#but I have no room and really need to build my proper studio | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

orchid-mantis-petals · 11 months ago

Text

WHEN HOME BECOMES YOU CHAPTER 4:

/ Why hello again!! Omg a post before 12 am MST shocker!! But here she is in all her glory. Chapter 4. Finally things are taking off!!

/ Couple of prefaces before we begin: I don’t own Stray Kids. I just love them dearly and want you to enjoy them too. All of the work here in this blog belongs to me. Do not copy or steal my work. Lastly I know very little about motorcycles so don’t come at me if things are wrong. I’ll learn and fix them 💜💜

/ I would like to thank @maximumkillshot she has been an absolute angel guiding me this week. She’s helped move the chapters and timeline of this fic in a proper direction. (The motorcycle scene in here is her brilliant idea)

/ Genre: Angst, comfort, fluff

/ Warnings: Panic attack (Han), anxiety, yelling, mentions of sleep (or lack of), crowds, and as always swearing

/ Summary:

“Y/N, I need to protect them,” he motioned to the boys as a defense.

“Sure, in the studio, on the stage, but here in this moment that is my fucking job. Out here I am your shield, I am your protection. I am the reason you will get from a to b safe and sound. Use me for the skills that I have. You put yourself into danger back there Chan!! Don’t ever do that again!! You said you trusted me, fucking prove it yah?? Let me do my goddamn job. Got. It??”

Your last few months since your arrival in Korea was to build up the team you had been assigned. From the moment you were given the job you were told to build a team you trusted to protect a high volume client. Without hesitation you hand picked the team based on their background and skills. It took you two weeks just to pick out the team. The rest of the time you built them up. You hoped this team was one you could be proud of, if they weren’t you’d scrap them all. It was something you had warned them from the beginning. If they weren’t up to the task you’d cut them from your team. No hesitation. It was easy to see some of the younger men were startled, the ones closer to your age had an air of arrogance you couldn’t wait to knock down a peg. Finally the day came, just as you entered the JYP building for your own daily training you got the call. The clients had arrived back from their overseas schedules. You were to meet the leader and a few of his staff upstairs in conference room 4. You were glad to have packed your uniform in your gym bag. After a quick change you wandered up to the room. Around a large table you saw various sets of faces. Some you had met through your months here, some were new. With a gentle knock you pushed the door open and bowed to greet the room. All faces were turned to you at the door.

“Hello, good morning everyone,” in a moment they all stood, bowed and greeted you formally as you sat down in one of the chairs. Directly across from you on the other end was a man you had vague recognition of, but you couldn’t place where you had recognized him from. His broad shoulders, bare face, and shaggy curls really didn’t give you much inkling.

“Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Christopher Bang Chan. But by all means please call me Chan. Everyone else does. I look forward to working with you,” he was formal, though you weren’t surprised, he was the leader of an apparently world famous idol group. Formalities were necessary in professional environments like this. You enjoyed the refreshing professionalism and charisma that seemed to roll off him in waves.

“Thank you, Chan,” it felt slightly awkward as it slipped off your tongue but he didn’t protest so you continued. “My name is (L/N), (F/N). Please call me by my first name. Since we’re being informal,” you smiled at him, it seemed to ease a slight tension in his shoulders. At his relaxation you also took a deep breath. “Has JYP spoken to you about what is going on??” you wanted to gauge the knowledge he had on the security situation.

“He told me enough, but I would like to hear it from you as well. So that we are both on the same page,”

“JYP has hired the company I work for to become private security for his idols. While you and your band were in America I used that time to hand pick and build a team I have confidence will do their best job to protect you and your band. Here are the files on every member of my team. It includes background, training, and skills. My own file is in there,” he nodded as he took the papers from you. You watched as he slipped them into a bag at his feet.

“Would you like to meet the band?? I heard the rest of your team had today off. But as the leader I would like you to meet them. I think it would ease some of the tension of change if they had a face to see,” change was hard you knew that. If providing them a name and face would help ease whatever stress they had you would be happy to.

“My schedule is clear until we work tomorrow. I am happy to meet them,” with a nod you joined Chan as he stood. The rest of the people in the room idled before they too dispersed to finish whatever tasks they had been assigned for the day. It was a short elevator ride to the practice rooms and a quick walk down the hall.

“Between schedules you’ll likely find us here. I will be sure to get you my phone number so if you need to reach me at any point you can,” you nodded as he slid open the door to the practice room. The flood of noise that filled your ears was shocking. Within the room you could see bodies moving around to music that blared loudly over a set of speakers tucked at the back of the room. Some of the noise filtered from sneakers as they scuffed the floor, instructions that were shouted over the music. Or the occasional holler of one of the men as they enjoyed the energy. It was refreshing to see such a lively attitude from how long you’d been on a strict schedule for your team. “Boys!!” Chan called above the music. You watched as all eyes moved to the two of you at the door. Whoever was closest to the radio moved to pause the music. Once it was Chan moved to stand by the boys. “Line up,” it was easy to see how quick he took command of the room. All of them, eight with Chan lined up in a row as Chan began a countdown “1, 2, 3, Step out, hello we are Stray Kids,” all at once they bowed hands creating a gesture you knew was likely unique to their team. After they greeted you it was your turn.

“Hello,” you bowed, low and formal. “I am (L/N), (F/N), please feel free to call me Y/N. I am the leader of your new security team. Come tomorrow I will begin my job of protecting you,” as you lifted your head your eyes met those of someone familiar. In a moment it all came crashing back. It was no shit the name Chan, and Stray Kids was familiar. Right there, three feet in front of you. There he was, the man with the dreamer eyes. It seemed he recognized you too. His jaw slack as he stared, as though it was unbelievable to have found you here. It wasn’t his face, more so his reaction to recognizing you. In a moment you covered your mouth as a fit of laughs wracked your chest. “I am so sorry,” you apologized as you turned your back to them and laughed harder. It was soon another laugh filled the room as you turned back to look at the group. He too had begun to laugh along. It had left the entire room in a state of confusion. The rest of the boys looked as though the two of you had gone mad.

“Chan, this is the security guard from America,”

“The one who saved you??” the two of you managed to collect yourselves as you both faced Chan.

“The very one, she dove between me and STAY to get me free. She said she had to kick me to do it,”

“She kicked you?!?!” oh maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say, the entire room shifted. The young man who shouted glared daggers at you now. That really wasn’t the first impression you had wanted to go for.

“Guys, guys she had to. She didn’t even kick hard. It was just enough force to get me loose from the crowd. Even came to check on me after the show. Y/N is a life saver,” that seemed to ease the tension of the room. But you could see your welcome was now unwelcome by some.

“It's nice to meet you, I better go,” before you slipped out of the room you made sure to bow, providing them with the utmost respect before you exited the room. Back to your original plan of the day you spent the next few hours down at the gym. Your interaction from earlier was good fuel to your boxing set that was prime overdue. After you logged the four hour set, and reminded yourself you would have to remove a set from a different day to give yourself some reprieve it was time to go home. A quick shower and a fresh set of clothes under your riding gear and you were on your way. Fate wasn’t really on your side today it seemed. Just as you settled your backpack on you heard the now more familiar shouts of Stray Kids as they entered the parking garage. All noise stopped once they had spotted you though. With a sigh you turned, giving the group a polite wave before you returned to set up the navigation on your phone.

“Y/N,” the deep trill of a soft voice at your side called your attention. When you looked up you found one of the members now beside you. You had left the room so fast you hadn’t even bothered to learn the names of the men you’d be protecting. Now, stood before you was a blonde man, with the prettiest freckles that fanned over his nose and cheeks.

“Yes,”

“Felix,”

“What's up Felix??” oh, the way he smiled at you when you called him by his name. It settled a warmth over your soul, lit into a gentle blaze as you looked into his eyes.

“Well, we were just admiring your motorcycle. Changbin over there really likes the color. You see, he kinda has this thing for pink,” you gaze shifted away from the blonde to the group. Changbin, was he your dreamy eyed man?? “He’s the big buff one,” Felix kindly pointed out as you looked at the group. So he was, you took mental note. “Anyway, he’s really shy. But I think he'd like it if you would talk to him,” when Felix smiled at you like that, how were you supposed to say no.

“Sure, I was just thinking I needed to learn everyone's names,” as you stood you moved to put your helmet down, having decided that morning to attach a set of fluffy rabbit ears on it for a fun effect.

“Wait, please bring the helmet,” quizzically you raised a brow to Felix, ‘why’ painted all over your face. “Bin, he likes cute things. I think it will make him blush,” oh, he was trying to tease his friend. “He likes you, hasn’t stopped chatting about the security guard from America since the day you saved him,” so the helmet would come with.

“Okay, let's go,” you smiled at Felix. You giggled as he beamed back, before you could stop him his small hand wrapped around your wrist as he dragged you forward to the group. With your helmet in hand you followed him, wary of the daggers that now bore into your face. The same man from before stared at you with a narrowed gaze, a shiver zipped up your spine. He clearly wasn’t your biggest fan.

“Guys!! Y/N didn’t get to learn our names!!” Felix called as he planted you in front of the group, he was kind enough to stay at your side when he dragged you over.

“Ah, well I know Chan’s from our meeting. And now I know yours Felix,” your gaze moved along the group, a few stood rather defensive but you wanted to try something to break the ice. “Felix said your Changbin??” you tilted your head as you eyed the man, when you had first met him you were in such a hurry you didn’t get much chance to take him in. Now, it seemed you would have all the time in the world. One thing that didn’t change though was the deep pools that were his eyes. What secrets they held, what things they saw. So much the same as the first time you saw them. “It’s really nice to finally have a name to go with that handsome face,” maybe you stroked his ego but damn was it worth it when the effect was so immediate. His cheeks flared in a deep red, you could even see it run over the tips of his ears. Felix doubled over with laughter at your side.

“Oh she’s funny,” the man that stood by the one currently ready for your demise spoke up as he giggled. “I’m Han, behind me is Lee Know,” right Han, and Lee Know.

“The others are Seungmin, Hyunjin, and I.N.,” Chan introduced the others as they seemed distracted in their laughter.

“It is nice to finally meet all of you. I will see you in the morning at the airport,” you bowed once more as you lifted your helmet up from your side and onto your head. All eyes shifted from you to Changbin as one of the fuzzy ears flopped down to the side of your helmet giving a droopy look to one and a half droopy to the other. You swore his cheeks got darker in mere seconds. You made a mental reminder to thank Felix for the icebreaker he provided. As you were on your way you circled the boys on your bike as you gave them one last wave of the night.

****

When morning arrived the next day Chan wasn’t sure how much sleep he had gotten the night before. After he made sure the others had gotten home safe he locked himself away in his room to work. Sure he could have gone back to the studio but they had a 5 am flight to Japan for a broadcast. If he had stayed at the studio he would have missed the flight. So he stayed home. He made sure the others got sleep, and that he got some. Before it had gotten too late he made sure to send you an email of the next month's schedule. Come morning he had downed two cups of coffee just to get his feet out the door. All bags were packed and settled by the door. With three broadcasts in Japan, and an awards show, they’d be there for a week before they’d come back to Korea for another session of broadcasts.

“Morning,” he looked up to find Changbin in the doorway of the kitchen, his broad frame leaned against the wood.

“Morning,” he greeted back as he looked at his watch, ah it was time to go.

“Cars loaded, staff are waiting for us,” Chan nodded as he settled his cup into the sink. He’d take care of it when they got home next week. As soon as the eight of them stepped into the parking garage you were there with the team you had cultivated. Chan hoped that he wouldn’t have to witness the skills you so cleanly listed in everyone's files. Especially today, 4 am was far too early to have to deal with a crowd of people. Chan especially knew how easy it was for Han to have an anxiety attack when he was tired. The freshly risen boys were an easy target for any possibility, Chan knew that all too well. When you stepped up you nodded short but sweet, then you turned to address the entire group.

“Dispatch has leaked today's flight schedule. Airport staff called the company early this morning. STAY is here, and they are wound up. I asked airport security to give us additional support as we go in. They have also notified me they have barricades set up to keep STAY pushed back. It will be loud, and I will keep a fast pace through here. Staff have already been sent ahead. I need you to trust me here, no matter what happens have faith that my team will handle it,” Chan watched his boys, their faces turned serious as they listened to you, even Lee Know was pulled into your instructions. Though he knew it was more so he knew Han and the rest would be alright. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease with a set of security. Your attention to detail when it came to their safety was more than just a little refreshing. . When they were ready Chan let you know, he had faith in you. It was easy after you had shown such protective instincts with Changbin in America.

“Y/N, we’re ready,” you nodded as you guided your team into position With the added help of the airport staff Chan watched you work your magic. You had all of them line up single file as the security team surrounded them. Changbin took the front.

“If at any point you need one of us closer grab our shirts. We’ve got you,” you assured as you took your place at the back, Chan right in front of you. With a deep breath he followed the line you created with them. For once he felt like they could make it out of this with minimal damage. Wishful thinking, he knew it wasn’t going to be that easy as soon as they entered the airport lobby. From the second the doors opened he could hear STAY scream out for them. Lights flashed bright against his eyes. He was glad to have brought sunglasses with him. Chan let your team guide them up to the security entrance, beyond that they would be safe from the roaring crowd that surrounded them. Just feet away from the security gate his hopes were dashed. One of the barricades hadn’t been properly latched, in seconds it swiveled open, then toppled over by the overzealous fans eager to get closer to the boys. The loud sound drew the attention of the two men that were at Han and I.N.’s side. It created a gap, a gap that allowed STAY to get close, too close. In seconds Chan moved to protect the two younger members of his team. In the gap he could see two young women reach out to grab them, they snagged at Han’s clothes, aimed for I.N. 's hat. But before he even had the chance to set foot in front of the women. Before he could even use his own body to protect his boys, you were there. Right in front of the two young women. With gentle hands you guided them back to the barricade as the rest of your team tightened up around the boys.

“MOVE IT,” you barked over the noise of the room, and suddenly they were pushed forward to the security gates, each of them guided through the check and beyond the lobby. The silence that fell on them was deafening, Han was tucked into Lee Know’s side noise canceling headphones tucked tight over his ears. I.N. had shakily hidden himself against Hyunjin who also looked unnerved by the situation. So much had happened all at once Chan wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Truly he just wanted his boys to be okay. In seconds he moved to look after Han and I.N.

“Christopher Bang Chan,” all attention shifted to you, even his. After all, you just used his full name. But he couldn’t deal with whatever you had to say. Not when he saw Han’s shoulders hunch forward as Lee Know guided him down into a seat. The young man was clearly on the verge of an anxiety or even panic attack. He needed to make sure he was okay first then he’d face whatever you had to say.

“Hold on,” he added in a calm tone, body turned to Han.

“Sit. The. Fuck. Down,” oh, you weren’t going to take no for an answer. Chan turned to you his brows furrowed, the first thought that crossed his mind was how dare you speak to him like that. But then he saw you, shirt rumpled from what he assumed were fans. Eyebrows' downset eyes held a fiery gaze, one he did not question. Whatever retort he had died on his tongue as he sat in one of the chairs. “What the fuck was that?!?! Huh!! I explicitly remember telling you to trust me. That wasn’t trust Chan,”

“Y/N, I need to protect them,” he motioned to the boys as a defense.

“Yes ma’am,” you were right, he interfered with your job. He put himself in harm's way. While he decided it was okay to do that, he was then quick to realize his decision could have made things so much worse for his members. That it had made things worse for you. He heard snickers from the other security members behind you, he felt whatever shame that settled into the pit of his stomach was deserved. That was until he watched you wheel around onto them.

“What the fuck are you all laughing at!! At least he had the balls to step up and protect his team. I will ask you the same thing I asked him,” Chan had to admit the way you took command of the room from your stance and voice alone was terrifying, having seen this side of you he vowed to never experience it again. “What the fuck was that?!?! I spent the last few months training you fools to be a near perfect team. But I can see now that you may not be up to the task. You left them wide open. You allowed those girls to get close. TOO CLOSE,” he wanted to ask you to not shout, for the sake of his boys but words wouldn’t form on his tongue, in awe as he watched the grown men in front of you, men near double your size cower before you. Not unlike he did when you scolded him. “You do not get another chance, if you want to be part of this team you will prove it to me in Japan. If you don't, the second the wheels touch down in Korea, you’re done. I have people more eager to prove themselves than you. So prove it to me you deserve to be on MY team. Got. it??” Silence fell upon the room, the same questions you asked him had been asked to your team, and they answered much like he did. After it was said and done your shoulders dropped with a deep heavy breath.

****

You ignored your team, and Chan as you stepped over to Han. You had felt bad for shouting when the young man was in obvious distress. But in order for your point to come across you felt it was necessary. Gently, as to not startle him you knelt in front of Han. Above you, you could practically feel Lee Know growl. You assumed he allowed you to get close under the guise of your job. For that you were grateful

“Han, can you breathe with me,” with Lee Know occupied keeping him upright, you used the space to help guide Han to slower breaths. You rested his hand over your collar bones, it allowed him to feel the full breaths you took. Slowly you guided him back to a gentler rhythm. “Good job,” you coaxed further until his watery eyes met yours. “I saw what happened, did you get hurt,” when he shook his head you released the breath you held. “That’s good. I am so sorry that happened to you Han. I failed you today, will you allow me the chance to prove myself to you,” you smiled when he tried to protest your failure, but his eager nod proved you had at least earned his trust in some capacity. “Thank you,” slowly you settled his hand back into his own lap and stood. “I’ll make sure you get water on the plane,” you nodded to Lee Know who nodded back. Progress, you hoped so. With that in mind you wandered to I.N. the young man was tucked into Hyinjin’s side, head buried in his shoulder. Seungmin was right beside him, hands settled into his hair as he coaxed him to stay calm.

“He’s okay,” the taller of the three remarked as you knelt down.

“I.N. are you hurt??” you asked anyway, you needed to hear it from him yourself. When he nodded you saw the older two become more alert. Calmly you looked at them to settle, the only way he’d say is if the room is calm. “Tell me where please,”

“They grabbed my hair,”

“Okay, may I look??” With permission you rounded the chairs to have a look at the youngests scalp. Nestled in the coarse thick hair you noticed a couple small scratches, and some bruising. “On the airplane I will personally get you an ice pack,” you stated before you moved around to report your findings to the three huddled boys. “Unfortunately I.N. I failed you today. Though small, I did find scratches on your scalp, and small bruises. I am so deeply sorry for my failure today. In my arrogance to have you trust me, you got injured. I promise, if you allow me to continue to I will do better, I will protect you,”

“No!! No!!,” at first you thought he was protesting your protection, part of you didn’t blame him. “Y/N you were amazing back there!! You did exactly what you were supposed to. Han and I came out mostly unscathed because you did an amazing job. And you managed to put our sometimes idiot for a leader in his place. Thank you, please keep protecting us,” you chuckled and nodded to him.

“If there's no objections, I’ll stay by your side. I will prove to you each and every day I am your shield,” when silence fell over the room you moved away your own nerves frayed from the experience. You sat in your own chair a decent space away from everyone.. It didn’t go unnoticed it seemed. Soon the seat beside you was filled. Changbin occupied the space next to you. His hands settled over yours as he lifted them. The slight tremble in your fingers had him frowning.

“I heard you scold my leader, your team, then check on Han, and I.N. But what I didn’t hear was, if you are okay??” you shifted your body to look at him, his hands were so warm against yours. It soothed the last little shake in your fingers.

“I am, thank you Changbin,”

TAG LIST:

Tag List: @taeminsung @maximumkillshot @feybin @alex--awesome--22 @liknws @palindrome969 @newbbystay @highlydestiny

38 notes · View notes

sweet-but-vicious · 2 days ago

Text

Alright folks get your tin hats on and your delulu glasses ready because I've had some thoughts about the Kiwi music video!

Hello, I don't think we've met. My name is Cass and I have been bestowed with all the letters of the alphabet and my psych meds are messed up this week so you get to be dragged into my barely medicated current hyperfixation fugue, i.e. Larry Stylinson.

Run away now those who fear the truth!

I take that back this is literally my opinion.

It's also not strictly romantic Larry, this could easily also be platonic Larry.

I had some possible realizations about the Kiwi MV and decided I needed to share with the class...

Ok, so first off, I'm of the opinion that Louis had some, if not a LOT of involvement in the writing of the song Kiwi or that H wrote it from his perspective and in his style. We saw it being worked on while 1D was still together and I think it was either meant for the band or was written for Harry to sing but about/from the mindset of Louis. All my future thoughts are based on this premise so if you disagree I'm sorry you wasted a click.

I know L isn't credited but that doesn't mean he wasn't involved. Kiwi just sounds so much more like Louis than Haz, add in the fact that L would NOT have been allowed to release anything close to those lyrics nor would it suit L's voice, and we get what we have now, H releasing a banger that shows off his voice but doesn't quite fit in with the rest of his album. I think lyrically it's a proper mix of H's metaphors and L's candor while musically it has L's percussive driven vibe and very long stretches of singing on a single breath that are super common in L's music. So either L helped or H wrote it to sound like L.

OK, so now that we've established the basis for my theory let's move on to the video...

The video is 3:03 min long, and H is not seen until 2:12.

Now because of the matching suits and the hair, we have all assumed that the main young lady is supposed to represent Harry, but what if the girl is supposed to be the writer of the song i.e. Louis?

For the sake of this essay(lol), I'm going to refer to the girl as Lou from here on out.

We first see Lou enter an institutional building holding a plastic box of cupcakes. From the box and the look of the cupcakes we can infer that they are brought from home.

In other words, young child Lou entered the the building/music industry with assets/talents/gifts she already had before she arrived. Also supporting this is the fact that the frosting on the fairy cakes is Louis blue and rustic, implying untrained raw talent compaired to the fancily decorated cakes we see piled in the middle of the room possibly representing all the songs and music or other resources the studio had to offer.

Next we see all the other children/talent/musicians each with their own personal weapon/song/gift getting ready to fight.

For what? Space in the industry? A place on the album? Money? Success? All of the above? We never really see what they are fighting for, just that they are being pitted against each other.

Next we get this spectacular child;

He and this shot are truly amazing. Now the video has a look and a feel that is not super modern, but this child above and beyond the others has a 60's vibe. The clothes and the hair are giving early Beatles while the toothpick is giving gangster. So a "boss" from the 60s? Someone older who is in charge perhalps? Also, note that this child never throws or even HOLDS any cake, and after the initial stage of the battle, he is never seen again.

He quite obviously is challenged by Lou but he doesn't actually throw anything, nor does Lou fire the first shot. We don't actually see what starts the battle but we do see his obvious glee at shots being fired.

Next we see shots of the battlefeild, children throwing cake at each other as well as a few just quietly consuming their own cake which I take to mean that they perhalps gave up and decided not to partake in the fight at all.

Lou Then looks down to find her ammunition depleted, which could be interpretted as being used up or burnt out, and runs to the center pile of cake to grab an armful and crawl back out, she is the first to pull from the pile. Perhalps, she is too tired to walk or is attempting to sneak away with a piece of the "pie"?

At this point Harry finally enters the video, holding a puppy.

So I believe that Harry is playing himself and that the puppies are the fans. Harry has opened the door to the industry and hand carried the fans inside. Then with an epic war cry he unleashes(heh) hell! Sending in a brigade of puppies right when Lou was on the ground looking ready to give up!

The dogs/fans all come running into the room and begin consuming all of the cake/music that has been strewn all over the floor, one going right up to Lou and eating directly out of her hand.

This could be the doorway the boys always tried to give us into how they were treated and what they wanted to do vs what they were told they had to do.

Some of the puppies/fans find other children/musicians and stay protected with them while Harry, Lou, and one puppy hide behind a chair baricade. Harry, like the boss, does not throw any cake. Instead, he hands a cake to Lou for her to throw as a grenade while Harry protects the puppy.

So H is being supportive and helpful while protecting what matters, and allowing Lou to fight for herself. Like maybe releasing a song of words that L would never be able to say himself? Telling the fans the truth in the only way they could?

Next we see more carnage including this genius shot of a presumably dead child being mourned by a friend.

Casualties of the fight? Two boys who appear to be important to each other not surviving the industry?

Finally we end on this;

The survivors, battered(heh) but not broken, standing proud and together after the fight. Harry with his little smirk.

Now I may be streching here but H is a very expressive person and having seen many of his smirks I feel like this one is giving a little fuck you I just did that and no one could stop me vibe. I definitely see a whiff of "come at me bro" in that smile.

What do you think? Did I just manage to make sense out of one of the most chaotic videos of all time or am I a whackadoodle?

Nevermind, I know the answer lol

PS Did you know that kiwi birds mate for life and that the males incubate the eggs? Just some trivia for you... obviously doesn't mean anything... obviously...

#harry styles #kiwi #kiwi video #louis tomilson #larry stylinson #video analysis #kinda #ramblings #kiwi music video #harry styles kiwi #kiwi song

5 notes · View notes

mykuup · 2 years ago

Text

Be my muse

Summary : You are a photograph for the Hawkins newspaper. But as you love music and arts in general, your biggest wish is to become a reporter for a band or a music magazine. As you are looking for new models for your book, you remember about a guitar and D&D player, studying at the same History class as you.

Maybe you could ask for a little help…

wc : 4,3k

Warning : graphic smut // minor DNI 18+ // fluff and smut // unprotected sex (piv) // PwP

A/n : I had to write something sweet with Eddie bc he deserves the world. Again, english isn't my native language and it's not beta'd / proof read so all the mistake u spot are my own

Originally posted on Ao3

You’re desperate as you take another picture of the cheerleader of Hawkins. Sure the girls were all pretty but you couldn’t see their faces for another second. In the red room as your pictures are developing, you dream about being on the road with a group of musicians or with your reporter card around your neck as you enter backstage.

