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

love looks different on you, too

[sunwalkr]

Ship/Member: Any
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: exploring the different ways love can take form, grief and love and all that good stuff, the neverending cycle of loving and leaving and living, we go in circles and maybe that's what helps us become whole again, idk go nuts i just read this and Felt a Lot of Things, meditations on what loving does to you
Do Not Wants: None

Prompt:

This is all the unexpressed love. The grief that will remain with us until we pass because we never get enough time with each other, right? No matter if someone lives until 60, 15, or 99. So I hope this grief stays with me because it’s all the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her.
- Andrew Garfield, vanity fair

[FILL] same same same

[verneeverse]

Ship/Member: Minghao/Vernon
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: long-distance, magical realism, minghao is magic !? (again), yearning and pinning and dreaming and
Permission to remix: Yes
word count: 1.2k
if this is confusing... no it isn't. yes it is.

***

Vernon is standing in his kitchen with his back leaning against the refrigerator. He’s frowning, nursing a cup of coffee with both of his hands. His phone is on the counter in front of him, and he doesn’t stop staring at it.

The phone lights up and Vernon startles. A wave of coffee escapes from the cup and wash over his fingers. He doesn’t hiss from a burn - the drink has already gone cold. He wipes his hands off on his shirt (Minghao recognizes it as his early birthday gift) and reaches for the phone.

Minghao can see his eyes traveling from left to right and up and down. The frown doesn’t leave his face.

Minghao reaches over-



myungho: your interview went great! just sharing a fact with you!
myungho: seriously, you prepared so hard for it and you’re meeting all of the qualifications
myungho: at that point it’s not in your hands anymore and you just have to pray that they get some sense knocked into them


vern: >~<
vern: ah i don’t know…
vern: i got an email this morning saying they’ll call me today but i haven’t heard from them yet

myungho: well you can’t rush good things coming your way
myungho: how long did it take you to finally introduse yourself to me?

vern: *introduce
vern: lol
vern: i refuse to get into this argument again
vern: i was a regular amount of nervous
vern:but ik u’re trying to cheer me up
vern: thank you

myungho: :)


***


Vernon’s smile is dim under the highlights. He’s sitting on stage, guitar resting on his lap. He fiddles with the chords to set the mood.

”I wanted to thank you all again for coming tonight. This showcase event got rushed to completion but I think the end result is pretty great.” He grins and all of his teeth show, impeccably white. He lists names of people that helped him pull this off, as well as the names of everyone else who performed before him. Minghao recognizes a couple of them. They’re background characters in the stories Vernon tells him.

”There is one more person I’d like to thank,” Vernon smiles down at his guitar. “He isn’t physically here today - and actually he’s probably sleeping on the other side of the world right now. But he’s been with me through this entire process, and he’s always much more supportive of everything I do than I deserve.” He clears his throat and looks up at the small crowd gathered in the company dining room. “So, thank you Minghao. This last one is for you.”



myungho: thank you for the song

vern: ?
vern: how did u know haha

myungho: wonwoo sent me a video

vern: ah
vern: he spoiled my surprise :/
vern: happy birthday!


***


Vernon holds his head between his hands, lowers it until it’s pressed against his desk. He grunts in his palms.

”You okay?” Mingyu asks from across the studio.

”I think I might have caught something. My throat feels weird and now my head is like super heavy.”

”Ew dude go back home. I don’t want to catch what you have.” He pauses. “Want me to drive you?”

Vernon shakes his head. “We still have work to do.”

”You’re clearly not in the right state to work.”

”I’ve pushed through worse.”

Mingyu shakes his head and walks to Vernon’s chair. He presses a hand to his forehead and to the back of his neck. “You’re a little warm. Get home because it gets worse. I’m driving you.” Vernon opens his mouth and Mingyu shuts his jaw tight with the tip of a finger. “It’s non negotiable.”



myungho: how are you feeling?
myungho: im sending food to your apartment
myungho: it’s a soup my mom always made when i got sick as a child
myungho: im telling them to leave the delivery behind the pot if you’re asleep when they get here
myungho: reheat it a little but not too much or it’s going to make your fever worse
myungho: also make yourself that tea i got you
myungho: it’s in a green and red box
myungho: don’t boil the water this time
myungho: let me know if you need anything else

vern: i just woke up

myungho: are you feeling better?

vern: how did you know i was sick

myungho: mingyu

vern: since when do you guys know each other

myungho: i can’t remember

vern: hm?
vern: well anyway
vern: i got the soup
vern: thks dude it’s really nice

myungho: did you make the tea yet?
myungho: drink that after the soup
myungho: that way you stay hydrated

vern: mh mh
vern: what would i do without you

myungho: die very quickly i suppose


***


Vernon is lying on his side, head pillowed on an arm. His lips are parted and every breath he takes is accompanied with a light snore.

His eyebrows frown, like he’s working through a mental problem. Or having a rough dream.

Minghao tries to put an arm around his waist to pull him closer

and holds onto the empty air on the other side of his bed. He sighs and forces his body to go back to sleep. Nowadays, he likes it better when he’s asleep.


Vernon is laying down on a blanket spread over beautiful green grass. He’s under the shade of an elm and smiles to himself as he scribbles down in his notebook.

Minghao can’t really read what it says - but he sees his name pop up everywhere. He manages to figure out one sentence.

