#the pop scene is the angel he shows - the facade of the actor that is peppy and upbeat and confident

[poisonedspider]

(Possibly) Hot Take: I know people say Poison takes place in real time, and to a degree, I think the answer is yes. I think that the final chorus that seems like a music video is actually taking place, and obviously so is the balcony scene. I think everything else is flashbacks (after the initial opening).

What makes me say this? I genuinely think Angel is happy with Valentino in the first verse and chorus. He's reflecting on how happy he was, and how he fell for it too easily. He's literally singing about how he is enjoying the poison in the first chorus (which we know obviously changes). He liked the popularity, the drugs, the money, the sex. It's all positive flashbacks.

I say this too because these are some of the moments we see Angel genuinely the happiest we see him. That absolute joy when he jumps into Valentino's arms? Incredible. He does look genuinely happy in his dance with him (until he shows his fear). I think the jumping into his arms scene was prior to the contract, because he had the CHOICE to run and be with Val, rather than the dance scene which is forced.

But also, let's talk about the ValAngel sex scene. The only 'distress' we see him in is when Valentino bites him, and even then I would definitely say that's more of a pleasure cry. I know Angel is an actor, but like....I say this because I was staring at my icon and...

This doesn't look like the face of someone unhappy. Scared. Miserable. He loves Val. I think this is when he was willingly giving himself to Val, because then it quickly changes to a VERY abusive and scary BDSM scene. It's showing the stark contrast between what he thought he was getting into, and what it all ended up resulting in. Addicted to this feeling (not the money, fame, drugs...but LOVE because we all know POISON is about VALENFUCKINGTINO) became I'm choking from the taste. Because there is still love there, and he HATES himself for it. It's difficult to resist another gulp. It's difficult not to go back, because there was love there at one point (or so he thinks). This is the most domestic violence line in the damn song - it's difficult to resist going back to one's abuser when there was love before.

Also why before the first chorus it's "I can only blame myself." He willingly gave himself to Valentino. He sold his soul, willingly (granted under dubious consent but). I just think that at least the ValAngel scenes from the beginning of the song are truly happy ValAngel times that he's reflecting on and he's like...this is the Poison I fell for...this is my fault...I didn't predict how bad it would get and I keep coming back again and again and again and it isn't until he has the hotel, has genuine friends, has HUSK who could become a genuine healthy love, that his balcony scene hits of he's sick of it, he KNOWS he could do better, he wishes he had a way out because now he knows there is a true possibility of a better life than this suffering.

[ukulelewrites]

thank u, next

A/N: am i whipped for one (1) kangaroo leader???????? maybe lol but i’m on break rn for cranberry season and i whipped up this fic after listening to this song on repeat for a kajibillion hours. i’m thinking of making this a two part series? or should i keep the ending as is? or do y’all want more of this dynamic???? lmk what yall think!!! Also if anyone can tell what the song skz is singing hmu

Pairing: Stray Kids’ Chan x Reader

Genre: Angst/Fluff/Pop Star!Reader x Rock Star!Chan/Exes AU

Word Count: 5.4k 

Thought I’d end up with Han / But he wasn’t a match,

Wrote some songs about Hyunjin / Now I listen and laugh,

These words flowed through the car stereo late at night as Chan found himself kissing some random girl he met at the nightclub. She kept her hands clutching tightly to his leather jacket, and he smirked as she let out another sigh.

Even almost got married / And for Chan I’m so thankful,

Wish I could say “thank you” to Felix / Cause he was an angel,

Chan froze once he heard his name coming from the stereo. “What’s wrong, babe?” the girl, who’s name had slipped his mind, asked.

He dropped his shocked expression and slipped back into his normal cocky facade. “Nothing, don’t worry ‘bout it,” he reassured her, leaning down to ghost his lips against hers, Now, where were we?”

One taught me love / One taught me regret

One taught me pain / Now, I just can’t forget

You had not expected such an explosive reaction to your newest single, but here you were, scrolling down your Twitter feed to the endless tweets gushing over “thank u, next.”

“Darling! You’ve done it once again!” your manager exclaimed as she burst into your dressing room, “I’m getting calls after calls asking you to come onto talk shows, radio shows, award shows, the whole shebang!”

“I’m glad to see you’re so excited about this, Melissa,” you teased, “I haven’t seen you this happy since you’ve met Chris Evans.”

“Now, as much as I love that man, I love you much more, my little songbird,” she sang as she booped your nose. “Did you hear what they’re calling this? ‘Pop Princess turned Pop Queen!’ God how I love the press! They’re eating this whole thing up!”

“I guess they didn’t expect me to release such an honest song,” you replied, still scrolling through your feed.

“Of course they didn’t! Who knew innocent ‘Somni’ would pull a Taylor Swift and drop a song about her exes? And name them too? No other artist has done that before!”

“I’m pretty sure I wrote that song about my self-growth, Melissa, not just to highlight I dated those guys.”

“Of course, darling. Now, why don’t we get you all dolled up for the red carpet? It’s your first public appearance as the ‘new’ you!” She let out a squeal before running out to grab your stylist and make-up artist.