You sigh, the face of Crissy Cunningham revealing in your last picture gets you out of your daydream.

You give your work to one of your classmates at the journalist club. Music playing in the headphones of your Walkman, an idea pops into your head. You needed to show people what you were really capable of. Something arty, not common. You wanted to show music and arts in your pictures, your boldness.

That’s it.

You need to show how bold and how far you could go with your art. It may be shocking but for you, it was the definition of art with a capital A.

Your dad hadn't arrived yet when you came back home. Great. You will be able to listen to your Mötley Crüe vinyl at the maximum volume. You needed to brainstorm for your project. The drums and guitars ringing in your ears and in the whole house. The music was something that could bring you so much energy. Song after song, you scribble a few ideas, in vain. But it’s when you hear the first note of Starry eyes that something comes up in your brain.

Glamour.

A picture building itself right before your eyes : music, makeup, blur. You will need to improvise a background in your already improvised studio in your room. But you needed something feminine and shiny to contrast the man you will photograph. It had to be a man. The glam metal you were listening to taught everybody how a man could wear makeup to shock and amazed people. But you knew deep down that the musicians in Hawkins’ orchestra will never say “yes” to such an idea. You think again and again at every person you know, close relation or not. And after a few minutes, you write a name on your textbook.

Eddie Munson.

You laugh at reading his name. You were already picturing him, full of makeup right before your camera.

You smile at the idea that Eddie “the freak” Munson will be in your room, with you. Realizing this, your smile fades to let a concern look in your face. Of course you had a thing for him. Of course you liked him a lot and of course you were classmates. You knew each other since middle school. But will you be strong enough to not let your feelings mess up your work ? Will you be brave enough to ask him to do this, for you ?

You bite your lower lip, thinking.

Someone opening the door downstairs takes you out of your thoughts. Your dad’s finally home, you will think about a plan later.

Few days have passed since you had your wonderful idea. It’s Thursday and you will not see Eddie before tomorrow morning at your History class. All day long, you try to make a proper sentence to ask him to come over to your place after class. Knowing that your dad will be there later helps you keep your cool in case your feelings decide to show up during the photoshoot.

That was your plan.

But everyone knows that plans don’t always come as we thought.

Friday morning. You were so stressed that you were almost late for your History class. As you enter right before the bell rings, you spot Eddie at the back of the room. You take a deep breath and walk straight to him before sitting next to him. He glanced at you, curiously. It wasn’t your usual place.

“Hello !” he whispers, a smile on his face. You’re hanging out at your textbook as you answer him, your voice trembling a little.

“Hi.”

You find courage to turn your head to face him and oh lord what did you just do. You dive into his dark brown eyes so easily. It helps you calm down instantly. Seeing that you’re staring at him without saying anything, he waves his hand -and silver rings- in front of you.

“Oh I’m sorry ! What did you say again ?” you ask, embarrassed.

“I didn’t say anything. But I think you wanted to.”

“Oh hum… yeah.”

“I’m listening.” he smiles again.

“Does one of you guys want to share something with the class?” your teacher asks, bothered by your chatting.

“I’m listening carefully.” his voice is so low it sounds like a dark mumble.

“I wanted to ask you something” you start whispering, trying to not be caught again by your teacher. “I need your help.”

“For what ?”

“Come to my place tomorrow after class.”

It’s not the way you wanted to ask for help but you felt your teacher’s gaze on you and you wanted to avoid being retained. Eddies says nothing, visibly shocked by your invitation and a bit curious too.

“I usually do this in my trailer.” You could see his grin while he faked at writing something in his notebook.

You hear your teacher clear her throat again, annoyed by you and Eddie still chatting.

“Just come, please.” you add before shutting up during the rest of the hour.

“I can’t.” says Eddie as you were both walking out of the classroom. “D&D club is Friday after class.”

You sigh as you see your plan turning to ashes. Eddie sees your sad look so he makes an offer.

“But I’m free Saturday afternoon if you really need me for… whatever you need me.” his grin’s back again.

You look at him in awe. You’ve never thought of Saturday. And you will be alone as your dad works on Saturday.

“Are you okay ?” Eddie asks, seeing you frozen in time.

“Yeah ! Saturday’s perfect !” you offer him a wide smile before leaving him. You don’t even dare to look back as you realize what you just said to him.

Later that day, you walk by your favorite shop to buy more photo rolls and a few accessories. And after the dinner, you decide to set everything up for tomorrow. You move your bed to one side of your bedroom to get enough space. You found a light purple sheet to use as a background and you took all your makeup out of your drawer. You had some glitter and coloured eyeshadows and a few lipsticks.

You start to plan all the poses so it would be easier for you. You’re scribbling ideas with different makeup and outfits. You pictured him wearing only his sleeveless denim jacket and glitter all over him.

Damn, this vision stopped you from breathing correctly.

You also took out from your drawer an old pair of fishnet tights so you could cut them and use them as gloves or something.

You spent several long minutes planning everything before getting some sleep. As you lay down in your bed, you start thinking about your idea. This was a very good one and you hope that you will be able to do more and more experiments like this with your art. You know you’re capable of beautiful things and you will show it to the world.

You wake up with the sweet scent of breakfast and hot coffee. As you come downstairs, you look at your father, who’s waiting for you to start eating.

“Hello sunflower, how was your night ?” he asks with a big smile on his face. You loved the link you had with him and these kinds of moments were pure treasure.

You smile back at him before taking a sip of coffee.

“Good, thank you. Ready for work ?”

“Yeah, about that, you remember that I will come back tomorrow, as I’m taking Maria to dinner tonight.”

Of course you don’t remember. As you hear his sentence, your memory is flashing back to the day your dad told you he dated someone.

“Of course I remember !” you lied. “How could I forget Maria !” Your laugh was fake but right now, you just wanted your father to not notice the panic in your eyes.

He laughed too before eating his breakfast.

After your dad leaves the house, you put a record on your music station to listen to your music at high volume. You needed to think about something else than the arrival of Eddie. Electric guitars and drums help you relax. As you finish preparing your bedroom, you hear the doorbell ring.

“Hello y/l/n.” says Eddie with a wide smile as you open the door. He’s wearing his denim jacket with a black leather perfecto. A Black Sabbath t-shirt and his old pair of black ripped jeans.

“Hi !” you answer, avoiding his eyes. “Hum…Please come in.”

“I didn’t know you had such good taste in music !” he teases, vibin to the track that was playing. “So, I’m here and maybe you could explain to me why you need my help ?”

“Oh yeah sure… hum…” you’re biting your lips, and Eddie could see your foot tapping the floor.

“You okay ?” he asks, a bit concerned. “We don’t need to do this. Give me the world and I just walk away…”

“What are you talking about ?” you were surprised about his sudden change of mood.

“I don’t know y/n, you’re not the kind of girl I’m used to see when I’m selling weed.”

“What ?! No ! I didn’t ask you to come here for that !”

“No ?! You were acting weird in Mrs.Clapton’s class y’know.”

You sigh, head in your hands. You didn’t know if you were ashamed or if you wanted to laugh out loud about the whole situation. Eddie misunderstood your intentions but you couldn’t blame him. And it’s true that you were acting weird as you were stressed.

You let out a soft laugh before answering to Eddie.

“Eddie, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to fool you !” you can see his eyes lighting up again and his smile coming back. “I was a bit embarrassed to ask you if you could model for me.”

There they are. You said the words with such ease you couldn’t even believe it. You look at Eddie to see his reaction. At first, he looks at you, brows frowned. But then, you could see in his eyes his curiosity peaking.

“Modeling. For you.” he repeats, looking straight and pointing at you.

“Glam modeling.” you add with boldness. “And I know you’re perfect for this.”

Eddie gapes at you, then smiles.

“The good news is, flattery works with me so…”

“I know.” you smile back at him before showing him the way upstairs.

As you show him the way, Eddie’s glancing at you, wondering how he ends up in your room. He looks around him to see his surroundings. He sees your improvised photo scene but he also notices the makeup lying on your bed.

“What’s this ?” he asks, taking a thing on your bed.

"Lipstick." You take it from him to open it up. “Dark red lipstick.” you add before throwing it away with the rest of your makeup. “And before you ask, yes. This is all for you.”

“Even these err… glitter ?” Eddie’s arching an eyebrow as he kneels before your bed to look closely at your makeup.

“Is there a problem?” You start to feel stressed as you see that Eddie isn’t really into it. Maybe your idea wasn’t that good in the end. But your classmate feels your doubt and gets up to reassure you.

“Oh no! No problem at all ! It’s just… I’ve never…” he shakes his hands in front of his face. “I’ve never done this before. Wearing makeup and all of that…”

“I guess yeah… Are you okay with that or… ?”

“Yeah ! I trust you. You’re the artist after all !” he adds, smiling at you.

You smile back at him. Eddie was kind and sweet with you. He has always been. You clap your hand before starting the photoshoot. You shared your ideas with him, glancing at him from time to time to see if everything was okay for him.

“Well, where should we start ?” he inquired.

“For now, stay like this and go in front of the background so we can both get in the mood !”

“Okay well, I’ll just listen to your music and… go with the flow !”

You both laugh at his tone. As Eddie’s starting to move and pose, you start to take some pictures. The flash of your camera enlightens his face. After a few minutes, you could feel that Eddie’s more relaxed as being your model. That is when you decide to start your initial project.

“Great ! They turned out great ! But now it’s time for makeup ! Shall we ?”

Eddie looks at you, a bit hesitant.

“I don’t know how to use all this y’know…”

“Hum… but if you’re okay, I can do it for you.”

Eddie nods and sits at the edge of your bed, looking up at you. You started to blush when you kneel between his legs to be at the same height as his. You search for your eyeliner crayon first to start slowly.

“Okay, please close your eyes.” you almost whisper, approaching closer to his face. You could both feel the breath of the other. “Tell me if it hurts.”

He nods and closes his eyes. Very gently, you put your left hand on his cheeks. He jumps a bit as he couldn’t see you but then calms down as he feels something on his eyelid. You darkened his eyes very carefully. As you’re done, you ask him to open his eyes again. He blinks a few times before looking straight at you.

“So ? How does it look ?” he playfully asks.

You look at him in awe. Thank god he doesn’t wear eyeliner everyday or you would never graduate. It gives an extra something to his eyes in which you would gladly dive.

“It’s…” you gape at him before handing him a mirror.

You see Eddie looking at himself in the mirror. He brings his fingertips to his eyes and the mirror closer to his face to check on what you just did.

“It suits you very well.” you admit with a smile.

“I kinda like that to be honest !”

He smiles back at you before getting up. You ask him to take off his denim jacket for now and then take more pictures.

The time passes by and you and Eddie are having some fun. You laugh and sing at the songs that are currently playing. You tried several poses with different looks and styles. You both took a break before a new set of pictures with a new outfit.

“Are you ready ?” you ask, a bit stressed.

“Yeah sure ! What do you want me to do now ?” Eddie can see that you’re avoiding his eyes. Your cheeks are turning crimson red as you take one of your glitter pot.

“Would you hum… would you take off your shirt? I… I want to try something…” You glance at him to see his face before turning back to face your door instead of him. You could hear that he’s taking his jacket off and his shirt.

“You know that you don’t have to hide your face.” he says. “You will see me anyways.”

You turn back to him, very slowly, the glitter pot still in your hands. When you’re facing him again, you couldn’t avoid your eyes to scan his face and torso. You knew he had tattoos but it’s the first time that you could see them.

You take a step closer, and without a word, you open the lid of the glitter container. You look at Eddie’s eyes and your cheek becomes red again. He leans his head to have a better look at you and at what you’re doing. You dig your finger in the glitter before approaching them to his collarbones. You’re trembling a little but you find examining his tattoos calming. Gently, you start to put silver glitter on him. His skin is soft and hot. You could feel his heart beating as you added glitter in this area. His breath smells like weed as it makes a few strands of your hair moving.

Not knowing why, you could feel his breath grow heavy as you see his chest raising.

“Is… everything okay ?” you ask, almost whispering.

The music that is still playing is now just a buzzing sound to your ears. And as Eddie doesn’t answer you, you realized that maybe he didn’t hear you.

“Eddie ?” you insist, a bit louder but still with a sweet tone in your voice.

“Hum sorry y/n. What did you say ?” You could see him blushing as he looked into your eyes. You shake your head.

“Nothing, I’m almost done.”

You put a few glitters on his eyelids too before taking a step back. You clean your hand on your jeans before taking your camera again, making a sign to Eddie so he could go back in front of your improvised background.

You could see that Eddie was looking at you. His stare was deep and straight to the camera. You almost feel like he could go through to scan your soul.

You came closer to him to help him find the right gesture. You took his hand -with his many rings- and put it on his cheek, the other one wrapping up his arm and laying on his shoulder. He wasn’t really facing you and you asked him to look lost in his thoughts.

The truth is that he was already deep diving in his mind when you first came closer to him earlier. He couldn’t stop himself thinking about your fingers on his skin and your scent that embraced him. He kept the pose until you said you were done with this scene.

“Can we take a break ?” he asks gently. “I need a cigarette.”

“Yeah sure ! Downstairs, in the kitchen. The door to the garden !” you smile at him.

“Thank you.” he walks over to you to exit your bedroom. You followed his steps as you needed a drink.

After your glass of water, you take a glance outside. Eddie’s smoking, his back laying on the wall. He was half under the porch but the sunrays make his chest glowing like millions of diamonds. You couldn’t miss this opportunity of such a picture.

You sneak out in your garden, and squat down. Through the camera’s lense, you could see Eddie and his nonchalant posture and the smoke he just breathed out from his lungs.

This was a perfect shot.

You couldn’t be happier with this one. And thinking again, you decide it would be the last picture of him. You could understand that even if he was acting okay, he was maybe annoyed by all of that. You came back to your bedroom to start cleaning all your mess while Eddie was still outside, smoking.

“Hey, what you’re doing?”

You jump as you didn’t hear him coming back.

“Cleaning. I think we’re done. I have everything I need.” you didn’t know how you sounded before Eddie worried.

“Have I done something wrong ?”

You stop what you were doing to face him.

“What ? No, of course not ! But I thought that you would start to be annoyed with all of this.”

“How could I be annoyed ? I’ve never done something more fun than that !” a wide smile enlightens his face.

“Stop being a liar Munson ! How about your D&D sessions ?” you add, rising an eyebrow as you start to laugh.

“Yeah, maybe D&D is fun. But this was…” you could see Eddie searching his words. “A very interesting experience.” he finally says, still a grin on his face.

“Well, I am more than happy to know that I was an interesting experience !” you laugh. “But let me help you with all this mess!” you add, gesturing at the glitter all over him.

You run to the bathroom to take a wet washcloth.

“It may be a bit cold.” you inform Eddie before you put the washcloth on his chest. He startled before you started rubbing off the glitter.

Again, Eddie had his eyes fixed on you. Slowly, his hand rose to grab your chin so he could see your face. He locks his eyes in yours and you stop breathing. You blink a few times before breaking the moment.

“Is… is everything okay ?” you mumble, gently. You could feel his breath caressing your mouth and you could almost taste the tobacco.

He doesn’t even respond to you before his lips gently kiss yours. It was surprisingly sweet and slow. You let the washcloth fall down so you could wrap your arm behind his neck. At this move Eddie intensifies his kiss as he brings you even closer to him, his tongue trying to reach yours. You could feel his smile as you let him in. Your tongues dancing as you both start to move in sync close to your bed. As Eddie wants to lay you down gently, you turn at the last second to push him onto your bed. You crawl over to straddle his lap as your hands land on his chest.

“Wow.” was the only word he could let out right now. Gapping at you, he was waiting for your next move, his hand grabbing your hips.

You blush as you see his reaction. But you couldn’t stop. You wouldn’t stop this right now. You french kiss him again, very slowly this time. You could feel his hands running on your back and one grabbing your butt.

“Can I take this off?” he mumbles between two kisses, as he pinch the hem of your shirt.

You nod before sitting back so he could easily take away the piece of clothes. After throwing it away, he hugs you. His arms are strong around you, his skin hot and you find his lips on your neck very pleasing. You moan at his touch and you could hear a low growl as Eddie start to gently play with your breast under your bra. You arch your back as his lips are getting down. He gently takes off your bra so he could have a better access to your nipples. But before tasting your skin, he gently caresses your cheek with his hand, his rings bringing a cold sensation.

“You’re beautiful.”

You lose it at these three simple words. You smile at him before kissing him harder, making you both swing onto the bed again. This time, Eddie embraces you and turns so he could be on top. His eyes lock on your, he takes off your pair of jeans, before doing the same with his. You could see how hard he already was as he could see how wet you were. He crawls back to you, kissing every part of your body from your belly to your neck. As you wrap your legs around him, you feel his length rubbing your center.

You moan again.

“Ed…Eddie…” you groan.

“Yes sweetheart?”

“I want to feel you.”

As your word, he stops kissing you and takes off the last piece of clothes you both were wearing.

“You’re so wet.” he says as his fingers run to your fold. He first plays a bit with your clit, rubbing it gently in circular motion. He loved the way you were responding to his touch. Then you feel the tip of his cock at your entry. Again, he teases you before gently sliding inside you. His body on yours, he kisses you as you let out louder moans, feeling every inch of him inside you.

“God you… you’re so tight.” he says with a quaver in his voice.

He lets you accomodate to him before starting to move slowly. You both quickly find your pace and Eddie starts to thrust into you faster. Your nails are digging on the skin of his back as he could see your breast bouncing under him. Your moan is getting louder as you hear him growl close to your ear.

He made you scream when he dived himself to the hilt, reaching your deepest spot.

“This is my favorite music.” he mumbled with a grin, hearing your loud moan.

You both move faster, his skin slapping yours. You were both dripping sweat and your orgasm was getting closer. One of your hands gets lost in his hair as the other finds his. You take it to guide him to your clit so he could touch you where you needed him the most. He presses your clit, rubbing it faster and faster as he is pounding into you.

“I… I’m coming !” you shout as you feel a heat wave in your body. You hear the guttural sound that came out from Eddie’s throat as he trusts himself one last time.

Your breath is heavy and you’re both exhausted from what just happened. As you take a look at him, you could see his chest rising from his heavy breath, glitter still on his skin at some spot. You let out a subtle laugh at the view.

Eddie looks at you, raising an eyebrow. You come closer to caress his chest where the glitter was.

“You still shine a bit from earlier.” you gently say with a smile.

“You’re a shining star too sweetheart !” he smirks as he points at you.

As you look at yourself, you could see that your body gets some glitter in the way. You both laugh before he takes you in his embrace, kissing your temple gently. Your fingers tracing gentle lines on his skin, you feel his breath slowing down.

You smile.

“Whenever you need a model, please call me first.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things #friends to lovers #eddie lives #mykuup

49 notes · View notes

gemsofgreece · 2 years ago

Text

Basically me breathing fire about the suggested projects for the enlargement of the National Archaeological Museum

Okay so, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens is the largest archaeological museum in Greece (no, it's not the Acropolis museum). The museum is housed in a beautiful 19th century neoclassical building.

Since then of course, there's been a shitload of unearthed antiquities that also deserve "national museum" status. Consequently, the Greek state decided the expansion of the museum. Apparently, they did not wish to make a completely separate museum of equal status which, idk, might be a good or a bad call, I have no opinion on this. They agreed on an expansion but, thank God, they realised that there shouldn't be an obvious invasive work in the outerior of the 19th century building (or, in other words, they don't feel confident to create a seamless continuation of equally good neoclassical aesthetics), but you know what, self-awareness is a good thing. Besides, there is also no room for a proper expansion.

So the specialists? (Idk how they are called lol) decided to proceed with an underground expansion. Which, again, I don't know if it's as good an idea as a separate museum, but whatever, that's not my problem. The state took various suggested plans for this expansion and inevitable modifications to the yard from Greek and international architect company collaborations.

They have already picked the winner and it's a design by David Chipperfield Architects and Alexandros Tompazis INC.

And much like I predicted, it's the most "go girl give us nothing" option. Now, I don't want to be unfair. It is not a bad plan. But it seems a little simplistic. And also contemporary enough to not match well with the museum but also NOT contemporary enough to be novel. Also I think there was a better alternative option. (BTW as you see the plan is lowering the surrounding area in order to create an underground interior while the old grounds remain undisturbed.) I believe this seemed the least invasive, that's why they chose it.

There have been 9 alternatives and actually kudos to the... specialists (seriously what's a name for them???), they have decided to make an exhibition about them, to give the full picture of the designs, because they considered them pretty good too. Are they though? Let's see them.

By Herzog and de Meuron & Aeter Architects. Here, see, this one gets pretty invasive to the old grounds, as the entrance is on the same level and at the front of the museum.

By Adjaye Associates & Kizi Studio. I am not sure how this explains what they are planning to do with the underground level. Or are they suggesting small units in the gardens outside the museum. If so, it's a no from me. Also, these cube negatives for a roof might look good in the photo but I bet they would look unfinished in real life.

By Ateliers Jean Nouvel & George Batzios Architects. Ummm.... what are these giant sheets? I don't understand. Are these canopies under which the extra exhibits are going to be exhibitied in open-air?! It cannot be... Are they the entrances to the underground level? Whatever it is, it doesn't make much sense. Also what is the structure on the back of the museum, extending vertically?

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (D S + R) & VAP Architects & Neiheiser Argyros. Look, clearly all people involved put thought and work into it. For example, this one, it really tries to make a novel proposition. However, I believe you don't need to overcomplicate stuff with totally different elements. It's a 19th century building, it does not need sloping gardens and glass entrances. If the building was modern, sure. But not in this case.

By Kengo Kuma and Associates & K-Studio. Go girl give us nothing and also take from what we already have.

By RCR Arquitectes & Parmenides – Longuepe – Mari. Another instance of "I don't understand how to expand on a 19th century neoclassical building".

By SANAA & Buerger Katsota Architects. I don't understand. Does this suggest smaller buildings in the periphery? Or just the removal of half the gardens?

By Thomas Phifer & Tsolakis Architects & Calliope Kontozoglou. This one is apparently a design for the underground interior. I like this one, how it gets the natural light. Of course, this means there would be holes in the gardens though...

And now my winner, by OMA & Rena Sakellaridou SPARCH PC.

Seriously, I want to cry because to me there is a correct choice and it's clearly this one!!! It's the only design that takes into account the classical aesthetics. It is a design that is complementary to the museum. It also creates two underground entrances. The only drawback might be that it needs a bit of extra legwork but not so much to discourage from it. Let alone that there will certainly be elevators. And yes this one is more invasive than the official winner but IMO it could as well be an improvement to the current look. I am SO bitter now. Again, the official winner is not bad but this!!!! Look at it! Good job, Rena girl. And OMA. :(

Thoughts? I'm adding a relaxed poll here.

#greece #design #architecture #news #greek news #national archaeological museum #athens #central greece #sterea hellas #attica #mainland #greek facts #long post #long text #tw long #tw long post

20 notes · View notes

genlossneg · 1 year ago

Note

Ok hi hi hello, film student anon back here to talk about one of my biggest gripes with genloss that I didn't know about until afterwards: the budget

So, to start off with, filmmaking is expensive. Even on student film sets a lot of them are usually at least a few hundred dollars (keep in mind we're college students). Personally, with the money that I have, the most I spend is on food for feeding my crew, but people with more money than me will spend a bit on props costumes etc

Now Ranboo has the fortune of a massive budget and quite frankly I'm so disappointed by where I've seen where the money's gone too.

The fact that the most expensive thing was a *box* is so painful. How the hell was that thing 18k. And the fact that he might not even use it again makes it worse. If he hired a decent art director they should've been able to make that thing so cheaply with materials from a craft store and the mechanism to close it might've cost a few thousand but no where near 18k

That 18k could've gone too better costumes, or better lighting, or a better camera in the second stream. 18k is a lot of money that could've been more evenly spread out throughout the rest of the production and given ranboo a much cleaner final product

Not to mention the prosthetics for jerma also being up there in price when they weren't even blended properly

Also the mall they got. The mall was *massive* and then they proceeded to barely use it and when they did use it, they barely bothered to dress it up. It didn't look like an abandoned mall that had been taken over by some corporation, it looked like an abandoned mall with some lazy set dec on it. They easily could've used a much smaller mall or a warehouse honestly might've worked better.

I can understand the need to have all of these different sets and why a smaller location might hinder that, but there's a lot of work arounds for taking down and reusing a set and still making it obvious it was all a set. Like putting all the furniture and props into a storage room and having ranboo open it and see the previous sets sitting there dismantled, or maybe having sets look similar and reusing furniture that's been dressed up differently and then Ranboo finding the paint they used to make it look different and letting the audience put things together

Thats actually a concept that my school drills into us. It's called creative geography and it's basically making things look bigger than they are or like they're different completely locations even if they're literally the same room by dressing them differently and getting creative with different camera angles etc etc

There's a lot of ways to have less space and still give the same illusion but the team ranboo hired and ranboo himself didn't do anything like it, they just went for big and expensive and it didn't work

In the final stream where it was revealed that it was all some TV show or something, after the initial set where ranboo spawns in, there was one hint of that throughout the rest of the mall that it was a "set" and it was there was a c-stand and a light that I honestly thought at first was a mistake and wasn't supposed to be there but then realized what it was trying to do

The mall probably cost so much and it was so poorly used honestly an abandoned office building or a warehouse would've done better. They probably could've even reneged a proper studio space for a few weeks. And honestly having a smaller space would've stopped the need for the cameraman to be on screen as much as they did cause that honestly really ruined the immersion

This isn't even digging into the money spent on those ridiculous pipe puzzle animations.

