2022 Round 1: Quotes

[hwarium]

Status: Closed This round has closed. It remains open for fills, comments and remixes, but prompts are no longer accepted. Seventeen Holidays Round 1: Quotes About "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." "What is grief, if not love persevering?" "You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath" Calling all readers, lovers of poetry and music, screen and stage. Quote collecters and lyric hoarders, unleash your archive. Each prompt must contain a quote - you can combine them, add commentary, link to articles, and more. Steal from a literary classic, or WeVerse drama. Have fun! Examples Minghao + Ocean Vuong The most beautiful part of your body is where it's headed. & remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world. Ocean Vuong - night sky with exit wounds Hoshi/Anyone; "Beauty is terror" Thinking about these two quotes together and the idea of on/off-stage personas: "Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful we tremble before it. And what could be more terrifying or beautiful, to the Greeks to to our own, than to lose control completely?" - Donna Tartt, the Secret Histories "I am calm in everyday life but when I put on my in-ear device and step on stage, I can feel the tension and hear the cheers getting louder as the music gets louder. When the staff tells me it's time to step on stage, I feel something boil inside me. I feel it steaming inside and I think I have to give a burst of something, spill what is inside me." - Hoshi in Hit the Road Ep. 04 Any ship; "It's been so many years" Hello, hello there, is this Martha? This is old Tom Frost And I am calling long distance Don't worry 'bout the cost. 'Cause it's been forty years or more Now Martha please recall Meet me out for coffee Where we'll talk about it all. Tom Watts - Martha Rules Sign up is not required. Fills have a minimum of 400 words for prose, haiku-length for poetry (3 lines), and 400px by 400px for art (memes are also art). Other mediums are fine too! There is no maximum cap. Tag and provide content warnings at your discretion, but a good guide are the Ao3 four (Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage) and this list of common CWs (cr: SportsFest). NSFW/Explicit content should be tagged NSFW art should not be visible, please provide a link and a warning. You may crop the artwork and embed a SFW preview. How it works Prompting Click on [Post a New Comment] at the bottom of this post; Change the subject to something interesting; Copy+Paste the following HTML into your comment and edit the sections. Feel free to add as much detail as you want! <strong>Ship/Member:</strong> Any <strong>Major Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Additional Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Do Not Wants:</strong> None <strong>Prompt:</strong> <blockquote>[QUOTE GOES HERE] </blockquote> Filling Reply to the original prompt; Change the subject to [FILL], you may add a title or stay chaotic; Copy+Paste the following HTML into your comment, edit the sections, and add your text. You may also upload your fill to the AO3 Collection. <strong>Ship/Member:</strong> Any <strong>Major Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Additional Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Permission to remix:</strong> Yes/No/Please ask *** Remixing Post as a reply to the fill you are remixing, using the same HTML as above; Change the subject to [REMIX]. Art/media Upload your work to any platform (twitter, imgur, youtube, soundcloud, google maps, etc.) Using the same HTML code as above, copy the link into your fill or remix. That's it! Optionally, you can embed a picture into your comment. Please use the following code instead. (To explain, the HTML resizes your picture to 400x400px so that it fits on most screens. Users can view the full size if they click on it. You can also add a link to your work on twitter so that others can share it, or to any other website you want) <strong>Ship/Member:</strong> Any <strong>Major Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Additional Tags:</strong> N/A <strong>Permission to remix:</strong> Yes/No/Please ask *** <img src="INSERT IMAGE URL" width="400px"> <a href="INSERT ANY URL YOU WANT">TEXT THAT DESCRIBES THE LINK</a> Note! On dreamwidth, you can't edit a comment once someone has replied to it. Navigation ABOUT DATES FAQ BAITS ✧ FILLS ✧ ❮ ROUND 1: QUOTES ❯ ROUND 2: ALTERNATE UNIVERSES ROUND 3: LAST WORDS

Comments

to attend a thousand funerals

[vampiredumpling]

Ship/Member: Seungcheol
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: growing together or growing apart (maybe an intersection of both), the honor and burden of leading 12 individuals
Do Not Wants: actual mcd

Prompt:

To love someone long-term is to
attend a thousand funerals of the
people they used to be.

The people they're too exhausted to be any longer. The people
they don't recognise inside themselves anymore. The people
they grew out of, the people they never ended up growing into.
We so badly want the people we love to get their spark back
when it burns out; to become speedily found when they are
lost.

