#i am obsessed with the vibes they are bringing to the table

[elle555]

observations on each venus sign coming from a taurus venus🫧🫀.

aries venus: for me I feel like they’d be too much too keep up with honestly lol but I would love having someone who isn’t afraid to speak their mind and say something when they need to. I also would love how adventurous and fun they are because even tho I am an earth venus I cannot stand being in a boring/dry relationship (that’s my 9h venus speaking also)

taurus venus: I feel like we’d really vibe or get along of some sort but also many hiccups considering the fact we’re both earth signs and want things our own way but besides that I feel like the loyalty would be matched depending on the house and aspects they tbh but definitely the person I would love too go shopping with and restaurants to just have fun

gemini venus: ok Ik this placement is very controversial too some but I think they would be the best partners/people too have in my circle realistically I would love someone who is constantly down to do anything, flirty , funny asf and very communicative about Ik and any topic. I would definitely not get bored being around them I just love gemini venus in my life because Ik we would never be bored/dry and me being easily bored and always wanting stuff to do/talk about gemini is my first choice<33OH AND PLUS VERY VERY OBSERVANT AND THOUGHTFUL.

cancer venus: they’d be the type too get easily jealous but passive aggressive, I feel like we would kind of get along but I’m 100% we would at the same time especially with cancer being ruled by the moon and a water sign my scorpio moon would love someone like that like just the deep conversations and understanding of eachother would be immaculate. But also someone who reciprocates the energy for me like I do for them yess plsss gimme them!!!! I don’t know many cancer Venuses personally but this is just my general observation.

leo venus: I’ve seen and been around a very few leo Venuses and they are loyal to the core , I think we would get along great but have some hiccups because with leo being all about them and what they need or what I could never settle down with them but I feel like the love and affection would be matched for the most part.

virgo venus: don’t know abt virgo Venuses that much either but from observation I feel like they’d be pratical and helpful in any situation especially when I need advice about people or something I just know they’d provide me with all their observations and information about the person in question. As for a dating type I feel like idk we’d get along but have some hiccups especially since they would be all about routine and perfection but my aquarius 6th just wouldn’t vibe with that , like I said I would have to observe the person first tho.

libra venus: I would say we’d be good friends all about aesthetics , communication and quality time is just my love language as well. But the indecision I mean I’m indecisive asf my self so I can’t say too much because that would talking about myself loll I’ve observed libra venus and they seem like very passive aggressive people when in love unless they really bond/vibe with you.

scorpio venus: my sister sign lmaoo I would say no not really because of the possessiveness and obsession I could not stand someone asking a ton of unnecessary questions and being a weird person when I want to talk or hangout with someone else. But I love the loyalty they would bring to the table and just turn bring thoughtful , deep and meaningful conversations/gestures they would do simply because they are genuine and care.

sagittarius venus: ok I same thing for I said for gemini venus just having someone to go on adventures with and explore it just sounds like 😀🤌. Plus I love when people are positive and optimistic so definitely the people I would love to have reminding me too never give up and too keep going , I feel like the reason why I think we’d be a good match is because I’m a 9H venus myself so that could be very biased but at the same time awesome. Along with us learning foreign languages and talking about our beliefs/opinions without being judged means a lot to me yea we’d have our disagreements but other than that the love and passion would be mutual.

capricorn venus: pragmatic and mature people>> I would love to have someone who is mature in love and knows how to love , or know what it means to be in committed relationship!! Along with knowing their boundaries and where they stand is a huge green flag for me. Along with being ambitious and goal-oriented I AM ALL ABOUT HAVING GOALS AND AMBITIONS so people who know what to do in the future and has a plan they have all my love and support and Ik they’d support my goals and ambitions as well.

aquarius venus: hmm very interesting and intelligent people are the best I would definitely love for them too tell me random shit they know or some shit that they know especially if it’s something that only they know about. I feel like they could tell me anything weird/awkward and I would listen for HOURSS but also people who are concerned for other people’s wellbeing and how to help the community is something that would grab my attention so fast along with them being very futuristic , eccentric I think my weirdness wouldn’t be judged at all.

pisces venus: the type of people that I could go to a art or music festival with and someone who is just really and deeply in-tune with their emotions. I really love people who are passionate and are willing to share/express their emotions without shame or feeling like they’d be judged.

(This is just based off of opinions and observations so don’t take anything personal)

#astrology #astrology community #astrology observations #air signs #earth signs #venus signs #air venus

[27-royal-teas]

ok one thing I really like about idkhow’s vibe is the apathy. dallon is surrounded on all sides by things that are bright and vibrant and colorful but he himself is never smiling or frowning, only holding the same passive expression. the juxtaposition makes it feel odd and eerie. it gives a feeling of unsettling WRONG that I’m obsessed with. the bright colors of the album cover and his monochrome suit, melancholy expression, face turned down and too-pale. It would be so easy to create this over-exaggerated 80s vibe, too happy and smiling, but no, he keeps it vaguely sophisticated and bright, but tinged with something unique that no one else is able to bring to the table. 

and the tragic parallels that idkhow has to panic!. dallon and brendon, both the last ones left. It feels doomed. the difference in this is that while brendon was fighting to keep a dying dog alive, dallon got a cat. there is a lot I can say about this new era, least of all that ryan is gone. this new album may have minimal lyricism about ryan’s actions, but mostly, i think this is for dallon. he needs it. Im not entirely sure how much of an impact ryan had on the last album besides his drumming, but this album feels different. It has the sound that was there before but it has changed. It has altered. The band is growing and it is shifting and it is growing wings. I am so excited to see where dallon takes it from here. 

#idkhow #not sure where I was going with this. thoughts are way too scattered atm #toby speaks

[heartbreak-sandwich]

Unexpected Talents: Stranger Things Boys Edition ✨

Argyle: He has an amazing talent for visualization. He's always helping Joyce pick out colors for paint, curtains, rugs, and trim. He can design any room or space with whatever you happen to have on hand, and he will maximize its potential while creating a classy atmosphere that you didn't even know was possible with the items you provided. He really knows how to create a vibe and is a true interior decorator. He brings a spark of California luxury to every place he designs, and he is always asking Jonathan for advice on personal touches he can add as a nice surprise for his clients.

Billy Hargrove: It's no secret that Billy is absolutely obsessed with his appearance and doesn't care what anyone thinks when it comes to experimenting with looks. He is a fashion master. He's great a creating an outfit and pairing pieces for the perfect aesthetic. He knows how to use a sewing machine, repair and modify clothing, and he's always gifting everyone clothes and accessories and warning them not to make too big of a deal about it because it was "just something he happened to notice," but he's always obviously excited when he sees his friends arrive in one of his creations or gifts.

Eddie Munson: Spending much of his time alone and enduring many late nights after playing with his band, Eddie has learned to be a chef of epic proportions. He values the taste of good food, and he is well acquainted with his kitchen. He can grill, fry, bake, and make just about anything from scratch, including some extremely complex and tedious recipes. He is always presenting the group with homemade desserts and insisting that everyone join together for Sunday dinner, which he, of course, makes himself. He is always insisting that Argyle and Jonathan show up early to help him set the table and choose the right colors and dishes to compliment his meal presentation.

Jonathan Byers: Jonathan is quieter than most in the group, but we also know that's because of how observant he is. He remembers everyone's favorite color, food, song, and activity. He is the best party planner anyone has ever known. Everything he incorporates into the events, whether they be a surprise birthday party, an anniversary party, or a holiday celebration is uniquely personal and thoughtful. Everyone is always asking him to be the brains behind these operations, and every Byers event is captured in the sweetest photos that Jonathan gives away to the partygoers as gifts.

Steve Harrington: It started with a houseplant Robin was going to throw away. Steve decided on a whim to take it home and see if there was anything he could do for it. After a little bit of research and some basic chemistry advice from Dustin, he concocted the perfect fertilizer recipe and realized he had quite the green thumb. He now has a beautiful garden that completely covers the spare areas of his yard, and he spends his time growing fresh vegetables for Eddie's meal experiments and gorgeous seasonal flowers for Jonathan and Argyle to use in decorations. You can almost always find all of his friends with a fresh flower in their hair or pinned to their collars.

***I am SUPER in my feelings after making this. I love these dudes so much, and continuing them on as people makes me so happy. I hope you liked these, and feel free to add or request more if you'd like!!

#stranger things #argyle #billy hargrove #eddie munson #jonathan byers #steve harrington #stranger things boys #stranger things imagines #stranger things fanfic #billy hargrove imagine #argyle imagine #eddie munson imagine #jonathan byers imagine #steve harrington imagine #stranger things boys imagine #i love them sm #oc #stranger things oc #stranger things hidden talents

[generic-whumperz]

OC in 3

Choose 3 pics to represent your OC

Oops, I got overly excited and made 10 three-picture collages

Omg thank you @mj-iza-writer for the tag! I am honored that I came to mind! 🥹

No pressure (& open to anyone interested!) tag: @rainydaywhump @eatyourdamnpears @clairelsonao3 @dresden-syndrome @lights-out-knives-out @snakebites-and-ink

Soooo, I know I’m supposed only to pick three pics, but honestly, I simply cannot (I know, no surprise there). I have been wanting to do a vibe photo dump for The Aid (the Whumpee & title of the story) but have yet to do it (hello, my ever-expanding Pinterest boards), so I’ll take this chance to explore The Aid’s past phases he’s gone through (pre & post-Wyatt {Whumper #2}) and give some explanations because it’s a lot. However, I don’t know if explanations are necessary for this tag game, but I’m famously too much, so of course, I’m going to over-explain myself because of my crippling fear of being misunderstood!

Ironically (ironic because his real name reveal doesn't come until around chapter 25-ish), I call his time with Madame Eleanor (technical Whumper #1) his “Aid Era” because that’s when he becomes this character we are introduced to and currently know him as. Yet, this is the part of his life he is phasing out of. **Insert something-something about being haunted by your past.**

In the current storyline, he is going through a succession of more changes, and his world is about to be turned upside down yet again, but I’ll hold off on showing those for now because they’re spoilers, and I have more than enough here!

Starting from the top, here we goooo—

P.S. The people in these pics are not what the characters look like, this is simply vibes only!

Day 1

1. As soon as The Aid arrives at his new home, Madame Eleanor gets custom-made Gucci uniforms made for him that looks like this. This is his go-to everyday attire. (I spent too long looking at scrubs and hospitality uniforms on and off for over a month—tell me you like it and think it’s cool and sleek.)

2. He has a special built-in in his closet specifically for all his fancy, jewel-encrusted collars Madame Eleanor gifted him throughout the years, but this is what the facility's standard-issue collar looks like for his designation (Grand Servant: Domestic Aid).

3. His favorite Prada frames Madame Eleanor also got him that he bitches reminisces about in Chapter 6 (Wyatt breaks them because he’s an asshole, leaving him straight up blind for several months).

Fancy Threads

Eleanor Sullivan was a Rich Bitch™️ (I will make a separate post at some point about her house and The Aid’s room specifically because I spent way too much time obsessing over these deets), so best believe she had her servant dressed to the 9s in designer fits when out and about or for Family events and the like. She may also put him in a butler uniform from time to time when they were hosting a party at their residence—which was often, Eleanor was known for her soirées. (To clarify, he’d still wear a collar even when dressed up, and all those attending knew who and what he was.)

The Host

He loved a good party just as much as Eleanor did! He likes serving and seeing people have fun and enjoy themselves (people-pleasing empath). He was known for his food displays and had a knack for creating a proper afternoon tea spread that garnered attention from all those present. I also have Pinterest boards of some appetizer spreads and cool drink tables he would put together because I was really trying to understand him as a character.

Speaking of Empath…

We can’t talk about him without bringing up his not-so-secret secret! Lil’ homie has a gang of abilities (telepathic empathy, hyper intuition, premonitions, and psychometry) just bubbling up inside him at all times. His relationship with himself and his sixth senses is complicated, to say the least—he finds them burdensome, yet he cannot function without them, despite how much he argues otherwise. It’s a whole thing, but for a certified Telepathic-Empath™️, he sure is dead inside (which only gets worse after Wyatt OFC).

*Sorry for the shitty upload quality of the Emotional Sponge, idk why it looks so bad!

Domestic Duties

Not only can he slap together the best charcuterie board you’ve ever seen and easily untangle Christmas lights, but he’s also a man who can cook, clean, and keep a house. What can’t he do?

Hobbies? Interests?

Don’t be ridiculous, he didn’t have time for leisure activities! But when he had some occasional downtime, he would spend an ungodly amount of it doing facials and grooming himself. He also loved to go to the spa with Madame Eleanor. As far as reading went, he wasn’t into novels, but he would occasionally peruse short-story myths and legends, old fables, or read picture books in funny voices to Eleanor’s grandchildren. Primarily, he’d like to read trashy magazines, comics, and cookbooks. But let’s be real, he considered cleaning, gossiping, and baking his primary hobbies.

RIP Madame Eleanor Sullivan

(She’s been dead for about a year and a half when they story picks up)

First and foremost—above everything else—The Aid was Eleanor Sullivan’s literal live-in medically trained caregiver, which is why she bought him in the first place. They had a very close relationship for five years, and he did everything for her. When she died, his world was shattered, and he took her death really hard. Wyatt was jealous of his Mother’s relationship with her servant from day one, which is where part of his animosity comes from. Quick note—Eleanor was a posh, vintage-Chanel-wearing Grandma and would never be caught dead wearing a bathrobe outside. Eleanor was Queen of being That Bitch.

Enter: Wyatt Sullivan

These pics are pretty tame all things considered, but after Eleanor’s death, The Aid is now in a World O’ Hurt and the subject of Wyatt’s drug-and-alcohol-fueled rage. The Aid went from a high-class servant loved by his Madame and respected by her friends, associates, and family (besides Wyatt) to a human punching bag overnight. The beef between these two runs deep and maybe Eleanor isn’t as innocent as she seems. Stick around and you’ll find out all the Sullivan family tea.

To: Wyatt

Just some memes directed towards Wyatt and The Aid being painfully aware of his shitty situation (I got too many of these and had to sprinkle some in).

Where We’re at Now…

Quite the fall from grace, wouldn’t you say? Our boy is currently bed-ridden and zombified while having the worst time imaginable. He’s drugged up, fucked up, and can’t move half of his body! But don’t be fooled, this stay-cation is no fluffy recovery arc and you’ll meet some more distasteful Sullivans soon to come!

This took me an embarrassing amount of time to assemble, but I went the extra mile because this doubles as a reference guide. I had a lot of fun making this and I may make more (and way more chill ones that are just three pics, I swear) after I write Part 2 and introduce a gang of other characters alongside my most favorite-favorite guy!

