#stop spinning the camera again I'm getting motion sickness

[servuscallidus]

Gates :(((

[btstulip]

Jimin being bullied in AYS?

I never expected to be writing about this, but I feel it's important to talk about. Bullying and toxic behavior is serious and I keep seeing it come up when people talk about Are You Sure?! episode 3 in Jeju.

Frequently when reading about people's reactions to AYS, I find myself wondering if we've watched the same show. Even though I know our own life experiences influence how we see the world, it's always amazing to me how different that perception can sometimes be.

I am not here to tell anyone they are wrong about Jungkook and Tae and it makes no difference to me if you like them or not. I am only hoping to give people the chance to look again from a different perspective and maybe ask themselves what kind of lens they may be viewing this episode (and maybe life) through.

It’s not my perspective I want to show you… it’s Jimin’s.

This is going to be a bit long, but I hope that you will read to the end and feel free to discuss or share your own perspective in a respectful way.

▶︎ Jimin feeling sick

Before getting into what Jungkook and Tae did that has upset people, we have to discuss Jimin feeling unwell. I want to start by pointing out that Jimin is in a good mood and his stomach does not seem to be slowing him down. Obviously he isn't 100% and he mentions feeling like he will vomit if he eats, but we see him drinking without issue and otherwise seeming fine. He's having fun at the restaurant and even chases Tae.

Let me repeat that, Jimin chases Tae down the street, abandoning his shoes! I am not saying Jimin doesn't feel sick, but he is obviously far from miserable.

The most popular theory is that Jimin has motion sickness from driving since he is known to get motion sick. I personally struggle with this theory since he is in such a good time in the car and not holding back puke the whole time. My personal theory is that Jimin is probably hungover, but obviously I could be wrong. Another reasonable guess would be that he is recovering from food poisoning or a stomach bug where he is feeling better, but still fragile. Either way, he seems okay for the most part.

▶︎ Bullying or playing?

I'm going to try to stick to the events in this section, but please keep reading because I have some things I want to point out in the next section.

It starts with the guys hanging out on the floor together having fun just being with each other. Tae and Jungkook start head banging while Jimin lays on the ground next to them. Jimin then sits up and says he feels sick. Then he tries to lay on Jungkook, but they both laugh when Jungkook stops him (while looking directly at the camera). At that point Tae spins Jimin around and wants Jimin to join them in head banging, but Jimin says he might throw up.

Jimin goes along with it anyway right up until his stomach revolts. At this point, Jimin pushes Tae's hand away and lays down. Tae laughs and Jimin smiles. Pretty sure he is feeling a bit like an old man.

Shortly later we see Jimin happily hanging out on the floor and singing when Jungkook decides to go swimming.

Then comes the water guns. Jimin is relaxing on the ground singing to himself when Jungkook runs up and sprays him and then runs off to ambush Tae. Jimin says he's exhausted at this point, but he doesn't seem upset, more like just stating facts and maybe explaining why he isn't joining them. There's lots more spraying by Jungkook, then Jimin goes back to singing while they reload and both come back for another round and soak Jimin. All the while they are spraying him, Jimin keeps laughing. Even when you can't pick out Jimin's individual laugh, (after 1 min mark in the video below) you can see his shoulders moving and at the end, you can clearly hear him laugh to himself, still entertained by the antics of these big kids.

Jimin changes into swim trunks and watches his friends play in the pool before sitting down and talking to us about how he is getting older and his body doesn't work the same anymore. He's obviously not feeling up to joining Tae and Jungkook in the pool, but he's smiling and moving around. And after talking to some birds, he decides to nap on the ground instead of going to lay down in bed.

Also, after a little nap and rest, Jimin starts running around with the water guns and then they all go to indoor rock climb and ride go-carts.

▶︎ Jimin isn't helpless. Period.

I have rewatched the footage over and over so I can look critically at the situation and three key things stand out to me:

Jimin isn't "that" sick. I am not trying to minimize how Jimin felt at all. He was obviously unwell and wanted to rest. However Jimin wasn't so sick that he couldn't get up and leave if he had wanted to. He had lots of chances to go lay down in bed and chose to stay over and over again. But we saw Jimin go all out chasing Tae earlier, and after a nap, Jimin is back to goofing around.

People need to respect Jimin and his choices. He isn't powerless. He knows how to set boundaries and chooses which boundaries to set, like pushing Tae's hand away when he feels like he might puke. Jimin is not being forced to stay downstairs, start round two with the water guns, go rock climbing, or ride go-carts. All of these were his choice and point to him feeling well enough and wanting to participate in the ways he chooses.

Jungkook and Tae are playing and laughing with Jimin. They are not trying to be mean to Jimin, they are including him in their fun. And we clearly see Jimin laughing and smiling in response. Even when he tells Tae to stop spraying him, he says it in a very soft, not assertive way and then continues to stay there and laugh when they keep spraying him. He isn't getting annoyed or frustrated. Jimin may not feel like getting up and running around with them (at least not in that moment because he does later), but he seems more entertained by their behavior than annoyed.

▶︎ Look again

When I watched the first and last time, I saw so much love and joy and I don't know how people missed it.

Love is never an excuse for putting up with someone who treats you badly. When people set boundaries, they should be respected. In order for me to see the behavior in this episode as anything other than harmless play, I would have to believe that Jungkook and Tae were intentionally being cruel, Jimin was upset by how he was being treated, and that Jimin wasn't capable of stopping the situation when ever he wanted. But I just can't find any evidence showing any of that. In fact, I see the opposite.

I’m going to focus only on what we see in this episode, but we have years of evidence that we are ignoring.

When Jimin is actually sleeping, we see both Tae and Jungkook check in on him and leave him to rest peacefully.

And later, when Jimin cut his lip, the panic and concern on both Tae and Jungkook's faces speaks volumes. Yes, it only takes a second for them to realize that Jimin is okay (that's how well they can read him) and return to smiling and being playful. But even when Tae breaks the tension with a fake punch, Jimin doesn't show even the slightest bit of annoyance. This is how they often play together and Jimin is okay with that in this moment.

Can I just point out for a second how funny I find it when Jungkook turns and tells the staff that Jimin got hurt like a little kid telling the teacher? 😂

This is their bond and we only get a glimpse of it. And we can’t forget the fact that Jungkook picked up and brought Jimin his shoes. If touching those things isn't an act of love, I don't know what is. LOL

I watched this episode over and over again and I didn't see Jimin being too sick and weak to set boundaries for himself. If Jimin had wanted Jungkook and Tae to leave him alone, I believe Jimin would have communicated that clearly and firmly and they would have listened. We have years of evidence that both Jungkook and Tae love and respect Jimin, to the point where people feel "shocked by this side of them they have never seen before". I think it's because "this side of them" doesn't exist and has been imagined by people that have forgotten that Jimin can set boundaries and make decisions for himself. I don't understand how people can ignore the evidence in order to see their play filled day together as something toxic and cruel.

Ultimately, it isn't up to us to decide if Jimin is being bullied, it's his. And if you look to him for signs he is upset with what is happening, there just isn't any evidence of that at all.

I say this from a place of love and without judgement... if you are more upset for Jimin than he is, then this may be less about Jimin and his relationships and more about how you feel in yours. If you saw something other than Jimin choosing to participate in his own way and having fun in spite of feeling under the weather, I suggest you spend some time reflecting on your ability to set boundaries for yourself. ❤️

[skzpixie]

Happy Life, my love// happy ending saga FINAL

CW: Kai being insecure, talks of vomiting, talks of piss(but it being a misconception), period talk, mentions of infertility, whole lotta fluff, Changbin feeling guilty, pregnancy, mentions of labor but no descriptions

Part 1 - Part 2

Taglist: @mynameisnotlaura, @palindrome969

The month started off strange. First, Kai felt sick. She usually felt nauseous when the week of her period came up, but when it went and she still felt nauseous, she didn't think anything of it.