But it is not our job to hold anyone accountable to the people
they used to be. It is our job to travel with them between each
version and to honour what emerges along the way.
Sometimes it will be an even more luminescent flame.
Sometimes it will be a flicker that disappears and temporarily
floods the room with a perfect and necessary darkness.

― Heidi Priebe

Re: FILL: we are venom

[almondtree]

don't worry i will make sure hoshi gets to devour some brains. this may be the push i needed to put some full length venomhoshi out into the world <3

Re: [FILL] held my breath for a decade

[(Anonymous)]

i LOVE seokhoon and i LOVE this. this is seokhoon. divine. thank u.

Re: [FILL] don't you hate it when you love someone

[(Anonymous)]

i LOVE soonhoon and i LOVE this. im just repeating myself but its a simple truth. "lol ur so weak." divine. thank u for sharing.

[FILL] He Stays for Breakfast

[yuesefen]

Ship/Member: Mingyu/Minghao
Major Tags: open ending
Additional Tags: unrequited love
Permission to remix: Yes

NOTE: This is the first fic I've ever posted anywhere hehe – I don't think this was fully the vision you had for this quote but it was a lot of fun to write :) it's not beta-read and only loosely edited so there's many parts that could be improved upon... anyways: tysm for sharing the quote!

There’s only about a third of Mingyu’s iced Latte left. He’s pretending to read something on his phone, because it’s embarrassing to be found just waiting, but in actuality, he’s just staring at the screen. He’s checked out of the large windows dozens of times now and the sky is the color that always gives him a headache, brilliant and torturing.

He’s coming, Mingyu knows this. Minghao is never late or –well, never has been (maybe just so he gets to hold everyone else to the same standard) But even if he’s late, he’s coming. He’d never not come without telling him first. Maybe that’s a problem too, the mere fact that he’s coming. But also that he’s late, because now Mingyu has to get ready to meet him again and again, every second again mentally prepare to look into that very pretty face and figure out how to handle it after months of not having it.

Mingyu is anxious.
Anxious enough that he’s bought an iced latte in December, because he’d spaced out at the counter until the kind barista had verbally asked for his attention.

He takes another big sip, until nothing fits into his mouth unless he hollows out his cheeks and swallows. Then he chokes, because someone enters and it’s for nothing, because it isn’t Minghao.

In his mind he has entered the café at least five times. Imaginary Minghao is wearing a long coat and a long scarf, because that is what he used to wear when they’d meet here. Everything he wore would make him even longer. The stylists had not once put him in cuffed jeans, Mingyu remembers.


The real Minghao pulls him away from the imagination. This one has a voice and a body and his hair is significantly longer.

„Hello. I’m sorry I’m late.“ Minghao says in his horribly soft and monotone voice. „I couldn’t find the way.“ There’s no time or space to awkwardly greet him back, because Minghao has already turned away to face the clothing hangers.

Gracefully, he wiggles out of his jacket. It looks expensive. He looks expensive. Every moment Minghao lives could make for a candid-type spread in Elle.
„Do you want to get something to drink?“ Mingyu asks to distract himself. „Yes. I–“ his eyes fall on the tragically empty Iced Latte sitting on the edge of the table. „Should I get you something as well?“

It feels judgmental. „I’m good.“ Mingyu answers, a little too quickly, just so he doesn’t look like a glutton. „Good. I’ll be right back.“

Mingyu winces. He watches Minghao leave for the counter. He finishes his drink. The emotional ‚I missed you‘ kiss he’d fantasized the night before never comes.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

Minghao is drinking tea; Mingyu is unsure of why exactly they needed to go to a vegan café for this.

„How was China?“

„Very good.“ Mingyu shows off in Mandarin. Minghao smiles, which is exactly the reaction he hoped for. Something in his eyes is missing.

„Way to know the very basics. I’m impressed. I would’ve thought you’d be more fluent after four months.“ The teasing doesn’t really land.

„I liked it.“ Mingyu answers the original question. Minghao got him an extra cup to try the tea and his fingers nervously play around the hot porcelain.

„Everyone was very kind. And impressed by my hight. Even more so than here –“ somehow, he doesn’t remember how close they are. Which conversation topics are appropriate. Mingyu doesn’t know what to say, so he falls back on to work.

„I got to shoot for GQ. Just a small spread, almost nothing.“

Minghao’s gaze is distant, but he smiles genuinely.

„That’s amazing. Congratulations.“

And even though it’s the perfect reaction, it stings bittersweet. When Mingyu came ‚home‘ after the job, he’d laid in bed and wondered what Minghao would’ve looked like in the long silk robes. What he would’ve said in any given conversation with the rest of the staff. If he would’ve sneezed at the excessive powder like the present model had.

