Hi, everybody! I'm so very excited to be making my return to writing FanFiction! It's been a busy couple of years-dealing with writer's block, the pandemic, family losses, graduating from college, starting Youtube. I recently fell in love with Squid Game and I was so inspired that I decided to resurrect some characters from my Animal Kingdom story to give them a second chance in a new story. I can guarantee that Honey is nowhere near how she was in "Won't You Follow Me (Into The Jungle)?"!
Firstly, I would like to think my new beta Petal for all the fantastic help! My goal with this story is to do something that is both outside of the box and within the Squid Game universe (despite being a bit AU), in addition to humanizing Sang-woo a bit and having Gi-hun being more comfortable in his own skin. Can't wait to hear what you all think! Enjoy! =)
Trigger Warning: Strong Sexual Content, Racism, Violence, Murder, Death, Suicide, Corruption, Attempted SA, Propaganda
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Inbar Lavi as Honey Diamond
Aaron Paul as Sage Diamond
Chris Noth as Jonathan Diamond
Karruche Tran as Peppermint "Peppa" Powell
Michael Cera as Theodore "Teddy" Sterling
Catherine Zeta Jones as Laurel Diamond Greenberg
Harry Connick Jr. as Davin Greenberg
Ted Danson as Malcolm Calvert
Ansel Elgort as Liam Calvert
Jeff Goldblum as Levi Bloom
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The captain has put on the fasten seat belt sign and we have been cleared to land at Incheon International Airport. On behalf of United Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this flight and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Enjoy your time in Seoul!"
Honey Meadow Diamond watched from her window seat as the plane landed, admiring the beautiful colors of the Korean twilight sky. She couldn't believe that she had to go to that meeting with the investment bankers in a couple hours. Right now, she just wanted to get to the hotel and wash away her travels with a luxurious bubble bath.
Walking into the airport, she kept her gaze straight ahead, feeling the stares all around her. In Korea, Honey stood out as being the epitome of a California surfer girl. Long, flowing dark brown hair, golden green eyes, sizable breasts, an inward waist and legs for days. She was well aware that being attractive came with its fair share of advantages and problems.
Some days I don't know if people see me or look right through thought to herself as some guy walked by, flashing her a hungry smile.
It wasn't just her looks that made her stand out, it was also her family name and individual status. Honey was the daughter of entrepreneur Jonathan Diamond and Broadway and film actress Laurel Diamond-Greenberg, both well respected and world renowned in their fields. Along with her older brother, Sage, Honey was an heir apparent to Diamond Enterprises, the family entrepreneurial company.
Her mother had wanted Honey to be an actress just like her, it's one of the reasons why Laurel had it in her contracts that her own children would play her on-screen children before she would sign any production. Her father didn't really care what either of his children did, as long as they lined the pockets of the family business with their endeavors.
At almost 30, Honey had already had quite the career. Like so many heiresses before her (and many after), she dabbled in modeling and acting. Unlike the others doing it for the exposure and to have fun, Honey took it seriously and excelled. She had modeled for some of the world's biggest fashion houses and appeared in popular music videos, as well as garnering praise and a few accolades for her acting.
Honey had been criticized for turning down huge opportunities (including becoming a Bond girl) in favor of other ventures (such as launching a cosmetics and skincare line with her best friend Peppa), but her reasoning was more logical than out of greed. Why should she take something just to have it when somebody else could be better suited or may need it more? She only pursued projects that inspired her passions and used her platforms responsibly, because the entire world was watching her every move.
"Where is he?" She mumbled to herself, looking around before feeling her phone vibrating in her purse. When she looked down on her screen, her face lit up in a smile as she answered the call.
"Salt and Peppa!"
"What's up, Honey and Spice?"
Peppermint "Peppa" Powell was the half Jamaican/half Korean adopted daughter of Jeremiah and Gabrielle Powell, a hot shot record producer and fashion designer, respectively. Standing at 5"1, her lovely light cocoa skin, soft brown eyes and platinum blonde/lillac weave made her a standout, not to mention her God-given sassiness.
"I just got off the plane, looking for my brother but I guess his flight hasn't landed yet."
