schemes ever again!”
Luna and Krystal exchange glances as Sulli’s lip begins to quiver and her eyes begin to resemble that of a kicked puppy. Luna chuckles as Amber shouts “Not that kicked puppy face! No, Sulli!” None of them can say no to Sulli when she sticks out her bottom lip and her eyes begin to water. Luna won’t be surprised if this is how Sulli gets her minions-no, lovers-to do her bidding.
“Speaking of lovers and romance, you’ll never guess which mortal asked me out!” Joy whispers once everyone’s inside the water.
“So he finally asked you out?” Sulli squeals.
Luna exchanges glances with Amber and Krystal who shrug back at her. “Explain,” Krystal says, raising an eyebrow at Sulli and the nymphs before anyone can say anything.
Luna sighs as Sulli narrates the story of how she introduced Joy to one of the young scholars studying in one of Donghae's temples. Of course, Sulli plays matchmaker every chance she gets. The only ones Sulli has yet to try her skills on are Amber, Krystal, and herself. Amber has threatened the end of their friendship if Sulli ever tries setting her up with anyone, while Krystal is too busy learning too many things for "something as silly as romance."
"I met this boy when I went hunting with Amber once," the snicker in Seulgi's voice catches Luna's attention. "I heard he's fond of taking care of flowers and animals, and I thought he and Luna would get along!"
Luna blinks as all eyes turn to stare at her. Great. Another friend who they think she'd like to meet because of their possible common interests. Aren’t they tired of trying to set her up when they know how it’s going to end?
"Uh... I don't think that's such a good idea," Luna whispers as she swirls her fingers in the water.
"Why n-Oh..." Wendy whispers, her eyes going round. "Right..."
"But we're all at that age when we start looking for partners!" Joy protested. "Surely Victoria's thought of that?"
Luna opens her mouth to speak, but she finds herself at a loss for ways to contradict Joy.
The only men Luna has ever met save for Donghae (as he was Amber's brother) and Yunho (the overall Lord of Olympus), are the priests at her mother's temples. She not even allowed talk to them. Her mother has taught her only to associate with females, and even then, her mother was picky about who Luna befriended. The minute her mother thinks someone is unsuitable to be with Luna, she will find a way to end whatever connection or association was established between them. If that's how it is with women, Luna doesn't even want to imagine how it would be with men.
"If that's what you think, then you don't know Victoria at all." Amber nods.
"But there has to be someone OUT THERE who will pass the great Victoria's labors or whatever tasks she has in mind!" Luna chuckles at Joy's ideas.
“You forget who you’re friends with~” Krystal says, her tone being more playful than it normally is. Luna follows Krystal’s line of vision, only to have Sulli smirking back at her. She smiles and shakes her head as Sulli wraps an arm across Luna’s shoulders.
“Krystal! You are so smart! I am the goddess of love and beauty, remember?” Sulli sings, as her free arm points to herself. She turns to Luna, the light in her eyes possibly the most serious Sulli has ever looked at her and her smile the most serene Luna has ever seen. “If I find a man worthy of you, no one, absolutely no one, will be able to stop you from falling in love.”
✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
The smell of olives and figs greets Luna and Sulli as they approach the daisy fields. Krystal is hardly ever punctual for things like these, making Luna and Sulli exchange glances as they see a familiar blue dress and bronze helmet stand out in the sea of white, green, and yellow. Luna follows the direction of Krystal's fingers as her eyes land on a blue mat beside Sulli, with plates of some odd salad with potatoes, lettuce, and olives; and what Luna guesses are fig biscuits.
Luna's mouth waters as Sulli pulls out strawberries and honey from the basket she carried earlier. Her gaze shifts to the basket in her hands. Victoria had convinced her to bring corn bread and barley tea instead of the barley cake she had initially planned. She sighs as she brings out the food from the basket. Her friends usually enjoy what she cooks, but this is the first time she has ever attempted corn bread. It probably tastes a bit bland, but after several attempts-most of which were tested on some hungry mortal children passing by-no one's complained yet, which is all that matters.
Amber's shout makes Luna turn toward her. Luna rises the minute she smells what's in Amber's hands. "Meat!" Luna cheers as she and Krystal make room for it on the mat.
"I hunted it and cleaned it all by myself!" Amber says, scratching her head. "But I got some help in cooking it."
"Because if you did the cooking all by yourself, you'd have probably burned it all," Luna chuckles as she reaches for a slice and puts it in her mouth.
"Hey!" Amber protests, swatting Sulli's hands away from the meat. "Where'd your etiquette go? Just because we’re all alone doesn't mean you can eat with dirty hands."
Krystal and Luna snort as they both reach for meat slices. "Says the one who wouldn't even fix her hair or take a bath after a hunt," Luna sticks out her tongue, moving away from Amber's flailing arms.
"Helloooooo~" Wendy sings as Seulgi and Joy bring out flasks with burgundy liquid in them. While Amber and Sulli grab at the cheese Wendy unpacks from her basket, Luna's nose twitches as Irene opens a flask. A mix of grapes, prunes, cherries, strawberries, peppers, plums, and some other scent Luna can't identify flood her senses.
"What is this?" she holds up the flask Irene just handed to her.
"It's our father's latest wine supply!" Irene laughs as she takes a sip of her flask. "He told us he wanted you to try some. He says it goes well with the cheese."
"Is this the reason your father's parties are always so wild?" Krystal raises an eyebrow at Irene. "No. I am not going to be reduced to a drunken maenad. I have too much dignity for that."
Wendy laughs. "There's a secret to it all. Haven't you wondered how we survive those wild parties almost every night?"
"Go on?" Luna frowns at the flask in her hands, watching how the burgundy liquid swirls at her touch.
"The trick is not to drink it all at once," Joy whispers. "You have to swirl it first, like what you're doing right now, Luna. Then you sniff it... and then you drink it slowly. Go on. Try it."
If her mother could see what she has in her hands, Luna bets the nymphs would never be allowed to see Luna again. But then again, when is the next time she can try something like this? Luna raises the flask to her lips, the taste on her tongue is something she isn't certain how to describe. She swears she can taste a mixture of fruit, flower, herb, and other flavors, probably matching what she smelled earlier. There's a sweetness lingering on her tongue, yet there's a slight sourness attached to it. As Luna takes another sip, she finds that the flavor has changed, at least, this is what her tongue tells her.
Luna blinks as her throat slightly burns and her vision begins to spin. She reaches for Irene and Joy, who giggle while purposely avoiding Luna’s grasp.
