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kookslastbutton · 10 months ago

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Those Eyes Chico ༓ myg (m) | chapter one

✑ Summary: As the new marketing director for Min Yoongi’s upcoming D-Day album & tour, you’re expected to bring your expertise to the table. This shouldn’t be a problem—you’re the best in the business and you’re used to drawing a strict line between your professional and personal life. But what happens when the lines you’ve fought to keep as separate blur for the first time?

pairing: idol!yoongi x plus size!poc!reader

genre/AU: angst, fluff, smut, slowburn, coworkers2friends2lovers, winter setting, forbidden love,

word count: 6.5k+

warnings: oc is 28, Yoon is 30, oc is not originally from South Korea, oc has light brown eyes, swearing, mentions of alcohol consumption, mentions of anxiety, panic attacks, body insecurities, fear of being blacklisted, emotionally restrained yoon, unstable parental relationships, conservative parents, rude Hybe executive that should be fired, bestie!tae is wonderful support 🥹, and cute yoon and oc interactions bc yeah....its thier first time actually meeting so it must be cute!

now playing: Sweet Dreams by The Last Shadow Puppets

a/n: YAHHH chapter one!! Ok i apologize if the meeting is so long and drawn out...I really tried to make it fun but so much info is needed too haha. Anyway this series is dedicated to my wonderfully crazy friend and sorta beta, Gloom @theuselessdaydreamingidiot, and to all our fellow Yoon lovers bc we miss our sweet man SO MUCH 🥺 Enjoy! 🥰 Also huge thank you to @itaeewon for designing this beautiful series header! Love it!!

Series Masterlist | next chapter >>

Winter in Seoul feels like stepping onto the set of your most beloved holiday film.

As the brisk air wraps around you, delicate snowflakes gather atop your head, urging you to cocoon in your finest wool trench coat. Yet, despite the chill, the sight of frost-bitten trees basking in the morning's golden rays offers a source of warmth and delight. Perhaps the most radiant tree of them all is the towering Christmas tree that sits proudly in the heart of the city. Adorned with shimmering red and gold baubles, the giant evergreen catches the eye of every person that walks by–both tourists and locals alike.

Nearby shopping malls buzz with holiday fervor too as shoppers scour for treasures, couples engage in friendly competition to find the ultimate gift, and children line up to take their picture with Santa. But the best part is when night falls. The whole city comes alive with joy and laughter as loved ones meet one another on the ice-skating rinks, while karaoke bars echo tipsy renditions of timeless songs sung by overworked professionals, each with a bottle of soju in hand.

Yes, Seoul is a place for making memories and you’re in the thick of it.

Having been in the city for three years, one might assume you’ve become well accustomed to the energy of the season. You've really grown to love it here. But adjusting to the new environment is still proving to be a challenge, the most outstanding being the prevailing beauty standards.

Massive billboards featuring stunning models serve as constant reminders of the type of beauty one should aim to achieve as you commute to work. Impossible to miss are the shining examples themselves – iconic k-pop groups Seventeen, Red Velvet, EXO, BlackPink, Mamamoo, TXT, and of course BTS plastered on the side of every flat surface imaginable. You’re not exactly complaining about that aspect as you’ve helped design a good handful of them as a top marketing and advertising professional. But the strict image of what constitutes a beautiful and worthy individual weighs on you more than you’d like.

While a conventional body type isn’t what you’ve been given in this life, you don’t consider yourself to be completely unattractive either. Having high cheekbones, a strong jawline, striking light brown eyes, good enough ass, and a full chest shouldn’t classify as undesirable. Still, you wish you’d adopt this more body positive mindset rather than your current overthinking one. It’s easier said than done, being that you not only see idols everyday on the streets in digital form but at work as well.

You continue further into city until a set of tall, glass doors meet you mere steps away. You tilt your head back to catch the name of the skyscraper before nearing the building’s sturdy, silver handle.

BigHit Music.

Feeling its cool metal under your fingertips, the door swings open with an easier pull than imagined to welcome you into the bustling lobby. You feel a rush of confidence return to you upon entering– this is your domain, this is where you truly shine.

“Did you get the files I sent to you?”

The woman nods her head in affirmation while sweeping a few pieces of her long, silky hair behind an ear. To strangers, she appears to look about 24 which is only four years younger than yourself but nonetheless she’s the same age as you. Hei-Ran is her name, meaning “graceful orchid” according to Korean translation.

Hei-ran is one of Hybe’s newest hires and based on her experience, a near perfect fit to being South Korean boy group Tomorrow X Together’s new marketing manager. Until about three months ago, this had been your job.

You never imagined giving up the position after three years of working in the role. But with December right around the corner Hybe had other plans for you.

"Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors degree in BTech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a MBA in Marketing from NYU Stern. You worked two years as a brand manager for U.S record label Atlantic Records immediately after graduating, and are now working at BigHit Music as a marketing manager for TXT including liaison with their global marketing team.”

You recall Bang PD's voice vibrate in the back of your mind from mid-August. You thought you were called into his office to discuss details of TXT’s latest promo, so having your resume read back to you was a sweeping curve ball. Your determination must have far exceeded the heaviness you felt in your chest because before you knew it you, you were shaking hands with your boss in acceptance of your role – the new marketing director for Min Yoongi’s upcoming D-Day album & tour.

The tedious knot that’s formed in the nape of your neck reminds you that as surreal as the situation might be, it’s undeniably real.

Months spent drafting a comprehensive marketing proposal for D-Day; often until the wee hours of the night, inevitably takes its toll on even the mightiest of warriors. An entire new team of fifty people, all of who you’ll be in charge of orchestrating for the next eight months, doesn’t provide much to relief either.

You’re excited nevertheless. Working with one of the most respected artists in the music industry is an opportunity you couldn’t let slip by, especially since the album’s rock-inspired genre aligns closely with your own music taste.

“Thank you so much for helping me get settled __,” Hei-ran’s gentle voice returns you to the present. “I appreciate the time you’ve taken these last few months to train me despite the tight deadlines you have.”

Smiling, you shake your head. “It’s no problem at all and if there’s anything you need in the future, feel free to give me a call or stop by my office.”

“On the 16th floor right?”

“1656A. Take a left off the elevator and walk to the end of the first hallway. The door on the right is mine.”

Referring to any room on the 16th floor as your own is something you don’t take lightly. For one the offices are double the size of any other office spaces in the building. Yours in particular has a giant skyscraper window draped with heavy white curtains. Secondly, the floor above is the 17th floor which is exclusive to Hybe artists only.

"How's the proposal coming along, by the way?" Her curiosity is palpable, genuine in its nature. You’ve always appreciated that in an individual.

“It’s done,” you respond. “Only thing left to do is to prepare for our meeting with C-suite executives next Monday. It’s nearly perfect as is, but the presentation could use a bit of refining in terms of organization.”

Hei-ran is silent for a moment longer than usual before her next inquiry, which is undoubtedly the question on both of your minds. “I can't help but wonder what it'll be like to meet him for the first time,” she muses.

You don’t bother asking for clarification on who the “him” is; you’re already well aware that it’s Min Yoongi. The same subject has managed to intrude your own thoughts more and more as the date of meeting him draws closer. It's peculiar honestly, considering you’ve encountered him before.

Granted, it was only a small handful of times the hallway, both heading in opposite directions. Min Yoongi typically greeted you with a hoarse 'Good Morning' those instances, along with a curt nod of his head. You would nod back with a brief 'Morning' yourself. Deep down you feel he'd make a quality friend, though it's only a premonition. It’s not like you actually know much about him beyond those small exchanges.

"I'm not sure what to expect, honestly," you admit. "I imagine it'll be similar to previous professional collaborations—composed, focused, and intense. D-Day is poised to become a global sensation for the next year, so it's going to need our full, undivided attention."

Hei-ran gives a knowing nod. “Good luck __,” she wishes you well as you head towards the elevator doors. Breaks over, back to work.

After another late-night prep session for Monday’s D-Day proposal, you trudge through your apartment door well past 8:30 pm with an empty stomach and a throbbing headache. Good news is that your graphic design team seems to be well on track with their album mockups ready to present.

The same can’t be said for your U.S. promo team however, who required additional guidance on their projects. The social media team was in a similar boat. Somehow several of their members lost track of time and were convinced the proposal was still two weeks away.

Despite the hiccups, you managed to tie up the loose ends, but it meant that none of you got to leave early.

When you finally get to curl up in your fluffy sofa, a loud, exasperated sigh leaves your lips. Your lids flutter shut too as you rest your head against the soft cushion. Silently, you make one last mental rundown of all the tasks you checked off today.

Did you miss anything?

D-Day is the most crucial project you’ve ever taken charge of—you need it to be flawless.

When nothing pressing comes to mind, you grab the tv remote from your dark oak coffee table and aimlessly flip through the channels. You’ll unwind for an hour and then call it a night.

Ten minutes into an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the light chime of your phone's notification bell catches your ear.

Tae 💚: Haven’t heard from you all day. Everything alright?

Taehyung, your best friend. You smile fondly at his message as your thumbs hover over the reply button. He's always checking in on you. You and Taehyung have been friends ever since you first moved to Seoul and started working at Hybe. You didn't expect your friendship to become this strong, but both of you are sociable individuals, which led to discovering several unexpected commonalities. One of those is a shared love for jazz, which has been one of your all-time favorite genres for as long as you can remember.

You: yeah, I’m good. Just tired. Been working on D-Day's proposal for months and finally got it fully prepped for.

Tae 💚: Well, that's amazing news! You feel good about it?

You: I don't know. I’m definitely ready for this project but I’m also starting to feel a little burned out. The proposal is only the beginning you know, and it's already taking the wind out of me.

Tae 💚: Sorry to hear that 😞 I'm sure it must be draining, but I also know this is your territory. No one is more fit to head this project than you. Everyone thinks so. How about you take the weekend to rest?

You: Yeah...I'm watching B99 rn

Tae 💚: B99?! Without me?

You can't help but giggle. Somehow over the course of three years you've roped your best friend into becoming obsessed with your mindless sitcoms. You've done more than a handful of binge watching together, until all hours of the night.

You: Wanna come over for an hour?

The company might be nice.

Tae 💚: Be there in 20 🏃

Your door bells rings exactly twenty minutes after you and Taehyng finish exchanging texts. He's so prompt it scares you sometimes.

“Hey.” His deep, baritone voice greets you first, along with a friendly hug. Taehyung slips his snow covered boots off upon entering your apartment and hangs his wool jacket on your coat rack. His limited edition Gucci scarf is next. Taehyung loves the winter as it’s the time he can wear his most luxurious clothes.

“What’s this?” You peak inside a brown paper bag that Taehyung has conveniently set on your kitchen countertop. He flashes you a playful grin and gestures you to open it. Naturally, you're suspicious but it all washes away when a new, unopened bottle of whiskey presents itself. “Oh my god, you didn’t!" You swat his arm in a rush of excitement.

“I had to!" Taehyung opens a kitchen cupboard and grabs a glass from the top shelf. He's been in your apartment enough times that he’s grown comfortable with your place. That and he's also your best friend.

"With all the recent events you've had going on, I think it calls for a celebration." Taehyung expertly pours you a glass of the smooth, rich liquor and offers it to you.

“Thank you, Tae," you say, taking the glass from his hand. "Come sit down. Jake's about to sing I Want It That Way with the police lineup.” Taehyung pours himself a glass of Pinot Noir and follows your lead.

After about forty minutes of sitcoms and booze with your best friend you begin to feel yourself relaxing. Whatever challenges lies ahead, you know you'll be able to handle them one whiskey at a time.

All stream of thought is interrupted when your phone dings off again. It's now half past 9, who on earth is trying to reach you?

Fuck.

You tighten the grip on your phone as soon aa the message appears. Taehyung, previously occupied by the end credit scene, catches the sudden shift in your demeanor and calls your name but he's inaudible to you.

Mom: It’s been almost two weeks since we last heard from you. We know you're busy but your father and I want to know if you’ll be coming home. The holidays are coming up right? Why don't you use some of that time to come see us? There's someone we want you to meet.

"__, who is it?" Taehyung's voice manages to break your intense concentration.

“Just my mom.” You answer briefly, still averting eye contact.

“What’d she say?”

“She wants me to come home for the holidays.” You shut your phone off in an effort to calm yourself.

Unlike Taehyung your relationship with your parents has always been rocky. Expectations are set high from birth and you never see eye to eye. Likely, the only accomplishment that's earned genuine praise from them was when you accepted your initial job proposal with Hybe. A respectable career is only second to health to them after all. Your father was more torn with the news that you’d be moving hundreds of miles away than your mom however, not that you’re surprised.

Of course while having a healthy and respectable career is priority for your parents, there is no mistake that their greatest wish is to see their daughter married. A stable man with ample resources to provide her a secure home and healthy children is preferable.

