FROSTBITE.

'maksim' kwon sangcheol. duke of gyeongsang. major general.

[maksimkwon]

areumson​:

“You already keep me sharper then compared to anyone else.”  She moved as he did until her head came to rest on his shoulder, her form fitting to his as easily as breathing.  “That much is certainly true ﹔ and some of our best results, if you consider how our girls happened.”

He smiled down at her. “Maybe we ought to have been surprised it took three years for it to happen.”

[yiseung-deactivated20210705]

“It is under the strangest of circumstances we should exchange our first pleasantries with each other here. A belated congratulations for marrying into the family. I apologize that it appears like bad taste to pass along blessings so late, my invitation was nonexistent.” ( @maksimkwon​ )

[maksimkwon]

“Thank you. I’m very lucky to be married to such a remarkable woman.” The prince is a strange one, his manner stilted even to Sangcheol, hardly a social butterfly himself. “Strange, your RSVP card must have disappeared in the same manner,” he replies, good-naturedly enough, though he wonders if the conversation will continue

[maksimkwon]

theodcr​:

“thanks,” he said, nodding once as he reached out to take the drink. “ah – thank you. i must’ve missed you; every single person in attendance desperately wanted to monopolize my time.” he shrugged. “how have you been? how’s the family?”

“They’re well. Settled in by now,” he said, accepting the correct drink as the bartender handed it to him. “And how have you been? Newlywed life can be a bit hectic.”

[aurcls]

“ ah ! mr. kwon ! ” it had been said to him a numerous times: areum’s husband was a big deal. “ how are you ? do you have a moment ? ” ( &. @maksimkwon​ )

[maksimkwon]

“Mr. Hohenzollern.” When was the last time Maksim had been called Mr.? “Yes, I can spare a little while. How can I help you?”

[lucadansembourg]

@maksimkwon​

“i ran into your wife the other day,” luca states. it was a great conversation starter - his own stupidity, “she definitely thinks i’m an idiot. she had questions about exchange rates that went right over my head!” 

[maksimkwon]

“She didn’t interrogate you too much, I hope,” Maksim said, dryly. “I’m sure she and your sister would get along with all the banking talk.” He liked Luca well enough, but Luxembourg was lucky to have Lara d’Ansembourg as its éminence grise. “But how have you been? And your girls?”

[maksimkwon]

areumson​:

“Perhaps I might want something to keep my wits sharp, but get bored of you? Never.”  A concept that had once been absolutely foreign to her, but was now easily guaranteed. “At the very least, the girls would keep us busy  —  and besides, we never seem to be bored when we’re alone, so I see no reason that would change if there were even fewer outside distractions.”

“I’m happy to be your whetstone,” he said, with a sideways grin, pulling her closer. “No, I suppose not,” he agreed. “We tend to come up with our best ideas when we’re alone.”

[maksimkwon]

areumson​:

Areum leaned closer to see their youngest daughter’s artwork, nodding in appreciation after a moment.  “We could hang it in a gallery and only an expert would know the difference.”  Perhaps not the complete truth, but she preferred a few white lies that build confidence to brutal honesty.  “Why don’t you girls ask your nanny about putting them into frames?”  She smiled as they nodded and rushed to the other corner of the room, a hand reaching out almost absentmindedly to hold her husband’s.  “It’s afternoons like this that make me almost wish anything outside of this room did not exist.”

He watched fondly as the girls ran off, squeezing Areum’s hand. “No politics, no meddling relatives, no Yis...” he smiled. “Are you sure you wouldn’t get bored of me?” He asked, feigning seriousness.

[maksimkwon]

Click the source link to be redirected to Maksim’s WANTED CONNECTIONS. And feel free to like this post or mssg me if any of them catch your eye.

[maksimkwon]

areumson​:

“It does, doesn’t it ﹔ still, I’m glad the good moments stay more familiar than the bad ones.”  She was quite happy to forget the sleepless nights spent rocking a crying newborn. She was brought out of the memories as their eldest stood and walked towards them, the piece of paper she had been scribbling on clutched in one fist and a pencil in the other.  ‘Mama, look what I finished!’  Areum accepted the drawing, studying it with absolute seriousness before handing it back, a smile  ( a genuine one, as it always was when interacting with their girls )  on her face.  “It’s very good, Sarang. I’m sure your father would love to see it as well.”