’you never knew how much i yearn for you.’



myungho: vernon
myungho: there’s something i should tell you
myungho: actually
myungho: did you go to the park today

vern: no
vern: why? whats up?

myungho: what did you do today?

vern: went to work?

myungho: so… no sitting on grass?

vern: no????
vern: you know im allergic to pollen, i dont exactly go around sniffing nature in spring

myungho: ah
myungho: right
myungho: nevermind then

vern: come on, whats up?

myungho: nothing important
myungho: maybe i’ll tell you one day


***


”I know it’s silly,” Vernon says from across the table. “We’ve spent most of the time we’ve known each other apart but… You’re really important to me. Like…. to a point that can be a little frightening sometimes. Because you’re not here, but you’re also everywhere that matters. If that makes sense.”

”I think I know what you mean.”

”Well, I guess what I really mean is that… I like you. A lot. I don’t want to say love because it’s scary and I don’t want to scare you but… I wanted to tell you the truth.” He pulls out a shaky exhale from between his ribs.

”I love you too,” Minghao whispers in a sleepy voice. He blinks until his eyes are open. His stomach turns when he sees the void in front of him, again. It’s cruel, the things his brain does to him sometimes.

He feels a warm hand coming from behind him, landing on his stomach. “You okay?” Vernon mumbles in Minghao’s neck.

He takes a short breath of surprise. Vernon’s thumb strokes his skin, right above his belly button. “Yeah. I was just… I think I was dreaming.”

Vernon hums, deep vibrations soothing Minghao’s nerves. “That’s nice. You don’t dream often do you?”

Minghao shakes his head. “No. I haven’t dreamed in a long time.”

Re: [FILL] i'm getting used to receiving

[slytherminie]

He gives as good as he receives, and thinks it’s worth trying again every time his lips and his hands are met with a such tender eagerness oh i am so soft and full of love.
;-; please don't apologize, this was so sweet and so beautiful and so full of feelings!! i love how you portrayed the passing of time and the fading of hurt, how it can be confusing to forget those emotions when at first they were so prominent and you thought you couldn't go on without the other person. i love and cherish every single word, it's perfect <3 thank you for writing!!

Re: [FILL] i'm getting used to receiving

[infrequencies]

sorry to be weirdly overly personal but as someone currently coping in the after, this was exactly what i needed to read. thank you so much for this.

Re: [FILL] are any of us ever truly alone?

[greycheonsa]

!! oh this was so good, to get a glimpse into jun's head - i've always found him incredibly hard to write (so i just. don't lol) but the way you capture how he finds it so difficult to fit in (he's flighty! that feels so apt) compared to seemingly immovable, steady, secure minghao felt so right.

Sometimes it felt like an unspoken victory, when Junhui was able to annoy Minghao, just to see if he could get a reaction out of him. [...] They returned to their respective universes without saying another word. Minghao stayed in the room and Junhui dialed down the volume just a bit. two people existing in the same space but on entirely different planes of existence... idk why i love this so much.

junhao have such an interesting relationship (the "marriage of convenience" is a v good descriptor) because they definitely "had to" get close out of necessity and especially at the beginning they weren't super used to each others differences, but they've grown to appreciate each other in a different way!! i love how you ended it with junhui trying to look out for minghao, when previously he might've been more reliant on minghao to look after him.

Re: [FILL] i'm getting used to receiving

[purplepinkskies]

i'm so glad you liked it!! thank you for the prompt and for leaving such a wonderful comment <3

Re: [FILL] i'm getting used to receiving

[purplepinkskies]

as i wrote this from an overly personal place, i insist that you don't apologise!! i'm sort of just stepping out from the worst of it, so i feel honoured this resonated with you and that it could offer at least a tiny bit of comfort. thanks to you for commenting, really <3

Re: [FILL] same same same

[(Anonymous)]

ah.... good for him.... i do so hate to admit it but im happy for minghao :/ i think maybe verhao works because they are both the most cryptids of seventeen and thus least likely to question each other on status of being magic, etc. fascinating
-jenna

Re: [FILL] There will come soft rains

[seokmin_liker]

AAAAAAAAH?!?!?! i just love how much there is to this au - i really really want to explore more of it. and of course you absolutely nail the seokhao... i looove minghao pov seokhao where he just gets absolutely bowled over by how gorgeous seokmin is because yeah!!! and you've done that really well here!!! beautiful as always 💗

Re: blasting the aloneness wide open [FILL]

[greycheonsa]

ahh thank you so much!! i'm in a similar boat tbh i feel like in my own personal writing i almost never write canon fic (i used to but haven't in several years), but something about canon divergence makes it a lot easier for me i think.

the admittance that sometimes even if it looks like you've got it all down from the outside looking in we are all terrified on the inside. yes !! csc seeming like he's got everything under control but it takes chan growing up to see straight through him...,.,.,.,

also after research for unrelated reasons i remembered that 1. coups was probably a trainee for 5-6 years (some of the nuest trainees were there since 2009) and 2. he had also been considered for nuest? so like. he would understand chan's pain even more acutely... something i may add in if i xpost this haha.

Re: blasting the aloneness wide open [FILL]

[greycheonsa]

hard agree like i think at the time it would have been a super tempting offer for chan to be the head of his own group, especially given his talent and temperament, but knowing how the reality of plettuce ent. played out in our year of 2022 makes me so glad he didn't do it!!

there's one clip of chan walking in on cheol and woozi together in the green room and he immediately bows and apologizes and yeets himself out, compared to present day where he shamelessly talks back to cheol that really makes me think about how much they've grown lol. like chan in his early teens clearly saw 4-years-older cheol as a Real Adult and now he's like nah you're just some guy. so i think exploring how chan has to weigh his youthful perception of someone he looked up to with the reality of everything before him can simply be so poignant!!

thank you for reading :D

[FILL] letters from medea

[wonwoo420]

Ship/Member: Seokmin/Wonwoo
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: having a crush so intense it makes u wanna eat glass, wonwoo laughing as a fear response because he's my bestie
Permission to remix: Yes

*** op sorry i kinda freestyled the sharing a bed/meal tag ***

wonwoo’s deep sarcastic ha ha ha reaches the hallway, rounding off into genuine laughter when seokmin reaches the dining area. there’s a hush when he walks in, but it’s broken by jihoon wheezing, bent over his knees.

