#not all exos were created equally

[baekhyunsbestie]

♡⸝⸝ sparks and vows (bbh series!) ⊹。°˖➴

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧♡₊˚ pic credit ♡ song・₊✧♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧🥂

𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 pairing: soloist!baekhyun x unnamed female o/c (y/n) 𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 content: 18+/MDNI. smut, romance, wedding!au, angst, fluff, exos and o/c's, pussy whipped baek, ex-playboy baek, ceo nepo baby reader, smut (tbh probs every chapter), language, scenes with alcohol +/or smoking throughout story, pretty tame tho tbh!!! 𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 summary: at his best friend's lavish engagement party, world-famous idol baekhyun, notorious for his flirtatious nature and carefree approach to relationships, finds himself unexpectedly intrigued by (y/n), an heiress to a prominent hotel empire. who is also newly single after calling off her own engagement due to infidelity. when baekhyun and (y/n) meet, sparks fly instantly. in a whirlwind of emotions and social expectations, baekhyun and (y/n) explore the depths of their connection, challenging their perceptions of love and commitment. 𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 wc: 5,700+ 𓈒ㅤׂ 𝜗𝜚 a/n: idk if this is lame but every chapter is gonna be named after a song that kinda captures the essence/inspo of it :') i'll be linking the song next to the pic credits just like how it's formatted above!! also idk how many parts this fic is gonna be??? maybe 3? maybe 5? who knows. who cares. this is all just for fun anyway! but anyways, enjoyyyyyy hope you like it <3 if u hate it don't tell me pls i will cry

s&v | mlist | ★ ch.1: locked out of heaven ★ | next | ch 3

in a sprawling, modern home, its floor-to-ceiling windows allow soft, natural light to fill the space and beautifully capture the colors of the setting sun. the open floor plan seamlessly connects the living room, dining area, and kitchen together. the large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors cast open to where the party spills out into the spacious backyard, where additional floral arrangements and twinkling string lights create a magical atmosphere.

everywhere you look inside and out, there are stunning floral displays, with elegant bouquets of roses, peonies, and lilies in tall vases, and smaller arrangements of wildflowers and greenery scattered across tables. servers move gracefully through the crowd, offering trays of delicate appetizers.

the atmosphere is lively, with guests chatting animatedly as they mill about, glasses of sparkling wine in hand. laughter and conversation echo throughout the space, creating a warm, festive ambiance. the guests, a mix of family and close friends are clearly excited, stealing glances toward the grand staircase at the far end of the room. they’re all waiting for the moment when the true guests of honor, the newly engaged couple, make their entrance.

baekhyun stands near the corner of the bustling room, a glass of something fizzy and forgettable clutched in his right hand, the left in the pocket of his sleek black slacks purposely bought for this occassion. the ring on his middle finger clashes lightly against the glass as he brings it to his lips, the sound barely audible over the hum of conversation buzzing all around him. the two equally well-dressed men in front of him have shifted their discussion to recent global news, one of them gesturing animatedly as he shares the latest headlines. baekhyun nods occasionally, but his attention is elsewhere. the guests of honor were supposed to arrive 30 minutes ago, and the delay is starting to test his patience.

he tunes in just long enough to catch a snippet about how apparently all the giant pandas around the world, including the ones in zoos, technically belong to China. he can’t help but smirk at the randomness of it, but his interest fades quickly. his mind is preoccupied, his eyes flicking occasionally toward the grand staircase at the far end of the room, where the newly engaged couple is expected to make their entrance.

as he listens with half an ear, the impatience gnawing at him, the murmur in the room suddenly quiets. the couple has finally arrived. baekhyun straightens up, his expression softening into a proud smile as he watches his best friend and his new fiancée step into the room, looking radiant and happy.

as the couple receives a warm and lively welcome from the crowd, baekhyun's attention shifts to a captivating woman who enters just behind them. his smile falters, replaced by a flicker of curiosity. who is she? his gaze lingers, captivated and intrigued. the party may be just beginning, but for baekhyun, the night has already taken an unexpected turn.

the crown jewel of the lee family’s hotel empire. (y/n), the heiress to the vast fortune, moved with effortless grace. her presence commanded attention, not just because of her family's status but because of the aura of confidence and allure she exuded. behind the poised facade, there was an air of detachment, as if the world around her was just a beautifully constructed stage.

the instant baekhyun lays his eyes on her walking down the stairs, he is captivated. her figure embodying a perfect balance, each curve and line harmonizing effortlessly. she moved with such natural grace that he couldn't help but be irresistibly drawn to her. the gentle slope of her shoulders, the elegant taper of her waist—every part of her silhouette was a living masterpiece. he found himself utterly smitten, unable to look away, completely entranced by the quiet confidence and natural beauty she exuded with every step.

her smile was effortless, and magnetic, drawing people to her like moths to a flame. baekhyun watches as she glides making her rounds in the crowd, exchanging warm greetings and laughs that seem to resonate long after she's moved on. it’s clear to him that she's well-liked, the kind of person who doesn’t just walk into a room but lights it up. his heart began to beat faster, not with anxiety, but excitement—a thrill akin to a lion hunting its prey. he couldn’t help but plot in his mind the different ways he could draw her closer, the tantalizing thought of getting her into his bed tonight pulsing in the back of his mind.

baekhyun's thoughts and predatory-like gaze were interrupted when the taller man beside nudged his arm and spoke, "geez, baek. if you keep your mouth open any longer, you'll catch a fly."

baekhyun's friends scan the crowd and spot who he has his eyes set on and it doesn't take them long to put two and two together.

the short one makes his realization audible before he goes, "it seems baekhyun's got his eye on dinner already," his tone playful.

this isn't out of character for him. with more than a decade of friendship, the two men beside baekhyun know him more than they know themselves. they know that he is well-known and charismatic with women, using his flirtatious and vibrant personality to get what he wants from them.

sex.

baekhyun’s had his fair share of relationships—though calling them that might be a stretch. they typically fizzled out within a few months, more like passionate flings or fleeting encounters than genuine connections, and often ended badly. the common thread was his tendency to put in minimal effort outside the bedroom.

he just didn't have the time and energy to be in a fully committed relationship. with the demanding schedule of being a best-selling solo artist—tours, press, interviews, photoshoots— where would he have time to settle down?

they say heavy is the head that wears the crown, and lately, baekhyun’s crown feels like it's too much for his shoulders to bear.

as much as he enjoyed sex, his career, money, and—most importantly—his independence always came first. he liked things just the way they were: simple, uncomplicated, and with no strings attached. in other words, his love life was exactly how he wanted it—non-existent.

a smile tugs at baekhyun's lips as he realizes he's been caught. "i have no idea what you’re talking about, jongdae," he lies smoothly, before downing the rest of his glass. the now lukewarm champagne burns slightly as it slides down his throat.

"you know (y/n) is hana's best friend, right?" the tall man asks baekhyun, “sorry to burst your balls but i'm pretty sure she's off limits."

he stays quiet as he takes a mental note of the mystery woman's name.

"hate to admit it, but chanyeol’s got a point," jongdae says, fiddling with the opulent watch on his left wrist. "you know kyungsoo, not to mention hana, will absolutely have your head if you even think about messing with her best friend."

well fuck, he thinks to himself resigning before the game even began. just then, a server with a silver platter of champagne weaves through the crowd toward him. he casually places his empty glass on the tray and swaps it for a fresh one.

"what’s got baekhyun pouting like that?" a voice asks from behind. baekhyun glances at the two men with a look that clearly says, "don’t say shit."

the three of them turn to see the couple of the hour—kyungsoo, hand in hand with his fiancée, hana. "thank you so much for being here," hana gushes, embracing each of them warmly. "i still can’t believe you three managed to keep this party—let alone kyungsoo’s proposal—a secret!" she adds, her smile bright and infectious.

baekhyun takes in how beautiful and happy the couple in front of him looks, their love almost palpable in the air. they complemented each other well. for a moment, a pang of jealousy hits him—jealous of the connection they share, jealous because he’s never come close to feeling that way. but more than jealousy, he feels overwhelming happiness and pride for his best friend in finding his very own person.

"hey! we can be trustworthy," chanyeol whines, clutching his hand over his heart as if her words were an arrow struck through his chest.

"oh, chanyeol, always the drama queen. give it a rest, will you?" hana rolls her eyes. "i never said you guys weren’t trustworthy, just that you can’t keep your mouths shut. it’s hard to believe you didn’t let it slip around me—especially you, chanyeol," she says his name through gritted teeth, landing a playful punch on his shoulder. "how could my own big brother keep such a secret from me?!"

her fiancé and his friends laugh at their usual sibling banter. chanyeol rubs his arm, trying to soothe the sting. "whatever! what about (y/n)? she knew this whole time too—how come you're not giving her a hard time?!"

hana rolls her eyes with a smile before saying, "don't worry. i gave her an earful on the car ride here."

"did i hear my name?" a smooth, honeyed voice seemed to stir baekhyun's entire world.

there she was. baekhyun’s eyes were drawn to the most stunning woman in the room—perhaps the most beautiful he had ever seen.

"i was wondering why my ears feel like they've been on fire since walking in."

her joking remark sent a jolt of paranoia through baekhyun, causing him to choke on his drink. his ears and neck flushed red with embarrassment. "shit, excuse me," he muttered, clearing his throat and awkwardly patting his lips with the back of his hand.

his friends exchanged puzzled glances, clearly bemused by baekhyun's sudden and uncharacteristic behavior, while (y/n) appeared unfazed, her attention drifting around the party. desperate to recover, baekhyun cleared his throat and blurted out, "i don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting." he extended his hand with an attempt at casual charm. "i’m baekhyun."

jolted from her seemingly indifferent survey of the room, (y/n) turned her attention back to him, her smile lighting up her face with charming dimples on each cheek. holy shit, she was stunning. “oh, hi! i know you—you're an idol, right? i’m (y/n).”

his stomach did a flip when he realized how perfectly her soft, warm hand fit into his. trying to steady himself, he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. while most girls might have blushed and swooned at the gesture, she simply looked at him with a matter-of-fact expression and asked, “wow, dude. why is your hand shaking?”

the swell of pride he felt from her recognition deflated instantly at her candid response.

the group of friends erupted in laughter at her question, and baekhyun’s face turned crimson. he knew he would never hear the end of it later.

baekhyun chuckled softly before leaning in, his voice dropping to a playful whisper in one last attempt to save this undeniably awkward first encounter. “well, forgive me, it’s not every day you meet a billionaire heiress. especially one as breathtakingly stunning as you.”

the others erupted in playful whoops and whistles, teasing them about their flirtatious exchange. (y/n) rolled her eyes, a smirk dancing on her lips. her gaze remained inscrutable, as though she was still contemplating baekhyun’s intentions. she was the first to break eye contact, glancing at the rest of the group before declaring, “well then, let’s get drunk and celebrate the happy couple, shall we?”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

baekhyun and (y/n) found themselves naturally gravitating toward each other throughout the night, their laughter echoing louder with each shared joke. It wasn’t long before they realized how much they had in common—their sense of humor was almost identical, both loving the same quirky, offbeat memes and inside jokes that left others in the dark.

the party buzzed with energy, everyone around them having a great time, but even in the midst of all the fun, their friends couldn’t help but notice how well Baekhyun and (y/n) clicked. there were curious glances and whispered comments about how it was surprising they hadn’t been introduced sooner. it was like they were made to be in each other’s orbit.

their likes and dislikes synced up too, from their mutual love for late-night snacks to their shared disdain for overly serious conversations at parties. every time their eyes met, it was as if they were sharing a secret that only they understood.

as the night wore on, the magnetic pull between them became impossible to ignore. there was a spark, an undeniable attraction that seemed to draw them closer with every shared laugh and knowing glance. it wasn’t just the fun they were having—it was the way they seemed to fit together so effortlessly, like two pieces of a puzzle that had finally clicked into place.

the connection was electric, and their friends noticed it too, exchanging knowing looks and silently wondering if something more might be brewing between the two. for baekhyun and (y/n), the attraction grew stronger with every moment, leaving them both questioning if this was just a fleeting connection or the start of something much bigger.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

“(y/n)!” hana calls out to her best friend, relieved to finally find her without a tipsy baekhyun hanging on. “how’s it going?” she asks in a playful, sing-song voice. "you and baekhyun are actually kinda hot together.”

(y/n) grins, a little unsteady on her feet. “he’s adorable, right? tell me what you know about him.”

“well…” hana drags out the word, thinking. “he’s not really the serious type. but he’s been tight with kyungsoo for, like, forever. from what i’ve seen, baekhyun’s a good guy—just not into commitment. definitely a charmer, though, especially with the ladies.”

(y/n) silently processes hana’s words, her drunken smile fading just a bit.

“look,” hana continues, her tone softening. “i know you’re having fun, and you deserve it—you never let loose like this. but just… be careful. i don’t want you to get hurt again.”

(y/n) kisses hana on the cheek before wrapping her in a warm hug. “thanks for watching out for me. i love you.”

“i love you too, dummy,” hana replies with a warm smile, her eyes filled with protectiveness and worry. “just remember, (y/n), you’ve got to put yourself and your happiness first.”

(y/n) nods at her best friend, sweetly promising, “i know, i will.”

hana wipes the cheek (y/n) kissed with the back of her hand, playfully grimacing. “ugh, you always try to make out with me when you’re drunk.”

“how could i resist? you’re just so kissable,” (y/n) teases, puckering her lips at hana.

as kyungsoo and baekhyun, now within earshot, glance over with raised eyebrows, (y/n) catches sight of them and playfully narrows her eyes.

