#artist: yu bin

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

[Theme Song] Wu Ji - Chorus Edition • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Bibi Zhou Special Edition • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Xiao Zhan Solo Version • [Theme Song] Wu Ji - Wang Yibo Solo Version • [Wei Wuxian] Qu Jin Chen Qing • [Lan Wagji] Bu Wang • [Wen Ning] Chi Zi • [Jiang Chen] Hen Bie • [Lan Xichen] Bu You • [Nie Minghao & Nie Huaisang] Qing He Jue • [Wen Qing] woodland • [Xue Yang] Huang Cheng Du • [Yicheng Group] Gu Cheng • [Juvenile Group] Zui Shi Shao Nian Bu Ke Qi • [Jiang Yahli & Jin Zixuan] Yong Ge • [Interlude] Yi Nan Ping • [Jin Guangyao] Duo Hen Sheng • [Group Song] Bu Wang

Spotify ♪ YouTube

Submitter's Note: This is the soundtrack for the Chinese Drama 'The Untamed' which came out in 2019.

[rouh-hhh]

Recently I reread this manhwa, and decided to make a sketch on Yu Bin ^^

[korean-dreams-girls]

Dami (Dreamcatcher) - Asia Artist Awards Red Carpet Pic

[archives-of-a-hidden-writer]

Guess

FanSimp!Idol!Christian Yu x PopularSongArtist!Reader

》 Typing... |

》 [Entry No.002 - Guess] |

》 Loading Archive Entry "Guess" |

》 Location of Entry: Archivial's |

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》 Summary: You never would've expected to be invited in a little hosting event directed by DPR. Yet here you are, in front of a blindfolded Christian Yu, who has no idea you, one of his favorite artists, are going to be the one he would be guessing.

》 Warnings: Fan Shippimg, Possible out of character DPR members, OOC, pure fluff, flustered Christian Yu, reader is around the same height as Christian and wears a necklace, inclusion of DPR Live/Hong Da-bin. Can be interpreted as platonic or romantic, but it kind of leans more into romantic.

》 A/N = Artist Name

》 Archive Entry Loaded ◇

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The watchers/fans roared and laughed as each DPR member guessed who's who, each winning and some losing. In particular, it would be easy considering there's only four of them, Ian, Da-bin, Yongwoo(Artic) and Kyung Mo(Cream), but there were catches while guessing. For example, everytime Ian has to guess, the person being guessed must be wearing a face mask, reason is to prevent the guesser to guess from their facial features.

The team took turns, guessing who's in front of them while the remaining basically has to hold their laugh as the other tries to guess.

"This is Artic!" Christian answered confidently, hopping back and pointing at the man he was trying to guess this round.

The fans clapped and cheered as he took his blindfold off and guessed correctly, Artic being in front of him before tackling him.

As he thought the game was about to end, until Cream called in. Telling how there's another person Christian still needs to guess, earning a confused look from the man, hasn't he guessed everyone? Cream, Live, and Artic? The fans, too, were confused by this, but it seems the three has a plan up their sleeve as they urged Christian to put the blindfold back on.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

You had no idea that one of the DPR crew has a huge fan and simp for you. Sure, you're popular and all, and getting recognition from other artists, but not to the point they legitimately act like a die hard fan for you.

From a friend of a friend(*ahem* Dpr Live *ahem*), they told you how much of a fan Christian is for you, buying multiple albums and your signature lightstick to prove. He even said there were times he would bring the said lightstick to the studio for moral support and also watch your MVs during work.

Not going to lie, you were kind of flustered at the information, knowing yourself to be somewhat of a fan as well of the man and their work.

So, not long later, they invited you to be a special guest to their event, but no one apart from Live, Artic, and Cream knew of you being there. So, it will definitely be a surprise, not only for the fans, but for Christian as well.

▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

As Cream hosted and welcomed the new guest, you entered the view, waving at the fans and greeting the members as the fans roared and cheered like never before. It got to the point Live and Artic has to shush them, placing a finger on their mouths to indicate to quiet down as it will ruin the surprise.

In context, there was an on going joke/rumor going around about DPR Ian and you, saying how each of you are a fan of each other(Yes, they noticed your background and Ian's literally having each other's albums and lightstick) and the two of you would fit each other well. You knew of this and doesn't seem to mind it, the fanning is mutual, and so what? But through Christian's friends and the fans' words, does the things he feel for you more just a simple fan?

You were bound to find out as Christian nervously chuckled at the sudden roar of fans, "Okay- The fans just went wild, what's going on?" Christian was about to pull the blindfold off before Artic went to him and pulled it back down while you backed away just incase he actually pulled it off and see you, again, ruining the surprise guess.

"No peeking! You have to guess!" Cream said onto the mic and to Christian as the fans died down, but they could tell they're holding themselves down as they cheekily smiled towards you and Christian.

Cream started counting to ready, and you stood in front of Christian as he adjusted the blindfold more, earning a few screech from few fans. You just looked at them and waved right before Cream screamed to guess the person in front of Christian.

Christian started, patting your body, trying to decipher who you are without sight. He slightly gasped when he patted your head, realising you're around his height, Artic was the only one in the DPR crew who shares the same height as him, exceptance of Cream who's an inch taller.

"Same height, wouldn't repeat a person who's already been guessed, right?" Christian asked as you stiffle a laugh, and so did the crew while the fans chuckled at his question.

Christian continued to pat and poke at you, trying to find any hints that he may be familiar to so he could answer. He only had one guess after all. That's when he patted over your chest (chest, not tits) and feeling something over. You froze when he felt the item, shit, you forgot to hide the necklace you wore under your shirt.

Context, a while back, you revealed a little accessory you always wore around, a necklace. It wasn't custom-made, but it was a gift from an old friend, and you weren't the type to just throw away a gift bestowed upon you. In the end, fans manage to find the listing of the necklace online, making it a somewhat of a fan merch dedicated to you. And with that, Christian, out sheer 'fuck it' decided to buy one just for the fun of it also.

Because of that, he recognised the accessory, feeling each groove and shape of the necklace. It somehow helped him deduce it to one specific person, you, as he took a few steps back, shock writted all over him.

"No way," he muttered, earning a fit of laughter from the crew and fans watching, claps coming from the fans, "Shut up, tell me this is just a fan wearing a similar necklace..." he added, you stiffled another laugh, muttering a curse as you held onto your necklace. Christian looked back and forth(despite the blindfold still being on him), letting a nervous chuckle as he covered his face with both hands, slightly crouching.

"So, who is it?" Cream screamed, you covering your own mouth with one hand as you lightly chuckle at Christian who basically wants to melt onto the floor.

After some calming down of Christian, he slowly got up and guessed, "Is it A/N...?" He nervously said, earning another roar from the fans. He then took off his blindfold and immediately ran back, a flustered look on his face as you appear in his line of sight, waving at him.

Christian walked back for a moment, and you gave him a greeting bow, causing him to nope back out to his crew.

The crew laughed, and so did the fans, clapping and cheering for Christian. Cream then gave the mic over to you, "Hello and greetings to you, DPR Ian," you said out, chuckling by the end as Christian basically folded right then and there. He's basically acting younger than his age, and you found it adorable.

Christian gave a greeting bow as well, Artic handing another mic over to him, "Hello to you too, A/N," He said as the fans started to wild out again.

You nodded over to him, "I heard you were a fan of me, too? As much as I was a fan of you?" The fans roared and cheered as you asked a question, the crew bursting to laughter again as a surprised look on Christian's face appear. How did you know that? Christian then glared at his friends, possibly connecting them to you, knowing. You then dropped your thanks to being here. Even if it is to fluster/prank Christian, it was still fun.

And so, with that, you joined their little event, playing and randomly joking around each other as well as answering questions given by the fans.

It was not until one fan decided to ask the semi-obvious mention, yet it still shocked Christian. "Christian, are you aware that A/N is also a hard fan of yours?" The fan asked, earning a bunch of screaming from the others, Christian only looked at me with a questioning yet shocked look. He knew of the rumour. His friends had been berating him about it, but he never looked into it deep enough.

You nervously chuckled as Christian looked over to you whilst earning some knowing looks from his friends, "No...? I don't," Christian said, looking back at the fans and then back to you, "Really, though?" He asked, earning a nod from you, "For a long while now, yes," you answered, making the fans roar and clap once more. Now, it was your turn to be flustered.

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"Excuse me," You turned around and saw Christian running over to you.

After some hours later, the event had come to an end, and you and the group bid your farewell to the fans before they left, with some asking for an autograph before leaving.

You were about to leave as well, bidding your farewell to the DPR members for inviting you to this event and all. It was until Christian came over to you just as to were about to leave.

"So... How should I say this, umm-" Christian started, stuttering as he tried to put the words to it, but kept getting stuck in his throat. You lightly chuckled at this, "Let's get to know each other? Outside of the whole popularity thing?" You asked, saying the questions he tried to ask. He nodded with this, "Yeah... Can we?" He asked in return, earning a nod and hum from you, "Mhm! Of course," you answered.

The two of you kept in touch after that. Even if your closeness stemmed from a prank involving fanning over the other, the end came out good as the two of you got to know each other than ever before.

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Archiver's Note: This is roughly inspired by another K-pop group(Enhypen ahem) who made a little game challenge where one member is blindfolded and has to guess which member is in front of them. Got inspired there.

[shewasverynice]

Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen 

⚠️ SPOILER HEAVY ⚠️

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death 

Full tags/warnings on Chapter links post

Major Characters: Original Character, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ieiri Shoko, Yaga Masamichi, Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Tsukumo Yuki, Choso

‎‧₊˚✧ Chapter 18 ✧˚₊‧

The courtyard was alive with excitement as the clock ticked down to the New Year. Satoru, practically vibrating with energy, had taken it upon himself to turn the night into an explosive spectacle—literally. He’d gone overboard, as he usually did, ordering enough fireworks to give NASA’s launches a run for their money. 

"Alright, ladies, we’ve got the big mortars, the sparkly fountains, and my personal favorite—this bad boy," Satoru said, holding up a massive rocket like he’d just discovered fire. He grinned like a kid in a candy store, despite Shoko’s exaggerated eye-roll. 

“Try not to blow us up before midnight,” Sarah teased, pulling a fold-out chair from the plastic bin they’d dragged outside. Shoko followed suit, her cigarette lazily balanced between her fingers as she chuckled. 

“He’s definitely blowing something up before midnight,” Shoko muttered, half amused, half resigned. 

Suguru strolled off to fetch a bucket of water, muttering something about “preventative measures” as Satoru shouted after him, “Coward! Have some faith in my genius!"

“Your ‘genius’ is exactly why I’m getting the bucket,” Suguru called back over his shoulder.

With Suguru gone, Satoru immediately dove into organizing his arsenal, spreading them out like a mad scientist. “Sarah, Shoko, come on!" He called over his shoulder, "Don’t just sit there like you’re watching a drama. Help me set up!” he said, cackling. Sarah hopped up, scooping up armfuls of fireworks and following behind him like a lacky.

Shoko leaned back in her chair, blowing smoke up into the crisp night air. “Hmm. No thanks. I’m good here," she said, waving her hand, "You two enjoy yourselves."

“I've got you covered, boss,” Sarah said, smirking and handing him another fountain.

Satoru huffed, but the grin never left his face as he set about arranging the fireworks with a level of precision that was honestly impressive—if not mildly concerning. He tested lighters, muttering under his breath about timing and “wow factor.”

