Leon will never meet his soulmate, of that, he is sure.
If there ever comes a day where his soulmate comes close enough to see the red of his cloak, or the sunlight's glit on his blade, then he knows they will have the sense to turn back.
(or) Leon knows his Soulmate is a magic user, and if he ever sees them, he'll have to turn them in.
(I will never write this fic but that doesn't mean I haven't thought out so entire description and plot)
"Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot," Arthur spoke into the quiet of the forest.
It was quiet except for their horses' trotting steps, not too quiet to alert the paranoid knights, but enough for everyone to hear about his silly dream. It was apparent that Arthur intended to trust it only to Merlin's ears, but Merlin blundered through it and answered much louder, for everyone to hear and to join in the jest.
"Really?" he drawled out, skeptical. "And where would you go?"
"I don't know," Arthur grumbled. He felt other knights' stares at his back. They trusted Merlin to have the first go at him with the jokes and kept quiet, for now. He pressed on, intent on finishing his carefree thought. "Somewhere where nobody knew who I was. I'd get some land and become a farmer…"
In the corner of his eyes, Arthur could see the knights sharing incredulous looks. Merlin downright scoffed. "You? Toiling in the fields all day? Now that's a dream."
Finally hearing the others snickering, Arthur turned defensive. "Obviously, I'd take you with me. You can do all the hard work."
That shut up Merlin for a bit. He gaped at him, and then he laughed, breath catching in disbelief at the prat's arrogance. Then he finally indulged Arthur. "And what of Gwen, of Camelot? You'll leave her all alone?"
"No, of course not." Arthur bristled. "She would make a wonderful queen in my absence… but she should come with us, if she wishes."
Merlin groaned. "Great, and I'll have two freeloaders who don't know shit about farming… If you take Gwen, I'm taking—"
Merlin looked at the knights, who all looked eagerly back at him. His gaze traveled from one knight to another until it stopped on the largest man in the group.
"I'm taking Percival. You were a farmer, right? Before you fancied playing with metal sticks all day instead."
Percival hid his laughter in a cough. "Thank you, Merlin. I would gladly join you. But I thought," he looked at Lancelot, "that you'd take Lancelot before me."
Merlin followed his gaze towards Lancelot. Indeed, he looked hurt at not being included in the dream, his doe eyes shining full force and only the upward corners of his mouth betraying the faux of it.
Merlin caught his gaze and shook his head slightly. "No, I wouldn't want to keep him away from his dream." He grinned at Lancelot. "You came to Camelot to become a knight, and you're a knight now!"
Lancelot frowned in confusion. Then his face gentled with a small smile, and he spoke with a soft, earnest voice. "The first time, yes. The second time… I came because you sent for me. I came to protect you, Merlin. Where you go, I go."
Merlin didn't know what to say. His eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't look away from his knight. They had another conversation with their gazes alone.
Lancelot wasn't his only knight, though, and Gwaine hurried to remind them about that. Maybe that would finally make the pair invite him to their not-so-secret escapades. "Same here. I wouldn't stay if not for you," he drank from the flask at his hip. "Even the best tavern in Camelot can't beat a better company."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear a word of treason from my loyal knights just now," Arthur grumbled, reminding all of them of his presence.
Leon was just as offended, and for a good reason. "So all of you would leave only Elyan and me to keep Camelot running?"
Elyan seemed sorrowful when he let him down as well. "Sorry, Leon, but I'm sticking with Gwen. I've left and abandoned her for long enough." He smiled apologetically while sticking the last sword into Leon's metaphorical back. "You're on your own."
The First Knight stared at all of them in judgment. Some of them averted their gaze, some of them bore it with dignity. Still, his disappointment was a heavy burden to carry, and it made all of them uneasy.
"If you leave me alone with the council for a few days," he warned them with a dangerous edge to his voice. "Then don't be surprised when I come to steal Merlin to a farm of my own."
"And where would you go?" Arthur indulged him, puzzled.
"I have no wish for anonymity," Leon proclaimed easily. "We'll go to my lands. It's been too long since I last visited my mansion."
Arthur turned in his saddle, gaping and indignant. "But you already have servants there! Why would you need Merlin?!"
Leon's responded with a smirk, satisfied and self-assured. He had recovered quickly from his brothers' betrayal, and he had a perfect revenge plan.