You giggled at her newfound excitement and looked back down at your phone only to freeze at the headline glaring back you: CHAN CONQUESTS AGAIN? You swallowed down the uneasiness that crept upon you and placed your phone face down. “Get a grip, Y/N. You’re no longer ‘little Ms. Pop Princess,’” you said to yourself, training your eyes firmly on your reflection in the mirror, “and some boy isn’t going to make you revert to that.”

“Now, Somni, how does it feel to be all grown up now?” Amber asked. You laughed at her formality, considering the two of you were close friends, and pretended to ponder upon the answer.

“Honestly, I have no clue what you’re talking about,” you answered, giggling a bit at the eye roll she gives you and the disappointed looks you get from the audience members.

“I can’t believe you’re playing coy with me right now!” she jokingly complained, “I expect answers during my interviews, Y/N, answers!” The audience ooh’d when she used your real name.

“Sorry, Amber, I just don’t get your question! I’ve been a grown up since I turned 18, and that was a while ago.”

“Nuh uh! Somni was not grown up two years ago when she released ‘Wonderland.” Iconic album, but definitely the cookie cutter pop album we’d expected it to be. But this? ‘thank u, next’ completely defies what we expected coming from you! What caused the shift?”

You could practically feel the audience members leaning forward with bated breath. Ever since the song dropped a month ago, the internet had been ablazed with speculation over your music’s sudden shift.

“Well, I guess I was done writing a narrative where I was always the person getting saved,” you said, referring to the long list of love songs you had written in the past, “and I wanted to be the person that saved myself. ‘Monochrome’ is definitely going to show more of that self-love theme that I teased in ‘thank u, next,’ and I’m so happy that everyone has been so supportive of the change!” You gestured towards the audience members, earning a cheer from them, and even acknowledged the camera, knowing many of your fans were also watching at home.

“Amazing. I’m so proud of you for taking that next step in your career,” Amber gushed, earning an ‘awww’ from the audience, “Now, we can’t just ignore what everyone here actually wants to know about.”

You looked at her and quirked a brow. “And what is that?”

“The boys of course! You can’t just name drop them without spilling some tea, sis,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Stop,” you whined, “why would you even bring them up?” You exaggerated bashfulness by covering your face with your hands.

“C’mon, you name dropped a few big names in that song. Han? The biggest name in the up and coming rap scene right now! Hyunjin? He’s the highest paid male model in the world! Felix? Before his retreatment from the scene, he was the most well-known actor of his time!”

“Well, they helped build me into the person I am today. I didn’t think anything more of it,” you replied diplomatically.

“And we cannot leave out the biggest bombshell from that song: Chan, the lead guitarist of SKZ, which is, by the way to anyone watching who have been living under a rock for the past year, the biggest rock band on the scene right now! Who knew you were into the bad boy type, Somni? And you almost married the guy too!”

You let out an airy chuckle, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. “Yeah, we were young and in love. A risky combination if you ask me,” you joked, eliciting laughter from your audience.

“C’mon, Somni, you gotta give us something!” Amber pleaded.

“You know I don’t kiss and tell,” you jested, “especially not to the thousands of people who watch your show!” The audience whined at your statement, and you only flashed them an apologetic smile.

“But seriously, how did the bright-eyed, princess of the pop world end up almost married to the biggest playboy rock star on the scene right now?” Amber goaded.

“We were different at the time, Ambs. Life just happened to end up this way,” you replied cryptically. She tsked at your unwillingness to spill everything, but she retreated from the topic.

“Anyways, focusing back on you, I heard you’ll be performing at the American Music Awards, and you’re premiering your new single’s music video during it? That’s huge!”

“Yeah, ‘Without Me’ is getting a music video. Stan Twitter, this one’s for y’all!” you exclaimed, shooting finger guns towards the camera.

“And you’re album is dropping tonight right?”

“Exactly at midnight! I hope everyone can listen to it. I know it’s my favorite and most intimate album to date, and I hope everyone enjoys it to!”

“Well that looks like all the time we have with Somni tonight, folks. Check out her new album, ‘Monochrome,’ dropping tonight at midnight!”

You were back in your New York City penthouse, finally away from the hustle and bustle that came with album promotions. A small sigh escapes past your lips as you submerged yourself into the warm, bubbly bath water. You rested your head against the tub and looked up at the ceiling, finding yourself slipping away into your memories.

“What do you think about this chord, songbird?” Chan asked, strumming a jumbled mess of notes on his guitar. He got a scrunched up nose and a ball of sheet music thrown at his face as an answer. “Just teasing you,” he pouted, scooting over on the couch to look over your shoulder.

“I know you are, but I’m trying to focus right now,” you grumbled, pushing your glasses back up your nose and scrunching your eyebrows together. Your pencil was still flying across the page, putting down notes and rests and lyrics.

“Why don’t you take a break,” he asked sweetly, “focus on,” he leaned his head down to nip at the sensitive skin on your neck, “something else?” You stilled your hand for a split second, and Chan thought he had finally broken through, but you just shrugged him off and went straight back to work.

“This is my first album after debuting, Chan. I can’t just put it off. I need to come back with good music,” you sighed. He looked on worriedly as you ran your fingers through your hair once again and let out another huff of air.