“you perverts would listen in during that specific part of the conversation,” she teases, her tone dripping with mock accusation.

kyungsoo feigns innocence, holding up his hands. “hey, we just happened to walk by at the right—or maybe wrong—time.”

baekhyun grins mischievously. “not our fault you’re talking about things that sound way more interesting than whatever the guys were chatting about.”

hana smirks at the two men. “you’re just jealous you weren’t invited to the ‘girls' night’ makeout sessions.”

the four of them burst into laughter at her remark.

the thought of the two women kissing flashes through baekhyun’s mind, stirring him up. shaking off the distraction, he grins and says, “oh, definitely jealous. if you ever feel like extending an invite for next time, that’d be greatly appreciated.” he gives (y/n) a playful wink.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

the party was still going strong, and (y/n) and baekhyun were lingering near the snack table, where baekhyun was helping her fix a small plate of hors d'oeuvres.

“here, try this one,” baekhyun said, handing her a delicate canapé. “it’s amazing.”

(y/n) took a bite, her eyes lighting up with delight. “wow, this is incredible! thank you.”

baekhyun chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “you know, you owe me now.”

(y/n) shot him a confused look, one eyebrow arched. “owe you? for what exactly?”

(y/n) chuckled softly, shaking her head. “a proper date for some appetizers i probably would’ve eaten anyway? are you really trying to cash in on this?”

“absolutely,” baekhyun replied with a playful grin. if you compared a photo of him at that moment to one of a puppy, you might struggle to tell them apart. “i think it’s only fair. you get to enjoy the best snacks at a party, and i get to enjoy your company on a date.”

(y/n) considered his proposition, her smile softening. “that’s quite a deal you’re offering."

baekhyun’s smile widened. “it is, isn’t it? so, what do you say? are you up for it?”

(y/n) took a moment, her gaze meeting his. the playful glint in his eyes and the genuine warmth in his voice made it hard to resist.

she thought for a moment. really thought about it. would it be too soon for her?

it had been a few months since (y/n) and daniel called off their engagement, but it felt like no time at all compared to the years they had spent together. they had been promised to each other for as long as they could remember. as heirs to two wealthy and powerful families, their betrothal seemed only natural. their families often joked that (y/n) had been promised to daniel since she was still in her mother’s womb, while daniel was just learning to walk.

daniel had been her safe haven, her first kiss, and her first love. despite everything looking perfect on paper, their teenage romance had evolved into something dull and monotonous. they realized they didn’t have much in common, and the spark in their relationship had faded, which eventually led to his infidelity.

initially, the betrayal felt like an insurmountable obstacle, leaving her wondering if she’d ever truly move on. but through countless tears, deep self-reflection, and the unwavering support of her family—and most importantly, her best friend hana—she began to see that she didn't really blame him. they had both been caught up in meeting their families' expectations, often at the expense of their own desires.

fortunately, the pain has lessened considerably for her. now, when she reflects on it, she's more overwhelmed by the disgust and regret over having wasted her youth on someone she didn't truly love. she despises half-hearted efforts in life and has come to realize that the person and relationship she once deemed most important were ultimately superficial.

before she could politely decline his offer, hana's voice echoed through her mind: just remember, (y/n), you’ve got to put yourself and your happiness first.

“alright,” she said at last, her voice warm and genuine. “you’ve got yourself a date,” she replied with a smile.

baekhyun’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and a relieved sigh escaped his lips as his shoulders relaxed. “perfect. i’ll make sure it’s worth every bite of that canapé.”

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

after countless rounds of shots and a few too many drinking games, the party was finally winding down. baekhyun and (y/n) ended up in one of the lounge areas in kyungsoo’s backyard, nursing bottles of water in an effort to sober up. the market lights twinkled softly overhead, their warm glow mixing with the stars above to create a gentle, romantic ambiance around them.

i have to admit," baekhyun murmured, his voice soft as he leaned in closer, a blush spreading across his cheeks from the alcohol. (y/n)'s gaze traced the pink hue creeping down his ears and neck, her thoughts drifting to how enticing he looked in the dim light. she imagined her lips lightly brushing against his neck, the smell of his cologne and sweat from the summer heat making her heart thump.

at the same time, baekhyun's eyes locked onto (y/n)'s, his heart racing as he took in her breathtaking proximity. he was caught off guard, his mind betraying him with a flood of desire. he didn’t want her to feel like just another conquest, but resisting the urge was becoming increasingly difficult. "i never thought I’d meet someone who could make me feel both nervous and tipsy at the same time."

(y/n) arched an eyebrow, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. "is that your way of saying you're not usually this charming?"

baekhyun laughed loudly, his eyes dancing with mischief. “oh, (y/n), i’m always this charming. it’s just tonight I'm competing with an open bar.”

she laughs, lifting her water to her lips. "hana was right about you."

"was she now?" he replies, intrigued. "and what did our dear hana have to say?"

"that you make all the girls swoon," (y/n) teased rolling her eyes with a smile.

he leans in, a mischievous glint in his eye. "and am i? making you swoon?"

"what would you do if i said you were?"

his face inches closer to hers, their breaths mingling. "then i’d ask if you wanted to get out of here."

her mind spins, heart hammering in her chest as a whirlwind of thoughts crash over her—one voice warns her to keep her distance, to not fall for his charm, while another urges her to take the risk, to seize the moment. she’s only ever known the safety of her ex-fiancé, but a part of her always believed there was more to her. hidden beneath the reliable, conservative exterior was someone different—someone who yearned for excitement, for the thrill of the unknown.

which voice would she listen to?

the silence lingers, and baekhyun stiffens, the tension between them thickening with each passing second. she notices the flicker of insecurity in his eyes and, before she can second-guess herself, makes her choice.

"then ask me," she finally whispers, her voice steady despite her racing heart. "ask me to get out of here."

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

they ended up at baekhyun’s nearby apartment, a spacious yet cozy and stylish retreat that perfectly mirrored his warm personality. the atmosphere was intimate, bathed in soft lighting and a soothing, gentle ambiance. as the door closed behind them, the tension in the air was palpable, almost tangible.

baekhyun intertwined his fingers with (y/n)’s, guiding her gently back against the wall. they shared a lingering, passionate kiss that spoke volumes without words. “i’ve been wanting to do that all night,” baekhyun murmured, his breath warm against (y/n)’s lips, his hand cradling her chin.

“you took your sweet time,” she teased, her playful smile making baekhyun’s eyes light up with admiration.

baekhyun guided (y/n) further into his apartment, leading her towards the kitchen. with a grin, he uncorked a fresh bottle of wine and poured it into two elegant glasses as she settled onto a stool at the sleek marble island directly across from him.

“just so you know,” he said, handing her a glass, “this isn’t quite the ‘proper date’ i had in mind earlier.”

(y/n) raised an eyebrow, her curiosity growing. “oh, really? what’s your idea of a ‘proper date’?”

baekhyun’s smile widened as he moved to sit on the empty stool right next to her, his touch warm and reassuring as he gently caressed her arm. “let’s just say it involves more than just good wine and a cozy setting. i’m talking about something a bit more adventurous, maybe a little unexpected.”

as he spoke, he leaned in and pressed a light, teasing kiss to her cheek. (y/n) giggles at the gesture, her cheeks flushing with warmth. “well, if this is just a preview, you’ve definitely piqued my curiosity.”

with a playful grin, baekhyun took her hand, his thumb brushing softly against her skin. “you know, i’ve always believed that the best dates are the ones that keep you guessing.”

their eyes locked, and in a moment of shared flirtation, baekhyun leaned in for a quick, unexpected kiss on her lips before she had a chance to respond. (y/n) blinked in surprise but couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

they continued talking, but each pause in the conversation was filled with light touches and lingering glances. baekhyun would occasionally brush his fingers through her hair or lightly graze her shoulder, sending sparks of electricity through both of them. (y/n) would respond with teasing remarks and playful nudges, her fingers occasionally finding their way to his arm or chest.

the night continued with their flirtatious banter and affectionate touches, each kiss and gentle caress adding to the undeniable chemistry between them. as they talked and laughed, it was clear that the connection they were building was both magnetic and incredibly promising. the warmth and chemistry between them grew stronger with each passing minute. they talked about their favorite things, shared personal stories, and discovered even more common interests.

baekhyun and (y/n) eventually move onto the living room sofa, nestled closely, their bodies pressed close together. the playful teasing from earlier had transformed into more meaningful touches and lingering glances. the connection they shared felt electric, and every brush of their skin sent shivers of anticipation through both of them.

their conversation had softened into hushed tones, filled with flirtatious whispers and soft laughter. the wine bottle had long been emptied, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly intimate. their earlier inhibitions had melted away, replaced by a palpable desire that simmered between them.

baekhyun’s hand wandered to (y/n)’s waist, his fingers tracing gentle patterns against her skin. he leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. “what are you thinking about?” he asked softly, his voice laced with a hint of anticipation.

(y/n) turned her head slightly, her lips brushing against baekhyun’s ear as she whispered, “i’m thinking about how amazing tonight has been… and how much i want to be closer to you.”

his breath caught at her words, and he looked into her eyes, seeing the same desire reflected back at him. slowly, he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. the kiss was slow at first, exploratory, but quickly grew more urgent as their desire for each other became undeniable.

baekhyun’s hands roamed over (y/n)’s back, pulling her closer until they were pressed together, their bodies fitting seamlessly. he gently guided her to straddle his lap, his hands sliding up her sides, pulling her shirt slightly out of place. the feeling of her skin against his sent waves of pleasure through both of them.

(y/n) responded eagerly, her hands slipping under baekhyun’s shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin. she kissed him deeply, her lips moving against his with increasing fervor. the room seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them wrapped in a cocoon of desire.

as their kisses became more heated, baekhyun’s hands slid down to the hem of her shirt, lifting it slowly. he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his expression filled with longing and affection. “are you sure you want this?” he asked, his voice husky with emotion.

(y/n) nodded, her eyes filled with desire. “yes, i want you. i want this.”

baekhyun wasted no time guiding (y/n) to his bedroom. the soft glow of the bedside lamps created a romantic ambiance, casting a warm, inviting light over the room. baekhyun’s gaze was filled with affection and longing as he slowly closed the door behind them, his hands lingering on (y/n)’s hips.

they took their time, their actions a blend of curiosity and tenderness. baekhyun’s fingers traced delicate patterns along (y/n)’s arms, while her hands explored the contours of his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips. each touch, each caress, was both an exploration and an expression of their growing intimacy.

baekhyun led (y/n) to the bed with a gentle but insistent pull. he kissed her deeply, their mouths moving together in a slow, passionate dance. as he began to undress her, he took great care, his fingers brushing over her skin with reverent touches. his kisses traveled from her lips to her neck, his breath hot and eager as he peppered her skin with soft, teasing kisses.

(y/n) responded with equal passion, her hands working to remove his clothing, her touches becoming bolder as she felt the heat of his body against hers. she guided him gently, exploring the contours of his muscles and the warmth of his skin with both hands and lips.

with a nod of understanding, baekhyun’s lips curved into a soft, reassuring smile. he positioned himself carefully, his touch tender as he guided himself to her entrance. the anticipation in the room was almost tangible, the air thick with their shared longing.

as he entered her, the sensation was electric, a feeling so intense and profound that it was as if a whole new world had been born. the connection between them was immediate and overwhelming, each movement bringing a rush of pleasure that seemed to transcend the physical.

baekhyun’s eyes closed in pure ecstasy as he felt the warmth and tightness of (y/n) enveloping him. the sensation was so overwhelming that his first thought was a mix of fear and embarrassment at the possibility of reaching his climax too soon.

he moved slowly at first, savoring the sensation and the incredible closeness they now shared. (y/n) gasped, her body arching slightly as she felt him inside her, the sensation almost too intense to put into words.

everything outside faded away, leaving just the two of them in this moment of pure connection. every touch, every thrust felt like a discovery, with each new sensation deepening their bond. their movements turned into a passionate dance, each glance and touch strengthening their connection even more.

the bedroom was filled with the soft sounds of their shared breaths and whispered words, each movement between them a careful balance of passion and tenderness. they took their time, savoring every moment, every kiss, every touch, as they were discovering each other for the first time.

for (y/n), this was her first time since her recent breakup with her ex-fiancée. the memory of her past relationship lingered like a shadow, but as baekhyun’s hands roamed over her body and his lips met hers, she found herself lost in a different kind of connection. she had thought she knew what good sex was, but what she experienced with baekhyun was otherworldly.

their bodies moved together with a natural rhythm, each touch sending waves of pleasure that were both intense and unfamiliar. the connection they shared was electric, and the intimacy they felt transcended anything she had experienced before. baekhyun’s touch was gentle yet passionate, each kiss and caress amplifying the pleasure they gave each other.

the bed seemed to dissolve into a world of its own, the outside world fading away as they became enveloped in their shared passion. as their bodies rocked together, the intensity of their movements and the depth of their connection created a sensation that was nothing short of incredible.

(y/n) felt an overwhelming sense of amazement, her previous experiences dwarfed by the sheer bliss she was now experiencing with baekhyun. each moment was filled with the kind of pleasure that seemed to transcend physical sensation, merging with an emotional intimacy that left her breathless and wanting more.

as the intensity between them built, their movements became more urgent and synchronized. baekhyun’s breaths grew heavier, matching the quickening pace of their bodies moving together. the pleasure was palpable, a crescendo of sensations that was drawing them closer to the edge.

(y/n) felt every touch, every thrust with an intensity that left her breathless. her hands gripped baekhyun’s shoulders, her nails digging in slightly as waves of pleasure washed over her. each deep, penetrating movement brought her closer to the peak of ecstasy, her moans mingling with his in a symphony of passion.

baekhyun’s eyes were locked onto hers, the look of raw, unfiltered desire evident as he lost himself in the moment. his grip on her hips tightened, pulling her closer with every thrust. the intensity of their connection was overwhelming, each movement amplifying the sensations coursing through their bodies.

as they neared their climax, their breathing became ragged, the room filled with the sounds of their shared pleasure. baekhyun’s thrusts grew more urgent, his body moving with a rhythm that matched the rising tide of (y/n)’s pleasure. she arched her back, her eyes closing as the waves of ecstasy began to crest.

then, with a final, powerful thrust, they both reached the peak of their desire. the sensation was electrifying, a surge of pleasure that seemed to pulse through every nerve ending. (y/n)’s body tensed, her cries of pleasure mixing with baekhyun’s groans as they climaxed together, the intensity of their shared experience creating a moment of pure, blissful unity.

as the waves of their climax subsided, they clung to each other, their breaths coming in heavy, satisfied gasps. baekhyun’s arms wrapped around (y/n), pulling her close as they both reveled in the afterglow of their intense connection.

they lay together, their bodies still intertwined, each touch and caress a testament to the profound bond they had forged. the night had brought them to a new level of closeness, their shared climax a powerful affirmation of their connection and desire for each other.

baekhyun’s fingers traced gentle patterns on (y/n)’s skin. “so, are you still convinced i’m just charming because of the drinks?”

