#put my heart and soul into the choreography for that routine and the girls put their hearts and souls into performing it

[stainandscribble]

fleurs blanches au moulin rouge

White Flowers by the Red Mill

Pairing: Kim Jongin (Kai)/ Reader(female)

Genre: Moulin Rouge; dancer!Jongin; 1920′s!Jongin; fluff; slightly domestic au

Summary: You had one love since you were young: dance. it was your path out of poverty and your ascent to freedom. For years, you entertained the patrons of the Moulin Rouge, climbing in popularity until you were the main act. In the shiny golden lights of the spotlight, you were not alone. Jongin had accompanied you every step of the way, from the golden lights to the bruising dance practices in back rooms. You shared everything, your hearts, souls and bed.

Word Count: 4054

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Moulin Rouge attracted many visitors, both rich and poor and those seeking a glimpse of freedom and liberty in the changing world. It’s garish red exterior and bright lights the Bastion of pleasures attracted a crowd and the dancers performing on its stage had become infamous for their daring choreographies and bold costumes. The spotlight of Moulin Rouge was a desire for most dancers, and you were the one lucky enough to occupy it. Living on the wooden boards of the stage had its fair share of hardships, but you were glad you didn’t face them alone. 

Moulin Rouge at the bottom of Montmartre was where Kim Jongin first tasted freedom, and it was where you first found out what a hundred pairs of watchful eyes, focused on your every move, felt like, and for you that had been a kind of freedom too. 

You started as two youngsters, dancing ballet in a small academy before the Moulin Rouge found you and brought you onto its wooden stage. Over the years you learned what it was like to have hundreds of eyes on you, and what the warm silky light of the stage felt like against your skin. In the golden glow, covered in sweat, with all eyes on you, you and Jongin fell in love.

Love had happened slowly, walked towards you in small steps. Slowly, leading eyes that followed you during rehearsals turned into lingering touches. The more you danced, the more his hands wondered, the closer your bodies pressed and the more your forms moulded to accommodate the other. Late-night practices meant late-night talks, and with adolescence came stolen kisses and holding hands in secret from the older girls.

With adulthood, the stolen kisses and wandering hands at practice became a burning romance that left both of you warm and passionate. Youth had seen you blossom, and now you were a flower, dancing with the sun in human form, for the fact that Jongin was golden.

In the backrooms of the establishment surrounded by candlelight, you dance your heart out to the music coming out the gramophone in the corner of the room. Your feet were sore from practising in your heels, and Jongin wipes sweat from his forehead. The summer had been particularly hot this year, and even dancing without a shirt had Jongin covered in sweat.

In the candlelight, his skin had assumed an even more decadent shade of gold and his dark hair stuck to his forehead in black streaks.

“It’s late, the sun will rise before we get home if we don’t leave now. I’m sure we can practice more in the morning.” You pleaded with him as he walked over to the gramophone, ready to put the record back at the start.

“Are you tired?” He asked, his velvety voice floated through the room, accompanied by the fragrant summer air.

“Is it not obvious?” You asked, smiling lightly when he looked at you, his deep brown eyes finding your own, and their intensity held you in place, waiting for whatever he would do next.

“I suppose, we can go home.” He allowed, letting you pick up his discarded shirt off the floor and dress him with tired hands.

Your home was just beyond Montmartre, at the edge of the next neighbourhood. You lived on the top floor of a three-storey building with two rooms, but it was yours, and it was enough.

You walked through Montmartre in the dark, your hand clasped in Jongin’s much larger one, as he pressed you closer to his side. The walk home was silent and peaceful as the both of you walked on tired feet, watching the night with blurry eyes. Jongin would have sworn he could still hear the echoes of the gramophone in his ears, playing the familiar melodies of foxtrot and Charleston that would entertain the patrons of Moulin Rouge for the next two weeks.

Once you were home, you had fallen into bed without a care in the world. The sheets were soft against your skin, and the night air cooled the room as it breezed through the open window, sending the white lace curtains dancing to imaginary music.

Soon Jongin had joined you, slipping under the covers in his pyjama bottoms. He pulled you closer to him, letting you rest your head against his chest. His thumb traced soft patterns against your shoulder, and you could feel his warm breath fanning your hair as he settled into the night.

“Sleep well, mon chérie.” You muttered, letting your eyes fall closed. My love, you call him, because he is.

“Good night, ma jolie fleur.” He responded, his deep voice vibrating in your ears like a soft purr. My lovely flower, he calls you, and he wonders is you know just how much those words mean to him. In the grips of sleep, right between dream and reality, you could have sworn he pressed a kiss to your forehead before falling asleep, sending your heart fluttering. You slept like that, warm in each other’s embrace.

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Loving you was easy. It came to him as naturally as breathing. It had become second nature to his body, just as dancing had. Loving you was easy, and Jongin liked it that way. He never understood why anyone makes their life harder by loving someone difficult to be with. Maybe it was the chase after the forbidden fruit, the sweetness of fruit one assumed to be beyond ones reach. Maybe it was fate, and he never really had any say in who his heart loved. All those things seemed plausible. But all of them made life more complicated, made love more complicated, and Jongin didn’t need it to be complicated.

The sun shone through your bedroom windows, warming your back, and you felt the weight of Jongin’s arm draped over your waist. The morning had come too soon, and you wished it was still dark outside so that you could sleep a little longer in his embrace.

You turned in his arms to face him, your fingers stroking through his hair, pushing the dark strands away from his face as he breathed slowly, still fast asleep.

His love was easy; he loved you.

There was nothing more to that. You shared everything, lived your lives beside each other and loved simply.

Your ministrations woke him up, and when you retracted your hands to stop stroking his hair he groaned in protest, pulling you closer to him.

“Five more minutes.” His deep voice vibrated against your ears, and you laughed, returning to combing your fingers through his thick hair.

Sometimes he wondered whether what you had was not simple at all, but he had made it simple because yours was the only love he ever knew, and the only love he ever needed. Maybe that was what made it easy. Perhaps, somehow, love was never easy. Perhaps it was the hardest thing he has ever done.

Jongin wouldn’t know. You loved him, and that was easy enough.

He found no reason to torture himself with what-ifs and possibilities that never happened.

Finally, when he had enough he let you go, allowing both of you to begin the usual morning routine. Breakfast consisted of tea and baguette with butter and jam. He had eaten his breakfast in silence, sipping on the hot earl grey tea as the grogginess of the morning left him. This early in the day, his dark large eyes were puffy with sleep, and despite being combed, dark brown locks fell in front of his eyes.

“We need to stop by the market today.” He commented, watching as you sipped on your tea in silence. You hummed your approval, taking a bite out of your piece of bread. Jongin smiled, watching you as the sun fell on your face, giving your features a newfound softness.

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Today, Jongin had been told you couldn’t use the practice rooms since the other dancers have put themselves on the schedule before you. Instead of waiting about for them to be done, you wondered off with him to the market.

Your shopping list was long, and you doubted if you could carry all of it today.

The stalls selling vegetables were your first target. On the bust street, you and Jongin blended in with the crowd as you strolled casually among the buyers and sellers crowding both sides of the alley.

You walked up to a large stall, covered completely in wooden crates of fresh produce, eyes scanning the rainbow of seasonal fruit and vegetables.

“What can I get you, mademoiselle?” The man running the stall asked he looked to be about your age. You watched as his eyes trailed after you before he averted his gaze. You felt Jongin’s hand wrap around the curve of your hip.

“May I get half a kilo of white transparent apples, three leeks and three courgettes?” You asked, unfazed by the slight scowl he sent Jongin’s way.

“Certainly.” He nodded, before picking up the vegetables and handing them to you to put in your basket.

“Jongin, do you want anything?” You turned to ask, craning your neck to see him. Bright sunlight gleamed off of his soft honeyed skin, and his dark eyes looked straight at the man selling you veg.

“Five red onions.” He said, smiling politely, although you noticed it never reached his eyes. There was no creasing at the corners.

“Here.” He handed you a bundle, tied together with string, before requesting the due amount.

“Are we having just soups?” Jongin asked, looking over at the ingredients in the basket. You could make soupe à l’oignon and pistou, and that would do for the next six days. Apart from the oats and apricot compote for breakfast, you would have to do with light lunches of quiche Lorraine and salad.

“What else would you like?” You asked, walking through the market, looking over the various stalls. Some sold cheese, others honey and even more sold vegetables and even bread.

“A chicken?” He asked, his eyes focused at the street at the end of the market, where the shops were. The butchers looked rather busy, with people queuing outside, and you had decided that you could afford it. Moulin Rouge would give you this month’s salary by the end of the week, after your next performance, and because it was summer, your salary had increased along with the amount of attending patrons.

“I’ll go to the butchers, hold these.” You stated, handing him the wicker basket filled with vegetables and fruit.

“Get potatoes and carrots.” You asked, pointing over at the stall beside you, manned by an older woman with greying hair, who even in the summer, was currently wearing a shawl to shield herself from the chill that came with age.

“Anything else?” He asked, one arm still wrapped around your hip.

“Can you carry anything else?” You laughed, waiting for a response that never came. A laugh bubbled out of your chest when you saw the dejected expression marring his sharp features. His brows were furrowed, and his plush lips were now pulled into a small pout, and you knew he didn’t want to part from you.

“I’ll wait for you outside the butchers.” He told you, finally letting you go, handing you silver coins from his pocket.

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Loving Jongin was easy. Love came as naturally as breathing, as effortless as dancing to the tunes of the gramophone in stuffy backrooms of Moulin Rouge.

It was the only love you had ever known.

Now, you stood with him, hands clasped together in the dim light of the backstage as you waited your turn on the wooden floor, waiting for the cancan girls to finish their main act, their black and white dresses flying into the air, the ruffled providing them with incredible volume.

Your dress was simpler, a jade green, straight cut ensemble with beading around the neckline and down to the bottom. It reminded you of peacock feathers, and as the dress reached below your lip line, it split into three layers, the second layer was a light sage green, and the third was the same jade shade as the rest. The embroidery on the hems was beautiful and delicate, and you could tell it was Manon’s handiwork. The seamstress had made all of your outfits since she became Monsieur Baekhyun’s lover. Jongin’s suit was an identical green shade, with white lining on the inner edges and lining the pockets.  His hair was parted to the side and swept-back, a few loose strands curled over his forehead. He looked breath-taking.

Cheers rang through the establishment, and the cancan dancers gave their last bow, before disappearing through the opposite end of the stage.

It was your time.

Bathed in the silky spotlight, you entered in step with Jongin, smiling brightly, before he pulled your hand, twirling you towards him, and as your body pressed into his, the music began playing, and the crowd erupted in polite clapping.

You spun around the stage, pulling each other every which way, dancing to the tune of the Charleston. Your legs performed the complicated step routine without having to think, muscle memory acting on its own. The whole time you stared into Jongin’s eyes. His gaze, which had been soft and affectionate backstage was now smouldering, setting you on fire where he touched you. When the melody changed from Charleston to foxtrot, it was with natural grace and practised finesse that you assumed your new positions. Not a single breath out of time. That was the level of skill Jongin had always expected of himself, as his partner, of you as well.

It was easy to love him when he looked only at you under the golden light, his gaze flickering every once in a while to the audience to send a practised smile their way. It was a privilege to love him, when he spun you around, pressed you close to his body so that you could feel the pumping of blood rushing through his heart.

When the melody ended, and the hall fell into silence, the only sound you could hear was your heavy breath, and your blood rushing through your ears.

The split second of ringing silence was Jongin’s own paradise. It was heaven where only you existed, only you and the stage upon which he could dance, spin you around, and be spun.  It was a small piece of heaven, bathed in golden light and tasting like sweat and effort. Heaven belonged to him.

And then, it was over and the polite cheers brought him back to reality and off the stage.

“You have to change.”

“Your second set is waltz and tango in about fifteen minutes, Hurry.” One of the seamstress girls watching over the costumes ushered you both into an empty practice room before her friend handed you your next costumes.

This time your dress was white, the delicate lace layers covered the skirt, with white faux pearls stitched into the cream embroidery around the neckline. Jongin was handed a pair of black dress pants and a white shirt with ribbon ties at the cuffs.

“Don’t button it all the way. Leave a few undone.” One of the younger seamstresses giggled, before walking out of the room.

You laughed once she was gone and proceeded to take your jade green dress off, draping the beautiful garment over a chair.

You watched from the corner of your eye as Jongin did the same, taking off his green trousers, putting on the black slacks and suspenders.

Once you were done, you watched as Jongin buttoned his white shirt completely.

“Leave a few undone.” You chastised, walking over to pull a few buttons free.

Without warning, Jongin swooped down, his warm lips pressing into yours, and you could feel his hands coming to grip your hips, as his mouth moved in sync with yours.

“Do you have your red lipstick?” He asked, breaking away from you, his eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Yes, why?” Your brows furrowed, and you looked up to search his face, shadows dancing over his sharp features as gas lamps burned in the corners of the room. His brown eyes reflected the yellow light, turning bronze when he looked down at you.

“I was thinking, we could tease them a little.” He whispered, leaning towards you to drag his plump lips across your hairline; his touch so gentle it tickled.

“How so?” you whispered, your hands still holding onto his waist. He pressed his lips against yours again.

“A few red stains never hurt anyone.” He smiled, and you laughed at his suggestion. He wanted you to kiss him, leave kiss stains over his body.

“And where would you like them?” You smiled, pulling away to reach for your bag, draped over a chair along with your and Jongin’s clothes. The little black tube was quickly taken from you, and Jongin took it upon himself to glide the red pigment over your lips.

“How about here, and here?” He pulled his shirt away, revealing the smooth golden skin of his collar bones.

“I can do that.” You smiled, looking up at him to gauge his reaction. With a relieved sigh and a small smile blooming on his lips, he pulled you closer to him.

“Thank you.” He whispered once your soft lips pressed against his soft skin, firm against the hard bone beneath it.

“My pleasure.” You whispered, pulling away, letting him kiss your forehead one last time before you left, hand in hand to your next set.

This time as you waited for the dancers in black and white dresses to leave the stage there was no silence lingering between you. The seamstress girls who had been giggling all night and battering their eyelashes in Jongin’s direction were murmuring among themselves, sending angry looks your way. Jongin’s hand was firm against the swell of your hips, his nimble fingers playing with the lace details as he whispered sweet nothing into your ear. You ignored them in favour of listening to the quiet deep timbre of Jongin’s voice,

“I like this dress on you.” He whispered, lips brushing against your ear. He could feel you tense against him, your neck craning to take a look at him.

“Why?” You asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“How about I get you your own white dress?” He ignored your question, eyes focusing on the dancers twirling on the stage in the glow of the spotlight.

“And a veil?” He continued, fingers moving to play with the hem of your neckline, gliding over the uneven surface, occasionally falling onto the little faux pearls decorating the dress.

“A veil?” you asked, his other hand wrapping around your abdomen to pull you a little closer to his body as Jongin stood behind you.

“Mhhm.” He hummed.

You could feel the vibration against you, his chest purring like that of a cat as you both watched the performance on stage. You didn’t have to look at him to know he was smirking.

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Loving you was easy. Jongin had always known that. He had felt reassured in his decision when he caught Byun Baekhyun’s eyes in the audience in the middle of the tango. The older man was smiling, his hands clasped over his lover’s. His love was not easy, with social standing and family in the way, bringing Manon and showing her off in public was risky, but it was a risk he was willing to take when attending Moulin Rouge. The Bastion of Pleasures had one fascinating quality. Its scarlet exterior and bustling interior always felt like freedom. Whether it was Jongin dancing on the stage under the golden stage lights or it was you, with hundreds of eyes following your every move, or even Baekhyun, who could bring his love out among free-spirited Parisians. Moulin Rouge felt like liberation, and that had always made him brave. Looking at Monsieur Byun that night, happy in the seamstress’ arms, made him want to reassure the man. That was why he had smiled, and to his surprise Baekhyun had smiled back, raising his champagne flute in silent thanks. For a moment, he understood the older man, their situations were similar enough; they were both in love with someone society disapproved of.

Now, with the show finished, he was holding your hand again. The summer breeze blowing in the night carried the scent of flowers and the memories of summer nights spent in your arms, and he wanted to live in this moment forever. Warm, fed and in love.

“Did you know Byun Baekhyun is planning on running away with the seamstress?” He asked you, making you turn your attention to him with the sudden question. It has been a running joke they would finally elope, but you had not thought they would do it. Byun Baekhyun was a Joseon man, but unlike Jongin he had parents and an inheritance. His path was set, and you didn’t think he would stray from it.

“And where did you hear that?” You asked, pulling him along towards your home. In the dark, illuminated only by few dim streetlamps, he looked ethereal, and you thanked whoever decided you could love him, for the fact that you would not have to run away just to lay in his arms.

“Kyungsoo works as his accountant, he told me they bought tickets for a ship sailing to French Indochina.”  Jongin looked over at you, eyes scanning your features, softened by the dim light of the streetlamps as you walked home, your shoes clicking against the cobbled stones beneath your feet.

“I’m happy for them. If they succeed and get married, I wish them all the best.” You answered, genuinely happy that they found a solution. You could not imagine what leaving Jongin would be like. It was a possibility too painful to consider.

“What if,” Jongin began, but he cut himself off, not sure if he should ask the question running through his mind.  He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers. His dark eyes, now black like the night, fell onto the cobblestones and his straight brown brows furrowed, creasing his smooth forehead.

“What?” You inquired, linking your arm through his to match his step. For a few paces, he stayed silent, basking in the warmth of your body beside him, scared of rejection. You watched from the corner of your eye as he chewed on his lips turning them red.

“What if we get married? Nothing is stopping us. We don’t have parents deciding our future, and everyone already knows we are lovers.” He asked finally, his feel stopping, making you halt alongside him. You turned to face him, catching his nervous gaze, and holding it as silence rang through your ears.

“We could get married.” You took his hand, threading your fingers through his.

You loved him. You had always loved him, and you were sure you would always love him because despite life being hard, despite the world making living difficult, loving him was easy.

“I would like that.” You told him. A smile graced your red-painted lips and you could hear your pulse in your ears as your heart beat against the rungs of your ribcage as the bones held it hostage.

“Really?” He asked, disbelief at how easy it was painting his face. His features softened when he looked at you as he let go of your hand, choosing instead to cradle your face.

“Of course. I love you, mon chérie.” You whispered, your lips brushing against his, sending a familiar tickle down his spine.

“I love you too, ma jolie fleur.” He whispered back, his lips pressing against yours firmly. You moved in sync in the darkness, the fragrant summer air filled your lungs, and you kissed the way you danced, passionately until there was no more air in your lungs and you didn’t know where one ended and the other begun.

Loving was as easy as breathing, an effortless dance you had practised over and over until your bones ached.

Loving him was easy, and you would be forever thankful for the wooden boards of the stage at the heart of Moulin Rouge where your young hearts first learned what love was.

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[vics-writes]

Square filled: Ballet au

Summary: The soft touch of his fingertips left a burning sensation on his skin. The way his eyes roamed his body made his insides feel like he was on fire. Bucky Barnes was a fire he didn't know how to put out, and one he didn't want to.

Or Bucky and Sam are both dancers and one day they get the lines between work and pleasure a little confused

Warnings: Light swearing

Disclaimer: I should have said it before but I'm not a native english speaker so my spelling/wording might be bad

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Tired eyes roamed the room before him, stilling on the guy he couldn't seem to avoid.

He wasn't looking at him but was talking to his only friend in the company. Which happened to be one of his best friends. Much to his dismay, Natasha saw him as he was trying to hide from the guy next to her. And he couldn't just not go sit next to them when she called him over.

With a silent nod he greeted the two dancers before him starting his warm up. He didn't try to interject in the conversation so he just hung around them, not really listening to what they were saying.

Doing his best not to shoot glances at the man sitting right in front of him, knowing that Natasha would have noticed and would have never let him hear the end of it.

But Natasha wanted her friends to talk to each other so she tried dragging Sam into the conversation, but he did his best to answer with either grunts or facial expressions.

Blaming it on the clear tiredness of his friend Natasha didn't think much of it, but Bucky was going crazy about it.

He was used to not being the one Sam smiled to but he loved watching him as he did to his friends. Sam's smile and calming voice were the best thing about early monday practice for him.

When the teacher came in, the dancers got up getting closer to the barre, Natasha in the middle separating the two men.

But even with her friend in front of him, Sam couldn't help his eyes, running up and down Bucky's back as he executed the exercises with the same precision as always.

That precision, the way his body moved far too easily with the music, the nonchalantly way he was always perfect were the reason Sam noticed him in the first place. Bucky danced like he was born to do only that.

The first time he saw him dance a complete routine he couldn't stop staring at the way his abdomen raised slowly, the almost invisible movement intriguing him.

The way his arms were always in the right place, moving along with his body in perfect harmony. His hands moving with a delicacy out of this world.

And his eyes, locked in a world nobody else could see, looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Then locking in his and never letting go of his until he was done.

Bucky Barnes' eyes started a fire deep inside of him the moment they met his.