"For the company, of course. He wouldn't need to work: as you noticed, I have plenty of workers tending to the fields already." Leon ignored his prince in favor of the servant and smiled directly at him. "I'll show you the gardens, and we can take a day to ride to the lake, it's all quite beautiful."
Just as he expected, other knights, being common-born, couldn't beat that offer and stared at him with something akin to jealousy.
Merlin seemed delighted and returned his smile, easily captivated. "Oh, do you have jasmine in the gardens? And lilies?"
"I am not sure... We'll have to ask my mother." Leon admitted, a bit chagrined to find himself out of his depth.
"Oh, Lady Yrwin! How is she? How's her cough?"
"All better, thanks to your and Gaius's tonics, thank you. She's been asking about you. I think she would be glad to see you again."
Merlin has long since slowed his horse to trot beside Sir Leon, leaving Arthur suddenly alone at the head of their procession. Arthur craned his neck to look back and saw Merlin at the center of the knights’ group; they were spread in a half-circle around him, like a royal guard. Something prickled in Arthur's chest at the sight.
Merlin seemed quite lively, his cheeks warm with the heat of his smile, his cheerful voice ringing across their group with even more jests and carefree questions about their mansion getaway.
It was a captivating sight, and no one could quite contain their own smiles, caught as they were in the servant's orbit. The warmest, most content smile belonged to Sir Lancelot, who was quite happy that someone else would treat his dearest friend with the respect and care he deserved.
As their dream got bigger and bigger (were they really planning on gathering berries and going to a fair dressed like peasants?), so did Arthur's frown. As the supreme ruler of the kingdom, he decided that enough was enough.
"That's enough," he said supremely. "No one's going anywhere. We are all duty-bound to Camelot, and that's where we'll remain."
He was proud of this resolution, even while his knights shared grins and snickers behind his back. As they rode on, their attention back on reality and the road ahead, he remained alone at the head, his thoughts going over everyone's words, a terrible and heady suspicion forming in his mind: his knights were more loyal to Merlin than to him.
But then Hengroen caught up to him, and Merlin's smile shone on him oh so brightly that Arthur let that thought go. It was alright. After all, Merlin was loyal to him.
In the years they've spent together, rarely existing without each other, Arthur grew more and more perceptive of Merlin's careful evasions, certainly more perceptive than any other knight. It was this honed and treasured skill that revealed to him that Merlin had never agreed to go with Sir Leon.
Arthur's gloating would probably make him, so Arthur kept mum.
Notes: Back in November, @haifa896 sent the idea of someone having to stay at the dorm over a holiday, and another member staying back with them. The request was for Key and Jjong, and I'm happy to have FINALLY cranked this fic out!!!
Kibum knew he was a complainer. It was just part of his DNA. He had a lot of opinions, and couldn’t help that everyone else was just wrong about so many things in life. But at the end of the day, Kibum acknowledged that about two thirds of the time, his whining was more for the sake of humor and dramatics.
But right now, when Kibum was laying in bed, staring up at his ceiling, trying to ignore the sharp stinging pain in his throat and the fever aches gripping every single muscle while his members all left to visit home for the Chuseok holiday, fell into the other third, when his complaints were absolutely, irrevocably justified.
It had all started with Minho, naturally the source of most of Kibum’s problems. Minho had been the one to bring strep into their dorm. Because he was Minho, he’d ignored the sore throat at first, no matter how severe, claiming he was fine and didn’t need a doctor, just water. He fought the member’s worried caretaking attempts and insistence to keep his distance from them, assuring them it was just a cold. Then the fever hit, spiking so high he physically couldn’t move from bed. Jinki and Jonhyun had had the unpleasant task of manhandling Minho to the car, a terrible experience for all involved as Minho was finally in enough pain to give up the tough guy act, and barely had the strength to stay upright for more than a minute at a time. It was a genuine shock for everyone; they hadn’t seen Minho fall apart like this, ever. Of course he’d had his fair share of breakdowns over the years, but never had the members seen him so helplessly vulnerable. The manager who took him to the doctor said Minho cried basically the whole trip. And the tears didn’t fully stop until he’d taken his first dose of antibiotics and slept for five hours. Only then was the world back in order, and three days later, Minho was right as rain.