(y/n) smiled, her eyes heavy with contentment. “maybe it’s the charm mixed with a genuine connection. either way, i’m glad we took the chance.”

despite the warmth of the moment, baekhyun couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something deeper was stirring within him. this unfamiliar and somewhat frightening sensation was new to him. even in past relationships where he’d had plenty of time to understand someone, he had never felt such intense longing. (y/n) had entered his life and challenged his perceptions of relationships, making him question everything he thought he knew. this profound feeling left him both excited and apprehensive about what the future might hold.

as he grappled with these overwhelming thoughts and emotions, he realized that (y/n) had drifted off to sleep, her face illuminated by a peaceful, contented smile. he admired her serene expression, marveling at how swiftly she had fallen into slumber. with a tender smile of his own, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. his voice was soft and sincere as he whispered, “me too.”

s&v | mlist | ★ ch.1: locked out of heaven ★ | next | ch. 3

[indie-fanfics]

Pondering J Oneshot

CW Mentions of death and body horror, Standard MD stuff

J stared out. Out at the cold, barren landscape of Copper 9. She stared out, thinking. She was doing more of that lately. Especially about the past. She normally refused to think about back then. What was the point? But now, there wasn't much else to think about. Her and "Tessa" were on the down low, trying to figure out where the cabin fever labs were hidden. And she'd done enough thinking about that, about "Tessa" and her orders. "Tessa," yeah right. J knew it was Cyn, she'd known for years at this point. The horrible little thing kept her believing, hoping, praying even that Tessa was still alive and that's who J was communicating with over the relays. But eventually, as the little things added up and the contradictions complied on themselves like a pile of bounced checks, things clicked for J. She spent weeks agonizing over what she would do, even to the point where V started to get suspicious. In the end, it didn't even matter. Cyn didn't care, it only threatened to do anything if J told the others, and only because that could serve as a memory trigger. And while N had no memories of before. V had just enough to keep her loyal. She paused in her thoughts for a moment, glancing around the perimeter for any potential threats and checking her oil level. She'd need to feed in a few hours. There was only strong winds around her, blowing her hair every which way. J took a few deep breathes before going back to her thoughts. V, poor unsuspecting V. She remembered only a few things from Earth, mainly their time as worker drones and Cyn's "promise," honestly it was a lot more of a threat. But all V focused on was making sure things didn't get worse. N didn't know anything, of course, the idiot would just try to find some stupid way of fixing things that would only cost them time and Cyn's patience. J would know, after all. This was the second exo-planet they had been sent too, the first being somewhat of a test run for Cyn to train her little puppets. Both N and V had near equal memories of earth, minus the killing Cyn had them do when it destroyed the planet. It was a relatively barren planet when they got there, having been one of the first planets and mined almost entirely bare. Full of older drone models too. Programed, like almost all drones, with little sense of self-preservation. It was easy to take out almost all of them, as well as the few humans there that were managing the drones. However, the memories soon started to get to the other two. N became somewhat obsessive with getting back to Earth, wanting to help save Tessa and defeat Cyn. Still naive and stupid as ever. V backed him up on that, surprisingly, but was smart enough to agree that they should at least pretend to follow orders. J rolled her eyes at their plan, but a seed of hope remained that she couldn't quite kill. Cyn, however, found out, turned out the thing was able to listen in on them while they talked. It took control of N and broke his body open from the inside as the Cyn-controlled core forced it's way out, using the material of his corpse to create the an eldritch monster. It forced J to watch as it killed V. Saying that the she should see what happens when the job isn't done right. J still saw those memories whenever she went to sleep. Maybe it was Cyn, maybe it was her guilty conscience. Not like she knew either way. J had to watch as her friends coworkers were killed in front of her. She had to watch what happened when she didn't take control of her team and force them to follow orders. She wasn't going to let that happen again. Every time they tried something, it failed. Every time they failed, they were punished. Every time J didn't do what she was told, she was punished. She didn't care if Cyn tricked her at this point, it was too late for her to try to switch sides again. She was done.

[kb1301]

More Max Lore! All coming from a server I'm a part of. I wrote it there.

Past Hurts of the Core

Though Max is content and happy with Lord Shaxx, his time with relationships, especially romantic ones, were not all great. He did his all, and yet he was used, and mistreated. But not all were bad.

Back during the Dark Age, before the Last City even existed, he was resurrected and became one of the Risen. Maximus-1 was reborn and his Ghost, who was yet to be named Spinner by said Risen, were drifting and wandering the land. In his journeys did he meet his first lover, a Human woman by the name of Ciara, his only female lover. He helped him at her camp and did all he could to know that he's there to provide to those without the Light... Then maybe years pass and he knew Ciara was growing frail already, such is the plight of those without it. She told him to move on from her and find someone else. When Max refused, she pushed him forth to it, knowing that their love wouldn't last, that of a Risen and a mortal.

He never knew her again after that, he rebooted and became Maximus-2. Then Maximus-3, then the fourth, then the fifth.

As Maximus-5, he found a new love with another of the Risen. Another Exo, Vigil-8 was his name, and it was a maelstrom to him. Though they were aligned in their goals, their personalities created friction, and yet it had something exciting. Max felt like a fool falling in love with Vigil, even with conflicts in his emotional core, he did his best to be with him too. And like a fool, he was hurt. Vigil had ended the relationship abruptly between them, having used Max for his own gains. But Max never gave up on his wants: love, affection, and intimacy.

Then he rebooted, and yet those wants stayed the same throughout the next versions. The sixth, the seventh, and the eighth.

As Maximus-8, did he think he was in love again. At this point it was when the Last City was being constructed, and yet he has yet to receive word of it. He was in a relationship with some Warlord he fell a fancy for, not cruel, and yet firm in his rule. What was he thinking getting into someone like him? He never thought of asking that question to himself, only pouring himself as if devoted to some deity to this man. And when he poured his time and effort, he was mistreated. He wasn't treated an equal, but a tool. He broke off then, his resolve and his ideals weakening thereafter.

By the ninth and tenth Maximus', he became a Guardian, sworn to the protection of the Last Safe City on Earth. Spinner was given his name too and they journeyed on and helped wherever they were needed. And when Maximus-11 came, he had one relationship. One of the Awoken by the name of Velys became his partner, a fellow Guardian that he had ups and downs with. His sentiment for love and affection was weakened from the past, even though he had not known the truth of it personally (only getting the information from Spinner). His time with Velys was... complicated. There would always be fights about, but they'd always make up. There would be jabs and threats and yet there would also be tender kisses and comforting hugs. It complicated his viewpoint of love: why get hurt by the one you love and only receive comfort thereafter? And yet again he never asked that to himself, still dedicating himself to it.

When Velys died... permanently... at the hands of the Hive, he was conflicted.

Though he never got to answer for it, another reboot came. And now he was, he is, Maximus-12.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I feel like kpop stans created their own worst enemy in armys maybe they should've been nicer. Exols vips and shawols specifically I feel like out of the fandoms that did the most damage they're the biggest ones still sticking around

***

Hi Anon,

Watching from the sidelines, it was equal parts hilarious and disturbing to see that creation happen in real time. The dominant cultures of those fandoms haven’t changed in years, and neither has the animosity to ARMYs by virtue of the competition the artists they support have to BTS - not intentionally, but just by virtue of the dynamics in k-pop. SHINee, Big Bang, and EXO were supposed to be the dominant groups in k-pop globally - they had the company backing and privilege, the money, and the articles going as far back as 2011, to guarantee it. And they still enjoyed wide-scale success and are by several metrics still very successful. But BTS was an aberration that completely upended the hierarchy in k-pop, and just by virtue of being an anomaly in the system, earned them animosity. It’s a dynamic that used to fascinate me in 2018 and Kim Young-dae’s writing on it at the time was very interesting to read.

Anyway, now ARMYs are what they are for better or worse, and responsibility for the fandom’s behaviour rests solely on the fandom, though of course it’s best understood when looking at the wider k-pop and music ecosystem.

One thing my k-ARMY friend was telling me yesterday was that this partnership HYBE is pursuing with SM serves as insurance against the worst factions of anti-BTS sentiment in SM, while plugging the revenue shortfall from BTS enlisting. I disagreed (and still do) about the first point.

Spite is a very natural human emotion but in k-pop, it’s distilled to an extremely potent and poisonous weapon. You see it everywhere in even the most innocuous places and it’s so prominent that even newer k-pop fans tap into that undercurrent almost immediately as soon as they enter k-pop spaces. In terms of corporate benefits, this SM deal for HYBE is nearly airtight in how brilliant it is, but when considering dominant fandom behaviours that stretch past 15 years at least, it’s a poorly thought out choice.

I mean,

- SM, SM staff, and fans of SM groups have been well aware of the company-wide corruption and crimes Lee Sooman is guilty of, for literal decades. But it was him approaching HYBE that became the turning point that apparently has “destroyed his legacy” - quoting a k-SM fan on a forum yesterday.

- MHJ is responsible for several of SM’s most iconic concepts. Some people had misgivings about her but it was well understood that she worked within a team and took direction for those concepts from none other than Lee Sooman and Yoo Young-jin. In fact, when she announced her resignation from SM a couple years ago, I recall seeing several fans of SM groups sad and distraught about her leaving. But when it was revealed she moved to HYBE, the dominant sentiment changed. Cue all the subsequent accusations to justify that sentiment and the stigma applied to NewJeans, but it’s very curious to me that neither Blackpink, nor Big Bang, nor Baby Monster have any stigma attached to them despite training as minors under Yang Hyun-suk - the only actual known pedophile in k-pop. Like it’s not even common knowledge in wider k-pop fandom despite a court case, tv interview, and marriage certificate which prove his predilections beyond reasonable doubt. But after MHJ moved to HYBE, all it took was a Twitter thread, Pinterest pictures, and an active imagination to sell the crime.

- Garam.

I could list more instances spanning the last 6 years but I’ll stop here for now. My point is, I understand why HYBE is pursuing SM. That company has been so badly managed that it’s simpler cheaper to acquire it, than any of the other Big3 companies. If I were to suggest a company with better potential synergy for HYBE, I would suggest JYPE and that’s also a company that prudently disburses capital. But JYPE would also be more expensive for HYBE and likely wouldn’t yield as good a return as acquiring SM. This is one case where I’d say money isn’t everything, but lol what do I know? I’m just an ARMY and k-pop stan.

[way-of-the-sun]

Lost in Transmission

@exols-silver-christmas​

A Sectret Santa fic for @simplypearing​

Genre: Sci-Fi

Warning: Angst, Blood, Violence, Character Death

Prompt: Chanyeol is a computer engineer working on AI and is murdered by his rival and his consciousness is uploaded into the AI system

Words: 2056

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

Chanyeol, Sehun and you have been friends for years. The three of you practically grew up together and decided to go to the same university after school. Chanyeol went first, with him being the oldest. You joined him a year later and lastly Sehun joined the two of you. It were fun years with lots of parties and way too many sleepless nights, trying to learn for exams. Chanyeol and you both studied to become a computer engineer and Sehun went and studied technical engineering.

Chanyeol was a genius. Programming came easy to him and it didn’t take long until he got into artificial intelligence. He was fascinated with creating them and at the end of university he developed an AI as his last project. The little machine called “EXO” was your little helper in everyday life. It booked medical appointments, remembered you that you needed to recharge your technical devices and so much more. You were in awe when Chanyeol gifted EXO to you. It was a precious gift that you treasured until today.

You weren’t that invested in AI as your friend Chanyeol. You liked to debug programs and systems and you could proudly say that you were one of the best in this field. Because of your love for debugging you gained the nickname “Patch”. This name stuck with you and Chanyeol and Sehun called you Patch until this day.

Sehun could only shake his head about the two of you because he wasn't into programming stuff. He burned for the technical side of things. He would supply you with all the technical devices you needed and turned to developing robots to help out Chanyeol in his efforts to create the best and newest AI.

After Sehun finished university the three of you started to work together. Chanyeol and Sehun desperately wanted to develop a robot together that was equipped with the newest AI technology. They were ambitious and wanted to make a break through in this field. You couldn’t leave them to work on this monster project by themselves so you joined them in their efforts. You never regretted your decision, until that one day.

January 2076

You were lounging on the small, worn out couch in your workshop that Chanyeol bought for cheap one day. The three of you liked to relax on this old thing after a long day of working on the newest project. But today you weren’t working but rather celebrating. Park “the genius” Chanyeol just won an award for “outstanding development in the field of artificial intelligence engineering”. He was sitting opposite you, on an equally worn out armchair, grinning from ear to ear. It was endearing. His big ears were flushed from all the excitement and he boisterously retold what happened during the award ceremony for the third time in a row.

“And you know I really thought that Kai would win the award this time! His research was truly outstanding! I didn’t think I stood a chance, but then they called MY name!” Chanyeol was nearly vibrating out of his armchair.

“Can you believe it? Patch! Sehun! I won!”

You turned your head and looked at Sehun who was sitting next to you on the couch. You exchanged fondly exasperated grins and turned back to Chanyeol again.

