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@bexnatsuki
✧˚ · . Important links + Tracker
note: my messages on tumblr still don't work so plotting can only be done via discord (rip).
profile. | bio. | plots/connections.
bexnatsuki
TW: alcohol, drinking
feeling around the floor for her purse, natsuki looks like a lost puppy until the stranger points to the bartender. dramatically, she cups her hand over her eyes as if looking far off into the distance (when really, the bartender was literally right there) and she immediately claps her hands together joyfully. "yes, that's it! oh my god, you're my hero." she giggles childishly, finally getting off the floor with the other's help. thanking the bartender profusely, acting as if he had just ascended down from heaven himself as she giggled and clung onto the edge of the bar, stumbling trying to regain her balance. natsuki frowns when she realises that the barstool she was just sitting on was now tipped over sideways laying on the floor. "oh no, it fell over!" her tone is almost childlike as her lips form a pout and bends down to put the stool back upright, only to collapse once more into a heap, another bright laugh spilling past her lips. looking up at the stranger with an expression akin to a toddler getting caught with their hand in a cookie jar, she gives him a sheepish grin and giggles once more. "oops, could you help me up again?" she asks, grin growing into a fully fledged smile as a hand reaches out towards him.
TW: mentions of alcohol and drinking
noel had become better at drinking alcohol. there was a time after a few beers he’d turn into the worlds biggest idiot, jumping into the beach either fully clothed or with no clothes at all, running into trees and falling everywhere he went. now to get to that point he needed far more alcohol, though he refused to get that drunk today, not when he was alone. his cheeks are red from the alcohol, he can feel that, and his steps aren’t completely sure, but he still seems more sober than the stranger falling around.
“i’ll get it for you” though before he’s even managed to get up the stool, the stranger has managed to fall again. he gives a sigh, “i’m gonna get me my last drink and then i’m taking you home”. “a shot of anything please” he tells the bartender before reaching out his arm to once again help up the stranger. “my name is wook, and what’s yours?”. the shot glass comes, and noel downs it all.
“let’s get home”.
natsuki is still a mess on the floor trying to gather herself and stand back up when she sees an arm reach out to help her up and in a fit of giggles she reaches out and hoists herself up. "another drink? that's a great idea!" she perks up, practically bouncing in place like a kid getting ready to go on a ride at disneyland.
when she hears the strangers name, she tilts her head in confusion akin to a puppy and raises an eyebrow. "wook? that would make your nicknmae wookie, that's so cute!" she replies enthusiastically as she is led out the bar by the stranger.
"mm home? what if i don't want to go home...unless you're saying that we're going to your house then oh my god sure let's go!" natsuki claps her hands together excitedly, another laugh tumbling out of her mouth. to say that she was a lot more loopy when alcohol entered her system was an understatement. she wasn't really much of a drinker, but when she did get drunk, she would either be a horny, depressed or loopy and happy to the point of reverting back to childlike innocence...which is what happened to be the effect it seemed to have on her right now.
he almost feels bad for lying, especially when it's not as fun as he thought it would be. sure, he technically didn't say anything false but he wasn't really expecting the girl to chatter away about her own travels and experiences in a new country. alex realizes that he should probably tell her the truth; he'll only look like more of an ass if he lets the lie go on longer. he does, however, stop to grin and bask in the compliment as she calls him handsome. he knows, objectively, he's a good looking guy. not that he's trying to take advantage of that, but, well, it helps.
"either's fine for me," he decides to explain properly in his answer about english or korean. "actually, i was being misleading on purpose. i did just come from canada and i grew up there but i've actually lived here in korea for a few years now. my parents were from here, so," he shrugs, "when i moved here for school and a job i had plenty of extended family around. i mean, i wasn't totally fluent in korean when i first got here, but at least i didn't accidentally say penis. i said it on purpose." alex laughs, though he belatedly wonders how the stranger will take his humor. he's so used to joking around with guys, making dick jokes and the like, that he almost forgets that girls aren't always as in on that genre of joke. maybe nayoung... well, nayoung doesn't really count as a girl in alex's opinion.
