#imperfect concert day 3

[rowoon-updates]

220123 Rowoon at Imperfect Concert Day 3‬‬‬‬‬ © noowor do not edit, crop, or remove the watermark

[farminglesbian]

last night in vienna (july 2024)

[cherri-balms]

♡﹕𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓, 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓! — CH.1 — Normal Girl

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A/N ﹕Chapter 1 is finally out!! I apologize if this took a little while, I have an idea for an Alastor fic brewing and if all things go well, the prologue/pilot chapter will be the next thing I post!

As always if you would like to be added to the taglist, shoot me a DM and ill get back to you asap!! <3

This chapter is primarily exposition and fluff, so there are no content warnings for this chapter aside from a brief description of making oneself vomit.

𝐄 × 𝐌/𝐅 × 𝟓.𝟐𝐤 × 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 × 𝐀𝐎𝟑

♡﹕Bring-your-reader to work day as one of the most famous idols in hell! Or, what it's really like working as one of the most famous idols in hell under the thumb of the VEES.

6:00 PM

Your alarm begins your morning with its typical assault to the ears and dragging  you out of what was once a beautiful slumber, for a while your subconscious was even able to create a darling little wonderland blend of hell and personal heaven, but all good dreams had to come to an end at sometime soon.

Sitting up, you begin your typical morning work routine of getting dressed, brushing your teeth and whatever other morning activities that needed to be done. Surrounding you are dozens of printed posters and scrolls of yourself watching you get changed, most of which being limited edition merchandise from your concerts, and almost all of them had in bold letters “MONΛRCH” somewhere on the prints. After your meeting with Vox that day, he insisted that if you were going to work with the brand of the Vees that you were to take on a stage name to said brand. Before you could go through your mental filing cabinet to find something that would fit, Vox informed you that he had already picked your name from the moment you walked in: Monarch. It took a second for you to realize, but the patterns currently adorning your body with the resemblance of a monarch butterfly made it click. Plus, you did like how powerful the name sounded.

The last step of your routine was always to consult yourself a sprint checkup on your voice synthesizer and then perform some finetuning. Your current synthesizer is nowhere close to your first one, hell the damn thing originally couldn't even get wet, nor was it surgically bolted into your neck, though the two still shared similar parts in case the need for a quick repair arose.

… Aaaand of course speak of the fallen angel, that said scenario was precisely why you keep a constant eye on the quality of your synthesizer, because the screw connecting your voice bank and vocal chords was chipped. Sure, it was minute but even the smallest imperfection could lead to rust and infection that you just couldn’t afford.

The bottom half of your dresser vanity would appear to be nothing but a foundational box with a front facing panel and some regal metalsmith carvings  if not for the card-slot keyhole poking out the right side. You keep the key hidden on your person at all times, while the contents inside hold no value in money or power you’re sure the reactions to what could be construed to be a stalkerish shrine to your boss would be the end of your reputation.

And his too you guess but you’re the cute one here.

Lifting your pointer finger to the back of your neck, using the slight dent of your nail to nudge out a tiny rectangular panel of your synthesizer. Or, it would be rectangular if not for the carefully cut notches on one of the sides.

You slip the key into the slot as far as it will reach, bypassing all 4 clicks then rewarding you with a 5th at ths decompressing tightness of the spring lock hinge. The once stiff panel now slides open, though not exactly with grace with it getting friction jammed against the frame caused by lack of use.

Not quite having time to spare getting distracted by your keepsakes you reach to the glass case to the left containing your prototype voice bank collar displayed like a diamond atop a blue silk pillow. You’re absolutely certain if  Vox discovered you still held the beta technology he would gag like you were saving a meal that's gone bad. Absolutely adorable, knowing if you’d present it to any sinner in hell it’d be easy to convince them it was state of the art, brand new.

One screw acquired and you’re out of there, locking everything the way it was before, box, vanity, bedroom door, apartment door. The commute to the VHQ could barely even be considered a walk, actually, most of the housing within a 3 mile radius of their building was ultimately owned by the Vees reserved for employees. Smart way to both keep their people in line and control exactly who’s around at all times, gotta give them credit when credit is due.

The dredging silence over the span of two months had you in an urge to claw beneath your skin to tear out the stabbing anticipation that seemed to grow within. Should that evolve into a spiral well of anxiety you'd been worried the business plan sealed in ink turned into a ghost, but you were informed before your leave that Rome wasn’t going to be built in a day so you were left with nothing to do but respect his unspoken wishes.

When the hour struck and you received the details for the date and time of your next meeting in a bare bones text, you wish you could say it put your short term torture to a close, but the years worth of screaming in static was finally going to be over. You couldn’t make time move any faster, only make yourself move faster to prepare for your next encounter with the overlord that could now be considered your master.

“Monarch! Good, right on time, Now come sit.” Your overlord spins around the chair to your direction, beckoning you his way. You silently do as you’re told sitting legs pressed together handbag in your lap, before you even had a chance to touch the zipper for your tablet he waves your hands away.

“Nuh-uh, you don’t need to bother yourself with that anymore. I’m sure you know why I called you?” By the way his smirk stretched across the screen while his left hand reached below his desk you’d nearly assume he was just as excited as you for this day. You feel your eyelids pull back and you swore your eyes reflected twice as much light than when you first sat down if you could catch a glimpse of yourself.

The device presented to you in his hands looked identical to its future self if not for the fresher coat of polish it bore. You must confess you weren’t too sure what you were envisioning for this gadget to come out looking like, actually you realized you were never imagining something metaphysical at all, the technological cure to your aid came in the mental form of an intangible concept closer to a myth. But what was before your eyes was.. actually pretty underwhelming.

It looked like nothing but a steel box speaker attached to a collar with a dial, bare and simple. You caught a peek at something poking out on the other side behind it, but it didn’t catch your interest long enough to retain the observation. You weren’t aware enough to try and hide your confusion but you may have done a better job than you thought at not letting it show since he didn’t react until you cocked your chin to the side.

“Well what are we waiting for! Let’s get this show on the road and try it out, yeah? Turn around.” You were practically standing and turned before he could even finish the command. Sharp blue needles brush over your cheeks and under strands of hair lifting them behind your ears. You make the sound of the buckles on the collar before it’s veiled over your vision and behind your neck. “Fair warning, this will definitely be painful!”

Mayhaps you should’ve taken a bigger note on what you saw behind the box earlier, because you instantly got to discover what it was as spear headed clamps bury dormant in your throat through your neck so sharp it could pierce bone. Pain didn’t even begin to describe what you were feeling, it was like your brain tossed you back in time to repeat your lungs combusting to ash and your body soon reacted like you were suffering such fate again, causing you to start jumping and swatting out of the arms of your savior as if he were your next next killer.

“AAAAAAHH-aaahhhh?” Was that y- there’s no way. 

You tested again in case this was another instance of your psyche filling in the gaps of a voice once more.

“aaahhhhhh~AAAHH~~” You weren’t dreaming. What you were asking from him from the start felt like asking the impossible but the result you were given far exceeded any daydream you conjured to cope with your situation, but not only had the overlord given you a brand new voice by some miracle, the voice he gave you was the same you had in life, the same smooth melody you forgot you could produce.

You turned around to face him, this time with tears blurring your view. Not an ounce of anger from your embarrassing attack his way earlier, only intrigue in your reaction to the gift. For the first time in years, you could speak and say anything in the world you wanted and now your mind was white noise. All you could do was bow your head in gratitude, though you aren’t sure if he was expecting that just based on the noise he made after.

“Hey- woah, no need for that now, not that I’m necessarily complaining,” You raise your head and you aren’t surprised by the shadow of ego stretching his grin across the screen. “I did some investigating into your mortal life to find samples of your work to make sure your voice would be nothing short of yours! Getting hands on anything in the overworld is a royal pain in the ass, though. I hope you keep that in mind.” 

Was he jesting? You were going to keep every bolt and circuit in mind for the rest of your afterlife. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the subtle new feeling of electrical surges flowing down the rivers of your veins, but just standing still with the amount of energy pumping in your body currently had you revived into a frankenstein marionette. 

You suppose a start could be a proper thank you, but when you attempted to mouth the words the frequency in which the simple “thank you, sir” stitched themselves together didn’t carry harmoniously, more like a broken collage of vocal pitches. Your hand cuts off your lips with a flare of pink to your cheeks, the oncoming cackling from your new boss turns that shade into deep red.

“Hahaha! I was wondering when you were gonna find that part out!” The laughter settles to a halt and he lifts a finger to wipe away a pixelated tear that doesn’t actually budge. “This model is just a beta voice bank and synthesizer, speaking will take some getting used to and once I get enough data from your use of it in the following weeks, I can begin working on improvements. I have a manual in my drawer containing the details for maintenance but for now, I have some people you need to meet.”

You were nodding your head along but you had to admit, you were not following completely. True you were unfamiliar with the recent spike in tech, but you didn’t think you were this poorly informed. You make a mental note of this as something you should start fixing asap if you were going to continue your career this way. Meanwhile, outside your thoughts, your boss is leading you to the front elevator.

Before you could prepare for a silent and awkward ride down, the TV filter breaks it again. “Oh, and can you stop with the whole “sir” talk, it’s a painfully stuffy-outdated form of addressing authority. Just address me as Vox, and everyone will know I’m your boss.” The elevator bell rings signaling the stopping floor. Your vision is brought to what looks like a madhouse production with women bustling in every direction skewing fabric across the space. It didn’t take long to put two and two together that this was some kind of clothing production, but seeing a fashion lineup in what you thought was a tech company put you in uncanny valley.

“No! No! No! Fucking disgraceful- what the hell is this shit Shae? Did you get sick all up on our silk or are you actually using vermillion and oli- VERMILLION AND FUCKING OLIVE SHAE DID YOU LEARN COLOR COORDINATION FROM THE COLOR BLIND?!” Alright that definitely drew your attention. The voice sounded like a female Gordon Ramsay for fashion instead of cooking, so it wasn’t difficult to assume she was the one in charge.

“Velvette! You’re as bitter as ever before.” The woman turns over, you had to admit her namesake fit well with her appearance and instantly the aesthetic made sense. Something about that cute white swirl she has in her hair reminded you of a sweet cheesecake frosting you could've devoured her on sight.

“Vox fuckin’ piss off mind you can’t you see I’m in the middle of somethi- who the fuck is this” Velvette squints in your direction like your appearance sucked away the rest of her eyesight. Seconds go by, and then a few more without a word being exchanged, only the next electrical surge from the nervous gulp of saliva reminding you that things didn’t have to be this way anymore.