"Careful there. We can't have you getting drunk just yet," a deep voice whispers as Luna feels a pair of cold hands on her waist. She ignores the shivers down her spine as she takes in favor of biting her lips to stop laughing at how Wendy's, Irene's, Seulgi's, and Joy's mouths hangs open. She moves her eyes to Amber and Krystal's raised eyebrows, the smirk on Sulli's lips, before settling on the big dark eyes of the man behind her.
"Thanks," Luna mutters as she feels someone (Krystal most likely) pull her away from her savior. Luna rests her head on Krystal’s shoulder as she watches Sulli and Amber wave their hands in front of the newcomer’s face.
The man is most likely as tall as Yunho, since she’s sure he’s much taller than Donghae. His clothes are even darker than the skies at midnight, a color she’s never seen anyone else wear before. Wasn’t it hot in those things? When she takes a look at his round, dark eyes, she sees a light in them she can’t understand. It’s nothing like the fondness she sees in Sulli’s eye-smiles, and it’s definitely heavier than the playful laughter the nymphs have when they look at her. It’s also rather far from the thrill in Amber’s character, nor is it Krystal’s steely stare. Luna chews her lip and feels blood rush to her cheeks as the man in front of them gazes back at her. She feels Krystal’s shoulders shake as she buries her head deeper in Krystal’s shoulder. It has to be the alcohol making her feel this flushed. She will get Joy for this one someday.
“Who is he?” she whispers to Krystal as the rest are too busy taking turns teasing or poking at the lone man in the field.
Luna sits upright as Krystal turns to face her. “He’s Minho, Yunho’s youngest brother,” Krystal answers. “Also known as the Lord of the Underworld.”
“How do you know him? And how come I’ve never seen him?”
“He hardly comes to Olympus, despite Yunho’s constant nagging at him to visit more often,” Krystal answers. “But for some reason, he’s decided to gate-crash on our picnic?”
Luna looks up at the sound of a throat clearing. She suddenly grabs Krystal’s shoulders again. There’s something about this Minho’s stare that makes her heart race and the blood rush to her cheeks. It’s the first time she’s ever felt like this, and she isn’t sure whether she likes it or not.
“I wasn’t ‘gate-crashing’ as you very eloquently phrased it, Krystal,” Minho rolled his eyes. Great. His voice just has to be as deep as his eyes. “I was passing by and I saw all of you here, so I thought I’d say hi.”
“Really?” Krystal raises an eyebrow. Luna has no idea how he was going to react, but experience has taught her that trying to outsmart Krystal in an interrogation never ends well.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Minho asks. Luna feels his eyes on her, most likely judging her choice of a hiding place or her inability to hold her liquor. “I’ve never seen a lady as beautiful as she is and you’re being rude by not introducing us.”
“Oh? You mean Sulli?” Luna asks as she peeks from Krystal’s shoulder. Maybe this isn’t so bad. After all, she rarely has the chance to meet someone new. Besides, Krystal would be happy to take her away once things get too uncomfortable for her liking.
“Oh, I know Sulli,” Minho replies, flashing a kind of smile she’s never seen on anyone else. The only thing that comes close is the one Sulli has when she’s talking about which new lover she’s seeing. “Besides, why bother going to her when the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is sitting right in front of me?”
Luna’s feels herself flush even more than she thought was possible. “Are you sure you’re talking to the right girl?”
It’s a warm, sunny day, yet the deep chuckle that Minho lets out sends shivers down Luna’s spine and arms. “Yes, I am. May I get an answer? What’s your name, my fair lady?”
Luna’s eyes dart from Minho and his smiling face to Krystal, who shrugs. She lets out a breath she never realized she was holding. “I’m Luna,” she replies, feeling a smile grow on her face as she moves toward him. “It’s nice meeting you.”
“How come I’ve never seen you around Olympus?” Luna tilts her head to the side. “I don’t go up there often either, but… Krystal says you hardly ever go there?”
Minho chuckles. “It’s all a matter of personal preference. I’m not really fond of the kind of fun that goes on up there,” he admits. “I guess that’s also why your mother keeps you hidden away from everyone else.”
Luna frowns at this. How did he know who her mother was when she hasn’t even told him yet? She turns to look at Krystal who squints her eyes at Minho. Luna sighs as she returns her attention to Minho, who looks like a deer caught in the headlights with his wide eyes and slightly parted lips, before smiling again.
“The minute I heard your name, I figured you had to be the legendary daughter Victoria’s been hiding,” he says, nodding.
“Legendary?” Luna asks, leaning in a bit closer to Minho. “You must be mistaken. I’m just me. I don’t consider myself as anyone special.”
Minho shakes his head. “I may rule over the dead, but I still know beauty when I see it,” he says as a hand reaches out. Luna’s eyes move from Minho’s face to his hand, which is moving closer to her own face. Her heart pounds against her chest as Minho’s fingers brush away the bangs on her face.
Before Luna realizes what’s happening, Minho pulls his hand back just as Amber puts an arm around him. “So Minho, would you happen to know your way around the southwest plains? That’s where the golden stag Donghae and I are hunting is supposed to be.”
Luna blinks, as if she has just woken up from a dream. “What just happened?” she asks Krystal as she puts a hand over her chest.
Krystal shakes her head and sets her mouth in a straight line. What could she be thinking about so seriously? The last time Luna saw that look on Krystal’s face was when Krystal was trying to get herself out of trouble for accidentally destroying a tree.
“Come on, Minhoooooo~” Amber says, shaking the taller god. “Be a good friend and show me where it is.”
“No, Amber,” Minho said, shaking her off his arm, as he turns to Luna and Krystal, who has suddenly taken to feeding Luna anything within reach. “Where’s the fun in a good hunt if I spoil it for you, right Luna?”
Luna smiles as she offers him some of the figs in her hand.
“I’m not hungry, but thank you,” he shakes his head at Luna’s frown.
Luna nods, letting Amber snatch the figs from her hand but Krystal’s question makes her sit up and look at her new acquaintance. “I’ve always wondered though, is it because you’re never hungry in the Underworld? Or because you’re not allowed to eat food from the land of the living? Otherwise you’ll be tied here and won’t be able to go back to your world?”
“That’s … not for you to know,” Minho says, raising an eyebrow at her.
“I was just asking. After all, death is one of the things no one will ever know,” Krystal says, as she feeds Luna another strawberry. “And who else can I ask other than the Lord of the Underworld, who knows the dead best?”
“Unfortunately, death is an experience one only understands once you go through it. As a goddess like yourself, you are immortal. Therefore the secrets of the underworld must remain a mystery to you, forever,” Minho says, as he pats Krystal’s head. And almost as if he's discussing the weather, he continues. “I also wanted to tell you that poor Jiyoung’s soul says hi. She says she misses you.”
