this blog is a dependent mumu blog for shrikehq.
fan xiao: bio
choi jiwon: bio
lee jin-seong: bio
neptune waxwing: bio

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
occasionally subtle
No title available

Kiana Khansmith
NASA
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
Not today Justin
i don't do bad sauce passes
almost home
Cosmic Funnies
Xuebing Du
Misplaced Lens Cap

izzy's playlists!
noise dept.
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸

blake kathryn

Product Placement
Show & Tell
No title available
Three Goblin Art

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Thailand
seen from United States
seen from Thailand

seen from Germany

seen from Indonesia

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Brunei
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from Guernsey
@berserkrs
this blog is a dependent mumu blog for shrikehq.
fan xiao: bio
choi jiwon: bio
lee jin-seong: bio
neptune waxwing: bio
F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994–2004) S06E06 | The One On The Last Night
despite the fact that he'd been living here for awhile and despite the fact that he already had a close circle of friends, they were still always interested in making more. mainly because as a kid, they never had any. though that changed after meeting jack. a soft smile spilled onto pink lips, gesturing toward the open chair, "be my guest. honestly, i'd be grateful for the company." sometimes their anxiety was less loud when there was someone in front of them. unless it was someone who their anxiety was fixated on. xiao seemed like a calm presence and rory's nerves were grateful. "well a little bit of everything. we have pizza, chinese food, mongolian bbq, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches, mexican food and some kind of salad? i don't know. i don't trust mall salad to be healthy." they admitted with a chuckle, offering them a plastic enclosed set of utensils, "thanks for joining me! i'm rory."
An amused smile tugged at her mouth, red from the rouge she wore only when spending time with her mother. It was a Christmas present. Even though her mother was the bane of her existence, a part of her still craved her approval the way she had when she was a young girl. It was nice to meet another foodie; at least, she assumed that was what he was considering the feast laid out in front of him.
"You really went all out," She complimented warmly, taking a seat on the other side of the table. "The only question is where to start." The comment about mall salad made her chuckle. "I can give you the inside scoop, the Olive Garden salad is pretty healthy, at least when I'm on shift. I'm not sure about otherwise, but I guess we'll find out. Where'd you get this one from?" She queried as she reached for a plastic fork, fishing herself a bite amongst the rucola leaves.
Rosario chuckled, "On the bright side, if you happen to be a shitty flirter in the sense that you're just awkward, some people find that sort of thing somewhat endearing." They thought it was humorous more than anything, but they were also drawn to people who radiated confidence in everything they did. "Nope. My family's sort of from all over so meeting everyone is sort of a big ask." She shrugged her shoulders, making up some excuse rather than getting into all the personal complications of her family. They smiled as his grandmother was mentioned again, "I would've driven my grandma crazy if that's what she told me, constantly asking her to make it make sense. You two close?"
They didn't live in Shrikes long before the mall and all the changes it brought with it came about, but all the changes were extreme enough that even they could pick up on them. "Not even just that, but all the other changes people have had to make to feel a little safer. I can't remember the last time I closed where everyone wasn't moving in a group to the parking lot, or the last time I saw someone out for a late night walk to enjoy a cool summer night." Sometimes it felt like the residents here were stuck in a place where they couldn't live their lives to the fullest because of all the fear that hung over them. "That's the thing, if it is somehow connected and not the biggest and weirdest coincidence, I have no idea how." None of it made a bit of sense when they spent brief moments pondering it. "It's just strange that as soon as this place opened the whole town turned into one prolonged slasher flick."
The boy shrugged his broad shoulders, considering her words for a moment. He supposed it was possible, but the last thing he wanted someone to think when they looked at him was that he was endearing. It made him feel like a kid. "This is gonna sound really shitty, but I just let my physicality do the talking for me since I uh, suck at words." It did not bother him too much that he was terrible at all matters related to wit since it did not pose an issue when it came to getting attention or making friends. Maybe it would have bothered him more if his lack of verbal charm stood in the way of those things. "My memaw and I are really close. She raised me basically, after my parents... you know. That woman is everything to me." It was said with an easy smile, not worried how it might sound that he loved his grandmother that dearly. She was his only family after all.