Sometimes I feel a little bad for digging into genloss as much as I do, but with how much Ranboo hyped it up and with how many very amateur mistakes there were it's justified. And I have some genuine hope for future installments because it honestly seems like ranboo has some really creative ideas and cool plans, it's just that so far his execution has been very poor so far

Again so sorry for this long ask, hope I don't bother you too much

-film student anon

film student anon <<33 really cool insight into budgeting! i also would've loved to see more of the mall tbh, i think the creative geography stuff could've been really cool

i think this is such an interesting concept, an office space would've also been so cool. man theres so much in this ask and i think all your thoughts are so good. i got nothing to add atp

#ask #gen loss neg #gen loss crit #you deserve your own tag at this rate anon

6 notes · View notes

studioet · 2 years ago

Text

Securing The Studio

Most people will build a Garden Studio as an office, gym, recording studio, games room etc. This means that the building is likely housing equipment or objects that might be of value.

The Studio is no different and therefore I wanted to secure it as much as possible. However, as the old saying goes, if they want to get in, they'll get in.

So despite The Studio having modern bi-fold doors and locking systems, I still felt I wanted some reassurance that the building was secure.

The motion activated light are a good start. They are sensitive enough to pick up Maisie (our dog) having a sniff around at night, and light up the area pretty well. But I can't keep an eye out on the building all the time and so I wanted a video monitoring system that I could trust.

I've been using Blink for many years. I backed them as a Kickstarter project quite a few years back, and then they were acquired by Amazon. Blink provide a series of solutions to fit most needs and I find that the app is really easy to use.

The system uses a little Blink hub (to synchronise the cameras and to manage the cloud storage of your content) and is not limited to 1 hub per system (unlike Hive) which means as long as you have wifi coverage, you can place a sync box remotely to the house (which is where a lot of garden studios are). Hubs can be bought seperately, but are included if you buy a system so you shouldn't need to buy one unless you are looking to expand your system or need a replacement (although see my note below).

In my house I have 3 hubs managing 3 distinct areas, and 1 hub in the studio, exclusively for the studio. All cameras work with the hubs. and you can mix indoor and outdoor cameras on each hub.

Each hub and their attached cameras are given their own zone in the app so it's easy to switch between the zones.

Zones can be scheduled to arm and disarm whenever you want and each camera has a wealth of variables that can be set including how long they record for when triggered, re-trigger tim, sensitivity, etc etc.

There are a number of different camera units that you can buy.

There are battery powered cameras, one exclusively for indoor use which is white with a black face (they used to be all white so not sure why they changed it), and one designed for outdoor use, which is black. Both units have "night vision" enhancements, and the battery life (2 AA batteries) lasts for quite a long time (about a year by my reckoning) which is impressive.

There are also small desktop internal mains powered cameras that come in white and black that are small and subtle.

There is also a battery powered motion activated spotlight system to which you can attach an indoor or outdoor camera to for a interior or exterior camera and light setup.

Many of the cameras come in packs of 1, 2, 3 or 4 cameras. You can also buy ad-on cameras seperately.

Note: Have a proper look at the pricing because a lot of the time the 1 camera system is the same price as an add-on camera. Get the 1 camera system in that case, because you get a sync module as well which in essence is free, but always useful to have either as a spare, or to add an extra zone in the house.

This is an example of the video recording when an outside camera detected a fox around the studio. The fox hadn't triggered the motion lights because it came in from the side of the building that doesn't have a sensor.

Clips can be stored to the cloud (for an additional monthly subscription) but this is not mandatory and you can run the system "free" if you want to, receive alerts to motion etc. There's no hub subscription.

Additionally, the system works with Alexa so you can arm and disarm your system manually using Alexa, as well as go live into any camera if you have an Echo Device with a screen, like the Echo Show 5 or Echo Show 8.

As Blink are now owned by Amazon it's the only place to buy them but the systems are really quite cost effective and a breeze to set up.

Blink have also expanded into Front Door Video bells, as well as a pan and tilt motion camera to keep an eye on your pets, so you can utilise their system for your whole house monitoring needs.

#blink #security #garden studio #garden office #studioet #video #camera #alexa #echo #show

0 notes

gottawriteanegoortwo · 2 years ago

Text

I have been working on a new ‘default’ setting for roleplay threads with Wilford that weren’t just a TV studio. At first, I mentioned the setting of Motherloving as a joke, but then it really started to sound like a good idea. Rather than keep it to myself (or confine it solely to the headcanon section of my blog), I decided to write everything out and share it. It’s a lot to take in, so hopefully it makes sense and can be of use to others.

Heavily inspired by a roller rink of a similar name in the world of the storytellers, the Moonlight Roller was merely a location shot, while the interior disco was somewhere else. It didn't matter. It didn't need to make sense. It was simply somewhere for Wilford to be when Abe was scripted to arrest him.

Now that the story is both complete and fractured, Wilford decided he would take the building with him and make it something worthy of such a pretty name, but completely separate from the initial inspiration. It was slotted into a pocket dimension, and off he went. This was not the first time he has stolen a building, but that is a story for another day.

Truthfully, nothing happened for a long time, and that was simply because he forgot about it. There were other things to see and do, and his memory wasn't always the sharpest. It was easy to fall behind on the things that weren't immediately in sight. In fact, it was only after talking to someone about a place he used to visit that was a favourite dancing spot that he realised that he still had the building. He hurried off, opened the door to an office, and stepped into the forgotten roller rink.

How the Moonlight Roller earned its majesty that you shall see today is something that cannot be explained. How much was Wilford using honest carpentry skills or employing extra hands to help out? How much were his powers kicking in? How much was simply developed because an idea was now in place? The truth would never be revealed, nor will it ever be relevant.

One thing is for sure: the place is quintessentially Wilford. There is a physical location for it. If you know the address and you are at the right point in time, you can go there through the front door and enter as you would anywhere else. But usually, the Moonlight Roller appears in an unfamiliar door on a familiar corridor, and serves as a chance to step out of the story and take a breather from a world that makes you struggle. You only know it isn't a threat because you can see a pink light under the door and hear the muffled sounds of music and revelry. But fear not. You will be allowed to return home whenever you want. This is not a place where you are trapped forever. Plus, it’s a prettier sight than a TV studio.

Under the read-more is a proper tour of the Moonlight Roller, should you wish to come along.

When you walk through the front doors, the first room you step into is akin to a small reception in local parish halls with an old-fashioned ticket booth to the right of the passageway into the main area. Instead of buying a ticket, this is actually one of the spots for security guards for those going upstairs, but we’ll come back to that a little later. On your left, there is a locked door, labelled “Out of Service”. It would be easy to miss this detail with all the bright posters adorning the walls either side of it. They vary in design and purpose: opening hours, upcoming events, concerts and shows in other local venues. There are even photographs of some of the staff members taking part in various festivities over the years. There’s an impression that it’s a fun place to work at, despite how hectic things might get. Satisfied, you step through the passageway into the main area.

Immediately, you are greeted with a sense of openness. The walls are painted in a slightly off-white colour that best reflects the colour-changing LED lighting; though you do notice a subtle theme of pink and other complimenting colours, along with glimpses of neon here and there. Your eye is quickly drawn to the main attraction: the roller rink. It takes up over half the floor space, and has a waist-high safety barrier to offer support to inexperienced skaters. This also protects those who may decide to take a seat rink-side, whether they be parents watching their kids, or a potential audience in a local competition. The wooden floor in the rink is smooth and curves perfectly. You can’t see any trace of wear and tear despite the crowds. It’s little surprise that it is popular. You notice the lights flicker overhead, changing from green to white, and you look up. The high ceiling lifts even further in an area the size of the middle of the rink. The lights are nestled around the inside of this perimeter.

You step back, and only now realise that not only are there other rooms, but they are distinct ‘zones’. None of the areas match, yet they still work. Is it because they’re all cordoned off in a way that don’t intrude on another area, or is it simply because you know Wilford can somehow make things like this work? To the left, there’s an American-style diner. To your right, there’s an arcade entrance. You decide to go right and work your way around.

At the very back, just beside the entrance to the rink, is the navy coloured skate booth (helpful that it has a yellow neon sign that reads ‘SKATE’ overhead). This covers the purchases of tickets, the hiring of roller skates and safety gear, and the renting of lockers. Behind the counter, skates are stacked neatly on shelves as far as the eye can see, ranging in size and colour. There’s even a section for not-quite-normal shoes - presumably for those who don’t identify as ‘human’. Talk about inclusivity!

Vending machines line the side of the skate booth, as well as a spot near the entranceway. They look like they have been taken straight from the 1990s, with a large, bright image adorning the left-hand side of the machine with buttons that have photos of the various drinks on the right. Most are brands that are popular, but there are options for drinks that have been discontinued, as well as some that don't actually exist. One machine is dedicated solely to selling bottles of water.

(None of the staff have ever seen the machines be restocked, yet nothing has ever run out)

Just beside the skate booth is an entrance to the locker room. The colour-coded lockers, along with benches, are tucked safely out of the way to ensure everyone can get ready safely. Priority is given to paying skaters, but anyone can rent a locker while in the Rink.

To the right closer to the entrance than the locker room, there is another opening. This one is an archway into a darkened corridor. It would be an ominous fate, only for the large "ARCADE" sign pointing to the entrance. You step inside and are encouraged to turn right.

The arcade is a perfect embodiment of the 1990’s. Dimly lit neon lights give the area a faint purple glow to it. The walls are black and are adorned with a space theme. Stars decorate the walls, and slowly flicker like the real deal.

(Rumour has it that they show the constellations of another galaxy. It was joked that it was a sci-fi reference, but not even the most dedicated nerd can find clues to confirm that.)

The arcade machines cover a wide variety of genres: horror shooters, cartoon car racing, coin droppers, basketball shootouts, pinball machines, claw machines; and more. Some machines have the chance to win tokens to purchase prizes with. In true Wilford fashion, the prizes are brightly coloured toys. Yo-yos, race cars, dolls, cuddly toys of all sizes, and a grand prize of a pair of roller skates (not the display model, of course, but ones that would specially fit the prize winner).

In the corner, just beside the prize corner, are a flight of stairs going down to the basement. Above it, there is a sign displaying a bowling ball with a rocket motif knocking down pins. When you go down the stairs, you are greeted by the rocket theme, following the story of the rocket needing help defeating the ‘asteroids’ to navigate safely. A counter is opposite you, and covers both the stall to book a lane and hire shoes, and a non-alcoholic bar. To your right, you can go down steps (or a small ramp), to the six bowling lanes.

As you retrace your steps back to the main area, you notice that where you turned right into the arcade there is a door to the left. You open the door, and are pleasantly surprised to see a sensory room. It still has a space theme, but it is a much needed chance to get away from the chaotic, potentially overwhelming energy of the arcade.

On the opposite side of the roller rink is the diner. It is a perfect example of a 1950s American setting, complete with the square tiles, a model jukebox, and the striped couches. Instead of reds, it is instead decorated with pastel pink. It makes the diner feel spacious and bright. Sunlight pools in through the windows no matter the time of day or weather.

(The staff believe the windows have computer generated views, but they have opened the windows to let a breeze in)

The diner is the perfect spot for lunch, but it's well-known for its milkshakes and ice creams. On a nice day, there is a queue at the ice cream parlour section. Posters decorate the walls. Some are recreations of vintage menus to display the popular milkshake options. Some are photographs of winners in small roller skating competitions, including one of Wilford himself showing off. There are even some smaller posters written in a foreign language promoting aspects of space. Behind the main counter, you can see the kitchen, but it’s not your place to explore.

You return to the main entrance and ask the guard if you can go upstairs. She nods.

(She doesn’t tell you how patrons came down ten minutes earlier that had never gone upstairs to begin with.)

Upon reaching the top of the stairs and turning left, you are greeted with a short, white corridor. You almost think you have trespassed into a staff area, only for the rainbow coloured streamers covering a doorway. You see two other doors - one in front of you, one behind you - but both have a sign that reads “Out of Service”. That leaves stepping through the rainbow into the bar.

It doesn’t have a name. The story called it ‘Moonlight Roller’, and Wilford forgot to consider a new name to replace that. Without the bright disco lights, you can see that, though the bar is dark, it is warm and inviting, as though representing the 1970’s. The feature on on the right-hand side is made of a pale brown brick, complete with an amusing quote in pink neon: “Stop Thinking, Start Drinking”. Tables, chairs, and red couches dot the sitting area around the perimeter of the room. A rail with two steps bring you down to the wooden dance floor, while a small ramp is on the opposite side. A simple stage is set up on the left. You recall seeing a poster telling you that evening performances vary between individual singers, bands, and disco. It must be a lively place after-hours, compared to the relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon..

At the back, you can see the bar counter made of dark wood. It looks out of place, almost better suited for an Irish bar. Yet, at the same time, it fits right in. In front of the barstools, you can see intricate carvings that include cat motifs with hearts. Behind the counter are shelves with a wide selection of items on them (you can also see the cat motif on the corners of the shelves). These include bottles, glasses, a photo frame of Wilford and a monochromatic figure with red and blue, a pair of decorative roller skates, and a plush of Tiny Box Tim wearing a party hat. The shelves are all backlit in dark red, but Wilford has been known to spice things up and turn them multi-coloured.

As for Wilford himself? He can be found anywhere in the Moonlight Roller, but the bar is the most likely place. He’s found a simple pleasure in making drinks and being company for those who need a break from their lives. Sure, he isn’t the best at giving advice, but he’s getting better at it. If he isn’t there, then there is a trainee bartender who looks familiar (though you can’t put your finger on why), but acts like they have seen far too much in life.

I have compiled a Pinterest board with an attempt to provide visual context for the various locations in the Moonlight Roller, and it should follow the order of what was just read.

I also drew up a floor map to be a rough guide to further aid matters. (Hopefully there is an option to click to view it full size. First floor is on the left, ground floor in the middle, and basement on the right). Please be aware the colours are obviously not accurate, and are simply to help better block out rooms.

(The rooms coloured black on the first floor, along with half the basement, are unavailable rooms. At present, they are empty, but have the potential for things in the future, depending on how events roll out)

#the moonlight roller #writersofmark #wilford motherloving warfstache #wilford headcanon #markiplier tv #Wilford Warfstache #(do let me know if there's anything you'd like to know or check!)

32 notes · View notes

wishesunderthestars · 4 years ago

Text

Eunoia // Ch. 12

eunoia (noun): beautiful thinking, the possession of a well-balanced mind, which exhibits goodwill and kindness

Pairings: Hybrid! BTS x reader

Summary: You are a world famous director and you have dedicated your life to your job.You have everything you could ever dream of; wealth, recognition, talent, your friends and family. But loneliness ins’t cured by success. So what happens when you somehow rescue seven hybrids? Can they fill the void?

Genre: Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, eventual smut

Word Count: 18.1k+

Warnings: Abuse and violence, mentions of past sexual abuse, mentions of putting down hybrids, discussion of insomnia caused by a traumatic event, panic attacks, derogetory language

Masterlist

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

Phew, that was long one. Please comment and reblog it really motivates me to keep writing. And I always love receiving asks so don’t be shy ;)

"I can't believe this is happening! Why can't I receive good news for once?" After the initial shock, you were fuming. "Work of months has been destroyed and for what? Because someone decided not to take the proper safety measures to save some money. People could have been hurt in there! Seriously hurt. And it would have been on our heads!"

Namjoon was holding your phone, the email you had received opened on the screen. "You didn't know they hadn't taken the necessary precautions. It wouldn't have been on your head."

"Can you imagine what would have happened if we had been filming? If the actors and the crew were inside and the building collapsed on us?" The chair scraped against the floor as you raised to your feet. You couldn't stay sitting anymore. "I don't even want to think about that. How many people... If we would even get out of there alive. And it isn't only us. What if the earthquake hadn't hit at night? And the workers were still inside? What then? This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to count."

Five point six Richter. That was the magnitude of the earthquake that had hit Virginia. It had been felt in Washington. They said it had affected a radius of two hundred kilometers around the center of the earthquake. No one had expected it and no one had been prepared. In the email there was a detailed description of how the earthquake had caused the sets for The Raven Cycle to collapse in on themselves, because the respective protection measures hadn't been taken. The earthquake had hit at night, waking up everyone in the area and causing panic as people flooded the streets. They had discovered the ruined sets in the morning.

Protection measures were of utmost important in every environment and you were baffled that a film studio with such prestige would disregard them so easily. You had half a mind to storm into the building you had just returned from and make a scene in front of everyone. They had put everyone in danger, not only the actors and the crew and all the people working there but also the passersby who could have had metal rods falling on their heads.

How could they allow this? How could they be so careless? It wasn't a building made for only a couple of days of use with light materials. Filming would take place there for the better part of the summer. In a few months you would have been there. You could have been there.

"And now you have to leave?" Namjoon asked, jaw tense. "Can't you wait a few days and go later?" You knew what he was thinking. You didn't want to leave either. It was the worst time possible for you to leave. The two hybrids in the guestroom, the injuries you had to tend to, Jimin and Jungkook, Jimin's past. But it wasn't your decision to make.

"I can't, they have already planned the whole trip. It isn't like I have a choice. The message is clear, I will be flying to Virginia in two days. As the director and showrunner, I have to be there. They have called everyone important in the project and I am one of the lucky ones. And it isn't like I can refuse unless I have a very important reason. And I can't exactly tell them I am nursing to health a stray hybrid until he and his friend can live on their own again, instead of reporting them to the hybrid services."

Namjoon's face scrunched up at the mention of the services. They were anything but kind to hybrids. They thought they could do anything to them if they were strays before they had to give them to a center. The times he and his small pack had to run away from them weren't few. It disgusted you, the way some people behaved.

You landed back on your chair with a huff, tired of pacing. Namjoon must have got a headache from the way his eyes were following you. "This is just what I didn't need. I thought we wouldn't have to go to Virginia until summer!"

You felt like banging your head on the wall but you settled for laying you head on the desk. It collided with a dull thud.

It wasn't only the destroyed set and what that meant for the show. Slowing down of the production, a larger budget needed (oh, the irony) and the bad press you would get if it got out.

People in the area must have suffered. Flashes of collapsed buildings, shattered windows and cracks in the streets ran through your mind. No, it couldn't be that bad. You prayed it wasn't that bad.

Namjoon frowned. "What are you supposed to do there? You aren't going to help rebuild the sets. What do they need you for?" You could see the worry in his eyes. His instincts calling him to protect you, to not let you leave. You appreciated the fact he was fighting it.

With your cheek squished against the desk you said, "No, I'm not going to rebuild the sets, but they need me there nonetheless. There is a legal part of this whole thing I have to be there for. And me being there might help the ones doing the rebuilding."

Namjoon sighed, giving up on trying to keep you here. "Will John come with you?"

"Most likely," you said, raising your head from the desk and sitting back on the chair. Your back hurt from the awkward angle you had bent your body in. "I will ask him but I'm pretty sure he will say yes. He always comes with me when I'm working out of California. He has toured half of the world being my bodyguard. And this time.... This time I don't think he would let me go without him."

"It seems you do tend to travel a lot," Namjoon noted. There wasn't any judgment or disdain in his voice, he was simply stating a fact. If anything he looked at the cream and gold world globe on your desk with longing. He had told you he had never left California, created and bred in Los Angeles. You didn't like how he said "created" but you couldn't correct him. "It must be nice seeing all those places."

The gold of the globe caught the light, distorted figures moving on the polished surface. "It's nice when it's properly planned and when I actually want to go. And there aren't any natural disasters involved. I can't say that's true this time. It's the furthest it could be from the truth." You groaned. "What am I going to do now? I can't leave like this. There are so many things going on."

Namjoon was too close to what he looked like talking to you about the ending of the Book Thief. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week?" The email didn't specify. A week was how long most work trips that didn't include filming lasted, but this wasn't a normal work trip. This had never happened to you or to anyone you knew before. You had heard of disasters but nothing like this.

Your fingers had subconsciously started drumming a tune on the desk. A tune that had comforted you once. A tune he used to hum long before he turned it into a song. You stilled your hand.

An earthquake. Five point six Richter. Shaking buildings, rattling shelves, trembling chandeliers, cupboards opening and dishes and glasses falling to the floor. The kind of thing you see on the TV. The kind of thing you don't ever expect to witness. No one expects a disaster like that to strike out of the blue, but that's the way it is. There is no one to warn you, no one who can.

You didn't go to dinner. You told Namjoon not to wait for you, you would eat later. Climbing down the stairs, you stopped in front of the door and knocked. The reply was the same and Yoongi opened the door like every time.

Every room had a medical kit in the bathroom, the one in this had to be restocked twice in the past few days.

Hoseok gave you a small smile and extended his broken arm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, you started telling him of the time you had spent in the Caribbean Sea. You had stayed there for a few months and had spent most of that time in Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The sandy beaches, the endless turquoise sea and the colorful houses didn't fail to bring a smile to your face. The people had been welcoming and kind, eager to help with any problems production faced. They invited you to nights full of dancing and music and included you in everything like you belonged there.

The movie you had filmed wasn't one of your biggest hits. It wasn't nominated for an Oscar and although it did earn much recognition and was played at multiple international film festivals, it wasn't as successful as your other films. But it was the most fun you had had filming. The actors were incredible both at their job and out of it. You had spent some of the best nights of your life there.

As you fastened the splint in place around Hoseok's arm, you told him of the night they had lit large bonfires along the beach and all the people in the area had gathered around to have a few drinks and dance. Your mind, however, wasn't on the story. A fractured arm and a rib wasn't something you should be treating at home. It didn't matter how many first aid classes you had attended, a lot of things could go wrong. But it was either this or nothing. When you had suggested taking Hoseok to the hospital, Yoongi had almost bitten your head off.

Hoseok was laying back against the pillows with his eyes clothes when you were done. He was doing better. Having regular meals and being able to wash made the improvement more evident. He didn't complain when you were treating him but you could see his eyes clenching shut when you were applying salve to the most tender spots. The stories helped. They distracted him and you could work easier. He rarely spoke but lately he had been brave enough to voice any questions he had and you had readily answered him. Progress. Progress you hoped wouldn't halt now.

"This is it for today," you said, rubbing your hands together and getting up. "In a few days you won't have any trouble moving around on your own. Not anything too strenuous, though, no running or jumping around."

"Thank you." Hoseok spoke softly, like being any louder would break an unspoken rule. Like it would get him punished.

Yoongi was sitting on the chaise lounge by the glass wall, facing away from you. The fire pits were lit all the way along the balconies, flames licking up the darkness of the night. He didn't look at you while you were there, only stealing glances when he thought you weren't looking. When his eyes met yours he would scowl and look away.

"There is something I wanted to tell you," you started. You didn't know how else to say it so you jumped in head first. "I was called to Virginia for work. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow." Yoongi's back stiffened, his tail stilling in the air. Hoseok's eyes turned impossibly wide. "I don't know yet how long I will stay there but it will be some time before I can come back. I thought you should know because I won't be able to treat you."

Yoongi huffed. "Who will be our caretaker then?"

You paused by the door. "Do you think you need one?"

"Is this a joke?" Yoongi's fists clenched. There was no blood on them anymore.

It wasn’t a secret that hybrids were treated like pets, that included having someone babysit them when the owner was gone. You had been through it before when you had left for New York shortly after you had adopted Namjoon, Jimin and Jungkook. Everyone had expected you to ask someone to take care of them. You hadn’t. They could take care of themselves and each other just fine.

It was the same now.

“If you think you need a caretaker I can hire one for you, but I doubt you do,” you said. “I think you can survive in the Castle without me for a few days. If I’m gone for longer than a week, Helen my housekeeper will come over to do some cleaning. She usually comes over a few times a week. And the gardener comes by quite often. ”

Yoongi looked stunned but schooled his features quickly. Hoseok’s ears were pinned against his head. You closed the door behind you.

Why did your work’s timing had to always be that bad?

An earthquake. A fucking earthquake.

In the kitchen, the table was served. The mouthwatering smell of the food drifted in the air. Jimin, Namjoon and Jin were sitting around the table, Jungkook absent once again. No one had touched their plates.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” you said taking your seat. Your plate was filled with a generous slice of meat pie and fresh salad. Your stomach grumbled. You hadn’t noticed you were that hungry.

“We wanted to wait for you.” Jimin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, it hadn’t since the day he had come running to you, begging you to take him with you to work. Jungkook spent most of his time at the atelier and he slept in Jin’s room at night. Every time he didn’t show up for meals, the light in Jimin’s eyes dimmed further.

You picked up your fork and knife and cut into the pie. The taste was heavenly, not that you had expected anything else from Jin. You told him so and delighted in the way he got flushed and tried to cover it by a terrible joke he must have come up with on the spot. While you ate, you didn’t speak much, thinking about the best way to bring up the news crawling up your throat. Namjoon squeezed your hand under the table.

When your plates were empty and Jimin was laying his head on Jin’s shoulder, you decided it was time. You put your fork aside. You started by the email, the email that had looked so inconspicuous at first because you received emails like that all the time. An email labeled “important” was often not as important as the people sending it thought it was. You couldn’t have guessed what it contained inside. You hadn’t been prepared.