“You deserve the award, Yeollie. I’m so proud of you.” You said. And you meant every word of that. Chanyeol deserved the award. He was working on developing an AI which would be compatible with a human mind. Chanyeol was dreaming about uploading a human consciousness into the system to retain this humans mind even after death. You could say he was trying to find a way to make humans immortal, in preserving the essence of them – their mind.

And this first prototype of his, called EX’ACT, just won an award.

Chanyeol’s grin got impossibly wider after hearing you say that. Suddenly you heard Sehun whine next to you.

“I deserve an award as well…” Chanyeol and you looked at Sehun questioningly. Sehun continued speaking with his arms crossed above his chest and his eyebrows furrowed.

“I mean I developed the robot you used as a container for your AI system…” And Sehun wasn’t completely wrong. The robot was marvellous. It looked human like, with a white casting all over it’s body. The face could emulate human facial expressions and the eyes looked just like human ones. Even though the casting could withstand strong impacts, it felt kind of soft and smooth to the touch. You couldn’t deny that the robot was pretty, yet strong.

Sehung continued pouting and Chanyeol started laughing, the sound reverberating through the small workshop.

“He’s kind of right, you know.” You said. Chanyeol turned to look at you, his puppy eyes on full display.

“Patch!” he whined full of theatrics. “But it’s MY award…”

You shook your head, fondly exasperated. Still with a smile on your face you leaned over to him and ruffled his hair.

“And like I said, you deserve it.” As if a switch was turned on again, the big smile was back on Chanyeol’s face. He took a breath to reply to you but you would never get to hear what he wanted to tell you, because a loud knock on your front door interrupted him.

The three of you looked at each other questioningly.

“Does anyone expect some company?” You asked. Sehun shook his head and Chanyeol only shrugged. Chanyeol stood up and gently shook off your hand, which was still resting on his head. You instantly missed his warmth and the feeling of his soft hair under your fingers.

“I’ll go check who’s at the door.” You hummed at Chanyeol’s statement and watched him walk the short distance to the front door. You could still see him, your shop was just that small. He opened the door and you were surprised to recognise the person standing outside. You looked at Sehun, who was already staring at you, having recognised the person as well. Without needing to say anything the two of you stood up and went to the front door.

Chanyeol was already talking to your visitor and as soon as you stood next to Chanyeol you greeted him.

“Kai, hello.” Kai threw a glance at you. The normally handsome face was contorted into a mask of anger. His eyes were hard and his mouth was pinched. You felt uneasy seeing him like this. Chanyeol’s and his rivalry was well known to you and the stories you heard about this rivalry sometimes made you feel uneasy. It wasn’t a little school yard rivalry, but something deeper. Something twisted almost.

Kai looked back at Chanyeol. With anger in his voice he spoke up.

“It should have been my award! You know my research was better! What did you do? Did you pay them?” His voice got progressively louder and his eyes looked wild. He didn’t seem like his normal suave self.

Chanyeol got angry at these accusations which were thrown at him.

“You know I didn’t!” Chanyeol nearly screamed. “I was just better than you. I don’t need to bribe anyone. If someone needed to bribe the judges, it would be you!”

Kai was vibrating from anger. You watched this scene unfold and felt fear rising inside of you.

“Chanyeol, maybe you shouldn’t –“ You were interrupted by Kai pulling out a gun out of nowhere. You froze and Chanyeol and Sehun with you. The fear felt like ice in your veins. You couldn’t move. You couldn’t speak. You couldn’t do anything but watch in horror as Kai pointed the barrel of the gun right at Chanyeol.

The gunshot sounded like a whole explosion in your ears. Everything slowed down. It felt as if time nearly stopped.

You watched, as blood began to pool on Chanyeol’s shirt. You watched, as Chanyeol lifted his hand to touch the wound, stunned. You watched, as Chanyeol’s knees gave out and he fell to the floor. You moved, when you heard him letting out the most gruelling sound of pain you’ve heard until this day.

Suddenly time seemed to start flowing normally again. You fell on your knees and frantically crawled to Chanyeol. As soon as you were next to him you saw how much he was bleeding. You felt your eyes widen and just dimly registered that Sehun was right next to you.

You rolled Chanyeol onto his back and pressed on his wound as strongly as you could. This elicited another groan of pain from him. Despite your best efforts you felt his warm blood running through your fingers. You got frantic, tears started falling down your face. You were shaking and crying.

You felt as if your head was packed with cotton.

Slowly you registered that someone was calling your name.

“PATCH! PATCH!” You turned your tear stained face to the source of the noise. It was Sehun.

He looked like a ghost. White as a sheet and with wild eyes. He spoke again.

“We’re loosing him! Kai hit his lung. There is no way an ambulance will be here in time…” Sehun was trembling. You shook your head. Again and again. You started mumbling.

“No! No this can’t be the end… There must be something… Something! ANYTHING we can do!” Suddenly you froze. Your gaze fell onto the robot. The award winning new system EX’ACT. The AI in which you could transfer a humans mind before death. Your head whipped around and you looked at Sehun with crazed eyes.

“Sehun! EX’ACT! We can transfer Chanyeol’s mind into EX’ACT!” He started shaking his head.

“Patch, that’s impossible! EX’ACT is only a prototype. It’s not fit for doing a real transfer! You KNOW that.”

“I’m aware, but it’s the only solution we have! It can’t end like this! We can’t loose Chanyeol!”

Chanyeol let out another groan of pain, this one quieter than the ones before. Sehun looked down at one of his best friends. Lying in his own blood, suffering, dying. This image broke his resolve and he looked at you, determined.

“Alright, let’s do it. You put pressure on his wound, I prepare everything.” You nodded and looked around you. You don’t know when or how, but Kai was long gone. This fact only now registered in your head. But as soon as you realized this, you already put it aside. Kai wasn’t important right now. The most important thing at the moment was saving Chanyeol.

You stared at his face while pressing down harder on his wound. Your hands were soaked in his blood. It felt disgusting between your fingers. Warm and slippery. Sehun arrived again before you could loose yourself in this feeling of Chanyeol’s blood on your hands.

“I’m ready.” Sehun’s voice was shaky but his hands were stable. He put the necessary transmitters on Chanyeol’s head. There were fifteen in total. This process took longer than you liked but in the end he installed all of them and rushed off to start the transmission.

He looked at you and you looked at him. You nodded. Then he pushed the button. You stopped pressing on Chanyeol’s wound and stood up. There was nothing you could do for his mortal body now. You slowly walked over to Sehun, who was standing in front of the robot, which would soon harbour Chanyeol’s mind.

You grasped Sehun’s hand and interlaced your fingers. The hold was sticky. You still had all that blood on your hands. Still neither of you truly registered the feeling, too mesmerized with the transmission process. It looked beautiful. Light blue light that was pulsating as if it was a heartbeat. All too soon the light dimmed until it vanished completely, indicating the end of the process.

You held your breath. Nothing happened for a few seconds, until the mechanical eyes of the robot opened. Sehun squeezed your hand. The robot was slowly sitting up. Your heart was beating way too fast and you needed to swallow before you could form words. Your voice came out uneven and small.

“Chanyeol?” The face of EX’ACT turned around and it’s piercing eyes bored into you. Then it spoke and you weren’t prepared for the words that left it’s mouth.

“I am Loey.” Your heart nearly stopped and you heard Sehun’s faint whisper right next to you.

“What have we done?”

[haveanotherkpopblog]

A Thousand Lives Lived

Exology

Pairing: EXO OT11 x Fem!Reader

Genre: Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fantasy, Power!AU, Sci-Fi

Word Count: ~400

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist || Next>>

In the beginning, there was nothing. From the nothing grew the roots of the Tree of Life- and the Tree of Life itself from that. Its roots stretched and wrapped around itself to create the EXO Planet. From there, life was born.

For peace, balance and protection, the Tree of Life produced eleven forces--eleven Legends. Each one created from a single drop of sap, each Legend was given an elemental or cardinal power to aid in the protection of Tree of Life.

To help and aid the protection of EXO Planet, the Legends created the Elyxion. Hand-picked by the Legends themselves, the Elyxion’s sole purpose was to record and guide the people of EXO Planet-- to keep them on the path of peace and balance. For many years, life lived in bliss.

From the depths of the darkness of the nothing came the red force. Sweltering with hate and festering with greed, the Red Force created the Evil. Plundering the EXO Planet, turning lush fields into dry and barren wastelands, pitting brother against brother, the Evil Red Force made its way towards the Tree of Life.

To protect the Tree of Life, the Legends divided the heart of the Tree in half. Time was overturned and space turned askew. The Legends left the care of EXO Planet in the hands of the Elyxion, before fleeing with the two halves. The eleven Legends split into two and traveled apart to two worlds that seemed alike.

Before the Legends left EXO Planet, they left the Elyxion with this: The two halves of the Tree of Life are equal and opposite to each other. One cannot exist without the other, for their hearts beat in unison. They keep balance in this world and the next. It is only when the End of the End is nigh that the Tree may be reunited and reborn into one perfect root.

With the Legends and the Tree of Life far from EXO Planet, the Evil Red Force left to pursue. To uphold their ancient oath, they attempted to cleanse the influence of the Evil Red Force from the people of EXO Planet, but the damage was immeasurable. To keep the future of the Elyxion safe and free from the negative influence, they kept to their own bloodlines and created the Exoluxion, severing all ties with the outside world.

Many years passed, and the Elyxion stood strong. They taught and cherished two ideals: strength and intelligence. Young Elyxions were taught hand-to-hand combat, strategic planning, weapon manufacturing, and advanced medical knowledge and practice. The Elyxion lived in peace and balance, as long as they remained in the Exoluxion, safe from the Evil Red Force.

[xaracosmia]

ꕥ — WELCOME TO EXO COSMIA, CHARLES EYLER. 🌑

ꕥ  — OOC INFORMATION;

name / alias: willow age: 22 pronouns: they/she ooc contact: worldterminus on twitter other characters in xc: asa mitaka, lauriam (marluxia), baldr, meteion

ꕥ  — IC INFORMATION;

name: Charles Eyler age: Unknown, 18 at death. Adult. pronouns: Any pronouns series: Hello Charlotte canon point: Post-HC3 app triggers: !! SUICIDE !!, contamination (rot and parasites, metaphorical), abortion, familial abuse, child neglect, hallucinations, cult mentality, overdosing, misuse of medication, self harm implications

personality: 

Charles Eyler is methodical, practical, and thinks with a straightforward mindset. He can be very distant and withdrawn, often falling to a melancholic demeanor. He connects with others through his art, unable to utilize many other means of connecting.

Plagued by the contamination that wrings its hands around the world, Charles’ personality also tends to be a particularly anxious one, often falling to rituals to avoid the contamination and finding comfort in things that are pure; things he can idolize.

After his death, Charles has only grown more and more nihilistic, his personality molding and shifting to better fit the world he has created for himself and for Charlotte. 

Due to this, it has been long since Charles Eyler could recognize himself in the mirror. His face, ever-shifting vessel to vessel and yet always returning to the one he felt the least attachment to, would grow muddled and uncertain unless he was retaining the face of the one he idolized the most, an obsession that carried over for years and years following his and their death.

Where there was once a semblance of control over himself and his life now lies a person scorned and bruised by the world, saddened by fate and lost to the waves. Charles once had a chance at a self-perceived state of normalcy, but his story had other plans for him.

something your muse struggles with: charles feels that the world is contaminated beyond repair, and is plagued by an obsession with cleanliness. he sees most others as distorted, likely due to a dissociative fugue.

your muse’s greatest strength: he is very artistic and full of creativity. he attempts to connect with others through writing and art, since he struggles to connect with them through other, more social means. 

history / background: 

Charles Eyler’s life was a story about giving up.

A normal life, a normal childhood, a normal family – all of these things were ripped from his hands before he could even bear witness to the sun. He was born in the ruins of an explosive divorce, one of two children granted a chance at life – the other, Scarlett, being cut down the moment she was conceived.

Charles’ mother’s health was declining by the day; she would eventually suffer a terrible breakdown, never fully recovering, never seeing Charles the same way again. She would come to call him Scarlett, seeing him as nothing but his dead sister. She, too, would withdraw, becoming nearly incommunicable. Charles was alone, save for the haunting memory of what could have been: a tulpa of his unconceived sister, the shade of what she could have been.

Scarlett would loom over Charles, verbally attacking him and attempting to ruin his life at every turn, and he would find no escape from her other than through pills, increasing the amounts until she was fully silenced, until he had no more left to curb her abuse.

Charles would eventually find someone he could call a friend. Someone distorted, caked in the muddled rot of the universe, but someone nonetheless. Their personalities were equally unpleasant, their histories contaminated by the world; Anri and Charles found comfort in each other where they could not find comfort in another. They even would be considered a couple – at least, to the public eye.

In addition to Anri, however, was C. C, an online presence Charles came to admire like a messiah.  

He would learn that C was not only C – he was Vincent, a boy destroyed by life as he was; however undistorted, unaffected by the rot and contamination of the universe.

Vincent wasn’t distorted. Vincent was perfect. Vincent had been his God, and he had returned beyond the gates of Heaven.  

Without his pills, Scarlett would laugh at Charles, watching his life unravel between his very fingers.

And in the end, Anri, as well, would leave. 

Everyone would leave. Charles, in a desperate fervor to have control over one last thing in his life, would suggest to her this: they run away.

Anri took up his offer, and he held out pills. Had he less dignity, he would have begged on his knees: let’s leave together.

He underestimated the amount of care she held in her heart for him. They would not leave together. She wouldn’t let him do that, even if they would eventually break off their falsified relationship.

Things would be okay. It wasn’t his fault. She made sure he knew that, made him repeat it like a mantra. 

They ceased contact after she moved, despite their best attempts at keeping up, and he lost Anri after some time. 

Not long after, he lost his mother, as well.