it certainly sounds like his new friend is a woman of many talents, perhaps being exploited by her willingness to work with animals and her obvious passion for the creatures here. "you should ask for a raise," he points out, "people pay big bucks for a good trainer and you seem to know what you're talking about. it's highway robbery if your boss is just paying you to be a barista when you're doing so much more for his business with the work you do with the dogs." not that alex is the one complaining; he gets to enjoy the company of mochi and the other pets regardless. he just can't help but call out an unfair situation even when it's really none of his business.
alex fusses with the puppy's ears, making little sound effects as he rubs them this way and that, cooing as the pup leans heavily into his knuckles as he scratches at the base. cute. it's certainly affectionate for a shiba, likely well socialized by the sheer nature of growing up in the cafe with so many people coming and going. "he's adorable," alex remarks aloud again. it's tempting to bring the pup home with him. there's just one little catch...
"shibas shed a lot too though, don't they? my boyfriend would kill me if i brought home a dog that would get everything dirty and furry all the time."
alex knows the state of the culture in south korea. he's been immersed in it long enough that he knows that two men or two women in a relationship aren't nearly as accepted as they are back home in canada. he's normally somewhat tight-lipped about his relationship, if only for his own safety. even with trusted friends, it's not the kind of information he wants broadcasted. plus, there's the complication of sarang and ren's careers; they're too publicly known for alex to go around saying dumb things about them. there's something about this girl though, something that makes alex feel like he can trust her to be normal (in his definition of the word) about the information he just shared with her. maybe it's a sense of kinship from both being foreigners in a sense, maybe it's just the brightness of her personality. regardless, his decision has already been made.
"oh, yeah, i was going to grab something but i got... distracted. mochi here isn't very good at keeping me on-task," he jokes, fussing with the pup affectionately once more. "do you have any specials today?"
"i'm alex, by the way." it's a little late into the conversation for introductions but still better now than never. alex can see himself walking out of this place without ever knowing the woman's name if he's not deliberate about learning it.
when the stranger in front of her tells natsuki that he was lying about not being able to speak korean, all she can do is burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of his statement. what a weirdo. she thinks to herself as there really was no reason for him to lie, but maybe this was his way of playing a practical joke of some sort. who knows? it wasn't really any of her business. "you're silly, you didn't need to lie about that only to come clean about it later in the next sentence." she responds pointedly with a chuckle, rubbing mochi's belly who was happily sprawled out on the floor on his back, shaking one of his hind legs as his tail thumped rapidly against the wooden floor. another laugh escapes her lips when he makes a dick joke, this time more enthusiastic and she rolls her eyes. "wow, of course you did. why am i not surprised?" she asks sarcastically. although this was their first time meeting ever, she already felt comfortable enough to joke around with as he seemed like a pretty 'lax guy that was easy going.
"a raise? i never actually thought of that..." she repeats incredulously, and for a moment natsuki actually thinks about it. money wasn't exactly something she was desperate for as she was making a decent amount at the moment. sure, being a barista didn't pay her as much as her sponsors did, but she never actually wanted to work here for the money, it was the dogs that drew her in. she saw the time she spent with them as a reward or bonus for her serving and making drinks for people rather than it being extra work. "i don't think i do enough to deserve a raise-they're just simple tricks i'm sure anyone could do it! i'm flattered you think i know what i'm talking about though." she beams brightly, pride swirling in her chest at the fact that someone she just started talking to thought she was talented enough to be an actual dog trainer, which she definitely wasn't.
natsuki watches the man play with mochi, delighted at the sight in front of her when the stranger drops that he has a 'boyfriend' and her eyebrows raise slightly in surprise. not because he was in a relationship with a man, but because he boldly said it out loud....in korea, a country that was notorious for having traditional views and not being the most lgbtq+ friendly nation. however, more than anything she felt a little touched that he had felt comfortable enough to talk about his sexuality and relationship with her, especially when they had just met.
