#they didn't even show the dancers until like halfway through the performance!!

[emilyaxford]

the directing of the camerawork for this performance from the osage people is fucking brutal. you could have it beautifully staged for billie eilish but you're scrambling between cameras for these performers??

[rafeandonlyrafe]

bodyguard

words: 2.1k

warnings: bodyguard!rafe, pop star!reader, gun mention, attempted kidnapping, brief violence, fluffy

you take a deep breath, clenching the microphone in your first. no matter how many times you perform, you still feel a rush of anxiety.

it all disappears when you step out onto the stage. you give the crowd a wave as the cheers erupt. you look around the packed stadium, reminiscing on what it was like to play smaller venues until your hit single and big break.

your in ear piece begins the countdown to your music as you lean down to reach out to a couple fans in the front row, looking past your personal bodyguard who insists on being in front of the stage despite the venue providing security.

you begin to sing the first song of your set, turning your attention to the entire crowd as your backup dancers come out, flooding the stage.

the show goes by so quickly you almost miss the feeling as you step behind the curtain, despite the exhaustion creeping into your bones.

“here.” your bodyguard hands you a water bottle, a straw already pushed inside, knowing you prefer it over drinking straight from the rim.

“what would i do without you rafe.” you chuckle. he was the first bodyguard you ever hired, having had your ass slapped one night and deciding you needed someone to watch your back.

“probably be kidnapped.” rafe shrugs, making you roll your eyes, used to the playful back and forth banter.

“and if it weren't for me, you'd still be in north carolina.”

“perk of the job.” rafe says, referencing the three continents you've visited with him in tow, soon to announce a world tour that will visit all major cities with enough time in between to actually enjoy the traveling.

“dressing room or straight to the bus?” rafe asks, following you as you begin to walk, stepping past the stagehands rushing to disassemble the set and get it on the move.

“dressing room. left my crocs in there.” it's routine, rafe entering the dressing room and doing a sweep before letting you in, even if it's just to grab your shoes and leave.

“wait, gonna change them before we go to the bus.” you tell rafe, the arches of your feet hurting from dancing in heels. rafe gives you his arm to hold as you bend down to undo the straps before slipping out of the glittery stilletos and into your comfortable, well worn, crocs.

rafe peeks out the back door. “there's some fans by the fence. we going right to the bus or stopping to sign?”

“stopping to sign.” you know it's not possible to show your appreciation to every single fan, but you're certainly going to try your best to greet every person who helped you become the pop sensation you are.

rafe pulls two sharpies out of his pocket, one black and one silver and hands them to you before swinging the door open.

the mini crowd erupts into screams as soon as they see you. you're sure these must be fans who didn't get a chance to attend as there's no way they could have cleared from the venue this quickly.

“hey everyone!” you wave as you walk to the chain link fence, knowing rafe is right at your back, just in case anyone gets handy. it wouldn't be the first time an excited fan reached through an opening and refused to let go of your wrist.

you begin to sign everything offered to you, even seeing a fan who brought your original ep you used to send to record labels.

“can i get a picture?”

“of course!” you smile, taking the phone that is passed through the slot and snapping a selfie with the happy fan.

you continue down the line, about halfway through when you shiver, the adrenaline wearing off and the cold of the night air seeping into your bones, especially since you're still in your stage outfit which doesn't give you much coverage.

you should have known rafes eagle eye would see, because he's soon shrugging off his jacket and placing it over your shoulders, of course the crowd awwing. 

rafe has gotten quite a bit of attention as your bodyguard, considering he follows you practically everywhere, he's photographed by fans constantly.

you were worried at first when you continued to skyrocket in fame that rafe would become uncomfortable or overwhelmed and you'd have to find someone new that you felt comfortable with, but hes stuck by your side the whole time.

“okay, sorry guys i gotta go!” you wave to everyone, having signed or taken a picture with everyone who gathered by the back exit fence.

you quickly rush to the tour bus, the corset of your outfit beginning to press in uncomfortably.

you don't have to use your words to tell rafe what you're about to do. as soon as he does a sweep through the bus, having you wait in the front next to the drivers seat so you could run out at any minute, you head to the back and take a shower, washing away your makeup and the pounds of hairspray added to your bangs.

you get changed into pajamas, knowing you're scheduled to hit the road tonight. it probably would be easier to fly private, or even just buy a jet, but you like the tour life of driving around and try to be environmentally conscious where you can.

you head back into the common area, rafe sitting in his usual spot on the couch, his gun that usually remains holstered to his hip now sitting on the counter. 

it scared you the first time you saw it. you knew you hired an armed bodyguard, but to have a gun just sitting there was not something you were used to.

“here.” rafe grabs a bag from the counter you didn't even notice.

“you got me fries?” you ask excitedly, taking the bag and quickly pulling a fry out, letting out a low moan when you take a bite and realize it's still hot.

“ill add personal assistant to my resume.” rafe smirks.

“resume? you leaving me?” you laugh, plopping down on the couch next to rafe. 

“never.” he vows. when rafe originally began to work in security, it was a way to get away from his dad, to have an excuse to leave at night, and now he can never imagine going back home to the life he once lived.

conversation shifts to upcoming plans as you finish off your fries and let out a yawn.

“alright, bed time.” you stand up and stretch, eyes closing as your back elongates. you completely miss the way rafe has to readjust his pants.

“goodnight.” rafe says as you give him a wave and head back into the bedroom, closing the door for some privacy as you flop onto the bed and delve beneath the covers, falling asleep easily knowing you're protected.

--

“aw, yes!” you hiss, looking out the window as the bus pulls into the rest stop. “back in the midwest baby, you know what that means.”

“what?” rafe questions, joining you to look out the window. he's dressed casually and not in all black like usual when he's working since today is just travel, and the light blue shirt he's wearing is making your heartbeat a little faster, even if you try to ignore it.

“tim hortons!” you exclaim. “we've got to get their sour cream glazed timbits. they're like crack.”

“and what would you know about crack?” rafe scoffs.

“alright, just because i didn't have a bad boy past like you doesn't mean-” you're cut off by rafe laughing. “okay, okay.” you hold your hands up. “i don't even know what it looks like.”

“that's what i thought.” rafe places a hand on your back as the bus comes to a stop. “now come on, let's get your timbits or whatever you said.”

you head out so happy and in such a rush that rafe doesn't remember to grab his gun, figuring nothing could happen at a rest stop early in the morning with practically no one around.

“hi!” you smile at the worker as you enter the building. she seems to half recognize you but doubt herself. “can we get a 10 pack of sour cream glazed timbits and another 10 pack that's a mix of the other flavors?”

the worker nods and begins putting it in the system as you turn to look at rafe. “just in case you don't like the same as me.”

“okay.” rafe laughs, stepping a bit closer to you as you pull your card out and pay.

you step to the side to wait, watching with excitement as the timbits are scooped in.