"I'm sure he'll be there soon." Peppa leaned back on her all white couch. "Mmkay so there's this party tonight that's supposed to be super sick, do you and your brother want to go?"
"He might, but I have a hot date after my meeting and I don't know how long I'll be out."
"Oh, I forgot, you can't see your best friend because you're too busy with your boyfriend." Peppa rolled her eyes. "I only came with Teddy for that stupid convention because you were going to be here, too. What happened to hoes before bros, bitch?"
"Did you forget we have work to do AND also have rooms two floors apart? I'll make time for both of you, but I haven't seen in him in nearly two months!" Honey smiled, memories flooding her senses. The spice of his masculine cologne with just a hint of lavender, how his big hands would roam all over her body, those rare moments where he would smile, the succulent taste of his lips on hers. This reunion was much anticipated on both sides.
"I don't know how you do long distance, Hon." Peppa shook her head. "I couldn't. You must really love this guy."
Honey's cheeks began to flush, the blush slowly spreading to the rest of her face.
"I mean..."
"Girl, don't even! Nothing gets past Pep."
"That's for sure." Honey grabbed her luggage, her smile disappearing as reality set in, knowing her best friend caught on.
"But you don't think he'll ever thaw out, do you?"
"I feel like I can't answer that right now." Honey painfully sighed. "Our personalities are completely different, but it makes our connection authentic. My only concern is how sometimes he's so stiff and cold, he won't allow himself to let loose more frequently because he always has to keep up the successful businessman image. Life is short, you can't be that uptight all the time or you're never going to have fun."
Is he going to let me in any further than he already has? I love him, but how long can I really wait?
"I do see a future for us, but not unless he meets me halfway. We'll see how this visit goes, I'm finally meeting his mom."
Neither of them were getting younger with each passing day, considering he was nearly twice her age and she was turning 30 next month.
"That'll be nice, let me know if she is as much of a joy as him."
"I've overheard her a few times when they've talked on the phone, he just lets her go on and on. She seems really sweet and reminds me of the mom onEverybody Loves Raymond."
"She's the same as any other mother that adores her child, like both of our moms. Now it makes a little more sense about his demeanor. He's gorgeous but he's just soooo boring, Honey. If you ask me, he was born completely devoid of a personality."
"He has a personality, he's just quiet. My mom seemed to like him, so did my stepdad."
"It's not that he's quiet, you know I can be quiet sometimes, too. He's too fucking serious. When was the last time you saw him laugh or he made you laugh? You might as well be dating a statue. I can't even remember if I saw him smile one time when Teddy and I met up with you two in Malta."
Honey didn't have the heart to tell Peppa that her boyfriend didn't exactly like her, either. He thought she was too opinionated and a bad influence on Honey due to her partying ways. It wasn't a great sign if her best friend and her man couldn't get along.
"He was super stressed with this huge deadline. Don't worry, he was feeling much better after I fucked his brains out for three hours when we got back to our villa."
"You should have done it BEFORE we went out, but he needs more than that. Homeboy needs to get pegged HARDDDDDDD." Peppa smirked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll do the honors, he's hot."
The girls burst into laughter, people walking by turning to glance at the girl on her headphones cracking up in the middle of the airport. They had been best friends since they were almost two when Peppermint's family first moved to Malibu. Throughout school, boys, starting a successful business together and even some nasty arguments, they shared an unbreakable bond. Peppa was the shoulder to cry on and Honey was the one to keep things in check.
"Oh, my god. You're too much, babe."
"You knew what you signed up for the day you pointed out we had matching Lisa Frank backpacks."
"I know, and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. I should probably call my brother, keep me posted about that party, k?"
Peppa nodded. "Of course. Love you girl, text me later and good luck with everything."
"Thanks. Love you, too."
Ending the call, Honey loaded her luggage on the trolley before rolling it down the aisle when she felt her phone vibrating again. Her heart skipped a beat over the text on her screen.
