beyinuo

[beyinuo]

artist and canvas.

@beclaudine

they say that patience is one of the virtues of womanhood. not that yinuo has ever considered herself a particularly virtuous woman, but sometimes she finds that sitting back and waiting quietly pays off. she sits still now, eyes closed, the softest smile drawn across her lips. she likes to imagine herself as the picture of femininity and beauty in moments like this; of course, she knows that she's a pretty girl. but the girl on her lap is almost prettier. her touch is so gentle, so meticulous as she dabs color onto yinuo's face. the girl opens her eyes and smiles brighter when claudine's focused gaze is the only thing that greets her.

"am i your masterpiece yet?" she's never seen claudine's work before and yet she knows that it will be beautiful. when she offered to be a canvas, there was never any doubt that such a graceful, elegant woman would steer her wrong. yinuo just thinks that it's a shame that she can't keep her eyes open while the other girl applies makeup there. she can't get enough of watching the tiniest changes of expression on her face; the way her brow furrows in concentration, the way she holds her breath to steady her hand before touching the brush to skin.

and this is only the very beginning of their night. some might consider that it hasn't even started yet. the party doesn't start for another half an hour and it's more fashionable to arrive a little late anyway. yinuo's sure that they'll have a good time but for now she's content to savor this moment for what it is. could she do her own makeup? absolutely. but a pretty girl, hyperfocused on her? why would she ever turn that down?

"you know we could just ditch and stay here. i think i still have soju in the fridge," she half-jokingly makes the suggestion. not that yinuo has ever turned her nose up at a night out, something just tells her that she wouldn't regret a night in with claudine either. "or is that lame?" she laughs, and then takes a breath to force her face to relax again. "okay, sorry, back to canvas-mode."

[beyinuo]

when one domino loses its balance, the rest inevitably fall into a messy pile behind it. and that's exactly what happens in business sometimes; an ill-timed virus, an unfortunate chain of events, and suddenly the back end of the restaurant is missing a lot of the usual chatter and banter that yinuo is used to hearing back there. she's no stranger to running a business, she knows that when one of the crew goes down, it's the responsibility of the managers to pick up the slack. jindallae has done a good job of keeping things running, but even he can't be superman.

she's leaning against her side of the bar when he plops himself in front of her, most of the night's cleanup already done as business winded down and closing hour crept up. "you look awful," she chirps, knowing full well that she's stating the obvious. "if you get sick now, we're really screwed. see if you can get your hands on some astragalus root, i swear it'll do the trick!"

"you should give me a bonus for all my hard work," she winks, not at all serious (though she wouldn't say no if jindallae misunderstood her intentions), and grabs a mule mug to fulfill the man's request, humming as she considers her own in turn. the nights are getting colder, certainly darker as well. "i don't know. something warm and a little bit spicy, but don't break your back to make anything. it's been a long night for both of us."

the fizzle of the freshly poured ginger beer punctuates the quiet that falls between them for a moment as yinuo wraps up the cocktail and pushes it out in front of jindallae. "okay, now no one ask me for anything else because i need to sit down," she half-jokes; she's not one to complain, but she knows she has blisters from the new shoes she foolishly wore tonight. at least they're likely well broken in for next time. "once i'm down i'm not getting back up. you'll have to carry me home." she grins. but the nights are darker now; she wouldn't mind an escort.

BOTTOMS UP 진달래 → 이누오

it's been a long day. with a few of his line cooks out with the common cold, jindallae's had to pick up all the slack himself—holding it down in the kitchen, alone, as business surges. in the fall and winter, he adjusts the menu to highlight warm hearty stews and comforting side dishes; hoping to fill every customer's belly with delectable meals that are satiating and savory. suffice it to say, it's been a hit—reviews for his food are better than ever, and the college crowd consistently thanks him for keeping his prices reasonable.

it makes him feel good, accomplished even, but the success isn't as fun when he's busting his ass and working extra long shifts. tonight's been non-stop, too, and he's so glad that he's in the middle of boxing up the last delivery order. sending it on its way, he wanders over to the empty bar; plopping himself down on one of the stools. removing the baseball cap from his head, he uses its fabric to dab the sweat away from his brow, then tucks it into his back pocket; taking a deep breath.

"god... i guess no one in the neighborhood felt like cooking tonight," he muses to yinuo, his tone half-apologetic as the bar didn't get as much clientele. "thanks for helping me in the back when you could. you were a big help." that's something he adores about his crew. they genuinely have one another's backs. he's somehow managed to foster a really positive work-environment, and he's grateful for that.