“thank you so much!” you take both of the cardboard containers and follow rafe back outside. the morning sun is shining brightly, causing you both to squint.

rafe turns quickly when a van suddenly squeels to a stop right behind you.

he watches in horror as the door swings open, his long stride causing him to be too far away to immediately grab you as he takes off into a sprint.

you feel the hands around your waist before you even contemplate what is happening. you scream out, looking to rafe and seeing the worry in his face as you're being pulled backwards into the back of the van.

“rafe! rafe!” you squeal, kicking your legs and trying to hit your attacker, throwing the box over your shoulder to try and get him to stop, but you're overpowered.

the man is just about to slam the door shut, trapping you in there with the stranger when rafes hand stops the metal and shoves it back open, his bicep rippling with strength.

“duck.” is all rafe says, but you understand instantly, trying to get as low as possible as his first surges forward, connecting the attackers face before pulling back and continuing to punch until his grip on you loosens.

rafe grabs you instead, and you move quickly, pressing yourself against his body, molding yourself against him as your arms and legs wrap around his torso. 

as soon as you're out, the van speeds away, knowing they've lost their one chance to get you. rafe moves quickly, running back towards the tour bus with you gripping onto him tightly.

you manage to hold in your tears until you're shut inside the safety of the bus. when the crying comes, it comes hard in sobs that make rafes chest physically hurt.

“i got you.” rafe sits down on the couch, keeping you in his lap as he tries to comfort you, hand rubbing up and down your back. “i got you baby.”

you cries are so loud rafe isn't sure you can hear him, especially when you start to hyperventilate.

“hey.” rafe takes your face in his hands, seeing the fear in your eyes as you struggle to actually take it any air. “take a breath for me, you're gonna pass out.”

you try, you really do, but you can't control your body as you continue to hyperventilate. rafe doesn't know what to do, he needs some sort of distraction or way to make you stop.

his face surges forward, his body working before his mind does as his lips press against yours, pressing a smashing kiss against your mouth.

you stop instantly, mind settling as your lips move against his, upset when you have to pull away to take in a gulping breath of fresh oxygen.

“it's okay.” rafes thumbs smooth over your cheeks. a mutual understanding comes over you both. this was bound to happen, and you don't need words to talk about what your relationship just became. “i got you. i got you.”

you nod, breathing deeply, finally able to control your body as you inhale and exhale until your lungs are full enough to lean forward and kiss rafe again. he doesn't hesitate for even a second before kissing back, his arms moving to wrap around you, pressing you further into him to deepen the kiss, only pulling away when the door shuts, your driver back in her spot.

“you okay?” rafe asks, his voice soft as he looks at you.

“i think after some more kisses i will be.” you giggle, cheeks blushing.

“and some timbits?”

“oh my god, those fuckers have them!” you gasp, your eyebrows scrunching together, making rafe laugh.

he presses a kiss against your lips, barely able to stop smiling to do so. “are you more mad they tried to take you or more mad they successfully took your donuts?”

you roll your eyes. “the timbits, duh.”

sfw tags: @winterrrnight @bejeweledreverie @ladyinbl00d @ethanthequeefqueen @drewsephrry @wearemadeofstardust0

[jinnie-ret]

fallen angel

stray kids x ninth member!reader (platonic)

genre: hurt/comfort, some fluff at the end

content warnings: injury, hyunjin hiatus (but he still makes an appearance)

word count: 3k

If you enjoy feel free to send in requests as my asks are open! And let me know if you would like to join the taglist for when I upload more imagines :)

the stray kids members have two maknaes to comfort at the end of their 'I'll Be Your Man' cover. One upset because he thought he wasn't good enough, and the other an injured, fallen angel, left hurt because MNET hadn't done enough safety checks on their equipment.

pt 2

MAIN MASTERLIST

Practising the vocals for 'I'll Be Your Man' was difficult enough, trying to learn the choreography alongside it was hard too. But performing said choreography whilst being lifted in a harness too was even more difficult.

Y/N would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. No, it wasn't to do with the heights, she could cope with that, but it was more the precision of her dance, and the fact that she would be hitting a high note in the air at the same time, having her own solo moment to shine. Maybe it would be different if they had multiple takes to make sure they got the right one. But with Kingdom, they didn't. She only had so many practices to ensure it looked perfect in front of her sunbaenims and friends. Yeosang and Wooyoung from ATEEZ had kept reminding her they were excited to see her performance. In the normal way, this would be encouraging, this time round, it only felt more daunting.

So when it came to the day of the performance, Y/N was unable to hide her nerves shining through.

"Y/Nnie, you good?" Han appeared in front of her, big brown eyes shining in concern as he watched the younger member zoned out in her own world.

"Huh? Oh yeah..." Y/N said dismissively, not really entirely sure how she felt right now, but her emotions showed more on the outside than on the inside right now.

"You've practiced this a billion times, you've got this," Han encouraged her, his hand resting on her shoulder whilst stylists were around the two making last minute adjustments to their outfits before they went on stage.

"Okay okay, I can do this," Y/N nodded, trying to hype herself up for the performance, breathing away her worries.

"Hannie! Y/Nnie!" Changbin loudly called them over to their group huddle where the rest of the members were gathered.

Y/N gave Han a thankful smile before they joined the others in the circle, Y/N slotting herself between Felix and Seungmin.

"Right, let's do our best, stay safe, and deliver what Stray Kids do best! Let's go! Hwaiting!" Chan led the small talk before they all cheered each other on and got into position on stage.

Y/N didn't have a part until the first group choreography part of the performance, where Han and Lee Know sang the chorus and led them through the gates. Felix, Han and Changbin then had their rap parts in a more hellish scene, where a dance break ensued, Y/N running off halfway through it like she was meant to, to get into position.

She was quickly harnessed by their supporting dancers and got ready for her solo part. As soon as she heard Lee Know sing out 'baby I just pray', she was slowly lifted into the air. Instrumental music played as she rose upward, stretching out her arms and legs and creating beautiful moments with them. And when her arms swooped across her long black hair, the other groups who were watching backstage were shocked to see it was a wig that was knocked off, revealing long white hair instead. As she rose higher, some large wings appeared on the screen behind her.

"Oh my god her hair!"

"Wow she's an angel!"

"That's my best friend! Let's go Y/Nnie!"

"So pretty..."

Now risen at the highest point in the air, Y/N began singing too, beautiful vocal runs flowing along with the violin in the background. Her moves ranged from static to more elegant moves too, and she feigned an expression as part of the performance like her soul had been taken away from her, sacrificed for the young boy to align with the storyline of the performance. She was then lowered as her movements became more frantic and dramatic, showing the desperate need to have saved a soul. At the same time, her wings dissolved behind her, the screen turning darker behind her.

"She's a fallen angel! Wow!"

"Oh wow..."

She continued to be lowered, and Y/N was beginning to feel a bit nervous now because she swore she heard a slight ripping sound from the cord she was attached to, yet she continued performing. It was until she was still 6ft in the air, that the cord actually did snap, and Y/N was forced to act quickly despite her shock to try and land. Despite the impact going straight through her left ankle, Y/N continued dancing until the camera panned away again, panting before realising she'd have to dance some more at the end of their performance too. She tried her best to keep her tears at bay, moving across the stage the best she could as she limped over to the rest of the boys. None of them noticed however, as they were in performance mode and hadn't seen her part of the stage from getting ready themselves for the next. And even the groups backstage had seemed to think the drop from the harness was planned, like it was part of her fallen angel character.