Your leg was moving up and down on the metal foothold of the stool, mimicking your racing heartbeat. An earthquake had struck Virginia at night. You repeated the dry words of the email, of someone who hadn’t felt the terror of the earth shaking underneath their feet. Five point six Richter, strong enough to knock down the sets they had been building for months. You were required to be there in two days.

Jimin’s bottom lip was trembling. “How long will you stay?”

You shook your head. It was the same question you were asking and had no answers for. Even if you called someone in the company they wouldn’t have anything but speculations for you. “I hope no more than a week.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Jin asked. “What if there are aftershocks, or if it was a warning for a larger one coming?”

Jin’s question brought an dreadful shine to Jimin’s eyes. You had thought of that as well but your mind was troubled already as it was. Questions of your safety would take this too far. For once, you didn’t trust the company you were working with to keep you safe. You would have to do research before you left and take all the necessary precautions. You wouldn’t risk it like they had.

Namjoon wrapped his hand around his glass but didn’t bring it to his lips. “John will be with her. They will be alright.” It didn’t calm down Jimin who hugged himself tightly, dropping his head to his chest.

You couldn’t watch him suffering anymore. Getting up, you walked to him and hugged his from behind, prying his hands away so they were over yours instead. “I promise I’ll call you every day and we will text. It’s like when I was in New York and you texted me every day about what you got up to and what you were thinking. Your texts made me forget all about work and how tired I was.” Jimin sniffled but his cheeks remained dry. “It’s only a few days. They’ll be over soon. You won’t be alone here.”

Jin ruffled Jimin’s hair and the cat hybrid wrapped one arm around the oldest, pulling him into the hug. You placed a kiss on both their head, making Jin flush again. He wasn’t used to physical attention the way Jimin was but he craved it too and you were trying to make sure he felt as loved as he was.

Namjoon held Jimin while you and Jin cleaned the table. He grabbed Jimin’s thighs lifting him up and carried him to the living room. The younger laughed all the way there, telling him to put him down. His tight hold around Namjoon’s neck told him a very different thing.

But you weren’t done yet. You had one more person to tell.

The atelier’s door was half open. You knocked once on the wood before opening it all the way. The room could be described as an organized mess. Two canvases were set up in the middle of the room and three half-finished ones stood against the cabinets. The floor was covered in newspapers splattered with all the colors of the rainbow and paint tubes were lined on the tables in no particular order.

“I finished dinner, you can take it,” he said, gesturing to the tray on one of the tables with the hand not holding a brush.

“That isn’t why I’m here.” One of his ears perked up as you walked closer. The canvas he was working on now was a blend of shades of purple, orange and yellow with no definitive details. “What are you painting.”

He shrugged. “Don’t know yet.” Moving forward with no destination. You knew how that felt.

Jungkook hadn’t distanced himself just from Jimin but from everyone. He didn’t run to you to hug you and scent you when you came back like he used to do. He didn’t come up to the living room to watch TV and talk until you were too exhausted to keep your eyes open. He didn’t show you his progress on the paintings. He didn’t annoy Jin while he cooked (the oldest liked it even if complained). He didn’t come to meals. Meals were family time.

Being in the atelier now was different to any other time. It was the stifling feeling of an empty page, which used to be ecstasy. It was wrong, something missing.

“I have to leave for Virginia the day after tomorrow,” you said, ripping the band-aid off. The times you had said it today were too many. Surprised doe eyes turned to you. You explained the story once again and waited.

Jungkook seemed to be bracing himself for something. “Can you take me with you?”

“Take you with me?” you repeated, dumbfounded.

He nodded. The brush he had been holding had fallen to the floor at some point painting the newspapers in a shock of deep purple. Neither of you had noticed. “I won’t bother you. I’ll listen to everything you say. You can leave me at the hotel. I won’t cause any trouble, no one will know I’m there.” He lowered his head. “I need to be away from here.”

“Jungkook…” Your hand touched his cheek and you felt the way he clenched his jaw under the touch. “If this is-”

“Don’t,” he begged, pulling away. A pained desperation coloring his voice. “You don’t know what I did. If you did-” He took a sharp breath. “Can I come with you? Please.”

Stifling. You hadn’t considered taking any of the hybrids with you now. You had planned on inviting them along when you would go there for filming, a much more fun part of your job. This would be a busy trip and most likely far from enjoyable. It could be dangerous. But Jungkook’s eyes were begging you. He was fading away locked up in the atelier avoiding everyone.

“Okay. If you really want to, you can come with me. I’ll help you pack the essentials,” you said. Jungkook visibly relaxed. Maybe you should have pressed more. Insisted on him speaking with Jimin before you left or after you came back. But you were exhausted and a headache was brewing behind your temples.

Jungkook glanced at a canvas covered with a white sheet at a corner. You’d let it go for now.

When Jimin sneaked into your room late into the night, you didn’t say anything pulling up the covers in a silent invitation. Jimin crawled underneath and hid in your arms. Against every expectation you fell asleep. Orange bottle untouched in the bathroom cabinet.

The days leading up to your departure were every kind of hectic. Panic had taken over the studios and the atmosphere was tense in every meeting. No one wanted to admit the colossal mistake that could have cost the lives of so many people. The press was another matter entirely. The project could get a bad reputation before it was aired. It was emotionally exhausting, your brain working in overdrive, coming up with solutions to problems that may or may not arise. You had to be prepared for the worst.

At home it wasn’t much better. You had started packing for the weird end-of-spring weather in Virginia. The Raven Cycle books and a little research had provided you with enough information about what to expect. Dry, warm and with a possibility of thunderstorms. It could also get cold at night so you made sure to pack a few sweatshirts.

You helped Jungkook pack his things in a similar way. He had a habit of wearing long sleeves even when it was hot so you packed a few more sweatshirts and hoodies for him. He continued not talking much but he looked calmer now that you were leaving. All you wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was going to be alright. But you didn’t think that would be welcome.

Jimin had timidly offered to take care of Hoseok’s injuries while you were gone. You hesitated at first. While they had been here Jimin and Yoongi hadn’t interacted much. You had expected they would talk, figure out the strange tension between them, but they had kept to themselves. You gave in in the end. The worst had come and passed and you trusted Jimin to provide the basic care Hoseok needed.

He came with you to their room before dinner and you explained to him what you were doing. Hoseok was a little more withdrawn than usual but he didn’t protest, smiling at Jimin.

You had a long talk with Namjoon in your office the night before the day you were scheduled to leave. There were a lot of things to talk about and you tried to get everything out. All your worries and all the things you thought he should know. When you were spent and his reassurances were buried deep in your chest, he brought you close to him, rubbing his face in your neck. He places light kissed on your skin, his lips trailing up until they were touching yours.

The house was silent. You opened your eyes blearily, staring at your phone. The ringing of the alarm had stopped, leaving large numbers reading the time on the screen. The blinds were closed hiding the morning from you.

There was a weight on your chest. You looked down to find tired eyes staring up at you. Jimin made a small sound in the back of his throat and nuzzled against you. His blond hair was soft against your fingers as you combed through it. A loud purr escaped him as you scratched the base of his cat ears. He held on to you tighter but the alarm was clear, you needed to get up and get ready. You had a flight to catch.

“No, don’t go,” Jimin whined.

You massaged his head down to his neck. “I have to get up. I’ll miss the plane if I’m late.”

In the shadows of the room you could see the pout on his full lips. “What if you miss it?”

“If I miss it, I’ll get in trouble. And I’d rather not get in trouble.” Jimin snuggled closer to you and you could smell the vanilla shampoo he loved. Mia had said in the early days that she had smelt vanilla and muffins on you and you had guessed that was Jimin’s scent. The shampoo must serve to accentuate his natural scent.

His cat ears lowered as his tail wrapped around your bare leg. You suppressed a shudder at the feeling of the soft fur against your skin. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I know, that’s why I have to go.” You untangled yourself from the hybrid and pressed the button for the blinds to retreat. The morning light spilled into the room. It caught on Jimin’s curls painting them golden. You had an urge to capture the moment with your camera, the way he looked so soft, hair mussed and eyes still dreaming. Carving the image in your memory, you walked to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day.

Getting dressed for a flight was different than getting dressed for any other work day. You liked to wear something comfortable that wouldn’t look too bad on camera. You weren’t the kind of celebrity to get mobbed every time you went out but sometimes paparazzi could get wind of where you were going and show up at the airport. When you were traveling for premieres or events, fans and paparazzi would fill the place.

The previous night you had set aside a pair of loose black pants and a red top. You would also take your leather jacket with you because it could get chilly on the plane.

Jimin, wearing his stripped white and blue pajamas with the little pink hearts, clung to you like a koala all the way to breakfast. He only let go of you when you placed your large black bag on the floor and took a seat at the kitchen island. Jin was finishing up with cooking, taking the pots off the stove. Breakfast was almost ready.

John would be coming later to drive you to the airport. The black SUV had turned into a sign you would be traveling. Because of the sheer volume of the luggage you always ended up with, a large car was needed to drive you to and from the airport. This time you had packed two suitcases and your handbag. You had been tempted to fill a sac-voyage as well but you quickly abandoned the thought.

Namjoon arrived, looking wide awake. The opposite of Jimin and his drooping eyes. Only one was missing. And you weren’t compromising today.

“Jungkook?” you asked. The others exchanged a glance. It told you enough. “I’m going to go get him. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Their gazes followed you as you left. They probably didn’t believe you could get him to come up. And any other day that could have been the case.

The door of the atelier was closed but you were sure Jungkook was inside. The amount of time he had been spending in there was unhealthy but you were the last person who could judge him, having spent the majority of your so called break in your office. You knocked three times before opening the door.

Jungkook was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, lost in a place that used to scream comfort. Did it still? You couldn’t feel it anymore. The canvases were all in their places and the paints and brushes had been tidied up. Sitting on the paint splattered newspapers in his completely black clothes, Jungkook looked lost.

“We’re having breakfast upstairs,” you said.

Jungkook’s eyes cleared, just enough for most of the fog to disappear. One bunny ear drooped down and he swiped it away from his face. “Can’t Jin bring it to me?”

You shook your head. “Jin isn’t bringing anything to you. You will be coming to breakfast and eat with us like you used to.”

He lowered his head, both ears falling in his face. “I can’t.”

“You very much can and you will.” You tried to be gentle but you were firm on this. “You will come up and we will all eat breakfast together. We are leaving in a few hours for the other side of the United States and I have no idea when we will be back. You aren’t doing anything here and everyone wants to see you and spend some time together.”

“Not everyone.” It was so low he probably hadn’t meant for you to hear.

“Everyone,” you said, kneeling by his side. “Everyone wants to see you.” You brushed his bangs off his face, petting his ears in the process. He didn’t relax the way he usually did, melting in your hands, but he did lean into the touch. “One breakfast. That’s all I’m asking for. You said you’d listen to me if I took you with me to Virginia.”

He couldn’t disagree with that and when you offered him your hand he took it.

Jungkook and Jimin had had a special bond. That first night you had seen it in the way Jimin cried begging you to help Jungkook, to heal him. You had seen it in the way Jungkook, beat up and having trouble breathing, was asking Jimin if he was injured, if he needed to be treated first and Jimin had cried every time Jungkook flinched but smiled and squeezed his hand to ease the pain. Nothing had changed the longer you spent with them, the way they loved and cared for each other only becoming more apparent.

Jungkook had gone to Namjoon crying, saying he had hurt Jimin but you couldn’t imagine him doing anything but loving him. Misunderstandings preyed on everyone and they were hungry for those who loved each other. They would get through it, you assured yourself. They were strong and they cared too much to continue hurting each other like this. You cared too much too, you wouldn’t let this get out of hand.

They needed a break, that’s what it was. Jungkook had been right, the trip would help put some distance between them to think clearer. You would make sure when you returned they would be ready to face whatever had happened between them.

Jimin lit up at seeing Jungkook but the light dimmed when the younger didn’t even glance his way. You sighed into your orange juice.

After breakfast Jungkook carried up his suitcase while you went to another room. Three knocks and a question of who it was. It had become routine. Hoseok smiled at you, he had been doing that more and more.

You sat down at the side of the bed, Yoongi watching you from the chaise lounge, his ears standing alert. “I’m just here to check on you one last time before I go. Jimin will take over after this.”

Hoseok was sitting with his back against the headboard. He hadn’t been able to do that without hurting the first days. “When will you be leaving?”

Touching his arm to inspect it, you said, “John will be here in about thirty minutes but the flight isn’t for another two hours. We have to be early at the airport because the process to get on the plane takes a long time. Do you want to hear about the first time I got on a plane? That’s a funny story.”

Hoseok nodded enthusiastically so you started recounting the time you were sixteen and you had to take a plane to get to the film festival that was held in France. The short film you had directed would be played there. The only problem was that you had never been on a plane before and the prospect of flying wasn’t appealing to you in the least. It just happened that the flight was far from calm.

The check up was finished halfway through the story but Hoseok touched your arm, wordlessly asking you to finish it. At your arrival in France Hoseok’s smile dissolved.

“I have to get going, John will be here soon,” you said getting up. Hoseok had met John only after you had told him of the time both of you had gotten lost in London. John had been insisting he knew what he was doing leading you deeper into the maze of streets. Because of that a few more stories the bodyguard had guest-starred in, the fox hybrid hadn’t looked as terrified as some people did at the side of the giant of a bodyguard.

“Thank you for,” he gestured to himself “this. And the stories. Thank you for the stories.”

You stopped by the door. “It was my pleasure.”

John was at the Castle right on time, parking the SUV close to the front door. He helped you carry everything to the car, which meant he carried the three suitcases while Jungkook insisted he could help. The bunny hybrid did help but only because John took pity on him and let him help with putting the suitcases in the trunk.

You lowered your sunglasses. No wind and no cloud in sight. You would have a calm trip.

You hugged all the hybrids, letting them scent you. Jimin’s eyes were growing misty and you hugged him extra hard assuring him you would be back soon. You rubbed your forehead against Jin’s and kissed his cheek in goodbye, his skin warming up under your lips. Goodbyes were hard and you’d thought you’d gotten used to them. Saying goodbye to Taylor and Zayn before tours, to your aunt the rare times you could visit her, to your friends, to the actors and the crew.

And yet your chest was tight.

Namjoon was talking with John by the car and you heard him asking John to take care of you and Jungkook. John replied he would protect you with his life. John was your bodyguard but this had been more than a job to him for a long time.

From the corner of your eye you saw Jimin approach Jungkook. He reached to touch him, hug him. Jungkook flinched. Jimin’s hand hovered in the air before going limp. He backed away, his chin dropping to his chest and jaw trembling.

You bit the inside of your cheek. A hand landed on your shoulder and you turned to find Namjoon standing next to you. You weren’t the only one who had watched the youngests’ exchange. You hid in his arms, forgetting about the world for a moment. The two hybrids who loved each other too much, the trip you had to take, production being halted, that godforsaken earthquake. He nosed along your neck, his warm breath tingling your skin.

Jungkook got into the car first, an escape, and you followed soon after, a necessity. The house got smaller and smaller behind you as the car drove away. The Castle fading in the distance. Another trip. Different reasons, a different disaster, but familiar territory. Once you used to be excited about these trips, exploring a new place and living new experiences. Where had that part of yourself gone?

But you weren’t alone this time. Jungkook was looking out of the window, his head laying against the glass. You would take him to that yogurt shop you had liked so much and you would show him the park you wanted to film at and take him to that endearing small cinema. Yeah, you would do that.

��♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The hotel towered over the rest of the buildings in the area. It wasn’t the same one you had stayed on your first visit last year, more grand and definitely more expensive. The company had gone all out. An admirable attempt to quell your anger, yet it continued simmering underbeath your skin. A young man was waiting for you outside, taking the suitcases from the car and leading you to the lobby.

Jungkook looked around with wide eyes and an open mouth. There was so much glass and marble, almost everything was made using these two materials.

The receptionist smiled at you wide, her teeth white and straight like her uniform. She welcomed you to the hotel and handed you two key cards, white with a gold line on front and the room numbers in cursive. Two cards.

“I was sure I’d forgotten something,” you muttered.

The receptionist’s smile faltered. “Is something not to your liking, miss?”

Two cards. One for your room and one for John’s. You had notified the company about Jungkook accompanying you but you hadn’t requested another room. Granted, you had thought they would come to the conclusion on their own. One more room would have cost them a lot, though. Easy way out. But you couldn’t exactly blame them. At hotels, owners rarely bothered to spend money on a room for their hybrids.

You held the cards like a magician ready to do a trick, showing them to John.

“Shouldn’t there be one more?” he asked.

The woman behind the desk blinked a few times. “More? Two rooms were booked in the name Y/N Y/L/N. Is there a problem?”

You sighed. “No, I guess there isn’t. Or there wasn’t supposed to be.” Jungkook watched the exchange shifting from foot to foot. His black hoodie was a size too big and he was drowning in it. “Do you have any available rooms in the same floor.”

“I’m afraid we don’t, miss. The rooms on the top floor are all booked for the night.”

“Great.” You couldn’t think of another solution, you would have to make do. “Thank you. We’ll be going now.”

“Have a nice stay,” the receptionist said.

The elevator was as luxurious as the lobby, a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. John had your black bag slung over his shoulder. The man with your suitcases was already gone, you would find them in your rooms when you arrived. There was a mirror to your left and leaning your back against the wall your gazed at your reflection. With your black circles hidden with concealer and carefully applied makeup, you looked just a little tired from the flight. You had brushed your hair on the plane and it fell in waves over your shoulders, curling at the tips.

Jungkook hadn’t been to a hotel before and it showed as he tried to take everything in. The lights that were on even in the afternoon, the golds and whites, the mirrors and glass and the velvet seats. It was wonderful but still it wasn’t the best hotel you had stayed at.

The elevator’s doors opened with a ding and you walked into the well-lit corridors. Doors were on either side with a sitting area at the front. You had stayed in many hotels over the years but they were nothing more than a place for rest. Sleep and shower, that’s all you did in your room. And sometimes breakfast or dinner if you didn’t feel like going out.

Stopping in front of a white door, you checked the numbers on the cards again. The two rooms were very close, only a few meters distance from each other.

Two rooms. Right.

You handed John his key card. “So, we’ve got two rooms…” Jungkook looked at you curiously. “I hope you don’t mind staying in my room with me for now. Unless you would prefer staying with John and his snoring.”

John pointed a finger at you. “Hey, I don’t snore.”

You hummed. “Sure you don’t. What I have been hearing all those years must be the pigs outside.”

Jungkook was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand and doing a poor job of it.

John dropped your bag by your feet. “Do you hear her? No respect for me. That’s what I get for listening to your every whim for years. I’ll go to my room now and snore in peace.”

You giggled as John struggled to swipe the key card right. With an ‘aha’, he managed to open the door and get inside. You swiped your own card, the door clicking open at the first try. Both of you had been doing it for years but John was more of a fan of traditional keys.

The company had booked a suite for you, which you guessed was one of the best in the hotel. The door opened to a grand living room with white velvet couches and armchairs and a 75 inch TV. You took off your sneakers before stepping on the wool carpet, it was white with veins of gold running through it.

You fell on the couch, taking off your backpack and placing it on the floor. “I’m sorry for this, I thought they would book three rooms for us.”

Jungkook looked at you from where he was still standing by the door, his hands pulling at the straps of his backpack. “Why would they book three rooms?” There was a gap here. Hybrids stayed with their owners, that was the norm. You realized that was what he had expected.

“We are three people. I thought you would want your own room. I told them you would be coming with me for the tickets but they didn’t change the rooms they had booked.” You threw your head back and closed your eyes. “Everything is going so well already.”

There a shuffling of feet from the door. “I thought… I can stay with John if he doesn’t mind or… I can…”

You opened your eyes. Jungkook was looking at the floor, his ears drooped at the sides of his head. “What are you talking about?”

Jungkook hugged himself. “I don’t want to bother you.”

And it clicked. You got up from the couch. “Oh, bunny. You aren’t bothering me. I only wanted one more room because I thought that’s what you wanted, that you wanted your own space.” You didn’t touch him, remembering him flinching and pulling away, but you stayed close to show him you were there for him.

“Oh, I-” He flushed, not knowing what to say. You had been past that stage and it was unfortunate to see the shyness and hesitance come back.

“Come on, take off your shoes,” you said, motioning for him to come further into the room. “I desperately need a shower. Then we can rest. I don’t have to do anything until late tonight. Do you want to go in first?”

Jungkook sat down gingerly on the couch. “No, no, you can go in first. I think I’ll sleep a little.”

You stopped him before he could lay down. “Here?”

Confused, he looked around at the furniture. “Should I take the smaller couch?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you said. “But there is a huge bed in the bedroom. If you feel uncomfortable though, I could take the couch.”

Jungkook shot up at that. “No, no way. You have work, you should sleep in the bed.” The redness creeped into his cheeks again. “I would like… I would like to share, if that’s alright.”

You gave him a smile. “That’s more than alright. Come in, then.”

You were planning to make the most out of this trip.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Jimin had memorized everything you had said about checking and treating Hoseok’s injuries. He had memorized the pills he was taking, the salves you used and the times you checked on him during the day. Before you left, he had even looked up all the injuries Hoseok had on Google and read all the information he could find. You had told him Hoseok was well on his way to recovery and he didn’t have to worry much. But he was worried. He was very worried.

He had thought he had been ready, that he could do this. But standing outside their door, second thoughts were smothering him.

What if he did something wrong and he hurt him? What if he made everything worse? If he pressed too hard, if he used the wrong cream, if he wrapped the bandages wrong…

Seokjin would have been much better at this. He took care of them like a parent, he would have been a better choice than Jimin. But Seokjin was the one to cook all their meals, he had enough on his plate. Yoongi could have done it but… He had only glared at you and sneered something that sounded very much like a refusal.

Yoongi…

He hadn’t talked to him since the day he had chased him to the alleyway. The older didn’t leave the room he shared with Hoseok unless it was absolutely necessary. Jimin didn’t know what he had expected, but it wasn’t this… This stasis they were trapped in. He had expected someone yelling, accusing. Sharp words, that didn’t match the soft voice he had been used to. There had been none of that. Nothing at all. He wasn’t sure what he preferred.

Hoseok smiled a little at him when he walked into the room. He was sitting up in his bed with his reddish tail in his lap. Yoongi, laying in his own bed, didn’t acknowledge him but his dark eyes were burning Jimin’s skin when he wasn’t looking.

Hoseok patted the bed with the hand that wasn’t in a cast. His smile was smaller than it had been in the morning. Your absence wasn’t affecting only them. Jimin had heard you telling stories to Hoseok, you had done the same with Jungkook. But he had no stories to tell, nothing worth sharing. He hadn’t traveled the world, he didn’t have interesting and famous friends, he didn’t have a job or childhood memories by the beach.

Silence spread, only broken by his apologies every time Hoseok winced. He was holding back for his sake and it made his stomach clench. He left the room like there were hell-hounds on his heels.

The second day you were gone everyone woke up early in the morning, like all the days they had to be up early to see you before leaving for work. You might not be there but his body demanded he wake up and drag his feet upstairs for breakfast. A book was laying cover up on the table. One of the leather-bound classics you kept on the top shelves of the library. Namjoon read it at night before going to sleep.

Seokjin placed a plate of pancakes in front of Jimin. Pancakes were his favorite.

Belly full, he trudged to the second level.

“Good morning,” he greeted, coming through the door.

Hoseok’s fox ears twitched. “Good morning,” he said with a small smile. Yoongi remained silent, standing by the glass wall.

Jimin fetched the medical kit from the bathroom. Everything he would need was in there. “Did you sleep well?” He tried to make conversation. It wasn’t easy when he felt like he could erupt at any moment with Yoongi’s gaze on him. If he hurt Hoseok, Yoongi would never look at him again. Or he could do so much worse. But Jimin had already lost him years ago.

“Yeah,” Hoseok replied, fumbling with the blanket he was sitting on. “I had a weird dream. About being at the lake. There was a statue there and he was talking… It was good, though.”

There was a small Greek style statue on the half-empty shelves of the room, a Kouros you had explained to him. “It must be because of that.” Jimin motioned to the shelves. “There are pieces of ancient Greece all over the house. The first show Y/N directed was about Persephone and Hades, the Greek god of the dead. Greek mythology has a special place for her.”

“She talked to me about Greece a little but she didn’t say anything about the show,” Hoseok said.

Jimin opened the medical kit, remembering watching the episodes one after the next, hanging from every word the characters said. “The show is so good! I couldn’t stop watching it, I didn’t want to get out of the cinema room for anything. The characters were perfect, Persephone was so sweet and kind but she-” He stopped himself, cutting off his rambling. The cream in his hand was getting warm.

Hoseok sat up straighter to help his work. “But what? Why did you stop?”

Jimin startled. He could at least do this, he could speak about the show. He had watched the episodes multiple times and he had asked you so many questions, some of which you hadn’t talked your way around. Hoseok didn’t wince as much as the first time and maybe Jimin go a little carried away, but he didn’t make any mistakes and Hoseok even asked questions and talked with him.

The cat hybrid had to suppress the shivers the eyes on his back sent down his spine.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Greek gods, fantasy, romance and mysteries. That’s what made you rich. That’s what got you this huge house and more money than anyone would ever see in their lives. The Castle. Yoongi scoffed. What a pretentious name for an even more pretentious house, but that was the way it worked.