“Songbird.” His hands found themselves on your waist, and he hoisted you onto his lap. You didn’t struggle and leaned back into his arms. “Sometimes you just,” he pressed feather-light kisses against your neck after each word, “need a little distraction,” once he found your sweet spot, you knew you were gone, “or some inspiration,” you let out a soft groan when he lightly bit down on your flesh, “like how well I’m going to-”

BRRRING! BBBRRRIING!

“Sorry, babe,” you mumbled, leaning down to scoop your phone off the floor. “Let me take this, and I promise you we’ll get back to where we left off.” Chan just waved you off, but you had missed how his eyes trailed after your retreating frame lovingly. If only you had seen that.

You knew you were over your past relationships. Each one ended, relatively resolved, and tucked away in your memory box. You and Han ended things after six months due to busy schedules. Hyunjin was dropped after 4 months when you realized you needed someone to fulfill a deeper, emotional need. Felix disappeared from the scene a year into your relationship, and you just assumed it was over when he stopped replying to your texts. And Chan — your eyebrows furrowed at the thought of him.

You could never really pinpoint where things went wrong with him. It was a flurry of you falling too fast for someone who never really reciprocated back and diving right in when he proposed to you 2 years into the relationship. A wry smile graced your lips when you recalled the realization that had dawned on you two months into the engagement. “He never said ‘I love you’ sober,” you mused as you continued to soak in the bath. You knew that he was tucked in a box just like the other boys, but a small voice in the back of your head continued to pull at the ribbon that kept his box shut.

“Somni, you are absolutely stunning tonight!” the interviewer gushed as she gestured towards your fitted maroon suit jacket and tight cream pants outfit.

“Why thank you so much!” you beamed.

“I must say, this is probably a huge night for you,” she said, “How does it feel to be one of the main focuses of the night?”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘main focuses,’ but I am so excited to perform tonight and reveal the music video for the new single, ‘Without You!’”

“Speaking of ‘Without You,’ it is easily my favorite song from ‘Monochrome!’”

“Stop! You’re just being polite,” you teased.

“No! I seriously love how raw you sounded in the song. I honestly felt the pain in your voice,” she said. “Plus, it was quite fun trying to figure out which of the exes this one was about.” She gave you an over exaggerated wink, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“Well, I hope you don’t expect me to tell you who,” you retorted, “It was lovely talking to you!”

After you bid her goodbye, you continued walking down the red carpet, stopping every now and then to pose for the camera and wave towards your fans. You also stopped every now and then to talk to some other artists and congratulate them for their nominations. In the midst of your conversation with Jaime, a deafening cheer from the hoard of fangirls came crashing into your ears. You looked behind you and saw SKZ getting out of their limo and beginning to walk down the red carpet. It was a blatant understatement to say Chan looked good. Even after accepting your failed relationship as it is, you were still capable of addressing that the guy looked fine. You dared not to stare for too long, since there were cameras everywhere focused on you, but you took a mental snapshot of Chan with his, newly dyed, blond hair swept up to reveal his forehead, adorned with a leather jacket thrown over a, teasingly, tight white button up and torn black skinnies, and the trademark devil may care attitude that seemed to wash off of him in waves.  A flash of light followed by a click pulled you out of your trance, and you refocused your attention back on Jaime. “Where did we leave off?” you asked sweetly, planting back on your trademarked smile.

The stage lights were pulsing, and the roar of the crowd became almost deafening around you. It had been a long night of dancing, singing along to the performers on stage, and afflicting yourself to pain whenever you had to trek onto the stage in your heels to present or accept an award. The camera seemed to love you as it continued to film you and Jaime as the two of you bounced up and down, both of you ditching your heels at that point, to the artists on stage and lip-syncing like your lives depended on it. However, you noticed the camera lingering on you longer than usual, and you sent the cameraman a playful quirk of the eyebrow. That was when Jaime pointed towards the main stage.

“SKZ is about to perform,” she explained, keeping a hand on your arm comfortingly.

“Awesome! I heard they’re performing a never heard before single,” you said back, trying to keep your expression upbeat for the camera.

The brief break ended, and all cameras trained their focus onto the side stage where the host stood. “Revealing a brand new single for the first time, here are the heartthrobs of SKZ with ‘Moving Along!’” they exclaimed.

Chan began to strum a steady rhythm, and a lump formed in your throat when you noticed the songbird sticker still stuck to the bright, red body of his guitar. The song was definitely more chill compared to their older, “edgier” releases, but you liked the lazy feel of the bass, the driving force of the rhythmic guitar, and the lax attitude the guys took on as they sang into the mics.

Been thinking bout you lots lately / Have you been feeling empty beds just like me?

I’ve been thinking bout you lots, lately / Or are you moving along?

You couldn’t help but chant along to the chorus, ignoring the weird feeling you got from the lyrics.

Is it wrong if I ask you to come over? / Is it wrong if I told you that I love ya?

Even though I never do it when I’m sober / Is it wrong? So wrong

That lyric struck a chord in you, but you continued to plaster on your smile and dance along to the song, keeping up a show for the camera. “If I wrote a break-up song, I guess he can too,” you mused.