When it was time to turn around and do the exercise on the other side Sam felt nervousness overwhelming his whole being. The mere thought of Bucky even barely glancing at him and noticing how imperfect he was, made him tremble with anxiety.

And Bucky was looking at him, but the only thing going on in his mind was the desire to get closer to him.

Bucky noticed Sam the day he arrived at the company, quiet and shy he didn't even try to get to know anyone. He didn't even want to, he was there just to dance.

But then he saw Sam. His eyes locked on the boy the moment they saw him. He was talking to a girl with flaming red hair, the kind of colour that would stand up even in a sea of people. But what stood out for him wasn't the girl's hair. It was her friend.

The guy next to her looked so peaceful as he smiled at her, the warming up barely tiring him. He looked like peace. Like he belonged in that room, like everyone else would disappear if he left.

And when Bucky saw him dance for the first time he knew Sam Wilson was something special. He wasn't perfect technically, but he was perfect in every other way. He looked so much at peace when he followed the music.

A barely there smile adorned his lips even during the most tiring routine. A smirk so small you wouldn't see it from afar.

Sometimes his eyes would close, feeling the music deep in his core. He looked like a mystical creature, maybe even an angel.

And when it was his turn to dance he noticed his eyes on him, and had to fight the blush he felt growing on his face.

He didn't want to look into his eyes but once they met he couldn't tore them away. That day Sam Wilson made him feel the lightest he had ever felt. His brown eyes lifted every worry from his soul. Making him forget the world around him and creating a world of his own where Sam was the only thing Bucky could see.

And they kept glancing at each other throughout the whole day, doing it every time the other was occupied with anything else.

Eyes scanning every little move the other made, increasing the wonder with which they looked at each other. A wonder that kept growing everyday and didn't seem to reach an end.

And Natasha noticed. She was aware of the way her friends looked at each other when they thought nobody could see them. But she saw. Sha always saw.

And she did everything she could to get them to at least talk. But they were both clearly too nervous to just start a conversation with each other.

The day came to and end too fast for Sam, but truth been told he could have stayed there for ever if it meant he could keep looking at Bucky.

But Natasha wasn't going to give up so easily so she convinced both her friend to stay behind and practise a little more. Both of them accepting with a little too much enthusiasm when they heard the other was staying too.

They practiced a piece for a while when, with an excuse too real to seem made up, Natasha left them alone, basically forcing them to stay because they stayed back already why go home so soon?

And both of them agreed.

Now they were practising another piece, one that was to be performed in pairs. And luckily for them, or unfortunately for Sam's poor heart, they had complementary roles so they could dance together.

Alone in the room they were now dancing so close Sam could see every nuance of Bucky's stunning eyes. The same eyes that made his insides feel like they were on fire.

And Bucky wasn't doing better himself, not being able to look away from Sam's lips, as usual curved into a soft smile. A smile that was everything his heart needed to feel content.

If Sam didn't know best he could have believed that he wasn't the only one going crazy every time their limbs interwoven or everytime Bucky's chest pressed against his.

But Sam did know better and knew that the only reason why Bucky's chest was raising and falling a little faster was because they had been practicing for a while now.

Bucky, however, felt like he could die right there and then. With the other so close, touching his hips and then pressing lightly on his back. Just as the choreography demanded.

But Sam's touch felt so good, light but firm. Knowing exactly how and when to put pressure on him to steady his movements or when to let go to let him move freely.

And they didn't stop when the music ended.

They kept dancing to a music that was only between them, creating a beautiful masterpiece of limbs and bodies. Creating an intricate design that merged their styles.

The music that started playing was foreign to Sam's ears but he knew he would have remembered it. Just like he would remember the way Bucky was looking at him, like some beautiful piece of art.

And he couldn't even find it in himself to stop staring at his partner. Because to his eyes Bucky was the piece of art and he wanted to admire him for as long as he could, memorizing every detail of his face and his body, remembering every inch of skin he touched, sculpting into his mind the memory of the moment they were in.

When they finally stopped moving all around yet another song had ended but neither of them withdrew from the other. Bucky's hands pressed against his chest doing very little to push him away, and Sam's hand gripping his arms pulling him closer.

They stared in each other's eyes and before he knew what he was doing, Bucky moved his hands from Sam's chest, staying close, as his fingers started to trace every inch of the other's arms.

And Sam was mesmerized by the way Bucky smiled softly at himself while touching him. Too focused on his fingers to actually realise how close he was getting.

But Sam didn't mind, quite the opposite actually, as his hand lowered on the other's hips drifting him closer.

The soft touch of his fingertips left a burning sensation on his skin. The way his eyes roamed his body made his insides feel like he was on fire. Bucky Barnes was a fire he didn't know how to put out, and one he didn't want to.

Bucky was looking at him as if he was the most beautiful piece of art he had ever seen and Sam felt self consciousness grow inside of him under the adoring look Bucky reserved for him.

Slowly the guy hands followed his arms around his shoulders and then setting behind his neck tickling the soft skin at its base.

The little giggle that left Sam's lips was what made Bucky divert his eyes from his arms, landing on his lips. Lips that were turned upwards in a soft smile, one that made Bucky heart sigh of contentment.

And when he finally lifted his eyes from his inviting lips Bucky found himself barely holding the smile that grew on his face when he realized that Sam was looking at him with the same adoration he felt.

Being the subject of so much wonder made Bucky feel at ease, like he could finally let go of his pains. Because looking at Sam's eyes he could see nothing but love.

The word felt still so foreign in his mind, but there was no other feeling that could make him feel so in need of the boy before him, and there was no other word that could describe the way Sam was looking at him.

But when Sam's smile grew into a full ass smile, one that was reserved only for him, Bucky knew he couldn't stay away anymore. Slightly pushing Sam towards him their lips met in the few inches between their bodies.

Sam heart felt like combusting, his hand pulling Bucky closer to feel more of his body against his own. Leaving no room for anything else, if he could have merged their bodies in that moment Sam would have without hesitation.

Bucky wasn't doing much better from his part. All he could feel was Sam, his hands on his hips, his chest pressed against his, his lips slowly parting allowing him to explore every inch of his mouth, the scent he was usually felt from afar every time they passed each other was now all he could smell.

Reluctantly they parted as they ran out of air. Without actually getting far, their foreheads touching as both of them smiled from the just ended contact.

Bucky wanted to say something, anything, just to make sure he hadn't just imagined everything. But Sam's smile reassured him, it was real. And Sam was happy too.

Even if not even the latter believed that it was real. It was too good and too perfect to be real.

They left together that day. Walking slowly through the big halls, hands almost touching for how close they were. Sending sideways smiles at the other as both their hearts fluttered when meeting the other's eyes.

And Natasha noticed the way Sam smiled directly at Bucky when he came in, the day after. Or how Bucky smiled back with the brightest smile ever. Or how they were still looking at each other but did very little to hide it from the other.

She wanted to say something, acknowledge how their body seemed to drift closer to one another every moment.

But she stayed silent, even when she realised that they left together, talking about something that seemed too much like a date.

Because she already knew Sam was the peace Bucky needed, just like Bucky was the fire that could get Sam through anything.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

me? being happy with what I write? yeah as if.

I just hope somebody enjoys this more than me

previous one / next one

#sam wilson #bucky barnes #sam wilson x bucky barnes #sambucky #bucky x sam #sam and bucky #sam x bucky #fatws #the falcon and the winter solider spoilers #the falcon and the snowman #captain america and the white wolf #captain america and the winter soldier #i'm soft for these two

[fivefeetfear]

Chapter 2

......

As the gems made their way inside the building, Spinel took note on how gorgeous it is! The color scheme were based off of various shades of golds and reds. Spinel magenta eyes explored the interior awing at the high ceiling. The venue has three levels hosting rows of hundreds of red cushion seats. The room is lit up with soft lighting, giving the atmosphere an air of sophistication. Spinel admired the beauty of the structure adoring minor details and the curves on the walls. However, the showstopper was the stage; it was enormous! The thick red velvet curtains are closed concealing what’s behind it and slowly Spinel could feel the excitement grow inside waiting to find out!

The Crystal Gems and Spinel sat at the front row of the venue; the seats were a good distance away from the stage so they all may be able to enjoy the performances comfortably. Spinel fiddles with the cuffs of her gloves as she sat quietly in her seat as the other gems talks amongst themselves. Spinel sighs as she sinks further down her seat, she wanted to join in on the fun, but she did not have anything interesting to say. Therefore, she sat put waiting for the show to start. The lights soon flicker signaling the audience the show is about to start. Once the lights went out the curtains began to rise.

……………………

The audience clapped loudly as four magnificent shows were put on for them. Two being short musicals numbers and two dance routines. Spinel was very impressed by the gems skills in vocals and style of dances. She was honestly a fan of the hip-hop genre. The pink gem was over in the moon with excitement. She took in all the colors and sounds in and it created such a wonderful experience for her senses! She has never been to anything like this and it was so much fun. The shy gem even started a  conversation with Amethyst, the short purple gem bragged about how she is one of the hip-hop and freestyle teachers with Garnet while Pearl taught ballet whenever they had the time. Spinel was mind blown that humans were able to learn such difficult choreography. This got her mind wondering if they would willing to let her teach a swing class?  The short admission break was over as the last performance was about to begin.

“This one is going to be amazing! Well, they were all amazing but (Y/N) is in this one!” Steven gushes to Spinel as she got comfortable in her seat ready to be dazzled. Soft music began to play as the curtain slowly rises up. There was a chorus of ‘awes’ as the red velvet drapes revealed what was behind and it was breathtaking. Spinel eyes gloss over in awestruck as she took in the sight before her. On the stage was varies of gems of every size and color adored in silk shimmery dress similar to White Diamonds. On their heads are delicate gold wire crowns decorated with crystals. The minerals caught the bright stage lights and reflected like stars.  The background and props were large crystals in the soft blue and purple color range. Then a soft voice began to sing, a spotlight flashes down onto a (B/S) (Y/G). Holey Moley! Spinel was stunned by the appearance of the gem as she stood tall on her pedestal surrounded by her fellow gems, her piercing (E/C) shined under the lights making her look like powerful deity. Who is she?

“That’s her! That’s (Y/N).” Steven Whispers to Spinel pointing the deity. The pink gem was shaken out of her trance as the bass of the music rattled the venue and (Y/N) began to sing.  

You, you love it how I move you

You love it how I touch you

My one, when all is said and done

You'll believe God is a woman

And I, I feel it after midnight

A feelin' that you can't fight

My one, it lingers when we're done

You'll believe God is a woman

The gems on the stage began to dance in sync to the beat of the music. Their limbs moved ever so elegantly and their facial expression shows determination as they all moved as a singular unit.  Though the dancers were putting up quite the performance, Spinel’s eyes were glued onto the singer as she stood tall in the masses of gems. She was able to stand out amongst them with her unique form as she too moves so delicately to her own singing. She….she’s amazing, talented, ENCHANTING! The singer was making her skin tickle with excitement as she felt her chest like it was tightening with every breath she took.

I'll tell you all the things you should know

So, baby, take my hand, save your soul

We can make it last, take it slow, hmm

And I can tell that you know I know how I want it, yuh

But you different from the rest

And girl, if you confess, you might get blessed

See if you deserve what comes next

I'm tellin' you the way I like it, how I want it

And I can be all the things you told me not to be

(Yuh)

When you try to come for me, I keep on flourishing

(Yuh)

And he see the universe when I'm the company

It's all in me

A strange sensation coursed through Spinel as she heard the (Y/G) belt out such a high note so effortlessly. Oh stars. Spinel couldn’t look away not even for a second as she watched her dance; the red in her face brighten with every roll of (Y/N) hips. The slits on her dress seem to get higher as more of her thighs are exposed and her skin gleamed under the lights. The choreography was sensual with suggestive undertone; at one point, the ladies got on their knees and rolled their backs down leaving their butt in the air for a hot second before dropping their hips onto the stage, then getting back on their knees to caress one another wherever their hands desired. Spinel rolled in her lips; she could not deny that her eyes have lingered on (Y/N)  backside longer than they should have. Can you blame her?! It’s so round!

The backup singers supported the lead gorgeously, but she really did not need them seeing she was able to support herself. Spinel placed her hands on her warm gem feeling her chest swell, new feelings taking place in the emptiness that was once there.  She nips at her lower lip as she watched the performance hitting its climax. A few gems fused which made the audience thrilled, but Spinel did not care. Her eyes are trained onto the (Y/G) singing her heart out; the (Y/G) was doing riffs and runs she never heard before hitting higher notes than before. Goodness, it gave the spinel chills. 

Spinel was completely entranced by the tiny gem, she had not noticed Amethyst smirking beside her. The purple gem softly elbows Garnet and pointed to the pink gem. The fusion glanced over at her to see the Spinel gawking the singer, eyes following her every move. A smile graces her lips as she looked back at the show. How cute. Amethyst reached behind Spinel and tapped Steven on the shoulder. The teen peeked over at her to see her pointing at Spinel. Steven peeked over at the gem and noticed her starry eyes gazing at (Y/N) with bright magenta cheeks. Oh. My. Goodness! The boy couldn’t fight back the smile as his eyes shine just as bright; Spinel and (Y/N)!? He had to make it happen!

At the end of the performance, a large green Jasper had placed (Y/N) on their shoulders as she ends the song chorusing with her team. The (Y/G) adjusted her stare from the audience to Spinel and sent her wink. What the? And just like that, the curtains dropped. Everyone in the audience stood on their feet as cheers and applause filled the venue. Spinel, on the other hand, was still star-struck and in the midst of freaking out. Was that wink for…her? No. But she was looking right at her! Spinel sat still, stuck in her seat unblinking.

“Hey close your mouth you’re getting drool everywhere!” Amethyst says teasingly jerking the toony gem out her trance. Spinel snapped back into reality as she sat up in the chair shifting her confused gaze at her short friend.

“Wha?” Was she could mustard up sending Amethyst into a cackling fit, she couldn’t help it!. Spinel look like a lost puppy with her large uncertain eyes. There is no way she wasn’t going to tease her!

“Oh dudes! Someone is in loooove!” she says loudly. This caught the attention of the others as they now watched the two vibrant gems go at it.  Spinel’s cheeks flares back up as at her words before snapping back. The venue was slowly growing empty as the crowd exited leaving the Crystal Gems to their shenanigans.

“What?! I’m not in love!” Spinel argues only making Amethyst smirk as she crosses her arms.

“Riiiigght.” She then shapeshifts into (Y/G) making Spinel gasp, her chest tightens as she places her hands over her mouth. She was speechless. Even though she knew it was not really her, she couldn’t help but freeze up. Then Amethyst laughter ruined the illusion making Spinel huff in irritation.

“I’m not!” She mutters as she slouches further back into her seat childishly, the rest of the Crystal Gems laughed softly at the two. Leave it to Amethyst to get the shy gem out her shell. Steven gave the pink gem a soft smile as he places a hand on the sulking gem shoulders.

“Would you like to meet her?” he offered making her face light up again. Meet her? Seriously?! Just the thought of it made her wanna puke in nervousness. 

“W-wha-“ But before she could finish her sentence an excited voice called out to them.

“HEY GUYS!” And in a flash, the gem that was making Spinel feel nauseous  popped up. She hugged the members of the Crystal Gems happily, as they each praised her for her performance.

“Thank you so much for coming!  It means so much you all make time to come out and see me!” she beams, her eyes drifting over to Spinel every so often. Steven waves it off as he offers her the kindest smile.

“Anytime (Y/N)! What are friends for! And speaking of friends, (Y/N), this is Spinel she just came to Earth today.” He introduced, Spinel nervously stood beside the human boy as she waves shyly at the small gem.

“H-how do you do?” Spinel greets quietly. (Y/N) smiles brightly at her; oh goodness Spinel could collapse right now. It was too pure.

“It’s nice to meet you Spinel!” she says reaching out a hand to the pink gem. Spinel reached out and shook her hand. They were so small! The nervous gem clears her throat as she drops (Y/N) hand and rubs the back of her neck anxiously. The rest of their peers just watched on, some giddy and some in pain from the awkward energy Spinel put off.

“Uh, t-that was q-quite the performance, you have a b-beautiful voice.” Spinel compliments, she could feel her cheeks still burning red. 

“Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!” (Y/N) chirps bashfully as she glances at Spinel with wide eyes, the (Y/G) couldn’t help but find Spinel  absolutely adorable! There were a few times she had to check herself during her performance, getting completely distracted by her staring, it was sweet.  

“(Y/N!) We need to get ready for the next performance!” A Ruby called out, (Y/N) glances over her shoulders and responded with “I’m coming”, before looking back at her friends, but her eyes shifted back to Spinel.

“I hope to see you around sometime? You can stop by my studio anytime if you like?” she asked hopefully, cheeks glowing. Spinel choked up completely off guard by the question. She wanted to see her? Again? The pink gem felt like her brain was being fried as she tried to make sense of it. Why would this stunning being want to see her!? Spinel was so lost in her self-deprecating thought she forgot to answer, making (Y/N) deflate a bit. Steven went into panic mode as he realized Spinel was frozen in place, so he did what he does best and saved the day.

“Definitely. We’ll stop by tomorrow!” He says as he wraps his arms around a stun Spinel. (Y/N) smiles, relieved to finally have an answer, even though it was not from the gem herself.

“Ok, stop by around 1! See you guys tomorrow, bye Spinel.” (Y/N) turned around and floated over to her friends who were waiting for her on the stage and she disappeared behind the curtain. God she looked so beautiful as she floated away.  

“Wha…what just happened?” Spinel asked in disbelief at the whole exchange.

“Looks like you got yourself a hot date!” Amethyst cheers excitedly for her friend. 

“Well it’s not a date if Steven is going.” Pearl chimes as she stood beside the shorter gem. Date….? DATE!?

“WHA?! Date why would someone like HER wanna go on a date with ME?” Spinel asks frantically to Steven who only chuckled.

“Good question.” Peridot comments bluntly receiving a few scowls from Bismuth and Lapis.

“Peri.” They both chorused sternly. The green gem rises her arms up in defense as she looks over at her team.

“What? It’s a valid question! It doesn’t  make any sense!” She exclaims defending herself, she knew what she said! Spinel nods in agreement as she loops her arms to stretched over to Peridot and points at her.

“The Dorito is right! It doesn’t make sense! Doesn’t she know who I am? Doesn’t she know what I’ve done to the Earth!?” Panic coats Spinel’s words as she looks at Steven for answers. Her eyes wide with fear as she practically shook in place.  

“Dorito?” Peri mutters under her breath. Steven places his hands on her shoulders and stares back into her tired orbs. Though he recommended Spinel to start sleeping to slow down her mind, the bags under eyes says she hasn’t had enough of it. 

“Spinel you need to take a deep breath and calm down. I think (Y/N) might like you too.” He reassures, Spinel scoffs as she looks away from the boy.

“How would you know?” she mutters feeling the weight of doubt on her shoulders.

“Look behind you and see for yourself.” Garnets soothing voice spoke. Spinel and the Crystal Gems looked behind them to the stage to see (Y/N), an orange Amber and purple Pearl peeking at the group from the slit of the curtains. Once Spinel made eye contact with (Y/N), her eyes widen as she closed her part of the drapes leaving the Amber and Pearl. They giggled at her reaction and closed their individual small opening.

“Whoa, who knew (Y/N) was a grade-A creep.” Lapis teased as she crossed her arms making her friends chuckle softly. Spinel was still staring at the spot where (Y/N) had been spying on her from, a soft smile grew on her lips. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

.............................

Damn right I put an Ariana Grande song in there! Fight me.

#spinel #spinel steven universe #steven universe #fanfic #reader #spinel x reader #spinel x you #love #cute #spinel x fanfic

[mintymiknow]

[5:30]

This drabble is part of the 50 Kisses Drabble Challenge! [ Requested: Number 15 + 21 + Chan ]

Number 15: A fierce kiss that ends with a bite on the lip, soothing it with a lick

Number 21: A chaste kiss given to each other because they are in mixed company

A/N: I’m not exactly and completely back, but I wrote this to de-stress from all the assignments that are overwhelming me right now :) It’s more of a very self-indulgent Chan piece because I am whipped for the man. It’s a bit sloppy and messy as I haven’t written in so long, but I enjoyed putting these into writing to relieve stress. Also, it might be suggestive for some, so I’m putting this out here to warn just in case! Enjoy! 

This year had been a good one for your group, and it certainly has been for your fellow labelmates. The other artists under JYP Entertainment also had several accomplishments and achieved goals throughout the year, but there were still some unfinished tasks.

The other artists were busy with comebacks and promotions, but your group and Stray Kids met at the company building’s practice room to polish certain things. The idea came from one of the managers of the company, suggesting that Stray Kids and your group should have a collaboration stage for an upcoming award show. Everyone thought it was a good idea as the dynamics and chemistry between the groups was pretty good.

And there was the fact that you, your group’s leader, and Bang Chan, Stray Kids’ leader, were dating.

