#'but she only started performing street music to be seen as different'

[slightlytoastedbagel]

kohane azusawa is not a pick me kohane azusawa is not a pick me kohane azusawa is not a pick me kohane azusawa is no-

[moni-logues]

Dead Man Walking

Pairing: Hoseok x reader (afab, she/her)

Genre: friends(?)-to-lovers, older sister's best friend

Summary: Call my doctor, call my lawyer

Call my brother, call my priest

There's paperwork to fill out

'Cause a dead man walks the streets

'Cause my sister has a best friend

That I've known since I was three

And now I'm gon' get strangled

'Cause we tangled in the sheets

Word count: 2.6k

Content: oral (f. receiving), protected piv sex, drinking, one (1) joke about necrophilia

A/N: I wanted to have this ready to post for Hobi's Return Day 😭😭 but studying got in the way and now, yes, my midterm is tomorrow but fuck it, we ball etc. This is basically a song fic based on Dead Man Walking by Jon Bellion because he just released his first new song in years and I remembered how fucking great his music is. Unbeta'd and unedited PEACE

* * *

Hoseok felt electric. Overwhelmed. As if he could feel every single hair all over his body standing on end. He had performed before, but there was something different about this show. Something that made him feel like he had made it. The crowd was loud; they knew the words; he knew a few people in the crowd from back home.  

One of those people was you.  

Hoseok had grown up with you; you and his older sister had been glued to one another’s sides since you were 5 and Hoseok could barely speak. He was witness to so much of your childhood as you were to his. It made it easy between you, familiar. 

“Hobi!” you shrieked when you saw him, arms extended wide. You were one of only a few people who ever called him that. 

He smiled and wrapped you in a hug, not caring and knowing you wouldn’t either that he was drenched in sweat, wet with it, pressing it against you.  

“Oh my god!” you continued. “I can’t believe your sister didn’t warn me! She’s getting a stern word tomorrow.” 

“Warn you about what?”  

“You! I’ve never seen you like that! You looked cool.” 

“Hey!”  

See? Easy. Familiar. The kind of teasing that made him feel warm inside. Because you were right: he was cool. On-stage, he felt cool. He felt powerful. He felt completely in his element. It was almost absurd: that doing something as simple as performing in front of a, let’s be honest, fairly modest crowd a couple of hundred miles from home could make him feel like a king. In the grand scheme of things, hardly anyone knew who he was, but for the hundreds of people at the venue that night, Hoseok was god.  

“We’re going for a drink, right? Do you need to change or whatever first?” 

“Yes, we are; Ji would kill me if I didn’t take you out while I was-” 

“Take me out? Absolutely not! Drinks are on me. We are celebrating you tonight.” 

“Well, ok, but make sure you tell her you said that. I’m going to need a shower and a change.” 

“Yeah, no worries. I’ll wait at the bar.” 

He didn’t keep you waiting long. It had been some time since he’d actually seen you in person and he was thrilled by the opportunity to catch up.  

Over drinks, you filled him in; he filled you in. The spaces that Jiwoo left between getting patched up over cheap beer and soggy chips. The adrenalin that Hoseok had assumed had been responsible for the electricity coursing through him had dissipated and he couldn’t explain why he still felt it: electric. He felt almost as alive sitting with you in a dark corner of a bar as he had on-stage. He found himself watching your lips as you spoke, as you drank from your bottle, as your tongue peeked out to lick at a stray droplet. He watched your eyes when he spoke, attentive to your reactions, wondering why he hadn’t remembered just how fucking beautiful you are.  

Perhaps a little time and distance was all it took. To take someone whose face he knew like the back of his hand and make it new. Make it suddenly magnetic, unable to tear his eyes away. He had the sense of a building quiet around the table, the other customers returning to their homes, bar staff starting to clear up around them, but he had no intention of leaving. If this night could be 36 hours long, that might be enough.  

“I mean, I’ve got wine at mine?” you suggested when the owner finally burst the bubble and told you to get out.  

“Wine sounds great.” 

Hoseok hated wine, but he’d have drunk arsenic if it meant more time with you.  

“Make yourself at home!” you called as you made your way to your kitchen and Hoseok sank into your sofa cushions. Your home was lovely, just as you were, and he felt a sense of pride looking around it: this house that you bought, this home that you had made. He knew you when you were a gawky teenager (shortly before he was a gawky teen himself) and now you were a woman of the world, achieving things, living a life he now knew all about, that he would always be a part of even if he wasn’t really quite a part of it.  

“You know you’re so beautiful,” he said, words slipping out without permission, as you walked towards him with a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand.  

“Oh no, Hobi’s drunk.” 

“Shut up! I’m serious.” 

You sat next to him and set the glasses on the table, filled them up, handed one to him. 

“No, you’re not,” you argued. “You’re just saying that because I’m the first chick to pay you attention in a while.” 

He snorted. That was partly true. The reason for it, though, was that he wasn’t interested in fucking around. This was his first proper, legitimate tour. He was not about to get a reputation for himself as someone who fucked groupies or even had groupies. The tour was all business. This was the first time he’d been able to let that go; it was the first time he’d seen you for a long time; in some ways, he felt like it was the first time he’d ever really seen you. 

“I’m serious,” he insisted, no dramatics, no laughter. “You are fucking beautiful and I’m sitting here wondering why I never kissed you before.” 

Your eyes met his, uncertain, hesitant. 

“Ho-” 

He placed his hand over yours, his wine glass back on the table. He shuffled himself closer to you, saw you swallow, the pink tip of your tongue roll over your lips—a nervous habit he hadn’t forgotten.  

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his face inches from yours.  

You didn’t. You looked at him, slowly dipped your gaze to his mouth, then raised it. Before you could do it again, he kissed you.  

It could have been weird. There was a tiny part of him that expected it to be strange, to kiss someone he knew so well—one of the first people he had ever known—when kissing had never been a part of your relationship before. It could have been awkward. It could have felt wrong. It didn’t. 

He put a hand to your face, pulled you closer, felt your hand on his thigh. The adrenalin was surging, that electricity he had been feeling all night peaking again, crackling between the two of you. He murmured your name quietly, his face still close to yours. You rested your forehead against his, found his fingers with your own and tangled them. Then your eyes met.  

“Is this crazy?” you asked, voice barely a whisper. 

“Maybe. Want to be crazy?” 

You swallowed. 

“Yes... But what’s Ji going to say about this?” 

Hoseok swallowed a laugh. His sister was the last person he wanted to be thinking about right now. 

“Maybe we just don’t tell her.” 

He saw your eyes glitter as you fought a grin and he knew you were in. He wasted no more time, brought your lips to his, found your hips with his hands, then your waist, dared to sneak them underneath the top you were wearing. Moaned because your skin was so soft, so warm, sent a zap of electricity to his cock. You lay yourself back, pulling at his T-shirt to bring him with you.  

“Fuck,” you breathed. “Sorry, are you ok?” 

And none of it was weird. If anything, it was weird how normal it felt, how completely unremarkable that you were biting his bottom lip, wrapping a leg around his back, running your hands over his flushed skin. There was a disbelief in Hoseok: he couldn't believe this was the first time. The first time he was kissing you, sucking marks into your neck that he knew would get him into trouble later. His first time watching your nipples stiffen, running his hot tongue over them and feeling your back arching beneath him. In all the many years he’d known you, he’d never known this part of you, never even really considered its existence but now it was all he could think about, his entire focus. He had gone almost his entire life with you on the sidelines, his cheerleader, his sister’s best friend, his something-or-other that he couldn’t have put a name to and now he was glad he hadn’t. Because it left an opening for this. For his mouth on your cunt, tasting secret parts of you like forbidden fruit, lapping at your slick hole because you were wet, for him, because of him, and he couldn’t stop himself rutting against the sofa, his cock trapped and straining in his jeans, so fucking hard that it ached; it sent its discomfort radiating inwards, the heavy drag in his abdomen pleasurably painful or painfully pleasurable. But he couldn’t stop, couldn’t take his lips from you, wanted you to keep moaning like that, keep moving against his face, chasing your high, using him for it. When you uttered his name in a broken cry, he gasped, almost came because it sounded so good, wanted to hear it again and again. So he worked. Until his jaw ached and he almost couldn’t breathe, until your legs clamped around him and you twisted, pulling him off the sofa with a bump. 

He could only laugh. He was so much better than ok.  

“Are you?” he fired back, hands smoothing the hair from your face.  

You laughed then, hauled him back onto the sofa and kissed him, his mouth sticky and sweet. 

“Yeah, I think I’m ok,” you answered eventually, your voice light and breathy, dazed. 

It was at that moment that your hand brushed against his dick and he shuddered. Your chuckle was dark and you did it again, almost floated your hand over his trousers; his hips jerked of their own accord.  

“Want to get out of these jeans?” you asked, coy, smirking.  

He didn’t need telling twice. Clambering ungainly from the sofa once more, he shoved his jeans and boxers down at once, stepping out of them and kneeling over you on the sofa. 

“Got a condom in your pocket?” you asked. 

“Fuck, no.” 

“No worries. Give me one sec.” 

And he got to watch your naked, retreating form as you left the room. Got to fist his flushed, leaking cock and imagine his hand was yours. His eyes fluttered closed as he thought about your cunt, your sweet, soft, wet cunt tight around him. He swallowed hard, tried to take a few deep breaths, ground himself a little because the last thing he wanted now was to embarrass himself in front of you by coming too fast. It hadn’t been a problem for him since he very first forays in the field, but he could picture it happening, ruining this.  

Fortunately for Hoseok, this time, the nerves made him a little less desperate. When you sat him back on the sofa and sank down on him, and his eyes rolled back in his head, and his heart skipped over several beats, he didn’t immediately come and put an abrupt end to the evening. He moaned, your name coming hoarse and strained from his throat. He put his hands on your hips, not moving you, just holding. He dared to open his eyes and watch your tits bounce. 

“Fuck,” he panted, tipping his head onto the back of the sofa, eyes still trained on you.  

You returned your agreement in breathy, whined affirmations, sounds that reverberated in Hoseok’s head, that he hoped would ring like tinnitus forevermore. You brought your face to his and kissed him. It made him hungry, made him greedy, his fingers dimpling in your flesh, his teeth biting down on your lip. It made him want to fuck you till you walked sideways. 

When his thighs felt both leaden and twitchy, he pulled his arms tight around you, halted your movement, kissed you deeply for longer than he’d intended to.  

“Can we switch it up?” he asked and you nodded.  

You, on your knees, Hoseok sliding in behind you. Your backside in his hands, skin soft, supple, warm. Your back stretched out before him, your hair like a dark-water splash around your head, your face turned sideways so he could see you: eyebrows drawn together, mouth open with your fist shoved into it, as if it could drown out the change in pitch of your voice, the loud cries that accompanied each spasm of your walls around him. 

He snapped his hips fast and hard, his muscles starting to cry out, too, but his fingers were softer when they slipped around your hips, found your clit. Your back arched further, a strained squeal rising from your throat as he increased his pressure, rubbing over it in tight circles until your cunt, vice-like, spasmed tight, your legs wobbling, your voice cut off completely. Hoseok swore, racing to fuck you through it until he could let go, let it all go, come, sudden and strong, hips and breath both stuttering. 

It was quiet for a moment after that, just the rush of your heavy breathing and the tick of a clock somewhere out near the hallway. Hoseok removed himself carefully, disposed of the condom, asked if you wanted to shower with him. 

“Didn’t you already shower tonight?” you ask, prone on the sofa.  

He laughed. 

“Yeah but somehow, for some reason, I feel like I could do with another one. I’ve got no idea why,” he teased, extending a hand to you.  

He wouldn’t usually make such an offer, not unless he was planning to have more sex under the water, but it was you, and somehow that made it ok. Somehow, that meant it wasn’t weird to be naked with you, in a way that wasn’t really sexual, though he took every opportunity he could to kiss you again, put his hands on your body. He just wanted to be closer to you, as close as he could. The intimacy of the shower made the sex seem almost prudish. It was a different heavy feeling in his gut that let Hoseok know that this, for him, wasn’t a one-time thing. This was a cat out of the bag thing. This was a worms everywhere situation.  

* 

That was almost three months ago.  

Hoseok was washing up at the kitchen sink of his parents’ house. His sister was drying and putting things away. 

“Hey, Ji!” 

Hoseok dropped the plate he was washing with a loud clang. He swore under his breath and turned with his heart in his throat, to see you enter the room. 

“Oh! Hobi, I didn't know you’d be here.” 

He thought he saw confusion in your eyes, maybe the slightest hint of hurt.  

“It was a last-minute thing,” he said, cheeks flaming and praying that Jiwoo wouldn’t notice anything.  

Because it had not been a one-time thing. Or a two-time thing. It was a thing that could no longer be counted. Jiwoo lived closed to his parents in their hometown, but you didn’t and he didn’t. That had made it surprisingly easy to feed this thing, tend to it, keep it, grow it, let it embed itself in his heart like ivy.  

But he hadn’t told his sister. And neither had you. And he knew that, when she found out, heads would roll—notably, his. He was a dead man walking and you both knew it. He didn’t mind though, he kept saying. He’d be a dead man walking or a dead man, whichever way it went, as long as he got to keep you, he’d be happy. You told him you weren’t keen on the idea of necrophilia. 

[ssivinee]

✧Love Lies✧

BEBE! Kim Taeyoung, aka Tatter x BEBE! F Reader: When finding freedom in dance, your career takes off when being a dancer under SM Entertainment. After a while, you finally joined Bebe as their second oldest member but didn't expect to fall for one of the girls on your team.

✧ Love Lies revolves around the intimate connection between two persons, but these two individuals question the boundaries and feelings for one another throughout the song (mainly seen in the chorus). 

Word Count: 4.9k

Note: LOOK HOW PRETTY SHE IS. That's all I had to say😌. Atp, you should just expect this to not be proofread as well.

Character Vision Board

You had danced your way through life from the earliest days you could remember. Even as a toddler, when most kids were taking their wobbly first steps, you were already entranced by the rhythm and movement that surrounded you. Your parents often recounted the story of how, as soon as you could stand, your head would bob and your tiny feet would shuffle in perfect sync with any catchy tune that caught your ear.

It was as if music and dance were etched into your very DNA, despite your parents not being the most agile of dancers themselves. The sound of a drumbeat or the melodies from a radio could always send you into a whirlwind of joyful motions. As you grew older, your passion for dance manifested in various forms. You explored ballet classes, where your grace and poise quickly caught the attention of your instructors. Tap dance, too, was a realm where your feet seemed to possess an innate understanding of intricate rhythms.

It wasn't until your teenage years that you truly recognized your desire to take dance seriously in life. That's when you found your way to hip-hop and street dance, discovering a completely different universe within the realm of movement. The urban beats, the freedom of expression, and the raw energy of these dance forms resonated with your very soul.

However, the years spent in tap and ballet had felt like a trap. While you became a quick favorite among your instructors, it came with a demand for excellence that weighed heavily on your shoulders. You were talented and skilled, which every teacher loved, but it meant you were representing more than just yourself; you were carrying the expectations of your mentors as well. This pressure transformed you into someone reserved, cold, and quiet – the complete opposite of your former self.

You threw yourself back into the world of dance with dedication, spending hours in front of a mirror perfecting your moves and crafting your own unique style. The exploration of new dance styles came as a relief.

It was during this phase that you crossed paths with your best friend, Noze. You both attended the same dance class in Seoul, a class so popular that you had been waitlisted multiple times before finally securing a spot. Throughout the class, you and the now-trendy dancer bonded, and your dance journeys began to intertwine. Noze wasn't the only one renowned for her grace; your own visual appeal started to make waves in the world of K-pop.

Both you and Noze were chosen as backup dancers for Kai's debut, a move you readily accepted to gain recognition for your skills. Little did you expect your striking beauty to catapult you to social media stardom.

Instantly recognizable in public and gaining around 1 million Instagram followers, your presence alongside Kai further solidified your popularity among fans.

While Noze gained more fame through her participation in SWF Season 1, you continued to rise in prominence by consistently accompanying Kai in his performances. During HallyuPopFest, you made a new friend who would once again alter the course of your life.

The Bada Lee.

You and Bada hit it off almost instantly despite the enigmatic connection between the lovable, extroverted Bada and your reserved, introverted persona. You slowly became a prime example of opposites attracting in the dance world. As your friendship blossomed, someone else watched from the sidelines.

Your intimidating demeanor made it challenging to approach you, and Tatter was perplexed by your growing friendship with Bada. Tatter had met you around the same time as Bada, automatically finding you cool. You carried yourself with sophistication, and your laid-back, magnetic aura left an impression.

Your ethereal beauty, in particular, captivated Tatter's attention. She felt a surge of excitement every time you crossed paths in person, even though she had never been prepared for the real thing.

Thus began Tatter's little crush on you. Like Bada, you possessed leader-like qualities, likely owing to your experience and age. Tatter couldn't help but ponder various questions about you.

Were you and Bada close because of your similar ages? 

Did your shared dance styles play a role?

Despite having contrasting personalities, how had Bada developed such a strong bond with you?

These questions swirled through Tatter's mind, and she never felt the urge to get closer to you, believing that these events were the only times she'd see you. But she was wrong.