in order not to weird him out, natsuki refrains from asking any questions and instead hums in thought as she tries to remember all the facts she knew about shibas. after a brief pause, she continues "yeah they do shed quite a bit since they're double coated, especially during the spring and fall. however, shibas only really need to be brushed once or twice a month. just be careful around his tail!" her voice grew more excited at the prospect of mochi possibly finding a forever home, it was one of the reasons she loved her job and one of the things that would easily make her day. "another good thing about shibas is that they clean themselves a lot, so you don't have to give them a lot of baths. in fact, giving them too many is worse for them as it would mess with temperature regulation and skin. shibas may not be for everyone, especially first time dog-owners, however i think you'll do just fine since you've had a dog before right?" she probes, eyes shining with curiosity.
although she wanted mochi to find a home, natsuki wanted to make sure that this man actually knew how to take care of a dog and wasn't just looking to adopt one on a whim and beg to return him to the cafe or worse; re-home him irresponsibly to awful owners.
"well, since it's going to be cherry blossoms season we do have a few sakura themed drinks and desserts if you'd like to try them-my personal favourite is the sakura latte!" she flashes alex a genuine smile, her eyes forming little crescents when she responds with her own name "i'm natsuki, it's nice to meet you alex."
Vinyl released bonus track Obsessed.
pacemaker. feat. @bexnatsuki
the gym’s been getting better, lately. she hasn’t seen a glimpse of the asshole from the last few weeks. scared away, or just lost interest– but either way, sua’s pleased. it makes going to the gym no longer feeling like a chore or something she dreads. she’s even made more friends lately; with nayoung busy, and sua unable to pay for her time every visit to the gym, it’s been good for her.
natsuki’s been nice. she seems kind enough– and she games. which puts her already in a positive light to sua. her energy alone doesn’t make sua hesitate to head over the moment she catches a glance. she’s been making an effort to try and always have someone to stick to when she’s at the gym. makes for not being bothered by creeps or jerks who can’t catch a hint.
“hey,” she greets once she’s close enough, voice trailing off into a yawn as she smacks her hand over her mouth to cover it. still waking up, she rubs a knuckle at the corner of her eye, setting her bag down by a bench, plopping down to fix up her laces. “stardew kept me up all night,” she complains, though it’s not like she really regrets it either. she accomplished a lot in game, which means she’ll have more time to just enjoy the general vibe next time.
natsuki is someone that makes fast friends, a natural people person. although she had lost her spark a little after her parents passed, she eventually got it back and was mostly back to her old self. as an almost professional ballerina, it had become a habit for her to work out regularly or at the very least go outside for a light jog.
the gym was a place of solace for natsuki, a place where she could solely concentrate on working out, improving herself and put her mind on something that wasn't work or school. sure, video games were there to keep her content and entertained too, but the high she got after a good workout was something that she couldn't replicate with playing video games or her other numerous hobbies.
sua is someone that she found to quickly have bonded with over their shared love for all kinds of simulator games, including their most recent obsession: stardew valley. "hey!" natsuki greets the familiar face with a smile, her hair currently tied up in a high ponytail. her brows furrowed in concentration as she focused on finishing the last part of her set of sit ups. after finishing her final one, she let out an exhale of relief before getting up properly and taking a sip from her wateer bottle. "how far along in the game did you get? have you found anyone that you'd like to rizz up?" she asks playfully, an eyebrow raised with a smile as she dabs some of the sweat on her face off with a towel she brought.
zuhazana instagram update
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[240224] Le Sserafim Weverse Magazine Update
nanazana: !! TWITCH CHANNEL ANNOUNCEMENT !! as many of you may be aware, twitch korea has sadly shut down as of 27th february, thus ending an era of my content creation journey. however, this won't be the end of my gaming streams! i'll just be moving them to youtube instead. i'm excited for this new chapter and i thank everyone for all the support i've received on twitch over the years! i hope to keep giving you guys better and more content moving forward and continue growing my channel. see you on youtube and stay tuned for my next stream! 💕
a starter for @bexnatsuki ( scare factor )
if she had to pick the classic question of dogs or cats? yuji will, undoubtedly say cats without any hesitation. not that there’s anything wrong with dogs or that she dislikes them. she thinks they’re cute, would spend hours watching compilations online of dogs doing cute things, dumb things. and for the most part– small dogs aren’t her issues. some are roughly the same size of a cat, but then some are far bigger. with far bigger teeth, and some can be near her size if they stood on their hind legs. and even if the chances of something actually happening are far more on circumstance than being common, yuji finds that she’s just a little scared of dogs. or, just the larger ones.