The world would fall apart with her death, and he would fall with it. The contamination of the world became too much to bear. Rot spread to his very veins, and he wondered if the ocean would be enough to wash it from his skin.

powers / abilities: 

charles may take over VESSELS by transferring his consciousness into other beings. one of these vessels includes an empty husk of his idol, vincent.

inherent abilities: 

GOD. following his death, charles has become a sort of god. this does not leave him omnipotent to the wonders of the world and does not render his body immortal beyond all comprehension, however; he can still be killed. his status as a god is simply that – a status. 

items / weapons: N/A

starting ability: ability to take over vessels

starting item: n/a

extra: 

he is canonically genderfluid and asexual!

get nietzsche away from this dude

sometimes you just keep on musing autistic black haired yellow eyed bitches and have to resign yourself to your fate

the characters of hello charlotte’s false world are created from his mind after his death. hello, world!

discord id: allendedwell

[wrenandthemachine]

ok so..... uh... yeah. This is the PG version cuz... well, reasons. LOL Anywho, I have no idea what I was doing. I don’t know if I’ve ever drawn anything this mechanical before (other than a motorcycle but we won’t go into that) and I feel like a lot of it is eh. Hello heavy speculation! I would say the plating is more for protection but also to help look more “human” and to keep the mobility Cayde has I assume the plating is actually kinda thin and had a good deal of space between it to keep it from grinding together when he moves. Spine thing protects more delicate wiring things maybe? Hell idk. I started with a model that I felt had roughly Cayde’s build, then used some anatomy stuff for the musculature and moved on up from there in layers. I assume under the thinner plating and the sort of “skin” under it is probably a sturdy pseudo skeletal structure. Well, I am tired, please be kind! I shall dress him tomorrow-ish.

@aislinavalbane   Look! Cake! lol

[cheekygreenty]

Little Witch - Part 10

The Darkling x Reader

*I’ve changed this part like 5 times so if there’s any inconsistencies I do apologize 😝

In a perfect world, you and Aleksander would have spent the day in his luxurious bed surrounded by his soft silk sheets. You felt an overwhelming feeling to open up to him, to tell him everything that happened to you since you saw him last, nearly a century ago, but life has a way to ruin perfect opportunities.

Wars didn't take breaks or vacations, they got more deadly as time went on and each side got more nervous as more people gave their lives to the cause. A solution was necessary and from your understanding, Aleksander still had the same plan as he did all those years ago he just had a different way to go about them. No doubt Alina was at the center of them.

You had business to attend to too. The first on the list was a meeting with the council. The King and his advisors were to be there to 'greet' you with open arms, but you were sure you'd have to put on a quick performance of your abilities to satisfy their curious minds.

Maybe that's why he gave me the shadows, to ensure my position. You quickly brushed off the thought. It didn't really matter to you why he did what he did. You had your shadows back. He claimed protection, but you knew there was a different reason behind it as well. It seemed too quick and too easy in your opinion but who were you to judge what kind of trust he truly had in you. You felt comfort that you always had piece of him wherever you went.

On a lighter note, you could finally wear a black kefta. The thought itself had you quickly leaping out of his bed and skipping to your chambers in a mere robe through the secret passages of the Palace. You didn't want anybody to see you leaving his quarters, not in the state you were in. You needed to grab a Healer and get rid of those very visible marks on your neck that Aleksander took his time creating. He intended to mark you as his own but jokes on him, you never wanted to belong to anybody but yourself.

Time passed and servents scurried in and out of your chambers, carrying information from here there and everywhere. You were already overwhelmed with tasks and your position wasn't even announced to the Palace yet. You were still the mysterious Grisha that served with the Darkling, not for.

Your vanity was covered in papers and reports in handwriting you had trouble reading and your bed had maps strung across it. Aleksander truly meant it when he said he would get you started right away and share his responsibilities as soon as he got the chance.

When the time finally came, you were escorted to the Grand Palace with Aleksander walking right next to you. The conversation was devoted to work and nothing else, Fjerdan intel, rumors of West Ravka and Zlatan, and upcoming skiff journeys but you didn't mind. You were damn good at your job, having started out in the First Army and then joining the Second Army had given you experience not even the General had, it's what made you the first pick when dealing with plans involving otkazat'sya soldiers, they respected you. I wonder if they will now.

You had spent 3 years in the First Army once upon a time. You came from a wealthy merchant family, a family full of drunks and abusers and cowards. You gave up the feeling of a full stomach and duck-feathered beds for the rations of the army once your mother admitted to you being a bastard and not worthy of the family name. What a shame. Look at me now.

You never knew what you could do, but a slip-up with a Tidemaker had you served to the Darkling on a silver platter. He was meaner then, more unforgiving. Your years spent with him after that had changed him, made him better in your eyes. You fell for him, hard, even though there was so much death and destruction in his wake. When you love somebody, it’s easy to see past all of the nasty stuff and focus on whatever is left of the good and Aleksander still had an abundance of if.

You could still remember his cold stare as he asked you what the hell you were. After pleading with him that you didn't know and his Heartrenderer confirming it, he whisked you away to the Little Palace where soon enough you had become his equal, if not his superior.

'I actually wanted to ask you something about one of the Grisha in the Palace. I seen her with Alina, red-hair, big blue eyes... she wore a white kefta?' You said as you wlaked down a mirrored hallway in the Royal building.

'Oh, that's Genya Saffin. She works for the King and Queen.' He said with an underlying tone of irritation.

'What does she do? She wears a white kefta so I'm just curious'

'She's a tailor. Member of the Corporalki. She should be wearing red, I know. But trust me the time will come' He ushered us both into a guarded room of glitering gold and pearly white walls. So tacky. I could make out the king slumped in an overdone throne-like chair.

'Moi tsar' you and Aleksander bowed much to your distastes. You hoped nobody had seen the brief look of disgust wash over your face as the Lanstov King rose and gave his advisors a raised eyebrow, signalling to you. A man wearing a navy uniform looked at you like a piece of meat ready to be devoured. I'm gonna throw up.

'Deputy General Y/L/N is it?' He took your hand in his own sweaty one gave it a wet kiss. 'You Grisha are always easy on the eyes aren't you?'

You took a step back and cleared your throat. 'Yes, Moi Tsar, it is an honour to make your acquantance' You tried so hard to keep your fists at your sides.

'And what can you bring to the war table, apart from the newest fashion' He let out an obnoxious laugh and his advisors followed. They all looked smug and spoiled. None of them had any idea what the real world looked like and yet had the audacity to sit this council. I'll show them what it means to be powerful.

Aleksander stepped away to the side and gave you a nod. You slowly unravlled your fist and plunged the room into darkness while simultanseoly blowing a strong wind throughout the space, letting papers fly in all directions and the fire go out. You relit it, and every candle in the room. The man in the navy unifrom got the runt of your powers, as you slowly medled with his heart until he breathed a worried laugh 'Stop it Girl'.

But you didn't stop, you carefully stared at the chair the man sat in and pushed it just enough for him to let out a yell. You accidently let out a chuckle that was meant to be in your head. You felt Aleksander move toward you 'All right, that should be enough' He said visibly amused too. You let it all drop.

'It's Deputy General to you' You looked at his fearful face that tried to cover by fixing his jacket and whiping away invisible dust off of his shoulder.

'I must say I am impressed. With the Sun-Summoner and... you, we will have West Ravka and the surroundings begging for our alliances.' He sat down on his chair once again and pointed to an empty one across from him and to the right of Aleksander, who unbeknownst to you had already seated himself.

'Please, Deputy General, do take a seat, we have business to tend to'

****

A painful 2 hours later you and Aleksander walked out of the Grand Palace. You had a headache and your hands hurt from clentching them so hard.

'I'm assuming you sitting the King's meetings for me is off the table now?' Aleksander mused and all you could do was give him a side-eye.

'I think I want to kill him'

'In due time'

You weren't even surprised. If he didn't do it himself you definitely would have taken one for the team. That man is unbearable; like a child in a grown man's body.

As you wallked into your home, Aleksander gently took hold of your wrist and pulled you in the direction of his quarters.

'Come'

Your head was pounding too much to say no so you obliged. The hallways were bare of people, not a Grisha in sight.

You reached his war room doors and walked in after him. He pulled out a map and laid it down.

'I've sent out a First-Army search for the Stag.'

You paused. The headache suddenly gone. Morozova’s Stag. He had tried once before and failed. The weeks following his failure sent him into a frenzy, he questioned Morazovas journals and almost burned them all, but you had gotten to him last-minute. You never doubted the stag to be real. You just never believed he would use it. He's powerful on his own unless- it's for Alina.

You audibly sighed and leaned your back against the table. Alina.

'Does she want it?'

'Does that matter?'

‘Of course it matters!’ You scorned but he stayed silent.

You turned to look at him and whispered 'What are you planning this time?' He had been dropping hints here and there, but so far there was no plan you knew of. 'I can't help you if I don't know the plan'

'No. You're better of not knowing anything. I can't lose you again' you turned you head and looked at his side profile.

'But you need me. I'm powerful, I can lead an army'

'If anything happens you can take over for me then, Deputy.' He cocked a sad smile and left a lingering kiss on your forhead before he left you standing in the war room alone and confused.

Part 11

Taglist

@theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @0-artemis @lostysworld @xceafh @fire-in-her-veinz @patdsinner33 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @wizardwheezes @aleksanderwh0r3 @tomhollandisabae @hotleaf-juice @justmesadgirl @exo-1204 @houseofdupree @oberonpascal

[ukiyoexo]

THE PERFECT ONE. — kjm

PAIRINGS — exo, kim junmyeon x reader

GENRES — best friends to lovers, fluff fluff fluff, slight angst

SYNOPSIS — after a ruined date, your best friend decides that you deserve to be treated in the form of a perfect night that leaves your heart warm and your feelings out in the open.

WARNINGS — swearing and sweetness

MESSAGE — hi, @amyeonzing i’m emma, your exol secret santa and this is my (hopefully not too shitty) gift for you. i really enjoyed the time i spent getting to know you and i must say that i think you’re pretty freaking cool!! thanks for putting with my somewhat sporadic asks, i hope this makes up for it

also thanks to mel and lolo for setting up the @exolssecretsanta, it really was fun and definitely worth it!

WORD COUNT — 2.2k+

"i hate guys." you let out in a huff, flopping your body into your best friend's bed, "i hate guys, i hate men, i hate boys, i hate those weird humans with the dicks hanging off their body. i hate them all." you repeat again more descriptively this time, the frustration growing in your chest as you continue your somewhat dramatic announcement. your hands gripping the duvet cover as your head buries into the pillow. the only sense of calm you gain being from the smell of cologne that lingers on junmyeon's sheets.

you don't hear or see him get up, but he does with a small chuckle, pushing away from the desk he was sat in front of at the other side of the bedroom and walking over to the bed calmly. he hovers over the side of the bed your laying on before deciding to crouch down next to you, one hand gently pushing on your arm in hopes of encouraging you to unbury your face. it takes a little convincing — it always does — but you do give in eventually, letting yourself be rolled over, your arms in reponse only folding over your chest as a pout forms on your lips.

"so you were saying," junmyeon nudges you to make room for him on the bed, "men equal bad?" he sits down once you shuffle over, doing his best to hide the small smile that is prying at his lips "men equal very bad." you nod in agreement, the stern look remaining on your face as junmyeon nods. “and why is that this time?”

you shake your head at his question, not really wanting to answer. if you were being honest, you found the truth quite embarrassing, even if you shouldn’t do, you just couldn’t help it. but then again, it was junmyeon you were talking. the man you had known since you were old enough to walk, the man you spent your childhood with, experiencing the epic highs and lows of being a teenager and now an adult. it being junmyeon made you feel a bit better at least and was only reason you were willing to admit the cause of your upset.

“i got stood up.” your face twists, eyes tracing the dappled texture painted on junmyeon’s bedroom ceiling. “i was supposed to go on a date last night with this guy i met through a friend and he fucking stood me up.”

junmyeon shifts onto his side, elbow bent to prop up his head, “oh,” he hums, face morphing into a sympathetic expression, eyes saddened. his hand moves to rest on your shoulder, rubbing soothing circles, “hey,” he begins gently, “there’s no point getting upset over this guy. if he couldn’t be bothered to show up to a date with someone as amazing as you, he’s not worth any of your time or thought in the first place.”

“ugh,” this was the exact reason everyone came to junmyeon for advice and you hated it, mostly because he was always right. you were letting some stupid guy, who you hadn’t even properly met, dictate your feelings and however much you didn’t want to admit it, it was stupid.