#The Aid #Wyatt Sullivan #Eleanor Sullivan #The Aid lore #whump story #slavefic #character backstory #backstory #oc info #oc in three #oc story #ocs #oc creation #world building #OC world building #character creation #character vibes #oc whump #oc world #oc writing #captive whumpee #emotional whump #intimate whumper #pet whump #creepy whumper #caretaker turned whumpee #carewhumper #original character #original story #defiant whumpee

[blue-jisungs]

sunday morning…

a/n. this song has been on my mind on a constant loop for like 2 weeks now, thanks joshua 😀

au. coffee shop <3

warnings. cursing!

joshua really loved this cafe.

he discovered it one day on a rainy day. whilst looking for shelter he felt like drinking a warm cup of tea and some pastry. not only it wasn’t crowded but also the vibes were immaculate.

soft music, plants everywhere, warm lighting. and what - or who - also caught his eye was the cashier. you. but obviously you didn’t know that.

hence the reason he started visiting the cafe more often. by now you knew his order by heart (and also his name). sometimes he was so quiet you forgot he was there. just like today.

the rain was pouring outside the window and you were so caught in its sound and your work - which at the current moment was icing the fresh baked cinnamon rolls. you suddenly realised it’s was a sunday morning, which meant two things: the maroon 5 song and that you can go home soon (since it wasn’t your shift today but your coworker asked you to open up). before you knew, you subconsciously hummed:

“sunday morning, rain is falling…”

joshua’s head snapped in your direction, eyes widening. he observed you - in this cute, red apron and with the focus on your face. maybe he misheard? either way, it made his lips turn into a smile.

just when he was about to go back to his work, he heard…

“…steal some covers, share some skin…” you hummed again and leaned away to look at the rolls. now you just have to display them. you grabbed the plate and did just that while still (not noticing joshua) quietly singing “…clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable…”

you emptied the plate and put it in the dishwasher.

“…you twist to fit the mold that I am in…” you sighed, shaking your head and came back to admire your work with a grin on your face. that’s when you heard–

“…but things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do”

“holy shit–!” you yelped, head snapping up to see joshua sitting at his table. he was looking at you with that stupid, sweet smile of his–

“i didn’t know you like that song” he hummed and stood up, taking the empty plate and cup.

“i do. i forgot you’re here. shit, that scared me” you laughed, placing your hand on top of your heart dramatically.

“sorry, didn’t mean to. i’m just… a little obsessed with this song and i couldn’t help myself” he chuckled and put the dishes on the countertop.

“that’s fine. it’s really pretty, isn’t it? it always brings me comfort… a warm feeling” you smiled softly and put the dishes into dishwasher.

“it is” joshua agreed, not able to stop smiling.

“what are you doing here at this hour, anyway?” you asked and looked at him with curiosity. he shrugged.

“looking for inspiration. and you? this is not your shift” joshua replied, his chocolate-colored irises scanning your face. wait, how does he even know that..?

“yeah, you’re right. my coworker asked me to open up because she had a doctor appointment and might be late or something. that’s why i’m leaving once she arrives” you hummed.

“any plans?” he asked, leaning on the countertop. you shook your head as a no “…so maybe… we could go driving slow on sunday morning?”

you grinned, foolish smile caused by his antics. trying to remain calm (you failed miserably), you nodded a bit too energetically.

“but the coffee is on me this time” he winked.

“i’d love to” you sent him a warm smile and took off your apron upon noticing the silhouette of your coworker approaching.

[ masterlist <3 ]

taglist. @geniejunn ,, @luvhyun3 ,, @starlostseungmin ,, @elviransworld ,, @jnks6r ,, @sieunsgf ,, @lhsng ,, @ethereallino ,, @laylasbunbunny ,, @duolingofanaccount ,, @slytherinhobi ,, @jung0ne ,, @ka-ni-ma

#joshua #joshua x you #joshua x reader #joshua hong #joshua fluff #joshua svt #svt fluff #svt imagines #svt x reader #svt soft hours #svt reactions #svt vocal unit #joshua imagines

[hypnotisedfireflies]

hi. I’m obsessed with you 💓 you’re incredible. Just dropping in to remind you.

My birthday is on March 4th and I have a Drabble request/prompt/please ramble on about this idea in the lovely way you do with all them bullet points and angst that’s so romantic.

Tess as a Black Widow. Killer of men. Lures them in… murders them *during*.

Can you imagine?! The one guy she can’t bring herself to kill because they ✨see each other✨ AHHHHHHH

love u bye

You are so unhinged and ilu for this.

No seriously, ilu.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear friend! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and are spoiled rotten by your beautiful loved ones (and avoid bites, haha). 

I am not organized enough to write anything for this but I can freestyle some ideas so – birthday hats on everybody, streamers and cake:  let’s go with some Killer of Men Widowisms.  Um, proceed with caution I guess, but it’s probably pretty tame.

Okay so who is Tess in this scenario and why is she doing it?  A contract killer or out for her own kicks?  I like the sound of the latter to differentiate from anything else I’ve done.

So let’s go full serial killer with this one.  She’s organised, in control of her desires and travels for work, so she never chooses marks in her own backyard.  She aborts more kills than she follows through with because she’s so meticulous that her marks meet very specific criteria and things can’t be traced back to her.

She likes to drug them before they get started as  physical advantage but changes up the method of actual murder to try and eliminate falling into traceable patterns.

Sometimes she goes years between kills and as a result, when she picks Joel up in a bar she’s feeling particularly itchy.  This guy seems kind of nice.  She might ordinarily let this fish go, nice men don’t deserve messy ends.

But as their time together progresses she starts to get another vibe off him, and thinks maybe he’s not quite so nice as she thought.

So just as she’s about to unhook him she decides to go through with it, even though her instincts are undecided about what is actually going on.

They go back to her motel room, she drugs his drink but she’s still not sure, something’s off.  They get it on and he doesn’t really seem to respond to the effects of the drug she gave him, but she’s so intrigued by being unable to figure him out that she doesn’t pay it the attention she should. 

He’s rougher with her than she’d normally tolerate but she likes it – it’s exciting not really knowing if she’s in control or not, she’s always in control, and this uncertainty really thrills her.

They have ~amazing chemistry ofc

She doesn’t try to kill him when she normally would at point of climax.  She tells herself she’ll give it a few hours and maybe try again.

While Joel’s in the bathroom she examines his drink and the bottle of pills in her bag.  Counts them, she definitely gave it to him but … what’s that?  These pills aren’t hers.  These are not her drugs.

Joel opens the door and he’s like, “You think I didn’t see that comin’ a mile away?”

Tess:  “Did you go through my purse?  Those are my motion sickness pills,” blah blah lie lie.

And Joel tosses the pills on the bed.  “Those are cheatin’, sweetheart.  Where’s the fun if you don’t have to fight for it?”

Serial Killer Tess, meet Serial Killer Joel.

For his part, Joel was preying on her in turn and cottoned on when he caught her spiking his drink, which he then dealt with with some slick sleight of hand and swapped the rest of the pills while she was distracted on a phone call or something (idk)

Joel considered playing along and pretending to be drugged - he thought she was just going to rob him and liked the idea of turning the tables on her at some critical moment (surprise!serial killer, baby!)

But as it went on he realised she had no interest in robbing him, and he started recognising himself in her, and realised what was ACTUALLY her game

And yeah he liked that

Quite a lot

Very much actually thanks

So he let it all evolve but while she was courting the idea of killing him, as was he with her

So when he announced himself she finally got it and she was like, "Who the fuck are you?"

And he's all, "who the fuck are YOU?"

Sick professional meet and greet, each very impressed they've never even heard of each other

But they're successful because nobody knows their secret ... so only one person can leave in the morning, right?

... right?

ILU HAPPY BIRTHDAY. <3

#asks #joel miller #tess servopoulos #joel x tess

[theharrowing]

Dollhouse 25 💛: Chasing ghosts

Hoseok’s job is simple: He enters the host’s body, he confiscates or terminates the target, and he gets back into his own body by dinnertime, easy peasy. Until a client comes along who becomes as obsessed with his life as he becomes with theirs, and the lines between their realities begin to blur.

PREVIOUS | INDEX 

💛 Hoseok x Namjoon, Hoseok x Taehyung x Jimin 💛 word count: 13.4 words 💛 hired assassin au, sci-fi, body swapping, graphic violence, infidelity, body dysphoria, lgbtq, smut, fluff, angst, poly, nsfw, smut, 21+ 💛 chapter warnings: tripping on acid (time becoming disjointed and scenes switching abruptly; hallucinations), heavy feelings & crying, infidelity (kind of), smut (sex while high, mmm threesome, you know the drill), minor character death (kind of), unhappy & unresolved ending!!! i warned you before, and i am warning you again!

💛 listen: i feel an immense amount of emotional connection to this fic, having spent over a year and a half writing it, and reaching this point has been so bittersweet. i struggled a lot writing this last chapter, and i have realized it is because of two reasons. 1.) it makes me sad to say goodbye. i think i have been grieving the end for months. 2.) this chapter is completely unnecessary. with the way i plan to "resolve" things, i could have done it easily at the end of the last one, without dragging it all out. but we're here and i decided to give Hoseok one last trip. i feel like i am pulling a neon genesis evangelion, and that because this fic has been such a reflection of my depression and anxiety and gender confusion, that it won't have the ending anyone likes. i'm okay with that, but i hope you at least have fun one more time. 💛 beta read by @neoneunnajimin 💛 posted july 2023 | read on ao3

There is something about this strange, dimly-lit whiskey bar that sits along a busy tourist street, with tons of foot traffic, 7,000 km from home that makes Hoseok feel nostalgic. The place is cramped with loud customers, the music is tacky and awful, and the vibe of the place is—for all intents and purposes—off. 

But as Hoseok slides into a booth along the back wall and a glass of neat mid-tier whiskey is set in front of him in a round tumbler, he takes in the cracked burgundy leather and golden glow of the light fixtures, and he remembers sitting in a booth just like this the day Jeongguk suggested they partner swap. 

What a strange memory to hold onto so dearly, Hoseok thinks, chewing on the inside of his lip. 

It feels like a lifetime ago.

Jimin scoots in on Hoseok's right, closer than Hoseok would have expected. He wears a faint floral and citrus perfume that is inviting and not too cloying, and a plain black tee tucked into tight black jeans with a light blue denim jacket over top. A light shimmering pink is dusted over his eyes, which Hoseok has a better look at sitting this close, and he wears sunglasses on his head that push his hair back, as well as silver dangling earrings, a black leather belt, and black Chelsea boots. 

Taehyung sits across the table, in a chair. His outfit is all warm tones and flowy fabrics, with an oversized honey shirt unbuttoned low to reveal a generous amount of skin, and a hint of low-cut beige fabric, all of which is tucked loosely into tan slacks. His brown loafers disappear under the wide-cut pants, and his neck, ears, and fingers are adorned in silver. An earthy musk hangs around Taehyung, greeting Hoseok as he leans over the table to rub a thumb just under Jimin's eye. 

"You have some mascara where it doesn't belong," he mutters while Jimin swats his hand away with a pout. 

The leather upholstery whines and bounces as Jimin shifts around, facing Hoseok. He pinches the fabric of Hoseok's floral bomber jacket in his fingers, eyeing it up as if he wants to ask about it, but then asks, "What brings you here," instead. 

It takes a second for Hoseok to catch up, reeling a little over Jimin's proximity. He tries to respond while looking at the man, but those wide, curious eyes dusted in pink and lined in black make it hard for him to think, so he turns away, glances at a curious Taehyung, and lets his gaze drop to the caramel-colored drink in his hands. 

"Honestly," Hoseok sighs, lifting his glass toward his lips. "I don't know. I was on a work trip but plans changed, and now I'm just…chasing ghosts."

Taehyung hums, catching Hoseok's attention, then nods in understanding, wearing a beautifully sad smile. "Sounds lonely," he mutters, and Hoseok chuckles. 

"Yeah," he admits, "it is."

Now that they are seated, and Hoseok is able to fully take in the appearances of the two men, he struggles to wrap his head around the fact that they really do exist. Both Taehyung and Jimin are anomalies in their own right, and Hoseok cannot put his finger on whether they are genuine or not. They are both strikingly beautiful with curious smiles, and they both look so sad. 

Taehyung shifts and leans forward, resting both elbows on the table with his left arm stretched all the way forward as if pointing to Jimin while he speaks, but with a relaxed hand. He mutters something low and soft in a dulcet tone impossible to pick up on from across the table, and Jimin hums in understanding, nodding his head. 

Hoseok does his best to alternate between glancing at Taehyung's lips and staring at his drink while listening, curious if he can pick up on even one word, but it is almost as if the man is speaking an entirely different language. The rise and fall of syllable tone sounds like a Gyeongsang dialect, especially when he speaks clearly, somewhere between Busan and Daegu. But although he can make out hints of pattern and drawl, he cannot pick up on a single word the man is saying.

"I feel like a ghost sometimes," Jimin says with a sigh, pulling the conversation back as if they never stopped. 

Taehyung, with his arm still outstretched, turns his head to Hoseok, hanging loose as if it is on a string—as if he is not in full control of his body, dangling awkwardly. He pulls his lips into a strange, toothy, rectangular smile that Hoseok cannot quite parse, and then he sits up tall, rolls his shoulders back, and begins to drink.

Hoseok heavy-blinks and turns slightly toward Jimin, whose wide eyes are watching him intently. Jimin almost appears to be searching for something—mouth tugged down into a frown—but then he blinks and smiles, as toothy as Taehyung but far less forced. 

"You should let us dose you," Jimin mutters softly with a sudden sparkle in his eye.

"Dose?" Hoseok asks, looking between the two of them, wondering if they mean LSD or something similar.

"We're gonna start coming up kinda soon," Jimin says, placing a hand on Hoseok's thigh that feels warm and inviting, which Hoseok looks down at quickly before pulling his eyes up to Taehyung. "It might be weird for you if you're the only one who isn't high."

"Do you ever take acid?" Taehyung asks, and Hoseok shakes his head, looking between the two of them. He has taken acid back in college, but not enough to hallucinate. Never enough to hallucinate.

"But you've taken ecstasy before," Jimin states—not asks. 

Hoseok turns to him, knitting his brow and searching his face, muttering, "How do you know that?"

Jimin squeezes Hoseok's leg and says, "Everyone has, silly!" with a bright, infectious giggle. 

Yes, Hoseok thinks, but if you are who I think you are, then you know firsthand that I have.

"Are you afraid of taking drugs?" Taehyung asks, but Jimin squeezes Hoseok's thigh again before Hoseok can turn to respond, keeping his attention on him. 

"I bet there are things you want to ask us," Jimin says sweetly, leaning in as if telling Hoseok a secret. "And we will tell you absolutely everything you want to know. But only once you're high."

With a pounding heart and curious mind, Hoseok swallows thickly and considers the proposition.

"What kinds of things do you think I am curious to know about you?" Hoseok asks, causing Jimin's smile to widen and become more dangerous. 

"Anything," Jimin mutters, leaning in close, wetting his lips with a bubblegum pink tongue. "What are two beautiful, enigmatic men doing on the wrong continent, for starters."

"But you can't have all the fun," Taehyung adds, pulling Hoseok's gaze to where he rests his chin in his hands, with his cheeks squished cutely, both elbows on the table. "We get to ask you questions, too."

Taking a somewhat unknown substance in an unfamiliar place with two potential strangers feels dangerous. Every instinct tells Hoseok that it is the wrong thing to do, and that he should not agree to do it. 

But if this is Yoongi and Jeongguk, he knows he has to. Maybe they only feel comfortable with revealing their identities to Hoseok while he is high. All he has to do is hold onto the memory…how hard can that be?

"Alright," Hoseok says, watching as Taehyung grins wide and feeling Jimin's excited hands claw at his thigh. "But I don't know what to expect. You guys…you have to look out for me."

Fingernails scratch at Hoseok's scalp, and he turns to find Jimin grinning as he musses up Hoseok's hair, then drapes his arm around his shoulder, saying, "We are going to take such good care of you," while using his index finger to boop Hoseok on the nose.

A chill runs down Hoseok's spine, and he attempts to get his bearings, but the atmosphere of the bar is overwhelming, and these two are acting very strange. But also very fun. He cannot seem to keep his eyes off Jimin, and the way he is acting—very touchy and smiley—does not help.