The Dark Knight
Can't wait to see you tonight, gorgeous
All my love
Honey felt weak because she just wanted to be in his arms again. She missed everything about him. the way he would tell her how smart and pretty he thought she was, or all the times they laughed, their deepest conversations... but that wasn't enough if he wasn't going to be upfront about the future.
"Honey Honey Boo Boo!"
She looked over her shoulder, her smile widening even more."I told you never to call me that."
"Do I ever listen?" Sage laughed, opening his arms. "Come on, give your big brother a hug."
Honey ran over and flung her arms around her brother. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you, too, squirt."
Like his sister, Sage Joshua Diamond was also quite a looker. Sandy brownish blonde hair he wore in a bed head style, piercing aquamarine colored eyes and gorgeous pearly whites to accompany his tall, surfer body. At almost 35, he looked about ten years younger.
Sage was the founder of a very popular YouTube group called the Goon Crew, which consisted of him and his friends pulling pranks and executing daredevil stunts. Cliff jumping in Acapulco, staying underwater for 24 hours, paragliding in Puerto Vallarta, going through a drive-thru a thousand times, they even dared to go swimming with sharks.
While both siblings enjoyed the party lifestyle, the older Diamond heir was the more reckless of the two of them. Their parents divorce had changed him completely, shutting out the world to focus on all of his outlets. Some were creative, which is how he got his start making videos, but others were destructive, such as a three day cocaine binge in Tijuana. Honey had begged him to go to therapy, but Sage insisted there was nothing wrong.
"What has it been, two weeks since we did that primetime interview?"
"Ugh!" Honey rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. There were 20 of us involved in the treasure hunt and yet we were the only ones that had to do damage control."
Being a frequent guest on his channel, Honey and Sage recently organized a global treasure hunt alongside other famous YouTubers, each donating $5 million and having the money placed throughout various locations in different countries. The video was an instant success, hitting 100 million views in less than a week but Jonathan had blown a head gasket over their "irresponsible behavior". In his eyes, what was the point of being charitable?
"That's the price we have to pay by having Jonathan Diamond as our father." Sage said as he sat down on a nearby bench, his sister joining him.
"Speaking of which, where is Dad? Shouldn't he have been here already?" Honey asked, calling her father only for the call to go straight to voicemail.
"I don't know, my texts aren't even going through." Sage looked at his phone. "The service here is shit."
"I didn't have any problems when I was talking to Peppa. She told me about this party tonight, it sounds pretty sick. You should go after the meeting."
"I need it after the week I've had."
"Wh-"
"Algorithm YouTube shit and all." Sage cut Honey off. "I don't really want to talk about it, it's stressing me out."
He wished he could tell her what was really bothering him, but right now, Sage knew if he told anybody, he would be totally screwed.
Honey noticed her brother became very tense but shook it off, not wanting to make waves.
"I feel you on that. Pep and I are working on our next palette launch, I already know it's going to be crazy. Remind me to take a vacation afterwards."
"With he who shall not be named? I know how much you two like to travel together."Sage watched his sister squirm. "So, how are things with your caped crusader? You never talk about him."
Honey straightened up. "What's to tell? He's tall, dark and handsome."
"Ahh, I see." Sage nodded slowly. "Congratulations, I had no idea Ken left Barbie and came to life for you."
She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. Of course he's more than that. He's intelligent, successful, hardworking, the best sex I've ever had-"
"Ok, ok, Honey. I don't want to know. I'm always going to see you as four years old with your hair in pigtails and carrying your My Little Pony, I don't want to imagine that guy of all people humping and bumping on top of you."
"How is it any different from all the times you've crushed so much puss and tapped all that ass? Remember when we were on Howard Stern? I've heard more than enough about your sexcapades for this lifetime and the next."
Sage followed in their father's footsteps by being a total ladies man, but compared to Jonathan, his taste was less refined. He would either go for the most beautiful girl in the room or the easiest, sometimes all of the above. Either way, he always scored.
"Fair point. Besides, after reading the libidinous details in your diary, I know more than I ever needed or wanted."
"You read my diary?"
"I wish I hadn't, but I did, which is how I found out the identity of your "dark knight"."
Honey sharply turned to him. "Then why did you ask me if you already knew?"