Of course, lately she had been less herself and more a husk of the grandmother he used to know. But, he loved her all the same. It was difficult not to be devoted to the one person who stuck with him through everything when it would have been easy to discard him.
Due to his stature and his physical strength, Jin-seong couldn't quite relate to the feeling of needing to be around others to be safe. If he came face to face with a killer and was bested, then a part of him considered that his own fault for not being strong enough. His strength was all he had, after all. It did make him feel bad that others lived with that fear though. "You're right. I didn't think about it." It was true, he hadn't, not because he lacked empathy, but because he did not think much of anything. "I wish there were a way to help. I don't know why the cops aren't doing more." He reached up to scratch under his jawline where some stubble was beginning to irritate his skin. "I definitely think the mall is connected in some way, even if it sounds like crazy talk."
@shrikestart where: in front of the mall time: 8:00 am
It was strawberry season and Jiwon was homesick. It was difficult not to think of home, his family's strawberry farm, childhood memories of picking the very best strawberries for his grandmother, nights spent sneaking boys there where his parents wouldn't think to check. Life was easier in Shrike in many ways. After all, he was around his best friend in the universe and was able to openly be himself, a privilege he did not take for granted. Still, it was difficult not to miss his family at all, especially since it had been a while since their schedules had aligned well enough for his phone call home to not go unanswered. He thought of his mother and worried that she was getting too old to do the field work the way she used to. It was difficult not to feel selfish, like a bad son. Although he was his parents' most precious person, and they told him so often, he knew things about himself that she didn't. Things that would cast doubt on the reverence she held for him. The day had started ordinarily enough, no different than the day before or the one before that. The only difference was his lack of focus had led him to take an ungraceful tumble in front of the mall, just barely breaking his fall and making a mess of things. The yakult he had been holding was on the ground too, its pink contents spilled across the asphalt, his jeans partially soaked, and his knees scraped strawberry red where the denim had ripped against the ground. Like a child, he wanted his mother in that moment. Not for any particular reason other than the fact he missed her desperately anyway and he just knew how much she would have fussed over him if she were here. He didn't know how long he'd been there, just surrendering on the ground, but he grew self conscious when he saw a shadow casting over the sunlit ground. Turning to the person walking by him, he gingerly said, "Nothing to see here. Just a bit of a strawberry-related disaster."
Mingyu could feel his cheeks heating up slightly. How was it that he hadn't considered that detail? "Uh, I haven't. But that doesn't mean I can't." He tried to sound more confident than he really was - hitting on a guy couldn't be too hard, right? As long as it didn't put him in any awkward situations. The blond wasn't one to back down from a challenge, however. Though it seemed that maybe he didn't have to take one on, as Jiwon came up with a different suggestion. "English?" He echoed, not particularly seeing anything wrong with Jiwon's current knowledge, though perhaps that was because he wasn't that advanced himself. Still, he figured he had a couple more years of experience speaking the language and being as talkative as he was, this meant that he'd learned very fast.
"I can do that, sure. As much as I know, anyway. We could talk about specific subjects you maybe want to have easier conversations about with people." He shrugged and watched as the other worked their magic with the vending machine, briefly waiting for Jiwon to get the items, before realizing that he was expected to do so. While he debated being stubborn about it, he also didn't want to seem ungrateful to someone who had just helped him out, so he reluctantly crouched back down to grab their drinks and handed Jiwon his. "Want me to open it for you, too?"
Mingyu's willingness to attempt flirting with a guy on his behalf drew a soft giggle out of him. It was cute how determined he had suddenly seemed. "Of course you can, gwiyeomi. I am sorry for saying otherwise." He was sorry, but that did not change the fact he was still more confident in his own skills in seducing a man than the blond's. They didn't know each other especially well, only mingling at work for the most part, but Jiwon rated his own confidence above most people's.
They nodded in response. "Mm. English," They affirmed. "To be honest, I find myself mostly making friends with people who speak Korean so I can default back to it when I need to. I won't learn that way, will I?"