By the time Suguru returned with the bucket of water, Satoru had transformed the courtyard into a launchpad, complete with a row of sparkly sparklers and an ominous cluster of mortar tubes at the far end. Each of the wicks was tied together to make a daisy chain. A long, explosive daisy chain.

“Bucket’s here,” Suguru announced, setting it down near the chairs, “Just in case your ‘genius’ turns into chaos.” 

“Turns into?” Shoko quipped. 

“Rude!” Satoru snapped, standing up and brushing off his pants dramatically, “I’m an artist, okay? Fireworks are my canvas, and tonight, we paint the sky!” 

Sarah laughed and Shoko snorted. “You’re such a dork.” 

As the first sparks of a test fountain hissed and flared to life, lighting up the courtyard in bursts of green and gold, Satoru’s giddy laugh filled the air. 

"See? This is gonna be incredible," he declared, spinning around to face his audience. 

Shoko leaned back in her chair, holding a sparkler Suguru had handed her. “If we survive, maybe I’ll believe you.”

Midnight was still twenty minutes away, but with Satoru’s relentless enthusiasm and enough fireworks to light up Tokyo, it was already shaping up to be a night none of them would forget—assuming they didn’t end up on the news.

Satoru flopped into the chair next to Suguru with a triumphant grin, still high off his “artistry” as the first firework flared and fizzled out in the night sky. 

“Admit it. You’re impressed,” he said, bumping Suguru’s arm. 

Suguru gave him a small, amused shake of his head, but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. He handed Satoru a lit sparkler, its tiny golden stars crackling in the cool air. 

“Impressed you haven’t set yourself on fire yet,” Suguru replied dryly. 

Satoru took the sparkler and held it high, waving it in big, exaggerated circles. “Safety is just another word for boring!" He laughed.

The fireworks started popping one by one, lighting up the courtyard in bursts of color. Greens, reds, and silvers painted the dark sky while the friends lounged and laughed, enjoying the show. Shoko sat cross-legged in her chair, holding a sparkler like it was a cigarette, while Sarah clapped and cheered for every big explosion. 

But then… it happened. 

A rogue spark from one of the fountains fizzled, caught the edge of another fuse, and suddenly half the daisy chain of fireworks lit up in unison. 

“Oh. Oh no,” Satoru muttered, his smile creeping wider as the realization dawned. 

“Satoru.” Suguru’s voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed the flicker of panic. 

“Uh, everyone—” Sarah started. 

BOOM! The first misfired mortar rocketed into the air, and then another. The courtyard exploded in chaos as sparks shot in every direction. 

“RUN!” Shoko yelled, leaping out of her chair as a fountain hissed and shot a spray of blue stars over their heads. 

The four of them scattered like startled birds, laughter echoing in the darkness. Satoru sprinted in one direction, dodging a rogue rocket, while Sarah shrieked and ducked behind a planter. Shoko, cool as ever, jogged to the side, barely dodging a spinning firework that whirled wildly in her path. It was like a scene straight out of an action movie, but hilariously slow-motion—fireworks zipping through the air, sparks raining down like glitter, and the four of them weaving through it all, laughing so hard they could barely breathe. 

Satoru, in the midst of his dodging, caught a glimpse of Suguru. His long hair had come loose, cascading over his shoulders as he turned to laugh at something Sarah yelled. The fireworks reflected in his eyes, and the golden light danced on his skin like he was glowing. 

Satoru’s chest tightened, a fluttering sensation spreading through him. His grin faltered for just a moment before coming back twice as wide. 

“Come on!” Satoru shouted, grabbing Suguru’s hand. 

Suguru looked surprised for half a second but then smiled, his fingers curling easily around Satoru’s. Together, they bolted through the chaos, dodging showers of sparks and rockets whistling into the sky. They ducked under a fountain shooting gold streams above their heads, the crackling light cascading around them like a curtain. 

Satoru couldn’t stop laughing, couldn’t stop feeling. The world seemed brighter, louder, and more alive than ever. But it wasn’t just the fireworks or the adrenaline—it was the way Suguru’s hand felt in his, warm and steady as they ran together. It was the way Suguru’s smile lit up his face, soft and radiant, making Satoru’s heart race for an entirely different reason. 

For a moment, it was just the two of them, tangled in the light and chaos, running through the sparks like they were invincible. And for the first time in a long time, Satoru felt completely, irrevocably alive.

The fireworks began to slow, their explosions fewer and farther between, leaving the sky a hazy canvas of smoke and fading sparks. Satoru barely noticed, though. His eyes weren’t on the sky—they were on Suguru. 

Suguru stood a few feet away, his face tilted up toward the stars as the last of the fireworks painted faint flashes of red and gold across his features. He was smiling, a small, content smile that made Satoru’s chest ache in a way he wasn’t used to. 

As the quiet settled in, Suguru brushed his hair back with his fingers, a smooth, easy motion that sent a few loose strands tumbling over his shoulder. Satoru watched, captivated, as Suguru tied his hair back again, his movements unhurried, like he wasn’t aware of—or maybe didn’t care about—Satoru’s eyes on him. 

Satoru felt his heartbeat pick up, a strange mix of nerves and excitement bubbling in his chest. He wanted to say something, anything, but for once, the words wouldn’t come. His usual swagger and confidence felt... misplaced. This wasn’t like cracking a joke or showing off. This was something else. Something new and terrifying and amazing all at once. 

His fingers twitched at his side as he tried to ground himself. But the truth was, he couldn’t stop the thoughts swirling in his head. Suguru. Laughing, smiling, happy. Right here, in front of him.

It hit him, all at once, how much he’d clung to Suguru’s memory in his last life—how every step forward had been weighed down by guilt and regret. He’d laughed, sure, and he’d fought, and he’d lived. But there had always been that missing piece. That weight. But now? Here Suguru was, glowing in the faint light of the fading fireworks, so real it almost hurt to look at him. Satoru swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. 

He didn’t know what to do with this feeling—this beautiful, aching thing swelling in his chest. He wasn’t used to being unsure. Satoru Gojo, the great and unstoppable, didn’t do uncertainty. But this? This was different. 

It wasn’t just Suguru being here. It was Suguru being happy. Suguru laughing, teasing him, running through sparks like they were kids again. It was everything Satoru had dreamed of and thought he’d lost forever. 

And it scared the hell out of him. 

“Hey.” Suguru’s voice broke through Satoru’s thoughts, soft but grounding. Satoru blinked, realizing Suguru was looking at him now, one eyebrow raised in that familiar, knowing way that said he’d caught Satoru staring. 

“Uh.” Satoru scrambled, his brain short-circuiting. “What’s up?” Smooth. Real smooth. 

Suguru’s smile widened, just a little, and he shook his head. “You’ve been quiet. That’s rare," he said softly.

“Quiet? Me?” Satoru snorted, leaning back on his heels and crossing his arms like he wasn’t totally losing it inside. “Maybe I’m just giving you a chance to shine for once, huh?” 

Suguru laughed, a low, warm sound that made Satoru’s heart do that fluttery thing again. 

“Sure, sure,” Suguru said, his tone light. He glanced back up at the sky, his expression softening again. “It was a good night, though. Thanks for this.” 

Satoru opened his mouth, then closed it again, his usual witty reply getting caught in his throat. Instead, he just nodded, his gaze lingering on Suguru’s profile. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly, the weight of the moment settling in. “It really was.” 

Just as Satoru was working up the nerve to say something meaningful to Suguru, the moment was shattered by chaos—again. 

“ATTACK!” Sarah yelled, bursting between them like a whirlwind, wielding a Roman candle in each hand like she’d just stepped off the set of an action movie. Shoko was right behind her, mirroring the pose, grinning lazily as sparks shot into the air around them. 

“Light ‘em up, Shoko!” Sarah hollered. 

“Oh, you’re so dead!” Satoru shouted, scrambling to his feet. He yanked Suguru up by the arm, and the two of them bolted as multicolored sparks whizzed past them. 

“You can’t run forever!” Shoko called after them, firing another round of blazing stars. 

Satoru and Suguru ducked behind the plastic bin of leftover fireworks, panting and laughing. Satoru grabbed a handful of sparklers and a fountain, tossing the sparklers to Suguru. 

“Cover me!” he said, grinning wildly. 

Suguru just rolled his eyes, but he lit the sparklers, wielding them like tiny swords as he charged back into the fray. Satoru, meanwhile, worked quickly to light the fountain and send it spraying sparks in every direction, creating a makeshift shield. 

The courtyard turned into absolute mayhem as the four of them chased each other around, Roman candles flaring, sparklers sizzling, and laughter ringing out into the night. They darted through the moonlight like kids on summer break, completely losing track of time in the chaos. 

When the fireworks finally ran out—or, more accurately, when Satoru lit the last Roman candle and held it triumphantly above his head like a victory flag—they collapsed onto the snow, breathless and giddy. 

“Uh… did we miss the countdown?” Sarah asked between gasps of air, her face flushed from laughing so hard. 

“Definitely,” Shoko said, “But who cares? That was better.” 

“Way better,” Suguru agreed, flopping back onto the ground with a yawn. 

Eventually, they dragged themselves back to the common area, laughing and bumping shoulders as they trudged inside. The warmth of the room and the lingering adrenaline made them crash hard, sprawled out on couches and chairs like a pile of worn-out kids after a day at the park. 

Satoru barely noticed himself dozing off until he felt someone shaking his shoulder. He blinked blearily, his vision swimming until Sarah’s grinning face came into focus. 

“Hey, wake up, sleepy sheepy,” she said, her voice teasing. 

“Wha…?” Satoru mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He grinned back at her, his hair sticking up in every direction. “Is it morning already?” 

“Not quite,” Sarah replied, glancing over her shoulder. Suguru was yawning and stretching, while Shoko lazily gathered her coat. 

“Come on,” Sarah said, tugging on Satoru’s sleeve.

Too tired to argue, Satoru let her pull him to his feet, and the four of them made their way outside again, this time heading for the rooftop of the tallest building on campus. The climb was quiet, their earlier energy replaced by a softer, calmer anticipation. 

When they finally reached the top, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the faintest hints of pink and orange creeping over the horizon. They sat together in silence, the crisp morning air wrapping around them as the first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds. 

Satoru glanced at Suguru, who was leaning forward slightly, his face glowing softly in the light of the new year’s first sunrise. For a moment, Satoru forgot to breathe. He didn’t say anything, though. He didn’t need to. Sitting there, watching the world wake up with the people who mattered most, he knew everything was perfect.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

The morning was still and quiet, the kind of calm that made the world feel frozen. Satoru pulled his hoodie tighter against the chilly air, his breath puffing out in small clouds as he walked through the empty streets. His steps were light, deliberate, as if he were trying not to disturb the peace he knew he was about to shatter.

He hadn’t told anyone where he was going. It wasn’t like they’d stop him—okay, maybe Suguru would’ve tried—but this wasn’t about approval or permission. This was about unfinished business.

The streets of the quiet neighborhood were lined with small, neat houses, their windows darkened in sleep. Satoru’s neutral expression betrayed nothing, but his sharp eyes took in everything, scanning every shadow, every glint of light. When he found the house, his pace slowed, but his presence sharpened, coiled like a spring ready to snap.

No curtains. That was the first thing he noticed. His gaze moved to the window, where he caught sight of the two kids inside. Megumi was sprawled out on the floor, his small frame rising and falling with each breath, while Tsumiki was curled up on the couch, her blanket half-kicked off but her face peaceful. They looked… okay. For now.