No one knew. The public didn’t know. Only your respective members, managers, and a handful of people at the company knew, but that was it. The relationship was a secret, as usual, and despite being in the same company, you and Chan rarely got to spend time with each other due to schedules.

Perhaps this collab stage would be a means for the two of you to bond even more.

Minho, Hyunjin and your group’s main dancer were busy discussing how a certain portion of the choreography should go. The other members were either exhausted and sprawled on the floor, or sitting on the leather couch to cool themselves while eating ice cream.

You were next to Chan on the leather couch, legs cutely tucked to your chest as you leaned on his shoulder. Chan was showing you various videos to get inspiration from, and the exchange of ideas was just a natural thing between the two of you. You’d joke around from time to time, laughing and playfully swatting each other from time to time.

“Chan,” you point at his phone, “let’s play with the Snow filters.”

Chan laughs,‌ “Did Minho influence you to start using his cute filters as well?”

“They are cute.” you say in a matter-of-fact tone.

With a light chuckle, Chan opens the app, handing the phone over to you so you can browse through the various filters and effects. You take a few random shots of yourself with various animal ears and little doodles on your face. Afterwards, you select a wacky and weird one and tell Chan to join you.

The finished product prompts the two of you to burst in laughter, tears threatening to spill from your eyes. “Please don’t ever show me that filter ever again!” Chan says in between giggles.

You mimic his actions, clutching your stomach from laughing too much, “Ok, but you have to admit it was really funny.”

Once you both have calmed down from the giggly fits, the main dancers call everyone’s attention and explain how the formations and choreo was going to work. Minutes turned into a few hours, and eventually, both your groups got the basic gist of everything.

Later on, you and Chan sat on the couch, monitoring the routine from where you sat. When you were both satisfied, you called for another break. Some members went out to buy drinks at Soul Cup while others opted to take a quick nap to energize. You, Chan, Changbin, Felix, and your group’s main rapper were seated on the floor, discussing random things like possible costumes, styling, and makeup for this stage.

“I’d pay with my whole bank account to see the stylists put shiny red lip gloss on Lix.” your rapper points out with a grin.

Felix laughs, shrugging cutely, “I don’t think that actually sounds bad. It sounds great, actually!”

Changbin smirks, turning to face you, “What do you want the stylists to do with Chan?”

“Please don’t say rip my shirt or something like that.” Chan laughs, shaking his head.

You laugh with him, humming for a few seconds as you rummage through your brain archives. You have thought of particular stylings you wanted to see on your boyfriend. “I’m not too sure. Chan pulls everything off, but I guess I want to see him wear stuff inspired by the whole vampire concept or the like.” you muse.

“Vamp Chan!” Felix jokes before proceeding to make an impersonation of Dracula.

Your rapper laughs, nodding enthusiastically, “That would really suit Chan, honestly. He has the looks and vibe for it.”

“Then we should tell Minho to add a part in the choreo where Chan bites y/n’s neck or something.” Changbin wiggles his eyebrows, the colors in his eyes displaying a cheeky nature.

You playfully swat his leg, “Hey, the performance isn’t supposed to be kinky!”

“Who says?” Chan plays along, copying the way Changbin wiggled his eyebrows.

“I actually think it would add a nice touch!” your rapper notes, her eyes serious, “Think about it. The song you and Chan made has a very dark and sexy vibe, and the choreo our dancers came up with is very sultry and pretty cinematic. It would make a beautiful touch!”

Felix nods, “It could be included in the ending. Like as the whole song and routine ends, Chan comes up from behind and proceeds to ‘bite’ y/n, and then the lights go out so it’s up to the audiences’ interpretation.”

“Mysterious, sexy, and intriguing.” Chan pouts his lips, nodding slowly, “It’s really artistic, and I don’t think it sounds bad. What do you think, y/n?”

You hum, the thought of doing such an action with your boyfriend buzzing your nerves with excitement. Surely, intimacy was something you and Chan weren’t foreign to as you both have done things in private, but to do something that “sensual” on a stage for millions to see, you were a bit embarrassed. Willing but embarrassed.

In the end, you gave in to the thought. The others were right; it would be a nice touch to the performance, and since you were most comfortable with Chan, there shouldn’t be any problems. You nodded and offered a small smile, “Yeah, sure. I think it’s going to be great.”

Once the practice resumes, you and Chan bring the dancers aside to share the idea with them. Amused, they immediately agree and change the routine just a little to accommodate the additional idea.

With the new addition sorted out, your groups run through the whole routine a few more times. During the final run-through, you deliver your final line as the members slowly and gracefully fall to the ground. You end your line by standing in the middle of the formation, bringing your arms out as if longing to reach for someone. Chan then creeps up behind, wrapping his arms around you seductively, head leaning in and burying his face by the crook of your neck.

You both remain in that position for a few seconds until Minho says it’s done. A bunch of yay’s and claps ring through the room, and for some reason, you feel your cheeks heating up with a pink tint. Chan keeps his arms around you, gently swaying your bodies. “How was it?” the leader asks.

Minho smirks, giving a thumbs up, “You guys were right. It added some spice to the whole thing. I like it.”

Hyunjin nods, his plump lips curling into a giddy smile, “I know it’s ‘cause you’re both dating, but you and y/n make a really great pair. The chemistry is off the charts!”

You giggle shyly, biting your lip at the dancer’s words. Chan smirks proudly, craning his head so he can lean in and place a chaste kiss onto your lips. A few of the members whistle and hoot, causing you to shyly smile against your boyfriend’s lips. You peck him once more before pulling away to smile at him, “You’re really going to do this in front of the kids?”

Chan looks at you innocently, “Do what?”

You playfully scoff, squirming away from his arms. You miss the feel of his skin on yours, so you end up just holding his hand. “The routine is perfect, but I think Chan and I should do some final check up on the song itself. See if it needs to be tweaked.”

“Hmm, that’s true.” Jisung nods.

“Do you and Changbin want to work with us, or will you take it easy?” you ask with a smile.

Changbin shakes his head, “It’s fine! You and Chan can do it. I have to go to the gym in a while anyway.”

Chan nods, squeezing your hand, “Alright, we’ll go now.”

With that, you and Chan exit the practice room and head for this studio. Once you’re both out of reach, Minho turns to everyone else, “Pretty sure they aren’t going to work on the song.”

“Please.” your rapper laughs with a naughty smirk, “The song is perfect already. They’re working on something else.”

“Please stop.” Jeongin and Seungmin pretend to gag, laughing afterwards.

Meanwhile, you and Chan go inside his studio, shutting the door. You sit on one of the black couches there, tilting your head, “What if we make the song sound more intense?‌ Like, the beat itself. The lyrics and flow are perfect already.”

“Hmmm,” Chan hums, spinning around on his chair, “I think it’s perfect as it is, honestly. You added the final touches yesterday, and I think that sealed it.”

“Really?” you muse, biting your lip, “You’re the better producer, so I’ll trust you on that.”

Chan shakes his head, smiling cutely, “You’re just as good, y/n. The girls are lucky to have you as their leader.”

“And Stray Kids is lucky to have you.” you chuckle, playfully giving him finger-hearts.

Chan playfully wiggles his eyebrows, giving you a funny face, “Do you want to hear me say something cheesy?”

“Don’t you always say stuff like that?” you joke, “But go ahead. I’d like to hear this.”

Chan tries his best to look seductive, but he ends up cracking up in laughter. With a goofier grin, he says, “I’m lucky to have you.”

You know he’s joking around and being his playful self, but you take the words to heart and feel like a melting pool of fluff. With a gentle smile, you stand up and walk over to him, situating yourself between his legs. Your hands go up to rest on his shoulders, eyes warmly staring at the male, “I’d say the same thing, but we’re just going to argue over who’s the luckier one.”

Chan laughs airily, hands gently perched on your waist, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

With that, one of Chan’s hands travel up your back, resting at your nape to bring your faces closer to each other. He captures your lips with is own, kissing you much deeper than back at the practice room. His soft and plump lips feel glorious on your own, moving with a fluidity and fire that has your knees going week. You end up straddling your boyfriend, moving your arms to coil around his neck.

Chan’s hands return to your waist, gently squeezing the area as he elicits a sigh from you. His kisses grow hungrier by the second, tongues mingling in a sultry dance as neither of you pull back to breathe. Your fingers begin to gingerly rake through his messy blond hair, tugging at the curls each time his tongue brushes against yours.

One particular tug has him biting your lip, which in turn causes you to release another sigh. Chan realizes what he had just done, afraid that he may have gone too far and hurt your lip. He pulls away slightly, your lips still ghosting above each other’s as his tongue darts out to soothingly lick the bitten area.

But then his kisses traverse lower, ending up on the slope of your neck. His supple lips send shivers down your spine and buzz every inch of your nerves as he gingerly presses his kisses. The way you’re stroking his hair encourages him as he begins to lightly nibble and suckle on the exposed skin there. You can’t help but smile and giggle softly at how it tickles.

The male drags his lips up to your jaw, peppering it with more kisses until he returns to your lips. With one more chaste kiss to your red, swollen lips, you both pull away completely. You giggle, playing with the hairs on Chan’s nape, “You’re really taking your vampire role seriously, Bang Chan.”

“Am not.” he laughs, pecking your lips once more, “I just really love you.”

You giggle giddily, pressing your forehead against his, “And I just really love you too.”

#stray kids #chan #bang chan #chan scenario #chan imagine #bang chan scenario #bang chan imagine #stray kids scenario #stray kids imagine #skz #skz scenario #skz imagine #skz chan #chan x reader #bang chan x reader

[mintandsugabiasd]

BTS reacts to long-haired s/o getting rly short hair/pixie-cut

Seokjin:

By the earthy scent that wafts from inside your apartment, you can tell that he's in the middle of cooking -- he insists that it's his way of giving back for when he's away from you so jagi please let him take care of you. And honestly you're not really complaining.

"I'm home!" You walk into the living room and head straight to the couch to put your bags down. Almost immediately, you can hear the stove click shut and the shuffling of feet.

"Jagiya, welcome back," he says as he makes his way to you in the living room. "I hope you're in the mood for -- WOAH!"

He fumbles when he sees you -- hair styled into a pixie cut that reveals your neck and jaw, instead of the long waves you've had since the beginning of your relationship -- and almost trips, slotted fryer still at hand. You almost laugh at how comical it is.

"Ta-da...," you say, shyly. You know how into appearances he is sometimes, and he's made it known just how much he loves your long hair, that it dawns on you that maybe he might not like your impulsive decision to cut it...

"Jagi...," he starts, circling around you, eyes big and very visibly shook. You bite your lip, fidgeting in place and unsure about what he'll say. Would he really hate it...?

He blinks in that way he does when he finds something unbelievable as he continues eyeing your new look.

"Woah, my baby," he says, edges of his lips tugging into a smile. "Have you always had such a gorgeous neck?"

You laugh, tension rolling off your person in droves as he closes the gap between you. Your hands automatically find him when he lingers even closer, fingers caressing your nape to toy with the edges of your short hair.

"I hope you like it." It's honestly so lame how nervous you sound. But Seokjin just laughs, pushes your fringe back a little to press his lips onto your forehead.

"You're beautiful. Did you know that?" he says, hugging you. You can feel him breathe you in, sighing into your bare shoulder. "You'll always be beautiful. It's as much a fact as that I'll always be handsome."

"We'll always be world-wide handsome and world-wide drop-dead gorgeous, you and I."

Yoongi:

Not many things can take Yoongi's attention away from his work when he's really into it. Most people expect that, just because he's busy or just plain uninterested, he doesn't pay attention to much.

But you and the boys know better than anyone that that has always been the greatest misconception when it came to your boyfriend -- Yoongi has always been perceptive, despite how reserved he tends to be. It's why his lyrics can be so emotionally charged with power and intrigue, while also being so relatable at the same time.

But that's not to say that Yoongi, in all his perfection and all his flaws, doesn't fumble sometimes. Especially when he's completely immersed on the new beat he's making for a new track.

And, if you're being honest with yourself, you'd rather he just kept his attention on his music for now and not on your new haircut.

It's the shortest it's ever been; the first time you've opted for a pixie cut. Although you don't mind it's length one bit (and the added bonus of a very light, very breezy neck), you can't help but worry a little bit about how Yoongi will react... not that he cares about appearances.

You know that he doesn't, but that doesn't stop the nervous thudding of your heart against your ribs when you pause in front of his studio door with takeout to brace yourself.

You're quite relieved, however, that he doesn't look away from his computer when you announce yourself entering his studio with lunch. You'll earn a grunt at best when he's on his busiest days and you know that to be the best sign: Yoongi's always on his best mood when he feels accomplished.

The thought of his dedication -- to his work, to his fans, to his passion for music -- touches your heart and makes you smile while you're setting out portions of the take out. How you love watching him work and being inspired by him.

Habit kicks in, however, when you set his food by his computer and you absentmindedly brush your fingers on the soft skin of his nape, for the moment forgetting about your nerves. He glances up at you and smiles, which you fondly return, before you make your way to your food by the couch.

Which is why you completely miss how the smile on his lips dissolves completely into a confused little frown at the thought that wait something doesn't feel quite right. And how he does a complete double-take afterwards.

"Y/n," he says, turning his chair. Your eyes widen and shit your heart is screaming as you turn to face him.

"Yes, Yoongi?"

He doesn't respond. Instead it's a full-on staredown (with that confused frown and that endearing tilt of his head whenever he's processing something). You bite your lip, heat blooming on your face and your heart thrumming as you wait for him to say something. Anything.

He stands up and walks up slowly towards you, brows still furrowed slightly to the middle. You gulp, refusing now to meet his eyes when he's close enough -- what if he actually does hate it -- and visibly shudder when you feel his fingers of one hand touch the bare base of your neck.

Your breath catches when long, piano fingers move slowly up your neck to the corner of your jawline, lingering on exposed skin, and eventually, down to your chin. He tilts your chin up so that you finally look at him, and you blush hotly at how close he is. At this rate, your heart is going to short-circuit from another kind of heat.

Lunch is definitely cold by now.

"You're so pretty," he says, low against your skin as he moves to nuzzle under the corner of your jaw. Your laugh sounds more like a whimper and his breath tickles your neck as you lean on to his shoulder. Relief sets in but it is also quickly replaced by something else the moment you feel his arms pull you in closer towards him and his lips press butterfly kisses all over the newfound skin of your neck and shoulders. You can feel him smirk with every feathery touch of his lips.

"I like discovering new skin on you, pretty girl."

Hoseok:

You can hear music at the studio all the way down the hall. You knew it was empty before you even got to it -- the boys' practice ended hours ago -- and you knew there was only one person who's probably hard at work perfecting the new choreography. The thing about Hoseok is that deep down he's almost as much of a perfectionist as Yoongi. Maybe that's why they get along so well.

Your thoughts clear when you see him through the glass of the studio, lithe body bending and snapping at every pop and beat. It's why you love to hangout at the studio on your days off -- seeing Hoseok pour his heart and soul into his every movement is such a wonderful thing to witness.

You walk in, cap and hoodie both on to hide your new hairdo (something you'll surprise him with later), and catch his eyes on the mirror.

"Y/N!" You can almost see the laughter in his eyes settle over the serious focus he had earlier. He doesn't stop dancing though; he stops when the music stops.

You put your bag down and watch him for a while as he goes through the motions. And when he meets your gaze again, you mimic the steps he's doing -- even if you don't get it, if only just to make him laugh. Why have therapy when Hoseok's laugh is free?

Knowing that he's practiced enough, he turns from the mirrors to dance his way towards you instead. You laugh when he takes your hand and twirls both of you into the middle of the studio.

He knows he's unmatched when it comes to skills but he adores it every single time you humour him and move to his every step, no matter how bonkers you both look doing it. There's only light and love when both of you dance with each other. And maybe a heck lot of laughter.

It's that easy to be yourself around Hoseok and it's even easier still to forget that you were supposed to surprise him. Which is why it is the moment you forget about your new haircut that it is finally revealed to him.

Mid-step of a swinging routine, your hoodie falls back and Hoseok immediately catches the absence of your work-out ponytail under the cap. He's so surprised that he screams.

"Jagi! Your hair!"

All joking around stop and you see his wide eyes panicked and a hand over his mouth.

"Right... Oops?" You smile sheepishly, shrugging. "I had it cut... Surprise?"

When he doesnt say anything for a while, your insides start to feel a little cold. "Is it.. that bad?"

Your question is what jolts him out of his trance and immediately, he's coming closer and taking your hands in his, exclaiming, "NO! No, of course not! I'm just surprised, is all!"

"Wow...," he continues, now seeing it closer and... real-er. His eyes light up, the hand covering his mouth moving to touch fluffy, newly-cut locks.

"Wooow daebak..." he says even more animatedly now, that you're unsure if he's just being overdramatic or if he's suddenly really excited for you. "Wow, jagiya!"

And now he's definitely making a ridiculous thing out of it with every gasp and every "Oh wow!!" You laugh at every overdone antic, knowing that he's doing this to make up for his absent reaction earlier.

"Hobiii!"

Instead of finally telling you what he thinks of your hair, he laughs brightly and takes your face between his hands and squishes your cheeks.

"Does this mean you like it?" You ask, blushing a bit through his squish.

"Like it?" He moves in to kiss you on the nose, fingers burying themselves through your hair.

"I think you'll have to keep your hair short from now on. I like seeing your smiles and laughs more fully now."

Namjoon:

You were a little sad to see your hair chopped off. It had always been one of your comfort zones; you couldn't count how many times you've hidden under it when things became too uncomfortable. But the gum that Namjoon, god of destruction as he was, had accidentally flicked on to your hair definitely had to go.

Honestly it's baffling how it stuck so bad and so hard onto the hair just below your jaw. Were Namjoon's fingers that strong or was the god of destruction just really powerful? Had it not meant cutting your hair off, you'd probably laugh.

"I'm really sorry, baby," your boyfriend pleads beside you, holding your hand tightly as the hairdresses snips more of your hair. You try not to look at the floor. "I truly am the god of destruction."

You were sad but seeing Namjoon so dejected made your heart your sink.

"Don't worry, baby," you said, squeezing his hand. "It's just hair. It'll grow back." You gave him a small smile, touching his dimple. The gesture lit his face, even if just a bit.

"I'm sure you'll look beautiful, even with short hair," he said, returning the gesture by tracing his finger over your now-exposed cheek and making you blush. Which he immediately caught.

"Y'know, I've never realized how pretty you are when you blush like that."

"Oh, please. That's not getting you out of your punishment for destroying my hair."

The laugh he lets out makes you feel airy and a whole lot better about your new haircut.

Jimin:

The moment you stepped into the apartment you both shared with your new pixie cut, you knew he would low key miss your long hair. He liked seeing it in braids and in all kinds of styles. He had thought long hair was very versatile. But knowing him to be a bit of a sappy romantic, you could say it was an understatement to say that he loved your new look the moment you revealed it to him.

"Jagi, you look beautiful! Wow, I bet it feels light in the back, huh?"

He absolutely worshipped you every time he saw you; kissing you on every newly-exposed bit of skin, cooing about how cute you were, how beautiful your short hair framed your cheeks and how incredibly in love he was with you.

Which is why it took you completely by surprise, when the first time you ran your fingers through your pixie cut, neck arching and lips parted in a sigh -- exactly the way he does it -- he pulls you close, your body full and flush against his, with eyes dark with need.

You feel your heart skip a beat the moment you feel heat radiating off him and how his fingers are splayed on your now very accessible neck. You blush at your proximity and the very quickly hardening thing pressing on your thigh.

"Jimin?" You couldn't mask your surprise even if you wanted to. A smirk tugs on his lips as he kisses you, cheeky and slow, on the corner of your lips to leave a trail south of your jaw. You feel his hand suddenly tug you by your short hair to reveal more of your neck and shoulder. Soon his teeth graze bare skin and you let out a strangled whimper the moment he bites down, and sucks. You become nothing but soft in his hands as he starts to pull your shirt clean off of you, sighing once more when his mouth latches on your neck.

All traces of fluff and sweetness trickle only into lust and sin when he whispers into the hollow of your exposed throat.

"Jagi, I dont think you should ever do that in front of anyone else but me."

Taehyung:

He too would miss your long hair; it's been such a part of you he loved to use to entertain himself (and you). He'd miss being able to run his fingers through your long tresses when he's having a stressful day or he'd miss tying it into weird hairstyles.

That is until you show up at the dorm with a fresh pixie cut and for once in your relationship, you had shorter hair than him.

Taehyung would stare, unanabashedly and unashamedly, with his big eyes and box mouth hanging open -- it'd be so funny that you can't help but laugh.

Your reaction would break him from his staring and he'd gulp, inspecting your haircut even more closely.

"Jagi...," he'd say, running his hands from the top of your head to the freshly buzzed hair on your neck.

It'll be a whole minute of you waiting for him to finish, while he stroked your hair with that awed (confused?) expression still on his face.

"Tae?"

The fingers in your hair stop as soon as he realizes that he was supposed to be speaking. "Uhm... it's so soft and fluffy..."