When Bada announced the formation of Bebe and revealed its starting members, Tatter hadn't expected to hear your name. In those moments, she wasn't sure whether to feel happy or anxious, as her emotions were always whirlwind around you.

As someone who often kept to yourself, you never really noticed Tatter's presence until you both began working in Bebe. While working on the crew performance video for "What It Is, " you truly observed her. Witnessing her free-spirited, youthful, yet mature personality during the filming occasionally brought a smile to your face. You were gradually developing a fondness for your younger teammates and their personalities.

However, just as Tatter thought this was her opportunity to become closer to you, someone else beat her to it again. Lusher, the third-oldest member of the team, possessed an outgoing personality that made it easy for you to get comfortable and connect with her.

Tatter had assumed you wouldn't appreciate this dynamic, but she was taken aback when she saw you closely listening to Lusher's stories. Your caring eyes, which she had never seen from you before, were locked onto the younger dancer. For Tatter, it was a heart-wrenching sight.

Why couldn't you look at her like that?

This was only a brief moment because Tatter soon noticed that you were becoming caring with everyone, including her. "Taeyoung-ah? You okay?" Bada inquired, her presence jolting Tatter from her inner musings as she observed the tall dancers before them. "Yes, unnie. Just a bit tired," Tatter replied, offering an explanation for her distracted state.

You, noticing her fatigue, pulled out an energy powder pack from your pocket. "Mix it with your water," you suggested, extending the pack towards her. Bada served as an unspoken translator for you giving the smaller girl a smile, and she accepted the pack with a sense of gratitude. "Thank you."

That marked the first full sentence you had ever uttered to the girl, allowing her to experience your voice up close. The sound of your voice was unexpectedly deep, smooth as velvet.

For the most part, Tatter's interactions with you were limited to these moments, even when you were joining the show with them. 

Many of the crews were taken by surprise to see both you and Bada on the same team, considering you were currently among the trendiest figures in the Korean dance scene. Some even speculated that you might be a sub-leader, but during a one-on-one meeting with the taller girl, you politely declined the offer.

"I don't think I fit the sub-leader role," you expressed, taking a sip of your iced tea. Bada began to object, but you stopped her.

"Not with these girls specifically, unnie," you elaborated sincerely. "Lusher is the better pick. Her strong bond with the girls and her caring personality make her the right choice, in this case at least." As a dance teacher, you had experience leading others, but you felt uncertain about your fit within this particular team.

Moreover, the limited chemistry you had with the other members compared to Lusher played a role in your decision.

Bada sighed and sipped her drink, partly saddened by your choice but understanding it based on the explanation. "Fine, I'll tell them tomorrow during class," she conceded, and the two of you continued to chat the night away.

Now, all eight of you sat in the fight zone, the first crew to arrive. Your crew's performance video played on the large screen, and the rest of the girls were astounded by what they saw. Comments from other crews began to pour in, and your emotions were a mix of uncertainty and pride.

The praise initially focused on Bada, acknowledging her as a highly trendy and popular dancer. Then, it shifted to you.

"Y/n is one of the dancers who rose to fame with Kai, right? At the same time as Noze?" Nob from Lady Bounce pointed out, with her team members nodding in agreement. "I'm pretty sure the two are best friends," Biggy added. "So, we have two of the trendiest dancers in Korea on the same team? Do we stand a chance here?" "Clearly not."

"As much as Bada is experienced, Y/n is by far the most versatile on this team," Lia Kim observed, while Harimu couldn't hide her excitement about being on the same show as you. "She's really cool and knows how to capture fans' hearts," 1Million's youngest member said enthusiastically.

Then, the DeepNDap segment returned to the screen, and you braced yourself for what was to come. "She just appeals to the audience because of her pretty face," Mina Myoung commented, a hint of cockiness in her tone. "It's true, though. If she weren't pretty, no one would pay attention to her," Gooseul added, further fueling the critique. You weren't surprised; you had seen how your best friend was treated during the first season, and you had discussed it with her multiple times. So you were well-prepared for the same kind of treatment.

Noze had warned you about it when she found out you'd be on the show. "She doesn't seem to carry herself as a dancer," Yoonji from Mannequeen commented, prompting your annoyance. "All you can really see is her face when she dances." You scoffed at the comment, feeling it was more of a button-pushing tactic. After all, you typically styled yourself similarly to Bada, wearing hats every time you danced.

Bada and you were expected to carry the team, given the comments from some of the other crews. On the other hand, Tatter was affected by the comments about you, as she knew how dedicated and hardworking you were. You couldn't help but notice her change in behavior, assuming it was due to being labeled as "weak students," although it wasn’t the comments of them she was bothered by, it was the comments about you.

"Chin up. Don't let it get to you," you whispered in Tatter's ear, surprising her with the warmth of your breath against her skin. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she nodded fervently, attempting to conceal her emotions. This worked to her advantage as you patted her back before returning to your seat beside Bada.

The time for no-respect battles had arrived, leaving you with just one sticker and a sense of curiosity about who you'd choose as your opponent. The prospect of engaging in two battles hardly fazed you; in fact, you wished for more challenges. The fact that you only had one sticker, despite some teams undermining your crew, brought a smirk to Bada's lips.

"They're probably afraid of you," Bada commented, rubbing your shoulder, to which you responded with a confident smirk. "If they aren't, I can give them something to be afraid of," you declared, eliciting a laugh from Bada, who was clearly amused by your boldness.

Sitting beside you, Tatter observed the exchange, her emotions in a whirlwind as she witnessed your self-assured demeanor. Your smirk seemed to exude a predatory hunger, and it left her feeling a certain kind of way.

Bada had been the first to battle on your team against 1Million's Ready, setting a victorious tone for the day. The win was a source of motivation for the rest of the crew.

After several more battles, Cera was called onto the stage. She grinned and confidently made her way toward your crew, singling you out. "Y/n, let's dance."

Your crew started hyping you up, and you nodded at Mannequeen's youngest. Your heart raced, aware that Cera excelled in battles and unsure why she had chosen you. Your skill sets were entirely different, creating a buzz of anticipation throughout the studio. 

"Cera, why have you picked Bebe's Y/n as your no-respect dancer?" someone from the audience inquired. "I wanna see something new from her," Cera replied with a hint of challenge. "Feels like her style's a bit stale now."

You chuckled lightly. "Let me show you how I dance," you responded nonchalantly, earning admiration from those watching. "I should've bought wedding rings today, one for Bada and one for Y/n," JJ quipped, eliciting laughter from her team. "I'm kind of excited to see what she's gonna show," Minny whispered, pointing at you.

Cera initiated her performance with her iconic slow walk, incorporating her well-known movements. Her impeccable balance on one leg, expressive facial gestures, and powerful arm movements were all familiar, but the audience never grew tired of witnessing her art. As she drew nearer, her perfectly manicured finger traced your jawline, provoking a smirk in response to her gentle touch. Tatter watched, her blood boiling at the sight of this coquettish connection between you and Cera, despite this being your first time performing together.

Tatter couldn't decide if it was the way you stood there, captivating the crowd, or if it was all thanks to Cera's charm that made her uncomfortable. 

Regardless, she didn't like it one bit.

"Chill out," Bada whispered to Tatter, noticing her clenched fist and reddening knuckles. She had been aware of Tatter's crush on you, but this level of jealousy was a new and concerning development. Bada wasn't sure if these feelings could potentially interfere with Tatter's mindset during the competition. “I am, unnie. Don’t worry.”

As they chatted, your turn was about to begin, and they heard ‘Run the World (Girls)’ by Beyonce blaring on the speakers. The song begins at the pre-chorus, and a sly grin takes over as you sway your body to the music.

My persuasion can build a nation

Endless power

You begin by pointing at yourself and slowly raise your leg, mimicking Cera’s move perfectly. You follow up with a double Tour en l'Air and hit a fan kick right before the chorus hits. Tatter’s jaw drops at your insane flexibility since she had only seen you do kpop.

Who run the world? Girls! (Girls!)

Your style switches to step dance as the drums become faster, and everyone's eyes widen.

The loud stomps, claps, and shuffles were heard even with the loud music, proving your strength on the stage. Everyone stares at you, never looking away, as you end the dance by mimicking the lyrics, ‘Who run the world? G-G-Girls!’ with a harsh salute thrown nonchalantly. Screams are heard from around, and you bow with tense shoulders, waiting for the judge's deliberation.

As soon as you spot the three light blue cards, you release the most relieved sigh you've had in a while, drowning in the ecstatic cheers from your Bebe crew members. Amid the celebration, Tatter rushes to you, wrapping you in a bone-crushing hug, her face nestled against your upper back, evoking a smile from you.

"We were well aware of Cera's battling prowess, but Y/n, you surprised us all," Mike Song remarks, seamlessly switching to English, earning nods from the other two judges. "Step dance is a rarity in Korea even if it is a competitive dance style, and witnessing it today felt like a breath of fresh air," Shownu adds, reflecting the unanimous sentiment in the studio. 

"Y/n, you've shown that your style is anything but stale. It was like a revitalizing force on that stage, powerful and heavy yet refreshing," Monika praises you, prompting multiple bows from you and applause from the audience. "You totally killed it, unnie!" the sub-leader exclaims, her excitement evident as she shakes your arm. You respond with a grateful laugh, and Tatter, standing by your side, can't help but smile, recognizing the new side of yourself you've revealed to them.

You looked like you truly loved dancing.

"You were a monster out there, unnie," Tatter whispers in your ear, her voice filled with awe. You turn to her, taken aback by her bold action and compliment. Your warm smile never fades, and you casually drape your arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Thanks, Tata," you reply, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder. Her face lights up with a blush, pleasantly surprised to hear her nickname from you for the first time.

In the days that followed, your focus shifted to preparing for the kpop mission. Inspired by Bada's triumph in the class mission, the crew's momentum felt unstoppable. On this particular day, the team was hard at work, rehearsing without Bada, who had laid out the dance's framework but left a few details for you to fill in. It appeared that Lusher wasn't at her best today, so you stepped up to assist her in leading the practice.

"Lush, we've got to maintain the pacing and smooth out the transition," you assert, addressing her while also ensuring the rest of the girls hear your guidance. The group makes another attempt, but the coordination is still off. Dancers collide, and a sigh escapes your lips, wearied by the struggle.

"Should I step in for Bada unnie's position while we work through this?" you suggest to the sub-leader, who nods, visibly relieved to have your guidance in this moment of uncertainty.

You counted everyone in and did the Maniac portion of the dance, nailing it more with the sound of the numbers leaving your lips. As you end, you clap, feeling happy once you all have it down. So when Bada came in, and you showed her the dance, she was grateful to see the amazing progress.

“Y/n-ah, can you watch over here with me? I want to see what you think of the first part of Not Shy,” you nod, immediately standing beside her. Bada counts the girls in, and as you try to watch everyone, you find yourself staring at the blond dancer, her confidence never hesitating as she did each move. “So what do you think?” Bada snaps you out of your thoughts.

“We should go a bit harder here,” you say, demonstrating what you’d like to see. “I agree. Let’s fix it up then?” Everyone nods at their leader, as you all kept practicing.

As the moment to showcase the 30-second choreography arrived, a wave of nervousness washed over the younger members. Tsubakill's performance had just concluded, and its strength was undeniable. You couldn't help but acknowledge that it would be a formidable challenge.

When it was Bebe’s turn, everyone was pleased to see the movement, even in awe at the imitation of double doors. It was safe to say you guys secured your place for the JYP battle, but that wasn’t the most frustrating part to come.

During each team’s copy section presentation, you were worried. As your crew added a flip, Tsubakill did as well, and Yumeri was surely confident when doing so. You knew you could’ve done the stunts yourself if needed, but you wanted the other girls to shine. So Tatter was given the hard challenge.

Practice seemed to be going well for you all, but everything began to crumble when it was time to film. As Tatter tries hitting the first flip, she stumbles, even kicking Lusher a little, and it takes every fiber in your body to keep going. Then the second flip comes, and she fails again, her depressed face more evident. Other crews did their best to cheer the girl on, which worked, as you could all finish.

From across the stage, you hurried to reach the girl, gently placing your hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?" you inquired, concern lacing your voice. She nodded, determined to hold back her tears, and you pulled her into a comforting hug. Having experienced self-disappointment yourself, you knew how painful it could be. "It's okay. You did great, Tata," you assured her, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her, and it seemed to work, at least momentarily.

As you all took your seats, Tatter sat beside you, head bowed in dejection. Your heart ached at the sight, and you couldn't resist holding her hand, offering silent support. Another hug followed, no words spoken, just the comforting warmth of your embrace and the reassuring patting of her head. She relaxed in response to your touch, leaning in to wrap her arms around your waist and bury her face in your neck.

Your heart raced at the intimacy of the moment, feeling her breath brush against your neck. You tried to push aside the swirling thoughts, knowing that now wasn't the right time, but the connection between you and Tatter had become impossible to ignore.

You never thought of her this way before, so why was it happening now?

Throughout the day, Tatter remained close by your side, clutching your hand like a lost puppy. As the night drew to a close and everyone began packing their bags, you couldn't help but notice Tatter's hesitation to leave the practice room.

Bada, too, seemed to pick up on her reluctance and expressed her concern. Tatter had struggled with her stunts, and although you wanted to assist, you were already occupied, helping the two youngest members of the crew. "Do you plan to stay?" Bada inquired gently, directing your attention to Tatter, who nodded in response.

"Don't overexert yourself, Taeyoung. You'll do good on stage," Bada assured her, patting her back as if suggesting she should head home instead.

"I'll stay with her, unnie," you asserted, placing your belongings back on the floor. Tatter looked at you, a touch of confusion in her eyes, while Bada regarded you with a questioning gaze. "Are you sure? It's already 1 a.m., Y/n."

"I'll make sure she doesn't push herself too hard. I've got it," you reassured the older dancer, and she nodded, placing her trust in you. Once Bada left the room, a quiet atmosphere enveloped the two of you. Tatter appeared somewhat reluctant to begin, but you gently encouraged her, saying, "Come on, let me assist you so I can get you home for some much-needed rest."

You laid out a soft mat in the center for a cushion, patting your hand down on it. "Give it a shot and show me what you've got at the moment," you encouraged. Tatter reluctantly accepted her current limitations and made another attempt at the stunt, but her balance wavered, causing her to fall.

"Try putting more energy into the initial walk. The momentum will carry you through the flip," you suggested. She followed your advice, managing to execute the move, although it appeared somewhat messy at this stage. Without a word, you stepped in, gently taking her arms and guiding her back into the headstand, using your hands to steady her at the waist.

Tatter's cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, and it wasn't solely due to the strenuous stunts she had been attempting. No, it was your gentle touch on her exposed skin that sent her heart racing. "You should focus on maintaining a better balance on your head and engaging your core muscles more," you advised her, your fingertips lightly tracing the contours of her abdomen. 

She made an effort to follow your guidance, and for a moment, it appeared as though she had improved. However, when you attempted to release your support, she stumbled once more, this time toppling directly onto you.

In an attempt to prevent her from further harm, you swiftly maneuvered your right arm beneath her head. Tatter had her eyes tightly shut, bracing herself for potential pain. But when it didn't come, she cautiously opened her eyes to the sight of you, hovering protectively above her. Your gaze bore a deep concern as you leaned closer, gently moving her blonde strands out of the way.

The room was shrouded in silence, and you couldn't help but wonder why the girl couldn't meet your eyes. Then, the realization struck you—your current position left you both in a somewhat awkward situation, causing a momentary freeze. Tatter, however, slowly fluttered her eyes open, doing her best to appear composed, and you couldn't help but find her stunning. Her golden hair sprawled across the floor, a delicate blush gracing her cheeks, and her lips parted slightly as she caught her breath. You found it difficult to maintain eye contact at that moment, only regaining some semblance of composure when she whispered your name, "Unnie?"

You could almost hear yourself gulping at the whispered tone, meeting her gaze again. “Yes?”

“Thanks for staying with me.” She says, delicately pulling you into a hug, which causes your body to weigh down on hers.

Your mind was now in a frenzy at the close contact, feeling her body on yours. Trying to recover, you stand up quickly, shaking away the feelings. Your arm reaches down, and Tatter gladly accepts the help with a smile, “Come on, you’ll get this down.”

Tatter then does the part again, taking your advice, and lands the headstand and follows it up with the next move. Your eyes widened as she got it down quickly, excitedly clapping for her. She goes in for another hug, which you gladly reciprocate with a chuckle, “I’m proud of you,” you mumble, and Tatter hears the pure, genuine feeling in your voice. “Let’s go now?” You ask her, and she nods.

It had been two days after that night, finally being performance day, but you couldn’t shake away the thoughts of Tatter in your mind. It got you anxious to even step up on stage, but luckily, Tsubakill was first, so you had time to gather yourself together.

You had decided to make a bold choice. Always being known for your long-sleeved shirts, you tried something different, sporting a white sleeveless crop top instead. Specifically choosing it for one particular scene – when Lusher was in front, and we had to lift her shirt with our mouths.

Your eyes meet Tatter’s figure as she stretches and you make your way over to her. “Feeling good today?” You ask, but when she looks up, her jaw almost drops seeing you in the unfamiliar attire. You always opted to wear anything that hid your tattoos as they were a bit large, so when she sees you, her face goes red as usual. Tatter’s vision falls to the flower tattoo you had, that seems to settle on your underboob and it cascaded down to your hip. then and there, she just found you ten times hotter in the moment. “Um, Y- yeah. I feel good today.”