but, the new year is all about making changes for yourself– adding goals and milestones for the years to develop and better yourself. yuji thinks this is a minor one– to confront a fear that doesn’t need to be. and if it doesn’t go too well, she’s sure she can head right out and never try again.
and once she’s inside the dog-cafe, it’s not as bad. there’s quite a number of them running around, and the ones that are larger are busy somewhere else. they look docile too, sweet, even. which helps ease the fear a bit. though yuji still finds herself hesitant to approach, lingering far too long by the doors, staring with a frown.
to say that natsuki was overwhelmed was an understatement. yes, she was used to working in a fast paced environment by now as it had been her third year working at the cafe. however today was particularly busy with it not only being a weekend, but also peak hour and there were at least 4 families and 3 different groups of people all crammed into the small cafe. this excited the dogs more as they were not only getting more attention than what they got during the week, but also more treats.
there was a long line of customers that were waiting in line to order (some more impatiently than others) to the point that natsuki's cheeks felt like they were going to snap if she smiled one more time. at last, the line had died down a bit and she was able to help deliver the appropriate orders to each table, an activity that gave her a bit of a breather as it didn't involve talking to too many people.
her eyes scan the crowded cafe, spotting one particular customer looking lost by the entrance. the woman seemed to be torn between coming in and making like a nut and bolting the hell out. 'what is she doing?' natsuki thinks to herself, making her way over to the woman that looked around her age. "hi, can i help you? is everything alright?" she asks, genuine concern in her eyes. "would you like to come in?"
his first thought upon being interrupted by a human being in a dog cafe is that she sounds like an excellent saleswoman. alex can't help but be amused, immediately likening her to the old car salesman meme as she boasts about the puppy he's fussing over and promising how well trained he is despite his young age. this baby can fit so many treats in 'em, he thinks, a smile splitting his lips and revealing a toothy grin. he keeps his thoughts to himself for now though, still sizing up the stranger and figuring out her sense of humor before he say something super stupid. his intentional stupidity has to be well-timed, of course.
"it is," he confirms, perhaps a little impressed at the sheer amount of hours this woman must work if she recognizes every single face that's ever come into the cafe. he plays up his own story a bit, exaggerating the truth as he relays it back to her: "honestly, i'm new to the neighborhood in general. i just got off a plane from canada the other day, so sorry if my korean is bad." he talks as if he's never been in the country before, as if he didn't live here for years before visiting his mother back home for a few months. he lies for fun, for his own entertainment, and to see how the people around him react. thankfully, his fibs are harmless enough in the grand scheme of things.
he should have guessed that the girl has a good sense of humor before, but he definitely recognizes it when she's quick to show off the puppy's talents to him. alex can't help his smile from softening as he watches the talented little dog play dead in front of him, dramatic effects and all. "you taught him?" he'll admit, he's a little surprised. he had sized her up as a saleswoman and maybe a server, certainly not a trainer. though, in hindsight, the confidence with which she approached him makes more sense this way. "how long have you been training dogs? i always thought it wasn't that easy, especially for dogs like that. aren't shibas supposed to be pretty independent?"
of course alex takes the treat when offered, shifting his position to be eye-level with the puppy and immediately offering his hand up for a high-five. just as he's wondering whether there's a command word he should know, the pup acts in response to the hand gesture and alex has to hand over the treat, cooing over the talented pup and rubbing his ears as he gobbles up the snack. "how's this little guy not spoken for?" he wonders aloud. who wouldn't want a cute dog that's already well-trained? "does he chew up underwear or something? howls all night? there's gotta be a catch."