"what's up," he says, mostly to jihoon. he adds his overfull plastic bag of kimbap to the table, already littered with half-eaten snacks. the members descend on the newly arrived food unprompted.

jihoon waves his hands, dismissive. seokmin turns to junhui, patting jihoon's back. junhui shrugs, but seokmin can't ever tell when junhui is hiding something or genuinely clueless.

"wonwoo-hyung said something funny," mingyu says, taking a big bite of his kimbap and successfully disappearing half of it.

the members are sprawled all over, on the floor, on the kitchen counter—seokmin doesn't even pretend the seat next to wonwoo on the table isn't the most appealing. he takes it, getting his own roll, nudging wonwoo's shoulder with his own.

"spill then."

wonwoo visibly schools his face into a deadpan. "you snooze, you lose."

seokmin makes a face at him.

"i was getting food," he tries.

"so was everyone else," chan quips, prone, seungkwan on top of him using him as a floor mat. seokmin glares at the kimbap they're passing back and forth.

"what was it," seokmin nudges wonwoo again.

he can tell wonwoo is close to smiling and knows it's only because in a group of thirteen people constantly in each other's pockets, it's absolutely hilarious holding out essentially non-essential information.

wonwoo is doing the thing where his whole face is collapsing in on itself, holding back a laugh.

does he know? seokmin wonders. half of him doesn't really care if they make jokes at his expense, doesn't care what they were talking about because if it was important or serious they wouldn't hide it. half of him is bothered that he missed something that made wonwoo so much as smile.

"well, i was just saying how wonwoo-hyung looks so happy recently," seungkwan says, in usual seungkwan fashion: eyebrow raised, tone judging. “bubbly, even. it’s cute, but i keep getting whiplash.”

jihoon is shaking his head again, not disagreeing, more incredulous.

has wonwoo been happy recently?

seokmin searches through recent memory. for all his creepy wonwoo-watching, he's having a hard time recalling changes in wonwoo’s demeanor; wonwoo has always been wonwoo. he presses his mouth shut out of fear that he’ll blurt out something desperate, like, what’s making wonwoo happy? who? when did it happen? and–

he’s squeezing the kimbap. a slice of burdock has escaped to the top.

wonwoo plucks the kimbap off his hand and takes a bite, eyes dancing. seokmin feels silly, like his shoes are too big, and wonwoo knows and is just too nice to call him out on it. he’s never wanted to hide and be seen so greatly in equal measure.

“eat,” wonwoo tells him, pressing the kimbap to his mouth.

he does as he’s told, distracted. wonwoo’s lips are shiny. he thinks wonwoo will taste like laver and sesame oil. he wants to know if he's right.

“anyway,” seungkwan carries on like he didn’t lowkey pull out the rug from under seokmin’s feet. seokmin fought for his life for an entire 5 seconds there. “time to go channie, get up. jeonghan-hyung asked us to get them coffee.”

jihoon is preparing to leave too, and junhui is already at the backdoor waiting for him.

“i thought we were all eating before practice?” seokmin asks, mouth full of rice.

“soonyoung called and said he needed help with something.” he gives wonwoo a very intent look and seokmin thinks wonwoo will leave with them but then jihoon just gives them both a pat on the shoulders and leaves.

mingyu reaches for another kimbap, winks. “for myungho.” and he goes too, looking smug. seokmin will make sure to tell myungho later that he’s the one who got the good kimbap, not mingyu.

wonwoo looks content enough to eat in silence. he takes a bite, passes it to seokmin, then takes it back. seokmin doesn’t have the heart to tell him there’s another one left in the plastic bag and they don’t have to share.

-

sometimes, when wonwoo laughs, he caves in on himself, eyes closed, nose scrunched, holding back his delight like it's a sneeze. sometimes, he doesn’t make a sound. he's an expert at making himself small, always folding in when he thinks he has no more to contribute to the conversation.

seokmin always wants more, wants to poke wonwoo with a needle so he pops, wants to catch everything that comes out.

everyone else is laughing, he thinks it was some scathing remark chan made towards the rest of them, and seokmin can feel it in the back of his throat and like an itch in his nose, and still nothing comes out. it's hilarious, what chan said, and he should be laughing, and it's weird that he isn't, but he's looking at wonwoo and—he can't explain it, but it’s one of those times when wonwoo is laughing like he is imploding and seokmin thinks he might flicker in and out of existence if he doesn't keep watching him.

his hand moves on its own. it lands on wonwoo's arm.

wonwoo turns to him mid-blink. when their eyes meet, seokmin feels important, like if wonwoo stops looking at him he will stop existing.

"dokyeom-ah, what is it?"

it should snap seokmin out of limbo, his stage name reminding him that they're on the clock, in front of cameras. they're not filming yet officially, yet everything is always recorded for a hundred different other series. he doesn’t remember the last time wonwoo called him by his real name, dokyeom sliding easier on the tongue.

dokyeom is a mirror; you get exactly what you give. dokyeom is a reservoir; he hoards love so he can give it away freely, easily, like party favors. thank you for being here.

seokmin isn’t always dokyeom. seokmin wants to shake wonwoo by the shoulders and beg. tell him i love you. love me, love me, love me.

his plea sits heavy on his chest. he tries for a nonchalant smile anyway.

