Coup D'Jin

Kang Hyun-Jin. 34. Independent Music Producer & Sound Designer Written by Sage.

[coupdejin]

kang hyun-jin -fc: choi seung hyun. 34. music producer & sound designer.

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[kaisuzukii]

Kaito’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as Jin’s apology hung in the air like a weak gust of wind—feeble, barely stirring the tension between them. Six damn years, and now Jin was standing here, mumbling apologies like they could erase the gut-punch of being left without a word. He wanted to turn and walk away. Hell. He wanted to throw himself into the damn lake, anything, anything to erase how familiar this all felt still. How the feeling in his chest tightened with a sadness and anger that was drowning him even as he stood tall and determined. Most of all, Kai hated how it dragged him right back to those nights when he’d waited for a text, a call, anything, only to get silence.

And so, he returned that favor right back to Jin. For a few minutes, he let that apology hang in the air, he let the uncomfortable feeling swallow them both, and he didn't give a damn if it burned. He wanted it to sting, wanted Jin to feel every ounce of self-hate he had felt, even if in the end, Kai knew he would go home and once more drown himself the way he had before.

“You’re sorry?” Kaito’s voice was low, sharp, each word slicing through the quiet night. He took a step closer, not enough to crowd Jin but enough to make his presence unavoidable. “You think ‘sorry’ covers it? You sent me a goddamn text, Hyun-Jin. A text. After everything, you just—” He cut himself off, dragging a hand through his hair, frustration boiling over. He wanted to yell, to shake Jin until he understood the weight of what he’d done, but the words felt like they’d choke him if he let them all out.

"You didn’t know I was here?” Kaito let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, I didn’t know you were a coward back then either, so I guess we’re both learning shit now.” He stepped back, crossing his arms, trying to keep the anger from spilling into something uglier. How could this be? Six years ago, Kaito thought the world of Jin. He adored him in every sense of the word, breathed for him, loved him. How could someone who meant so much to him suddenly just be nothing but a stranger? It was the worst kind of pain, and Kaito just wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

“Now that you know I live here, do you wanna run again? Go for it. Seems like that’s your thing. But don’t stand here thinking ‘sorry’ fixes anything. Because if anything, it feels like a joke to hear you say it. I need more than just 'sorry'.” He paused, his voice dropping quieter, almost dangerous. “So what’s it gonna be? You gonna stay and face this, or are you already halfway to Seoul in your head?” And for the first time in Kaito's life he wanted Jin to walk away. For that, that would be easier than the barbed wire currently twisting around in his chest, slowly suffocating him.

[coupdejin]

The sound of his full name made Jin physically recoil, like Kaito had reached out and slapped him. Hyun-Jin. Nobody called him that, except for his parents, and hearing it from Kaito’s lips felt wrong. His jaw clenched involuntarily, and he had to fight the urge to correct him. Because what right did he even have to ask Kaito for anything at all right now? He shifted uncomfortably when Kaito let the silence stretch between them. It made his skin crawl, and he was in half mind to just turn around and leave after all. It felt like a lifetime before Kaito finally spoke again. 

Every word Kaito spoke landed like a punch to the gut, and Jin felt himself shrinking inward with each accusation. The silence he’d let stretch between them six years ago was nothing compared to this. This raw, bleeding hurt that he’d caused and just turned his back on like it meant nothing. The truth was it had hurt him too. He hadn’t told anyone, and had stopped himself from reaching out, insisting that doing so would be a step back. What hurt the most was that Kaito was right. Everything he said landed like a punch, but he was right. 

“I–” Jin started, then stopped, his voice catching. He looked down at his feet, then forced himself to look back up at Kaito. “You’re right. About all of it.” His hands were trembling slightly in his pockets, and he pressed them harder against his sides. Honestly, he wanted to cry. There was too much going on, too many emotions he didn’t know what to do with (did he ever?), and his own past coming back to bite him in the ass, like he had feared but always thought he was able to outrun.  