The neon lights flashed to the bass that vibrated throughout the entire nightclub. You found yourself retreated to one of the side booths, scrolling on your phone to look at all the feedback you got back for the “Without Me” music video. It was amusing to see the internet freak out over, but you couldn’t help but feel disappointed at the lack of commentary on the music video’s aesthetic, which you had painstakingly curated, instead the buzz seemed to be around who the music video alluded to. Was the song about Chan? Definitely. You wrote it shortly after your split with him, and it sat in your drafts for a good year before your management pulled it out, dusted it off, and polished it up to be the second single for “Monochrome.” Was the purpose of the song to demonize Chan? Hell no. It was just to help you heal, help you get over such a harsh fall from cloud 9. You disappeared from the music scene for a good year to recuperate because being with him was like a firework. It built up and heated up and kept you enthralled, but it ended so quickly and left messes behind. It just happened to be that you were the mess that was left behind.

“Where were you?” you asked, too tired to put any emotion in your words anymore.

Chan looked at your sitting frame on the couch in shock. Well, as much shock as a drunk man could muster. “What’re you doing still up?” he slurred.

“Where. Were. You?”

“Out with the guys. Celebrating the new album’s release, the usual.” Chan’s brows furrowed. The tone of your voice took a complete 180 from what he was used to. “What’s wrong, songbird?” He walked up to you to try and get some shred of the usual warmth you emitted, but he was abruptly stopped when you stood up and held up a hand in between the two of you.

“You don’t get to call me that anymore.” You had no clue where your iciness came from, but it wasn’t hard to assume it accumulated over the past two months of your engagement. The past two months where you were planning the wedding alone in your apartment’s kitchen with the company of a glass of wine while Chan is out every night getting shit-faced with who knows who?

“Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” he pleaded, trailing behind you to the shared bedroom. You replied with silence, keeping your pace steady and your face still. You knew if you spoke, your voice would’ve wavered. “Y/N?”

God, he sounded so broken and confused. It took your all not to spin around and wrap your arms around him like everything was okay. But it had been months of his lack of attention, affection (unless he was absolutely desperate), and affirmation. Your revelation had been when you were sitting on the living room floor, writing a song about him as a surprise present for him during the wedding. However, in your fit of brainstorming, it came to your realization he hasn’t told you he loved you since the engagement. He hasn’t sat down with you and helped with the planning. He hasn’t been home most nights to hold you in his arms at night. The sudden distant behaviour led you to thinking: maybe he didn’t want this at all. Maybe he didn’t want you at all.

You were in the bedroom now, and you grabbed the giant duffel bag you had packed earlier and spun around to leave as quickly as you could.

“You’re leaving me?” he asked, “Why are you leaving?” You pushed past him without a word, but he grabbed your arm and spun you around to face him. “Y/N, talk to me.”

“Let me go, Chan.” God, you were too tired to drag this out any longer.

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!” Chan spat back.

“I’m leaving you! That’s what’s ‘going on!’ I’m finally doing what’s right for me and leaving your sorry ass behind!” you screamed.

“What the hell did I do?” He was getting angrier now. “I just got home, and you’re already being a pissy little bitch!”

Your glare hardened at his last word. “Really now? You’re calling me a ‘bitch?’ Maybe I have a reason to be one,” you got right up into his face, “considering you’ve been an awful fiance for the past two months! You haven’t helped with any of the planning! You have barely been home at all lately! And we haven’t had a proper conversation in ages! I’m so tired of being strung along and left out to dry!”

“Maybe if you weren’t nagging me all the damn time, I’d stay home! Don’t you know how annoying it gets when I get home from the studio and the first thing I hear is your fucking voice telling me to pick out a goddamn flower arrangement?” he seethed, “If I knew you were this annoying, I would’ve never proposed.”

You had kept your indignant stare trained on his face the entire time, but at that last sentence you tore your gaze away and pulled your arm out of his grasp. “Would’ve never proposed, huh?” you parroted humorlessly, trying to smother down the lump forming in your throat and the tears swelling in your eyes. “Yeah, I wish you never did too.” You turned away to hide the tears slowly streaming down your cheeks and just started walking away.

“Wait, Y/N, songbird, I didn’t mean that,” Chan said, following after you, “You know that I love you.”

You spun around quickly and sent him a spurned look. “Do I? When was the last time you told me you loved me? When was the last time you held me? When was the last time you helped me? You don’t love me. You probably,” you choked up, “never did.”

“No, Y/N, I swear, I swear to God, I love you. I promise you I’ll be better,” he begged.

“Can you tell me that tomorrow when you’re sober?” you asked wryly. Chan just looked at you pleadingly, practically begging you to stay. “I’m done being another body that keeps you warm at night. Goodbye, Chan.” And just like that, you were out of his life.

You blinked back the tears that crept up and began putting back on your “Somni” mask, smiling brightly and cheerfully at everyone. Jaime and some of your other artist friends were lost to the beat, dancing away the night in the middle of the room. You were a solid two steps away from joining them before halting when you made eye contact with Chan. He was still dressed in that ridiculously fitted white button-up, and his hair had become messier, with strands falling down to grace his face. He was dancing with some girl; his hands on her waist as she kept her back firmly pressed against his chest, but his eyes were trained on you. If it was past-you in present-you’s position, you would’ve probably ran out of the room trying not to let tears spring from your eyes. But this is present-you, the one who spent a year healing and coming out of the wreckage stronger. You gave him a brief smile before turning away and walking towards the exit. “I think I’m done for the night,” you thought to yourself, “That’s enough excitement for a day.”