Definitely more than good, but moving on.

The crew watched Tsubakill go first backstage, and it made you all nervous to see them do so well, getting insane reactions from the crowd as well. You had to shake the feeling away when it was your turn to head up.

As the performance began, the crowd was electrified. The dance was fierce and dynamic, and our chemistry was palpable. You took the center position with Minah by your side as you two laughed manically, the acting being on point, as you can see Monika being thoroughly impressed. The moment of truth came when Lusher took center stage, and the crew began to lift her shirt. You watch everyone’s eyes widen when sheathing the large ink on your chest, and with Tatter behind you, she also sees the spinal tattoo.

Were you just planning on hiding your tatted self from the world? That was all she could think of, but she had to continue the dance.

Tatter's surprise had deepened, and you couldn't help but smile during the performance. The dance was a revelation, not just for the audience but for Tatter as well. 

As we stood on the stage after your electrifying performance, you realized that Tatter's perception of you had shifted slightly. Her eyes became more daring every time you made eye contact, making you smirk. After the last few days, you realized that you maybe liked the girl, but this truly confirmed it for you. It was a realization that went beyond the dance floor. Tatter was seeing you in a new light, and it was a powerful connection unfolding before the both of you.

After the stage and the shooting were done, you decided to wait for her outside the building after changing into more comfortable clothing. You needed some fresh air, a moment to process the cyclone of emotions that had swept through the night. Tatter emerged from the building, her eyes still filled with the magic of the performance.

You looked at her, a sense of nervousness settling in your chest. The air was charged with the hype of the night, and it felt like the perfect moment. You took a deep breath and finally said the words that had been on your mind for a while.

"Tatter, would you like to go on a date with me?" You asked, voice a little uncertain, but eyes filled with sincerity. Tatter's surprise was evident, and her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. But then, her eyes sparkled with joy, and a radiant smile spread across her face. "Of course, unnie. I’d love to," she replied, her voice filled with excitement and happiness.

At that moment, under the starry night sky, it felt like the universe had aligned to create a connection that was as intricate and beautiful. The journey with Bebe had brought you together, and your shared passion for dance had set the stage for a new chapter in our lives.

As you walked away from the building, hand in hand, you couldn't help but feel a sense of destiny in the air. Now, it felt like you truly fit in with the team.

A/n: this took so long to write... has little to no motivation whatsoever😭

Tag list (OPEN): @bada-lee-ily @froufrousnowman @amararosesblog @tikitsune @nimixe @1luvkarina @lorenztired

[lixiebokie]

sorry i love you

genre: lee felix x reader, hwang hyunjin x reader college au; dancer!felix x artist!reader x artist!hyunjin, fluff, angst

masterlist

—————————————

chapter 1: dorm parties

“do you think everyone has a soulmate?” felix thought for a moment popping another cherry into his mouth.

“i would like to hope so.” he responded eyes not leaving the view of the open city from the small window of bedroom. he watched as the car zoomed past and people walked past. “i hope i have a soulmate.”felix broke his gaze now looking at y/n. “are you serious? ofcourse you have!”

you were 15 then. everything was so different. felix was so different. 15-year-old him would have never threw a house party like this. so full that the wriggle past people was almost impossible or loud booming rave music that you both would make fun of together.

but everything had changed. of course it had you were no longer teenagers, now young adults who had classes tomorrow morning but in lixs famous words ‘deal with it in the morning.’

“excuse me.. sorry..”

“hey move the fuck out the way!” nessa shouted as y/n watching the crowd of people part and nessa walked through. the scene was what she imagine moses would look like parting the sea. she was always so confident but no matter what she never switched up no matter how much attention she got.

unlike felix.

“abit harsh ness.” the other girl rolled her eyes playfully.

“if you want a job done you have to do it.”

y/n still doesn’t know how she manage to land a best friend like nessa kate.

if life was a movie she’d be the it girl. everyone loved her, never afraid to speak her mind yet still able to keep her opinions respectful until it didn’t need to be.

“so, you’re going to find a cute boy to talk to and i’m going to find minho. we’ll meet back in 40?” she watched her hair flick around as she turned as if she was looking for someone.

“minho? why?” y/n asked. it was obvious nessa had a thing for him but that was something only y/n knew. everytime she seen him on campus she’d send him a sweet smile or a shy ‘hi’ if she was feeling confident. usually followed by y/n trying to dodge felixs eyes trying to catch hers. the rest of the group shit on felix for ditching them for him how would they react if nessa started dating him? especially hyunjin..

“i just want to talk to him..” she shyed away looking off to hide her smile.

“hm or kiss h-“

“okay bye love you. ttyl!”

——

felix looked gorgeous tonight. dyed blonde locks pushed back with a few strands hanging over his eyes. black outfit tightly wrapping his tiny figure, his sleeves pulled up that the veins in his arms were visable.

his freckles were y/n’s favourite thing on lixs face. they weren’t as visable as usual but still could be see up close.

he was just.. stunning.

when felix had found y/n’s eyes he couldn’t help but smile across the room to her. he lifted his arm motioning her to come over to him.

“im so happy you’re here.” he shouted over the music close to her ear. she was tense from how close he was and his hands on her arms holding his balance.

“it’s..full.”

“i know. crazy..” the song changed and so did felixs mood. his mouth widened into a smile and his eyes went big showing the blue contacts he’d put in.

“this is my song!” he shouted loud enough that she could hear clearly over the music.

one thing about felix that never seemed to change was the love he had for dancing. the song was familiar, his first or second dance recital he had perform this song with a few of his team mates.felix took a few steps back letting go of y/n’s arms and began to recall the moves. they weren’t perfect, but how perfect could they in a room crowded with people. but almost accurate.

felixs dream had never to be a dancer, it was something he did for fun. just for fun. he wanted to be a baker. open his own bakery on lonely street, the street opposite the beach so he’d have the view of a life time while doing what he loves.

so when he changed his culinary major to dance everyone was quite shocked. something was off about it. that was until he told the others about how his new friends had offered him a place on their dance team. also known as the schools dance team and one of the most talented in the country.

y/n watched as a circle had formed around felix as he kept dancing. he turned to her showing a smile after seeing the attention he’d gained, not missing one move. finally finishing he stuck a pose as people whistled and cheered for him.

“that was good, blondie.” minho wrapped his arm around the shorter boys shoulder.

“thanks min.” minho pulled back now looking towards y/n would still awkwardly stood with them. he was intimidating, leader of the dance team, there was rumours that even if one mistake was made he have a show made of you.

hopefully felix was able to keep up..

“oh, um this is y/n.” goosebump rised where ever minhos eyes landed on her. he looked back up leaning forward to shake her hand. “she’s my friend.”

friend. yes not best friend this wasn’t high school anymore.

his arm slapped the top of his thigh as he pulled back, straightening his back and looking back to felix.

not even a hello?

“i should go find hannie before he tries to swing off anything.” minho stepped back rocking on his heels, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“good idea, i’ll find you later.” felix nodded and the older awkwardly walked off in a swift manner.

“he’s.. nice.” y/n stuttered out trying to make some sort of small talk but also wanting to get that awkward encounter out her mind.

felix turned from back around his shoulder. “he’s just shy.”

“lee minho, shy?” felix nodded.

“believe it or not he didn’t properly talk to me until i joined danceracha. hannie had to do all the talking.”

and the tension was back.

no matter how close her and felix were nothing could stop the thought that they no longer knew each other. y/n couldn’t even remember the last time a conversation was held for longer than five minutes.

felix wasnt like nessa.

he let the attention get to him.

it wasn’t bad at first, puberty hit and he started getting flirted with, going on dates. it was whatever but then he got cozy with the frat boys and switch his major from culinary to dance. two things he loved but something in the way he followed lee minho around campus seemed to be strange. then felix started partying, doing frat things even when he wasn’t apart of it.

he didn’t care for uni anymore it was more of a live life now thinking about it later mentality one felix never use to have. live fast, love dance. the moto of his dance team really reflected his new way of living. none of it affected y/n as much as the others hated it. well except she was slowly becoming more distance with the boy she was in love it.

“i should go find-“

“actually i wanted to ask you something.”

felix interrupted before she could walk off.

yes? she wanted to ask. anything for you felix.

but instead she turned back around and just looked at him, waiting for him to finish what he wanted.

“the girls dance team, you know the one hyunjins sister is in, wants a new logo. i showed them a few of things you’ve drew and they’d love to meet you.”

y/n sighed. does he really expect her to want to do more drawing on top of her uni work?

“you don’t have to but i thought it would be nice. and i’m friends with some of them. it might be nice to get close with some of them, it must be tiring only having nessa for your girl problems.” is he serious right now?

y/n shrugged. “couldn’t you ask hyunjin?”

“you think hyunjin is going to agree to work with ‘preppy bitches’?” felix air quoted hyunjins words before throwing down his hands looking with a dumbfounded expression.

chan: haven’t seen jinnie for a while is he with you?

y/n glanced at her phone then looked back up at lix.

“ill think about it”

“great!” felix answered before walking off to meet minho and the rest of dance friends.

you: no, i’ll go see if i can find him.

it was a surprise hyunjin didn’t end up like felix. he was just as attractive: tall, long healthy brown shoulder length hair, dumpling face with a piercing gaze and great sense of style. but hyunjin didn’t let just anyone get close to him.

he wasn’t shy for say, just not outspoken.

“hey have you seen hyunjin?” y/n asked walking up to seungmin surrounded by his music friends. he shrugged. “check lixs room?”

“oh y/n!” she could tell the voice out. she was caught up to by a few girls on two or so one being yeji, hyunjins younger sister.

the two other girls she recognised as girls on her team.

“felix told us you’re designing our new logo. that’s so neet!”

“well you know me.” she awkwardly laughed with the girls as they looked at one another. she couldn’t believe felix had already told them she would do it. even after minutes prior telling him she wasn’t sure. if he didn’t want to let anyone down no way should that have anything to do with her.

“come get a drink with us?” yeji linked her arm guiding her to the kitchen.

“i really shouldn’t.. im suppose to find-“

“it’s just one, then we’ll let you go. promise.” in the kitchen there was lots of girls all wearing the same dance jacket.

she started to feel nervous as they got closer and the girls all turned to smile at them. their was also a boy, dark hair and small frame. he stood with them but went quiet when they reached them.

“everyone this is y/n. she’s gonna be designing our logo.” the girls all showed her welcome and even a few gave a hug to show their appreciation. there was no backing out now.

she’d rather stress and overwork herself than have 15 angry dancers on her back at all times especially when one was her friends sister and someone she use to be quite close to.

yeji had spent about 20 minutes talking to her about how her uni life was going so far and how she was enjoying everything and her new friends. every other minute she was receiving texts from chan asking her were she was, how hyunjin was. she found other times herself watching felix in the corner of her eye as he spoke to a group of girls. some old one direction song blasting through the speakers next to do the drinks made it almost impossible to hear anyone.

“it’s been so long since we spoke-“

“listen yej i appreciate this but i really need to get to hyunjin.”

“why is something wrong?” he eyes turned doe like and big at the mention of her brothers name. face suddenly filled with worry.

“no he’s fine, just gonna check on him.”

“ahh true, he’s never been a party person. how are we even related?” she laughed looking into y/n’s cup.

“you’ve had barley any drink. want me to go check up?”

she passed her drink to her. “no ill be fine, it was nice catching up.”

——

“found you!” y/n peeked in finding hyunjin sat on felixs small bed. legs crossed with his sketch pad rested on them.

he gave her a small smile as she walked in quietly closing the door.

“just had to escape your sister and her friends.” y/n joked and sat down next to him.

hyunjin rolled his eyes and scoffed. “what about felix?”

“hm? what about him?” y/n peeked up at his name making hyunjin chuckle.

he closed his sketchbook putting it to the side and resting his weight on his arms.

“you spoke to him?”

y/n hummed looking down at the creased duvet. playing with it between her fingers.

“yeah, i spoke to minho aswell. it was terrifying.” hyunjin laughed.

“you spoke to anyone tonight?”

“vanessa.” hyunjin answered pressing at his tiny phone typing a message to someone. “ and chans up my ass making sure i’m okay.”

felixs room was nothing unusual. white walls and laminate floor, a box for his jewellery which stood on top of his drawers of clothes, on the ground next to it a neat folded pile which needed to be put away. but one thing that stood out was a small cork box placed on his desk leant against the wall.

it was full of random shit, a cinema ticket for fast and furious, some photos jotted around of him a dance shows and with the dance team and some of his parents.

not far in front of it stood a framed photo of felix and minho. they were dressed up in one of their dance uniforms. much like the solider uniform cheryl cole wore in her fight for this love music video.

y/n picked it up taking a closer look. felix seemed so happy around minho liked he’d found the older he always wanted but never had.

“what you got there?” hyunjin asked looking over her shoulder.

y/n turned to him not putting down the photo. “you think we were abit harsh on him?”

hyunjin went to scoff but sighed after seeing her sad expression.

“hey i remember this night!” hyunjin avoided and instead pointed to a photo seemly hidden by the photo frame.

she placed it down pulling the photo off its clip.

it was a photo of her. it was from hyunjins eighteenth a night she didn’t remember much of but was one of the best nights of her life. her arms wrapped around felixs neck and his on her waist. both squished together in a big hug but still smiling at the camera. felixs smile wider from his lack of intoxication and eyes red from the flash.

y/n smiled down fiddling with the ends that had creased over time. she felt like she was in that scene from mean girls.

but felix was cady and he wasn’t madly inlove with her like cady was for aaron.

HJ’s 18th

my bff 4 life

was scribbled on the back in felixs swirly writing.

no wonder it had been hidden, felix must have been so embarrassed it wasn’t a good photo to begin with, eyes presented red from the flash and all fuzzy from nessas shaking hands.

y/n felt angry for some reason. it was hidden. the only photo of the group on his stupid cork board was out of sight.

replaced with lee fucking minho.

she threw the photo down making it fly off his desk behind. she didn’t see it land anyway, now truly out of sight.

“i don’t understand why you still like him.“

y/n turned leaning on the desk. what wasn’t there to love about felix? he was kind, and loving. he always put her first, he was ambitious and a great baker. only, only half of that was true now. was she often wondered was she holding onto someone who was no longer there?

“the same way you like nessa.” she shurgged still leaning on the desk behind her.

“except ness isn’t some attention loving-“

the door opened and felix stumbled in. interrupt hyunjin mid sentence.

“please down tell me you were hooking up in my room!” he pinched his nose teasing them.

y/n smiled awkwardly but hyunjin wasn’t as impressed.

he picked up his sketchbook and walked out before felix could say anything else.

felix sighed walking over to his bed to pull out a storage box.

“so, you and hyunjin?”

“it’s not like that..”

felix grabbed rumidged through the box “then what is it?” he asked glancing to her. he grabbed something out the box and pushed it back under the bed. “i thought hyunjin was into ness?” felix propped up his feet so he could hug his knees.

“what are you doing in here?”

“um.. last time i checked this is my room.” he teased rising to his feet. “so?” she sighed. felix had no right to now be interested in hyunjins personal life after bailing on him after 5 years of friendship to play buddies with the dance team.

and hyunjin wouldn’t be happy finding she was going around telling everyone his business.

“i don’t know lix.” felix hummed raising his eyebrow but shurgging off showing he wasn’t as curious as he made out to be.

“oh that reminds me!” he walked to his bedside tide taking a envelope out the drawer.

he came closer to her until he was in speaking distance holding out the card. “happy early birthday from me and the dance team.” she looked to his hand hesitating to take it but she wasn’t going to leave him like that. “i have a comp on your birthday dinner, and i don’t think your friends would want me there anyway.” your friends not our friends. that had just shown felix had completely block the rest of them out of his new stylish life.

it was true, when making invitations to her birthday dinner seungmin had taken felix off the guest list and nessa had to persuade him to put him back on when reminding him of how special her and felixs friendship was but if the group could have it their way, lix would not be there. looks like today is their lucky day.

felix continued on. “but we should go out one night, me and you? to celebrate. not every day you turn 21.”

she nodded taking the card from his hand. “well i better go get this to yeji.” he held up a cropped dance jacket, red with the girls dance team name on the back in diamonds. “she left it last time she was here. so i’ll see you?” and with that felix was gone.

last time yeji was here? excuse me?

🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣🥟🐣

join the taglist!

[zarry-ot5]

Love You Goodbye

This will be discussing March 2015 and include whatever I can find on all of the boys in that timeframe. I believe Truth lives in the middle. I don't want to spread opinions, so these will contain facts only. If there are pictures I will indicate, but due to limitations of Tumblr can't post them all. There is a 6-7 hour time difference between Asia and London.

Another thing of interest, at this time, Dan Wooton is over The Sun and The Daily Mail. Simon Jones is the Publicist in charge of the image of all the boys in One Direction. Simon Jones is still the active publicist for Perrie Edwards, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan.

March 10, 2015:

Lou Teasdale, Lux, Gemma Styles and Lottie Tomlinson arrive at Changi Airport in Singapore. Pictures with fans.

Niall tweet

H pictured leaving LAX on private jet

March 11, 2015:

H pictured arriving at Changi airport wearing Red Velvet Star Jacket.