"I wanted to see how you would react and I had my suspicions. So, it's true?" He tsked when his sister looked away. "Is that why you've never had me meet him like I have with every other guy you've dated before? I thought my opinion mattered to you."
Known for his highs and lows, Sage actually looked hurt. They had gotten closer once Honey was older, as Sage was trying to make up for being a lousy older brother during the divorce. Why hadn't she asked him to meet the man in her life?
"Of course it matters. I know you already don't like him, I figured you wouldn't be interested."
"He's not my favorite person in the world, but I only know one side of him. Maybe he's not so bad in a non-professional setting. My point is, I'd be willing to give the guy a chance." Sage put his hands on his knees. "If you ask me, with the exception of the fact that he's not one of our kind, I think you'll get Dad's seal of approval."
"You really think I give a shit about that? It's amazing how Dad is so successful considering that he's a complete prick."
Regardless of his incredible success and wealth, Jonathan Diamond was the personification of every nasty detail surrounding the upper class. He had a history of greedy, racist and sexist behavior, all of which he vehemently denied, but it didn't stop the internet trolls and propagandists from thinking otherwise.
"Why couldn't we have just been born with regular parents? I wonder sometimes if life would have been easier that way, at least growing up."
Honey folded her arms across her chest, barely noticing that somebody sat next to Sage. "Sure, then our dating lives would be less problematic. Everything would be less problematic."
"Mom is the closest thing we have to normalcy, it's Dad that's the issue."
"Do you ever wonder about him?" Honey asked,
"Sir? Miss?"
The siblings looked over to see a sharply dressed man sitting to their left, setting a black briefcase down on the bench next to Sage. He's unconventionally handsome with perfectly slicked back black hair, a lopsided grin and mischievous bedroom eyes.
"Uh... yeah?"
"Do you have a minute?"
Sage nodded. "Sure, man. You want a selfie or an autograph, or is it her you're looking at?" He pointed at his sister, only for the man to shake his head.
"It's not that. Would you like to play a game with me?"
"What?" Sage scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Play a game? What game?"
The siblings watched the man open his briefcase to reveal neatly lined rows of fresh cash and two folded squares, one in red and one in blue.
"Whoa... are you like part of QuAnon or some shit?"
"Whatever you're selling," Honey interjected. "we're not buying, Mr. Salesman."
"It's called Ddakji. A very simple game where whomever flips the square wins. Play ddakji with me and each time you win, I'll give you 100,000 won."
"Wait, so all I have to do is flip over your square thingy and you'll give me cash? Hon," Sage looked over at his sister. "How much is that USD?"
"Less than $100."
"Like I need the money, but you know I love a gamble." He stood up and looked at The Salesman. "What's the catch?" Sage asked.
"Each time I win, you must give me 100,000 won."
"I don't have any cash on me yet, but my bank account is plenty flush. Do you have Venmo?"
The Salesman shook his head. "If you don't have cash, you can pay with your body."
"My body?" Poor Sage was not anticipating the hand that came flying across his face. "Ahhh! What in the actual fuck, broseph?! Did you just slap me?"
Honey began to laugh. "Oh, my god! That was priceless!" She turned to the mysterious man. "Can you do that again? I want to get this on tape."
"I'll take off 100,000 won per slap." He says. "Are you up for the challenge?"
"You bet your ass I am, buddy."
"I can't wait to see this." Honey smirked, feeling almost giddy at the thought of her brother being potentially humiliated.
"I'll let you go first." The Salesman held up the squares. "Which color would you like?"
"This is some totalMatrixshit." Sage said as he looked down on the colored squares. "Red pills, blue squares, red squares, blue pills." Without hesitation, he grabbed the blue square.
"Let's do this bitch."
TEN MINUTES LATER
"Fuck!" Sage shouted, wincing from the burn on his face after what felt like the umpteenth slap.
He couldn't decide what was more humiliating: the fact that he was getting bitch slapped by this guy or all the people that were staring as they walked by, whispers and laughter amongst them. Why was such a seemingly easy game so difficult to beat?!
"Ya wanna help me out here?" Sage looked over at Honey.