Her left foot was in agony, yet she kept going, her body twisting and turning whilst Han and Seungmin sung their hearts out, and Changbin rapped incredibly fast. She was relieved once it came to the end, and they were able to collapse to the ground, because ever since she fell that was all she wanted to do.

Once the lights came up, she cried out, hands over her face. It was then that she noticed she was finding it hard to breathe too, and she didn't know if it was another injury or if she was in so much pain from her ankle.

"Y/N what's happened?" Lee Know crouched down next to Y/N, thinking she was upset and tried to help her up but then she cried out in pain again.

"What's happened? Are you hurt?" Felix panicked, seeing the tears coming from the younger member.

Staff members from MNET rushed over, catching the attention of the other members.

"What's going on?" Changbin asked confused and worried.

A higher up crew member approached the group and began to explain what happened.

"There was a fault with the harness, the cord snapped as she was being lowered and so she suffered a slight fall. Good news is she landed it well so it still looked good on camera," they hurriedly tried to reassure the rest of the group, but their words did anything but that.

"She fell?!" Seungmin looked across at Y/N who was being comforted by a now angry looking Lee Know and a more worried Felix. Jeongin, who wasn't feeling too good about his own performance, looked worried for his fellow maknae.

"The harness broke?!? Why didn't you check it was safe?!" Chan exploded in anger at the MNET staff, because now one of his members was injured.

Whilst he continued to rant angrily at the staff, Han trying to calm him down, the rest of the boys gathered around Y/N.

"Ah it hurts," she cried through stuttered breaths, top half leant against Changbin as he had lifted her slightly into his arms. He rubbed soothing circles into her hands which gripped onto his so tightly.

"Where, Y/N? Can you tell us where it hurts, love?" Felix rushed out his words concerned for her, seeing the tears roll down her face.

"Landed on my ankle," Y/N whimpered, her breaths coming out short.

"Y/N you need to calm down, okay?" Seungmin patted her arm, thinking that she was working herself up even more, and not wanting her to feel even worse.

"Get a doctor here then!" Chan was heard shouting, which only made Y/N more upset.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's going to be okay, yeah?" Changbin reassured her gently, squeezing her hands tighter.

"W-what if I can't join the next performance?" Y/N shakily asked, eyes flitting back and forth between the boys who were her real comfort right now.

"We'll worry about that later. We're more concerned about you right now, Y/Nnie. Just breathe sweetheart, can you do that, hmm?" Lee Know spoke calmly, slowly taking off her shoe to reveal a swollen and bruised ankle.

"I'm trying to b-but it hurts to," Y/N says through stuttered breaths, tears still falling down her face.

"There's not a doctor here yet?" Jeongin questioned, wondering why someone on set hadn't arrived quicker.

"They should be coming over now," Chan informed them, before grabbing one of Y/N's hands, "we're going to get you some help, yeah? Just take some nice deep breaths, Y/Nnie."

Chan gave her the same advice as the others yet it wasn't working. Y/N knew it wasn't her panicking, but something worse.

"We keep trying to calm her down but she says it hurts when she breathes," Felix looks up Chan worriedly, and sees Han to the left of him with his clasped together nervously.

Some medical staff finally came over and lifted her onto a small bed to move her backstage and look at her properly. Y/N couldn't help but let out more whimpers of pain and the members tried to reassure her as they followed along.

"Only one person in here please," the standby doctor informed the boys, and that was when they decided Seungmin should go in with her. He was the most grounded at the moment, the other members either being too angry, worried or upset to remain calm like Y/N needed.

Seungmin gently held Y/N's hand as the doctors checked over her. With a slight press into her ribs, Y/N let out a loud yell of pain, Seungmin immediately whispering reassuring words to her and gently petting her hair.

"It's okay, it's okay, they're just making sure you're okay, Y/Nnie," he stumbled over his words, now wishing someone else was in his position instead because he feared he wasn't doing enough to comfort the younger girl and he hated seeing her like this.

"We fear you may have a bruised rib, Miss Y/N, you're going to have to seek medical help from a hospital," the doctor shook his head, regretfully informing them.

"No, no, I can't, what about the next performance, can't let the team down," Y/N cried, which was making her ribs hurt even more from the slight jolting of her body.

"Y/Nnie, it's okay, we'll figure out, but you need to calm down, jagi, because you'll hurt yourself more," Seungmin made sure she was looking at him as he said this, wiping her tears away with his thumbs, stroking her face gently.

"B-but-"

"Ssshh, please don't cry Y/Nnie, we'll get you to a hospital and then we worry about the future, okay, come on now, that's it, well done," Seungmin helped her to relax, an arm gently wrapped around her shoulders as he stroked her hair to calm her down.

Whilst Y/N's examination was happening, Chan had noticed Jeongin's upset.

"Hey Innie, it's okay, Y/N will be okay," he patted his younger member's back, thinking that's why he was crying to himself.

"It's not that, I mean, I'm worried about Y/N, but I messed up in the performance and then seeing her hurt too was just," Jeongin couldn't finish his words, crying into the shoulder of his leader.

"Ah, Innie, you did good, which part?" Chan patted his back gently.

"I just did a terrible job as a whole," Jeongin sniffled, his voice thick from trying to hold back his cries.

"Hey, it's okay man," Chan hugged him again.

Felix came and hugged Jeongin too.

"Ah what are we going to do with our maknaes?" Han sighed fondly, patting Jeongin on the head, and it was then they saw Y/N getting wheeled out of the medical room and heading down the corridor past their room.

"Hey, hey! What's going on?" Chan called after some staff of their own who were with Y/N.

"They're taking her to hospital, think she's got a bruised rib," the JYP staff shook their head angrily.

"A bruised rib?!" Changbin said with wide eyes, trying to peer round at Y/N who was sat up straight, trying to remain calm with Seungmin who was stood beside her, looking stressed himself.

"Lee Know and I will go with her, Seungmin, you go home with the others, yeah? We'll update you," Chan instructs everyone.

Seungmin nodded and was immediately embraced into a hug by Felix, feeling guilty for relaxing but he couldn't deal with seeing his member hurt.

And off they went. Changbin stayed behind with the 00 liners and Jeongin, making sure they weren't too shaken up by what happened. Chan and Lee Know stuck to Y/N like glue, one of them always holding her hand or stroking her hair, even when she had been given some drugs for the pain and was unconscious.

"I can't believe this happened..." Chan sighed, brushing back stray hairs from Y/N's face. They were sat beside her hospital bed.

"Typical MNET," Lee Know sighed angrily, looking at the boot now on Y/N's foot.

Y/N then started waking up.

"Hey, sweetheart, how you feeling?" Chan was quick to check in on her.

"Feel, funny," Y/N giggled trying to sit up but then wincing in pain.