He looks so entranced that your heart melts -- as it is want to do when it comes to Taehyung -- and in these situations, there's really nothing left to do but jump and wrap your arms around him, nuzzling him under his jaw. Let him feel all that new-haircut fluff in all its glory.

"See? You can still play with my hair! I'm sure it'll be funnier now that it's shorter."

He buries his nose into the fluffiness of your short curls and you feel him nod as he holds you close.

Expect so many back hugs, hair-nuzzling and fluffed-out / messy hair competitions in the future.

"Bet your hair can't be fluffier than mine, jagi."

Jungkook:

You were hella worried. You had only meant to get a trim but the hairdresser had taken things too far... you're left with a haircut far too short, half-hidden in a hoodie as you snuggle against the couch, tears in your eyes.

Your phone buzzes, and sure enough, it's Jungkook asking you how your appointment with at the salon went. Fresh tears well up and destructive thoughts swarm your mind as you cry onto your cushion. Would he hate it? Were you ugly to him now?

You ignore his texts and calls for the better part of the afternoon as you wallow, when your stomach finally grumbles. You don one of JK's comfortable hoodies and start to head out, ready for a night in with spicy noodles and ice cream. It's gonna be a long lonely night of pondering how to break it to your idol boyfriend that his girlfriend currently has to regrow 2 years worth of hair.

The moment you walk out of your apartment, you bump into someone and you're already making a run for it with an apology on your lips, when you feel a firm grip on your arm.

"Y/N?"

Well fuck.

You peek from under your hoodie and lo and behold it's Jungkook with his large eyes and his perfect smile.

"Found you, Jagi!"

The tears at this point are automatic as you try to break free of his grip. Seriously. Of all people. He can't see you like this..

"Woah, woah! Hold on, jagiya!"

You shouldnt have even tried -- nobody gets away from Jungkook the moment he gets hold of you.

"Baby, what's going on?" He tries to get you to look at him but you keep your head low and your hood down. You hear him let out an exasperated sigh.

"You haven't been replying to all my calls and texts. And now you won't even look at me."

The hurt in his voice sounds too palpable that you stop struggling. But instead of finally looking at him, you bury yourself on his shoulder and cry. He's gonna see it and hate it so much.

"Baby?" He's still taken aback by your crying, but his arms circle around you and rub your back.

"Please don't look," you manage to squeak out. "Maybe later. But not now."

He sighs against you and relents. "Alright."

He contents himself by rubbing soothing circles on your back until your sobs die down to stiffled whimpers. The warmth of his hands and his breathing lull you into much-needed comfort that you don't notice his fingers shifting to rub your neck under the hood, until it's too late. The moment you feel the slight hitch in his breath as his fingers graze the shortness of your hair, you press yourself flush to him, face completely buried under his neck and jaw.

Fingers play with the hair on your nape, warm and slow, working your tension away. When your shoulders finally buckle to relax, Jungkook becomes bolder and pulls your hood slowly off your head. You feel his other hand join his first to run fingers through what's left of your hair.

Slowly -- oh so slowly -- he lifts your head and he peaks at you with shining eyes and that bright smile you fell for.

"Pretty baby," he says, thumbs wiping your tears away. You can tell how much he wants to laugh at your puffy, tear-stained face. "Bet you're prettier when you're not crying."

You smack him on his arm and the laugh he's been keeping down finally bursts out as he pulls you back into another hug. You love him so much.

"Did you know you can make a heart with your bangs?"

#bts reactions #bts reacts #bts imagine #bts imagines #bts scenes #bts scenarios #bts scenario #bts jin #bts suga #bts jhope #bts rm #bts jimin #bts v #bts jungkook #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook

[zwritestuff]

Collateral Effects [Scyvie WIP]

Brief Summary: Yvie gives Scarlet chemistry tutories after class. Lesbian/High School AU.

Word Count: 4047 (though I’m not posting all of it).

“Can you stop doing that?” Yvie groaned, suddenly snapping. Scarlet cocked a brow in her direction, with the pen still stuck in her mouth.

“What? This?” she inquired with a muffled voice, going back to chew her pen. Yvie rolled her eyes, exasperated, and Scarlet smirked. Her favorite thing to do was make Yvie mad.

“Whatever, not my problem if you can’t get these exercises done on your next test,” she bit back. Scarlet immediately shut up and straightened her pose.

This had been their routine for the past month; meeting at the school library twice a week so Yvie could give Scarlet a hand on chemistry, and Scarlet doing all but pay attention.

If it wasn’t because the chemistry teacher had personally asked Yvie to give Scarlet some classes, she’d have never accepted to do it. Her and Scarlet weren’t in the best terms, and Yvie wasn’t sure why, but there was just this unspoken rivalry between them since ninth grade.

Scarlet, despite being a cheerleader and looking like a walking stereotype, was pretty smart, and always achieved the highest grades among her classmates. Or, that was until ninth grade, when Yvie got transferred from The Boulet Sisters Academy, and had the “fortune” to share every class with Scarlet.

And just like that, Scarlet was no longer the teacher’s pet and the student on top of her class; Yvie was determined to give her competition, it seemed, and Scarlet did not like that at all.

Now they were seniors, and their rivalry was still there, but there was something different this time; Scarlet had sprained her left foot during a cheer practice and missed class for two weeks. Although she was caught up with most of the subjects, chemistry wasn’t her strongest suit. Contrary to what she expected, missing two weeks of chemistry had really left her confused, to the point she failed on a test for the first time. 

The teacher lost no time in asking Yvie to help her out for the next test, and that led to their current situation; staying after school at the library, going over what they saw on class to make sure Scarlet understood. 

“So, basically, these components won’t react unless you set the temperature to 20°F,” Yvie explained, doing scribbles on her notebook.

“Oooh, so that’s why it didn’t turn pink like the teacher said,” Scarlet said, thoughtfully. She glanced at her phone and suddenly shot up from her seat, beginning to pack her things. “Shit, I’m late to cheer practice!”  

“I guess that’s it for today, then,” Yvie concluded, packing her stuff too. “See you on thurs—” 

“Um, actually,” Scarlet cut her off, “Could you keep me company on the changing room? The football team has the gross habit of trying to spy on us when we get changed, and most of the girls are already on the field by this moment, so…” Yvie sighed.

“Fine, lets go. But if this is some kind of joke, bitch, I swear to God—”

“Oh, thanks! And no, it’s not, don’t worry,” Scarlet assured her, “So, shall we get going?” she wondered, taking a step and turning her back on Yvie.

Yvie wasted no time on following her; the sooner they got to the changing room, the sooner she’d go home. Easy peasy.

As soon as they were out of the library, Scarlet began babbling about how much she loved cheerleading and how exciting it was to be back after missing many practices. Yvie let her rant, only answering with hums of short answers. She had to admit, though, Scarlet looked kind of cute with that shiny smile, it suited her better than the resting bitch face — of course, she’d never say that out loud. Yvie didn’t want to boost the already giant ego Scarlet had.

Arriving into the changing room there wasn’t a single soul around. Yvie was about say goodbye and turn on her heels to get out of there, but Scarlet called her name again.

“Hey, Yvie, could you stay a little longer while I get changed? None of the girls are here, but I thought they would and, uh—”

“It’s cool,” Yvie interrupted her this time. “I’ll just, sit here.” Scarlet nodded and headed to her locker some feet away. Yvie sat on the bench and pulled out her phone.

“Like I was telling you,” Scarlet continued. Yvie gave her a glance and her breath got caught in her throat when she saw Scarlet pull her shirt off, quickly putting on her uniform top. “During regionals, Plastique was dating this dude, can’t remember his name, and when we won she was so euphoric she kissed Ariel just because she was standing near by, although the rest of the team never understood why they fully made out for, like, three minutes,” she went on, but Yvie didn’t remember how did they end up talking about that.

“Uh huh,” she mumbled, trying to look away, but failing miserably. Her stare was glued to Scarlet. “Adrenaline, I suppose,” she choked out.

Scarlet laughed. Yvie then noticed she had a nice laugh. “Yeah, probably, but anyway.” She pulled out her skirt from the locker and Yvie blushed a little.

“Do you want, uh, do you want me to look away…?” Yvie wondered, Scarlet shrugged.

“If you want to, I always put my skirt over my jeans anyway; some of these girls are nasty gals,” she joked, giggling a little. She proceeded to do what she said, and Yvie sighed in relief. 

The relief lasted a second, though; Scarlet soon slid the jeans down her legs and Yvie nearly fainted. Her legs were long, tanned and perfect. She could do nothing but stare. 

Yvie finally looked away and tried to focus on her instagram feed, anything to keep her from starring with her mouth wide open. Some moments later, she heard Scarlet close her locker and Yvie looked up to meet her gaze.

It should be illegal to look that good on an uniform with that ugly shade of orange. 

“I think I should join the others,” she informed, with an awkward smile. Yvie immediately rose from her seat, nodding many times. “Thank you, by the way.” She smiled warmly to her, and Yvie felt her face burning again.

“Yeah, sure, uh, you’re welcome.” Yvie forced a smile. “See you, I guess.” She hold on tight to her backpack and turned on her heels, in direction of the door.

“See you on thursday!” she heard Scarlet exclaim before leaving the room, with her cheeks bright red and her heart pounding against her chest.

Only when Yvie was out of the school, she wondered what on earth was that feeling on her chest that wouldn’t vanish. She decided to ignore it, and put on her headphones on her way to the bus stop.

Yvie amused herself with her phone as the bus arrived, when a text came in. It was from Mercedes.

Goat Mama: hey girl, the others wanna go out to Domino’s tonight. You in?

She smiled and quickly typed out a positive answer. It was just Tuesday, but the following day the school was shutting down for a disinfection thing — something about rats on the water cistern, was what the students supposed. It shouldn’t be hard convincing her mom to let her go.

Her bus arrived and she climbed up, paying the driver before taking a seat near the window. She began texting Mercedes again, deciding the time and where would they meet; until a notification from instagram popped up. Scarlet had sent her a follow request. Yvie smiled for a moment, until she realized something.

“How this bitch got my instagram?”

---

During practice, Scarlet couldn’t stop thinking on Yvie’s blushing face while she watched her get changed. Had she made her uncomfortable? If she had, she didn’t mean it, really; after so many years on the cheer team, Scarlet had little to no inhibitions when it came to her body.

She tried to brush it off but it wouldn’t leave her mind. She decided to try and forget it by talking with her fellow teammates. Most of the girls were glad to have her back, and offered her an enthusiastic welcome. Luckily for Scarlet, they had just began rehearsing a new routine, so she hadn’t missed that much except a couple games.

Scarlet got paired up with Blair for their part, and Blair had to give her a step by step guide as requested by their coach, Miss Nina. It wasn’t that difficult, but despite having many years of experience at cheering, Scarlet couldn’t easily pull out the  choreography unless it had splits or cartwheels.

Between their short breaks, Plastique made sure to caught her up with the practice shenanigans and games she’d missed.   

“And you remember Kameron, from the female soccer team?” Plastique went on, while Scarlet did her stretches. She hummed a response. “She crashed practice one day and asked Asia to be her girlfriend! It was really cute, and of course Asia said yes,” she beamed, at the memory of that day replayed in her mind.

Scarlet hummed again, not having heard a word Plastique said. Plastique noticed, cocked a brow and pinched Scarlet’s arm. 

“Hey! What was that for?” she questioned, offended.

“You weren’t paying me attention,” she declared, with a dramatic tone. Scarlet laughed shortly.

“I’m just thinking about something...” she shrugged, trying to dismiss its importance.

Plastique, being the gossip girl she was, smiled widely and came closer. 

“Something or someone?” she inquired, with an excited tone.

Miss Nina blew the whistle, indicating them to go back to their positions. Scarlet smiled apologetically. “I’ll tell you later.” Then, she trotted to meet the others.

Practice went on without any inconvenient, and it looked as if Plastique had forgotten their previous conversation. 

Scarlet was talking to Blair on their last break, trying to come to terms with an hour and a date to get together and practice their part, when Plastique tapped on her shoulder.

“Hey sis~!” Plastique sing-sang, “Some of us are going to Domino’s tonight, you two comin’?” she questioned.

“Sure, why not,” Blair replied, and Scarlet seconded it. Plastique beamed.

“Great! Details will be on the group chat, love y’all!” And just like she arrived, she left, this time going on Ariel’s direction.

“I’m not sure if my mom will let me go out, tho’,” Blair commented, “She knows about the disinfection thing, but she’s not a fan of me going out in the middle of the week. You know how moms are.” Scarlet chuckled an amen.

“My mom is exactly like that, although my stepmom, Violet, always takes my side for these things. She wants me to like her, I guess.” She shrugged, pulling out her phone and opening Instagram. Blair kept talking, something about her girlfriend and how bad being on the closet was, when Yvie popped up on Scarlet’s mind again — and also on her feed.

The photo was from Mercedes’ Iman account, and it was a selfie taken that day, she noticed, judging for Yvie’s clothes. Yvie’s account was tagged, and Scarlet didn’t doubt it twice when she tapped on it and sent a follow request.

Before she could process what she had done, Miss Nina blew her whistle again and Blair tugged on her arm to go back to the field. She took a sip from one of the glasses of water and trotted to meet the others along with Blair.

Rehearsal was over before she could even complain of being exhausted. Soon, the so common chit chat in the changing room filled her ears, and just like she wanted to hear everything that was said, everyone had something to tell her. It filled Scarlet’s heart with joy knowing she was missed, she truly saw most of the girls as her soul sisters, and had greatly missed rehearsals.

Over the noise, Plastique called for everyone’s attention by standing on a bench.

“Ladies! Ladies, I have told most of y’all already, but in case you forgot; we’re going out for pizza at Domino’s, the one that’s in front of McQueen. Please confirm your presence on the group chat — if y’all confirm you can’t step back, bitches, or else I’ll kick y’all of the group. Thanks for your attention.” Plastique hopped off the bench with an overdramatic jump, causing the others to laugh.

Scarlet was about to make a witty comment about Plastique and her dictatorship over the group chat, when her stepmom sent her a message to let her know she was at the door to pick her up. With a sigh she said a general goodbye and made her way out of the changing room.

Her relationship with Violet wasn’t bad, it was just… Normal. At seventeen, she was supposed to be independent and not to rely that much on her parents anymore, but Violet, having never experienced parenthood before, sometimes thought Scarlet was still a twelve year old taking her first steps into high school, and not a senior that had been there and done that twice already.

It was cute, though; her mom had always been the laid back type, not really talkative unless she had a few glasses of wine. Or that had been her while she was married to her father; getting a divorce and coming out as a lesbian after meeting Violet at work, had done wonders for her and coming her out of her shell. 

Scarlet stepped into the school’s parking lot and robotically headed to Violet’s car — it was the only car, anyway. She was greeted by a smiley, clearly happy Violet.

“Hi honey, how was cheer practice?” she wondered, turning on the engine and beginning to maneuver her way out. 

“It was great, I missed the girls,” she replied with a smile. “How was the doctor’s appointment? How’s my little brother?” It seemed as if she hit Violet’s sensitive spot, because she smiled even more and Scarlet noticed sneaky tears on the corner of her eyes.

“Little sister, actually,” Violet informed, and Scarlet beamed.

“No way! I’ve always wanted a sister.” She clapped in excitement. “So, do you think with how happy mom is, she’ll let me go out to Domino’s with the girls?” Scarlet wondered, leaning on her side a bit.

Violet sighed, barely holding back a laugh. “You’re in luck, she’s tired so she slept since we came back. And, y’know, while she’s asleep, I'm the second one in charge.”

“So… That’s a yes?” 

Violet rolled her eyes with a playful smile.

“It’s a come back before nine and send a pizza over at house for me.” 

“Deal.”

---

“But mom, tomorrow we don’t have classes!” Yvie whined, following her mom around the kitchen. 

Naomi sighed and slammed a hand down the table, staring at her daughter seriously. She had a strict policy of not going out during the week with her daughter, and she hadn’t broken it until now. If Yvie wanted to go out, she had to pull out all her best excuses.

“Yvette Marie Bridges, it’s just tuesday! If I let you go out at night during the week, God knows what can happen! You’ll maybe start doing drugs, sneaking behind my back to see a boyfriend or something — next thing I know, I’ll be a grandma at forty,” she ranted, as she kept doing her chores. Yvie snorted.

“Mom, firstly you know I’m a lesbian,” she pointed out, sitting on the counter. “And second, you know Mercedes and Vixen are always with me. Mercedes isn’t capable of witnessing something like that and not telling her mom, who would tell you, and you’d go crazy and start talking about rehab.” Yvie’s mother chuckled. That was true. “And Vixen, well, you know her, she likes to fight about everything and will probably slap me before I can put anything in my body.”

Naomi cocked a brow, tapping her nails on the marble sink. Yvie could see her go think about it over and over again. With her dad out of town due to work, Naomi would end up having dinner alone and would have to drive her daughter too. 

After a moment of thoughtful silence, with the only noise being her nails tapping on the marble, Naomi sighed.

“Fine, but I’ll pick you up before nine, perhaps I’ll phone the girls and see if any of them wanna go out…” she took a pile of clean plates and stacked them on the drawer.

Yvie beamed, thanking her mother profusely, running back to her room to get changed and tell her friends her mom was taking her, so they wouldn’t expect her to take the bus that left them near McQueen. 

Her friends literally lived all around the block; Vixen’s house was on her left side, then it was Mercedes, then Monet and Brianna’s, Monique’s and so on and so forth. They all met when they were kids, always playing on the streets or hanging out at someone’s house. When they entered their teenage years, they had all decided they’d go to Davenport High School — well, everyone but Yvie, who decided to pursue a more artistic side of herself on The Boulet Sisters Academy.

Her artistic side lasted less than expected, and it soon reflected on her report card. Naomi didn’t hesitate when she decided to put Yvie on Davenport High School, along with her friends.

Yvie shoot a message on the group chat and at the same time as Vixen. 

Angry Ma’am: Blair told me her and the cheer team will also be going to Domino’s.

» Y’all have no problem if I stay with her, right? Cool.

Yvie was about to reply, when she saw Monique was tipping. 

Mo #2: bitch you’re glued to Blair 24/7 on school! Can’t you keep your hands to yourself for this time?

Angry Ma’am: do you keep your hands to yourself around Monet? I thought so.

#rpdr fanfiction #scyvie #scarlet envy #yvie oddly #collateral effects au #my fanfiction

[cosmiciaria]

Persona 3 Dancing in Moon Night Review!

MILD SPOILERS OF PERSONA 3′S ORIGINAL STORY

Since the game's release more than a week ago I've been in a Persona 3 Mood™. I went back to my ps2 and started a The Answer playthrough. I also went to my (shhh secret) emulator and started a brand new playthrough in the psp version. I started listening to their songs again. I just couldn't help it! If you a pay a minimum of attention you'll see that my profile pic is FeMC. And with all the Persona Q2 thing, I was bursting with hype. I needed this game!

 When it comes to the Persona games, you know Persona 3 is by far my favorite. That doesn't mean it has the best story or the best characters or (cof cof ps2 version) best gameplay. But it's just too important for me. These tragic characters, this bittersweet main protagonist, always hiding their pain behind a smile or a supporting shoulder, these social links that added more drama, like the girl with divorced parents or the guy who was suffering from a chronic disease. The music. The music around the last part of the game, where everything screams THE END IS NIGH and the protagonist knows what's coming their way. The "you've been a remarkable guest" at the end, when our main character gives all they got to defeat a little part of their soul. I just can't! And this is something I haven't experienced in P4 or P5, or even some of it in P2. It's only here, and it's here where my heart has been broken a thousand times.

 SO

 A few days ago I bought the Endless Night Collection digital edition, but as you may've guessed, I mostly wanted to play this one. And it surely paid off.

 I have NEVER played a rhythm game before, but I made this sacrifice because we are talking about the SEES members. I plunged into this musical world after training with the demo (yes, I used the word 'training', yes, this game was too hard for me at the beginning). There is no actual plot here: all these characters are summoned in a dream to dance at Elizabeth's request. That's it. No ridiculous story (cof cof p4 dan), just straight to the point. And you know what? I DON'T MIND AT ALL!

 Well, there's a LITTLE plot going around. Elizabeth, eccentric as ever, has bet against her younger sister Lavenza that her team is going to win the dancing competition. Lavenza, of course, will try her best on her end (P5 dancing). So the goal is to give their all on the stage: to express themselves through their movements and yadda yadda. They needed something to fill some dialogues and I'm fine with it, because, like I said, I don't mind at all. Just seeing these characters in whole amazing 3D and HD, with normal proportions and most of their original voice actors and actresses gives me LIFE. Like, for real. This hypes me even more for a remake (but I'll never be fully content if FeMC doesn't make it to it).

 Judging by their conversations, this game happens almost at the end, when they already realized what the twelve shadows were and after Shinjiro's event. The most intriguing thing besides the dancing is that we have kind of social links here, called "social events". You have eight ranks for each of the characters that you can unlock if certain requirements are met and, although they play very similarly to the old good social links we're used to, this time around our male protagonist has the chance to interact with his male teammates, something only available for the FeMC until now. And it's really enriching, for I've always believed that THIS is what the ps2 version is lacking: being able to hang around with the guys, not only the girls. Somehow I think this is an apology letter after the psp version was released.