Louis is pictured with fans in Changi airport.

Z pictured on private jet with cousin Jawaad. Upon landing in Singapore takes pictures with fans.

One Direction performs at the National Stadium in Singapore.

Gemma is seen at Singapore show with Lou Teasdale and Baby Lux.

March 12, 2015:

H arrives in Bangkok. Pictures exist of Harry at Nightclub with Gemma.

(Pictured Jawaad Malik, Zayn Malik, Martina Olsson, and her friend). Notice his and Jawaad shirts are the same night he's pictured with Laura.

Of note, Seduction Nightclub is an adult themed night club, with scantily clad women dancing on tables. It is not a strip club, just adult themed. This Nigh Club permanently closed in 2019.

According to The Daily Mail, Maria Olsson says Zayn and Louis went to Seduction Night Club where she met and left with Zayn, had a one night stand, and met up with him again the next morning after Lauren had left.

March 13, 2015:

I do need to make a side note, the distance from Smalls to the Sukhothai Hotel, where everyone stayed, is 3 min in a car. Literally just around the corner and up the street. The distance from the hotel to the stadium where they performed is 22 miles in a car.

Smalls is a 3 story building with a restaurant in the lower floor, where they have live music and a DJ booth. The upper two floors consist of an enclosed bar and a covered outdoor bar.

According to my research, Harry had gone to Smalls Live Music Nightclub.

Gemma pictured in Bangkok with Lou Teasdale and a fan.

Pictures also exist of Gemma and Harry at a Nightclub together, which I am going to assume was Smalls.

Zayn went to Seduction Night Club with Louis and cousin Jawaad, to watch DJ Examples set. This is where he met and was photographed with Lauren Richardson. She later stated she was invited to a Villa at a Hotel that Louis and Zayn we're renting in Phuket.

March 14, 2015:  

Louis Tomlinson photos kissing Lucy Julian were reportedly taken at the same all-night pool party at Bangkok’s Sukhothai Hotel at 6:30am on the morning of their March 14 concert, The Daily Mail reported.

There are pictures of Louis exiting the pool and returning to the lobby of the hotel.

H is photographed with DJ Buddha and DJ ONO before the show

The band played in Bangkok, Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium.  

H photographed with Model at dinner.

Gemma and Lou Teasdale photographed with with a fan in Bangkok at a restaurant.

According to Joe Cummings, after their concert, Harry came back to Smalls and was told by Harry he and Zayn had a falling out.  

The timing of this is the concert started at 8:00 pm local time. Their set was 20 songs and and encore of 3. Their opening act was DJ ONO, and DJ Buddha was his promoter at the time. So 1D would have gone on by 8:30-9:30 pm. 1D set would have been about 1.5 - 2 hour set...they would have been done by 11:30 pm. 25 min drive back to the hotel, gets them back close to midnight. Which is when Joe says he started talking to H. There's some wiggle room in there for showers and what nots.

My Assumption - The argument has have been before the concert and before H was photographed with DJ Buddha and DJ ONO. DJ Buddha is the one who told H about Smalls and made introductions to Joe.

March 15, 2015:

Louis, Ollie Nightclub in Phuket, Thailand

March 16, 2015:

March 17, 2015: 

Harry tweets

Cheating rumors run in media as pictures of Zayn and Lauren Richardsons are published. Richardson will later say nothing happened between them, they met and enjoyed each other's company while together, then went their separate ways. Richardson eventually lands a role in June 2015 on Love Island. For years she is attacked online as the reason One Direction broke up.

March 18, 2015: 

Pictures exist of Lou Teasdale, Lux, Gemma Styles, and Lottie Tomlinson in airport in Hong Kong.

Picture of Lottie, Gemma, and Sophia taken at 1D concert.

Zayn tweet

Band plays last performance with Zayn in Hong Kong

March 19, 2015: 

Zayn is photographed in Heathrow airport in London, England at 5:00 am, Perrie is the one who picks Zayn up from the airport. The flight from Bangkok to London is 14 hours and 15 min.

Gemma and Sophia drinking a glass of wine posted on Gemma's IG.

News of Zayn's departure runs through media. Cited as stress, assumptions made about drug use.

March 20, 2015:

March 21, 2015:

Perform in Manila, Philippines

March 22, 2015:

Perform in Manila, Philippines

March 23, 2015:

Louis Tomlinson pictures published kissing Lucy Julian. 1D publicist indicates E and Louis have been broken-up for 2 weeks.

March 24, 2015:

March 25, 2015: 

Performance in Jakarta Indonesia

Statement released via Facebook that Zayn has left 1D.

Perform

March 26, 2015:

Media starts reporting Harry wants to branch out in his own solo projects, Harry crying on stage during March 25 concert.

H tweets: All the love as always. H

Liam: So glad to hear in bed after a strange 24 hours.

Niall: Been a mad few days and your support has been incredible as per usual ! This in turn Spurs us on to make the best music we possibly can

Louis: Been a crazy couple of days but know that we are going to work harder than ever to deliver the best album we've ever made for you guys !

March 27, 2015:

March 28, 2015:

Pictures of Harry in Johannesburg airport carrying guitar case

Perform at Johannesburg, South Africa

March 29, 2015:

Perform at Johannesburg, South Africa

March 30, 2015:

Pictured with Perrie in London, house hunting with Tricia Malik.

[free-for-all-fics]

The Craft and The Lost Boys crossover prompt! This was inspired by a dream I had. Pls tag me if you’re inspired by any of the ideas below and I’d love to read it! ❤️🩸

You fall in with a group of witches after you witness Nancy Downs murder your brother, Chris. She threatens you to keep quiet about it or else. The witches don’t welcome you into their coven but you learn the hard way that there are worse fates than death when you’re still forced to hang out with them. They can’t risk you exposing their secrets but if they killed you, especially so soon after your brother’s death, it’d look too suspicious. The only witch you like and get along with is Sarah Bailey; she’s different from the other outcasts at school. She’s a natural born witch and is much more powerful than the others but maybe hasn’t realized it yet. Nancy is power-hungry, lacks empathy and often engages in reckless behavior that endangers herself and others, Bonnie is aggressively narcissistic, and Rochelle is bitter and vengeful. The three of them start abusing their powers and misusing their magic. Unlike them, Sarah is really sweet and has a lot of self-control over her powers. She treats you like a friend and has your back despite the circumstances.

You’re dragged into joining them on a girls trip to Santa Carla - the murder capital of the world! By the time you get there, it’s night and the boardwalk is crowded and bustling with many attractions such as tattooers, piercers, shops, rides, music, and more. Performing on center stage is The Lost Boys, one of the hottest rock bands in the country, fronted by Michael Emerson. He and his band members are local heartthrobs; They’re all devilishly handsome and talented young men who seem to have it all. Their stage presence is incredibly sexy and alluring, almost provocative with how they love to strip and tease during their sets. The way they dance and move to their frenetic music is almost hypnotic. Word on the street is that Michael replaced the former vocalist shortly after he moved here with his mother Lucy and little brother Sam. He’s always seen hanging out with The Lost Boys after dark, especially David.

You have such a huge crush on Michael at first sight but who doesn’t? While watching him perform, you feel as if his eyes are piercing straight through your soul and he’s singing only to you. But c’mon, who are you kidding? The thought that he’d notice you out of the hundreds in the crowd is pure fantasy. But maybe that fantasy has a chance of becoming reality when you slip away from Nancy and her fellow witches (possibly in part thanks to Sarah causing a distraction and/or covering for you). You catch the attention of boardwalk security guards and try to explain you witnessed your brother’s murder and need help, but there’s been so many murders in Santa Carla they’ve become desensitized to it. It’s the murder capital of the world, kid. Have you not seen the missing posters littered everywhere? When you mention witchcraft, they laugh in your face and assume you’re on drugs and making shit up. They ignore you and walk away before you can even tell them the murder didn’t take place in this city. God fucking dammit.

Michael overhears your plight and is willing to help you get back at Nancy for what she did to your brother. While talking to him, you keep nervously glancing over your shoulder as hairs raise on the back of your neck from the feeling that the witches may be waiting nearby and closing in on you. Michael notices how scared and uneasy you are, so he offers to take you somewhere private where you won’t be disturbed. You know you shouldn’t hitch a motorcycle ride with a man you just met and let him take you to an unknown location in an unfamiliar city that’s the murder capital of the world, Stranger Danger and all that, but fuck it.

You meet David, Paul, Dwayne, and Marko at their cave. They’re practically Michael’s brothers and welcome you to the club (even if they pull pranks on you and mess with your mind a little bit with their vampire powers before Michael tells them to knock it off.) They urge you to spill and tell them all the deets about what’s going on, so you tell them everything about the absolute hell you’ve been through because of Nancy and her outcast witch friends. After listening to your story and deliberating quietly amongst themselves, they agree to take care of the witches for you so they never bother you again. Do you want them dead or alive, babe? Do you want them to be scared to death or just plain scared so that they leave town forever? You tell them to spare Sarah since she’s your friend and respects the laws of magic. While she put that love spell on Chris that went awry and inadvertently played a part in his death, it was an accident on her part and she didn’t mean any harm. She just wanted to be loved. She regretted her actions and tried to find a way to undo her spell on Chris, but failed. But the rest of the witches are fair game for the boys to do whatever they want.

Hell fucking yeah, this calls for a toast! They pass you an ornate wine bottle and tell you to drink up, baby! It’s been a very long night for you. Hell, you’ve had several very long nights ever since your brother’s murder. You haven’t really had time to mourn him before now. You could really use a drink, so you chug from the bottle without even thinking about it while the boys applaud and cheer. Unbeknownst to you Michael and the Lost Boys are vampires, and you’re Michael’s mate. Vampires are immune to witches’ magic since their hearts are no longer beating and thus can’t be swayed - but witches are not immune to vampire mind tricks since they’re still technically human, living and breathing. Their flesh tears from their bodies just as easily as ordinary humans, and there’s no protection or warding spells against vampires - so feeding from them should be easy. They’ll come up with an insidious plan and help you get retribution for Chris’ wrongful death.

You might regret letting the boys do whatever they want to Nancy and her friends after you learn the full extent of their true nature, but it’s too late to take it back now. The deal has already been struck. In just a few days, you won’t be human anymore either. Michael will be there for you when you begin to change into a half vampire. It’s painful and confusing; your heart feels like it’s on fire, your lungs feel like they’re filled with water, you feel like you’re dying - because you are. He’ll comfort you (possibly with sex) and teach you everything. David, Paul, Marko, and Dwayne will help you too. Maybe Nancy or one of her witch friends will be your first meal. You’ll need to feed to complete the transformation and become a full-blooded vampire. Have you ever had witches’ blood, baby? It’s a rare delicacy but is absolutely delectable. It just hits different than regular human blood. It’s to die for, literally!

[verydeadaten]

Guitar

Jaune was practicing on his guitar. He was getting really good at it, in Pyrrha’s opinion. She liked how he played. The way his notes sounded, like gentle rain. The way his fingers moved across the fretboard like how spiders scuttle along the walls. She pictured Jaune with spiders for hands. She shuddered. Pyrrha hated spiders, and regretted comparing Jaune’s skillful hands to something as disgusting as an arachnid. But she had to wonder, when did Jaune learn to play like that?

Jaune played with his fingers, plucking away like some street performers do. But the way he held his guitar was strange. Jaune was right-handed, and most right-handed guitarists Pyrhha had seen rested their guitar on their right leg. Jaune rested his guitar on his left, holding it in a nearly upright position with his face close to the guitar’s neck. Sometimes he played with a metal cylinder on his left ring finger. He said it was called a slide, and it made the guitar produce strange sounds.

It hasn’t been that long since Jaune tried to woo Weiss with his then-subpar guitar skills. Maybe a couple weeks at most. But even then he played differently. This Jaune hardly played cords, and he most certainly didn’t use a pick. Just deftly plucking away with his fingers. Pyrrha’s seen him practice in his free time, but between his studying, his classes, and his training, that doesn’t give him much time. Nora asked him to play for her before, but that wasn’t really practice, that was him entertaining his friend. He must have had prior experience.

Pyrrha was curious, and wanted to ask him. But she hesitated. Jaune never really talked about his past, or his home. When people asked him he got an strange look on his face. Pyrrha would never want to make Jaune uncomfortable. But… It was only them in the room. Ren went out to get groceries, and naturally Nora followed. Jaune trusted her with his secret about his transcripts, so maybe he would trust her with information about his home.

She decided to go for it.

“Hey Jaune.”

Jaune looked up from his guitar. “Yes Pyrrha?”

“Who taught you how to play guitar?”

Jaune was silent, and was staring at her. Pyrrha was getting nervous, and started backtracking on her decision.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have-”

“My grandfather taught me.”

Now it was Pyrrha’s turn to be silent. Jaune started plucking at his guitar, and resumed talking.

“Whenever he came to our house, or when I visited him, he would always play his guitar. I really liked how he played, so I asked him to teach me. I haven’t played in a while though.”

“He must have been a great teacher, given how well you can play now.”

“He was great. You really like my playing?”

Pyrrha smiled. “Yes. I think it’s wonderful.”

Jaune was glad. He always wanted to impress people, especially Pyrrha. Her liking his music made his heart flutter.

“It’s good to know I can still play after three years.”

“Three years? Why’d you stop playing for three years?” Jaune froze, the question came out of Pyrrha’s mouth before she could stop it, but she just couldn't help herself. Her curiosity peaked.

“My grandpa died.”

“Oh Jaune, I am so, so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I tried to pick up the guitar again after it happened but… Whenever I would try to play I would think about him, and have to put the guitar back down. One day I put it down and just… Never picked it back up.”

“Why’d you start playing again?”

“I really wanted to impress Weiss.” Pyrrha sighed. Of course it was for Weiss.

“If you wanted to impress her, you should have played like you were now.”

“But I wanted to look cool! I was thinking about all the cool guitarists I listen to, like Jimmy Mage and Pete Barnshend, and they all played a lot of cords. So I thought, ‘Hey, if they looked cool, you could look cool.’ Looking back though, I don’t think Weiss would be a fan of Tungsten Blimp or The What. I guess I can’t be cool no matter what I do.”

“I think you’re cool.”

Jaune looked up from his guitar, eyes wide and mouth agape. Pyrrha laughed at his silly face. Jaune loved her laugh. It reminded him of the windchimes his mom hung up, light and airy and beautiful. He wanted to be that wind, the thing to keep her laughing. 

“Really?”

“Yes. You, Jaune Arc, are one of the coolest people I know.”

“Why me?”

“You do so much. You can cook, you can sew, you can dance, you can play an instrument. And you do all this while working harder than any student here. You are getting stronger, working harder, while still being able to make time for yourself and for your friends. For me.”

Jaune was touched. Pyrrha, his mentor, his best friend, thought so highly of him? He was just some loser from the country, how could someone as wonderful and strong as Pyrrha think he was cool?

“Pyrrha…”

“I’m jealous. I never had anything like that. I only studied and trained and fought. I never made any time for myself, and certainly no time for friends. I wish I had something like your guitar, something besides my fighting to be proud of. Something I can make.”

“I could teach you.”

The words tumbled out of Jaune’s mouth. Pyrrha looked at him with hopeful eyes.

“...Really?”

“Yeah. I could teach you how to play guitar, and how to cook, and how to sew or anything else you want to learn from me. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be as good a teacher as my grandpa or you, but I’ll try my best!”

Pyrrha smiled, a real, genuine smile. Her mouth opened just a bit, showing Jaune a hint of her perfect white teeth. If he loved her laughs, he adored her smiles. They reminded him of a sunrise, warm and colorful. Something leading him out of darkness. Something that everyone knew was good. He wished he could see her like that forever, with her sunrise smile and green pasture eyes. 

“... Hey Pyrrha?”

“Yes Jaune?”

“Would you like me to give you guitar lessons tomorrow?”

Pyrrha showed her perfect smile again. “I’d love to Jaune.”

2 years later in Atlas.

It was nearing the end of Jaune’s patrol. He had escorted the kids to school, and had talked with their very enthusiastic mothers. He didn’t know why they wanted to talk to him so much, he just escorted their kids to school. But they seemed happy, so he humored them.

He wasn’t by himself today, Weiss had joined him since she had nothing going on. They were walking on the sidewalks, not really going anywhere, when they passed by a store. 

Jaune looked through the window and saw guitars of all types. Menders, Jibsons, even a double-necked one! He always wanted one of those. He looked to the wall inside the shop, and saw the acoustic guitars. He was then struck with a thought.

He left his guitar at Beacon.

“Ja…”

Guilt started to eat at him. His grandpa bought him that guitar when he was six. It was too big for him then, but he grew into it. He’s had it for thirteen years, and he just left it there? He played it everyday, let it gather dust for three years, packed it up again and then what? Left it to the Grimm?

“..une.”

He remembered the lessons he gave Pyrrha. Her clumsy plucking at the strings, her trying to get the cords and fingering right. The whispers, the giggles, the quiet words spoken on a dark rooftop. He missed it. He missed her. He missed going to the cafeteria and eating breakfast with his team and team RWBY. He missed Port and his long-winded stories. He missed Oobleck and his passionate history lecture. He even missed Goodwitch and her tough yet caring attitude.