Luna gasps for air as the strawberry she’s chewing goes down the wrong way. No one’s ever talked about Krystal’s friend ever since her accidental death, and Krystal makes whoever says that name pay for their insolence. This time, the smile Krystal has is a sad one, like the one she had when her first pet owl died of old age.
Luna opens her mouth, but before she can make another sound, she finds herself chewing the fig biscuit Seulgi feeds her. She frowns as Joy tackles Minho to the ground, rolling in the grass. What is up with her friends? Can't she talk to someone else without them interrupting? She sighs as she reaches for another fig biscuit, but catches a glimpse of Sulli’s unusually blank expression, save for a small smile, out of the corner of her eye. So Luna shifts her gaze, and walks to where Sulli is sitting.
"Not joining the terrorize the newcomer party?" Luna asks, frowning as she points to the human pile which consists of Minho trying to wrestle out of Amber's and Joy's arms, while Krystal, Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy point and laugh.
"No~" Sulli says, looking up at Luna with a close-lipped smile. The only time Sulli ever looks like that is when she's in deep thought.
"So what are you thinking about?" Luna folds her dress behind her knees as she settles on the ground. "You'd be the first to jump at any chance to flirt with a man, yet, here you are on the sidelines."
Sulli lets out a sound that is most likely a mix among a shout, a scream, and a laugh. Luna decides it's laughter once Sulli clutches at her stomach and won't stop giggling. "I'm sorry, Luna," Sulli says as she gasps for air. "It's just that... flirting with Minho... It's too funny~"
Luna frowns at Sulli's words. "Why not though? I don't think he's that bad..."
Sulli shakes her head as she puts both her warm hands on either side of Luna's face. They're a stark contrast to Minho's freezing ones that touched her hair earlier. "He's not my type, Luna," she whispers, giggling as Minho looks toward their direction.
Luna looks up as a shadow falls over their heads. She laughs as Minho tames his now wild hair and straightens his dark clothes. "I'll be leaving. I still have a few places to go," he says as he reaches for her hand before putting it to his lips. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Luna."
Luna smiles at Minho lets go of her hand. "Likewise," she says as Minho nods at Sulli.
"I wish we'd get the chance to talk some more next time," Minho smiles as he looks back at Luna. "See you soon?"
Luna nods as Minho walks away, watching his back as he disappears from her line of sight.
"What was that about?" Krystal's voice says from behind them. Luna turns around and shrugs as Krystal puts down her helmet.
"He kept looking at Luna like some kind of creep," Joy adds as Luna picks up a slice of cornbread.
"Maybe it was because I was new and he's never seen me before?" Luna says, putting the bread straight into Joy's open mouth.
"Buff, Runa!" Joy chews through the bread. “Eee ‘er jush pertecking youuuu~"
Luna rolls her eyes as she gets a strawberry from the plate in front of her. "Protecting me from what? There aren't any wild beasts around, are there?"
"That Minho character, isn't he some kind of wild beast?" Wendy laughs as she wiggles her eyebrows.
"No. I think he happens to be nice... and he wasn't the one acting like some kind of wild animal," Luna rolls her eyes as her friends laugh. “What with Amber and Joy tackling him to the ground and all…”
"He scares me a bit," Seulgi says, poking Luna's cheeks. "But I guess he's a sport to be able to put up with Amber and Joy's wild ways."
"HEY!" Amber and Joy protest as they tackle Seulgi to the ground. Luna giggles as the three of them engage in some sort of play-fight.
"But he seemed interested in one of you," Krystal says, raising an eyebrow at Luna and Sulli.
"Yeah. Looks like all his attention was on Luna," Irene chimes in. "Someone's got an admirer~"
"Me? Not a chance, Irene," Luna shrugs as she throws grass at the flower nymph. It's not like Minho would be interested in a plain girl like herself, and he was probably just being polite when he called her beautiful. "I bet it's Sulli he likes. He hardly said a word to her, but he kept looking over here when he thought we weren't looking."
Luna throws some grass at Krystal, who rolls her eyes before throwing grass back. "Well, I don't think I've ever seen him act that charismatic toward anyone else before today. Ask Sulli if you don't believe me."
"Really?" Luna asks, raising an eyebrow. "Surely he's just being well-mannered?"
"No, Luna," Krystal continues, . "Normal Minho behavior involves him staying in a corner of the room, and he'd only talk if you talk to him first."
Luna looks at Sulli. "But maybe this is when he's realized Sulli's pretty?"
"Trust me, Luna," Sulli snorts as Krystal, Amber, and the nymphs laugh. "It's not me he's interested in. I just know it."
NEXT
Pairing: Luna/Minho
Rating: PG
Word Count: 17,000~w
Summary: Luna is bored of the ordinary, mundane, sheltered life she lives, and Minho offers her the perfect escape. Persephone/Greek mythology AU
Note: Written for kpop-ficmix. Original can be found here.
- This is a remix of the fic A Myth of Innocence by ladadadi
- Inspired by this. Title and LJ-cut text taken from here.
I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment that's held in your arms
“I’m Still Here” Goo Goo Dolls
“Where do you think you’re going today, Luna?” Victoria hisses the moment Luna stretches her hand toward the gold knob of their front door.
Luna’s heart plummets to the ground. She turns around and sees her mother standing behind her. Her hands are on her hips, her eyebrows meet in the middle of her forehead, and her lips set in a straight line. Luna smiles at her mother with more teeth than she would normally show. What makes Luna think she can get past the goddess of the earth, who happens to be watching her every move?
“You know I don’t like it when you go out by yourself,” Victoria chides as she walks toward Luna.
“I won’t be alone,” she chuckles, giving her mother a reassuring pat on her arm. “I’ll be with Sulli, Krystal, and Amber at the fields.”
Before she can turn to the door, her mother adds, “Where will these fields be?”
Victoria raises an eyebrow and Luna can’t help the chuckle that comes out. “Sulli said she found a field just west of Mt. Olympus where daisies are in full bloom!”
“You never know what you'll find out there, or- ”
“What'll find you. There are all sorts of things that would like to take advantage of you,” Luna interrupts with a high-pitched voice similar to that of her mother’s. She giggles despite Victoria’s crossed arms and unblinking stare.
“I'll be fine," Luna dismisses. "You shouldn't worry so much."
Instead of grinning widely like she did all those years ago, she purses her lips together and slightly lifts the corners of her mouth. “Mother, really, I’ll be fine,” she whispers. “You know who I’m with and where I’m going. I promise I’ll come back safe.”
Victoria’s mouth relaxes a bit as she uncrosses her arms to embrace Luna. “Fine,” Victoria sighs as Luna stands on her toes to kiss her mother’s cheek. “As long as you behave and don’t let the rest of them leave you alone.”
“Yes, mother,” Luna sings as she skips toward the door.