"wonwoo-hyung is so cute."

wonwoo returns the smile, flustered and yet more honest than seokmin will ever be.

-

“dokyeom. seokmin-ah.”

seokmin blinks awake, chasing the feeling of a good dream, already fading.

“seokmin.”

it’s wonwoo, blanket pulled up to his chin, facing him. he looks concerned.

“sorry, was i talking too loud again?” he turns to his side towards wonwoo to not wake seungcheol on his other side.

“no,” wonwoo chews on his lip. he squints. “you said my name.”

seokmin feels cold from his scalp to his toes. “sorry,” he tries again, unsure how to explain. they all know he talks in his sleep. wonwoo doesn’t know seokmin dreams of him even awake. he doesn’t know what bled out.

he sits up. "i can go? i'm pretty sure there's space beside mingyu in the kitchen." he can't tell where his benevolence ends and where his urge to run away begins.

"that's not why i woke you."

"oh. is everything okay?"

wonwoo stands, holds out his hand. "i just wanted to talk, that's all."

seokmin takes it (how could he not).

wonwoo hasn't ever wanted to talk. he'll just ask if seokmin wants to eat, or sit next to him and stay while they do things, sometimes for hours without saying a word. they already spend most of the day with everyone else, so it's easy to just fall in together in brief respites.

they sit at the porch swing, bundled in blankets. seokmin can feel the cold seeping through his socks and worries. if seokmin can feel how cold it is, wonwoo must be freezing. at one point he scoots closer and puts his head on seokmin's shoulders but he doesn’t say anything.

“i want you to know if i go missing by tomorrow morning they will know it’s you because i made sure to step on seungcheol-hyung on the way out and i saw him open his eyes.”

wonwoo hums in response, and that’s enough. seokmin likes to imagine he can feel the warmth of a smile on his shoulder.

he doesn’t notice falling asleep, but he does, and he wakes again to wonwoo pinching the skin of his wrist lightly. he’s still leaning on him. the sky is turning pink.

wonwoo clears his throat.

“hyung?”

“you make me laugh. it feels very easy with you.”

“i’m glad,” seokmin says, truthfully. he feels deeply that any person who can laugh with him is meant to be his friend. he befriends people by making them laugh. the circle of life.

wonwoo removes himself from seokmin’s shoulder, shaking his head. “no, you have to know–” he takes seokmin’s hand and spreads his palm across his chest. his hand is freezing. seokmin wants to hide them both inside his sweater.

and then he realizes what wonwoo is showing him. his heartbeat, thunderous across several layers of clothing. loud, like he wasn’t just sleeping. it feels similar to when seokmin has had too many americanos and he is about to scream-giggle just to let out some energy, or like when they’ve been filming all day and the tension is high all around in anticipation of the trip home, of rest. it feels like something about to break.

“it’s terrifying.”

he grabs wonwoo’s sweater, stung.

“wonwoo-hyung.”

impossibly, wonwoo starts to shake, and seokmin almost panics, except–he’s laughing, quietly at first, then grows–eyes closed, head turned to the stars. he laughs so hard his entire body tips backwards. he takes seokmin with him, their hands still pressed over his chest. seokmin has to brace his other hand on wonwoo’s thigh. his palm burns.

seokmin is only human. and wonwoo is so beautiful.

he presses his lips to wonwoo’s throat.

the laughter dies out, glass over a flame, and seokmin stays there.

“wonwoo-hyung,” he says again, cold lips to warm skin. names are prayers, seokmin thinks.

“seokmin-ah,” wonwoo says, gently, chiding.

he cups seokmin’s neck with his other hand, thumb caressing the angle of seokmin’s jaw. if wonwoo applies even a little pressure he will pop and all his longing will spill and stain wonwoo’s hands.

instead, wonwoo kisses his neck.

-

that, i know

[fleurissons]

Ship/Member: Mingyu/Wonwoo
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: love as a self-fulfilling prophecy, can you really change in the eyes of someone who knows your soul or can you only grow into the person they have always known you are?, [kmg voice] love like water... bit by bit and tender... steady, idolverse (optional)
Do Not Wants: MCD

Prompt:

To: Wonwoo ♡
Hello, you don't know who am I right? I hate writing letters but after I wrote this one for you I'm happy. I really love you, Wonwoo-ya, no matter what happen keep working hard and think of me a lot. When there's a hard time, come to me and I'll give you advice. You're worried because you used lots of money right? This guy knows all. Hang in there, Wonwoo-ya next year you'll get to be wealthy, also call me and chat me a lot, I'll reply to it. And don't get sick please you gotta take care of your health.

— Mingyu's (anonymous) letter to Wonwoo on 17TV, cr. Dall_Bbang, trans by wonlywoo.

Metaphorically speaking, he's like a pine tree that always stands all green. Everything about him is consistent and when I see his unchanging side it gives me a sense of relief.

— Mingyu's introduction about Wonwoo from Ginger Magazine, trans by sunbaeknims.

Q: What's the biggest difference between now and when you debuted?

A: My personality changed a lot and I started to work out so my body changed a lot too. And my face is slowly changing into a face that looks good on screen/tv but I think my personality changed most, I've become more lively and sociable. I think it changed a lot.

- Wonwoo in 2021 Weverse Magazine special article, trans by wonwooszone.

[FILL] the poet's choice

[shuamuses]

Ship/Member: minghao/junhui
Major Tags: historical setting, angst
Additional Tags: poalof but make it a historical chinese drama, timeskips aplenty
Permission to remix: Yes

Hopefully this fit the vibe that you had in mind!! I was v inspired by both 林宥嘉’s song 说谎 (and its mv) as well as portrait of a lady on fire by celine sciamma.