Yoongi disliked rich people on principle. Privileged, arrogant and self-entitled were only a few of the adjectives he would use to describe them. They thought they could control anyone because they had money and money made the world go round. Money could get you everything and that’s what they wanted. Everything. In long coats and designer sunglasses looking for entertainment in the most dubious places, feeding off the struggle of the others. Watching enraptured as others fought for their lives.

All of them were the same. It didn’t matter if they were hiding behind smiling masks or surface philanthropic acts. They were the same. And you were just like them. He refused to believe anything else. Despite how hard it was getting. But every time he was slipping, he would remember the pleads and rough hands. His resolve didn’t crack.

He heard all the stories you told Hoseok. Not that he wanted to but there wasn’t a chance he would leave him alone with you. Most of them were funny and although he didn’t want to admit, there were parts the corners of his mouth had lifted up without his permission. He was grateful for those stories, they made Hoseok forget. One rare time, when you were telling him about a disaster on set that involved three spoons, a maraca and a lost script, Hoseok had giggled and Yoongi’s heart had come close to bursting out.

Every morning and every night you would have a different story for him and it made Yoongi wonder if they were all true or if you were coming up with them on the spot. Not that it mattered, it made Hoseok smile and that was enough. Yoongi had found himself waiting for the times you would come into their room and start talking. You had a way with words.

And now you were gone, leaving them alone in the house, alone with no one watching over them like a guard dog (except that damned wolf hybrid, but that was another case entirely). There were a few things he knew about the world and one of them was that hybrids weren’t left alone in a house that cost more than his handlers would make in their whole lives. He didn’t like surprises and he hated how full of them you were.

Jimin had been the one to take over and you must have been somewhere in Virginia laughing at Yoongi’s expense. The younger looked good, his cheeks were full and there was a certain glow on his soft skin. Jimin had always looked beautiful but now he was ethereal. He couldn’t keep his eyes away.

Hoseok pressed a few buttons on the TV remote and groaned. After Jimin’s excitement about the show in the morning, he had decided he would watch the show. Jimin had showed him how to put it on but Hoseok was having some trouble.

“Give that to me,” Yoongi grumbled, taking the remote. He searched for the title among the options (there were too many of them).

Hoseok pointed at one of the pictures. “That’s it! That’s it! “Land of the Gods”.”

A girl wearing a flower crown was gazing at him from the screen. He clicked on the picture and the synopsis and the episode list appeared. “Are you seriously going to watch that?”

“It must be good if Jimin was so excited about it. He was so excited he got me excited.” A smile stretched his lips. Yoongi was weak.

“What do you know about Greek mythology?”

Hoseok shrugged. “Not much but I don’t think I need to. The show has to be good if it got her where she is now. I’m sure she must have been great at her job to be this successful.”

If anything, there was no doubt you were successful. He could see it everywhere he looked. One night he had been watching the news, Hoseok long asleep, and they had talked about your newest project set to start filming in May. One of the greatest directors of our generation, they had called you, predicting high ratings and large audiences. But success didn’t necessarily mean talent and Yoongi told himself he didn’t care enough to see if you had it.

Contemplating, he sat on the bed by Hoseok’s side. “We should discuss when we are leaving.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, his tail fluffing up. “Leaving?”

“Yeah, leaving. You’re better, aren’t you? We should be gone before she comes back.” Yoongi threw the remote on the bed.

“Oh.” Hoseok’s fox ears lowered. “I wanted to thank her, it feels wrong to leave like this.”

Yoongi sighed. He could understand Hoseok, he didn’t want to leave either. He wasn’t stupid. Having a warm meal three times a day was more than they could dream of in the streets. It was more than they could dream of when they had a roof over their heads and murky water on their tongues. These few days Yoongi had eaten and slept more than he had in three years but it had to end. It was nothing more than a polished dream. He didn’t want your pity and he wouldn’t have accepted to come here if it hadn’t been for Hoseok.

“I think she would appreciate us leaving more than a thank you,” Yoongi said. “We don’t know how long she will be gone and we have already overstayed our welcome.”

“We… yeah.” Hoseok gave in. “But you should talk to Jimin before we go.” Yoongi stiffened. “I have seen the way you look at him, you know. I heard you that first day. He is the only reason we are here now. I can connect the dots. I don’t ask you about your past because I know it hurts you but I ask you this. Talk to him before we go. Jimin… Jimin looks like a part of your past that shouldn’t hurt this much.”

Yoongi clenched his jaw. Because Jimin was the most painful part of his past. Everything that had happened to him, everything he had been through didn’t hold anything to the pain he felt when thinking about Jimin and his delicate features. Nothing hurt more than the images of that night ingrained in his brain. He didn’t deserve to forget, he didn’t even try.

“I can’t talk to him.”

Hoseok scooted closer and Yoongi reached to steady him. The fox hybrid would laugh at him, he had the all clear to move on his own and he didn’t need help with something as simple as this, but he didn’t push him away. “Why not?

“I just can’t.” Hoseok raised his eyebrows at him. “Hobi, just let it go. Jimin wouldn’t want to talk to me, there is too much you don’t know.”

Hoseok turned his head away. “Yes, because you don’t tell me.”

“Hobi…” Yoongi placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing comforting circles, there were no bruises there. “What happened, it’s better if you don’t know. I don’t want any more people being haunted by what I did.”

Hoseok’s eyes softened, taking Yoongi’s hands in his own. Every touch from Hoseok was like a brush with the sun. “If you think anything you say could change my opinion of you, you don’t know me at all. You saved me, Yoongi. You saved me when I thought I was done for, when I thought I wouldn’t live to see another day. If you weren’t there, if I didn’t have you…” A shaky breath fell past his lips. He squeezed Yoongi’s hands in his and Yoongi squeezed back. “I would have never gotten out without you. You are all I have.”

Yoongi touched Hoseok’s cheek, nosing against his neck and breathing in the scent of cinnamon. “And you’re all I have.”

The first episode of “Land of the Gods” played as Yoongi laid next to Hoseok with the younger’s head on his chest.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The workers kept looking at you like children who had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar and it wasn’t even their fault. They had been following instructions and using the materials the company had sent. The one who had decided to forgo the safety measures because they were too expensive had yet to admit to anything, but a storm was brewing and you would watch until the end. They could say whatever they wanted about you but no one’s life was at risk on your watch.

You hadn’t been alone in the sentiment, most of your co-workers siding with you and calling meetings after meetings on the matter. You had taken it up to yourself to send a lengthy email to the president and were waiting for a reply that wouldn’t take long to come.

In the meantime, you were stuck with damage control. The meticulously designed sets had turned into ruins and rubble. A lot of expensive equipment had been destroyed and the replacements had yet to arrive. The first night you had a short meeting at a building the company was renting and then drove to the set to survey the damage. You had gritted your teeth at the sight of broken blocks like legos. There was nothing more to see.

You came back with heavy limbs and dust on your jeans. The air-conditioning was on and Jungkook was sitting on the couch watching a superhero movie. It wasn’t one you recognized, an older one than those you usually watched. You changed into your pajamas after taking a shower for the third time in a day (your skin barrier was set to be destroyed soon) and joined him in the living room. Neither of you had had dinner so you ordered food from the first place you found on the web. The delivery was fast and you settled on the couch, eating pizza and watching an old Samuel L. Jackson film.

Fortunately, the earthquake hadn’t caused any major disasters but you had heard that a couple of people had been injured. The most damage in the area had been to the TV show sets. That was alright, you could work on that.

Your schedule wasn’t much different from usual. You woke up early, the sun peaking over the horizon and showering the room in its morning glow through the thin curtains. Reaching for your phone, you turned off the alarm before it could start ringing. You woke up earlier but you scheduled it every night regardless of that. Jungkook blinked his eyes open as soon as you moved a little, he was used to waking up early too.

At breakfast it was only the two of you, John and the hotel staff. It was way too early for anyone else. Jungkook didn’t leave the hotel and you spent most of the day outside. The first days were the most crucial and therefore the most busy. Go there, take this, fill this out, talk to him/her. An endless task list. And there were a lot of things you had to figure out yourself.

“You should come with me today,” you said, digging your spoon into the bowl of yogurt. You ate a generous breakfast to propel through the morning.

“T-to work?” Jungkook stuttered, his hand loosening around the spoon. He was eating pancakes with maple syrup and you had a feeling about who he was thinking of.

You rolled the spoon between your fingers. “Well, you don’t have to come to work with me. We could drop you off at a coffee shop or a park if you want to. You can’t stay cooped up in the hotel room all day.”

John nodded in agreement. “I think it’s a good idea. You need some fresh air, staying in three rooms can’t be good for you.”

Jungkook dropped his head to hide his flushed cheeks. “I’m alright here, you don’t have to worry about me. Really.”

“But that’s what I’ll do at work if you stay in here for one more day,” you said. “You can go anywhere, there is a whole city to explore. And if I have any breaks I can call and I’ll come find you.”

Jungkook looked down at the pancakes. “I don’t think I should be out alone.”

“Of course you can. You can wear a collar and no one will say anything. We packed a few didn’t-?” Wearing a collar would protect him from the hybrid services, especially with your name and number engraved in the back of a charm. But you realized it wasn’t hybrid services he was afraid of. A hybrid alone in the streets could be an easy target, Jimin and Jungkook had been together that night and still… But it was broad daylight. “John could come with you,” you offered.

“No, no, he should be with you,” Jungkook protested weakly.

You exchanged a look with John, after years you were perfect at reading each other. “I actually think John would have a much better time with you. The only thing he does with me is follow me around and wait for the day to end. And it’s not like I’m in any danger there, I’m surrounded by a lot of people and some of the places have security so…”

“Or she’s trying to get rid of me,” John said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Not that I’m complaining, waiting outside of those meetings gets very boring very quickly. Who will drive you?”

“It won’t be hard to find someone. I’ll catch a ride with Will, he has plenty of space in his car.” Will was the assistant director and he had been dragged to Virginia with you. When you worked it was rare to find one without the other. He had been with you for a few years and he was your right hand on set, he could get everything you asked done in a matter of seconds and often better than you could have done them yourself.

Satisfied, John finished his sandwich. “It’s settled then, I’ll go with the guy while you run around like a mad woman.”

“It isn’t so much running around today,” you mumbled. In comparison to other days, that was.

Jungkook picked up his fork again, his nose twitching. “Thank you, but I really don’t know where to go.”

You smiled. “That’s the most exciting part. There are so many places you can choose from. John knows the area a little, he knows a few places worth visiting.” John saluted with two fingers on his temple. “Is there something you want to do?”

Jungkook shrugged. “The park maybe? I would like to walk a little if that’s alright.”

“Fine by me,” John said. “Let’s reconnect with Mother Nature a little.”

You shook your head. “As if the sets aren’t in the middle of nowhere. They’re like thirty to forty minutes from the city, I spend most of my day in a car.”

“Stop complaining. It’s partly your fault,” John reminded you, which only caused you to complain more.

Jungkook let out a cute giggle at your bickering. He looked small in his oversized hoodie, it was a gray one this time with design of black swirls interwining and forming a heart. He would have to change before going out. He would melt otherwise.

They dropped you off at the set, having spent most of the thirty minute drive (John was a fast driver, always following the speed limit though) listening to music and talking about whatever came to mind. Jungkook had insisted on coming with when John dropped you off instead of waiting at the hotel for John to come back. He didn’t care that the drive would be more than an hour for him. You stepped out of the car, adjusted your backpack with all the papers and files inside and sent flying kisses to them while John rolled his eyes.

It was one of the good days, everyone was in a relatively good mood, they were listening to you and the conversations about the problems you were facing rolled smoothly. Will had taken over some of the most tiring tasks ignoring your protests so you were left to do most of the talking and the moral support part.

They worked quickly but there was no doubt that the sets wouldn’t be ready for filming to start on the initial date you had set, you would have to rely more on the sets in Los Angeles and film some scenes earlier than planned. Time was precious and you couldn’t waste it sitting around doing nothing.

Will was more than happy to give you a ride back to the city, you had many things to discuss on the way. You hadn’t been at this park before. It wasn’t the one you were considering for filming but it was just as nice. John had texted you where they were and you had typed the address in Will’s GPS. It was way past lunch and you wondered if they hadn’t left the park since the morning. That was a lot of hours spent in a park.

You followed the cobblestone path, tall trees framing the way adorned with green leaves and tiny flowers. Sending a quick message to John asking him about more specific directions, you stopped at a bridge arching over a small river and rested your elbows on the railing waiting for the reply.

You missed home in a way you hadn’t before. Home hadn’t always been Los Angeles, it had taken a long time for you to see it that way. It had been your hometown at first and that would always remain a part of you but it had been years since you had stayed there for more than two weeks. Home had been a suitcase and a vague idea of belonging for the most of your adult life. Being at a new place every few months, often more than that, you traveled and met people, you explored new places and learnt their secrets and culture. Los Angeles was just the base you returned to before you were gone again.

And then you had met Taylor and Zayn and suddenly you had a reason to come back other than necessity. They had become your closest friends and you held a new appreciation for the city because that’s where you spent time with them, strolling through the streets and going to the beach or staying inside watching movies or baking.

And through Zayn you had met Jacob and Los Angeles became more and more to you. The two of you had decided to build your life there together. That was gone now but the City of Angels had sneaked into your heart and made a home for itself there. Yet you hadn’t missed it like this before.

Texts and calls were fine for some time but not nearly enough. Jungkook was withdrawn while you talked to the other hybrids and Jimin’s voice got smaller and smaller every time the youngest refused to speak with him until he stopped trying. Namjoon and Jin tried to comfort him but the only person who could help was the one shutting him out. On top of that, Jimin tended to Hoseok’s wounds, the two hybrids were still at the Castle and you hoped they wouldn’t leave until you got back. You wanted to check in with Hoseok one more time before they were gone, back to the streets.

The streets… Those damn streets. Where Hoseok had been beat up, where Jimin and Jungkook had been attacked, where they didn’t know which day would be their last, starving or being beaten to death. You had done all you could, when they refused any more help, but it wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be enough.

A whistle made you turn around.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” John called to you.

“Me?” you called back. “How long have you been here? Did you eat lunch?”

“We went to a restaurant nearby, John ordered the best from the menu. I told him to wait for you but he said you would be late,” Jungkook said.

You ruffled his hair and he shuffled closer to you. “Late… I’m not late, I didn’t say I would be back for lunch.”

Jungkook chuckled. “When are you back for lunch?”

You gasped. “You have been spending too much time with John. He’s corrupting you!”

On the other side of the bridge, the path opened up to a large expanse of grass with a few trees sprinkled in. Jungkook had his sketchpad with him and sat down against a tree with pieces of black charcoal, a method he had been experimenting with.

Next to him, you pulled out a notebook from your backpack, it was your personal space where you could write anything and everything. Drawing faint thick lines on the paper, Jungkook told you excitedly about his day with John, who was sitting at a bench talking on the phone with his family.

A shine you hadn’t seen in a while was back in Jungkook’s eyes. You took photos and sent them to the hybrids at home and rolled around in the grass. He pointed at the clouds and what each of them looked like. There was turtle, an elephant and a vase, although you insisted it looked more like an Egyptian cat.

Jungkook came with you to work later and although he was shy and stayed away from everyone else, trailing behind you like a lost puppy, he was smiling. Fascinated, he listened to your conversations about the show and the sets and admired the designs. Your co-workers cooed at the cute bunny hybrid and he flushed hiding behind you.

When the day was over and you were back at the hotel, you realized it was the most fun you’d had since coming to Virginia. Freshly showered with his wet hair sticking to his forehead, Jungkook slipped into the bed next to you.

“Did you have a good time?” you asked. In the quiet of the night it felt wrong for your voice to be louder than a whisper. “You can be honest with me. I won’t take it personally.”

A small smile simmered on Jungkook’s lips as he turned on his side to look at you. In the lights of the city coming through the window, his chocolate brown eyes seemed black. “I had the best of times. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It was nice having you there, it was… different. A good different. You should come again tomorrow, to the sets outside the city this time.”

“I would like that,” he whispered.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Jungkook repeated in a breath.

It would be nice to have him with you. He wasn’t distracting you, on the contrary you were more focused because you knew he was there watching you, you wanted to show him the best of you. This was far from the most exciting part of the process of making a film but it was necessary. Well, it wouldn’t have been necessary if someone hadn’t decided to purposely forget all about the safety measures but you had already dedicated too much of your energy being angry about it.

Once the actual filming had started you would take Jungkook with you and show him the behind the scenes of how a TV show was made. If he was fascinated with this part then he would love filming. The actors were incredible and they had found their connections to the characters, channeling them at the table readings, it would be even better when they were in the costumes on set.

“I liked it,” Jungkook said. “I really liked seeing you work.”

You smiled at the bunny. “You used to see me work every day at the Castle.”

“But it wasn’t the same.” Jungkook laid his head on his hand. “You looked different there,” he said. “You looked powerful, like you could do anything. Everyone looked at you like you had all the answers.”

“It was a good day, I guess. It isn’t always like that. I might look confident and like I have everything under control all the time but that’s far from the truth.”

For all of your fame and the praise you received, you did make mistakes, you got stuck and felt helpless against some problems. Not everyone listened to you and you got into arguments with the executive producers sometimes. And you weren’t always the one who was right.

“Looking confident is half of the job, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s one of those situations where ‘fake it till you make it’ is a requirement. When you want to be heard you have to look and act like you are sure of what you’re doing, especially when you are a young woman at an important position. If you don’t, people begin to doubt you and if they doubt you, they will begin to talk over you and disregard your opinions. That was the first lesson I learnt on this job.”

At seventeen, you had been in charge of directing “Land of the Gods” and it wasn’t all smooth sailing, much less at the beginning. You were young, too young for most of them. You couldn’t direct such a project they said. They questioned your every move and decision, every correction you made and everything you said to the actors during a scene. They didn’t take you seriously until halfway through filming and even then they didn’t hesitate to question your authority. A constant battle of wills.

But it had gotten you here. You couldn’t complain.

“You’ve done so many things,” Jungkook said as if in awe. “All those shows and movies. And they are all so good. You are so talented. I could have never achieved what you have even if I wasn’t…” He left the sentence hanging.

You adjusted your position, laying on your forearm. “I don’t believe that, I think you would be marvelous at whatever you did. You have the dedication and that’s half of the job done. About me…” You let out a small chuckle. “I was very young when I started, I’m still young considering my profession, and I had so many ideas. I still have so many of them.” Or you used to, before the buzz in your brain became just noise. “And I don’t want to wait so long the industry gets tired of me, I have to take advantage of the light as long as it’s on me.”

“I don’t think they can get tired of you, not when your movies and shows are… like that. I couldn’t get tired of them,” Jungkook said. “It’s just- I’m not-” Frustrated, he cut himself off. “You work too much. I’m just… When was the last time you had a break? An actual break without working in any form.”

You opened your mouth to answer and closed it again. It certainly wasn’t this year and it wasn’t last year either. When you had taken a break to buy and decorate the house, you had been answering calls about work when you had been choosing the paints for the walls and writing scripts while you discussed floor plans. Break for you wasn’t a time you didn’t work but rather a time they couldn’t call you to the offices or the set.

“It’s been a while,” you said in the end. “I’ve got a lot of things going on, I don’t really have the time to take a break. I can’t leave them hanging, they rely on me.”

“Maybe they shouldn’t. Not so much.”

But that’s how it has always been for as long as you could remember. You were involved in every single part of the process, in every decision, from the scripts, to casting, to the set and costume design, to the actual filming, the post-production and the editing. Supervising and making sure that everything was right. That was your charm, that was one of the reasons you were one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Each project was a part of yourself. If you let those responsibilities go, what would that mean for you? What would they say about you?

The air-conditioning made a small sound as the room reached the desired temperature. The setting wasn’t too low, a pleasant coolness replacing the stifling heat. The thick walls of the hotel kept the heat of the day trapped inside, something that would be very beneficial in winter but a lot less so in spring nearing summer.

“Anyway, I think we’ll be done in a few days,” you said. “We’ll probably be home by the end of the week. The new plans have been drawn and there is only one more meeting I have to attend and that’s more for appearances’ sake than anything else. The rest is up to the crew here.”

Jungkook��s smile wavered. “So soon? Don’t you have any more work? The people here seemed to need you.”

“They don’t need me, there is nothing more I can offer them. My place right now is in Los Angeles, that’s where they need me.” You nudged his foot with yours, your knees were close enough to touch every time you moved. “But that’s not what you’re nervous about, is it?”

Jungkook shook his head, hiding half of his face in the pillow. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Kookie…” You nudged his foot again until your legs were intertwined underneath the thin sheets. “Staying here won’t help anyone. You have to talk to him.”

Jungkook closed his eyes as if the conversation pained him. “He shouldn’t want to talk to me.”

“But he does. You know he has been asking for you,” you said.

“He stopped.”

“Because you never replied. Doing this, pulling away and ignoring him, you’re hurting him more than whatever you feel guilty for. You didn’t see how sad he was every time you didn’t show up for a meal or when he called for you and you ignored him. You’re hurting him and I know that isn’t what you want so why do you keep doing it?”

A sob clawed out of Jungkook’s throat and he tried to muffle it with his fist. Your eyes widened at the sound, instinctively pulling the younger boy into your arms. He didn’t fight you, holding on to you like you were the only thing keeping his afloat, hiding his face in your neck as the sobs he couldn’t suppress fell from his lips.

“What… What I did to him was h-horibble. I-I took adva-advantage of him,” Jungkook chocked out as his tears dampened your skin. “And I know, I know he’s going to forgive me. But I don’t want him to. He shouldn’t. He shouldn’t forgive-” A sob cut him off. “I don’t deserve forgiveness.”

You run your hands through his hair, scratching gently at the base of his bunny ears, something that used to calm him down. “Baby… You should let him have that choice, you can’t take it away from him.”

“I can’t forgive myself,” he muttered, desperation and heartbreak seeping into his voice like water through the cracks of a dam until it breaks.

“If Jimin can forgive you then you can work towards forgiving yourself. All I know is that you love each other too much to continue like this.”

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

It was the fifth day you were gone. Seokjin had been keeping track, the equivalent of another line engraved on the wall of a cell. He had been going to sleep and waking up alone in a bed that felt too large for one person. He had added more blankets and stuffed animals decorating embellishing his nest but it did nothing for the feeling of emptiness covering it like a veil.

You called every day and texted them religiously, it was more than he could have expected but much less than what he craved. Jungkook sent photos of the hotel suite and of every place he visited with short captions. Seokjin smiled as his heart constricted.

It was the fifth day you were gone and he was sitting at the large table in the back garden, drinking tea at the time he would have been bringing yours before you had to go back to work. Jin didn’t consider himself a clingy person. He was loyal and protective of the people he loved, he obeyed his past owners and he took care of them. But this was new. It had been five days, the number didn’t change but Jin felt like it had been much longer than that. When his past owners left it wasn’t for long, less than two weeks, he didn’t have the time to miss them. He hadn’t missed them. Two weeks. Five days.

Jungkook would be nagging at him by now, tugging his arm or foot or whatever part of him he could get and if Jin didn’t give in the bunny hybrid would sprawl himself next to the older with his head in his lap. Despite Seokjin warnings about getting splashed with tea or coffee in the face, Jungkook stayed there.

If you were back from work, a rare occurrence, you would insist you all spent that time together. Like a family.

Family. Such a peculiar word. It was one of those words Seokjin couldn’t grasp the real meaning of. He was a hybrid, he didn’t have parents, the one who had given birth to him had delivered him to the scientists earning a large amount of money for her services. His first owners had trained him harsher than a pet and treated him like a servant or a living piece of decor. It didn’t matter if he’d thought of them as his family to feel better for himself, they owned him and they didn’t let him forget.

He didn’t know what having a family felt like. But he guessed it felt a lot like the mornings before you left for work and Jungkook was bickering with Jimin about how much he could eat while Namjoon was smirking into his coffee.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Seokjin startled, the mug trembling dangerously in his hands. Another hand enveloped his to steady it. “How do you do that? I almost had a heart attack.”

Namjoon smiled sheepishly. “You aren’t the first one to say that, about the heart attack. I’ll try to make more noise next time.”

There was only a tiny bit of tea left at the bottom of the mug so Seokjin placed it on the table to avoid any more surprises that could threaten its survival. “Are you going somewhere?” he asked, looking at the black backpack Namjoon was wearing.

“I’m going for a walk in the forest. Would you like to join me?”

“Like this?” he gestured to his casual attire.

“Maybe you should wear different shoes,” he said referring to the slippers he was wearing.

Seokjin was tempted to say no, sugar gliders might be native to forests but he didn’t have the same ease among trees. But he was tired of being in his own company and something inside him was screaming to go and be with his pack. After all, it was impossible to not give into Namjoon’s dimples.

“Okay, I’ll come with you. Just don’t lead us so far away we won’t be able to come back.”

Namjoon’s smile widened as Jin left to change his shoes. His sneakers were in a box under his bed. He had worn them only once because he preferred wearing his slippers in the house or the gardens. These sneakers were the ones he had on when you had gone to the lake before you had to go back to work and be away for most of the day.

The wolf hybrid was waiting in the back garden for him by the curtain of vines with the purple blooms. The mug was nowhere in sight.

“Ready?” Namjoon asked him.

“Ready,” Seokjin said, not paying any mind to the fluttering in his stomach.

Namjoon pulled the curtain of vines aside, the path stretching ahead. The forest was alive in spring, trees green and tall, creating shade for the small creatures roaming around to hide from the sun. And when a few sun-rays slipped through the spaces between the branches and the leaves, they looked like a touch from the gods.