You love your parents and you'll always be there for them, but you must admit that their traditional outlook is one you can never live up to. They tried setting you up dozens of times before, and tonight's request to have you come home "for the holidays to meet someone” is simply another attempt to marry you off.

Yes, you would like some sort of companionship in your life and you hope if you find it that they’ll approve. But giving your hand in marriage to the first notable suitor isn't your forte. You consider yourself to be an independent woman with a tender heart, and you'd rather be single for the entirety of your life than be forced into another obligation.

Preserving your independence is highly important to you. So no, you draw the line when it comes to relational affairs.

If only you could be firm and repeat all the above to them aloud, rather than within your own head— if only.

“So are you gonna go?"

You don't respond immediately, still weighing out your options. "Not sure," you murmur. "I don't really want to but maybe I should. I haven't gone home to see my parents since last year."

Taehyung recognizes the growing tension in your voice as well as the flushed expression playing on your face. He wishes he could take it all away but instead he moves closer to your side of the sofa and lets you rest your head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He's silent for a moment before continuing. "Why don't you tell them you can't go because of work? There must be a number of things you'll need to get ahead of for Yoongi's album."

"True. But it's too easy, they won't buy that. I have to go."

"What if you say I invited you to celebrate with my family this year? We're going to a nice, cozy cabin a few hours north of here for Christmas."

The offer is temping and you know he means it but it's also not enough.

"No," you reject. "They'll think we're dating and ask to meet you."

"I'll do it!" Taehyung's voice lifts into a more playful tone, earning a soft chuckle from you.

"Very cute Taetae, but no. Neither of us are going to say 'that was a good idea' in the end, trust me. I'll have to make this decision on my own."

Taehyung grimaces slightly at your last choice of words. "I really think you should consider telling them you can't due to a full schedule. We don't get that much time off at the company any way. Don't your parents live at least 7-10 hours away? Come on, spend the holidays with me and the guys. Plus, it'll be my birthday soon. I want you there at my party."

When you look at your best friend to gently scold him for not so sneakily using the guilt tripping technique, he's pouting. Like a baby. Not even you can resist him with that face on.

"Fine. I'll think about it."

"Good," Taehyung chirps and snatches the tv remote to flip through episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. "I want you to be around those closest to you, especially around the holidays. You're my badass best friend who deserves more than some stupid forced marriage to a guy with an unhealthy alpha male complex. Should we top the night off with one more episode by the way?"

You nod and Taehyung hits play on the remote. "Thank you," you coo, feeling a tad better.

The weekend is a blur at best and you’re back at the office before you realize. Of course this is no ordinary work day however, given that today signifies the day you officially start work as D-Day’s marketing director. You’ve been perfecting every detail of the proposal like a madman since the beginning, meticulously obessing over every element. Your new team members must have a pretty eye-opening understanding of what it’ll be like having you as a lead for the next year–you pity them to be honest.

Between your fingers clutches a small tube of lip balm, berry flavored with a faint tint to match. You love chapstick for some odd, inexplainable reason and you felt the need to apply a generous amount of it on your lips for good luck.

“No one’s here yet,” Yi-joon, one of the members of your graphic design team, speaks first upon stepping foot into your assigned conference room. Others hum, unsurprised. Being the ones leading the presentation, you’d be startled if anyone actually arrived beforehand.

A grand mahogany table, seating up to 14 individuals, boasts itself to you in the middle of the room with every chair lined in genuine black leather. Traditional seating arrangements have one chair at the head of the table, but today’s meeting has two, both positioned to face the wide presentation screen at the opposite end.

Undoubtably, they’re reserved for Bang PD and Min Yoongi.

A momentary shiver courses down your spine, yet fades quick when one of your team members asks if anyone's seen the remote to the projector. There’s no time for nerves to be acting up, you remind yourself calmly. Only 15 minutes remain until every C-suite executive in Hybe congregates into the room.

With a composed demeanor, you swiftly gather your thoughts and respond, "Try checking inside the podium. It's likely close by, but if not, we can always power it on manually." You then start delegating tasks to the rest of your team, mentally rehearsing key points of the proposal between each instruction.

Time appears to have vanished in the blink of an eye because in a matter of seconds a gentle breeze slips through the conference door, accompanied by the arrival of several Hybe executives. You offer a polite "good morning," which is briefly reciprocated as they take their respective seats around the conference table.

You count twelve at the table in total, including your own team.

"Sajangnim should be here in about–"

Hybe's Chief Finance Officer doesn't get to finish his sentence when an older gentleman in a freshly pressed suit walks through the door, fully immersed in conversation. The person following close behind him is none other than the man of the hour himself–Min Yoongi, fitted in a clean white dress shirt that's unbuttoned at the collar and sleeves rolled to the elbows. His soft, raven hair falls gently in front of his eyes, framing his face a little too well.

Unexpectedly, both your gazes shift from Bang PD and onto one another. His dark, intense eyes pierce through you as they observe you from the opposite side of the room. You're certain he recognizes you from your previous shared encounters, though you don't have the slightest clue what he's thinking. Min Yoongi has been known to be many things, but an open book isn't one of them.

He then walks in your direction until he's directly toe to toe with you for the very first time. Completely against your wishes, you feel all the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand straight. You've never officially met before.

"It's nice to finally meet you __-nim. Those nods we give each other in the hallway hardly count as a proper introduction." He extends a hand to you, offering you a sturdy handshake which you accept.

"Absolutely, it's a pleasure to meet you as well Min PD-nim," you say, smiling warmly. "I'm looking forward to working with you on your new album. I truly appreciate the opportunity."

For a split second, Yoongi allows his professional demeanor drop. "I should be the one thanking you. You'll be the one leading this whole operation right? So I'll be in your care."

You want to respond with gratitude, but you're not given the chance due to an authoritative voice speaking up from behind.

"Min PD-nim," Hybe's Vice President calls out to the man in front of you, requesting his attention.

Yoongi is hesitant to leave you mid-conversation but you assure him that it's alright. "Please, feel free to take a seat," you offer. "The presentations will begin soon."

A small, subtle smile graces Yoongi's lips before he turns around to take his seat beside Bang PD at the head of the table. He engages in small talk with Hybe's Vice President who's conveniently seated across from him. Yet despite their conversation, he's only half focused; his eyes repeatedly wandering back to you. At this point, however, you've already stopped looking at him.

"Good morning, all," you address the room when the time comes to commence the meeting. "We'll be getting started now that everyone's here. I'm sending down samples of the album design our graphics team has created for D-Day. Please pass them along." You hand the stack of copies to Hybe's Chief Technology Officer who smiles courteously.

"On behalf of my team and me, I want to thank you for joining us today to discuss our marketing strategy for Min PD-nim's upcoming D-Day album. Our agenda will be as follows," you guide everyone's attention to the presentation board, which provides a rundown of all the points you plan to cover for the remainder of the meeting.

"Let's begin with introductions. My name is ___ ___, I hold a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from NYU Stern, as well as an MBA in Marketing. Over the past five years, I've worked in the music industry as a marketing manager. Three of those years were spent here at Hybe. The recent promotional campaign for TXT's The Chaos Chapter was lead by my previous team and me, resulting in a positive return on investment. Now, with a new team, I aim to achieve similar success with Min PD-nim's D-Day album."

Once you finish your introduction, you introduce each member of your team. This is soon followed by a brief introduction from each c-suite executive.

The whole room falls silent when you begin diving into the bulk of the proposal; every measurable objective, goal, and market analysis is shared for D-Day. When it comes time to present the brand guide and album design, you invite your graphics team to speak.

"You'll notice that we have two versions of Min PD-nim's albums on the sheet in front of you," Yi-joon refers to the mockups you handed out earlier. A few executives nod quietly as they study the proposed album packaging while Yoongi leans over to Bang PD. He's whispering something but you're far to distant away to hear. His expressions aren't telling either.

Does he like it? Does he not? You don't know.

Nevertheless, you give a subtle smile to Yi-joon as encouragement to continue.

"We've opted for a sleek, pitch-black design for the first version, and a dusty brown for the second. The first version symbolizes the past, characterized by societal expectations and internal struggles, while the second represents the present and future, conveying a message of liberation. To complement these themes, we've selected a bold and daring font to exude the album's transparency. This design consistency extends to the album's contents; for instance, lyrical cards will reflect the respective color and style of the version they belong to."

Hybe's Chief Marketing Officer appears to be in approval with the entirety of the plan so far, yet it's short lived when a low voice interrupts.

"I think the vision of album's design aligns closely with mine, so I like what I see in front of me." Yoongi pauses and places the mockup on the table. "There's one aspect that I'd like to discuss in hopes of some insight however. I've been mauling over it for a while now."

"I'll do my best to–" Hybe's Chief Marketing Officer opens his mouth to respond yet closes it immediately when he notices Yoongi's gaze sharply shifts to you. It's a signal that it's your insight he specifically requests.

"Please go on," you reply.

"Regarding the name under which the album should be released, should it be 'Agust D' or 'Suga'? I'm personally biased towards Agust D because it holds more weight for me. It's close to my heart and the stories I have to tell as Agust D are heavier than those of Suga, right? The D even stands for Daegu, my hometown where I grew up and where my parents still live. Suga on the other hand is my stage name, which I have some identity in as well."

You don't answer immediately, preferring to carefully process everything he's said. Your team has already proposed to release the album under 'Agust D', yet he makes a valid point that 'Suga' is also a part of him.

"I understand that releasing the album under 'Suga' has its merit. However, I still support the original idea of releasing it under 'Agust D'. As you've mentioned, the name carries a deeper meaning, evoking memories, emotions, trials, and tribulations. I'd also like to emphasize that by releasing D-Day under 'Agust D', you can showcase who the real Agust D is. The collaboration with IU in People Pt. 2 already has you one step in that door."

Like you, Yoongi considers your words cautiously, weighing them in his mind. "Thank you ___-nim," he finally speaks. "Your perspective is reassuring. We'll proceed with releasing the album under 'Agust D'.

Following your short discussion, the graphics team continues presenting their design materials. Minor comments are made by Hybe executives, but Yoongi doesn't comment again until half-way into the social media segment.

"Why do we need to schedule this many Weverse Lives? People might get tired of seeing my face after so many in a row. ARMY will read, 'Min Yoongi started a live' and say to their friends, 'This is the fifth time in a row, is he in love with his own voice or something?'." His joke sparks a light in the room as Bang PD gives a chuckle.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue for you Yoongi," he replies. "Don't you know the strength of your own fanbase?" Bang PD's statement is undeniable. Everyone in the room is well aware of Min Yoongi's international fanbase who willingly stay up all hours of the night just to catch a glimpse of him. In fact, rather than seeing less of him, they hope to receive his live notifications more, as Yoongi isn't as active on Weverse as other idols.

It's clear that compliments like these aren't easy for Yoongi to take though, judging by the flushed look that subtly sweeps over his face. You'd react the same way to be honest.

"If I may Min PD-nim," you speak up, deciding to offer an alternative plan. "Leveraging Weverse Live to help promote D-Day will draw significant international engagement. We know that time differences pose to be a challenge which is why we proposed an increase of live sessions per week. However, we understand that going live this often might be exhausting. Would you consider reducing the frequency to once or twice a week instead?"

"I'm open to once a week but didn't we film the 'Suga: Road to D-Day' documentary for a similar reason? Won't it be too much to add more than two Weverse Lives throughout the entire promotional phase?" Yoongi's challenge is met with an unanimous hum of support from his fellow executives. You'd feel intimidated if you didn't already have a justification mapped out.

"The objective behind releasing 'Suga: Road to D-Day' on Disney+ differs from that of Weverse Lives," you rebuttal confidently. "While the documentary presents a structured behind-the-scenes view of D-Day's development, the Lives focus on building hype among your existing fans who know you well, will spread the word to their peers, and will likely pre-order the album. As you're aware, Lives are more personal and stripped down, allowing your fanbase to feel closer to you."

Thinking of no further objectives, Yoongi, still somewhat unsure, accepts your suggestion. "Once a week will be fine then. While we're still on the topic, do we know when 'Suga: Road to D-Day' is set to release on Disney+?"

"Our digital marketing and promo team will be reviewing the specifics of that soon," you inform. "Right now we have the documentary releasing April 23 of next year. The poster for the film will release a week and a half earlier on the 12th."

Rather than furthering the discussion, Yoongi sends an understanding nod your way which allows the social media team to resume their portion of the proposal. Recording more Weverse Lives than usual remains a pain point for him, but he's willing to move forward if it means connecting with his fanbase.

Alast, after what seems like three hours of social media; followed by financing & budget talk, the last team to present their material takes lead of the meeting.