"I hate this place," Taehyung announces with a sigh and a pout. "It was more fun the other night."

"I hate it too," Jimin whines before picking up his whiskey and slamming it back. He sets his glass down with a thud and says, "Bottoms up! Let's move."

Without thinking twice, Hoseok picks up his glass and slams its contents back, swallowing it all too fast to second-guess the oily quality of the liquid, and the bitter taste and smell that is so slight, it is barely detected. But Hoseok does detect it, and he licks his lips, eyes trailing between the two of them. 

"Did you already—" Hoseok begins to ask, but Jimin is yanking him by the arm out of the booth, and in a frenzy, he complies, getting onto his feet as best as he can while scooting sideways past the table at his hips. 

When he is on his own two feet, standing without obstruction, Jimin takes him by the hand and pulls him through the crowded space, to where Taehyung is already walking ahead, toward the exit. 

"Did he already dose me?" Hoseok asks, to which Jimin giggles loudly without looking back. 

The evening air hits Hoseok and he scrunches his shoulders high. It is not necessarily cold, but everything feels heightened—anticipatory—making him shiver as gusts of wind blow through his hair. Jimin's hand is warm and holds firm, and their pace seems somewhat rushed as they make their way down the block, snaking through pedestrians on the sidewalk, to a nightclub that Hoseok has walked past but never entered. 

Taehyung shows his ID at the door, and Jimin rummages through his pocket for his, letting go of Hoseok's hand only long enough to pull the card from his wallet and allow Hoseok to do the same. Once security has scrutinized their foreign cards and compared them to their faces, Jimin has Hoseok's hand in his, tugging him through the dark entrance. 

"I liked the first club we went to," Jimin pouts as a short hallway opens into a larger space packed with writhing bodies. 

Loud house music thrums through every inch of the space, into Hoseok's bloodstream, and the rainbow lights that flash colorful beams throughout are somewhat disorienting. 

"I did too," Taehyung responds over his shoulder. "But it's too soon to go back there."

"Why?" Hoseok asks without thinking.

Jimin shrugs and looks over his shoulder to say, "Just 'cause!" as they continue leading the way. 

They walk past the main dance floor, to a tall, muscular security guard near the back bar. Taehyung lifts a hand to whisper something into the ear of the man, who nods his head to the side and then nods his head to Jimin. 

Taehyung leads the way through a black door that is almost indistinguishable against the black wall, into another hallway, which stretches about twenty feet before curving to the left, at a set of stairs. As they walk up, Hoseok surmises that this must be some sort of VIP section, and he wonders what kind of pull Taehyung has—how does he have access to places like this? If they have only been in Sydney for a little while, what kind of connections does he have?

The space they enter is a mezzanine that overlooks the club. There are tables along the railing and a bar off to the left. Past the bar are booths with privacy curtains, and Jimin leads Hoseok in that direction while Taehyung veers off toward the bar. 

"You guys must have connections," Hoseok shouts over the music once they are close to the booths and seem to be out of earshot of most people. 

Jimin pulls Hoseok to the last booth, checking each one they walk past and seeing that they all appear empty, with their curtains open, and then he holds out his hand, motioning for Hoseok to get in. 

Hoseok hesitates, then has a seat on the round black leather cushion and begins to slide toward the center. Jimin follows suit, sitting very close despite how much room there is. Once they are settled, Jimin lifts his arm, resting his elbow on the seatback between him and Hoseok, and begins running his fingers through Hoseok's hair. 

"Are the two of you a couple?" Hoseok asks. 

Jimin's eyes widen and shimmer as he says, "We are."

Hoseok nods, wetting his lips while looking around at the black leather and velvet enclosure. "How long have you two been together?"

Taehyung arrives with a round black tray balanced on his hand, holding three glasses of caramel-colored liquid. "Forever," he says, as he sets the tray down and slides it to the center of the table. 

"Forever, hmm?" Hoseok challenges playfully, glancing between Jimin, who stares at Hoseok, to Taehyung, who closes the velvet curtains before having a seat and sliding in on Hoseok's other side. 

There is a small, purple overhead light, and a candle encased in a red glass cup in the center of the table, giving the space an eerie glow. It feels as if Hoseok's senses have suddenly dulled, and the dizzying pounding of his heart certainly does not help. 

Taehyung does not scoot quite as close, but Hoseok can feel his warmth radiate, and as he sits back, staring forward at the small golden flame, an odd sense of discomfort settles over him.

"Did you dose me already?" Hoseok asks, turning to Taehyung, whose features almost appear gruesome in the dim light. 

"I did," Taehyung responds sweetly. "But only after you said yes."

Hoseok nods and accepts the response, though he would have liked to know how much of the substance he was given. Anxiety buzzes through him, just under his skin. He shrugs from his jacket, suddenly feeling too warm, and looks ahead at the three untouched drinks on the table, asking, "So, now what?"

"So," Jimin responds sweetly—emphatically, "now we drink these drinks, and we wait."

The anticipation of a high is often so nerve-wracking that Hoseok already laments the idea. But what choice does he have?

"And after we wait…?" Hoseok tries, glancing between Taehyung and Jimin, who both watch him. 

"You seem tense," Taehyung says so low it is almost lost beneath the loud club beat. Oddly, Hoseok had been unaware of the music blaring until he struggled to hear soft, dulcet tones blending through and beneath it. 

With a nod, Hoseok rolls his shoulders back in an attempt to relax. "I have that habit," he responds. 

Fingertips dig into Hoseok's shoulders in deep, slow circles and firm lines, tugging him to and fro, making his eyes roll back. Jimin is surprisingly good at massaging, and while Hoseok shifts around to give him more access, his mind flashes to a certain bathtub all those months ago, with a certain set of hands. 

"Relax," Jimin purrs close to Hoseok's ear, dragging the syllables long as warm breath wafts against his skin, turning the path to goosebumps. "Taehyungie and I got you for tonight. Don't let any other outside stressors cloud your mind."

As Jimin's hands move down Hoseok's back, he blurts, "I'm married," unsure why the information feels pertinent to share, aside from how intimate everything feels. To his surprise, Jimin's hands do not pause. 

"Hmm?" Taehyung hums as the weight in front of Hoseok shifts physically and audibly. He hears a glass getting set down on the table close to him. Taehyung's voice is playful as he adds, "And where is your husband?"

Hoseok's eyes flutter open, and he blinks Taehyung into view, finding the man sitting closer than before with his torso facing Hoseok, one leg crooked on the seat, cradling a glass between long fingers. 

"How did you know my spouse is a man?" Hoseok asks, feeling his heart grow heavier by the second. 

With a shrug and lift of a brow, Taehyung mutters, "Lucky guess," and Hoseok frowns, feeling unsatisfied. After a moment of tracing Hoseok's face with his eyes, Taehyung adds, "Straight men don't usually allow other men to drag them around and give them back massages, let's be honest."

"I suppose that's true," Hoseok mutters as Jimin's thumbs rub up his neck, causing his head to tip forward and his eyes to close. 

"So," Taehyung begins, paused by the sound of him taking a drink from a glass. "Why were you searching for us?"

Hoseok feels startled as his eyes dart open once more. He instinctively tries to sit up and adjust his posture, but Jimin's small but strong hands hold him in place.

"It's fine, darling," Jimin purrs sweetly, squeezing and rubbing Hoseok's shoulders and biceps. "You were just…not very discrete."

Hoseok sighs, then reaches for the drink that Taehyung had set closer to him. His glass feels colder than usual against his palm, and condensation drips down his wrist. Although Jimin's hands remain on Hoseok, his touch is much lighter, trailing fingertips up to his neck and back down, dragging the cloth of his white t-shirt. 

"I thought you were someone," Hoseok admits before taking a long sip of his drink. The whiskey is sweeter than expected, and he lets it settle on his tongue before swallowing it back. 

Jimin responds, "You thought we were…someone else?" 

"It's…a long story," Hoseok says, taking one more drink and setting his glass down.

Taehyung leans close and smiles, and for just a moment his pouty rectangular mouth sharpens. His eyes become wide, round galaxies, and Hoseok's mouth hangs around the name Jeongguk.

"You'll have to tell us all about it," Taehyung says, deep voice lilting high and sweet, familiar in a way that makes his heart ache. 

Hoseok blinks, and Taehyung is himself again. A surge of emotion fills him, and he swallows a lump, ignoring the way the vines that squeeze him so tightly sharpen with thorns. He almost feels guilty for wishing Taehyung were Jeongguk. 

"It might seem too strange to believe," Hoseok says, attempting to change the topic. 

"We'll circle back to it later," Jimin says, giving Hoseok's shoulders a squeeze before scooting away, leaving Hoseok feeling alone. "You're about to come up, and I don't need you stressing out about silly little details at a time like this."

"Oh," Hoseok mutters, nervously gripping his glass tightly. He wants to ask how Jimin knows he will be coming up soon—what coming up even entails—but he agrees that this may not be the time to stress about silly little details. 

Not to mention, the space they are in is beginning to appear foggy, and Hoseok is unsure whether that is a product of an actual fog machine, or if it is just a trick his brain is playing on him. Either way, he can't stop thinking about it.

"How does the music feel?" Taehyung asks—and it is strange that Taehyung should ask this, because right in this moment, the bass of the loud club music feels visceral and enrapturing, throbbing and pulsating through him, changing the nature of his nervous system, in synch with his heartbeat. Somehow, the music has found a home buried under his skin, and he thinks the way the candle flickers gently on the table must be tethered to his soul.

What the fuck did he drink?

"Good," is all Hoseok can bring himself to say. "Feels…" his mouth is dry, and he lifts his glass, muttering, "good," before taking a final gulp. 

"Should I get us water?" Jimin asks as the sound of him sliding away can be heard. 

Panic strikes Hoseok, who looks to Jimin worried, but Jimin smiles sweetly at him and then at Taehyung, nodding as he continues to slide. 

"Thanks, hyungie," Taehyung says, blowing a kiss in the air. 

When the curtains part for Jimin to exit, blue and purple beams of light enter the booth, and Hoseok's heart soars. He thinks that he would like to see more of the lights, but once the curtain is drawn, he is washed over with relief. It was glorious but too much, he thinks; likely to overwhelm him quickly.  

"Is he okay?" Hoseok asks, lurching slightly between words; he feels gassy, like he is belching, but only the tiniest pockets of air seem to be rising to his throat, and he finds it unsettling. He swallows thickly, wetting his lips. "Uh—out there alone, I mean."

"Oh, he's fine," Taehyung responds with a wide smile that morphs back to a familiar one that Hoseok has to blink away. "Not his first rodeo. And the bartender is a friend."

"Oh?"

"Mmhmm."

Time seems hard to grasp, or maybe Hoseok is overthinking it. For all he knows, Jimin left two minutes ago or an hour ago; all he can fully comprehend is that his heart is pounding and he feels antsy. 

"Hoseok," Taehyung prompts, after an amount of time that could have dragged but maybe not. 

"Hmm?"

"Be honest," Taehyung drawls slowly and easily. 

And Hoseok sits up straight, readying every fiber in his body to being honest. He may not be aware of too much at this moment in time, but he is sure that he wants to be honest, come what may. 

Taehyung smirks easily—lips tugging widely, showing more teeth than Hoseok thinks he may have ever seen. When he opens his mouth, Hoseok leans in close, ready to listen. 

"Do you think this haircut suits me?"

Taehyung's hair is a tuft of waves hanging over his forehead, framing his face beautifully with the sides and neck cut tight. Hoseok does not have to inspect it, but he does, leaning forward and nodding his head. 

"Yeah," he responds somewhat slowly. "It does."

"I wasn't too sure about it," Taehyung pouts, running his hands through it. 

Hoseok mirrors the pout, asking, "Oh?"

"I'm not used to wavy hair, so it was a challenge to learn how to style."

"You're not?" Hoseok asks, tilting his head, inspecting the hair. There is no way this is a perm, he thinks; it looks natural.

Rather than respond, Taehyung just sits back with his arms crossed over his chest, and he smiles widely. Something glimmers in his eye that Hoseok thinks he should be able to interpret, but he finds that he cannot. Suddenly, he feels like he is forgetting something. No, not forgetting—missing. 

Hoseok wants to ask, but how would Taehyung know what he is missing? It makes no sense. Still, Taehyung knows something, with how he studies and smiles.

"Where are you from?" Hoseok asks. His mouth feels terribly dry, and he looks around, disappointed to only see empty whiskey glasses. Three. There is a third person…where is Jimin?

"The countryside," Taehyung responds, "near Daegu."

"Daegu," Hoseok mutters under his breath, reprimanding his heart and mind for both thinking about Yoongi. Don't think about him, don't think about him, don't think about him.

"Jimin's from Busan," Taehyung says, lifting an eyebrow.

Busan trails into Jeongguk trails into the letters that they forged. Why did they make those letters? Who were they hiding from? Were they trying to hide from me? Hoseok squeezes his eyes closed, lifts his heavy, heavy arms, and digs the heels of his hands into his eyes. 

"You alright?" Taehyung asks, and the words sound slow, like they are sinking deep, deep, deep into wherever Hoseok feels like he is dropping. 

"Thirsty," Hoseok mutters, holding back the rest. How can he tell Taehyung that he thinks he may be missing something very dear and important? Would Taehyung understand?

Loud house music plays, and Hoseok allows himself to hear it. It feels sleepy and awake at the same time—a quick drum beat over something dreamy and slow. Hoseok drops his hands down, but his eyes stay closed, and he imagines stars swirling across a dark sky, dancing and leaving a trail of glitter in their path, illuminating the heavens brighter and brighter. It feels hopeful. 

But then he thinks of Namjoon and how much he has fucked up being a good husband to his big dumb cutie in the last year. Will Namjoon be home when he returns? He continues to dwell on it—thinks he wouldn't deserve it if he was. Even if the thought threatens to suffocate and swallow him whole—suck him up into the glittering, swirling, unforgiving sky—he cannot stop thinking about it.

"Water!" Jimin sing-songs, and Hoseok opens his eyes to find him standing in the open curtain, shrouded in a halo of purple light. He looks angelic, covered in a sheen of sweat with wide, high pupils. In his arms, he hugs six water bottles, and when he bends to place them onto the table, they tumble haphazardly and begin to roll in all directions.

Hoseok half-stands and reaches for one that threatens to go over the edge close by, and he stands it on the table before assisting with gathering the rest. Although the music is louder and the lights are bright, Hoseok kind of likes having the curtains open. He begins to ask if they can keep them there, but Jimin begins to dance, and Hoseok loses his words. 

"I love this song," Jimin sighs as he runs his hands up his neck and into his hair, swaying his body slowly from side to side. 

His jacket is gone, and he only wears a black tee tucked into black pants, and although it is dark, the material hugs Jimin as he sways and swishes. Hoseok would try not to stare if he were in his right mind, but he finds he simply cannot help himself. Jimin is a sight to behold, and with the bright purple glow of the lights, he is magnificent. 

"You should dance with me," Jimin says, and Hoseok continues to watch him, expecting Taehyung to get up and join him. But then, when nothing happens, Hoseok glances around and realizes that Taehyung, and now Jimin, are looking at him.

"M-me?" Hoseok asks, shifting in his seat, unsure whether he could stand, much less move his body, in his current state. 

"Yes, you, silly," Jimin giggles, holding out his hands. 