 You can also explore your teammates's rooms once you've reached rank 6 in their social events. There, Elizabeth has hidden a card, which you must find to get a reward. It adds a little gameplay to the dancing thing, but what's more interesting is that you can fully take your time inside each room and discover things about your friends. Their rooms are also well done in 3D, I could've never imagined I'd see them one day with this level of detail, when in the ps2 version the're just a box you can only see from an angle in and the psp version, just a picture on the background.

 What surprised me a bit is that they've confirmed the male protagonist's name: Makoto Yuki, the one he's given in the movies. Given that we already have a Makoto in P5, I don't think it's the best decision, but who cares what I think! (oh god no please keep reading the review I swear)

 Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the game: some songs are challenging and put me in an epileptic state (oh GOD Mass Destruction with Ken that was WILD). But what this game gave me the most were laughs. I laughed a lot. I laughed during their social events, I laughed during some choreographies, especially the one where all the boys dance as a boyband BTS it's prICELESS. Each of the routines were carefully created to fit the character's personality. It's so well done I don't think I have a single critique about them!

 But wait, you may say: laugh? This awful story with tragic endings? Laughter? Well, yes. That's why this game is so precious, and even the characters admit it at some point: this is a break from all those terrible things they're going through. This is a moment's respite for them. They deserve to just relax a bit and dance to their heart's content. Leave them be for a change, destiny!

 Although I believe it's a love letter to myself, this game is far from being perfect, and I wouldn't recommend buying it at full price. I thought it would have more songs, for instance, and there's one song I particularly didn't like, because it's just a video of a concert of a song I don't even know and it's not even exclusively from P3. They could've added ANY other song, Tender Feeling, Paulownia Mall, Shadow, Tartarus in any of its versions, but nooo you had to put THAT concert song ok sure THANKS ATLUS. It bothered me a bit because I know numbers are limited and this was a decision made with care, so it kinda bugs me. I would've preferred to see more choreographies than that, but that's just my opinion! Another thing that bothered me is that they couldn't stop referencing P5 throughout the whole game. I know P5 is what's hot right now, but I came here to spend time with my baby boys and girls, not the Phantom Thieves. I will eventually play the P5 dancing game and I HOPE there are enough references there to P3 as well, because if not, I'm gonna be a tad mad.

 Aside from those nit-picky things, this game is a gem to me. I already platinumed it and I wish there were more things to do because I need to spend more time with these characters. They're all so precious to me (ha ha no pun intended) and I just loved seeing them have a good time. There are some instances in which you remember this is just a dream and the outside world is harsh and painful, and those moments hit me hard, even more knowing what's coming. So that's why I say: enjoy it while it lasts!

Also, a friend of mine sent me this picture of her ps4 and it’s just too good not to show it to you, guys: 

Just, DANCE WATER DANCE no sorry wrong game. But dance. Dance with your friends and enjoy the moment. Thank you Atlus for bringing these characters back to life. 

#persona 3 #persona 3 dancing #p3d #persona 5 #makoto yuki #akihiko sanada #mitsuru kirijo #yukari takeba #junpei iori #fuuka yamagishi #ken amada #aigis #femc #videogame #review #videogame review #atlus #persona 3 dancing moon night

[haru-desune]

A hayaryuu dancing fic?

Okay I love a good dance AU. So let’s pretend that rather than beingschoolmates, the members of the babysitting club and their friends are all partof the same dance studio.I played with the timeline a bit too, in this storythe Kashima brothers have been living with Morinomiya for a few years, and areslightly aged up. I should probably clarify that I have two left feet irl andall my dancing knowledge comes from Wikipedia and ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’Hopefully this is still good! This one got a little (a lot) out of hand, so you can read it on AO3 or FF.net if you prefer.

Kashima Ryuuichi was a dancer down to his very soul. Heloved letting the music wash over him, envelop him and guide his fluidmovements. His classes at the local studio were the highlight of his week, andhe took any chance to practice. Saikawa-san, the family butler-secretary-person(after all this time, Ryuuichi was still not entirely sure of the man’sposition) had a video of him dancing around with a mop while he was helpingclean the kitchen which his Obasan would never admit to watching when sheneeded to lift her spirits. The style didn’t matter to him. He’d try anything,practice until he dropped, so long as he just got to keep dancing. He neededdance like other people needed food or sleep. Sometimes it was the only thingthat kept him going.

Ryu’s class was labelled ‘versatile’ on the studio pamphletsince it consisted of people who either didn’t have a preferred style or simplywanted to experience as many different dance forms as they could. Lead by thestrict but kind Yamamoto-sensei, it was every bit the grab-bag of lessons thename suggested. Sometimes it was a formal class with guest instructors whofocused on one particular style, a new one every month. Other times it became apeer lead lesson, with the students trading tips on the styles they werefamiliar with. Still, other days, Yamamoto-sensei would play a song on repeatand let each student choreograph their own routine, mixing and meldingdifferent styles to their hearts’ content. Ryu loved every minute of it.

Ryu dashed into the studio locker room, his heart thrummingwith excitement. He was fifteen minutes early, but he doubted that he would bethe only one. Today was a pretty important day, after all. He quickly shovedhis outdoor shoes into his locker, pulling on his preferred slip-ons. His bagquickly followed the shoes, and he hurried to the studio room.

The members of Morinomiya dance studio’s versatile program(someone who probably thought they were being clever had started calling themverses, and unfortunately the name stuck) were a diverse bunch, coming fromvarious dance backgrounds and each with their own way of expressing themselvesthrough the music. Ryu grinned at his classmates, most of whom, true to hisprediction, had already arrived. Inomata Maria, a rigid, rule conscious girlwith a background in ballet was warming up by the barre. She had joined theverse class on the recommendation of her ballet instructor, an effort to loosenher up. With her came Ushimaru Yuki who was listening to something with heavybeats on her phone. A little shy and easily flustered, it had been quite asurprise when the girl had taken to hip hop like a duck to water. She pausedher music to give Ryu a small wave, which he returned.

Yagi Tomoya and Nezu Chuukichi were off to the side helpingeach other with stretches. Yagi liked to call himself a contemporary dancer,which apparently meant he mixed and matched his favourite parts of differentstyles into every one of his choreographies. Nezu on the other hand was a tapdancer who picked up other dance forms with annoying ease. Both of them noddedin his direction. Ryu also spotted Usaida Yoshihito lurking in a corner. Whilehe wasn’t an official member of the verse class, Usaida tended to sit in on thelessons more often than not. He claimed it was to give his mind a break fromthe housewives that attended the Zumba class he taught in the afternoons.

Then Ryu spotted him. Kamitani Hayato. Stoic, frank, andjust really cool, Kamitani was abaseball player who took the dance class as a way to stay in shape during theoff season and just stuck with it. He and Ryu didn’t speak much, though theyknew each other peripherally, since both their younger brothers were in thesame grade school as well as the kiddie-choreography class the studio offered.Kamitani was intimidating, to say the least, but Ryu found himself drawn to theother boy regardless. He swallowed as he watched the boy limber up. No one hadany right to look that attractive in an old sweatshirt and track pants. Ryushook himself out of that (useless) train of thought and moved to start hiswarm ups. He traded a nod with Inui Hiroyuki, who had joined the class becauseSawatari-san had taught a ballroom class in May and was too embarrassed to quitafter her lessons were over, before shrugging off his jacket and launching intohis warm up stretches, resolutely looking in any direction but Kamitani’s.

10 minutes into his warm-up the last few of his classmatestrickled in, followed by Yamamoto-sensei, clipboard in hand. Her entrancecaused the entire energy of the room to shift to one of nervous anticipation,and she beamed at them all, gesturing them to gather around.

“As you all know, the Annual Programme is coming up soon.”she said, her soft voice spreading through the room.

There was a hushed murmuring among the students. This wasit. Every year the studio put on an Annual Programme to show-off the skills ofthe various students. Each class had a series of paired or group performancesthat showcased the talents of all the students. But what was really excitingwas the opportunity to perform solo, an honour that was only given to fourstudents from each class. The verse students, more than those from the otherclasses, coveted the opportunity. Most of the more… focused dance classesconsidered them to be flaky since they didn’t stick to one particular style,and the annual programme was a chance to prove them wrong. Each year the versestudents came up with choreographies that were increasingly complex, both physicallyand emotionally, to fight their undeserved reputation.

Yamamoto-sensei smiled kindly, sensing the determinationthat radiated from her students. “So first,” she said “Let’s talk pairs. I’vechosen your pairs and the style you’ll be dancing keeping in mind your variousstrengths and weaknesses. I hope you’ll find this experience both challengingand rewarding. I want you all to try your best, and show everyone at Morinomiyastudio what this class is made of.”

“Yes Sensei!”

Sensei looked down at her clipboard “First we have Inomataand Ushimaru. Girls, you’ll be doing a contemporary routine.” Both girlsnodded, though Inomata looked nervous. Ryu figured she would have been morecomfortable with some kind of waltz.

“Yagi and Nezu, you’ll have a Broadway routine.” Yagi beamedand Nezu inclined his head in acknowledgement. Part of Ryu was curious as tohow the steady and solemn boy would do with the lively dance.

“Inui and Nekota, the Viennese waltz.” The two refused tolook at each other, despite nodding at sensei.

“Usokawa and Honda, Jazz.” Usokawa stole a glance at thepetite girl he’d been paired with. She grinned at him mischievously, and hegulped nervously.

As sensei went further down the list, Ryu mentally crossedpeople out in his head. Finally, she came to his name, and he gulped. There wasonly one person left to pair with.

“Kashima and Kamitani, Salsa.” Ryu felt himself flush. Latindances were something very new for him, and he was just getting the hang of it.Plus they felt so… intimate. He might not survive prolonged exposure toKamitani in such close proximity. He heard Kamitani grunt in acknowledgement,so he quickly nodded.

“Now,” said Yamamoto-sensei with exaggerated solemnity “forthe moment we’ve all been waiting for.”

A nervous chuckle spread through the crowd. Ryu crossed hisfingers. Being the adopted grandson of the studio chairman didn’t guarantee himanything after all. This would be his sixth Programme, and he had yet to have asolo performance.

“This year, the solo performances for our class are going toNezu, Ushimaru, Kamitani and Kashima. I think that the four of you have reallyput your all into your work this year, and I’d like others to see what you cando.”  Ushimaru looked shocked, and evenNezu and Kamitani seemed pleased. Ryu thought he was going to faint. He felthimself tear up a little at the pride in her voice, and resolved to justify herpraise.

“Now,” sensei said clapping her hands “I want you to takethe rest of the day to discuss your partnered routine. Try to get to know eachother better if you don’t already. I want each pair to meet me individuallybefore they leave so that we can talk choreography and song choice.”

“Yes Sensei!” said the class in unison, before breaking intotheir designated pairs. Ryu found Kamitani and gave him a hesitant smile.

“So salsa, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Ever done it before?”

“No. You?”

“Um… briefly? I get a little self-conscious…”

“Okay.”

Ryu groaned internally. So much for getting to know yourpartner. This would probably end in disaster.

“So boys,” Yamamoto-sensei looked between the two standingin front of her. “Any idea what you want to do for the Salsa routine?”

“Well… not really.” Said Ryu sheepishly.

“A song, at least?”

“Not Despacito.”said Kamitani firmly.

Sensei laughed. “Well that’s a start.” She hummedthoughtfully. “Well I think I’m going to assign you to Usaida-san.”

Ryu’s mouth dropped open, and he was sure his surprise wasmirrored on Kamitani’s face.

“Close your mouths boys, Yoshihito may be a Zumba teachernow, but he was a junior Latin dance champion. I think he’ll be the best personto help you out.”

Ryu and Kamitani traded a dumbfounded look, making senseilaugh again. “Alright you two, get out of here! And practice hard. I expectgreat things, you know.”

“Yes sensei!”

“We won’t let you down.” Kamitani added, a determined glintin his eye. Ryu had to look away, and tell himself that the fluttering in hischest was purely nerves.

Six weeks until theAnnual Programme

Usaida was surprisingly not useless. He started by sittingthe boys down and having them listen to a variety of songs, helping them narrowdown on one they both liked.

“If you can’t decide, I’m making you dance to Copa Cabana.”He warned, before starting the playlist.

Ryu had liked the first song with its slower, guitar basedmelody, but Kamitani had vetoed it, claiming it was too boring. He liked thenext one, but Ryu could already hear the sensual undertones in the song andthere was no way he was doing that on stage. Like this they vetoed song after song,and Copa Cabana was soon three songs away from becoming a depressing reality.The next song came on, and Kamitani got a strange glint in his eye and a slowsmile spread across his face. Ryu could feel his head bopping along to thestaccato beats, and his foot began to tap on its own accord.

“This one.” They said together as the song neared its close.Usaida grinned, as though he’d guessed this would be the one they choose.

“El Albanil it is.” He gathered up his belongings. Give me aday or two to figure out a choreography. Until then, maybe you both should givea thought to your solo routine.” The man shot them a thumbs up, which they tookas their cue to leave. He was already humming the opening notes of the song andmoving his hips in a speculative manner. Ryu nearly skipped out of the doorwith a renewed excitement towards this routine.

Five weeks and fourdays until the Annual Programme

For the next two days Usaida texted both the boys with aseries of slightly worrying questions such as Can you do a split?, On a scale of 1-10, how easily do you get dizzy?, andWhat’s your shoe size?, which inRyu’s opinion was the most bizarre of all. By the third day, he was itching tosee the finished routine, so he was delighted when Usaida texted: It’s done, come to studio C at 12:30.

Ryu thanked his lucky stars he didn’t have any afternoonclasses on Wednesdays, and was quick to respond with a series of exclamationpoints and emojis.

When he arrived at the studio, only Kamitani was around. Hegave him an excited smile, and was pleasantly surprised when the other boyreturned it. Ryu had to calm the flush that tried to rise to his cheeks.Kamitani had a really nice smile.

They started their warm-ups in awkward silence, and Ryucould feel Kamitani’s eyes on him as he stretched. Just as he was about to askhim what the problem was, Usaida hurried into the room, Sawatari-san hot on hisheels.

“Sorry I’m late, someonetook an hour and a half to get ready.” he said, shooting Sawatari-san a playfulglare.

“Not everyone can just roll out of bed and head to work likeyou, Yoshihito.” she said sweetly.

“I came out to have a good time, and honestly I’m feeling soattacked right now.”

Sawatari-san smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes beforeturning to the boys.

“You two know Sawatari-san. I borrowed her from Inui andNekota to help with this routine.”

“We negotiated a trade. Borrowed implies that you’re notgoing to be helping me teach my pair.”

“Fair enough.”

Ryu swallowed a smile at their antics. “So does this mean oneof us will be taking a female role in the dance?” he asked instead.

“No we’ve choreographed this keeping the two of you inmind.” said Sawatori-san “It’ll be best if we show you. We can alter it as wego along, make it simpler if we need to.”

“We won’t need to.” said Usaida confidently, hooking up hisphone to the speakers. He and Sawatari-san stood next to each other, bothfacing the right-side wall of the studio.

“Kamitani, start the music, and pay attention to me. Ryu,focus on Yukari.”

From the very first beats, Usaida was moving, undulating hisbody and stepping out towards the imaginary audience, Sawatari-san just behindhim. From that moment on the two were in sync. Usaida grabbed Sawatari-san’shand and pulling her into a dip. They spun, and twisted and jumped, notstanding still for a moment. Ryuuichi watched them move, eyes wide, afraid thatif he blinked he’d miss something important. They finished the routine with aflourish, Sawatari-san facing the audience, connected to Usaida only through theirlinked hands.

“So,” said Usaida, sounding casual despite his heavy panting“that’s basically it.”

Oh my god. thoughtRyu There are so many spins.

“Are you sure we can’t make it simpler?” asked Kamitani, andRyu was gratified to see that he wasn’t the only one intimidated by theroutine.

“You’ll be fine!” said Usaida with a grin. “You’ve got ushelping you out after all!” He clapped his hands.

“Okay, Kamitani you’re going to be doing what I did, andRyu, you’ll be doing Yukari’s part. We’ll start from the top and take it slow,don’t worry.” He pulled something out of his bag. “Here, both of you put theseon.” He handed each of them a pair of formal-looking shoes.

“It’ll help if you practice while wearing the rightfootwear, so you can get used to it. Ryu, I’ve given you a bit more of a heelto make up for the height difference between you and Kamitani.”

Sure enough, upon further inspection, Ryu’s shoes did have aslightly larger heel.

“Thanks I guess.” he said pulling on the shoes and trying tofind his balance.

“Great!” said Sawatari-san with a grin “Let’s take it fromthe top.”

Four weeks and threedays until the Annual Programme

“Kamitani you’re too stiff.” said Usaida with a sigh “moveyour hips more, like this.” His body moved as though a shockwave had passedthrough him. Kamitani mimicked him.

“Looser.”

Kamitani tried again.

“Looser.”

Kamitani glared and tried again.

“Good, now keep that up for the rest of the song. Let’s takeit from the top.”

Ryu moved back into position.

“Oh, Kashima!” called Sawatari-san before Usaida could playthe music “try to stay on your toes while you’re spinning or you’ll trip overyour heels again. And keep your leg higher on that one spin, it looks moredramatic that way.”

Ryu turned red at the reminder of the last three times he’dtripped, but nodded nevertheless. Usaida started the music once more and theywent through the routine again. When it was over, they glanced at Usaida forfeedback.

“Better, but still room for improvement.”

Both boys groaned.They took a small break to grab a drink of water.

“Kamitani-kun” said Sawatari-san suddenly “could you maybesmile more?”

“I am smiling!”

“Hmm… there needs to be more expression on your face. Maybeinstead of smiling, try for a smoulder.”

Kamitani looked bemused “Smoulder?”

“Just imagine you’re trying to seduce the girl of yourdreams.”

Ryu choked on a mouthful of water, and noticed thatKamitani’s ears turned bright red.

“I- I can try.”

“Great!” she said with a smile.

“If Kamitani goes with a smoulder, then he and Ryu will bemismatched though.” said Usaida “No offence Ryu, but I don’t think that you cansmoulder to save your life.”

“None taken.”

Sawatari-san looked thoughtful “Ryu, try look a little moreshy maybe?” the she shook her head. “Shy isn’t the right word. You need to be abit more… coy.”

“What does that mean?”

“For now, try making your smile smaller and look up throughyour eyelashes once in a while, we’ll go from there.” She looked suddenlyinspired “Or even better, just imagine Kamitani is seducing you and you’replaying hard to get!” she said, sounding delighted.

Ryu thought he could power a small village with the force ofhis blush, but he nodded, refusing to meet Kamitani’s eye.

“You know,” said Usaida speculatively “that could work.Let’s take it from the top.”

Three weeks and fourdays until the Annual Programme

“Something’s off.” said Usaida looking and both boys, whowere lying flat on their backs, panting. They’d improved a lot since last week,with only a few stumbles in their steps, which, considering the speed at whichthey were dancing, Ryu counted as win.

Sawatari-san nodded in agreement with his statement. “It’slike you two don’t know each other well enough, so you’re putting up a wallbetween yourselves and it’s coming through in the dance. The steps are mostlyright, but there’s no feeling behind them.”

“Right.” said Usaida, sounding exhausted “Take the rest ofthe day off. You two are going on a date.”

Ryu shot up into a sitting position, and stared at him. “What!?”

“A date. You two. Now. Go down to that family restaurantdown the road and have a cup of coffee or something. By tomorrow I wantwhatever awkwardness is between you two to be gone.” He pulled them off theground and practically shoved them out the door.

The walk to the family restaurant was awkward, to say theleast. Ryu longed to break the silence, but his mind was blank. They chose aquiet booth in the back, and Ryu picked up the menu, just to have something todo. It was nearing lunch-time anyway. Kamitani started tapping his fingers onthe table. The waitress was with them within a few minutes, and the coffee waspoured soon after, and then Ryu had no excuse not to look at Kamitani.

“Nice shirt, where’d you get it?” said Kamitani suddenly,referring to his faded rainbow unicorn t-shirt. The unicorn was wearingsunglasses, and the words “Can’t touch this” were stamped across the top.

“Thanks, Saikawa-san and Obasan got it for me when I cameout to the family in high school.” He replied absently as he stirred sugar intohis drink. His eyes flicked across the table and he noticed that Kamitani hadfrozen. His mind chose that moment to replay what he’d just said, and he had toresist the urge to face-palm. “Nice goingRyu.” He thought to himself “You canbarely have a conversation with the guy and you’ve already outed yourself.”It wasn’t like he was closeted, he was wearing a rainbow unicorn t-shirt forcrying out loud. He just wasn’t explicitly vocal about it.

“This… isn’t going to be a problem, is it?” he askedtentatively, taking a sip of the hot coffee in front of him in an effort tohide his face. If the routine got scrapped because it turned out his hotpartner was a homophobe, Ryuuichi was going to actually cry. Kamitani shook hishead hurriedly, looking flustered.