(crossposted to ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36331813)
***
it is minghao’s wedding day and all he can think about is how heavy his sleeves are. the ceremonial robe is, frankly ostentatious and excessive, the brocaded embroidery laying heavy on his skin. it feels uncomfortable and unnatural and most of all: inescapable.

he knows it’s what his position demands of him. the first son of the xu clan. the only son his lord father has borne. it is his birth right, his blood right. his duty. he knows he needs to marry her and fulfil the legacy of his ancestors. he knows he should listen to his rational mind and the patient advice of his most trusted advisor.

so why then is he second-guessing everything that had been painstakingly orchestrated for him?

/

“hi,” minghao eyes the boy in front of him curiously. he hasn’t got any siblings or any cousins, and for better or worse he spends the majority of his days absorbing the habits of the various adults that surround him – his tutors, his attendant, his family advisors. in contrast, the gangly, wide-eyed boy huddled next to his father is a complete novelty.

“son, this is junhui.” his father pats the boy gently on the shoulder, extricating him so he stands upright on his own. it’s a tad formal, but much closer to what minghao is used to. “he’ll be joining you for your lessons. please help him adjust.”

with that, his father sweeps out of the room, his robes stirring up a little breeze in his wake. he’s got better things to attend to, minghao knows, so he simply stretches out an arm to shake junhui’s hand. “it’s good to meet you. let’s go to the classroom: the tutors will be glad to have new company, i think.”

/

“young master xu,” his attendant smiles apologetically as he peers at minghao. “would it be possible for you to keep still?”

minghao freezes, allowing him to comb and pin his hair in its deceptively simple updo. he stares at the room around him, filled with individuals fussing over the most minute details of wedding decor, his clothing, his accessories.

every single person in the room was happy today. or at the very least, they were excited to see the heir of the household finally take a step towards adulthood, and none of them were being quiet about it. but despite all of their well-wishes and efforts, minghao didn’t feel like any of them particularly cared about how he felt. about whether he wanted this at all. as if that were not a question they could fathom at all.

/

“master wen has made tremendous progress in his lessons,” tutor chen commented. “he’s a natural at diplomatic studies, and i believe he will serve our young master well in future.”

“i concur,” tutor xiang nodded, his gaze fixed on the young men standing before him. “he is a worthy swordsman as well. on some days he fights even better than young master xu.”

though his expression remained composed and neutral, minghao could feel junhui swell with pride at the compliments. he’d been presented this morning for lord xu’s assessment – they were both nearing adulthood, and lord xu was clearly considering whether he had a place in their household.

“wen junhui, will you swear fealty to our family?” his father’s voice is gravelly and serious, though minghao swears he can detect a note of satisfaction within it. “will you take up arms as a sworn brother to my son, to defend him and our family with your life?”

minghao does not turn to look at junhui. in the years since his arrival in his family’s ancestral home, junhui has become enough a part of him that he can feel the other nod and bow, can feel the shift in the atmosphere around him rippling out amongst the others present.

/

he knows it is an honour. the lan clan had offered their first daughter in their proposition of a family union, a way to unite their territories. a political union that will give minghao twice the power his father had, for no real reason other than lan ying thought he was capable of leading both their clans.

he’d seen her around before, of course. at big seasonal festivals, at the annual trips their families made to pay their respects to the king and discuss diplomatic agreements. he’d seen her paint, seen her discuss scholarly works, and there was no question that she was talented and driven in a way that most noblewomen he’d met were not. he’d felt her careful eyes, too, pinned on him during horse riding and sword-fighting demonstrations over the years.

and now here they were. him and lan ying, kneeling side by side on the satiny red pillow, offering their bows to their parents. it is perfect. it should be perfect.

/

they are eighteen and sweaty, skin flushed from practicing martial arts and sword-fighting all afternoon. he collapses onto the floor just behind the changing screen with a deep sigh, reaching out one hand to wrap itself around junhui’s ankle, tugging him down to floor-level with a burst of laughter.

their summer is full of moments like this stolen away from each of their duties. moments where minghao does not need to be by lord xu’s side listening to his discussions of the latest war moving towards their borders. moments where junhui is not sent out to assist in the imperial war effort on behalf of the clan.
moments where they can abandon their titles, their lives with each plot point already written for them. moments where minghao can press open-mouthed kisses to the column of junhui’s throat and feel the other’s hands come up to twist in his hair.

but fall comes far too soon. it is unseasonably cold already, and the xu clan is not expecting any visitors until spring thaws the uneven paths, but it seems the lan clan had their own plans. they send a messenger, riding hard for three days, with an official proposal. a marriage. a joining of powerful bloodlines. a dowry lord xu could not refuse without declaring war.

junhui leaves before minghao can even tell him himself. he hears from a nosy member of the household staff and puts on his own armor, riding south to the king’s army without so much as a goodbye.

/

it is minghao’s wedding day and all he can think about is the fact that the one person he really wants to be here isn’t. he knew he and junhui wouldn’t have had a life together, not in the way they wanted. but that didn't mean they couldn’t have some sort of life together at all.

they were sworn together from the start. well, not the start, minghao acknowledges silently to himself. but that’s really when his life began, anyway. he should be here, minghao’s heart twists, and if he were here at least minghao could entertain the thought of doing something incredibly stupid like running away.

he scans the crowd: both the xu and the lan clans in their extended forms are spread across the hall at so many banquet tables, and the loyal servants of their families are tucked in the back. he can see his advisors, his tutors, even the nanny who’d left their household years ago after agreeing that minghao certainly had grown beyond needing her services. everyone is here. everyone who matters is here, and that only makes the sore void in minghao’s heart burn more.