He wants Minghao to be jealous like he would’ve been. And he wants Minghao to have missed him like he has. He wants to hear that he was lonely, that he was craving his touch and their conversations.

But Minghao is happy for him. He doesn’t engage with their separation further than that.

It’s the worst.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

They met two years ago on a set. Mingyu fell over the wiring of the extra extra screens and Minghao helped him clean the rosé colored tulle skirt intended for model #4. And even though Minghao had sneered at the unprofessionalism of the assistant’s assistant, he’d taken him out for coffee the Saturday after.

On their second date, Minghao had revealed he didn’t do dating right now („I don’t want to lead you on.“) and Mingyu had pretended to agree with the sentiment, just so it didn’t have to become awkward. For not doing dating, he dated Mingyu for a long time before allowing him to take him to bed.

Two hopeless romantics not-dating wasn’t a recipe for that type of relationship to work out, but they tried their best. Mingyu only bought him flowers once, they wouldn’t cry in front each other and they wouldn’t talk about family.

Whenever Mingyu came to pick him up after work and softly kissed him in the privacy of his car, he’d secretly think to himself it was only a matter of time.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

„You deleted your private instagram.“
„Haha, I just didn’t really have a use for it anymore.“ Mingyu lies.
„I would’ve liked to see updates from China, that’s why I checked…“ Minghao says, because he needs a surface level reason to check after his non-lover.

„I didn’t take many photos anyways.“ Mingyu says.
„I mean – outside of work, I didn’t. And they’re on my camera, I was just too lazy to upload them. I don’t have it with me right now, I’ll show you next time! It’s things you’ve seen before –“
He used to be better at bullshitting. There was a point where it became clear that more often than not Minghao could see right through him, so Mingyu stopped lying. For the most part.

But longing after a non-lover is pathetic and so is deleting an instagram because you can’t bear the notification of Xu Minghao liking your picture, nor the pressure of knowing. He might, any minute, watch your story and potentially find it tacky. Or cliché in a bad way. Or, worst, swipe it away after just a second without any positive or negative feelings attached to the piece of mind Mingyu shared. And everything he shares, he shares for Minghao to see.

„– anyways. Only so many ways to capture a bridge.“

Minghao winces at his fake excuse. He doesn’t even hide it.

A silence hangs like fog over their small table, both of them are staring into the tinted liquid of their tea. For some reason Mingyu feels like crying. He won’t take Minghao home tonight, will he.
„I’ve been wanting to talk.“
„It’s better to do it in person.“ Mingyu takes the sentence out of his mouth. He doesn’t want Minghao to get the satisfaction of vomiting some pre-written blank text.
He’d always thought if they skipped the feelings, they could skip this part too.

„I’m seeing someone seriously now.“

Mingyu nods before the words have even registered in his brain. He doesn’t dare look up.

„That’s fine.“

He knows his voice is betraying his bruised ego, never having been good at hiding the ugly emotions: dull pain and anger mix into contempt.

„I just wanted to talk about it.“ Minghao’s voice gets smaller.
„I know it’s a weird timing.“ He says empathetically.

„I guess.“

It’s uncomfortable. Mingyu doesn’t want to take part int this conversation, especially when Minghao already knows what he’s thinking. They both know.

„I mean – what is there to talk about, really.“ Mingyu opens.
„I don’t knows why…“ he falters. „…we’re making such a serious thing out of this.“ He leans back. „It’s honestly fine. It was…“

Their eyes meet.
„Unpredictable.“ Minghao finishes for him.

„Sometimes the right person just comes along.“ Mingyu says, as naturally as possible.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

Sometimes the right person just comes along.

It was supposed to be him, though, an exception to Minghao’s little rule.

Minghao didn’t want to date, especially not people from the field. An unfortunate breakup could jeopardize his career, he’d said and Mingyu had accepted that. He’d agreed, even. Getting feelings involved complicated this hopeless job even more; He’d been told by a production manager once that dating models was detrimental to any career and Mingyu, chasing acceptance as he did, was proud to take this advice.

He had felt exemplary, almost commendable (ignoring how Minghao was the driving force in this decision). They were putting their careers first, like real adults. Now he could say „I could’ve dated a model, but I didn’t. For my career.“ Didn’t that add some credibility to his name?

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

Minghao had liked spending time at his apartment. He’d pretended to be better than his real reason, citing the natural lighting was beneficial to his sleep cycle, but Mingyu knew it was the portafilter machine and Mingyu’s handmade pancake batter that had Minghao coming back to wake up in Mingyu’s bed for days on end.