"what do you want for dinner?"

everyone gets one free meal per shift, and if they want, one free drink after their shift, which is what he's planning on indulging in right now. "think about it while you make me a seoul mule?" painting on a still rather intimidating puppy-dog face, he looks toward yinuo; pitiful.

"please?"

[beyinuo]

there's nothing scary about being on camera anymore. yinuo has recordings of herself from her very first dance practice; nothing can be worse than that? but even now she watches back on those old videos with a smile. she knew nothing back then. to be honest, she still doesn't know much now but the improvement is blatant even to an untrained eye. yinuo can't help but be proud of herself for doing something scary... and ultimately coming out on top.

she's no professional, but she manages to set herself up with a decent setup for filming her audition tape for dreamwave. well, if it can even be called that. she's not sure why it's an interview instead of a test of her skills, but maybe personality is all that's really needed to be an idol these days. yinuo isn't concerned; she has plenty of that.

DREAM COMPANY & SECOND DREAM COMPANY:

"hi!" she beams into the camera, greeting whoever will be watching this with a polite bow. "my name is zhou yinuo, and my korean is better than you'd think, right?" she grins, clearly proud of herself. "if i just came in first place on next gen and had the choice of any axis labels company, i honestly think i'd choose studio delta. but in case that doesn't work out, i think i'd be a good fit for lime entertainment. honestly though, i'd work hard to be successful and happy wherever i might end up!"

PREVIOUS MUSICAL EXPERIENCE: 

"right, my resume. i bet you're wondering how i learned korean too, right? well, a few years ago, i auditioned and got into a little company called kt entertainment. they brought me over to korea where i started training for a girl group they were going to debut. ah, but, you probably noticed, i didn't make the final cut. i didn't fit their concept at the time, i think," yinuo can only shrug; it was disappointing at the time, but these days she sort of thinks it may have been for the best.

"i trained for over a year with them before they finalized the lineup. i left the company shortly after, since it was obvious that i wasn't going to get another chance to debut for a very long time. since then, i've tried to keep up on the skills i've learned with independent practice! you should check out my tiktok if you want to see how many dance challenges i've done since then." the girl winks at the camera, a little cheeky as if she momentarily forgets that this is supposed to be somewhat professional. oh well; she's showing off her personality.

SKILLS: 

"i caught on quickest to dancing when i was training, and i think it's the most fun for me too. i can sing a little bit but i'll be honest and say i could use a lot more practice with that... i haven't kept up on it as much as i've kept dancing in my free time. oh, and i use my voice a lot for my job, i do a lot of talking, so it hasn't been in the best condition... but i'm a quick learner! so don't count me out!" briefly, she wonders if she should get up and show a bit of what she says she can do. but the instructions didn't say to to anything like that, so yinuo makes the choice not to. if they want to see it, they'll have to call her to do it in person.

OTHER TALENTS: 

"i was born and raised in china, so of course i speak mandarin." yinuo pauses to demonstrate briefly, repeating exactly what she just said in a second language just to prove a point. "i've learned some english too... but not enough that i feel confident in showing you," she laughs, a bit embarrassed. should she edit that out? nah, they'll only notice the jump cut.

"oh!" the girl exclaims, suddenly remembering something. "i have an incredible sense of balance. i've never dropped a serving tray no matter what was piled up on it, and i can find the balance point of anything on my hand. it might take me a minute but once i've found it i can keep any object balanced for as long as you want me to!"

FAVORITE ARTISTS: 

"my favorite artist is myself," the girl boasts, though immediately erupts into a fit of giggles. "no, i do have that sort of confidence, but i know i can't call myself an artist yet. of axis' many impressive acts i have to say i'm the biggest fan of goeun, bltz, starlie and prizm, and nina! i love girl groups and soloists and i grew up listening to a lot of them... i also have been really into billie eilish, chapell roan and charli xcx lately... i think i'm having a brat summer," the girl laughs again, pleased with herself for getting the reference in. "oh, i sound like i only listen to girls... may be i do!"

"i hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me, and i hope more that you want to see me again soon," yinuo closes out her questions and answers, her smile never once fading or losing its genuine charm. "thank you for your time!"