/

junhui is tucked away at a seat placed just behind a pillar. he’d requested for a period of leave from the imperial army, and his commander had clapped him happily on the back as he’d left the compound, wishing him a safe ride back for the xu wedding.

he’s glad he sees minghao before the other can lay eyes on him. he’s glad he sees minghao smile, take his new wife’s hands in his own and make his vows. ever the dutiful son.

and isn’t he serving his duty too, in a way? he may have left the eaves of this house but his torch burns bright for minghao. his sword still cuts down those who threaten his family. his territory. his happiness.

junhui decides not to congratulate the happy couple in person. junhui decides not to stay at all. he slips out of the banquet hall before the ceremony even ends, only turning back for one moment to sear the image of minghao, gold-edged and radiant, in his mind.

in the end it is not the warrior’s choice he’d had in mind on his journey across the nation. it is not a bitter attempt to fight for minghao’s love, to challenge the cages whose bars have always chafed against their skin. it is not the lover’s choice, to insist on showing minghao his heart, bloody and raw. it is not some naive belief that true love, if that’s what it was, would trump everything else. it is the poet’s choice – junhui deciding that preserving that one immortal moment of minghao’s happiness is enough, as long as he’s the only one still hurting.

Re: [FILL] the poet's choice

[hwarium]

ahhhHHH started yelling as soon as I saw the tags. historical AU, yoga lin, SHUO HUANG <3333 (he does have a tendency towards dramatic ficcable MVs doesn't he)

Love the fated-to-be-about, duty-over-love aspect of all of this. the angst is delicious, thank you I ate well!

PROMPTING CLOSED

[hwarium]

This round has closed. It will forever remain open for comments, fills and remixes but any prompts posted after this Junhui will be deleted.

Re: [FILL] the poet's choice

[shuamuses]

ahh thank you for leaving such a lovely comment!! it’s true the yoga lin cinematic universe (ylcu) is so rich w inspiration someone could prob write a whole series based on his mvs!!

Re: [FILL] letters from medea

[seokmin_liker]

oh my god OHHHHHH my god. i literally love this... wonwoo making himself smaller!!! seokmin wanting to see him more!! aaaaaah!!
favourite part was this:
dokyeom is a mirror; you get exactly what you give. dokyeom is a reservoir; he hoards love so he can give it away freely, easily, like party favors. thank you for being here.

seokmin isn’t always dokyeom. seokmin wants to shake wonwoo by the shoulders and beg. tell him i love you. love me, love me, love me.

LIKE?!??!?!! incredible

Re: [FILL] i found me in you

[hoshism]

thank u for such a lovely comment! i was worried i hadn’t done the prompt justice but i’m so glad you liked it!!

[FILL] matching your footsteps

[bluewhale]

Ship/Member: Vernon/Joshua, Joshua/OFC, Vernon/Joshua/OFC
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: non-canonverse, inspired by joshua's fast pace moment, the frustration of having feelings for someone who's operating on a different wavelength
Permission to remix: Yes

Word count: 1300
thought you might want to know that i have never written fic before, but this prompt changed the chemistry of my brain
***
From where he's sitting, Vernon can see them dancing far too clearly. Joshua is good, the way you are good when you've come through idol training and emerged on the other side as a person who now can dance, quite well, and sing, somewhat well. Jisoo is also good, the way someone who obviously loves dancing as much as she does can be expected to. Vernon learned her name when one of the hyungs they were there with called out for Joshua and both he and the girl dancing next to him turned around. They’ve been pretty much circling each other since.

Vernon's still sitting at the bar, mindlessly bobbing his head to a remix of some latin pop song when he sees Jisoo lean down to Joshua, close, close, closer. He can feel his heart beat way too loud in his chest, which is as distracting as it is frustrating. On a rational level he's completely against his heart doing any of that. First of all, Jisoo is a nice person who doesn’t deserve his jealousy. He barely knows her, but he’s sure of that, and she probably wouldn’t deserve it if she was less nice anyway. But she is, and earlier in the night she helped him order a drink when he couldn’t get the bartender’s attention. He even danced with her himself! It just didn’t look… like that. And second of all, well. It’s not her fault she has more chemistry and immediate understanding with Joshua than Vernon has managed to accumulate through years of knowing him.

It feels as though long minutes have passed, but, in the end, with a change of light, Vernon can see Jisoo is just whispering to him. Realistically speaking, she’s probably talking quite loudly, but that’s not the point. The point is, Joshua is turning his head to look straight at Vernon's face. He thinks he must look like a turtle in headlights, too slow to even try running away. He lifts his hand to wave at the same time as Joshua makes a beckoning motion. Certainly pointed in his general direction.

When he's closer, he can see that Joshua looks a bit different now than when he was dancing. He's really good at this too, making his face look as non-threatening as possible, as if to counteract the slightly intimidating effect his looks have on people. Vernon wishes he didn’t question the smile, could ignore the part of his brain reminding him that for Joshua making it reach his eyes is a conscious decision sometimes. He doesn't like that Joshua's doing that now, to him. You'd think after all this time he would feel comfortable enough around Vernon not to pretend.

"Jisoo said she wants to see me dance with my pretty dongsaeng," he says, stepping closer to be heard over the loud music.

"I just think oppa’s style will suit you more," she adds, smile teasing.