Namjoon navigated the forest with practiced ease and Seokjin had a feeling the wolf hybrid knew exactly where they were going. He just hoped Jimin wouldn’t look for them while they were gone, but knowing Namjoon he had probably already told Jimin. Or Jimin could call them. Seokjin wasn’t used to having his own phone and often he forgot he had the device.

Staying close to Namjoon, he kept his eyes on the ground. A poor attempt to keep his tripping to the minimal. But the forest was conspiring against him. Roots, stones, sticks, everything he could trip over was in his path.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Namjoon stopped, turning to look at him. He smirked. “It’s a surprise.”

“No, I prefer no surprises,” Jin said. Rock. He stepped over it, avoiding a possible humiliating fall. “Tell me where we’re going. Is it far?”

“Not too far.” Not too far for Namjoon could be totally different from Seokjin’s idea of not too far. “I swear to you we aren’t getting lost today. I know this part of the forest like the back of hand and I have a good sense of direction. See?” He pointed to the direction of a large tree on his right. “That’s north,” he pointed to the opposite direction, “and that-”

Before he could finish, Seokjin had tripped over a protruding root. He hadn’t seen it, being too focused on Namjoon. He let a shriek as he tumbled to the ground, scratching his hands as they came in contact with the ground fist.

Namjoon called his name but he hadn’t been fast enough. He grasped Seokjin’s elbows pulling him up so he was sitting instead of laying face down on the dirt.

“Are you alright?” Namjoon asked, kneeling next to him, and Seokjin felt heat travel to his face and his chest tightening. He had an urge to flee and forget that had happened. Namjoon didn’t give him the chance though. He took his hands in his, turning them over and inspecting the damage. Dirt was clinging on the flesh and Namjoon blew on them to make some it go away. “We need to clean this.” He pulled out a water bottle from his backpack and poured water on his hands. It did sting a little but Seokjin was used to much worse than this.

Thin lines were etched on his palm, none of them bleeding. His hands had taken most of the burnt of the fall. The pride he had been piecing back together hurt more than his body did.

“We should go back,” Namjoon said, letting his hands go. Seokjin mourned the loss then reprimanded himself for it. “Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea.”

“I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t like the frown on Namjoon’s face. “We don’t have to go back. I don’t want to go back.” He cleared his throat. His face, neck and ears felt impossibly hot.

Namjoon regarded him with careful eyes. “Are you sure? Does it hurt anywhere?”

“Really, I’m fine,” he repeated. He put one hand on the ground to steady himself and get back on his feet. It didn’t work very well because as soon as Namjoon saw him moving he was helping him up supporting most of his weight. “It wasn’t painful, more embarrassing than anything else,” Seokjin muttered. Despite the low tone, Namjoon heard him and his face smoothed. “Let’s go. We will never get to that place you want before nightfall at this rate.”

Namjoon chuckled shaking his head. “If you say so.” Seokjin expected him to start walking but instead he laced their fingers together. “Is this okay? I don’t want you falling again. If you trip again I’ll keep you up or at least we’ll fall together.”

Seokjin huffed out a laugh, lightheaded. Namjoon wasn’t distant but he wasn’t open with his affection like Jimin or Jungkook or even you and feeling his hand in his had ignited something inside him he was struggling to bury.

They held hands all the way to the secret destination. Seokjin tripped a couple more times, the rocks and the roots were still there and Namjoon was too distracting, but he kept his balance. Namjoon held on his hand tighter whenever he lost his footing and he allowed himself to consider it for a moment before banishing the idea.

The walk wasn’t too long and as the trees thinned out a little, a few large rocks emerged from the ground. They had climbed higher than the level of the house, the forest and the lake stretching under them. On the side the Castle peeked between the trees and the road leading to the city.

Namjoon helped him up the rock while he complained for the sake of it. They sat down to rest and Namjoon offered him the bottle of water he had used before, plenty of water was left inside. Seokjin insisted they shared it, he had already used half of it on him anyway.

“You like being outside so much, you have walked through most of the forest. You go on walks every day. Why don’t you go out with Y/N? Or around the neighborhood?” he asked. Namjoon wasn’t someone who could be contained in a house, he needed to be outside, and the forest looked too small for him.

Namjoon crossed his hands over his bent knee. “Being in the forest is easier. I can’t explain it but it’s familiar territory. Outside the forest, outside the house, that’s different. I know the streets of Los Angeles, I’ve spent more time on them than I would have liked. And now things are different but those streets are the same. I don’t think I’m ready to go back there alone.”

Seokjin’s heart constricted at the reminder of what the three hybrids he held so dearly had been through. He was spoiled, he couldn’t have survived a life in the streets. But if he was with them… If he was with them maybe it would would have been worth it.

It was a dangerous world for lone hybrids, people were eager to take advantage of them and hybrid services were always lurking in large cities like Los Angeles. Going outside alone could be an invitation for harassment from a few sick people who thought they were entitled to hybrids’ lives because humans created them, who thought they were lesser. Seokjin hadn’t been allowed to be alone outside, his owners believed it was indecent and disrespectful for hybrids to walk alone or stay alone.

“Do you want to go outside in the city?” Namjoon asked.

Seokjin hugged his knees. “I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. I’ve never been out alone.”

Namjoon nodded. “That’s alright. It was nice being out for Spring Cleaning, I saw the city in a different light.”

Seokjin smiled, for him it hadn’t been only the city he had seen in a different light. “I would like to go out one day.”

“I would like that too,” Namjoon said softly.

But Seokjin didn’t think of going alone. He thought of being with Namjoon holding his hand so they wouldn’t lose each other or an excited Jungkook hopping around with Jimin chasing him.

Namjoon’s phone beeped with a message and he pulled it out of his backpack to read it. A smile spread on his face at whatever he was seeing. Seokjin wanted to lean closer and look at what was making him smile but he held himself back. There were only three people it could be from.

“Jungkook is playing her assistant,” Namjoon said, turning the screen so Seokjin could take a look at the photo. Jungkook was looking to the side, probably at someone talking to him, carrying two folders and a few loose papers. Seokjin’s heart softened at the sight, Jungkook looked content there. Excited and a little confused.

Seokjin took the phone in his hands. “I’m sure he insisted on carrying them for her. Doesn’t she have an assistant?”

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah, Will. But I’m not sure he’s that kind of assistant.”

“Maybe she should keep Jungkook on set, he could carry anything she wanted,” he joked. Their bunny could pick up all of them without getting tired, Seokjin had been his victim enough times to know that.

Jungkook had been doing better, his messages were more frequent and he talked more on the phone. He had been doing better but Seokjin was missing him a lot. But he couldn’t be selfish with this, going away had been good for him and if it hurt a little that he needed to be away from them, Seokjin didn’t utter a word. He had heard him sniffling at night, covering his mouth to muffle the sounds. Seokjin didn’t know how to comfort him so he just held him tighter.

Namjoon sighed, taking his phone back and hiding it in the backpack. He sighed. “Jimin is hiding away again. He barely spoke to me before locking himself in the cinema room. I don’t understand what is going on between them. Jungkook had to travel to the other side of the States to get away. I can’t get a word about what happened from either of them. Jungkook says he did something horrible to him and Jimin doesn’t want to say anything about it. And every time Jungkook pulls back from him I can see how much it hurts them both and I can’t do anything about it.”

“They don’t want us to do anything about it but they need us next to them,” Seokjin said, looking ahead at the sun slowly descending in the sky.

Namjoon let the silence stretch before speaking, “I’m grateful you’re with us, that you chose to stay. I don’t like to think about how it would have been without you.”

Seokjin turned his head away. “I didn’t do anything special. I am not that important.”

A hand touched his cheek, leading him gently until he was face to face with Namjoon looking into his hazel, almost golden, eyes. “Listen to me when I say this; you are important to us. You are pack and your place is with us here. I’ll be honest, I was weary at first but you fit right in like you were always meant to be with us. You belong with us and we’ll never let you go or get tired of you. You give so much without even realizing it.” His thumb rubbed small circles on his skin leaving burning trails behind. A heavy cloud had covered everything around him and all he could see was hazel eyes. “All I ask you is to let us take care of you, too.”

And before his doubts could stop him he surged forward. Namjoon caught him in his arms, cradling the oldest’s neck as he hid his face in his neck breathing in his scent. Time was meaningless there.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

You were taking a short break. John had delivered your second cup of coffee for the day and a smoothie for Jungkook who disliked the bitter taste of coffee with passion. It was a mostly practical day that didn’t require a lot of moving around. You had been meeting up with people since the crack of dawn and discussing the best ways to cover up the disaster in a way that wouldn’t turn the public against the show or the studios. So far, you had been holding off any reporters from including the overlooked safety measures when publishing the news about the collapsed sets.

After being inside all day, you had decided to take a stroll around the block. Jungkook was walking next to you sipping his smoothie. He was wearing a simple black chocker with a silver charm.

He was telling you about a video he had seen on YouTube when your phone started ringing. Your nickname for Taylor was displayed across the screen with a photo of her pulling out a tray of cookies from the over.

“Hey, Tay,” you said.

“I called at the right time, didn’t I?”

“Just the perfect time, I have around twenty minutes before I have to go back. Work has been kicking my ass.”

Taylor laughed. “I’m sure you’ve been kicking its ass too. And better.”

You had told her around what time you would be taking your break. You hadn’t talked on the phone since coming to Virginia and you had missed her voice.

You stopped at a bench and Jungkook pulled out his phone. You felt a little bad for talking on the phone when it was the two of you but you had really missed Taylor and it wouldn’t take long anyway. She had been busy with Astrid, getting to know her better and helping her adapt to the new environment. When you had visited the hybrid had looked enamored with Taylor, you knew your friend would be amazing at taking care of a hybrid.

The conversation soon turned to you but you didn’t have much to share. Work was the same regardless the disaster but Taylor was more interested in other things.

“It has been almost a year since you and Jacob broke up. Don’t you have your sight on anyone? Any flirts? It isn’t like you lost the one and only,” she said.

Jacob had been far from the one and only. And when she asked, your mind went to dangerous places.

“Just because you found your man doesn’t mean we are all that lucky,” you said. “And how am I supposed to find anyone? I’m too busy.” From the corner of your eye you saw Jungkook turning to look at you with an unreadable expression.

Taylor continued, “Aren’t there any cute boys on set? At work? There has to be someone. Don’t bury yourself in work and forget to live. I’m not saying you need a man to be happy or complete, but don’t you miss going on dates? Getting to know someone like that?”

The answer came to you unbidden but it wasn’t something you were ready to say. “Maybe after the TV show, for now I really have to focus. After that is done and I don’t have to worry about anymore earthquakes, I’ll see where I’ll end up.”

You knew Taylor cared for you and she worried about how deep you threw yourself into work. Maybe there was also a small part that was still uncertain about the way you and Jacob had broken off things and the way you had avoided the topic like the plague for the first months. Like you and Jacob had never happened. But looking at boys and dating had been the last thing on your mind.

Ending the call with Taylor promising to text her when you got off work, you patted the small of Jungkook’s back. It was time to walk back. The smoothie was half-finished, the way it had been before, like he hadn’t taken a sip since sitting down.

You asked him if there was something wrong but he replied that everything was alright. It didn’t look like that was the case. He stayed close to you all day, more clingy than he had been the whole time you had been in Virginia, wary of the men who talked to you.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The blue sky and fluffy clouds reflected on the lake, a huge mirror creating another sky on its surface, a more vibrant but precise copy. No boats cut through the water, it was like there was a part of the sky that had made its home on the ground. Trees extended on every side of the lake, so many of them one next to the other with no end in sight.

The grass tickled Jimin’s palms swaying in the gentle wind. He breathed in the fresh morning.

“One day we’ll go on a boat ride.” Jungkook was sitting next to him, his long bangs falling at the sides of his face. “We’ll see every part of the lake, not just this. We’ll go everywhere.”

Flowers bloomed all around them, white and blue petunias, chrysanthemums and lilies. Jimin wanted to cut the most beautiful one and tuck it behind Jungkook’s ear. He turned to tell him but hands were holding the back of his neck and lips devouring his. He gripped Jungkook’s arms to steady himself from the force of the kiss. The sweet aroma of the flowers filled him up, engulfing every part of his being, the deepest crevices and the smallest of cracks.

Jungkook pushed him back so he was laying on the grass and Jimin let him, too drunk off the flowers and soft lips. Touches on his cheeks and his sides, caresses under his shirt. He was burning.

It didn’t take long for the panic to set in. With weak arms, he pushed Jungkook away. The air wouldn’t reach his lungs. The scent of the flowers turned stale and bitter.

“We can’t,” he tried to say but his voice wasn’t coming out right, sticking in his throat and refusing to flow.

Jungkook pulled back. His eyes were darker than before. “Is this it? Am I too common for his highness? You didn’t have any reservations about the panther hybrid, did you? Are you attracted to power, Jiminie? Or do you open your legs only for him?”

There were sharp blades piercing Jimin’s chest. How did he know? Who had told him? No one was supposed to know.

Two figures were hiding between the trees in the darkness the day couldn’t chase away. Your hands were crossed in front of your chest and Yoongi was standing right behind you.

Jimin took a step back colliding with the fountain at the entrance of the Castle. The house was looming over him, ominous and tall as if it could touch the sky. His clothes were torn, dirt and blood staining them. They were the clothes he had been wearing the day you had found them.

“I’m sorry but you can’t stay here anymore,” you said. You knew what he had done, you knew his dirty secret and he was paying for it again. He would be paying for it his whole life. A pain so powerful he felt like he was dying bloomed in his chest as rivers of tears rolled down his cheeks. His knees were weak. He couldn’t stand.

He searched in the faces of his pack, of the people he loved so much he thought his heart would burst. Nothing but sneers and gazes of pity. Whore, they whispered. Slut. Worthless.

Jimin crumbled to his knees. He was dying. He was sure he was dying. Spasms wrecked his body as he sobbed. He had nowhere to go, he had no one but them. He couldn’t live without them.

And when he thought it was over, that it was the last breath he was taking. He opened his eyes. His chest was heaving, his heart beating like a wild animal scratching at the bars of its cage. He was in their room, the glass wall looking out at the forest. Only the moonlight fought the darkness.

The sheets were restricting him and pushing him down, tangled around his body. Frantic movements born out of desperation took over his body and he stumbled over the edge of the bed, falling hard on the floor with the sheets wrapped around his legs.

And it overflowed.

The sobs and tears. He pulled at his hair and scratched his skin. They couldn’t know. No, they could never know. You would never look at him the same way. He would lose the only home he has ever known.

He wanted to scream. Scream until his lungs were empty and his body stopped shaking. Scream until he didn’t feel worthless and used like an old toy forgotten in a corner of the attic.

There were arms around him, prying his hands away from his hair and skin. He tried to pull away but they only held tighter until he gave in and sunk into their warmth. Blood was rushing to his ears and he only made out his name falling from the other person’s lips. He rocked in his arms, cursing himself and the world. Weak. He was so weak.

Fucking pathetic.

He gripped the hands holding him. He focused on the voice speaking although he couldn’t understand what it was saying. He choked on the bile in his throat, his body shaking with his sobs.

“Jiminie, breath. Just breath,” the voice said and Jimin tried to listen to it. He did. But it felt like he hadn’t been able to breath for a while. “Just like this. Breath with me. That’s right, like this. Breath. You’re doing so well, Minie.”

Spent, Jimin fell on the chest behind him, shaky breaths leaving his lips. One of the hands rubbed his stomach over his nightshirt.

“There. You’re alright. You’re alright.”

Jimin swallowed with difficulty down his scratchy throat. “Joonie?”

“I’m here. I’m here, Minie,” the other said. Jimin didn’t have the energy to look at him, laying his head on the older’s shoulder. “I’m right here.”

His breathing stuttered. Another tear escaping from his eyes, he thought he’d run out of them. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, don’t say that. Please don’t say that.” Namjoon’s voice was unsteady and it hurt Jimin knowing he had been the cause of it. “You’re alright. I’m always here for you but I can’t protect you from your head.”

Jimin’s tail wrapped around one of Namjoon’s arms as Jimin sniffled. “I don’t want to be alone. Please, please don’t let me go. Don’t make me leave.”

“Never. I’ll never leave you. We’ll never leave you. I’d do anything in this world to keep you safe.” Namjoon caressed his arm, moving upwards and pressing his fingers against Jimin’s left scent gland. Jimin’s whole body trembled, shivers overtaking him. Namjoon rubbed his nose against the other side of his neck, leaving kisses behind. Purring, Jimin arched his neck.

“I love you,” Jimin whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Namjoon kissed over his scent gland and Jimin felt it everywhere. “I love you, Minie. So much.”

#bts #bts hybrid au #btscreatorscorner #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #jimin x reader #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #taehyung x reader #poly!bts x reader #poly!bts #bts fanfic #jikook #sope #bts scenarios #bts angst #bts fluff

2K notes · View notes

jeanandthedreamofhorses · 2 years ago

Text

‘Attack On Titan XR Ride’ in Osaka’s USJ

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been living in Japan for the better part of a year now, and one opportunity I absolutely did not want to pass up was to see the Attack On Titan XR Ride at Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, before it closed down in August. It’s been a few months, so my memory might not be perfect, but I’ll do my best to describe it to you.

The courtyard in front of the ride was decorated with a Colossus Titan head, banners for the different regiments, and statues of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin.

There was also a shop selling unique merchandise where I bought a very high-quality and cosy Survey Corps cape to wear in the gargantuan queue for the ride.

A 3D animation that looks like the A.O.T. video games plays outside the ride while you’re waiting. A pair of closed windows by the entrance is opened up by Armin (it’s really a screen, but you can’t tell that til he opens them, so it’s a nice surprise). He then gives you instructions for the ride with interruptions from Eren, Mikasa, and Levi (who flies in in 3DMG gear in a very extra manner). About halfway through Hange butts in and takes over Armin’s explanation. They all have their Japanese anime voices.

The setting is that you’re on a Survey Corps expedition in Wall Maria, around Season 1-2 era. Once you enter the building, you go inside a hexagonal room surrounded by screens like window slits, through which you can see a Wall Maria town. Armin is talking to you over the speakers, when suddenly you hear the THUMP THUMP THUMP of titan feet, and outside the windows their feet come into view! One crouches down and you can see its face (I think it was the Peering Titan, the one that ate Mina).

Armin tells us we’re getting out of here, and the screens depict our descent as Armin lowers us down an elevator, like the one in the Battle of Trost when they’re trapped at the supply depot. When we reach the bottom, Armin tells us we need to retreat to Wall Rose, and a guide in Survey Corps cosplay ushers us through a door.

Past this door is where the real queue begins. It took about an hour or so, but it was made more enjoyable than the outside wait by the atmosphere and pretense that you’re on your way to evacuate. Music from the anime plays over the speakers, and the ride safety information that plays on the screens is done in the same manner as the ‘Current Publicly Available Information’ slides from the anime, and is narrated by Hange.

Eventually you get to the rollercoaster proper, sit down and fit a VR helmet over your eyes. You see a POV experience of the video-game style animation, with you going through a tunnel seated in a horse-drawn cart. When the ride gets started, and you leave the tunnel, you see the Colossus Titan tearing up the town. The twists and turns of the rollercoaster are portrayed as your carriage running up and down the falling debris, and even getting caught in the hand of the Colossus!

Luckily, Mikasa saves you, accompanied by Eren and Armin, and she asks if you’re okay. Levi appears to beat back a sea of Pure Titans trying to grab at you, saying something cool - probably “get a move on” or something (there were no English subtitles on the actual ride).

Eventually, you get out of the collapsing town and plunge down to a grassy plain. Here, you see the Armoured Titan charging at you, but Eren turns into a Titan and keeps it occupied. At one point, Sasha dashes past you on a horse. She drops her potato and looks back to it, wailing mournfully.

You’re almost at Wall Rose now, but the Beast Titan is blocking your path, saying something in that wonderfully deep voice of his. Eren’s Titan returns to you and you ride up his arm. At his shoulder, you abandon your cart and start zipping around in 3DMG with your comrades, the rollercoaster getting very wild at this point. You see Hange swinging by laughing maniacally. With your combined strength you’re able to attack and immobilise the Beast and swing past him into Wall Rose.

The entry into Wall Rose is very sudden and you’re on a cart again with Eren. You can see all the townsfolk cheering your arrival, and the other comrades who fought with you are lined up on a podium doing the Survey Corps salute. Eren compliments your efforts and the ride ends. And no, sadly, Historia was not present, nor Jean, Connie, and Erwin 🥲.

While I was getting off, I heard a little girl shout “Levi kakkoii!” (Levi’s so cool!). Dunno if someone younger than 10 know about SNK, but at least she had fun.

Outside the gate is a food stall with an SNK aesthetic (third picture). They sold food themed off the characters: I remember there being a Mikasa steamed bun.

I didn’t eat there, though, because I already planned to have lunch at the SNK restaurant opposite the ride (fourth row). Inside, there was music from the anime playing together with clips from the show on a TV screen, up to the latest season. The set meal options were the Eren Plate, the Levi Plate (with tea, of course), and, for kids, the Mikasa Plate. You could also get desserts themed after Mikasa, Armin, and Levi, and a cup for your drink with one of the Shiganshina or Veteran trio on it.

You can guess what I chose. This Japanese conversation occurred with the woman behind the counter:

Her: “An Eren Plate with an Eren Cup. You really like Eren, huh?”

Me: “Yes, I’m a Jaegerist.” (joking!)

As you can see in my photo, the Plate Meal has an aesthetic like the anime without being such simple grub as the Survey Corps often have to eat. It was expensive, but damn, it wasn’t just because it had a picture of Eren sticking it out. It was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. Also, I got to keep the cup.

Between the ride and lunch, I wandered around the rest of USJ and went on the Spider-Man VR ride - surpisingly themed to the 90s cartoon, which was very nostalgic. Japanese J. Jonah Jameson is a treat, and a recording of Stan Lee even thanked us for going on the ride at the end. I also saw Harry Potter, Jaws, and Jurassic Park attractions. Sadly, the queue for the Mushroom Kingdom was too long.

While I was wandering about, staff members from attractions totally unrelated to SNK would notice my cloak, give me a Survey Corps salute, and thank me for my service. This was probably an instruction given to all the staff, but damn if it didn’t make me feel good. Although, if they really wanted to make me feel like I’m in the series, they would berate me as a waste of tax money.

It was a 10/10 experience, the closest one can get to feeling like they’re really in the society of the Walls. Sadly it is now lost to time, but I hope this post allowed you all to enjoy it vicariously.

#shingeki no kyojin #snk #aot #snk tourism #attack on titan

10 notes · View notes

virtuoshosh · 2 years ago

Text

fu-imrhett·:

faeroyce·:

Bigger than the fucking sewer. Dani stewed on that as they entered the building, the one that had been shuttered then suddenly taken off market and blocked off. She’d been tempted sorely at least thrice in the last week to break in and see what was being done with the place. Rumors flying that the Aurors were trying to set up a station within the sewers. Rumors flying it was a new Hedgehouse, that she could get behind. None of the rumors even predicted that it’d be a recording space, better, cleaner, newer than any DIY backrooms masquerading as a recording space in the entire sewer.

Bigger than a fucking sewer. Dani’s entire world was the Den, it spread like tentacles beneath the city, spreading it’d denizens deeper and filling up the spaces it could with anyone who needed the freedom Above could grant.

“Ya can’t call a detective down here,” Dani offered, hands buried into her pockets lest she fucking infect the space or something; god it even smelled new, “the Den don’t like the Aurors much, won’t let them in for anything less than a murder most days. They can’t get much further than my Da’s place, and we’re a bit further than tha’ right now.“ Dani paused to think, "I’m a liar, the Den likes that one Auror who sings all them muggle musicals. Even if I have chased him into a wall at least twice for singing Phantom too often.”

She was blathering, a bad habit for when she got nervous or overexcited, and trapped her jaw shut and offered a small smile, her free hand wrapped around the neck of her bass that was still hung around her shoulders and had been the entire walk over.

Dani eyed the contract, her Da had a talent for truth seeking something she didn’t quite possess in spades but folk couldn’t really lie to her. She could see their intention, sparking like fools gold in the corner of their smiling mouths. Dani held her free hand out, the one not on the strings.

When it was handed to her she looked around the room, and straightened up.

“Mind if I have your name, please?” Dani offered her a smile, the sort that got her in trouble with fiancé’s, the kind that could root someone to the spot, make their head a bit fuzzy and their time a little slower. Nothing serious, just a little proper Fae trickery in action. “I like to know who I’m talkin’ to is all. We’re all about community trust down here, best to know our neighbors and employers.”

Dani thumbed the bass, what may have been perceived as a nervous tick was casting a light truth-seeking spell around the contract, the kind her Da could do by twitching his nose, the kind Dani could do while using her bass. But the contact wasn’t glowing, and the woman wasn’t either, the usual spark of pyrite around the corner of a liar’s mouth missing.

Safe to sign then.

"Sure,” Rosalind replied kindly, flicking her fingers so a business card appeared between them. She handed it over to Dani, “Rosalind Albany. I manage the business side of things, Piper manages the music. A bit of overlap, of course, we all help each other out.”

Rosalind’s smile was charming, eerily similar to Piper’s own. She was oblivious to the younger girl giving her a once-over: she’d worked with much stranger types in LA.

