I first scanned this fic when I was doing 17hols admin and immediately I was just stunned with those 'oh, oh oh' feelings. I feel so immensely blessed you wrote this, it is truly something that only seems to exist in short fiction and would be too wasted in a longer fic bc I would just skim over it to get to plot. But like this, I read and reread and bookmark to revisit because I know I will think about this.
I love it because it writes out a particular moment so well, when there's a bump in Seungkwan and Vernon's relationship and everyone is high-strung and sensitive but outwardly calm. I really felt Vernon's discomfort, especially the specific feeling of not really wanting to be at a party (the vibes are off). It feels a little bit like a liminal space, like you're watching a renaissance painting in motion and everything else is part of the composition and you're just the observer. Hansol wanting to leave (He wishes Mingyu had a cat he could follow out into the hallway), Joshua checking on him in english, Jihan having a conversation in the kitchen, Jeonghan looking at his phone when Seungkwan comes out to chat. Those were small details but it made it feel so real for me.
And then the characterisation shining through ("He doesn’t like the possibility that he’s been the possessive type all along" -- so good. party loud but thoughts louder), and most of all, Jeonghan being empathetic and caring (but the insinuation that something is off for him too and he also wants to go -- if you don't mind sharing I would love to hear any headcanons about "[Jisoo] looks a little relieved to have something to distract him when he notices Hansol"). I smell a backstory. +++ seungkwan being so nosily concerned about vernon smoking and jeonghan's supplements. but it feels like he's filling space with the latter and with the former... a possessive kind of interaction. like reclaiming their previous dynamic, or enjoying the opportunity to nag again. super interesting. And of course as a triangulation lover I'm obsessed with Seungkwan thinking Vernon is leaving with Jeonghan LIKE THAT and Vernon recognising and being mortified. "something complicated passing his face that Hansol probably couldn’t parse even if he were stone cold sober." SEUNGKWAN I READ YOU!!! (tl;dr so many characterisation points were weaved in subtly and I am in awe)
Thank you so much for writing this and for stopping by 17hols *___* would love to read more from you!!
(Also not the line 'everyone turning towards a small sun' and the title being heliotropism aka sunflower syndrome. brb superimposing metaphors and manifesting verkwan dynamics)
Re: [FILL] heliotropism
I love it because it writes out a particular moment so well, when there's a bump in Seungkwan and Vernon's relationship and everyone is high-strung and sensitive but outwardly calm. I really felt Vernon's discomfort, especially the specific feeling of not really wanting to be at a party (the vibes are off). It feels a little bit like a liminal space, like you're watching a renaissance painting in motion and everything else is part of the composition and you're just the observer. Hansol wanting to leave (He wishes Mingyu had a cat he could follow out into the hallway), Joshua checking on him in english, Jihan having a conversation in the kitchen, Jeonghan looking at his phone when Seungkwan comes out to chat. Those were small details but it made it feel so real for me.
And then the characterisation shining through ("He doesn’t like the possibility that he’s been the possessive type all along" -- so good. party loud but thoughts louder), and most of all, Jeonghan being empathetic and caring (but the insinuation that something is off for him too and he also wants to go -- if you don't mind sharing I would love to hear any headcanons about "[Jisoo] looks a little relieved to have something to distract him when he notices Hansol"). I smell a backstory.
+++ seungkwan being so nosily concerned about vernon smoking and jeonghan's supplements. but it feels like he's filling space with the latter and with the former... a possessive kind of interaction. like reclaiming their previous dynamic, or enjoying the opportunity to nag again. super interesting. And of course as a triangulation lover I'm obsessed with Seungkwan thinking Vernon is leaving with Jeonghan LIKE THAT and Vernon recognising and being mortified. "something complicated passing his face that Hansol probably couldn’t parse even if he were stone cold sober." SEUNGKWAN I READ YOU!!! (tl;dr so many characterisation points were weaved in subtly and I am in awe)
Thank you so much for writing this and for stopping by 17hols *___* would love to read more from you!!
(Also not the line 'everyone turning towards a small sun' and the title being heliotropism aka sunflower syndrome. brb superimposing metaphors and manifesting verkwan dynamics)