Then he appeared. 

Toji, still half-dressed in loose-fitting clothes and sandals, wandered through the room, his movements slow but purposeful. Satoru’s eyes locked onto him through the glass, and for a split second, neither of them moved. 

Toji sighed first. Of course he did. He pushed the door open with an air of reluctant familiarity, his sharp eyes sweeping over Satoru. 

“Couldn’t just leave it alone, could you?” Toji muttered, stepping out onto the porch. He didn’t look surprised. If anything, he looked tired, like he’d been expecting this visit sooner or later. 

Satoru leaned casually against the gate, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket. “What can I say?" He shrugged, "Old habits die hard. Especially when someone’s screwing with my friends' futures.” 

Toji’s mouth twitched, not quite a smile but not quite irritation, either. “You came all the way here to give me a lecture again?" He sneered.

Satoru’s grin was lazy, but his eyes burned cold and sharp. “Nah. I just wanted to see the face of the man who thought he could ignore my warning," he said with a single chuckle.

The weight of the statement hung between them, the stillness of the morning amplifying the quiet tension.

"I see," Toji said with a nod, straightening up and stepping outside. He slid the door closed quietly, and jutted his chin forward. "Let's not do this so close to home. Don't want to wake the kids."

Satoru didn’t miss a beat when Toji started walking, stepping off the porch and cutting a path toward the empty field nearby. For a guy who had the air of someone who’d rather spend his days napping, Toji’s stride was purposeful, almost casual, like he wasn’t leading someone who’d just threatened him minutes ago. 

Satoru followed, hands still stuffed in his hoodie pockets, his breath forming small puffs in the cool morning air. The field was bathed in the pale orange of the rising sun, frost clinging to the blades of grass, making them glitter like the whole world was quietly celebrating the new year. 

Toji stopped at the edge of the field, tilting his head back to take in the sky. He inhaled deeply, letting the crisp morning air fill his lungs, and sighed as if he hadn’t taken a full breath in years. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said, his tone lighter than before, “Shame mornings don’t last longer.” 

“Didn’t peg you for the poetic type," Satoru said with a smirk, his sharp gaze fixed on Toji.

Toji chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, even killers need hobbies," he said, shrugging.

Satoru’s grin widened, but his curiosity was sharper. “Speaking of killers, who gave you the contract?" He asked, tilting his head.

Toji turned to glance at him, one eyebrow raised, before shifting his gaze back to the horizon. “How’d you know I had one already?” he asked.

“Good intuition,” Satoru replied nonchalantly, shrugging one shoulder like that explained everything.

Toji let out a low laugh, and shook his head. “Intuition, huh? Guess that’s fair. We’ve all got our secrets," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

The two of them stood there in silence for a while, the kind that wasn’t quite comfortable but wasn’t tense, either. Satoru didn’t push the moment, letting the stillness stretch, his mind ticking away at Toji’s words, his actions, his presence. There was no reason to rush the inevitable and it was the least he could do for the sorcerer killer, especially when they both knew how this was going to end.

Finally, Toji broke the quiet, his voice low but deliberate when he said, “Someone’s onto you."

Satoru stiffened just slightly, his gaze narrowing, but he said nothing. He had a feeling that Toji wouldn't have come after him for no reason. Why would he work for free? He must have had one hell of a contract.

Toji kept his eyes still fixed on the horizon, as if the sunrise held all the answers. “You've been sloppy," he continued, "Stirring the pot between the cult and that weird chaotic Jujutsu group? Should’ve been more careful. Someone knows what you've been doing." 

Satoru’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—gratitude, maybe, or understanding. Quietly, he said, “Thanks for the warning." 

Toji nodded a few times, slow and measured, the motion almost imperceptible. He didn’t say anything in return, and the silence stretched again, heavy but not unbearable. 

"One more thing," Toji said quietly, "My son. The Zen'in clan is gonna buy him in a few years. Do with that information what you will."

"He won't be going to those scum," Gojo assured him, "Tsumiki either, if you even give a shit about her."

Toji said nothing. Satoru watched him out of the corner of his eye, noting the set of his shoulders, the way his jaw tensed slightly before relaxing again. This wasn’t a man looking for redemption or validation. Just someone who had laid his cards on the table and was waiting for the next move.

The sun climbed a little higher, painting the field in shades of gold and pink, and Satoru couldn’t help but feel the weight of the moment. It was time.

“Happy New Year,” he said eventually, his voice softer than before. 

Toji glanced at him, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Happy New Year, kid." 

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

The dorm hallways were quiet when Satoru slipped back inside, the soft creak of the door breaking the silence. He kicked off his shoes and stretched lazily, his hoodie slightly damp from the morning dew. As he rounded the corner toward his room, a familiar figure was waiting, leaning casually against the wall with arms crossed.

“Morning stroll?” Suguru greeted, his voice calm but laced with curiosity. His hair was pulled back, his usual neatness softened by the early hour.

Satoru stopped mid-step and grinned. “Couldn’t sleep," he said casually, "Thought I’d get some fresh air. You know, clear the genius mind.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth quirking up when he said, “Right. Just a walk? At six in the morning?”

Satoru shrugged, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. “What else would it be?” he asked, tipping his head back.

Suguru shook his head, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. “You’re something else, you know that?” he sighed.

“What’s up?” Satoru asked, his smirk teasing as he leaned against the opposite wall, “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

Suguru tilted his head slightly, the humor in his eyes giving way to something more serious. “When are you going to start telling the truth?” he asked.

Satoru blinked, caught off guard. He asked, “About what?”

“About so much,” Suguru said, pushing off the wall and taking a step closer, “You act like you’ve got it all figured out. Like nothing gets to you. But I’m not blind, Satoru. I know there’s more going on behind all that aloof and cocky crap.”

Satoru opened his mouth to respond, but Suguru held up a hand, cutting him off. “And before you ask, yeah, I’m a bit concerned. You’re my friend. I care about you. So sue me if I’m worried.”

There it was. That soft, steady voice that Suguru used when he wasn’t just being polite but genuine, and it hit Satoru like a bolt of lightning. He tilted his head slightly, his grin faltering. Was he being too obvious? Did Suguru know how he really felt? 

“Why do you think you need to be worried?” Satoru asked, his tone lighter than the weight he felt creeping into his chest.

Suguru crossed his arms again, studying Satoru carefully. “Because you’ve got too much on your mind," he said, "I can see it. And you can’t keep carrying all of it alone, no matter how strong you think you are.”

For once, Satoru didn’t fire back with a joke. He tilted his head, watching Suguru like he was trying to read between the lines. Was he talking about everything or just… normal things? Did he notice the way Satoru’s attention lingered when they were together, the way his heart felt like it was tied to a string every time Suguru smiled?

“Okay,” Satoru said slowly, his tone casual but his eyes sharp behind those round sunglasses, “What if I told you I was… rethinking my stance on staying unattached?”

Suguru blinked, surprised. “What brought that on?” he asked softly.

Satoru shrugged, a lazy grin creeping back onto his face when he answered with another question. “Why does it matter?”

Suguru’s surprise melted into an almost shy smile, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to figure Satoru out. “I guess it doesn’t," he admitted, "But I’d still like to know why.”

Satoru leaned closer, his grin softening into something more genuine and he murmured, “Maybe I just realized some attachments are worth the risk.”

Suguru held his gaze for a moment, and the air between them felt heavier, charged with something unspoken. Then he shook his head, a faint laugh escaping when he said, “You’re impossible.”

Satoru laughed too, the tension easing slightly. But deep down, he wondered how much longer he could keep this up. Because if Suguru didn’t already know how he felt, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to hide it much longer.

Satoru steadied himself, forcing a breath through his nose and past the lump in his throat. He could feel his heartbeat thudding against his ribcage, loud enough that he wondered if Suguru could hear it too. His cocky grin flickered for a split second as his mind betrayed him, dredging up the memory of the time when this had gone wrong on the phone.

But that was then. This was now. And Suguru wasn’t just anyone.

“Stay calm, Satoru,” he muttered internally, forcing his usual swagger to the forefront. He tilted his head and let his trademark grin spread across his face. “Hey,” he said casually, “you wanna get breakfast or something?” 

Suguru blinked, his surprised expression softening almost instantly. “Breakfast? Yeah, sure. That sounds good.” 

Internally, Satoru let out a sigh of relief, though his nerves still buzzed under the surface. He could do this. Slowly. Carefully. He just needed to ease into it. 

The problem was, Satoru Gojo didn’t do anything carefully or slowly.

Suguru glanced toward the dorm hallway and gestured over his shoulder. “Should I wake the girls? I mean, they’ll probably want in on breakfast, too.” 

Satoru waved a hand dismissively, his grin turning playful again. “Nah, let ‘em rest. They probably need it after last night. Just us guys this time. A little quality bonding, y’know?” 

Suguru raised an eyebrow, but the small, easy smile tugging at his lips showed he wasn’t going to argue. “Alright. Just us, then.” 

Satoru’s chest felt lighter at that, though he kept it hidden behind his usual air of nonchalance. He started walking, his long strides carrying him toward the exit without waiting for Suguru to catch up. 

“C’mon,” he called over his shoulder, “let make those little mini omelet things you like. I bet you're dying for one since it's been a while.” 

Suguru chuckled, shaking his head as he followed. “You make it sound like I’m obsessed with those.” 

"You are,” Satoru shot back, his tone teasing. “I’ve seen you eat, like, five in one sitting.” 

“That’s an exaggeration.” 

“It’s not.” 

Their banter continued as they made their way across the quiet campus, the morning sunlight soft and golden, casting long shadows over the dewy grass. Satoru felt his nerves start to settle as Suguru’s laughter rang out, warm and easy. 

For now, this was enough. Slow, careful, but with Suguru smiling like that, it was worth the restraint.

⤶ Prev Main Next ↪

[fyeahdprian]

[Envimedia] HITC 2021 Lineup: The Complete Guide

by Crista Bardales, Elaine C. and T. Aquila

November 5, 2021

88rising’s annual festival, Head In The Clouds, is just around the corner! The festival celebrates Asian music, with a diverse group of rising and/or well-known stars. Here is our guide to this weekend’s Head In The Clouds 2021 lineup.

Day 1 (November 6, 2021)

DPR LIVE & DPR IAN Hong Da-Bin and Christian Yu, known best by their stage names DPR LIVE and DPR IAN, are part of the independent label Dream Perfect Regime. South Korean singer-rapper DPR LIVE debuted in 2017 with the EP Coming To You Live. He has since then released many songs that demonstrate his creativity and capability. Meanwhile, Korean-Australian singer and rapper DPR IAN is the founder, creative director, producer, and chief editor of DPR. In late 2020, he made his solo debut with “So Beautiful” and showed the world just how multifaceted he is. Both artists are notorious for their brilliant abilities and innovative artistry that continue to inspire a new generation of musicians.

CL CL is no stranger to the international music scene. She debuted as rapper of legendary K-pop group 2NE1 in 2009, where she achieved her first Billboard chart ranking. Since then, she has launched her own solo career, with hits including “The Baddest Female” and “Hello Bitches.” In 2018, CL participated in the Closing Ceremony for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where she performed her 2NE1 debut track, “Fire,” and “Hello Bitches.” This year marks a new page in CL’s journey. The rapper-songwriter returned with her first full-length album, ALPHA. The long-awaited album consists of 11 riveting and bold tracks, including singles “Spicy” and “Lover Like Me.” As an experienced performer, CL is ready to take the Head In The Clouds stage by storm.