“You deserve better than ‘sorry’ after six years of nothing.” He said. The words felt like glass in his throat, but he pushed through them. “I don’t know what to do here, Kaito. I don’t know… I don’t know how to do this.” He wanted to run. Of course, he did, that’s what he did best. But he couldn’t keep running, either. Frankly, he was a little tired of it. What he really wanted was to lock himself up in his basement and never come out again. “What-...” He trailed off, thinking for a moment and trying to find the right words. “What do you need from me?” 

[smartiesclub]

Coke in hand, Eli had forgotten when the actual last time he had soda was. It gave him slight pause as he stood there, holding it like it was some novel thing. Shaking out of it, he pulled and heard the pop sizzle of the can and took a sip. "Mm, my spiraling comes in on a Thursday. Just teethering on the Friday ledge. Ain't no spiral party than one being had right before the weekend."

There was a moment where Eli felt like chuckling, though it'd probably be in poor taste, given that it'd look like he was making fun of Jin. When he was not. So, with that, he chewed on his bottom lip and glanced over to the plant in question. "I have a lot of thoughts, but where to start." First off, he was curious what made the plant a she to him. "Is it always when you sit right next to her?" If cece could see him now, she'd be so proud of how serious he was taking this. "Not for nothing but what if it's because you're sitting next to her. Preventing the sun from hitting her?"

"My sister does the same thing whenever my name shows up on her caller ID." A smile spread thinking about Maggie and how he had no plans to stop anytime soon. That was his job, to bug her for eternity. "Did you happen to piss off a librarian though?"

[coupdejin]

Jin laughed under his breath. "Thursday spirals hit different. The pre-weekend spiral is always brutal." He sipped his drink, nodding in solemn understanding. "Respect." He looked back to the plant, considering what Eli was saying. "I don't know. I read that these plants don't like direct sunlight, so I should keep it away from the windows, but close enough that it gets daylight, you know?" He gestured vaguely toward the window. "Honestly, I'd apologise to her, but I feel like it'd only earn me a huff and an even deeper sigh."

"I don't think I've pissed off a librarian since my university days when I accidentally spilled a cup of ramen over one of their shiny new editions. Deeply tragic, but an accident." He said with a small sigh, then brightened slightly at the mention of Eli's sister.

"Honestly, I think my sister does the same thing." Though he didn't talk to his sister much, so the sigh was probably followed by a 'what does he want now?'. "Do you think I'm overreacting, though? What if one day you come over, and it's eaten my soul because I pissed it off too much and I didn't realise plants could hold grudges?"

[kaisuzukii]

Kaito often found himself drawn to the lake at night, its still waters reflecting the moonlight in a way that stirred memories of his childhood home in Japan. The gentle lapping of the waves against the shore echoed the quiet rhythm of the sea near his family’s old house, where he’d spend hours sketching the horizon or simply listening to the melodies of the sea. Here in Blackstone Ridge, the lake was a rare comfort, a place that sparked his creativity and grounded him when the world felt too heavy. Its calm inspired him, a feeling he was still getting used to reviving within him. He came often to walk, or simply sit, trying to see what inspiration comes his way.

Typically, the lake wasn’t too busy during his walks, the universe gave him peace when he was by the waterside. But tonight, it seemed that would not be the case. Kaito froze mid-step as the voice sliced through the quiet night, his name on Jin’s lips like a punch he hadn’t braced for. His pulse spiked, a bitter mix of shock and raw, unhealed hurt surging up from where he’d buried it. Under the faint glow of the moonlight, Jin’s familiar silhouette was unmistakable, and Kaito’s stomach twisted painfully.

Six years. Six damn years since Jin had sent that gutless text and vanished, leaving Kaito to choke on unanswered questions and a wound that never quite closed.

“Kai? Kaito.” Kaito’s voice came out low, sharp, the nickname stinging like a fresh cut. He stopped a few feet away, shoving his hands into his pockets, fingers picking at the inside of his pockets. “Nicknames are for friends. You don’t get to call me that anymore.” His words were laced with venom, each one heavy with the betrayal that still burned. His eyes locked onto Jin’s, searching for something—regret, guilt, anything—but all he felt was the raw edge of his own anger.

And yet..

Yet his heart felt full all the same, seeing Jin, it’s like that hollow part of him felt whole again. He wanted to reach out and pull Jin into the softest and tightest embrace ever. He had missed him, truly and utterly.