"Oh gosh, she's gone loopy," Lee Know playfully sighed, but he couldn't hide his worry for her as he gently leaned her back.

"Wow I have such handsome members," Y/N suddenly said, the drugs she was given making her delirious and spouting whatever was on her mind.

"What? Y/N?" Chan laughed at the girl who staring at the two eldest members.

"Did so well today. Good performance. All 9 of us," Y/N carried on, seeming like she had forgotten about her injuries for now considering she thought all 9 of them was there, when really it was 8 because of the stupid hiatus Hyunjin had to be on.

"It was only 8 of us, Y/Nnie, remember?" Lee Know warily reminded her, and it was then she teared up.

"Call Hyunjin, I miss him. Want to talk to him," Y/N pouted sadly, and they couldn't deny their maknae.

"He might be busy though, Y/N," Chan said gently, calling his fellow member anyways.

Fortunately he answered.

"Hi Channie hyung!" Hyunjin said brightly upon seeing Chan's face, which soon changed to Y/N holding the phone closely to her face, making Hyunjin cackle.

"Woah, Y/N, all of a sudden?" he laughed over the phone.

"Hyunjin!" Y/N yelled into the phone, causing Chan and Lee Know to shush her due to being in a hospital.

"Y/Nnie!" Hyunjin joyfully said back.

"I miss you!" she said into the phone, holding the phone higher up where Hyunjin could see she was in a hospital gown and had an IV in.

"Miss you too- huh? Are you in hospital?" Hyunjin sounded very concerned, and Lee Know and Chan could hear it in his voice that he longed to be with them right now to comfort her and reassure himself.

"Yeah. Because MNET are all dickheads who can s-" Y/N spoke her mind, until Chan covered her mouth so she'd stop speaking and Lee Know took the phone.

"Hyung is Y/N okay?" Hyunjin frowned.

"We were filming and you know she had that harness part? MNET didn't do enough safety checks and so the cord snapped," Lee Know shook his head angrily

"What? That's ridiculous! How could they just let that happen?" Hyunjin rambled from the other side of the phone, but Y/N in her more delirious state thought he was talking about her.

"You angry at me Jinnie?" she asked sadly, bottom lip wobbling.

"No no no, not at you, jagi, at MNET, because they're all dickheads, remember?" Hyunjin quickly calmed Y/N, trying to make her laugh by using her words, and he was successful in doing so.

"Hyunjin!" Chan scolded, yet their was a smile as he spoke and Hyunjin could hear Lee Know's laughter in the background.

"Please update me if she's ok, yeah?" Hyunjin bit his lip worriedly, wishing he could be with his memners right now.

"Of course of course, that goes without question. Talk to you soon, yeah?" Chan promised Hyunjin.

"Bye hyungs! Bye Y/Nnie!" Hyunjin waved them goodbye as the phone hung up.

"Y/N you can't shout like that," Chan facepalms and laughs, scolding her for her shouting earlier on in the call.

"You sounded like a parrot," Lee Know said bluntly, causing Y/N to smirk.

"You sounded like a parrot."

"Y/N-"

"Y/N."

A sigh.

And another, Y/N copying Lee Know once again.

"Hyung make her stop," Lee Know whined, Y/N copying once again before he covered her mouth.

Chan managed to capture this on video and sent it to the groupchat to let them know how Y/N was doing.

Chan:

[vid. attachment]

Y/N is up and doing better

Han:

haha Lee Know hyung is annoyed

Chan:

well he did call her a parrot

Changbin:

ah Y/N is so clever like that haha

Seungmin:

she learnt it from me

Felix:

hahaha

what did the doctors say?

Lee Know:

she's got a bruised rib, broken ankle, don't know how we're going to let her down gently about if she can join the next performance or not

Jeongin:

I hope she can :(

Chan:

she spoke to Hyunjin and that made her feel better

Hyunjin:

what can I say? I'm a natural healer

Felix:

we miss you jinnie

Hyunjin:

I miss you guys too

but it's not long now, that makes me feel better

Y/N:

you know what is long?

Han:

which one of you let Y/N have her phone?

Y/N:

my d-dkfkfkfmfkfdkdkrkrkttt

Lee Know:

Chan did, but I've got it now. this one has gone crazy...

tagged: @oo-li

[farfromsugafanfic]

Dangerous | Chapter 8: Cherry Bomb

Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Bad Boy!Jimin, Bartender!Reader College AU

Pairing: Jimin/Named Reader

Rating: M | Minors DNI

Chapter Warnings: drugged drink, attempted rape/sexual assault, describes effects of date rape drugs

The song began again. Instead of incorporating ballet moves, you used a traditional ballet piece, the one that had played when you snapped your Achilles. Even if you and Jimin had an undefinable relationship, he was right that taking back that moment that nearly took away your dancing dreams would give you a personal edge. Dances--just like any other artform--tell a story. And, this was a universal one for dancers. One that every dancer held in the back of their mind when they stepped on stage.

You had the routine worked out, mixing in the ballet positions and the occasional move you could work in without too much trouble. Sometimes you would feel your tendon shake, wanting to give, but then you would switch positions. With only two weeks left until the audition, you didn't have much time to perfect it, wanting the moves to feel like second nature by then.

The song ended and you heard yourself breathing over the music. The song started again, but your body didn't. You walked over to pause the song just as you heard the door of the studio squeak open.

Turning, you saw Jimin enter, cradling Jackson in his arms. Your face lit up and you approached Jimin, your hands immediately landing in the kitten's soft fur. Jackson still wore the cone around his neck, but you noticed it was different, softer, and less cumbersome. 

"They replaced his stitches and gave him a soft cone. We have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't slip out of it again." Jimin handed you the kitten, taking his backpack off and pulling out two bottles of water. Opening the first one, he handed it to you. 

"Wow, you're like my fairy godmother," you said, laughing. You took a quick drink before setting it on the bench along the wall.

"Or your boyfriend."

"Sure, whatever," you said, wondering if Jimin would behave if you took off your shirt to cool off. The worst that would happen would be a flirty comment or two, so you slipped the thin fabric over your head. Jimin didn't bat an eye, surprising you. 

"Can I see your piece?" he asked, a playful smirk taking over his features. 

"You know that's against the rules since you're on the panel. You can only help me with specific questions."

Jimin smiled and came up behind you, resting his chin against your sweaty shoulder. "Then, got any questions for me, babe?"

You laughed an pushed his head off your shoulder, your fingers threading in his hair for just a moment. "Ew, get off me creep." You gave him a smirk back and turned to face him. "Why don't you show me your audition piece?"

You'd said it as a joke, so your eyes widened in surprise when he agreed. You handed him your phone and he queued up the song, taking his place in the middle of the studio. It was a slow, contemporary piece, not unlike ballet. 

You realized that you'd only seen Jimin dance in the club, never something he put together himself and performed. You'd expected something hip hop, sexy, and to an upbeat song. Rather, the piece was muted and utilized only contemporary or ballet moves. 