“ok.” you nod, lettting a small smile pry at your lips. “who cares about him, right?” you sit up promptly and junmyeon mimics the action. “right!” he cheers on with you but the joy is short lived. “it does still kinda suck though.” your body seems to deflate as the words pass your lips, shoulders caving in on themselves.

it sucked a whole lot in fact. not even because you cared that much about the guy, just the feeling that someone would rather leave you hanging than text to cancel.

junmyeon remains silent for a while before shifting off the bed, making his way around to the other side before grabbing your hands and pulling you up to. “y/n,” he begins softly, “forget him, yeah?” he nods encouragingly and you mirror the action reluctantly, gaze flickering away. “i’ve got a plan and it requires you to not be grumpy.”

your head seems to perk up at his statement, a plan?

your head tilts and it’s enough indication for junmyeon to begin explaining, “go on a date with me instead, a make up for last night.” he offers sweetly, hands clutching yours, and you swear you feel your heart beat fasten. “a date?” you question and he nods again, “a date.” he smiles back, “i’ll make it as perfect as possible and by the end of it, you will have forgotten that prick even exists.”

it hadn’t taken much convincing after that for you to agree, junmyeon was just a friend after all, and what’s weird about going out with a friend?

he had instructed soon after for you to go home and get changed, planning to pick you at seven for the beginning of your date. you had done so promptly, changing into your favourite ‘casual date’ outfit - whatever that meant - before fixing your hair and putting on a light layer of makeup.

and thankfully, unlike last night, when the planned time rolled around, junmyeon showed up too, a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand that had your cheeks heating. his only reasoning being that you “deserved to know what a proper date was like.”

just a friend, just a friend, just a friend.

you have to remind yourself as he begins to drive after guiding you to his car, taking a deep breath as you scan the road signs you pass, hoping for any clue of where junmyeon might be taking you. the further you journeyed however, the more lost you became, city buildings morphing into fields upon fields. the car drive turning into what felt like more of an adventure as the minutes ticked on. “if you’re going to kill me, at least give me some warning.” you let out in a chuckle and junmyeon laughs back, his hand moving from the steering wheel onto your thigh. the feeling of his skin on yours leaving goosebumps prickling on your leg, “no murder happening here.” he squeezes his hand and just as quickly, it’s back on the wheel.

it’s weird, the feeling that bubbles in your stomach, almost like butterflies. but no, that was stupid. junmyeon was your best friend of course and that was it. even if he seemed to be the one you thought about most.

few words are shared after that, a quiet melody playing through the car from one of your playlists. your head resting against the window. you don’t even notice at first when the car rolls to a stop, junmyeon getting out first and promptly making his way over to your side of the car. the small giggle that passes your lips when he pulls open your door and holds out a hand leaving a rosy shade on his cheeks. he then retrieves the small weaved basket he had tucked in the car boot - the stereotypical picnic type - before gripping your hand once again, leading you down a small path.

it’s a small wooded area, up a slight slope, away from the concrete buildings and pollution. the moonlight weaves its way between the branches and leaves, leaving specs of silver dancing on the ground. rays highlighting the small blue flowers that sit in bundles in the foliage. it’s pretty. in fact more than that, it’s almost ethereal.

the world around you seems to glow, nature left to create its own bubble of serenity. the peace of the night only disturbed by the sound of your footsteps.

it’s a calm, however, that seems starkly contrastinf to the hammering in your chest every time you feel junmyeon’s thumb rub against the back of your palm. sure, you and junmyeon had held hands before, you had even cuddled and shared the same bed, you were best friends after all. it’s just that this felt different. felt special. it felt like something more.

you walk for only a couple minutes before reaching a clearing. it’s on the edge of the hill, surrounded by trees and seemingly secluded from the rest of the world. the only evidence of human life being the glowing lights of the city from what seems be miles away.

he lays out a blanket and places down the basket, opening it to pull out a collection of some of your favourite foods. god, he knew you well.

“how do you know about this place?” your head tilts, eyes scanning junmyeon’s features as you settle onto the picnic blanket. every soft curve of his face almost iridescent in the white glow of the moon and stars. “i just like to come here sometimes.” he responds rather simply, gaze fixated ahead. “when i want to clear my head, or need to be alone.” he continues, voice edging further into a whisper with each word.

“it’s nice.” you hum back, a small smile perched on your lips. “perfect in fact.” junmyeon gains a smile at that too. “i’m glad.”

you remain silent for a while after that, letting yourself enjoy the food and the comfort each other’s presences provided. you weren’t lying when you said it was perfect, it really was.

no one had ever done something like this for you, and you doubted anyone ever would again. it almost seemed too perfect, and somehow almost painful at the same time. to know that this was just a fake date per say and not the real thing left you with a bitter feeling in the pit of your stomach that you couldn’t seem to get rid. but you couldn’t say anything, after all, junmyeon was just a friend.

“you didn’t have to do this, you know?” you whisper after another moment, “but i wanted to.” he responds quickly but gently back. a response that leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling growing in your chest that you can’t stop no matter how hard you try. “i know, but it’s just sad as well i guess.”

your words catch the man off guard, his head twisting in your direction, eyebrows quirked up slightly. “well it’s not real, is it?”

a silence settles once again. a quiet that’s more stiff than serene. leaving your hands sweaty and throat dry. you shouldn’t have said anything, you knew that, but you and junmyeon had always promised to tell each other the truth and that was what it was. the truth. this date wasn’t real. and that was the truth no matter how much you didn’t like it.

“i—” your best friend begins but doesn’t finish, instead shifting in his spot on the checkered fabric. “i guess.” his thumb fiddles with the ring resting on one of his fingers, “unless you want it to be.” he then mumbles, so close to a whisper that he’s not even sure you heard him, but you do. of course you do.

“do you want it to be?” you whisper out your own question in response, junmyeon letting it linger in the air before slowly nodding. his movements small but sure. “i want it to be real, if you want it be real.”

junmyeon admits and you feel yourself seemingly freeze in the moment. the truth bubbling in your throat ready to be blurted out. you couldn’t lie, you knew that, but admitting it was quite frankly scary as fuck.

“i want this to be real, i want something between us too.”

maybe you blurted out too much.

you can feel your cheeks heating with embarrassment, heart thudding so hard you’re sure it could break out of your chest at any moment.

but then he laughs, a small chuckle, a chuckle of disbelief.

it seems out of character for the junmyeon you knew but then he’s threading his fingers with yours and leaning so closely towards you that you’re not sure if anything is as you really know it. “me too.” he lets a smile pry at the corner of his mouth, face inches away from yours as his gaze flickers onto your lips. your gaze however focusing on his eyes. the way they seem to store a thousand stars and hundreds of joyf memories. the small flecs of gold running through the brown that somehow glow even at night.

“can i kiss you?” junmyeon hums and a breath catches in your throat but your head nods promptly nonetheless. the feeling of his lips against yours akin to the feeling of electricity, jolting through every nerve in your body, leaving every hair stood tall. his lips soft and so so gentle, yet somehow still emitting fireworks when you meet with them.

fuck. he was a perfect kisser too.

you pull back reluctantly, the need for air suddenly an inconvenience. you want to kiss him again, feel the electricity bolting through you once more, but instead you can’t stop this big grin taking over your features. “what?” junmyeon lets out in a breathy laugh, “nothing.” you shake your head back, letting your heart swell even more.

you copy junmyeon’s actions when he lies back on the blanket, eyes scanning the star lit sky. and you let him pull you close when he wraps an arm around your shoulder confidently.

“so, do you still hate men?” junmyeon’s head tilts with an almost cheeky grin, fingers playing with yours. you let out a breathy chuckle before shaking your head softly, “you’re an exception. the perfect one at that.”

[gemsofgreece]

Towns of Santorini

With all the instagram attention drawn to Oia, I think it would be lovely to  present all the beautiful towns and villages that one can visit in Santorini island. In a way, this can be used as a travel / info guide for the future. Emphasis on the “for the future”.

Okay, Oía

I’m just starting with the famous one to get it out of the way. First of all, it’s pronounced “ia” (EE-ah). If you’ve seen a photo of Santorini on the web, chances are that it was Oia village you saw. The Santorini sunset, which is one of the most famous in the world, is best viewed there. Oia is the well known synthesis of blue-white houses, with a touch of other colours here and there, and it’s very peaceful and idyllic. It gets extremely busy during sunset though.

Firá

Fira is the chief town of the island. It is the biggest and most cosmopolitan settlement and probably has the best view over the volcano caldera and its volcanic islands as it’s located right opposite to them. Fira is busy, has a lot of options for fun, nightlife, shopping, hotels as well as most of Santorini’s museums. Besides the roads from the port and the airport, Fira can be accessed with a cable car starting from the port or a donkey. (But better don’t do that. Give the donkey a pat, feed him / her a little treat but choose another way to go up.)

Imerovigli

A beautiful village with a beautiful name, meaning Day Observatory. Also known as the Balcony to the Aegean Sea because it is built on the highest point of the caldera cliffs. It offers stunning scenery as well as views to Skaros, a giant rocky semi-destroyed tower ; former fortress that is a landmark of Santorini. Imerovigli also has many gorgeous churches with their Cycladic architecture. It is often chosen for private or romantic vacation.

Firostefani

This village’s name means “Crown of Fira” as it is built right above the capital and is connected to it. As it is higher, it offers even greater views and is quainter than Fira. It is thus ideal for its proximity to the amenities of the main town and its own idyllic and peaceful vibe.

Pyrgos

Pyrgos means tower. While Imerovigli is built on the highest cliff point, Pyrgos is built on the actual highest point of Santorini and offers panoramic views to both sides of the island. It is the best place to enjoy views of the green valleys and the sea from afar. It has narrow winding paths and stone houses and it is not very developed.

Kamari

We’re changing the vibe now. Kamari is located at the other side of the island, far from the caldera and it is, can you believe, on sea level. It is very modern, full of amenities and big hotels and busy thanks to its long promenade and the miles long beach. Kamari is built under the shadow of the mountain and close to Ancient Thera. If that’s not enough, it’s also where you can find the Wine Museum as Santorini produces excuisite wine. And you won’t go bankrupt there because the farther you are from the volcano, the more prices drop.

Perissa

Perissa is a coastal village like Kamari, a bit farther to the south. It is also touristy and very developed, full of shops and big hotels. The main reason is its proximity to the very special Black Beach, a beach with black lava sand. By the way, if you think you have walked on hot summer sand, I am laughing at you. I’ve been there and I’m lucky to still have feet. Seriously, GET BEACH SHOES if you go there. We went inside the water with our flip flops and then we were throwing the flip flops back to the third person who was staying under the shade of the umbrella to save her life. Because that’s not enough of messing, the sea of the Black Beach feels like you’re swimming in the Arctic Ocean because of the sea currents created by the volcano. But don’t let all this discourage you. It is indeed a very special place and Perissa is nice and also built under the shade of the mountain, which creates an imposing landscape. In Perissa you can also find the Museum of Minerals and Fossils. I lost the informative character for a minute there but I am back on track.

Akrotiri

We’re going a little higher again, this time in the far south. Akrotiri, which means cape, is like the opposite end to the northern edge of Oia. Nowhere near as touristy or developed, and yet Akrotiri has some advantages that Oia can’t even dream of (It’s late and this post becomes progressively dramatic). Anyway, Akrotiri is located next to the two most unique beaches of the island, the Red Beach and the White Beach. All these coloured beaches are thanks to the volcanic ground. (It’s okay, we’re done with them.) In Akrotiri you can also find La Ponta, the Castle of Akrotiri, and most importantly the prehistoric town of Akrotiri, a highly advanced settlement of the Bronze Age. And the sunset is neat here too. This time I won’t add a town pic because look at that. That’s from 1550 BCE. It’s 3570 years old.

Megalochori

Its name means “big viillage” and it is picturesque and lively thanks to the fact that many of the locals have their residences there. Megalochori dates back to the 17th century and many of its houses are equally old that have been restored. Furthermore, it is located on an advantageous place where it offers wide views to both the caldera cliffs and the valleys that are full of its famous vineyards and wineries.

Emporió

Megalochori might have the name but Emporio is the actual largest village of Santorini. Its name means trade and this makes sense because Emporio was at the past the center of commercial affairs. It is located at the lowlands and it is very beautiful, thanks to its quaint traditional houses and yards that have a distinct architectural style.

From Mesana Traditional Stone Houses.

Ammoudi

Ammoudi is unique amongst all other settlements of Santorini as it is the only one built under the cliffs of the caldera. It is one of the most well known and photographed places of the island. Its harbour is full of fishing boats and fish taverns and you can also dive in its sea caves. Ammoudi is built under Oia village so when you look up the top of the cliff, you see Oia in all its splendor.

Via Klearchos Kapoutsis on Flickr.

Santorini has more towns but this post is getting too long for its own good. I excluded the smallest settlements but I will mention their names: Messariá, Exo Gonia, Finikiá, Karterados, Armeni, Vóthonas, Athiniós, Perívolos and Voúrvoulos. You may think, wow Santorini has many towns, it must be big. Actually not at all. Santorini is a Cycladic island, and those islands tend to be small and then Santorini is also tiny by Cycladic standards!!! The explanation is that Santorini is very densely built and because of the tourism it has become more densely built than... Athens, the capital of the country. Most of these settlements are 3-7 km from one another. Let this sink in.

*Photos are from Unsplash, Wikipedia and IHA, unless otherwise stated. Info taken by santorini-view.com .

[nct-jihee]

Jihee (NCT) Profile: Jihee Facts and Ideal Type

Name: Jihee (지희)

Birth Name: Um Jihee (엄지희)

Position: Main Dancer, Main Vocalist

Birthday: May 28, 1997

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Incheon, South Korea

Height: 165 cm (5’4″)

Weight: 45 kg (99 lbs)

Blood Type: O

MBTI Type: ENFP

Jihee Facts:

—She was born in Incheon, South Korea.

—Education: Hanlim Multi Art School.

—Jihee has an older brother.

—Her nicknames are: JiJi (by the fandom) and her members call her different things.

—Jihee lived in Manchester, England for about 3 years (from when she was 4 till 7 years old).

—Fluent in English.

—Her father gave her "June" as her English name because her teachers and some friends couldn't pronounce "Jihee".

—Currently she has three tattoos.

—She loves sports: football soccer, swimming, volleyball, and archery.

—Jihee has a little nephew and she claims to be the best aunt.

—Jihee admits that she didn't like school at all, but is good at Chemistry and Maths.

—Since she was young she was a bit hyperactive and was easily distracted. She is still like that sometimes, but in a lesser amount.

—She plays guitar and bass.

—Can be really sensitive.

—When Jihee is stressed, she cries.

—She's really messy.

—Jihee doesn't like sasaengs and antis — absolutely hates them.

—Loves to use sarcasm but please never use it on her.

—Wanted to study Criminology.

—She was scouted by JYP Entertainment and Cube Entertainment.

—Jihee has been learning Japanese for years now because she wants to talk with Yuta all the time (Weekly Idol Ep. 347).

—Jihee ranked 12th in the "Top 100 Beautiful Faces Of 2018"

—Jihee ranked 4th in the "Top 100 Beautiful Faces Of 2019"

—She's been in love with singing and acting since she was young.

—Jihee participated in musicals a lot when she was in school.

—She's a good liar and always wins mafia game.

—Her sleeping habit: hugging a pillow.

—Lives in the 5th floor and her roommate is Taeyong.

—She didn't lived with her members at the beginning, she shared apartment with one of her managers: Yeonsoo unnie.