And it is not that Hoseok would deny someone like Jimin anything, but he needs to adjust to his current situation first. Hoseok nods, but he reaches for the closest water bottle and twists the tiny plastic top. The water is cold—so cold it takes Hoseok by surprise, and he has to stop and catch his breath for a split moment before continuing to drink. 

Water is a gift. Suddenly, Hoseok feels recharged—a new man! He replaces the little plastic cap and then places both hands down on the booth to slide along the curve to freedom. Jimin continues to sway, holding his arms open wide for Hoseok, who finally scoots close to the edge and holds his own arms up. 

Jimin's hands are cold and soft when they grip onto Hoseok's wrists and yank with a surprising amount of strength. Hoseok chuckles as he is tugged on, and he stumbles onto his feet, nearly crashing into Jimin in the process, making Jimin's giggles turn into full-body laughter. 

"There you are," Jimin says sweetly, wrapping his arms around Hoseok's shoulders and slowly swaying his body for him. "How do you feel, baby?"

Jimin's face shifts and morphs ever so slightly as he speaks, tugging hard at Hoseok's heartstrings. He can almost hear the question asked in a deeper timber, grazed with a rasp. The vines suffocate. 

"Good," Hoseok lies, because physically, he really does feel good despite the treachery his mind is playing on him.

"Are you sure?" Jimin asks, dancing his fingers into Hoseok's hair. "You look sad."

"I am," Hoseok admits with a smile that he can feel tugging down into a frown. He is filled with the sudden urge to cry, and he shakes his head, doing his best to stay present and sway his body along with Jimin. At some point, the song must have changed, but the beat is similar, and he likes how it makes him feel floaty and soft and a little bit heavy. "I miss someone. Two someones. And you two sort of remind me of them. But that's fine. Missing people is another part of loving people, right? It's just life."

Hoseok knows he is rambling, but he finds it hard to stop once he has started. And Jimin is so patient, watching with an expression that looks so sad despite his attempt to smile. 

"Where are they now?" Jimin asks sweetly, tilting his head to the side.

Hoseok laughs through a sob, realizing suddenly that he has been crying. Hot tears pour as he blinks, but he allows them to fall freely as Jimin sways him to the music, letting his arms hang at his sides. 

"I don't know," Hoseok says, searching Jimin's face before letting his gaze fall to some spot on his shirt. "I thought perhaps they would be here, but…"

"But you found us, instead," Jimin responds so quietly, it nearly gets lost in the music. 

"Why did you dose me?" Hoseok asks, lifting his gaze to find Taehyung standing behind Jimin, leaning against the edge of the booth with his arms crossed loosely over his chest. 

Taehyung shrugs. "Because we thought it would be weird if you were the only one sober."

"But why me?" Hoseok has no idea what he is asking for; he simply refuses to believe that all of this is random. 

"You came with us," Taehyung simply responds. 

"Hmm," Hoseok nods, but he does not accept the answer. 

"You let me come with you," Hoseok continues, thinking about the conversation moments ago—maybe hours ago, "even though you thought I was looking for you."

Jimin laughs, leaning forward with enough force that it pushes Hoseok back, and he stumbles slightly. The more time he spends with Jimin, the less he finds it likely that he could be Yoongi or Jeongguk…except every once in a while, he says something that Yoongi would say, and it throws him off. 

"We were avoiding you when we realized you were looking for us," Taehyung teases as Hoseok attempts to get his balance back and Jimin continues to lean into him, laughing. "But you didn't seem like much of a threat, so—"

Before Hoseok can stop himself, he blurts, "Are you hiding from someone?"

The laughter dies, and Jimin straightens out and turns back to Taehyung, who continues to stand stoically and watch them. With a lift of his brow, Taehyung mutters, "Aren't we all?"

Hoseok considers it. He is not hiding from anyone, necessarily, but he was also not completely forthcoming with Namjoon about his whereabouts. 

"Maybe not hiding," Jimin adds with a disarming smile. "Maybe some of us are running."

Hoseok nods, accepting this addendum. "I am running," he admits. "But I'm not sure in which direction."

"What do you mean?" Jimin asks, tilting his head while watching Hoseok with wide, eager eyes. 

"I'm not sure if I'm running to someone or away from someone."

Hoseok's arms are lifted, draped over Jimin's hips. He has no memory of positioning them this way, but it feels nice. He notices Taehyung's gaze drift to his hands, and he wonders what the man is thinking. Luckily for him, Taehyung seems to always blurt out whatever is on his mind. 

"You don't have a wedding band."

"No," Hoseok says with a frown. "I'm not allowed to wear one at work, so I have grown accustomed to not wearing one at all.”

"And your husband?" Taehyung asks.

Come to think of it, Hoseok has no idea whether Namjoon wears his band anymore. Although it is not prohibited for him to do so at work, he prefers not to. They used to wear their bands on the weekends, but it has been months since Hoseok has removed his from the little gold dish that it rests on, atop their dresser. 

"I don't know," is all Hoseok says, swallowing thickly, mouth running dry. 

He is grateful when they do not ask for more information. And, when he drops his arms from Jimin's swaying sides and turns to grab for a bottle of water, he is grateful that Jimin's hold loosens before falling away entirely, giving Hoseok full mobility. 

Hoseok's pulse is heavy, and he feels dizzy as he stands as steadily as possible—feet planted hard onto the floor—and puts his focus on another tiny white cap. He must be squeezing the bottle too hard because water flows from the mouth once the cap is free, dribbling onto his hand. 

His hands shake a little as he lifts the bottle to his lips, and the water is so cold that it takes Hoseok by surprise again. He wants to gulp it back quickly, but he takes his time, one frigid sip after another until he feels sated enough to set the bottle down. Maybe he should have taken a drink from the one he had already opened, but that one is far away, and he is unsure whether he can trust his body to bend at the hips and not topple over completely. 

"Are you overwhelmed here?" Jimin asks at the same time fingertips dance in the hairs at the nape of Hoseok's neck. 

"I think so," Hoseok responds, suddenly acutely aware of just how intense the bright lights and booming music are becoming.

"I know a place," Jimin says, leaning in close enough that his breath is warm and inviting on Hoseok's neck. His voice is so low when he asks, "Do you trust me?" that Hoseok once again lets his mind wander to someone else. 

"Yes," he responds without hesitation. "I trust you."  

Hoseok barely keeps up with the rush of movement, but suddenly Jimin is wearing his denim jacket again, and he is putting water bottles into pockets on the inside of the jacket that are large enough to fit two each. Hoseok climbs into the booth on his knees to stretch forward and get his coat, then he slides his arms into the sleeves and holds onto the bottle that he had just been drinking from. Taehyung must grab the others, and Jimin takes Hoseok's free hand and tugs him along, causing him to stumble as they make their way past the booths to the stairs. 

Although he enjoys their company, Hoseok hopes that they do not continue to bounce from place to place. He feels heavy on his legs but also too light—like his body is made of boiled rice cakes that wobble in an attempt to hold him steady. Hoseok shoves his water bottle into a jacket pocket and grips the railing tightly as they go down the stairs, watching as the shadows and light bend and move beneath him, focusing instead on trusting his legs to know the right size steps to make because watching his feet is impossible and borderline terrifying. 

The music warps and sways around him, twisting and pulling in strange, disorienting syncopations—dizzying and hard to follow. He can feel that his hand is sweaty in Jimin's grasp, but Jimin continues to hold tightly and guide Hoseok through the hallway, into the main club, and to the front exit. 

Briefly, Hoseok's feet stop, causing his hand to partially slip from Jimin's grip. He watches the dance floor, taking in the lights and the sounds and the writhing bodies, and he thinks very briefly that he would like to be part of that. But imagining himself in the hot throng of limbs, bass, and sweat makes him nervous, and he shakes his head, dispelling the thought while gripping onto Jimin's hand a little tighter and muttering, "Let's go."

As soon as Jimin tugs Hoseok out into the street, everything in the world shifts. The sky is a strange murky, mossy green that skies never are, and the sidewalk feels too soft underfoot and far away. Hoseok stumbles and struggles to get his bearings, and when Jimin lets go of his hand, his heart beats too heavily in his chest, and he feels like curling into a ball and crying. 

"Piggyback?" Taehyung asks, crowding in front of Hoseok and bending low. 

"I don't…feel…" Hoseok begins, and Taehyung turns slightly, and says, "I know. It's okay, I'll carry you."

Although Hoseok is no stranger to piggyback rides, getting onto Taehyung's back is extremely precarious. Hoseok flings his arms over Taehyung's shoulders, but he cannot, for the life of him, seem to be able to pull himself up and lift his legs. Two hands on his ass gently but firmly shove him upward, and then arms wrap around his thighs in a haphazard tangle that has Hoseok gripping onto Taehyung for dear life.

People pass them by on the street, and the sounds of their voices are too loud, too high, too conspiratorial. Hoseok buries his face into the nape of Taehyung's neck and attempts to breathe, but his breath is sticky-hot against Taehyung's skin, and he finds that his hair smells oddly familiar. 

"What shampoo do you use?" Hoseok mutters with his lips grazing over the salty-sweet neck.

"Hmm, good question," Taehyung says softly—almost too soft to be heard over the incessant loud clattering of the busy street. "Whatever the hotel supplies."

"I don't think so," Hoseok mumbles, rubbing his nose against the short hairs at Taehyung's neck, detecting hints of something that he knows very, very well—something distinct. 

He wonders if his behavior is odd, but decides he does not want to put Taehyung on the spot to ask. If it is, he finds he does not really want to stop, anyway. If it is not, that may be a strange thing for someone like Taehyung to have to admit to him. 

"Who do I smell like?" Taehyung asks, taking Hoseok by surprise. 

"Jeongguk," he says without giving it a moment of thought.

"Jeongguk," Taehyung parrots, squeezing at Hoseok's heart because to say a name aloud gives it power, and Jeongguk is the kind of man who—Hoseok surmises—has had a little too much power at his fingertips. "Pretty name. Who is that?"

"Someone I love," Hoseok says, resting the side of his face against Taehyung's shoulder and daring to open his eyes. All the lights on the street vibrate and trail, vivid and abnormal, almost oppressive in their glow. "Someone who broke my trust but who I would give anything to see again."

Hoseok thinks he hears Taehyung hum; he thinks he feels it. And then Taehyung carries him off the main stretch and into a quieter area. Hoseok lets out a deep exhale, thankful for the barrage of sounds to end. Even without glancing around, he can smell pollen and tree sap, and he thinks he knows where he is.

"The botanical gardens?" Hoseok asks. 

"Clever, clever," he hears Jimin respond. 

Hoseok closes his eyes and sighs, and when he opens them, he is standing on his own two feet, staring up at the night sky through large panes of rectangular glass. The stars and clouds twist and sway like a Van Gogh painting, and he blinks slowly, curious when they change form and disappointed when they begin to smudge and wither away. 

And then he is sitting on a wooden bridge beside a pond, watching koi fish walk by. They all hold briefcases and wear little top hats, and Hoseok giggles at the thought of them all leaving to go to their day jobs. What would koi fish do for a living, dressed that way? Stockbrokers? Too droll for something so pretty and lucky, he thinks, but it is perhaps a prosperous enough career.

"It was overwhelming," Hoseok hears himself say, and then he realizes he is holding his hand out so that giant, mutant moths and butterflies might land on him. They have fangs and many eyes, but there is something in their body language—their gentle wingbeats—that tells Hoseok they are not to be feared. Or, perhaps, he is too trusting. "It felt like the start of an action film scene when the music comes on, and everything is just…culminating to something big and scary and…overbearing."

Hoseok forgets what he is talking about until Taehyung says, "That can happen sometimes, but I had you safely on my back."

Oh, right, Hoseok thinks. He must have been talking about the walk over here. He wonders how long ago that was.

So many things occur, and Hoseok lies on his back and simply experiences them. He thinks he sees Yoongi's face in everything—the flowers, the trees, the make-believe butterflies and woodland creatures with too many eyes. Hoseok thinks he sees his parents, and he even gets up and chases his mother around along the wooden bridges that go over a small river, laughing and singing her name. But then he is returned to his back in a large patch of itchy grass, in between two bodies.

"Is he one of the ghosts you are chasing?" Taehyung asks.

Hoseok turns to Taehyung and asks, "Who?" and as soon as Taehyung responds, "Jeongguk," his face morphs, causing Hoseok's eyes begin to well up with tears.

"Yeah," Hoseok says. "It's a long story."

"Chasing ghosts," Jimin mutters to himself, and Hoseok hums.

Hoseok's palm snags on wood, and although it does not hurt too much, when he looks at his hand, blood that morphs into flowing red glitter pours from his skin and into the river below, causing all the water that he can see to begin to shimmer and glow. He laughs so much he cries, and then he turns to tell the others what he saw, realizing he is standing on a bridge at the center of the garden, alone. 

Jimin and Taehyung are true to their word of answering Hoseok's questions, but he struggles to fully wrap his mind around too many of the details. Everything looks so strange and silly—currently drawn in crayon and wiggling as if the pages of a sketchbook are being flipped quickly from frame to frame.

"...chasing us," Taehyung's voice says. 

"Have you ever heard of cryogenic freezing?" Jimin's voice asks. 

"It is not as if your body dies fully," Taehyung's voice adds, "it just rests for a long period of time, somewhere safe."

"...one day, but for now, we like these ones," Jimin mutters softly. Then, he adds, "Hmm, I think he's too high for this."

Hoseok opens his eyes, attempting to sort out what they are talking about, but finds he is standing at the foot of a small waterfall alone. He stumbles away from the whooshing water, down semi-familiar paths that seem to be made of dirt until he blinks and they become stone and then he blinks and they become the large scales of a massive snake, or maybe a dragon, then the clearing opens, and he finds the other two standing with their arms stretched out at their sides and their heads tipped back. 

"Oh," Hoseok says, feeling uncomfortable with disturbing their peace, muttering much more quietly, "I found you."

Jimin drops his hands and runs over with a smile so bright, Hoseok has to look away. 

"There's my favorite boy," Yoongi's deep voice rasps as Jimin presses his warm hands into Hoseok's hair. Hoseok thinks he is sweating a lot, but Jimin does not seem to mind. 

As Hoseok watches Jimin, he tries not to feel too sullen about how easily he can morph into Yoongi and back. When it becomes too much to bear, he closes his eyes.

"My dad owned it," Jimin says, and Hoseok stares at the sky with teary eyes, unsure what they are talking about. 

"And then what?" Hoseok asks in an attempt to catch up.

"He died," Jimin says, "and I inherited it. I don't know what to do with it…what does one do with a botanical garden? I might sell it. It's in a good spot, being on the harbor. I think that's why my dad owned it."

"What do you mean?" Hoseok asks, blinking heavily—dizzy.

"Ugh, this conversation is boring," Jimin pouts, rolling over and draping his arm over Hoseok's body. 

Hoseok realizes, from Jimin's touch, that he is lying in the grass naked—no, not on the grass, but maybe on his clothing. When he looks up, Jimin, on his left, and Taehyung, on his right, are also naked. 

"I'm—we're—naked," Hoseok points out, and Taehyung chuckles. 

"Don't worry, we didn't do anything. The grass was just getting itchy and the clothing felt constrictive. Do you feel better now?"

Hoseok says, "Yes," but he is unsure how he felt before. 

"Good," Taehyung says, voice closer than Hoseok expects. Fingertips brush through Hoseok's hair, and he closes his eyes. 