“Why are you here? Are you visiting or something?”

[coupdejin]

The venom in Kai… Kaito’s voice hit him like a physical blow. His words made him wince, and he felt his shoulders tensing up instinctively. He should have known he couldn’t actually run away completely, and should have known this moment would come eventually. He had imagined it happening, even. He had imagined it would come with a punch or a slap, though. Honestly, he deserved it. The way he had packed up and left like a coward, leaving Kaito completely in the dark - it wasn’t fair. None of what he had imagined had prepared him for the actual weight of Kaito’s anger, though. Somehow it felt worse that he wasn’t hitting him. 

“Right, sorry.” Jin’s voice came out quieter than he intended, his hands still buried deep into his pockets. He couldn’t quite bring himself to meet Kaito’s eyes, his gaze flickering somewhere over Kaito’s shoulder instead. “Kaito.” The formal distance in his own voice made something twist uncomfortably in his chest, but he pushed it down. This was what he wanted six years ago, wasn’t it? Clean breaks. No messy complications. Except now there were possibilities for messy complications after all. 

“Uh, no. Not visiting.” The words came out flat, and matter-of-fact. “I moved here a few months ago.” He finally looked at Kaito properly, taking in the familiar features that were somehow both exactly the same and completely different from how he remembered. “I didn’t know you were here.” How could he have? He had cut Kaito off completely, not giving him a chance to respond after his spineless text. 

Jin shifted uncomfortably, suddenly regretting his late-night walk all together. “I can…” What, explain? Leave? Move? The last two options sounded extremely tempting right now. Moving back to Seoul also sounded good right now. He gestured vaguely to the path back to his house, though, that was the direction Kaito was walking, too. “I’m… uh…” He trailed off, letting out a frustrated sigh, not sure what he was trying to say. Something in him was screaming not to leave. Not to run again. But running was what he was good at. 

"Kai…" He caught himself and quickly corrected himself. His throat felt tight, like the words were getting stuck. "Kaito. I- I'm sorry."

[cressidium]

CHOI SEUNG-HYUN (T.O.P.) and PARK SUNG-HOON 'Thank you for dying': 'Squid Game' creator, cast share deeper meanings of hit Netflix series

[mickeymaddox]

"Keep it down!" She teased, putting an arm on his hand and looking around. "People can't know about that. It's a secret, Jin!" She laughed before pulling her hand back. "We weren't flying major loops or stunts or anything, so Dad just sort of said 'nice and easy, Matt, just like that' but it was me. Matt and I were so close back then that we pretty much understood one another without needing to speak, so he was just staring wide-eyed at the back of dad's seat. I just kind of went for it, I guess." Mickey took the second shot and smiled. "I doubt we'll ever tell him. At this point, I'm sure he'd think I was lying anyway. Matt's a pilot now, too, and Dad tells that story about taking Matt up flying all the time." Glancing at the shot, Mickey sighed. "He usually leaves out the fact that I was in the plane, too."

[coupdejin]

"Oh," Jin moved his hand up to cover his mouth with a playful smile spreading over his lips. "Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to air your impressive laundry." He winked. As Mickey kept talking, his expression softened. He could understand what it was like to be overlooked in favour of a sibling. He had had his fair share of that growing up. His sister had been the golden child who checked all the boxes, while Jin had gone in a completely opposite direction from what they wanted for him. "That's bullshit," he said quietly, his tone losing its earlier playfulness. "I mean, it's a good story either way, but it's not the real story if you're not in it." He picked up his own shot glass, turning it between his fingers. "Parents... they see what they want to see sometimes, but that doesn't mean they don't know there's more to it." Jin glanced at her, then back at his drink. "For what it's worth, the real version is way cooler. Baby pilot Mickey sounds like someone I'd want on my side in a crisis."

[coupdejin]

Closed starter for @kaisuzukii Down by the lake... sometime at night when the hermits come out for their silly little walks.

Jin didn't particularly like going for walks, but he did recognise that maybe he should do it more. Being cooped up in the music studio in his basement couldn't be good for him, yet that's where he spent the majority of his time. Either there or the art studio right next to it. However, tonight, the quiet of the night and fresh air down by the lake was preferred over the dark studio and paint fumes.