“Jaune.”

How long has it been since he last played? Could he still play well if he wanted to? His fingers felt heavier than when he played with Pyrrha. He doesn’t think he could handle memories of both his grandpa and his partner. That would destroy him, and he’d be like the version of him after his grandpa died, sad and bitter. He’d be useless, and he can’t afford to be useless at this time, not when the stakes are this high.

“JAUNE!”

He felt a pull on his arm and looked to his right. Weiss was pulling his arm, and she looked concerned.

“Jaune, you’ve been staring at those guitars for a while. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m alright. I was just… reminded of something.”

“What was it?”

“I left my guitar at Beacon.”

“Your guitar? Oh! I remember your guitar. You tried to play it so you could take me to the dance, right?”

“...Yeah.”

“I’m sorry to say this Jaune, but you were really bad at playing guitar.”

“I was getting better!”

Weiss smiled smugly. “Were you?”

Jaune pouted, and Weiss laughed at his face. He liked her laugh. It reminded him of the church bells back at his village. Heavy and slow and rare. Only ranging out songs on Sunday service or holidays. A small, small part of him wanted to be like the priest at his church. Tending and ringing the bells so they can produce beautiful sounds. 

Weiss stopped laughing. “Was the guitar important to you?”

“Yes. My grandpa gave it to me on my sixth birthday.”

“Hmmmm…”

Weiss looked at the guitars, deep in thought. Jaune was growing concerned.

“Weiss?”

“Would you like me to buy you one?”

Jaune was flabbergasted. Where was this coming from? Why would she want to buy him a guitar? He’s not even sure if he's that good at it anymore.

“Why? Weiss, where is this coming from?”

Weiss turned away, blushing. “Well…you said that you were getting better, and you can’t show me your lack of skill if you don’t have a guitar.”

Jaune wanted to say no. He didn’t have time, and he certainly didn’t think that a guitar would help against the fight against Salem. But… he missed playing guitar. He missed the weight on his leg. He missed the feeling of the strings, and the sounds they produced. He decided to accept Weiss’ offer.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I want you to buy a guitar for me.”

Weiss smiled, a real genuine smile. Her eyes were lidded, just a bit, and it made her face look that much softer. It reminded him of a sunset after a long day of work. Reds and yellows and pinks, a precursor to a night of a glowing moon with beautiful stars. Dragging him from the fields and into a warm bed to rest. A small part of him wanted to frame her smile like a picture, and keep it to himself, her sunset smile and starlight eyes,

He opened the door to the store, and the smell of wood and metal hit his nose. There was classic rock music playing on the store’s stereo. Tungsten Blimp, Five Sticks. His dad loved that song, Jaune liked it too. He walked up to the wall of acoustic guitars, and picked the most normal one he could find.

Weiss walked up to him. “Hey Jaune?”

“Yes Weiss?”

Weiss was blushing again. “Could you play something for me?”

“...Sure.”

Weiss showed her wonderful smile again

Jaune sat down on a nearby bench, and began to gently pluck away at the guitar.

___________________

This took a while to make, and I am very proud of it.

[scryptids]

gracie abrams / she/they  ———  no way is that DEVAN ACKERMAN.. they’re a 24-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being JADED  &  RECLUSIVE  but there are some people who have seen them being FRIENDLY  &  CARING.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of an old guitar gifted to her by someone special, a collection of journals filled with song lyrics, a pair of converse that have definitely seen better days, and a fierce love for her siblings, but that could just be because they’re considered the TROUBADOUR around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

TW: parental death

full name: devan margaret ackerman birthdate: september 7th age: 24 height: 5’6” occupation: wannabe musician ship status: closed bio:

as the baby of the ackerman family, devan has seen more shit than they want to admit

how the ackermans ended up with three children, nobody will ever know; they were certainly wanted, but when it came to their care, elias took on most of the burdens

devan was still a baby when their parents disappeared, so it wasn’t like they ever got to know them, and they don’t find it to be much of a loss

of course they practically glued themselves to elias, picking up a lot of his interests and becoming his shadow

even at a young age, devan knew the way she and her siblings lived was unconventional, but it never seemed to bother her

in fact, she much preferred that it was just her and her siblings; it gave her a different perspective on life, and it often fascinated any of the friends she made

she was just five years old when she picked up a guitar for the first time, and she never looked back after that

most of her days were spent sitting in the corner while elias and his friends played their music, and she would watch them like a hawk, which in turn helped her learn

they all seemed to accept devan like they were their own little sister, all of them eager to teach them new instruments and chords

sometimes, she was even allowed to sing with them, though it was never during their actual performances

as devan got older, it was clear that their focus was only ever on music, and while they got good grades and studied hard, they never planned to continue their education after graduating

they were fifteen when they started performing on street corners; it was the quickest way for them to make a little extra cash, all of which went right into helping their siblings with expenses

devan’s talent saw their guitar case filled with dollar bills and whatnot by the end of the day, furthering their theory that they were just made to be a musician

some of their friends claimed that they were delusional, while others were backing them up with their full support

and so after she finished school, devan chose to pick up a job a job at collins tavern as a server, knowing that they needed a more stable income to support their dreams of being a musician

their schedule still allowed them to perform on the street corners and sidewalks on their days off, which they considered to be more exposure

these days, devan has a nice little balance between work and music

they’re in a little punk girl group with dallas kingston and neri tolentino, and getting to perform with her best friends brings devan an immense amount of joy

they are well aware that their brother is a soldier in the mafia, but the ackermans seem to have a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy when it comes to it, and so devan pretends not to know anything about it

they’ve always been an incredibly friendly and peppy person, and they have a rather large friend circle that they’re very proud of

devan is known to make up silly little songs on the spot, and if you don’t want to hear them, it’s best to just ignore her

[innytoes]

The random generator gave me Aliens Au + Olympics au, so have fun!

My first thought was Space Jam AU but then I realised I really haven't seen Space Jam since I was like 10 and can't remember enough to make a coherent post about it lol.

Okay so humans went to space and made a bunch of colonies. The first Olympics held on Not Earth was a huge deal... and a bit of a disaster. High Jumps on planets with just sliiiightly different gravity meant athletes were yeeting themselves so high and far they did not land correctly.

So Olympics were held only on Earth for a long time. Until colonies grew bigger and they started hosting their own, with specialised sports and stuff from their own ecosystems. (Giant Bubble Hopping was a popular one.)

Sooner or later the outer space Olympics get so popular that they agree to stagger them, so you have Olympics like each year, but for different sports/on different planets.

When they made contact with aliens, well, why not allow them to join in on the fun. Some aliens were really, really into certain human sports. They brought a whole slew of weird new sports with them as well.

The Molinas live on Chiron, a planet with several different species. Carlos just made the team for Centaur-human polo, where these centaur-like aliens (except instead of horse bodies, it's more like giant 6-legged fluffy alpaca-like-bodies) and humans work together as duos on a team of four duos to play polo.

(The centaurs were delighted at their new name, and the fact that humans had fictional creatures that looked vaguely like them before they ever made contact with other planets. A lot of sports teams have Centaur themed names.)

Julie and Ray are there to cheer Carlos and Trzzzrt (his duo partner) on and enjoy all the other festivities. She meets these cute street musicians, and gets to talking. Julie learns they kind of snuck in with their instruments to play, but so far they're so good nobody has made them leave. Luke's kind of bitter they didn't make any of the official performances, but this is still better than nothing.

Julie invites them to come watch the game in the Family VIP box, and maybe she can get them some passes on the down-low so they won't get kicked out, and they agree (Alex for the passes, Reggie because he wants to see a VIP box, and Luke once Julie promises the have some pretty awesome snacks up there). They shrink their instruments with their rinkydink shrink ray (which was how they snuck them in) and follow her.

They get up there, eat snacks, watch the game, get the boy's hands stamped so they're now officially allowed to go anywhere VIPs can, and watch the game. Reggie is fascinated and Ray explains what's going on to him. Luke is mostly distracted by Trzzzrt's younger sister who likes music too, and Alex... well, Alex may or may not meet/crash into a really pretty hoverboard Olympian who snuck into this VIP box because he heard the big group sports got way better snacks.

When Julie teaches them the Chiron Centaur Polo fight song, Luke falls in love (with her voice, shut up Reggie) and asks her to join the band.

Eight years later, Julie and the Phantoms play the opening of the Chiron Olympics.

[loracarol]

For all that I love Les Misérables (the musical), I've only seen it once on stage; when the local high school was performing it, and I was in elementary school/early middle school. (I don't know why my Mum took us to see it, but some things definitely went over my head lmao.)

So my brother got my Mum and I tickets to see the US tour, and holy shit. Holy. Shit.

Some of the things I enjoyed may be common to the play! Maybe I'm just out of the loop! But I still really liked them! (In no particular order.)

Nick Cartell and Preston Truman Boyd were really good as Jean Valjean and Javert, but I have to give a special shout out to Haley Dortch whose Fantine was exquisite and Randy Jeter who played the Bishop and whose breath control/ability to hold long notes I envy deeply.

Gavroche flipped Javert off at the barricades. 🤣

Is Grantaire caring for Gavroche a common theme in the musicals? Because in this one, Gavroche ran to give Grantaire a hug during one point at the barricades - I think after Eponine dies? And then Grantaire gave Gavroche his coat to sleep under. Later it's Grantaire who takes it the worst when Gavroche dies, and is the one to hold him and take him down from the barricade.

I have a confession… I don't actually know the difference between the different Les Amis. I know that they're popular, and I know some of their names, but I have to double check the lyrics to see who Grantaire was. >>; That being said, they're death scene was really amazing but also probably be very careful if you're sensitive to flashing lights. They had spotlights flash to represent the bullets as each Les Amis died and it was gorgeous and brutal.

Our barricade wasn't a turntable, but the sets in general were really cool. They had a projector screen on the back that they used to great effect, especially during the sewer scene and Javert's suicide.

THE RUNAWAY CART. I have no idea how they did that but it was so well done.

The Turning transition to Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and how each lady in Turning left a candle and then each dead Les Amis picked one up and toasted like it was a cup. Ugh. Gut punch.

The Thénardiers were terrible and hilarious as always. We were high up in the cheap seats, so I couldn't always tell what everyone was doing, but the Thénardiers were always so over the top that I could always tell what they were doing.

Diversity win, one of the worst characters in the musical made canonically bisexual (?) with the lines in Beggars at the Feast changed from, "This one's a queer \\ But what can you do?" to "This one's a queer \\ I might try it too." At which point M. Thenardier started dancing with the gentleman in question and dipped him.

I really could see why Marius would be clueless about Eponine's affections; every time he actually is interacting with her, she's either teasing/friendly bullying him (pick-pocketing his book then throwing it across the street), or helping him find another woman. It's only in her asides/inner monologue that she acknowledges it. It gave very, "boy pulling pigtails" vibes and I would understand why Marius wouldn't necessarily see it.

In general, Marius and Cosette were adorable. His "I'm doing everything all wrong" was pitch perfect and he had the audience laughing.

...I know that J/J (?) Valvert (?) is the most popular pairing, but honestly I came out of the first act wanting an AU where Fantine's illness is less deadly, and she ends up leaving w/ Valjean, and they figure the easiest way to hide is to get married and pretend to be a family; it hides Cosette's parentage, and gives them a cover in Paris; Javert is looking for Single Convict Jean Valjean, not Married Family Man Normal McLoving-Husband-and-Father. And later Javert can join in making them a weird poly trio, as a treat. (Not weird because they're poly; weird because Javert is Like That.)

(...Maybe in a modern AU where Javert gets some major therapy.)

(My first thought was fake-marriage AU where Valjean marries Fantine to get her on his health insurance and then I remembered that that's an American Problem Probably.)

(I'm not saying it would work for all versions of Valjean and Fantine, just in this one.)

The Bishop was with Fantine and Eponine in welcoming Valjean to heaven and that's when I started crying.

In the applause, all the child actors held hands with Valjean and did a bow with him & then he picked up the child!Cosette of the night and carried her. It was adorable. Everything about Valjean and child!Cosette was adorable.

In general everything with the children was so fucking cute.

I already loved the songs, but hearing them echo and reverb in the theater was amazing and I'm super jealous of people who can go on the reg. |D

Just. Ugh. It was so good. I didn't realize how much I missed live theater.

I even bought merch for the first time. 🤣(A keychain and some pins, nothing fancy admittedly.)

I wish every traveling group put out their own soundtrack. I want to listen to these guys 5ever.

[unboundtravels]

𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱.

( five times the receiver watched the sender while they were working or doing something ) [jinju & goth] @rimefiles

𝟏) 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝.

A whooshing and groaning cannot be heard over the blaring of the music echoing across a concert hall. A packed venue for an Idol group known as Rogue suppresses the sound of the Police Box materializing within the rafters of the concert hall. The door swings open, and what can only be described as a vagrant exits the box. Wearing a black cotton coat that cuts at the knees, over a darker red jacket and a black sweatshirt— as well as black jeans and lace-up boots, The Doctor steps out. Holding his Sonic Screwdriver in his hand, the red light on the end makes a steady and rhythmic beeping. He seems disgruntled by whatever it is he's tracking as he shuts the police box doors behind them, the click echoing out to confirm to him the doors are locked. 

"This is the last time I chase Mogwai... who even keeps Mogwai in their shop?" He mumbles, tracking life signatures as he crosses the rafters above the stage. Wreathed in shadow, save for the beeping of his screwdriver, The Doctor continues mumbling— "Oh yeah, let me sell you a pet troll, but remember— don't water it! And no snacks after midnight—" A rattling above him causes him to shut his mouth immediately as he takes his hand off the activation button, his screwdriver turning off. "Sounds like that might be my guy—" He starts trying to get his eyes onto anything he can see before his eyes look down at the stage. His head tilts softly when he sees the performers down on the stage.

His eyes gravitated toward the one in pink, naturally. Ruby eyes blink softly at her, momentarily captured by the singing and the choreography of the performers before suddenly a snapping causes his head to snap up. There, in the rafters, is a Gremlin— who's just snapped a stage light. The Doctor watches it fall and crash onto the stage. The music stops, and there's screaming. He can hear security rushing their way up to the rafters. He exhales, watching the Mogwai scuttle up into a nearby vent,

Great. Just great​​​​​​.

2) 𝐹𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.

Well, that was an embarrassing Tuesday— but! He had managed to capture all the Mogwai, returning them to their rightful habitat somewhere deep and far away in space. Now, he was back in the 18th century. A meteor had fallen through time and crashed somewhere in... 

He stopped, standing outside of the box. A village somewhere in the middle of a bamboo forest? That could be anywhere! He hummed, shutting the Police Box behind him. Bouncing from a 21st-century Idol concert to an 18th-century fishing village was probably a culture shock to some, but he seemed unphased by the rapidly shifting environments. Questions about the environment had led him up into the mountains, where sources say the meteor had crashed. It was a long walk! He liked the fresh air, though. He hummed, rather quietly as he finally reached the peak of the mountain. 

There was a well at the peak of the mountain, and The Doctor had found himself distracted by a woman— sitting by the well. He blinked, tilting his head. Wasn't that the... woman from the Idol band? She looked up toward him, which prompted him to quickly hide behind something. He didn't think she'd seen him, but even then— something loud in the forest seemed to scare her off. 

Something to do with his meteor, perhaps?

3) 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅.

Not a meteor. Sontarans. Once again, trying to interfere with the course of human history. It was annoying to deal with those potato heads. The Police Box had parked on the corner of a street, back on Earth. After encountering a strange woman twice, in two different periods, he'd felt something drawing him toward a music shop. What was the year? 2030? 2035? He hadn't kept much track. The phones were slimmer, from what he could tell. That seemed annoying. Also, they do a lot of holograms, now. There seemed to be one outside the music shop he was walking to. His eyes found a sign.

Record signing? Real Rogue holograms? Rogue? Like from that comic book—

He looked past the crowd, seeing the hologram members. His eyebrows squeezed tightly in confusion. Rogue? Wait a second! That's the IDOL group with that pink-haired lady in it! Really?! That's three times! In the same week! That's gotta be a record. He's finding himself getting more and more frustrated. The store's gonna be CROWDED! How's he supposed to do his research now? It's okay— It's okay.

He'll just come back last week.

4) 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.

So he had wanted to come back to the music store on Wednesday like he'd said— try and grab it in that same-day window (really, time travel is super convenient) but he'd picked up a distress signal from the moons of Alpha Meeson, and well— he'd gotten distracted helping out an old friend. Turns out Slitheen was trying to scam the inhabitants of the Meeson Moon out of their land. It was a whole ordeal, one he didn't want to think about. So! Thursday. A week before Rogue's record signing event. 

The Police Box clicks open, and The Doctor heads toward the shop after locking her up. This time, he can tell! No crowds! Just a woman wearing casual clothing, accompanied by some business-looking people— she's wearing a ball cap, but pink strands peak out— Hey wait a second!!! 

"Are you kidding me?" He cursed quietly, from afar. "She's the one that booked the venue? Don't they have an agent? Good lord. Talk about being a go-getter." He mumbled under his breath. That's it! He's gotta talk to this woman! But not now, she's busy. You never interrupt a woman while she's working. That much he knows. He's just gonna try to take the most inconspicuous scan of her temporal signature from afar— and hope nobody saw that little red light from under his sleeve. "Creepiest thing I've ever done, for sure." The Doctor mumbled on his way back to the TARDIS, as he checked the readings on his screwdriver. 