Time passes, and voices speak to and around and beneath and inside him. Hoseok struggles to keep up, only able to focus on the fingertips that occasionally lazily play with his hair. 

"I miss him," Hoseok croaks, feeling tears rise. Around him, vines and branches twist and crowd, closing in on him—suffocating. He is still naked but sitting up. "I miss him so much. I shouldn't love him; I know I shouldn't love him. But I do."

Jimin reaches up and gently grabs Hoseok with both hands, cupping his cheeks and thumbing at his tears. His features twist and shape, soft to sharp to soft, clenching at Hoseok's heart. He asks, "You love him a lot, hmm?" and Hoseok sobs a laugh that is wet and disgusting, stuck in his throat. 

"He saved my life," Hoseok mutters, staring Jimin in his ever-shifting eyes. "I was shot and the order was to wait until our team called all clear before they would come and assess me. But I was bleeding a lot and he…he stormed in and he killed the man right in front of me—the one who shot me—and he carried me out. Nobody would have…nobody could have ever done that for me."

Hoseok does not fault Namjoon for not being able to, and he hates that his brain considers the notion at all. Namjoon has neither the training nor life experience to have handled a situation like that; it all happened under unique, specific circumstances. But the truth stands that without Yoongi, Hoseok could have been in critical danger that night. There is a chance he could have died.

"It's unfair," Hoseok mutters, feeling as if the air is thickening around him and crushing him down into a pulp. "I didn't mean to love someone else. It's not fair, and what I did was not fair." Another sob works its way up into Hoseok's chest, and he leans forward into Jimin's hands, forehead resting against his. "I love him so much. I love him so much, Jimin; I don't know what to do. He's gone and a piece of me feels empty and I don't know what to do."

"What would you say to him if he were here?" Taehyung asks, making Hoseok gasp; he had forgotten briefly that there was a person sitting beside him, despite feeling the consistent warmth that Taehyung emits. 

"Just that I love him," Hoseok mutters, sinking further down until Jimin's arms are wrapped around him, and his head is resting on Jimin's shoulder, warm skin on warm skin. "That I'm sorry. I'm sorry to him. I'm sorry to Namjoon. I'm sorry to Jeongguk. Everything is a mess that I cannot handle on my own, and I am sorry."

Hoseok continues to cry. He worries about being a burden and bringing the others down—after all, this could not have been what either of them hoped for when they set out to do drugs tonight. But he cannot help himself. 

Briefly, it feels as if all the vines in the garden wrap around and lift him, slithering and writhing, holding him pliant—oppressive, but comforting. And then he opens his eyes, and he is laying on his back with his hands under his head, looking upward. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Taehyung asks, and Hoseok watches as the night sky flickers into view, stars twinkling in full display.

"Yeah," he mutters, licking at his dry lips. "Really beautiful."

There are moments as he stares at his surroundings when Hoseok watches everything twist back to normalcy. He thinks he may finally be evening out a little. The sky above looks a faint blue, as if light is beginning to seep into the dark but only ever so slightly, and he wonders if so many hours have passed that night is ending.

"How do you feel?" Taehyung asks so close that hot breath wafts over Hoseok's bare shoulder. 

"Good," Hoseok says through a sigh, limbs loose and mind contented. There is still a buzz on the periphery of everything, and his eyelids flutter and tremble, but Hoseok thinks he is beginning to return to normalcy once more. 

Jimin stands and stretches his limbs out, letting his head loll back as he sighs in a way that nearly sounds like a moan. Hoseok is stunned by the taut, firm muscle and soft, supple skin that makes up Jimin's form. He looks like someone who trains hard physically to stay in shape, like a dancer. 

"It's rude to stare," Jimin drawls deeply, forcing Hoseok's eyes to his face. 

"S-sorry," Hoseok begins, and Jimin grins mischievously as his hands rub over his pecs and down to his hips.

"Don't worry, baby," Jimin says sweetly, dropping to his knees and crawling to Hoseok, slotting his body beside him. "I know you like to look at me; you've been doing it all night. It's been hard keeping my hands off you, but…you know…the drugs."

Hoseok does not fully know, and he shakes his head, "What do you mean?"

With a soft chuckle, Jimin says, "I wanted to fuck you all night, but it's hard to consent when you're tripping, so I held my tongue—didn't wanna ask."

"Oh."

Suddenly, Hoseok's body sings with excitement, and he takes a deep breath. Fingertips trace over Hoseok's hip at the same time lips touch his shoulder, and he turns his head to find Taehyung's long, golden limbs cuddled very close. 

"Glad I wasn't the only one thinking it," Taehyung mutters against Hoseok's skin, giving him goosebumps.

"But you're married," Jimin audibly pouts, forcing Hoseok's attention back to him. 

"I'm—" Hoseok begins. He closes his eyes and attempts to get his head set straight, but fireworks burst brightly behind his lids, causing his entire body to feel electric and warm. 

"What if we were them?" Taehyung asks so softly, Hoseok wonders if he imagines it. 

"You could pretend," Jimin responds so close to Hoseok's face, he can smell his warm, tangy-sweet breath.

When Hoseok opens his eyes, the gardens tilt and sway—he is definitely still high, but not nearly as much as before. Jimin kisses his neck while Taehyung kisses his shoulder, and he shudders against the feeling and sighs. 

"Don't you want me, Seokie?" Jimin asks, only the voice does not belong to Jimin—the words do not belong to him, either. Hoseok gasps and looks at him, finding Jimin's pretty round eyes going sharp once more. 

"Yes," Hoseok mutters without giving it too much thought, drunk on the idea of fucking someone who can so easily look like Yoongi. "Need you."

"Are you consenting to just one of us?" Taehyung asks against Hoseok's skin. "Or both of us?"

"Both of you," Hoseok whimpers, eyes fluttering closed again, desperate to see Jeongguk one last time, "please."

"Sure you're not too high?" one of their voices asks.

"I am high," Hoseok admits, "but I don't think I'm too high."

"Tell us to stop if you get overwhelmed," the other voice says, "call your safeword if you need to."

Hoseok nods, says, "Yes, okay," and opens his eyes to Jimin hovering close, shifting and sharpening and softening. 

When Hoseok reaches up and gently takes Jimin's face to pull him close, he feels an electric spark snap between his and Jimin's mouths. Jimin is pillow soft and salty-sweet, and Hoseok falls pliant at the feeling of a tongue and teeth scraping gently at his lip. 

Limbs twist and tangle, and Hoseok cannot keep up with the warmth that engulfs him, moaning and sinking to the feeling of hands and mouths. Taehyung swallows his cock in one swift motion that has him sobbing into Jimin's open lips, and his body feels pulled taut, and ready to burst, each feeling magnified almost to the point of driving him mad. He is dreadfully hard but not sure whether he could actually come, chasing and chasing his high as Taehyung audibly gags around him, covering him in drool. 

Jimin is gone but Taehyung is still here, and he has Hoseok flipped onto his stomach and is eating him out like a man starved. He keeps muttering shit like, "You taste so fucking good," and Hoseok's head absolutely spins. He is grateful the two of them are so intent on pleasing him; although he is returning to himself more and more, little by little, the thought of using his hands and mouth to make someone feel good is daunting, at best. 

When Jimin returns, he gets between Hoseok's thighs and begins to prod him open with lube-slicked fingers. Hoseok could swear that with each moan, the flowers around him open a little wider and bloom a little brighter. 

"Color?" Taehyung asks sweetly, petting the hair away from Hoseok's sweat-slicked forehead with a smile that shifts from rectangular to something almost resembling a long-lost friend. 

"Green!" Hoseok sobs, feeling prised open and prodded at in a most delicious way. Jimin's movements are perfect, almost as if he knows Hoseok's body by heart. 

Hoseok whimpers into Taehyung's open mouth, face held tightly in place as Jimin eases his cock into his ass, carving him slowly. The pleasure that bursts through his limbs causes him to tremble and shake violently.

"Color?" Taehyung mutters while sucking on the tip of Hoseok's tongue.

"Green," Hoseok responds as best as he can. 

Blunt fingernails scrape down Hoseok's back, then Jimin grips tightly to his hips and slams forward, spearing his cock nice and deep, and asking, "Does this feel good, baby boy?"

"Yes, daddy," Hoseok whimpers into Taehyung's lips, fisting the loose, scattered clothing beneath his hands nice and tight, barely registering his own words. 

Jimin sets a punishing pace, fucking Hoseok so hard and good that the only sounds he can make are choked sobs. When he finally gets the courage to sink Taehyung's cock into his throat—pleased with the lack of gag reflex—Taehyung grips tightly to Hoseok's hair and moans, "F-fuck! I'm still not used to how good this feels."

Hoseok is full and sated in the best way possible, and he sits pliant with his ass held high as Taehyung shifts onto his knees and begins to fuck his face. Tears, drool, and lube drip cool and sticky, making Hoseok feel used and dirty—elated.

"So fucking needy, baby," Jimin grits as if the words are hard to say. His hands squeeze and slap at Hoseok's flesh, making him tremble and whine—sputtering choked sounds and drooling around Taehyung's thick cock. 

"I don't know if I can come, but I don't ever want to stop fucking you," Jimin whines. 

"Same," Taehyung cries. "Holy fuck, this feels so good!"

Hoseok is certain that he will also be unable to come, and he has no desire to stop. He hardly feels sore where he is fucked or firm-touched, and his jaw is relaxed. 

They change positions. Hoseok is on his back, watching with wide, greedy eyes as Taehyung lifts his ankles onto his shoulders and presses a lube-slick cock nice and deep and slow into him. Taehyung is much bigger than Hoseok expects and the pleasure-burn of the stretch has him fisting handfuls of grass and fabric while he pants through the feeling and sobs. 

Jimin disappears and returns again shortly. "Danm, you two look so fucking good," he groans, making Hoseok blush and bite his bottom lip, feeling giddy. 

As Taehyung begins to set a steady pace with his thrusts, Jimin crawls over Hoseok and wiggles his ass in his face. Hoseok grips onto Jimin's hips and pulls him close, lifting his head to lick and suck at Jimin's pretty, puckered rim. He tastes like heaven—heady and ever so slightly salty-sweet—and Jimin moans pretty and deep as he leans forward and trembles in Hoseok's grasp.

Hoseok only stops to gather clothing beneath his head like a pillow to support his neck better in his efforts to eat Jimin out. Taehyung fucks Hoseok hard and fast, and the three of them create a symphony of sounds between choked and screamed syllables, and the slapping of skin against skin. 

Time is still an elusive thing, but it feels more tangible now than it has in hours. Hoseok is more able to stay in the present, although he seems to lose track between eating Jimin's ass and swallowing his cock nice and deep.

Sun begins to shine ahead, and as their bodies slow and begin to gradually wear down, they become less of a machine meant to fuck and please and take, and more a writhing tangle of limbs—heavy and tired. 

"Let's sleep," Jimin mutters into Hoseok's drool-covered neck. 

"Sounds good," Hoseok responds through trembling lips. 

They gather their clothing and stumble naked through grass, along paths Hoseok hadn't taken, into a door that says Employees Only. Inside is a large room with a bed, a television, and more amenities that Hoseok is unable to fully comprehend—a coffee pot, maybe. Perhaps a microwave. 

The three of them fall into bed, and Hoseok closes his eyes, thinking only of Yoongi and Jeongguk. And when he wakes up alone beside a pile of folded clothing, his heart sinks, and he misses the two of them more than ever before. 

Hoseok is not one to wear out a welcome, and he gets dressed quickly. He is exhausted, and his thirst and hunger are so intense, his body feels like an empty husk. Although he trusts that Jimin and Taehyung have not robbed him, he pats down his pockets for his phone and wallet, and then he leaves, checking to make sure the door locks from the other side, in case the others will not be back until later. 

People meander around the botanical garden, which feels a bit strange. Hoseok glances around, taking in the paths that lead into trees. He thinks about the small waterfall and wooden bridges; of the little river, and the koi fish. Vaguely, he remembers the fish on their way to work, and the mutant moths and butterflies, and the glittering blood shimmering into the stream. He looks at his palm and sees a tiny wooden splinter surrounded by pink, angry skin, and he picks at it for a few seconds before determining that it will need to be dealt with later.

As he makes his way to the exit, he tries to remember more, but the conversations are too hazy, and he struggles to make sense of much. There is a sinking feeling that the two of them told him something important, but all he can do is hope that it all comes back to him, at some point. 

Hoseok feels strange in his body. Discombobulated, as if he is in someone else's skin for the first time. This sensation is not foreign, but it is not usual for him to feel this way without being jumped into a host. He has a looming sense of dread and loss that, no matter how much he tries to distract himself with people-watching and searching his surroundings, he is unable to shake.

He comes to a café that is between the botanical garden and his hotel, and he has a seat on the patio. When the server brings him a menu, Hoseok finds he struggles to read it, having a hard time focusing on the English words in front of him, breathing with his eyes closed so he can get a grip. He orders an omelet and coffee, and then grips tightly to a tall glass of water which he nearly finishes in two gulps. Then he fishes out his phone, eager for the first time in what seems like ages to know what time it is.

It takes Hoseok by surprise to see that it is three in the afternoon, but that would explain why the sun is so bright and hot. On his screen are two notifications, one from Namjoon and one from an unknown number. He assumes the unknown number belongs to Seokjin and opens Namjoon's first, noticing it has come in several hours ago, and responds in earnest. 

Namjoon: Hey, Seok! Just checking in. Do you fly back soon? I want to discuss something with you when you have a chance to talk. 

Hoseok: I fly back tomorrow, home probably some ungodly hour on Monday, but I will let you know when I know more. Do you want to call or wait until I'm home?

As soon as Hoseok opens the other message, it becomes clear that it is not from Seokjin, and his heart begins to thump wildly.

[Unknown]: Sorry we have to say goodbye this way, but our flight is soon. What will you be doing at precisely 8:30, tomorrow morning? There is something we want to discuss.

Hoseok: I will be here, likely waiting to board my flight home. Call when you're free, and I will make sure to be available.

Hoseok does not expect the others to respond so soon, and actually gasps at the sight of three dots bouncing, watching intently for the message to come.

[Unknown]: Sounds good. ;] Will call when we land. Thanks for the fun night, Seokie! 

Hoseok's heart sinks, and he smiles through the urge to cry. How can he possibly miss the two of them so much, when he hardly spent any time with them—when the time spent was so strange and disorienting.

Hoseok: Thank you, as well! Safe travels!

Half of Hoseok's omelet is left uneaten. Although he still feels like a shell of his former self, he is also somewhat nauseous, and he sips at his coffee until it becomes too cold in the afternoon air, then he pays his check and leaves. Rather than make his way back to the hotel, Hoseok doubles back and begins to meander the streets, taking in the sights and sounds and allowing himself to remember them a little more. 

Hoseok: My flight is tomorrow morning at 10:12, and I should be home just after midnight. Namjoon: Ok. I'm gardening with my mom right now, and we have dinner plans for later. Mind if I call around 6:30 in the morning, your time? I want to take my parents to breakfast, and you know they like to wake up really early.

Hoseok: Sure. That's fine. Namjoon: Great. Talk to you soon, Seok!

Hoseok: Sounds good.

Hoseok has restless sleep. He dreams of Yoongi and Jimin morphing into one another, speaking in tongues too soft and convoluted to understand, always just out of reach. He dreams of searching high and low for Namjoon and never finding him, and of Taehyung holding up a deflated, empty version of Jeongguk's skin in his fingers, fiddling with his facial features and commenting on them as if they used to be his. 