They had just gotten married, and then they were having a new year's eve party with their group and several other close groups. Yuqi was staying close to Kai and Changbin, along with Yeji and Giselle when she felt like she was going to throw up.

The party didn't notice the four girls leaving to help Kai to the bathroom. Changbin was worried, but Kai told him that she would be fine. So there she was, heaving her dinner into the toilet bowl.

The four sat in silence as Kai waited to throw up again. "Kai, babes..." Giselle started, rubbing the younger girls back. "Do you think you might be, y'know?"

"Pregnant?" Kai shot back. "Doubtful. Infertility, remember?" She frowned when she realized she snapped. "Sorry, I just... I don't think so."

"There is still a possibility, though, right?" Yeji asked. Kai furrowed her brows.

"I mean, it's not IMpossible." She muttered. "I just had my period not that long ago, though."

"You can still get pregnant when on your period, hun." Yeji spoke up, Kai's eyes widening.

"Let me get this straight. You've been throwing up, not touching Kimchi because it 'makes you physically sick', and you've been a tad bit more emotional. I'll go get some tests." Yuqi stood up, making Kai grab her wrist.

"Please," she begged, eyes welling up with unshed tears. "I can't deal with the disappointment..." She trailed off. The girls grew sympathetic, hugging the Maknae tightly.

"Do you want me to get Changbin?" Yeji asked, making Kai shake her head.

"Let him enjoy the party. Please."

The girls nodded, before hugging Kai again. However, Kai couldn't stop the nagging feeling in her chest.

It was a month later when they were filming a new SKZ-code. It was a prompt by fans, asking them to try and learn how to get ultrasounds.

"You'll find nothing, I hope you realize that." Kai snorted at Minho, who was testing it on Kai. A tech stood behind him while the other guys were looking at Han's liver across the room.

Kai pulled up her shirt, eyeing the staff behind the camera who looked amazed at her abs. Minho snorted and squeezed the gel on her stomach. She jumped at the cool texture.

"Alright, if you go up, that's where her large intestine is." The tech commented, and Minho decided to wander down to where her stomach was. Kai laid back, closing her eyes in discomfort as he pressed down hard. His hand stopped, and Kai could finally breathe without it hurting

"And there you see the twins, both having different amniotic sacs-" Kai's eyes flew open as she sat up, peering over to the monitor.

"I'm sorry, what now?" Kai's voice shook. The tech gave her an odd stare.

"You can see that you're roughly three months along. See, there's the heads, toes and-"

"Changbin!!!" Kai yelled urgently, turning to skz-talker cameraman. "Cut the cameras." She said lowly, and they nodded.

Changbin rushed over, thinking Kai was hurt by the way she yelled. Hell, even the rest of them rushed over.

"What, what is it?" Changbin stumbled over his words, peering over her shoulder. Kai motioned to the monitor, but he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Is that food?" He questioned, making her slap his chest softly. She gave the terrified tech a nod to continue.

"Like I was just telling her, this looks normal for a three month pregnancy with twins. Everything looks to be in order. Did you not know?"

Kai's head was spinning while the people around her grew silent. Changbin's breath hitched and before anyone could say anything, Kai slumped forward, fainting. The boys yelled out in shock as Minho struggled to catch her body when it fell forward.

She came to after a minute, the ringing in her ears stopping as she heard Chan to give her space. She groaned, and she felt the familiar warmth of her husband appear on her right side.

Kai opened her eyes and sat up quickly, startling the crap out of her members. She moved to stand up, Changbin following her.

"I need a second to process, I'll be right back." She kissed Changbin quickly before exiting the studio. Her feet brought her to an empty meeting room, and before she knew it, she was sobbing heavily against the doorframe.

So many emotions filled her body. The main one she felt? Fear. She hadn't even noticed the pair of feet entering until arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a hug.

Kai curled into her husband, sobbing into his chest that she was so sorry.

"Sorry?" He scoffed, pulling her away and wiping her tears. "What on earth are you sorry for?"

"Isn't it obvious? Getting pregnant when you're still in the height of your career. Now, you'll have to juggle your work and three people." She sniffed.

"You have to be joking, right? You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm more worried about you."

"Me?" She scoffed. "Why?"

"You've been wanting to be a mom since, what, since you were seven? The fact that the doctors said it was hard to get pregnant but you said 'fuck it' to them and got pregnant with twins."

Kai snorted, shaking her head at her husband. She bit her lip. "But... what if you don't want them?"

Changbin's eyebrows shot up. "Sure, I didn't plan for you to get pregnant this early, but y'know what?" Kai hummed, waiting for his answer. "But because they are coming from you, and are a part of you. I can't help but love them, I think I love them even more when they're from you." Changbin whispered, kissing the mole under her eye and then kissing her softly on the lips.

Kai sighed happily into the kiss, before pulling back. "You think the tech is still here?"

Changbin furrowed his brows, nodding.

"Wanna find out the genders?" He stood up eagerly, making her stand up as well. She laughed when he pulled her out excitedly.

The nine were performing in their latest comebacks tour. Despite being eight months pregnant, Kai didn't show as much. She was worried about the growth of her babies, but she was told they were developing perfectly.

During her high note, she felt a surge of pain in her pelvis, causing her voice to crack. Chan side eyed her to make sure she was okay when he stopped.

Her legs were soaked in clear fluid, and he cringed, thinking she peed herself. Staff rushed on stage, trying to get her to get cleaned up when her face went pale and she gripped her stomach. Her face scrunched up in pain, making Chan worry slightly.

Stay hadn't known of her pregnancy, so when they saw that she was clutching her stomach in pain, they thought that she was just on her period.

Kai walked off stage, ready to get cleaned up when she felt another surge of pain. She doubled over, gasping for air and the female staff rushed to her aid.

"Honey, I know it's embarrassing peeing yourself on stage, but-" Kai cut her off, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I didn't pee, I haven't had anything to drink since a couple hours ago." She tilted her head, confused.

The color drained from the woman's face, as she quickly called for someone to get a car for the hospital. Kai looked at her again, alarmed at the sudden yell.

Staff rushed on stage after an hour, trying to get Changbin off secretly. The staff member whispered something in his ear and his eyes widened comically. He dropped his mic, running off stage and leaving members confused.

The same member approached, motioning to cover their mics as they got the news. A few of them rushed off stage after Changbin as Chan announced that the concert was now over.

"I'm so sorry Stay, your tickets will be partially refunded for this inconvenience. There is an emergency that we need to attend too." Chan stated, before running after the last of his members.

Kai was holding her newborn children when Changbin rushed through the door, panting from having run through the halls. She smiled when she saw her husband, nerves melting when he came over to kiss her forehead.

"I'm sorry baby for not being there. Are you okay? Are they okay?" Changbin asked, taking his baby's hands in his.

"Don't be. I almost gave birth in the car. Your daughter didn't want to wait." She chuckled, motioning to the baby that slept soundly in her left arm.

Changbin nodded. "And him?"

"Barely cried. He's so quiet already, the opposite of his father." She poked fun at him, but he didn't laugh. "They checked them. Healthy children for being a month early, I say. They don't even need to stay longer than the three days here."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I should've been there." He muttered, looking at his babies that slept soundly.

"Honey," her eyes soften, making him look up at her with glossy eyes. "You didn't know. I'm not mad you weren't there, you were busy performing for stay. Don't give me that look."

He nodded, before giving her a kiss on the forehead. Not a second later was the nurse entering with seven lost children.

Felix and Jeongin rushed to Kai's side while the rest approached carefully. The nurse walked over with two empty bassinets.

"Nurse Lauren," Kai smiled. "I see you met my eight boys."

Lauren smiled softly, before asking for the two. Kai handed her daughter over first, before her son. Nurse Lauren put the newborns in the bassinets.