"We'd like to provide a timeline for D-Day's promo schedule as a way to wrap up today's proposal," So-hyun from your digital marketing and promos team explains. "Promotions will begin April 10, 2023 and will run until April 25th. During this time the album's track list, concept photos, MV Teaser, and official MV will drop. As far as concert schedule, we're proposing April 26-June 24. These dates include U.S, Asia, and Korea Tours."

"We might need to rethink concert dates but for now I'm on onboard." Yoongi remains brief in his interjection, allowing So-hyun to continue.

"As far as other marketing channels, we plan to implement both print and digital methods including billboards, banners, paid search ads, and YouTube. We'd also like to reach out to a variety of magazines like Rolling Stones Magazine for interviews. If we want to extend our global reach even further, we can book a time slot on the Jimmy Fallon Show. Bare in mind that if we go this route, we'll need to decide fairly quick, as slots are in high demand."

You notice Bang PD whispering amongst Yoongi and his Chief Finance Officer when Jimmy Fallon is mentioned. Yoongi seems the least interested. Perhaps he isn't fond of being front and center of talk shows, you guess.

"When will we need a decision for the Jimmy Fallon Show?" Bang PD inquires for the group.

"No later than three weeks from now," So-hyun answers. "It's a tight deadline but it can been done if we get the official go."

Bang PD directs his attention to Yoongi who's chosen to be silent in this conversation. "What do you think, Yoongi? It's your call."

"Maybe," he says, "give me a day or two to think on it."

Another ten minutes of productive overview with your promos team pass and soon, you're standing up to adjourn the meeting. You have to admit that out of all the proposals you've given in your career, this goes right to the top.

Your team was phenomenal today, and despite the the fact that several Hybe executives are biting at the bit to finally go on their lunch break, you feel confident that everyone is leaving on the same page.

"Min PD-nim."

You're ears inevitably pick up the conversation in front of you as you make your way out of the conference room. Yoongi and his Chief Financial Officer are running through some quick numbers only a few steps steps ahead, but with everyone simultaneously rushing in the same direction, neither must have realized you were within earshot.

"There's no doubt that she's good at what she does," Hybe's Chief Financial Officer continues. "Still, it's hard to believe that she's only 27 or 28. A person should take better care of themselves don't you agree? Like our Eunchae for example."

If there was a way to erase what you just heard, you'd do so, because in an instant, all previous successes you felt from today's proposal shatters to the ground. You're no stranger to receiving these sorts of comments about your appearance, yet it leaves your confidence fleeting, along with any amount of resilience you've built.

Blinking back the tears that threaten to spill, you exit the conference room the first chance you get. You have no desire to stick around for Yoongi's reply.

Not long after you leave does you phone ring off.

Tae 💚: Hey! How's the meeting going? Still available to get lunch this afternoon? I'm heading to the cafeteria as I type this.

You: It went okay. But I don't think I'll be coming to lunch, just a lot to do. I'm also not that hungry.

You second-guess how convincing your message is, knowing that it's your best friend on the other line. Regardless, it's the only words you can come up with right now. You really do have a lot of work ahead of you though, at least that part is true.

Tae 💚: Are you sure? I was looking forward on hearing how the meeting went! Wasn't there something you had to give me too?

The meaning of the last line suddenly dawns on you as you make your way down the long hallway. How could you forget? You made Taehyung one of his favorite foods to surprise him for lunch; Japchae, a sweet and savory dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables.

You: Right, sorry it slipped from my mind for a second. I'll meet you in the cafeteria to give it to you.

"Why won't you stay and eat with me?" Taehyung devours the homemade Japchae you made for him with delight, a pair of chopsticks clamped in his hand.

"I don't have much of an appetite, Tae."

You've already told him this twice already, clarifying that you'd be heading back to your office once you deliver his food. Evidently, he's not letting you slip away easily.

"Then take a break with me instead, even if it's only for ten minutes." You watch as your best friend swiftly pulls out the chair next to him from under the table, gesturing you to sit. "Tell me what's got you down," he says. "Did Yoongi say something to you? He can be a bit too outspoken with his opinions sometimes."

Feeling defeated, you slide into the chair. "No, the meeting was fine. I'm just overthinking something that happened."

You then proceed to explain what you overheard Hybe's Chief Finance Officer say about you from earlier, that you didn't look healthy enough for your age and using Eunchae as an example. The scowl that appears on Taehyung's face as you retell the incident is unmistakable–he's clearly pissed.

"First of all," Taehyung starts once you finish, jaw clenched. "Eunchae is 17 and is a part of a Korean girl group. She has an entire team dedicated to making sure her appearance is flawless. It's the idol life; trust me, I'm well acquainted with it, so it's not a fair comparison. Secondly, Hybe's CFO is an asshole who I'd replace in a day. I don't want you letting him make you feel insignificant just because you don't conform to his narrow idea of how a woman should look."

You appreciate Taehyung's efforts to cheer you up, though you remain unaffected. Besides, he still isn't aware of Yoongi's involvement since you purposely left that detail out due to their close friendship.

"Yeah, I don't know. We don't have to talk about it anymore." You decide to dismiss the topic entirely and reach for your phone, along with a pair of earbuds bundled in your pocket. "Wanna listen to something?"

Music has always bonded you and Taehyung's friendship, as you've frequently found yourselves fully immersed in timeless songs from King of Leon and Led Zeppelin together. Taehyung nearly accepts the offer to listen with you once again, but then he freezes all movement. An eager grin follows close after.

"Hyung!" His voice echos though the room, earning the attention of Min Yoongi who's just entered the cafeteria. This time, you feel nothing but discomfort when the man looks your way.

"I have some material I need to review from my promo team. I'll text you later, okay?" You leave your best friend no time to reply as you quickly rise from your chair, stick your phone in your pant pocket, and head for the nearest exit. Yoongi attempts to make eye contact with you on your way out, but you avoid it completely.

When he approaches Taehyung, he acknowledges your semi-odd behavior. "I didn't mean to make her leave," he states, joining the younger at the table.

Taehyung offers a light shrug in response. "Don't worry, you didn't. She had other matters to get to. Something with her team members I think."

Yoongi grabs a fresh clementine from a nearby fruit bowl and beings peeling it little by little. "You two must be pretty close if you're having your lunches together."

It's not hard for Taehyung to read between the lines of what his member is insinuating.

"We've been friends for a while," he clarifies. "Just friends, nothing else."

a/n: Hope you enjoyed! Lmk what you think 🥰

Masterlist | Requests: closed | Taglist | Fic Recs

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

#yoongi angst #yoongi fluff #yoongi smut #yoongi x reader #yoongi fanfic #bts fanfics #bts fanfic #bts angst #bts fluff #bts smut #bts scenarios #fic:thoseeyeschico #kookslastbutton

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kathlare · 23 days ago

Text

the weight of a glance

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Lando unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Amelie, the girl from his past. A year has passed since their last encounter, and seeing her again stirs up a whirlwind of emotions

Wordcount: 1.8 k

Warnings: fluff, smau

request over here!

October 28th, 2023 - Mexico City, Mexico

liked by ameliemyqueen, f1gossip, and others

amelieupdates: Amelie spotted arriving at the paddock for the Mexican Grand Prix today! 🇲🇽✨ Her first GP appearance since Abu Dhabi last year, and she's serving main character energy as always. 🏁🔥

View all 2,586 comments

paddockprincess: AMELIE BACK IN THE PADDOCK?! We’re eating good tonight, besties 😭✨ → amelieupdates: @paddockprincess fr, we’ve been starved for a YEAR. Welcome home, queen 👑

f1stan2023: Imagine if she bumps into Lando… 👀 we NEED the reunion. → ameliefan4ever: @f1stan2023 brb manifesting this harder than my finals results 💅

mexicangpqueen: She really said, "I'm the moment," and strolled in with THAT energy 🔥

landosimp44: Not to be dramatic, but if Lando and Amelie don’t at least talk, I’m suing. 😤 → f1chatter: @landosimp44 they haven’t been seen together in ages… what happened?? → ameliearmy: @f1chatter they were close, then they WEREN’T, and now I’m living for the suspense.

lanmelieshipper: I don’t care what anyone says, they’re meant to be. → amelieupdates: @lanmelieshipper we’ve been clowned before, but I’m putting the clown wig back on just in case 🤡 → landoislife: @lanmelieshipper brb rewatching their old Twitch streams for crumbs.

ameliesupremacy: She’s in Mexico supporting Checo AND looking like a goddess?! Iconic behavior only 🤍🇲🇽

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

The day had started as any other qualifying day at the Mexican Grand Prix—stressful, chaotic, with the usual noise of engine roars and tire screeches filling the air. Lando had been focused on his preparations, trying to stay in the zone for the qualifying session. It wasn’t his best start to the weekend; the car was still a bit off, but nothing that a good qualifying session couldn’t fix.

As he walked toward the McLaren garage, his mind was preoccupied with the race ahead. He didn’t expect to see anything today that would throw him off. At least, not until he walked past the Red Bull garage. His eyes briefly flicked towards the familiar faces that gathered around, the usual circus of mechanics, engineers, and drivers.

And then he saw her.

Amelie.

It took him a moment to process it, his mind scrambling to catch up with his eyes. He stood frozen for a second, blinking as if maybe he had imagined it.

But there she was, standing by the hospitality area, chatting with someone in Checo’s entourage. Her long blonde hair, her effortless grace—everything was the same. Except for one thing: time. It had been almost a year since he'd seen her, and yet, the sight of her still hit him like a punch in the gut.

It was surreal. The world around him seemed to slow down as the memory of her rushed back. The late-night conversations, the laughter, the stolen moments when they'd both pretend it didn’t mean anything, even though they both knew it did. The way she would light up a room without trying, how effortlessly her presence would calm him, how he would get lost in the way she spoke or the way she smiled.

But that was a lifetime ago, wasn't it?

Lando stood there for a moment longer than he should have, frozen in place as if his body couldn’t quite decide whether to walk away or step closer. His chest tightened, and an uncomfortable mix of nostalgia and regret flooded over him. He could feel his pulse quicken, the same sense of longing that had been buried deep inside him for over a year suddenly coming to the surface.

Amelie was here. And she looked... well, she looked like Amelie. Like the girl who had been an enigma to him for so long, the one who had both driven him crazy and made him feel things he never knew he could feel. He hadn't expected to see her here, and certainly not today, when he was already dealing with enough racing anxiety.

The world around him snapped back into focus, and he blinked, forcing himself to take a breath. His gaze lingered on her for just a second longer, her face still so familiar, so real, yet so foreign at the same time. It wasn’t just the fact that she was here—there were layers to it, layers of their shared history that he had shoved into a box and locked away for the sake of moving on.

But there she was, a part of his past he couldn’t completely erase, even if he tried.

She didn’t see him. Of course she didn’t. He hadn't expected anything different. The last time they’d been in the same room, it had been nothing but awkward tension and words left unsaid. The split, the fight, everything that had been left unresolved between them—it was all still hanging in the air, unspoken but palpable.

But seeing her here, in the heart of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, felt like some cruel joke the universe was playing on him. He almost wanted to turn around and walk away. But instead, he found himself glued to the spot, staring at her as if trying to find some answer in the way she stood, the way she smiled, or the way her eyes lit up when someone spoke to her.

He could see her laugh, the way it made her face brighten, the same laugh that used to make him feel like everything would be okay. His stomach twisted, and for a moment, he hated himself for still caring, for still thinking about her after all this time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Charles, George, and Alex walking toward the same area, chatting amongst themselves, clearly unaware of what Lando had just witnessed. The sight of them distracted him for a moment, and he quickly pulled himself together, trying to regain his composure. He had a job to do today. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in this.

But then he saw them.

Charles was the first to spot Amelie, his expression lighting up with a smile as he waved toward her. George followed suit, his eyes narrowing in recognition, and then Alex, with his usual grin, shouted her name.

Lando watched the three of them approach her, and something inside him twisted, a feeling he couldn't quite put into words. They weren’t the ones who had been close to her, not in the way he had. They were just... friends, and maybe that’s all he had been too. But they weren't holding back, not like he was.

And there it was—the sharp sting of jealousy.

Charles, always the charmer, was the first to greet her with a kiss on the cheek, his hands resting casually on her shoulders. Lando could see the way Amelie’s face lit up at the attention, the way her smile spread wider as she spoke with them.

It made him feel like an outsider, like he was a world away from the person she had once let in. The thought that she was laughing with them, looking so at ease, felt like a dagger to his chest. Why hadn’t he been able to keep that connection with her? Why had everything gone to shit so quickly?

But maybe he didn’t deserve it. After all, he had been the one to walk away first, hadn’t he? Maybe seeing her now, happy, surrounded by people who clearly cared about her, was the universe’s way of showing him how far they had come since the last time they’d seen each other.