"i knew it! there's no way i would forget a handsome face like yours." natuski cracks a smile, listening intently as he explains that he was actually a foreigner from canada. "canada? that's cool i've always wanted to go! i'm actually a foreigner too, i'm originally from japan! however, i do know english so if that's more comfortable we can speak in english instead. and nonsense, your korean is much better than mine was when i first moved here. i mean i once literally confused the word for flower and the word for penis since they sound similar, so i think you're doing just fine." she replies in perfect english with a warm laugh, hoping that her own embarrassing anecdote would reassure him a bit.
thinking back to her first year in korea, she remembers how difficult it was for her to assimilate back to such a fast paced environment and culture after being away from asia for so long. luckily for her, korean was similar enough to japanese that it wasn't too difficult for her to pick up, however it did take a bit of time before she had felt comfortable having full conversations in the language and the pronunciation of certain words were still a little difficult for her to this day.
"my boss is the one that usually potty trains the puppies. however i was the one that taught him all the tricks he knows!" she exclaims happily, proud of herself for doing so as she remembered how long it had taken her to teach him to play dead-he wouldn't listen for the longest time until she brought food into the equation. "technically, i'm not supposed to be teaching the dogs any tricks since i'm just a barista. technically, the most i need to do with the dogs is just feed them and clean up after any accidents, but no one's ever complained and customers love it when i show off tricks i've taught the other dogs so he never told me to stop." she explains with a smile, the stranger's barrage of questions amusing her-it wasn't everyday she met someone that talked as much as she did, so she was more than happy to keep him company.
✧˚ · . rugrats: not so grown up
@besiwoo
holidays. for most people it was a time of celebration, spending time with loved ones or eating so much good food until you couldn't move. not to natsuki. holidays, particularly family oriented ones were rather grim for her as they often reminded her of what once was and the fact that she didn't really have a proper family to celebrate with anymore. sure, she could ask one of her friends if she could crash one of their celebrations, but she couldn't find it in herself to intrude on such a happy event like new years that was reserved for important people.
luckily, her own family had their own holiday traditions that she continued to do on her own and it was something that helped ease her loneliness and pain around this time of year. or well, there was only one tradition that she could do that didn't require other people and that was volunteering. although she didn't have time to go visit the orphanage as often as she'd like, she always made sure to go at least twice a month and big holidays that all her friends would otherwise spend with their respective families and loved ones. natsuki had always had a soft spot for animals and children, and oftentimes the feelings were mutual so volunteering was always one of her favourite pastimes.
as xiaoli watched natsuki pout at his lack of reaction, his smile grew and he chuckled, shaking his head in reaction. maybe he should have been an actor with the control he felt like he had over his emotions and facial expressions. it was then hearing her speak about being out of her energy drink that xiaoli recalled he'd been out of his coffee for far too long now.
he found himself shrugging, hand coming up to run his fingers through his blonde hair once more. "i wouldn't say a lot of progress was made, but there was some progress," was how he chose to evaluate the assignment up on his screen. xiaoli usually found himself taking a long time on his assignments, long hours of procrastination and hating his programs usually slowed him down, but they always got done. he rarely slept anyway, so he had lots of time.
as he watched his friend sink to the floor, xiaoli did raise his brow a bit at her choice of break time in a public space but didn't react. he did not follow suit. instead the young man stood from his seat and raised his arms up, stretching, twisting at the waist, then moving from his seat to walk a bit. he'd been sitting for far too long.
leaving the library was the most tempting offer he'd heard all day. once he was turned around and facing towards her again, xiaoli nodded without hesitation. "yes, get me out of here.' it didn't take him long to pack up his items and sling his backpack on his back. "ready when you are."