You introduce yourself unashamed of the robotic slurred speech pattern and the face she makes could only be described as bewilderment.

“I- what in satan’s name was tha-”

“She’s mute, Velvette. Sweetheart this is the cornerstone of my little “Monarch” project I informed you of, and I actually came here to discuss that with you.”

“Wait a second the star of your new network is a mute bimbo- Vox did your motherboard circuits go fucking smooth?!” Self control was a virtue you’d mastered since life one, through thumb-tacks in your heels to schmoozing slimy pigs with deep pockets, the poker face would remain sewn to your cheeks. But here, you could feel the slightest twitch anytime this woman spoke. You couldn't give a damn how powerful she thought she was, the kinds of implications she was making towards Vox only made you want to shove bars of soap down her throat until it cleans the filth coating her mouth.

There was no fucking way you were ever going to tolerate that cunt.

The frosted blast of studio AC and diamond perfume became your standard morning welcome when clocking into work, upon so being greeted by the models and seamstresses on the floor of your first stop with your typical “good mornings” and “how are yous”. One of the newer interns approaches with multiple cardboard cup holder trays of coffee, and it didn’t take very long to find the cup with your favorite order, even if it weren’t for the bold lettering of your stage name on the outside.

You finish up your typical greetings making your way over to the dressing rooms where the rest of your stagemates are already gathered looking at the schedule. First on the docket was choreography training, no surprise since your instrumentalists were nowhere to be found, and then after lunch iss… oh wonderful! Outfit fitting! Which meant the whole afternoon with just you and Velvette.

This was going to be a perfect day, wasn’t it?

Speak of the devil and she shall not only appar, she’ll kick the front door down like it cheated on anniversary night and throw what was- probably a brand new Goeccia hand purse in the face of whomever was closest.

“EACH ONE OF YOU BETTER BE FUCKING CLOCKED AND AT YOUR POST IN THE NEXT MINUTE OR YOU’RE ALL SEWING THE ANGELIC!!KILLS LINE BY TONIGHT EVEN IF YOUR FUCKING FINGERS ARE WORN TO NUBS ARE WE CLEAR?! Now where the ever loving fuck is- There she is!!”

“Velvette!!”

The two of you run and embrace in the middle of the room like you had just returned from the great war and reuniting with your long lost lover at the end of a shitty romcom. This display, was one that also became a tradition between the two of you at the start of the work day, one you weren’t ignorant to the handful that still felt the need to eyeroll or squint.

Okay so,, your seeded disdain for Velvette was one you admittedly locked away in the vault of embarrassing memories to reap its head around only when trying to get a good night's sleep. You initially had spent the first month or so practicing every torture method known to man on the images your eyes sent you because of how she talked down to Vox like a dog, this was… before you found out she was an overlord too and suddenly the context of the relationship they shared made sense. A bitter part of the pride that landed you where you are today still wanted to leech onto any grain of malice toward her, eventually turning into a humiliating envy and possessiveness over Vox’s attention. In that span of time you made no effort to get to know Velvette or care about her work, even while she was making the outfits you wore on stage for you and she somewhat mutually felt the same about you. 

Luckily for the two of you, there was a third much more obnoxious V that was too perfect of low hanging fruit in the art if feminine hazing for you both to latch onto and find common ground on.

“I think this new hair style might be my new favorite! Locs look good on you~” Compared to how you felt the first time speaking with the prototype that sat in your vanity, the newer model of your synthesizer had a way more diverse voice bank and finetuning that made speaking feel and sound much more natural. Even with the mounds of progress from your prototype to present day, it was still obviously unnatural and robotic. These became factors that slowly mattered less as your gratitude increased, and you were content that not everyone was going to see it that way.

“See? I fucking told that nasty bed bug upstairs that I’d eat butterfly locs but what the fuck would he know when I can read my damn future in his forhead,” Velvette went a total of two minutes of the conversation before she pulled her phone out to check her instagram feed, a new accomplishment. You were proud. “Just so you’re aware by the way, Verosika Mayday announced  the release date of her Paint it Pink album like 35 minutes ago and people are already bringing your name into it. You got a lot to deliver with this upcoming tour.”

Lucifer bless Velvette for having the brain cells to keep up with surfing the modern social media tides you continuously wipe out on with every attempt. You could stomach social media enough for your job, but Velvette made sure to get you a top notch social media advisor to handle your accounts to make it seem like you were more active than you were. True as it was that your vocal synthesizer brought a new flair to the world of music; especially in the rise of electronica, techno and pop where your new voice couldn’t compare to any other sinner in the genres, this factor has also lead to a cluster headache of… Let’s just say controversy. Old fashioned demons in particular were the bane of everything you deemed holy just because how fucking annoying they were making their periodic hangups your god damn problem.

Before you could properly offer your gratitude your attention is taken by an obnoxious thump and “A-hem!” in the direction of the dressing room. Turning you can see the green lop bunny ears of your costar and you can assume she’s trying to tell you to move your ass. Drama was the last thing you had energy for so you blow a kiss goodbye to Velvette and made two shakes of a lamb's tail into the dressing rooms.

Today you didn’t need to worry about outfit planning, just something comfortable that you don’t mind sweating in for the better part of the day. A simple pair of running shorts, tank top and loafers should work more than fine for today, hopefully as long as Valentino didn’t decide to sit on today’s choreography exercises…

It wasn’t exactly the norm for dance practices for the remaining member of the V trifecta to sit in and give his shit commentary- kind critiques on your movements and appearances. If it were up to you or any of your coworkers, Valentino wouldn’t be anywhere near your production but alas, contractual standards came first. One of the stipulations upon starting your career as Monarch was your introduction to the Vee network and the ongoing partnership the three overlords held to upkeep their power within hell. Long and short, this meant that with each contract the Vees delt the other two business partner would also have to reap some sort of benefit; typically monetary gain.

In your case, Velvette easily got her reward by using your team as breathing mannequins to advertise her fashion line, not to mention she would ultimately be credited in every comment of the flashy costumes you wore at concerts and venues. Valentino’s side had free royalties to your music to play in his clubs and this usually came along with him having a say in the dances that go with the song. Every fucking time it was a Valentino session you all knew you were in for a long day of overtime, muscle pain, and playing sexual harassment bingo.

Two knocks on the door put your thoughts to a screeching halt.

“Monarch dear, are you descent~” Ah, it was your favorite voice in all of hell~ you run to the door with a skip in each step like a puppy listening for dangling keys outside the front door.

“Never~”

“Are you dressed?”

“Yes!”

“There’s the answer we’re looking for,” You welcome him inside with a pleasant “come in” and Vox follows as such. You maintain a safe distance and subtly restrain yourself by clasping your hands behind your back but you weren’t going to deny, days like today the tightrope beneath your feet of professionalism and your heartache was especially loose. You’re certain the love you felt for the man who saved your spirit was last year's news to everyone in the building, actually your “inappropriate devotion” has been the source of countless catfights among your bandmates.

“Monarch love! Horrific morning isn’t it~” You could listen to him talk all day, and when he approaches you and clasps a hand over your cheek leaning into the touch feels like second nature.

“Every day in the studio is a horrific morning, but I know that’s not what you came to talk to lil’ ol me about, isn’t it?”

“Why, you hurt me! Can’t I just start my morning visiting a beautiful painted lady?” You blink in a moment of silence until he finishes. True you loved soaking in his flattery, but not in feigned procrastination. “Valentino and I spoke this morning, or rather he threw a tantrum because I didn’t tell him I put Pomp and Circumstance on your schedule today..” 

Aaand there it is, of course you get to not only work with STI Patient-0, but he was already off to a shit mood to start the day. If the scales of fortune decide to tip your way at all during today you hope this tips in your favor, given the… technique you developed to avoid interacting with him as much as possible.

When you lift your head to meet your reflection, you have to tilt your head a bit higher than you remembered last, and your arms were now coiled around his waist. Oh, it seems matter won over mind again. The hand that once danced feathers over your cheek now caress massages in your scalp. Scandalous, sure. But there was nothing wrong with comforting a friend after a rough morning, right?

“Come, everyone else is already in the studio. Sorry I couldn’t start your day with anything pleasant, I hate being the reason you have a frown. So,” Your vision cuts into frames of bright white and a following zap, once, then twice again. In what feels like an instant Vox disappears and reappears within the electricity, but the second time he holds a brown fast food bag and a bright green M.

“OH MY GOD I LOVE MAMMONALDS! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUU!!!” Stars of reflected light build in your eyes when you saw the bag. Reading the receipt taped to the front you can already tell the breakfast order is your favorite even down to your specific requests that made the receipt  go down past the bag but you knew the employees wouldn’t even dare try and get Vox’s order wrong. 

“Take a minute to eat and come to the studio, I didn’t get you a drink because I knew you were going to get coffee so I’ll get you a milkshake after choreography, kay?” You nod your head while already pulling out your side of hashbrowns and chowing down like a hamster nibbling a sunflower seed.

It was a sight so cute Vox wanted nothing but to squeeze you so tight your eyes pop out of your skull.

But there was no time to waste. Vox vanishes with a flicker of the lights and bolts yet again, and you take a couple last chews before you’re sure hes gone.

Standing up you make way to the connected bathroom to your dressing room and open the toilet seat. Immediately you shove two fingers into your throat and probe the back until it triggers your gag reflex enough to regurgitate every last bite you took. The slime of cheap grease and burn of overused salt always made you restrain a gag without fail anytime fast food was given to you, but god Vox just would not stop ordering that shit for you. Perhaps there was a chance you sold your “love” for Mammonalds a little too hard the first handful of times he’d gifted it to you; actually, you probably wouldn’t be in this situation at all if you just refused his offer to hand feed you a fry earlier on in your contract, and by all means you wanted to, but your body’s impulse had won that that day.

Tossing out the remaining food out of the bathroom window to the dumpster in the alley below you and flushing and cleaning any remnants of bile, you give yourself one last tidy up and make way to the next place you’re needed: the dance studio.

By some unholy miracle when you stepped out of the elevator, you weren’t met with condensed red smoke to the ceiling and a moth throwing a drink at your head. Drink or a bullet, whichever he thought would please him more.

“Fucking christ all mighty, the “Princess of the Hour!” finally arrives.” As expected, everyone had already gathered long before you while you were caught up with Velvette and Vox, the first one to greet you being the same moody green bunny from earlier, rolling her eyes and doing little jazz hands mid sentence to hammer in her sarcasm.