He spun, he contorted himself into odd angles. You saw his muscles shake at points. His lines and angles were sharp, near perfect. Halfway through the performance, Jackson climbed into your lap

"Wow," you said when the song ended. "I hadn't expected that."

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. I guess something hip hop."

"Don't you remember that I did contemporary? I told you about it back in high school."

"I guess not," you said. "I was so enamored with you I barely listened to what you said sometimes." 

Jimin frowned and reached down to stop the song from replaying, leaving the studio in silence. Jackson, despite the loud music, had fallen asleep in your lap, exhausted from his long night at the vet. 

 "Let's get him home," you said, unplugging your phone and checking the time. "And I have to work in two hours." You picked up Jackson carefully, not wanting to wake him. Cradling him in your discarded shirt, you walked out to Taehyung's car that Jimin had not yet returned. 

Hooking the seatbelt, you realized that the kitten would have to be alone again while you were at work. You glanced over at the man beside you as he put the car into gear. 

"Jimin," you said. 'Would you mind watching Jackson while I'm at work? I'll buy you food or gas or whatever."

Jimin looked at you like he was trying to place two puzzle pieces together. "I'll do it for free, Inna. You don't have to do anything."

The worry in your chest that the kitten would once again be alone deflated and you ran your finger over the kitten's ears. "Thanks," you said quietly. 

[][][]

You sighed when you walked into work and saw Chul-soo behind the bar. This wasn't your normal shift, but when your coworker had asked you to cover, you couldn't object. especially since you were short a few hundred dollars due to the vet bills.

"Grab an apron," he said as you walked behind the bar. You stopped, surprised that he didn't have a snarky remark, or try to tell you that he didn't need your help. Based on the crowd that was hovered around the bar, you guessed he really didn't care. "You take the right, I'll take the left."

You worked beside each other without interacting too much. His weirdly amicable attitude sets off an alarm in the back of your head. But, you ignored it, wondering if he found some other poor girl to date so that he would finally leave you alone. 

People continued to line up, coming up again and again for drinks. Tabs reached hundreds of dollars and this was the kind of shift every bartender dreamed of: when the bar became an attraction itself. You'd already made that night's wages in tips and would likely double it before the end of your shift. 

"Inna!" you heard your name at the end of the bar. Normally, this sort of thing would annoy you, but when you saw Hoseok waving in your direction, you smiled and motioned that would be a moment. After a few minutes, you'd worked your way over to him and took his order. 

"Busy night, huh?" he said, glancing between you and your ex. 

"Yeah," you said. "It's nice to see a familiar face." You handed him his drink, just a craft beer this time. "You're making it easy for me tonight. Have a good time." 

Hoseok took his drink and sipped it immediately, his eyes wandering over to Chul-soo. "Yeah, you too, Inna."

You continued serving drinks until Chul-soo nudged you with his shoulder. You noticed sweat on his brow and his apron was slowly collecting spilled alcohol and fruit juice. "What do you say we bring out an old favorite of ours to get this party really going?"

You raised an eyebrow. "The cherry bomb?" you asked, remembering the drink the two of you created together. "You wanna drink it?"

"Nah, I have to drive home. You wanna do it?" He glanced back at the dwindling bar crowd. Most people were out dancing now and you were making more money than you had for weeks. You didn't want this trend to end now. Chul-soo's shift was about to end and you still had a couple of hours.

"All right," you said. "Let's make it."

You gathered all the supplies while Chul-soo worked on making it. The cocktail consisted of a mixture of cherry liqueurs, vodka, a shot glass of cherry juice, and finally a few maraschino cherries on top. Chul-soo even added a little whipped cream to make the dark red drink stand out.

A small crowd had regathered. The bartender coming in to relieve Chul-soo stood off to the side with a bemused look on his face. You were surprised at how the night had turned out. This was the most cordial you had been with your ex since before you broke up. A tornado of doubt swirled in your stomach as you brought the drink to your lips.

It was sweet and had the deep bite of a cherry. People cheered you on as you drank and a bit of the red liquid escaped and ran down your skin. Staining your lips and chin. You finished the drink and wiped your lips with your sleeve. The small crowd formed and many began requesting the drink. 

Chul-soo ducked out and handed his apron off to the other bartender. You worked to help him keep up, filling drink after drink order. In about fifteen minutes, the club was spinning. You dropped a glass and it shattered at your feet. One of the shards of glass creating a small cut on your ankle.

"Are you okay?" the other bartender asked. You heard his words and caught a flash of his dark brown eyes, but your tongue ran dry when you tried to respond. Your legs began feeling limp and your hand gripped the side of the bar to stabilize yourself. 

"Ah, she always had some trouble handling a big drink like that," you heard Chul-soo say, but you couldn't turn your head to see him. It wasn't true. This wasn't because of alcohol and your mind suddenly connected everything together.

"St--st--" you tried to form words as you felt Chul-soo's hand on the small of your back. 

"I'll take care of her, Jae-kyung. Can you handle the bar for a few minutes?"

The other bartender must have responded affirmatively because you felt Chul-soo wrap and arm around your waist and lift your slightly. He took you back to the alleyway, pressing you against the wall. 

Your muscles began to relax of their own accord. You vision moved in and out like you were constantly waking up and falling into a dream.

[][][]

Hoseok approached the bar. It was just as crowded before, but the crowd was louder. He stood towards the end like had before and noticed that Inna nor Chul-soo was working anymore. His brow furrowed, knowing Inna's shift couldn't be over. He waited a few moments to see if she had ducked into the back or to the bathroom, but something gnawed at the back of his mind. 

"What happened to the girl that was working here?"

"Oh, she did a cherry bomb and couldn't handle it. The other guy is taking care of her." 

Hoseok couldn't let it slide. He knew something was wrong and he looked around the club. Jimin normally hung around when Inna worked, but he didn't immediately see the other man. He took out his phone.

Hoseok (10:45 p.m): How fast can you get here? I think Inna's in trouble

[][][]

Tears ran down your cheeks. You wanted to fight back, but your eyelids continued to droop. The only thing keeping you awake was the sheer panic. Yet, you knew the drugs would eventually overtake even that. 

"A cherry bomb," Chul-soo said. "Perfect cover for another kind of cherry, yeah?" He laughed at his own joke and if you could've, you would've spit in his face. 

You felt your phone vibrating in your back pocket. It shut off, before beginning to ring again. Chul-soo noticed the second time and reached into your pocket. 

"Ah, it's your lover boy," he said. His face dropped as he tossed your phone away and you heard as it shattered against the pavement. "Now that that's taken care of." His voice dwindled and his lips harshly attacked the skin of your neck. His hands roamed everywhere. The button of your jeans, under your shirt, your hair. 

"You've been such a slut lately," he said. "You've forgotten that you belong to me. Did you really think breaking up with me would get rid of me so easily? You can't escape me that easily, baby."

Your resolve was shaking. You could no longer see the end of Chul-soo's hair and you felt like throwing up. Whether from the drugs or the feeling of his lips on your skin you didn't know. Your eyes closed for one second, then two, then five. And you know you're losing. 