"hey, some progress is better than no progress! i say we've been productive enough today." noticing that he had immediately started packing his stuff up at the mention of leaving, natsuki wastes no time getting off the floor and following suit. packing up her stuff neatly into her bag and gathering the trash that was left behind, she quickly disposes of it into a bin before slinging her own bag over her shoulder and gives him a smile. "yay, let's go!" she exclaims, clapping her hands together excitedly.
was it a wise decision to cut their study session short? honestly, probably not as there actually was quite a bit of work that natsuki had to finish, but today she just couldn't find it in herself to read another case study about a failing business or continue her 8 page report that was due next week. those were problems for future her to deal with as she made a mental note to rearrange her schedule later to make up for her lack of studying done today.
once they were out on the street, she inhales the fresh winter air with a happy sigh and flashes her friend a bright smile. "now that we're out of that shithole, was there anything in particular you wanted to eat? where do you want to go?" she asks, as she rummages through her bag to find a hand warmer before offering one to him as well. "i have extras since my hands always get cold, do you want one too? i'd say we should hold hands to keep them warm, but that might be too forward or cheesy." eliciting a light chuckle, she places a hand warmer in her pocket while she waits for him to take the other one from her.
bexnatsuki
natsuki didn't expect to make quick friends with another japanese person in korea so quickly, let alone another person that was also from osaka. they had hit it off when natsuki started regularly conversing with seira each time she visited her at the café she worked at. natsuki still remembers the way seira's eyes lit up the moment she mentioned that she worked at a dog café and she knew that she just had to invite her to visit. when natsuki noticed seira walk through the door of the café, she gave her an excited wave accompanied by a friendly smile. "i know how you feel because i get the urge to adopt one everyday even though i work here." she giggles to herself, watching seira interact with one of the dogs. "well, take your time with ordering and i hope you enjoy yourself. just come to the cashier when you're ready to order, i'll even give you my employee's discount!" she exclaims as she makes her way back behind the counter.
seira hadn’t really thought about ever getting a pet until she began feeling lonely. she’d gone from chasing her dreams with her best friends, constantly surrounded by them, to being alone majority of the time, not sure what she wanted to do with her life, and working in a shop that includes the smell she hates the most: coffee. life could be worse she’s sure, if she moved back to japan, the constant tormenting from her sister would likely return. her sister had very much moved out, but she’d find a way to make seira feel unwelcome anyway.
no, korea was where she was going to stay, doing what, she wasn’t sure, but her life wasn’t a ticking time bomb, she had time. “when i moved to an apartment for myself this summer, it was my first time living alone, i’ve felt a bit lonely, getting a pet would help, don’t you think?” she looks at natsuki, eyes still filled with joy from petting the dog. “do you have any pets natsuki?” she continues letting her hand run over the fur of the dog.
watching her friend happily surrounded by dogs, she nods in agreement with a smile. "definitely! adopting a dog or any pet in general would definitely help with loneliness. however, it is also a huge responsibility so you should make sure that you've done your research and that you're actually ready to be a dog owner!" she states firmly with a nod.
as an animal lover, natsuki always wanted to make sure that the dogs from the cafe went home to reliable, safe and happy homes. luckily, they were really thorough with doing background checks and assessing whether the dogs getting adopted were going to safe and happy homes, so it always devastated her when she heard about pets getting irresponsibly rehomed due to the owners lack of care/knowledge or worse, abandoned.
shaking her head in response to her other question, natsuki sighs as she re-ties her ponytail. "sadly no, i don't have any pets at the moment as my apartment doesn't allow any pets. although, i have been tempted to sneak one in anyways. i did have one growing up, but that's about it." a forced chuckle spills out her mouth as the memory of the fire crosses her mind for a split second, being reminded of purimon, the corgi she and her dead sister had loved dearly.
clearing her throat, natsuki reaches out for a ball and tosses it a few feet away for one of the dogs to fetch before she turns back to seira and asks "is there any breed or size of dog that you would like to adopt?" soon enough, the dog returns with the ball between its jaws, dropping it in front of her before she praises them and tosses the ball once more. "if you're in an apartment, then a smaller breed might be best!"