In the cold days Mingyu pays extra heating bills to keep Minghao warm.

None of it is one sided, which drives Mingyu even further. Sometimes, Minghao brings groceries unasked from his favorite gourmet store. He stacks Mingyu’s shelves with books and annotates the parts he cares about. At night, he’ll share him parts of Chinese poems that move him; it’s one of Mingyu’s favorite parts about Minghao, how easily he’s impacted by art.

It’s impossible not to want more.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

„Is this the only reason we’re meeting?“ Mingyu asks. „I’ve better things to do. This could’ve happened over text.“
Minghao’s eyes narrow. „If I’d known you’d be this weird about it I would’ve done it over text.“

„Great. Why didn’t you do it while I was in China?“

„I didn’t plan for it to get this serious – I… every possible timing would’ve been just as uncomfortable.“
Every possible timing would’ve been better than coming home to this, Mingyu wants to say, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t say anything. He finishes his tea (It’s very nice, because Minghao has good taste in everything) and pulls on his coat and his wool hat.

Then he thanks Minghao for telling him and leaves the café. Outside, he looks back at their table through the glass and as his eyes linger on Minghao’s dyed hair he can’t help but wonder in misery, when exactly he’s deluded himself into the idea of them being in love.

The hardcover book of traditional Chinese poems he’s found in a Chengdu vintage bookstore sits heavily in his bag.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

‚We were all surprised when they showed up together.‘ Soonyoung had explained while chewing on the Steak Mingyu made for him (he keeps track of all his friend’s favorite temperatures).

Minghao’s boyfriend is fifteen years older than them. He must’ve known Mingyu would judge him for it – and he does.

The guy an artist, which is all Mingyu needs to know about the situation, but Soonyoung is bad at reading social cues, so he info-dumps until Mingyu asks about the studio and breaks his monologue.

So you’re into older guys now?/
Mingyu types and deletes.

Did you just want to have a backup?/

You can still come over, I don’t mind if you’re with him. I won’t tell./
He stares at the message thumb hovering over the ‚send’-button until his phone screen turns dark.

˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡°.𓆞 ·˙

‚Found this on my trip‘ says the sticky note on the collection of poems. He’s skillfully wrapped the book in expensive red gift-paper. Next to it he places the leftovers (in actuality, he calculated Minghao in the portioning) of last nights stir-fry Szechuan chicken. He leaves both on the metal Mailboxes of Minghao’s apartment complex.

When Minghao returns the Tupperware the following Sunday, he stays for breakfast.

Re: [FILL] it's the eye of the tiger

[klav]

HWARIUM NOCTILUCE I woke up 10 seconds ago and you already have me laughing out loud oh my god. THIS IS SUCH A GIFT ARE YOU KIDDING… HOSHI TIGER VILLAIN HOSHI/J-HOPE?!?! GENIUSSSSS

They come home from the gym and Jisoo pushes past him like an American bully in a high school movie where all the actors are in their twenties. I started laughing uncontrollably here and I did not stop. we can ask Hybe to buy PIXAR LMAO

Lee Soo Man called. He wants Hoshi to headline SM Town. AJSJDKKSSKDJFHSJS. AND THE BRUNO MARS TWEET AHAHHAHA.

Wtf this is the best crossover fic I’ve ever read I am going to bookmark this and reread it so often THANK YOU!!!! <3

Re: [FILL] He Stays for Breakfast

[seokmin_liker]

"two hopeless romantics not-dating" OOF. literally the least likely gyuhao situation and YET. gaaaaah i really felt the restraint of it all... poor mingyu!!! thank you so much for writing <3

Re: [FILL] my best heart is a century of hunger

[vampiredumpling]

setter jeonghan... i never thought of it before but it suits him SO well. and jihan as the miya twins !!! i loved every bit of this so u'll have to forgive me for being grateful for ur impulsive decisions. this is my favorite part:

Sometimes when Soonyoung’s playing, luminescent and feral, gaze so serrated it could draw blood from Jeonghan’s face if he let himself be looked at for too long, Jeonghan wants to ask him the truth of his creation.

the image you paint is so captivating, and because of that i feel just as captivated with soonyoung as jeonghan is. simply amazing. thank you for sharing <3

Re: [FILL] did someone say pain?

[lattewon]

Oh my god.

Oh wow, where do I even begin? First off, it fits the prompt perfectly!!! I've always craved for works that mixed together my two favorite interests and I honestly was blown away with how everything turned out with your writing.