—Jihee loves all her members equally, but there's something about Taeil, Taeyong and Yuta that makes her heart feel warm.

—Her favorite animals are dogs and butterflies.

—Her role model is her mother.

—She's not sure what her hobbies are, she likes a lot of things: writing poetry, reading books, painting, swimming, etc.

—Likes cooking but won't like it if the guys force her to cook.

—Enjoys spicy food.

—Hates seafood.

—Favorite food: Meat and Pasta.

—Favorite fruit: Watermelon.

—Favorite season is Winter.

—Favorite color: Yellow and Blue.

—Favorite artist: Alicia Keys and Adele.

—She auditioned with the song: "Talking To The Moon" by Bruno Mars.

—She wasn't a good dancer when she first joined SM, but with effort and dedication she became one of the best dancers in the entertainment and industry.

—On December 9, 2013 she was revealed as a member of SMRookies.

—The same day, SM released a video of Jihee showing her dancing skills with "Upgrade U" by Beyoncé and Jay Z.

—Jihee appeared in Red Velvet’s MV Happiness (2014) at the very beginning.

—She debuted with NCT U first in 2016 and debuted again with NCT 127 in 2017.

—Although Jihee was loved as a member of SMRookies, when she debuted with NCT U she got a lot of hate.

—She says: "I think that helped me, somehow. Cause that made me work harder and, well, here I am." (Vlive, 2019).

—After her debut with NCT U in 2016, for the rest of that year she prepared for her acting debut.

—According to Red Velvet's Wendy: Jihee was the best actress among all the trainees and teachers would always complimented her.

—In 2017 she made her debut as an actress in the drama While You Were Sleeping.

—It was a small rol, but she was well received.

—Red Velvet members said that they all thought that Jihee was going to debut with them, so when they found out that she was actually going to debut in a coed group they were really sad.

—Oldest members of SMRookies, and future members of NCT, were aware of their concept: a coed group. So they knew that a girl would join them, they just didn't know who.

—Jihee likes rapping and she's quite good, so in 2019 SM Entertainment decided to make her a sub rapper.

—Taeyong says she's a totally different person when she is on-stage.

—Haechan genuinely thinks she's the mom of the group, even if she hates to be called that.

—Jihee takes care of the younger members, but it's clear who her favorite is: Renjun.

—Since her debut she has only dyed her hair four times: blonde, pink, red and blue.

—Her natural hair color is dark brown.

—She tries to not have skinship with her members in front of cameras because she wants to avoid any kind of bad comments, although they sometimes hug her or give her kisses on the cheek.

—However, with her best friends and coworkers (cast mates) she doesn't care and hugs them all the time because fans can't and don't have to say anything about it.

—She doesn't like drinking.

—Johnny thinks Jihee is the definition of Social Butterfly.

—Jihee wrote and participated in Hotel del Luna OST - Can You See My Heart.

—She did a duet with SHINee's Key for his album FACE with the song 'Forever Yours'

—Jihee was also featured in EXO-SC '1 Billion Views'

—On November 1st, 2019, SM gave her permission to create her instagram account because she was starting to get recognized as an actress from the drama Extraordinary You, however at that time she was only posting things related to the drama.

—She's really close with TWICE's Sana and Red Velvet's Joy.

—She's in a group chat with female idols from 97 line.

—F(x)'s Krystal, SNSD's Jessica and Tifanny, and Super Junior's Henry used to take care of her when she was a trainee.

—Like Haechan, she is good at Variety Shows.

—Jihee was an MC for Inkigayo with SEVENTEEN's Mingyu.

—In 2019, she was in Law Of The Jungle Ep. 368–372 with Red Velvet's Yeri and iKON's B. I.

—NCT U Line-ups she was apart of: The 7th Sense, Timeless, Boss, Coming Home, and Make a Wish.

—Sub-Unit: NCT U, NCT 127

—Jihee's Ideal Type: Someone who can communicate well with her. Someone kind, funny, and respectful. A family guy. A few years older than her, she wouldn't date someone younger. Jihee wants to be friends first.

[yuminsung]

NCT 2020: SYNERGY (my wishes for an album)

I was positive we were getting an NCT 2020 comeback at the start of the year, however now I have realised I am a clown. So, instead, I have spent longer than I should’ve creating an album filled with stuff that I would like to see.

I want to preface this with the fact that I have no qualifications in anything related to music / album design / production or anything like that, this is just based on my opinions as a fan of music and NCT.

I’m gonna split this into 4 sections to kinda separate my thoughts, and so it’s easier to navigate.

1. TITLE

NCT 2018s album is titled EMPATHY, the definition of this being “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”. I think SM chose this to reflect how NCT 2018 was an amalgamation of 127, DREAM, and U. I wanted to try and keep this theme for NCT 2020, though expand on it due to the addition of WAYV. 

SYNERGY is defined as “the combined power of a group when they are working together, that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately”. To be honest, I think the word ‘synergy’ perfectly sums up NCT’s concept of sub-units, so it would be a good choice for NCT 2020s album’s title due to its meaning as well as its similarity to ‘empathy’ sound-wise. 

2. ALBUM COVER 

The album cover for EMPATHY was very bright, like all the colours of the rainbow, but still very minimalistic and kinda futuristic? The NCT vibe. I think their second album would suit a slightly more mature design, and as I have no talent in design, I’m going to use existing album covers to give an idea of what i think would work well.

If SM was to go down the route of a similar album cover, I think the best example is the 1975′s newest album:

It still has the text elements that were prominent on EMPATHY’s cover, while being more minimalistic in colour (aside from the yellow side panel which would theoretically be bright neobong green).

If they were to go along a different route to EMPATHY, I think this album cover by Paris Jones could work well for NCT 2020:

If the background surface was black, a polaroid of all 21 members could be a simple but effective album cover. 

In terms of promotional photos, this scene from the WAYV ‘Regular’ MV is my first thought:

Photos taken on a set like this, with all the members dotted about the room and maybe the album title + members’ names repeated across the screens could work well to give off the futuristic NCT vibe. 

3. TITLE TRACK / CONCEPT 

I can’t create a whole album’s worth of songs, so for the next two sections all the songs mentioned are going to be from existing artists. I’m not trying in anyway to suggest that “NCT would do it better” or that NCT should release the exact songs mentioned - I’m just using these songs to represent the styles I would like to see NCT explore. 

Title Track: GETTING CLOSER - SEVENTEEN 

I think SVT are a really good example of having a lot of members that all have the opportunity to shine. Getting Closer is that bitch, like the line distribution is spot-on and the choreography is one of my all-time favourites. 

Black on Black was mainly instrumental to highlight the performance ability of NCT 2018. Getting Closer is reminiscent of BoB in its powerful nature, but would be able to show NCT 2018′s growth into NCT 2020, with further vocal / rap capabilities showcased alongside the previously established performance talent.

The concepts of BoB and Getting Closer are already similar, so this wouldn’t be anything out of NCT’s / SM’s comfort zone, and would also work towards establishing a dark & powerful ‘brand’ for when all sub-units perform together as one. 

Special Stage: UH-OH - (G)-IDLE

I would like to see NCT 2020 do something a little bit different than ‘powerful’ for the special stage. Uh-Oh has a really chilled kinda west-coast vibe that I think NCT are yet to fully explore in any sub-unit but could absolutely pull off. It would be a stage where they could genuinely have fun performing all together. 

I imagine the stage being done in a way similar to Growl by EXO in that certain groups of members come onto the stage for different verses, then all come on together for the final chorus.

The styling for Uh-Oh is kinda summer streetwear. The best equivalent I’ve found for a boy group in this style is ATEEZ Wave era.

This shows kinda how I think the styling for this stage should be, in particular Jongho, Yunho, and Mingi. Just think lots of colour, street brands, and denim. 

Getting Closer and Uh-Oh are the only songs on the album where I’ve put all 21 members on the same track. 

4. TRACKLIST 

I have no talent when it comes to album design / composition or anything like that, but I tried to create a sort of theme / flow between the songs I picked for the album. NCT songs I’d liken the overall theme to are ‘Love Song’ from Neo Zone, ‘Love Again’ from Reload, and ‘YESTODAY’ from Empathy. 

I’ve used an intro, interlude, and outro to show progression of NCT 2020 through the album, with these 3 songs getting more upbeat one by one. Though extremely cringey, I guess I was trying to emulate them growing happier through being together as a group.

Aside from the two tracks mentioned above that feature all members, the rest of the songs are split into sub-units, whether it be pre-existing unofficial units within NCT or a selection of members I think suit the style of a certain song. I have not included any official NCT sub-units on this album, as that was done in EMPATHY. I’d like this to be one big NCT U album, where we get the members in combinations we’d otherwise never get to hear performing together. 

The Tracklist: 

INTRO: The Unknown Guest (DEAN)

Members: Xiaojun

Xiaojun is a beyond amazing singer (he is my joint favourite vocalist in NCT). This song has an old feel, it’s almost haunting, and I really think Xiaojun’s voice would suit such a song perfectly. Xiaojun performing an intro of this style alone would open the album well and give him the time to shine he deserves !

Track 1: Getting Closer (SVT)

Members: All

(Explained above)

Track 2: CHILLI (SVT)

Members: Rap Line (Taeyong, Johnny*, WinWin*, Lucas, Mark, Hendery, Jaemin, YangYang, Jeno, Jisung*)

I might have completely forgotten some songs but I don’t think NCT have ever released a rap-heavy song of this style. I would love to see them do a rap song with this sort of relaxed vibe - it would show off diversity in their rapping abilities and would be a fun concept to see.

*I know Johnny, WinWin, and Jisung are in both the vocal and rap lines, but I’ve chosen to include them on the rap line track rather than the vocal line track as I think they suit the vibe of this track better than the vocal track. Plus, it would give the three of them more lines (god knows they need them) if they were on this track rather than with the vocal line :)

Track 3: Uh Oh (G-IDLE)

Members: All

(Explained above) 

Track 4: The Truth Untold (BTS)

Members: Vocal Line (Taeil, Yuta, Doyoung, Kun, Ten, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Xiaojun, Renjun, Haechan, Chenle)

Although NCT has released ballads before, I would love to hear members from different subunits singing together. Like, imagine Renjun, Xiaojun, and Jungwoo on the SAME track - the power. Taeil and Chenle harmonising? Iconic.

Track 5: Spotlight (1the9)

Members: Foreign Swaggers / English-Speaking Line (Johnny, Ten, Jaehyun, Hendery, Xiaojun, Mark, YangYang)

I know Xiaojun, Hendery, and YangYang aren’t technically in the Foreign Swaggers, but I feel like spiritually they are. I wanna see 6 of them causing havoc while Jaehyun spectates (https://youtu.be/acsjfk4cz1U). A song with a playful vibe, not necessarily in English, would suit these members well.

INTERLUDE: Dayfly (DEAN)

Members: Taeil, Taeyong, Kun, Doyoung, Jungwoo

I don’t have any reasoning for why I’ve chosen these specific members for this song other than the fact I think the style suits them well. I think the 5 of them together on an interlude with a relaxed feel would just be a really calming break in the album.  

Track 6: Vibe (1Team)

Members: Taeyong, Yuta, Jungwoo, Jeno, Jaemin, Haechan, Jisung

This is quite a broad range of members in terms of age but I don’t think that matters as each of their styles would suit a song like this. A relaxed style and structure similar to the one this song has would allow each of them to shine, as it’s nearly an equal split of rappers to vocalists.

Track 7: Retro Future (Triple H)

Members: Johnny, Ten

Baby Don’t Stop 2.0. I can just imagine these two singing a song like this and having so much fun. A JohnTen duet track is giving the gays (read @incorrectnct​ ) not only what they want, but what they deserve. 

Track 8: Base Line (J-HOPE)

Members: 99 Line (Lucas, Mark, Hendery, Xiaojun)

The 99 line is 3/4 rappers so a song that is rap-heavy in style would best showcase their ability. We’ve heard Mark and Lucas together during EMPATHY era, and Lucas with Hendery and Xiaojun in WAYV, so I have no doubts the 4 would work together. Plus, rapper Xiaojun could be something that we don’t yet have but definitely need. 

Track 9: Focus on Me (JUS2)

Members: 97 Line (Jaehyun, WinWin)

These two are made for a sexy concept like the style of this song, and their voices complement each-others’ so well. I always felt Jaehyun was one of the members of 127 WinWin was most comfortable around, so their existing chemistry would make a track together even better. 

Track 10: Second Life (SVT)

Members: China Line (Kun, WinWin, Lucas, Hendery, Xiaojun, Renjun, YangYang, Chenle)

They have the range.

Track 11: New Rules (TXT)

Members: 00 Line (Haechan, Renjun, YangYang, Jaemin, Jeno)

A song with a fun feel to it like this is the only way to go for the 00 line. They are almost an even split of rappers and vocalists, so a song like this would allow each member to shine. I know any song with these 5 together would make me smile while listening to it. 

OUTRO: Blue Side (J-HOPE)*

Members: Yuta

Imagine if SM gave Yuta his own solo track,, just kidding,,, unless? But for real, Yuta has managed to prove how talented an artist he is despite SM only giving him 2 lines and 8 seconds of screen time each comeback, so imagine how amazing a whole song by him would be.

*Song will be in Japanese.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I tried to split the members evenly between tracks, which I know is unrealistic but is what we want to see (SM please let Mark, Taeyong, and Haechan rest). I’m not sure if we’ll ever get another full group album, I’ve heard some people saying it will be NCT 2021 for 21 members, like the 18 members for NCT 2018. Regardless, making this made me feel happy thinking about the possible interactions and the songs that could come from it. 

If you’ve made it this far thank you for sticking with my jumbled thought process. Please message me if you have any thoughts about anything in this post or just about NCT ot21 in general :) 

[dramagassi]

Lay’s Lit: is it the first appareance of the traitor?

If you have a stan tw acc, you may have already encountered with threads related to this topic and you know that a lot of poeple now see Lay as the helmet man from the provious MVs of EXO. Yes, the traitor.