"Any names?" Lauren asked, looking at the two expectantly.

Kai looked over at her husband, and the two nodded. "Baby girl will be called Seo Ae-ra,  and baby boy will be called Seo Young-chul." She held Changbin's hand as Lauren wrote the names down and put them on their respective bassinets.

"You named your children "Eternal" and "love"?" Felix snickered, making Kai smile and watch her babies being rolled out.

"Of course." Kai spoke softly, before groaning. "JYP has to make the announcement, doesn't he?"

"Made the announcement already." Seungmin said, scrolling through the dispatch article and the JYP announcement.

Kai groaned, burying her face in her palms. "Can't I just have one thing private and to myself? First it was our relationship, then our wedding, and now this? Can't have nice things, I guess."

Changbin kissed her forehead again, smiling softly at her anguish. Kai snorted at his expression, before melting into his embrace.

Sure, she wasn't able to keep a secret to herself, but with her friends joking with each other, and being in her husband's arms, everything felt complete.

After being rushed off stage, Stray Kids Pixie and Changbin bring their twin babies into the world

Today, August 15th, 2025 marks the day where SKZ Pixie and Changbin bring in their daughter, name unknown, and son, name unknown into the world. After what seemed like an incident on stage, Pixie was rushed off, and just an hour later, she had given birth. We are still awaiting names. We wish her the speediest of recoveries

Comments:

She was PREGNANT?? AND STILL PERFORMED??

Something seemed off about her, but pregnant?!? CONGRATS!!

The babies are going to be so cute

The two are going to make awesome parents, yay!!

[snowbaamgyu]

Wanting to leave Everland

TXT was having a really good time at Everland, the Amazon ride was amazing and hilarious except for Taehyun and Beomgyu, they ended up complaining about how they got wet, and how could we forget about their time seeing animals, specially that panda, the tigers and lions, everything was simply just right.

The food also was really good, when they finished eating they walked around the amusement park, deciding on what ride they could go on, Kai was a little nervous, he wasn't that good at roller coasters or rides that made him feel all that adrenaline, he ended up getting nauseous and most of the times, throwing up in a trashcan if he was lucky enough to make it to one, if not he ended up puking between his legs and on the floor.

They decided to go on a roller coaster first, Kai was the only one who had to go with no one by his side, he tried to keep his composure because of the cameras rolling, even when MOAs knew about how he wasn't good at rides.

Beomgyu was a little nervous too, because they had just eaten and got on a roller coaster right when they just finished? Soobin noticed, asked Beomgyu if he was alright, the younger replying "My stomach is not that good" if he wanted to get down it was impossible now, the seats were locked and secured.

The whole ride Kai kept a straight face even though his insides were screaming at him, his stomach specially, his heart beating hard on his ears as he quietly tried to regulate his breathing, and smiled when everyone got off, Beomgyu keeping an eye on him knowing about Kai's fear of rides.

When the hyungs and Taehyun wanted to go on another ride Beomgyu decided to stay with Kai just watching, both of them feeling queasy not wanting to upset their stomachs more.

Yeonjun also complained about getting dizzy, and if he got on another ride he would throw up, but still went for it, Taehyun this time wanted to just watch so it was just Soobin and Yeonjun going on that rotating ride, Kai didn't want to look like a coward so he tapped Soobin on the shoulder and told him "I'm riding with you guys too" with a confident tone.

The hyungs were proud of their maknae, so they sat down and waited for the game to start.

Kai's stomach still swirling around and gurgling a bit, it was the nerves kicking in.

Yeonjun asked him if he was alright, the answer was no, but he nodded anyway.

"Don't be surprised if I puke" Kai said as joke but also as a warning, he couldn't say it serious because MOAs should enjoy this episode and not get worried.

"If you puke you should do it to your left then" Soobin followed his joke, a bit worried but not too much.

"Yeah I should turn my head and puke at my left" Kai didn't know how long would that continue to be just a joke as the game started and it was spinning and spinning and spinning and moving and at some point it was too much, he wanted to get off of that game and was relieved when it seemed to stop, only for it to start again with the motion.

Kai was really going to throw up, there wasn't anything he could do once the motion sickness started, he had to endure it until he could turn off his mic and all the cameras gave him some privacy, even Taehyun was filming him, he couldn't throw up there.

The ride stopped, he walked a little behind the other two and waited for the cameras to stop, to rip off his mic and go to the nearest bathroom to ease some of the nausea away.

The other boys stood there for a while a bit shocked, they thought Kai took the game well but it seemed it got the best of him, some of the staff members went behind him to make sure he was alright and if they needed to wrap up the recordings.

Beomgyu ran behind all of them to be with Kai and also check on him, and when he got there his heart clenched a little.

Kai was slumped over a toilet, gripping the sides of it as his body heaved once again, his stomach squeezing so hard it sent up more and more of the barely digested food they had before they decided to go on those rides tasting gross the second time it passed through his throat.

Beomgyu rubbed his back, which stimulated him to continue with the gaging, and when he started coughing Beomgyu patted his back, it had the same effect it had on babies because a last burp brought the remaining vomit he had to expel.

Now he was just exhausted, Beomgyu still with him now cleaning his mouth and chin with some toilet paper and fixing his hair.

"It's okay Kai, you did well, you were so brave and we are really proud of you, it's a little sad you had to end up like this but we can leave now, I think we have enough footage".

No, Kai didn't want to leave just yet, his hyungs had to enjoy a little bit more of the park.

"It's alright hyung, I'll rest for a bit and we can go on another ride, a calm one this time please" Kai stood up, Beomgyu still trailing behind him as he went to wash his hands and mouth.

"Boys, do you need anything?" their manager poked his head to see what was going on. "A little break, I'm okay to continue"

They waited for Kai's stomach to settle down, as he drank water his hyungs distracted him and stood by his side.

"One more ride and some food, aaand that's it, the filming is done, is that okay?" At the mention of food now that his stomach was feeling okay Kai felt a bit hungry, he had in fact, emptied his stomach.

"Yeah it sounds good, let's go".

They got on the Viking, Kai was holding tight to the safety bar and had his head down, his eyes closed, like that he couldn't feel any of the movement.

As the game came to an end he could hear Beomgyu say "Kai are you okay? It's okay the game is over"

They headed to the restaurant, everyone ordered what they wanted to eat and said the final comments, Kai ate slowly, feeling totally better, after all he had a great day with his hyungs, even the staff who also rode the games with them.

Yeah, it was a great day.

[crystalsnow95z]

A quick write while I'm stuck in the car. Sorry I can't concentrate on my requests so I'm writing whatever comes to mind. Since I'm feeling carsick that's what you get. Sorry if you don't like emeto.

Oh gosh the puppy posted it when I just started. Sorry if you got confused ^^;

Carsick J-hope. Tw:emeto.

J-hope tries to focus on the horizon, his stomach churning with every bump, cold sweat coating his skin. Unfortunately, with all the trees, he couldn't find it, his eyes accidently meeting the yellow lines, making his head spin.

He quickly buries his face in Namjoon's shoulder, his mouth filling with saliva, swallowing it down."Joon-ah..I don't feel good.." he whispers.

Namjoon wraps his arm around J-Hope rubbing his back. "Do you think you'll be sick? Do you want us to stop?"

J-hope shakes his head. He didn't want to get sick in the car, not when all he had in his stomach was half a cup of coffee he drank before they left. They were going to a photo shoot, and he didn't want to look bad on camera. If they stopped for him, they'd be late for the shoot.

"Are you sure? You're shaking.." Namjoon rubs the back of J-hopes neck, feeling the sweat pooling. "You might feel better if you get it out of the way Hoba.." Namjoon motions to Jimin to get a bag just in case. Jimin finds one tucked in the center console passing it over to Namjoon.

"No..no I'm okay.." J-hope says softly,voice shaking as another ripple of nausea washes over him, pressing his hand against his middle.