Chul-soo unzips your jeans and you feel his fingers on the waistband. He pauses when you hear the sound of a motorcycle and there's yelling. Suddenly, you feel cold, the sweat on your skin making you feel clammy. Without another body against yours, you can't stand. 

The last thing you remember is feeling your ass hit the pavement before everything went black.

[][][]

"Inna, Inna," you hear his voice. "It's okay. You're safe now." His hands touch you like you're fragile as if one wrong move and you will break into a thousand pieces. Your body touches what you recognize as a bed and while you can't move to position yourself, you feel the covers being pulled up over your body.

 "The doctor said you'll be okay. It wasn't enough that you won't wake up." His words sounded more like he was talking to himself than you. You wanted to tell him that for once you needed him. That you wanted him to touch you, to wrap you in his arms and keep you safe, to lay beside you. But, your lips still could not form words. 

Whether it was the drugs or the natural exhaustion, sleep once again took over.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

[seokmins]

Summarizing my feelings for anyone who cares for the fts concert day 1 since I think I'll only pop in when I feel like it for day 2 (spoilers ofc)

Set list was great and every song had its own flair to be appreciated - live vocals and adlibs always hit differently

The boys def had their mics on and their performance energy never disappoints and can't be matched

They were glowing - literally and seemed to really be enjoying themselves 🥹 I hope they're always happy

Styling was great, a tad simple but not too simple idk I wasn't like blown away but I wasn't disappointed

So much seungkwan love ugh his presence was definitely missed (hi back up dancer with the perm istg u were in smth before) and he most certainly was not forgotten - he even showed up during vocal unit's perf in the audience! And was in the VODs!

LOTS OF FLASHING but the vods were both funny and hot and cryptic but I'm just glad I didn't get a migraine 😭

Vocal unit's performance was so bouncy and energetic and soft and full of love. Their part of the VOD def fit the angelic vocals my god I was sooo soft

idubily fuckin slayed and we got highlight too! They were hot af, served insane amt of cuntiness as expected and chan looked like a goddamn snack, dinner, brekky, lunch, and dessert

Back it up! She never misses! And fire was as amazing as I expected. Not sure abt the fits but cheol's low shirt and necklaces made up for whatever was going on

Vernon absolutely stole the show btw in general. He was so expressive n full of energy and he looked so good <33333

Jeonghan fucking popped off as well I adore concert jeonghan he always looks so good and is so so so dramatic

Jihoon's entrance, vocals, and hair - he is everything to me

Theaterteen! Ugh so full of joy and kidult ugh my heart I was just soft and weepy the entire time...

Until anyone came on and I was like yeah racerteen slaps and I got my center dancer kyeom AND THEN HE TOOK OFF HIS JACKET FOR A BIT ROAR

Beautiful btw was 💔💔💔💔💔 so fun and they make US feel so loved I'll cry again

Hoshi was so annoying remind me he's the introvert but I love him and his hair looked great p sure his whole ass arms were out for no reason and his intro im in tears

Joshua was so embarrassing but he looked so good and sang so well I'll forgive him

They all looked great!

They bullied tf out of wonu and Jun in the beginning lmaooooo I'll save u boys from the menaces 😭

Hao's hair popped off and his nails were painted!

Cheol was SO sweaty ajkslalaksjd and his facial expressions were soooo 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 he had sm love for his members and carats istg it's good he had blonde hair or I would've clawed through the screen when he put glasses on

Seokmin looked so fluffy and cute and he wasn't terribly sweaty despite being dressed in two layers most of the time until the brushed his hair back but whatever 🙄 vocal king and menace to gyu

I fell asleep halfway through the encore and ments but I just love svt sm ❤️

[peterdvdsn]

The last thing Pete wanted to do right now was think about whatever was going through Maude's mind when she clocked that empty seat amongst the both of their families. She had gone out of her way to make sure there was a spot for him there, and he had completely fucked it. Turns out, getting last minute tickets to a show on closing night was a feat way harder than Pete had ever imagined as he took to darting around Leicester Square, weaving in and out of the ticket kiosks and getting an unnecessarily judgemental eyebrow raise at each one of them that read "Cabaret? Tonight? Really?", which was what had led him to his last ditch attempt at showing up at the Kit Kat Club, hoping that whoever was on the box office would be able to see he was on the list for the matinee performance and pull some strings. Something that he hated doing at the best of times, and yet, desperate times called for desperate measures.

-- A measure that he thought was fool-proof. He couldn't count on one hand the amount of times he'd been able to get last minute Knicks tickets and still be sat courtside -- "but this is the theatre" the woman in the booth had told him. "it doesn't work like that".

Frustration mounting, the sun setting over the Thames only served as a reminder that he was rapidly running out of time. He was pretty sure their families would've returned Maude to the theatre right now and she'd be back in the make up chair, which would explain why she wasn't answering her phone. He'd even tried bargaining with some people in the queue to buy their tickets off them if they'd name their price, but it seemed you couldn't put a price on seeing a show on closing night -- it was a real eye opener to a world he'd never been introduced to, and by the looks of it, never would be. Until, salvation came in the form of a gaggle of women dressed up in feathers and beads and what he could only assume was bachelorette attire, and without spending too much time deliberating, Pete took his shot and dipped under the red velvet rope, attempting to hide himself amongst their boisterous laughter as they shuffled through the front doors and began getting their tickets scanned. He was halfway through descending a set of stairs when a member of staff who seemed to be there purely to stick stickers over people's phone cameras spotted him and called out for him to stop, but he was already too deep into it -- he was doing this. Descending further into darkness, Pete began to jog down into what could only be described as a speakeasy turned private brothel, with diamonds on string hanging from the ceiling that whipped his face as he attempted to navigate the halls, which were lined with dancers contortioning themselves in a way that was almost horror movie like. "The fuck is this place?" He thought aloud. Was this what all theatre shows were like or had he just slipped into the wrong door? A girl in a hole in the wall called out for him to stop, but he didn't dare, assuming security had been radio'd and would be well on his tail by now. "You forgot your complimentary vodka shot! Wilkommen to the Kit Kat Club".

...Halting almost immediately, Pete circled back to swipe up a shot from the counter top, tossing it down the hatch before taking off into a full blown run for the remainder of the journey. As soon as he slowed into a well populated area with a bar, where all of the guests had been tunneled into, Pete felt hands on his shoulders, and was faced with two men in suits who promptly saw to it that he was back out on the street. "Honestly man, I don't even know what you're talking about, jumping the line? I thought this was a Hooters". Pete shrugged, sat on the roadside with the two security members poised next to him, as if he'd make a dash back in at any moment when in reality he'd been repeatedly pressing the call button on Maude's contact - her face poking out of the hole in her sweater coming and going each time - until she finally picked up.

"Yo! Maude. Can you come outside please? I got a bit of a situation".