—

Rhett took the handkerchief with a frown. It wasn’t going to do fuck all for the dripping sweat down her back. She normally had problems overheating, it wasn’t like she wasn’t used to it, but this was different. Her legs felt like jelly and she couldn’t drag her eyes away from Dani. She wondered if it were magical but she also didn’t really care. The instruction to strip had almost knocked her to the ground, but Rhett tried to keep some level of cool composure she’d established with fans as she stripped to a tight crop top and boyleg knickers. She would’ve taken those off too, but she’d been warned about public nudity one too many times.

Once inside the door of the studio she dropped her clothes on the ground and stomped over to her designated area by the drums and dildos. She also had industrial fans that she switched on immediately with a shouted “Block your nose Cass, Dani got me super wet-” it fell out of her mouth before she heard it in her head. She immediately turned pink and actually did a light scream before correcting herself. “Aaaaa- Sweaty! Gross, perspiration, sweaty wet! Not the other… Ahh don’t look at me!” She put both hands over her face and wondered why she was such a fucking mess. Without looking up, she turned up the fans to drown out the noise of any teasing she rightfully earned. She’d wanted to make such a good impression with Dani but she was a flailing mess. Now she knew how her fans felt.

Shosh exchanged a look with Cass when Dani mentioned an auror who liked to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber, and raised a hand in front of her mouth to hide her burst of laughter before taking the package Rosalind handed to her and tearing into it like it was a Hanukkah present. The box’s contents—which were a gift from Verlie, along with a rather explicit handwritten note from the same—made Shosh immediately flush and squirm where she stood; she cleared her throat and tucked the package away before shuffling into the studio, in dire need of some music to occupy her now wandering thoughts.

She snickered at Rhett getting all hot and bothered, literally—relatable—and yelled to her flatmate over the noise of the fan a teasing, “Yeah, sure, the sweat!” She laughed again as she hung up her coat and scarf and peeled off her gloves before wandering behind her various synth rigs. To Cass, Shosh said, “What should we have her play?” But before they had a chance to discuss it, Dani joined them in the studio room and said, “Alright, Kraken Kids—d’ya know ‘Gold Guns Girls?’”

All of them grinned and nodded their assent, and Shosh was already motioning through the window for Eric—who’d found his way back from Stalagmite—to adjust the levels on her mic for Shosh to sing lead when Cass said, “Shosh, why don’t you take vocals…?” Rhett, still clad in just her underwear, took a seat on her drum stool and banged her drumsticks together to count them in, before Cass strummed the opening riff on his guitar and Dani came in on the accompanying phrase on the bass.

Cass and Dani played riffs back and forth, while Rhett came in with a frenetic drum beat. Shosh took her cue, holding some long chords with her right hand on the stunted synth keyboard before leaning toward the hanging microphone and singing, “All the gold and the guns in the world couldn’t get you off / All the gold and the guns and the girls couldn’t get you off…”

Stalagmite was the best of the many Den venues, with clean bathrooms and clean water; sound was good, the place safe if you ignored the jutting rocks coming up from the floor. The Clinic hated Stalagmite and the rotating crowd surfers who came out of the shows with with puncture wounds from getting dropped wrong onto the jutting rocks. Dani had scars from her own days in the crowd. But now her view consisted of screaming fans, heavy bass riffs, and her name being chanted back at her.

Last song, she had to make it count. The Terrified Jones paid her fifteen galleons to do a cover job, she had two days to learn the material and announce her joining the band for a few shows. Guest player.

Dani winked at Val just in front of the barricade, arms enclosing the little Veela the were-jag called an annoyance currently dancing her ass off to The Terrified Jones lead singer, whose voice was cracking every time he tried to hit a new note. The smoke was intense on stage, the stage lights flashing piss yellow and neon purple - the band's atrocious choice. But the money, the stage, and cheers as the band walked off and Dani heard her name being yelled. Well, it felt better than whatever shit emo rock band from Belfast could pay her.

Dani went straight for the bar, bass slung low on her hips and the bartender immediately started throwing together a triple gin and honey mix. The fae felt eyes on her and turned to the small group hovering and whispering.

Flashing her most coy smile, Dani ran her fingers through her sweaty tumble of hair - "Need an autograph, or maybe a photo eh? Admiring my good looks are we?" Dani flipped the bartender a half sickle and took her drinks, "Hope y'all enjoyed the show and everything; merch is to the back. Unless of 'course ya want something else from me. Which is fortunate for you all as I do groups, but you'll need to provide the space."

#c: dani #c: cass #c: rhett #c: piper #december 2020 #white witch studios #den of magic #[ we've got it simple cause we've got a band ]#i've always wanted to use a gif of her singing!

34 notes · View notes

suuho · 2 years ago

Note

hey kaz i know it's been a day or two since you wrote this tag but as a new uni i can't stop wondering what exactly this means akdncisnfke

well, i think it says exactly what it does on the tin? hui and shinwon have a long documented history of being practically attached at the hip, including clothes sharing (in the do or not recording bts, you can see shinwon wearing hui’s yellow blazer), hanging out with each other even while hui was enlisted (they visited jinho at his musical midnight sun together, for example) and just generally being married. huiwon are the quintessential work husbands of pentagon, which is very sweet and which is why it took me by absolutely zero surprise that it took hui about a week to show up on shinwon’s radio show (which was, by the way, stated as the one wish shinwon had for this year; to host hui’s discharge live on the radio). most of the time, if you’re looking for hui you will find shinwon, and vice versa. i love them so much.

now, jinho and hyunggu are kind of the same but not really. it’s like they are work husbands but in cursive. they aren’t as overly close as hui and shinwon but they are close. they will go to musicals, have dinner together, most recently in london they spent the entire trip together, they used to share a studio in the old cube building, and while jinho was enlisted hyunggu used his free room to turn it into a painting studio. jinho, by the way, has said that his one wish for the year is to get a painting by hyunggu because he left none of them behind when he moved back in, and hyunggu moved his stuff out of the room. the thing is, while hui and shinwon are very openly affectionate with each other and are known to be that way, after all 1/2 of them is famously known for his need for skinship, jinho and hyunggu are a little pricklier about all of it. they aren’t less affectionate, necessarily, they aren’t just as forthcoming. the fact that we got two proper hugs on video of them this year alone was such a surprise, but shows how clearly they adore each other. i also think that, while in the studio, hui and shinwon speak the same language and jinho and hyunggu speak another, separate language that is their own. hence work husbands.

mind you, i also think jinho and hyunggu have the most interesting dynamic in all of pentagon (followed by hui and changgu, and then changgu and hyunggu which is my favorite performance duo in pentagon), and have tons of chemistry which pentagon capitalized on for their comeback teaser last year. merry christmas, it was such a day when that dropped.

honestly, this is just something i personally picked up on while watching them for a while, if that makes sense? the pentories, the variety stuff and vlogs. i think, sometimes it’s just something you gotta look for? even though hui and shinwon are very obvious in their affection for each other, god bless.

also, they all share a dorm with hongseok, lmao.

#ask #knnovations

6 notes · View notes

sunnyville36 · 3 years ago

Text

First star I see tonight

Requested from anon

Pairing: Bang Chan x reader

Themes/warnings: **allusions to trouble sleeping, insomnia**, late night/early morning dates, Chan being a soft and tender boy™️, so much fluff like a LOT of fluffiness

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: This is not meant to be used as a model of behavior to support all those who have trouble sleeping or sleep disorders. Reader in this scenario knows what Chan's character deals with, knows he has treatment and support systems available if/when he needs or wants them, and behaves the way they do at the request of his character

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

There’s something special about that time of night, where one day turns into another. You read somewhere once that people like you found comfort in it because it was the one time where everyone else was asleep, where you were free from the demands of others. The part of the day you had control over. And you suppose that theory was right in your case.

So you never have a problem waiting up for Chan. You know he loses himself in his work; comes home sometimes too restless to fall asleep right away. While you care deeply about him getting the proper rest, you never want to make him feel pressured by you. So the two of you venture out, him in his hoodie and you in your woolen cardigan, usually to walk the paths along the Han river.

That’s exactly where you are tonight, following the path lit up by the light of the lamp posts. When it’s this late (or should you say early) you never feel rushed, meandering arm in arm slowly down the sidewalk, taking in the city and each other’s presence. His busy schedule means you don’t get a ton of time together, so you appreciate every moment you do, whether it’s listening to him gush about his latest project or simply holding hands in peaceful silence.

You come upon a fork in the path, and the grassy spot between the two diverging trails is covered in tiny bunches of white and yellow flowers. Some might call them weeds, but you’ve always thought they were a sign of nature’s beauty, especially now, when the light from the lamp post is giving them a delicate glow. Your companion follows your gaze, catching sight of the little buds, and plucks a couple from the ground, holding them out to you. “Just like you,” he says, dramatically bringing the other hand to his heart, eyes glinting with mirth, “the light in my darkest of nights.”

“Channn,” you fake whine, blushing at his cheesiness and hiding your head in his shoulder. He takes the opportunity to put the little flowers behind your ear, placing a kiss on your temple and whispering a simple “Thank you for being with me.”

---

It’s 1 AM and you’re heading over to Chan, planning to surprise him with some homemade food at the JYP building where he’s been holed up all day. Making your way past the front desk and up to his studio, you knock lightly on the door, his head turning to see you raise your loosely packed bag of food.

“Up for a late-night snack?”

Down in the courtyard, you set out what you brought on one of the round patio tables, Chan sliding into the chair next to you with a blanket draped around him.

“Jjapaguri?!” he exclaims, eyes lighting up at the sight of your huge container of noodles.

“And mochi for dessert,” you answer, incapable of stopping the smile that takes over your face from his little fist shakes of excitement.

He scarfs up the noodles like you knew he would, raving about how good you’ve gotten at making them. You tell him about the class you’ve been working on all day, about how you’re excited for the date the two of you have been planning for the weekend. When it’s time for dessert, you each take your little mochi and hold them up, bringing them together to “toast” like you would champagne glasses. In his other hand, Chan records your tradition on his phone like he always does, saving the short looping video before taking a huge bite into his ice cream.

His mouth is still full when you whisper, “You know what Bin would say about this?” And after a moment of silence for him to swallow…

“You’ll get a stomach ulcer!” you declare in unison, both cackling at your rather poor impressions of Stray Kids’ resident wisdom-giver.

“I’d say these are worth it,” he says, extending the blanket to wrap around you as well.

You smile back, scooching closer to rest your head on his shoulder. “I would too.”

---

It’s especially late for Chan to be out, but the boys have the next few days off, so you’re not too worried. A few minutes later, you hear the sound of the door opening and his voice calling your name.

“In here!” you reply, and wait for your boyfriend to find you in the living room.

He comes around the corner of the hallway, and you’re immediately struck by how nice he looks, his loose white button up giving his skin a pretty glow.

“What’s the special occasion?” you ask.

“Oh nothing,” he replies nonchalantly. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

He leads you out into the hallway and to the elevator, punching in the button for the top floor of the dorm. You keep quiet, not wanting to ruin whatever surprise it is he has in store for you. At the top level, he takes you to another tiny staircase that you assume leads to the roof, his hands coming up behind you to cover your eyes as you reach the door at the top.

“Okay, no peeking!”

He guides you out the door into the warm night air and across the roof a little before removing his hands with a “Surprise!”

You open your eyes to see a tiny two-person table adorned with candles and a thin-stemmed vase with flowers. Two plates of food and a bottle of wine are set out, and soft music is playing from somewhere in the background.

“Chris…” you breathe out, almost lost for words.

“I got special permission to bring you up here,” he says, arms snaking around your waist. “So we could have a real late-night date.”

This is the most extravagant, thoughtful, and romantic gesture anyone has ever done for you. “It’s beautiful,” you manage to whisper as he walks you to the table, pulling your chair out for you.

“After you, my love.”

The two of you spend the next few hours on your special date, catching up on everything you’ve been doing and enjoying the serene quiet of the city at this hour. The food is delicious, and you can’t bring yourself to take your eyes off your boyfriend for any longer than a few seconds, absolutely wonderstruck by how lucky you are to be with him.

You’re preparing to head back downstairs when Chan moves his chair closer to you, holding out his phone. “I have a little something for you, Y/n.” He places the phone in your hands and taps the screen, your heart beating in anticipation.

What appears is a video, a montage of photos and videos of the two of you from all of your early morning adventures over the last year. The images are set to a soft instrumental, one that sounds very similar to one he played for you the other night that you mentioned was one of your favorites. And overlaid with the music is Chan’s melodic voice, quietly reciting...

Star light, star bright

First star I see tonight

I wish I may, I wish I might

Have this wish I wish tonight

Some of the pictures you recognize; the obligatory thumbs up selfie you’d taken with the similarly-formed sculpture in Olympic Park just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, the mochi “toast” from your impromptu meal a few weeks ago. But many are ones you’ve never seen before; ones of you. One of you looking out at the sunrise from a grassy spot you stargazed in one night; one of you walking along the river, your form framed against the backdrop of the city lights. You never noticed him taking these photos of you, and there’s something so intimate about having your partner catch glimpses of you no one else has seen, capturing you as a living memory.

As the video comes to a close, you hear Chan’s voice whisper one last line.

You are my wish forever Y/n

Near tears, you wrap him in the tightest embrace you possibly can, his arms circling around you to reciprocate. You’re overwhelmed by the emotion of what it feels like to love a man like him and be loved in return, so you let him hold you for a long while, cherishing every second. When you finally pull back, you take his face in your hands, wanting to make sure he hears what you’re about to say.

“Thank you, Chris. You are my forever wish.”

---

Is there really a thumb sculpture in Seoul's Olympic Park? Yes!

As always, happy to hear your thoughts, and thank you for reading!

#stray kids #stray kids fanfiction #bang chan #bang chan fanfiction #bang chan fanfic #bang chan fic #bang chan x reader #bang chan imagines #bang chan fluff #stray kids fic #stray kids x reader #stray kids imagines #skz #skz x reader #skz fanfic #skz fic #skz imagines #skz fluff

126 notes · View notes

jmnjmnjmn · 4 years ago

Text

Celebrity Crush| part 1 | BTS x Reader mini series

Pairing: BTS x Celebrity!Reader

Key words: celebrity crush, singer, idol.

Word count: around 8,000

Masterlist

Okay, this one is just regular fluff, but it definitely has potential to become more juicy, maybe even angsty... I had many ideas when I was writing it, but decided upon cutting it where I did. Maybe there will be part two to this story, maybe not. If there will be it will also probably be able to functionas a totaly separate one shot. Also I couldn’t decide on a ship here! Initially it was supposed to be RM, but I kept coming back to JK (my bias xd). That’s where possibility of an angst story lays... Anyway tell me what you think of this piece!

“AH!” Namjoon exclaimed, dropping his spoon down into his soup.

“Hey, watch it! You’re spilling everything!” Seokjin yelled back at him as some of his friend's soup splashed out from his bowl.

“What happened?” Hoseok asked, sipping his soup slowly and looking at Namjoon with curiosity.

“It’s-It’s (Y/N).” He stuttered out, his eyes still glued to the screen of his phone. He was scrolling through Twitter when he noticed a tweet from his favourite female artist, (Y/N), announcing her world wide tour.

“What? Did she message you?” Seokjin asked him with a chuckle, knowing well that wouldn’t happen.

“I wish.” Namjoon scoffed and clicked on a link to an article some music site posted immediately after reading (Y/N)’s tweet. “(Y/N) has announced details of her long-awaited world tour.” He read out loud to his friends already feeling his heartbeat pick up. “The singer has continuously updated her fans on the details, promising them that she was working on the announcement. Now, via a short video on Instagram simply captioned ‘Hello world’, she has finally revealed when and where the No Limitations tour will be starting off. You can see the full dates, which she simultaneously posted on her Twitter account, below.” He quickly scrolled down to take a look at the dates and locations. His jaw dropped as he scanned down the list and noticed the Asia leg of the tour. “Soul is on the list.” He muttered. “In January. Seoul is on the list.” He repeated looking at his friends with wide eyes.

“Finally!” Hoseok exclaimed reaching across the table to pat him on the shoulder. “You can go see her then.”

“It hasn’t been announced when tickets will go on sale.” Namjoon said in panic as he frantically searched the internet for information about the tour.

“I’m sure our staff can get you in there without a ticket.” Seokjin said casually, but Namjoon took the matter very seriously. (Y/N) wasn’t just someone who’s music he liked. He also had a huge crush on her as a girl in general and he wasn’t about to pass on an opportunity to see her perform live.

“I have to talk to our PD about that.” He said in an excited tone and clicked his Messages app to draft up a passionate yet professional text saying how much he wants, no, needs to go to (Y/N)’s Seoul concert.

“Now?” Seokjin asked, taken aback a little by his fast pace.

“No time to waste. It’s (Y/N) we’re talking about.” Namjoon chuckled. “If all goes well maybe we could work on some music together.”

“Yeah and maybe something more.” Hoseok teased him, earning a loud laugh from Seokjin. Namjoon only smiled up at them from his phone, because among those who followed the news about BTS it was a well known fact that he had a thing for (Y/N).

Whenever they would get asked about their celebrity crushes in interviews he would say (Y/N)’s name. Ideal girl - someone like (Y/N). A song they could listen to on loop - (Y/N)’s latest single. Fashion inspiration at the moment - (Y/N). Favourite movie - that one (Y/N) had a cameo in for like three minutes. It would happen so much that ARMY’s started making compilations of him talking about her on YouTube called “Namjoon drooling over (Y/N) for 7 minutes straight” and so on. At first he was embarrassed about it, but after some time that awkward feeling turned into hope that maybe she’ll see it and fall for him as well. He knew it was wishful thinking, but he still liked to imagine the moment you would message him saying you would love to collab on a song.

“I’m going to go talk to our PD.” Namjoon said, as he took off the bright pink sunglasses with Happy New Year written on top of them in a silly font. He wore them for the small photoshoot they just had for BTS’s New Year’s Eve post on Twitter.

“Now?” Jimin asked him, raising his brows. He was still wearing his party hat he put on for the session. “It’s New Year’s Eve.”

“I know. I just-” He was interrupted by Taehyung’s loud cheer. “I’ll be right back.” Jimin just shook his head at his eagerness to find out whether (Y/N)’s staff has already answered BigHit’s request for letting Namjoon go to your show with a backstage pass as a celebrity guest of sorts.

Since they were already at the BigHit headquarters for the photoshoot and a little celebration for the beginning of the new year Namjoon had to walk just a couple of doors down to get to PD’s office. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. After hearing a faint invitation he pressed on the handle and opened it.

“Oh, it’s you. Why aren’t you with the others celebrating?” The PD asked, obviously surprised to see Namjoon.

“Ah, yes. I’ll be joining them in a minute.” He said, remembering Jimin’s words. “I just came here to ask about the No Limitations show. It’s in January and since it’s already first of the month I wondered-”

“Ah, of course.” PD cut him off with a smile. “You're going.”

“Really?” Namjoon asked in shock.

“Yes, all of you are.” Namjoon must have looked very confused for a moment there, because PD rushed with an explanation. “We got an answer saying they were going to issue a formal invitation to the concert and an after party to the whole band anyway. Go and pass on the news to the rest of the boys. We’ll have a proper meeting about this next week.” Namjoon thanked him accesively and assured he’ll let the rest of the members know about the situation. As he walked down the hall he heard their voices from the dance studio they had the photo shoot in. He was speechless.

“It’s happening.” He thought, leaning on the wall to catch a breath before coming inside. After a moment he pushed the door open and joined his group members with a bright smile.

“Guys, guys. Listen” He called. “We’re going to (Y/N)’s concert!” He exclaimed and they cheered, gathering around him, smothering him with hugs and tugging on his cheeks teasingly.

“Look at him.” Jimin chuckled pointing at Namjoon who was pacing around the room. “So excited for the concert.”

“Of course he is. He’s going to meet his crush.” Seokjin added, also laughing.

The whole group was teasing him about (Y/N) all throughout January. It was seventeenth today, the day of her Seoul show and he couldn’t wait. They already got their hair and makeup done. They were dressed to the nines. All that was left was to get to the show.

“The car is here.” Someone from the staff announced and all the boys got up from their spots. As they walked down the hall together they all took turns patting Namjoon on the shoulder for encouragement.

“Do you think we’ll have a chance to talk to her?” Jungkook asked with excitement when they were all in the car together.

“Of course!” Hoseok exclaimed.

“No, but like, for real talk. Not just: nice to meet you, let’s take a picture, goodbye.” The youngest explained quickly.

“Hopefully.” Seokjin said, patting Namjoon on the thigh as that was something he was worried about. He would definitely be happy if he got even only a second with (Y/N), but he wished for more.

After a short drive the car stopped in an underground parking lot under the venue of the concert. As they got outside they could hear the cheers of the crowds gathered outside. Their staff took them on an elevator explaining once again how the night will go. First a before party with other guests, then the concert itself and after that the after party at a hotel. Namjoon repeated the sequence of these events in his head a million times already. Technically he was prepared, but practically he was a mess. His hands were sweating and his heart was racing like crazy. He looked around the small elevator at his closest friends and the familiar faces of BigHit staff who were accompanying them. Realising he has so many people around him for support eased his nerves a little.

“I can’t believe we’re in the same building.” Namjoon muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, she was also in the same building as us at the VMA’s and AMA’s and so on.” Yoongi teased him and everyone chuckled.

“That’s true, Namjoon.” Taehyung agreed with a grin. “You shouldn’t be so worried.”

“Easy for you to say.” Namjoon added right as the elevator door opened.

“Yeah, she already saw us perform at one of the award shows. She knows who we are. It’s going to be fine.” Jimin said in a nervous tone. Namjoon just nodded to himself trying to make the anxious thoughts go away as they approached the area where the before party was held.

They were all excited to see (Y/N)’s show and attend her after party, but with the tremendous enthusiasm also came the stress of meeting an A list celebrity from overseas.

“I can’t believe she’s still not here.” Namjoon whined to Taehyung and Jimin as the rest of the group scattered to chat with other invited idols and celebrities. “All the dancers and her band are here already.”

“It’s still early.” Taehyung tried to cheer him up. “She’ll show up any moment. I’m sure.”

“Definitely.” Jimin agreed with him energetically.

Before Namjoon could voice another concerned thought lingering in his brain everyone in the room started cheering and clapping. He looked around wondering what caused this reaction as he noticed the obvious reason.

“Thank you all so much for coming.” (Y/N) said stopping somewhere in the middle of the gathered crowd of celebrities and staff. “It means a lot. Really.” She put her hand to her chest as she spoke. “If all goes well the show will be starting in a couple of minutes. Wish me luck and have fun.”

“That’s it?” Taehyung asked as (Y/N) was rushed away by her staff to the stage entry. “I thought she was going to chat with everyone or something.”

“Do you chat with guests before the show?” Jimin asked. “That’s what the after party is for.” He explained and Namjoon hummed in agreement. Just the quick glimpse he caught of her was enough to leave him speechless.

“Let’s go watch the show.” Hoseok said approaching the three from behind with the rest of the group following close behind.

There was a big screen in the backstage lounge and a couple of smaller TV’s located at the stage entries for those that wanted to glance at the stage during the show to see the real deal. They watched the first half of the show in the lounge and later relocated to the left entry area. Namjoon’s eyes were glued to the screen as everyone around him chatted away. He tried to pay attention to the conversation and partake from time to time, but his focus quickly went back to (Y/N). She looked stunning singing and dancing on stage.

Suddenly a group of staff dressed in all black rushed into the area they were hanging out in with some other guests.

“Wardrobe change, left.” One of the staff said as she clicked on her earpiece.

Namjoon almost jumped out of his seat when he saw (Y/N) jogging down from the stage and into the swarm of her people from her team.

“Woah, that gave me chills.” Yoongi commented as (Y/N) passed by them surrounded by her wardrobe, hair and makeup team.

“Say something.” Hoseok whispered, elbowing Namjoon’s side.

“Like what?” He asked following (Y/N) with his gaze as she disappeared behind her dressing room's door.

“Great show, looking good. Anything really.” He encouraged him with a cheeky smile.

“No.” Namjoon shook his head, already feeling the blood rushing to his head.

“Do it. Do it.” The rest of the members repeated after Hoseok, but he only shook his head once again.

“She’ll come out any second.” Seokjin added in a warning tone.

He was right. The dance number performed by her backup dancers was getting to an end and (Y/N) should be running out onto the stage soon to sing the next song.

“Great show!” Jungkook yelled out in English.

All the boys’s heads snapped in his direction and then onto (Y/N). She was walking out of her dressing room in long strides. As Jungkook yelled out his praise she turned to look his way without stopping,

“Thank you!” She answered quickly before being escorted by her staff into the understage corridors.

All the boys started shoving and pushing the youngest member teasingly.

“Namjoon was supposed to say that. You took over his part. Jungkook, you’re so eager.” They yelled with laughter.

“What time is it?” Taehyung asked the group as most of the guests gathered in the backstage lounge to watch the encore of the show.

“It’s close to eleven.” Seokjin answered, looking at his phone.

“Before we finish off the show with this last song I just wanted to take a minute to say: Thank you so much.” (Y/N)’s voice echoed from the stage and through the speakers in the lounge. She was standing in the bright lights holding the mic to her lips. “Thank you for choosing to come see the show and spending the night here with us. I really can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for all of you, here in the audience and back at home watching and streaming my music and the shows. Thank you so much.”

“Ah, she’s so nice. Never forgetting about her fans.” People around muttered.