Day 2 (November 7, 2021)

Feel Ghood Music (Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-Rae, BIZZY, BIBI) Four different musicians from the label Feel Ghood Music are set to perform this year at Head In The Clouds. South Korean singer-songwriter, BIBI, debuted on May 15, 2019, with her single “Binu” and has since made a name for herself while captivating listeners with her sleek vocals. Korean hip-hop group MFBTYconsists of some of the most respected rappers, Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-Rae, and Bizzy. After four years, they made a comeback in 2019 with the EP Dream Catcher. With their unique impact, MFBTY have a strong influence in the Korean hip-hop community. 

eaJ eaJ is DAY6’s Jae moniker in his solo endeavors. Since 2020, the DAY6 vocalist and lead guitarist has ventured into his own singing-songwriting career, first releasing the song “LA TRAINS” on his YouTube channel. He then collaborated with other 88rising artists such as Rich Brian, keshi, and the latest being with Seori in “Dive with you.” Compared to his contribution to DAY6, eaJ is more stripped down and personal. With soulful ballads and poetic lyrics, eaJ has proved himself to be a soulful artist.

See You This Weekend, Head In The Clouds!  Nothing beats a celebration that honors Asian culture and creativity. If you’d like to stream the festival from home, make sure to tune in this weekend! The Head In The Clouds 2021 lineup is guaranteed to serve incredible live performances.

Going to the Head In The Clouds 2021 festival? Check out our list of concert beauty essentials here.

Thumbnail courtesy of Mal.

Visit link to read the full article.

[scrapesaladofficial]

Ten big moments of the 2024 Olympics

End of the road: Cuba's Mijain Lopez removes his shoes as a signal that he is retiring from wrestling (Punit PARANJPE) From a colorful, sometimes controversial opening ceremony to boxers caught up in a gender row to respectful bows on the gymnastics podium, the 2024 Olympics served up many memorable moments. AFP Sport looks at 10 of the best: Rain on opening ceremony parade -- Organizers promised a spectacular opening ceremony and the rain-soaked boat parade on the River Seine ended up making global headlines, but not for the expected reasons. Church leaders, conservatives and even US presidential candidate Donald Trump were left outraged by a scene involving drag queens and lesbian DJ Barbara Butch that appeared to parody Jesus's Last Supper. Artistic director Thomas Jolly denied any such intention. He and others involved ended up facing vicious online harassment that led to police complaints. Djokovic's roar of approval -- Novak Djokovic stunned Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable men's final to clinch tennis gold and become only the fifth player to complete the Golden Slam of all four majors plus Olympic gold. The 37-year-old celebrated with a roar which echoed around Roland Garros before the tearful Serb clambered into the player's box to embrace his wife Jelena and two children. "There is no greater inspiration than representing your country," said the 24-time Grand Slam title winner. Alcaraz was also in tears, claiming he "had let Spain down". Biles bows to 'queen' Andrade -- Simone Biles may have been the star of the show but she was widely praised for bowing to her arch-rival Rebeca Andrade on the podium. Biles said it was "just the right thing to do" after she and team-mate Jordan Chiles finished in silver and bronze medal position respectively behind the Brazilian in the floor final. "Rebeca's so amazing, she's queen," said Biles. Romanian Ana Barbosu was later awarded the bronze medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles should not have been upgraded from her initial fifth-place finish. Lyles just in time -- World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79sec to claim gold in a dramatic men's Olympic 100m final in the closest finish in modern history -- just five thousandths of a second separated him from Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. "I'm the man amongst all of them. I'm the wolf amongst wolves," said Lyles whose victory was only confirmed after a photo-finish. Not cricket as Pakistan top India at javelin -- Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the men's javelin title, his country's first individual gold at an Olympics, with a Games record of 92.97m. In second place was India's defending champion Neeraj Chopra. "Rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches, other sports, the two countries have a rivalry, but it's a good thing for the young people in both countries to watch our sport and follow us. It's a positive thing for both countries," said Nadeem. North-South Korea podium selfie goes viral -- Images of Olympic table tennis players from North Korea and South Korea taking a selfie together on the medal podium went viral in South Korea, hailed as a rare show of cross-border unity. After South Korea won bronze and North Korea silver in the mixed doubles behind China, South Korea's Lim Jong-hoon took a group photo after the medal ceremony. North Korea's Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, the South's Shin Yu-bin and the victorious Chinese team Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha all beamed into Lim's phone, a South Korean-made Samsung. "A selfie with both Koreas' national flags and a Samsung phone," said the widely read daily JongAng Ilbo. Dreams come Trew -- Australian skateboarding sensation Arisa Trew, just 14, won the women's park event to become her country's youngest ever gold medallist. Trew nailed a high-risk and high-speed final round in her trademark pink helmet, bringing the crowd to their feet at a sun-drenched Place de la Concorde. The event also featured 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, the youngest athlete ever to represent China at the Olympics. "Skateboarding in the Olympic Games isn't much different from skateboarding in my neighbourhood. It's just more spectators," she told reporters. Gender-row boxer beats 'bullying' -- On a raucous night at Roland Garros, the storied home of the French Open, Algerian gender-row boxer Imane Khelif claimed gold and used her platform to hit back at "attacks" and "bullying" before defiantly declaring "I am a woman like any other." Together with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who also fought in Paris, Khelif was disqualified from last year's world championships after they failed gender eligibility tests. However they were cleared to compete in Paris, setting the stage for one of the biggest controversies of the Games. "I am fully qualified to take part, I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman," said the 25-year-old. High five for Cuban wrestler -- Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made Olympic history when he became the first athlete to win five consecutive individual golds in the same event, bettering the records of Games icons such as Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps. The soon-to-be 42-year-old then placed his shoes in the centre of the mat to signify his intention to retire. "Wrestling has been the love of my life, for all of my life," he said. Cool hand Yusuf -- Turkish Olympic shooting silver medallist Yusuf Dikec became an overnight sensation for his casual style during competition. His eye-catching posture saw the marksman wearing standard glasses, a team T-shirt and with his left hand casually tucked in his pocket. Other than his pistol, he notably had none of the specialised equipment used by athletes in the hyper-precise event, like headphones, special lenses or a hat. "The name's Dikec. Yusuf Dikec," said a social media post in reference to cinema icon James Bond. Read the full article

[world-smitten]

2022 Kdrama End of Year Roundup

I wasn't going to do an end of year round up because I didn't finish anything this year (🙃), but reading everyone's 2022 roundups was so fun and inspiring that I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring. This is less a review of anything and more a series of rambling thoughts about the different dramas I bounced around this year.

My Name is Kim Sam Soon (2005): Kim Sun-ah is one of my favourite actresses and after watching her amazing turn in Children of Nobody, I hopped onto her starmaking drama, My Name is Kim Sam Soon. The first episode is perfect - razor sharp writing and comedic performances, and the most endearing heroine in Sam Soon. She's a hot mess but a very adult hot mess, with a strange dignity about her even as she rushes from one humiliating situation to another. Her chemistry with Hyun Bin is charming, although the character himself was not quite as nice. Kim Sam Soon is a character who still feels novel, but pairing her with Hyun Bin's grouchy, aloof, grabby love interest felt regressive, like the writers wanted to have their cake and eat it. I dropped it not just because I was lazy, but because the relationship didn't seem like a fun journey. But man, that first episode really is so good.

2521: Kim Tae-ri's performance as Na Hee-do has to be seen to be believed. Na hee-do is an animated character and I mean this in every complimentary sense of the word. Animation is a medium where the artist has exacting control over every image the audience sees, and so the best pieces of character animation will transform even the act of walking - from one imaginary point to another - into something transcendent; Kim Tae-ri's physicality is so finetuned and precise that every gesture she makes feels like something whole and wonderful in itself - she's so good that she elevates every scene into a more vivid, exciting reality. She really didn't need to carry this drama - the cast is solid - but somehow it ended up being that way. She's so good in this that everytime it jumped to the present, I felt lost and even upset at how little of her I could see in Kim So-hyun's Hee-do. Maybe that was the point, but it still hurt lol. I liked looking at Nam Joo-hyuk - he's very pretty and has nice arms. That's really all I can say about him here. I dropped the drama before he and Hee-do got together, but to be honest, watching Hee-do and Yu-rim finally become "friends" felt more rewarding. It's always fun to see Kim Hye-eun - she brings a certain malicious edge to even the most innocuous characters. And the show's art direction was gorgeous. Can't see myself going back to it but I had a great time.

My Liberation Notes: before I knew about kdrama screenwriters and their creative powers, and that it was possible to learn these writers' names and follow their works and idiosyncracies, I knew of Park Hae-young from her terrifying Another Miss Oh which made me wish desperately to never fall in love if being in love meant endless humiliation. I've already talked about how painful it is to watch PHY's shows and My Liberation Notes was no different. I'm sure it's a show that rewards patience; I'm sadly a deeply impatient person. Another Miss Oh had some very good humour to keep me going for 7 episodes; My Mister propelled me through all 16 episodes with its tight storyline and captivating interpersonal drama. My Liberation Notes didn't have any sugar to help the bitter pill go down easier - the pill being a claustrophobic, feverish depiction of adulthood. Setting the story in an autumn where summer has lingered too long meant I could feel the humidity in the back of my throat. I guess I dropped it because it was a little too good. But I might go back to it - all those gifs of Kim Ji-Won and Son Suk-ku look very tantalising.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: this one is tricky to talk about because I was certain I was going to finish it and love it forever. Episode 1-9 of EAW are practically perfect. I can't speak for the accuracy of its representation, but it's wonderful to hear that Park Eun-bin's performance hit the right chord with many autistic viewers. This really was an excellent ensemble cast - seeing Kang Ki-young in such a measured performance after watching him all these years in comedic supporting, then second lead roles was oddly touching (and this is also the last time I'll ever compliment him, since he might be doing brownface in his next movie in the year of our lord 2023, hope he's proud of himself). Favourite moments: the “Children’s Liberation Army”; "Spring Sunshine" Soo-yeon; Young-woo eating breakfast with Geurami after running away from home; Young-woo's meeting with her mother, played by the immensely gifted Jin Kyung. The series was poised to become my new favourite thing, but episode 11 happened and was so embarassing I dropped the show off the face of the earth. Episode 11 is so baffling, so unexpected, so utterly juvenile compared to what had come before. Listen to this - Young-woo takes on a case of a couple contesting lottery winnings with the husband's friends. She wins but the husband might be a crook. But - uh oh! - he's also abusive. But - uh oh! - he's also cheating on his wife. But - uh oh! - he gets run over by a truck before anyone can bring him to any kind of justice. Even typing this out I'm laughing because it’s just so strange. After previously thoughtful, organic writing, to see the show suddenly fall back into what was comfortable and safe was disappointing to say the least. And the worst part was that it no longer felt like Young-woo's story - as if the narrative had been wrenched out of her hands, which had been carrying the story beautifully all this time. But I think it was unfair of me to judge an episodic show so harshly for one dud, which is why I plan on finishing it. I think 2022 was the year I discovered that I'm a very judgemental viewer.