From the moment she woke up, Maude had been filled up with emotions. Emotions of just about every kind, and most of them she could attribute to the end of her run on the show. She couldn't believe how lucky she'd felt when she got offered this job, it felt like the gig of a lifetime. After Little Shop, in her mind, she was done with theatre. She loved it, it'd been the best time, but maybe that's all she had in her to do, this was her one experience on Broadway and now it was back to TV. Which she also loved, but having a Broadway debut was something that Maude couldn't ever fathom would come her way. So the day she got the call about becoming Sally Bowles after countless auditions, the actress slowly started to believe in herself. If she wanted to, if she really wanted to, she could make a living out of this... She could do stage the rest of her life... But for now, this was it. As she got ready to get out and do her last matinee show, a knot tied in her throat, and she swallowed it into her stomach. "Let's go get it" She murmured to herself, like she always did before every show, and the lights went on. The show went by in a flash, as it always did, and some moments that never made her emotional really got to her this time, but before she knew it, she was done. Maude went back to her dressing room, excited to change out of her make up and get out to see the people she knew had come to see her. She didn't wanna see them before the show, but she'd agreed to go for tea with her parents and Pete's family, which in all felt like an extended family tea together to a nice spot close by before she had to be back for her evening show. Maude made her way to stage door to see some of the fans, she always loved taking pictures and signing their programs, and after that, she made her way to the front of house, where all their loved ones had been waiting for their children, spouses, siblings and friends.

She hugged her mom first, and then her dad, big hugs from both of them "Your sister couldn't make it, but she's so proud of you, and so are we" Judd spoke into her ear, he'd gotten teary eyed, which made Maude even more emotional. This evening show would be such a hard one to do. After her parents, she went over to Amy, giving her a hug just as tight as the one she gave her own mom "Hi... I thought I didn't see him there, I-" Her words were interrupted by Casey, and Maude tried not to look confused or upset, and moved to hug her too, before stepping back up. The actress took the compliment from Amy and smiled "Mhm, I didn't even know I had them myself, it's been a revelation, I think doing this show has kinda changed my whole perspective of what I can do with my voice" She said with a shrug, running her hand through her wet post-shower hair "Shall we go?"Leslie asked, and everyone followed suit, Maude reaching out to be with his dad, the person she knew understood him more than anyone in the world. What Casey and Amy had said before weighed on her. Where was he? He said he was gonna be there, he... He should've been here, he came here for this, what could've been more important? "You okay, Mo?" Judd's voice rung over her head as her dad kissed the top of her head, and Maude noticed she was had her worried face on "Mhm? Yeah, I'm just... You know, very emotional, kinda sad... But all good things must come to an end, for better ones to begin"

[ballet-symphonie]

Did you ever have a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a performance?

I wanted to tell you my story. About one month ago my ballet studio did a recital. The teacher had me and another adult dancer in all of the big choreographies that didn't require pointe shoes, along with her teen dancers whom she has trained since age 3 and I've been only doing this for one year and a half! I was equal parts horrified and honored by her trust. I worked very hard for months, through covid recovery, in the studio, extra practice, extra rehearsals, on my own at home, even in my work breaks. We dance to the songs of Moulin Rouge so we mixed ballet with Tango, Salsa and Cha-cha-cha.

The night of the recital, I did very well on my first two choreographies and entered the third with a huge smile on my face, confident and enjoying every second. Until my skirt started to fall off.

We were wearing a gold leotard, a black corset and a silk skirt with plumes in our butt. Think kinda burlesque. The song was very fast paced, packed full with ballroom steps. Halfway through, the skirt kept sliding down. I held down to the skirt and the smile and kept going. It never occurred to me I could have quietly left the stage. I was in the back row of the group so it helped. Once we got backstage I burst into tears while my teacher's husband sew my skirt back on.

The entire group of teens surrounded me, cleaned up my make up, cheered me up and encouraged me to lift my head up and go on. I finished my performance with a very good showing in El Tango de Roxanne.

But I was devastated. I cried a lot after the show and the day after. I felt it was so unfair that my best choreography was ruined by my skirt falling off. I had worked so hard but felt so humiliated. After all, I was the oldest dancer and I'm overweight. I already stand out in the middle of the youngest and fittest. I did not need my butt hanging out. People kept telling me I was so brave for not running out and I wanted to die of shame.

Anyways, it took me a month to ask my husband for the video he took of this particular dance. I watched it and... Oh my god! I did not miss a beat! Skirt by my knees, I just kept grabbing it and moving on. Instead of shame, I'm actually incredibly proud of myself! Handled it the best I could!

So feel free to tell me the other horror stories of wardrobe malfunction!

Wow, what a story!!! You should be proud of yourself! It's not easy to keep going like that!!

I've got a couple good stories that I'll share quickly. Some are unfortunate accidents, and some are my own negligence.

In school, we wore character shoes with elastic straps that snapped on. The snaps were frequently came undone, we were supposed to sew them across so they couldn't pop off. I bought new heels shortly before Nutcracker and procrastinated sewing them, despite SEVERAL reminders from my teacher. I was dancing Spanish and I remember walking onstage being like "I know I didn't sew my shoes but its fineeeee, nothing bad will happen." In the first 8 counts of the dance, I did a big battement to the side and my shoe went flying over my head, into the orchestra pit, and bonked one of the horn players on the head causing a big SQUAWK. I was forced to do the rest of the dance with only one heel, walking and clunking around unevenly. Needless to say, I got a horrible lecture afterward. To this day, I don't think I've ever been told off so badly.

Nutcracker's Snow scene is also rather dicey because fake snow (I don't care if it's paper, plastic, or soap, they're all bad) often results in a lot of disasters and faceplants. There was one section that made me nervous when I had to run very quickly in a semi-circle upstage before hitting a big pose on the 'crash' of music. As I prepared to run, I saw a big pile of snow already on the floor and thought "ok let's NOT run through that." I ran behind it and then suddenly found myself yanked backward, my tulle skirt had gotten caught on the tree. I tried to run again and couldn't go anywhere, knowing I had very little time, I reached down and tried to detangle myself with my hands but ended up ripping the fabric to escape. Of course, I am awkwardly situated there, trying to free myself when the big 'crash' arrives, everyone else in perfect poses. Not my finest moment. I apologized profusely to the costume ladies afterward, I felt so sorry for ripping their hard work, I bought them treats for a week I think.