“Good morning to you too, Tea!! I’m glad you’re feeling well~” You made a decision to go on the dismissive today, Tea in particular always seemed to be in sour moods when it came to you being as chummy as you were with the Vees for a mere contracted soul. At the end of the day you couldn’t give less a shit about that twats petty jealousy issues if she only had the decency to keep it to damn self instead of making it your problem, and your problem at work nonetheless.

“Oh shut the fuck up Tea we aren’t in the mood for this today,” The lanky azure colored salamander man gently flicked Tea on the back of the head with a roll of the eyes and a vertical reptile blink. Out of all the members of your little group, Sirius was the closest thing you had to a voice of reason and it made him the most tolerable out of the bunch. In the corner too engrossed in their own conversations to even pay mind to any of you were two harpy girls, sisters actually. Black Marlia on the left and White Russian on the right, both of them added a much needed flare to your concerts and were the only two who could go airborne long enough to perform choreography above the stage, you liked to think they were valuable assets even if you could count the amount of times either has spoken to you on one hand.

“I hear we have to deal with Valentino’s bullshit today…” Sirius attempts to continue the conversation as the five of you start properly getting into position for when said moth comes in, it would look as if you’d all been wagging your tails for his arrival this whole time.

“You are the third to remind me of his existence today, if that number goes up I might have to fly away and leave you hanging~”

“Oh and here I thought you’d be ecstatic to be commanded by one of your masters for the better part of today.”

“Not the one who immediately calculated my ass and chest size in his head as an introduction.”

“Was he right though-”

“EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!” And just like that, any hope of this being a well off- or even standard Valentino work day just died on arrival. You all do exactly what he says and don’t utter a peep until he says bark. Throughout the early hours of the rehearsal, it was evident that he wanted to be here the least out of any of you which was something that as much as he made your skin crawl, you had to respect. No one likes work already but you could understand how the brand you had was so softcore in comparison to what he was used to, the whole choreograph just looked like a bunch of pillows flopping around on stage to him.

Your understanding should not be confused with sympathy however, simply put knowing how your bosses think is rule #1 when it comes to maintaining a proper work/life balance, and in this case it would be minimizing the amount of halts and rechoreographing out of nitpicks. So, while your brand was one that strayed away from deviance and sex to keep the illusion of ownership, being a bit more risqué than your typical sets here and there wasn’t a crime and would give Val more to look at even if only teasingly.

“No! No! NO THIS IS ALL FUCKING WRONG!!” Yeah who the fuck were you kidding, if you all weren’t having an orgy this jack off was never going to be pleased.

“Did you all learn how to dance in a fucking church?! Are you all such angel cunt lickers that you can’t handle presenting any TNA is that it?!”

Yeah… This was going to be a long work day…

TAGLIST﹕@hurtworld401 @feral-ratatattat-king

[cherrygirlystuff]

Sleaze Diaries: Embracing the Indie Sleaze Lifestyle 🌟

Indie sleaze isn’t just a style—it’s a way of life. It’s about finding beauty in the chaos, embracing the raw and unfiltered, and living life with a rebellious spirit. Here’s how to document and live out your own indie sleaze journey, one day at a time.

1. Concert Nights: The Heartbeat of Indie Sleaze 🎶

Concerts are the soul of the indie sleaze scene, full of energy, raw emotion, and unforgettable moments. Here’s how to document your concert nights in true indie sleaze style:

Capture the Vibes: Bring your camera or smartphone and snap photos of the atmosphere, the crowd, and those electric moments when the music hits just right. Look for shots that capture the energy and chaos of the night.

Get Up Close: If you’re lucky enough to get close to the stage, take photos of the band in action. Focus on those raw, intense moments where the artist is fully immersed in their performance.

Document the Crowd: Indie concerts are all about the community. Capture the excitement and energy of the crowd, from the headbanging fans to the quiet moments of connection between songs.

Concert Night Tip: Use filters or effects that add a bit of grit to your photos, reflecting the raw, unpolished feel of indie sleaze. Grainy textures or black-and-white shots can add a vintage touch.

2. Dive Bar Adventures: Where the Magic Happens 🍻

Dive bars are the quintessential hangout spots of indie sleaze culture—where the music is loud, the drinks are cheap, and the people are real. Here’s how to document your dive bar adventures:

Capture the Atmosphere: Dive bars are all about their unique character. Photograph the quirky decor, the dim lighting, and the worn-in furniture that give these places their charm.

Focus on the Details: Snap pictures of the little things that make dive bars special—like a perfectly worn jukebox, a collection of old band posters, or a bartender pouring a drink with flair.

Show the People: Document the vibrant personalities that frequent dive bars. Capture candid moments of laughter, conversation, and the occasional dance-off. These shots bring the spirit of the dive bar to life.

Dive Bar Tip: Opt for low-light settings and embrace the imperfections in your photos. Dive bars are all about authenticity, so let your photos reflect that raw, unfiltered vibe.

3. Day-to-Day Indie Sleaze Life: Embracing the Everyday Adventures 🌟

Indie sleaze isn’t just about the big nights out—it’s also about finding the magic in everyday life. Here’s how to document the ordinary moments with that indie sleaze flair:

Everyday Adventures: Whether it’s a day spent wandering thrift stores, hanging out at a local café, or just chilling with friends, capture the little moments that make up your indie sleaze lifestyle.

Embrace the Imperfections: Indie sleaze is all about authenticity, so don’t worry about making everything perfect. Embrace the messiness and the spontaneity of everyday life.

Tell Your Story: Use your photos and stories to create a narrative of your indie sleaze life. Share anecdotes about your favorite spots, the people you meet, and the little things that make your day special.

Daily Life Tip: Keep a photo diary or journal to document your adventures. Mix in candid shots, personal reflections, and snapshots of everyday moments to create a comprehensive picture of your indie sleaze life.

Final Thoughts, Gorgeous: Living and Documenting the Indie Sleaze Vibe 🌟

And there you have it—your ultimate guide to living and documenting the indie sleaze lifestyle with Sleaze Diaries! Whether you’re capturing the energy of a concert, the charm of a dive bar, or the beauty of everyday moments, remember to embrace the raw, rebellious spirit of indie sleaze in everything you do. Your photos and stories are a celebration of a unique and authentic way of life.

What’s your favorite indie sleaze moment or spot to document? Share your stories and photos in the comments—I’d love to see how you’re living out the indie sleaze dream! 💕

[preciadosbass]

11/8/24 [PARAGRAPH 3 & 4!!! — draft from sunday. key & significant photo/s at end]

woke up at 10:20 and made myself breakfast. i ate it outside with boris in the sun and tried my best to be productive while being on my phone [e.g, make a fursona/oc/journal entry etc.] but failed miserably. i just scrolled on tiktok and saved a few videos i could use for outfit inspiration. i went back inside after 30+ minutes, got dressed [skinless shirt, dark cargo jorts + matching bracelets consisting of spiked cuffs and band bracelets, motorbike socks] and looked up a couple can tab bracelet tutorials. i know that i don’t have enough for the particular design i want to make, but i’m getting there. my dad’s sister, my aunt, has multiple pepsis a day and has been collecting can tabs for me.

i went back next door with my sister after giving up on the bracelet for the moment and saying goodbye to boris. when i arrived i just sat on my own while my sister went on the swings. a group of girls my age walked past and laughed at me and after a few minutes i got called over with the other kids to make a keyring. i honestly much preferred that but i think the staff thought i was a part of the actual camp anyways so i don’t think i had much choice either way. i picked out a star shaped template and a blue floral sticker to go on it. i stuck it on, but couldn’t cut around the star completely — so i put it in my bag for another time at home where i can use one of those tiny knives to carve all the imperfections out.

once id done i went back over to the bouncy castle. this time round, only 8 people were allowed on it at a time and this younger girl was being really bratty about it, as in acting like she owned the place, which was odd, because yesterday it was fine and nothing bad happened. but kids are just like that. she kept on going around to people and launching herself onto them, she also decided to boot me over and over again on my bruised shin which was fun 😭. i tried telling her we don’t even know eachother and ive just been sitting there but she didn’t care. she kicked me and almost everyone else off using her sister that was my age so i got off and just sat beside it while people watching.

the same member of staff from the keyrings sat next to me and just exclaimed ‘panic! at the disco?’ — reffering to my panic! band bracelet. i nodded and she started speaking about liking that type of music too. more when she was younger, but she’s still into it, she said. she took out her phone and started asking me if i’ve been to see any live bands. i told her about me seeing the mcr + fall out boy tributes, pierce the veil, cavalera conspiracy, and my upcoming concerts. [slipknot, falling in reverse, possibly the tributes again but idk was its the day before fir]. she started speaking about how she has family in scotland and therefor goes to festivals there a lot and then casually says she’s seen fall out boy 4+ TIMES??? i literally could’ve curled up and died right there and then after hearing that come out of her mouth.

she also spoke to me about seeing slipknot 20 years ago, and then she showed me one of her friends instagram pages. then she came out with that that friend, has another friend, who is the sibling of someone from PIERCE THE VEIL?? WHAT THE FUCK. i was so taken aback but she unfortunately couldn’t remember what their name was because they were told years ago now — and she couldn’t find pictures of them together despite trying as the friend is a concert photographer and it’s importable to sort through the thousands of photos.

i out of interest asked if she’d seen linkin park and she said she did at milton keynes in 2008?? with jayZ?? RAAA. i got told that everyone was leaving in 30 minutes so i stayed speaking to her until people started loading themselves onto their coach and i set off for home. it was really cool speaking to that woman and its a shame i’ll probably never see her again or get to know any more info. although it was awesome meeting someone like me that was quite a lot older. when i got home i fussed boris on the driveway and had a 20 minute nap before leaving for my other aunts house [6pm]. i said goodbye to boris, and on the way to the car, my dad showed me this injured butterfly. it was a shame because it looked so young. i held it and then placed it onto a bush before leaving. [photo at end]

since the concert, i’ve been listening to the setlist on repeat. so i obviously did even more on the way to my aunts, although the drive is really short. once i got there i stayed in the living room for a bit and greeted the family of mine that was there. there was only my grandad, his fiancé, my aunt + uncle, and one of my cousins girlfriends there. that cousin in question is on holiday, the other moved out, and the other also moved out. i didn’t really know what to speak about and my parents sparked a conversation between the others anyway so i went to see what my sister was up to. she was playing fnaf security breach so i watched her.

i had my phone out ready to record her getting jumpscared and i caught a video of her doing exactly that over moondrop. i’m surprised that i’ve never watched anyone play security breach before even though i was really excited when it came out. i don’t usually watch my sister play stuff unless it’s the last of us/the evil within/silent hill at 8:30 i stopped watching jay and went for a walk with my mum, dad, aunt, + grandads fiancé. [+ archie and my aunts dog, charlie.] we couldn’t be too long because charlie has bad diabetes and can’t do much now. we came across one of my aunts friends on our way, she accidentally called me he and didn’t correct herself which made me feel SO euphoric considering i’m not out.

she spoke about lifeguarding or something and once done, we went round to this field i used to always play in as a kid. i went in the park to spark some nostalgia and my dad pushed me on a swing for the first time since i was like 7. we walked for about 40 minutes. once i got back to my aunts i went on pinterest to look at some diys. i saved a photo example of how to make a can tab bracelet, a cardboard minecraft sword, a cardboard coffin shelf, a little fairy/elf house thing made up of pebbles, a cardboard direction sign, a bottlecap tortoise, and a number of other things i dont know how to explain. after i couldnt seem to find anything else, i watched my sister play fnaf a bit more. we had to leave so i stopped and got ready for home at 12.

i don’t really remember what i did when i got home, but it would’ve been the same as always. maybe a small nap, then obviously questions about boris, then i say goodnight to boris. i went to sleep at 3.