A wry smile tugged at his mouth. "It's okay. I can handle this much," He said, slender fingers making work of the top of the can and pulling it open. "So we're on? For English lessons?"
Mingyu puffed up his cheeks in disappointment. It seemed like he was going to have to step up his game and he was starting to wonder if the drink was really worth it at this point. "It's less than a dollar." He muttered, now mostly torn between holding on to his pride and not seeming like he was simply wasting Jiwon's time. "You know I work at Starstrike on the weekends, late shifts already suck." He then whined. Mingyu already tried to avoid having to come in for night shifts at the cafe after hours of being bored out of his mind at the bowling alley. The last thing he wanted to do was clean. "I could, like, be a wingman or something," He offered, keeping the conversation private by switching over to Korean. "Or cover for one of your shifts some time?"
Jiwon sighed exaggeratedly, his free hand coming up to rub his neck. "I don't know if I trust your game enough to wingman for me. Have you ever hit on a man?" It was said with a pointed look. In fairness, Jiwon hardly needed help in that environment. If one was eager enough and easy on the eyes, most men were down for at least a casual encounter, and that was all the brunet was really looking for anyway. Love was for people who weren't as busy and didn't need to juggle multiple jobs to sustain both himself and send money home to the parents that raised him. That was what they believed, anyway. Then, swapping to Korean, they said, "What about English tutoring?" It was no secret that the boy occasionally struggled with conversation beyond the very basics. It was worth a shot. In the meantime, they put their own dollar in, selecting the item above Mingyu's and watching as it processed, knocking down the stuck item as well as his own. He made no move to grab either of them.
they say never go back to what hurt you... but what if, I hurt myself, then, where do I go?
~ pia / wedarkacademia
it was hard for hedwig to trust xiao with the care of his hands ; it wasn’t that he simply didn’t trust her , as even though he struggled to trust anybody , the trust he had in xiao was enough for him to grow comfortable with their living arrangements , which was no easy feat . the issue with trusting her with his hands in particular was the fault of the two large scars that ran across his palms ; proof of the attack he had endured at the last end of summer carnival . the attack was no secret between the roommates , nor was hedwig's experience or his injuries - though he hadn't told many people many details - but regardless , it was hard to be so vulnerable with another person . thankfully , showing vulnerability was something that hedwig had learnt how to do better now than ever before , so there he sat , extending his injured hands to the girl , scars facing up unashamedly .
" thanks , " he spoke as she sat down beside him . " exactly ; not that i'm proud of what i did to my poor fingers , not that i condone it , but i know once these heal they'll be stronger than ever . " it was the typical process of an extremely dedicated guitarist . " got it , " he told her with a nod and a smile at the warning of the stinging ; it was something hedwig was used to - having dealt with injuries frequently over the span of his entire life - but he still appreciated the warning and the gentleness very much . as xiao began her treatment , hedwig relaxed a little more ; he wasn't used to other's caring for him , so he always forgot that it hurt a lot less when someone else was in control , especially when they were trying to be careful . " i don't know what i'd do without music , " he admitted , meaning career wise , but unintentionally alluding to the truth that he wasn't sure that he could have survived without music . " it's also something i've gotten used to , though . the pain that comes with callouses and cracked skin and the brutality of new strings on an electric guitar . "
hedwig's reservations when it came to showing vulnerability were not new to her, nor did they particularly bother her. after all, her roommate had been through a lot, even just in the past year alone. the fact that he trusted her enough to give her the opportunity to care for him when he did need care was not something she took lightly. in the absence of having a nurturing mother of her own, the girl had developed overtuned motherly instincts, wanting to give as much of the excess and overflowing love she had within her to other people. it manifested in the way she showed her love, through caring for others, cleaning, cooking and the sort of things mothers did for their children.
"hmm, you're right," she agreed. his hands would grow stronger from this, the way all people became stronger after getting hurt. it didn't make getting hurt any easier, but it did soften the impact of future blows. "you'll have the strongest hands in the west in no time, and the nothing can hurt you." she continued to work delicately on his hands, especially gentle on the areas around his scars, but dutiful until she was done, signalling by reaching for the first-aid kit and organising the inside of it instead. it needed to be just as neat as when she had opened it. "you won't ever need to find out what to do without music, since it lives inside of you at this point, don't you think?" she mused. she felt the same way about her own craft, although she didn't vocalise that. being able to cook was the best part of each day. "how did you get into music anyhow?"