When he wakes up in a cold sweat to the sound of his alarm blaring at 6 AM, he sighs and rolls over onto his back, blinking the room into view. The sun has yet to begin rising, but the sky that he can see hints of through dark curtains is a faint dark blue of twilight. Hoseok thinks of the sky through the glass ceiling of the botanical garden, and rolls onto his side as the urge to bawl snakes up into his throat and eyes, rocking through him in devastating waves. 

Hoseok misses everyone he has ever loved so dreadfully, and he has no idea what comes next.

By the time his phone rings, Hoseok has stopped crying. He smiles at the photo of Namjoon on his screen—a picture taken so long ago, showing a crescent moon eye and deep, happy dimple. 

"Hey," Hoseok mutters, voice sounding rough.

"Seok," Namjoon responds. "Sorry for calling so early."

Hoseok sits up against the headboard of the bed and pulls over the snot-stained pillow to hold against his chest. "It's alright, I wake up early, anyway."

"True."

Silence hangs, and Hoseok gives Namjoon time to gather his thoughts. Although he is eager—antsy, even—he has no reason to rush him.

"I took a job in Busan," Namjoon finally blurts.

Hoseok's eyes widen, and he sits up taller. "What?"

"I…listen…" Namjoon sighs. "I love you, but everything has been too much for me to handle. I'm getting angry and taking my anger out on you, and I can't stay focused at work. I just need a little space. I'm sorry for springing it all on you, especially over the phone, but…I don't know. I haven't been able to say it to your face. It's a temporary position training people at a new facility, six months at most, but I think it will be really good for me—for us."

"Okay," Hoseok butts in when it becomes clear that Namjoon will continue to ramble and spiral if he is not cut off. "I don't blame you for needing space. I'm sorry…about…everything."

With Namjoon's next words, his tone has shifted into something more stern and resolved. "Things have been weird between us, and I know that we won't fix them unless I take a step back."

"Okay."

"I don't want to date anyone else," Namjoon adds quickly, "and I don't want to get a divorce. I just need to take a little time."

The old familiar vines of guilt twist and twist as the memory of letting Jimin and Taehyung fuck Hoseok begins to seep in. "Alright."

"Have you heard from…you know?" Namjoon asks. "Them?"

"No," Hoseok says quickly, then sighs. "No, I haven't."

Namjoon's voice sounds sad and somewhat small as he asks, "Will you tell me if you have?"

"Of course," Hoseok lies, unsure what the circumstances could be, should he hear from them—unsure whether Jimin and Taehyung truly were not them, somehow; unsure which parts of his trip were real and which were not, struggling to grasp onto what they discussed throughout the night. "Of course, I will."

"Okay," Namjoon mutters. "Thank you, Seok."

"Anything you need," Hoseok says, feeling somewhat numb. Although Namjoon insists that it is all temporary, there is a finality in his tone that Hoseok detects. He knows Namjoon well enough. And, try as he might to feel sad, he struggles in this moment to feel much at all.

"I have to go. Mom wants to try a new breakfast spot, and dad is fussing about getting there before there's a crowd."

"Of course," Hoseok says with a sad smile; he misses Namjoon's parents. "Tell mom and dad I say hi."

"Will do."

"And let me know how the new position goes. I'm rooting for you, Joonie."

"Okay," Namjoon says softly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Hoseok mutters, chest tightening. "Just take care of yourself. We'll talk soon."

"I love you, Seok."

Hoseok says, "I love you too," in a choked voice, hanging up before Namjoon can hear him cry. Suddenly, all of his emotion floods back, threatening to drown him.  

This is the end, he thinks to himself. 

Namjoon has a new job, and soon he will have a new life. Soon, with clarity of mind, he will fully understand the gravity of Hoseok's actions, and he will not forgive him. And why would he? Hoseok knows that what he has done is unforgivable.

This is the end, and everyone he has ever loved is gone. Hoseok cries into the pillow, sobbing loud and terrible as his body quakes, weathering the storm inside him. When crying becomes too much, he drifts off to a short, dreamless sleep, feeling both heavy and gutted all at once.

At the sound of his phone ringing, Hoseok rubs his snotty, tear-streaked face on the pillow and groggily sits up. He knows without looking at the screen who is calling, and he sniffles as he answers with a raspy, "Hello?"

"Hoba," Jimin's voice—Yoongi—says on the other line, making Hoseok's heart sink. "Hey, baby."

"Y-Yoongi?" Hoseok croaks, practically no sound coming out as his head spins.

"I'm sorry we couldn't fully be honest. Do you remember anything we told you last night?"

"No," Hoseok sobs, and tears rise, clouding his vision. 

"It wasn't safe for you to know while we were there. It's still not safe. You need to break communication with Seokjin and turn your company's sights on him."

"What do you—"

"He's my brother," Jeongguk says in Taehyung's soft but deep voice; they must have him on speaker. "He's been tracking us down and trying to kill me. I didn't realize until recently that he and dad have been working together. It's…a long story. He's been on the run for so long, I didn't think he would come back, but when Yoongi's father died, it seems he got paranoid. I think he's been protecting dad. We had to change our identities. Now do you understand?"

"I think so," Hoseok mutters, "but why—"

"It all happened so fast," Jimin's voice responds. "It was my idea to run. We wanted to tell you, but we were unsure which lines of communication were safe."

"Not to mention," Taehyung's voice adds, "since you did so much to help us, you deserve to know that this was the reason we wanted the implants, all along."

"Oh," Hoseok responds, remembering back when he and Yoongi were in the hospital, and Yoongi said, You're our hope.

"I'm sorry we had to leave without saying anything," Jimin's voice chimes in, deep and sad, with a slight rasp that feels familiar. "We knew all along that we would eventually have to say goodbye, and we tried not to get too close, but…well, you guys made that pretty difficult for us.  And when your company began to look into us, as Jimin and Taehyung, I knew that Seokjin was at the heart of it."

"We started appearing out in public a little carelessly, hoping he would lead you to us," Taehyung's voice adds, "we wanted to see you one last time."

"But we had to keep hiding," Jimin's voice says. "He knows my dad owned the botanical garden as a drug front, staying close to the harbor. We've had our own security team tailing us while trying to be as public as possible, for you to notice us."

"We were weary at first," Taehyung's voice adds, "spending a little time watching you to make sure you were alone."

"Sorry we had to keep so much a secret," Jimin's voice continues, sounding sad. "I love you, Hoba. You know that, right?"

Hoseok attempts to respond—wants to tell Yoongi so badly that he loves him more than he could ever put into words. But the syllables choke and fail, and he sobs so hard his chest feels as if it might be caving in. He tightens up into a ball, hugging the pillow and his knees tight to his chest, squeezing the phone against his ear. 

"When the coast is clear, we can come back," Taehyung's voice finally says. "Our bodies aren't dead, they're just…"

"Resting," Jimin's voice adds. "Frozen. If you can help us get rid of Seokjin and Jaebeom, we can come home."

For all he knows, the two of them could be using him again—toying with him in some new scheme, just as they had been in the beginning. But Hoseok cannot bring himself to care. Not when there is a goal. Not when he has a chance to see the two of them again. 

"Can you submit a formal request?" Hoseok asks. "If The Boss knows it's you, she'll—"

"We can, but we don't want her to know," Taehyung's voice responds. 

"Wait, why?"

"We're not fully sure we can trust her," Jimin's voice adds sternly. "She seemed to know my dad well, and although she was willing to call the execution order, she always seemed to have ulterior motives…something she was not telling us. When she almost left you in the warehouse to die, it opened my eyes. We'll be contacting her with agents who we have been working with, once we have our story straight, but only you will know that it is us."

"If you can do this one last job, it will all be over," Taehyung's voice says. 

"We can return to our former selves, and you can take that vacation you talked about," Jimin's voice adds. 

"I could retire," Hoseok mutters under his breath. 

"Maybe the four of us—" Taehyung's voice begins, and Hoseok scoffs, cutting him off.

"Namjoon's gone."

In tandem, one voice asks, "Huh?" while the other asks, "What do you mean?"

"He took a job in Busan. He's been staying with his parents. We've…we're not getting along anymore. He says he wants to clear his head and have some space, but I know him; I could hear it in his voice. I don't think he's coming back."

"Hyung," Taehyung's voice says in a comforting tone, but Hoseok shakes his head for no one to see. 

"It's fine. Regardless, I can't look forward to him coming back. I can't keep my hopes up. If he does, then I will do my best to be there for him, but I have already fucked up so much that I can't look forward to it."

"I'm sorry, Hoba," Jimin's voice mutters sweetly. 

With a sigh, Hoseok begins to feel antsy to pack his suitcase and get to the airport. He just wants to return to his empty home, climb into bed, and close his eyes to the world. 

"Submit your request when you're ready and I'll see what we can do," Hoseok says, sitting up, feeling his tear streaks finally begin to dry. 

"Will do," Jimin's voice says. "Safe travels, Hoba. We're going to head off to another continent soon. We'll try to keep in touch."

"What about the real Jimin and Taehyung?" Hoseok asks, unsure whether he wants the answer. 

"Ah," Jimin's voice says, "they're…dead."

"Dead," Hoseok responds flatly.

"They were in a coma," Jimin's voice continues, "and their families were going to take them off life support. The hospital had been working with my father in some shady dealings…essentially handing over nearly-dead people as test subjects whose bodies could be jumped into—pretending to take patients off life support in front of their families, faking identities, and so on."

"How does the company fake open casket funerals?" Hoseok asks through a dark laugh.

"Artist renderings," Jimin's voice responds with a sardonic chuckle of his own. "You would be amazed what they can do with wax, clay, and paint. I touched one of the fake bodies once, and the texture was uncanny…I wouldn't be surprised if they were using real, human skin. I didn't want to ask. It's morally grey at best…pretty fucked up, honestly…but we saw an opportunity and we took it." 

Taehyung chimes in, "Jimin and Taehyung were a couple. They went into a coma while using cocaine that was laced with fentanyl…ironic, considering that was the charge we were using to put a stop to our dads, in the first place. Jimin was pronounced dead first, and then Taehyung three days later. We left Korea, and their families have no idea."

"You know I have to shut that program down," Hoseok mutters, feeling both disappointed but relieved that they had such a convenient way to escape.

"We'll add it to the file," Jimin's voice says, smile evident in his tone. "Give us a few days…a week at most."

"Alright," Hoseok says, feeling a strange sense of resolve. "Submit your request as soon as possible, and I will do whatever it takes. And keep in touch, please?"

"Of course," Jimin's voice says, "I love you, Hoba."

"I love you, too. Both of you. Very much."

"Be safe," Taehyung's voice says, clenching at Hoseok's heart. 

"You too. And thank you for the trip. It was…strange. But perfect, too. I can't pinpoint why, but it was exactly what I needed."

"I know," Jimin's voice says. "I know you."

Silence hangs on the line, and Hoseok holds his breath, counting the seconds. For the life of him, he cannot bring himself to end the call. 

"Alright," Jimin's voice says, "This is goodbye, for now. I don't know when we will be in touch, but I promise you, we will."

"Okay," Hoseok responds sullenly. "Goodbye. I love you."

"I love you," the voices say, followed by, "Goodbye."

Hoseok hangs up and clenches his phone tightly to his chest. Everything feels final in a way, but also hopeful. He at least has something to set his sights on, and although he laments on how events have happened, he is just glad to know that everyone who he holds dear is safe. Despite how everything hangs in the balance, shrouded with so many unknown factors that only time can unravel, he has a goal, and he feels hopeful. 

Despite his deep loneliness, he feels loved.

"Alright," Hoseok mutters to himself, stretching his limbs and kicking the hotel bedding away. The sun shines brightly through the dark curtains, and he glances around the space with a sigh. "Time to go home."

Tuesday comes and goes with Hoseok barely leaving bed. Namjoon had already packed and moved out many of his belongings, and everything feels too fucking weird to comprehend.

On Wednesday morning, Hoseok returns to work bright and early. 

The Boss waits for him beside his office door, clutching a manila folder in her grasp. She wears a black satin shirt with a ruffled neckline tucked into a bright red pencil skirt and sharp, black high heels. Hoseok wonders what new client she is trying to impress. 

"New case," she says as Hoseok approaches. "Seems the guys Kim Seokjin were after are pulling an uno reverse and filing a claim against him."

"Oh?" Hoseok asks, taking the file and unlocking his office door. 

When The Boss says nothing, Hoseok turns and finds her standing with her arms folded over her chest, regarding Hoseok with a lifted eyebrow. 

"Yes?" he asks, making her scoff. 

"What did you find in Australia?" she asks after a moment.

"Nothing," Hoseok says, schooling his features to appear impassive. "I spent the weekend chasing ghosts. I have a hunch the two of them caught onto me being there and fled; perhaps they knew Seokjin was asking me to look into them."

"Hmm," The Boss responds, unconvinced. "So you don't think Jimin and Taehyung could be Yoongi and Jeongguk?"

With a shrug, Hoseok flips through the file, catching onto keywords on the first two pages, and then says, "If it is them, we likely won't know until Seokjin is removed from the equation. Maybe your earlier hunch is correct, and Seokjin is protecting his father from Jeongguk. If these two are Yoongi and Jeongguk, then the hit on them may have been real, rather than a decoy…but for now, there is no way to know."

"Well, I want you on this case as the point person, so once you are ready to meet with the agents who have filed this report, let me know and we can discuss the details. Unfortunately, it seems our Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung have fled to the United States, but we have a phone number on file in case we need to get in touch with them."

"Sounds good," Hoseok says, turning to make his way to his desk. 

"If you think it really is them, then I want to treat this case with the utmost urgency," The Boss adds, and for the first time, Hoseok thinks he might detect something like fondness, maybe even worry in her tone. "If it really is our boys, then I have a feeling that key players from Min's former team could be helping them out. Maybe they know something about the technology that could help us. Either way, I want our boys home safe."

"Okay," Hoseok says, resolved with his new task, feeling hopeful. The sooner he kills Kim Seokjin and Jeon Jaebeom, the sooner he can bring Yoongi and Jeongguk home. Luckily for them, nobody is better at this task than Jung Hoseok. "We'll do whatever it takes. We'll bring our boys home."

wow. here we are, at the end. when i set out to write this fic, all i wanted to explore were the messy feelings and the body swap smut/selfcest. i kind of intended for it to be a whirlwind that has no solid ending, but then i became too busy to update frequently. i hope that this ending, after all this time, does not feel like a letdown. i rather like the idea of everything being up in the air and hopeful. i can't, in good conscious, give them a truly happy ending after everything they have put each other through, but giving them a concrete sad ending also breaks my heart. like yoongi and jungkook, i set out on this mission to perform a quick and dirty job and get the fuck out, but i grew attached.

thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this fic. my writing style has completely changed from chapter 1...it hardly feels like the same person when i look back at it. i love this story a lot, and it is an honor that you have spent time reading it with me. it is one of the more experimental ones on my list, and despite its longevity, it gets very little love compared to my other fics. if you have ever read, commented, reblogged, or liked, you mean the world to me!!! i am so sad to say goodbye to these four, but a massive weight has been lifted. it has been so long, and we are finally here, and i am very grateful. 💛💛💛 stay hydrated!!! i love you!!! if you have any questions involving the characters or events, or if you want to discuss possibilities about their futures, i am happy to wax poetic day and night!

maybe one day i will write an epilogue. we'll see.

please don’t be a silent reader! feedback & reblogs do so much to help content creators! and likes are nice too!!!

tag list: @codeinebelle, @dasexydevitt13, @giriiboyy, @jminssiii​ @m1sss1mp​​, @mgthecat,​ @moonleeai, @spookyminyunki ✨

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Dollhouse is copyright 2022 - 2023 theharrowing, all rights reserved.