🗝️ — boris/my cat, archie/my family’s dog

have a good day/night O_o

[mysandwichgiver]

OPINION

Our democracy is much more frail than Biden

by Will Bunch | Columnist

Published July 2, 2024, 12:04 p.m. ET

Do newspaper columnists know that democracy’s closer to death than Biden?

One of the first things they teach doctors in medical school is the imperfect but necessary art of triage, the technique used on a battlefield or during some other mass-casualty event to determine who is most gravely wounded and who needs immediate attention during a crisis when the system is overwhelmed, and clear-headed thinking will save lives.

Clearly, this is not something that is taught in journalism school.

Over the course of a remarkable weekend, I saw the best minds of my boomer generation destroyed by madness — newspaper columnists and other big shots convinced they were cosplayers in a real-world episode of The West Wing, saving America by giving chief of staff Leo McGarry the best words to convince an ailing President Bartlet that it’s time to step down.

The soft clacking of these keyboard commandos turned into a stampede as the nation’s pundits, its editorial-page poobahs, mega-rich but anonymous donors, and Democratic horse whisperers competed to outdo each other on The Daily Rip or in “the paper of record,” or wherever they thought the actual frail president, Joe Biden, might be paying attention.

Dropping names — Whitmer! Shapiro! Warnock! — like a groupie backstage at a heavy-metal concert, floating wildly implausible scenarios, stretching so hard for historical analogies that several probably blew out a hamstring, America’s pundit class managed to achieve a level of groupthink that surpassed the brainwashers of The Manchurian Candidate. All argued that for the good of the country he loves, Biden — hoarse, barely audible, and visibly confused a few times during Thursday’s Atlanta presidential debate — must immediately end his candidacy.

Meanwhile, in the actual America that less resembles The West Wing than the disaster flick Don’t Look Up, two comets simultaneously bore down on America in the hours leading up to its 248th — and possibly last — birthday as a democratic republic.

First, there is Donald Trump — desperate to avoid his sentencing for his 34 felony convictions, firing off racist insults about “Black jobs” and “bad Palestinians,” and carrying around a 900-page blueprint for American dictatorship called Project 2025 — streaking into the cosmic void of our troubled republic.

Meanwhile, don’t look up but a thoroughly corrupt and compromised Supreme Court is blazing a second trail toward American autocracy. In a flurry of body punches over the last several days, the nation’s highest court gutted the federal government’s ability to regulate fat-cat corporate polluters or stock swindlers, but said poor folks who sleep outside because there’s nowhere else to go can be arrested. Then, with a fierce right hook, it issued a 6-3 partisan ruling that will help Trump — who appointed three of them — evade justice while placing all future presidents above the law.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three liberal naysayers, read her blistering minority opinion from the bench Monday morning, arguing that the court’s finding that a president performing official acts can be immune from criminal prosecution “effectively creates a law-free zone around the president, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the founding.” She ended with the words, “with fear for our democracy, I dissent.”

I wish Justice Sotomayor had the bandwidth and the energy to work a second shift as editorial page editor at one of our major newspapers.

At Time magazine (yes, it still exists), the cover of its new issue contained just one word, “Panic” — not at the prospect of an American dictator with the seeming power to have the military assassinate his enemies, but at Biden’s health. At the New York Times (yes, it still exists), an editorial board that considered it pointless, or whatever, to call for Trump to leave the race after those 34 felony convictions — as well as the civil rape and financial fraud verdicts and the two impeachments and three other pending indictments — made its grand pronouncement that it’s Biden who must go. Other papers jumped on the bandwagon, including the swing state Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which in the 1950s and ‘60s won Pulitzers for its courage in taking on Southern racists before deciding instead to appeal to their grandchildren.

And look, I’m not going to argue that Biden’s health is not an issue. His debate performance was troubling, but I also think those of us determined not to see Donald Trump become president again should take a deep breath — even if that’s not the clickbait headline that many are eager to write. Biden needs to do more to assure the public about his energy level, and we also need to see the polls. Any decision should be based on the paramount thing — the thing that should be getting 72-point headlines: stopping dictatorship. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote Monday in her dissent, this is a “five-alarm fire that threatens to consume democratic self-governance.”

The power of Monday’s dissents by Jackson and Sotomayor form quite the contrast with the speculative flights of fancy about a brokered convention in Chicago, which, it’s worth noting, have largely come from white male boomer types. Many Black and brown and female voices, on the other hand, are urging Biden to stay as the only realistic hope — warts and all — of beating Trump in November. Maybe people who in one way or another know the horror of being treated as a second-class citizen understand the risk of dictatorship in a way that white dudes who’ve always been OK do not.

Most journalists want to be seen as savvy (or not naïve, essentially the same thing) and influential. Many editorial writers and columnists are still hurting from the fact that Trump was elected in 2016 with zero major print endorsements. They think calling for Trump to drop out would make them look foolish now that the Republican Party has devolved into a dangerous cult. But a demand for Biden to drop out might actually happen — so that’s savvy, right?

Except maybe the dangerous cult is the more important crisis, especially when it carries a printed guide to dictatorship and holds six justices in its back pocket. To focus on the actual threat we are facing, I wish America’s top pundits would spend less time watching reruns of The West Wing and maybe pick up a copy of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

The reality of what’s happening in July 2024 — that an authoritarian-minded president, with help from a politicized and unethical Supreme Court, is on track to lead a nation where all power is being vested in him, his MAGA movement, and the corporate polluters — is THE story, and Biden’s health is a subplot in that drama. The current president is walking slowly, but it’s the American Experiment that’s on a ventilator. Journalists aren’t doing their job: performing basic triage and focusing on the sickest patient in the room. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.

[infisonicosm-moved]

JOSHKISZKAS FIC RECAP

I saw someone else do this and thought it was a brilliant idea! Since we’re half way the year, I want to look back at all the fics I have reblogged each month and share them again with all my followers.

Fics are separated by the month I read them in! I underestimated just how much I’ve read these past six months. Every one of these writers should be proud of themselves and I encourage you all to read their works!

JANUARY

* In A Past Life

Pairing: Sam Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 450 — Category: Fluff

Summary: Sam discovers a TikTok trend and wants to show y/n

* Call The Hunters pt.6

Pairing: Danny Wagner X F!OC — Word Count: 3.8k+ — Category: Violence/Gore/Angst

Summary: The adventures or Danny and Yelena continue

* Headcanon Blurb

Pairing: GVF X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Confessing you have a crush on them and their reactions

* Josh Blurb #14

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh and you have the same love language- physical touch

* Fluff Alphabet (Josh Kiszka)

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Every letter of the alphabet associated with something fluffy about Josh

* Sam Blurb

Pairing: Sam Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Cuddling with Sam leads to your first kiss

* Baby Of Mine

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: You’re struggling with breastfeeding and Josh helps

* J’s Lullaby

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Jake asks you to sing him to sleep

* Headcanon Blurb

Pairing: GVF X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: They’re clingy

* Josh Blurb #22

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh finds you looking at your stretch marks and he makes you feel loved and good about yourself despite not having confidence

* Sweet Creature

Pairing: Danny Wagner X Reader — Word Count: 500 — Category: Hurt/Comfort

Summary: BF!Danny comforts you after a hard day

* Let Down

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.6k — Category: Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Josh gets a little upset over the events of their final concert of the year

FEBRUARY

* Maybe One More Day

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 4.9k+ — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: Josh has been your best friend for years, and a short beach vacation with the group is about to take a turn

* Just Ours, Tonight

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 7.4k+ — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: He’s your best friend, but that may be about to change (pt.2 of Maybe One More Day)

* Nothing Could Compare

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 7k+ — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: Trying something new can be intimidating, but love finds a way (pt.3 of Maybe One More Day)

* Babbler

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.6k — Category: Fluff

Summary: Your baby says their first word

* Need Some Healing

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.7k — Category: Fluff/Hurt/Comfort

Summary: After a busy weekend, Josh needs a little extra bit of attention and relaxation

* Songbird

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 2.4k+ — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: Josh is nervous about performing, you reassure him it’s going to be okay

* Uncharted Territory

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 16.9k+ — Category: Fluff/Angst/18+*

Summary: Becoming Josh’s assistant isn’t what you thought it would be

* Uncharted Territory II

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 7.8k+ — Category: Fluff/Angst/18+*

Summary: Becoming Josh’s assistant isn’t what you thought it would be (pt.2 of Uncharted Territory)

* All I’ve Ever Wanted

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.8k — Category: Angst/Fluff/18+*

Summary: Josh is hesitant to make things official until he fears he’s going to lose you

* Imperfect Moments(Masterlist)

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Angst/Slow Burn/18+*

Summary: You’re in love with your best friend. His twin brother hates you. Or does he?