“Stay safe. I love you,” Victoria says as she turns her back on Luna.
Luna smiles as she replies, “I love you too,” before walking out the door with a slight spring in her step.
Luna tilts her head as a figure sitting among her mother’s barley fields begins to move. Luna takes slow steps, pushing away the barley grains as she inches closer. As the wind blows long dark brown hair away from the woman’s face, Luna laughs as she sees who it is, Sulli the goddess of love. She must have fallen asleep while waiting. “What took you so long?” she asks, stretching her limbs as Luna runs to her. “You’re usually outside, tapping your feet at me by this time.”
“Sorry, Sulli,” Luna sighs as she looks back at the house. “My mother caught me just as I was stepping out.”
Sulli chuckles as she links an arm with Luna’s. “After all this time, you still try going out undetected? Your mother is a goddess, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she has ways of keeping an eye on you.”
Luna laughs along as she allows Sulli to practically drag her to the daisy fields, leaving all thoughts of her mother behind.
As Luna shakes her head at the latest scandal Sulli heard on Mount Olympus, her foot almost sinks as she steps on the ground below them. She looks back and no longer sees the asphalt road they were walking on earlier. Sulli leads Luna over to the grass as the latter runs her hands over the soft white petals. Sulli takes both Luna’s hands and spins the latter around until they both fall on the grass, their dresses being blown by the wind. Luna’s head spins as she tries to sit up but Sulli tackles her back to the ground. The warm rays of the sun, along with the slightly linen-like smell enveloping her senses soothe her enough to close her eyes. She can hear tinkling laughter from far away, as she drifts off to sleep among the white petals.
There’s a gentle jab to her arm as a figure leans over Luna. She stirs as she straightens her dress.
“You’re finally awake,” Krystal, the goddess of wisdom says as she pokes Luna’s arm again. “We’ve been waiting for you for the last few hours only to find that you’ve fallen asleep.” Luna brushes off the petals on her dress before she accepts Krystal’s outstretched hand.
Krystal’s calloused palms are rough against Luna’s own soft hands. “Have you been weaving again?” Luna asks as Krystal pulls her up.
There’s a light in Krystal’s eyes and a smile on her lips as she shakes her head. “Even better! Yunho finally let me get a sword to go with my shield and spear.” Luna blinks as Krystal holds up her latest gift, the bronze hilt shining in the sun; shielding her eyes as the blade catches the light. Luna steps back as Krystal points the sharp tip toward Sulli, who screams while hiding behind her.
Luna’s face hits the ground and Sulli’s scream rings in her ears as an arrow flies past them. Luna brushes the grass away from her face just in time to see Krystal splitting the arrow into two.
“Krystal, you’re no fair,” a familiar voice grumbles as grass crunches under the newcomer’s feet. “That was a new arrow!”
Luna chuckles as Krystal rolls her eyes. “You shouldn’t have tried aiming them at us then, Amber,” the goddess of wisdom mutters.
“What were you aiming at anyway?” Sulli asks, raising an eyebrow. “You two ought to keep those violent toys away from us.”
Amber points to the apple hanging on the tree nearby. “I wanted that apple.”
“You know you could have just asked me to help you get it like anyone else would, right?” Luna chuckles. “I’d have been more than happy to get it for you. I bet you just wanted to show off your new arrows.”
Amber scratches her head and laughs, sounding rather strangled to Luna’s ears. “Caught me,” she mumbles. “But I still have the best aim in Olympus, right?”
“Not really,” Krystal rolls her eyes as she points her sword at the huntress. “I swear Amber, if you accidentally kill us with those things one of these days…”
“Come on, Luna,” Sulli grumbles as she drags the latter toward the rock. “I’ll braid your hair, away from these combat-obsessed girls.”
“We’ll keep our weapons, just don’t leave us!” Amber shouts, flailing the arm that isn’t holding on to the bow.
Luna points to a nice, shaded spot by the apple tree. “A braid sounds good to me,” she agrees. She’s not in the mood for a braid, but it’s the only way she’d be able to stop the goddess from muttering her usual spiel about not wanting to be near any weapons.
Luna settles her head on Sulli’s lap as the goddess of love’s nimble fingers remove whatever tangles exist in Luna’s hair. Her fingers soothe Luna’s head as she begins dividing the brown hair into bunches. Before Luna can close her eyes, the sounds of clanking metal catch her attention. Her eyes move over to Krystal and Amber, who make themselves comfortable on the grass.
“Guess where I’m going soon?” Amber says as she puts down her bows and arrows.
“Where?” Luna asks, stirring a little so she can face Amber and Krystal better as Sulli braids her hair.
“Donghae and I are going hunting next week,” she whispers. “He discovered this new hunting place somewhere pretty close to the entrance of the underworld. It’s quite risky, but we heard the animals there are quite unlike those we’ve seen in our usual hunting spots.”
Luna’s never heard much about the underworld, given that she hardly associates with people outside her circle of friends. There are so many questions Luna wants to ask, yet she isn’t certain which question to ask first.
“Yunho is actually letting you two venture that far?” is what she manages to let out. If she dares to suggest something like that, her mother is going to lock her in her room and makes sure she never comes out.
“Yeah, he’s cool with it. As long as mom knows,” Amber chuckles as she pats Luna’s hand. “I mean, we won’t be alone. We have our stags, dogs, and hunting mates. It’s going to be amazing if we get to catch that legendary golden stag.”
Of course, Amber and Donghae would jump at a chance to hunt for something that rare… once Donghae can be torn away from his music and muses.
“Does it even really exist?” Sulli asks, tilting her head to the side. Part of Luna sighs in relief that she’s not the only one who’s not heard of this legendary creature.
“That’s a good point,” Krystal chimes in. “This could be one of the nymphs’ stories just to lead you all on a wild goose chase. Like what they did to those poor mortals who tried asking for their help.”
“The nymphs would know better than to try and trick Amber and Donghae,” Luna says, smiling at Amber. “They owe them a favor, to say the least.”
Amber raises a hand to the air. “See! At least someone believes in me. Thank you, Luna.”
Luna offers Amber a small smile as Sulli gestures for Luna to turn her head so she can braid the hair she’s lying on. Amber’s been hunting even before they became friends. She, sometimes with her brother Donghae, goes missing for days. She only returns when she’s found the animal she’s hunting for or if she gets bored from waiting. Sometimes Amber comes back with the stench of blood on her skin and it doesn't matter how long they've been friends, Luna still cringes when it reaches her nose. As much as they all complain to her about it, it’s part of Amber that they’ve learned to deal with.
“We’ve heard from Amber, now your turn, Krystal. What else have you been up to besides learning how to use that sword of yours?”