✧˚ · . blame it on the alcohol
@noelxbe
TW: alcohol, drinking
deciding that she was just about ready to go home, as it was nearing 2am according to her phone, natsuki grabbed her clutch and got off the barstool. at least, that's what she was trying to do until she found herself faceplanting onto the floor instead. 'fuck...' she mentally cursed, attempting to push herself off the ground. normally, she would've been embarrassed eating shit in such a public setting but she was too far gone to care. suddenly, she felt the hand of a stranger reaching for hers and helping her up to her feet. squinting in confusion, she looks up at them before letting out a giggle "hehehe, thank you sir you're very kind." suddenly feeling herself, she lets out a gasp of horror. "wait! my bag, where's my bag?" she asks to no one in particular, scratching her head as she surveys the surrounding area. "i swear i was just holding it..."
tw: mentions of alcohol
noel could need a drink, or well, preferably more than one drink. noel had been a guy who went drinking almost always at least once a weekend, whether it was a bar, club, party, or just a few people at his place. he’d found comfort in drinking every now and then, forget about life’s problems, and act like everything was okay for a moment.
he’d always been busy, but lately even more, juggling school, practice, work and taking care of his pets. everything in his body had screamed for a drink, but he simply hadn’t had time for it. today he’d decided to push the homework to tomorrow, which tomorrow’s noel would probably hate him for as there’s a chance he’ll be hungover tomorrow. but that’s the problems of tomorrow, today he wants to drink. he’s had quite a lot of drinks, luckily mixing a cup of water in here and there.
he’s just come out of the restroom, returning to the bar for another drink, and that’s when someone falls not far away from him, he’s quick to be over by her, stretching out a hand to help her up. “are you okay?” he asks, he might not be sober, but he seems more than her. “your bag?” he looks around, “could it be the one that bartender is waving at us with?”.
TW: alcohol, drinking
feeling around the floor for her purse, natsuki looks like a lost puppy until the stranger points to the bartender. dramatically, she cups her hand over her eyes as if looking far off into the distance (when really, the bartender was literally right there) and she immediately claps her hands together joyfully. "yes, that's it! oh my god, you're my hero." she giggles childishly, finally getting off the floor with the other's help.
thanking the bartender profusely, acting as if he had just ascended down from heaven himself as she giggled and clung onto the edge of the bar, stumbling trying to regain her balance. natsuki frowns when she realises that the barstool she was just sitting on was now tipped over sideways laying on the floor.
"oh no, it fell over!" her tone is almost childlike as her lips form a pout and bends down to put the stool back upright, only to collapse once more into a heap, another bright laugh spilling past her lips. looking up at the stranger with an expression akin to a toddler getting caught with their hand in a cookie jar, she gives him a sheepish grin and giggles once more. "oops, could you help me up again?" she asks, grin growing into a fully fledged smile as a hand reaches out towards him.
✧˚ · . r/am i the ex?
@bexstevie
mukbang shoots were always something natsuki enjoyed doing, especially when she was able to film with a guest; which was what she was doing today with stevie, someone that had been making regular appearances on her channel for a little over a year now. however, this video would be a little twist.
valentine's day was coming up and natsuki had the idea to make sure all the foods were on theme. looking and the spread on the table, she found it pretty impressive as there were three different pizzas (all shaped in a heart). two of them were typical pizza flavours-pepperoni and four cheese, while the third one was a cookies and cream dessert one. next to the pizzas sat an open box of assorted chocolate covered strawberries that she was most excited for.
with stevie currently sitting next to her, natsuki asked if he was ready to start and with his approval she hit the record button and started up her classic intro in a peppy tone before introducing her guest as well as what they were going to eat.
once they had reviewed the food and gave their thoughts-natsuki said that the pepperoni was better than the four cheese, claiming that the cheese was too heavy but she did think that the cheese stuffed crust was a great addition.
natsuki picked up her ipad and opened up her notes. "today, is valentine's day! or well, the day this video will be up it will be valentine's day, the celebration of love and romance! the reddit we will be looking at today is titled 'r/am i the ex', which is a collection of posts where the person can't accept or realise that they have been dumped by their romantic partner." her tone is animated and chipper, similar to how she usually spoke but cranked up just a smidge for the youtube audience.
natsuki pauses to finish the slice of pizza and swallow and turns to her friend "i hope you're ready for this episode stevie, because the stories i found are kinda crazy and i would personally never show my face again if i was featured on any of them. what would you do if you found a reddit post your ex made about you and it wasn't positive?" she asks, chuckling softly as she took another slice of pizza.
once the male answered, she continued on and cleared her throat dramatically before proceeding to read out the first story. "without further ado, let us start. this one is titled Am I the Asshole for being disappointed in a birthday gift from my girlfriend?" as usual, natsuki pauses briefly to get stevie's reaction before asking for his prediction on what the story could be about.
