#♡ ⁄ 𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @rosesonbreeze !!

               the  cigarette  smoke  filled  salem's  lungs  and  brought  relaxation  to  each  of  his  limbs,  granting  him  that  brief  sense  of  peace  as  he  leaned  against  the  tree  outside  the  pub.  this  had  become  a  daily  routine  for  him;  drinking,  chain  smoking,  then  showing  up  hungover  the  next  day  at  work  to  teach.  it  was  wearing  on  him,  but  he  wasn't  sure  how  to  live  otherwise.  he  noticed  someone  exit  the  backdoors  of  the  bar  from  where  he  was  standing,  studying  them  for  a  moment,  "  need  a  light  ?  "  he  called  out,  holding  up  his  lighter.

[pixelwhispcr]

*  #  𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; isla kwon (@wayshome) .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ *   # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔a candlelit banquet, tucked away in the heart of cheongdam .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐓𝐀𝐄��𝐎𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄 — which, realistically, isn’t much. the room is all soft golden lighting and the kind of polite, effortless chatter that makes him feel like an intruder just by existing in it. there's the warmth of too many bodies in one space, the clink of glasses, the occasional burst of laughter from a table that’s worked through far too many bottles of wine already. it’s... a lot. but regardless, he's here.

the champagne flutes in his hands are blessedly cold, grounding, condensation slipping between his fingers as he weaves through the crowd, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact like it’s a competitive sport. by the time he reaches isla, he exhales, slow and measured, like he’s made it back to safety or perhaps just barely survived something harrowing.

"here." he offers one glass with careful hands, brushing away a stray drop of condensation before she can take it. he hesitates, then clears his throat. "they, uh… were out of the cocktail you wanted. i asked, but the bartender just looked at me like i offended his entire family." his mouth twitches—half a smile, half an apology. "so. champagne."

he finally takes a sip of his own, gaze flicking around the room before settling back on isla. his free hand twitches, like he wants to adjust his glasses—except he’s not wearing them tonight. (he’s still regretting that decision.)

"i think i might be underdressed," he murmurs, tugging lightly at his collar. he looks down at himself—at the suit that is, objectively, perfectly fine—then back at isla. his expression mild, but there’s a touch of self-consciousness there, like he’s waiting for her to confirm he doesn’t stick out as badly as he feels he does.

"are you having a good time?" his voice is quieter now, sincere in a way that doesn’t demand an answer but still wants one. then, barely a breath later, a small huff of something close to a laugh. "please say yes, so at least one of us is."

[liesandalibis]

@xissp | sent 🛡 for a protective starter.

 ❝ I know you can handle yourself, but — ❞

Her voice spills out from behind a magazine. The way she pauses might give the impression that she’s lining up an insult, or a playful jab (that still sounds like an insult) to follow after that. She flips one page, two pages. The length of the pause borders on being dramatically long. ❝ — I think you should have back-up. ❞ Faye was referring to a number of things but mostly: the new bounty Jet had set his sights on, and the injuries both of them, all of them, had acquired from the guy before last. Jet in particular was looking rough. She hasn't said anything about it but perhaps this was saying enough. She pulls the reading material down onto her lap and looks at him. Her expression registers as neutral, but there’s a hint of something else. The smallest suggestion. Squint a little and it might look like concern. 

A single thought causes her face to scrunch up and every trace of whatever that hint of something was vanishes completely. ❝ And I don’t mean Spike. Obviously. The ever-elusive lunkhead is being just that. ❞

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @aconites !!

          "  listen,  the  guy  was  a  complete  loser,  anyway.  i  mean,  he  was  still  livin'  with  his  mama,  bills  unpaid,  and  didn't  even  have  his  own  car.  i  think  i  dodged  a  bullet  ...  "  nadia  told  the  other,  chuckling  softly.  in  truth,  she  was  feeling  herself  slowly  give  up  on  the  life  of  romance.  it  didn't  seem  in  the  cards  for  her.  "  besides,  i'm  just  way  too  busy  with  the  magazine  right  now.  got  a  lot  of  hot  tips  in,  some  new  leads.  that's  where  my  focus  should  be.  "

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @aconites !!

         "  listen,  you're  safe  now,  you  hear  me  ?  they  ain't  comin'  back.  they'd  have  shit  for  brains  if  they  tried  that  shit  with  me,  alright  ?  "  elijah  told  her,  hoping  his  words  were  enough  to  calm  her  erratic  nerves.