He walked along the path near the waterbed. He could vaguely make out a person coming towards him. Clearly walking by the lake at night wasn't exclusive to Jin's hobbies. As the other person approached, he thought they looked familiar, but it was hard to place them.

In all honesty, it looked like someone he hadn't seen in the longest time. But that someone was from another life, one he had left behind when he left Seoul. Right? There was no way Kai was in Blackstone Ridge of all places. That would be… Life didn't play those kinds of cruel tricks on him, right?

But the closer the person came, the more clearly he saw his features.

Fuck.

Jin's steps faltered slightly, his hands automatically shoving deeper into his jacket pockets. For a split second, he considered turning around and heading back the way he came. Pretend he hadn't seen anything. But it was too late now, they were close enough that avoiding eye contact would be obviously deliberate. Running away again wasn't really on the table right now.

His heart was doing something uncomfortable in his chest, a rhythm that had nothing to do with the walk. Six years. It had been six years since he'd sent that text and disappeared like a coward. Six years since he'd convinced himself it was better this way, cleaner. No messy goodbyes, no drawn-out conversations about feelings he couldn't articulate anyway.

"Kai?" The name slipped out before he could stop it, barely above a whisper but loud enough to carry in the quiet night air.

[mickeymaddox]

"Ew, why do people like that? I'll give a DJ one 'All Star' remix and that's it, not a single more." She took the shot from Jin and smiled at it, raising a brow to see what he'd toast to. It was a good one, and she'd expected nothing less from him. Mickey dropped the shot to tap against the table before throwing it back, letting the empty glass find a place next to his. "Oooh, that's such a good conversation starter," she teased, nudging him playfully. "When I was five, my dad took me up in a plane for the first time with him. I mean, he took me and Matt up, because we did just about everything together back then... But my dad told Matt to take the reigns and Matt was too scared, so I grabbed the yoke instead. To this day, my dad doesn't know that I was the one flying the plane, but it was the first time I ever tasted that high... and I knew right then I wanted to be a pilot like my dad."

[coupdejin]

Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise, and let out a low whistle. “You flew a plane at five!?” He shook his head, not entirely sure if he was terrified or impressed by the whole ordeal. “That’s wild, and really brave.” He thought for a moment, watching her carefully. He wasn’t sure what her relationship with her family was like, and didn’t really want to pry either, in case she wasn’t up for opening up. “So what about your brother? Did he say anything to it, or did he take the praise, if any, from your dad?” He tilted his head curiously, only looking back up to the bartender when he passed to order another round of shots for them. “That’s a really cool story, though. Your origin story.” He offered with a grin and handed her one of the shots. “Do you think you’ll ever tell your dad? Or are you keeping the legend alive?” 

[legallytaemin]

"How would I know if it's haunted?" he asked with a smile, a playful, teasing aura about him. He did take this seriously, though. Koreans typically held a mix of fear and respect towards the idea of ghosts. Tae wasn't entirely sure what his beliefs were, but if you were to believe ghosts existed, they could be anywhere, right? "I stayed on the Queen Mary, when I lived in Los Angeles." It had been a bunch of them, college students who had come to LA from all over the country and thought it would be fun. Well, except Spencer. Spencer was terrified, but he'd reluctantly agreed, as long as Tae promised to stay with him the entire time.

"We didn't experience anything supernatural though. No spooks, apart from the people we came with hiding around corners and trying to scare each other, or knocking on our doors then running down the hall when we were trying to sleep." He remembered Spencer gripping his hand, yelping like a frightened chihuahua at any loud noise, how he had insisted Tae be the one to sleep near the door, even though Tae argued if there was a ghost, it could go through any of the walls. He almost felt like he was cheating, now, and immediately forced himself to push Spencer from his mind, just for the moment.

"I never stayed as the Cecil. Didn't they remodel it a few times?" Tae stepped closer to him, flashing him a small smile. "Dinner comes before ghost hunting. Got it." He kept his voice low, doing his best not to be obnoxious or disrespectful amongst the others on their tour. His pinky finger brushed against Jin's, not entirely dleiberately, but not something Tae actively tried to avoid, either. "So, does that mean you'd like to have dinner with me too, some time?"