She shook her head, leaned up against the wall, chewing on a Reese's Outrageous bar. "Oh, no. I'm much too entertained watching you getting smacked by this tall drink of water."
"Ugh, come on!" He groaned in frustration as The Salesman flipped his square again.
"I wish I could, big bro, but I can't seem to tear myself away from this candy bar." Honey looked at it and smiled. "It's just too damn good."
"Are you serious right now?" Sage groaned, throwing down the blue square once again, only for the red square to barely move. "Damnit!"
The Salesman threw his square down, a loud smacking sound emitted through the air as Sage's square flipped. As The Salesman was about to slap him again, he abruptly stopped, his grin widened when Sage flinched. Catching the American off guard, he went in for the full smack.
"One more round!"
"You're going to let him keep marking up your face? What will Dad say?" Honey asked.
"Dad won't say nothing, because I'm going to win."
"That's yet to be seen. Hey," Honey nodded at The Salesman. "mind if I take a turn?"
"Sure." He eyed her up and down, smirking. "I'd like to see what you've got."
"Mmkay, but I can tell you right now you won't be slapping my face. Here," She shoved her candy bar towards Sage and held out her free hand for the square. "Take this, you need it more than I do."
"Damn straight." Sage traded off before taking a huge bite. "Mmm, this is so fire."
Honey looked back and forth between the squares. After watching The Salesman, she knew exactly what to do. Throwing down the square, she inwardly had a sigh of relief when it flipped the second square.
"And that's how it's done, gentlemen." She turned to The Salesman, cranking her arm back to smack him.
The Salesman caught Honey's wrist before her palm could connect to his face. Shooting her a charming grin, he shook his head, wagging his finger back and forth at her before pointing at his cheek. A flirtatious smile spreading across her face, Honey leaned forward and pecked his cheek, inhaling his smoky yet floral scent.
Pulling away, they both smiled at each other, which was when Honey took the opportunity to use her free hand to smack his other cheek.
He definitely looked surprised as Honey turned around, feeling rather proud.
"How did you do that?!" Sage was speechless, a rare sight especially for him.
"Just lucky I guess." Honey walked towards her brother, stopping by his ear before lowering her voice. "Use the most surface area to make contact with the square. The flat side has to hit it, you keep using the edge and that's why it's not flipping." She patted him on the shoulder. "Bring it home, Sage. That bubble bath is calling my name."
"Alright." Sage rubbed the square between his hands for luck, replaying his sister's words in his head.
Flat side, flat side, flat side.
He held his breath in anticipation as he threw the square down, triumph spreading across his face at the sight of the red square finally flipping.
"YASSS!" Sage pumped his fists in the air, jumping up and down. The Salesman slowly clapped his hands.
Honey grinned. "Good job, buddy."
"Couldn't have done it without you. HA!" Sage pointed at The Salesman before raising his arm. "Now get that face over here, pretty boy."
Like his sister, the slap was also caught by The Salesman, but this time, he put crisp bills into Sage's hand.
"Congratulations."
Sage looked at the money in his hand. "Oh, right..." He walked away, still trying to process the win.
"Sage, come here." Honey pulled out her makeup bag from her purse. "Let me fix you up a bit."
"Ahh, you're right. Wouldn't want Dad to flip a bitch."
Honey started applying concealer on his face, swiftly blending the bruises. "No, we wouldn't. I've got you and you've got me, right?"
"Right." Sage nodded.
"You know, you two are a pretty good team." The Salesman said after packing up his briefcase. "You could make big money by playing games like this for a few days."
"Thanks, man, but I think this was enough." Sage replied.
"Maybe it isn't money you need but rather protection?"
"Huh?" Both Honey and Sage glanced at The Salesman.
"Sage Joshua Diamond, 34 years old. Highest level of education, 18 units shy of graduating from University of California Los Angeles, but you were expelled. Current daredevil and prankster Youtuber with over 15 million subscribers. In and out of rehab, addicted to prostitutes and currently being chased by an Italian drug cartel."
"Wait, what?" Honey asked.