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @fritemare !!

          easton  was  sequestered  in  his  office,  enjoying  a  nice  glass  of  neat  bourbon  and  going  over  some  paperwork  he  should've  gone  through  days  ago,  but  he  couldn't  be  bothered.  he  was  always  too  busy  with  partying  alongside  the  strippers  and  doing  as  many  lines  as  his  nose  could  handle.  his  father  was  unimpressed,  irritated,  and  disappointed  with  easton.  even  though  it  bothered  easton,  hurt  him  inside  to  hear  such  horrible  insults  by  his  father,  he  still  didn't  do  anything  to  change  his  mind.  he  continued  down  his  path  of  recklessness  despite  the  gnawing  feeling  of  failure  in  his  ear.

a  deep  sigh  escapes  easton's  lungs  and  then  suddenly  his  hands  slammed  violently  onto  his  desk,  knocking  off  his  glass  and  shattering  endless  pieces  onto  the  ground.  withdrawals  ...  they  were  a  bitch,  aren't  they?  he  gets  up  from  his  seat  and  exits  his  office,  looking  around  at  the  empty  club  with  the  lights  still  flashing  various  colors  on  the  stage,  the  ground  still  littered  with  sparkly  glitter  shimmering  against  those  same  lights.  the  new  bartender  caught  his  eye  as  she  cleaned  up  the  mess  by  the  bar.  he  saunters  over,  one  hand  in  his  pocket  and  the  other  at  his  side,  leaning  against  the  countertop,  "  i'm  guessing  you  must  be  the  new  bartender,  uh,  joe  hired,  right  ?   —   lia,  was  it  ?  "  he  asked,  brows  raised  inquisitively.

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @magicalflyingsubmarine !!

            "  oh,  sorry,  i  didn't  think  anyone  else  was  here  ...  "  spencer  stated,  wrapping  herself  in  a  towel  calmly  and  tightening  it.  she  flipped  her  wet  hair  out  of  her  face  as  she  sat  down  on  the  bench,  stretching  her  arms,  "  i  like  comin'  here  when  no  one  else  is  here.  gives  me  some  time  to  think  ...  what's  your  excuse  for  being  at  the  pool  this  late  ?  "

[theirunspokentales]

closed starter for @normallyxstranger.

          it's  been  a  long  week  for  catie.  between  juggling  grading,  lecturing,  training  her  siblings,  and  keeping  the  family  together,  it's  no  wonder  why  she  wasn't  getting  any  proper  sleep.  entering  into  a  strange  odds  and  ends  antique  shop,  catie  was  hoping  some  window  shopping  will  ease  her  anxiety.  bumping  into  a  stranger,  she  shakes  her  head  at  herself,  "  sorry  'bout  that.  i  just   —   i  didn't  see  you,  is  all.  you  alright  ?  "  she  asked,  rubbing  her  eyes  and  recollecting  herself.  she  narrows  her  eyes  at  the  other,  confusingly,  "  have  i  met  you  before  ?  sorry,  you  just  look  so  similar  ...  "

[pixelwhispcr]

*  #  𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; lily spiegel (@longiflorums) .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ *   # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔ at lily's door .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐓𝐀𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐎 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊. it wasn’t like lily was expecting him. he could just leave the book outside her door, ( cowardly ) send her a message, and retreat to his apartment where the blinking cursor on his screen was waiting to mock him.

but then again, the thought of going back to his desk—to that manuscript, to another email politely pushing back against the author’s refusal to accept edits—made his stomach twist.

so he stayed.

the hallway smelled faintly of rain from someone’s umbrella left open to dry. taewoo rolled his shoulders back, adjusting his grip on the book in his hands. his fingers twitched, itching to fidget, so he dragged his thumb over the embossed title on the cover, tracing the letters like that would somehow bring him peace. comfort him in a way the world had yet to do.

he let out a slow breath, forcing himself to focus on the weight of the book, the quiet hum of the building, the way the light above illuminated the hall in a soft glow. small things. tangible things. not the fact that his head ached from reading the same paragraph ten times or that he was probably still scowling without realizing it.

he knocked. a soft, measured sound—polite. almost hesitant. and, before he could process any slivers of regret, the door opened. a familiar face there to greet him.

"hey," he managed, quieter than he meant to. he probably looked a mess—he realized a second too late. hair slightly mussed from running his hands through it too many times today. with that knew knowledge swirling in his mind, he cleared his throat, shifting his weight slightly. "i, um—figured i should give this back before i forget." he held up the book, as if to show proof; to justify his impromptu visit.