Second, OHHHHHHH how I loved the way you wrote the opening scene and how it was so clear in my head. So vivid and commanding and I was honestly clutching my chest as I read every line.

But there is no swirling indecision, no guilt or doubt. Wonwoo looks at him with warmth and calm and something Soonyoung has only glimpsed so rarely he isn’t even sure what to name it, but it looks like happiness. I'M SCREAMING, this is such a beautiful line! I could feel the rawness in their emotions and I could see it all in my head how the scene played out!

But Wonwoo has been faced with this choice before—Soonyoung or the world—and Soonyoung buries the part of himself that wants Wonwoo to change his mind as deep as he can... This is one of my favorite lines, too! It's so beautifully frustrating to see Soonyoung think like that when hello ?? Sir do you know there is no difference between the world and you because you are his world!!!

“I’m glad,” Wonwoo whispers. “To get the chance to do what I couldn’t before.”

The smooth sound of Wonwoo’s sword being drawn, the gasps of the crowd of onlookers, the pounding of Soonyoung’s heart in his ears.

“To stand by you this time,” Wonwoo says. Plsss this brings back the memory of drunk LWJ regretting how he couldnt stand by WWX before and its so bittersweet to read and I love how you incorporated all these elements into this scene!!!


“I have spent all this time loving you.”

Soonyoung shuts his mouth.

“To long for would imply I… expected something different. Was unsatisfied with the way things are between us. That is not the case. I simply loved you. I was happy with whatever I had with you, and would continue to be, so long as it is what makes you happy too.” This is so!!!! ㅜㅜThe honesty, the rawness of the confession, the way he tells him he loves him without cost...so selfless!!!

“Because that would imply there is a way to be unsatisfied in your presence. And there is not.” What emotions could I even express to describe how much I loved this line ㅜㅜ Truly such beautiful work ㅜㅜ

The way I realized I was in love was that I realized what a weight it would be off my shoulders to spend the rest of my life with you, Soonyoung thinks. “Kiss me again,” is what he says. Just wow, you brought my prompt to places and I am so, so delighted by how you wrote everything. The storytelling was so commanding, so vivid, and I loved every second of it!!!

Thank you so much for filling my prompt, your words are beautiful. ❤

Re: the most blessed thing

[sunsparrow]

This is so sad and beautiful! I loved the writing style and the slow progression to why love between gods and mortals is a tragedy. Thank you for writing!

Re: [FILL] 画蛇添足

[sunsparrow]

This was wonderful! I loved the direction you took with the prompt. Some of my favorite lines:

This time it’s some contemporary abstract art museum he’d found on Instagram. He’d shown Mingyu the profile and Mingyu had laughed, eyes shooting open wide as he covered his mouth with his hand. “You’re taking Jun-hyung there?” he’d asked. “That’s like throwing him straight into hard mode.”
-
Minghao loves art. He believes in the value of every piece, no matter how simple or silly it may seem. He always tries to scope out the artist’s meaning and intention, careful eyes picking out each careful detail, and thinks of his own personal connection to it.

But sometimes he has to admit that he truly doesn’t know.
-

This was so cute and humorous, and I love your writing style. The flow of the story and the dialogue were great. Thank you for writing this!

[celestiais]

Ship/Member: Seungkwan
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: seasonal depression
Do Not Wants: any archive warnings, mentions of disordered eating

Prompt:

And still, I wait
The swallow brings
A song of what's to follow -
The glory of the spring

-The Song of Purple Summer, Spring Awakening

Still. Something is missing. Something is off. So, how fucking spoiled am I, then? How fucking broken? What is wrong with me that I can have everything I could ever want and have ever asked for and still wake up in the morning feeling like every day is a slog?

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers

Re: [FILL] my best heart is a century of hunger

[virgomoon]

wow... coherence will come later but wow...

[FILL] I used to build dreams about you

[notspring]

Ship/Member: seokmin/mingyu
Major Tags: inception au, past non-consensual actions
Additional Tags: i’ve seen inception one time like ten years ago lmao please be gentle ;;;
Permission to remix: yes

Mingyu isn’t the same after.

That’s what the rumours say, anyway. Seokmin wouldn’t know for sure.

He was supposed to keep his distance — there’s nothing more dangerous than getting recognized by a mark — and he did, didn’t he? They pulled off the job. The team split up. It’s been six months, and the most he’s gotten is a few bland messages from Chan, reassuring Seokmin that he’s been working hard. As though that’s the most important thing. Seokmin guesses for Chan, it is. It isn’t for Seokmin, though. Seokmin loved the dreaming itself, and the people he met in their dreams.