"Do you want to see if some mint gum could help settle your tummy hyung?" Jimin offers, digging in his backpack.

"I..I don't want to move right now.." J-hope presses his lips tightly together as a wet burp comes,the contents of his stomach sloshing as they make a turn.

Namjoon rubs J-hope's stomach, feeling his muscles working overtime as a loud gurgle comes from it. "You're not doing well, Hoeseok-ah. I don't think you have a choice.." He notes sympathically. "It's okay to get sick. I'll take care of you, okay?"

J-hope nods slowly lifting his head as another high pitched gurgle comes from him. "I..I.."he swallows hard as his mouth fills with saliva.

"I know baby. I got you.." Namjoon already started opening the bag for his fellow 94liner. "Here Hoba.."

J-hope takes the handles, holding it by his face with trembling hands. Namjoon puts his hands on top to steady them. "I got it, don't worry." He reassures him.

Jimin reaches over to rub J-hope's back, feeling his spine curve as he heaves. "That's it hyungie, let it up, you'll feel better once you get it out.."

J-hope whimpered as another dry heave came, only a small string of saliva hanging from his pale lips coming up, another unsuccessful heave following. It's not coming up..

J-hope groans as another wave of nausea hits, letting out another string of saliva before leaning against Namjoon's chest, tightly closing his eyes. "M..my stomach.. it.."

"It's okay Hoba, if you can't don't force yourself. The bag will be here if you need it." Namjoon wipes the tears that streaked J-hope's cheeks. "Just take some deep breaths okay.."

J-hope obeys, taking shaky breaths, clinging to Namjoon tightly. "I'm sorry.."

"You don't need to be sorry. You can't help getting sick hyungie." Jimin gently runs his hand through J-hope's hair. "Do you want to sip some water?"

I'll probably throw up if I try to drink water.

J-hope remembered that it was what he needed when his stomach clenched again, another unsuccessful burp coming. He nods, accepting the open water bottle.

Namjoon puts his hand over J-hope's to keep him from spilling, gently tipping it. "Take it easy Hope.." he warns when J-hope takes a giant mouthful.

The water set off his stomach, instantly coming up again.

"Sh*t..Jimin!" Namjoon thrusts the water into Jimin's hand, quickly opening the bag to catch the brown liquid that poured from J-hope's mouth as another heave comes. "I'm sorry it's okay Hoseok, it's okay.." he softens his voice when J-hope jumps, running his hand down his spine.

The sick burned as it came up, but it was worth it to feel the nausea start to pass. After another few minutes of retching J-hope had nothing left." 'm...I'm.." J-hope tried to speak but a cough comes out, his throat raw.

He didn't need to speak for Namjoon to know what he wanted, tying the bag shut in a double knot. "Are you feeling any better now?"

"A..a little.." J-hope's voice comes out soft and shaky. "Jiminie..could I have that gum now?"

J-hope slept the rest of the car ride, not waking up until the car stopped moving. "Are..we there?"

"We are.. Hoba are you sure you're feeling up to this? We could ask to reschedule." Namjoon frets over J-hope, seeing his chapped lips and pale complexion.

"Yeah, yeah, I can do this.. I'm fine. It's just photos." J-hope unbuckled his seat belt. His muscles ached when he moved and his knees still buckled under his weight, Namjoon quickly wrapping around his waist.

"Hoseok-Ah be careful don't get up so fast.." Namjoon scolds him softly, keeping hold of J-hope until his vertigo passes.

"I'm sorry.." he murmurs into Namjoon's collar bone, holding onto him for another few seconds until he straightens up, giving a small smile. "I'm okay now.. I just need some fresh air.."

The other members get out of the other car, rushing over when they see J-hope stumble into Namjoon's out reached arms.

"What's wrong, Hoba?" Jin asks, rushing over to him. "Are you okay?"

"I got carsick.. but I'll be okay.." J-hope puts on a smile, despite the fact he still felt ripples of nausea running across his body. "I just need some air for a little bit.."

"You don't look okay.. did you eat anything today?" That was one of the things he hated about living separately, he couldn't make sure his members ate properly. "Hoeseok-ah?"

"No.." J-hope admits softly, looking at his hands.

"Hyung, you didn't eat yesterday either because we stayed late in the studio.." Jungkook frowns.

"You need to eat at least once a day." Yoongi gently scolds J-hope.

"I know. I know.. I'm sorry.." J-hope bows, feeling guilt churning his stomach. "I'll eat when I get home.."

"Let's meet at my place after the shoot. I'll make everyone a proper meal." Jin offers to everyone, trying to ease the tension. "I got some korean beef from my friend as a gift."

"Really?" Jungkook's eyes widen with excitement. "It's been a while since I've been to your place."

"Yeah, it'll give us something to look forward to after the shoot." Jin smiles, successfully distracting the members. "Let's go in. The sooner we get it done, the quicker we can go."

(That's where I'm ending it. Sorry 😅)

[bardsoftheuncannyvalley]

[4: Echophones]

I do actually remember this one being filmed; it was late march after first seeing the wood walkers. Tragedy had started showing me the odd disappearance rates around corvid park. in other areas the rate is more around 1 to 2 people usually go missing around like every year. But oddly corvid park had around 10 people going missing. Yet there seem to be no panic for it. Neither tragedy or I know why.  

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

“How cruelly sweet are the echoes that start, when memory plays an old tune on the heart!” ― Eliza Cook  The video starts in the parking lot, the camera aimed down at sneakers covered in dirt.  Tragedy: got it?  Comedy: Yeah... you sure this is safe?  Tragedy: No, but you wanted to see them.  The sneakers move slowly the two footsteps moving as one. The gravel path eventually morphing into the trail path.   We walk the trail for about five minutes before finding a blocked off path with a sign reading “No passage past this point. This trail is closed.”  Comedy: The past is closed off, is it cause of the missing people?  Tragedy: yes, but the park won't admit it, at least as far as I can tell.  The camera is passed over to other hands as a figure walks into frame.  Comedy: you're not going over it!?  Tragedy: I'm not going far.  The figure, tragedy, is thin and lean. Pale olive skin under a dark grey hoodie, zipped open to see a white band tee. Dark blue jeans are muddied just like the grey sneakers. His shoulder length brown hair is pulled up into a messy man bun. His face is covered by not only a black medical mask but a low tipped black baseball cap. He jumps the fence and walks through the tall grass a couple feet peering into the trees. Something pitch white hangs from his hip but is hard to make out in the intense sunlight.  Comedy: your insane.  Tragedy: only little.  He chuckles as he walks back.  Tragedy: just thought I saw something.  Comedy: So you walked towards it?  He walks back over before starting to walk down the trail, as he walks his head snaps to branches and bushed like he expects something to jump out at him. We walk for a while the afternoon sun shining heavily down. We walked for about five more minutes till suddenly a womans voice called out.  Woman?: Hey  Tragedy holds his hand out and slowly raises a finger to his masked lips. Both of us stop for a long moment nothing happening for a long moment.  Woman?: Hey, come here.  I glanced the camera around looking for anything the forest now eerily quiet.  Woman?: Hey..... Hey..... Come here  I turned back to Tragedy just in time to catch him signing to follow him. He then started to walk down the path. As we walked away the voice got quieter and quieter until it suddenly stopped. Th two of us walked for a couple minutes in silence until from somewhere down the path.   Woman?: Hey  Tragedy jerks to a stop, rapidly spinning around and motioning to me before pointing his fingers at each other like a top and moves them in a twirling motion like a tornado.  Woman?: Come here.  The voice is angrier as suddenly us two bolt out the park taking the path out. It take sa few minutes but we manage to make it back to the parking lot.  Comedy: what was that?!?  Tragedy is to busy panting to speak but he takes his hand and holds it like a phone, taping his chin before in arch motion brings it away from his face. 