“I just started learning the art of war.” Luna’s hands get clammy as Krystal prattles on about wars and weapons. If she ever opened her mouth to talk about those topics, she knows her mother would change the course of discussion at once. Would Krystal be this fascinated in conflict if she had a mother who judged her every move?
“Honestly, the more exciting part is the mental process behind battles,” Krystal says as she points to her head. “There are a lot of ways you can actually win without having to kill people. Bloodshed is overrated.”
“Can we not talk about bloodshed in mine and Luna’s presence?” Sulli groans as she ties a ribbon around Luna’s newly braided hair. “It’s disgusting, and it just gives me a headache.”
“Thank you, Sulli,” Luna whispers as Krystal rolls her eyes at Sulli. The idea of death and bloodshed isn’t what makes Luna’s stomach churn. Krystal talks about these matters as though they’re threads in a tapestry she’s weaving. What happened to the girl who who cringed at the sight of blood? Is the Krystal in front of her the same girl who prefered playing with her pet owl and weaving pretty pictures into her tapestries?
“So Sulli, how’s that couple you’ve been trying to get together?” Luna asks. She’s not the type to pry into other people’s lives, but this is the only way Luna can make Krystal and Amber stop talking about bloodshed and hunting.
Luna chuckles as Sulli groans. “I swear, I have never encountered a more stubborn set of fools,” Sulli mutters as she uproots some grass and throws it at Amber’s direction. “I don’t get why the Yoon heiress insists on staying with her fiance when it’s so clear that the Lee heir from the other city is her soulmate!”
“Hey! What are you throwing grass at me for?” Amber grunts, throwing grass back at Sulli. “I’m not the one telling her to stay with the man.”
“Sorry, Amber,” Sulli sighs. “I’m just running out of ideas on how to make them see they’re made for each other!”
“What’s wrong with her not marrying her soulmate?” Luna asks, tilting her head to the side.
“Didn’t you mention last time that the Lee son was there to establish political ties with the family of the Yoon heiress’ fiance?” Amber raises an eyebrow at Sulli before anyone can answer Luna’s question. “If the Yoon heiress runs off with the Lee heir…”
“It’s going to turn ugly,” Krystal finishes for Amber. “Sulli, think. Do you have any idea what happens if you just let a man who’s supposed to establish diplomatic ties elope with another man’s betrothed?”
“They’ll thank me for it later,” Sulli throws more grass at Krystal and Luna. “They needed to meet their soulmates!” Luna brushes the pieces of that grass land on her, before throwing them back at Sulli.
“Sulli!” Krystal groans as she buries her face in her hands. Luna rubs circles on the goddess of wisdom’s back as the latter inhales and exhales.
“I just paved the way for true love~” Sulli sings as she throws flowers at Krystal.
“The Lee boy’s hot-headedness is already causing some problems for the negotiations. And with this whole soulmate business, it’s just going to get even worse. What were you thinking?!” Krystal throws her arms in the air, and Luna has to pull her down to prevent her from charging at Sulli.
“If this causes an all-out war in the future, who’s going to have to fix it? I am,” Krystal continues as she reaches for Sulli’s hair. “If that day comes, I am coming for you.”
“I just had to put everyone out of their misery~” Sulli says, as she runs away from Krystal.
Luna sighs as she pries Sulli’s arm off her as the latter screeches and evades Krystal and her now-drawn sword. She shakes her head with a small smile as Amber throws her a quizzical look. Luna just waves a hand as Amber slowly turns away from her.
They’re all changing in front of her eyes, she thinks, yet she’s still stuck in the same place. This is all she knows-the harvest, the fields, the forests, and of course her mother. As it is, she has been living an isolated life, hidden away from the rest of the gods and goddesses. She’s lucky that she’s allowed to meet and befriend Sulli, Krystal, and Amber.
She reaches over to the withering daisy petals, sighing as she watches the flower return to full bloom at her touch. This is as good as it’s going to get. She’s too fragile to protect wild animals and innocent maidens the way Amber does; she’s not intelligent and talented enough to learn all the things Krystal teaches the mortals. She isn’t considered the most beautiful goddess in Olympus, that’s Sulli’s title. She doesn’t even know if the other deities on Mount Olympus even know she exists.
Luna gasps as Amber’s arrow zips past her ear. She waves a hand at the rest of them, indicating she’s not hurt, as Amber puts a hand over her heart. Luna strokes the fallen arrow. It’s the first time she’s gotten this close to something like this. How many animals has Amber injured-or even worse, killed-with something like this? Luna shudders at the thought and scoots as far away from the arrow as much as possible.
Her eyes wander over to Krystal and the sword she’s got pointed at the sky. Swords have the power to kill people and save lives at the same time. It looks as heavy as the responsibility it bears. Krystal may be strong and capable, but Luna still sees her as the young girl who came crying to her when her pet owl went missing.
Sulli may not be as adventurous as their other two friends, but she has a long list of lovers pursuing her. She just has to stand there and be pretty for men to do her bidding.
All her friends go on all these adventures in strange lands, meet all sorts of people, and bring forth change wherever they go. Meanwhile, here she is, doing the same things, over and over.
“This is enough. This is fine,” she whispers as she stares at the fields. “This is all I’ll ever need.”
✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
The others told her they’d be coming, but Luna steps into an empty riverbank with only the birds and butterflies for company. She sighs as she slips off her green dress and lets it hang on the nearby tree branch. She might as well enjoy whatever peace and quiet she has while her friends aren’t around. Admittedly, Luna can barely get her own thoughts out when she’s around them. It’s for the best. After all, it’s not like she has anything new to tell them. Besides, what does a simple maiden who tends the flowers and the fields know? She’s not exactly a great goddess; nor a nymph who lives to protect the forests and the trees.
The whoosh of fallen leaves makes her turn toward a short vine hanging behind her head. At her touch, the vine reaches toward her, its branches resembling fingers. “Will you be my new friend?” Luna giggles as she shakes the “hand” in front of her.
“YES I WILL BE YOUR FRIEND!” a familiar, high-pitched voice screeches. Luna turns around just for a tall, green-clad nymph to throw herself at Luna. There’s a tug at Luna’s hair and she grasps at what she thinks is the other girl’s arm. Water gets into Luna’s eyes, and she flails her arms, splashing more water at anyone within reach.
The chaos only stops when two bodies pull them apart. Luna looks up to see Krystal pulling her by the arm. It is only at that moment Luna gets a good look at her assaulter: a tall nymph with green-tipped hair and a leaf-and-twig wreath on her head. Luna shakes her head. She should have recognized Joy from her battle scream alone.
“I still don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to tackle me in the water,” Luna grumbles as she wrings her brown hair. “Especially when I wasn’t prepared. Now my hair’s all ruined and my mother will kill me.”