Seokmin had loved Kim Mingyu, sort of, but only the version of him he met in a dream. Scared and shivering and confused.

At Seokmin’s mercy.

Seokmin wonders if Mingyu’s different in person, now. He must be. Seokmin catches himself thinking about it more than he should, maybe. It’s just that he wants to know. And if he just happened to end up living in the same corner of the city as Mingyu six months later, well. It’s just coincidence, that’s all.

Seokmin lives on the straight and narrow now. Seungcheol told Seokmin he'd never be able to go back to a normal life, but he'd underestimated how badly Seokmin wanted to please his mom. He works as an intern at an architecture firm exactly two blocks from Kim Mingyu’s father’s company headquarters, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s a crowded city. The chances of meeting Kim Mingyu are —

Well.

More than zero, apparently, because Seokmin’s at one of the coffee shops that line the road at street level, waiting for his team manager’s order, when he sees him.

He’s tall, which Seokmin knew already. He’s handsome, which Seokmin also knew. The expression on his face is new, though, and so are his jagged, bitten nails when he reaches for his cup.

Seokmin is staring.

Seokmin is staring and Mingyu looks up before he can stop, head tilting at the sight of Seokmin’s face, recognition dawning in his expression.

Seokmin watches as Mingyu comes closer, hesitance in his posture.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “Do I know you?”

Seokmin’s breath catches. He forces out a laugh, bright and easygoing.

“Maybe?” he asks, still smiling, as though this is all just a funny coincidence. As though it means nothing at all.

“Did we go to school together?” Mingyu presses, and Seokmin’s palms start to sweat.

“Where did you go?” The words come out very steady — he’s proud of himself.

“Seoul National,” Mingyu says slowly, and Seokmin nods.

“Ah,” he says, voice coming out just a little too loud. “That must be it, then!”

“What did you study?” Mingyu presses. He’s frowning, just the slightest bit, a tiny crease between his eyebrows as he tries to figure it out. Like he knows there’s something he’s missing.

There is, of course. Seokmin can only pray he doesn’t figure it out.

“Architecture,” he answers anyway, because he’s always been a horrible fucking liar. “You?”

The line between Mingyu’s eyebrows deepens.

“I can’t remember,” he admits.

Of course he doesn’t remember — Seokmin took it from him. Mingyu had been first in their class, all four years, and Seokmin couldn’t bear it. When he’d realized who their mark was the opportunity had been perfect.

And it isn’t it better, like this? Mingyu was so pressured by his father, so burdened, or at least that’s what Seungcheol had said. Now he doesn’t feel it at all. Mingyu works for one of his father’s non-profits now, Seokmin knows. The company is going to go to his sister.

When he did it Seokmin told himself it would be better, but now he knows that was a lie. Mingyu looks like a child as he stands here in the café, confused and frightened. It’s wrong, maybe, but Seokmin’s never loved him more than he does right now. He wants to take care of him, to soothe the hurt he caused. He wants to take his face between his palms and murmur kind words to him. Sing to him, kiss him, tuck him into bed.

He wants Kim Mingyu at his mercy again.

“How strange,” he laughs, instead. “What did you say your name was?”

Re: la petit mort

[infrequencies]

Ship/Member: Seungcheol/Minghao
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: blood-stained devotion, rule 63, implicit sex, references to knife and breathplay
Permission to remix: Yes

***

“You're better than all of this, you know,” Minghao says, suddenly. The air is crisper by the ocean, and her thin arms feel sturdy around Seungcheol’s waist. She’d chosen to wear a wig tonight, and though lopsided, it still adorns her like a crown.

Her lipstick is a copper-stained red orange that travels across her cheek, highlighting the bruises that teeth left behind.

She is one of the deadliest creatures on this earth, but Seungcheol thinks she looks like an angel.

“What am I better than, Myungho-yah?” she asks, stubbing her cigarette against the railing. It's still smoldering when she flicks it off the balcony and lets it fall to the street below.

Minghao laughs then. A loud and cruel sound. Fake and even, sharper than the long matte black talons that she’d dug into the column of Seungcheol’s throat not 15 minutes prior.

Her brows raise, but she doesn't shy away. Seungcheol doesn't fear her so much as she knows. What Minghao sees in her is what she wants to take for herself.

A pretty girl like her deserves nice things, and Seungcheol is a nice girl.