Joshua's eyes widen a little, but he laughs it off. Vernon looks between the two of them maybe a bit too long, trying to assess the overall vibe. It doesn't feel like he's being made fun of, yet somehow all of this comes across as vaguely condescending, and he'd much rather come up with an excuse to leave. But nothing sounds believable enough when he tries to phrase it inside of his head, all the possible reasons making him feel even smaller. Instead, he smiles, refusing to acknowledge the way he was just visibly rebooting in the middle of the dancefloor.

"Sure".

Joshua dances with him the exact same way he was dancing with Jisoo, which is surprising at first. His hip movements feel the same way they looked from the distance, except of course not the same at all – with Vernon now being in the front row, more than that, part of the performance. He puts his hands on Joshua's waist, drags them down, which gets Joshua to smile for real this time. If Vernon had to guess he'd say it's because he's back in his depth, back to being the seductive cat-like creature he becomes sometimes, feeding off of butterflies in strangers' stomachs. In Vernon's stomach, in this case.

It's like he's been thrown inside a kaleidoscope, familiar things creating unfamiliar patterns, colours changing all around him. He knows the shape of Joshua's hands, how big they are, but what he didn't know before is the way they feel resting on his neck, nails scratching lightly through the fine hairs of his nape, touch delicate. He does his best not to give in to sensation, not to close his eyes and hold his breath, hoping it lasts just a bit longer. He's not even that tactile, but something about the way Joshua touches him, gives Vernon his deliberate attention is heady and makes him scared of losing it. Scared to lean into it too much, too.

He tries not to make eye contact for too long, afraid of what either of them might see, so instead he looks at the way Joshua’s hair is styled, probably more strands falling onto his forehead now than initially intended. He looks at the way the lights catch on his ear piercings, feeling a sudden urge to tug on them with his teeth. He turns his gaze back to Joshua’s hair.

The best thing about dancing is there's no need to talk, Vernon decides. And not because he’s scared of what would come out of his mouth if he opened it, but because he doesn’t need a reminder of how they've known each other for years and never quite figured out how to do that. People learn that they share two languages and think that means their connection is deeper, but the truth is nearly all their conversations end three exchanges in, most often with a yeah.

There's a presence to his right, Vernon realises, a hand that feels distinctly un-Joshua slightly squeezing his bicep. Probably to attract his attention, not just to feel him up, but he's not sure there is any attention he can give right now. He mentally apologises to whoever it might be. There's a hand on Joshua's bicep as well, however, and, unlike Vernon, Joshua is turning his head, polite smile coming up once again. He can hear them exchanging some comments, Jisoo – of course it's Jisoo – quietly laughing at one point. She’s moving to the beat too, he notices. Weird that there being another person doesn't break the moment, although he can feel that won't last very long, as awkwardness begins to seep back into his body. For now, her being there only makes the whole thing feel more real, like there's a witness to the unusual energy between them, someone else who knows how Joshua can apparently look at him. Also, her touch feels nice.

Before he can get too lost in his head, Jisoo asks, this time loud enough for both of them to hear, squeezing his bicep once again. "Do you guys want to get out of here?"

Vernon’s heart thumps. He can almost hear the record scratch. There’s no room for thinking she could be talking to someone else, no room for deflection.

Joshua doesn’t laugh it off. He doesn’t say no, sorry, you’ve misunderstood. What he does is turn his head to meet Vernon's eyes, expression blank, a single eyebrow lifted. He waits for him to answer.

Vernon finds himself nodding, taken by the current, unable to put his feet down in the sand.

"Yeah, sure".

***

When they leave the club, Joshua has his hand on Vernon’s lower back. When they kiss in Joshua’s apartment half an hour later, the hand on his back belongs to Jisoo. When he leaves the apartment, they still haven’t exchanged more than five words at a time.

Re: blasting the aloneness wide open [FILL]

[greycheonsa]

now on ao3, with a few edits!

[FILL] 또 거짓말을 해

[furniished]

Ship/Member: Wonwoo/Jeonghan
Major Tags: N/A
Additional Tags: Ambiguous relationships, Modern AU
Permission to remix: Yes
***
Yoon Jeonghan is a terrible wingman.

First, because he’s so disarmingly handsome that it’s very likely whoever he’s talking to ends up becoming more interested in him than in the person he’s supposed to be advocating for.

Second, because he laughs too much. Telling jokes isn’t an issue, except when it’s impossible to tell at whose expense they are.

Third, because there’s a 60% chance that anything Yoon Jeonghan says is a lie.

“Well, it’s not like he can help the first thing,” Wonwoo says, picking at the ramen that his roommate had made for him after a night out. He’d opened a pack of seaweed to eat with it and put it directly on the bare table, the greasy plastic tub sliding away ever so slightly when he reaches in to pull out a piece.

“He sort of can though, don’t you think?” Seungkwan puts a napkin down.

Wonwoo shrugs, slurping at the noodles. “You’ve met him. It’s not his fault he looks like that.”

“Sure,” Seungkwan says. “Handsome is one thing. You’re good-looking too, hyung. But he doesn’t have to be that charming when he’s helping you pick up some girl.”

“It’s just the way he is.”

“Hm. So they ended up going home together instead?”

“What? No.” Wonwoo frowns. “What?” The girl, who Wonwoo had approached because he recognized her as a senior from his university days, had been — frankly, quite boring, as well as disinterested. Wonwoo had seen her talking to some up-and-coming Instagram model as they were leaving the bar.

Seungkwan squints at Wonwoo for a moment, like he thinks he’s playing dumb, but doesn’t press the issue. “Never mind.” He checks his phone and gets up. “Good night, hyung.”

