You sigh and turn around under your duvet continuously; trying desperately to get back to sleep. After almost half and hour, you give up and sit up against the wall, stooping as your head hit the ceiling. You see the mini tin soldier next to your pillow and gently hold it up. It hadn’t spoken or moved at all since you had woken up on the bench the morning before, seemingly a few minutes into break when you ran back to class to apologize for your lateness. Everything was so normal, so average, that you almost felt left-out by the atmosphere. The only thing that kept you sane through the whole day was the fact that the ‘new boy’ had suddenly disappeared, and that a little red-coated tin soldier and a blank bit of card had been in your uniform pocket when you had woken up.

You silently gaze down at the normal, if not shabby looking toy cupped in your hands.

‘C’mon… Speak already…’

You squeeze it lightly, and for the hundredth time of the day, try to convince yourself that nothing had been a dream, and that it had all been real – the chatting and marching tin soldiers, big rabbits in circus hats, paintings that move, water that you could walk on, and the boy in the tattered suit and top hat…

You sigh and check the old digital clock under your top bunk: 5:48 am. It was almost time to start work anyway, so you jump down quietly and sneak out of your box room, keeping quiet in order not to wake your little brother sleeping so peacefully. You shut the door silently and take a glance at the tin soldier in your hands. You frown and shove it in your jumper pocket, willing it to disappear from your mind for your work.

--------------------------------------------

You slide open the little café and greet your manager, who frowns at you as she checks the time at the same time. You sigh in relief as you are a few minutes early – she was always making excuses to fire you. She throws you your apron and tells you to clean up the tables left from the previous day, and you start to tell her that it was the cleaner’s job, but she glares at you, reaching for her phone instantly.

‘One more word, and it goes straight to the boss.’

You grit your teeth and turn your back, clenching your fists as you could literally feel her grin. You just wait… You just wait until I pay all our dept….

You start cleaning everything up, from the smashed alcohol bottles, and spilt food on the floor. The tin soldier slips out of your pockets as you bend down to pick up a fallen chair, and you place it carelessly on the table. You definitely weren’t in the mood to take care of a little metal doll. You continue to move around the whole café, but you keep glancing back at the tin soldier, lying on front on the surface of the table. You keep getting a feeling that the doll is extremely angry at its treatment, but you shake the feeling off and class it as a fragment of your imagination.

After two more hours, you finish cleaning up everything. You collapse onto a wooden chair, extremely fatigued and exhausted by your load of work. You take a stolen glance at the abandoned tin soldier and flinch as you feel icy fury radiating around it. You hadn’t bothered to stand it up, or at least turn it around so it would be facing upwards. You sigh and was about to go and fetch it, when suddenly, the bells on the front door rings. You were about to call out to the customer that the shop wasn’t open yet, but you freeze in mid-shout as you hear a piercing scream by the counter. You freeze as you see a man kicking your manager in a slow, almost bored motion. You manager continues to scream, scrambling to get up, but being pushed down by the man easily. Seven burly men stood besides their leader and snickers as your manager stops moving after a kick to her stomach.

The bored looking man raised his eyebrows. ‘Oops.’ He pressed your manager’s face with his feet and spat as she didn’t respond. ‘We were meant to kill her slowly… It was boss’ orders…’ He sighed and raked his hands through his scruffy hair. ‘Ah well…’

The tallest man started to speak. ‘What do you want us to do n-’

You feel your heart skip a beat as you knock down a chair in shock. The eight men instantly turn to look at you.

The slim man laughs, exposing his browning teeth. ‘We missed a little rat… Do what you want with her boys – it was direct orders to trash this dump and kill the employees…’ He looks at you in mocking pity, and turns to move out of the way. You take an involuntary step backwards and fall over as you catch your leg on the chair you knocked over. The slim man turns to laugh at you, but his eyes suddenly feel with wolfish desire as he gathers your form. He whistles.

‘The little pretty rat…’

He walks up to you, and despite your ferocious protests, he grabs hold of you and slowly undo your uniform buttons. He moans as he sees the start of your ample cleavage and pushes you up against the wall, unbuckling his trouser belts. You feel yourself writhe in horror and disgust as the man-

... Starts to scream in pain? The man is wrenched off you and is continuously kicked until you hear one of his ribs cracking. You start shaking and fall to the ground, forcing yourself to look up at your savior.

A raven-haired boy glares down at you and swears. He grabs hold of you and carries you bridal style towards the exit, where the seven furious men were blocking his way. He takes a cold look at them and grabbing one of their heads, jumps over them, carrying you with one arm all the time. He runs out into the silent streets of Seoul and leaps on one of the rooftops. He drops you on the floor and forces you to look at him. You blush as he is one of the most beautiful men you have ever seen, except the case of one other boy you knew…

You are brought back to the situation as he tightens his grip on your arms. You silently gulp as you take a look at his furious face.

‘Y..You.’ He takes a deep breath. ‘I swear, if I get any angrier than this… I’m going to kill those bastards down there; several times over…’

You nod quickly, extremely conscious of his toned body pressing against yours.

‘What would have happened if I wasn’t there today…?’ He glares at you and he raises his tone. ‘You’re stupid enough to work in a adult bar... You’re barely seventeen - did you lie to get the job? Did you really want that kind of attention?!’

Your eyes water slightly at the angry phrases thrown at you, and the boy sigh and releases his grip on your arms.

‘Forget it.’

You blink at the familiar tone.

‘I feel stupid shouting at an ugly human girl like you.’

Impossible…! ‘T-tin soldier?!’ You stutter.

He frowns at you. ‘Not “Tin Soldier” – It’s Lee Taemin; La Force Une.’

11 - strength

big power and strength, courage, energy reserves, mental strength, Self-control, good physique

The modern interpretation of the card stresses discipline and control. The card tells the Querent to be wary of base emotions and impulse.

Some refer to it simply as a challenging situation requiring persistence and effort.

For my lovely supersaphire <3 I planned this scene from the start - even though I was freaking out when the man was about to 'ME' or 'YOU' - I don't know what to the call 'HER'? anyway =_= THANKS for you guys' continuous support <333 and if people wouldn't mind, it'd be nice if you would comment <333 (teehee XD) I live off them y'know ^^

 How was it Youhee unnie?? :) I actually like ths update a lot <3333