Ben had inferred that the other wasn't a natural born local with the accent he had, but hearing his explanation of being new to the town and how much bigger everything seemed only confirmed it. "It's a pretty big mall for such a small town, wouldn't you think?" he mused. The mall seemed to attract a big enough crowd, though, and with the number of floors and the stores on them, it was no wonder anyone could get lost. "Have you ever been to Texas?" he asked jokingly. He waited to see if Neptune got the subtle joke. "Everything's bigger there. At least, that's the saying, right?" he mused.
"It's nice to meet you, Neptune. I'm Ben Park, one of the therapists here, but most people call me Doctor Ben," he said. "Perkin's Pharmacy and Clinic is on the ground floor." He gestured to the escalators nearby and started walking towards them so they could go down to the ground floor. "What brings you all the way here, if I can be a little nosy?" he asked, just trying to make casual conversation on the way there.
Neptune was not sure how big malls tended to be. They were an entirely foreign concept to him. It was a very small town, though, so maybe that was a fair statement. "Oh, I don't know," He said breathily, twisting his mouth. "I just know the mall feels like a city in of itself, so I s'pose it is a wee bit bigger than I expected." At the question about Texas, he shook his head no. He had never heard the saying either. Confused, he questioned, "Everything?"
It was Neptune's first time meeting a therapist, now that he thought about it. None of his parents' scholarly friends happened to specialise in psychiatry and that was really the only way he might have met someone of a more refined background, the people he hung around with otherwise being aimless artists just like himself. "It's nice to meet you, Doctor Ben," He said with a wide smile. "Well I...I suppose you could say my life blew up, and isn't the best thing to do to build a brand new one, when that happens? I thought I might as well go big and travel somewhere new while I was at it."
⌗ 𝖻𝖾𝗈𝗆𝗀𝗒𝗎 ' ﹙𝑡𝑥𝑡﹚ ⊹
urdamage:
“ thank you . i will hold you to that , ” he told them , though the truth was that even if duckie had wanted to , it didn’t feel likely that he would have the capacity to considering how extremely out of sorts he was . thankfully seeing jiwon in a nurse outfit was far from something that really mattered all that much , especially not right now when things had been put into perspective for him in such a brutal way . “ hmm , ” he acted apprehensive , as if he had even believed in the healing powers of jiwon’s face at all . duckie wasn’t a very hopeful person - hopeful wouldn’t at all be the right word to describe him , actually , but in a moment such as the one he found himself in then , beaten , broken , stuck to the confines of a hospital bed , playing around a little - particularly in order to distract from the seriousness of the situation he was in - it was doing him no harm .
“ i don’t want to hear what i think of myself , ” he argued , though there was an ounce of jest in his tone . he wasn’t genuinely fighting jiwon , or trying to be combative ; he was only playing around in order to further distract them both from the severe trauma he had been through , and playing around for duckie so often came out in that combative sort of way regardless of his intentions . though he couldn’t think too much about it in the state he was in , he hoped that he did enough - or that the situation they were in - was enough for jiwon to know the intentions behind the words he said . “ i wanted to just hear that you think i’m beautiful , ” duckie even went as far as to laugh softly at his own words , at his strange demands , demands that didn’t really need to be fulfilled , but that were all part of his attempt at presenting in far better condition than he really was in . “ vitamin d ? d for duk-soo ? ” he spoke in english for a rare moment , as if to exaggerate the amusement of the other’s words .