* Something New

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 3.8k — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: Something blue, something borrowed, and something new

* The Perfect Gift

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: Josh is stubborn and his ear hurts. You make it better

* Velvet

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 883 — Category: Fluff

Summary: You help Josh get ready for one of his shows

* Something About You

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 15.5k — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: Drawn to you from the moment you met, consumed by you before your first date, he would do anything for you. There’s just something about you

* Josh Blurb

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: You had a stressful day at work and Josh takes care of you with lots of cuddles and loving

MARCH

* Jake Blurb

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Angst/Comfort

Summary: Jake misses you while on tour

* Surprise, Surprise

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Telling Josh you’re pregnant

* Slow Dance

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: Dancing with Josh to help him feel better

* Sun To Me: Little Love

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X F!OC — Word Count: 6.3k — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: The adventures of Callie and Josh continue

* Josh Blurb

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Josh hurts himself going to hard with the tambourine, you fix him up

* Sleepy Time

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh successfully gets your little girl to sleep

* Stage Fright

Pairing: Josh X Jake X Sam X Danny — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: All 4 of them are nervous to perform MTM

* Sloppy

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.3k — Category: PWP/18+*

Summary: Josh titty fucks you

APRIL

* Painted Up

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader— Word Count: 2.8k — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh decides to experiment with stage makeup, which leads to more than a couple surprising things

* Tequila

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader— Word Count: 2.8k — Category: Fluff/18+*

Summary: Josh finally gets to titty fuck you after fantasizing about it for so long

* The One Where They Did A Farmers Market

Pairing: Josh X Jake X Sam X Danny— Word Count: 1.1k+ — Category: Fluff/Comedy

Summary: All 4 of them have separate booths at a Farmers Market

* Bathing in the Light

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 813 — Category: Fluff

Summary: A short little drabble about Josh admiring his newly wed wife as she sleeps blissfully next to him

* Stretch

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 900 — Category: Fluff/Comfort/18+*

Summary: Josh comforts you when you have negative thoughts about your body

* Bliss

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 900 — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh changes your baby’s diaper. It’s adorable

MAY

* Sunshine On My Shoulders

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 11k — Category: Fluff/Angst/18+*

Summary: Who doesn't love a good friends to lovers trope with some spice in the mix?

* Miss You

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Smut/18+*

Summary: Vamp!Jake fucks

* Josh Blurb

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Smut/18+*

Summary: Josh eats you out while you try to read a book

* Danny Blurb

Pairing: Danny Wagner X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff

Summary: Dad!Danny getting home from tour

* Little Bird

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1.6k — Category: Fluff/Comfort

Summary: Josh finds himself getting insecure and emotional late at night with your daughter

* All Of The Time I Love You

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 856 — Category: Fluff

Summary: Josh sings to you and dances with you in the kitchen

* Dance For Me

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 5k — Category: Smut/18+*

Summary: Josh finds your old stripper heels in the back of your closet and requests a dance

* Care

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 1k — Category: Fluff

Summary: After a long day, josh helps you relax

* Deja Vu

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 7.7k — Category: Fluff/Angst/Smut/18+*

Summary: Between a span of nearly two years, you and jake would have occasional hookups every time he was back in town after touring. but once he abruptly stopped shooting you texts and seeing you, you figured you two were done for, and you despised ever spending time on him. so, once you see him in your local bar after six months, you're caught off guard with anger, but remembrance of how much you missed him, and how you truly feel about him

* Some Gifts Aren’t Meant To Be Shared

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: 7.7k — Category: Smut/18+*

Summary: It’s Josh’s birthday and you treat him to a special morning, or try to at least

* Pick Yourself Up pt.1

Pairing: Jake X Josh X Sam X Danny — Word Count: 4.7k — Category: Hurt/Comfort/Angst

Summary: After years of trying to make his dream of being a musician a reality, jake continues to fall short. on the brink of giving up, can his passion alone keep him afloat, or will he need help from others?

* Jake Blurb

Pairing: Jake Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Angst/Comfort

Summary: Trying to help relieve Jake of some stress goes wrong

JUNE

* Nap Time

Pairing: Josh Kiszka X Reader — Word Count: n/a — Category: Fluff/Angst

Summary: Josh is moody and needs a nap

[leasstories]

Letter two:

TW: Depiction of grief, after Eddie’s death, bittersweet

Letter 1 - Letter 3

April 23rd,1986

Dear Eds,

I’m sorry for not writing to you yesterday. It was a really hard day. I wasn’t capable of getting out of bed. I’m missing you so much it hurts. Dinner with Wayne went well. We ate and then he suggested that we watch a movie. We watched one of those movies you ate. It was a rom-com and if you were there you would have screamed at us to turn off the TV.

I’m not gonna lie to you like I did to Wayne but watching it was hard. Watching people stupidly in love when my lover isn’t here anymore hurts so bad. The little sheep were supposed to come play DnD at my place yesterday but I called them, giving the excuse that I was sick. Your little genius didn’t believe me though. I heard him bang at my door and screaming at me to open the door. I feel bad about but I didn’t... I didn’t let him in.

He started acting more like you since you are gone. The kid is even trying to grow his hair to be like “his hero” as he put it. You’d be proud of him, and of his campaigns. You were right, he really is a genius.

Also, I forgot to tell you but a few days ago Judas Priest released a new album. It’s entitled Turbo. As soon as I can get out again, I’ll go buy the tape. I’ll write a review for you as soon as it’s done.

Also, when I got home from Wayne’s, I finally painted your van as I promised I would. No imperfections anymore.

I don’t have a lot to tell you as I stayed home all day yesterday. I really miss you Eds... I feel so empty without you. I selfishly wish you were the one drying my tears. I wish you were here, holding me at night, when the sobs wrack my body. Before I thought that I couldn’t bear to see you hurt, but now I realize that I’d rather see you hurt than not see you at all. When the earthquake happened and you were nowhere to be found, I didn’t imagine one second that I would never see you again. Eddie Munson, you were both the best and worse thing that ever happened to me.

I still have no news from UCLA. The community college accepted me but I declined. How am I supposed to leave town without you? All I’m left with are the memories, the places we both liked. Besides, I feel like leaving Hawkins without you would be a betrayal. I really can’t do it alone Eds. I need you... I really need you right now...

Is it my fault? Should I have been looking for you more? What could have I done not to lose you? I lost the will to live. The song I relate to the most at the moment is Fade to Black in Metallica’s Ride the Lightning album.

Also, I thought you should know that we postponed Corroded Coffin’s concert at the Hideout as I wasn’t feeling well yesterday. It’s going to be on Tuesday, April 28th. I wish you could be here too, strumming Sweetheart by my side.

Sorry, I had to put the pen down, Steve Harrington (Can you believe it?) came to check on me. I lied to him and said I was fine but I don’t think he believed me. He insisted that he’d stop by later tonight but I don’t think I’ll open the door to him. I don’t want to see anyone else than you Eddie. Anyways, I love you endlessly.

Yours, always

- Your lover

Taglist: @abellmunsonmovie

[deprivedmusicaljunkie]

#8 - better love

counting down the days to my concert with my top ten favorite songs!

10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

when our truth is burned from history by those who figured justice in fond memory, witness me like fire weeping from a cedar tree, know that my love would burn with me we’ll live eternally

this song is criminally slept on, even in the fandom. the story of tarzan really adds another layer to this—that the song is coming from the perspective of someone who has witnessed all the brutalities of man and nature but is still comforted by their lover. it’s also definitely a reassurance to the other person: any imperfection in the world amounts to nothing in comparison to the goodness of our love. i wish he would perform this live…

[omori-runaway-au]

How It Began.... (Part 3/End)

Eventually, everyone made it to the concert hall, patiently waiting for Mari and Sunny to go on stage.

In the backstage, Mari and Sunny were getting ready, with Erika whispering, "Just give me a sign that you need me to intervene. Okay?" Her siblings nodded quietly, leaning against the very tall teenager as she hugged them.

Once Erika left, Mari looked over at Sunny. She noticed how emotionally detached he was from her. How red his fingers were…and tears began to form in her eyes.

Why couldn't she have noticed on her own…?

All this time, her brother had been struggling….

And she was completely unaware of it….

"Sunny…?" Mari called out, receiving a small glance from her brother. "Can we talk? Please?" The boy looked at his sister, before eventually nodding, sitting with her.

"I'm sorry…for never noticing what you were going through." She said quietly, lowering her head. "I swear to you, I never meant to hurt you. But I did…and I'm so sorry for that…."

She then cupped Sunny's cheek, taking in a shaky breath, "But I promise you. I will try to do better. For Erika. For YOU. For all three of us." "Okay? …I love you so much, sunshine." She added, tears beginning to run down her face.

….

….

Something in Sunny's heart cracked…and he immediately hugged Mari tightly, quietly crying in his sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry…!" He whispered.

Mari nodded, sighing in relief, "I know…."

"I should've told you…!"

"It's okay…."

"I love you…!"

"I love you too, baby brother…."

Unbeknownst to the two siblings, Erika was just outside the room, a warm smile on her face.

Things would get better.

For them.

....

....

Erika could tell that there was some dissatisfaction from her siblings. Not because it was imperfect…but because they didn't have fun with it.

It seemed that their friends also noticed it, judging by their attempts to reassure the siblings.

Once everyone went home, she made sure the siblings were brought to the safety of their shared bedroom, before going down and meeting with her parents in the living room.

"Sunny broke his violin." Her father said, clearly disappointed. The albino teen narrowed her eyes, "Watch what you say next."

Silence fell on the three, before Erika explained. "Your daughter and son were obviously frustrated and stressed out by the recital practice." "Sunny broke the violin as a result of that stress." She added.

"They need a break from your "expectations". An ACTUAL and honest rest from you thinking what's best for them." The albino teen added. "They need a chance to be themselves. Not your "model" children."

Her parents looked at her, as if shocked that she didn't trust them enough to raise their children. Eventually though, her father sighed, "Alright. We'll give them a period of rest."

"We'll give them a chance to be themselves…." He added quickly.

Erika didn't believe a single word, of course, being a victim of her parents' neglect. But right now, it was not worth arguing about this. She's tired….

Without a word, she headed upstairs to her siblings' shared room, promptly sleeping with them in the sleeping bag she prepared earlier.

….

….

It was going to be a long fall and winter….

Erika could already tell.

//This is the end…of the beginning. Next, you will be reading the consequences of this day.

[rowoon-updates]

220123 SF9 Rowoon at Imperfect Concert Day 3‬‬‬‬‬ © noowor do not edit, crop, or remove the watermark

[matilda-jugs]

💕Positivity prime time! Share five things you love about yourself, four things you're excited about, OR three people you care deeply about and why. Pass this along to someone whose posts make you smile💕

Things i love about myself

1. My ability to love

2. My style

3. My love for harry styles

4. The ability for me to care about little things

5. My hair

4 things I’m excited about

1. Cigarettes after sex concert Friday

2. Spending time with my best friend

3. Becoming a vet assistant

4. Waiting for us to heal

3 people I care about and why

1. My best friend Mia, she’s always been there for me and supported me even when I’m in the wrong she believes I’m in the right. I feel loved by her even when she doesn’t show it much I know I mean something to her.