It felt almost cosmically divined that on that third day, when Minho regained his health, Jinki woke up with a sore throat. Unlike Minho, he understood the severity of the situation immediately and didn’t refuse rest, medicine, or isolation. Unfortunately, like Minho, the fever hit hard and fast, rendering their leader an anxious mess. He’d lost his voice almost immediately from the coughing and swollen tonsils, which maliciously transformed into flashbacks of his vocal polyps experience, when he feared he might never sing again. Scared and in pain, with no way to communicate clearly, Jinki had spent the better part of three days inconsolable, which broke his members beyond belief. While Minho’s body had reacted to the antibiotics right away, it took Jinki’s a bit longer, which in itself was unusual and further cause for concern from the members, unable to do much else for their leader until his body figured it out.
With Jinki so distressed, it had been difficult to keep Taemin away from him. Taemin couldn’t resist snuggle time on a good day, and given that Jinki was currently having several very bad days, and the members were terrified to leave him alone, they unfortunately had to let their young starfish do his thing and pray for the best.
So it wasn’t at all surprising that Taemin got sick next, but it was a pleasant turn of events that his symptoms ended up on the more mild side, given how intensely the same bug had knocked out Minho and Jinki. Sure, he was still feverish and fatigued, and more than a little loopy because of it. But the sore throat only lasted 24 hours for Taemin, which created a new problem: keeping him at rest. Even with the fever, Taemin tried to weasel his way to practice after the allotted antibiotic time, insisting that he felt ‘so much better’ and ‘really wasn’t that sick anyway.’ Naturally, he’d failed to convince all of his hyungs, and was forcibly kept at home for three extra days to prevent a relapse. Not to be completely defeated, Taemin bartered for extra cuddles, which all of his members (Kibum excluded) were happy to oblige.
So it really wasn’t a shock either that Jonghyun went down after, given that he was Taemin’s roommate and thus his preferred cuddle companion, because, even though he didn’t have the antibodies, Jonghyun couldn’t deny Taemin anything. His experience fell somewhere in the middle, not as blissfully mild as Taemin’s but also not as severe as the first two. The cough had been the worst for him, keeping him up most of the night, and also stealing his voice away. It was heart breaking and downright painful to listen to him talk, but that didn’t deter Jonghyun at all from chattering up a storm whenever his members came home from their daily activities. He was down for the count for just about five days. And then all five of them breathed a sigh of relief that they’d finally, after nearly a month, overcome their strep-apocalypse, believing wholeheartedly in Kibum’s immunity.
It took three more days to prove them all wrong.
But it made little sense to Kibum how he’d gotten sick. The previous pattern made sense: Minho to his roommate, Jinki to his starfish, Taemin to his roommate. But Kibum had avoided all of them through it all. Even when they’d all let Jonghyun chill on the couch 24 hours post-antibiotic, he’d worn a mask for Kibum’s sake (as had Kibum), and stayed in the same spot on the couch so it would be ‘easier to disinfect later.’ He had done everything right to stay healthy. And it hadn’t worked.
Which brought Kibum back to this moment, staring at the ceiling, pitying himself. He’d replayed the same loop again and again, trying to divine the moment his body betrayed him. He was so far unsuccessful, and no closer to improving his mood. It stung that he’d gotten sick at all, but the fact that he was too sick to travel home for the Chuseok holiday? That was cruel and unusual punishment. Even though Kibum could have moved his travel arrangements a day or two after the first 24-hours on antibiotics, he felt wrong about it, not willing to risk infecting anyone else despite wearing a mask. He also felt absolutely horrible, and knew there was no chance he’d actually survive the trip down to Daegu.
The creak of his bedroom door interrupted his melancholic musings. Kibum sat up, brows furrowed, as Jonghyun peeked his head in and gave a small wave.
Kibum’s scowl stayed put. “What the hell are you doing here?” His voice was borderline menacing in spite of how raw and croaky he was.
Jonghyun’s smile widened as he pushed further into the doorway. “Hanging out with you, duh.”
“Why?”
Jonghyun shrugged. “So you aren’t alone for Chuseok? Come on, Bammie, I thought you’d be happy.”
Kibum resisted the urge to cross his arms, afraid to look too much like a petulant child. “But your mom…”
“Has my sister. And I can go home tomorrow, or the next day. And Taemin’s going to stop over, and Jinki and Minho are coming back a bit early too. Cause it’s not fair to leave you wallowing in misery by yourself after you looked out for all of us this past month…”
“I really didn’t help with any of you,” Kibum interrupted. A stab of guilt shot through his chest, but he swallowed it back down, which was incredibly difficult given the shrieking pain in his throat when he so much as moved.