[pixelwhispcr]

*  #  𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴��� 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; ahn haeun ( @svvanisms ) .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ *   # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔ the familiar stretch of pavement leading back to the gyeogang street lofts .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ .𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊𝐘, washed in muted golds and pale violets as the sun sinks behind the buildings. there’s a bite in the air, the lingering chill of february still settled into the city despite the deceptive warmth of the setting sun. the pavement glows faintly under the fading light, but the cold seeps through his coat, a quiet reminder that winter hasn’t loosened its grip just yet.

taewoo tugs his scarf a little higher as he walks, the fabric brushing against his jaw. he hadn’t planned to be out long—just a quick step away from the quiet of his apartment, an excuse to clear his mind, stretch his legs, before the walls started pressing in. he should’ve known better; hongdae at this hour is still restless, people moving in scattered groups, the air thick with the scent of street food and the faint, distant hum of buskers setting up for the night.

he doesn’t pay much attention to the people around him, at least, not until he notices her.

she’s struggling.

not in an obvious, attention-grabbing way, but in that subtle, familiar way—the weight of her grocery bags pulling awkwardly at her arms, plastic handles digging into skin, fingers shifting, adjusting, failing to find a comfortable grip. taewoo thinks he notices one bag wobbling dangerously close to spilling all it's contents, and with that, his feet slow before he even thinks about it.

there’s a brief hesitation, a flicker of consideration—would she even want the help? would she find it weird? but the way he watches as the scene continues to unfold makes the decision for him. and, his footsteps are quiet against the pavement as he gravitates toward her.

“need a hand?” his voice is even, a little shy, like he’s testing the waters rather than forcing the offer. he doesn’t move too fast, doesn’t step in too close, just tilts his head slightly as if to say, i can take some of that if you want.

a pause. then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “i live here too.” like that somehow makes the whole thing more normal. “uh—“ he glances back to the entrance of the building he knows as home. “if that’s where you’re headed . . . ”

[pixelwhispcr]

*  #  𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; nam haesol ( @svvanisms ) .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ * # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔ a bar within the heart of hongdae .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐔𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐑—all barely contained energy as she practically bounces into her regular spot. the stool wobbles dangerously as she spins to face the bar, catching herself on the counter with what she'll definitely claim was intentional grace.

"my favorite bartender!" she calls out, just loud enough to turn a few heads—not that she notices or particularly cares. her grin is infectious, the kind that usually precedes either brilliance or chaos. "the man, the myth, the enabler of my questionable decisions."

her eyes are bright with that particular spark most people have learned to either dread or look forward to. "you're never gonna believe what just happened." she drums her fingers against the counter, a rapid pattern of pure anticipation, before catching herself. "wait—drink first. i need something that matches this energy. something worthy of the clip I'm about to show you. bonus points if it sparkles."

she's already pulling her phone out with one hand, shrugging off her jacket with the other. "and before you ask—no laws were broken in the making of this story." a pause, then a smirk. "well, no important ones, anyway. probably."

the last word hangs between them like a promise of entertainment, accompanied by that specific brand of a trouble-sparking smile that means tonight is definitely going to become another one of their infamous bar tales.

[liesandalibis]

THE SCENE IS TELLING—beer cans litter the common room, some of them sitting upright as makeshift ashtrays, others crushed and sloppily left on chairs, the floor. bits of trash and playing cards strewn across the table. a half-drunk bottle of whiskey exists as the centerpiece in all of this mess, accompanied by glasses that have since been knocked over and abandoned. company dwindles when jet turns in for the night, and ed and her doggy companion leave the remaining adults to their vacuous indulgences. three hours. that's how long they'd been drinking for. somewhere along the line faye had moved from the couch to the floor and stayed there. she's without her signature headband, which lies somewhere amid the litter. there's a cigarette butt tucked between her fading red lips and she's barefoot, idly rubbing the heel of one of her feet. a tower of ash hangs on for dear life and although her movement is sluggish, the ash eventually dislodges directly onto her lap when she shifts her weight. unaware, she pulls the cigarette from her mouth.

❝ so now that i've kicked your ass in card games, ❞ she starts, dropping the spent cigarette into one of the cans. there's a slight drag to her words that's only noticeable with certain vowels. she appears fine otherwise. ❝ i'd bet the woolongs in my pocket that i could wrestle you to the floor. right now. ❞

faye doesn't remember what they were talking about before then—if they had even been talking at all. something tells her to initiate. to break whatever looming silence there might have been. her eyes glide up spike's form under heavy eyelids; it's almost like she can't help herself. but she could take him. they've got to be about the same amount of sloshed by now. with a broadening smirk, ❝ this will be your only chance. so what do y'say? wanna try me, spiegel? ❞ / @reddragon-cowboy

[liesandalibis]

tag dump !