“Not at all.”

“Good. That’s… good.”

“Me too, by the way.”

Ryu choked on his coffee. “I’m sorry, what!?”

Kamitani’s lips, quirked upwards.

“I too am incredibly gay.”

“Oh.” OH. Ryuthrew his head back and laughed.

Three weeks and twodays until the Annual Programme

The rest of their date, as Usaida insisted on calling it,had gone well. They spoke about how they got into dancing (“It seemed like a good idea in between baseball seasons. I liked it, soI stayed.”), their college classes (“Advancedorganic chemistry is honestly the best class I’ve ever taken, but the modernlit class makes me want to shoot someone”), and their younger brothers (“Yeah, he’s kind of an idiot, but he’s notso bad I guess”), and by the end of the afternoon, the stilted awkwardnessbetween the two had disappeared. Usaida claimed it made a noticeable differencein their dancing. There was just one small problem.

If Ryu had thought knowing Kamitani better would makeplaying coy easier, he was sadly mistaken. Justimagine Kamitani is seducing you and you’re playing hard to get! The wordstended to pop up in his mind at inopportune moments. It was much morecomfortable playing the role when he thought the other boy was straight.Sawatari-san had been right in saying that Kamitani would be better off“smouldering” than smiling, and it was suddenly too easy to get his hopes upwhen Kamitani looked at him with a heated glance.

“Much, much better boys, I think we’re done for today.” called Sawatari-san, looking at Usaida for conformation. He nodded and shebeamed. “Looks like the coffee worked, huh?”

“What can I say, I’m a genius.” said Usaida with grinning atthe boys.

Both Ryu and Kamitani rolled their eyes at that, and Usaidalet out a mock offended huff.

“Rude.” He turned back to Sawatari-san “Do you think it willwork with Inui and Nekota?”

She shook her head in exasperation. “With those two, wemight have to lock them in the studio until they sort themselves out.”

Ryu heard Usaida laugh in response as he left the studiowith Kamitani, who gently bumped his shoulder.

“Any idea what you’re going to do for your solo?” he asked

Crap. Ryu had been so busy working on the salsa that hehadn’t even given a thought to his solo. He shrugged sheepishly.

“Nothing yet. You?”

“Probably hip hop or street funk.”

Ryu glanced at him in surprise. While Kamitani wasn’t bad athip hop, there were several other styles he was stronger in. He noticed thelook, and twitched his shoulder upwards.

“I wanted a challenge. Figured Ushimaru could help me out.Besides,” he coloured a little “Taka’s been going on and on about these hip hopvideos he’s been watching on YouTube and I couldn’t get it out of my head.”

Ryu smirked at him. Whether he’d admit it or not, Kamitanireally wanted to look cool in front of his brother.

“Kamitani, you’re really just a big softie, aren’t you?”

“Shut up Kashima.”

Two weeks until the AnnualProgramme

The good news was they had finally perfected their pairsroutine. Usaida had taken their measurements and muttered something aboutsequins, before flipping open a sketchbook to work on their costume designs.This now left their afternoons free to work on their solos.

The bad news came in two parts. First was that he still hadno idea what he wanted to do for his solo. He knew Kamitani was leaning towardsstreet funk, and Ushimaru and Nezu would likely stick to their preferred stylesof hip hop and tap. Ryu wasn’t sure he wanted to choose a style. He reallydidn’t even have an idea behind the routine. He wasn’t sure what he wanted toprove. The second part was that he’d been seeing a lot less of Kamitani. Mostof his time not spent in classes was taken up in the small apartment he sharedwith his younger brother, either trying to figure out his routine or catchingup on coursework. They did meet occasionally for a meal or to accompany theirbrothers on a playdate (“Ni-chan it’s nota playdate, we’re in second grade now, we’re just hanging out!”), but itwas a far cry from seeing each other nearly every day.

Ryu had gotten so used to Kamitani’s presence that meetinghim so rarely made his chest hurt with a kind of hollowness, as though a pieceof him was missing. When they did get together, their meetings often ended fartoo soon for his liking, a stab of disappointment piercing him each time. Hedidn’t know if Kamitani was equally effected, but a small, selfish part of himreally hoped so.

One week and 6 daysuntil the Annual Programme

“Can I ask you something?” Kamitani was playing with thestraw in his iced tea.

“You just did, but I’ll let it slide.” said Ryu, grinningwhen he groaned in response.

“How come Usaida calls you Ryu when he calls me Kamitani?Were you and he-” he trailed off awkwardly, and it too Ryu a moment to reallyunderstand where he was going with that thought. When the penny dropped hegagged a little.

“What! God no. He’s some ten years my senior! I’ve justknown him for a while. He’s worked for Obasan for as long as I’ve known her,and he used to babysit Kotaro sometimes. Plus he’s sort of friends withSaikawa-san, which technically makes a friend of the family.”

“Oh, I just figured you guys had some kind of history,sorry.” If he didn’t know any better, Ryu would say Kamitani sounded relieved.Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth again.

“If you want, you can call me Ryu too. A lot of my friendsdo.” he said casually. It wasn’t exactly a lie. He was technically friends withUsaida and Kotaro. He risked a glance at Kamitani, and found him lookingsurprised but pleased.

“Then call me Hayato”

Ryu grinned, and the answering smile, small and shy as itwas, nearly made his heart stop.

One and a half weeksuntil the Annual Programme

“Ryuuichi have you decided what you’ll be doing for yoursolo?”

The piece of steak he’d been eating went down the wrong way,and he began to cough. His brother passed him a glass of water, which he tookgratefully.

“Thanks Kotaro.” he gasped before glancing at his Obasan,and quickly looking away. He loved her a lot, and after he and Kotaro moved outafter he found his apartment she made them promise to come around for dinner atleast once every two weeks. It was a promise he was more than happy to keep.Despite her kindness however, she was still as crotchety as she had been whenshe’d adopted them in his eighth grade, and he was certain he was about to getanother tongue lashing.

“Not yet, Obasan.”

“Hmph. You’d better get a move on, there’s not much timeleft.”

“I know, Obasan, but I just don’t know where to start!” Heran a frustrated hand through his hair, not able to stop speaking once he’sstarted. “There are just so many things I’ve learned, and so many things I wantto do. I don’t want to let sensei down, and I want the other classes to seethat Verse students are just as good as them. I want to impress Haya- I mean, Iwant to impress the audience I-”

He was cut off by a sharp pain in his leg. Obasan had pokedhim in the thigh with her cane under the table. He gulped.

“Ryuuichi have you learned nothing in all these years in mystudio?”

“Umm…”

“What’s the most important thing about dance? It’s nottechnique or even talent in the long run, is it?”

He slowly shook his head, feeling a weight lift from hisshoulders at her world.

“Try to remember why you dance, Ryu, and everything willfall into place.” She went back to cutting her steak.

Why did he dance? Because he had to. Because his skin felttoo tight if he didn’t. Because it reminded him of his parents. Because hisObasan had given him a chance. Because of the look of quiet awe Kotaro wouldgive him when he practiced in the apartment. Because of the way Sensei smiledwhen he got a particularly difficult step right. Because of how Usaida andSawatari-san had pulled him into a group hug at the end of every practice.Because of the way Kamitani looked at him when the moved perfectly in sync.Because he loved to dance. It hit him all at once what he was going to do. He’dneed to call Ushimaru after this.

He was pulled out of his train of thought by a light tug onhis sleeve. He turned to see Kotaro looking up at him with a smile.

“Don’t worry Ni-chan, I’m sure Kami-chan will like yourdance no matter what.”

Ryu could feel the heat creeping up his neck, and had tostifle a groan when Obasan perked up at Kotaro’s words.

“Thanks Kotaro.” He said weakly, patting his beaming brotheron the head, mentally preparing himself to deal with the interrogation thatwould surely follow.

6 days until theAnnual Programme

Their costumes were ready and they were gorgeous. Hayato’sshirt was a glittery royal blue that shined silvery under the light, pairedwith dark grey slacks that flared outward at the bottom. The shirt was a deepv-neck that left part of his chest exposed, with long sleeves that also flaredout slightly. Ryu’s was a deep crimson long-sleeved shirt with a false vestcreated with gold sequins. Like Hayato’s it was also a deep v-neck, and waspaired with similar pants, though his were white in colour.

Usaida had insisted that the two try them on and go throughthe routine once to make sure everything fit properly and was comfortable.Ryu’s mouth had gone dry when he saw the way the pants hugged Hayato’s muscularlegs. The routine had gone off without a hitch, and the costumes fit like adream. Usaida looked beyond pleased as he made them pose so that he could clicksome pictures.

“Okay you two, I’ll be back soon. Get changed quickly. I’llhave the costumes dry cleaned and ready to go for the big day.” he said, beforeleaving the room, cell phone pressed to his ear, letting the door swing shutbehind him.

Hayato immediately began stripping off his shirt, and Ryusqueaked and turned away before he could get distracted by the way the musclesin his back moved as he pulled off his shirt. He quickly changed out of hiscostume as well, realizing only after he’d removed his clothes that while hisjoggers were neatly folded on the bench next to him, he’d forgotten to take hist-shirt out of his bag. Which was currently next to Hayato. Too afraid to turnaround, in case the other boy was still changing, he inched his way backwards.It was a brilliant plan, and would have worked if he hadn’t tripped over hisdance shoes on the way there. He fell backwards, closing his eyes and bracinghimself for impact, when his back collided with something firm, and warm andvery much not the floor, stopping his descent. He tentatively opened his eyesto see a very worried Hayato. A distant part of his brain told him that theymust look like the cover of a cheap romance novel, Hayato clad only in hiscostume pants holding Ryu, dressed only in his joggers, in a dip, but most ofhim was focused on the face in front of him; the way his eyebrows were furrowedin worry, and how his eyes seemed to be made up of a kaleidoscope of greens andyellows.

“Are you alright?” Hayato asked, still making no move to sethim back properly on his feet.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay. I just need to um, grab my shirt.” hesqueaked.

“Oh, right.”

Hayato pulled him into to a standing position, and Ryuhurriedly grabbed his t-shirt from his bag.

Oh my god. hethought as he pulled it on I am soscrewed.

On the day of the Annual Programme, Ryu couldn’t eat. Eventhe thought of eating made him want to vomit. Both his and Kamitani’s soloswould come before their Salsa, and he wasn’t sure whether it was a good or badthing. In addition their routine would be the one that ended the show, whichdid nothing to sooth his nerves. He forced himself to drink half a bottle ofPocari Sweat, made sure Kotaro had packed the costume for his group routinewith the Kiddie Choreography class, and headed to the studio.

After dropping Kotaro off with Taka and his other friends,Ryu began hunting for Hayato. He found his partner in a green room, listeningto something on a pair of large headphones. He smiled when he saw Ryu.

“Ready for today?” he asked

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Ryu replied, pushing down anotherwave of nerves. Hayato stood, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s go grab a seat in the front. Taka made me promise towatch his group dance.”

The Programme started on time, because Obasan, if nothingelse was a stickler for punctuality. First went the casual classes. The kidshad put on a performance to a mashup of cartoon openings, which was so cutethat no one minded the few missteps that occurred. Ryu clapped until his handssmarted and Hayato gave Taka and Kotaro a thumbs up. Taka was so overwhelmedthat he burst into tears on stage, much to his brother’s embarrassment. It wasfollowed by a small performance by the Zumba class which made Ryu marvel at howUsaida had managed to handle three separate choreographies in the last sixweeks. The senior ladies followed it up with a traditional fan dance, beforethe hip hop class took the stage. They were followed by Jazz, Contemporary,Ballet, and Folk. Ryu watched the performances in awe. He had to acknowledgethat they were all excellent, but the idea of practicing the same style overand over again just didn’t sit comfortably with him. All too soon it was timefor the Verse performances to take the stage. Hayato grabbed his arm and jerkedhis head towards the green room. Ryu smirked. It was time to show these peoplewhat the Versatile Class was made of.

Inomata and Ushimaru were the first to take the stage. Theircontemporary dance was powerful yet sad, and as he watched from the wings Ryucould see the way they worked to blend the grace of Inomata’s ballet backgroundwith the staccato movements of Ushimaru’s hip hop as they became puppet andpuppet master on stage. The performances seemed to pass in a blur. Inui andNekomata’s elegant Viennese Waltz managed to move some of the audience membersto tears, and Ushimaru’s solo combining ballet and hip hop got a standingovation and made Inomata turn scarlet. Then came Hayato’s solo. Ryu slippedinto the auditorium so that he could watch it up close.

Tinny beats played as Hayato walked on stage dressed in ablack tank top and ripped jeans, with a plaid shirt tied around his waist andbaseball cap jammed on his head. The beat became heavy, followed by violins.Ryu remembered him saying that he had to go with the instrumental version ofsome English song because the lyrics were questionable. As soon as the violinsstarted, Hayato was moving, each motion quick and sharp as though he waslocking himself into place, yet fluid in transition from one step to the next.He had control of every part of his body, from head to toe, as he danced withhis eyes blazing and a smirk playing on his lips. He caught Ryu’s eye andwinked. Ryu thought he might faint. The song came to a close, and Hayato walkedoff, popping the collar of the shirt he’d put on at some point in the routine. Acheer came from the audience, and Ryu was sure he could hear Taka screamingabout how cool his big brother was. He dashed backstage and caught up withHayato outside the green room.

“That was amazing! You were amazing!” he yelling, pullingHayato in for a hug. The boy froze for a minute before hugging him back tightlyand whispering a gruff thanks.

“Ryu I-” Hayato started to say, and Ryu was hit with asudden panic. The atmosphere was too serious, and he just knew Hayato was goingto say something that would make him cry, though whether it would be out of joyor sorrow was under debate. Ryu was too scared to find out.

“I need to change.” he blurted out “for my solo.” He slippedinto the green room, shutting the door on a very confused Hayato.

He could hear the audience clapping along to Usokawa andHonda’s jazz routine as he leaned his head against the cool doorframe. Next wasNezu’s solo, and then his own. He gulped. He’d put everything he had into thisroutine. Practicing for hours in his apartment and in the studio with Ushimaru.Each movement had to be deliberate yet fluid and natural. He needed to be calm.By the time he left the green room, Nezu had started his solo performance. Ashe had expected, it was a tap routine, but it was far livelier than his usualfare. Ryu could see Yagi grinning in the audience while he recorded the act andknew who pushed the quiet boy out of his comfort zone. The song drew to a closeand Nezu stripped off his jacket, throwing it into the audience and dancing offthe stage even as small tussle broke out between several girls who were vyingto catch it. The fight was broken up by Yagi, who simply picked the jacket outof a girl’s arms with a smile, and it was suddenly Ryu’s turn.

He walked on stage as the first few notes of the pianobegan, standing at the centre with his hands clasped and his head down. He’delected to wear an oversized long sleeved white t-shirt and his favourite pairof black joggers. He knew he probably looked small standing in the centre ofthe stage, but that didn’t matter. He was here to show everyone why he danced.

The lyrics started and his hands shot upwards on their ownaccord. He’d practiced this so many times that his body was moving onautopilot. He found Kotaro in the audience, who, despite seeing the routine amillion times while Ryu was practicing, was watching with his eyes wide asthough it was the first time. His little brother had always been his anchor,his motivation to get up in the morning and keep getting up no matter how manytimes he fell.

He kept dancing, his arms and legs, fingers and neck movingin sharp staccato, in position for only a second before moving on to his nextstep. His father used to dance his mother around the kitchen at dinner, both ofthem laughing, and used to clap and cheer when he used to make up his ownroutines as a little kid. They were rarely home but when they were the housewas always filled with music and laughter. When they died, dancing became a wayto keep them in his memory.

He folded his hands in prayer and gave a short sharp bow,before opening out into a spin. He spotted Obasan off to the side, withSaikawa-san sitting behind her, video camera in hand. It was her first timeseeing the routine in full, and she had a handkerchief pressed to her eyes.Obasan who had taken in two boys who had no connection to herself. Who’d madehim work in the studio after classes and signed him up immediately for lessonswhen she caught him practicing alone in an empty studio. Saikawa-san who wasalways there with a hot meal and an encourage word, who had accepted himwithout question. They had become his family.

He dropped to the floor, using his momentum to keep rolling.He caught sight of Usaida, standing with Sawatari-san and the rest of hisclassmates. Usaida had had his back ever since he started at the studio. Evennow, he shot him a quick thumbs up, despite the fact that he was blinkingsuspiciously often. His classmates looked equally proud, and his heart swelled,thinking how lucky he was to have friends who were always ready to pull him up.

He jumped forward, tuning in the air as he did. There, rightin front of the stage, was Hayato, already dressed in costume, watching himwith his mouth open and a strange expression on his face. The boy who’d becomeone of his closest friends in only six weeks. Who’d worked with him, laughedwith him, and on one memorable, alcohol infused occasion, cried with him. Theboy that he wanted something more with, if he’d have him.

The song drew to a close, and he moved backwards, staring upat the ceiling with his hands clasped in front of him as the song faded out.There was a beat of dead silence, before wild cheering broke out. He heldhimself together long enough to give a deep bow, before making his way back tothe green room and promptly bursting into tears. He felt a pair of strong armsenvelop him and heard low, choked voice in his ear.

“You were so good, Ryu.”

He wrapped his arms around Hayato’s waist and sobbed intohis shoulder while the other boy just held him. When the tears stopped flowing,they reluctantly broke apart. Hayato handed him a bottle of water.

“Drink this and get changed, we’re up after Yagi and Nezu.”He started out the door, before pausing, hand on the door frame, and leaningback into the room.

“Remember how Sawatari-san told me to practice my smoulder?What she asked me to pretend, I mean?”

“How could I forget?” asked Ryu, pleased to hear his voicewasn’t choked up anymore.

“Well, I’ve always been thinking of you, from day one.”

With that Hayato left, closing the door behind him, andleaving Ryu alone with his thoughts.

Just imagine you’reseducing the girl of your dreams. Ryu slammed a palm to his forehead. Theywere both so stupid. He put on hiscostume as quickly as he could and made it back to catch the tail end of Yagiand Nezu’s Broadway routine. Nezu was dressed like a delinquent and had abasket on his head, Yagi was wearing a suit and bowtie with a towel around hisneck, and both were in the middle of a very impressive tap routine. Ryu decidednot to question it, the audience was cheering and that was what mattered. Hestood with the rest of his classmates, most of whom patted him on the back andtold him great job, and when Nezu and Yagi took their bow, Usaida and Sawatori-sanclapped them on the back, and practically pushed them on stage.

Ryu’s mind was churning as his body moved on its own accord.He was dipped backwards, spun foraward, and braced for a split all in the firstmoments of the routine, yet his mind was replaying every interaction betweenHayato and himself since the day they began working together. Hayato’s intensestare bored into him, and Ryu looked away, suddenly having no trouble playingcoy.  He clasped Hayato’s hand tightly ashe spun with one leg lifted high. He was going to kill the boy for droppingthis on him just before they had to go on stage. And then he was going to kissthe daylights out of him.

The routine finished with him facing the audience, connectedto Hayato by their linked hands. The audience was cheering, but his heart waspounding too hard for it to register. They bowed and made their way into thegreen room.

As soon as the door shut, Ryu grabbed Hayato by the collarand pulled him down to meet his lips in a kiss, distance lessened by the danceshoes Ryu still wore. Their noses bumped and their teeth clacked awkwardly, butit was forgotten after a little adjustment. Hayato melted into the kiss,letting out a low groan, his hands moving to fist Ryu’s hair. They finallybroke apart when the need for air became too much.

“By the way, you stupid string bean,” gasped Ryu “me too.”

“What?” asked Hayato, genuinely confused.

“I too have been incredibly gay for you since day one.”

Ryu could see the exact moment he remembered theirconversation during their “date” at the restaurant. A slow smile spread acrossHayato’s face, and he met it with one of his own, before pulling the boy backdown for another kiss. Later, they’d go out and give congratulations and receivesome as well. They’d hug their classmates and shake hands with well-wishers. Obasanwould insist they all go out for dinner, Usaida and Sawatari-san included, andRyu would ask Hayato and Taka to come along, and it would be wonderfullyawkward, filled with exhilarated laughter, pointed questions, and tentativetouches under the table. But that would come later. For now, he was happy tohave the echoes of applause in his ears and the taste of Hayato on his lips.

 A/N- My goodness this wasn’t supposed to be this long, the idea justran away with me. I may continue it with the other couples at some point. Nodisrespect to Copa Cabana, but I’ve had that song in my head all week and Iwould like it to stop pls and thanks. As always, I’m taking prompts.The usual terms and conditions apply (no adult/minor,no smut). It may take me a while to get to them though since I have a bit ofqueue and college work is picking up.