[coupdejin]

“The Queen Mary? That’s really cool. How was it, all in all?” Jin looked up at Tae. He had wanted to visit that location himself, but things had always come up whenever he thought he’d have a chance to. These days he wasn’t in Los Angeles unless it was for events that would take up all his time when he was there. “Yeah, the Cecil was remodelled a few times. I guess haunted hotels doesn’t really sell well if they look shabby and, well, haunted.” He laughed lightly. “I think it’s owned by a chain? But I don’t know. I haven’t really looked into it that much, since I haven’t had the chance to stay there yet.” 

He felt the brush of Tae’s pinky against his own,  faint, maybe accidental, but deliberate enough to notice. Jin’s eyes flicked down briefly, then back to Tae. He didn’t comment. Just mentally congratulated himself for not pulling away. Physical affection always felt a little too intimate. But this was progress, in a strange way. Baby steps, right? “I think we are obligated to have dinner first. Ghosts are pretty traditional, from what I hear,” he said, with a small shrug. “I’m not looking to offend the undead.” Then, a softer smile, he added. “But yeah. I’d love to have dinner sometime.”

He let the moment linger for a moment before adding, “You should know that if a ghost does show up, I’m not fighting it, though. I’ll offer you as tribute.”

[spencerdolans-deactivated202601]

Spencer definitely noticed how Jin's cheeks were turning pink, and it made him grin to himself, pleased. Maybe he hadn't lost his touch. But then--Jin was leaning forward, the words coming out of him hitting Spencer right to his core. Was...was the man flirting back?! His mouth was left a bit agape, and he was sure that his eyes were probably comically large behind the lens of his glasses. "Y-yeah, yeah. That's..." He cleared his throat. "I agree, that's always better...yep."

He nearly forgot what they were talking about while he tried to recover. "Oh god, yes. Slow burn is definitely like a must for me to get into a romance book," he said. He couldn't help but chuckle before taking a bite of his food. "We? What, are you saying this outfit's too revealing?" he teased, gesturing to his yellow collared shirt (with all of the buttons open) tucked into light blue jeans. "I'm kinda picky with period pieces, it has to be really good to keep my interest," he answered. "You really like your horror, don't you?"

[coupdejin]

Jin smiled at Spencer’s reaction. It was great to see he hadn’t completely lost his touch, despite being locked away in his studio most of the time. He also took a mental note of how quickly Spencer agreed to what he said. That was good to know for later. For book recommendations, of course. Nothing else. 

Jin popped another fry in his mouth as he took in Spencer’s look, giving his shirt a pointed once-over. So what if his eyes lingered on the way it wrapped around his biceps? Nobody had to know. “I mean, it’s kind of giving scandalous. Careful, someone might faint dramatically into a chaise lounge.” He looked at Spencer with a smirk. “Not that I’m in a position to complain, I’m just saying. If this was a period piece, I think we’d be half-way to a marriage proposal by now, no?” 

Jin nodded and smiled some. “Yeah, I prefer horror. I especially like the horror that’s more psychological, if that makes sense? So it’s not just all blood and gore, but it makes you think, or plays on your fear in a totally different way than if you’re just chased, you know?” He offered a small smile. “But I know that’s not for everyone.” He shrugged. “What would you say is your favourite book?” 

[smartiesclub]

Eli couldn't help but laugh and curiously glanced around. "Hey, if you have a ghost bellhop that does laundry, send them over to us. We could use the extra hands." Hell, this could be something to look into. He stood away from the door and put his keys in his back pocket. His eyes roamed over to the plant and hummed. It didn't look like a haunted plant but then again what the fuck did he know about haunted inanimate objects.

"You told me half the story of this plant. So, what's its deal? Gurgles at night? Morning? What makes you think it's haunted?" Eli wasn't a believer in much but supernatural shit, he was already well versed all thanks to his oldest daughter. The one off time when cece looked at him stone cold serious telling him she had talked to his Nana when she was barely five and a half. Since then, the fascination with other worldly things got dialed up a notch. Eli followed after him and thought about it. "I'll take the coca cola, hold the sadness. Is that sadness just always in your fridge? Like water on tap?" he asked curiously, as a small smile made its way across his features.