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

Echophones are... well down right horrifying in my option. They have the ability to mimic the sounds they hear and love to mimic people. Specifically, the last words of people, like a sick twisted ploy. Unlike woodwalkers these things actively get people lost in the woods, luring them deeper into the woods to never be seen again. Tragedy has compared them to snakes and I hate to know why cause they don't really look like snakes. They look like people, short, sickly thin and pale people. 

[no-whump-on-main]

Apartment 307-8 (Grabbed by the hair)

Hi guys!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. School and work have been crazy but luckily I'm out of school next week so I'll have much more time and be posting more frequently! Apologies for the short chapter, I have no idea why but it just kicked my butt lol. I tried doing some cool multimedia stuff, I hope you enjoy! This is @sableflynn's BTHB request, grabbed by the hair.

TWs: Creepy, possessive whumper, mention of branding, also this chapter made me sad bc I love my mom and Elora's mom is sad so warning for that lmao

Elora was still lying there crying hours later. The tears had slowed from her initial keening sobs, but they still fell steadily down her face, accumulating in a small puddle on the tile by her head. She could see a bit of her reflection in the salty water; just her eyes, mostly. She saw green eyes that had once been so full of hope and life that were fading, the slow abandonment of hope almost making them gray out. She wanted to lie there forever, staring into her own eyes, until oblivion took her. If she cleared her head enough, she could pretend she was elsewhere, somewhere warm and loving; the blanket draped over her body did help with the fantasy, though she always knew somewhere in the back of her head that it was just that: a fantasy. She was still here. With him.

Clyde tried to give her time to recover, but his patience wore eventually. He began to get antsy after a few hours of watching her lie there, doing nothing but cry. Admittedly, he did enjoy it at first-seeing her so weak, so docile, because of him-but it eventually grew tiresome. Watching each tear drip down into the puddle became like watching paint dry.

He stood up abruptly. Elora was startled by the motion, flinching before stilling and watching him very carefully. What was he going to do?

“Get up,” he said simply.

Elora froze. She still felt sick, dizzy with pain and the lingering scent of her burning flesh in the bathroom. But why would he care about that? Why should she disobey him, when she knew what would happen?

Yet pride and pain got the better of her again.

“I can’t,” she whimpered. She felt weak. “I hurt. You hurt me.”

The piercing sound of a loud, sudden laugh began to echo through the bathroom. It reminded Elora of the laugh of a hyena. She winced.

“Darling, did you not think that was the point?”

Her expression hardened and her heart thumped in her chest. That was the point. She wanted to say something, but her mouth suddenly got dry.

The man simply grinned. “Get up,” he repeated, but she didn’t. She just laid there, dumbfounded.

He groaned angrily, rolling his eyes. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Be that way.”

He gathered up her hair in his hand, locked his fingers in a tight fist, and pulled up. Elora yelped and scrambled to get to her feet to relieve the pain, but he didn’t give her the chance; he carelessly dragged her off, out of the bathroom, through the hallway, and into the living room. She screamed and thrashed wildly, her hands desperately trying to push him away as her scalp burned like fire. Again and again, her feet scraped the ground to no avail, kicking and kicking but never able to gain enough traction to stand as she was mercilessly dragged. The man finally dropped her on the floor at the foot of a worn leather couch, releasing his death grip on her hair. Her hands immediately flew up to her head, applying gentle pressure to her scalp to try to ease the burning pain as she looked around the new room.

The living room was barren, like the man had half moved into it then given up. There was a dusty box in the corner, the couch, a worn coffee table, a small stand, and an old TV. Other than that, it was empty, in an eerie way. The aged carpet spanned the floor like an ocean.

The pressure didn’t do much and Elora dropped her hands, still wincing as the man plopped himself on the couch behind her, the leather making a loud crackling noise as he sat. She whipped her head around as her shoulders raised up to her ears instinctively. The man made a sour face, his features twisting into an ugly frown.

“Relax,” he commanded, forcefully pushing her shoulders down. At first, she tried to wiggle away, but that idea was abandoned when he tightened his grip, clearly as a warning. He grabbed the TV remote from the arm of the couch and turned it on. It started on some history channel documentary about cars, but Clyde quickly flipped through channels until he found the local news station.

A grin spread across his face as he read the blue banner spanning across the bottom of the screen. They were just in time.

UP NEXT: CAPE COD GIRL GOES MISSING; DESPERATE MOTHER PLEADS FOR HER RETURN

His hands wandered to Elora’s scalp and began to gently card through her hair. She inhaled sharply, and it took everything she had in her not to immediately shove him off. Somehow the gentleness felt worse than the pain; the false sense of care disgusted her. He was a maniac. He hurt her, he branded her, and now he was sitting on the couch petting her hair, pretending like none of it happened. It didn’t escape her attention how he set her on the floor instead of the couch, below him, like a dog.

The banner was bad enough, but she felt sick to her stomach when the station cut to a reporter sitting at a desk with a picture of her on half of the screen. It was the picture her mom took of her at the orchard last fall. It was candid; she remembered it. She was intently focused on a butterfly off on a tree, ignoring her mom as she snapped the photo. It was one of her favorite pictures of herself. And now, it was plastered all over the news.

The reporter on the TV began to speak. “Tonight, a desperate mother pleads for her missing daughter’s safe return. Elora Larkin, nineteen, of Barnstable county, Massachusetts has been missing since Friday night. She was last seen walking home from her job at Agathangelou’s bakery, wearing khakis, a black t-shirt, and black sneakers. The police have opened a tip line and are offering an unspecified reward for any information that leads to Miss Larkin.”

Elora felt a lurching sensation in her stomach, so visceral she wanted to throw up. That was her. On the news. Gone. Missing.

Behind her, the man chuckled.

“Look at that, baby. You’re all over New England.”

“I’m not your baby,” she snapped, turning around. But her head was spinning. All over New England? It wasn’t the Cape Cod news station on the TV. It wasn’t even a state news channel. It was entirely unfamiliar, the reporter’s face one she’d never seen.. So he’d taken her across state lines, making her chances of being found lower yet.

The man shushed her and put a finger up to her lips. “Watch.” She almost bit him, but decided it wasn’t worth the inevitable punishment that would follow. Besides, they might say something useful, something that could help her. She needed to pay attention.

The screen changed, and a missing persons poster popped up. Hers.

It was up for a minute before it faded away as the reporter came back on the screen.

“Such a sad story. Everyone in the studio is hoping and praying for her safe return. Unfortunately, vigilance is so important in this day and age. Up next, we have a recording of a press conference with the girl’s mother.

The girl’s mother. Her mother. Elora felt her heartbeat thumping in her chest.

And there she was. Jodie was standing at a podium in a building that had to be a police station. Demetrios was standing by her side, offering support by merely being present. While Elora hadn’t seen him cry even once in all the years she’d known him, he now looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Her mom started to speak. She looked so sad. Withered, like the life had been sucked out of her, from fear and overthinking and sleepless nights.

“My daughter-My daughter Elora has been missing since Friday night. She’s got-she’s got blonde hair, and green eyes, and she’s real tall. I’m sure pictures have gone around by now. She was walking home from work and-and then she disappeared. We were supposed to have dinner Sunday and she never came. It was supposed to be her weekend off. I- If someone has her, please, I’m begging you, let her go. Bring her home safe. She’s a good kid, she works hard, she rescues cats in her spare time...she doesn’t deserve this. And Elora, if you’re seeing this, I love you. I love you so much, honey. If you chose to leave, please just tell us you’re okay. It’s okay. You can go see the world, just tell us you’re okay. And if something-something bad happened, we’re gonna find you. I promise, baby, I love you and we’re gonna bring you home. Promise.”

At that point, she set the microphone down and began to cry, tears streaming down her face as she hurried off to an exit, the cameras following her for a few moments. Elora’s heart twisted in knots. Seeing her mom’s face brought her so much joy, yet knowing how worried she had to be made her feel sick with guilt.