Little Women: a gothic modern day retelling of Little Women was the last thing I expected to watch this year. Starting the story post-mortem was an interesting choice - "Beth" is already dead and her memory haunts her sisters who can't even remember her name. And her death distorts the characters, as if to challenge the original novel's thesis, to say that poverty breaks rather than builds character. "Marmee" does not pull herself together, but is permanently damaged from the loss and abandons her surviving daughters at the first instance. There's a sense of disturbed girlhood - I'll forever be struck by the image of a corpse wearing a pair of red shoes, and hidden in the wardrobe of a girl's dollhouse. This combination of gothicism with otherwise hardnosed suspense made for a very thrilling, heady watch in places. Ms Go beating up In-joo was easily one of the best things I've seen all year. This woman wears clean sharp lines with her hair in a neat bun, and the moment a vulnerable, desperate young woman offers herself up for punishment, the facade flakes away to reveal an obscene love of cruelty. I was terrified for In-joo, delighted to see a woman who actually delivered on her promise of violence. Park Bo-kyung is a star. If I see another comment talking about how "oh, In-joo and Do-il should've gotten together, they had such great chemistry," I'm going to scream. I'm sure Wi Ha-joon has been wonderful elsewhere, but here, next to Kim Go-eun, who was acting, he was painfully flat. I will finish this one, partly because I’m really intrigued to see how it resolves itself, but also to get another glimpse of my favourite violent woman Ms Go. 

Into the Ring (2020): checked this one out at the very tail end of 2022, and honestly, best decision I made last year. This drama is, on a scene to scene, frame to frame level, the funniest show I've ever watched. It’s full of delightful little quirks from its eccentric cast of characters that it mines for every giggle. Our heroine Goo Se-ra isn’t weird in a cute way, not weird in a quirky way, not weird in a sexy way - just weird. She’s unhinged but also scarily competent, as if all those short-term jobs have accumulated into latent superpowers. Her and Gong-myung are the rare drama couple that actually delight in each other’s company - there were brief moments of intimacy where I was taken aback by how completely I believed in this fictional relationship. It’s a show that needs its brevity and its indestructible heroine, because its world of local politics can be incredibly defeatist. The underdog rarely wins - she’s at least 15 years too late, without connections, wealth or the time to build a strong base within the system. I appreciated the narrative’s bluntness about what it meant to be an effective politician, and at some point, even though she really vexed me in places, I came to understand councilwoman Yoon Hee-soo’s world-weary pragmatism (played by Yoo Da-in who I’ve not seen since Weightlfting Fairy, and who, in hindsight, was wasted there). Also Ahn Nae-sang was hot in this. Yeah, I don’t know either. I’ve only got 2 episodes left and I can’t wait to get back once I’ve finished all my essays.

Offhand, I checked out episode 1 of Why Her? while doing schoolwork, and I love me a morally ambiguous girlboss but when that morally ambiguous girlboss physically assaults a worker - who is both significantly younger than her AND her student - and the show carries on as if nothing is wrong (and even ensures that the student is already emotionally attached to her, meaning that he is never appropriately angry at her for assault...), eyebrows start to rise. Of course there’s an interesting story in there about power imbalances and how powerful women uphold abusive power structures, but I don’t think Why Her? is that story. Oh well. Seo Hyun-jin’s hair is beautiful in this though, the stylists should get a raise.

And that’s it for 2022! Wishing you guys a belated, but very happy new year, and good things in 2023! 🥰🥰

[nigthbreed]

Sophie Dickman and the Shortish Jewellery Expert

7th July 1985: Sophie Dickman was raped and burgled in Monterey Park.

The Night Stalker underwent one of his many metamorphoses in this case. After this attack, he also dropped his gun before driving off to commit murder a mile away, for the 7th of July was also the night he bludgeoned and strangled Joyce Nelson to death. Perhaps it was the other way round and after the murder – in which Joyce died fighting her assailant – he had a bath, patched himself up and picked up a gun on the way. In any case, Sophie Dickman did not report that her attacker was covered in blood or looked like he had been injured.

Sophie Dickman’s neighbour across the street was Linda Arthur, an LA County crime scene analyst, which was pretty handy (she was featured in the Netflix documentary). Linda Arthur was a friend of Detective Gil Carrillo and one of the few investigators that believed in his madcap serial killer hypothesis, so she decided – for reasons she did not care to explain – that this crime was somehow to do with Gil’s killer and called him in.

This makes no sense – before the Dickman incident, there had only been one rape attack – Carol Kyle’s – which was not yet linked to the Night Stalker attacks and it was not in the San Gabriel Valley. The previous attacks were very different: Dayle Okazaki, Maria Hernandez and Tsai-Lian Yu had been shot in hitman-style attacks. The Zazzaras had been brutally murdered, William Doi had been shot and burgled and Mary Cannon, Whitney Bennett and Joyce Nelson had all been beaten over the head and strangled. Why on earth would anyone connect the rape (and survival) of an older lady with any of those? Bell and Lang had also not yet been connected to the others and were an open case at this point, but their hammer attack did not match Dickman’s either.

This is the composite drawing dated 7th July by the press.

This is silly – composite sketches are not always drawn by artists, so this same face, aside from a few differences has been used in the 1978 suspected Golden State Killer attack (below, centre) and also for the ‘Brayman Road Attacker’ in Connecticut from 1988. Frankly, it should be thrown in the bin.

When Evil Triplets Attack

Sophie identified someone from a photo line-up who later went on to be convicted of murder, and he gave up samples of saliva, blood and hair. Because the rape was ultimately unsuccessful (she was sexually injured, but the attacker was impotent), there was no semen to be tested. Therefore, there is no evidence that Richard raped her.

At trial, Sophie Dickman denied that she had told the composite person (we can hardly call them an artist) that the rapist was around 5’8”. She said he had made a mistake and she had in fact, seen someone who was Richard’s height. She also said his hair was medium-length. Richard’s was short in 1985.

However, that becomes less plausible when we discover that she also said he was 5’8” in her initial report. Either both officers are wrong, or she has changed her testimony after media influence.

The latter is more likely, for she admitted to seeing Richard on television multiple times a day, and in the papers.

Sadly for Richard, the defence did briefly mention that her description did not match his appearance, but they did not adequately emphasise it to the jury. From the Petition:

But here is something else to put Richard’s guilt into doubt: we are not privy to the trial transcripts, so, unfortunately, we have to rely on the LA Times. Yes, papers sensationalise stories, but this is all we currently have. Sophie Dickman claimed that the rapist was knowledgeable about jewellery and could differentiate between real diamonds and cubic zirconia on sight.

This is in direct contradiction to what Sandra Hotchkiss, a convicted felon who committed many robberies with Richard said:

So, while Sophie Dickman was raped by a thin man with dark, wavy/curly hair, he was too short, too Caucasian and too knowledgeable about jewellery to be Richard Ramirez.

In the near future, we will compare and contrast the rape-burglary incidents to see if there was sufficient modus operandi to indicate Richard’s guilt.

-VenningB-

Full article

[mykpoplovers]

2024 ZEROBASEONE THE FIRST TOUR [TIMELESS WORLD] IN SINGAPORE

EROBASEONE of hit Mnet reality survival show ‘BOYS PLANET’ is set to delight their fans, “ZEROSE”, in Singapore for their inaugural tour. CK Star Entertainment is proud to present the first international stop, “2024 ZEROBASEONE THE FIRST TOUR [TIMELESS WORLD] IN SINGAPORE”, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 28 September 2024 (Saturday), 4PM.

ZEROBASEONE, also known by its abbreviation “ZB1”, represents the “journey of nine trainees to be completed as one after their debut” and implies the members’ dedication to their fans through the group’s journey from zero to one, the start to the end.

The group’s success story begins from ‘BOYS PLANET’, where out of 98 contestants, only the top nine with the highest number of votes could win the chance to debut as a new boy group. The nine members who came out on top are: SUNG HAN BIN, KIM JI WOONG, ZHANG HAO, SEOK MATTHEW, KIM TAE RAE, RICKY, KIM GYU VIN, PARK GUN WOOK, HAN YU JIN.

ZEROBASEONE made their official debut with the first mini album “YOUTH IN THE SHADE” in July 2023, just three months after the conclusion of ‘BOYS PLANET’. The release was monumental, it achieved a feat of 780,000 stock pre-orders, and surpassed 1.08 million shortly after, setting the record of having the highest number of stock pre-orders ever in K-pop history. Subsequently, the album was certified double million by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), setting another record as the first K-pop debut album in history to sell more than 2 million copies.

Their latest release in May of this year, third mini album “You had me at HELLO” (2024), was also well-received by fans. It amassed over 1 million in album sales on the first day of its release, and ranked first on multiple South Korean and Japanese music charts. Additionally, the title track “Feel the POP” (2024) earned the group three music show wins on major South Korean TV broadcast channels.

With multinational members who speak various languages, ZEROBASEONE has managed to grow a strong and dedicated global fanbase in just a short amount of time. They have received distinguished awards such as Best New Artist at the 2023 Melon Music Awards and Rookie of the Year at both the 2024 Golden Disc Awards as well as the 2024 Seoul Music Awards, proving their immense influence as K-pop’s “5th Generation Icons”.

Just a year into their debut, ZEROBASEONE will kick off their highly anticipated first concert tour in hopes of connecting with more ZEROSE around the globe. Starting with three nights in Seoul’s KSPO DOME from 20-22 September, ZEROBASEONE will then head to Singapore for the first international stop.

ZEROSE can look forward to experiencing the unique charms of each member through fresh and skillful performances during “2024 ZEROBASEONE THE FIRST TOUR [TIMELESS WORLD] IN SINGAPORE”.

Registration for the ZEROBASEONE Global Official Fanclub Pre-sale will run between 24 July 2024 (Wednesday), 12PM to 27 July 2024 (Saturday), 12PM (SGT). The Pre-sale Period will happen on 6 August 2024 (Tuesday), between 12PM to 11:59PM (SGT) via ticketmaster.sg and +65 3158 8588.

UOB Cardmembers get the exclusive opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets on 7 August 2024 (Wednesday), between 12PM to 11:59PM (SGT) via ticketmaster.sg and +65 3158 8588.

General Ticket Sales will follow on 8 August 2024 (Thursday), from 12PM (SGT) via ticketmaster.sg and +65 3158 8588.

TICKET PRICING

VIP (Standing): $348 VIP (Seated): $348 CAT 1 (Standing): $288 CAT 2: $288 CAT 3: $258 CAT 4: $208 CAT 5: $188 CAT 6 (Restricted View): $258 CAT 7 (Restricted View): $188

*Ticket prices exclude booking fee

FAN BENEFITS

Follow CK Star Entertainment for the latest updates:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Xiaohongshu (RED)

[liss-art]

[pinkbewwy-milk]

Ah, I really liked the colour palette for this one TwT.

#wenning #yubin #theuntamed #mdzs #modaozushi #fanart #mdzsfanart #art #digitalart #portrait #artistsoninstagram #animestyle #cdrama

[despot-despair]

Despot Despair, Chapter 4: Strange pictures

“...All we know is that they're observing us with the birds. Whether that means they're nearby or somewhere far is unknown. Why they're only observing is also unknown.”