[coupdejin]

Jin nodded and passed Eli a can of Coke, grabbing an energy drink for himself. He wasn’t very proud of the fact that the energy drinks were a big part of his usual diet. “Sadness is a staple,” he said, cracking the tab. “Like eggs, or filtered water. Gotta stay stocked in case I feel like spiralling on a Tuesday.”

He nodded toward the plant again, giving it a wary glance as if it might respond. “As for her…” he emphasised the word like the plant was more than just a plant. “I swear I keep hearing her sigh. But not just any sigh. It’s, like… exasperated. Like a tired librarian. Or someone waiting for you to notice they got a haircut, you know?” He took a sip, and shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I mean, I don’t think the lake is sighing all the way up here, into my ear, every time I sit next to this thing. But it’s random. Like, I never know when it’s gonna happen. Which somehow makes it worse.” He turned to look at Eli. “Do you have any thoughts?”

[coreyjensen]

"Hm, I don't know if Spence is much of a heartbreaker," they said with a shrug. They were pretty sure when he'd divorced Tae, the heartbreak had been mutual, but Corey didn't have much of a relationship with Tae outside of Spencer, so they hadn't exactly followed up. Not to be biased, but the whole thing had been Tae's fault. Not that Corey would've done any better in his shoes, but they could pretend otherwise. "Guess I'll be on both your sides and just root for it all to work out."

Corey didn't tell people about Charlotte. At least not by name. The first time they had hooked up, almost two years ago now, Charlotte had told Corey in no uncertain terms that she would feed them to the pigs on her grandparents' farm if Corey outed her to anyone. Corey had respected that, even without the threats they would have, and the secrecy made it even more alluring at times. "She's not in The Glory or whatever the new popular one is." Corey's knowledge of K-Dramas was limited to whatever showed up in their recommended shows after they watched something with Jin on their account and he got irritated if Corey wanted to watch a dubbed version. "Just know that she's really, really hot, and that she's probably gonna get my ass in trouble." Didn't they always, though?

"Shit, man. I've been seeing that woman on and off for longer than I've known you. Can't stay away from each other, apparently." Corey gave a small huff as they smoked their cigarette, blowing a puff of smoke out into the spring air and watching as it floated away on the breeze. "Tea, though? She's getting a divorce. And she might actually be sticking around." Couldn't get their hopes up, though. Charlotte had walked out of Corey's front door way too many times for that.

[coupdejin]

Jin took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly as he listened to Corey talk. His eyebrows lifted slightly at the mention of a divorce. “Huh.” He flicked ash from the tip of his cigarette, head tilted slightly. Part of him couldn’t help but notice the irony of a divorce being promised to the affair partner. Tale as old as time. For all he knew, this could be different, but it still sounded suspicious. He didn’t mention it, though. “Sounds messy. You sure know how to pick ’em,” he said instead, voice teasing.

“Hm, so she’s been around longer than me, does that mean you’re more loyal to her than me, too?” Jin raised a brow, nudging Corey lightly with his elbow. “Would she actually feed you to pigs? Because I kinda need you around. But I won’t lie, it would be a little funny to see someone try to wrangle you, limbs and all, into a trough.” He smirked, tapping ash again. “Besides, who else is gonna bug me with sports facts I only care about when I’m in cosplay?”

[wcnderlnds]

[lovedearlove]

open // vinyl destination

Harry leaned on the counter, drumming her fingers next to the register. She was on a roll today, the vinyl of Cowboy Carter spinning softly in the corner. "Alligator Tears" had a driving beat, and Harry found herself, as usual, transfixed by Beyonce's voice. "Somethin' 'bout those tears of yours, how does it feel to be adored?" She sang as though no one was listening, danced as though know one was watching, but the little jingle of the bell above the door signaled a visitor. A younger version of herself might have been embarrassed at being caught in the act, but these days? She didn't really care how people saw her. "Welcome to Vinyl Destination! Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular, or you wanna talk some tunes." She paused, a sly grin on her face. "If you're feeling extra lucky, let me pick out a record for you."