If you want to see the routines that inspired this, they’re here:

Hayato and Ryu

Inomata and Ushimaru

Yagi and Nezu

Inui and Nekota (With Hikari no Hahen as the score)

Usokawa and Honda (With Tank! as the score)

Ushimaru’s Solo

Hayato’s Solo

Nezu’s Solo

Ryu’s Solo

#Gakuen Babysitters #School Babysitters #HayaRyuu #Kashima Ryuuichi #Kamitani Hayato #Dance Au #Long post #mmota525

[entirelymyxwn]

in which the troupe members are all terrible liars

“WD, what in the hell is going on?”

Anne felt like a broken record. She had been asking WD that same question since she woke up. Her older brother, as much as she loved him, was finally starting to get on her very last nerve. He had been acting strange all morning: first keeping her from leaving her room for ten minutes after she was ready, then making sure she didn’t walk through the ring the way she did before every show, and now finally telling her that she couldn’t rehearse her stunts on the main trapeze and that she would have to use the rickety old rig in the back.

“Anne, I told you. PT had someone come in to adjust the ropes. This way it won’t be as choppy when we hit the ground.” WD was trying his best to be convincing, but years of relying on one another had tipped Anne off to his tell: his right eye would twitch every time he told a lie. And today, his right eye wouldn’t stay open. But she also knew his habits, and this insistence on a blatant lie told her that he was not going to budge.

Exhausted from pushing back at him, the young trapeze artist rolled her eyes at her brother and walked toward the old practice rig. Over her shoulder, she called back at him, “You’ve always been a terrible liar, big brother. You can’t keep a secret if your life depended on it!”

Had she been just a few feet closer, she would have heard him mutter, “Wouldn’t bet on it, baby sister.”

•

Anne took out her frustrations on the trapeze, the way she’d been doing since she could walk. Flying through the air, twisting and turning and manipulating the space around her, she felt at home. Life was always so complicated down on the ground; up here, in the sky, everything melted away.

Up in the air, she could focus on the things that meant the most to her. The annoyance she had with WD was gone, ushered away by the realization that he would explain himself in due time. Instead, she spent her rehearsal reflecting on how much her life had changed in a single year.

Ever since PT had stepped away from his place as ringmaster and Phillip had taken up the role, the confidence and exuberance of the circus had only magnified. PT had been a terrific boss, but Phillip had grown into the mantle of ringmaster and revived the troupe with a youthfulness and flair that was unique to him only.

And Anne could not have been more proud to stand beside him, both as a supporting act and a significant other. He always credited her with giving him the courage he needed to pursue his passion, but in truth she knew that they had grown with one another. She was no longer the shy, submissive girl she had been before meeting him. Now, she was powerful and self-assured and bold, and she knew that he had much to do with it. He was the first person to ever be completely open with her, the only person she’d ever known to risk everything for her. Every touch, every kiss between them was scrutinized, but their confidence in one another became the root of their relationship.

A thud from the main tent disrupted her idle musings. Anne swung and flipped off of the trapeze, landing lightly on the ground, and made her way over to the doorway between the tents. Before she could move any further, Lettie ran into her training space and flashed a blinding smile.

“Anne! How’s the new routine coming along? Any new... uh... flips tonight?” the woman asked in earnest.

Anne narrowed her eyebrows at her friend. “Yeah, Lettie, I added a few new flips. Did you hear that noise?” she asked, edging closer to the outside of the tent.

Lettie stuck a hand out to stop her. “Actually, yes! They’re rearranging the set for one of Tom’s numbers. They finally got him the zebra he’s been wanting to ride!”

Anne raised a single eyebrow. “They have to change the layout for a zebra? If anything, it’d be easier, wouldn’t it? Since the zebra will be smaller than the horse he has now.”

“You’d think so, right? But apparently they have really particular, erm, walking habits.”

The younger girl had to laugh. “Really, Lettie? I never would’ve guessed that WD was a better liar. I’m assuming I can’t leave here just yet?”

A tired smile appeared on Lettie’s face. “Right. Yes. Do you mind? I could keep you company if you’re lonely.”

“Don’t worry about it. Could you just make sure Phillip knows where I am? I know he likes to personally make sure that everyone’s ready. And he and I always wish each other luck before every show,” she added shyly.

Her friend beamed at her. “Don’t worry, honey. He knows where you are.” Lettie’s eyes widened immediately. “I mean, yes! I’ll let him know. Have a good rehearsal!”

Honestly, was there a single normal person left in this show?

•

Two hours and about a thousand front tucks later, O’Malley stuck his head in to peek at the old rig. Anne had just stuck her hardest stunt, flipping upside down on her ring and dropping off into a cannonball straight towards the ground. When she looked up, the thief was grinning mischievously.

“Looks good, little lady.”

She laughed breathily. “Why, thank you, sir. Let me guess, you’re here to tell me that I still can’t leave?”

“Actually, Tom sent me to get’cha. Sounded mighty important. He’s up by the bathroom.”

Anne furrowed her brow in confusion. “Huh. Alright. Thanks, O’Malley. By the way, do you know where Phillip might be?”

She immediately knew something was up, because the man’s eyes stopped darting around the room and focused on a spot in the sky. “Nope. No, miss. Haven’t seen the fella. If I had, I woulda tried to get my hands on that pocketwatch.”

Anne rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you could afford your own now, buddy.”

•

Anne was officially concerned. It was half an hour to showtime, and not a single person was in sight. The whole way up to the bathrooms, the tent had felt eerily quiet. In fact, the only signs of life were coming from the main rings: footsteps and overlapping voices drew her attention, but the Irish giant had been standing at the entrance and urged her on to find Tom.

When she finally made it to the troupe bathrooms, Tom was standing in the sink, holding her best wig delicately in his hands. “I think we’ve gotta get you gussied up tonight, Anne!”

She quirked an eyebrow. “It’s a Tuesday in March, Tom. What makes tonight so special?”

The man glared at her and thrust the wig into her hands. “Do you have to ruin my mood, Anne? I got a frickin’ zebra waiting for me downstairs, that’s what’s special. Now get some glitter on your face and shine, lady!”

“Okay, alright! Goodness. Any other requests?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah. Gimme a nice smile and try to enjoy this one. I really want this to go well, alright?”

Anne’s face softened. Tom was the only one all day that had been genuine with her. “You got it, my friend. Hey, any idea where Phillip might be?”

At that very moment, she heard loud footsteps outside the doorway.

“Phillip!” she called, recognizing his crimson jacket immediately.

He turned around rapidly, left hand tucked into his back pocket. He flashed a quick smile, but his eyes glazed over her and moved back down towards the main tent. “Hi, baby. I hope you had a good day.”

“Actually, I—“

“Anne, I’m sorry, but there’s still so much to do and only ten minutes to curtain. But I’ll find you afterwards, alright?”

She frowned as he began to walk away. “Phillip! You’re forgetting something.”

His eyes widened as he hurried back to her side, pressed a rushed kiss to her lips and then her temple, and sped out towards the stage alone.

The hurt Anne felt must have been spelled across her face, because Tom tugged on her hand and gave her a wide smile. “Come on, girlie. You’ve got a performance to give. Now show me those pearly whites!”

•

The show ran as smooth as ever. Phillip, ever the showman, has put on his most energetic smile for the crowd. He had taken her hand in the opening number, though the faint twinge of sadness still stung her chest. Otherwise, it was like any other night. Contrary to what Lettie had told her, the setup of the ring was largely the same; it seemed the switch from horse to zebra wasn’t as drastic as everyone had thought.

Anne and WD’s aerial routine was a highlight, her dangerous flips and twirls drawing cheers and gasps from the crowd. She couldn’t help but peek at Phillip’s reaction after each landing, but he was whispering madly to Lettie and hardly paying her any attention. Anne threw herself through the skies with more passion in response, as if she were trying to swing away from the sting of his dismissal.

By the time the final number rolled around, she was thoroughly unenthused. The only thing keeping her from ditching the dance completely was Tom’s encouraging smile as he rode around the ring on his zebra. Though her heart wasn’t in the choreography, the crowd cheered as loud as ever.

Just as she and the troupe belted out the final few notes, she extended her hand toward Phillip’s the way she always did. This time, though, her ringmaster wasn’t in his usual spot.

Great, she thought. Now I look even more foolish.

That was when she noticed that nobody was looking at her. Instead, everyone was pointing towards the ceiling. Anne looked up and gasped loudly, tears welling in her eyes.

Phillip was swinging on her rope, descending the height of the tent slowly, beaming from ear to ear. As his feet touched the ground, Anne noticed that his right hand was clenched tightly at his side. He walked directly towards her, smile unwavering, and planted a sound kiss on her lips. She stood in surprise for a second before wrapping her arms around his neck, unable to help the smile that spread as she kissed him back.

Finally, he let her go and stood in front of her, adjusting his coat and clearing his throat before speaking.

“Anne, I love you. I your soul, your selfless heart. I love the way you’ve inspired me to become a better version of myself. And I love that you are the one I was meant to find. You are by far the most extraordinary woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing or the privilege of loving. You make me strong, you support me, and you inspire me every single day. And just as I know how sensational you are, I know that the family we make will be just as breathtaking. So, Anne Wheeler,” he breathed before bending on one knee, opening his right hand to reveal a glittering white gold band that featured a single sparkling round diamond. Her hand flew to her mouth as tears began to fall down her face. “Will you do me the greatest honor of my life? Will you marry me?”

Anne tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She wiped hot tears off of her cheeks. The tent was silent, waiting anxiously to hear her reply. She sobbed once more before nodding vigorously. “I will. Yes, Phillip, yes!”

The room erupted. The crowd was screaming with joy, a sight she would have never dreamed she would see. The troupe behind her, her chosen family, was crying right alongside her. Phillip beamed, eyes teary, as he slipped the brilliant ring onto her finger. His strong arms wrapped around her frame as he dipped his head to kiss her once again, and they shared a split second of solitude before WD and the rest of the troupe swallowed them in cheers and hugs. He held her hand the whole time, and after everyone had bid their congratulations and well wishes, they locked eyes and beamed at one another, in love and enthralled with the life that awaited them.

#anne x phillip #anne wheeler #phillip carlyle #tom thumb #lettie lutz #pt barnum #the greatest showman #greatest showman

[boy-banders-writings]

Distraction -- Hyunggu (Kino)

Group: Pentagon Member: Hyunggu aka Kino aka ultimate bias wrecker aka mister perfectly-adorable-i-love-him-so-much Genre: You already know it’s gonna be Fluff Best friends don’t always stay just best friends.

Your major compared to Hyunggu’s was completely different, something that spoke true to your personalities. He was a dance major, always in the arts building working on new choreography for a class or helping freshmen and other sophomores with their choreography. He spent so much of his time in that studio in hopes of making a name for himself with his dancing. Something you wished for almost as much as he did because you’ve watched him grow since the beginning.

You were apart of the Humanities, Fine Arts and Psychology program as a psychology major. The mind just fascinated you its every aspect, from how someone develops their personality to the social aspect of society and it’s psychology. You were enthralled always reading new articles on research and looking the bigger picture rather than the small details of someone. 

While both of you were majors in a field associated with the arts, you two only ever saw each other on the weekends or whenever you made time to study together. 

You had set the date to study together today in fact, but Hyunggu almost cancelled due to an evaluation on a choreo he hadn’t perfected yet came much sooner than he thought. Instead of cancelling, you opted to sit in the back of the dance studio and work while he practiced. It was an expressive contemporary he had been working on for about two weeks, the music was all instrument and it actually helped you focus quite a bit.

You peeked up from your social psychology book to make sure he wasn’t overdoing it, which he tended to do often, in time to see him land a graceful midair double spin. You might not know too much about dance like the technical terms or too many different types outside of what Hyunggu dances but you appreciated everything he did because he put his heart and soul into every performance.

At that moment, he was much more interesting than anything you had talked about in social psych that day and you noticed you’d closed your book to watch him. It wasn’t like you hadn’t spent hours before watching and critiquing his dancing, letting him know what you thought about a performance from an entertainment aspect. You always told him honestly how each performance made you feel, from the music to the way his body flowed to his expression. It all meshed together to create something beautiful.

You watched on in awe as he moved to the music in his own little world, just him and the music. The melody was light and uplifting, but his movements were a little more harsh and much more emotional. You could tell just by his movements that something was off, he wasn’t in his usual state of mind to dance. You continued to watch silently wondering what could be wrong when your eyes met in the reflection of the mirror. Hyunggu faltered for a moment before going back to his routine but you say it. The worry and fear in his eyes, they weren’t Hyunggu’s eye right then.

As the music came to an end you clapped quietly, smiling up at his tired and sweaty figure.

“It was good Gu.” You gave him two thumbs up. “But--”

“But everything was wrong.” He walked over to you and dropped to the floor on his butt. His back flattened against the wall as he stared up at the ceiling. “I haven’t been able to practice right for the last few days. It’s all wrong, the steps are wrong the movements are wrong.” He sighed. 

“This is wrong.” He murmured. “Why don’t you want to talk about it?” His focus turned to you, who had been watching him with fatal focus, trying to figure out what was wrong to help him.

“About what?” You muttered, watching his expression fall a little more.

“The kiss?” His voice broke, something you hadn’t heard since high school. “What happened Monday in the library. It was nothing spectacular but we still... Do you really want to forget that it ever happened?”

Your face was blazing by this point, your earrings even felt hot as you messed with one. You didn’t know where to look as you thought about what you wanted to say.

In truth, you hadn’t stopped thinking about your little kiss with Hyunggu since it happened. You had kicked yourself when your rushed out a ‘sorry, let’s pretend this didn’t happen’ because honestly you’d been in love with Hyunggu since day one. Every since you met in middle school as a nerdy little 12-year-old meeting another nerdy little 12-year-old who liked to dance. You had never seen anyone else but Hyunggu, he was your person. The one you rushed to tell everything to, the first person you wanted to share the good with and the bad. When your dog died Hyunggu held a little funeral when you were 14. When he got his first girlfriend at 16 you swore you’d get over him and that you two would be just friends but it didn’t last because Hyunggu valued you over some girl who wanted him to choose.

Even now as sophomores in college, with the few guys that have come and gone you only ever looked at Hyunggu yet you’d accepted he wasn’t yours. you’d moved on and were okay with supporting him and being his best friend but in the library it changed. In that place of old books and dusty shelves and hidden nooks you two had been studying at the beginning of the week, well goofing off. And with goofing off came physical contact because Hyunggu just can’t keep his hands to himself. You were so close to him trying to get your book back, you were flush against his body. You’d hugged before, even slept in the same bed growing up, but this time was different. The look in his eyes was different and the next thing you knew you had kissed him. Not a good luck’ kiss on the cheek but a full on lips on lips kiss.

You never felt so high before, like you were soaring through the clouds so close to the sun, oh you were so warm too. It was everything you had dreamed and more. When the kiss ended the two of you just looked at each other and in those few moments you realized the line you crossed. You threw your things into your backpack, made up some excuse to leave and said that neither of you should mention this, that you both should just forget it happened. And you ran. You texted him the next morning making sure he didn’t skip breakfast and asking if he slept well. You two went on like nothing happened and you weren’t sure you were all that happy about it.

“I can’t think straight because of you (Y/N).” Hyunggu pulled you from your thoughts. “I’m so distraught over this. Why kiss me then tell me to forget about it?” He stood and stretched. “I can’t focus, I can’t listen during lectures, I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. After that I looked back on our friendship to see what happened, when I started to see you differently.”

He stepped up to you and pulled you to your feet.

“When we kissed what did you feel?” He held your hands to keep you relatively close to you. “And be honest.”

“Like I was flying.” You uttered in all honesty, may the gamer in the sky who controls you smite you if you were lying. “I felt like I was sky, clouds being separated by my fingers as the sun warmed me from the inside out.”

He just smiled. He left you in the middle of the room to move towards his laptop. He replayed the song he dance to earlier, except this tim he lead you to dance with him. You followed his movements and steps, soon moving as one. This time his steps were light, like the music. He seemed to be floating too. You peered up at him confused as the two of your swayed in a slow waltz.

“What does this mean?” You questioned, unsure if what to expect.

“What do you think it means?” He quipped, that smirk already annoying you.

“Why do you think I’m asking G-- Hyunggu.”

“You kiss me then call my by my real name. Come on now.” He pulled your face towards his and kissed you. “(Y/N), you’re distracting me and I need my focus back. So I’ll distract you for a little bit.” He moved you to the music again, holding you closer. “My little distraction.” He murmured into your hair.

To say you were flying was an understatement, you felt like you’d grown wings to never leave the sky again.

#pentagon #pentagon scenarios #hyunggu #pentagon hyunngu #kino #pentagon kino #fluffly fluff

[realrhythmskrp]

DISPATCH, 04/29/17: BKB Entertainment has officially released information about lead dancer, Kang Sunyoung, on silverBEAT’s official website! Sunyoung is a ‘93 liner and has been beloved by fans since her debut in 2010. Find out more about Sunyoung below!

I, Kang Sunyoung, have read and understand the terms and conditions as my position of lead dancer and agree to honor the standards that are to be expected of me as an employee of BKB Entertainment.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Erika

Pronouns: She/Her

Timezone: GMT+1

Other muses: None

Password (for reservations only): RhythmTA

Skype (this is optional, but if you would like to join the RHYTHMSgc please leave your skype username here): onyx.loveless (…i was 13 when I made it)

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Jung Jessica

Name: Kang Sunyoung

Stage name (if applicable):Sunyoung

Idol concept: Her facial structure is unique, her expression is stoic and her gaze as cold as ice. From the beginning, Sunyoung had problems adjusting to the cute concept that silverBEAT had been given, and her visuals just did not click with it. Thus, she had been given a new one – she was to be the ‘chic’ member, the femme fatale that would rather attract female fans with her seemingly strong persona. She’s the member that can flirt with the camera, whose jokes create anything but laughter, who is more ‘cool and fashionable’ rather than a ‘girl-next-door’.

Frankly, Sunyoung had never been too fond of her concept. After all, her stone-cold expression would stick out as a sour thumb among girls who were smiling as widely as they could. To her relief and delight, as the years passed, she had been allowed to slowly ease her own personality into her ‘concept’ and become more of herself. Nowadays she is showing exactly who she is – a girl who does certainly lack an innate sense of humour, yet who does enjoy to laugh, show her emotions and express herself; somebody who is just a ‘dork’. One aspect hasn’t changed though, namely the fact that Sunyoung had always been the fashionable one.

Birth date and age: April 24th, 1993 (age 24)

Company name: BKB

Group Name (if applicable): silverBEAT

Group Position (if applicable): Lead Dancer

Strengths:

DANCE – although the position of a lead dancer in a group as large as silverBEAT might not sound as prestigious as that of a main dancer, sunyoung’s spot in the ‘dance line’ has rarely been discussed and never doubted, although she barely has any native talent in the area. she is rather an adept of the idea that certain skills can be learnt and perfected – thus, the years of training have rendered her able of quickly learning new choreographies and adapting herself to new styles.

RAP – a hidden talent of sunyoung’s; hip-hop is not a style that she has grown up with nor something that she has found immense interest in, yet something that she had just discovered she was, well, good at. a talent she had decided to develop in her spare time considering the fact that she had barely had a chance to showcase this skill in the songs of her group.

Weaknesses:

VARIETY & CHARISMA – not exactly a “people’s person” as some might describe her, it probably wouldn’t come as a surprise that sunyoung is not exactly the variety type; her delayed reactions and jokes drier than the sand in the sahara desert just does not make for good entertainment, not to mention the bluntness in her words would land her a ticket directly in hot water and certainly not in the hearts of netizens.

VOCAL RANGE – being known for having the huskiest of voices among her group can certainly have its ups and downs and while sunyoung is able to carry a song, there are certain limitations. it seems that training hasn’t done much for the range of her voice, as there is little room for the notes that she can hit, particularly struggling with those high ones, being instead much more fit for those with a ‘jazzy’ feel to them.

Positive traits:loyal, responsible, reliable

Negative traits: stubborn, possessive, uncompromising

PERSONAL HISTORY

RICHES – It would be a lie to say that Sunyoung had not been born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Coming from an affluent family, a third generation of Korean immigrants with their roots deeply settled into the Australian soil of Melbourne, it seemed only natural to her parents that she would be especially educated in the field of the fine arts and languages, that her general knowledge be cultivated from a young age, finding herself stuck on that uncomfortable chair in front of the piano that seemed to be overlooking the entirety of that spacious living room, four days a week since the age of five.

TOYS & NANNIES – And it seemed even more natural to them, two busy people, that Sunyoung would have somebody looking over her during those many hours they simply couldn’t. As a child, she certainly did not lack anything, she owned every toy imaginable and could receive anything that she wanted, yet in the same time, those years had also been filled with many, too many nannies running back and forth after her down those large hallways.

BLOOM – And she had slowly bloomed from a child, to a young maiden. And truth be told, she had come to be all too tired of the rather mundane life that she had come to have – constantly going back and forth, following the same routine, it was something that Sunyoung did not like, not even one bit. Her life had simply become a cliché from the day she had entered school, the typical story of a girl who had become popular among her peers simply for the fact that her father just so happened to be rich. She despised it, she would say, yet having been raised as a status-seeker, she couldn’t deny it to herself that the small fame she had gained was actually something that she enjoyed.