♕ Lineart by Talentlesshuman:  https://twitter.com/talentlesshuman or https://talentlessartblog.tumblr.com

♕ Sketch by Ysther: https://twitter.com/_ysther or https://hystherics.tumblr.com ♕ Coloring by Capi: https://capilune.tumblr.com/ or https://twitter.com/capilune

[glenlorence]

[bratkook]

eleven months. (m) myg. two.

masterlist.

pairing: min yoongi x reader genre: fluff, slow burn!!!, eventual smut, warnings: brief non-descriptive mention of death, otherwise none word count: 7k author’s note: here’s some more backstory on both of them as well as more interaction beyond yoongi hunting down an album by the cure lmao. like i said before, i’m really soft for yoongi in this story so lmk what you think! (also..because i hate myself and love piling up wips, theres mention of oc having a previous love interest that’s actually part of another story that takes place in this universe that’s a prequel soooo...coming soon lol) taglist (open): @min-yus​ summary: it’s been years of yoongi living his routine life, accustomed to his pace of living, going with the flow and simply existing. until you come along. yoongi absolutely can not see the logic in the way you live, but he weirdly craves it. craves the feeling of not being afraid of not knowing what’s coming, being able to just let the cards fall wherever they land. and maybe you can help with that.

In the next coming weeks it becomes obvious that Yoongi is in fact a regular. His routine visits allow you to remember the usual days and times he’d pop in, so you knew if you’d be working on his chosen days. 

Somewhere in between his casual drop ins, the two of you had formed somewhat of a friendship— or the beginning stages of one at least. Yoongi liked your sense of humor, how open and friendly you were to anyone you encountered, always having something to say about anything. Conversation came easy to you, never running out of stories. It left Yoongi thinking you’ve definitely lived about ten lifetimes compared to him.

In turn, you liked how he let you steer the conversation any way you chose. Most people would probably watch on in horror at the way you’d go from talking about a specific song or band, and then switching to a story about how you chased a pickpocketer during your travels before moving on to talking about your roommate’s cat. None of it gave him whiplash though, seamlessly flowing into the next topic with a grin on his face, never feeling like he had to think too hard to keep it going. It worked best this way. Yoongi was observant by nature, a great listener above it all, so if you were the one doing most of the talking it was fine by him. 

Everyone at Rkive360 had taken notice that Yoongi’s usual five minute visits had turned into ten, and then twenty, until it became very clear he was lingering inside the store. No one told him anything, besides the fact that he was bestfriends with the owner and had immunity, all of you were fond of him. Taehyung enjoyed the sly remarks Yoongi would make, Sana just enjoyed ogling at him, Namjoon would never mind seeing him, and you would take any chance you could to attempt to wow him with your small knowledge of music. 

It was a nice distraction whenever he stopped by, always heading straight to the back where the vinyl was kept. Sometimes he had a specific album in mind, other times he was simply browsing, but he only ever bought one at a time. It was routine, maybe even a weird ritual of sorts if he really thought about it. 

On the days you knew he’d be coming you would spend a little extra time in the beginning of your shift picking out a few records to suggest to him if he didn’t have one in mind. Because of this, he had stopped his usual path to the bins and now came directly to you, the first stray off his usual routine. 

Today you’re standing behind the counter, ringing up a customer when he walks in, a smile on your face as you chat away. He patiently waits at the far corner, leaning back against it as his eyes roamed the interior of the store, taking note of the way Sana and Taehyung were trying and failing to build a giant display. It looks like a mess of parts, scattered around with no instruction manual in sight— definitely Taehyung’s idea to toss it judging by Sana’s look of frustration. 

He tears his gaze away from them beginning to argue when he hears you wish the customer a good day as they leave, pushing away from the counter and shuffling your way with a grin on his face. You smile back at the way his doughy cheeks push out, high points of them reflecting the light from above. 

“Any shirt facts of the day?”

That had also become another common occurrence. Whenever you decided to wear a band shirt, he somehow always had random facts about whoever it was. It didn’t matter if it was some obscure french band or a 90’s rapper, Yoongi knew something about everyone, like some walking encyclopedia of musical artists. So when you take a step away and spread your arms out, he sees your shirt of choice today is The Doors, and he scoffs. Too easy.

“The Doors were the first band to ever advertise a new album on a billboard.” He nods his head slowly, almost as if he’s telling you yes I know, amazing right?

A hum leaves your lips at his fun fact, slightly impressed by it. “Interesting. Like always, I did not know that.” You peek under the counter top at the selection of records you kept stowed away for him, safe from any undeserving customers. “Now, do you want to see my daily, hand picked selection just for you.”

This was his new favorite pastime, getting to see the random albums you’d group together for him, wanting to know what you thought was worthy for him to listen to. When he nods, rubbing his hands together in excitement, you haul up the stack and carefully spread them out across the top.

The genre of the day was R&B, he can tell that much as he sorts through the albums. You’re familiar with the way he clumps together certain records, marking them down as albums he already owns, until he gets to an orange colored cover. The words The Internet fill the top right corner along with Ego Death on the bottom left. This he had never heard before. He picks it up and flips it over, scanning the song names with interest.

His eyes raise up to yours with curiosity, the same sharp gaze that somehow still makes you nervous holds the obvious question being passed between you with no need for words: are they any good? And the way you nod your head immediately convinces him enough. “Alright, I’ll give them a shot.”

A small sense of pride fills your chest, a tiny victory whenever he decides to pick something from your stack, trusting whatever music knowledge you had somehow convinced him you have. “I promise you’ll love them.”

When you hand him his change and the brown paper bag, you immediately check the time and clock out, dipping back under the counter and grabbing your bag from its hidden spot.

“Are you off?” Yoongi finds himself asking, no longer used to leaving immediately after he purchased something. The usual fifteen minute conversation you two had was missing today, and he’s not too sure how he feels about that. 

“Yes I am, you were my last customer. The store will now be run by those two heathens. Here’s to hoping they don’t bite each others heads off while they finish building whatever the fuck that is.” Taehyung is now standing up, lazily holding up a part of the display as Sana tries to screw something together, angrily giving Taehyung commands but he only mimics her with a ridiculous face. And when she socks his thigh, her fist aiming a little too close to home, you let out a laugh.

Yoongi highly doubts that’s going to be possible, Namjoon would probably have to be the one left to finish building the display while also putting them on opposite sides of the store whenever he came in for the day. It was truly a shock that they had gone this long working together without an actual fist fight breaking out. If it came down to it, Yoongi had his money on Sana being able to whoop Tae’s ass. 

“Do you know any good take out spots nearby? I’m starving and I’m still new to the area so I’ll take any recommendations.” Your voice snaps him back, his eyes looking at you briefly as the question registers within him.

“Oh, yeah. There’s a place not too far from here that has pretty good jajangmyeon.”

“Hell yeah.” Your hands pat your belly softly, coming up to readjust your bag as you walk around the counter and head for the door, shouting out a goodbye to Taehyung and Sana as you leave the store. When you exit the shop, your hand holding the door open behind you, you glance back inside in confusion when you spot Yoongi still standing by the counter with wide eyes. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

Truth be told, he had been wanting to talk to you outside of work for a while but he was scared to ask, not wanting to make you feel obligated to say yes just because he was a regular at your place of employment. Something about you seemed familiar to him, and to be quite honest he just craved social intimacy. His job consumed him and coming into this record shop was the small escape he needed, you being there was just a newly added plus.

You’re on the same page he is, wanting to hang out with him just as much as he had, something about the way he seemed like a half open book interested you. Throughout all of your adventures you had forced yourself to come out of your shell, no longer afraid or bashful when it came to initiating friendships. If you wanted to get to know someone better, then you’d bite first. And you definitely wanted to get to know Yoongi better.

It takes him a moment to react, his gaze switching from you to look back over at your coworkers, seeing Sana sending you a curious glance. Yoongi was about to attempt to muster up the courage to ask you to hang out and you beat him to the punch, but after a second he grins at you with a nod. Of course he was coming.

The weather in Seoul is forgiving today, the usual cold of autumn being prevalent in the air without the need to bundle up, the slight wind not stinging your skin as it blows around you. This was probably your favorite season, comfortable enough for you to do whatever you want without feeling restricted by heavy layers or sticky from the heat. 

A soft smile is on your lips, hands shoved into the pockets of your baggy cardigan, and a small pep in your step as your eyes take in the world around you. That feeling you get when you visit a new town on vacation, how you’re just passing through for a brief moment in a place so many call home, it makes you realize how small you actually are. 

It’s a feeling you always longed for, to experience a new place and make it home, it's the main reason you always bounced around so much. Staring at all the shops around you, taking in all the people just going about their daily life, you’re content with your new choice of scenery. 

Too lost in your own head as you take in the shops and people around you, you snap out of it when Yoongi reaches out and clasps a hand on your shoulder, steering you to turn right when you keep walking straight. “Get your head out of the clouds.” 

He hears the snort you let out, allowing him to guide you the correct way. Slowly trailing away from the main road, the amount of people lessens, only a handful of stores line up around the alley you had turned into. When you spare a glance at Yoongi you can see the excitement on his face, speeding up his pace until he’s standing in front of the restaurant. It’s a small hole in the wall shop that didn’t even look like it served food from the outside, all black exterior with a red sign hung up on top showcasing their name, Ipum.

It’s charming, and the way Yoongi spreads his arm out puts a similar smile on your face. Only then does he pull open the door, allowing you to step in first before he follows. 

Once Yoongi steps inside he’s immediately greeted by the workers calling out his name in glee, bowing in response with a bashful smile as he approaches the small counter set up for take out orders, not needing to read the menu. You don’t realize he’s waiting for you as you take in the interior of the restaurant, the red dining tables surprisingly packed despite their lack of advertising outside. This place really must be as good as Yoongi promised.

“Anything specific you want?” he asks, finger pointing to the small menu in his hand in case you needed it. When you shake your head, letting him know he can order anything he wants, he does exactly that, placing two orders of jajangmyeon, along with fried dumplings and sweet and sour pork to complete it. It was his go to choices whenever he came, so he hopes you’ll enjoy it as much as he does. 

As you step to the side, backs pressed against the wall closest to the counter in order to keep the space open for the workers and patrons to walk comfortably in the small shop, you turn your head to glance at Yoongi again. “You come here often?”

The way the workers had spoken to him had made that glaringly obvious, but you wanted to hear it from him, wanted to know if he came here for comfort food or some other weird tradition like his ‘one-vinyl-a-day’ way of life. 

It was sort of a habit he had fallen into years ago. Having grown up in this city his whole life, he had stumbled upon this place his last year of high school. It had become a staple soon after, a place he would come to directly after classes were done to come stuff his face before heading home. Then it became a place his girlfriend and him frequented when the apartment they moved into turned out to be a mere block away. 

In a way, the owners of this shop had become like a second family. The amount of times they’ve seen Yoongi at his best and worst throughout the years, never once throwing judgment his way even if he came in beyond plastered back in the years he used to drink, never turning him away even if he cried into his noodles. 

He decides that’s a little too much to unpack right now, so he just nods in confirmation. “Yeah, I’ve been coming here for years. One taste of their noodles and you’ll be hooked too, trust me.”

Oh you trusted him, the amount of plates you’ve seen so far just made your mouth water once they passed by you and the smell of the food reached your nose. “We should’ve just sat down, I’m not gonna be able to wait until I get home to eat this.”

As you say this one of the workers approaches you two with a tied up plastic bag in his hand, the inside stuffed with takeout boxes and utensils for you to take. Yoongi grasps the bag with a smile and thanks him as he walks away. “Don’t worry, I live like a block away.”

He realizes how his words could be taken immediately, how he had assumed you two would innocently go back to his place to share a meal. You had invited him to eat but the location of where you would be doing so had not been discussed and the last thing he wanted was to come across as a sleaze.

His mouth was ready to back track completely, until he sees the way you dramatically place your hand over your chest, and he knows it's too late, “Oh damn, your place? Saucy, but I’m starving so I’ll do almost anything.”

