𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐏𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | 𝐁𝐋

TWELVE.

comment because it's a fuel for my withering and decaying motivation

"Oh. So this is your boyfriend, Aruna?"

Before him was the most stunning woman Y/n had ever seen. She had aged like fine wine, her wrinkles only seeming to add some sort of depth into her features—and her obsidian eyes were as bright and glittering as Aruna's. A thick gown hugged her figure; and her lips were a deep crimson. However, Y/n could catch fangs hidden behind them.

"He is." Aruna confirmed, tilting his head, "and I thought I told you to quit smoking, especially at your age."

The lady took another puff of a cigarette, rolling her eyes. She looked at Y/n with a small glance like can you believe him? but still, she snuffed it out.

"I'm Miranda," She introduced herself, "and Jessi really wasn't kidding, hm? You are a human..."

"Yes. I'm Y/n—"

"Darling, I already know." Miranda winked, "we don't meet someone without doing a tiny background check."

"Mother." Aruna sighed.

"Only joking." She rolled her eyes. "You have no sense of humor. How can Y/n even tolerate you?"

Okay, Miranda wasn't like the one he expected. He thought he would meet some senile woman, who was a Karen, from the descriptions Jessi and Aruna provided. But so far—she seemed tolerable. Not exactly sweet or kind, but still friendly.

"So?" Miranda prompted.

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, don't you humans—"

"How about we go somewhere else?" Aruna muttered under his breath, "before she says anything offensive, like she was about to."

"I wasn't going to say anything offensive! I was just going to ask whether it was wrong to be, ah, uh—what's the word—gay—in the human world?" Miranda protested, "I watched a documentary. It's apparently illegal somewhere in the world. That makes you a criminal, right? Cool."

Okay. Y/n felt red flush on his cheeks in mortification and anger. Ignorance. Total ignorance. A string of colorful words dangled from his mouth.

"I did my research. Approximately—"

"Mother," Aruna hissed, "can you be civil to your guest? Are you saying this just to taunt him? You are, right?"

Miranda blinked. "Oh, his reactions are absolutely adorable, if that's what you meant." She chuckled, "but no. I'm genuinely interested."

"...It's not a crime in most places—and it shouldn't be—but there are exceptions. But it's important for people to have the freedom to choose whoever they want to love." Y/n tried to respond as calmly as he could, but his tone still came off a little irritable.

"Hm. Times change, I suppose." She considered his answer, "my ex and I had to scurry around. Isn't that right, Aruna? You know, his father and I had an arranged marriage. It was the whole enemies to lovers trope. The only thing he had going for him was his looks." She gave her son a teasing smile, which he met with a resigned expression.

Y/n peeked at Nadia. She was partying the night away with...Jackson Wang. And probably brainstorming fanfiction ideas in her head. Y/n had stumbled upon a Aruna X Reader fanfiction on the website (don't ask how he stumbled upon it on such an obscure website) and the first thing he had seen was: caught you, Y/n! Dammit.

"So, how did you meet?" Miranda shrugged, "it's rare—in fact, I've never seen a human-naga pairing, you know."

Well, at least her initial curiosity had shifted into a more genuine interest.