#i almost wasn't sure how to have these two interact tbh w/ u

[astrumocs]

🗣 excirz and jules :3c

Character(s): Julius Monter & Excirz Seieze

Setting: Semi-recent Past; Julius' Hive

Info: [BB] = Julius & [TW] = Excirz. Quirks have been excluded for convenience

The purple blood shifts nervously in his lab stool as he waits for a reply to the message he'd sent not that long ago. Julius had been told by the individual that gave him this handle that replies often came infrequently, but he couldn't have surmised that meant nearly a full week and still nothing.

As if his problem was just going to solve itself?

It mattered little at the moment, but he couldn’t leave his hive or very well order supplies of any kind with that horrific creature skulking about. Still, he knows well that sitting and getting antsy won't solve anything, so he slides his mobile phone across the lab table and away from his direct view, instead sliding over some papers of notes from the past few days' testing.

He’s been staring blankly at his notes, desperately attempting to focus on something other than whatever has been stalking outside his tower for several days, when his phone vibrates and lights up. The anxious doctor urgently snatches the device, reading his own messages back, followed by the one he’d just received.

(Sent 5 days ago) [BB]: Hello, Mr. Seieze, my name is Dr. Julius Monter. I was given your contact by an associate who informed me that you deal with monstrous beings and the like and I believe I have such an issue.

(Sent 3 days ago) [BB]: I am now confident there is a creature lurking outside of my hive lying in wait for someone to exit and any urgency in the matter would be highly appreciated. If money is a concern I would gladly pay to have this handled.

(Sent today) [TW]: If you’re still alive, I’ll deal with your monster.

Julius wastes little time typing back, tempering his exasperated annoyance and anxiety with the situation.

[BB]: Yes, I am indeed still alive. I’ve been trapped inside for nearly a week, I was beginning to meet the end of my rope, but I am relieved you’re willing. Is there anything you need from me in resolving this matter?

[TW]: An address. Or an approximate of the creature's location. Any descriptors you can provide would speed things along, so I know what I might be dealing with.

[TW]: If I succeed, we can discuss payment. And if I don’t, it’ll be a non-issue pretty quickly.

That response made Julius nauseous. The idea that they could both die from this settled as a cold pit in his stomach. He swallows and begins to type back.

[BB]: Of course, I can send you the coordinates momentarily. I’ve scarcely seen the beast, only its significantly large glowing eyes from the treeline in the dusk and dawn hours. 

[BB]: I have, however, heard deep growls from so far up as the fourth floor of my hive and scratching along the stonework…

There’s a long, ten-minute lapse in the conversation where Julius begins to fidget anxiously with his phone, tapping on different applications only to close them right after before his phone buzzes twice more in quick succession.

[TW]: The good news is that I may know what you’re dealing with. I recommend you keep making noise and turning on lights occasionally. [TW]: The bad news is that I also suggest you pick something to pray to.

[borom1r]

Lawrence & Eric asks!! (btw, ty for sending me an ask too + I hope I can answer it soon,, energy low) but um!! honestly I cannot get enough of Eric/Lawrence interactions tbh, so like. what qas the first time one of them did smth for the other & they realized "oh, this is love"? bc I think you've talked abt it w other polycule members but I don't know if u have for these two. if you have tho: what are Lawrence & Eric's favourote things 2 do w Daniel & Diana? (alt. cld be like... th first time Eric infodumps 2 Adam <3) apologies if these have all been answered b4 also + I hope you feel better soon,,

bksdh thank u dude;; idk if ive answered these b4 but honestly m always happy 2 talk abt stuff multiple times hehe

+ ooohh umm i think. i did talk abt this b4 but i think for Eric it's definitely the time where like. hes talking to Lawrence abt his game and aaaaaaaall of the guilt that comes with it especially since. bc he failed he wasn't able to be there for Daniel through his recovery. and Lawrence hearing at and just shutting that line of thought down with: "If I had been in your position, I would have done exactly the same thing. I would've torn that monster apart if I thought it could save Diana." and just the weight of hearing calm, dignified Lawrence admit he would've attacked John, that he would've turned to violence and Eric isn't a monster for wanting to protect his child. bc Lawrence would've done the same. i think thats when it hits for Eric that like. yea, he loves this man.

as for Lawrence's side of things.. mm....