You can see the way he relaxes when he notices you aren’t being serious, taking his words lightly the way he intended them. His eyes roll behind his lids, a lazy smile gracing his lips as he shoves your shoulder lightly to get you to start walking. 

“Is jajangmyeon all it takes?”

“Slow your roll, good jajangmyeon is all it takes. I’ve yet to have a taste.”

Yoongi smiles at your words, taking the lead when you step out of the shop and turn back down towards the main street. His apartment was on the next block over, a short walk that you didn’t mind, especially since he took it upon himself to point at random stores you passed to let you know the best places to get what.

He has a lot of love for this city, the memories it possesses spread out through his entire childhood and early adult years, lingering in each crack on the sidewalk. He often sits and wonders how different his life would be if his parents had decided to move to Busan instead of Seoul, or stayed in Daegu altogether. The thought of the timeline of his life being altered so drastically to the point of possibly not being able to be living this moment sends his mind into a flurry, so he's grateful you’ve reached his front door now as his mind settles.

“Oh my god who’s this?” You coo as you step into his apartment, crouching down towards the white stone floors to pet the fluffy gray cat that greeted you, enjoying the way it purred and rubbed against your knee.

“That's Yuri, the queen of the house.” He steps away from you, setting the plastic bag on top of the kitchen counter a few feet away, his hands pulling out the containers and setting them down. “Don’t give her too much attention or she’ll never let you leave.”

Yuri glances up at you, her bright green eyes peering up innocently at Yoongi’s words, almost as if she was pleading for you to keep petting her. It doesn’t take much convincing for you to scoop your hands under her and press her against your chest as you stand up, your fingers gently scratching the top of her head. Yoongi lets out a sigh when he sees his cat has succeeded in wrapping you around her finger.

“Sorry, she’s too cute to not cuddle with.”

She nuzzles into your chest, purring in appreciation when your fingers trail down onto her spine. Yoongi watches you as he pops open the lid of the container that holds the noodles. Yuri is his baby, yet every time a new person comes into his place she acts like he doesn’t exist— well not until he pops open the container holding the sweet and sour pork. That's when her head pops up, her green eyes sharpening when she spots the food, and Yoongi glares back at the fluffy traitor.

When Yuri's fluffy body shakes slightly as you laugh Yoongi glances back at you, breaking up the staring contest he had going with his cat. “She’s gonna betray your love right now for some pork.” 

You don’t doubt him, not with the way her paws start to push at your arms, attempting to stand up in your embrace until she’s hopping off from your arms and slowly walking towards Yoongi. She’s absolutely shameless as she rubs her body against his legs, and Yoongi can only look down at her before staring back up at you, gesturing out with his hands. “You see?”

The act of betrayal doesn’t sting, not when she’s as cute as she is. Instead you just chuckle, walking towards the stools Yoongi has by the oversized kitchen island, a breakfast bar set up at the end, the food spread out on top of it. He ignores Yuri for the time being, pulling out the stool beside yours and sliding into it. The both of you pull your chopsticks apart and get to eating instantly, swirling the noodles until they’re evenly coated in the sauce.

You try to ignore the way Yoongi blatantly stares at you as you bring up the first clump of noodles, waiting to see what your initial reaction would be to the food he held so near and dear to his heart. Yoongi knows this could go south so quickly, there is nothing worse than trying something new when you’re starving and having it absolutely suck. Sensing his nerves, you slurp the noodles up, and when the salty taste hits your tongue you hum, chewing them thoughtfully to make a show for Yoongi.

“Verdict?”

He waits patiently for you to swallow, sharp eyes analyzing your expression, seeing you lick your lips and grin at him. “You weren’t lying, definitely some of the best jajangmyeon I’ve had.”

In pure dramatics, he practically sags in his seat and raises a fist into the air in success, being able to properly enjoy his food now that he knew you approved of it. The two of you begin to eat in relative silence, the sound of munching and slurping filling up his kitchen space. 

As the minutes go by, the back and forth of your chopsticks plucking out a dumpling after he did, lands with you snatching the last one. An evil cackle leaving you as you pop it into your mouth and grin at him, cheeks puffed out slightly and he can’t find it in himself to be irked at you snatching the last dumpling when you looked like that.

The compromise of that is you leaving the remaining pieces of pork for him to enjoy, and when Yuri gracefully hops onto the counter you see why he had suggested that. He grasps a tiny piece of pork on his chopsticks and feeds her like a parent would a toddler, airplane noise and all until Yuri opens wide and gently clamps down on the meat.

“She’s spoiled because of you.”

He merely shrugs, a giant smile spreading across his face as he watches her with adoration as she chews the food. “I refuse to confirm or deny that.”

As you finish up the last of your food you just watch on as Yoongi alternates between feeding himself and Yuri until no more pork remains. Seeing the soft way he acts with his cat just warms you up, Yoongi had always seemed like a blunt person from the times you’ve seen him at the store, his sense of humor is one that could easily be taken as harsh or cold if you didn’t match it, but you’d never expect to see him this way. The tops of his cheeks push out as he smiles at his cat, cupping her face between his hands and rocking it back and forth before planting a kiss on her forehead.

She seems to understand that that's her cue to hop off the counter, knowing that snack time is now over as Yoongi starts to clean up the empty containers. When you reach to clean your own mess up he’s quick to slap your hands away, smirking when you retract them with a small wince, your fingers rubbing the back of your palm that he had swatted with a pair of chopsticks.

“Shoo.” He waves his arm in the direction of his couch, not giving you another glance and missing the way you pout at how he had dismissed you like he would his cat.

With a huff you turn on your heel, properly taking in his living room. From the small tidbits of half truthful information that Taehyung had provided you with, you knew Yoongi was somebody in the music industry. You had always assumed that when people said that it meant struggling soundcloud rapper or something of the sort, but from the look of his apartment alone it was very evident that Yoongi was not a struggling soundcloud rapper. 

The wall of his living room was lined with floor to ceiling windows, letting you catch a glimpse of the cityscape down below, the darkening horizon and slowly flickering street lights blending together. A dark grey couch was on the wall adjacent to that, directly facing the entertainment center he had set up, complete with a massive mounted television and soundbar, a collection of DVDs organized in the storage unit below it.

You walk closer to it, catching sight of the picture frames he had displayed along the top of it. They were all simple black frames, all differing in size, all of them having photos of Yoongi and his friends on them. The one in particular that had you smiling was a photo booth picture with Yoongi and Namjoon, they were accompanied by three other people, a boy with slightly red tinged hair and a bright smile, another boy with dark brown hair and a slight pout on his face from Namjoon squishing his cheeks, and a girl with light brown hair smiling widely as Yoongi gave her bunny ears.

Namjoon was a very smiley person, never needing a reason to be, but seeing Yoongi sporting a massive gummy smile had you realizing how nicely a smile suited him. It was clear that he held this group of people near to his heart considering they all occupied the remaining photos as well.

A couple of steps right beside that was where he had his prized possession, his record player that he had fully customized to get him the desired sound he was looking for. It was a sleek black, accents of silver shining off of it, resting pretty on a dark stained wooden stand. A few of his records were stored beneath it, but what really caught your eye was the eight by eight makeshift gallery wall that showcased his current favorite LP’s, each individually shelved to show the album art in all its glory.

“Should I give this a listen with you here?”

His question has you turning your head towards him, cutting your admiration of the album covers short. He stood a few feet away, his hands holding up the orange cover of the album he had bought today with your suggestion, and a small sense of nerves bubbles up in your stomach for some reason. You had always suggested music, confident in your choices when you were in the safety of the record store, but having to witness his first impression made you a little uneasy. What if he hated the band entirely, or worse, what if he pretended he didn’t hate them just to soothe your ego.

Is this what he felt like watching you take your first bite of food earlier?

“Sure,” you choke out, taking a giant step back from his record player, hearing him chuckle at your odd behavior.

As he lifts the cover up and slides the giant record out of its sleeve you decide to go sit on the couch, sinking into the plush material and welcoming Yuri into your lap when she jumps on as well.

With a few clicks, the low whirring is heard of the turntable beginning to spin. And when he eases the needle onto the record a small crackle sounds before Get Away starts to play. He fiddles with the volume slightly until satisfied, only then does he turn back around and join you on the couch.

His face is settled in thought, bobbing his head gently to the beat as he rests back against the couch, sinking into it with a groan until he’s fully comfortable, legs spread out with one arm resting casually on his lap and the other on the arm rest, fingers tapping along.

You watch on in silence, your fingers raking through Yuri’s fur until her purring calms your nerves and you’re sagging back. Before you know it your eyes shut as you listen along to the music, your belly is full and your limbs are sore from the unpacking and rearranging that had to be done at work so being able to sit here and shut your brain off while mellow music filled the room was what you needed.

Before long the A side is finished playing, Yoongi having to get up to flip it over until the B side plays all the way through, the ending voicemail of Palace/Curse playing until it fizzles out entirely, the room falling into silence once more.

Yuri had gotten comfortable herself, sprawled out across your lap with her head by your hip, but when Yoongi gets up with a stretch her head pops up, eyes narrowing at her owner until she senses no threat and lays back down.

“Verdict?” You repeat his earlier question, seeing him hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees, his lips pursed in thought.

“Honest opinion?”

“Brutally honest.”

He hums with a sly grin as he turns his head to face you. “They’re good. Kinda makes me feel nostalgic too for some reason. But as a whole, it's great music that calms you down.”

With the way you’re laying practically boneless on his couch you can attest to that, they were definitely a band you listened to to unwind. He catches the wide smile spreading across your face as he stands back up to properly store the record, your smile only getting bigger when you see him replace one of the displayed albums on the wall with the new one. 

“It's going on the wall of favorites,” he announces, sliding the previous record back into the storage underneath.

“I’m honored.”

He steps back from the wall with his hands on his hips, admiring how the orange of the album pops out against the others. Yoongi very rarely switched these albums out, but he had a feeling this wall would eventually become full of the random albums you’d recommend to him.

“Quick question,” he starts as he turns back to face you, taking in the sight of you and his cat cuddling together. “It’s been sitting at the back of my mind, and Taehyung has given me like three different answers.”

A small laugh leaves you as you raise your eyebrow at him in question. “Sure, what is it?”

“Where did you move from?”

You stretch your legs out in front of you, your toes just barely reaching the coffee table he has set up a bit away from the couch, Yuri mimicking your actions and stretching out as well. You were definitely gonna grow as attached to her as you were to your roommate’s cat.

“Like where was I last before this, or where am I actually from?”

He walks towards his fridge, still being able to see and hear you due to the open layout of his place. “Both I guess.” The door pops open and he reaches for a bottle of water.“You thirsty?”

“You have some wine, or some beer?”

Yoongi grunts at that, shaking his head slightly, “Sorry, I don’t drink anymore but I’ve got water and juice.”

You’re sitting up straighter now, voicing out that the water was fine. “Where I’m from is classified information, you’ll have to level up on our friendship for me to tell you that.” You accept the water he hands you, smiling at him as he sits back on the couch. He was fine with your secrecy, taking whatever you feel comfortable telling him. “But I was in Madrid before I came here.”

“Oh? Did you leave where you’re from to go live there?”

Your fingers capture Yuri’s paw, squishing her toe beans as she gently swats at your hair. “No, I was in Amsterdam before that, and Berlin before that as well to name a few. I’ve been bouncing around since I was 20, so about 6 years now.”

He has a look of interest on his face as he sips the water, leaning onto the couch sideways to face you. “Do you ever want to go back to those places?”