Chan woke up again to a cold bed. He groggily turned onto his side and glared at the bright red numbers that told him he was, once again, late to a meeting with management. “Great,” he said, falling back onto his back, “I couldn’t get any last night. I ran into my ex. And now I’m fucking late to a meeting.” The day hasn’t even started yet, and it’s already the worst day of his life. He grumbled and groaned some more before getting out of bed and stumbling to the drawer to find a clean shirt and pair of jeans. “When the fuck were you so soft, Chan?” he asked himself while digging around for socks. He would’ve usually never be affected like shit like this, but ever since you released that song he hasn’t been able to think of anyone but you. Every single girl he tried to bring back to his place ended in absolutely nothing because you keep plaguing his mind. Every single radio station he goes to ends up playing your song. And now his band’s highest selling single is the song he wrote about you. It was like he could never escape, and he was so fucking tired of it.

“Glad you could join us, Chan,” his manager said sarcastically.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “long night.” His bandmates looked at him sympathetically; almost everyone could tell Somni’s latest album was affecting him more than he’d want to let on.

“Anyways, we’ve generated such a good buzz around the upcoming album with all this ‘ex-lovers’ gossip, the company thought it’d be good to accept an offer for a special interview on Amber’s talk show,” the manager started cautiously.

“What kind of interview?” Chan asked.

“With you and Somni.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chan seethed. “We’re ancient history! The public wouldn’t have cared this much if she didn’t release that stupid song and name-drop me.”

“But they care now, and bottom line, everyone knows you wrote ‘Moving Along’ about her. Do this interview and you boys are projected to break the Top 10 of album sales for 2018.”

“So we’re exploiting me for album sales?” Chan sneered.

“You signed up for this life, rock star. Don’t tell me you’re backing down because of some girl? Thought the two of you were ancient history?”

Chan studied his manager hard before gruffly agreeing to the interview, “If it gets you off my case.”

“So this isn’t awkward at all right?” Amber asked midway through the interview. You politely waved off her worry even though you could practically cut the tension between you and Chan with a knife. “Awesome,” she exclaimed, “Now let’s get to the juicy stuff. How did the two of you meet? Considering both of you are so freaking famous, how did no one know about this relationship???”

“Simple,” Chan plastered on his “rock star” persona quickly, leaning into the leather couch and easily placing his arm behind your head, “We figured out how to avoid the press after all of our years in the spotlight. Plus, it wasn’t hard for me to approach her; she was this bright-eyed, newly debuted pop princess completely left alone at an after party bar. I figured I might as well grace her with my company and from there it’s history.”

If he can put on his persona, I can too.

“If I remember correctly, I told you to buzz off when you offered to buy me a drink,” you said with a quirked eyebrow. The audience ooh’d at that, completely drinking up your newfound HBIC attitude.

“Looks like our pop princess is gone,” Amber joked, riling up the audience a bit more.

“But then you took a complete 180 when you ran into me tipsy into the alleyway outside the club,” Chan retorted, a playful smirk gracing his features.

Before you could stop yourself, you softly smiled at the memory and agreed. Chan was 100% taken aback by your change in demeanor. The queen-esque Somni facade was replaced by the Y/N he remembered waking up to every morning. If he wasn’t on camera right now, he would’ve definitely melted.

The moment was interrupted by Amber. “Wait, what happened? Y’all can’t leave us hanging like that!”

The soft expression left your face as quickly as it came and you settled back into your camera-self. “You know I don’t kiss and tell, Ambs,” you teased, “And I hope Chan here knows better and doesn’t either!” The audience laughed at your jest.

“Fine, but you can’t spend this entire time not giving us anything!”

“I can’t believe you told them the kitten story!” Chan exclaimed as the two of you lounged in the break room.

“What? They wanted some sort of tea, so I gave them an adorable story about the time you tried to ‘save’ a ‘stray,’ and it turned out you catnapped our neighbour’s cat!” You broke out into giggles at the memory of it all. All the tension between the two of you eased away somehow throughout the interview, and here you were now, sitting on the break room couch waiting for your ride while sharing memories with your ex-fiance.

“Okay, how was I supposed to know Benjamin already had an owner? He didn’t have a collar on him!”

“You can’t call the kitten Benjamin, Chan. It’s name was Spot, and we ran into it every day when Mr. Jameson went outside to collect the mail with the kitten trailing behind him.”

“Fine! I admit I just wanted a pet,” he said with a pout. Laughter fills the air, and it seemed like the clock had been turned back, like it was you and Chan on your couch at 3am sharing stories with each other. A comfortable silence falls upon the two of you.

“Do you miss this sometimes?” he asked out of the blue. You were taken aback by how serious he sounded.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I miss this.” He said it so nonchalantly that you almost missed it.

“Why would you?” you teased, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Because I love you.”

You didn’t know how to process that confession. You didn’t know how to respond to that confession. Hell, you didn’t even know he had it in him to drop that confession. You awkwardly chuckled, trying to diffuse the sudden surge of emotions running in your mind, “C’mon, you never really loved me, Chan. It’s all the media stuff getting to your head.” You tried waving it off while also trying to ward off the sudden heat rising to your cheeks.