@blackstone-bulletin

[coupdejin]

Jin stepped inside just as the bell jingled overhead, pausing for a second as the music met him like a wall of heat. He caught the end of Harry’s impromptu performance, just enough to clock the confidence in it, and let the door swing shut behind him. “That was quite the welcome,” he said, lips twitching at the corners. “I almost feel bad interrupting your solo.” He wandered a few steps in, letting his eyes scan the rows of records before glancing back at her. “I’m just digging today, looking for anything weird or beat-up enough to mess with. Second-hand bin’s probably where I’ll start.” Then, after a moment, he tipped his head at her with a grin. “But, just out of curiosity. What do you think I should walk out of here with?”

[smartiesclub]

/= @coupdejin

After setting his baby boy down for a nap, he left them in the care of their grandpa and made his way next door to visit Jin. A unlikely friendship that developed over random encounters. The supernatural kind which if anyone else heard it they'd think these two were insane. Anyway, with his keys jingling against his belt buckle he made his way to the door.

Just out of habit he pushed the door with his finger and saw that it moved slightly. "I hope you're in there Jin, otherwise I'm gonna assume you got a bell hop ghost in here." Eli called out in the hopes that he had heard him and he wasn't about to commit some sort of breaking and entry.

[coupdejin]

When he heard Eli’s voice echo up from the entryway, Jin stood from his chair in the home music studio he'd set up in the basement. That and his art space next to it were the only two rooms in the house he’d actually bothered to unpack since moving to Blackstone Ridge. He climbed the stairs, running a hand through his already-messy hair, and offered Eli a crooked smile as he emerged. 

“If it is a bellhop ghost, I hope they’re doing laundry while they’re at it,” he said dryly, pulling the basement door shut behind him. “So far I think I’ve only got the haunted plant.” He gestured vaguely to the corner of the living room where the Rubber plant in question was standing proudly, as if it wasn't at all menacing or haunted. He waved Eli further inside. “Come in. Want something to drink? I’ve got…” He opened the fridge and leaned in, considering. “Energy drinks, Coca-Cola, and sadness. But I can make tea.” He looked back over his shoulder at Eli, eyebrow raised, like the choice was his to make wisely.

[carolineweav]

"Pride Month is a great time of year." Caroline said, with a smile. There were always events around town that just made her feel happy as a bisexual woman. When he mentioned the short film he was asked to score, her interest did pique. It was amazing how useful music was in all kinds of things. In both art and day to day life. It was solid proof that what she did had value in society as a whole. There were always going to be naysayers to that claim. "Do you know what the short film is about?" She asked.

[coupdejin]

Jin thought for a moment. “It’s about an office, where the lowest performing member of the team gets reassigned. And there’s apparently supposed to be a big twist, I haven’t watched it yet. But it said it was psychological horror, so I don’t know. I’ll let you know if it’s good, we can watch it together when I’m done scoring it.” He offered with a playful smile. He really enjoyed working on things like that. He had a lot of respect for the visual arts, so if he could pair it with sound, he was always happy to do that. As long as the visuals were good, of course. He hadn’t been sent a bad one yet, though. “What about you? Are you working on anything fun?” 

[mickeymaddox]

"How could I forget about you, Jin Kang?" Mickey gave him her best faux innocent look, tilting her head to the side. "Shrek songs? Oh god, please tell me the room was filled with kids, because there's no other possible excuse." Mickey thought about what Jin asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully for a second. "I think it would depend on the severity of it, but there's a really good chance I could get in trouble. If it's bad enough, maybe even discharged." Mickey had always been hyperaware of the fine lines she couldn't cross, and she made sure not to as often as possible. "Uh, I always want to do a shot, are you kidding? I'll take whatever you're taking!"

[coupdejin]

Jin shook his head with a grin. “Nah, man. Millennials love Shrek. I could play All Star remixes all night, and they’d still eat it up.” He handed Mickey one of the shots after the bartender set them down, eyeing his own glass for a beat before lifting it. “To good playlists, and not getting discharged.” He offered a lopsided smile, then knocked the shot back with an easy tilt. Setting the glass down, he leaned back into the bar. “Alright, your turn. Tell me a fun story. Or a fact. Something you’ve always wanted to share, but no one’s ever asked the right question.”