But she promised. She promised she’d find her.

“That your mom?���

Elora stilled. He already knew the answer.

"She’s kinda pathetic. Could barely keep it together long enough to tell them about you.”

She went cold. “Stop,” she seethed. Her voice was eerily calm, given her anger.

"Or what?” he replied, twisting her hair up in his hand and giving it another tug.

Elora was silent. There was no or what. She knew that.

The reporter came back on the screen.

“Well, folks, that’s all we have on the case for tonight. Remember to be safe and vigilant. This has been Hannah Brown with News12.”

The man released her hair, picked up the remote, and turned off the T.V.

“Notice how they only talked about you, not me?”

Elora turned her head around. She was crying.

“What?”

He scoffed. “I said, notice how they only ran their mouths about you the whole time. Never said a word about me. You know what that means? They don’t know jack shit about me. They don’t know who you’re with or where you are. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but we’re in Connecticut. We crossed state lines twice. They’re never going to find you, you know that?

She tried to hide it, but he could see her expression falling with every word he said, hope beginning to seep out of her. She shook her head vigorously, her bottom lip trembling.

“N-no! No, they will, you’re just crazy! You’re just fucking crazy!”

A scowl formed on his lips. “No, they won’t.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but in a split second, his hand was gripping tightly around her throat, cutting off her air. Her eyes went wide.

“No one is coming to save you.”

Elora swallowed, fear bright in her eyes. She tried to rip herself away, but the man raked his fingers across the fresh brand on her collarbone, sending her to the ground, keeling in pain.

“We could’ve had a nice evening if you behaved. Listened,” he grumbled, standing and once again grabbing her hair tightly before dragging her off towards the bathroom.

Tags: @exploringspaceinpyjamas @all-whumped-out @badthingshappenbingo

[artificialqueens]

More Than I'm Supposed To (Witney) - Miss Bianca

Summary:

There was just something about Willam that just begged you to watch her. It was hard to look anywhere else, really, particularly when she smiled. And Courtney did pride herself on being able to make Willam smile more than usual.

A/N: 

I’m so sorry. I’m supposed to be writing my multichap. But Witney would not leave me alone, and so here we are. It’s not really an AU, I mean, this could’ve happened. Please tell me what you think! - Miss Bianca

The plan to go for lunch with Willam today was long-standing. In fact, it was a tradition of sorts, something they tried to do every other week, at least. Courtney counted her blessings every time that neither of them had to cancel, and did her best to make it every time.

She’d even passed up doing gigs before in favor of keeping up the tradition - when given the choice between Willam and another paycheck, Courtney knew she’d choose to spend time with the other queen every time.

In all honesty, there was very little Courtney wouldn’t give up for Willam, money and reputation be damned. But she didn’t like to think too deeply about that.

However, while the plans for the lunch meeting were already set, the  decision to meet up with Willam in drag instead of out was a last minute one.

Courtney wasn’t thrilled about having to go through the process of doing her makeup in the morning, but she did think it would be fun to see if she’d be clocked at the cafe when they went for lunch.

“Probably won’t be,” she said out loud to no one in particular, setting her lashes in place.

Her WeHo apartment wasn’t very lived in - in fact, it felt more like a hotel room sometimes - and Courtney strongly disliked being alone. This resulted in a lot of talking or singing to herself, like a crazy person, often without even thinking about it. It was usually random parts of her trains of thought, phrases that wouldn’t make sense on their own.

She hoped none of her neighbors had ever heard.

“Hopefully they’d just assume I’m talking to my cat, or something,” she murmured. “Wait, is that worse than talking to myself in the mirror? That might be worse. At least it’s less narcissistic.”

Courtney made eye contact with herself, and shrugged, going into her bedroom to pick clothes.

Willam would already be in drag from filming the Beatdown, and Courtney loved the idea of going out to lunch with a female friend. Both of them being in drag was both a pro and a con in this sort of situation, though, depending on which of them people noticed first in public.

The way Courtney saw it, either they’d see Willam first and instantly clock her, then realize Courtney was in drag as well, or they’d see Courtney first and assume Willam was a real woman without bothering to check.

“I’ll wear the red dress, then,” Courtney decided out loud, grabbing the sundress from the back of her closet and pulling it on carefully. “Make them look at me instead.”

Courtney doubted the strategy would actually work, though - there was just something about Willam that just begged you to watch her. It was hard to look anywhere else, really, particularly when she smiled.

And Courtney did pride herself on being able to make Willam smile more than usual.

Buzzing a little with nerves that she couldn’t quite explain, Courtney looked over her makeup again in her mirror. Her wig was simple and blonde, on the shorter side, and she knew that Willam would probably end up teasing her for not being a real drag queen at some point in the course of the afternoon.

She also knew that Willam would be tempted to brush back the few curls that hung around her face in this particular wig, and that was well worth the teasing. She tugged on one of the coils of hair, watching it bounce back into place.

If Willam wasn’t in the mood to be touchy and push the hair behind Courtney’s ear, she’d just end up wheezing and laughing at the strands getting in Courtney’s way as she tried to eat. And if Courtney was honest, that was even better.

“Alright,” Courtney said out loud, checking over her makeup again in the mirror near her front door before slipping on her brand new pair of heels. “Enough being a peacock, Courtney, time to go.”

Calling an Uber, Courtney stepped out the door, stumbling slightly on the stilettos as she hurried to the elevator. It only took her about thirty seconds to realize, with a sinking feeling, that she’d severely underestimated how uncomfortable the heels actually were.

Briefly, she considered popping back into her apartment to change them, but the Uber was a minute away and she didn’t want to make the driver wait.

“This’ll give me an excuse to lean on Willam, anyway,” Courtney muttered as the elevator descended. “She’ll probably call me an idiot, though. And she’ll be right. God, stop talking to yourself, Court.”

It was only another minute or so before she was in the back of an Uber, being driven to Willam’s studio by an abnormally talkative driver named Michael.

Traffic was a bitch, as usual, and by the time they finally pulled up outside, Courtney was twenty minutes late, and feeling terrible about it. She thanked Michael hastily, and wobbled over to the door of the building in the increasingly uncomfortable heels.

It only took her a few seconds of tapping on the buzzer for Willam’s studio before the lock opened, and she was hurrying inside and down the hall.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Bill,” Courtney said as she stepped into the studio. “I - where is everyone?”

From what Courtney could see, the studio was empty except for a camera guy she didn’t recognize. He looked to be on his way out, finishing packing up his things.

“Court? ‘S that you?”

“Willam?” Courtney frowned, walking further inside and peering around. Willam’s voice sounded different than it should this early in the day, more slurred and higher, and Courtney wondered if someone had given her alcohol. At this hour? What, is she turning into Sharon?

“She’s on the floor,” said the camera guy, sounding bored and nodding towards the backdrop. Courtney stepped around a box, and her eyebrows shot up as she caught sight of the other queen.

Willam was indeed on the floor, lying flat on her back with her multicolored hair haloed messily around her face. Her knees were bent, skirt riding up her thighs, feet balancing precariously on the narrow heels of her louboutins.

She looked totally out of it.

Also, totally adorable, but Courtney pushed that thought away before it could even take root. She had to make sure Willam was at least partially coherent.

“What in the…” Walking over to where Willam lay, Courtney glanced worriedly over her shoulder at the camera guy. He shrugged. “Will, are you okay?”

“Courtney!” Willam exclaimed as Courtney came into her view. She grinned slowly. “You’re late, you dumb bitch.”

Courtney couldn’t help but smile back despite her alarm, crouching down next to Willam.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “L.A. traffic.”

“‘S okay,” Willam said, nodding. “I can’t be mad at you. You’re too…pretty.”

She reached up in an attempt to touch Courtney’s face, but missed, hitting her nose instead. Giggling at her mistake, she let her hand fall back to her chest.