“It’s just hair, Luna. Hair that will dry by the time we get home,” Joy rolls her eyes as she hangs up her dress to dry. “I can’t believe your mother still has you on a tight leash!”
Luna blinks as she looks at Krystal, whose hand suddenly falls off Luna’s back. The only time Krystal has that murderous gaze is when people thought of bringing up the childhood playmate she accidentally killed in sparring practice.
“Joy!” Irene, the flower nymph, hisses at her younger sister before flipping her pink-tipped hair. “Have some more tact.”
Luna sighs as she tries not to roll her eyes. It’s not like Joy was lying anyway. Her mother has a long list of things she can’t do and an even longer list of people she can’t meet. It’s a wonder how free-spirited nymphs like Joy and Irene get along with her.
“It’s fine,” she shakes her head as Joy’s mouth hangs open, most likely to apologize. “But can we not talk about my mother? We’re here to have fun, aren’t we?”
Luna turns to Krystal, but before she can say a word, a loud “HIDE US, QUICK!” reaches their ears. Luna chuckles at Krystal who rolls her eyes. “I guess that answers your question?” Krystal mutters so softly that Luna almost misses it.
Sulli charges toward them at a pace Luna never knew was possible for her. Wendy the water nymph and Seulgi the nymph of light catch up from behind, and all three of them have matching expressions of dread. It’s a comical sight until the blood stains on Seulgi’s and Wendy’s dresses catch her eye.
“Don’t even ask…” Seulgi sighs, and Luna reaches to pull the nymph into her arms.
“Sulli here thought it would be a good idea to get us to help set up some music for her little matchmaking project,” Wendy groans as she sinks into the riverbank. “It was going well for them…”
“But… what happened?” Luna asks, her fingers combing through Seulgi’s golden-tipped hair.
Wendy inhales as she makes a water drop float. “The father of the girl saw what was happening and he sent his men after us. Seulgi and I got hit by arrows, while Sulli and Amber were busy getting the couple to safety.”
“Where’s Amber?” Krystal raises an eyebrow at the rest of them.
“Right here~” Amber says as she steps into the riverbank. Luna’s eyes grow wide as Amber shows a bleeding arm to Sulli. “I am NEVER helping you with your matchmaking schemes ever again!”
Luna and Krystal exchange glances as Sulli’s lip begins to quiver and her eyes begin to resemble that of a kicked puppy. Luna chuckles as Amber shouts “Not that kicked puppy face! No, Sulli!” None of them can say no to Sulli when she sticks out her bottom lip and her eyes begin to water. Luna won’t be surprised if this is how Sulli gets her minions-no, lovers-to do her bidding.
“Speaking of lovers and romance, you’ll never guess which mortal asked me out!” Joy whispers once everyone’s inside the water.
“So he finally asked you out?” Sulli squeals.
Luna exchanges glances with Amber and Krystal who shrug back at her. “Explain,” Krystal says, raising an eyebrow at Sulli and the nymphs before anyone can say anything.
Luna sighs as Sulli narrates the story of how she introduced Joy to one of the young scholars studying in one of Donghae's temples. Of course, Sulli plays matchmaker every chance she gets. The only ones Sulli has yet to try her skills on are Amber, Krystal, and herself. Amber has threatened the end of their friendship if Sulli ever tries setting her up with anyone, while Krystal is too busy learning too many things for "something as silly as romance."
"I met this boy when I went hunting with Amber once," the snicker in Seulgi's voice catches Luna's attention. "I heard he's fond of taking care of flowers and animals, and I thought he and Luna would get along!"
Luna blinks as all eyes turn to stare at her. Great. Another friend who they think she'd like to meet because of their possible common interests. Aren’t they tired of trying to set her up when they know how it’s going to end?
"Uh... I don't think that's such a good idea," Luna whispers as she swirls her fingers in the water.
"Why n-Oh..." Wendy whispers, her eyes going round. "Right..."
"But we're all at that age when we start looking for partners!" Joy protested. "Surely Victoria's thought of that?"
Luna opens her mouth to speak, but she finds herself at a loss for ways to contradict Joy.
The only men Luna has ever met save for Donghae (as he was Amber's brother) and Yunho (the overall Lord of Olympus), are the priests at her mother's temples. She not even allowed talk to them. Her mother has taught her only to associate with females, and even then, her mother was picky about who Luna befriended. The minute her mother thinks someone is unsuitable to be with Luna, she will find a way to end whatever connection or association was established between them. If that's how it is with women, Luna doesn't even want to imagine how it would be with men.
"If that's what you think, then you don't know Victoria at all." Amber nods.
"But there has to be someone OUT THERE who will pass the great Victoria's labors or whatever tasks she has in mind!" Luna chuckles at Joy's ideas.
“You forget who you’re friends with~” Krystal says, her tone being more playful than it normally is. Luna follows Krystal’s line of vision, only to have Sulli smirking back at her. She smiles and shakes her head as Sulli wraps an arm across Luna’s shoulders.
“Krystal! You are so smart! I am the goddess of love and beauty, remember?” Sulli sings, as her free arm points to herself. She turns to Luna, the light in her eyes possibly the most serious Sulli has ever looked at her and her smile the most serene Luna has ever seen. “If I find a man worthy of you, no one, absolutely no one, will be able to stop you from falling in love.”
✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
The smell of olives and figs greets Luna and Sulli as they approach the daisy fields. Krystal is hardly ever punctual for things like these, making Luna and Sulli exchange glances as they see a familiar blue dress and bronze helmet stand out in the sea of white, green, and yellow. Luna follows the direction of Krystal's fingers as her eyes land on a blue mat beside Sulli, with plates of some odd salad with potatoes, lettuce, and olives; and what Luna guesses are fig biscuits.
Luna's mouth waters as Sulli pulls out strawberries and honey from the basket she carried earlier. Her gaze shifts to the basket in her hands. Victoria had convinced her to bring corn bread and barley tea instead of the barley cake she had initially planned. She sighs as she brings out the food from the basket. Her friends usually enjoy what she cooks, but this is the first time she has ever attempted corn bread. It probably tastes a bit bland, but after several attempts-most of which were tested on some hungry mortal children passing by-no one's complained yet, which is all that matters.
Amber's shout makes Luna turn toward her. Luna rises the minute she smells what's in Amber's hands. "Meat!" Luna cheers as she and Krystal make room for it on the mat.
"I hunted it and cleaned it all by myself!" Amber says, scratching her head. "But I got some help in cooking it."
"Because if you did the cooking all by yourself, you'd have probably burned it all," Luna chuckles as she reaches for a slice and puts it in her mouth.