Amelie and Lando’s history wasn’t clean, and it never would be. They both had their baggage, their mistakes, their unspoken truths. But what stung the most was that it didn’t seem to affect her at all. She was moving forward, while he was still stuck in the past, holding onto a version of her that didn’t exist anymore.

He wanted to walk over there, to join them, but he didn’t. Not yet. Instead, he stood there, like a fool, watching as George threw a friendly arm around Amelie’s shoulder and Charles laughed at something she had said. Alex was saying something that made her roll her eyes playfully, but she was still smiling, still glowing in a way that made Lando ache.

She was so different, yet still so familiar.

And maybe, just maybe, he would never get over the fact that she was out there, living her life, while he was left trying to figure out how to move on from something he never really understood.

He wasn’t ready to face her—not yet. Maybe not ever. But even from this distance, he couldn’t help the pull he felt toward her. He wasn’t sure if it was the remnants of their friendship, the lingering attraction, or something else entirely.

But one thing was clear. Seeing her again—after everything, after all this time—it hurt. And it was the kind of hurt that he didn’t know how to shake off.

Lando couldn’t bring himself to look away. His mind raced as he watched her interact with the others, their laughter filling the space between them. She looked so... at home. Like this was where she was meant to be—surrounded by friends, by family. And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a part of her that had once been meant for him. That’s how it had felt when they’d spent time together, before everything had unraveled.

It was stupid to think like that now. He knew it. But it didn’t stop him. Every time she laughed, every time she looked up and caught someone’s gaze, a pang of longing struck him. He couldn’t even pretend it didn’t bother him. And he hated that. He hated how vulnerable it made him feel.

Turning away, he started walking in the opposite direction, feeling like an idiot. His steps were fast, but he had no particular place to go. He couldn’t face her yet. Not like this. Not after everything.

It wasn’t until he was halfway back to the McLaren garage that he realized he had forgotten all about the qualifying session. The nerves that had been creeping up on him earlier were now a distant memory, replaced by the heavy weight of the moment. He wasn’t prepared for this. Hell, he didn’t even know if he could be prepared for this.

Lando’s feet carried him towards the McLaren garage, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in the chaos of emotions he’d just unleashed upon himself. He was still trying to piece together why seeing Amelie again hit him so damn hard. It had been a year, a whole year without seeing her, and now, standing just a few feet away from her, it was like no time had passed.

He didn’t know if he felt relief or regret. Maybe a mix of both. Amelie had been a part of his life once, a part he had tried so hard to lock away. Seeing her now was like opening that box, unleashing a flood of memories he wasn’t ready to confront. It was too much—too much for him to process in a single moment.

He took a deep breath, trying to focus, but the images of her laughing with the guys kept flashing in his mind. The way her smile lit up her entire face. The way she stood there, so effortlessly radiant, so at home in her own skin. He could almost hear her laugh echoing in his ears, reminding him of everything he’d lost.

Fuck.

He turned a corner, hands shoved deep into his pockets, and tried to ignore the nagging feeling in his chest. He needed to focus on qualifying. He couldn’t let this mess with his head. But it was hard to ignore the truth. There were so many things he hadn’t said to her, so many words left unspoken, and now it was too late.

He found himself walking aimlessly, his feet taking him to the familiar sight of Carlos Sainz’s hospitality area. Of course, Carlos would be there. The only person who knew everything—about him and Amelie, about the mess they’d made of things. He needed someone to talk to. Someone who would understand.

Lando didn’t even hesitate as he walked straight up to Carlos, who was leaning against a table, chatting with some engineers. Carlos’ eyes flicked up when he saw Lando approach, a small smirk forming on his lips.

—Well, well, look who finally shows his face,— Carlos teased, but his eyes quickly shifted from amusement to something more curious. —What’s wrong?—

Lando didn’t even bother to answer with words. Instead, he just nodded in the direction of the hospitality area where Amelie was. Carlos followed his gaze, and as soon as he saw her, his expression shifted. He raised an eyebrow.

—You saw her,— Carlos said, more of a statement than a question.

—Yeah,— Lando muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. —It’s... weird, man. I wasn’t expecting it. Not like this.—

Carlos studied him for a moment, before sighing and crossing his arms. —You didn’t think she would show up?” he asked, his tone shifting to something more serious.—

—No, I mean, I knew she was coming with Checo’s family. But... seeing her again, like this?— Lando’s voice trailed off, frustration creeping in. —I don’t know what I feel, Carlos. I thought I moved on. I thought I was done with all this.—

Carlos leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. —You’re not as done with it as you think you are. You’ve been holding onto something, whether you want to admit it or not.—

Lando glared at him. —What are you talking about? It’s been more than two years. I’ve moved on.—

Carlos gave him a look that said he wasn’t buying it. —No, you haven’t. You’re just avoiding it. You’ve been avoiding it since the last time you saw her.— He paused, letting the words settle. —But if you’re still feeling this way, then you need to deal with it. You can’t just brush it under the rug again. If you want closure, if you want to know if there’s something still there, you have to go after it.—

Lando let out a sharp exhale, running a hand through his hair. —I don’t even know what to say to her. I’m not exactly in a good place for this.—

Carlos raised an eyebrow. —You think she’s just going to magically show up and say what’s been on her mind all this time? You two never had that conversation. You never had the chance to properly end things, and now you’re both stuck in limbo.—

Lando’s stomach churned. He hated hearing the truth laid out so bluntly. But he knew Carlos was right. They hadn’t properly ended things. Not really. They’d both let it fizzle out, and now seeing her again—especially with how happy she seemed, how much more in control of her life she looked—it was like everything he’d been trying to ignore was crashing back in.

—She looks... happy,— Lando muttered, his voice quiet, almost to himself. —She deserves it.—

Carlos nodded slowly. —And you deserve the same. But you won’t know unless you talk to her. If you want to know if there’s something there, then go and find out. Otherwise, you’re just going to keep thinking about it.—

Lando looked down at the floor, his heart racing. —I don’t know if I can. After everything... I just... can’t.—

Carlos put a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm. —You’ll never know unless you try, mate.—

Lando met his eyes, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away. The noise of the paddock, the pressure of the upcoming qualifying session—none of it mattered. He had to make a choice. Stay stuck in the past, or risk stepping forward and facing the truth.

—Yeah,— Lando said quietly, his voice steady despite the nerves. —Maybe you’re right.—

Carlos gave him a sympathetic smile. —You’ve got this. Don’t let the fear control you. Go talk to her.—

Before Lando could respond, he heard George’s voice in the distance, calling to him. —Lando, are you coming?—

Lando turned, giving Carlos one last look before he walked away. There was no turning back now. He had to face this head-on, whatever the outcome would be. The weight of what he needed to do hung in the air, but for the first time in a long while, he felt like maybe he was ready to face it.

But first... he needed to make it through qualifying. He’d deal with Amelie after.

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bcdrawsandwrites · 5 months ago

Text

[ID: A Team Fortress 2 fanfic banner in the style of the game's achievement icons. On the right, Spy's hand is shown holding a lit lighter, while on the left, Pyro's hand reaches for it. Everything is in slightly warm grayscale, except for the lighter's flame, which is orange. On the bottom left is the chapter's title in yellow-white, reading "CHAPTER SEVEN: PILOT LIGHT" /end ID]

Flickering

Fandom: Team Fortress 2 Rating: K+ Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Characters: Spy, Pyro, Engineer, Medic, Heavy Warnings: General references to trauma, panic attacks, self-harm Fic Description: After the events of the comics, the mercs try to go back to how things were, but it’s never that easy.

Spy can see his teammates going through their own struggles… but something seems to be very, very wrong with Pyro in particular.

And since no one else seems to be doing anything about this, Spy makes it his mission to get to the bottom of what is troubling Pyro. For no particular reason. Beta Readers: @mechmolar, @gonturan0, @junuve NOTE: One of the books mentioned in this chapter is real book! Sandvich goes to whoever guesses what book it is.

---~~~---

Chapter 7: Pilot Light Summary: In which Pyro goes on a shopping trip with Spy.

---~~~---

Spy lost sight of Pyro soon after they left the lab. That was fine by him—if it didn't want his help right now, then he was going to take a break from this nonsense.

Thus he found himself in his smoking room, settling into his armchair and lighting a cigarette. He took a few moments just to let himself rest, focusing on blowing smoke rings up at the ceiling. This is what he should have been doing all along—what he would have been doing today had it not been for this stupid self-appointed mission.

Well, this, and reading more of his current book, which he was unable to do given the Pyro had tossed it into the fire. The memory made him shudder, but of course, he knew now what the Pyro had been trying to do. It had been trying to show him the colors—or lack thereof—that it saw.

What a strange mind this creature had.

Ah, but there he was again, with his mind on his mission when he should be resting. Sighing, Spy grabbed a nearby magazine and began flipping through it. He's already perused the articles that had interested him, so he settled for reading through the ones he'd overlooked. He read for several minutes, near dozing as he flipped to the next page, only to jump at the sight of fabric, dark red against bright red, and his heart pounded as the scent of blood filled his nostrils. His arms felt as though a heavy weight had been placed within them.

He shook his head—no, it was merely a photo of a woman's dress, its colors hideous and tacky. With a snort he tossed the magazine aside.

This was stupid. It was a day off, and he was going to the bookstore to acquire another copy of his book. But just as he rose from his chair—

Knock, knock.

Groaning, Spy approached the door and opened it. "What is it, I—oh."

The Pyro stared at him.

"If it's nothing urgent, it will have to wait," Spy said, squeezing past Pyro and shutting the door behind himself. "I'm heading into town for a quick errand."

At that, Pyro perked up, and held up its hands in the universal gesture for "wait." It then hurried off, and Spy raised an eyebrow as he heard it clomping up the stairs. A moment later it returned with a pink handbag over its shoulder.

"You wish to join me?" Spy guessed, and the Pyro nodded. He wanted to protest—it didn't even know where he was going, and could it even read to begin with?—but stopped himself. This creature lived in the base, so perhaps getting away from this place for a while would do it some good. "Very well. So long as you do not set fire to anything."

The Pyro gave him a hard stare, but made no protest.

"Come with me, then."

Spy led the Pyro out to where his car was parked, and unlocked the door so it could enter. Once it was in the passenger seat, Spy pulled away from the base, taking the long desert road out into town.

Of course, they wouldn't be stopping at Teufort. While it was the nearest town, it lacked a bookstore (and the intelligence required to be able to run one). Instead he drove them through it toward the next town over—a longer drive, but a necessary one.

Pyro merely stared out the window, making no attempts at communication. Not a surprise, Spy supposed. They had yet to figure the cause of its muteness outside of general shellshock, and while a change of scenery might help, he doubted it would magically cure it.

Before them stretched the vast desert, its warm red earth zipping past the bright red sports car. Spy hummed in thought before proceeding to break the silence: "All of this is gray for you as well?" He sensed Pyro give a start, and out of the corner of his eye saw it nod. "I suppose it's not much to look at to begin with."

He turned to steal a quick glance at it—it had gone back to staring out the window again, though its head was slightly lowered. "Perhaps we will find something at the bookstore that will inspire some color for you." Pyro finally turned away from the window to look at him, and Spy realized he hadn't told it where they were going. "I'm replacing the book you destroyed," he said, a growl edging into his voice.

When he glanced at the creature again, it showed no signs of remorse, or signs of any response at all, save its continued gaze on him.

Spy frowned, keeping his gaze on the road. Normally trips like this were a good time for him to think, but the silence from his passenger was not a comforting one, and certainly not one conducive to meditation. It would be better even to listen to what had once been Pyro's meaningless babble.

He opened his mouth, only to close it when he spotted the sign for the town. He would discuss things later—or attempt to, anyway.

Once they had pulled into the parking lot and stopped, Pyro eagerly leaped out of the car, looking up at the bookstore. Spy hoped it wasn't imagining the place going up in flames, and decided to stick close to it just in case. Once he was done finding what he came for, perhaps he could let it look at picture books for a while or something.

Stepping inside, Spy was unsurprised to see and hear the customers and staff immediately staring at Pyro and murmuring to each other; the populations outside of Teufort were less used to the eccentricities of the RED team. But, to his surprise, they did not seem to be afraid of the Pyro's appearance, but rather, were remarking that it was strikingly similar to some "famous CEO." Interesting.

Still, Spy had not come here to gather intel, and waved Pyro over to the new books section, where he sought the replacement for the book Pyro had destroyed. It took only a few moments to locate, but as he grabbed it, another book caught his eye. It was a new release by another author he enjoyed, and he found himself flipping through it. He may as well grab a few more books while he was out.

As he was looking over a third book, he abruptly realized that Pyro was no longer standing beside him. With a few choice French and Spanish curses, he whipped around in search of the missing mercenary. First he looked toward the children's section, but did not immediately spot it there. He began to sweat as the thought of the creature causing property damage here crossed his mind.