“Mhm,” Wonwoo hums, picking up the last piece of seaweed and wrapping it around a big bite of noodles to finish the bowl. He wipes his mouth with the napkin, not noticing that the corner is translucent and damp with oil until it smears unpleasantly against his skin.

//

Once, Jeonghan told a girl that Wonwoo was a medical student at Seoul National. Which was ridiculous, because they were at a bar on a Wednesday evening on the south side of the Han River. The girl turned out to work in billings at a hospital in the area, and Wonwoo had stammered something about cardiology before coming up with a terrible excuse about a friend needing help moving at 9PM to leave the conversation abruptly.

Another time, Jeonghan introduced himself as Wonwoo’s ex-boyfriend.

“Oh, it was ages ago,” the older said cheerily, nodding towards the man Wonwoo had been talking to. “College. Ancient history.” Wonwoo tried to turn his grimace into a grin.

“But you’re… friends now?” The man seemed — not entirely put off, but not completely unfazed, either.

“Well, of course.” Jeonghan clapped Wonwoo on the back. “Our Wonwoo here is just such a great guy. Smart, kind. Wrote me poems all the time, but he would never admit they were for me. He was too good for me, you know. Never would have worked. But I want him to be happy. Did you know he volunteers at a cat shelter?” He smiled that full-teeth smile.

“I love cats,” the man said, turning his attention back to Wonwoo. “Do you have any?”

“He has three,” Jeonghan replied before Wonwoo could. “Cherry, Ggumi, and Uju. Cute, right?”

The man’s face lit up. “Those are great names,” he said sincerely. “How old are they?”

“Thanks.” Wonwoo winced. “Um, four and two, and… seven months?” Jeonghan left the two of them to coo about kittens, finishing his drink, and another, at the bar.

Afterwards, Wonwoo let Jeonghan hold onto his arm as they made their way towards the train station.

“You got that guy’s number, right?”

Wonwoo nodded.

“Good. He was cute. Seems your type.” They reached the entrance to the station, and Wonwoo stood to the side to let people pass them.

“Hyung.” He paused, fidgeting. Jeonghan was looking past him, his face washed out by the bright storefronts. His unwound scarf was dangling uselessly around his neck despite the chill.

Wonwoo sighed. “You know I only have two cats, right?”

Jeonghan laughed. “But wouldn’t it be cute if you got a new kitten?” He poked Wonwoo in the chest. “You’ll need to, if he ever comes over.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and started down the steps towards the warmth of subway station. “Yeah. I guess so.”

//

“Wonwoo-ya, hyung’s coming down with a cold,” Jeonghan sniffles dramatically as he comes in from the foyer.

“There’s ramen in the pantry,” Wonwoo responds from where he’s lying on the couch, watching a video on his phone. Jeonghan peers into the cabinet to find a single pack of dried pollack and two bowls of microwave rice.

“I’m sure your mother didn’t raise you to be such a terrible host.” Jeonghan pulls up a delivery app and types in the name of a juk restaurant in the neighborhood.

Wonwoo puts away his phone and pulls himself into a seated position. “We haven’t had guests over in a while. By the way,” he raises his voice slightly, “where were you last night? We called you to come out for drinks after you got off work.”

“I had a date,” Jeonghan says, grinning mischievously. “I met someone at the flower shop a few days ago —“

“Seokmin told me he saw you eating alone at a restaurant near Yongsan station.”

The moment is incredibly untriumphant.

Jeonghan looks up from his phone. “It’s not like you to reveal your hand so quickly,” he comments.

Wonwoo pulls his sleeves down, willing away a sheepish expression. “I just wanted to see what you’d say first.”

“It’s also not like you to give up a chance to gloat.” Jeonghan pauses, but there’s no rebuttal. Wonwoo’s nose twitches. He looks to the side. “Anyway,” Jeonghan continues indifferently, “if you’d let me finish, I was going to say that I got stood up. But I went all the way there, so I figured I might as well get a good meal out of it.”

“Oh.” Wonwoo adjusts the frame of his glasses hesitatingly. “Uh, sorry, hyung. That’s shitty.”

Jeonghan shrugs. “If it can happen to someone as good-looking as me,” he says, brandishing the phone towards the living room. “You better watch out, Wonwoo-ya.”

Wonwoo huffs a sharp laugh.

“How were drinks, then?” The default address in the delivery app is already set to Wonwoo’s apartment. Jeonghan orders enough to guarantee that there will be leftovers after they’re both done eating.

“Eh.”

“Anything interesting happen?”

There's an unanswered message in Wonwoo’s KakaoTalk, an invitation to dinner and a movie on Friday night. He's only ever been good at lying by omission.

“Nah. Would've been better if you were there.”

Jeonghan confirms the order and levels him with an amused look. “Do you really mean that, Jeon Wonwoo?”

60% is more than half, but it's hardly a reassuring statistic.

Wonwoo’s covered fingers curl into his palms as he nods. “Of course, hyung.”

Re: [FILL] letters from medea

[wonwoo420]

AAHHHHH THANK YOU!!! i think it's one of the first few lines i've written and it was based on his hit the road ep it was sooooooo seokmin of him...... i felt it ....

Re: [FILL] heliotropism

[seasignals]

thank you for leaving such a thoughtful comment :''') i'm so glad you enjoyed it, and i loved seeing your thoughts!

(i'm afraid i don't have any specific jihan backstory lore here... jeonghan would genuinely rather be taking a nap at home, so he's being a nuisance. there's probably something else happening beyond that but i wasn't really thinking about it.)

Re: [FILL] heliotropism

[seasignals]

i'm glad you enjoyed it! and i'm glad that sometimes my compulsive need to include subplots even in tiny drabbles ends up working.