"Hey!" Amber protests, swatting Sulli's hands away from the meat. "Where'd your etiquette go? Just because we’re all alone doesn't mean you can eat with dirty hands."
Krystal and Luna snort as they both reach for meat slices. "Says the one who wouldn't even fix her hair or take a bath after a hunt," Luna sticks out her tongue, moving away from Amber's flailing arms.
"Helloooooo~" Wendy sings as Seulgi and Joy bring out flasks with burgundy liquid in them. While Amber and Sulli grab at the cheese Wendy unpacks from her basket, Luna's nose twitches as Irene opens a flask. A mix of grapes, prunes, cherries, strawberries, peppers, plums, and some other scent Luna can't identify flood her senses.
"What is this?" she holds up the flask Irene just handed to her.
"It's our father's latest wine supply!" Irene laughs as she takes a sip of her flask. "He told us he wanted you to try some. He says it goes well with the cheese."
"Is this the reason your father's parties are always so wild?" Krystal raises an eyebrow at Irene. "No. I am not going to be reduced to a drunken maenad. I have too much dignity for that."
Wendy laughs. "There's a secret to it all. Haven't you wondered how we survive those wild parties almost every night?"
"Go on?" Luna frowns at the flask in her hands, watching how the burgundy liquid swirls at her touch.
"The trick is not to drink it all at once," Joy whispers. "You have to swirl it first, like what you're doing right now, Luna. Then you sniff it... and then you drink it slowly. Go on. Try it."
If her mother could see what she has in her hands, Luna bets the nymphs would never be allowed to see Luna again. But then again, when is the next time she can try something like this? Luna raises the flask to her lips, the taste on her tongue is something she isn't certain how to describe. She swears she can taste a mixture of fruit, flower, herb, and other flavors, probably matching what she smelled earlier. There's a sweetness lingering on her tongue, yet there's a slight sourness attached to it. As Luna takes another sip, she finds that the flavor has changed, at least, this is what her tongue tells her.
Luna blinks as her throat slightly burns and her vision begins to spin. She reaches for Irene and Joy, who giggle while purposely avoiding Luna’s grasp.
"Careful there. We can't have you getting drunk just yet," a deep voice whispers as Luna feels a pair of cold hands on her waist. She ignores the shivers down her spine as she takes in favor of biting her lips to stop laughing at how Wendy's, Irene's, Seulgi's, and Joy's mouths hangs open. She moves her eyes to Amber and Krystal's raised eyebrows, the smirk on Sulli's lips, before settling on the big dark eyes of the man behind her.
"Thanks," Luna mutters as she feels someone (Krystal most likely) pull her away from her savior. Luna rests her head on Krystal’s shoulder as she watches Sulli and Amber wave their hands in front of the newcomer’s face.
The man is most likely as tall as Yunho, since she’s sure he’s much taller than Donghae. His clothes are even darker than the skies at midnight, a color she’s never seen anyone else wear before. Wasn’t it hot in those things? When she takes a look at his round, dark eyes, she sees a light in them she can’t understand. It’s nothing like the fondness she sees in Sulli’s eye-smiles, and it’s definitely heavier than the playful laughter the nymphs have when they look at her. It’s also rather far from the thrill in Amber’s character, nor is it Krystal’s steely stare. Luna chews her lip and feels blood rush to her cheeks as the man in front of them gazes back at her. She feels Krystal’s shoulders shake as she buries her head deeper in Krystal’s shoulder. It has to be the alcohol making her feel this flushed. She will get Joy for this one someday.
“Who is he?” she whispers to Krystal as the rest are too busy taking turns teasing or poking at the lone man in the field.
Luna sits upright as Krystal turns to face her. “He’s Minho, Yunho’s youngest brother,” Krystal answers. “Also known as the Lord of the Underworld.”
“How do you know him? And how come I’ve never seen him?”
“He hardly comes to Olympus, despite Yunho’s constant nagging at him to visit more often,” Krystal answers. “But for some reason, he’s decided to gate-crash on our picnic?”
Luna looks up at the sound of a throat clearing. She suddenly grabs Krystal’s shoulders again. There’s something about this Minho’s stare that makes her heart race and the blood rush to her cheeks. It’s the first time she’s ever felt like this, and she isn’t sure whether she likes it or not.
“I wasn’t ‘gate-crashing’ as you very eloquently phrased it, Krystal,” Minho rolled his eyes. Great. His voice just has to be as deep as his eyes. “I was passing by and I saw all of you here, so I thought I’d say hi.”
“Really?” Krystal raises an eyebrow. Luna has no idea how he was going to react, but experience has taught her that trying to outsmart Krystal in an interrogation never ends well.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Minho asks. Luna feels his eyes on her, most likely judging her choice of a hiding place or her inability to hold her liquor. “I’ve never seen a lady as beautiful as she is and you’re being rude by not introducing us.”
“Oh? You mean Sulli?” Luna asks as she peeks from Krystal’s shoulder. Maybe this isn’t so bad. After all, she rarely has the chance to meet someone new. Besides, Krystal would be happy to take her away once things get too uncomfortable for her liking.
“Oh, I know Sulli,” Minho replies, flashing a kind of smile she’s never seen on anyone else. The only thing that comes close is the one Sulli has when she’s talking about which new lover she’s seeing. “Besides, why bother going to her when the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is sitting right in front of me?”
Luna’s feels herself flush even more than she thought was possible. “Are you sure you’re talking to the right girl?”
It’s a warm, sunny day, yet the deep chuckle that Minho lets out sends shivers down Luna’s spine and arms. “Yes, I am. May I get an answer? What’s your name, my fair lady?”
Luna’s eyes dart from Minho and his smiling face to Krystal, who shrugs. She lets out a breath she never realized she was holding. “I’m Luna,” she replies, feeling a smile grow on her face as she moves toward him. “It’s nice meeting you.”
“How come I’ve never seen you around Olympus?” Luna tilts her head to the side. “I don’t go up there often either, but… Krystal says you hardly ever go there?”
Minho chuckles. “It’s all a matter of personal preference. I’m not really fond of the kind of fun that goes on up there,” he admits. “I guess that’s also why your mother keeps you hidden away from everyone else.”
Luna frowns at this. How did he know who her mother was when she hasn’t even told him yet? She turns to look at Krystal who squints her eyes at Minho. Luna sighs as she returns her attention to Minho, who looks like a deer caught in the headlights with his wide eyes and slightly parted lips, before smiling again.
“The minute I heard your name, I figured you had to be the legendary daughter Victoria’s been hiding,” he says, nodding.
“Legendary?” Luna asks, leaning in a bit closer to Minho. “You must be mistaken. I’m just me. I don’t consider myself as anyone special.”