i dont think its anything rlly big as much as it's... one time, after an exhausting day, Eric surprises Lawrence w/ a mug of tea exactly how he likes it n just sits with him, and i think that quiet comfort n familiarity of "this person knows me well enough to know just what makes me feel better when im wiped out" where Lawrence is like. This Is Love. I Love Him. its not very grand or whatever but its also not smthn Lawrence really had before. <3

also as for their favorite things to do w/ Daniel n Diana! bsfkhskj really the answer is "whatever Daniel and Diana" want bc lets be. real those two have their dads wrapped around their little fingers. thankfully Daniel is a gr8 influence for Diana so they really don't get into trouble ever, and he's outgrown the puppy dog eyes phase. but DIANA? oh you can be sure if she ever turns on the puppy dog eyes its. Extremely hard for either Eric or Lawrence to say no lmao. for a serious answer i think the best time was at a mall along the lines of the Mall of America (for those who've never been/don't have anything similar nearby, it's a HUGE mall featuring tons of shops, restaurants, a surprisingly large indoor theme park including carnival-style games, an arcade, and a rope course; an aquarium, a mirror maze, mini golf, and a movie theater). they make a day of it and though they have to go slow (it's exhausting for all of them tbqh), they have a ton of fun.

Daniel's favorite was the aquarium (he was the only one who wanted to pet the stingrays in the touch pools lol), Lawrence smokes everyone at mini golf, Eric almost gets a concussion in the mirror maze. Eric + Daniel compete on the Ghost Blasters ride while Lawrence lets Diana go in the bouncy house (they rode most of the other rides together! Diana + Daniel sat on the very front of the log ride together), and Daniel gives Diana all their arcade tickets so she can get a stuffed animal (even though she already got like. 3 from actual stores bfshjkfbh). they get lunch at the rainforest cafe (Diana's choice!) n close out the day with a movie. they are all WIPED THE FUCK OUT by the time they get home but it was 100% worth it

+ OOFHSJD first time Eric infodumps to Adam!! i think we've both touched on it but i rlly do think the first thing he hyperfixates on is. rats + rodent care. (on somewhat of a sidenote i think he gets rlly into building toys for his rats. like mazes n shit! its all very impressive. William sews him rat hammocks and he just. ooofhsjdfk!!!!)

i think it's actually The Day they're going to get rats, like they've got the cage set up n all the supplies finally and Adam's coming with to the pet shop to pick out some rats and Eric is just! going off abt all the facts he's learned from reading care guides and doing research. n Adam's just smilin a little and listening while Eric goes off! n he's not gonna be like "omg yr infodumping!!" bc pointing it out is the Best way to get Eric to shut down but he is like. so happy tht Eric feels comfortable enough w/ Adam + passionate enough to infodump!! its a big deal when obvs its smthn Eric's been struggling with

[lesbiancarat]

PREACH IT!! SAY IT LOUDER FOR TH3 PEOPLE IN THE BACK!! *stands up and claps*

Just your comment, please I want to tattoo that entire response on my forehead so people could understand some stuff fjshdhsh. I very much agree with everything you have said, like I do think the bighit deal was more so with the help of say with western connections (which again does NOT mean pledis could have done this without bighit. They clearly could but I saw a theory on a YouTube comment where someone said they focused on the core fanbase aka in Korea which is their main market and it paid off imo) from helping with buisness side of things like we do have merch to buy directly (which I have my opinion on some merch ideas like why the fudge is bighit selling us water!? Bro you thought that worked with bts doesn't mean it will with seventeen) which wasn't common in the past or being able to film concerts with ease during the pandemic. Bighit clearly acknowledges that seventeen is a monster group in their own right I mean as you said, they break records and are 2nd behind bighits own group. They are EXTEMELY big in Japan. They are their own song makers, bang pd confirmed this when pleids was first announced in a press video so the fact people brush all of their achievements and statements because why, their streaming numbers are low?

And oohh such an interesting point as well! Very much i think the current mindset of kpop fans (or at least some) is that streaming is what equals success which to some degree, yes but as you said, many ignore the casual side of listening. People that find the song due to it being viral for whatever reason, a fancam getting popular like in the cass of hani from exid or whatever reason. Dwc is a great example and I saw those comments under their recent performance of that song and it makes me proud that the boys have a song like that. That it has its own "fanbase" quote on quote with how well loved that song simply is and well known. You don't have to have fans doing crazy streaming to be considered "popular", I mean I could give more examples but I don't wanna make this too long nor cause unwanted fandrama lol. Those casual listeners are extremely important and powerful I mean brave girls is a great recent example of that I think! It very much does seem like that when looking at the views, its mainly the core fanbase which isn't bad nor should we feel bad for not having crazy numbers. They seem more organic if that makes sense? Plus I agree, we can stream and can explain how it works, clearing up confusion about it like no emojis don't take down views and yes youtube does take away views but that is due to it making sure it isn't bots only viewing the video. Explaining that streaming should be done with a chill mindset and its ok if you don't stream. But hey, maybe we're too weird of fans to think like this fjajdjajs.