Lastly, I made a big mistake in Sleeping Beauty. We had been doing a big run of shows, and I was dancing 4 different roles (fairy attendant, waltz peasant, dream scene corps, and jewels trio). However, I was dancing different combinations of roles each night and one night I thought I wasn't scheduled to dance in the dream scene corps. Unfortunately for me, I had switched the matinee and evening shows in my head and I was supposed to dance in the dream scene in the morning. So after my first two parts ended, I went to eat some food and prop my legs up in the dressing room. I'm just chilling while the Rose adagio and all that stuff finishes and intermission. I'm still wearing my peasant costume because it's much more comfortable to sit around in, and I have SO MUCH time, until jewels trio. Or so I thought....at the end of intermission a friend of mine rushed into the dressing room; "Ale! There you are! Why aren't you dressed!! Intermission is almost over!!!" I had never changed so fast in my life. As I was leaving, I heard another friend called after me "Ale! Come back here!" I didn't even bother answering, as I had heard the 'places please' call over the loudspeaker, I had no time left. Amidst all the chaos, no one stopped me and I went on stage with a big wreath of brightly colored flowers and multicolored ribbons when I should have been wearing a tiny, dainty tiara to match my pastel tutu. I had no idea until we went to stand in the lines and the girl across from me mouthed "YOUR HAIR" while repeatedly glancing up. Just like in the movies, I had a slow-motion moment of horror when I realized my terrible, blatant mistake. I just froze. Suddenly I heard whispers from the wings "Throw it to me!!!! Just rip it out!!!" Without a second thought, I reached up, yanked on the wreath and tossed it over my shoulder off stage. A colleague caught my flower wreath and I snuck off stage at another point to get the crown that they brought for me. While I certainly got teased for my mistake, I didn't get in big trouble for this one?? Maybe it was because I was in the middle rows for most of the act, but I think the ballet mistress wasn't watching the matinee that day haha.

[whysojiminimnida]

Can I also remind your previous anon of the year 2015? Hobi asking Jungkook if he had any desires cause he was finally reaching adulthood, and Jungkook simply pointed at Jimin while saying to their public "I believe you know what". Or their choice of song "Adult Ceremony" (leaving out the controversy of the original singer, it's still a song about a girl singing about finally reaching legal age to be with her older boyfriend) for Jungkook's own year of his coming of age. Or Jungkook filming Jimin doing a sexy photoshoot while also whispering "I want you / I want to have you". I'd say in 2015, Jikook were getting pretty bolder already!

Yep yep this is all true, nice anon. And I do love every chance to bring up CofA because this is the thing that made me go "oh. OHHHH it's like THAT for REAL. Got it." I bring up my dance background a lot but for me it's really relevant to BTS in general but to Jimin and Jungkook in particular. When dancers (and yes Koo is a dancer) have creative control they get... personal with their work. A fair bit of this choreo is lifted from the Park Ji Yoon original but it translates and looks so much better on the baby Jeon-Parks. Who IMO were already doing some up close and personal dancing iykwim. And baby Jeon was shameless AF during rehearsal. Popping his gum like that holy shit. Poor Jiminie wasn't sure whether to live or die that day. And later that evening after much sweating and a clothes change is, I believe, when the Own It video was shot - check out JK's clothes. He didn't even change. There's other evidence out there that this rehearsal and that (whatever tf that was) were done on the same day. And the next day was the stage where Jimin showed up and marked the run-through in slides and was a little bit off his game pre-performance. Now idc what anyone else thinks happened but I posit some late night possibly drunken princess carrying spinning hickey type action went down - at minimum. I need someone less lazy than me to correct me if I'm wrong about the timing though. I kinda thought CofA happened in 2016. But even so I agree that the 2015 stuff was fun and pretty telling as far as attraction and some feeling around, both physical and emotional. The thing with Hobi is kind of a moment that some people take really seriously and others, including some K-Armys, have decided was less a big deal than it looked like. To me it shows Kookie on his wink wink nudge nudge giggle giggle shit, halfway. Same with the "I want you" photoshoot. He was testing. Probably not too long into his own queer awakening, honestly, and kind of toying with what the public, the company and Jimin would accept, if that makes sense. He was definitely flirting on loud but he was also being smart about it, which - he is. Koo is a savvy, highly intelligent guy and that gets lost sometimes. But by doing stuff he could play off as just teasing, both he and Jimin could explore their attraction without raising too many eyebrows. Until they didn't stop doing it.

[rndyounghowze]

Psophonia and Aura Waggle Danced in Colony at the Cincy Fringe

A wonderful symbiotic relationship between two masterful companies committed to saving our relationship with a certain bumble-y creature.

By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze

Cincinnati Fringe

Colony, the epic collab between Psophonia Dance Company and Aura Contemporary Ensemble was one of the Fringe shows that we heard touted the hardest during News segments and live events on the Fringe. I don't know if Dana and I were ready for it. We were walking into this thinking “this will be like four people dancing in bee costumes” and what we got was “epic stage performance that can't be contained by any screen”. We feel everyone watching the show on the screen was robbed of an experience that was twenty times more awesome than the already very powerful performance we saw. We can't wait until this show gets to do the tour it intended. Now with that in mind let's get started!

First off this show did a lot of things Dana and I are totally down for. We absolutely love dance and mixed media and music and we were totally down for this! Very rarely and I mean VERY rarely have we ever seen shows that integrate their music as fully as Colony does. You have moving musicians in every frame that become part of the dance (Dana has now coined the term Dancer-muso for it and that's all I'm going to call from now on). You actually did something that I thought was impossible and made a chamber ensemble something even more beautiful to look at.

You don't know this about your friendly neighborhood Ricky but he's in love with chamber ensembles. I'm in love with chamber composers that no one has ever heard of and am very vocal about the fact that we don't have a professional ensemble in residence near us. So keep this in mind when I tell you that Aura under direction of Rob Smith deserves to be the crown Jewel of the University of Houston! They stayed in the pocket of the beat at all times and were able to endow so much meaning in every note while moving around! I'm especially here for the saxophones which really put their steps in that day.

And we were completely there for Psophonia’s dancing! I swear they could dance to Grand Central Station bus announcements and make it a piece of art. Their extensions were on point and their choreography was clean. You could just eat up the beautiful stage pictures that they filled with bodies and movement but they also gave us stillness and knew when not to go big. You could tell that Sophia Torres knows how sculptural and also how visually musical dance can be. My favorite thing about dance is that for the best ones you can turn the sound off and still get a great performance. Because of this I know that this company is a force to be reckoned with the minute they can hit the Fringe circuit in person again.

And now when you put expert musicianship and seasoned dance performers together you get that match made in heaven (or Houston turns out) that you dream about. Dana and I love shows that tear down the distinction between performers and orchestra. When you see a lot of high school musical pit bands you get tired of the traditional set up. So to see this epic artistic romance onstage is amazing! I've never seen two companies so suited for each other! And I've never left one performance fantasizing about what they're going to do next.

One tiny thing that we're sure they didn't intend to be off-putting for us was the words on the screen. They weren't there long enough for us to read so our watching experience was hurt a little bit by us always struggling to finish what was being said before it was lost. Almost halfway through I told Dana to stop trying to read them. I'm sure that's not a problem when you see this live but in person I think it would have created a different problem with me and Dana. We have a personal little pet peeve about shows telling us what we're watching. And we feel the creators didn't trust us to know what bees are. Of course you're trying to educate about Colony Collapse Disorder and affect great change for the environment so we get why they're there. I guess what I'm saying is that Dana and I would not miss the projections or video one bit if we paid money to see a future live performance and instead was given a link to read all that information later.

And now it's your turn to watch! Go to the Fringe's website and see this artistic romance for yourself. You’ll find the tickets here. Show up for the Cincy Fringe's live talkback on their Facebook and then tell us how much you loved it on our social media!