But if you don’t... don’t worry, i’ll give my best to sum it up.

Thanks to its imperial aesthetic, some users state that Lit might preceed what’s narrated in MAMA. In the events that take place in Yixing’s mv we can see that the army there is abviously training for a war (or more likely an invasion). If so, that might be the reason why protecting the tree of life turned out to be necessary: the red force, this time in the form of imperial soldiers, was in its way to destroy it. All under Lay’s commands. That’s why people on twitter say he is and always has been evil.

Although I find his betrayal very plausible, I'm not so sure of him being evil since the very beginning. In my opinion, the Lay we have seen in all of EXO’s music videos is not the real legend, but a puppet of the red force.

Let’s see the key points that led me to this:

1. THE EYE.

“ When The skies and the grounds were one legends through there twelve forces nurtured the tree of life. An eye of red forces created the evil which covered the heart of tree of life and the heart slowly grew dry”

This is from Mama’s intro, as you may recognize. The reason I brought this here is because of this scene in Lit:

Yup, that’s an eye. Also, the word “eye” can refer to a person who watch over something or someone. Maybe, a spy? 

2. LAY AS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A POWER CLOSELY RELATED TO THE TREE.

Lay’s power is to heal and it has been represented with flowers blooming throughout all of EXO’s storyline. Flourishing is equal to be born. 

With that being said, we can assume both Lay and the tree are/create life. He could have healed the tree, couldn't he? Then, why didn’t he do it?

3. HE LOST A BATTLE.

Lit is a beautifully done cinematic music video. In its intro we can see a Lay that looks quite different from what we perceive of him while the story unfolds. 

You can almost read on his face “How did I lose?”

He knows he has a lot to face now. Alone.

There’s no way for him to go out of that one.

4. THEN, HE WAS HELD CAPTIVE.

Like I said, he wouldn’t be able to fight back. It is impossible for somene whose power is to give life to defeat an entire army by his own. Of course, they were going to take him away. Doing so, they eliminated the possibility of Lay using his power to heal the tree they wanted to destroy.

I don’t think the red force have gone as far as killing him, they also needed him.

5. THE TEA AND THE THERMAL BATH.

Technology plays a big part in EXO’s worldview. Red Force is always trying to mess up with the legends through technology (overdose’s labyrinth, lucky one’s lab, power’s robot, obsession’s clones,etc) but having in mind that this story has a historical context, there’s no room for technology here.

That doesn’t mean that the Red Force didn’t have its ways back then.

There are a couple of very interesting close-up shots in Lit:

The way the tea scene is intertwined with the bath scene made me think about the chances of it being the same water in both cases.

In the way I see it, this how they managed to gain control over him: through a ceremony of some kind.

In the same way the Red Force created X-EXO in Obsession, they made their troy horse out of the legend no one would ever raise doubts.

6. THE MUZZLE (+RED LIGHTS).

If Lay himself decided to walk the evil path and be a villain, why is he wearing something that restrict him from talking? Someone must not want him to be free or to tell what he knows.

Another thing I’d like to point out is the similarity of this footage (the lightning, especially the red laser in Lay’s face) with Obsession.

Whether it is inside his own mind or in a physical placement, the real Lay is still a hostage meanwhile his evil counterpart is fighting alongside the one who are controlling him.

If you got to this point, THANK YOU FOR READING. 

These are only theories and opinions of my own, I might be completely wrong. But... Kai’s debut MV revolved around EXO’s worldview and later on Baekhyun (our spoiler king) told us that his future work would continue it too, so our Yixing might have been the first one to link his solo work to the main plot. Only SM know.

Let’s hope they give us more content in the following months.

Stay healthy and continue to show support to EXO as whole and to each member individually on their solo activities. Fighting, Eri!

Oh!!! 

And EXO is 9!!

[freereigngame]

Hi! My name is Ivy and I'm a sophomore in high school who has been learning game development for 5 years! I've always created throw away games and random programs for game jams or for school, but recently I decided something for myself. This past year has been really bad for me seeing as I had started suffering from depression towards the beginning of my freshman year and it spanned all the way until around April of this year. I had tried everything to distract myself such as streaming, drawing, and even trying to workout everyday but it seemed like nothing was working. This was until one day I had come up with a cool story idea for a game. Now it wasn't strange for me to come up with game concepts all the time, but I usually just forgot about them later on in the day. This time, however, was different. I sat there and thought to myself, "You know what? I'm going to actually do this! I'm gonna make this into a game." And so I started Free Reign. I had my friend join on as the artist and now this duo of 15 year-olds are trying to accomplish what many have given up on.

Free Reign is a fantasy rpg where you juggle the responsibility of trying to win the crown from you father, the king, and try to save the world and free it from its grasp. You play as a group of friends which include Delilah, a princess; Orion, a knight; Sunnie, a tavern waiter; and Eros, the co-owner of the biggest casino in town.

The Backstory is as goes:

In another world, perhaps another universe, there were four kingdoms on a big island. These four kingdoms were ruled by two gods and two goddesses respectfully. Hevalon, ruled by the love god Donovan, Caligo, ruled by the death god Malcom, Luceras, ruled by the light goddess, Lumen, and Elysium, ruled by the life goddess, Eloma. Even though the gods and goddesses would bicker among themselves at times, the kingdoms mostly lived in harmony. On this island, everything runs off magical energy called “Exos”. The plants, people, and even the Gods and Goddesses need it to sustain their magical energy. Below the rulers of the four kingdoms live many creatures and species that need this energy just as much as their rulers. Therefore, the energy was always divided equally, naturally produced around the island from deep underground. This was meant to never change to continue the cycle of harmony among the four kingdoms forever, but things don’t always go to plan.

---

Here is some official art for Delilah and Orion:

I hope you can follow and support the development of this project at its very dear to my heart! <3

www.instagram.com/freereignteam

www.twitter.com/freereignteam

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

Am I Too Late?

[I post either once a week or 4 times in one day 🙃]

The prompt from @xentari94​ was this:

Hi! Omg I love your writing! ❤️ ^^ Could I request #1 on the first list with Cayde x Exo Female Gunslinger? One where she goes with Cayde to the prison and everything happens the same except this time she manages to get to him, and saves him from being shot.

Cayde-6 x (Exo) Female!Reader

Warnings: cursing, violence, angst/comfort

1,718 words

“Any second now, my partner is gonna roll in here and kill… every… Last… One of you.”

It wasn’t a prison riot. It was a prison break.

Petra Venj had called Cayde-6 earlier asking for help with an ongoing riot in the Prison of Elders, and he had roped you into it on the promise that it’d be a ton of fun. Like date night, but with more gunfire. 

And you had agreed with a smile because you enjoyed any time you spent with Cayde whether it be a night of drinks and ramyun or a mission on the Shore. You didn’t care. As long as the two of you were together.

It wasn’t a prison riot.

It wasn’t a prison riot.

It was a prison break, and as you watched Cayde plunge into the depths of the prison, riding the top of the control center, all you could think was that this wasn’t a very good date night either. The control center hit the ground floor with an explosion. You went to call out to Cayde, but before you could the metal beneath you gave out and your head slammed into the floor before falling.

.

It took a moment to gather your bearings.

.

You shuttered your eyes and involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. Your body didn’t need the air but doing so brought comfort to you. A familiar voice brought you back to reality, “Hey, welcome back.” Shakily, you rose to your feet and your Ghost danced around your helmet once before fading away. The sharp pain in your side disappeared. “We fell at least 20 stories down, and I can’t reach Cayde or Petra.”

You opened the comm link yourself and flinched when the only sound that greeted you was loud static, “Keep trying to reach them, ok?”

Your Ghost hummed a confirmation and you jogged forward to try and figure out where you were. It looked like you were in the bowels of the prison now, and if you went down a few more stories you’d end up where Cayde had landed. That was the goal. Find Cayde-6.

As you walked, a chill went down your back and it made every plate on your body stiffen and freeze. Your hand tightened around the grip of your hand cannon as you took a few more steps forward. There was a purplish-blue fog that created a trail through the door into the next room.

“Something is loose.” Your Ghost commented and you agreed wholeheartedly. Something felt very, very wrong. You picked up your pace. “It’s close, [Name].”

Your quick pace turned into a run as you tried to catch the end of the smoke trail, but it led into a room of creatures you hadn’t seen before. You came to a screeching stop and pulled your gun up to begin firing. They looked like Fallen in shape, but they were paler, covered in unusual armor, and they wielded weapons that the Fallen typically didn’t. Their entire beings had a freakish smoky glow that reeked of ether.

“These… things… used to be fallen.” You shot the last one and then just stood there for a moment letting your mind catch up to the scene. “The fallen didn’t just become this. Someone did this to them.”

Despite being an Exo, the feeling of bile rising in your throat overcame you. This was all wrong. Something terrible was happening. You pushed forward, stumbling slightly, before breaking into a full-on sprint, “Keep trying to reach Cayde.”

Room after room, the creatures came. The lower you went the more corrupted ether filled the air around you. The stench of it mingled with the smoke coming from the burning prison walls. With every step you took, the feeling of dread grew, and you couldn’t put your finger on what it was. Your ghost still couldn’t reach anyone on comms. There was only you, your Ghost, and static.

You dug your knife into the face of a screeching monster that got too close, and then spun to throw the blade into the next one coming. With one more shot the room was clear and you pushed onward. You jumped down a broken portion of the walkway to land on the lower floor.

You barely got a few steps forward before a blast of energy hit you in the chest knocking you onto your back. Instinct had you rolling back onto your feet quickly looking for the enemy that had thrown the grenade, but no one was there.

“No.” Your ghost sounded devastated. For the first time since you met him, his voice sounded shaky. “That was Cayde’s… Sundance. That was Sundance. She’s dead.”

You were moving. Before your ghost could even stop speaking, you were moving. With every step, with every pulse of your being, the name of your hunter flashed through your mind. Cayde. Cayde. Cayde. You had to get to Cayde. You needed to find Cayde. You couldn’t even properly mourn the loss of Sundance because you were so focused on finding the Exo Vanguard. Your Ghost was making a noise, like a low-pitched whine, and it was one you had never heard before. Ghosts couldn’t cry, but you wondered if this was the equivalent. With as much time as you spent with Cayde, your Ghost and spent and equal amount of time with his.

“The… The blast came from up ahead. Two more rooms.” Your Ghost focused back on the task. There was a forced steeliness to his voice.

You whipped through the door and up ahead at the other end of the room a large deformed monster stood in your way. It turned to charge at you, but you brought your gun up while simultaneously reaching for the Light. Warmth filled your entire body as you fired round after round at it. It fell to its knees dead and your Light began to fade, but you didn’t let it.

You kept the fire burning in your chest and the warmth turned to burning. It felt like you were burning from inside out, like you had swallowed the sun itself, but you wouldn’t let go. You couldn’t. Your Ghost cried out in worry, pleading for you to release the energy, but you burst through the next door letting the Light singe you from inside out.

An awoken wearing a hood stood in front of Cayde holding the Ace of Spades over him. Behind him, waiting in the door were more of the twisted, large ether soaked Fallen, and though you vaguely recognized them it was getting hard to see through the flames that engulfed you. The awoken’s head snapped to you, eyes glowing gold as they narrowed into a glare, and then they moved back to Cayde who could barely hold himself up.

“Told you so.” Cayde chuckled in a broken voice.

He went to fire, you saw his hand tighten, but you finally released your energy in a cry of pain. Like a rubber band that had been pulled too taunt, it snapped and blew out in a blast of fire. The awoken fired a round but went flying back at the same time toward the crew of monsters waiting for him. One of the creatures grabbed him and they went scurrying off, the door closing and locking in place behind them.

You clawed at your helmet. It was too hot. Too hot and you needed that unnecessary air to fill your body. Your ghost dismissed your helmet and you sucked in the ether tanged air. You could hear Cayde groaning still and stumbled toward him only to fall to your knees halfway there. You crawled the rest of the way until you were hovering over the battered Cayde.

“Partner, you’re smoking.” Cayde coughed out. He lifted a hand to your face but burned his fingers against the metal of your face, “Both figuratively and literally.”

Cayde’s face was busted. One eye flickering and his cheek dented in. He looked bad, and as you traced his figure with your eyes you realized the Awoken had shot him. The bullet had hit him just above the hip.

“Cayde.” You breathed out.

He followed your gaze and set a hand over the spot, “Damn. That could’ve been worse, huh?”

“I thought I lost you.” You cried out. Your voice breaking on the words. “Cayde, we felt… Sundance.”

Cayde’s face fell and you watched as he reached out to grab a red and white shard that laid not too far from him. He hissed in pain at the movement, but still brought the piece to his chest. “I fucked up. I fucked up, and she paid the price. Fuck.”

You couldn’t imagine how that would feel. The thought of losing your Ghost made you sick. Your Ghost, as if knowing your thought, curled up in the crook of your neck. Still mourning his friend. Loss wasn’t something guardians dealt with often. Not since the Red War. The thought of losing your Ghost, losing any of your friends, losing Cayde…

“Please…” The word fell from your mouth in desperation. “Please don’t leave me.” Cayde forced himself to sit up with a grunt and you reached out to hold him, so he didn’t fall over. You shook your head afraid to touch one of his wounds and hurt him worse. Sundance wasn’t here to heal him. What if these wounds were worse than they looked? “Cayde-”

He leaned his head against yours, “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, partner.”

You gripped his armor with your hands. Just having him here in your arms comforted you to some degree. He was moving and talking and whispering comforting words to you. You had made it in time.

“So”, Cayde cleared his throat and you pulled back to look him in the eyes. He gave you a smile, but with the damage done to his face it looked like an strange grimace, “I will admit, this was not the best date we’ve ever had. My bad.”

The last thing you expected to do in this moment was laugh, but you couldn’t stop the sound from coming out as you laid your head against his shoulder. He leaned the side of his head against yours with a tired sigh as the two of you waited for Petra to get down here and take you home.