“Oh noona,” her words brush against the shell of Seungcheol’s ear. Some things are more dangerous than weapons. “All of this.”



The first time that Seungcheol meets Minghao, she levels Jihoon—statuesque, unshakeable Lee Jihoon—with a blade in his back and a poison kiss to his cheek.

Minghao favors flash, and what's more daring than killing a man on the dance floor?

Seungcheol uses that same switchblade against Minghao’s throat months and months later. The fire dancing behind her eyes spurs her on further than intended.

“Sweet baby,” Minghao croons, her usually sweet voice a heavy rasp around the pressure. “Seungcheol, baby, do you know how to use that?" She's not talking about the knife, her fingernails skimming up Seungcheol's thighs. "Are you going to kill me?”

The French call it la petit mort. Minghao comes to her with the last breath of someone else on her mouth, and Seungcheol lets herself die in her arms a thousand times.

When she lies with Wonwoo at night, it's Minghao’s eyes, Minghao’s hands, Minghao’s unrelenting praises that gets her off.



There are blood stains on the sheets of the bed they fucked in. Some of them are hers, some are Minghao’s. Most of it belongs to whoever her target was. She whispers the name against Seungcheol’s cheek, palming at her breast all the while.

“You like that I'm this way,” she giggles, delighted.

“Yes,” Seungcheol agrees, sinking into her arms. Who loves you more than someone obsessive? That knows your body the way a mortician learns a cadaver?

One day, the sand in the hourglass will run out, and Minghao will leave her to drown. But for now, Seungcheol gets lost in her scent and her kiss, and lets Minghao drench her in devotion.

[(Anonymous)]

Ship/Member: soonyoung/any
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: character study, first love
Do Not Wants: None

Prompt:

[Would've been right there, front row even if nobody came to your show]

- Taylor Swift, I Forgot That You Existed

[FILL] why does my heart keep hesitating

[sunsparrow]

Ship/Member: Junhui/Yanan
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: passion at the wrong times
Permission to remix: Yes

***

Yanan swipes his thumb down his feed, idly scrolling through various videos and dance challenges. It gets boring and repetitive after a while, and his brain is screaming for a distraction to break the monotony, but his body is too lazy to get up and do something else.

Then, Junhui messages him:

"Want to get hot pot for dinner?"

---

Junhui's there first, naturally. He waves at Yanan, hoodie pulled up and mask on for anonymity. Yanan could recognize him anywhere, though.

"Next to me," Junhui jokes, patting the space next to him.

"What, going to cuddle me like your girlfriend?" Yanan says drily, sliding into the proffered booth seat.

"Obviously," Junhui giggles. Yanan rolls his eyes theatrically, mostly at himself for the way Junhui's innocent flirting makes his heart skip a beat.

Junhui was always good at making him feel the things he shouldn't. He accepts easily when Junhui offers to buy a bottle or two of soju to accompany the meal.

It's a relief slipping into Mandarin, alcohol loosening his tongue and thoughts, and the hot pot helps soothe some of the homesick ache, too. It comes in waves these days.

The easy banter, the delicious food. It warms his insides in more ways than one. Yanan almost resents the way Junhui gives love so easily, because it's so tempting to just let go and give it back.

"Hey, hey, open up," Junhui jokes, pink-cheeked and clearly tipsy, chopsticks holding a large piece of meat he just swirled in the sour-spicy red broth. "You're my girlfriend today so I gotta take care of you."

Yanan rolls his eyes but obliges, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue to catch the dripping juices. Junhui jerks a little as if startled, and almost drops the meat on Yanan's lap. "Ah! Do it properly if you're going to feed me," Yanan nags, annoyed.

Junhui holds the piece of beef up steadily this time, and Yanan carefully takes it between his teeth, closing his lips around it before chewing slowly. "Ah, mm, it's good," he says, taking more for himself. Weirdly, Junhui doesn't offer to feed him for the rest of the night.

---

Yanan shivers as Junhui breathes warmly into his ear, mumbling something under his breath.

"Hey, what's your door code?" He nudges Junhui, who mumbles out four numbers, and Yanan punches them in clumsily, still balancing a half-conscious beanstalk against his side. It's fortunate he's tall as well, otherwise he might have had a lot more trouble.

Getting Junhui inside and carefully laying him onto the couch isn't too hard. It's just that when he finally does, Junhui suddenly grabs his shirt suddenly and yanks him down as well, giggling all the while. Yanan shivers as Junhui slides one long calf along the back of his own, pulling him in closer. Yanan's hands are fisted into the couch cushions, elbows locked, trying to keep their bodies separate.