Jonghyun rolled his eyes. “Come on, be fair to yourself. You may not have been holding our hands, but you were the one making soup in the kitchen and running to the store for popsicles.”
Kibum shrugged, glancing at his window blinds. “Listen, the popsicles were the only way to keep Jinki-hyung hydrated and Taemin quiet.”
“Okay. Be a brat, that’s fine.” Jonghyun’s smile grew irritatingly larger at Kibum’s glare. “But regardless, I’m staying home with you. And I thought we could have a little picnic!”
“Picnic?”
“Yeah. I made us dinner, and I can either bring it in here, or we can move out to the living room cause I know you don’t like crumbs in your bed. However, few of the foods I made even have crumbs, because they are all soft, easy on the throat things.”
Kibum blinked, waiting for his brain to catch up. “You… made us dinner?” Jonghyun nodded. “When?”
“Last hour or so.”
“But… everyone just left. How did you…?”
“No, they left about two hours ago, bud.” Kibum’s eye widened comically. Jonghyun did his best to contain his smile. “It’s normal to lose some time when on those meds.”
“I guess…” Kibum trailed off, looking away in slight embarrassment. He hid it behind a wince as he attempted to swallow again.
“So, picnic in here or living room?”
“Living room please.”
“Alright! I’ll go set up, and then come back for you!”
As Jonghyun disappeared, Kibum settled back against his pillows, utterly baffled by this turn of events. Sure, Jonghyun’s family lived the closest to the dorm, and he could go visit them in a day or so, but something about the older man willingly sacrificing his holiday to spend it with Kibum? When he was in peak whining condition? It made him want to cry.
Especially because he felt like he’d actually been quite a jerk several times throughout the past month. Germaphobe that he was, Kibum had been snappier and more closed off, especially to whichever member was ill at the time. He knew it was mean, knew it was out of their control, but he couldn’t temper the voices in his head.
But… the more he thought about it, with Jonghyun’s words as a guide, maybe Kibum had been more involved than he’d assumed. A few memories began to tug at his heart…
~ “Is he…?” Kibum turned from the doorway to see Taemin lingering in the hallway. His fingers were knotted in the hem of his t-shirt. The maknae bit his lip, avoided Kibum’s eyes. “Is Minho gonna be…?”
Kibum swept forward and pulled Taemin close. “Of course he is, bug.” There hadn’t been a way to keep Taemin from watching Jinki and Jonghyun basically dragging Minho to the manager’s car, but Kibum could hold him now. Focusing on Taemin’s distress over Minho’s distress helped Kibum ignore his own distress…. ~
~ “What’re you doing?” Kibum asked, leaning in the doorway to Jinki and Minho’s room.
Taemin, sprawled atop Jinki’s bed with the sleeping leader curled up next to him, looked up only briefly from his Gameboy. “Helping.”
Kibum settled against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, lips pursed. “How?”
“Whenever hyung starts moving around, you know, with a bad dream or something, I pet his head, and he stays asleep.”
“Okay, that’s… actually quite attentive.” Kibum shifted the box of popsicles in his hands. “Next time hyung wakes up, can you call me? We need to make sure he eats at least one of these?”
Taemin’s eyes lit up. “Can I have one?”
“Sure. When hyung wakes up. AND!” Kibum held up a warning finger, “When he wakes up naturally, Taem.”
Taemin rolled his eyes. “I’m not that selfish, hyung….” ~
~ “Here. Chug this.” Kibum threw a bottle of Robitussin on the coffee table, clattering next to the amoxicillin that was nearly empty after passing between four separate people in the past two weeks.
“Oh my god, in 24 hours, I’m giving you the best thank you kiss of your life,” Jonghyun exclaimed, relief evident in his entire body even as he winced in discomfort reaching for the new medicine. Despite the fact that Jonghyun was already 24 hours post-antibiotic, the joke had become a house favorite throughout the strep-apocalypse.
“Um, no. You can kiss me in five to seven business days.”
Minho snorted from the kitchen. “If you haven’t caught it by now, Kibum, one kiss won’t kill you.”
“You wanna make it seven to ten days?” Kibum shot back, head snapping sharply towards the now cackling rapper.