[ backdated, summer 2023 ]
in some respects, it's sort of amazing nayoung has time to game at all. she should probably just go home after training every day and head straight to bed to get enough sleep to do it all again the next morning. that's what she used to do, the first time she was a trainee – for the most part. that's what she has been doing after next gen, until now. in the past, gaming went against her image, whatever that meant. it's not like she's yelling from the rooftops that she's a gamer now, and keeping her "idol identity" and gamer life separate is ideal for her, but a lot of what she did in the past is stupid to her now.
now, she actually misses it.
she might be able to credit the amount of gaming she did when she got dropped from her first company for that. it's probably why she cares less about hiding it now, too. she wouldn't say she's proud of it now, but she knows she would be a lot worse off without games as a distraction or her during the days she was miserable. it also makes them a little harder to give up, even if they aren't the most conducive to her schedule anymore.
she's decided, if she wants to game on nights with training the next day, she can play for an hour at most. ultimately, sleep is important, and performing well in training is always the top priority.
well, maybe the top priority is really just winning, in everything she does; valorant included. it's her game of choice tonight, because she finds it more mindless than a lot of the games she plays and she is tired. nayoung is meticulous and dedicated to improvement in everything she does, so her skill when it comes to first person shooters is pretty high by now. she doesn't actually want to worry too much about winning tonight, though, so she decides to load into a casual lobby instead of competitive. she plays a few different agents depending on her mood, but the agent of the hour tonight is reyna.
usually, nayoung doesn't bother talking in team voice channels unless she has a teammate in there that sounds like they might be useful. she isn't scared of being harassed by men; she just values her time and energy and some people just aren't worth wasting it on. today, though, she decides to greet them, because she hasn't played in a while and she might as well see how it goes.
nobody actually says anything past their initial greetings, at least for now. nayoung is sure that'll change if she says anything else. the timer ticks down, and the game begins.
split. okay, not the best map but it also wasn't the worst. a few seconds pass and before natsuki knows it they're loaded into the game. currently leaned back against her secret lab gaming chair that she paid too much money for, she immediately sat up when they were loaded in and bought her usual loadout as if on autopilot. although it was an unranked game, she was determined for this last one for the day to be a good one and to end on a win.
the first few rounds of the game went smoothly, no one saying a word until one round where everyone had died and being the sentinel on attack, of course she was the last one standing with the rest of the enemy team alive. okay nana, you got this. you just need to land your shots, you've got your turret watching heaven for you just play off sound and your util, you'll be fine.
natsuki was very competitive when it came to video games like valorant and always wanted to do her best, even if it was an unranked game. all of her concentration was on her screen as she listened for any sound. soon enough, she heard footsteps climbing up heaven and her turret went off which is when she peeked and managed to get one kill.
before she can even switch locations she hears her alarm bot go off and waits for the team to tap the bomb, waiting three seconds before she detonates her swarm grenades and somehow manages to get another two before she swings and gets one more, only to completely whiff on the last player standing. "GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" she exclaims in frustration, scowling at the letters 'LOST' on the screen. typing into the chat, she writes: "sorry guys, my bad. i tried it was 1v5 :("
when one of her teammates, the breach specifically, suddenly opens up their mic and as if on cue, he starts going off on a rant on how he could've clutched the round if it was him and that her aim was terrible for a diamond player despite being bottom frag in the whole game. the presence of an angry male voice made her shudder, more or less causing her to go into flight or fight mode. as she was about to type back a message into chat, still refusing to open her mic, natsuki hears an equally angry female voice spit back, telling him to shut up and she can't help but let out an amused laugh.