In the TARDIS, he clicked various switches and thanks to the reading of that pink-haired lady's temporal signature— he can see here that on Friday night, she'll go to a private lounge. Great! Perfect time. Just... stroll up to her at the bar... how hard can it be?

5) 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.

Psychic paper helps him get into a whole lot of places. Health and safety is a good excuse, he finds, to help him get into places. However, he's gotta keep his mind sharp. He enters the lounge. It's like one of those 1920 speakeasies. Or... maybe it is a 1920s speakeasy. The TARDIS isn't a reliable machine, as much as she is his home and his life— maybe he scanned a Friday night from some weird era. Whatever it was, he was inside now— and right there... at the bar. 

He gets suspicious about fate. Whenever it brings him to someone, he feels like the universe is about to put him through hell. However, his curiosity's just too damn loud to not approach her. He exhales. All he's gotta do is say something... smooth... right? Socializing. Humans do it all the time. He just approaches the bar, sits next to the pink woman he's accidentally been following through time, and—

"You're immortal, aren't you?"

Nailed it.

[cbjustmusic]

KT Tunstall performing Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue”. __________________________ Tangled Up In Blue Songwriter: Bob Dylan

Early one morning the sun was shining I was laying in bed Wondering if she'd changed at all If her hair was still red Her folks they said our lives together Sure was going to be rough They never did like Mama's homemade dress Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough And I was standing on the side of the road Rain falling on my shoes Heading out for the East Coast Lord knows I've paid some dues Getting through Tangled up in blue

She was married when we first met Soon to be divorced I helped her out of a jam, I guess But I used a little too much force We drove that car as far as we could Abandoned it out West Split up on a dark sad night Both agreeing it was best She turned around to look at me As I was walking away I heard her say over my shoulder "We'll meet again someday On the avenue" Tangled up in blue

I had a job in the great north woods Working as a cook for a spell But I never did like it all that much And one day the ax just fell So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I lucky was to be employed Working for a while on a fishing boat Right outside of Delacroix But all the while I was alone The past was close behind I seen a lot of women But she never escaped my mind And I just grew Tangled up in blue

She was working in a topless place And I stopped in for a beer I just kept looking at the side of her face In the spotlight, so clear And later on, when the crowd thinned out I was just about to do the same She was standing there, in back of my chair Said to me "Don't I know your name?" I muttered something underneath my breath She studied the lines on my face I must admit, I felt a little uneasy When she bent down to tie the laces Of my shoe Tangled up in blue

She lit a burner on the stove And offered me a pipe "I thought you'd never say hello" she said "You look like the silent type" Then she opened up a book of poems And handed it to me Written by an Italian poet From the thirteenth century And every one of them words rang true And glowed like burning coal Pouring off of every page Like it was written in my soul From me to you Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street In a basement down the stairs There was music in the cafes at night And revolution in the air Then he started into dealing with slaves And something inside of him died She had to sell everything she owned And froze up inside And when it finally, the bottom fell out I became withdrawn The only thing I knew how to do Was to keep on keeping on Like a bird that flew Tangled up in blue

So now I'm going back again I got to get to her somehow All the people we used to know They're an illusion to me now Some are mathematicians Some are carpenter's wives Don't know how it all got started I don't know what they're doing with their lives But me, I'm still on the road Heading for another joint We always did feel the same We just saw it from a different point of view Tangled up in blue

[hebimoonlightwrites]

hello! I love your blog, I have an idea about a conscious Au, you know when the characters are self-aware (about them being fictional, not real people ay) so let's say that paradox live is a game, how would they feel with a mc who always comes to see them and that she loves her group over the others, in addition to telling them that when she sees them, it is her happiest moment <3 with 1nm8✨ Tkm #Hebi100Special

Writer's corner: Hi! Thank you so much, darl! I love this idea so much!! Too bad you didn't get the surprise though, darl! I swear it could have been amazing!! But congrats for being the 5th request I got! Don't worry about the surprise! If they will be appreciated I'll do one for you too! Hope you'll like what I've written for now! Enjoy~

Warnings: Maybe it's a little bit sad- (Fem!mc!!!)

⋆𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐔⋆ 𝟏𝐍𝐦𝟖 (#𝐇𝐞𝐛𝐢𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥)

⋆Kei knew she was different.

⋆He seriously did..

⋆From the first day he saw her opening that game...

⋆He knew her sound had a different colour.

⋆She wasn't like the other people he had seen around, in streets.

⋆When he knew her, he thought to have finally found someone different..

⋆.. someone coloured among all those blank and same people.

⋆Her smile..

⋆Her sweetness..

⋆Everything was different.

⋆Kei really didn't understand how she could be that different.

⋆Every time he heard her calling his name..

⋆Every time he saw her bright smile..

⋆His heart stopped for a second.

⋆Congratulations!! You got SS!! Good job!!

⋆That's what there would be displayed on mc's smartphone, next to Kei's smiling sprite.

⋆"Yess!! I did it!! Kei! The performance has been amazing!!! 1Nm8 are always the best!!"

⋆Kei would be glad and smile softly as he hears those compliments..

⋆But in deep he'd know there would be something else..

⋆1Nm8 aren't real.

⋆They aren't actual singers.

⋆Their universe isn't the real one! S/o's one is!!

⋆"Do you really think so, Mc?... Heh.. I'm happy you did enjoy it..."

⋆Kei would feel his body becoming warmer, his cheeks would blush slightly and I think he would start playing with his own hands, kinda embarrassed but happy.

⋆He would think of telling s/o that they aren't real..

⋆But maybe she would already know it.

⋆"Kei.. I should thank you..", Mc would say after a while, suddenly looking sad, putting down his smartphone after getting another SS.

⋆"I should thank you and your fellows for cheering me up.. for being the only ones able to keep me company, to make me smile even when I'm sad.. I'm... I'm glad to have you all in my life.. You're my favourite team."

⋆Even if only a sprite on that display, Kei would smile softly.

⋆He would look down for a bit but come back to face that girl, who'd stare at the screen with her eyes but think something else.

⋆Some of mc's tears would fall on her smartphone and Kei would try to dodge them.

⋆After a while, though, he would try to approach her as much as he can do, then try to speak to her.

⋆"Mc... Thank you for your support.. I'm glad to know you as well.. You're amazing, you're so smart and sweet!... 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭… 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.."

⋆Itsuki is so rational.

⋆He could be aware that his universe is not the real one even now.

⋆He's also so rational that he could also seem dry towards the people around him.

⋆Itsuki doesn't really show emotions or affection, nor know their meanings.

⋆He prefers to use his own mind.

⋆But he couldn't hide that he'd enjoy seeing how happy mc looks when she listens to their music.

⋆He'd smile even if softly, seeing those eyes closed in peace and those soft lips of hers slowly creating a cute smile.

⋆Itsuki's heart would get warmer.

⋆He'd start wondering about those emotions he'd feel seeing mc.

⋆However, he'd keep her company whenever she'd start that game in which he and the others are actually living in.

⋆Yes..

⋆Because he knew that he's not real, as well as the other 1Nm8 aren't either.

⋆Since he's the rational one, I feel like he'd be the first one among 1Nm8 to realize the truth.

⋆After that, he'd start to look around every time he goes outside and sees people.

⋆Congratulations!! You got SS!! Good job!!

⋆Again..

⋆That game's display with Itsuki's sprite.

⋆He looks serious as usual to mc's eyes.

⋆"I really like your voice, Itsuki! It's so calm and relaxing! It's my favourite one!"

⋆Does she really?...

⋆But... Itsuki and 1Nm8 are not real!!

⋆Doesn't mc know it?

⋆Maybe she doesn't...

⋆"Is it?... Uhm... Thank you, mc.."

⋆"You know, Itsuki... I know you probably can understand me, in deep, but... I'm always so happy when I see you all performing.. Your songs manage to warm up my heart and soul.. Your voices mixed all together are the best sound I've ever heard.. You're my favourite team and I really hope you'll win every round!"

⋆Every time Itsuki would ask himself more if mc knows or not the truth.

⋆He'd want to tell her in order to avoid any kind of sorrow.

⋆But still..

⋆He couldn't do that but would stop before saying it.

⋆Itsuki would simply sigh and close his eyes for a moment.

⋆Then he'd re-open them only to see mc's smile.

⋆"You always express so many emotions, mc.. It kinda makes me feel so confused.. But I appreciate the fact that you listen to our music and that you like it. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞."

⋆Definitely contrary to Itsuki, who's the rational and dry one, Rokuta is the friendly and innocent one among 1Nm8.

⋆He would be the last one to discover the truth.

⋆No doubt.

⋆And in deep I feel like he'd also be very sad to know that, well..

⋆He doesn't exist.

⋆Rokuta would enjoy a lot going out with mc.

⋆He'd bring her to eat some karaage with him and would be like the best friend among all.

⋆I totally can imagine them both hanging out and having fun even in amusement parks!

⋆"This is fun!!!"

⋆Besides he'd surely appreciate a lot the support mc would give him and the others.

⋆Even if very tall, he's such a kind-hearted guy (or, as I say, A POTATO qwq)

⋆Congratulations!! You got SS!! Good job!!

⋆"Waaaahhh!!! Amazing, mc!! You did it!! You're always so great!!!"

⋆Rokuta would be the best supporter for mc!

⋆He'd always be so happy to see her achieving something!

⋆Exactly like a dog when it's happy and runs around his owner after seeing them coming back home.

⋆Rokuta would love to see mc happy, to hear her laughter..

⋆That's why he'd look at her even on roller-coasters.

⋆He'd lost himself in that smile.

⋆It'd be the most beautiful one on the world.

⋆On his world.

⋆The thought of being from a non-existent world would make him sad for a few seconds..

⋆..until he'd feel mc's hand on his one and her voice.

⋆"Come on, Rokuta!! Let's do it again!!"

⋆And..

⋆Again..

⋆That display with Rokuta's smiling sprite.

⋆He told her she did amazingly.

⋆Does mc know that they aren't real?

⋆Perhaps she does.

⋆"Let's do another round, mc!!"

⋆She'd replay.

⋆Then there would be a new 1Nm8 performance.

⋆Those voices all together...

⋆Those white clothes..

⋆Their eyes..

⋆The Phantometals' illusions..

⋆Their attempts to spread the idea of recreating the world all over again.

⋆Every kind of special effects on that stage would make mc open her own eyes wide for the umpteenth time.

⋆She'd have already heard them singing tons of times before...

⋆But still she'd get emotional again, like if it was the first time hearing those voices.

⋆It'd be great if everyone was "happy", no?

⋆And again..

⋆Congratulations!! You got SS!! Good job!!

⋆"Rokuta!! It's been fantastic!!"

⋆He'd turn to face mc and would smile brightly.

⋆"Thank you so much for being here, Rokuta.. You and 1Nm8 are the ones who give me enough strength to start each day.. You're my favourite ones and I really love seeing your performances! You deserve to win~!"

⋆Rokuta would hug her or even simply put his hand on her head.

⋆"Waaah! Aww, thank you, Mc!! You're the best, actually!"

⋆He'd say and see mc exiting the game, as he'd get innocently serious and face his fellows.

⋆"Do you.. 𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰?"

©hebimoonlightwrites_tumblr Please, do not copy my contents nor repost it without my permission.

[daisydezem]

Rise of the Elemental Guardians

Session 1: The shining city in shadow

Eldoria, 5571, Equilibriuma, Luminara, Dawn Square

Under the radiant daylight, the city of Luminara flourished with life and vibrancy. Its streets bustled with merchants, performers, and locals going about their daily routines. The city was renowned for its grandeur and diversity, attracting visitors from far and wide.

On this particular day, the sun shone brilliantly overhead, casting a warm golden glow upon the city. The air was filled with the aroma of blooming flowers and the sounds of laughter and music. Luminara's beauty and prosperity seemed unmatched, a haven of peace and prosperity.

Amidst the backdrop of bustling streets, we find four individuals thay found themselves drawn to Luminara for different reasons. Unbeknownst to them, their paths were about to intertwine in an unexpected and profound way.

Maldus, Dwarf, Cleric, Sailor. In the city to explore new places, hear and tell stories, taste different beers, he finds himself in the Golden Goblet. He talks to the barmaid Kiera and tries her homemade merchant meal. It's delicious, and he orders more. He attempts to converse with the grumpy owner, Rowntree, but he shows no interest. Afterward, he sits down with a group of young men discussing a lady they've met. Maldus tells them an epic, not entirely true story that they wholeheartedly believe. "A dog comes home with a dirty, dead rabbit in its mouth. The dog's owner recognizes, to his shock, that it's the neighbour's rabbit. He thinks his dog killed it. The man cleans the rabbit with soapy water and dries its fur. In the evening, he places the bunny back in its hutch at the neighbour's. He hopes the neighbors will assume their pet died naturally. Shortly after, the neighbour comes to tell him what happened: their rabbit had died, and they had buried it in the garden. A few days later, it was back in its hutch" The young men were so impressed that they started sharing the story, and that it would be likely songs about it would be sung!

Oxi, High Elf, Druid, Outlander. In the city for supplies. After his home tribe in Galea was burned down by orcs, he had been alone, but now his supplies were running out. He had sneaked onto a boat, Maldus' boat, to get to the city. Once in the city, he didn't feel comfortable amidst the crowds and various races, initially choosing to sit under a tree. After a while, he ventured into the bustling marketplace in search of supplies.

Nieven, High Elf, Sorcerer, Lord Noble. In the city with a partial map, searching for his love. Hopefully, someone could tell him more. His family from Aureline Crest disapproved of the relationship. On Dawn Square, he seeks someone who can help decipher the map, a clue to where his love might be. He found a stall selling roses that could never wither; they were actually cards. The stall owner didn't recognize the map but tried to swindle him to buy one but in the end failed and directed him to the bookstore. There, a gnome behind the counter recognized it as an old map of a castle and sold him a map her brother Neal had made of the continent.

Tav, Tiefling, Warlock, Hermit. In the city in search of what her vision showed. Banished from Misthaven to Ebonreach Isle, she lived alone, studying the island's magic. She had a vision of an unknown patron of Luminara in the darkness, terrible things, and three individuals. Two high elves and a dwarf. She had to find them. Upon arriving at Dawn Square, she avoided the crowds until she spotted a high elf who resembled one of the two.

Tav wasn't the only one who noticed the high elf Nieven. Oxi had also seen him and, as one of the few other high elves, felt a sense of trust. Meanwhile, Tav recognized Oxi as well and loudly exclaimed, "I know you!" She began running toward Oxi, who was startled and ran toward the only familiar thing he had seen so far, the other high elf entering the bookstore. Just before he could open the door, the strange tiefling tried to grab him. He ducked in time, and Tav stumbled but managed to stay on her feet. At that moment, the bookstore door opened, and Nieven was about to step out. Confused by the situation, Nieven directed the trio to the Golden Goblet to find out what was happening.

They took a seat next to a dwarf who was telling grand stories and wes treated to more beers. Tav recognized the dwarf; he was also in her vision. She pointed and called out to him. After an interruption and an awkward, uneasy conversation with the barmaid, the dwarf also joined them. Tav shared her vision. The others were sceptical but convinced she wasn't lying.

Nieven also took the opportunity to inquire about the map from the others. They could tell him it was from the Age of Warring Kingdoms, depicted a castle, and was on this continent, but not a precise location.

At that moment, it began to get dark, which Kiera, the barmaid, found strange. Suddenly, an unease spread, and Maldus was the first to go outside. Oxi and tav followed. Nieven first made sure the people inside stayed and the door was closed before following. They saw two hooded figures making hand gestures and whispering. It grew even darker, and they realized it was a solar eclipse. Suddenly, two shadows appeared on the square, and the hooded figures ran toward the Tower of Eternity.

Maldus attacked the shadows, Nieven shouted for people on the square to flee, Tav joined the fight and tried to jump onto a rooftop but hit a wall, and Oxi pursued the hooded figures, causing one to step into a hunting trap. He subdued one and handed them over to a guard, Captain Roderick. The other had hidden in the darkness and was lost. All they knew was that something was heard heading toward the Tower of Eternity.

[holdonunreal]

Chapter 4: Talentshow (Part 1)

The time has come for Y/N and Karasu to prepare for their appearance in the evening talent show. Y/N didn't think about the fact that the whole normal school day would come before that.

Karasu and Boxy even help him to develop his ability and prepare him for the perfect performance.

Now it's all or nothing!

---

Here I am again, a new chapter for the AU.

7.3 K words and slowly the story really begins, with a Boulder in Y/N's life that will change everything forever.

Have fun reading and let me know how you liked this chapter!

---

Y/N Pov:

I hate Fridays. Basically they're okay, weekend and no school until Monday. And that's exactly what it is, until Monday. After that it just goes on and on and somehow nobody cares.

Get up, wash my face, put on the same gray hoodie and take some pants out of the closet. Even pouring water into a glass...with my Telekinesis. All the time I have the feeling I've forgotten something, something important...

The Talentshow

Damn, why am I participating again? Oh well, about the prize money...1000 dollars. And the trip only costs 600 so I could just keep the rest. Although, Karasu probably wants to get paid for his 'Incredible Talent' too. So while he's talking to people, I'll be constantly using my Telekinesis and doing tricks that no one has ever seen before. And in front of I don't know how many people. How big is this theater anyway?