“Will, what are you on?” Courtney asked, now even more concerned.

“The good stuff,” Willam joked, smiling lazily. “Can you…”

She waved her hand in the air, making grabby motions until Courtney took it in her own and squeezed comfortingly. Willam sighed contently, blinking slowly as her fingers curled around Courtney’s palm.

Courtney swallowed thickly, distracted both by the gesture and by the undisguised, pure affection in Willam’s eyes as she looked up at her.

Willam wanted Courtney to hold her hand, had asked her to, for no other reason than the contact. And she was holding on, as if Courtney might slip away. It made Courtney’s chest tighten, like she couldn’t quite get in all of the air that she needed.

Then, she remembered how uncharacteristic Willam’s behavior was, and her stomach twisted anxiously.

“They’re pain meds,” the camera guy spoke up again, and Courtney tore her gaze away from Willam’s to look over her shoulder at him. “Her back started hurting, and she couldn’t stay standing, but she wanted to finish filming.”

“How much did she take, exactly?” Courtney tilted her head, frowning. She hadn’t realized Willam’s back was bothering her again, particularly not to that extent. But then again, Willam didn’t like to talk about anything that made her seem vulnerable.

“Dunno,” the guy shrugged. “A bunch, though.”

“Do you happen to know what kind, then?” Courtney asked, a little more bite to her tone.

“They were prescription,” he replied. “I didn’t, like, check the bottle.”

“Did it not occur to you that this might happen?”

“I’m not her chaperone,” the guy said with a frown. “I just got paid to film her for like an hour.”

“So it didn’t occur to you to maybe stop the person paying you from taking a handful of prescription pain pills?” Courtney asked sharply, now thoroughly annoyed and getting increasingly worried. “You just thought, oh, that’s fine, totally normal, not at all risky?”

She was spinning out now, and she knew it. Every time in the past four years that she’d worried about Willam and drugs, which was a lot, seemed to be coming back to her all at once.

“I -”

“Were you just gonna go, and leave her here, lying on the ground, high out of her mind?” Courtney cut him off before he could get a word in, the thought occurring to her suddenly.  

Courtney was aware of how overly fretful her brain was, but she couldn’t seem to help going there anyway, imagining all the horrible endings to Willam being left alone like this, already happily dazed with a bottle of narcotics within arm’s reach. Willam lacked strong self-preservation instincts, and had virtually no self-control, and Courtney felt sick at the totally conceivable thought of losing her to something as preventable as an overdose.

“Court,” Willam said softly.

“She could’ve passed out, or, or even died, if you’d left her like this!” Courtney continued, ignoring her, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. “We don’t even know what the side effects of this could be!”

“Courtney,” Willam tried again, tugging on her hand this time. “It’s okay, I’ve done it before.”

“What do you mean, you’ve done it before?” Courtney said sharply, turning back around to look at her. Willam looked slightly hurt. “What do you mean?” She asked again, more gently this time.

“I didn’t take too many,” Willam said, words slightly slurred, her eyebrows furrowing as she struggled to focus on Courtney’s face. “I’ve done this before, tons, I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Courtney disagreed, fighting to keep her voice gentle. “This is really dangerous.”

“My back hurt,” Willam said with a shrug, as if it was simple as that. She looked up at the ceiling, her gaze empty, giving up on trying to focus her eyes for the time being. “And I had to film.”

“Willam…” Courtney swallowed. The implication that Willam was regularly taking prescription pain meds carelessly like this, probably with no one else around, made her slightly nauseous with worry. She knew better than most that there wasn’t always someone there to make sure Willam didn’t go too far.

“Can you sit up?” She asked, deciding not to push anymore at the moment.

Willam nodded, and pushed herself up on her free hand. Courtney pulled her up the rest of the way, until she could lean against the backdrop.

“Ooh!” Willam exclaimed with a laugh as her bare shoulders hit the wall. Courtney looked at her questioningly. “‘S cold,” Willam said by way of reply. “I like it.”

Courtney smiled helplessly, because it was cute, and she couldn’t not be endeared. Squeezing Willam’s hand one more time before letting go, she stood up with a wince, abruptly reminded of the increasingly uncomfortable heels which seem to have it out for her.

“Alright,” Courtney said, walking over to talk to the camera guy, who was watching them rather nervously. “Listen, I know you’re not solely responsible for this,” she began, trying to be civil. “You don’t even know her. But did anyone else seem worried, watching her get more and more loopy?”

“Her producer was a little worried,” he replied.

“Anthony?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “But her husband seemed chill, so we all figured it was okay.”

“Wait, Bruce was here?” Courtney raised her eyebrows, surprised.

“He brought Warner!” Willam exclaimed behind her, and Courtney glanced over at her to catch the wide grin that Warner often brought to her friend’s face. Sure enough, Willam was smiling, her eyes narrowed affectionately.

“He said that she’d be fine,” the camera guy said, shrugging. “Said she could take care of herself, or something.”

No, she can’t take care of herself! Look at her! Courtney wanted to yell at him. She forced herself to take a deep breath.

“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Courtney said instead, calmly. “But I’m here now, so if you’ve got somewhere else to be, then, by all means.”

The camera guy nodded, picking up his things and heading out the door without another word.

Courtney sighed, and looked over at Willam, who was now humming absentmindedly, her head knocking gently into the wall behind her as she stared at nothing in particular.

She didn’t pretend to understand exactly how Willam’s relationship with her husband worked, but she sometimes doubted that he was really still in touch with who Willam was now. He spent a lot of time working - they both did - which meant that Willam was by herself a lot, handling a ton of pressure as well as her back issues alone. And on top of that, she hated asking for help.

Courtney couldn’t help wondering if she was compensating for the lack of support and companionship by over medicating to the point of losing lucidity. Luckily, she didn’t seem to be quite at that point yet.

“So Bruce didn’t seem worried about you doing this?” Courtney asked her.

“No, he was a little,” Willam said, nodding. “He offered to take me home with Warner before…before he went to work.”

“You said no?”

“I told him he could go, because you were coming to get me for…lunch,” Willam continued slowly. She paused for a long moment, and looked down at her feet, which were out in front of her, her toes tapping together rhythmically. “Can we go? I think I’m hungry.”

“No,” Courtney replied immediately. “We need to get you home. Or to a hospital…”

“No!” Willam said insistently. “I’m fine, Court, I told you. It’ll…it’ll wear off.”

“Home, then,” Courtney decided, walking over to Willam and holding out her hands to help her up. “We can go see Warner.”

“I don’t wanna see Warner,” Willam disagreed, shaking her head.

She stared at Courtney’s outstretched hands for a moment, seeming confused, before taking them and struggling to stand up.

“You don’t?”

“No, I wanna see you, dumbass,” Willam explained. She was now unsteadily on her feet, but still holding onto Courtney’s hands tightly, looking down at the floor as if it might start moving at any second.

“I can come home with you?” Courtney suggested, and Willam frowned.

“Can we go to your apartment instead?” Willam asked.

“Okay,” Courtney said. “I’ll call an Uber.”

“But, I have a car,” Willam protested.

“Yes, you do,” Courtney agreed. “You also have a bloodstream full of narcotics. You can come get it tomorrow.”

Willam sighed, and Courtney freed one of her hands to call the Uber.

A few moments later, Courtney was making her way down the hallway again, this time even less comfortable in her shoes than before, with Willam struggling to walk in a straight line beside her.

So much for having an excuse to lean on her.

“I like my studio,” Willam announced.

“That’s good,” Courtney said indulgently. “Why’d you pick this one?”

“It’s on the, uh, the ground floor,” Willam said, stumbling over her words a little. “So I can wear my heels on the way over, ‘n everyone knows I’m better than them.”

Courtney giggled. Willam was definitely still herself, even like this.