“No, Y/N, I do love you. I loved you then, and I was an asshat for never telling you. But I was an idiot then who had no idea what love was. I hopped from girl to girl every single night until I met you. I dropped on one knee so fast and you said yes, and that’s when I realized that I was in no way shape or form good enough for you, and instead of facing it and trying to become better for you, I ran away and drove away the best goddamn thing that has ever happened to me. And I’m so fucking sorry for what my drunkass self said to you that night because it never said what I really wanted to say, ‘Stay. I’m sorry. I love you. Forgive me.’’

The air was getting heavier and you found it getting difficult to breath.

“But I swear, Y/N, on my heart, on my guitar, on my band, I love you, and I’m so sorry for not being the man you deserved.”

And that was when the dam opened. You just started bawling. It was like every single ounce of pain and sadness you bottled up after that break up, every ounce you poured into your music so you could pretend to be strong and move on, came rushing out. In your tears, you didn’t notice when Chan wrapped his arms around you. Taken over by muscle memory, you burrowed your face into his chest and wrapped your arms around his torso. He ran his fingers through your hair and rubbed your back reassuringly.

“It’s okay, Y/N. I’m sorry for always making you cry, but I’ll be here for you now. I swear.”

Even then, with him comforting you and speaking so genuinely to you, you didn’t know what to make of the situation. Should you shut this down now or risk crushing your heart again just to give him a second chance? Chan took notice of your sudden stillness.

“Y/N? You alright?” He pulled himself away from you to study your face. “Y/N?”

“Chan,” you whispered, “I-” With a surge of stupid impulse, you grabbed Chan by the shirt and pulled him towards you, pressing your lips harshly against his. Like many times before, Chan’s hands find themselves gripping onto your waist before pulling you onto his lap. All caution was thrown to the wind when your fingers found their way into his hair, tugging at the strand slightly whenever you found him pulling back. “Babe, give me more,” you mumbled, pressing yourself even closer to him.

“Wait, Y/N, maybe we should-”

“Please, Chan? Please?” you begged, peppering kissing down his neck, “Just this once?”

At the sound of your whine, Chan flips you onto the couch, so he’s hovering above you. “Who said anything about ‘once?’”

asjdfkl so yeah, thoughts on a part 2??????? I kinda wanted to flesh out more of their backstory and maybe see what happens next?? and kinda wanted to delve in further into the other exes but then i realized it would’ve been wayyyyyyy too much and i apologize for all the freakishly long fics i write OTL also lmk if you know what skz in this fic sings bc yall a real one if yall do !!!

[wuyifankris]

Kris Wu: Music Is My Instinct (VogueME June 2018)

As of late, Kris Wu has been preparing for his new album in Los Angeles. He had just completed shooting the MV for his new song <Like That>, which was scheduled to be released on 18 May globally. The female lead for the MV is our cover star, supermodel Stella Maxwell. This album is said to be a milestone in his entertainment career, as well as a highlight of his path of personal development. Compared to the previous two years, the Kris Wu now appears to be even more mature. Kris is fully confident in the album and his heart is more at ease. "I have wanted to release this album for a long time, and have been preparing for two, three years. You know, I've been too picky when it comes to choosing the songs, which is why it was dragged on for so long. This whole album is like telling a story, if you listen to the songs in order, you will truly understand what kind of person I am." Kris revealed that when he entered the industry, he was working hard towards an international audience, and he hoped that his works would be able to gain global recognition. Right now, he has fans worldwide. In 2017, the song <Deserve> which he collaborated with Travis Scott on, achieved outstanding results in the United States.

With regards to the new album, Kris expressed: "The music world established in this album is a complete representation of myself. It encompasses Urban, Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B and many other elements of different genres. There are even some songs which combine Chinese pop melodies and rap together. I hope that the music I make will be able to attract listeners in China as well as a global audience too. We're working hard at trying out some very cool stuff!"

Be it in China or overseas, in this era of social media, stars are increasingly portraying a more realistic side to themselves. Perhaps this is not enough to show Kris Wu's future direction, but he has clearly expressed: "I hate having to put on a celebrity facade all the time, that's not who I truly am." Kris's freedom of self expression is also incorporated into his music making process. "The way I make music is really unique. First, I'll listen to the beat without any melody. I'll let the sound engineer play the song, and next I'll get into the recording studio and write the opening lines of the melody, come up with a rough idea, and then begin to write the lyrics. This is my creative process. This is a natural instinct, the ability to listen to the heart."

Kris Wu express his admiration towards other musicians without reservations, and looks forward to the day that he will be able to reach their heights through his own hard work. Actually, last year Kris Wu had collaborated with Pharrell Williams on a song, which they even performed together in China. Kris expressed excitedly: "Pharrell and I will have even more collaborations soon. I listened to his songs when I was a teen, and he was the first singer I listened to! Have you heard the song <Frontin'> by him and Jay-Z? Up till now, I still occasionally listen to it!"