#hoseok smut #jimin smut #taehyung smut #bts smut #bts poly #bts angst #fic: dollhouse

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

IN THIS MOMENT's New Album 'Godmode' Is 'Heavier' And 'More Proggy' Than Previous Efforts

Singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth of IN THIS MOMENT spoke to Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF about the band's upcoming eighth studio album, "Godmode", which will be released on October 27 via BMG. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's different from all of our other albums in a lot of ways. One way is the fact that instead of getting off of a tour and having, like, three months to get it together, go into the studio and make a new one, we had several years to do it. And we used a different producer — we used Kane Churko instead of his father, Kevin. Kevin has done all of our records except for one. So he's done six IN THIS MOMENT albums; Kane's done this newest one. And honestly, working with him brought a whole new level of intensity to the project and the change and the time we had to make it kind of made us a little bit more — I don't know — powerful and aggressive, and the whole thing has an intensity to it that's, that's different for us. Because it was a whole fresh new vibe— the whole thing."

Regarding the musical direction of the new IN THIS MOMENT material, Maria said: "It's very visceral. I mean, we came out of the pandemic and just the three years and all these building up things in us, so it's a little darker than we normally maybe tend to be. I like to always kind of have some inspirational moments and things like that, and there's some of that in there, but it is a lot of purging, kind of a lot of built up, like, things that have… I guess we felt trapped for three years, and just so many, so many things going on and everybody at each other's throat. So there is a lot of kind of visceral releasing in there, let's say. It's heavier. There's different time signatures than we've ever done and a lot new experimental things. And I'm excited for it. I really am. I think people are gonna like it."

On the topic of the more progressive nature of some of the new IN THIS MOMENT songs, Maria said: "I love all that off-time signature stuff. I'm obsessed with how people take two parts, and the one part's going one way and then this other part comes in, but it really doesn't go with this part, and then, all of a sudden, they all start going together. And so I kept telling [Chris] I really wanted to start bringing in a lot of this. He loves all that. He's, like, 'Hell yeah.' And we just started creating. It was a really natural flow for us."

She added: "We've bumped heads before in the past. And IN THIS MOMENT really does wind up always having its sound because of us two collaborating. If it was just me, it'd be very one way. If it was just Chris, it'd be very one way. IN THIS MOMENTisIN THIS MOMENT because of like how we collide. But we were just flowing on this one. I was so impressed with every single thing he was bringing to the table. He was loving what I was bringing to the table. There was no fighting. It was just like — 'flow like a river,' we were calling it, 'cause it was beautiful."

Asked to clarify if "Godmode" is "more proggy" than some of IN THIS MOMENT's previous records, Chris said: "It definitely is. And heavier and there's more riffs, kind of, but in a way that works with the song. I think the time that we had to make it, the unintentional time with the pandemic and everything, made it so that it's just better, because the pressure of having to just come up with a bunch of new stuff on the spot, it made me check out a lot on some of the previous albums on — you know, the feeling of creativity — whereas this one, it all felt more flowy, like she said."

#maria brink #in this moment #2023 interviews #godmode #Youtube

[frogs-in3-hills]

11, 12, 18, 21 for the turtle asks! :)

my answer to the voice acting one got really long, so. oops adding a readmore

11. Favorite turtle (iteration specific)?

maaan this is a tough question. i think i’ve said before that my Top Favorite Turtle of All Time switches between all the 03 kids, but it’s usually Mikey or Raph. right now I think Raph is my favorite. His 03 characterization is so compelling, he just tugs at my heartstrings in a lot of different ways. I love that he starts at his lowest point early in the show and then we get to see him gradually learn to navigate his feelings and connect with the people around him. He's doing his best to figure out his place in the world, he feels like a very real depiction of what it's like being a neurodivergent teen (okay I know I'm projecting now but also I'm right). The sibling angst can hit a little close to home sometimes but I also look at him and think "oh that kid is gonna be okay. he's just figuring it out." Yknow??

Other incarnations that are very dear to me: ‘87 Raphael, bmvtmnt Mikey, 90s movies/07 Leo, and Rise Raph

ask game

12. Favorite turtle across all iterations?

It’s Mikey is anyone surprised. Like. That’s my funny little guy!!

I think he brings something new to the table with every incarnation. Like, the rest of the boys feel like they mostly have the same core traits across iterations, but I get the sense that most Mikeys are different from each other on a more fundamental level. They all have different ways of thinking and flaws and I find them all to be very compelling and entertaining to watch :]

Raph is a close second though! Again, who is surprised qwq

18. Did any of their voice actors really stand out to you?

Ahh omg I'm actually so glad you asked this one anon. I pay a lot of attention to the voice acting so just going in loose chronological order:

Obviously Rob Paulsen is a fucking gem who brought Raphael to life and p much singlehandedly made '12 Donnie likeable (sorry the writers did all that to you buddy). But man I don't see enough love for Barry Gordon as Donatello! He brings such a particular vibe to the character that's so endlessly endearing I just think it's funny that he's kinda the meanest one but he sounds like the littlest fucking guy ever

Michael Sinterniklaas as Leo is so fucking charming I just. Holds him gently. I like how confused he sounds all the time. I like his little laugh he does in the scene where they're playing with the hose. I like his "it's okay!" line in The Ultimate Ninja. I like that he's going for grinditude. I like him so bad ToT And Sam Riegel as Donny is wild because I think he sometimes has the weirdest line reads--not in a bad way, just like, why did you say it like that. I'm forever obsessed with him.

Rewatching 2007 movie was so wild I could barely focus with how many voices I recognized in there. Sarah Michelle Gellar as April was really fun. With Mako as Splinter okay I may as well just cry myself to sleep

Greg Cipes and Ashley Johnson characters are literally their own ship dynamic like whatever that is I don't care they invented it

The entire Rise cast is sooo good I adore every one of them the comedy just legitimately would not work without them. Not a bad line read in that whole show tbh. I'm particularly fond of Josh Brener as Donnie for that autistic-ass delivery. Also cannot stress enough how great Ayo Edebiri and Zelda Williams are too like the entire cast just has such a good vibe

21. Give one character a hug?

I MEAN. It's hard to choose they all deserve a hug!! But I am not much of a hugger and neither are a lot of the characters who need the most hugs. So I think... Rise Mikey or Alopex maybe? I think that they would give very good hugs.

#inbox #ask game #anon ask #surprise! i guess i feel like typing with proper punctuation today #tmnt

[tradetobest]

ahh sorry back again bc i can't help myself... this is all too good...

the idea of willy playing like. distant wingman for mitch is so funny. i can only imagine what their text convos look like, just strings of updates of "auston just walked past but he's going to the gym... i think i heard kniesy looking for you earlier, you should find him" and "you should have seen him today, you would have thought i told him i was kicking puppies when i said you called in" and mitch trying sooo hard to be normal about it bc how do you even approach any of that!!! also, do you have any more willy hcs!! i love the idea of him being so giggly at the front desk <3

i'm literally obsessed w little server trio cc/jh/tz... like i know the three of them will get caught up in some gossip and forget they're working just to get irrationally annoyed when someone asks them for help like they're not At work... jh and tz doing the whole "i'll do it if you do it" ruse about their men and then neither of them ever end up actually doing anything, because that would be too easy... (also, i kinda need jamie angsting over how cute he thinks his server is but also knowing better than to hit on someone who's working and can't say no so he's just pining from afar. not like he'd know what to say to ask him out anyway, but!!) any time jamie comes in tz has automatic dibs on his table, even if he's on the other side of the clubhouse from the section trevor is meant to be managing...

your little woller doodle has me in knots i... his smile is SO cute i can't get over him. best kids club staff member who has ever existed...

please keep coming back i am LOVING this

as for more willy hcs hmm…. willy To Me is like. everyone describes him as the most Cool Likeable Chill guy ever but those subway commercials have him being such a goof so i think the combination of Fun and Chill vibes has him at the front desk most of the time, where he Will charm your wife and he Will also charm you, and where he is also privvy to Literally Everything that goes on. want to know some course drama? ask willy. want to know the relationship status of those two guys who always come to the course together? willy will know it.

also. idk but like. willy has the vibe of someone who would bring a sticker sheet to work and just give a kid a lil sticker once in a while when hes in a good mood. idk. i think thats cute i feel like it would be Fun Chill Willy Vibes to do……

followup i think he also can just Get Away with stuff at work bcs the old course boss just let him do shit and the new one cant stop him. Free Roaming Employee Willy Nylander.

i tried for So Long to draw lil gossip circle cc/jh/tz but it was just Nawt coming out i am SO sorry BUT oh my god the jamie wanting to not hit on trevor at work is so real. jamie just sitting there like Don't Hit On Him. He's Working. That's A Bad Power Dynamic. and trevor is like. *auston matthews lean* heyyyy to him ALL THE TIME just like praying jamie will do something to let him know he's interested....

also trevor like letting the host know to always seat jamie in his section and he WILL sprint across the restaurant to serve him. jamie just watching z RUN towards him. so funny.

THANK U woller was so fun to draw,,, he fr is the best kids club staff

#asks #golf course au #i love all of this.... i LOVE talking abt this au please ask me more qs if you want i am always down to discuss

[quotidianish]

thank you for indulging my scoutpauling divorce fever post ... also uhhh.. *slides this playlist across the table* PLEASE ignore the meat loaf and vocaloid songs they are important to the vibe to me and me only.. this is just a collection of songs that make me think... oyghhhh scoutpauling angst

i have another thats more fluff tho

BLEGH IM SORRY FOR DROPPIN ALL THIS IN UR INBOX unfortunately i am a lil too silly abt this pairing :(

NO it’s ok. It’s better than ok actually these playlists ROCK. Like. pork Soda……. I LOVE YOU LIKE AN ALCOHOLIC BY THE TAXPAYERS. literally some of the best songs ever written. CANNIBAL BY TALLY HALL IS SOSOSOOSO GOOD I AM OBSESSED WITH THAT SONG. GOOD LORD. literally they fit them so well. Divorce arc… love it when characters bring out the worst in eachother. Aughhh these are so good. Wtf…

[grrlswrrld]

A New Space

It seems that life is bringing on a move earlier than expected, and I'm overwhelmed with anxieties of the unknown and entering adulthood when I'm literally just a girl... but alas. Let's focus on the exciting part: curating a new space.

I'm lucky to be moving with my friend who is just as delusional as me, and we've decided on a shabby chic South of France chateau aesthetic. I've been touring houses with a fabulous realtor who has been finding us--as he puts it--"grandma homes" for us to fill with our girly trinkets.

The vibe is lived in. Comfortable. Eclectic. Controlled Chaos. Quaint.

That bottom left bedroom belongs to someone in Batman? Might have to watch the movie now...

I'm so drawn to the rich, dusty colors. Deep purples mixed with fresh, mossy greens and dusty roses.

Headboard and Above the Bed Decorations

I love the contrast of heavy wrought iron bed sets with girlish lightweight drapery, or hole-y crochet throws. There is also something so stunningly gorgeous about a white painted wood riddled with paint chips and sanding.

Above the bed accessories as opposed to headboards are also hot. And economically viable. How else is a girl supposed to create her dream space while maintaining monthly closet shopping sprees?

Over the Top Lampshades

Lampshades are one of those things I've tricked myself into believing I could make after binge-watching lampshade makers on TikTok. I'm obsessed with the shabby chic style of these, and I think that style can be very forgiving and shabby on the top half when paired with a good base.

I am especially drawn to the chandeliers. We have at least three hanging around in the attic and basement of my house just waiting to be loved, but I'm not sure about the hanging situation at the new place. Hoping I'll be able to figure out some way to incorporate them

Tying it All Together

Finally, I have a surplus of lace curtains and crochet doilies from past moxie collections that I would love to put to use for a DIY like this. I think this style of curtains are especially fabulous while being pretty simple to recreate, and I could see this extending into table runners, pillow cases, etc.

I live my life by the motto 'When in doubt, cover it with crochet"

#whimsigoth #whimsigoth room #fairy goth #shabby chic

[shes-a-badkid]

Thoughts while reading “The Blood of Olympus” with my nephew-

1. Jason sending out a message to his dad asking him to look out for Nico- I just want them to be besties

2. Oh shit- Jason got stabbed and with imperial gold! (Although I love that Annabeth is the one to panic a little and Piper is being the clearheaded one- because Piper has to be clearheaded and Annabeth can afford not to be)

3. Seriously- I am obsessed with how much Jason is worried about Nico

4. I don’t like Juno/Hera, because she’s caused a LOT of issues, but also, I love the drama. Plus, Jupiter/Zeus is the worst and if he’s mad at her, then I know who I stand with

5. My poor sweet Nico just working his poor butt off with this shadow travelling

6. Do I ever find out what happened in Albania? Because I need to know

7. I’ve said it several times and I’ll probably say it several times more- Octavian is the WORST

8. Seriously, I love Leo and Calypso and I want him to find a way back to her so bad. I just want my boy happy

9. I love that Percy physically can’t not be sarcastic to just every god/goddess he comes across. No restraint, only sass

10. “Change the plans and then stick to it.”

11. Clarisse still manages to be angry and caring all at once and I adore her, also I’m obsessed with Hedge leaving his pregnant wife in her care

12. Hades, my love 🖤 (I may or may not be influenced by my love of the Disney-Hercules version of Hades… 🤷🏻‍♀️)

13. Nico’s concern goes from Hazel then to Jason then Percy and the rest! My Nico/Jason best friendship is thriving

14. Hades wants his boy to be happy! This chapter is killing me

15. Piper and Frank are kind of sweet together as friends- just chill vibes until they need to fight

16. Buford the wonder table- an icon, a legend

17. “Piper McClane, that was without a doubt the dumbest risk I’ve ever seen anyone take and I date a dumb risk taker.” Annabeth- you think Piper taking a literal leap of faith into that pit was dumber than any risk Percy ever took? Girl, you must be blinded by love because I’m pretty sure dumb risk taker is one of his defining traits

18. I really like Piper and Annabeth as a combo- Annabeth is all plans and logic, while Piper is all about her emotions. Plus this whole chapter with them fighting with Mimas and Piper having BIG Percy energy- love it

19. Reyna is a badass. That’s it, end of thought.

20. Orion is an incel- makes sense

21. Hylla is also a badass- gotta love the Ramirez-Arellano girls

22. “I’m breathing Dylan!?”

23. Nico may say that Hades isn’t the best dad or whatever, but of the gods/goddesses- he seems alright. Like most of the others are indifferent at best, but Hades actively has tried to help his kids. Poseidon only seems to care about Percy and maybe a smidge about Tyson, but then we learn about Kymopoleia. Ares is… Ares, and only seems to care if his kids win/fight. Aphrodite seems like she’s just there for the drama. Of the godly parents we have seen more of he’s doing okay. (My love of Hades popped out full force here)

24. My son, Nico, is the best and I adore him and Bryce got what was coming to him, the little psycho

25. Hedge may always be ready to throw down and be just over the top all the time, but he is a real one- he cares so much for his charges 🖤

26. As much as I am team Nico/Jason besties, Reyna/Nico friendship is dear to my heart. Plus team Parthenos (as I’ve dubbed them in my head) is wonderful

27. Apollo is ridiculous and emotional and I love it

28. I don’t know why, but Asclepius prescribing Jason glasses amuses me more than is should

29. Rick… what the fuck?! Why my sweet son, Leo?? And he’s just so accepting? Fuck you!!

30. Tyson, my love 🖤🖤

31. Reyna continuing to be a badass and I love that she gets to kill this absolute incel of a giant

32. YES! Bringing in Pipers indigenous heritage! The song of the snakes! I love it 🥰

33. I may have complained previous about Piper in “House of Hades” but I see she was saving all her badassery for this book, because she has just been killing it the entire time- being the most emotionally intelligent, being an incredible team with Annabeth. This is the Piper I missed in “House of Hades.”