“NooOOOO!!!!” Jonghyun cried, eyes wide in panic.
Jinki cuffed Minho on the back of the head as the rapper continued laughing. “Stop being a menace!”
“Hey.”
Kibum shook his head, glancing towards the doorway, where Jonghyun had returned. “Ready for our picnic?” He cocked his head to the side when Kibum just stared back at him.
“Why… why me?” Jonghyun waited as Kibum puzzled through his words. “I just… I don’t deser-“
“Don’t say that,” Jonghyun interrupted, rushing to the bed. He cupped Kibum’s face, forcing eye contact. “You deserve the world, Kibum. Whether you think you do or not, you do. We all know you do. You don’t need to earn love, okay?”
The tears spilled down Kibum’s cheeks before he knew what was happening. His throat tightened ever so slightly, which was more significant given his already swollen tonsils. “Okay,” he choked out. Maybe, just maybe, he’d have one less thing to whine about now.
I really like the way you write - especially for exo since they're my bias group - and as I said in one of my reblog tags: I usually don't read a lot of y/n scenarios, but yours are so lovely they immediately became favourites of mine 💝
Also, I was wondering if I could request something? You recently did "You Ask Them What Memory They Hope Fans Will Keep Years From Now" for Ateez and Stray kids, but would it be alright to ask for an exo version? With things being as chaotic as they've been lately, just imagining ot9's answer to that question already makes my heart ache (and I know you'd write it beautifully!) ❣️
Thank you for all the exo stories you've written so far (I'll be off to reblog the ones I haven't reblogged yet!) and I wish you a lovely day~ 💫
Ahw that's so sweet. Made my day that you love my fics. And it's definitely OK to request. I love it when you guys send in fic requests. So definitely send in more if you want. I love exo as well and miss ot9. So, I definitely get the chaos recently being a lot. Hope you like it. And it representing the members' personality while still giving answers. I think they would honestly give.
At a fan event, you ask them what memory they hope fans will keep years from now
Junmyeon
Junmyeon had already been answering questions for several minutes when you sat down in front of him.
The fan event was warm and relaxed. There was no stage, no loud music, no pressure to perform. Just EXO-Ls sitting across from the members, asking questions and sharing memories.
You had been thinking about your question for days.
When it was finally your turn, you smiled at him.
“Can I ask you something a little serious?”
Junmyeon immediately straightened.
“Of course.”
You glanced down at the question card in your hands before looking back at him.
“Years from now, when you think about EXO, what memory do you hope fans will keep?”
For a moment, Junmyeon didn't answer.
His smile slowly faded into something softer.
“That is a very difficult question,” he murmured.
You smiled.
“I know.”
He looked down at the table.
There were so many memories.
Debuts. Concerts. Awards. Tours. Albums. Behind-the-scenes moments. The times they had laughed until they couldn't breathe. The difficult moments. The times they had held onto each other.
How could he possibly choose one?
“Maybe…” he began slowly. “I hope they remember the feeling of being together.”
You tilted your head.
“The feeling?”
He nodded.
“EXO-Ls have been with us for so long. Some people met us when they were teenagers, and now they have families. Some people grew up with us. Some people discovered us recently.”
His smile returned, but it was gentle now.
“I hope that when they think about EXO, they remember feeling like they belonged somewhere.”
Your heart squeezed.
Junmyeon continued.
“Maybe they were having a difficult day and listened to our music. Maybe they came to a concert alone but didn't feel alone anymore. Maybe they were going through something and one of our songs helped them.”
He looked directly at you.
“I hope they remember that they were never just fans watching us from far away.”
Your expression softened.
“They were part of our memories too.”
Junmyeon was trying very hard to stay composed.
He was failing.
His eyes had become slightly glossy.
“So,” he said, giving a small laugh, “I hope they remember that we were together. EXO and EXO-L.”
You stared at him for a moment.
Then you smiled.
“I think that's a memory worth keeping.”
Junmyeon smiled back.
And for the rest of the event, he kept thinking about your question.
Because years from now, he hoped that you would remember this moment too.
Minseok
Minseok listened to your question with a surprisingly serious expression.
“Years from now, what memory do you hope fans will keep when they think about EXO?”
He blinked.
Then he leaned back in his chair.
“That is… very philosophical.”
You laughed.
“Sorry.”
“No, no.”
He looked thoughtful.