“Excellent work, Alinochka,” Sangcheol beamed when Sarang thrust her work in his direction examining it closely before handing it back. “I like how you used the side of the pencil to shade.” Not one to be left out, Seulki toddled after her sister, proudly showing off her own paper, covered in haphazard multicolored crayon dots. “Look at that, Areum,” he remarked. “Our own little Georges Seurat.”

[maksimkwon]

yisvn​:

“ i haven’t elaborated on any details as of yet.  i’m still working through some things,  but i only thought it was appropriate to meet with you to see where you stand. ”  he needed to know now if sangcheol is with him or against him.  “ i know we hardly see eye to eye,  but there will be great compensation in exchange for your support. ”  there’s obvious doubt from both sides,  every conversation ends with passive aggression and no resolution.  san is expecting it to conclude the same or worse.  reminding himself,  he met with him out of respect,  not for assurance or permission.

“I can hardly know where I stand without any details” Sangcheol pointed out. “You needn’t find our past misalignments discouraging, necessarily, I prefer not to allow such things to limit my future options.” He raised his eyebrows at the mention of great compensation. “Great compensation comes from great risk. And I must admit I’m quite curious about the involvement of my wife — particularly since there’s little love lost between your respective families, and despite her significant abilities she’s a private business owner with no titles in our own right.” A ready made scapegoat? “In the interest of friendship, I’ll be blunt with you: whether you intend it or not, nothing you’ve said so far reassures me that this isn’t either a bait and switch or a plan so risky that revealing even a hint of it would nullify any chance of support.”

[maksimkwon]

theodcr​:

he glanced over at the sound of a vaguely-familiar voice, nodding in acknowledgement when he realized who it was. “i don’t think so, but i’ll take it if you don’t want it.” free drinks were free drinks, and theodor figured he could indulge just this once. “it’s good to see you, by the way. it’s been… what, a few years?”

“You’re welcome to it,” Maksim replied, gesturing at the glass. “Likewise. And yes, I think it has — congratulations on your wedding, by the way, Cosima and I weren’t able to congratulate you at the reception itself.”

[maksimkwon]

“It’s such a parental cliché,” Sangcheol remarked, as he and Areum watched their daughters play a few feet away. “But it does feel like they were born two minutes ago sometimes.”

@areumson​

[maksimkwon]

scnhaera​:

“ go ahead,  warn him all you want — and warn your wife as well,  if we’re adding onto the list. ”

“I have no idea whether to be offended or flattered that I’ve been left off your hit list.” If Haera didn’t have the subtlety of a clown car covered in strobe lights, she might make a decent assassin.

[maksimkwon]

scnhaera​:

“ ew! ”  she shrieks at the sight of sangcheol offering her a drink.  “ did you poison it,  sangcheol?  is this your way of trying to kill me?  i know you’re experienced in murdering people,  but your war crimes have created enough single parents in the world. ”

“Seems as though poisoning and single parenting have been on your mind.” He shrugs, taking a sip of the gin and tonic. Better than nothing. “Should I warn Park?”

[maksimkwon]

yisvn·:

he nods his head as a form of acknowledgement to sangcheol’s greeting.  “ thank you for meeting with me. ”  it’s unlikely he’d ask the duke for any sort of favours,  but to have his support in what he’s conducting would make a difference.  he could carry on without informing him,  but he knows the duke would react worse if blindsided.  “ i’ve met with the duchess,  your wife.  the other day.  i’ve given her a proposition.  her support for mine. ”  he’s remains vague in his explanations,  knowing he has to remain strategic in who he chooses to trust. 

Hardly a beginning to inspire one’s confidence. “And what are each of you supporting?” He asked, detached. Internally, his mind sifted through possibilities — something to outweigh her distrust of the Yis, no doubt something something big to feed her ambition. Hardly a reassuring sign.

[maksimkwon]

The bartender handed Maksim his drink, and by the time he had looked down and realized it wasn’t what he’d ordered, they were at the other end of the crowded bar. He looked at the drink-less person seated next to him. “Is this yours? The bartender gave me the wrong drink.”

@hshqstarters​​

[manny-jacinto]

Steven Yeun for The New York Time Magazine (2021)

The problem is that the anxieties never go away. Every capitulation to the “white gaze” comes with shame; every stand you take for authenticity triggers its own questions about what constitutes authenticity. And once you feel comfortable with the integrity of your work, someone says something that flips everything around, and you’re right back staring at your own lying face.