A search through the children's section came up empty, and he nearly swore again before spotting a familiar black and red figure by the fantasy shelves. Sighing, he hurried up to it to find it had picked out a book and was looking it over.

"Find something you like?" he muttered, and the Pyro lifted its head and nodded at him. "I hope you don't expect me to pay for this." Frankly, it should be paying for his books.

Pyro stared at him for a long moment before giving a quiet huff and turning back to its book.

Well, that was more of a response than he'd expected. Making note of where the Pyro was, Spy went back to look through more books himself. He occasionally looked up to make sure it wasn't causing trouble, but at most it created a mild inconvenience for other customers, who carefully squeezed around it.

Once he had gathered a small armful of books, Spy approached Pyro again. "We're leaving," he announced, and the Pyro stepped away from the bookshelf, still carrying the book it had selected. Spy barely kept himself from grimacing at the sight—he hoped he wouldn't have to fight with the creature when it realized it had to pay for the book.

The cashier quirked an eyebrow at Spy's mask, but otherwise said nothing as she rang up his books and he wrote out a check to cover the payment. Behind him, the Pyro seemed to be rifling through its handbag.

Once Spy had completed his purchase, he stepped back to watch the Pyro. His eyebrows raised when he saw that not only had it retrieved money from its bag—it had already counted out exact change. The cashier smiled upon checking it herself, and handed Pyro a receipt and a bookmark with its new book. Pyro accepted these and turned back toward Spy expectantly.

Spy realized he'd been staring, and gave a shrug before heading back out to the car. As the two settled themselves inside, he couldn't help but glance curiously at the cover of the book Pyro had purchased. Once he spotted a plump unicorn running across a stylized forest at sunset, he couldn't help but remember the plush unicorns he'd spotted in Pyro's bedroom, and rolled his eyes. Of course that would be the book it would be drawn to.

They continued their drive back to the base in silence, at least for the time being. Rather than looking out the window, Pyro was absorbed in reading its new book. While Spy knew better than to take his eyes fully off the road, he did cast a few glances at the pages and was surprised to find no illustrations. "I must admit," he found himself saying, "I did not know you were literate."

The Pyro slowly looked up at him. Though he could read no expression on its mask, he got the distinct impression that it was glaring at him.

He shrugged. "Not all of our team is. It's a fair assumption."

Recalling something he'd wanted to bring up earlier, he gave a thoughtful hum. "Why do you keep silent?"

Pyro froze, its head facing forward, staring blankly at the road ahead.

This could potentially end badly, but Spy pressed on. "The Medic did say there's nothing physically wrong with you, as far as he could tell. So what is it that keeps you from making noise?"

Pyro shook its head.

"You do not wish to tell me? Or you do not recall?"

It nodded.

Heaving a sigh, Spy continued to stare out at the desert road, considering his words. "Whether you wish to tell me or not, it would not be possible for you to do so under the present circumstances, regardless, so I can force nothing out of you."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Pyro tip its head slightly.

"Something is holding you back," he went on, keeping his tone calm. "You may not recall exactly what happened in the depths of Gray Mann's base, but perhaps you can identify the feeling or thought that prevents you from speaking."

The Pyro lowered its head—avoidant or pensive, Spy wasn't sure.

"Is it a memory of pain that keeps you silent? Fear, perhaps?"

Pyro crossed its arms. Spy wondered if it was offense, a confirmation, or both.

"If it is fear," he continued, "consider that no one here would harm you."

At that, Pyro did look at him, and grabbed its right arm.

It took Spy a moment to connect the dots. "That—that was not the same thing!" he sputtered. "I thought you were trying to attack me!"

Pyro stared for a moment, tipped its head, and looked away.

Sighing, Spy shook his head. "It was... a misjudgment on my part. But you—!" He bit his tongue, then gritted his teeth. "I'm..." The word lodged in his throat, and he fought to regurgitate it like a poorly-cooked dinner. "...sorry."

The Pyro looked back at him, and gave a slow nod.

Spy went quiet, letting the moment settle (and his pride attempt to recover), and considering his next words. "With... that out of the way... I assume you trust me, no?" Goodness knew why, when so few people did, but he wasn't going to question it right now.

But when Pyro neither shook nor nodded its head, Spy snorted out a laugh.

"Well, I do not blame you there. It is, after all, in my nature—and job description—to be dishonest, as it is in your nature and job description to burn people alive." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "I suppose there is little reason for you to trust what I say. Though you did seek my help." For a second he looked it in the lenses before turning back to the road. "And if you still seek that help, then you must trust me when I say that I, nor any of the others, will seek to harm you if you speak."

He waited to see the movement of its head out of the corner of his eye—whether nodding, shaking, or turning away entirely. When nothing happened, he glanced over curiously to find the Pyro facing forward, staring blankly at the desert road ahead.

Frowning, Spy faced the road again. Perhaps this was too heavy of a question to ask at this—

"Hm."

Spy nodded, initially only recognizing it as a sound of confirmation, when realization hit him like the strike of a bat to the back of his head.

At the same time, Pyro's breathing became shallow and hurried, its hands rising toward its throat.

Swearing under his breath, Spy fought to recall what Heavy had done earlier that day—the calming words he had spoken, the actions he had taken. He cursed again when he remembered how Heavy had actually taken both of Pyro's hands in his own—an action Spy could not perform in their current situation. His mind raced, flitting back and forth over different concepts while his passenger's panic grew. He couldn't threaten to crush any invisible enemies like Heavy had. Pyro liked fire, but that wasn't a reasonable thing to have in his car at the moment, and it could only see it in shades of gray anyway, so would that really do anything? Merde, he needed a smoke—

His eyes widened, and with one hand still on the wheel, he reached into his coat pocket. Quickly he found what he was looking for, and flicked the lighter open and on, holding it out to Pyro.

The Pyro, who had begun clawing at its throat again, gave a strangled gasp at the offering. It stared at it, still fighting for breath.

"Take it," Spy said, waving the lighter impatiently.

With a shaky hand, Pyro reached out and took the lighter, holding it gingerly between its gloved fingers. Its other hand was still on its throat.

Grimacing, Spy glanced over at the Pyro and knocked the book out of its lap and onto the floor—should it drop that lighter on anything other than its suit, it would set the car ablaze. The action startled Pyro enough for it to move its free hand away, and Spy took the hand in his own, drawing it down and further away from its throat.

He did not give any promises of protection, or threats toward any enemies; he would not have trusted such words from a spy himself. Instead he stayed quiet, keeping a hold on Pyro's hand as it continued to stare at the lighter held in its other. All the while, he kept his other hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road, willing this moment to end.

It did, eventually, after an awkward silence on the remainder of the empty stretch and an unnerving drive through Teufort (which was holding a 5k, in the heat of the day, on a road it had oh-so-helpfully not blocked off). As they pulled back up to the RED base, Spy noticed that Pyro's breathing had returned to normal, and it was still staring at the lighter.

Sighing, Spy slipped his hand away from Pyro's grip and removed his key from the ignition. "You see, then?" he said, and the Pyro looked at him. "You're home now, safe and unharmed." When it continued to stare, he went on, "In spite of breaking your sudden vow of silence, no harm has come to you."

It continued to stare for a moment before looking down at the lighter in its hand again. It drew in a breath, heaved a long sigh, and snapped the lighter shut.

"I hope this trip was helpful for you, friend," Spy said, unbuckling himself and reaching back to grab his books. He stepped out of the car, and the Pyro did the same, grabbing its own purchase from the floor of the car. It said nothing this time, but nodded, and Spy hoped he wasn't imagining the slightly more relaxed air around it.

The two made their way back into the base before parting ways, Pyro heading back up to its own room and Spy heading for his smoking room to put his books away. One book was set upon the arm of his chair while the others were placed on the bookshelf.

A more productive day than he'd anticipated, he mused as he settled into his armchair and retrieved a cigarette. Perhaps now they would make some progress with this—

He reached into his inner pocket again, and fumed.

The Pyro still had his stupid lighter.

#tf2 pyro #tf2 spy #team fortress 2 #my art #my writing #fanfic #flickering fanfic #I'M STILL HERE #also this fic is completely finished #I just need to ... actually post it

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valhalla-awaitsfor-us · 1 year ago

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Hints that Q!Quackity might actually be K!Quackity:

Quackity used this image, a K!Quackity one, to pormote the stream.

2. Sapo Peta, a character played by Maximus, already made several cameos on QSMP. In Karmaland he was responsible for erasing k!Quackity and k!Luzu memories of each others, and also he is one who opened the portal to K4 at the end of K5. Portal that would send everyone to the previous dimensions they had been in (before Karmaland 5). For most of them that would mean Karmaland 4, but for a few, like Quackity, it wasnt clear where the portal would send him. And he even expressed his concern of not knowing where he would end up, before going through the portal. The final scene of Karmaland 5 shows everyone on K4, that includes not only Quackity, but also Vegetta and Luzu (And rubius too but we dont know if the angel/demon are infact k!Rubius). So is still a mystery why would the be on QSMP if they are indeed the same characters.

3. This Quackity ONLY speaks in spanish, just like k!Quackity

4. "What if we kill the president?" "What if we put mines on his house?" Both things were also said by k!Quackity when he tried to killed k!Luzu.

5. Look at how many servers he has open now. Servers or... worlds?

6. They way Quackity ended stream yesterday is the same way in which he would end up stream on Karmaland.

7. Trust me on this one…. When K!Quackity started planning the revolution against k!Luzu he got distracted and spend the whole stream watching memes involving wolves. It ended up being a pretty iconic stream for the hispanic community…. and guess what? Yesterday Quackity change his profile picture and tweeted this:

8. Quackity said a time ago that we might actually see Cochi and Beni again (K!Q cousins on Karmaland). Both character are represented by the colors Red and Yellow and it's was thought that maybe the spanish and english account had some connections with them

10. Q!Luzu seems to rembember Q!Quackity

11. When Quackity mentions the Olympics to Forever out of the blue, he could be referring to the Olympics that were held in Karmaland.

11. This last point is not about k!Quackity, but rather about the other Quackity characters. In the stream of August 22 Quackity gave us various references to not only karmaland, but also other projects. From "Minecraft Extremo" with the waterdrop, to his speedrun with Rubius when he started sharing tips on how to build a house towards the end of his stream. (And also the lava mention. This also could be a reference to this speedrun or even Karmaland again, since Quackity burned in lava the last thing that connected him with K!Luzu)

So.... He might indeed be lost after all

#qsmp #karmaland #quackity

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everythingbap · 2 months ago

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📰📸 View of the Arts: Bang Yongguk: A Fiery Return to the London Stage A/N: posted on 241101

Bang Yongguk moves like a flame, his aura alive with passion and purpose. Every time he steps on stage, even with songs like I Remember [yes, yes that’s one of my favourite songs] from 2011, he breathes new life into his music, each note more powerful than the last. To witness his journey from a young, determined teenager to the man he has become is like watching a river carve its path through stone – steady, uncompromising, and beautiful. Seeing his career evolve fills me with a deep sense of pride as his artistry truly reflects the passion and soul he invests in everything he does.

Yongguk has found a kindred spirit in Europe, particularly in the heart of London, where music flows like the River Thames. Camden has become a cherished destination for his performances, filled with the sounds of jazz, rock, and the beats of hip-hop and K-pop. It’s an ideal setting for an artist like Yongguk, who loves experimenting with various genres.Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Our first encounter with Yongguk as a solo artist was in 2019 at the Underworld, a venue steeped in history and artistry. Fast forward to 2023, and we were thrilled to experience him again, this time at Dingwalls. As fate would have it, we found ourselves returning to Dingwalls once more. This venue, with its intimate atmosphere and rich musical legacy, is a perfect stage for talents like Yongguk, who have the power to satisfy even the most demanding concertgoers.

Let’s not forget, Dingwalls saw its fair share of legends pass through its doors, from the iconic Oasis and Blur to the legendary The Ramones, Coldplay, and the one and only Foo Fighters. It is a sanctuary of sound that hosts the best of the best, and on October 20th, we witnessed Yongguk’s magic once again.

It all began with DJ’s intense set – and I truly mean intense! He undeniably set the house on fire even before Yongguk appeared on stage. And when Yongguk did, he brought even more heat with his superb performance.

Yongguk delivered a dynamic mix of old and new tracks, kicking off his set with the 2022 single RACE. Dressed in his signature black and sporting a fresh hairstyle, he “injected” the song with such explosive energy that the entire room was ready to go wild. Together with his DJ, he flared up the stage from the first beat, and no matter how he entered, once he was on stage, he simply owned it.