For a while, he didn't say anything.
Minseok wasn't someone who always gave emotional answers immediately. He liked to think first.
You waited patiently.
Eventually, he smiled.
“I hope they remember that we had fun.”
You smiled.
“That's it?”
“Yes.”
You laughed again.
But Minseok shook his head.
“No, really. I hope they remember that we had fun.”
His expression became softer.
“People often focus on the difficult things. The hard schedules. The pressure. The things that went wrong.”
He paused.
“But when I think about EXO, I remember laughing with the members.”
His smile grew.
“Being in the waiting room. Eating together. Making fun of each other. Practicing until we were exhausted and then suddenly someone would say something stupid and everyone would start laughing.”
You could already imagine exactly who he was talking about.
“Baekhyun?” you guessed.
Minseok stared at you.
“Why did you immediately say Baekhyun?”
“Because it sounds like something he would do.”
Minseok tried to maintain his serious expression.
He failed.
“That's true.”
You both laughed.
Then he became thoughtful again.
“I hope fans remember that we were happy.”
Your smile softened.
“Even during the difficult times?”
“Especially then.”
Minseok looked at you.
“Because if they remember only the big moments, they might forget that we were real people. We laughed. We ate. We got tired. We made mistakes.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“I hope they remember us as people who genuinely enjoyed being together.”
Then he smiled.
“And I hope they remember how loud we were.”
You laughed.
“That's definitely impossible to forget.”
Minseok nodded proudly.
“Good.”
Baekhyun
Baekhyun stared at you.
“Wow.”
You immediately started laughing.
“What?”
“That is a very emotional question.”
“I know.”
“Are you trying to make me cry at a fan event?”
“No!”
Baekhyun narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“You planned this.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
You laughed while Baekhyun leaned back dramatically in his chair.
“Okay. Years from now…”
He tapped his fingers against the table.
“What do I hope they remember?”
He was quiet for exactly three seconds.
Then—
“Me.”
You burst out laughing.
Baekhyun grinned.
“Obviously.”
“Obviously?”
“Yes. I am unforgettable.”
“That's not exactly what I meant.”
“No, but it's what I hope.”
You shook your head, still smiling.
But then Baekhyun's expression softened.
“Actually…”
You looked at him.
He lowered his voice.
“I hope they remember how much we loved performing.”
That answer made you pause.
Baekhyun looked down at the table.
“I think sometimes people see idols and think we only perform because it's our job.”
He smiled faintly.
“But I hope people remember that we really loved being on stage.”
His eyes lifted to yours.
“The feeling of hearing everyone sing with us. The lights. The screaming. The energy.”
He smiled.
“I hope they remember that we were happy there.”
You smiled.
“Is there a specific memory?”
Baekhyun thought for a moment.
Then his smile became more nostalgic.
“Maybe the first time we realized how many people were singing along.”
You listened quietly.
“That moment when you suddenly think, ‘Oh. They know this song too.’”
His expression was almost childlike.
“And then you realize that something you made in a studio, something that was just your voice and the members' voices, became part of someone else's life.”
He looked at you.
“That is what I hope they remember.”
Then, naturally, his expression immediately brightened.
“But also me.”
You laughed.
“Baekhyun.”
“What? I said both.”
Jongdae
Jongdae listened to your question with a gentle smile.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked thoughtful.
“Years from now…”
He repeated the words quietly.
“What do I hope they remember?”
You nodded.
Jongdae smiled.
“I hope they remember the songs.”
You smiled.
“That makes sense.”
“But not just the songs themselves.”
His expression became more thoughtful.
“I hope they remember what the songs meant to them.”
You looked at him.
Jongdae continued.
“Maybe there was a song they listened to when they were happy. Maybe a song they listened to when they were sad. Maybe they played one of our songs during a trip, or while studying, or while driving.”
He smiled.
“Maybe they met someone because of EXO.”
You hadn't expected that answer.
“Met someone?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Friendships. Relationships. People who went to concerts together. People who met because they were both fans.”
His smile became softer.
“Music can connect people who would never have met otherwise.”
You smiled.
“So you hope they remember the connections?”
“Yes.”
Jongdae leaned back slightly.
“I hope they remember that EXO was part of their lives.”
He paused.
“Not necessarily every detail. They don't have to remember every performance or every outfit.”
You laughed.
“Not even the iconic ones?”