34. YAYAYAYAYYAY HEDGE MADE IT FOR HIS BABIES BIRTH!!!

35. Will just stepping up and telling Nico no to his shadow travel so he doesn’t do himself more damage- okay, get it [yes I have been spoiled about the future of Will and Nico, but I love that the first scene of them together is Will being all medic guy and stubborn about Nico not doing himself more damage with his shadow travels, telling Nico that his feeling about the campers thoughts about him are in his head, and just in general being a little shit]

36. I’ve said it so many times and here is one more- Octavian is the WORST!

37. Hell yeah- God fight!

38. God fight seems done, giants are all destroyed and Leo is still okay, but Gaea is awake and I still have like 8 chapters…

39. And we are talking vaguely about Leo’s death again and I DON’T LIKE IT

40. RIP Argo II and questioning what happened to my boy 🥺

41. I love the insane differences between the Romans and the Greeks fighting- Romans are so organized and just proper. Greeks is just chaos and enthusiasm.

42. FESTUS! And my boy right there with him! 🖤

43. Oh no….. Jason and Leo are fighting Gaea… I don’t like it

44. And I’m crying and plotting my revenge on Rick

45. Bye bitch! (Me to Octavian)

46. And I’m crying over Leo again (still- my nephew is only slightly concerned)

47. Awwwww! Hedge is so proud of his baby! And Clarisse is the godmother 😊

48. Okay, seriously- Renya/Nico friendship reigns supreme (sorry Jason/Nico besties- I still love you)

49. Nico teasing his sisters boyfriend should happen always

50. And once more crying about Leo- fuck you, Rick

51. Ooohhhh Nico trying to suppress his crush on Will- I see you

52. Just when I say Reyna/Nico friendship reigns supreme, Jason comes along and talks with his bestie and even gets a hug and is so excited that Nico is staying at Camp Half Blood! (And they are besties and NO ONE can change my mind on this)

53. Will scolding Nico for not stopping by to say hi while he was busy in the infirmary and then telling him he is getting at least three days of rest in the infirmary 🙌🏻

54. Percy’s brain processing in the slowest possible manner over Nico telling him he used to have a crush on him, but that he’s not really his type is kind of precious

55.. Piper once again with the emotional intelligence!

56. Leo 😭

57. HELL YES FESTUS! My wonderful, beautiful dragon!

58. And he gets to find Calypso! (Okay, Rick, you are forgiven- a little)

#heroes of olympus #blood of Olympus #jason grace #annabeth chase #percy jackson #piper mclean #leo valdez #hazel lavesque #frank zhang #nico di angelo #coach hedge #reyna ramirez arellano

[monkiedude]

@brendaonao3 tagged me to do this! Love you, old friend.

3 ships

Hangman/Rooster my beloved!!!! I don’t know if TG:M was just at the right place at the right time or what, but I haven’t been this invested in a ship in AGES. Just. Enough canon to work with, enough blank space to play with, you could make me believe they get together just about any way and I’d buy it and thank you for it. (Plus the raw material GP and MT bring to the table doesn’t hurt. Hnngh.)

I tend to be pretty fandom-monogamous, but two other fave ships I’d revisited pre-TG:M:

Arthur/Eames (Inception). Coincidentally (?) LOTS of parallels to Hangman/Rooster. Two supporting characters in a team that has to work together to pull off a mission. Total opposites in many ways that you know would make them total complements if they could get over themselves. MAJOR bitter ex energy. This ship also has some of the most incredible fic I’ve read for any fandom, ever. The canon-compliant stuff is great, but the AUs! Dear god, the AUs. It is my very fervent wish that we start getting TG:M AUs like that. (Plus the raw material that TH and JGL bring to the table doesn’t hurt. JGL’s wardrobe alone.)

Kirk/McCoy (ST:AOS). Oh, man, I was super-obsessed with this one back in the day. Much like TG:M, I saw the first movie WAY too many times in the theater. In general, I’m not big on ships that start as best friends, for whatever reason, but I vibe with this one. Plus Star Trek is just a fun universe to play in (although, again, some of my fave fics for this ship are AUs too, god, there is one kids-to-adults one that focuses mostly on HS and I re-read it still, all the time). I’m sad about this ship, though, because most if not all of my engagement with it was on LJ, and I know that a lot of the fic hasn’t made it to AO3. (I love K/M in TOS too, fwiw. DeForest Kelley’s McCoy in Wrath of Khan after the Kobayashi Maru, draped across the floor, actually begging for a compliment from Kirk…SO fruity, god love him.)

First ship

JC/Joey (popslash). I still stand by it and will not take questions at this time.

Last movie

In truth, the OG Top Gun for the zillionth time, while I was multitasking doing laundry and a crossword puzzle. Before that, it was actually Whiplash for the first time, as I continue in my quest to watch Miles Teller’s back catalogue, and a rewatch of Tombstone for the first time in at least a decade, for Val Kilmer. Next up is a rewatch of Jerry Maguire, probably for the first time since it was in the theater? (I have a huge embarrassment squick, so I remember not loving it, but I’m also in a Tom Cruise phase, so needs must.)

Last song

Sturgill Simpson’s cover of “The Promise,” which I didn’t know existed, but now do thanks to a completely captivating Hangster WIP. Before that, some random new-ish country songs as I continue digging for songs that Jake thinks about playing for Bradley on acoustic guitar. Suggestions welcome.

Currently reading

I mean, the real answer is Hangster fic, but I also just started “Girlhood” by Melissa Febos and am getting ready to be furious about it.

Currently watching

Other than the movies mentioned above, I just finished rewatching Bridgerton s2, which I unironically love. Oh, and trolling YouTube for Miles Teller interviews. (Glen Powell is my guy, but sometimes I find him to be, like. Overly polished, and kinda performative, in interviews. Miles is a fucking loose cannon and I find him fascinating.)

Currently consuming

Diet Dr. Pepper. Should actually eat lunch at some point.

Currently craving

Trying to remember if I have stuff to make a Jungle Bird, but I think I’m out of Campari. Boo.

I literally don’t know how to tag people, I’m such a fossil, but this was fun! Am I doing this right? @greendaze, @daggerspared, @saint--claire ?

#sorry not sorry i treat my tumblr like lj #ramblings #someday I will shut up about TGM but today is not that day

[randomblack-girl]

Another Astro Observation ig tbh I really just wanna share my experiences and see if other placements have the same experiences I struggle interpreting astrology so relating it to my life and experiences helps also I'm gonna try to put songs that remind me of these placements

Recently someone called me arrogant and I was confused because I struggle with confidence I don't think I'm arrogant or come off that way. Then I looked more into astrology and realized why people may think this. I'm pluto, sun, and jupiter dominant I'm also a scorpio rising with jupiter in my 1st house. I think these placements come off as very confident. And tbh I think being self obsessed can be good to an extent because people are always trying to bring you down.

Songs:

Juice by Lizzo

Conceited by Flo Mili

Persuasive by Doechii

If You Seek Amy by Britney Spears

Cockiness by Rihanna

And that brings me to the next observation people ALWAYS try to bring pluto/scorpio placements down. This probably also applys to lilith placements too but yea Ex:

So as a scorpio rising I was bullied a lot when younger especially on my appearance and the way I presented myself. I also have pluto in the 2nd house and I notice people try to "take me down a notch" by insulting my appearance (1st house) and by doing this they think it will lower my self worth/confidence (2nd house).

More about pluto in the 2nd house. I noticed pluto and scorpio can represent what gets a reaction from people. With my pluto in the 2nd house I was thinking it could be my voice, lips, and fashion (2nd house ruled by Taurus, Taurus rules throat, vocal cords, and mouth). Sagittarius is also in my 2nd house and people always talk about my smile it used to be one of the things I'd get made fun of. All of the things I listed above would. I would get comments on my voice and my lips/smile being too big. It was almost like people hated seeing me express happiness? (maybe they were jealous? Because pluto can show jealousy) and if you think about it this is spot on for this placement.

Gimme More Slayyyter remix for this one

I have virgo lilith in the 11th house and my friendships never go well/last 😭. I recently had this experience where I was sitting at a table with a bunch of girls and they all decided they didn't like me and kicked me out the table. They claimed I was too loud 🤭 (my aries mercury is screaming!!!)

Another 11th house lilith situation: I had bad friends in middle school and a teacher told me they're bad and I should stop being friends with them because they'll get me in trouble and ofc I didn't wanna listen 💀...honestly there's so many especially when it comes to online friendships

Songs: All My Friends Are Fake by Tate McRae

Backstabber by Kesha

I have venus in my 5th house and as stated above I'm sun dominant and people always tell me I should do something that has to do with theater 😍

Song: Circus by Britney Spears

My sun is opposite my asc and I feel like people always see me differently than how I see myself or how I really am

Mars in the 9th house do yall get called outspoken too? 🤨 I'm very opinionated I'd be starting conversations about controversial topics with no shame! 😘 also are yall advocates? I feel like the sign can change what you advocate for mines in cancer and I'm a feminist 😋

Songs:

Truth Hurts by Lizzo

Woman by Diana Gordon

Bad Girls by M.I.A.

I Am by Jorja Smith

Last one my mom has lilith and chiron in her 1st house and people sexualize her all the time!!! Even at work and they'll bring up her sexuality...it's getting weird 😟 she always kept a bf when younger she'll literally be minding her business and a guy will come up and offer sex like huh? Definitely getting lilith vibes

Songs:

Sex Yeah by Marina

Got it like that by Jae Stephans

Cockiness again 😜

If You Seek Amy again 😭

#astro observations #scorpiorising #lilith

[taylorroger-s]

impressions of west endsies (or, why you should see it immediately)

i saw london's new production of newsies sunday. it was everything i imagined and more. if you have the chance, sit in woodside or just any of the side ones. they throw copies of the banner and the torn newspapers into the audience. it now has a place of honor on my wall.

these are the absolute chaotic crackhead thoughts (edited for clarity) that i frantically typed into my notes app, along with post-show additions because i couldn't stop thinking about it.

(tl,dr at the end)

i bought a pin and it's going right on my nerd jacket

THE OVERTURE IS A DANCE NUMBER

THEY START BEHIND THE AUDIENCE AND DANCE IN THE AISLES

DO THE WHOLE "EXTRA EXTRA" THING TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE

I SHIT YOU NOT, ONE GUY FLIES DOWN THE CENTER AISLE ON A ZIPLINE WHILE HAWKING PAPES

one of them smiled at me

im dying

Jack has sketches all around his penthouse!! and a santa fe postcard he shows crutchie

oh yeah, i am obsessed with this crutchie

they are so chaotic and i am in love

"blind, mute, DEAD" guy jumps on the others

race my beloved,,, less ditzy than broadway and i love him all the same

his cigar actually smokes and he does it the whole act

Davey sounds amazing, pitch perfect pre-strike nervous boi

small thing, but papers in the stacks the delanceys hand out are different sizes corresponding to the number of papes the newsies buy and it makes me happy

Newsies are just vibing during office scene, they are sleeping in the aisles!!!

love Hannah, she's a sassy queen

they don't run on scaffolding, they run in the aisles!!! it really hypes you up and makes you feel involved in the action

newsies come to watch meddas show, and they're adorable

medda has BACKGROUND DANCERS (who become the brooklyn newsies!!!)

no seriously i can't stress enough how awesome the theater scenes are

kathy is a badass bitch and i love her

he hands the drawing right to her

everyone talks very fast

i don't have any notes on "the world will know" because i was too focused getting my mind blown by the entire number

race looks like Jeremy Jordan and he smiled in my general direction earlier

"who wants Brooklyn" they all very dramatically hide, i love it

i like how the newsies visbily and audibly respond to katherine's descriptions of them

my darling davey is less confrontational at this point but so sassy

One of them shouted "for fucks sake" when les went to davey instead of hanging out

Kathy thanks the newsies that bring on her desk

Newspaper sword fight before they dance on the papers!!

there's another ballet boy doing those super hard turns and he did MORE OF THEM

Les got LIFTED INTO THE AIR during the fight scene

ALERT: DAVEY AND JACK ARE IN THE BIG DANCE NUMBERS MORE OFTEN THEN USUAL (not doing the elaborate jumping stuff, but still!!!!)

i was on the cusp of tears the whole time and they spilled over during Santa Fe

on the way to the bathroom i picked up one of the pieces of the newspapers they threw into the crowd during seize the day, it is on my wall now

act two and i am ready to be emotionally damaged even more

RACE IS EVERYTHING TO ME IN EVERY ITERATION

les starts the tap of KONY while on a table

there is less tap than in livesies, but more creativity when it comes to involving the whole group

tables as cars!! they pretend to drive around and it's adorable

They saw hadestown's 'wait for me' swinging lights and said "we can do it better" and y'know what??? they fucking nailed it (no shade, i love both numbers more than life)

katherine has a crown of sppooons

jack is painting the same backdrop as broadway during "watch what happens reprise" and i actually squeaked

davey is whipped (at least that's what i see lmao)

i'm loving confident davey, his character development is everything!!

his deliberate way of saying "we are inevitable" really tugs at my heart man

BROOKLYN IS ALL GIRLS!! they start in the audience, then sing on their way to the stage and GET A DANCE NUMBER

no seriously I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

during the rally, the newsies are actually standing in the borough they shout out (the "woodside's here!" gang was like 6 feet away from me on a riser)

the newsies really feel like kids fighting for a cause

love something to believe in; gotta say, wasn't really feeling this jatherine until this scene, because man they killed it

here comes once and for all, which will never fail to hype me up

they changed the "you got your thugs..." lyric and i was too busy mouthing along to the song to remember what is was changed to

lanterns during once and for all! they lit it like it was night and the lanterns added to the ~vibe~

AND they do the bundle tossing thing in the central aisle and towards the exits, i was mesmerized

then they go to the rest of the aisles and throw the banners into the crowd (one of which i have)

love the teddy roosevelt

the newsies vs pulitzer is everything??? spot and davey??? amazing

davey says sandstorms instead of tarantulas

i would die for the whole jacobs family

of course, curtain call for newsies is mindblowing

i made eye contact with race at one point during the show and it made my evening even better

they got MULTIPLE standing ovations during the show and i stood up during the applause for "once and for all" (no one else did) because that one deserved a standing ovation too

when i walked out of the theater, it had started snowing in wembley for the first time this year :)))

a magical, rousing, fantastic show that i eagerly recounted to my friends and boyfriend when i got back to our accommodation

tl;dr please oh please if you have the opportunity, go see newsies! it is unforgettable and worth every penny!!

#i was trying very hard not to start singing on the way home #twas a vibe especially with the snow #my friends knew how excited i was so when i got back they let me speedrun these notes #and while we were hanging out in the kitchen i just started playing the soundtrack and dancing around #extremely dorky of me but bf thought it was cute #newsies #west end newsies #west endsies