I keep thinking, even though I should be looking at the road while I'm on my way to the bus stop. But the incredibly loud music from my headphones doesn't let me hear a car anyway, which I'm really grateful for. The bus stop is already in front of me, and I just stand under it...and wait.

I'm supposed to play a magician, how should I actually dress for it? I don't have any robes or a hat. So a wizard in a gray hoodie and dirty pants, that's going to be bad. I at least hope that there are still buses running at these times tonight, if not, then I'm definitely not going to walk for hours to the campus. What for? To make a clown of myself in front of hundreds of people. Definitely not. When I think of all the card tricks I've seen on the internet...can I even make several objects float? Before, I only ever managed to do one thing at a time, but I didn't really try.

Quiet Vibration

My Phone? Who is texting me so early? I already have a suspicion as I take it out of my pocket, which is confirmed as soon as my display goes on.

"I'm getting on board at the second stop! Get us a good seat and don't stare at the ass of-

I don't read any further, at least I can imagine how the message ends. This blonde girl...DogDay I think her name was. She's nice, beautiful, has a pleasant voice and is on a completely different level to me. According to Karasu, she is also the student representative of the university. Sounds like the complete opposite of me.

At that moment, the bus stops in front of me and I get on immediately. It's completely empty, not a single person, really great. No people looking at me funny, or quietly sniggering and teasing me. I sit down in my standard seat again, one in front of the last row. I sit by the window and look out as the bus drives on. Empty streets, green fields and hardly any people. And I continue to think...

What courses do I have today?

I look at my Phone and go through my timetable. Considering that Friday is actually the start of the weekend, my day looks pretty shit. First two hours of math, then economics. The sight of math makes me feel like I'm going to puke. The last time I understood math was in high school, and even then I wasn't really good. I've actually only gotten ahead so far by luck, 'How the hell did I even pass the entrance test? After the two classes there's another hour of English and PE, basically I'd give anything to stay home today.

And I still haven't paid attention to the worst part. The God-damned * talent show * that we have to win, so to speak. What kind of magic tricks are we supposed to do anyway? We must be on this stage for ten to twenty minutes, I don't think a few card tricks are enough to impress people. Especially not the judges. *Can I even manage to use my telekinesis in front of so many people and not drown in nervousness? *. What happens if I suddenly can't do it or-?

"What's going on with you, dude!"

Fuck, who-

"Relax, we're taking everything apart today...Cause we have a real magician here"

Karasu always scares the shit out of me, how do I not notice him? He whispers the last part unpleasantly in my ear as the bus starts to move on. I didn't even notice that it had stopped. Karasu quickly squeezes into the completely empty seat next to me, and once again I notice the big difference.

Not only is he a complete head taller, he is also much wider. After all, he has twice as much P.E lessons a week as I do. I look like a child next to him, 'Do people see me like that?

"Come on, don't get nervous, I've already thought of something good!"  Now I'm curious, he's already thought of something?

"Yes, and what? How long do we even have to stand there and put on a show-

"Magic" That's all he says, on the contrary, he even interrupts me. I stare at him, he does that to me all the time. He turns to my right and runs his hands through his black hair, which he pulls up into a spike. When I look at him like that, he kind of reminds me of a Crow.

"Oh and... I don't know how long we have to put on a show"  Fuck, he doesn't know that?! We fucking have to perform today, don't we? It's going to be a complete embarrassment. 'But what does he mean by magic?

"Magic?"

"Exactly magic"

"What exactly?"

"Simple, we'll introduce ourselves first and I hope you can do that without wetting your pants." He pauses for a moment and, as always, I ignore the obvious insult.

"We, well you! will let cards fly, to start with. Then you juggle with a few small balls and let them fly in the air! I'll stand next to you and drink an Energy... Or something"

To be honest, it sounds terrible. Not just the part where I constantly have to use my head to make cards or balls fly. It's also that Karasu can't do anything for the most part, so he's often standing next to me. But that's also a good thing, hopefully he'll talk to the audience and not just make me look stupid. Just the thought of standing there in the stands in complete silence and doing tricks doesn't appeal to me.

"And then at the end, comes the Ultimate Master Trick!"  To be honest, I don't like the way he emphasizes that. 'Master trick?' What am I supposed to do better than let some cards fly?

"You will... walk on an invisible rope" That's it, he just stops talking. I don't understand a bit, 'What kind of rope?' And I'm supposed to do this? Why? Shit, why doesn't he say anything?

"Dude, don't wet your pants, it's really easy."   If he keeps playing with me like that, I'm going to freak out.

"Now say it!"

"All right, have you ever been to the theater?"

"No"

"Oh yeah! You skipped half a year"  What an ass.

"Anyway, it's really huge, and at the front of the platform it goes straight out to the front row, you know what I'm saying?"

I'm about to say no, but he's quicker again.

"So YOU will walk off the podium...very slowly across the air, and then drop your wizard hat in front of one of the people from the jury."

What a stupid idea! I can't fucking fly. I get a headache just turning a door blade with my mind, how am I supposed to make myself fly in the air? And besides, 'What kind of wizard's hat?'

"If you can't manage it somehow, I can take over that part"

"ok"   That's the only thing I can get out right now, no more, no less. I don't think I'll be able to keep Karasu in the air long enough while he's walking towards the jury. 'How much does he weigh anyway?

At that moment, I notice how the bus stops abruptly. Students push their way through the bus and all stand in the way. Karasu and I remain seated for a moment, but get up after a few seconds and leave the bus.

"Well then, special needs student!"  He really does have a new nickname for me every day, and they all suck.

"Wait a minute, where are you going?"  I thought I had Math with him?

"To gym class you crybaby, I'll see you later in economics!"

I'm about to reply and he's already gone, putting headphones in his ears and walking to one of the huge sports halls on campus. When I think about it, Karasu seems to be really athletic. Tall, sturdy body...something I can only dream of. Somehow I'm glad he's my friend at the same time, he could be hanging out with much better people than me.

But I can think about that later, now it's time to pay attention in class after missing a year of school and get good grades.

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

Math:

I'm really lucky that the seat in the back corner is free. But it could also be because Boxy is sitting next to it. Well, he's about to slip out of the chair the way he's lying there. With his Phone in front of his face and his math book open in front of him.

I can hear people whispering as soon as I enter the room.

"Is that him?"

"Shit, no way has he been the only one to make it"

"So is he going to work here later or what?"

"He's really Weird, just look how he walks"

"Yes, as if he was about to collapse on the floor crying"

I stop listening and put my bag down next to the free table. As I sit down, I stare at the blank slate and turn to Boxy a little, thinking he might tell me the topic so I can check the book to see if I know it. I ignore every comment anyone says to me, even if it's not to my face. I tap Boxy's shoulder lightly and keep looking at him.

"What is it?" He says as he continues to type hastily on his Phone and doesn't give me a glance. I take my math book out of my bag and hold it up to him, so to speak.

"Can you tell me the topic? I want to see if-

"Page 170 or so, it's really boring anyway" Page 170? Dammit, this is how far the course has come in one semester? I remember something around page 20.

"Ehm, thanks," I turn away from him and lay my book open on my desk. I leaf through it for a while, looking for the exact page, sometimes I'm much further on and sometimes just 10 pages away. But then I finally find it -

What the hell is this? There's not a bit of text on the page, just some formulas that are several lines long and mostly made up of letters. Shit! I don't understand anything and I have to be able to do that?

"Hello everyone"

That was it, the rest of the lesson was...Horrible . Miss Delight, who I could still remember, came in and welcomed everyone to the new semester. I just hoped the whole time that she wasn't taking attendance and that I would have to embarrass myself in front of everyone. I was quite lucky, because she had apparently forgotten.

I somehow tried to write down notes or something important about the lesson but couldn't manage anything. It felt like I was in a foreign language class.

The only thing that stuck in my mind from the lesson was when Miss Delight called on Boxy to complete a task. He looked forward in shock, which caused his book to fall over and everyone saw that he had been on his Phone the whole time. She then came to him and took it away, but just as she stopped looking, he put the book back down and took a bag out of his backpack. The bag was filled with some kind of bread, he always tore off a small piece and quickly stuffed it into his mouth. Once he also asked me if I wanted a piece, I just replied with a quick no, and he continued eating in peace.

In between, I kept seeing people looking at me as if I was disgusting them. It really sucks that I don't know anyone in this course, I can't ask anyone for help or understand the lessons.

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

Economy:

I was quite lucky here, as Karasu and Boxy are in this class with me. Karasu was waiting for me outside the door and grinned at me the whole time as if I had done something wrong. We were the first to enter the room and the three of us sat at the back, which was already standard. There were 5 tables for four in the room, I don't know why but at least we could all sit together at one.

After a few minutes, looking down at the table the whole time, Karasu punched me in the ribs. It didn't hurt as much as usual, and I looked at him because I wanted to know what the hell was going on now.

"Look at the door!" He said while wearing a wide, almost creepy grin on his face. When I looked, my head went blank.

DogDay came in and stood at the door with a few of her friends. She wore an orange sweater and grinned the whole time she was standing there. Next to her stood a girl with longer black hair, she didn't look at DogDay and looked at the floor while the group talked. I kept watching the way she moved, almost perfectly. The way her blonde hair moved as she spoke, her hands always finding the perfect position for emphasis and her eyes that were as beautiful as the sun. They were clear and shining.

And when she smiled, her cheeks pushed upwards and her eyes disappeared into narrow slits with a sparkle in them... or something like that.

I didn't even know she was on this course.

But I never really paid attention to people either

"Dude close your mouth, you're starting to drool."  How I sometimes just want to kill Karasu.

"Shut up Karasu"

"Sorry dude, I didn't mean to offend you and your girlfriend"

I'm about to interject and tell him that it's not true, that he has no idea what he's talking about. But I just couldn't get a word out and that was it. At that moment, however, the teacher came in and rescued me from my pathetic situation. But the next one followed immediately.

"So we have a lot of lessons today and I want to get you through to the exams, so get your attendance up quickly and open your books to page 91!"

I can't remember his name, but I don't like him anyway. He never cared if anyone didn't understand the material, he just got on with the lesson. At least I can ask Karasu here though, he liked the course and got through it quite well...I hope it stayed that way.

"Y/N?"  Oh shit did he call me? Fuck should I get up now?

Karasu pokes me in the ribs again and quickly whispers something in my ear.

"Don't embarrass yourself in front of your girlfriend, dude!"

"Y/N!"

"Y-Yes ?"

"Ah, so that's you...Where did you come from?"   Shit! What kind of question is that? Ok, I answer normally and calmly.

"I-I...."

Silence is the only thing I can hear. Not even my own voice. what the fuck am i supposed to answer this stupid question?  FUCK WHAT CAN I SAY?

"He's new here sir!"  Huh?

"Ah...Next time you don't answer Karasu, but Mr. Y/N"

The rest of the lesson was a bit like math. Nothing understood and nothing done. Besides, my eyes kept going to the front seats...

-----------

"Dude, what was going on with you in Economics?"

I don't want to answer, I don't even really know myself. We're walking around the cafeteria, Boxy and Karasu have grabbed something to eat and now we're looking for a free table. Boxy is holding the tablet with one hand and his Phone in the other.

Karasu got something from the menu of the day, noodles with some kind of sauce and pieces of chicken. Boxy, however, only had noodles. Why? I have no idea.

We finally found a seat and sat down, Boxy slammed his tablet down on the table and took the Phone in both hands and started pressing wildly again. Karasu looked at me as if he could read my mind 'Kind of creepy'. While Boxy sat down on the other side, Karasu and I sat next to each other.

"So I've already thought of something extra for the trick with the juggling balls. I'll juggle them and you'll let them float in the air. While you just stand there at first, but then I'll take a step back and take a sip from my energy drink."

"And then what? Should I hold them in the air for minutes or what?"  I don't quite understand how Karasu imagined exactly all the tricks we would do. Whether I can even manage to keep the multiple objects in the air is another question entirely.

"No, while I'm still drinking, you stand under the balls for a moment. And throw them through the air at me one after the other with your telekinesis!"

Stupid idea, I don't know how hard I can throw with my mind.

"So your magic show only consists of Y/N making things fly in the air with his Telekinesis?"

"Don't worry Boxy, we've got something really special for the last trick you know! No one will-

"Hey Karasu" 

"Huh?"

Karasu turned to the back, obviously one of his colleagues was talking to him. But I've heard that voice before, 'Who's that?

"No thing Kickin! Sit down" Kickin? I turn around and see the guy who called DogDay on the bus...As I stared like an idiot with my mouth open.

And there she was again, DogDay. She sat down on the side opposite this black-haired girl, smiling the whole time. I quickly look away and back at the table, 'I'm getting nervous'.

"Karasu?"

"Hm Yes?"

"You're performing tonight too, right?"  Also? Shit don't tell me DogDay will be performing too?

"Yes"

"What are you doing?"  Karasu, think of something clever, and don't make us look like the biggest idiots.

"A magic show"   Shit Karasu Shut the fuck up!

At Karasu's statement, this guy with his hair curled up starts laughing loud. The girl next to him also seems to giggle a little, as if we've just embarrassed ourselves in front of hundreds of people or something.

"Several people do that, you know? You still have a chance to think of something else...so only if you want to" 

She's really to nice, she even tells us that it's a stupid idea. Karasu now don't fuck it up and say that-

"Yes, but none of them have what we have!" 

I slowly lift my head from the table to see why it has become so quiet. And at that moment, Karasu punches me in the ribs again, harder than before. I look into DogDay's eyes for a brief moment while she starts talking to someone else again.

But suddenly she turns her head towards me and looks back.

Shit

Why am I still looking?

I have to look away

And then...she smiles. She smiles at me, the strange little guy sitting at the edge of the table. Hiding under a hood and staring at the table the whole time? My heart is beating louder than I could ever hear it, and my hands are sweating terribly. 'Am I embarrassing myself right now?

But then she looks away again and continues talking to the group. The warmth in my stomach leaves me, slowly but surely. I look quickly at Boxy, just so I don't have to think about her all the time.

"Are you actually hungry?"  Karasu again, oh man.

"No"

"Oh come on, just because we're sitting here and not in the library?"

That's exactly what I don't like about him. He can see through people quickly, I don't know how he does it, but he's damn good at it. I prefer to eat in the library, if anything. Fewer people and it's quieter, which I much prefer to a noisy cafeteria.

I wasn't paying attention, but it seems that Karasu and Boxy have already finished eating. So we get up and walk in the direction of the exit.

But I look back at the table and see her again. I could have sworn she was looking in my direction, but at that moment we're already out.

---------

English went by faster than I thought it would, not only because I hardly took part, but because I was thinking about DogDay the whole time. The way she was smiling the whole time, even looking at me once, just thinking about it makes me feel weird.

P.E is canceled, which means I'm going to Boxy's dorm room to discuss the plan for the talent show. As far as I know, Karasu and Boxy finished before me and are probably already waiting for me.

Knock Knock

"Come in!"

With that, I slowly opened the door, the rough wood slid past my fingers and then let me look into the room. Karasu and Boxy were sitting in the middle of the room, at a big red tower made of Lego pieces. The floor was completely full of individual Lego bricks. I think this is the first time I've seen Boxy without his Phone 'Must finally be running out of battery'.

"Sit down, we have to go through everything slowly now so that your Idiot brain gets it"

I walk towards them, but close the door behind me first. My steps are light, I can barely hear them. My arms walk lifelessly along the air of the room and I feel somehow...empty. I sit down on the floor, in the tailor's seat, and look at the Lego tower. It's only half built, it's still missing the helicopter landing pad on top and a couple of bricks on the side.

"So, you said you move things with your mind" What kind of question is that?

"Yes?"

"You always closed your eyes when you did that, didn't you?"

"Yes, I imagine it...And then it just happens"

"Exactly Exactly...You can't do that anymore"

What? How else am I supposed to move things? I just have to concentrate, and I can't do that if I have my eyes open.

"Imagine it Y/N, we're standing there, cards flying and everything. But you have your eyes closed the whole time. Strange, isn't it?" He's right, but I don't know how else to do it.

"So now, with your eyes open and perhaps even better your arms, you will finish building this Lego tower with your telekinesis"

"I-Im n-not Doing Shit!, I-I can't do it Karasu!.... Even with my eyes closed it's hard"

"I have a hunch that this ability is something like a muscle, you know?"  A muscle? It doesn't feel like that at all. Besides, I hardly have any muscles!

"So I have a fucking good idea! That's like a sixth sense for you, you stretch out your arm and imagine it happening in front of your mind's eye!"

Wait a minute... It doesn't sound that difficult.

I lean forward slightly and look at the large helicopter pad in front of me. I look at the tower again, there are still a few supports to go before the large slab can go on top. I take out my hands and hold them between me and the supports on the ground. I try to imagine how the supports slowly lift themselves off the ground and float through the air. Until they place themselves on the Great Red Tower.