“I really, truly appreciate you guys. I cannot imagine how this year would’ve gone if I hadn't spent it with all of you, all of the people on the stage and behind it. We’ve been away from our homes for so long.” (Y/N) voice got higher with nerves and sadness that came over her as she spoke about her home. “We’re coming close to ten months on the road now. That’s a long time.” She said, bringing her hand to her chest to show her gratitude. “Thank you so much for putting up with me.” She chuckled and the staff cheered. “I feel so lucky and so fortunate to be working with all of you and to be able to perform in front of all of you.” She sighed deeply, undoubtedly masking a cry. “So thank you. I love you so much. Thank you.”

The audience was shouting and applauding loudly as (Y/N) walked off the stage waving to them. As soon as she was out of the view she handed her microphone to one of the sound people and took a big gulp of water from the bottle one of the staff handed her.

“Thank you.” She breathed out. “I need to get out of this hair as soon as possible.” She chuckled tiredly as she walked into her dressing room.

“We’ve got about twenty minutes to get you ready for the after party.” Her assistant, who was waiting inside, spoke calmly as the beauty and wardrobe team gathered around (Y/N) quickly taking out the bobby pins from her hair and undoing the back of her dress. “There’s quite a lot of guests your manager would like you to talk to, at least for a minute.” She said and quickly moved on to listing all the most important people attending the party.

“Have any of those people been informed that I might want to reach out to work with them later?” (Y/N) asked, getting into her oversized sweatshirt dress with the help of some staff so that she doesn’t ruin her makeup.

“No, that’ll be done after tonight. Sometime this week though.” She explained scrolling through something on her tablet.

“What time is the flight to Osaka tomorrow?” (Y/N)’s voice sounded tired as she thought of getting on another plane.

“Actually, there’s been a change of plans.” Her assistant said casually. “You got surprise booked for a daytime show tomorrow, so we’re staying in Seoul for that for the whole day and flying to Japan the next morning. The crew will be already there setting everything up for Saturday.”

“Two days in Seoul?” (Y/N) was surprised.

“Mhm.”

“What’s the show?”

“King of Masked Singer. You’re going to be the surprise opening act. I’ll fill you in on everything tomorrow morning.”

“Perfect.” She said smiling at herself in the mirror as the hairstylist was fixing up her hair.

“Heels or sneakers?” One of the wardrobe girls asked.

“Heels.” (Y/N) answered without hesitation. She wanted to look her best when surrounded with so many new faces at the after party and pairing sneakers with an oversized sweatshirt didn’t seem like the greatest combination for that.

“Ready.” The head stylist stated as one of the staff helped (Y/N) get into her thigh high booties.

From there, accompanied by security, (Y/N) and her assistant walked to the elevator that took them to the parking lot located under the venue.

As (Y/N)’s car pulled up in front of the hotel a swarm of fans and paparazzi started yelling out her name and waving to get her attention. She stopped to get her pictures taken, walked up to a couple of fans to sign their albums or pictures and walked inside to get to the after party. With her assistant following her every step and the three body guards right behind them she took yet another elevator to the hotel bar rented for the occasion.

“Let’s do this.” (Y/N) whispered to herself as she pushed the bar door open.

When she walked deeper into the crowded room random hands touched her shoulders and unknown voices spoke words of praise directed her way. She smiled and thanked the faceless mass making her way towards the DJ’s stand.

“That’s her.” Hoseok whispered as (Y/N) passed by the group of boys.

“Woah. She’s dressed cool.” Taehyung gasped, eying down her figure.

When she stepped onto the slightly elevated stage the DJ stopped the music and handed her a microphone. A wave of cheers erupted from the gathered guests as everyone noticed the star of the night had arrived.

“Hi.” (Y/N) spoke sweetly into the microphone and let the crowd yell or whistle back at her for a moment. “It’s so nice to see all of you here.” She chuckled. “Eat, drink, have fun. It’s all on me tonight. Just tonight.” She joked and the crowd clapped and yelled in excitement. “I know you all came here after the concert, but it’s not all about my music tonight.” Her tone turned mysterious all of a sudden. “It’s actually a very special day for someone else as well. A very funny guy, an inspiration in the studio, a dance mastermind and a dear friend and coworker of mine.” With every endearment term she listed the cheers got wilder. “Johnny Campbell. Where you at?” She asked looking around the room.

“Here!” Someone called out in the front of the room.

“Johnny, this is for you.” (Y/N) said in a low voice and started singing a very sexy adaptation of the birthday song.

As she finished someone in the crowd whistled and Johnny joined her on stage.

“Happy birthday Johnny.” (Y/N) finished off her wishes and hugged him tightly. “Let’s party, everyone!” She exclaimed into the microphone earning a loud cheer from everyone gathered at the bar.

(Y/N) made her way to the bar, stopping to chat and take a picture with someone every couple of steps. More than twenty minutes had passed from the moment she got off stage to when she finally got to the counter and grabbed herself a glass of expensive champagne. She sipped on the bubbly liquid and chatted to members of her dance crew. Looking around the room she locked eyes with a guy she recognised from somewhere. It took her a minute to realise it was BTS’s Jimin she was looking at. She smiled to herself, remembering that his group was on her manager’s to-talk-to list. Being halfway done with her drink she decided to down it and get another one before walking up to the group of boys.

“Oh my god.” Jimin exclaimed. “(Y/N) just looked here.”

“Where is she?” Namjoon asked, feeling his panic and excitement blur into one.

“At the bar.” He answered through gritted teeth.

“She’s coming here. She’s coming here.” Jungkook said quickly as (Y/N) made her way towards them.

“Hi, guys. I’m so glad you could make it.” She said in a sweet tone. “I’m (Y/N).”

“We know.” Jungkook blurted out which would normally earn him a shove to the shoulder from the older members, but the sound of (Y/N)’s chuckle at his comment made them relax and join her with nervous laughter. “I’m Jungkook.” He added extending his hand.

“I know.” (Y/N) answered with a smile and went for a hug and kiss on the cheek instead of a simple handshake.

“You know?” He asked in shock.

“Yes, I saw you guys perform at award shows, your music is everywhere. I know BTS.” The members smiled widely as she explained and started greeting the rest of them in the same way one by one. The hugs were quick, but still sincere. “I’m so happy you found time in your busy schedule to come see my show.”

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Namjoon said, trying to sound cool and collected. He wasn’t going to mention that he practically begged their PD to get them backstage.

“Oh, thank you.” She smiled and Namjoon’s knees almost went weak at the sight.

“Yes, great show.” Jungkook added and the group laughed.

“Oh, it was you.” (Y/N) also laughed realising it was Jungkook who yelled the words of praise her way halfway through the concert.

“Yes, I… Liked your dance with… By Your Side.” Jungkook said slowly making sure he picked the right words. “Great choreography.”

“Thank you.” She answered, bringing her hand to her chest as she accepted his compliment. “It’s nothing compared to your routines though. Those look hard.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you. We work hard. A lot of practice.” They muttered with modesty.

“Honestly!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “I was trying to learn the routine for your song with Halsey with my girls… So hard.”

“Boy With Luv?” Jimin raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, but the foot choreo was killing me.” She complained jokingly.

“Hyung, ask her which member’s part she learned.” Jungkook asked Namjoon in Korean.

“He wants to know which member’s choreography you learned.” Namjoon explained.

“Yours,” (Y/N) pointed to Jungkook.

“Me?” He asked and she nodded energetically. “Hyung, say I can teach her the choreography.” He added in Korean with a wide smile, still shocked he’s talking to such a huge star. Namjoon and the rest of the boys laughed at the youngest member’s bluntness.

“He’s saying he’ll teach you.” Namjoon hurried with an explanation as (Y/N) looked confused by what they were laughing about.

“Watch out, ‘cause I’ll take you up on that offer.” She raised her brow at Jungkook cheekily who looked at Namjoon for a translation.

“She says she might take you up on that.” He translated to his friend and he laughed, feeling a blush creep up onto his face.

“I sang your song during soundcheck today.” (Y/N) stated and all the members raised their brows at her.

“Which one?” Jungkook asked.

“Sweet Night. V’s solo.” She said pointing to Taehyung. “It’s such a sweet song and you sound amazing in it.” She said, touching his shoulder.

“Thank you so much.” Taehyung smiled, bowing to her slightly.

Not in many moments Namjoon was glad that his members couldn’t speak English as well as he did, but right now he couldn’t be happier about it. They were all so excited to be talking to (Y/N) they forgot their tongues. The alcoholic beverages that they already consumed didn’t help either. They asked him for translations every other sentence, meaning (Y/N) needed him to translate for her as well, meaning he was talking to her more than any other member, meaning she looked at him more than at any other member. Despite the language barrier the conversation flowed so easily between them. He felt ecstatic.

“(Y/N).” Her assistant called her name and brought her to the side for a moment.” It’s showtime.”

By saying “showtime” she meant that it’s time for (Y/N) to perform a song or two to entertain the guests and keep the party going.

“I’ll be right there.” She answered her and walked back to the group of boys.

“V, could I borrow you for a moment?” She asked with a sweet voice.

Unsure of what she might want from him, but still excited Taehyung followed (Y/N) into the bar.

“You said you love Underneath and know the lyrics by heart.” She said, glancing at him as they walked side by side through the crowded room filled with chatter and music. Taehyung hummed in agreement, feeling his heartbeat grow faster and faster. “You know them well enough to sing it live with me now?”

“What?” He asked, almost tripping over his own feet.

“I’m supposed to perform a couple of songs now. Would you like to perform one with me?” She asked stopping and looked him in the eyes with hope.

“Of course.” Taehyung answered, giving her his signature box smile.

“Great!” She exclaimed and grabbed his hand to lead him backstage. “This way.”

“Where do you think she took him?” Seokjin asked as (Y/N) disappeared with Taehyung in the crowd.

“I have no idea.” Namjoon answered, also curious about the whole ordeal.

“She’s very nice.” Jungkook commented.

“Yeah, nicer than I imagined.” Yoongi added.

“We have to get a picture together.” Hoseok said and the rest of the boys agreed.

“Look, there’s (Y/N).” Jimin pointed towards the stage where the DJ’s booth was located.

“Welcome to the stage, the one and only, (Y/N) and Korea’s very own, V of BTS!” Announced the DJ and all the boys’s jaws dropped to the floor.

“What?!” They screamed in unison.

“Hi.” (Y/N) said in a low voice. “V and I have a very special cover for you tonight. Please enjoy, Underneath.”

The rest of the members sang along to the fast paced pop song as V and (Y/N) performed. The lyrics talked about hidden feelings and the tension that can build up if you don’t give them a way out. Even though (Y/N) and Taehyung never sang together before their voices blended perfectly in the duet. When they finished their performance the crowd applauded loudly. (Y/N) put her arm behind Taehyung and he did the same. Joined in this side hug they bowed to the audience.

After a minute or two Taehyung got back to his friends with the widest smile on his face.

“Can you believe this?” He was still in shock.

“Congratulations. You were so good. Woah.” All the boys chattered at the same time.

“I recorded you.” Seokjin added as he pulled out his phone from his pocket. They gathered around the small screen watching Taehyung and (Y/N)’s performance once again.

“Where is she?” Namjoon asked Taehyung as the video came to an end.

“Last I saw her she was talking to MAMAMOO.”

“Ah, so cool. She’s probably busy. We didn’t even take a picture together.” The group chimed. After a moment of sulking they went back to obsessing over the fact that they met (Y/N) and that one of their own members sang with her.

Surrounded by music, food and alcohol the time seemed to fly by very fast. Accompanied by their staff they left the party around two in the morning without having a chance to talk to (Y/N) one more time.

Mornings after concerts are usually pretty bad for both the audience members and the performing artists, but mornings after concerts combined with after parties, meeting new people and mingling with every music producer possible are even harder.

(Y/N) woke up with a headache and a bitter taste in her mouth. From her bed she walked straight to the bathroom to take a shower. When brushing her teeth she scrolled through her Twitter feed reviewing every other caption or photo on the endless string of posts from last night she was tagged in. She liked a couple of tweets posted by her friends and was about to lock her phone when she noticed a simple caption.

“Great show #정국” (Y/N) pressed on the picture to see it whole. She immediately recognised Jungkook, one of the members of BTS, a band she met last night. He was standing in front of the big monitor backstage with her tour logo on it, making hearts with his fingers and smiling at the camera. She smiled to herself remembering how easily yesterday’s conversation flowed with the group of boys.

“Ah, I wish I had his number.” (Y/N) muttered. “I could take him up on that dance lesson offer.”

(Y/N) rushed to open her hotel room’s door to the room service. The hoteboy brought in the big breakfast she just ordered minutes ago and set it on the table. As she got ready to dig into the scrambled eggs her phone started vibrating. She looked at the called ID and quickly picked up as she saw it was her assistant calling. She gave her a quick rundown of the day’s events and informed her she’s free to rest and relax until three in the afternoon.

“That’s when they’ll pick us up for King of Masked Singer.” She finished explaining.

“I have one more question.” An interesting idea popped into (Y/N)’s head. “Is there a way you could get me the number of BTS’s Jungkook?”

(Y/N)’s phone chimed as she was finishing up her breakfast. She picked it up reading the message she just recieved.

“I got it.” As she read the message from her assistant another one appeared on the screen. This time it was a string of numbers.

“Ah, what should I say?” (Y/N) pasted the number into her contacts and waited a minute before pressing the dial button. The phone beeped a couple of times before going silent. Jungkook didn’t pick up. “Hm. Let’s try again.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Jungkook was hanging out with his friends in their shared apartment. He was typing something up on his phone when the screen lip up with an unfamiliar number.

“Hyung, do you know this number?” He showed the ringing screen to Taehyung sitting beside him on the couch.

“No. Pick up.” Jungkook just shook his head at his answer.

“I don’t pick up unknown callers.” He rejected the call and went back to what he was doing. “This person is calling again.”

“Pick up.” More preoccupied with switching through TV channels, Taehyung encouraged him tiredly. Jungkook swiped right to take the call and put it on speaker.

“Hello?” He asked in Korean.

“Ah- Hello.” Jungkook and Taehyung locked eyes in surprise and curiosity as the person on the other side spoke in English. “It’s (Y/N). From yesterday.” Taehyung almost screamed in shock. Jungkook felt all his blood rush to his head.

“Ah, sorry. Hello. Sorry.” He stumbled over his words, trying to explain why he didn’t answer her call at first ring. “I don’t pick up if I don’t know the number.” (Y/N) chuckled on the other end of the line.

“It’s fine.” Her voice was sweet and calm. “Actually, I’m calling, ‘cause I’m still in Seoul-” Taehyung stood up from the couch covering his mouth with his hands, still in deep shock. “-and I was wondering- I was thinking about what you said last night, so…” Jungkook scrunched his eyebrows, trying his hardest to remember what he said that made (Y/N) call him the next morning. “If you have time we could meet and dance together.” Taehyung gasped. “You could teach me the Boy With Luv choreo and-” Jungkook couldn’t control himself and answered her before she could even finish asking the question.

“Yes.” He blurted out. Taehyung jumped back on the couch and pushed his shoulder with a huge smile.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes.” He assured her.

“Should I come to your-” Eager to see her he cut her off again.

“You can come to our studio. I will text you the address.”

“Great. I’m free until three in the afternoon so text me the time as well.” She added.

“Okay.”

“Okay. I’ll see you there.” (Y/N) added after a moment of silence.

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

“AH!” Jungkook threw his phone, which felt red hot in his hands right now, on the other side of the couch.

“What was that?!” Taehyung yelled, shaking on his shoulders. “How did she get your number?!”

“I have no idea!” Jungkook felt his body relax as he was no longer on the phone. “Oh my god. I have to text her now!” He reached to dig his phone out from under a stack of pillows and blankets on the couch. “And I have to go see her!”

“You’re doing great.” Jungkook praised (Y/N) with laughter as she jokingly overdid the moves and gestures in the choreography. “Like that.”

“Okay, but in all seriousness how did I do?” She asked, cutting the jokes short. Jungkook raised his thumbs up with a smile and she chuckled again.

“Let’s do it again and record it so we can review. You vs me.” He set his phone up on the floor by the mirrors in the studio space at BigHit.

“Teacher vs student.” Jungkook just hummed in agreement before playing the music.

Tired after practicing Boy With Luv for an hour and freestyling for almost two more (Y/N) and Jungkook sat down on the floor of the dance studio panting. She stood up to get herself some water and immediately regretted it.

“Ah, my legs.” Jungkook smiled at her words. Although (Y/N) danced in her music videos and during live performances her routines were far more relaxed that BTS’s regular dances. Their moves were sharp and strong and her’s more sexy and slow. Chucked her emptied water bottle back into her bag and turned to face Jungkook again. “Are you hungry?” He raised his brows, knowing what will come next if he says he is in fact hungry.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go eat something.” Her proposition was so blunt and free. He could not refuse her, but the excitement that filled his chest at that moment didn’t overshadow the fact that the rest of his group would be so bummed they didn’t get to eat with (Y/N) as well.

“Ah, can I do this to them?” He whined in Korean. (Y/N) gave him a confused look since she didn’t understand a word he just said. “My members will be jealous.” He explained with a slight smile.

“Oh, I didn’t think about that. Should we invite them?” That Jungkook wasn’t expecting.

“You want that?” He asked to make sure he didn’t just hear something wrong. (Y/N) smiled sincerely at his unsure expression.

“Yeah, why not?” Jungkook quickly got up from the ground and dug his phone up from his pocket.

“I’ll call them. Wait a second.”

“Okay.” (Y/N) answered as he walked out of the studio to call his friends.

Jungkook dialed Namjoon’s number, knowing he was at the apartment right now enjoying his day of rest. The line beeped a couple of times before he finally picked up.

“Hello?” His voice was low and sleepy in contrast with Jungkook’s, which was excited and fast paced.

“Hyung, listen. Get the rest of the guys and put me on speaker. I have something to tell all of you.”

“What is it?”

“Are they all there?”

“Wait a second.” Some shuffling and name calling was heard on the other side of the line before Namjoon spoke up again. “Okay, go.”

“So I’m with (Y/N) right now. We just got done dancing and all that and… She’s invited us all to lunch.”

“What? Oh, wow. Really? How cool.” The group erupted in chatter as they heard Jungkook’s news.

“Yeah. Can you come?”

“Of course. Yes. I can’t.” Another bundle of statements was heard.

“Who can’t?” Jungkook asked, saddened.

“Yoongi.” Seokjin said.

“I already have plans with our producers, but you all should go.” Yoongi explained, still encouraging the rest of the boys to go out.

“You sure?” Namjoon asked.

“Yes, go.”

“We’ll take a picture for you.” Hoseok joked.

“What are we going to eat?” Taehyung asked out of the blue.

“I don’t know.” Jungkook answered, not really having thought about that yet.

“Since we know Seoul maybe we should pick the place?” Seokjin proposed thoughtfully.

“Good idea. I’ll tell her that. When will you come here?”

“Thirty minutes? We need to get dressed.” Namjoon said and murmur of agreement was heard.

“Okay, okay. Don’t overdress though, we’re both in sweatpants.” Jungkook added with a chuckle. After exchanging goodbyes he hung up and sighed deeply, letting his shoulders relax a little before going back into the studio.

When he opened the door he saw (Y/N) stretching her legs in a sitting down position. He joined her on the floor before speaking.

As Taehyung pulled into BigHit’s parking lot Jungkook and (Y/N) were already waiting outside. Both dressed in large black puffer jackets going over their knees, they stood beside one another. Jungkook was looking over (Y/N)’s shoulder pointing to something on her phone.

“Now you can add a picture.” He said, swiping his finger on her screen. (Y/N) nodded and pressed on the camera option.

“Take a selfie with me.” She asked, raising her phone up to take a picture of the two of them.

Jungkook smiled shyly and pulled his mask down half way. (Y/N) did the same before snapping a cute picture to set as her contact photo. Jungkook quickly pulled his mask back up to cover his cheeks that started to turn bright red. He glanced over her shoulder as she manipulated the photo to fit both of their faces into the small square.

“And synchronise your contacts, so I will be there.” He added as she finally accepted the placement of the picture.

“Oh, great.”

“Yeah.” (Y/N) pressed on the ‘synch contacts’ button before looking up at Jungkook.

“Thank you.” She said sweetly and pulled her mask back over her nose.

“You’re welcome.”

Taehyung noticed the two of them standing in front of the building exit and slowly pulled up. As he got closer he rolled down his window.

“Hello!” The sudden greeting made them jump up slightly.

“Hi!” (Y/N) called back sweetly.

“Come in!” Shoulder to shoulder they walked towards the car after Taehyung's invitation.

Namjoon was already sitting in the passenger's seat making it so that Jungkook and (Y/N) had to sit together in the backseat.

“How was dance practice?” Namjoon asked them.

“What was it?” (Y/N) tapped Jungkook’s arm. He whispered something to her and she clapped her hands in realisation. “Daebak.” Namjoon and Taehyung laughed at her harsh pronunciation.

“It was good. Great.” Jungkook added after the chuckles died down. “Where are the other guys?” He asked Namjoon in Korean.

“The rest of the guys will meet us at the restaurant.” He explained in English, so (Y/N) could understand. She was still doing something on her phone when he glanced at her from the front seat.

“Jungkook.” Her shy tone echoed in the car. “I synced the contacts, but you’re not here.” She showed him her phone with a concerned expression. “Look.”

“Maybe I will just add my number like normal and then it will be saved in the contacts.” (Y/N) hummed in agreement, giving him her phone.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung asked in Korean, eying the two in the rearview mirror. Jungkook glanced at him, thanking god that (Y/N) doesn’t speak their language.

“I made (Y/N) a Kakao account.”

“And you’re putting your number in?” Taehyung continued in a teasing tone. Jungkook smiled at (Y/N)’s screen and typed in his ID.

“It’s not like that.”

The boys picked out a traditional korean diner with private rooms and floor level tables. They ordered mountains of meat to fry and tons of side dishes, soups and rice. At first (Y/N) widened her eyes at the amount of food concerned there will be leftovers, but within thirty or forty minutes she realised that those six boys’s stomachs can intake much more food that she can.

The conversation within the group flowed swiftly and comfortably as it did the night before. There even was some talk about possible musical collaborations. No one was looking at the clock, but at two o’clock sharp (Y/N)’s phone buzzed.

“Ah, it’s my assistant.” She announced with deep sorrow in her voice. “Unfortunately I will have to get going soon, guys. I have a TV appearance this evening.”

“TV today?” Seokjin asked in English. He seemed really shocked. When he spoke again he directed his words to Namjoon and spoke in Korean. “She shouldn't have eaten so much noodles and rice. She’ll be bloated and puffy. That’s very bad.”

“He says noodles and rice is bad for TV, ‘cause you might get puffy.” Namjoon explained to (Y/N) who just waved him off and chuckled.

“Ah, I’ll be wearing a big dress and a mask anyway.”

“What show are you on?” Namjoon asked, curiously.

“Something called King of Masked Singer.” The boys started talking over each other in Korean and patting Jungkook on the shoulders. After a moment of that Namjoon translated the jist of it to (Y/N).

“Yeah, so JK also was on that show.” (Y/N), who was sitting opposite to the youngest member of the group, looked up at him with a smile.

“Really?” She asked after swallowing another sip of hot soup. “What did they put you in? What costume?”

“I was…” He wanted to tell her everything in English, but was missing the most crucial word. “Hyung, how do you say fencer?” He asked Namjoon who looked confused for a second before answering him with a shrug. Jungkook reached to his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ll show you.” He typed the right words into YouTube and passed (Y/N) his phone. As soon as she looked at the moving screen she nodded in realisation.

“Ah, fencer.”

“Fencer, yes.” Namjoon agreed. (Y/N) skimmed through the video listening to Jungkook’s clear and beautiful vocals in the cover of BIGBANG’s If You.

“Woah, this is good.” She said, looking up at him.

“Thank you.” He accepted the compliment as she passed the phone back to him.

“You know what you will have?” Hoseok asked.

“What I’ll be dressed in? Yeah, I’m singing Beauty and the Beast, so I’ll be a princess.”

“Ah, cute.” Seokjin called out with a chuckle as (Y/N)’s phone buzzed once more.

“Ah, I really have to go.” She sighed deeply as the boys whined at her early leave. “I have to get myself intact before going to the studio.” She said gesturing to her laid back outfit. Since she was meeting Jungkook earlier for dance practice she was wearing a pair of branded sneakers, high waisted sweatpants and a hoodie - an outfit most of the boys in the room thought of as very pretty, but to her it was just workout gear.

“Do you need a ride?” Jungkook asked, all of a sudden realising she drove here with them and might not have a ride back to her hotel, but (Y/N) shook her head.

“No, my security is already parked outside.” The boys nodded at the professional sound of that statement. She was an A list celebrity after all and couldn’t just run around town by herself.

Everyone stood up from the table as (Y/N) slipped on her shoes and jacket.

“It was so nice to see you again.” Namjoon started as (Y/N) turned towards them before going out the door of the private dining room. She smiled sincerely and swung her backpack onto her shoulder.

“I’m so glad we got to hang out.” She looked at them with a shine in her eyes before going in for a hug with each of them. “And that we got to dance.” She added stopping in front of Jungkook. He smiled and chuckled as she hugged him goodbye.

“Yes. Me too.”

The group exchanged a couple more words of goodbye before (Y/N) walked towards the sliding door. As she was about to close it behind herself she slipped her face mask down and smiled at the group once more.

“Hopefully that’s not the last I see of you.” She added and the boys erupted with negating statements and chuckles.

419 notes · View notes