[beyinuo]

"wait, this looks fun," yinuo's algorithm is working hard these days, tracking her every interest and movement. of course it had picked up on her interest in waterbomb fest and of course the dance challenge was all over her page. it's been a minute since she's really danced, her idol trainee days gone but not really forgotten, and this seems like a good of a time as any to brush those old talents off. especially in the company of yulhee, who she spent so much time cultivating said skills alongside.

"can you film for me?" she asks her friend. "oh wait, and at the end, what if..." she leans in close, whispering the thought in the other girl's ear. yulhee seems on board, and yinuo flashes her another bright smile before pressing her phone into the other's hands and trotting off to stand in front of a good enough backdrop for her challenge.

it had only taken a few minutes to learn the simple choreography but that's not the big reveal that yinuo was looking for in her latest tiktok contribution. it's really not that much of a choreography at all, just a few beats of shaking her hips and pointing a her fingers up in the sky like a gun. still, yinuo turns up the charm, smiling at the camera and relaxing into the upbeat rhythm, just enjoying and having fun.

it's when the clip comes to a close that her request to yulhee comes into play. at the last waterbomb in the song, yulhee throws a water balloon up in the air and... it bounces off of yinuo's chest and miraculously falls onto the ground before popping.

"wait, that's not what i wanted to happen!" yinuo wails, utterly disappointed with her lackluster finale. "you have another one, right? one more take, please?"

of course she gets her wish and honestly, the second take is probably better anyway. yinuo's more familiar with the timing, more comfortable with the dance after repeating it again. and this time, when yulhee throws the water balloon, it pops perfectly on yinuo's head and soaks her. she bursts out laughing, giggly-stumbling towards the camera before the recording stops.

"this is perfect!" she exclaims, playing it back once before mashing in a caption and a couple hashtags and pressing publish without a second thought. "you should be a director, you know. you're kinda good at this stuff."

[beyinuo]

"you should wear it more often!" yinuo continues to gush, compliments flowing easily and genuinely as they were her native language. "i promise nothing but very respectful looks from me if you do," she punctuates the thought with a wink, clearly implying there may be a few disrespectful thoughts thrown in there as well. yulhee matches her energy though, yinuo easily turning as her friend guides her by the waist only to pop her booty out as she turns it to the other woman. "you think?" yinuo grins, "i've been working out lately, tell me how good my butt looks so i'll keep it up."

of course yulhee is full of only the best ideas. it's why yinuo adores going to these sorts of events with her; they play off of each others' energy well. a little sexy and a lot of fun. "oh, wait, you're brilliant," she scans around for the water balloons, trying to plan out their next path after getting something to drink. "do you think i'm hot enough to go viral? oh, i should ask about luck instead. i know i'm hot." she grins, and it's their turn in line. yinuo steps up to order herself a citrus cider before turning to yulhee for her order. "my treat," she assures the other.

she's only just taking her drink in hand as yulhee takes the opportunity to tease her about her wandering eyes. yinuo, for all of her confidence, can't help but blush bright red. "stoppp," she complains, though she has to laugh through the embarrassment anyway. "i'm just looking! there's so many pretty girls here how can i decide to only talk to just one? and, plus, i deserved to be chased after, not be the one doing the chasing!" she holds up her drink, inviting yulhee to touch their cans together in a sort of makeshift cheers. "but let's see how much attention we get for our water balloon reels. you have to do one too, by the way."

yulhee has been to every day of the waterbomb festival in seoul, yet she keeps finding new and exciting things to do. 

this time she’s with yinuo, and it proves to be an entirely new experience. whereas before she was the one tugging her friends along and reminding everyone they’re supposed to be looking wet and hot at the same time, now she feels as though she has a partner in crime that can truly enjoy all that the festival has to offer with her. “i know, right~? i waited all summer to wear this, and it’s soooo worth the wait. but hey, look at you in those shorts, who knew you were packing so much, huh~?” yulhee turns her friend around by the waist lightly, and laughs as a nearby water gun sprinkles them with water at the right time. it’s what they’re there for, anyway. 

but it’s not enough, she can agree with yinuo on that. she’s too hyped up about the crowd to really pay attention to landmarks or anything of the short, though, so she just lets the other girl guide her to what seems to be a soda vendor. “yah, if that’s what you want i can just get a water balloon over there and pop it over your head. oh, maybe we can record that in slow motion~ it would be a fun reels for sure~ and you’d get soooo wet from it, isn’t that what you want, naughty girl~?”, she winks. 

yulhee follows yinuo’s gaze as the woman with the bird tattoo walks past them, and she laughs to herself. “not really, but clearly there’s someone you want to see,” she nods with her head in the woman’s direction, her eyes narrowed with a devilish gleam. “that’s what we should be planning for instead. c’mon, you want to talk to her, don’t you?” yulhee motions to leave the line they’d been waiting on, in order to follow after the other. “oh, or perhaps there’s someone else that’s caught your attention, huh~? c’mon, i’ll be your wingwoman!” 