2. My sister, she’s been there for me for every little and big thing and has comforted me when no one else could or wanted to. I feel cared by her and she comforts me more than anyone could physically.

3. My first love, he just knew me. He read my mind. Everything about him is so special and I worship and look up to him a lot. He got through so many things and it makes me admire him as a person. If anyone told me I was just like him, I think I’d cry happy tears. He was the most perfect man. Everything makes him perfect even his imperfections it’s still so absolutely perfect, it’s ridiculous. He’s such a shy, confident person and he doesn’t even know it and it makes him even better. He was the first person who I fell in love with and ultimately the last person; I don’t regret knowing him and i don’t regret anything i ever did with him because i know to this day he is the man I’m gonna marry, it’s gonna be a hard and difficult journey but I’m willing to go through hard times to be with him forever; to call him mine forever. I love you my angel. 23.

[derwahnsinn]

31 Days Idol Challenge - Day 13: Favourite Quote

Picking a favourite quote is not so easy, but I landed on one from the Making of Reise, Reise where he and producer Jacob Hellner are listening to a passage from his bass track for Feuer und Wasser. One part is seemingly not played as planned: Jacob Hellner: Sounds like a mistake in my ears. Oliver Riedel: *chuckle* That's music.

Not only is it one of the few times Oliver has spoken English on camera, but I just love the implication of what he says - it's music, and music is not necessarily about doing everything perfectly. I agree so much with this. Often, it's the imperfections that make the music come to life!

Honourable mentions: Oliver is often very to the point and answers questions factually and honestly. Though the man is actually really funny if the questions give room for it. It's such a shame that they most often weren't - and that he doesn't seem to give interviews anymore. Oliver about accepting criticism and attacks: «If it is justified, definitely. But if you are imprisoned because people saw Flake's butt, then absolutely not.» Oliver about his nickname Orgien-Olli: «There's a nice story to go with it. After the concerts, my band mates would rush off to parties - hoping to meet women. That wasn't really my cup of tea, so I usually went to the hotel alone. Once again it was such an evening. I arrived at the hotel and suddenly found myself surrounded by ten screaming female fans. My band was partying somewhere, but I had the women around me. What to do? I took them with me to the room and didn't know what to do with them. I'm not a womaniser. I turned on the TV, but that was kind of boring. I grabbed the ladies and took them to where the others were already partying - without women, of course. When we walked in, my band mates couldn't believe their eyes. Olli, secretly a ladies' man - the orgy Olli.»

Oliver about how to prepare for a Rammstein concert: «Bring an umbrella, helmet, and fireproof clothing.»

Oliver about which jobs that make a woman attractive to a man: «All creative professions such as fashion designer, painter, nurse, or tour guide in Iceland.»

Oliver about Eifersucht: «A song in the old Rammstein style: Blunt and stupid.»

Oliver about noise: «What do I miss? Silence. Before the concerts, I sit in the stadium showers and play flamenco on my acoustic guitar. Good acoustics. That is how I pick myself up, so to say. The hotels and restaurants are the worst. Everywhere there's drum'n'bass, house, it's all rattling, buzzing, chirping, looping. You can dance your way through these hotels, from your room through the hallway, the elevator, past the breakfast hall, and through the lobby out onto the street. Spinning around, bobbing your head, clapping your hands, grooving out. The horror.»

[@tinnike Note that I didn't add your favourite quote, so you can add it yourself in the comments!]

-- Tinnike's 31 Days Idol Challenge

Day 1: At the Airport Day 2: Barefoot Day 3: Climbing Day 4: Cycling Day 5: Dancing Day 6: Fav. Boots/Shoes Day 7: Fav. Casual Outfit Day 8: Fav. Hat/Headgear Day 9: Fav. Music Video Outfit Day 10: Fav. Role in Music Video Day 11: Fav. Stage Make-Up Day 12: Fav. Stage Outfit

[cherrygirlystuff]

How Early 2000s Fashion is Fueling the Indie Sleaze Revival – Get Ready to Be Layered in Nostalgia!

Hey, babe! 🌸 So, have you noticed how the early 2000s are totally making a comeback? It’s like someone hit rewind on our favorite fashion moments from that era, and honestly, I’m living for it! The vibe? Indie Sleaze – and it’s all about bringing back those edgy, glam, and slightly chaotic looks that defined the coolest scenes from the turn of the millennium. Let’s dive into how the Y2K fashion revival is fueling this Indie Sleaze resurgence, and how you can totally rock these vibes in your own way. Get ready to be layered in nostalgia! 🎧✨

What Even Is Indie Sleaze? 🌟

Okay, before we get into the fashion deets, let’s talk about what Indie Sleaze actually is. Picture this: It’s the early 2000s, and you’re at a dimly lit, underground concert or an afterparty that feels like it might never end. The air is thick with the sound of guitars, the smell of hairspray, and the energy of a crowd that’s just as cool as they are chaotic. The style? Messy yet glamorous, with a “don’t care” attitude that’s somehow still perfectly put together. That, my dear, is Indie Sleaze.

This aesthetic is all about blending high and low fashion, mixing vintage finds with designer pieces, and embracing a look that’s effortlessly undone. It’s grunge meets glam, with a dash of nostalgia for those Myspace days when everyone was a little bit emo and a whole lot of cool.

Early 2000s Fashion – The Roots of Indie Sleaze 👖

Now, let’s talk about how the early 2000s are fueling this revival. Back in the day, fashion was all about low-rise jeans, chunky belts, mini skirts, layered tank tops, and more eyeliner than you knew what to do with. It was a time when your outfit wasn’t complete without a pair of scuffed-up Converse or boots and a vintage band tee you snagged from a thrift store.

We’re seeing all those iconic elements making a major comeback, but with a modern twist. Here’s how:

1. Low-Rise Jeans & Mini Skirts – The Return of the Rebel Fit 💥

Remember when low-rise jeans were the thing? Well, they’re back, and they’re bringing mini skirts with them. This time around, it’s all about that perfectly imperfect fit – think low-rise flares paired with a cropped graphic tee, or a mini skirt worn with a slouchy sweater. It’s casual, it’s cool, and it’s got that “I just threw this on” vibe that screams Indie Sleaze.

2. Layered Tank Tops & Chunky Belts – Double the Trouble 👚

Layering is everything in Indie Sleaze, and the early 2000s gave us the blueprint. Layered tank tops in contrasting colors, paired with chunky belts slung low on the hips, create a look that’s equal parts playful and edgy. Throw in some fishnets or torn tights, and you’ve got a look that’s ready for a night out (or just a day of feeling like the coolest person in the room).

3. Vintage Band Tees & Thrifted Gems – The Heart of Indie Sleaze 🎸

Vintage band tees are a must-have for any Indie Sleaze outfit. The more worn-in, the better. These tees are the ultimate throwback to those days when you’d scour thrift stores for the perfect one-of-a-kind find. Pair them with anything – jeans, skirts, even over a slip dress – and you’ve got a look that’s as effortlessly cool as it is nostalgic.

4. Messy Hair & Smoky Eyes – The Ultimate Indie Sleaze Beauty Look 🖤

Indie Sleaze isn’t just about the clothes – it’s about the whole vibe, and that includes beauty. We’re talking about messy, undone hair that looks like you just rolled out of bed (but in the most fabulous way possible) and smoky eyes that are smudged just right. It’s all about looking like you’ve been up all night dancing to your favorite indie band – and honestly, who wouldn’t want to channel that energy?

Why We’re All Here for This Revival 🎶

So, why is Indie Sleaze making a comeback now? Honestly, I think it’s because we’re all craving a little bit of that carefree, rebellious spirit that defined the early 2000s. It was a time when fashion was all about self-expression, when mixing high and low was the norm, and when everything felt just a little bit grungy – in the best way possible.

With everything going on in the world, there’s something comforting about tapping into that nostalgic energy. It’s like revisiting a simpler time when all you needed was a good pair of jeans, a band tee, and some eyeliner to feel like you could take on the world.

How to Rock Indie Sleaze in 2024 – Your Style Guide 🕶️

Ready to bring a little Indie Sleaze into your wardrobe? Here’s how to make it work:

1. Mix and Match: Don’t be afraid to combine pieces that seem like they shouldn’t go together. Layer a fancy top over a vintage band tee, or pair a mini skirt with a baggy hoodie. The more unexpected, the better.

2. Go for the Grunge Glam: Channel that grungy yet glamorous energy by adding a little edge to your look. Think fishnet tights, chunky boots, and plenty of silver jewelry.

3. Keep It Messy: When it comes to hair and makeup, remember that less is more – as in, the less effort it looks like you put in, the better. Smudged eyeliner and bedhead are your best friends.

4. Embrace the Nostalgia: Don’t shy away from those early 2000s staples – low-rise jeans, layered tanks, chunky belts, and all the band tees you can find. It’s all about bringing that era back with a fresh, modern twist.

Final Thoughts, Babe: Get Ready to Sleaze It Up 💋

So, there you have it – the lowdown on how early 2000s fashion is fueling the Indie Sleaze revival. It’s all about embracing that perfectly imperfect vibe, mixing old with new, and layering your looks with a healthy dose of nostalgia. Whether you’re going full-on Indie Sleaze or just adding a few elements here and there, it’s time to have fun with your fashion and let your rebellious spirit shine.

What do you think, babe? Are you ready to embrace the Indie Sleaze revival, or is Y2K fashion better left in the past? Let’s chat in the comments – I’m dying to know how you’re going to style this look! 💕

[flurrys-creativity]

Wabi - sabi Epilogue

(n.) [a concept] the japanese art of finding beauty within imperfection

Pairing: Kim Taehyung (BTS) x Fem!Hybrid!Reader; Genre: Hybrid AU, Romance, Fluff; Wordcount: 2.198; Rating: sfw, NC-17; Warnings: Blind!Reader, brief hints of past situations, Bangtan boys being Bangtan boys, short moment of tension with JK, Yoongi being a terrible liar (the observations are based on actual run bts episodes), Tae being nervous, one kiss (like on the lips); Based on the blind hybrid prompt of @hybridfanfiction

Summary: Being a failure in the eyes of science you hadn’t much hope for being permanently adopted as a blind hybrid. Instead you focused on music, the only thing that brought you joy. Until a stranger with the deepest and most beautiful voice you ever had heard wanted to adopt you. Would he really keep you for more than three days?