"Yan... an..." Junhui says, breathily, "C'mon. You look tastier than hot pot right now. I could eat you up." Junhui's sleepy-lidded eyes are glazed with lust and liquor. He playfully bites at the air in between them, teeth clicking.

Yanan grits his teeth, tamping down the fluttering hope in his chest. "Why are you only like this while you're drunk?" he mutters.

Junhui doesn't hear, instead pouting at Yanan's resistance. "Yanan, don't leave me here all cold, be my space heater," Junhui purrs, smoothly slipping his hands underneath Yanan's sweatshirt.

Yanan flinches away from Junhui's fingertips starting to explore his chest, untangling himself from Junhui's legs and pushing himself off the couch. "Ah! That's not how to get warm!" Yanan grabs a blanket from the back of the couch and tosses it over Junhui. "Go to sleep, I'll see you later."

Yanan isn't sure whether to be grateful that only Junhui's light snoring answers him as he lets himself out of the apartment.

---

"I had fun, Yanan~" The text comes in the next morning, filled with hearts and blushing emojis. "Thanks for going out with me. Let's do it again next week!"

As always, Yanan knows Junhui doesn't remember a thing.

Yanan throws his head back against the sofa cushion, and hates himself for immediately replying, "Sure."

Re: [FILL] why does my heart keep hesitating

[thesolemneyed]

"Yanan almost resents the way Junhui gives love so easily, because it's so tempting to just let go and give it back." oh my GOD love as form of self sabotage this is !!!!!! so good god !!!!

Yes Yes Yes!

[thisisrose]

Ship/Member: Jeonghan/Mingyu
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: N/A
Do Not Wants: None

Prompt:

Some like failure
Some like success
Some like Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes.

From 'Yes' by Muriel Rukeyser

I'm just imagining helpless euphoric giggles, but feel free to ignore that!!

[slytherminie]

Ship/Member: Any, Seungcheol/Any
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: guys having some fun i guess, first times? kink discovery? up to you
Do Not Wants: None

Prompt:

Tell me what you want, what you like, it's okay
I'm a little curious too
Tell me if it's wrong, if it's right, I don't care
I can keep a secret, can you?
Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind
Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite

― Demi Lovato, Cool for the Summer

Re: [FILL] wanted to pull me closer

[notspring]

“I’ll come back,” he says, reaches out to touch Seokmin’s cheek. Seokmin holds his hand there, grip gentle, gentle. “You know that? I’ll come back.”

Seokmin doesn’t answer, just turns his head to kiss the center of Minghao’s palm. Minghao flushes, warmth spreading through him like the first step outside in the spring sun. IM SCREAMING IM HOLLERING!!!! he kissed his palm :( babe he loves you :( seokmin makes minghao feel safe :( like a second home :( WOW it's a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: [FILL] I used to build dreams about you

[surjamukhi]

oh wow i love what you did with this and with the inception fusion, i think it's such a great way to explore seokgyu number one boyisms... the moralizing seokmin uses to justify what he did is perfect, and like, He wants Kim Mingyu at his mercy again. ????? OKAY WONDERFUL. thank you very much i'm feeling a little bit deranged!!!

trying to avoid my certain doom

[slytherminie]

Ship/Member: Any, Joshua/Any, ok this is wild but listen to me Joshua/Namjoon
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: just. go wild.
Do Not Wants: None

Prompt:

If you were church, I'd get on my knees
Confess my love, I'd know where to be
My sanctuary, you're holy to me

― Fall Out Boy, Church

Re: [FILL] it's the eye of the tiger

[sunwalkr]

THIS IS AMAZING AND HILARIOUS i found myself laughing nonstop thank you for this hwa… even though it was silly there was so much humor encoded around actual real life events (jeonghan catchphrase, joshua hong tiger sweater scene — which had me shaking btw ofc he would be all macho about it & lose terribly . wonder how his ego is doing, the anti horanghae club members, four wheeled cart rider etc.) i loved it ao much “all capitalists are bad” [dk shaking in a corner] “okay not all capitalists”

Re: [FILL] it's the eye of the tiger

[slytherminie]

I AM ON TOP OF A BUILDING YELLING HORANGHAE IN THE WIND AS WE SPEAK oh god this was SO FUCKING FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!! i laughed out loud at least three times it's so hilarious. i want to quote some words back at you but tbh everything is incredible and i want to see NCT as hoshi's backup dancers as soon as possible. your brain is huge. hoshobi for the win.