“Like visiting the place more than once?”

He nods, his eyes focusing on Yuri’s fluffy body, seeing her sitting back up to hop onto the ledge of the couch, rubbing her body against the back of your head before settling on the backrest of it and getting comfy.

“Hm, not sure. I can’t see myself wanting to flip back the pages of my life to reread a story I already know the outcome to.” With a sigh you shrug at him, your fingers now tracing the material of the couch. “Maybe in the future, years from now, I’ll crave a specific memory and want to go back, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

The amount of new cities and countries you’ve been lucky enough to call home for any amount of time held a special place inside of you, the memories and stories you had because of those experiences helped shape you into the person you are. Sure not all of them were movie-like experiences, some close calls happening at a few places that made you question whether you made the right choice living your life the way you did. But then you’d have moments that just felt right, and right now, sitting on this couch with Yoongi, this was one of those moments.

“So you don’t plan on staying here forever?”

“Well what do you mean by forever?”

He smiles, not thinking he would have to explain what forever meant to him. “For the rest of your life. Is there another version of forever Y/N?”

“Shut up,” you laugh. “It’s not likely, but who's to say. I never move somewhere with a time frame of how long I plan on staying.”

“How do you decide? Sorry if I’m prying but I just can’t imagine that moving somewhere new would be easy. Picturing having to leave friends behind would probably wound me.” 

That was true, that was definitely the hardest part of doing this— emotionally at least. The people you met and befriended were a factor in deciding how long you’d stay somewhere. After the initial week of exploring a new place, it gets lonely. You’ve been to places where even the roommates you’d stay with weren’t friendly, and you’d have to take it a step further and search for friendships elsewhere. It was the main reason you had learned to not be timid when it came to making the first move.

“It’s kind of a gut feeling. The longest place I’ve lived in was Paris for two years.” A smile spreads across your face as you recall the two years you spent in that city, how you probably would’ve left after a few weeks if you hadn’t ran into that cute boy right before the club you were in shut down for the night. That experience alone was one of the main reasons you made it a conscious decision to not fall in love, not wanting to experience the inevitable heartbreak that came with it. 

Paris was the first place you moved to, jumping head first into adventure and taking everything that came with it, including romance. Leaving friends behind had been hard, but leaving Park Jimin behind had been a different version of painful.

“Before this I was in Madrid for a month. I found myself getting comfortable too fast and when I get comfortable I get bored. When it's no longer new and exciting I don’t see the point of staying anymore.”

Yoongi absolutely can not see the logic in the way you live, the carefree aura radiating off of you, but he weirdly craves it. He craves the feeling of not being afraid of not knowing what's coming, being able to just let the cards fall wherever they land. His entire life had changed in the last few years and was now built off routine, bullet point to-do lists and deadlines he had to meet. The only adventure he experiences anymore is thanks to his friends, luring him out of his apartment to fulfil any of their spur of the moment ideas, but nothing comes close to this. 

He’s not able to understand how you can be suspended in freefall for the majority of your life, and instead of panicking about your lack of parachute, you’re admiring the view.

“Do you plan on staying here forever?”

That question makes him freeze a little, he had been prying into your life no problem but now that a question was directed at him, he felt himself growing uneasy. “I guess I did.”

“Did...why past tense?”

You see the way he hesitates, his mind is already playing through all the scenarios that can come because of this but he decides to just bite the bullet. “Love makes you think of forever. I pictured forever with my fiance.”

At the mention of a fiance your mind thinks of the girl in the photos with Yoongi, the girl with the bright smile and wide eyes.

Was Yoongi a married man?

He can spot the way you process his vague information, knowing he should elaborate before you think anything else, before your eyes move to his ring finger only to find it bare. “When you’re with someone for almost 8 years its normal to think of forever you know.”

The flashes of his relationship play in his mind, meeting his fiance in his last year of high school. How they had pulled each other out of their shells, becoming rather chaotic in their adventures over the years, turning into adults and supporting each other in every aspect of life.

The memory of Yoongi proposing to her still feels fresh in his mind, taking her to Jeju island since it was a place she had always wanted to visit, not being able to due to caring for her family.

“We were actually planning our wedding, having invitations sent out with everything nearly ready but she uh–“ he stops to breathe slightly, his eyes moving to stare at the picture frames, proving your assumption of the girl being his fiance right. “She got into an accident.”

He hadn’t specified if she died or not, but that faraway look in his eyes spelled it out for you. Forever didn’t have any sympathy for his situation, but he just shrugs it off, forcing himself to not speak further on it. There was more that tied in to the tragic passing of his fiance but he felt he had overshared enough already, not wanting to make you uncomfortable by unloading this information on you. The last thing he needed was to turn this nice day into a pity party with him being the center of attention. 

He’s just waiting for the routine apologetic words that would fall from your mouth—maybe you’d reach over and rub his arm like some people did, tell him how sad it was as if he didn’t already know. Some half assed attempt to make him feel better even though you were clearly blind sided by the topic. 

Yoongi didn’t want that, always hating the way people would stare at him like he was some charity case. This was why he rarely chose to stray from his circle of comfort, from the people that knew the baggage that came with him and accepted him, keeping his group as tight knit as possible in order to not pick at scabbed over wounds. 

When you sigh, he braces for it, mentally accepting that this might be what ends your new formed friendship before you could really creep through the cracks in the wall he built. But instead you reach forward and grasp Yuri once more, scooping her up and bringing her to your chest like a baby. “So Yuri wasn’t the only queen of the house, is that it?”

Yuri purrs in confirmation and Yoongi turns to stare at you again, blinking the wetness away from his eyes before he could even call them tears. You had a smile on your face as you stared at him, not that typical sympathetic smile people always sent his way, it was a genuine one, letting him know he was free to talk more on the subject if he needed to.

And for the first time Yoongi acknowledges that maybe he did need to. He was so used to bottling his emotions in, shutting himself off after her passing, pushing all of his friends and family away and locking himself at home as he mourned, submerging himself in his work to numb himself from feeling anything. Even now, his friends never pried, let him handle his feelings any way he wanted to. But Yoongi can’t act like his chest aches from keeping it all in, the pressure slowly releasing even with the minimal information he had given you. 

“Yeah,” he sighs out in relief, reaching out to pet Yuri. “Hani was the queen before Yuri got promoted.”

As you coo at his cat he feels himself sagging back onto the couch. The small dam of emotions he had inside finally released, and before you know it he’s spilling everything out, telling you tidbit stories of him and Hani, and somehow easing you into sharing similar stories of you and Jimin. 

The sun fully sets through the windows, neither of you noticing as you talk well into the night, and Yoongi found himself laughing and smiling at the mention of Hani for the first time in two years. You urge him on, watching on with interest while he talks about the day they had picked up Yuri from the shelter. 

His eyes are crinkled up in that endearing way you had seen more of today than in the past weeks of knowing him, and it fills you with warmth to know he’s allowing you to know about this part of his life. It felt like sacred information, uncharted territory from the way he had hesitated in the beginning, almost like he wasn’t sure if he could trust you with the precious memories he held tightly. All he needed was a gentle nudge and a genuine smile to slowly let you flip the pages of his brain, knowing you wouldn’t judge the bleeding ink and scratched out words that came with each story. 

As he stares at the way you smile at him, he comes to the realization that your sneaky ass must have already managed to slip past the cracks of the walls he built, infiltrating the tight knit circle he had for himself. He has to hold in a laugh when he recalls the way Taehyung had seriously suggested that you might be a spy sent here from another country. Maybe he was onto something, because he was refusing to accept that his willingness to overshare and stray from his norm was due to anything but your highly trained interrogation skills. 

You clearly had his cat fooled as well. When Yuri leans up and nuzzles her face against yours he sighs, knowing she had claimed you as her favorite solely based on the attention you gave her. You were good. Yoongi guesses he would have to keep you around now, just for the sake of his cat, nothing more. 

[anxietywriter]

character quirks

just details/little habits if you have a character in mind and want to flesh them out some more

singing a few lines of the song currently stuck in their head, not in response to anything specific just whenever they're bored i guess

being unable to relax without noise but also unable to focus with noise

adamantly hating and refusing to watch horror because they were scared of it when they were little

picking up jokes from role models/people they're close to (matching their humor in a way?)

liking games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley more when playing with someone else.

enjoying puzzle games/escape room games even though they're awful at it and have to look up solutions a lot

knowing internet safety and being very smart but also being bad at internet safety (you're supposed to update browsers and your computer in general for a reduced risk of viruses.. i swear i'll do it later)

a joke they like to play on their fellow glasses-wearers starts by taking off their own glasses, proceeding to laugh and point at their friends and very ironically say "haha four eyes!" and then putting their glasses back on and pretending nothing happened

they like using google docs for everything. lore and mysteries in a game? all the details in a doc. composing their thoughts for a long, serious message? docs. usernames and passwords? on the docs.

they cosplay characters from their favorite games, series, or books. its a little janky, but recognizable and they're happy

not being confident at all on own, but when there's someone they're interested in they put in 110% effort to make their interest flush because they think it's cute

whenever they don't feel like being verbal they just send DM's or make generally understood noises (m-hm/uh-huh, nuh-uh, mmm + seesaw) for more established friendships they could definitely have modified noises (m-hm turns into just a high pitched nn, nuh-uh is just a short mm)

fine with socializing in public but nervous when online, like discord servers or stream chats

gets the mail everyday because they like seeing if they got letters, even if it's just junk mail

waving or making half a heart (w/ their hand) every time they see someone they recognize

having dozens of photos and videos of their pet on their phone. they had to get an sd card for it all.

having the messiest room, papers on every desk, a small corner full of assorted stuff, bins full of yet again more papers and trinkets, surfaces packed with knick knacks, photo frames, and various lamps

keeping stuffed animals on their bed and having a name for each

having only 5 or so hoodies, one casual and good for family, one casual and for chill idgaf vibes, two fandom art merch which no one is allowed to borrow, and one is merch from a show/music artist/content creator/etc., which is also on a no borrowing policy

playing online card games like yu-gi-oh and shadowverse. enjoying playing it but only getting the interest/motivation to do so when playing against someone you know.

only liking iced/cold drinks or conversely only liking hot drinks (hot cocoa, coffee, tea)

knows various swears in spanish and one in french

preferring dms through an app over texting

seeing neurodivergent experiences saying that they hyperfixiated on a certain show or movie and being like "hmm can't relate, so maybe i'm not as neurodivergent or something" then realizing that sometimes they would watch the same show over and over again or stay up late reading the same fics/tropes/books.

being able to keep their cool in a you laugh you lose for the most part but will break at the dumbest joke or unexpected twist

instead of waving goodbye to some people, they instead make a little grabby motion with their arm outstretched towards the person

they have a little journal where they write what they wish they would've said in the moment if they were a little braver

they don't like it when people stand just behind their shoulder or touch the back of their neck or scalp, so it's a sign of trust when someone can hug them from behind or run hands through their hair without them being uncomfortable and pulling away

loving flower and color symbolism

having two freezers (one full refridgerator and a freezer) and naming them so they no longer have to say the location of the freezer. at one point they feel like the non-freezer portion of their fridge is left out so they end up naming that too

any time they dye their hair they try to pick a different color each time

they wear an ankle bracelet which has emotional significance to them

they really like collecting shiny things and glittery rocks

they have a favorite dinosaur of all time, a favorite carnivore and herbivore. optional: fav omnivore and if they know a lot about dinosaurs then a favorite for each period