Chapter:  [1]   [2]   [3]   [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]   [8]   [9]  [10]  [11]  [12]  [13]  [14]  [15]  [16]  [17]  [18]  [19]  [20]  [21]  [Epilogue]

You turned around with a discontent groan, wriggling around between your bed sheets. Something was amiss but your drowsy mind couldn’t place a finger on it just yet. A soft groan bubbled up from your throat and you turned again, shivering from the cool air inside the room.

At that moment you shot up, sitting straight on the mattress and patting around the soft surface until you could confirm you were alone on your bed. Your ears swivelled around, hoping to hear Taehyung somewhere within the apartment but except for Yeontan’s light snoring in the living room it stayed quiet.

You frowned and wrecked your mind, hoping for a memory where Taehyung told you he wouldn’t be at home today, but you came up empty.

It’s been several months since the concert and in all that time Taehyung nearly had gone to square one refusing to leave your side. It took a lot of convincing that he actually left for work again or didn’t lounge at Yoongi’s studio while you worked. He only ever left after you would reciprocate his ‘I love you’, before going. 

So not having Taehyung around, felt off. You got out of your bed and changed into something comfortable, silently walking over to the shared apartment afterwards.

Even before you opened the door you already heard several members inside. “Morning”, you called into the apartment, wanting to announce yourself before they even saw you. Ever since you walked in on them planning a surprise party for you and basically ruining the surprise because you heard everything they said, you started calling out as soon as you came around.

“Y/N! It’s good to see you”, Jin greeted you with a stifled laugh. “Do you want something to eat?”

“I actually wanted to ask if any of you have heard from Tae”, you admitted and sat down on one couch after making sure nobody sat there already. “He isn’t home.” 

Your ears immediately picked up nervous shuffling and accelerated heartbeats. 

“No idea where he is, have you checked whether he left a voice message? Maybe he was idiotic enough and left a written note for you.” Yoongi answered after clearing his throat. He immediately continued to muse about the possibilities Taehyung could have used to notify you about his absence.

“Yoongi”, you said softly, laughing quietly when he finally stopped talking. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“How would you know I’m lying?”

This time you laughed a little louder and shook your head. “Firstly I hear all your heartbeats. Dead give away, but”, you paused and turned towards Yoongi, “your heartbeat seems fine. The only thing giving you away is the fact you’re talking.”

Yoongi scoffed and sat up, leaning forward as he eyed you in suspicion. “What about my talking?”

“You start talking a lot when you want to cover something up. I realised it when we all played the liar game together a few weeks ago.” 

Jimin and Hoseok, who had stayed quiet so far, started laughing almost maniacally, clapping loudly and from the sound of it even falling over. They gasped for air when Jungkook entered the room, barely reducing themselves to giggles.

“Taehyung is out to check the last preparations for something special”, Jungkook told you, sitting down next to you. Though instead of relaxing into the cushions like he used to, he sat somewhat tense beside you. 

“Thanks for telling me”, you told him with a grateful smile. You didn’t comment on his awkward position, knowing full well Jungkook tried his very best to be normal around you. 

The day after the concert you had talked with him, wanting to make sure he knew you wouldn’t blame him for what happened. The very same day Jungkook had confessed to you. For a split second you had been stunned and incredibly surprised by the confession until you remembered Taehyung’s words the night prior, the pieces now coming together.

“You don’t love me back”, Jungkook had whispered, laughing softly as he tried to hide his pain. You apologised, unsure how else to react, but Jungkook brushed it off, asking whether the both of you could still be friends.

“I’d like that.” You had said back then and you appreciated his effort ever since.

“Were you even allowed to tell her that?” Jimin chided, now that he finally caught his breath. “We were supposed to let her think she’s going to her usual therapy appointment.”

You heard a loud slap followed by a muffled curse and apology. You stifled a laugh, knowing full well Jimin reprimanded himself just now for saying too much. Almost immediately Jin and Hoseok started scolding Jimin, nearly whining about him ruining the surprise.

Jungkook chuckled lowly and finally relaxed next to you, sinking further into the cushion of the couch. “It’s better you stop listening to them before they reveal even more”, he whispered to you.

The scolding stopped when Yoongi’s phone started ringing. All the attention snapped to him. “Yeah?” He hummed a few times and started motioning towards the others.

Your ears picked up Namjoon’s distressed voice and even a faint call from Taehyung. It took everything within your willpower not to listen to the conversation. Instead you mumbled about getting some breakfast. 

Jin and Jimin immediately came with you, keeping you company while the others followed Yoongi. Once they left the apartment you didn’t hear of them for the rest of the day.

The day went by at a slow pace even though Jin and Jimin tried everything to distract you as much as possible. At one point in the late afternoon you decided to simply listen to some music while cuddling with Yeontan, dozing off on the sofa after a while.

Therefore you were startled awake when Jimin burst into the apartment, calling for you in a sing-song voice. “Darling, you need to get dressed!”

“I am dressed”, you mumbled and wiggled yourself further into the blankets. 

Jimin sighed deeply and you just knew he looked at you in disappointment. Another sigh left his lips when you refused to move at all, close to dozing off again. “Taehyung is waiting for you and you can’t meet him like that!”

You sat up, wriggling yourself out of the blankets and turning towards Jimin. “Tae is waiting? Where?”

Jimin held your hand and helped you from the couch, chuckling softly at your eager demeanour. “You’ll know once you get there but right now the two of us are going to do something about your style.”

The impatience was almost unbearable. You basically bounced on the stool while Jimin tried doing your hair, scolding you every now and then for moving too much.

“You guys ready?” Jungkook appeared at the door, leaning against the frame while Jimin scolded you yet again from moving.

“Depends”, Jimin grumbled and stepped away from you, circling your form for a moment. “Y/N please stand up.” He brushed over the fabric of your dress and stepped back yet again. “Are you feeling comfortable like this?”

Your fingers trailed over the fabric as well and you gently swayed with your hips, feeling how the dress followed your movements. “I feel special”, you admitted, ears trained on the two men to pick up their reactions.

“You are special”, Jungkook answered, ignoring the pointed look he got from Jimin. “I’m your driver, if that’s okay with you. I’m actually here to get you to Taehyung.”

“I’m going to meet Tae now?” A bright smile spread over your lips and you quickly nodded your head, ignoring Jimin’s whining about your hair getting all loose again.

The ride to Taehyung went by in a blur. You barely picked up anything from your surroundings. It even took you a few steps to realise Namjoon had greeted you at the destination after you got out of Jungkook’s car. 

Namjoon had offered you his arm, which you accepted thankfully. He led you along some paths. The scents filling the air around you, reminded you of the gardens you had visited with Taehyung. The first date if you wanted to call it like that. It felt like a lifetime ago that happened.

“I’ll take it from here”, the deep timbre of Taehyung broke the silence. He gently grabbed your hand and pulled you into a hug. “You look stunning, little one.”

Your hands wandered along his chest and up to his face, cupping his cheeks. You let your fingertips brush over some features of his face, memorising his expression. “I’m sure you look even better.”

Taehyung kissed the inside of your wrist. “I’m looking like I fell straight out of bed compared to you. Jimin really outdid himself with your style. Guess I have to thank him tomorrow.”

You giggled softly. “He scolded me a lot for not staying still.”

“How come you didn’t?” Taehyung asked, a lilt of amusement in his voice. He continued leading you along the paths, nodding one last time to his hyungs and Jungkook before he moved his attention solely on you.

“I was excited to be with you again.”

Taehyung chuckled lowly. “Did you miss me that much during the day, little one?” Another chuckle left his lips when he saw you nod and pout. “I’m sorry about that but I had to prepare this for you.”

“For me?”

Taehyung simply hummed and led you up a few steps on some sort of wooden platform. Soft music started playing from above and your ears turned around, trying to locate the speakers.

“I want you to focus on your surroundings, little one. Can you do that for me?”

You nodded and took a deep breath in. Once again the scents of dozens of flowers filled your nose, though you also smelled Taehyung’s cologne as well as his natural scent, which you loved so much. You heard birds chirp in the distance despite the soft melody in the air around. You also felt Taehyung’s warm hands holding yours and his heart beating like crazy within his body.

“You’re nervous”, you mumbled and tilted your head, indicating you wanted to know why.

“I had hoped you’d miss that part”, Taehyung laughed softly. “Maybe a little dance might calm my nerves. Would you give me the honour?”

“I don’t know how to dance”, you told him and if it weren’t for him holding your hands you would have been fidgeting with your fingers.

“You don’t need to know”, Taehyung murmured into your ear, “just follow my lead.” He placed your left hand on his shoulder and held your right in his own hand, placing his free hand on your hip and pulled you closer to him. 

At first Taehyung mumbled where you had to step while he guided you with his body, following the soft rhythm of the music. “You’re a fast learner”, he told you and kissed your forehead, swaying with you along the wooden platform.

“You’re a good leader”, you answered him and leaned your head against his collarbone. “Did it help to calm your nervousness though?”

Taehyung squeezed you momentarily. “Not really but that’s alright, little one. I just want this moment to be perfect.”

“You’re with me”, you said softly, “I think it’s perfect like this.” You felt Taehyung laugh silently and straightened again, waiting for him to speak.

“The last time I said this to you I didn’t have planned to actually do it. We actually haven’t even spoken about it ever since. I don’t even know whether you remember the moment in the bathtub all these months ago.”

“I do.”

Taehyung hummed, acknowledging your whispered answer. “Then I don’t know whether anything has changed for you in all this time. I mean, a lot has changed and you’re becoming more and more independent. But I wanted to tell you again and this time I wanted to do it right.”

You felt the butterflies in your stomach coming alive again, swirling around and leaving you with a tingling that spread through your whole nervous system.

“I fell in love with you, little one”, Taehyung said, his tone stable and certain of what he just said. “If you feel the same and if you’re comfortable with it I’d like to be yours.”

“Mine? As in my love?”

“Your love, your boyfriend, your one and only, your darling or sweetheart. Whatever term you like the most. Let me be that for you.”

You moved your hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck. “Ever since you spoke to me in that shelter you were the one and only for me. I love you too, Tae.”

Taehyung wrapped his arms around your middle and pulled you against his body, still swaying from side to side along with the music. 

When you placed your now free hand on his cheek, you felt the bright boxy grin underneath your fingertips, making you smile just as wide. 

Taehyung leaned down and kissed you. At first his lips barely ghosted over your own but once you pushed against him, he deepened the kiss. You two only broke the connection to inhale some much needed air, panting breathlessly as your foreheads still touched each other.

“Thank you for accepting me.”