This year, one of the movies starring Kris that will be released is the action film <Europe Raiders>. During the filming, he received a great amount of stunt training. He was required to shoot many action scenes, often on wires, and you could imagine how tiring the whole shooting process was. "I feel extremely fortunate to be able to gain so much valuable experiences while filming, but at the same time, I also feel that being able to rest for a little is a good thing too. After all, the career expectancy of an actor is longer than that of a singer. Currently I have not accepted any roles, because I intend to focus on making music." Kris wants others to recognise himself for who he is, and not an idol that the masses dream of him to be. The best way to express himself, is through music.

"When I am not under the spotlight, I am just an ordinary person." Kris said. He describes his fashion sense as "very street style, jeans and hoodies, very casual." Of course, as the global ambassador of Burberry, he will also often wear clothes by the label. "Honestly speaking, I don't really have many requirements. Yeah... Except for cars." At the mention of sports cars, his eyes light up -- buying cars, talking about cars, his dream car models, getting to know like-minded car enthusiasts, and so on. Speaking of the 2014 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, he could hardly contain himself. "This car's doors are scissor doors! The price is about $500,000 USD. It's way too expensive!" Kris said. " Since young I was really into cars, but at that time I didn't have the money to buy them. Right now I do, so practically every day I'll go to car dealers to do all kinda of adjustments and modifications, which I enjoy!"

Kris Wu owns cars in both Beijing and Los Angeles, but he does not drive in China. "If I go out and drive, I'll be surrounded." In the United States, the amount of people who recognise him is fewer. "This really suits me, and lets me return to (a more down-to-earth) reality. I'm a responsible driver, I won't seek the thrill of speeding. I know how to appreciate the genuine value and charm of a sports car, it's like buying a piece of art, I don't buy cars just for the sake of showing off."

"In places where people don't know me, I enjoy participating in events with other car enthusiasts, which is really interesting. In fact, I secretly follow the news that they post on Instagram, meet up at the venue with other car owners, and talk with them about topics related to cars... Over there, I feel like I'm an ordinary person." As such, a balance is achieved. Be it his personal life or driving on the road, just like laid back Los Angeles today, Kris Wu was satisfied and also hoped that things could slow down and develop steadily. As for his entertainment career, he is ready to blast off, all set to charge ahead at full speed.

--Bonus--

Vogue Me and Kris Wu seem to be fated to meet in Los Angeles. Here, he would radiate a type of coolness that is unlike ordinary days. Although Stella Maxwell was shot first, Kris arrived an hour ahead of schedule and displayed a completely good natured and cute side of him. Of course from time to time, our talented photographer was able to capture his handsome moments, and even Stella praised him: "Kris is too cool, no wonder he's a star, I've actually even heard of him before. If there's the chance to, I would really want to work with him again!"

translation: @wu_yi_fan

[tortuga-aak]

LA homeowners are making up to $36,000 a day renting their houses to TV shows

Vancouver Film School/Flickr

Homeowners in Los Angeles are renting out their houses to Hollywood film crews to make easy money.

Renting your house to a production company could earn several thousands of dollars a day.

This trend is leading to new start-ups looking to create the "Airbnb" for filming locations.

  Picture your home surrounded by a crew of 50 people, flanked by cameras and trailers. Picture the interior of your home resembling Home Depot’s paint aisle.

While most owners wouldn’t exactly welcome that sort of home invasion, others are finding it to be a lucrative side hustle.

Homeowners in Tinseltown are increasingly seeing the benefits of living (literally) with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood by offering up their properties to production crews. Some make as much as $36,000 a day doing so, The Real Deal found, as a separate location-scouter-slash-broker business blossoms around the transactions. Agents and owners also use a home’s on-camera debut for marketing materials when they ultimately list it for sale, hosting open houses and events in the theme of what has been filmed there.

Show me the money

Whether it’s for a a one-day commercial shoot or a weekslong production, homeowners willing to put their pads on screen can supplement their income in a major way.

Danny Gerardi, owner of the home at 11947 Iredell Street in Studio City — better known as the fake exterior of the “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” estate — said he’s received as much as $36,000 a day for a shoot. What’s more, the location was used on the show for seven out of its 10 years on air.

Gerardi’s home of twelve years — a 7,800-square-foot, seven-bedroom, ornate Italian Mediterranean residence on a 38,000-square-foot lot — has also been featured in “Chelsea Lately,” “True Blood,” “American Horror Story,” “Chuck,” and even a Victoria’s Secret commercial.

Gerardi, who said he initially feared the stressful nature of letting crews paint and rearrange his home, eventually got hooked with the business because the “money was good” and the crews turned out to be more respectful of his property than he expected.

“‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ turned out to be a pain in the butt, but it paid well,” Gerardi said.

Gerardi said his rates typically range from $10,000 to $30,000 per day, depending on the show and production. A portion of that goes to location scouting agencies, which can take up to 30 percent in commission. His home — which is listed for sale at $7.8 million — is used when a large luxury location is needed.

Homes in tony areas like Malibu and Beverly Hills are often chosen to show the sophisticated life, while homes in the Valley are increasingly sought by location scouts for their wide streets, parking accessibility and classic suburban look.

“[Scouts] like to find a house that can be anywhere U.S.A.,” said Brian Ofria, who has rented out his cul-de-sac home in Woodland Hills to crews from “Bones” and “Silicon Valley.” “They don’t like lots of palm trees — that just puts it into SoCal — it needs to be a generic-looking house.”