The Salesman turned to Honey. "Honey Meadow Diamond, 29 years old. Highest level of education, Columbia University and you graduated with a bachelor's degree. You're known for your modeling and acting but have successfully transitioned into the entrepreneurial side of the beauty industry, even though you're being threatened by the Scottish mafia."
The Diamond siblings could feel their faces becoming the color of their namesakes, diamond white. Pure panic simultaneously enveloped them as they had the same thought:
If it ever gets out, I'll be totally fucked.
"I think you're mistaken." Sage said.
"Who told you all of this?" Honey asked.
"Do you work for our father?"
All The Salesman did was pull a brown card out of the front pocket of his suit. "We don't have many spots left." He handed Sage the card, watching the siblings look down.
"PlayStation?" Sage questioned, recognizing the circle, triangle, and square shapes on the card.
"If you both want to participate in the games, give me a call."
He turned and walked away, leaving Honey and Sage bewildered. Looking at each other, they looked back at The Salesman one more time. He held up a fist with one hand and mouthed the words "Win." before he completely vanished out of sight when multiple people walked in front of him.
Snapping out of the confusion, Sage glared at Honey. "What did you do?!" He hissed at his sister, who looked completely flabbergasted.
"You know what I did, I want to know what YOU did."
"Bad shit is what the fuck I did, ok?"
"Is that all you're going to say to me?Then right back atcha, because you're not the only one with suspicions."
What could Sage have possibly done? This was the first she was even hearing of any involvement with a drug cartel. Honey shouldn't have been surprised and yet... she was.
"Look, I'm sorry, Hon." Sage put his hand on her shoulder. "I promise I'll tell you soon. Maybe we should just forget this whole thing happened."
She nodded. "Probably, but I can't help you unless you tell me. You helped me out of my bind, and I said I would return the favor. Please trust me, brother."
Before Sage could reply, both of their phones started buzzing with a flurry of angry text messages from Jonathan.
"Why are all of Dad's messages coming in now?" Honey asked.
"I don't know, but he's outside. Come on, grab your stuff."
"Are you aware of how long I've been waiting?" Jonathan Diamond asked once his children walked out of the airport. "Your flight arrived twenty minutes ago."
In his younger days, Jonathan had been a very handsome eligible bachelor considering his family's vast wealth and status. Now, he looked all of his sixty-seven years. His once jet black hair was now coated in white with hints of blonde, his forest green eyes drooped and he was starting to get a bit of a belly.
"We called and text, it wasn't going through." Sage said, holding up his phone as the chauffeur took their luggage.
"Well, I've been here the whole time."
"Hi, Daddy!" Honey ran up to her father. "I'm so excited to see you!"
Despite the fact that the siblings had a very dysfunctional relationship with their father (which clearly affected Honey's dating life and taste in men), they did love him. Their childhood and post-divorce life wasn't so abysmal, there were a few good times. The three of them rocking out to Bruce Springsteen, making Jonathan's favorite veal dish or having mini air hockey tournaments. Jonathan was capable of being a good father, he simply thought he was more than he wasn't.
"Hiya, pumpkin." her father gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, pulling his son in for a hug. "Sage, you're looking relaxed."
"Pop, you look terrible." Sage looked at his dad once they separated, thankful his sister had covered the bruises. "You know you can retire, right?"
"Well, when my kids stress me out, I'm not going to be looking like George Clooney, now am I?" Jonathan said with a wicked grin. "Plus, I'm never going to retire. When I'm back in diapers, I'll still be working."
"Right, because money makes the world go round. I forgot."
"Of course it does, son."
Honey looked over at the chauffeur and nodded politely. "Oh, hello, I'm-"
"Don't bother learning his name, we have a totally different chauffeur for tonight. Come on," Jonathan patted both of his kids on the back, guiding them into the limo. "I'm sure you both want to relax before the meeting."
"I know Honey does. Right, Hon?" Sage shot her a sly wink, only for Honey to narrow her eyes in response.
Even though both of his children accelerated his aging, Jonathan did love them... in his own special way. He just wished that he could get a firmer grasp on Honey and Sage, it would benefit everybody around them and then some...