Chapter 21  |  x

© all rights reserved

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland​ @thedarkwinterrose​

[ghoulangerlee]

I am not immune to the draw of copiaether unfortunately. I also wrote this a few nights ago after waking up suddenly and realizing oh shit i need to write aether taking off copia's papa makeup post ritual and it turned into this so y'know. here we are. not posting on ao3 right now but figured i'd yeet it up here haha. i also don't rly have a title or anything so yknow

but yeah pls accept this soft post ritual moment between copia and aether <3

----

Gentle fingers carefully rub cleansing balm over slightly smudged white and black paint, the lines no longer as pristine as before the concert — makeup had come a long way since the earlier days of the project, but there were still little imperfections even these days, things the lights of the stage don’t catch, like a smudged line under his lower lip that Copia can’t quite see when he’s rushing through changing outfits before his next cue.  

Not that it matters now, not when Aether’s seated across from him in the quiet of the dressing room, lights dimmed and door locked, giving them a brief moment of privacy before they go out and join the crew and other ghouls for a quick rundown of everything, post show.  

Aether’s touch is cool, even if he’d tried to warm the balm between his fingers before touching Copia’s face—not that Copia minds the cool touch against his overheated face is welcome after standing under stage lights all night dressed in layers and makeup that doesn’t quite breathe.  

“You’ll get used to it,” Aether whispers to him, though he’s not quite sure if Aether’s referring to the makeup or the performing or his touch. 

He hums, letting his eyes close as Aether gently circles his thumbs over his eyelids, rubbing in the balm as it cuts away at the paint, making it run a little, the black growing into a lighter gray, “Sometimes, I feel I’m too old to get used to things,” he mumbles back, his voice is a little hoarse now, after singing and yelling and talking for long, interrupted hours.  

Aether tilts his head up a little bit, making sure to rub just under his chin, his thumb gentle against his lower lip as he turns the not quite pristine makeup there into a weird slurry of gray and white, “You’re not that old,” he says, voice full of a soft affection that makes Copia’s chest ache a little. “You do fine on stage, everyone’s entranced by you.”  

When Aether’s hands leave his face, he bites back a disappointed noise, but doesn’t open his eyes as he hears the chair across from him creak as Aether stands, presumably to grab a washcloth from his bag—the sound of water coming from the small bathroom echoing through the quiet fills Copia with a sort of calm, a secret, selfish part of himself preening under the attention his most trusted ghoul is giving him, instead of taking the time to wind down with the others.  

“It’s going to be cool,” Aether warns him, the air displacing around Copia a sign that Aether had come back to him, and, yes, he thinks, as Aether’s knee nudges his, a gentle and damp hand tilting his face upwards as the cool, soft cotton of the fancy washcloths the Ghoulettes had talked him into buying carefully swipes away the mess of paint and balm on his skin.  

He's quiet for this, not much to talk about when Aether is so carefully cleaning all traces of Papa from his face, leaving him as Copia, gentle hands turning and tilting his head until he’s sure every bit of white, black or gray is gone.  

Copia’s lips part a little when he feels the soft washcloth brush just under his ear as Aether tilts his head to the side to get the accumulation of sweat, balm and paint from there.  

“Easy,” Aether murmurs, a low rumbling sound in his chest as he nudges his way further into the vee of Copia’s legs, “Later.”  

A huff, Copia’s mouth feels dry with the promise, and he can’t help the noise of disappointment when Aether steps away again, but only for a moment, and then he’s back, carefully drying his face with another cloth.  

“You can open your eyes when you get ready,” Aether’s voice floats a little, and it takes him a moment to open them as tiredness creeps up on him.  

Aether’s standing close again, hands cupped under his jaw, keeping him there, looking up at Aether towering over him, and that’s when he notices— 

“Oh, Aether, you’re still wearing your mask—” Copia cuts himself off, taking in the amused tilt of Aether’s mouth where he can see it under the mask, “Let me…” he trails off, making a soft noise in his throat when Aether leans his head down, allowing Copia to rest his hands on the sides of the mask, lifting it off of his head.  

Aether’s hair is cut short these days, because it’s easier to deal with under their new masks, but once he’s placed the mask down on the dressing table, he takes a moment to run his fingers through the close-cropped blond hair.  

“There you are,” Copia murmurs, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes more prominent as he smiles, Aether making a happy sort of purr in his throat as he leans into Copia’s touch. “It’s a shame we have to keep your face so hidden,” he murmurs, “Such a handsome ghoul,” he brushes his thumbs against the base of Aether’s horns, feeling the ghoul shiver a little and lean into him even more, the chair making an ominous creaking sound under their combined weight. “Sit down for me,” he mumbles, glancing down at Aether’s mouth, resisting the urge to kiss him instead. “Let me take care of you.”  

Aether makes another noise in his throat and takes a few steps back after a long moment of trying to pull himself away from Copia, and when he sits, he sort of sprawls in a way that makes Copia wish they were somewhere more private.  

Copia clears his throat quietly and stands, moving across the room to the attached bathroom, taking a moment to breathe and to wet another washcloth with warm water.  

Each of the ghouls tend to wear black face paint on the visible parts of their skin not covered by the mask and clothes, it’s the look for this cycle, and Aether is no different, his chin and around his mouth covered in smudged paint, nowhere near as pristine as Copia’s had been.  

“You take such good care of me,” Aether says, once Copia is back in front of him, his eyes a glowing silver as he stares up at Copia, most of his glamor is gone now, Aether purposefully lowering it enough as a sign of trust between the two of them.  

Copia smiles at that, again, a brief worry about the dozens of wrinkles and crows feet crossing his mind, but when Aether reaches out and pulls him by the open front of his jacket towards him until he’s standing between his splayed legs, he forgets about that as he blindly finds the little jar of makeup remover, dipping his fingertips into the cream before warming it between his fingers in much the same way that Aether had done for him. 

Aether makes a happy sound in his throat at the first touch of Copia’s fingers to his skin, always so vocal about his enjoyment of their quiet moment after shows.  

It takes much less time for Copia to rub the balm in, watching it melt away the black into a slurry that’s easy to wipe away with the washcloth, than it did for Aether to get all of his makeup off, but he affords the same amount of care that Aether had, touch gentle and light, careful swipes across his chin and mouth until the paint had disappeared, and then he’d carefully wiped away the sweat on the rest of Aether’s face, the almost human color of his skin fading into a warm gray color as his glamor drops the rest of the way.  

Copia had never quite thought of gray as a warm color until he’d seen Aether without his glamor, bright silver eyes and gray skin, oh so beautiful in the most inhuman like way, ethereal almost.  

“Copia,” Aether mumbles, and Copia’s eyes are drawn to his mouth again, lips a sort of pinkish gray color, enticing, “If you’re going to kiss me, you should do it.”  

There’s no paint to cover up the fact that Aether’s casual statement makes Copia blush, going pink all the way to his ears, and Aether definitely sees it because he laughs, a low and pleased sound as he reaches up and cups a hand around the back of Copia’s neck to pull him in.  

The second their lips touch, everything goes quiet in Copia’s mind, and all he can focus on is how warm Aether’s skin is now that he’s not using a glamor and how soft his lips are and how he wishes he could just crawl into Aether’s lap and stay there forever.  

By nature, ghouls don’t quite breathe in the same way humans do, but when Aether finally pulls away from the kiss, he does it with a heavy exhale against Copia’s mouth, the gentle bite of fangs against his lower lip before he pulls back so he can properly look at Copia. “You’re very cute when you blush,” he says, matter of fact, a wide grin on his mouth—the same mouth that had just been pressed to Copia’s. 

“I’m in my fifties,” Copia says, wanting to bring their mouths back together, “I can’t be cute.”  

Aether’s eyes narrow a little, and Copia feels the prick of his claws as he curls his fingers in the sweaty hair at the nape of his neck, “We’re still in the dressing room,” he says, not playing into what Copia is dangling in front of him. “One kiss is enough to hold you until we get to the hotel for the night.”  

Copia huffs at that, “Now you’re being silly,” he says, “You’re the one who kissed me first,” and as he says it, he can see the corners of Aether’s mouth twitch upwards. “What?” he asks.  

Aether shakes his head, nudging Copia back a little bit so he can stand, and like this, Copia had to look up at him, something that sends a sort of thrill through Aether, “One more,” he says, cupping Copia’s jaw gently in clawed hands, before he leans down and presses their mouths together again, as sweet and chaste as the other kiss, though not as long. “We should go meet with the others, the crew, then we’ll head to the hotel after.” Aether presses his thumbs under Copia’s ears, rubbing slow, careful circles into the skin, “Room service then. You haven’t eaten since lunch,” he murmurs.  

“I’m a grown man,” Copia mumbles, voice thick with sleep and something else. “I know what we need to do.”  

Aether smiles at that, at the slightly petulant tone he takes, “I know,” he says, pressing a kiss to Copia’s forehead. “But I want to take care of you, alright?”  

It takes a moment, just one, for Copia’s shoulders to drop, for him to lean into Aether’s touch so fully it’s almost as if Aether’s the one holding him up, “Okay.” He says finally. “Okay. I’d…like that.”  

And it’s hard sometimes, for Copia to shut off Papa, for him to let himself be taken care of instead of wanting to take care of everyone around him, a quality that makes him a good Papa, but luckily, Aether knows exactly how to coax him, how to touch him until he’s leaning into Aether and letting Aether carry some of the weight on his shoulders.  

When they leave the dressing room finally, Copia’s carrying his own bag over his shoulder, but he looks less tense now, more loose, more willing to joke around with the others as they go through their post-show meeting, discussing bits and pieces of everything, fine tuning for the next one.  

And later, when they’re settled on the bus, waiting for it to take them to the hotel, Copia sits beside Aether on the couch, leaning into him as Aether runs his fingers through his hair, allowing himself to be vulnerable.  

“If you promise to be on your best behavior, I’ll give you my credit card and you can have dinner somewhere that’s not the hotel,” Copia says, voice half muffled in Aether’s shirt. “But only if you’re good.”  

Dew snorts a little at that, opening his mouth to interject that they are always on their best behavior, but then Cirrus and Cumulus cut him off and promise to keep everyone in line and Sunshine grins as she tugs the little black card from between Copia’s fingertips.  

“Are you two coming with us?” Rain asks, watching the two of them with a curious look on his face.  

Aether shakes his head, “I promised this one some room service.” He says, “He’s had enough for the night, I think,” he shares a sort of private smile with the rest of the ghouls. “Bring us back something sweet though, hotel room service always skimps on the dessert.”  

There’s an answering laugh and Copia sort of drifts for a while after that, safe and warm and content.