Yongguk’s first full-length self-titled album, BANGYONGGUK, is one of a kind, so there was no surprise that the artist decided to include Xie Xie in the setlist too. During his first MENT, he addressed his fans with sincere energy: “What’s up everyone, I’m Bang Yongguk. I’m finally back in London – I’ve really missed you. It feels incredible to be here with all of you again. Thank you, always, for standing by my side.”Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Ride or Die from Yongguk’s mini-album The Colors of Love, released last year, was, and still is, a great hip-hop track that displays both his singing and rapping. And as the red stage lights washed over the crowd, everyone felt like part of the experience. His fans, loyal as ever, became an essential part of the performance.

Yongguk also performed tracks like IXLU and NUMB from his 2024 release EP 3as well as OFFOfffrom the 2022 EP 2. Once again, the lighting worked in his favour, perfectly complementing the mood of each song allowing him to deliver a performance that was both powerful and emotionally impactful.

In his next MENT, he expressed his appreciation towards his fans once more and fondly mentioned his former B.A.P members, sharing his hope to one day perform together with them in London.

I Remember, one of his earliest solo projects, hit differently. Released in 2011, this track, featuring Yang Yo-seob, took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, filled with unfiltered lyrics and energy. Even in this early solo release, Yongguk demonstrated that his lyricism has always been a central part of his artistry.

Yongguk also included HIKIKOMORI + AM 4:44, Up, UFO, YAMAZAKI, and BUSS IT DOWN in his setlist – and what a powerful performance it was! Then came MOVIMIENTO from his EP 3, where he fully embraced the dancefloor – the stage – powered by a club beat driving every moment of the track.

If you thought that was the full set, you’d be mistaken. Yongguk gave the audience even more, performing five additional songs, including BAD and Green, before closing the night with Ride or Die, MOVIMIENTO, and Orange Drive. With each track, he painted an intimate portrait of his journey – at times raw and rebellious, at times reflective and nostalgic. It must also be pointed out that Yongguk’s artistic range is impressive, making him one of the most exciting artists of his generation. The energy was superb, leaving us all longing for his triumphant return to London!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Written by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

#241020 #yongguk #concert #III #england #article #b.a.p

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tomorrowxtogether · 2 years ago

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Tomorrow X Together on the group's new music, proudest moment and go-to Five Guys order

A lot can happen in a year. Just ask Tomorrow X Together. The K-pop group, known as TXT, performed at Lollapalooza in 2022. A year later, the five artists are headlining the festival alongside Grammy winners Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” Hueningkai, 20, said about the group’s big slot at the iconic Chicago music festival. “It was an honor.”

TXT chatted with USA TODAY shortly after two sold-out shows at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The group spoke mostly in English, using a translator a few times. TXT’s U.S. tour continues through Memorial Day weekend, with dates at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. And while TXT is traveling across the country performing for thousands of fans, the artists managed to take some time for themselves.“A few days ago we went to SoHo to shop,” Yeonjun, 23, said of the group’s time in New York City. “We went to Central Park and it was such a good place.”Hueningkai added the group stopped by Five Guys where he grabbed a favorite: Bacon cheeseburger and a peanut butter milkshake. Fans of TXT may remember seeing the five performers at the burger chain during a 2019 reality show that documented behind-the-scenes moments with the group.

TXT fans, collectively called “MOA," which stands for “moments of alwaysness,” have driven the group since their inception.“I think they’re our biggest inspiration,” Taehyun, 21, said. “We are fire and they are gasoline.”

When the group debuted in 2019, TXT won Rookie of the Year at the Asia Artist Awards.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity at a meaningful juncture of our journey,” Soobin, 22, said. “I’m proud of that.”

Their latest release, “The Name Chapter: Temptation” dropped in January and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The EP’s lead single was “Sugar Rush Ride,” a dance pop song with a catchy melody. Using such an earworm for the first single was not a coincidence.

youtube

“I think these days there’s short-form, Reels and YouTube Shorts, that’s so important to singers,” Taehyun said. “Making the melody ‘hook-y’ is very important.”

TXT, like BTS, is under Big Hit Music, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation. And the group believes that the management company has valued working with them.

“I enjoy (Big Hit’s) music style,” Hueningkai said. “They're great at getting us a lot of good opportunities. They're incredible on that front.”

And as far as new music, fans will have to wait. At least, for now.“Our world tour is still ongoing, so for the rest of our tour we’ll make lots of good memories with our ‘MOA,’ " said Beomgyu, 22. “And we’re focusing on coming back with good music and a good new album.”

#txt #tomorrow x together #230524 #article #USA Today #soobin #yeonjun #beomgyu #taehyun #hueningkai

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starsstuddedsky · 1 year ago

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Star’s 2023 Top K-Pop Songs

*only one song per artist

**I forgot half the songs I listened to this year

27. The Rizzness – Taemin

This song had potential for top 5, were it not for that fuck ass title/the lyrics. The instrumental track is just too good, I loooooove it so much.

26. In Bloom – ZEROBASE ONE

I think this says more about me thank anything else but i just love a pumpy song, it was fun, good track, what else is there to say

25. Still You – Seungkwan

This is me cheating and throwing in an OST but it is far too good and I don’t ever hear anyone talk about it. This song kept me together for half the summer. Go listen right now and tell me im wrong for adding it.

24. UNFORGIVEN – LE SSERAFIM

This is partially because of the MV, i simply love cowboy concepts. Just iconic. dont come for me if their new releases are “better” bc this is my list and also i haven’t listened yet. I am behind.

23. SHALALA – TAEYONG

ICONIC. MV, song, all of it SCREAMEDDDDD ty and i love him for that. I really admire artists that are truly dedicated to their craft and taeyong is just one of those dudes.

22. Say You Love Me – Kai

I couldn’t not put him. I can’t believe there’s a whole year left until he comes back. It’s genuinely insane. anyway rover deserves to be on here too but i wanted to be special (also ur lying if you think this isnt the best song on that album. the only alternative is sinner)

21. Air Force One – ODD EYE CIRCLE

Right when I started wanting to listen to LOONA, everything happened and, well, at least they’re safe. This song is such a bop idk

20. Will I Ever See You Again? – Red Velvet

I think this is mostly just my personal taste but it’s sooooo good, an easy listen but consistently good????

19. LEFT RIGHT – XG

2000s concept SLAYED, idk it’s just such a good song? like i’m not picky in my music taste but this is very much my style

18. Get Loose – THE7

yes i got it from tiktok but a good song is a good song and this is a good song. I actually just like fun songs

17. LONE RANGER – MONSTA X

Remember when i said i love cowboy concepts? yeah. I also was working on a horse farm when this came out so like. it just fit

16. Fire Eyes – The BOYZ

Remember what i said about fun songs? i don’t even know how i found it bc i dont listen to the boyz religiously but i LOVE this song

15. Memories – RIIZE

They’re actually iconic for having siren and memories as pre-releases and showcasing their dance/singing abilities. K-pop is very much about singing for me and boys can sing, so memories made the cut. Honestly all their songs have been on repeat for me though, i just love the final chorus of this song ugh

14. PADO – NCT U

This is another cheat but i couldn’t not put it on. like haechan????? xiaojun???? yeah.. you got me confused…… you got me soooo satisfied

13. Cool With You – NewJeans

Ditto remains my top newjeans song but cool with you… like i said with left right, it’s just very my style and idk i really enjoyed it. The whole album was soooo good JUST TOO SHORT

12. Bubble – STAYC

SLAYC IS BACK LETS GOOOOOO!!!!!!! I LOVE bubblegum pop so this was right up my alley. It’s just so funny and i love the girlies so much im so mad i couldn’t see them on tour

11. Space – NCT 127

WE’RE IN THE TOP TEN NOW LETS GOOOOO!!! Every time this song comes on i ascend to a higher plane of existence like that one spongebob meme. Let it breathe. Let it chill. Yeah we doin’ too much too much. specifically jaehyun on that part……. Oouugghhhhhhhh (whatever instrument/fake instrument that’s doing that one part…. Idk how to describe but ooughhhhhh)

10. BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) – ATEEZ

When i tell you this was on REPEAT while i was in japan… i was making it bouncy all through the streets. played it for my mom and she said “this is a weird song”

9. Fighting – BSS

That one tweet that’s like BSS’s music is like “dont kill yourself were booseoksoon.” yeah. It’s half that and half their performance and incredible ability to always make me laugh

8. Poison – NCT DREAM

my world STOPPED when that track video dropped like…… have i mentioned haechan bc wow. he saw the baekhyun poster outside the recording studio and swore he wouldn’t let him down and he did just that. i love me some good whore music and that is whore music baby

7. Spicy – aespa

Perfect balance between bubblegum pop and noise music. the girlies came to serve and they did just that.

6. JUMP – P1Harmony

Not to be that person but they are seriously soooooo underrated. Justice for my boys because this song is just so good. I NEED to see it in person

5. Queencared – (G)-IDLE

SO hard to choose between this and I DO (and allergy) but ugh. the bubblegum pop won in the end. I love this song so so much, had the time of my LIFE singing along to it. Yuqi come home <3

4. Poppin’ Love – WayV

Idc if you don’t think they’re kpop, they’re going on my list. This song just has it all

3. I Don’t Understand But I Luv U – SEVENTEEN

Remember what i said about whore music? also i genuinely don’t know why anyone was surprised when they looked at the lyrics for the first time like just listen to the song and it’s obvious what they were singing about idk. thank you woozi, thank you jun, thank you hoshi, thank you minghao, and thank you dino. if i dont see this song in concert……… lord knows what will happen to me

2. Let Me In – EXO

this was my number one song of the year i think. It came out right before i went to japan so all those positive memories are associated with this song, but also like.. she’s just that bitch. My first release with DO, Chen, and Baekhyun on one track together and let me tell you.. This song is just too good. Vocals will always win me over and the entire bridge-last chorus (actually the whole song).. just so good.

1. Can We Go Back – NCT DJJ

Whore music. Vocals. What else do you need???? When i tell you this song has brought me out of a Mood several times,,, idk what it is i just love this song so much. i put it on to write this and like. there’s just nothing bad about this song, its too good. the instrumental, the vocals, they knew EXACTLY what they were doing. PLEASEEEEE keep letting jaehyun sing it’s such a crime to hide his voice

Runner Ups:

I DO – (G)-IDLE, Allergy – (G)-IDLE, Super – SEVENTEEN, Perfume – NCT DJJ, SHOOTING STAR – XG, Sinner – Kai, Rover – Kai, Ay-Yo – NCT 127, Lip Gloss – THE BOYZ, God of Music – SEVENTEEN, RODEO – WayV, Get a Guitar – RIIZE, Talk Saxy – RIIZE, Welcome to MY World – aespa, Drama – aespa, Guilty – TAEMIN, She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not – TAEMIN, NewJeans 2nd EP ‘Get Up’

“What about _” i probably forgot to add it, i wont lie

inspired by threads ive seen on twitter. if you see this and want to do it PLEASE do!!!! and tag me in it!! i love reading these :)

#star talks 💫#🎧 now playing... ☆#this was so fun to make #i’ve been wanting to do this for like two weeks now

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ceph-the-ghost-writer · 1 year ago

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18 for the spotify wrapped game, please and thank you!

#18 - "Black No. 1" by Type O Negative

For the Spotify Wrapped Snippet Game

This is definitely an Ollie song/band (though, actually, she doesn't dye her hair fyi). I don't have her "voice" figured out yet, so this also made for a fun way to give it a try. Thanks for sending the prompt in!

Dysthanasia Taglist: @thecyrulik @theimperiumchronicles @k--havok (Sorry, I forget to do this so often that a couple of you might have no idea what's going on in this ^^;)

Words: 1,008

Content Advisory: Swearing, (mostly) joking references to violence

“Ollie?”

She was pretty sure she’d never heard Mergus shout before, actually. It was impressive he could make himself heard over the aneurysm-inducing volume of her stereo at all.

“Ollie!”

She kept ripping the stupid sticky notes from her bedroom wall, wadding them up and hurling them to the carpet, but with only a fraction of her attention.

“Oleander Blume.”

Oh, well, golly gee. Guess she was really in for it now. Smirking, she turned and spotted Mergus standing in front of the stereo set-up, hands shielding his ears. He’d lived through the Black Death, Industrial Revolution, and the Break, but couldn’t find the pause icon on a control panel. She strolled over and slid the volume bar down until only the tinny ringing of temporarily damaged hearing remained. With a sigh, Mergus lowered his hands.

“How on Earth could playing racket at that level be enjoyable?”

“Oh, what, you never cranked your hurdy-gurdy as hard as you could just to forget about the world for a while, old man?”

For that, he looked up at her with his Fledglings These Days Face. Though she rolled her eyes, Ollie pulled the hood of her sweatshirt back and swiped stray wisps of blonde hair away from her cheeks.

“Fine. I’m listening, okay?”