while it might have been funny to jiwon to think of duckie having his admirers , it was a reality that duckie lived . he could be a bad person in his ways , but the duckie that he presented to most people was nothing short of completely charming ; duckie cared to get what he wanted , and he hadn’t gotten away with his life of crime for so long because he allowed himself to be seen as somebody who was suspect . hardly anyone in shrike heights even knew about his untowards history , or his uncouth tendencies , but he had had many partners who believed him to have at least at one point been completely charming and desirable . after all , duckie wasn’t in the mall to work when his attack begun , he was there to see rune . “ well , you could always look in a mirror . ”
“ you can even be my best friend , if it makes you feel any better , ” his words were once again playful , and so contrasting to how duckie really felt . he knew jiwon already had a best friend , and guessed that he wouldn’t have wanted duckie to be his best friend even if he didn’t have hoseok , but duckie - as usual - was prepared to say whatever he needed to get what he wanted more easily . it wasn’t meant as deception as much as it was meant to be flattery to make jiwon feel better about helping him . “ i don’t know what i want exactly , ” his mind wasn’t with it enough for him to make any real decision , with all of his energy going towards making himself feel better about the situation he was in . “ but i trust your judgement . as long as it really is super yummy , i’m sure it will be fine . ”
with the matter of the nurse outfit laid to collect dust on a shelf until another day, jiwon felt the need to find some other charming and distracting thing to pivot to. everyone's emotional needs were different. if this had been hoseok, the approach would have had to be entirely different. his blood ran cold at the idea of it ever being hoseok in this situation. that was something that could never be allowed to happen. he cupped his own face, eyes wide and bright like a disney heroine. "believe in the process. it'll work. it may take a few business days, that's all."
despite the other's tougher than nails, too-cool-for-school attitude he often wore, jiwon never felt confronted by the way duk-soo spoke. instead of coming across seriously argumentative, it was cute in the same way a small, harmless thing could be; like a kitten pawing its owner across their forearm. the brunet doubted that it was truly a priority for duckie to hear that he thought he was beautiful, not when he had bigger things to worry about, but it was an easy request to fulfil. with perfect sincerity, they said, "well, i think you're very beautiful, duk-soo-yah. my grandmother would say the heavens took extra time making you." the wry smile he'd had on his face split into a wider grin when he heard duckie echo his terrible vitamin d joke, laughing softly at how ridiculous it sounded repeated back at him.
though he preened a little at the reminder he was pretty, he refused to take the bait of focusing on that. "i do look at the mirror. this perfect skin doesn't come with no work, you know," he drawled. then quieter and perhaps a touch more serious than he had seemed during the entire encounter, he murmured, trembling fingers twisting into the hem of his sweater. "so you have to get better. i hate saying it, but my pretty face just isn't enough. i need to see yours, too."
his eyebrows lifted slightly at the playful offer to be best friends. "wow, you must really not want to eat this food to offer me such a high honour." they thought about it for a moment, thinking of their mother back in busan and what she would have made him in this situation. his mouth twisted to one side thoughtfully. "okay, you got it, duckie. i'll come back with lots and lots of yummy food for you."
"hey um! would you perhaps be interested in joining me?" cheeks were beat red, standing out all too well against pale flesh, "i was supposed to be meeting some guy but it appears as though he's stood me up. i uh, kinda anxiety ordered." rory said with a chuckle, gesturing toward the plethora of food that took up not one but TWO tables, "and got something from each place. way too much food." irish accent was thick with every word despite the fact that they've lived in shrike heights since the age of twelve. while you could take the lad out of ireland, you could never take the ireland out of the lad. "does a food court feast strike your fancy?"
@shrikestart
The last thing Xiao wanted to do on her days off was go to the mall; she had made that much clear to her mother. However, her mother was not one to take no for an answer, nor let anything go by without judgement. That would be too easy, too affectionate. Instead, everything simply had to be drawn out and painful for absolutely no reason. So, she found herself at the mall against her best wishes, and it was every bit as draining an experience as she thought it would be. Not because of the building itself, but her company.
After they parted ways, she'd made her way to the food court in order to eat something that would make herself feel better, though she was still debating exactly what that was when she heard a person speak to her in an unfamiliar accent. "Oh," Soft brown eyes lowered to the feast in question, her hand idle on the strap of the tote she wore around her shoulder. "Well.. Sure. I'll join you. What's on the menu?"
𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: the black cat 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: open @shrikestart
—— it was technically drew's time off, but they liked the atmosphere that their work had, and they hadn't really made too many friends to justify going out — so sometimes they would come in and sit behind the counter, entertaining whoever was on the shift after theirs. other times, when they were especially bored, they would grab one of the tarot decks from the shelves and give impromptu readings that made absolutely no sense. but customers seemed to like it enough. it was on the house, they said, as if they had the right to charge for services they offered without having any expertise whatsoever. "hey, want a reading?" they decided to ask upon seeing a face in their peripheral, fanning out the cards and offering an impish grin. it was an older deck, released seven or so years prior, but it was still stunning. "free of charge. unless you're keen on buying me some ice cream if it goes well."
Neptune was unapologetically keen on alternative fashion. There was something about art that threw itself wholeheartedly into an idea that really appealed to him. Black Cat had no hesitation in any of its items or offerings, fully leaning into the gothic, witchy vibe it was trying to portray. It was like stepping into the world of Edgar Allan Poe. Of ravens and morose prose. Then, what really sold the idea was that there was a person ready to tell Neptune's fortune. How cute! "Oh, I'd love one," It was said with a giant smile, the pure sunshine of it pouring out from the edges of his mouth. "And I'll buy you ice cream either way. How's that? You're not responsible for my bad luck, after all."
Much to Mingyu's frustration and embarrassment, he could feel a deep blush creep up his cheeks. Having been co-workers with Jiwon for a couple of months now, he felt like he should be used to being caught off guard like this, but unfortunately for him, this was not the case. Perhaps his aggressive attempts to friendzone Jiwon were kind of backfiring or he was being delusional to think that the other was trying to hit on him in the first place, but he struggled to fully make sense of it. "I- I'll take over for you whenever that old lady comes in. The one who only comes in for coffee when we're working so she can pretend not to understand us for twenty whole minutes, even though her total is always the exact same? That one."
The brunet pretended to consider it for a moment. Certainly, the old lady was clearly giving them a rough time for a reason he did not really understand. At the same time, he was sure he could get something better out of his coworker if he just pushed some more. "I love old ladies though. They're so cute. I think you can do better, Minnie." While he spoke, he reached into his pocket for his wallet, fishing out a dollar and stepping in front of the vending machine. "What about cleanup after weekend shifts?"
"You spent all that time saving up to live with your best friend?" Aaron echoed, for once feeling quite speechless. It didn't happen often that he was at a loss for words, but the concept of having such a strong friendship was foreign to him. Then again, he had never had the time or chance to build a close connection like that. Though it was tempting to be envious, they found it more admirable than anything else. "So I have your friend to thank for being able to meet you? Because the chances of me ever going to Busan would have been very small. Especially since I barely even speak the language anymore." It would have been embarrassing to admit if it didn't make sense for someone who had only spoken their first language for a couple of years as a child.
When they were asked if they offered their services to all of their customers, Aaron couldn't help but smirk knowingly. "Well, it wouldn't be very professional of me to show favoritism to the pretty ones." He started off, though the mischievous glimmer in his eyes told a different story. "Actually, this is my first time offering service at home. Just wanted to show my dedication to ensure you'll be a very happy customer." He licked his lips. "How come you asked, darling? Have I not made you feel special enough?"
Jiwon shrugged at the question, as though the answer spoke for itself. It seemed normal to him that friendship should be valued at least that much. It could be a cold and unforgiving world; it was important to hold onto your people with as much strength as possible. When Hoseok left Korea, it felt for a moment like nothing would ever be the same again. How did one go on without their soulmate? The only person who would always understand them, no matter what. "Busan is a beautiful place. You should visit sometime if you can. It's by the sea." It was said with a wan smile. "But I suppose you're right. Hoseok is the reason we could meet today."
A soft chuckle bubbled past his lips. It wasn't exactly professional to offer those services to any customers, regardless of their visual appeal, but Jiwon wasn't going to call him out when he was a happy participant. "You caught me. I have a bottomless need for positive affirmation and was fishing for you to tell me you find me attractive." It was said with a soft laugh. "Since it's your first time offering, it would be remiss of me to decline. I'm honoured to be your first."