Youtube

Ofria, who has been lending the for-sale, 7,400-square-foot home on Ostronic Drive in Woodland Hills to productions for more than 10 years, said he typically earns anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 a day, depending on the show and whether its an indoor or outdoor production.

Cindy Nelson Muller, who owns a Southern Colonial property at Franklin Avenue near Runyon Canyon with her husband, Michael Taverna, also made bank, but for the opposite reason: Her two-story home (also for sale) is sought after because it stands out.

The estate was featured in the iconic scene when James Dean’s character “Jim Stark” is seen passed out on the front lawn in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Scouts fancy it for its traditional facade and “old world, luxurious” charm, she said. Muller inherited the home with a framed still from that scene. Under her, its interior was used in a Revlon commercial featuring Emma Stone, where it appears to be a bedroom, despite it being the home’s actual foyer.

David Hatfield, who leads the agency Cast Locations, said his firm will often prioritize character over size when scouting a home. One of his most popular locations is the 1950s-built home of a 101-year-old woman in Tarzana, simply because “it looks like it hasn’t changed in 50 years, and that’s hard to get.”

The behind-the-scenes hustle

Pitching a home as a location is almost like looking for an acting gig — getting a big break isn’t a cakewalk. Ofria said he reached out to several agencies before landing a show. Despite Muller’s familiarity with the film industry (she and her husband run a film production company), she had to hire a photographer and build a website for the home before scoring screen time.

“I reached out to the film commission here in Los Angeles so it was listed there and I think I contacted five different location [agencies],” Muller said.

Gerardi, on the other hand, said a scout initially approached him. He’s now partnered up with five separate location agencies.

“It just boomerangs,” Gerardi said. “It’s like [how it happens for] actors — Steven Spielberg will call them and then another producer will call them. That’s what happened with this house.”

But once that boomerang is in motion, it seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.Homeowners who crave this, however, should know what’s in store.

“As a homeowner if you want to do this, you have to be very flexible,” Ofria said. “Understand that they’re using your house and you can’t get upset.”

Regardless of the intrusion, it’s a “nice way to make some money from that house that’s always taking money from you,” Hatfield said.

Selling reality

Flickr / ayearineuropeBrokers who sell homes are increasingly pointing to the residence’s ability to generate profit as a key selling point.

Gerardi, who said he’s unsure whether the next owner will continue in his footsteps, said the buyer of his house has the potential of making $500,000 a year from it. “How do you turn down $22,000 a day?” he asked hypothetically.

Brandon Assanti of Rodeo Realty recently hosted an open house for Gerardi’s property, where he served Italian food to Kardashian fans and prospective owners. Out of those that showed up, almost half of them brought up the Kardashians, Assanti said.

“The biggest job for a real estate agent is to track down the buyer wherever they are in the world,” Assanti said. “When you’re lucky enough to have a house that’s already gorgeous and in all these amazing appearances and pop culture history, it just immediately expands your range in terms of how you can target and locate the potential buyer.”

History is also used as a selling point. Jeff Hyland’s brokerage Hilton & Hyland recently hosted an open house for an estate formerly owned by Elvis Presley. The provenance was zealously advertised on the open house’s invitation, which went out during the Inman Conference, when buyer’s brokers were in town from all over the world.

“That’s the nice thing about selling real estate here — so many of our high-end houses have [either] a pedigree, brand, name, or an architect that you can attach to the property,” Hyland said. “We may be the only place in the country [where] that is so common.”

The agency business

The profitable side hustle has led to the formation of a burgeoning industry.

Larchmont-based Cast Locations, one of many agencies that helps television shows find their real estate match, represents over 2,000 properties — mostly homes — in the SoCal area. The firm scouts for movies, television, commercials, print and even music videos throughout the 30-mile region. It recently secured homes used for “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “La La Land,” and “The Social Network.”

“We’re acting like an agent — we supervise the whole production and make sure that we do the contracts, protect the homeowner, collect insurance and make sure payment is made,” Hatfield said.

An average salary for a film location scout clocks in at about $71,000, according to job site Simply Hired. Glassdoor, another popular employment site, pegs the number at $54,000. But more than just the scouts are needed for the deal to run smoothly. On any given day, Cast Locations has anywhere from five to 10 people working for them.

“We hire a number of site reps that are independent contractors to supervise the shoots,” Hatfield said. “We have a pool that we call upon — about 20 or so people. We also have a photographer who photographs most of our locations, as well as people that help coordinate viewing appointments and bookings.”

In the third quarter alone, 9,455 on-location shoot days were logged by the nonprofit Film L.A., which works to “attract and retain film production in L.A.”

Feature films and commercials dominated the quarter, while reality and comedy TV slowed down. Despite quarterly declines, however, on-location filming has increased by 10 percent over the past five years.

The blossoming industry has even prompted one individual to start what he dubs “the Airbnb of Location Scouting,” according to a Curbed article. Wrapal, which launched in 2016, cuts location scouts out of the process by offering a website through which owners can submit their homes, availability, pricing and scheduling directly to productions. The startup launched in May with roughly 750 locations, and now has 1,200 locations in California and New York on its website.

Brian Tan, the startup’s co-founder, described it this way: “Think Airbnb and Uber for film.”

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