Rather than come right out with what he wanted, Mergus went and perched on the end of her bed. A vision of order and dignity in his flawlessly pressed suit against the backdrop of her tangled pentagram-pattern bedspread and a pile of black and red laundry she still hadn’t hauled to the washer. He plucked a pair of ripped jeans and a fishnet shirt out of the way so he could pat the spot next to him. Damn, it was going to be that kind of night then. Ollie dragged her combat boots as she walked, but parked her ass where told to all the same.

“Whatever it is, just say it. That fucking ghost got into my room again, so I’m not in the mood for a long fireside chat.”

His gaze flickered over to the remaining collage of sticky notes that had spelled her name out in spiky, three-foot high letters. “I thought one of Hawthorne’s aides warded your suite recently.”

“Well, that crusty ass zombie obviously didn’t send one of his best or brightest because the stupid haint made a mess.” Added to it. Whatever.

“Ceph only acts out for attention. They’d leave you be if you acknowledge them once in a while.”

“They’d be out of my hair permanently if I torched their room too.”

He didn’t dignify that with more than a raised eyebrow. He didn’t have to. Not when the memory of Wes Mayer attempting to do the same thing was still a household punchline. Of course, the ass-dragging mutt didn’t have enough brains or subtlety to fill a thimble either. Ollie, on the other hand, made a living on sneaky strategy.

“I stopped by,” Mergus said, “because I have an assignment out on the coast for you.”

“With who?” She already saw it coming, of course. The second he mentioned where they’d be going she knew.

Ollie still let out an agonized groan and flopped back on the bed, arms straight out to the sides as if she’d been crucified, when Mergus answered, “Renato.”

“Why don’t you just send a fluffy little dog along with me instead? Would be about as useful.”

The fine lines gathered in the corners of his eyes and lips deepened with the onset of his I’m Really Quite Serious Face. “I’ve considered the requirements carefully. This is the best way to meet all of them.”

“The best way to finally drive me bugfuck, you mean.” Sweet Satan on a stick. She could already imagine it. Having to watch him preen in the visor mirror every thirty seconds. Controlling her gag reflex while he flirted with every stranger from there to the Pacific. Listening to him bring up that goldfish for the billionth time. She’d beat his perfectly-shaped skull in with a tire iron before they got halfway to their destination.

“I already took into account your history together,” Mergus said. If bloodborn could develop gray hairs, his neat curls and close-cropped beard would’ve had new streaks. “You’ll be taking separate cars, staying in separate accommodations for the most part—but you will work together if it comes down to a fight. Is that understood?”

Ollie lifted her head enough to meet his stern gaze, her eyebrows and curiosity raised. “Who are we fighting?”

“If all goes well, drastic action won’t be necessary.”

“Is it Grandpa Ghoul or Muttley Mayer? Or both?”

He surrendered with a sigh. “Hawthorne and I have…not yet come to an agreement on how to best handle the matter.”

She grinned. “So, keep our heads on a swivel and chainsaw any ouroboroi that get in the way in half.”

Fledglings These Days Face made another cameo. “I’ll stress again that violence is a last resort. And you are not packing a chainsaw.”

“Fine.” She stuck her tongue out.“Spoilsport.”

“Can I rely on you to be civil in a meeting with Renato when I give you both your instructions then? Say, nine o’clock, my office?”

Propping herself on her elbows, Ollie made a show of considering it. “I’ll try to keep the biting and stabbing to a minimum. Sure.”

The smile that made his eyes glitter was worth any future headache. Mergus patted her knee and stood, smoothing his jacket and tie into place. “It means a lot, coming from you, my girl.”

Once alone again, Ollie glanced over at the small hill of laundry. With only a slight scowl, she got up and started stuffing it into a bag to take to the wash room. She was going to need clean clothes to pack soon. Good thing ninety-nine percent of her wardrobe consisted of black. When she made a mess with that chainsaw she planned to buy on the trip, the stains would never show.

#dysthanasia #writeblr #writing prompts

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ciaossu-imagines · 10 months ago

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Personalization Prompt #2 – Ketchup

BLACK: what face claim from an anime, comic book, or cartoon do I associate with you?

Oh, this was a hard one! Of course, there’s that sort of lean towards your icon or plain out just seeing you as Apple, but just taking a step back, I think I have to go with a cartoon character here instead of an anime character, but Audrey Ramirez from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is probably the closest I could come to how I picture you!

WHITE: what flame type and box weapon do I think you’d have in the khr!verse?

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but there’s a couple different ideas I do have for you as far as Flame types go. Of course, because of your impressive creativity and interesting ways of thinking, there is the desire to put you as a Mist Flame, since you are someone who could easily create things with that brilliant mind of yours. However, overall, I do think you give off the Aura of someone with a Rain Flame slightly more, so I do have you as a Rain Flame type. As far as box weapons go, I definitely think a Rain raven box weapon would be what you use, because of the obvious spiritual, emotional, and intellectual beliefs around the bird. In my head, it normally perches on your shoulder but it can fly around, spreading the Flames over a fairly wide area or it has the added ability of being able to calm and almost tranquilize whoever it lands on that is not you.

RED: what aesthetics do I associate with you?

The smell of home-cooked meals and the act of making food alongside friends or family, with shared laughs and memories to treasure forever. Backpacking abroad, new adventures with every step of a hiking boot clad foot. Calm and peacefulness. Kindness, always choosing to reach out a hand to those in need. Intelligence and compassion mingling beautifully. Thesis papers. Always having multiple things on the go, always moving and doing and thinking. Soft music in the background, soothing the soul. Bright smiles and sun-bathed skin. Soft faux-fur.

BLUE: what are three songs I’d put on a playlist for you?

LOST BOY, ruth b.

A CLOSE FRIEND, james newton howard

I SWALLOWED HARD, LIKE I UNDERSTOOD, 65daysofstatic

YELLOW: what fictional world out of all my fandoms would I picture you in?

Obviously, hands down, it’s Katekyo Hitman Reborn. However, I could easily see you fitting into both the Nanbaka, Servamp, and Saiyuki universes!

GREEN: who would I pair you with out of all my fandoms?

Obviously, for KHR it’s Reborn. For K Project, it’s Munakata. For Nanbaka, it’s Jyugo. For Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun! it’s Goemon. For Bungou Stray Dogs, it’s Akutagawa. For Servamp, it’s Tsurugi. For Saiyuki, it’s Hakkai. For Eyeshield 21, it’s Kid. For Ronin Warriors, it’s Rowen. For Kekkaishi, it’s Makio. For GetBackers, it’s Emishi. For Black Cat, it’s Train. For Karneval, it’s Gareki. For Gangsta., it’s Nic. For Bleach, it’s Byakuya. For Naruto, it’s Kakashi. For Deadman Wonderland, it’s Nagi. For Ouran, it’s the twins, both of them. For Durarara!!, it’s Kadota. For Yu Yu Hakusho, it’s Kuwabara. For Gintama, it’s Kondo. For Mystic Messenger, it’s Yoosung. For Ikemen Revolution, it’s Kyle. For Blush Blush, it’s Cashew. For Date Warp, it’s Nathaniel. For Hatoful Boyfriend, it’s Sakuya. For The Outsiders, it’s Sodapop. For Class of the Titans, it’s Neil. For Ultimate Spider-Man, it’s Harry. For Gravity Falls, it’s Stan. For The Mighty Ducks, it’s Adam. For The Covenant, it’s Tyler. For Jungle Fury, it’s Dom. For Ninja Storm, it’s Cam. For Mystic Force, it’s Nick.

PURPLE: what gif reminds me of you?

PINK: if you were an AU, what type of AU would you be?

Maybe I’m being influenced by recent conversations we’ve had, but I do think it would be an isekai AU, based around platonic bonds and building a found family 😊

RAINBOW: if i were to write a khr sequel, following Tsuna’s demise, and could only use my reader’s as characters, who would you be?

Okay, I have two ideas…bear with me as they’re both kind of implausible, but I like to believe fun nonetheless. We’re going to set aside the fact that going canon means there will be no future generations of Arcobaleno, but if there were, I’d see you as the next Rain Arcobaleno. Otherwise, I see you as part of the Vongola, as one of the medical team…as in, someone finally realized how important mental health is in the Mafia and you work alongside the doctors and nurses helping the Family members maintain their mental health and you have friends and family and loved ones and your life, despite being a part of the Mafia goes nice and peacefully and you’re treasured and valued and it’s all nice and soft and peaceful and I like that for you.

#unrequested prompts #ketchup

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catgirl-yeji · 1 year ago

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this shapeshifting vessel is a lie

hi and welcome to my corner of the internet. this blog is still under construction until I can add my about page ( did you know that you have to personally ask support to be allowed to use a page code with javascript in it? :)) well, you do now ) so beware of the construction tape!

I'm Autumn or Faon, I use they/them pronouns and I was born '95. ticked about all the boxes on the queer registration form and I'm currently in a queerplatonic relationship. central european & white. future linguistics & politics student, and plant parent. I really adore vampires and I write original and fan fiction, as well as poetry. I speak german and english, and I'm studying french, korean, japanese and finnish. lover of bats, snakes, horsies, deer and cats, as well as sharks. 🦈 I sometimes draw cat ears or fangs onto idols and actors ( see: my icon ), if you'd like me to make you an icon, drop me a DM.

my hyperfixations and interests change over time — yes, it was a phase, mom! name a constant state of being, mom! — and I change my username every two or so years. currently I'm really into the quantum leap spin-off, the motherland: fort salem show, and I'm watching a couple of k-dramas and such at the side. I play baldur's gate 3, stardew valley and control, but also 2064: read only memories.

I was very active in the shadowhunters and the dragon age fandom as well an 00q shipper. I will reblog every single gif of spirit - stallion of the cimarron, it's my childhood movie;; also, Jin Oshiro from STRAY (2019) deserved better, thank you for your attention.

you may know me as leafmiilk, taehdenveri, fliederfuchs or thetevinterelf — and most recently @catboy-jaebeom ! 🌺

tumblr veteran and survivor of the mishapocalypse. I've been renting this space ( occupying, maybe, rather? skjsdlkgs it's not like I pay rent ) since 2012, and trust me when I say: this website is a hellsite, but it's our hellsite, so, I'll stay until the last person switches off the lights, probably. >< a lot of other social media networks just never grew on me quite like tumblr.

I have two sideblogs worth noting: @splittergheist, my writing blog where I post short stories and poems irregularly, and my secret and private miscecanis / omegaverse blog ( a lot more interested in the world-building, concept and lifestyle than the smut, but no hate! ) that I may give out if you ask nicely and privately. also, if you're interested in some tumblr rp, you can message me as well, I have an OC blog for that. 🐰

that said, I tag my posts extensively, so if you need me to tag something, you can shoot me an ask and I'll try to tag specific things for you! please be nice in my inbox or I'll simply delete your ask and block you. 💛 oftentimes I'll message you privately when you send me an ask that doesn't seem like it should be answered publicly ( unless you've sent it on anon ofc ) and while I do answer tag games, I'm too anxious to tag ppl myself unless we're like super close, sorry ><

I track #faon.tagged. if you make ( especially kpop ) content you think I'd like ( itzy, got7, nct & wayv but especially ten, xiaojun and yuta, red velvet, shinee, svt but especially joshua, mingyu and dk, skz but especially hyujin and felix, but also others! ) you can use this tag, I'm always happy to reblog pretty gifs and support you guys, you're the backbone of our and any community.

relevant kpop stuff can be found under the cut, as well as some 'reviews' my lovely mutuals wrote for me ( if you like to leave a review, hit me up in my DMs! ) thank u, ily 💚🌼

and thank you everyone else for reading this, may your days be bright, I think we could all use that at the moment;; I'd super love new ppl to talk to ( pls have your age or an approximate in your bio! while I'm fine with talking to minors, I'd like to know beforehand if I do ), so message me!!

kpop stuff

ult group: got7

other groups I like: nct 127, itzy, wayv, shinee, red velvet, seventeen, oneus, ...

soloists I adore: xia / kim junsu, taemin, ...

biases: lim jaebeom & choi youngjae; nakamoto yuta & xiaojun; kang seulgi; hwang yeji & lee chaeryeong; joshua hong & lee seokmin; choi minho & lee taemin; kim leedo & lee seoho; park seonghwa & jeong yunho; kanemoto yoshi; ...

wreckers: mark tuan & kim yugyeom; ten lee; kim mingyu & lee woozi; kang yeosang & song mingi; shin ryujin; ...

for as long as xitter still exists, I can be found under jaebueomgi.

blog reviews

@meant-to-be-a-hero wrote on november 22nd:

Shall I compare Autumn's blog to a summer's day? I shall not, because I am not a hack. Equal parts language jokes, kpop boys (and girls, but I don't look at those) and #bitter millennial blogging, there's something for everyone here at Autumn's blog. They are also one of the few people who still write funky things in the tags, a true dying breed on Tumblr. I feel like I'm reviewing a restaurant or something. Either way, click follow, thank me later, because you will. It's a good blog, Bront.