“Okay, maybe some of the outfits.”
You laughed again.
“But I hope they remember the feeling. That our music was there for them during a certain time in their life.”
He smiled.
“Because that is the most meaningful thing.”
Kyungsoo
Kyungsoo listened to your question carefully.
He didn't look surprised.
He simply sat quietly for a few seconds.
“That's a difficult question.”
You nodded.
“I know.”
He looked down.
“What do I hope they remember…”
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
Then he looked back up.
“I hope they remember that we were sincere.”
You blinked.
“Sincere?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
His voice was calm.
“I hope they remember that when we performed, we gave everything we could.”
You listened quietly.
“Even if something wasn't perfect. Even if we were tired. Even if we made mistakes.”
His expression softened.
“I hope they remember that we tried our best.”
That answer was so very Kyungsoo that you smiled.
“That's a very you answer.”
He tilted his head.
“What does that mean?”
“You're practical.”
He gave you a small smile.
“Maybe.”
Then he became serious again.
“I think people remember perfection for a while.”
He paused.
“But they remember sincerity longer.”
Your smile slowly faded into something more emotional.
Kyungsoo looked at you.
“So I hope they remember that we were honest when we performed. That we really cared about the music.”
He paused.
“And that we appreciated them.”
Your expression softened.
“I think fans know that.”
Kyungsoo smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Then, after a moment, he added:
“And I hope they remember that we were funny sometimes.”
You stared at him.
“Sometimes?”
His expression remained completely serious.
“Sometimes.”
You started laughing.
And Kyungsoo smiled.
Jixing
You had expected Yixing to answer quickly.
You were wrong.
After hearing your question, he became very quiet.
“Years from now…”
He repeated it thoughtfully.
“What do I hope they remember?”
You nodded.
He looked down at his hands.
Then he smiled.
“I hope they remember growth.”
You tilted your head.
“Growth?”
“Yes.”
His expression became thoughtful.
“EXO has changed many times. We started as young people with dreams. Then we became adults. We changed. We learned.”
He looked up at you.
“Fans changed too.”
You smiled.
“That's true.”
“So I hope they remember that we grew together.”
His voice was soft.
“Maybe they met us when they were young. Maybe they are now working, married, raising children.”
He smiled.
“Maybe their lives are completely different.”
He paused.
“But somewhere in their memories, there is a version of themselves who loved EXO.”
Your heart squeezed.
“I hope they can look back at that time and feel happy.”
He smiled gently.
“Even if their life changed. Even if they are no longer following us every day.”
His expression became warm.
“I hope they remember the joy.”
You smiled.
“That is beautiful.”
Yixing smiled back.
“Maybe one day, they will hear one of our songs somewhere.”
He looked thoughtful.
“And suddenly they will remember exactly who they were when they first heard it.”
He nodded.
“That is what I hope.”
Chanyeol
Chanyeol's first response was immediate.
“Wow.”
You laughed.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because that's a very serious question!”
You smiled.
“Answer it seriously.”
Chanyeol pointed at you.
“Okay. No pressure.”
He leaned back and thought.
Then he smiled.
“I hope they remember the concerts.”
You smiled.
“Which concert?”
“All of them.”
“That isn't one memory.”
“I don't want to choose.”
You laughed.
Chanyeol's smile softened.
“Honestly, though…”
He looked down.
“I hope they remember the feeling of being in a crowd with thousands of other people who loved the same thing.”
You listened.
“There's something special about that.”
He looked up.
“Everyone comes from different places. Different lives. Different problems.”
He gestured around him.
“But for those few hours, everyone is singing the same songs.”
His smile became nostalgic.
“I hope they remember how loud it was.”
You laughed.
“Very specific.”
“No, really.”
He smiled.
“The sound of EXO-Ls singing together is one of my favorite memories.”
Then he became more serious.
“I hope that years from now, when they hear our songs, they remember how happy they were at those concerts.”
He looked at you.
“Even if they can't remember every detail.”
You smiled.
“Just the feeling?”
“Exactly.”
He nodded.
“And maybe they remember that I was handsome.”
You stared at him.
Chanyeol immediately grinned.
“It's important.”
Jongin
Jongin became quiet after hearing your question.
He had been smiling before.
Now he was looking down at the table, thinking.
“What memory do I hope they keep?”
You nodded.
He took a slow breath.