The Uber ride was shorter this time, even though Courtney started wishing for traffic the moment Willam pressed up against her side and started playing with her hand.

“I like your rings,” Willam commented at one point.

“Thanks, Bill.”

“Can I have ‘em?”

Courtney laughed, only to find Willam staring at her, completely serious.

“No, they’re mine,” she said.

“Fuck you,” Willam said good-naturedly, going back to inspecting Courtney’s palm. It didn’t take her long to speak up again.

“I think that’s your life line,” Willam mumbled, her thumb rubbing clumsily over one of the creases. Courtney’s palm tingled under her touch.

“Oh, yeah?”

“…Yeah,” Willam said. “Wait, no, that’s…” she trailed off, squinting. “‘S too short. You’d have to be dead by now. Court, are you dead?”

“Lemme see yours,” Courtney said, taking Willam’s hand instead and turning it over. She peered down at the same line that Willam had inspected on her palm. “Bill, it’s like, the same length.”

“Oh.” Willam blinked. “Court, are we both dead?”

“No, I don’t think Hell would be this comfortable,” Courtney said, her lips twitching as she tried not to smile.

“That’s good, I guess,” Willam said, nodding.

She started to play with Courtney’s rings again, turning them and sliding them around on her fingers.

“You wouldn’t be in Hell anyway,” she said after a moment, thoughtfully. “You’re too…good for that.”

“Then maybe you wouldn’t, either,” Courtney suggested. “You’re a good person, too, you know.”

“Maybe.”

“No, definitely,” Courtney said. “There’s a really good, sweet person underneath all that irony. I know, because I’m friends with him.”

“Yeah, just you,” Willam said. “You ‘n Lasky. And you’re both too good for me, anyways.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Nah, you’ll see,” Willam insisted. “You’ll stop caring, sometime, and then…you’ll go away. But it’s okay. I can take care of myself.”

There it was again, that same phrase - Willam can take care of herself. And just like before, Courtney instinctively wanted to say that she couldn’t. But she held her tongue, thinking for a moment instead.

Even though Willam was speaking simply, she was far more vulnerable than normal right now, and what seemed like her deep-seated beliefs about herself were coming to the surface. And as much as Courtney wanted to tell Willam how wrong was and pepper her with affection until she believed her, she knew it wouldn’t be well received.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” Courtney said instead. “But you don’t have to, not all the time.”

Willam shrugged.

“I’m not going away, Willam,” Courtney said after a moment. “I really do care about you, and I like being your friend.”

There was no response, but after a moment, Willam’s hand slid into hers.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, and Courtney hoped that she’d gotten through to Willam at least a little. Her friend seemed relatively relaxed, just staring into space and occasionally squeezing Courtney’s hand.

As soon as they reached Courtney’s building, Willam was leaning against her again, not balanced enough to stay upright on her own as they walked.

By the they stepped inside her apartment, Courtney was ready to chuck her shoes off and toss them straight out the window. She tugged them off, struggling to balance with Willam still leaning against her, and after a moment, Willam was kicking off hers as well, nearly taking both of them down.

Courtney started to move them away from the door, and Willam grabbed onto both of her hands, still seeming unsteady despite being flat on the ground again.

“I feel like a…what’s that thing with the neck?” Willam frowned.

“Ostritch?”

“No, spots,” Willam said, waving at her own body.

“A giraffe?” Courtney suggested, with a snort of laughter.

“Yeah! That’s it,” Willam nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin on her face. “But like, a baby one.”

“They’re cute.”

“Am I cute?” Willam batted her eyelashes.

“So cute.”

“Can I have a hug?”

The irritatingly familiar butterflies that Courtney often felt when Willam was being adorable were coming back in swarms, now that she was sure her friend wasn’t on the edge of death. Courtney couldn’t help but laugh at the hopeful look on Willam’s face, her wide eyes and barely there smile.

“I’d love to hug you, Bill, but you’re holding my hands too tight,” Courtney replied.

“Oh,” Willam said after a moment.

She blinked a couple times before letting go of Courtney’s hands, carefully steadying herself on her own feet. Her attempt at balancing on her own was successful for about five seconds, during which she smiled at Courtney excitedly, proud of herself.

Then, she took a stumbling step forward and into Courtney’s arms.

Courtney caught her easily, and wrapped her up in a tight hug. She expected Willam to be backing away in a matter of moments, like always, and so she savored the moment as best she could.

But instead, the opposite happened, and Willam’s arms remained firmly around her. After a moment, her head rested gently on Courtney’s shoulder, nose brushing her neck, and the metaphorical dam holding back the slew of feelings Courtney was trying harder and harder not to think about sprung a leak.

I love you.

Courtney almost said it out loud, by habit or accident, but her desire to prolong the moment thankfully kept her quiet. She didn’t want to scare Willam away by making any noise or sudden movements.

Willam smelled like faded perfume, and her breath was warm against Courtney’s neck, and her acrylic nails dug gently into her back, and Courtney was melting like white chocolate in her arms. Everything about it was just so Willam, a perfect combination of unexpected and warm and sweet and prickly all at once.

Courtney never wanted to let her go. She wasn’t sure she could if she tried.

If there was a way to photograph a feeling, Courtney would make this one her lockscreen and her homescreen. She’d tape it to her mirror while she put on makeup, and put an oversized print of it on her bedroom wall.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but it wasn’t long enough. Willam shifted in her arms, and Courtney’s heart sank a little.

There was a brief, soft press of lips against the column of her neck, a kiss gentler than Courtney had ever dreamed Willam was capable of, and her breath caught in her throat.

And then, Willam pulled away, one of her hands still steadying herself on Courtney’s shoulder.

Courtney looked at her, expecting to see that unreadable expression on her face, and was instead confronted with Willam’s eyes already on her.

The other queen was smiling faintly, her eyes flicking almost nervously around Courtney’s face, her thumbnail scratching lightly at Courtney’s collarbone.

“What is it?” Courtney asked, her voice coming out weaker than she intended. There was a pause.

“I got lip gloss on your neck,” Willam said finally, her smile widening.

“I don’t mind,” Courtney said with a soft laugh. That was an understatement.

“I kinda like it,” Willam remarked, reaching up to brush her fingers over the spot she’d kissed. “Makes you look like mine.”

“Maybe I am,” Courtney said softly, before she could stop herself.

Willam only stared at her for a moment, and then smiled, taking her hand again.

Courtney took off her own wig, one handed, and then helped Willam tug off hers. They fell onto her couch side by side, Willam cuddling up against Courtney with her feet tucked under her and a pillow clutched to her chest.

“You can’t keep doing this,” Courtney said quietly. “It’s not safe, Will.”

“I know,” Willam replied. “It just hurts, Court. And I can’t stop working, I just…I can’t.”

“I know.” And she did know. To Willam, there wasn’t a choice in the matter.

It was silent for a little while. There wasn’t any layer of awkwardness in the room, even though Courtney knew that there was a lot of words left unspoken on her part.

“Can you at least tell me?” Courtney asked finally. “When the pain’s starting to get bad again? Or when it hurts, and you’re by yourself?”

After a moment, Willam nodded. Courtney grinned at the small victory, feeling triumphant, and Willam glanced up at her.

“God, chill,” she commented with a snort.

They fell quiet again, the only sound that of Courtney humming softly from time to time. Willam yawned occasionally, and after awhile, her head rested on Courtney’s shoulder.

It wasn’t until Courtney was sure that Willam had drifted off to sleep that she spoke again, unable to help herself.

She’d never been good at keeping her thoughts to herself, and now, cuddled up so close to Willam, she felt like the words were overflowing, and she was helpless to stop them from spilling out.

“I love you,” Courtney whispered, turning her head to press her nose gently against the top of Willam’s head. “More than I’m supposed to.”

“I love you too, idiot,” Willam mumbled back.

Courtney’s heart skipped a beat.