Minho shakes his head. “I may rule over the dead, but I still know beauty when I see it,” he says as a hand reaches out. Luna’s eyes move from Minho’s face to his hand, which is moving closer to her own face. Her heart pounds against her chest as Minho’s fingers brush away the bangs on her face.
Before Luna realizes what’s happening, Minho pulls his hand back just as Amber puts an arm around him. “So Minho, would you happen to know your way around the southwest plains? That’s where the golden stag Donghae and I are hunting is supposed to be.”
Luna blinks, as if she has just woken up from a dream. “What just happened?” she asks Krystal as she puts a hand over her chest.
Krystal shakes her head and sets her mouth in a straight line. What could she be thinking about so seriously? The last time Luna saw that look on Krystal’s face was when Krystal was trying to get herself out of trouble for accidentally destroying a tree.
“Come on, Minhoooooo~” Amber says, shaking the taller god. “Be a good friend and show me where it is.”
“No, Amber,” Minho said, shaking her off his arm, as he turns to Luna and Krystal, who has suddenly taken to feeding Luna anything within reach. “Where’s the fun in a good hunt if I spoil it for you, right Luna?”
Luna smiles as she offers him some of the figs in her hand.
“I’m not hungry, but thank you,” he shakes his head at Luna’s frown.
Luna nods, letting Amber snatch the figs from her hand but Krystal’s question makes her sit up and look at her new acquaintance. “I’ve always wondered though, is it because you’re never hungry in the Underworld? Or because you’re not allowed to eat food from the land of the living? Otherwise you’ll be tied here and won’t be able to go back to your world?”
“That’s … not for you to know,” Minho says, raising an eyebrow at her.
“I was just asking. After all, death is one of the things no one will ever know,” Krystal says, as she feeds Luna another strawberry. “And who else can I ask other than the Lord of the Underworld, who knows the dead best?”
“Unfortunately, death is an experience one only understands once you go through it. As a goddess like yourself, you are immortal. Therefore the secrets of the underworld must remain a mystery to you, forever,” Minho says, as he pats Krystal’s head. And almost as if he's discussing the weather, he continues. “I also wanted to tell you that poor Jiyoung’s soul says hi. She says she misses you.”
Luna gasps for air as the strawberry she’s chewing goes down the wrong way. No one’s ever talked about Krystal’s friend ever since her accidental death, and Krystal makes whoever says that name pay for their insolence. This time, the smile Krystal has is a sad one, like the one she had when her first pet owl died of old age.
Luna opens her mouth, but before she can make another sound, she finds herself chewing the fig biscuit Seulgi feeds her. She frowns as Joy tackles Minho to the ground, rolling in the grass. What is up with her friends? Can't she talk to someone else without them interrupting? She sighs as she reaches for another fig biscuit, but catches a glimpse of Sulli’s unusually blank expression, save for a small smile, out of the corner of her eye. So Luna shifts her gaze, and walks to where Sulli is sitting.
"Not joining the terrorize the newcomer party?" Luna asks, frowning as she points to the human pile which consists of Minho trying to wrestle out of Amber's and Joy's arms, while Krystal, Irene, Seulgi, and Wendy point and laugh.
"No~" Sulli says, looking up at Luna with a close-lipped smile. The only time Sulli ever looks like that is when she's in deep thought.
"So what are you thinking about?" Luna folds her dress behind her knees as she settles on the ground. "You'd be the first to jump at any chance to flirt with a man, yet, here you are on the sidelines."
Sulli lets out a sound that is most likely a mix among a shout, a scream, and a laugh. Luna decides it's laughter once Sulli clutches at her stomach and won't stop giggling. "I'm sorry, Luna," Sulli says as she gasps for air. "It's just that... flirting with Minho... It's too funny~"
Luna frowns at Sulli's words. "Why not though? I don't think he's that bad..."
Sulli shakes her head as she puts both her warm hands on either side of Luna's face. They're a stark contrast to Minho's freezing ones that touched her hair earlier. "He's not my type, Luna," she whispers, giggling as Minho looks toward their direction.
Luna looks up as a shadow falls over their heads. She laughs as Minho tames his now wild hair and straightens his dark clothes. "I'll be leaving. I still have a few places to go," he says as he reaches for her hand before putting it to his lips. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Luna."
Luna smiles at Minho lets go of her hand. "Likewise," she says as Minho nods at Sulli.
"I wish we'd get the chance to talk some more next time," Minho smiles as he looks back at Luna. "See you soon?"
Luna nods as Minho walks away, watching his back as he disappears from her line of sight.
"What was that about?" Krystal's voice says from behind them. Luna turns around and shrugs as Krystal puts down her helmet.
"He kept looking at Luna like some kind of creep," Joy adds as Luna picks up a slice of cornbread.
"Maybe it was because I was new and he's never seen me before?" Luna says, putting the bread straight into Joy's open mouth.
"Buff, Runa!" Joy chews through the bread. “Eee ‘er jush pertecking youuuu~"
Luna rolls her eyes as she gets a strawberry from the plate in front of her. "Protecting me from what? There aren't any wild beasts around, are there?"
"That Minho character, isn't he some kind of wild beast?" Wendy laughs as she wiggles her eyebrows.
"No. I think he happens to be nice... and he wasn't the one acting like some kind of wild animal," Luna rolls her eyes as her friends laugh. “What with Amber and Joy tackling him to the ground and all…”
"He scares me a bit," Seulgi says, poking Luna's cheeks. "But I guess he's a sport to be able to put up with Amber and Joy's wild ways."
"HEY!" Amber and Joy protest as they tackle Seulgi to the ground. Luna giggles as the three of them engage in some sort of play-fight.
"But he seemed interested in one of you," Krystal says, raising an eyebrow at Luna and Sulli.
"Yeah. Looks like all his attention was on Luna," Irene chimes in. "Someone's got an admirer~"
"Me? Not a chance, Irene," Luna shrugs as she throws grass at the flower nymph. It's not like Minho would be interested in a plain girl like herself, and he was probably just being polite when he called her beautiful. "I bet it's Sulli he likes. He hardly said a word to her, but he kept looking over here when he thought we weren't looking."
Luna throws some grass at Krystal, who rolls her eyes before throwing grass back. "Well, I don't think I've ever seen him act that charismatic toward anyone else before today. Ask Sulli if you don't believe me."
"Really?" Luna asks, raising an eyebrow. "Surely he's just being well-mannered?"
"No, Luna," Krystal continues, . "Normal Minho behavior involves him staying in a corner of the room, and he'd only talk if you talk to him first."
Luna looks at Sulli. "But maybe this is when he's realized Sulli's pretty?"
"Trust me, Luna," Sulli snorts as Krystal, Amber, and the nymphs laugh. "It's not me he's interested in. I just know it."
NEXT