“I hope they remember the stage.”
You smiled.
“The stage?”
“Yes.”
His eyes became distant.
“Performing has been such a big part of my life.”
He looked at you.
“I hope fans remember the feeling of watching us perform.”
His voice was soft.
“Not just whether we were perfect.”
He smiled faintly.
“I hope they remember the emotion.”
You listened.
“Maybe there was a song that made them cry. Maybe a performance that made them excited. Maybe they watched us when they were having a difficult time.”
He paused.
“I hope they remember that feeling.”
His expression became more emotional.
“And I hope they remember that we loved it too.”
You smiled.
“Do you have a specific memory?”
Jongin thought.
Then he smiled.
“The moments before going on stage.”
You blinked.
“Before?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“Everyone is nervous. Everyone is getting ready. Someone is talking. Someone is laughing. Someone is doing something strange.”
You immediately smiled.
“That sounds like EXO.”
“Exactly.”
He laughed softly.
“Then suddenly, the music starts.”
His eyes sparkled.
“And we go on stage together.”
He smiled.
“I think I hope they remember that.”
You smiled.
“Seeing you on stage together?”
“Yes.”
His voice became quiet.
“Together.”
Sehun
Sehun listened to your question.
Then he stared at you.
For a long moment.
You waited.
Finally, he said:
“Why are you asking questions like this?”
You laughed.
“Because I want to know.”
Sehun looked away.
He clearly needed time to think.
“Years from now…”
He repeated.
“What do I hope they remember?”
You nodded.
Sehun sighed dramatically.
“This is difficult.”
You smiled.
“Take your time.”
He did.
Eventually, he looked back at you.
“I hope they remember us being together.”
Your smile softened.
“That seems to be a theme.”
Sehun nodded.
“Because when I think about EXO, I remember the members.”
I saw this as I lurked around and thought it looked fun so here goes~
1. How many fics do you have on Ao3?
41!
2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?
119,803 (Yup I counted myself before finding the statistic page ahufdbaf)
3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
21 as of now aka probably too many to list (^^;) If anyone's interested in my ships I have them listed here~
4. What are your top 5 five by kudos?
His father's wish | 172
Starting from zero | 171
In dreams | 149
Whose hand is it? (That holds my heart) | 82
Exception to the rule | 81
5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
Yes! It may take a while, since I sometimes struggle with putting my feelings into words, but I always do answer - because I just have to tell the commenter that they made me happy ✨
6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
...maybe this chapter in my Thominho Drabble collection? I do like reading angst but I struggle with writing it afdbf
7. Do you write crossovers?
Only fairytale ones!!
8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
Not yet I haven't~
9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?
Nope.
10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I don't think so?
11. Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, but I've been thinking about translating some fics myself so who knows - you might see one someday!
12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
No, but I'd love to do it!
13. What is your all time favorite ship?
I can't just pick one ajfadifbnf I feel for different ships at different times okay? (but at the moment it's probably kyungmyeon)
14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
I'd like to think that I'll finish all of my wips but there's this massive one that's about EXO/NCT Dream as wolves and I love the world but there's just so much to figure out and I will try but who knows if I'll ever manage to finish it agh
15. What are your writing strengths?
...I don't know? I'm not good at seeing my own strengths, but maybe coming up with creative ideas?
16. What are your writing weaknesses?
Humour; because I don't know if it sounds right in English, Angst; because I can't let go of hope, Being consistent with writing adnfinf
17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
Good question - I haven't really thought about it, but if it makes sense story-wise it's good, I think?
18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Harry Potter, and it was the cheesiest Harmione story ever and I remember stealing some ideas from someone else and I now I feel rather bad about it aifhbdhf
19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?
I don't think I have a favourite, but here's a couple that I'm particularly fond of:
this chapter in Exception to the rule
His father's wish
Don't hide from me again
Reflective
You may forget but remember me
Be glad
A (midsummer night's) dreamer, that's what he was
I went round and round
If anyone sees this and wants to try it out, consider yourself tagged! ❣️
honestly one of my favorite things about fanfic is when you can see the canon influences come out in really subtle ways. like a canon line thats mentioned once as a throwaway is suddenly the entire premise for a fic or it influences the characterization or something. its just so cool to see how people weave their ideas around a source material, especially if its not a detail i'd thought about before
blakekathryn
yousharknotpass
tangentwithtanner