— ★★★★★(★★) [ 7 out of 5 ]

@klutenpetter wrote on november 22nd:

It seems I have misplaced the URL of the blog in question that I was supposed to review.

— ★★★★★ [ 5 out of 5 ]

#faon.own #faon.pinned

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iviarellereads · 1 year ago

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Nona the Ninth, Chapter 31

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Ninth House icon) In which you can't take loved away.

The truck lands somewhere in the Ninth. Nona feels "an insistent tugging" at her top, middle, and bottom thoughts all at once. She wants something, but knows not what. Pyrrha picks Nona up again, and she's grateful, as she doesn't know how she had the strength to walk or drive. Kiriona declares it "Home, sweet home."(1)

Paul asks Kiriona where they are, and she names the precise part of the shuttle field. Paul congratulates Nona on the landing, to which Nona says drearily that she "didn't do it on purpose." Pyrrha says maybe not even John could land so precisely after that journey, and asks what the hell that was in the River.(2)

Kiriona takes a few steps into the darkness and draws her sword. Nobody else hears anything, so Kiriona says she's going ahead alone, and they can keep up or probably die. Paul has a short discussion with some of the people still on the truck, which Nona can't quite hear as she goes fuzzy, and then Paul comes back and they and Pyrrha take off after Kiriona.

Nona is sleepy, but dares not sleep, and feels that twinging need in her spine. Paul and Pyrrha aren't talking to her or each other, just walking in the silence. Nona remembers that Pyrrha would once have been joking with her and is sad. Their only exchange is about the darkness, and how Anastasia could have made fairy lights shaped like skulls, even if she thought "the skull was the least interesting bone".

Eventually, it gets lighter, and they come to a round room with dark walls, with Kiriona standing in the middle, her sword red and wet, and several dead bodies around her. One man, the oldest man Nona's ever seen, is still breathing but surrounded by blood, and his face looks like it's trying to escape its skeleton.(3) He looks at Nona and remarks that she (assuming she's Harrow) has come home to them.

Paul leans in to examine him, and he protests, and Kiriona suggests leaving him alone, but Paul says they can save him. Kiriona kicks over one of the corpses, and suggests Paul look at it, and trust her.

Beneath the light of the powerful lamp, the dead person’s face was startling. The eyelids hung slack, and there were rows of dark purple pinpricks above and below them—like something fine and sharp had come through. Hanging out of the eyelids—Nona at first did not know what she was looking at—was a shrivelled object, wet and red, like a slug. Like a muscle. The tongue hanging out of the mouth was a lot longer than a normal tongue—and pointed, triangular, deep blue in death. For some reason, the sight started a shudder at Nona’s feet that carried on all the way up to the top of her head. The awful pain tightened in her chest, and nearly shuddered her out of her body. The back of her neck itched so badly it felt as though it were bleeding.

Pyrrha cusses, and Nona starts to chastise her, but then says no, Pyrrha can say what she likes at this point. Kiriona says they shouldn't be here, they've been confined to Antioch,(4) or so "he" said.(5) Paul says their memory is split, and asks Kiriona where they've seen this before. Kiriona reminds them: Colum Asht's possession in Canaan House. John calls them "devils", but he said they couldn't travel.

Paul asks why he can't heal the man, and Kiriona explains that the devils have revenant magic to take over bodies. The old man taunts Kiriona about daring to come back looking like she does.

Nona tells Pyrrha she can feel more of them outside. Pyrrha tells Kiriona they have to get moving further on, and when Kiriona doesn't start moving, Pyrrha asks if she got that Cohort uniform from a dress-up box or if it means anything to her. Kiriona is pissed, but sheathes her sword and helps with opening the cage of the elevator to put the man in, then get in themselves. Nona feels bad for keeping Pyrrha from helping, by needing to be carried.

They get the elevator going, with Crux coming along. Kiriona asks where Aiglamene is, and Crux says, as good as dead, she went on ahead to the monument. Pyrrha distracts Kiriona from her reaction to the news by asking about the devils. They started coming about four months ago, on Antioch.

Then Pyrrha asks Crux how long they've been on the Ninth. He says a night and a day or so but he's only answering because Pyrrha carries Harrow('s body). At least two hundred of the residents have been converted. Paul asks if they can be cured, but Kiriona says it's "spirit shit", you can ward against it but you can only disable and burn the bodies of the afflicted.

The elevator stops moving, and they get out into a room full of machines.

The dying old man rasped: “We barricaded behind the Anastasian. Sister Canace and Deacon Davith were left here. Why have they abrogated their duty?” “Holy shit, Sister Canace is still alive?” said Kiriona, startled. “She used to oversee me on oss duty. If you’re using Sister Canace as a last line of defence, how bad off are w—you?”(6)

Crux and Kiriona snark about Sister Canace's loyalty and dysfunctional knees, but Pyrrha observes that this area ought to hold out.

This seemed to fox Crux. “Who are you, foreigner, that you know the mysteries of the Anastasian?” “I was here before it was the Anastasian,” said Pyrrha absently. “Painted a nursery. Mint green.(7) Look, if your watchers aren’t here they’ve pulled back behind whatever bailey you’ve set up. Let’s keep moving. How are we going to move…?”

Paul picks up Crux easily, despite Camilla's lithe frame, standing the old marshal up. Pyrrha suggests Kiriona take point, and she'll take the rear, at which Nona laughs. Crux stares at Nona for this, and then his face closes up, and Nona notices that Kiriona also looked at her laughing with an expression even Nona couldn't translate.(8) Pyrrha said Nona can't be doing too badly if she laughs at an ass joke.

Nona did not want to tell her that something terrible was going on in her body and had been ever since the period where her heart and her arm had hurt. She snuggled down into the halo of Pyrrha’s arms for warmth—she was starting to feel blue all over—and the zip fastener of Pyrrha’s jacket caught her arm and scratched her. She stared mildly at the rough red graze and the little square flaps of skin that had risen off her arm.(9)

They continue down the tunnel, until huge white bars of fresh bone block the way, and there are people in Ninth facepaint and robes. Kiriona asks where Aiglamene is, and she emerges, the "most asymmetrical person" Nona's ever seen. The bars open to let her through. They discuss for a bit, but then Aiglamene notices Nona, and declares the Ninth welcomes back the Reverend Daughter, and everyone in robes go to their knees. Nona is embarrassed, and horrified to realize it's for her.

Aiglamene rises and banters a bit with Kiriona, then takes another look at Nona. Kiriona clarifies that it's not Harrow, just her body, as Nona cringes back into Pyrrha's arms.

Pyrrha says they need to get to the rock. Aiglamene is unmoved, but Pyrrha says they "have a Lyctor's rights". Aiglamene's face lights up with something adjacent to hope, and Pyrrha puts her at ease asking about her service, until Aiglamene asks if they can be saved. Pyrrha says, maybe, if they can make it to the rock.

Aiglamene suggests they take Nona in and get her a heater. Pyrrha says Nona doesn't get cold, but then realizes that she has, in fact, got cold. Nona doesn't have time to protest that she doesn't feel cold before they go into the room. Pyrrha lays her down near a glowing heater, and starts warming her hands, then notices the cut on Nona's arm and asks when she got it. Pyrrha calls Paul over, and they check Nona's vitals as Crux looks at her again.

“Lady,” he said, in a much softer creak, “you’ve gone away again, my lady; where have you run? Remember your catechism and your lesson, and remember them well now: this is where you come back to—you have your little escape. You’ll feel better for coming back … you remember that, Harrowhark.” Nona whispered, “I’m sorry—I’m not Harrowhark.” “Ay, and you’ve said that before,” said the old man. “Who are you this time, if not my Lady Harrowhark?”(10) [...] “There’s a box,” she said, “and … there’s someone in the box who isn’t me. I’m me. I don’t know who’s in that box, not really, only—when you open it—I’ll be gone, because I can’t survive … knowing. And I think—inside that box—there’s something that looks like a girl…”

Paul gives an update: her healing mechanism has obviously stopped, and her body is collapsing. They asks Nona how she feels, and she says, fine, but the body is not. Paul suggests this is an "ecstatic seizure" and she's not healing, but not worsening either right now. They just have to get her soul back in… Pyrrha suggests "Now" but Paul says better five minutes ago.

Nona reaches out and takes Paul's wrist, looks up into their face, and says the more she (Nona) remembers, the more it will hurt her (Harrow). Paul says not to talk, not to stress herself.

“I might not help you when … I’m back,” she said, not quite understanding I. “I’ll be different. I’ll remember everything … I’ll remember the thing I’m trying to forget. And Palamedes—I won’t love him. I won’t love Camilla, or Pyrrha, or Hot Sauce, or even Noodle. I won’t love anything … I won’t know how. I won’t be me at all, or … I’ll be the me who knows the thing, and knowing the thing means I’m not Nona—I’m someone else.”

Paul tries to warm Nona, and tells her not to worry. Nona says she's just explained why she's worried, and that matters.(11)

“Camilla and Palamedes were loved by Nona,” said Paul. “Pyrrha was loved by Nona. It’s finished, it’s done. You can’t take loved away.(12) We loved you too. Palamedes and Camilla loved you.” Pyrrha was there too, floating into view above Nona’s head, in the darkness. Her mouth was set in that unmistakable need-a-cigarette shape. “Don’t worry, kiddie,” she said tiredly. “I’ll keep loving you—my problem is I don’t know how to stop. And, you know … who you are … were … you’re capable of more than you think, right now. I liked you. He liked you—Gideon liked you. My necromancer and I always liked you … and hey, what’s like except a love that hasn’t been invited indoors?”

Pyrrha ruffles Nona's hair and Nona's borrowed heart thumps, but she complains that she never got her six-month birthday party or any gifts. Pyrrha says of course she got Nona a birthday present. It's a t-shirt, a good one, still back in the sink cabinet. Nona asks her to describe it exactly, and Pyrrha says, well, she hadn't cleared it with Cam or Pal, but it had a mustache on it, and… it's inappropriate to finish describing. Nona needs to know what it said.

“It advertised cheap moustache rides,” said Pyrrha. “We’re talking low prices.” Nona started to cry softly, overwhelmed. Paul said, “Palamedes wouldn’t have let her wear that outside the house.” Then: “Camilla wouldn’t have let her wear it inside, either.” “Yeah, but what about you?” said Pyrrha. “Her choice,” said Paul. “I think moustache rides should be free.”(13) “It would have been my favourite present except for the handkerchief,” said Nona breathlessly. “I’m going to go back and fetch it. I’ll remember. I’ll make myself remember. And I’ll wear it all the time, inside the house and outside the house, and then you’ll know it’s really me. I’m not going to be gone forever … I’m ready. I’m ready. Let’s go.”

=====

(1) The bittersweet return of the last children of the Ninth. (2) I assume she's talking about the Tower. I wonder if everyone sees it a little differently. (3) Anyone have a good guess what this means? Could be a simple reference to skeletons trying to escape their bodies but twisted around, but it feels more specific than that. (4) Antioch isn't just from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was another real ancient city. The BOE aren't the only ones naming things with references. (5) Presumably, John lied to her, or something's outside his control amounting to the same. (6) Old habits. Kiriona grew up here, this was the only life and loyalty she knew until it all fell apart. I can't imagine the jumble of feelings she might be feeling in these moments, and it's frustrating as a reader (though, dramatically effective, I think) for Muir to not give us this return from her point of view. We spent two books there, it'd be greedy to want more, and yet. (7) Whose nursery did Pyrrha paint, here of all places? (8) Kiriona hasn't heard Harrow laugh very often. Once in GtN, once when she laughed in Harrow's body in HtN, and now. It must seem a very strange sound. (9) The death is coming harder. Harrow's body longs so much for its own soul, it's starting to not even be able to use Nona-Alecto's superhealing. (10) Recall that Harrow struggled with identity even before losing part of her memory. True, the reveal of this was in that strange chapter in HtN where she recalled her childhood, and how attentive and indulgent Crux was, never invalidating her perception of reality. If you read the acknowledgements on Harrow, I believe, it's made all but clear that Harrow has lived with some sort of mental illness, much as Muir herself, though with no antipsychotics to mitigate the effects. (11) Feelings always matter, and Nona is so used to being treated like a child and probably quite sick of it as she lays dying. (12) And it's true. You can choose to act and react and go forward however you like, but you can't take away that you loved or were loved by somebody. (13) I think I like this Paul pal. Also, moustache rides are another meme in the fandom, LOTS of art of Nona and Alecto wearing this tee.

#the locked tomb #tlt #nona the ninth #ntn #nona the ninth spoilers #ntn spoilers #nona #pyrrha dve #paul (ntn)#marshal crux #captain aiglamene #gideon nav

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