[beyinuo]

HOT GIRL SUMMER.

@yulbe

it is the perfect day for waterbomb. yinuo had only spent about two hours on her outfit only to end up wearing pretty much what every other girl was wearing; swimsuit top, shorts, and a light coverup for when the confidence just wasn't hitting right. it doesn't stop her from absolutely gushing over her friend's outfit though, even if yulhee didn't exactly break the status quo either. "you're so hot!" yinuo squeals, pure excitement lighting up her face. "your tits look so good in that top, i'm not even kidding."

"c'mon, let's get something to drink. i'm dying out here and i'm not nearly wet enough to cool off," she grabs onto the other girl's arm excitedly, taking the lead despite having no idea where she's going. yinuo isn't exactly the best navigator to begin with and she certainly didn't memorize the map or anything beforehand. how hard can it be anyway? she manages to find a stand with sodas on display and gets in line before anyone else can sneak in before them. "would it be a waste if i bought a bottle of water just to dump it on my head?" she asks her friend with a grin. she won't actually do that. probably.

they've only just arrived and yinuo is already having fun, even if the heat is killing her slowly. it's the energy of the place, the music thump thump thumping in the background, and, frankly, the many attractive women walking around half-dressed to beat the heat. yinuo can't help but stop and stare as a woman she's never seen before with the prettiest bird tattoo on her shoulder walks by them. i'm so gay, she reminds herself for only the hundredth time. "oh, but was there someone in particular you wanted to see?" she turns back to her friend as the thought flits through her head. "we should make a plan, right?"

[beyinuo]

hiii everyone!! i just finished following the masterlist and wanted to make a quick introduction <3 this is august back again (jinyoung, yejun) with a new third muse who is very dear to my heart; introducing zhou yinuo, your golden retriever girlfriend! as usual i'll stick the tl;dr about her under the cut and i'm looking forward to getting her involved so please let me know if you'd like to plot!!

born in quingdao, china and lived there her entire life up until 2020 when she came to south korea after being scouted and signed to kt entertainment (same company as yulbe!)

back home her parents own a brewery she practically grew up in and she loves it, but she wanted to explore the world and experience more things before settling down into the family business.

she trained for about a year before kt debuted their girl group, yinuo obviously didn't make the cut, and a lot of the female trainees were cut from the company altogether.

she wasn't ready to go home yet though! so she figured out how to stay in south korea, visa issues etc, and... is still here, still casually trying to be an idol since it seems fun, and currently working at jindallae's restaurant's bar because she could bartend in her sleep and also. she really enjoys buying things.

personality-wise, like i said she's a golden retriever! super friendly and outgoing, never afraid to try something new or jump into a conversation or introduce herself to anyone who seems interesting... she's just everyone's best friend and goes out of her way to make everyone around her feel welcome and included.

lesbian. she loves women so much. very easily distracted by a pretty girl... and also falls in love so quickly and moves way too fast. it's probably burned her in the past.

as for a few initial plot ideas... i think any of these connections might be neat!

and they were roommates.... i don't think miss yinuo can afford her own place at this time so would love to get her in with a roommate or two! maybe three, why not! the more the merrier!

boys who hit on her and she remained completely oblivious thanks to her utter lack of attraction to them... she would love to be your friend though <3

i've been joking that of all the handsome guys who work at the restaurant, yinuo gets the most numbers from female patrons. would love for her to make some of those imaginary connections real! girls she's chatted with and given her number to from across the bar... regulars who she's dreamed up a fantasy love story about in her head... anything

she is easily suckered into buying gimmicky products. you take advantage of this somehow.

her go-to helper in korean! she's pretty fluent after being fully immersed for the last four years but every now and then she runs into a word she doesn't know. so she texts you immediately since you obviously have all the answers.

idk this is all i have off the top of my head but! yinuo is so fun and literally wants to be friends with everyone so please give her a shot she'll be your bff <3

[beyinuo]

imnotningning