*Yet somehow nothing happens*

"I-I just can't get t-that right"

"Come on, very slowly and carefully"

I try to concentrate on the supports again and imagine them gliding through the air for just a short time. Until they land on the tower with a small movement of the hand. For a very brief moment, I see one of the supports move on the ground, but then it stays there again. 'As if I had blown against it'

I really do my best, I try harder than ever before when using my telekinesis. That feeling I had the first time I used it, I can feel it very easily. I keep my eyes open as I point my right finger at the parts. For a moment I notice how my eyes become a little blurred, but I continue to concentrate. My ears feel muffled, but I don't care...The only thing that matters right now is developing my telekinesis.

And then a prop suddenly floats before my eyes

"Holy shit!"

"What the?"

"Dude you did it!"

"Can he do that now?"

"Oh can see that Boxy! Y/N Is a god damn pro!"

"Wow"

"Shit How do you do that?"

But I don't listen to them, I let the other parts fly through the air at lightning speed. With small finger movements, they finally click onto the tower. All six of them are supported from the ground, now in the tower and holding the pillars in place for the helicopter. The only thing I have to do now is put it on top.

"Dude he's developing too fast Damn dude you've got it!"

"Wait..."  That's the only thing I say to him, even though he sounds like he's more nervous than I am. I can't get my sweaty hands and my loudly beating heart under control.

I lean my left arm back and stretch my right in Boxy's direction towards the helicopter landing pad. I no longer have to imagine it completely, it feels like electricity is running through my fingers as I point. With a feeling I can't describe myself, the Lego landing pad is suddenly in the air. I move it slowly past Boxy and into the middle of the three of us. I leave it standing over the tower for a moment and notice how my face feels kind of funny, but I don't make them wait and place the landing pad on the supports and thus on the tower with a loud click. I let my right arm fall back and wait for her reaction.

"Dude! How the hell did you...shit how!"

"That was really cool Y/N"

I look at Karasu's face for a moment, he's still looking at the Lego tower with a broad grin. Then he turns his head towards me and stares at me for a few seconds.

"Boxy Look at that! Have you ever seen him smile!"  What? I'm smiling? I somehow have a warm feeling in my face, but it doesn't feel like a smile 'I never do'.

"Yes Karasu, he's bleeding now too"

Oh shit, it's that warm feeling.

"Oh shit..."  He turns away from me and shoves his hand into the pocket of his jacket lying on the floor next to him. He rummages around for a few seconds and then finally shoves a tissue in front of my face.

I slowly wipe my nose and then hold the now slightly red stained tissue in front of my face.

"Dude you just fully evolved! All of a sudden you stick your hand out like this, and these props fly Holy shit!"

"I've done it" Somehow I feel good, as if I've just achieved the impossible...that's actually what it is.

"Dude, you've not only made it, you've literally evolved!"

"Y/N That was really cool"  Thanks for that Boxy.

"Dude you are unbelievable! that was just...I can just find a word for it!"

"So... what's the show plan?"   I feel slightly out of breath, like I've run home.

"Wow, someone wants to get down to business quickly, well here's my plan!"

He hands me a sheet, a fairly blank sheet. I can't read anything at first, my eyes are still a little blurry. Now I can slowly make it out and read the beginning:

"Hey guys, are you ready for our magic show!"

"Yeah you don't have to read my part"  Wow Karasu, good start.

I read on and realize how God damn stupid burnt everything sounds. It often says here that I should turn to the audience and smile...shit, this is getting uncomfortable.

"Yes, you can read that part at home, now go home and get changed!" He suddenly holds a black sports bag in front of my face and continues to grin at me. I wanted to go home anyway, to prepare myself mentally, 'Use my powers in front of so many people'

If I don't manage that, I'm sure I'll embarrass myself more than ever before.

"Wait," I turn to Karasu, waiting to see what he wants to tell me. He goes to Boxy's cupboard and pulls out some packaging. A few seconds later he comes back and holds a medicine box in front of my face, looks like-

"Aspirin! Take one, and now go home and practice your part. I'll be there in about two hours and then we'll go together!"

He's picking me up later? With what? Anyway, I'm going home first to see what exactly I have to do on stage.

--------

I'm home alone as usual, just sitting here on my bed looking at Karasu's 'script'. If you can even call it that, a half page with large font 'straight out of Word'. I had to read some of the words twice and three times to understand them. There are often sentences in brackets:

"Y/N make them fall down or something"

I'm definitely not going to do that, I don't want to embarrass anyone in front of so many people. The only ones to be embarrassed will be me and Karasu anyway. I hope there's no one who has similar tricks to us, after all, there are several people who will 'cast spells'. I read through Karasu's instructions again on how the show will take place:

1. don't be nervous and don't piss your pants in front of everyone.

Thank you for this great first step Karasu.

2. it's best not to look at the audience and concentrate on the tricks. If you get upset and things suddenly fall out of the air onto us, then we look stupid.

We'll probably be standing there looking stupid anyway, and I won't be looking at the audience under any circumstances.

3. show everyone that we are the best and impress your crush.

I put the script down and push Karasu's bag towards me. It's quite heavy and much too big for me, I hope it doesn't contain his sweaty sports clothes.

And in Karasu's Bag is....

A magician's suit with a top hat

Couldn't he have gotten something else? Maybe a black suit just like that? Or just not a fucking costume? Never mind, I'll wear it later...or?. I touch the fabric a little, 'very soft'. Then I stand up and put on the suit, then put on the hat and that's it. I don't really look like a magician, but I think it looks good on a magician. But I still have this annoying grin on my face, it just won't go away. But somehow it feels good.

As I walk past my bed, I see that there are more things in the bag. A pair of decks of cards, 'probably for practicing'. I open the deck and spill the cards on the floor. Now that I'm standing over them, I'm not even concentrating properly. I just hold out my right arm and point to the floor with my index finger and middle finger. With a slight movement of my fingers, the cards magically start to lift off the ground. I let them glide briefly in the air until I finally let them fly into my hand. It's cool to see them glide through the air to my hand. Even when I turn my right hand over and let them fall into my palm, it doesn't stop.

So I can use my hands now, but I can also move things with just my mind. I don't even have to close my eyes.

ding-dong

What, already?

I quickly put the deck of cards on the bed and start walking. Through my room, along the corridor and now I'm standing in front of the front door. Normally I always look through the hole in the door, but not this time, I open the door directly.

"Wow, you look good, dude!"  Karasu, that was clear. 'Wait, how did he get here so quickly?

"Come on, pack your things and let's go. The show starts in an hour!"  In an hour already? Shit, that's going to be tight with the bus. I quickly turn around and run to my room, I still have to put on clothes over this suit and pack all the decks. I quickly stand by the bed and take out my hoodie. I quickly turn it to the right side and put it on. I'm already nervous

"Hey, don't wet your pants, man." I didn't even notice Karasu standing at the entrance to my room.

"Do you see this?" Huh? I look at him and he grins at me as if he's done something bad. But then I hear a small metallic clack and look to his left hand, which he has raised next to his head. He was holding a car key between his thumb and forefinger, a fairly modern one that was jet black.

"Since when have you?..."  I can't get another word out, I just can't think of a suitable one.

"Well! You were really absent for a long time, you know, so I got my driver's license quickly!"  I wasn't expecting that at all, 'Karasu has his driver's license?' And I still haven't started.

"Now come on, we really have to get going if you want a seat next to your girlfriend!" I quickly put the stuff in the bag and run to him at the door, as if I would ever sit next to her...I don't nearly have the courage to sit next to DogDay...Wait a minute why did I think of her directly when he said girlfriend?

I close the door behind me as we walk out, Karasu has parked right outside the front door. I don't really know much about car brands, but the car is really nice. All black, bright lights at the front and the shape is really cool. 'But the badge has a weird sign on the front?

"We impress everyone with that, you know?" 

"Why is the badge-

"Its a rental car"

I see. It was clear that it didn't belong to Karasu, how could I even think that for a few seconds?

I sit in the passenger seat with my bag on my lap. Karasu drives off and I quickly fasten my seatbelt - he doesn't, by the way. The car is pretty quiet and the windows are incredibly clean. While Karasu really gets on the road, I just look out the whole time as we slowly leave the more rural part and head towards the city. There is virtually no oncoming traffic and it is dark.

I wouldn't have thought that someone like Karasu could drive so perfectly, of course he's not stupid. He's smarter than me, by far. But I would have thought he was someone who drives as fast as he can all the time 'But he doesn't'. He drives slowly and smoothly along the roads, and doesn't talk.

From a distance I can already see the large yellow traffic signs with the inscription "PLAYTIME CO. COLLEGE". These are the only signs that glow in the dark, the rest of the signs are barely recognizable. Karasu turns right once and starts to turn his head a little.

"Do you know how many people can fit in the theater?"  No? How would you know?

"No"

"You can guess"  Why should I guess at all? Just say it, well then I'll take a guess.

"So... 500 people?"

"Hmmmm Next to it!"  What? More than 500 people? Shit, what kind of theater is this?

"Ehm... 2000 people?"

"Hmmmm Double that and you're a little closer"

WHAT? DOUBLE? 4000??? HE'S TAKING THE PISS! MORE THAN 4000 STUDENTS?  fuck how big is this damn theater? WHO WANTS TO PERFORM THERE VOLUNTARILY?

"But don't piss yourself, there are only 3,000 people coming, so it won't be like this."

"You're kidding me right? 3000 people? WHAT KIND OF THEATER IS THIS?" I shouted the last part, but it's obvious that I don't want to appear in front of 3000 people. My legs are already starting to feel like pudding and my hands are sweating so much that I'm wiping them on my sports bag every few seconds.

"You can get excited, don't worry... Oh, we're already here!"

Fuck, I didn't look out of the window, but it wouldn't have done me any good anyway. We are already standing on the huge campus, but not where the bus stops, but on the complete other side. But you can still see the big university building from here, after all, a bunch of lanterns are shining everywhere and make it look like it's still afternoon.

Karasu abruptly stops the car and gets out a second later. I'm still sitting in here, I don't think I've ever been so nervous. If I don't get the first place with Karasu, I'll miss the ride and get all the missed classes SHIT I CANT DO THIS BRING ME BACK

"Come on out now, it's time to go"

I get out of the car with my sports bag in both hands. When I put my right leg down on the hard asphalt, I feel like I'm going to fall over. Somehow I manage to stand up completely, even better I can walk straight out. Karasu presses his key and the car locks behind us with a honk.

"Ehm, we'll talk about my part of the money later"

HOW CAN HE BE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW? i don't give a rat's ass!

We first walk along a stone path, just straight ahead. I can hardly feel my legs but I can still hold myself up.

"You've read the script, haven't you?"

"Y-Yes" Shit I'm starting to stutter again!

"Good, then we'll get it sorted! But calm down and don't be so nervous."

"But we have to win-

"We will win"

I just don't understand how he can stay so calm, we have to perform in front of 3000 people.

The whole performance is based on me managing to use my powers in front of so many people and timing them perfectly

Suddenly I was Strangely Calm, I can now use my telekinesis without closing my eyes. Even better, I can make things fly vividly with my arms, as if it were some kind of magic trick.

And then there we were, The Theater.

From the outside, it was a huge hall, no, a gigantic hall. I would say almost as big as the university building. It looks pretty classy, golden colors and bright lights on the outside. We weren't the only ones standing outside, tons of other people were standing, some sitting on the floor and others already going in. Karasu tugged lightly on my arm and I immediately understood what was going on.

We go into the theater

The entrance consisted of two large glass doors, I could see through perfectly and could already see the lobby. A large golden area, littered with students who were waiting here. There is even a small fountain in the middle of the lobby, but behind it is something that makes Playtime Co. stand out. A huge golden statue of Huggy Wuggy, who has his left arm in the air and is literally waving at us. On the left and right were brightly colored stairs going up. Karasu and I don't wait, but go straight to the stairs on the left, passing a couple of groups of students.

"Hey Karasu! Heard you're performing too?"

"Sure, why not!"

He answered as briefly as possible and we went up the stairs. A short corridor upstairs, the walls were coated and decorated with figures from Playtime Co. On the left was Bron, a big red dinosaur, and on the right was Candy Cat. I didn't look all the way up, but kept my eyes open for the gigantic hall that we could now see.

Incredibly many rows of seats, it looks like several movie theaters combined. Bright lights on the ceiling, radiating the perfect yellow spotlight in every direction. Right next to us was a row from left to right, on the left all the seats were already taken and on the right there were lots of students standing in front of the seats. So on we went.

"Don't worry, Boxy has kept something free for us somewhere in the show seats"

"Show seats?"

"Yes, we who take part in the show have extra seats!"

I don't answer and continue to look ahead, after all we are walking in that direction. Just from looking at the students who were already here, sitting in every seat imaginable, I realized that if I didn't get my mind straight, this was going to be a public funeral. I see people I've never seen in any class, every hair color and size.

And slowly we reached the stage, I have the feeling we've been walking for ages. Karasu looks to the left and hastily pulls on my left arm while I'm already walking to the left. The seats in the front row and the one in front were suddenly cut off, and a few meters later it became a packed row of two. About 30 seats and the people behind you were sitting right behind the person in the front row, so to speak.

I recognize Boxy from a distance and we walk towards him. He's sitting there with his Phone in his hand and seems to be watching some kind of video, at least he's not typing wildly on the display. Karasu and I quickly sit down next to him. Karasu on my right and Boxy on my left. I'm really grateful for the middle, then I don't have to sit next to someone I don't know, that's more Karasu's thing.

"Hey Boxy, what's the plan?"  Right, I hadn't even thought about that.

"You're at the end, I think you're even the last"

That's good, hopefully my legs won't be as wobbly as pudding by then. The sweating on my hands has already stopped and I hope it stays that way.

But when I hear this voice behind me, warm and as if from a movie, I realize one thing again.

DogDay and her group will also perform

I feel another jolt in my ribs, and on the right I see a broad grin on Karasu's face. The volume, the whole atmosphere is now in Karasu's statement...

"Come on Y/N, it's show time"

---

Stopped right at the best part, what a pity.

The next update will take a little longer, I don't know exactly myself, but when you think that the whole talent show is just starting now, phew.

The next update here on my account will be for the Genius Story, so for the funeral chapter. Feel free to check out the story!

And as always... Leave a Fire Thing and write how you liked this chapter.

[tenaciouspostfun]

Storiestheater review

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In what is one of the best shows I have seen this season, "A Sign of The Times" at The New World Stages is a rapid fire, feel great musical! Set in Centerville, Ohio, the year is 1965 and on this New Years Eve Matt has asked Cindy to marry him. She questions her life, her parents life and where marriage will take her.

The premise here is that change and courage invites Cindy (Chilina Kennedy) to New York City to pursue her career. She ends up living with a budding singer named Tanya, (Crystal Lucas-Perry) on 149th street. It is rough going for the first three months until she is serendipitous in landing a job at Paulson & Co, an advertising company in which she aspires to be a photographer.

What makes this musical so great is the many reasons that make a wonderful musical. The first is the acting: Chilina Kennedy puts in a performance for the ages! Her facial features and the" business" that she gives us reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore, particularly on the Mary Tyler Moore show... corky and spunky, she suffers no fools and is mentally strong. She is also a talented singer and had full command of the audience whenever she belted out a song. Her grace and charm were matched by her dance prowess.

Lucas- Perry too was as brilliant in her acting as well as her singing; sometimes pop, sometimes soulful, her songs came from the heart and resonated throughout the theater. The two actors fed off of each other brilliantly all performance, we believed that they were great friends because their timing was flawless.

Under the glam lighting (Ken Billington), the warm set design (Evan Adamson), the brilliant projection (Brad Peterson) and the deft choreography (JoAnn M. Hunter), the musical moves in tandem, like silk and Gabriel Barre's direction has the show in top form. Under Joseph Church, the arrangements, the choice of each and every song , the placement of the songs hit the show perfectly.

In the turbulent times that faced America, the show touches on the vast protests that were hitting our country at the time: the Vietnam War, racial tension and equality for women, however, the show thankfully only scratches at it and never makes it the main focus. Richard J. Robin, Lindsey Hope Pearlman and music director Britt Bonney keep the show lite and pure making the two plus hours joyful. Even before the start of the show we are treated to old commercials from that era as well as some of the shows that were on television at that time.

"A Sign of The Times" was well thought out, well created. From the casting to the costumes (Joanna Pan), everything works beautifully. Pan takes us back in time from the chiffon dresses, to the short skirts and go-go boots we get a sense and a feel of 1965. In the book we see what the thinking of the people was back then, what was acceptable and what was not in both mores and attitude. Ryan Silverman as Brian had the opinion that it is a man's world, woman were in the background and never given the credit for anything in the work place. How he conducted himself is quite different way than what would be accepted today in the business world.

In the songs and dance we see the many popular dance styles of the mid 60's. In "These Boots Are Made For Walkin" we get a dance that "Austin Powers" made popular with the hips swinging and the arms flailing. In "Call Me" we get a Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds "Singing In The Rain" type dance movement.

"A Sign of The Times" should not be missed! I cannot say enough good things about this brilliant musical; the attention to every song choice will have you singing the songs leaving the theater as I did.

Broadway Bob, www.vocal.com, Medium, www.nimbusmagazine.org, www.broadwayworld.com, www.triviscompany.com, Tony Awards, Broadway, Obie Awards, A Sign of The Times, Rock and Roll Man, Aladdin, The Lion King, Harry Potter, Neil Diamond, Tommy.

Words: 683