But some few updates! Seventeen is back on Instagram, fully everyone is posting away. Makes me happy hehe m, a bit funny it took so long for them to comeback but am happy nonetheless. The interactions that seungkwan does makes me super soft. Seventeen are also back with doing proper promotions so yay (also pledis is S Wording people over the mingyu issue finally so bless). As for me on the personal side of things. I have OFFICIALLY finished that video game ^_^ it took me a while but I have finished it, my last goodbye was completed and am at ease so to speak? Lowkey am planning on beating all the trophies in the game cx also may I ask about your thoughts on the album? Favorite songs, have you bought the physical cd?

ok finally getting around to this lol!!

and yeah that's absolutely true, pledis focused on kr promotions/fanbase first and foremost (and then expanded to Japan and is now looking toward the US/western promos in general). which i agree was a good thing. i think some companies get too greedy with wanting a group to be ~internationally famous~ that they ignore their Korean fanbase a bit too much and I've seen groups that have failed bc of it, so I'm glad that didn't happen w SVT

and yeah in terms of merch I'm genuinely grateful as an american that for this cb at least there was a US distributor which made things super convenient but wtf is going on w hybes merch those water bottles are not it TT it just sucks to see bc it's clear that at least as far as merch goes hybe doesn't have an interest in like. doing market research to figure out what carats want. which is funny bc they don't even have to start from scratch they could literally just ask pledis?? and tbh what's sad is i don't think hybe is like. purposefully trying to sabotage SVTs merch from my limited perspective i get the feeling they treat all their groups merch like that :( but since us carats have seen in the past what kind of merch we're capable of getting it's disappointing to see such a downgrade. and like tbf pledis's merch decisions were never perfect like that time they tried to sell replicas of the SVT rings and carats were rightfully pissed bc those are something the members earned, not something to be bought. and i also don't think hybe never has or never will make good merch, I'm sure they're fully capable of it. but it just seems obvious that they've put WAY less if any effort into understanding both the market (ie carats) and seventeens brand compared to pledis so like of course most carats aren't gonna like it :/ i really hope they step up their game and do better research or bring ppl onto the team who better understand svt's brand

and yeah i very much agree with everything u said about streaming! tbh i think this mindset isn't as uncommon as you might think, I've actually met a fair number of kpop fans who are critical of streaming culture but as u know there also are a lot of ppl who are really into it and those ppl tend to have the loudest voices. and unfortunately part of streaming culture is that if you question the methods or don't participate you must be a bad fan or secretly an anti or something ridiculous like that. so ppl who aren't into streaming culture end up learning to not be too vocal about it bc of how bad the backlash can be

yes! I'm glad to see insta line (+ now dk!!) active again. i still wonder why pledis made them stop using their ind instas, like I know all the theories people have as to why but honestly none that I've seen seem to fully make sense. it will probably be one of those things where we'll just never know the full story. but i digress!! regardless of the reason I'm just glad to have them back after all this time ^^

congrats on finishing the game! I'm glad it was able to help you work through your grief a bit and that you feel more at ease now ;-; and good luck with the rest of the trophies if you end up trying to get them!

as always I'm answering this a bit late so you may have seen already but i did get the physical album! it was a birthday gift so i only got it the other day, but according to my mom it arrived almost immediately after the album was released so as i said before, I'm very grateful for the US shop this time around ;-; as for the songs usually it's easy for me to pick one or two favorites but this time around it's genuinely a 4-way tie between heavens cloud and all the unit songs TT (i also love anyone and RTL, they're just slightly lower on the list in terms of preference if u get what i mean). i really hope some time in the future we get some kind of performance or special video or something for heavens cloud, since so many carats and the members themselves seem to really love it. i also think it's a song that brings up such beautiful imagery that it would be a shame if it never got any type of visual representation, you know? I'm also really curious to see a performance of wave, since iirc the members said the choreo is a lot more laid back/different from other perf unit choreos?? + that song also evokes such great imagery for me that like... makes feel like it needs some kind of movement so I'm just itching to see a performance. kind of like... even if i didn't know it was a perf unit song i would think it would be great to choreograph to if that makes any sense dhfkf. but yeah overall i think it's just a really solid album, as expected from summerteen ^^