SOUL TO SEOUL – But she still wanted more than just that, she wanted more than the future that had practically been set from the moment of her birth, she wanted more than to just inherit her father’s company. It wasn’t exactly that she did not want to be leading it, no, to be the alpha of a group, it was actually something that she absolutely enjoyed, but there was just something about the type of company that her father led that did not appeal to her, finding much more interest and satisfaction in the world of music and entertainment. Having learnt about the country of her roots from the stories of her family, she could say that she had fallen in love with the world that South Korea seemed to be.

ONLY ONCE – One of the many monotonous days spent in the Australian sun, just another day that would be spent sitting at the piano that waited for her because, well, she certainly wasn’t too ecstatic of the hours to come of her fingers sliding almost mechanically over the white and black keys. Somewhat ironic – a young girl that adored music, yet loathed the massive instrument that was throning in the living room. The day when she was approached by a “tall, dark stranger” that had offered her the chance of a lifetime, as he himself had put it. Promising the sun and the moon along with all of the stars, Sunyoung was left with what seemed at that time to be a simple piece of cardboard cutout, printed with a dial number among some other information. A rather strange encounter she had classified it, but with what was written on the card she had in her hand, it seemed to be something that could happen only once.

NO ROOTS – The chance of a lifetime was to be given the possibility to bring her name out into the world, to become famous; simple information that was obtained once the odd occurrence had been explained to her parents and a call had been made to the phone number that was on the visit card Sunyoung had received. One could probably not stress enough the resentment that the two adults had towards the idea and just how strongly they opposed their daughter leaving for a country that they themselves knew only from stories told by their ancestors. Sunyoung had no roots though, and she had managed to leave the parental nest at just fourteen years of age.

NEW WORLD – She left for a country she did not even know the language of, a culture that was all too new for her. Seeing herself within the borders of the country she had landed in, it had become more than just plain obvious to her that it was an environment she had not been prepared for – mannerisms that she did not know, habits that she could not understand, Sunyoung was all too sure she was never going to adapt, to that point she was hoping that she would not pass the audition she had signed herself – with her parents’ signature at the footnote, mind you – for. Yet she did.

SILVERBEAT – Three years. It had taken her three years to adapt, reaching something that she never thought she could once she was reflecting to a time when she had only been criticised for her behaviour, for her lack of respect in her speech, for how her bow seemed to never be low enough. She was a determined one though, always pushing for her limits, always setting the bar higher – for Sunyoung the competition did not matter all too much; she was her own, worst adversary. Pressuring herself had paid off the moment she sat in front of the camera for the very first time to be taking the pictures that would mark her debut in a girl group. It was a feeling of euphoria that she just could not describe, a feeling that had shaken off only once she had first stepped foot on a stage, shocked to hear the voices singing along and chanting her name.

#ryt:accepted #ryt:bkb #ryt:silverbeat #rytsunyoung

[itsrenamarieblog-blog]

I never thought that I would have seen the day to interview one of the most beautiful and talented women that had mega hits from the 80’s up to the early 2000’s. This remarkable young woman is the first female artist to have her first three solo releases to hit #1 on the Billboard. Karyn White made a  huge splash on the music scene with her female anthem “Superwoman” in which was produced and written by Babyface and LA Reid. In this article you will learn about how Ms. White was discovered and what she got coming up for all KW Hearts out there.

Karyn White was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in LA was amazing for her. “Here in LA you get to see so much, and you can dream your dreams and have them come true“. At an young age Karyn (she is the baby of the family) would often imitate her older sisters, one was a dancer and the other one was a singer with a voice that reminded her of Natalie Cole. With such influences in her family Karyn combine her family’s multi-talents into one big mega star package. At the age of 16 she auditioned for a group called Legacy. During that time Karyn participated in beauty pageants, talent shows, and continue her road to auditions.  

Q&A With Karyn White

Rena Marie: Karyn what kind of impact has music made in your life?

Karyn White: Wow! Music is my life. It gave me purpose, music is healing and therapeutic. Music allows me to dream and make them come true. Music took me out of the hood, and gave me opportunities to travel around the world to experience different things.  

Rena Marie: Who are some of your musical influences?

Karen White: Back in my day I often listen to and watched Stephanie Mills, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Prince, James Brown, Donna Summers, and Al Green.

Rena Marie: I can truly say that you are an artist who actually embodied the sounds and dance of those who influenced you. I can hear Stephanie Mills, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross in your voice and I can see the sassy choreography of Donna Summers.

Karyn White: Thank you oh wow! I learned the songs and choreography from the Wiz (both Diana Ross and Stephanie Mills versions) and performed them at talent shows.

Rena Marie: Who discovered you?

Karyn White: Initially I would have to say Don Cornelius from Soul Train.

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Rena Marie: Was there a special event that took place for Don Cornelius to notice your talent?

Karyn White: At the time I was 17 years old, just graduated from high school when I auditioned for Don Cornelius and his artist O’Bryan. I performed a song and a routine from a soundtrack and they loved it. I was on tour with O’Bryan who was an opening act for the group Cameo. This was my first professional paid show.

Rena Marie: Have you ever done or considered doing Broadway Shows?

Karyn White: That is actually on my bucket list of things to do. However in high school I have been in plays. One play I will never forget is me playing the role of Dorothy from the Wiz. I was the first person to make it professionally out of the group in high school. I went to school with Bentley Kyle Evans the creator of the Martin Show and The Jamie Foxx show, and the beautiful and talented actress Wendy Raquel Robinson. Wendy and I took dance classes together, she is an amazing dancer. So shout out to Wendy and Bentley!

Rena Marie: You have memorable albums that people still listen to today. Which album is your favorite?

Karyn White: It will have to be my first album self-titled Karyn White. With all of the talented and beautiful hard working artists in Los Angeles, this album broke the barrier and became a huge success. I worked extremely hard and it paid off. So yes my first album is my favorite.

Rena Marie: I remember some of your number 1 hits from backyard parties at family functions, but of course I had to do a little research to see if you had any other songs that I may not recall hearing. For the first time I heard a Duet you had with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. How was it recording with Babyface?

Karyn White: Yes! “Love Saw It” is the name of the song that I did with Babyface. This is actually my favorite song because I was singing in my lower register. It was awesome working with Babyface. He has incredible talent.

Rena Marie: Have you worked with Babyface on any other song or album?

Karyn White: Yes! Babyface and LA Reid produced and wrote 6 songs on my first album self titled Karyn White. They wrote “Super Woman”, “Romantic”, “Secret Rendezvous”, and so forth. They also produced songs for Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown in which I sung background for them and other artists.

Rena Marie: Did you actually started off as a background singer?

Karyn White: I started out as a background singer. I sung background for Bobby Brown on “Tender Roni”, “Every Little Step”, and I sung on Johnny Gill’s “My My My”….I sung background for a lot of artists back then.

Rena Marie: I am glad that you came out from the shadows because your voice is so amazing.

Karyn White: Thank you! You know what they say the cream rises to the top!

Rena Marie: I know that a lot of artists change their music as the next generation of musical talents evolve the creativity of sounds. How do you feel about music today, and will you change your music to follow the music trend of today?

Karyn White: I listen to artists of today such as Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Beyonce who is an amazing talent, Childish Gambino, Janelle Monae, Jhene Aiko, and J. Cole. As far as keeping up with the trends I want my music to stay true to me. I am bringing back the funk. The 60’s and 70’s to me had the best music, and that is evident today because artists of today are sampling music from those eras. Kendrick Lamar sampled the Isley Brothers and he brought back the funk. I feel the younger generation will appreciate funk music.

I am currently working on my new movie and soundtrack “Gale & The Storm”. After listening to Childish Gambino who is of this generation of young artist bringing back the funk in his music. Childish Gambino inspired me to keep true to myself and to bring back the funk. “Gale & The Storm” is loosely about me. Gale the main character was a funk singer who took a step back from music at the pinnacle of her career. I will always stay true to me and I don’t want to be fake about my music. People will listen to it and for those that don’t listen to it they just don’t. I know that this generation will enjoy the music based off of the funk music that Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Janelle Monae are bringing back.

  Rena Marie: I must say that you are beautiful and have not aged a bit. What are Karyn’s secret to your youthful appearance?

Karyn White: I always tell young people to take care of themselves and be mindful of what you put into your body. The food industry has changed and now we are subjected to genetically modified foods. I always say stop eating fake food. Take care of your body with proper diet and exercise.

Rena Marie: I am sure you heard about artists that had mental break down due to lack of rest or just events that took place that was a bit more that they could juggle at the time. You were at the height of your career at the time you went on hiatus, what was going on at the time?

Karyn White: At the time I was married to Terry Lewis of the Mega producing duo Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam (responsible for a lot of artists music hits such as Michael and Janet Jackson, New Edition, Johnny Gill, Raja Nee, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Klymaxx, Chaka Khan, Alexander Oneal, Cherrelle, Vanessa Williams, Ralph Tresvant, just to name a few). During that time Terry and I we were the first Jay-Z and Beyonce because  we were a superstar couple. People looked up to us and Terry was a great guy, a great husband. We had our daughter Ashley and my mom passed away. So with all this going on I was not being appreciative of my blessings. I never turned to drugs or alcohol, but I hurt myself by not appreciating everything that was coming my way. I had a good man, a beautiful career especially with my first album, a beautiful baby girl, and before Terry and I broke up we had just built a 30k sq foot mansion. I got into interior decorating and realty, I would buy homes decorate them and sell them. Every two years I would buy a home, fix it up, and flip them. I was flipping homes up to when the market crashed in the year 2000.  I went on to dating a younger man who had the dreams of becoming the next Kanye West or Jay-Z. This relationship was not a good one due to the fact that this man came from the “microwave” generation. He thought that he could do the minimum work to get the great payday. I would say the good thing about him was that he helped me find my swag, but he was very narcissistic. Thank God I never spiraled out of control, instead I channeled that energy into realty, interior design, and creating a path for my comeback.

Rena Marie: Now that you are coming out with a new movie and soundtrack dedicated to funk music, Will you be coming out with a new album? Who are you looking forward to working with?

Karyn White: I am definitely planning on working on a new album. I have spoken with Ralph Tresvant from the group New Edition and we will be working on something together. I have not reached out to other people yet, but I will have a star studded album in the works.

 Rena Marie: Speaking of Ralph Tresvant who is my heart throb from back in the day, recently New Edition had a 3 day mini movie series about their road to stardom. What do you think about their biopic movie?

Karyn White: I must say they did a real good job. Especially the young man that played as Ralph, he did such an incredible job, all of the cast did a marvelous job. When I spoke to Ralph he stated that the actor that played him was “Playing as me a little too hard…lol”. They were very pleased with the outcome of the movie.

Rena Marie: Do you see a Karyn White Biopic coming?

Karyn White: That would be awesome if someone actually come up with a Biopic about me, but for now I want to put out more work and make my comeback part of my musical milestone before considering a biopic.

Rena Marie: Anything you would like for people to know about what is next for Karyn White?

Karyn White: I am back! Be sure to go to my website karynwhite.me to get the lastest updates on music, tours, and so much more. Be on the lookout for my new movie and soundtrack “Gale & The Storm”. I love you all!

Sidenote: Karyn White had a Red Carpet affair on 10/12/17 for her new movie premier in Sacramento, CA. Be sure to go to her website karynwhite.me for more info on how to get the funkalicious soundtrack and the movie Gale & The Storm.

Karyn White- Super Woman to Seize the Day I never thought that I would have seen the day to interview one of the most beautiful and talented women that had mega hits from the 80's up to the early 2000's.

#Entertainment #Gale & The Storm #Karyn White #lifestyle #Los Angeles #Music #NeoSoul #Soul Music #Super Woman

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

'Dancing With the Stars' Week 8 Dance Recap: Best Lifts, Kicks, Tricks and Flips!

Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars is shaping up to be one of the bests!

The celebrities and their pro partners took it to the next level on Monday night, wowing us with creative choreography, new tricks and a few steamy moments, as well.

From Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy's emotional contemporary routine to Rashad Jennings' powerful trio dance with Emma Slater and Witney Carson, ET's breaking down all the best moments from week 8 of the dance competition show!

WATCH: 'DWTS' Names Semi-Finalists After Quarterfinal Elimination Sends Home a Fan Favorite

PARTNER DANCES

Rashad Jennings & Emma Slater – Jive, "Shake a Tail Feather" by Blues Brothers

Dance highlight: The jive is all about being slick and quick, and that's exactly what #TeamShadSquad did! From the sparkly costumes to the energetic choreography, this piece was a great way to kick off the night! Our favorite moments occurred at the 0:41 mark, where they incorporated the iconic twist, and at 1:24, when Rashad jumped over Emma, one of the riskiest moves we've seen all season. Judges' score: 36/40. "They should change the definition of entertainer and put a picture of you in Webster's … you are fantastic." – Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 38/40. Week after week, the NFL pro has proved he's in it to win it and his work in the ballroom Monday was no exception. We loved seeing his personality really shine through on the dance floor. Although Len Goodman critiqued him on his footwork, we have to admit, we barely noticed any flaws as all eyes were on Rashad and Emma's smiling faces and quick, sharp movements. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy – Contemporary, "Freedom" by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton

Dance highlight: There is not one section of this dance that we didn't love! Props to Val for creating such a powerful routine that showcased Normani's true talent and strength. The Fifth Harmony singer put her heart and soul into this routine, and everyone in the audience could feel that passion. Her best moments were at the very beginning of the piece, where she was the center of attention as Val and a few troupe dancers danced in a circle around her, her lifts at 0:26 and 0:42 and a piqué turn at 0:56. Judges' score: 40/40. "I'm completely mesmerized. I literally have no words. When you can tell a story like that, it's so profound … you're creating art, you're creating history. Seeing you stripped down like that, you are just gorgeous." – Julianne Hough ET's score: 40/40. After watching this dance, we think it's safe to say Normani IS a dancer. She completely mastered what goes into a contemporary routine -- not only did she move the audience by telling her very emotional, personal story about cyber bullying and finding her strength after the hate, but she nailed each and every step and we couldn't stop watching her. She is hands down a star in every way, and the one to beat this season. Celebrity/fan reaction:

Bonner Bolton & Sharna Burgess – Argentine Tango, "Believer" by Imagine Dragons

Dance highlight: A perfect song for a real-life "Believer!" We loved the creativity and vision Sharna had for this dance, and the two executed it in a sexy, entertaining way. It was refreshing to see Bonner use his arms more this week, really feeling the music and extending his movements to the full counts (0:22). The highlight of the piece began at the 0:44 mark, where #TeamDenimNDiamonds amped up their energy to fit the track's powerful chorus. Judges' score: 30/40. "You made the most of what you got, expertly guided by Sharna … I really appreciate how hard you work, but if you stay into it now, you have to push it to the next level." – Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 34/40. Although Bonner's simple movements were somewhat masked by Sharna's smart choreography, we thought his performance factor was a major improvement from last week, and we enjoyed the story this dance told, about the professional bull rider overcoming adversities after suffering a near-fatal accident last year. While we agree with many of the comments the judges made, we thought Len Goodman's remarks about Bonner making it way further than he should have were a bit out of line. Yes, at this point Bonner was not the strongest dancer in the competition, but it's clear he's improved, has been working hard in rehearsals and was here to have fun, which is what this show is all about Celebrity/fan reaction:

Simone Biles & Sasha Farber – Foxtrot, "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction

Dance highlight: While viewers are constantly amazed whenever Simone busts out her amazing gymnastics tricks in the ballroom, we were so happy Sasha stripped the choreography down this week and focused solely on the athlete's dancing. We especially loved her quick kick at 0:20, the floor spin at 0:46 and that graceful extension at 1:01. Judges' score: 36/40. "Your skills are unquestionable. You have this beautiful smile and you're a megastar…" – Carrie Ann Inaba ET's score: 38/40. This foxtrot was beautiful, and proved Simone doesn't need to incorporate all the advanced moves in order to leave a lasting impression on the audience. This piece was so well done, and one of our favorites from her this season. Celebrity/fan reaction:

David Ross & Lindsay Arnold -- Waltz, "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw

Dance highlight: We only have one word for this routine: Stunning. We've seen the former MLB pro show off his humorous side, his sexy side and his strength, but this was the first time the judges didn't critique him for his footwork and it's because it appeared he and Lindsay were dancing on air. The two share a father/daughter-like relationship, and this elegant dance encapsulated that perfectly, with Lindsay standing on top of his feet at 0:20 followed by a pretty arabesque at 0:54 and spin to the floor at 1:21, which David assisted his partner with ever so gently, making the movements appear effortless. Judges' score: 36/40. "It was 100% your best dance." – Len Goodman ET's score: 37/40. Without a doubt, this was the most emotional we've seen David on the show, and we want to see more of where this came from. If he's here to stay, this is the type of performance he needs to bring out each and every time he hits the ballroom. Celebrity/fan reaction:

TRIO DANCES

Rashad & Emma + Witney Carson -- Argentine Tango, "Dreams" by Gabrielle Aplin & Bastille

Dance highlight: Where do we start?! We have to give major credit to Emma for jam-packing this lust vs. love-themed routine with lifts -- they were executed impeccably and delivered that "wow" factor the audience loves. A few of our favorite moments included Rashad's solo lifts with Emma and Witney at 0:18, 0:37 and 0:51, and a lift with both of the girls at 0:58. Judges' score: 39/40. "You had different dynamics when you danced with Emma versus Witney … When you can see that, that's when you know you're a good dancer. Like, you've got this!" – Julianne Hough ET's score: 40/40. Come on, Len! This piece was damn near perfect, and we still don't understand why he docked a point from this fierce and fiery trio. THIS is how an Argentine Tango is done!

David & Lindsay + Hayley Erbert -- Paso Doblé, "Gangsta's Paradise" by 2WEI

Dance highlight: When we heard this trio would be dancing to "Gangsta's Paradise," this is NOT the type of dance we expected, but, hey, it worked! Giving us major Game of Thrones vibes, David stayed in character throughout the dance, serving us with an aggressive performance where he was truly the leading man of the ballroom. The way he ended the routine was both powerful and hilarious. Judges' score: 29/40. "It was colossal! That's what you are." – Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 35/40. Again, we felt the judges were being a bit hard with the scores. David was clearly having a good time out there, and it showed. Our only advice to him would be to not get so caught up in the energy of the dance that you lose form.

Simone & Sasha + Brittany Cherry -- Paso Doblé, "Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya

Dance highlight: The flipping of the skirts, the gorgeous spins and a backflip at 0:44 -- it was dynamic, unique and certainly fun to watch from beginning to end. Judges' score: 36/40. "If you counted up my scores, you are my favorite to win." – Len Goodman ET's score: 37/40. Simone was the only celebrity who had the challenge of dancing with an additional troupe dancer of the same sex for Trio Night, which in our opinion was a bit unfair because she was expected to dance to the same level of expertise as Brittany. Luckily, she killed it.

Bonner & Sharna + Britt Stewart -- Jazz, "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars

Dance highlight: Once again, Sharna gave #TeamDenimNDiamonds exactly what they wanted - a risqué routine showcasing Bonner's sexy side. The sure highlight was Bonner dancing atop a desk at the 0:23 mark. Judges' score: 28/40. "I think I'm still recovering from that performance. I feel like we like watched the security cameras and I feel bad. The girls are sassy as can be." – Julianne Hough ET's score: 32/40. We have to agree with most of the judges' remarks on this one, as this routine felt a little uncomfortable to watch. We're not sure if Bonner just wasn't feeling it, or perhaps they didn't have enough rehearsal time, but many of the movements were off count and we felt as if Bonner was just kind of marking the steps. Unfortunately, this was the athlete's last dance as he was eliminated at the end of Monday night's show.

Normani & Val + Alan Bersten -- Jive, "Feeling Alive" by Earl St. Clair

Dance highlight: Leave it to Val to find yet another way to spice things up this week! The pro dancer created a super sassy Southern-themed routine for Trio Night, incorporating a combo of kicks, flips and dips at the beginning of the routine, Normani dancing atop the judges' table at 0:50, plenty of shirtless moments by the guys and a surprise cameo by the ballroom's resident Southern gentleman, Bonner, to end the dance on a perfect note. Judges' score: 39/40. "That was a glorious all-American jive and it was so clever … it added an extra dimension, and extra excitement, without taking over a fantastic dance." - Bruno Tonioli ET's score: 40/40. Just when we thought Normani couldn't possibly get any better, she DID THAT. As we previously mentioned, she is for sure the one to beat this season. The remaining contestants have a lot of work to do in order to try and knock her off the top of the leaderboard.

Which is YOUR favorite pair competing on season 24 of Dancing With the Stars? Which team do you think had the best dance? Let me know on Twitter (@desireemurphy_ ) or in the comments section on our official Facebook page! And be sure to follow all of our DWTS coverage all season long, right here on ETonline.com.

WATCH: Sharna Burgess and Bonner Bolton React to 'DWTS' Elimination, Len Goodman's Harsh Comments

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