still, we rot

#that's why i love it <3 #( inhye 002. )

"not avoid you. if i was doing that, i wouldn't show you where i was hiding out."

elincra

"I've always been a fan of museums. My favorite is the British Museum if we're talking London. In general, it's the Musee D'Orsay."

"well of course if we're talking paris, the d'orsay. but the space is nice too. i suppose public libraries fulfill the same purpose. a sense of calm."

#( elinor 003. )

cryforlxve

"It's been an array of varying offers that don't really seem heartfelt. I want someone who will believe in the software not wishing to pervert it."

"you want someone who loves it as much as you do. that might be too much to ask. it's not their baby after all." he learned that the hard way.

#( si eun 001. )

location: national galley

"i usually only step in here because it's cool and quiet. you?"

#dynastic.starter

❝ like they can't just buy whatever piece of clothing they think they need at the destination anyway. ❞ maybe he just didn't understand the logic behind the famale mind and packing five options for each planned event and that was okay, he'd learned to live with it. ❝ we should. but what is it exactly that you want to touch on first ? ❞

"oh, they still do that," haneul said though if inhye wanted to shop their whole vacation he would happily follow her around with a credit card. none of it, he thought. "we're back to the name issue, i think. not issue but people are still attached to the old branding."

❝ not a good idea with my wife; she likes planning too much. if i don't give her enough information to pack the perfect bag i'll be hearing about it the entire holiday. ❞ i could be wearing the cute green top right now if i knew we'd be coming here, he could hear it already. ❝ i assure you, i'll let you know when i need the time. ❞

"my wife would simply refuse to get on the plane, i'm sure." he said with a shake of his head. he had hoped to get soren on a vacation now but he wasn't going to shove the man out the door. "if i'm going to keep you for the next few weeks, we can start talking about the memo from app-h hq." hanuel hoped his tone would say light but he wasn't sure he managed not to say memo from app-h hq like it didn't taste a little bitter in his mouth.

orsonhewitt

" i taste grape and... grape. how about you ? " he had always found tastings pretentious.

elincra

"Expand your mind, expand your palette." She offered up. "It's grape but... grape and..." Elinor trailed off, hoping he'd fill in the blanks. She'd always prided herself on being able to pick up on the different notes but it wasn't exactly a useable talent.

#( elinor 002. )#( orson 001. )

the answer was grape and vinegar if he was honest but haneul had been running with this crowd long enough to know what to say. "grape and berry, perhaps," he offered, glancing at orson.

inhyelee

〝 i wasn't talking about the view from the window, 〞 she couldn't help but snap back, already regretting her semi-compliment to him. and yet he wondered why she wasn't nicer to him? ( as if she even had the ability to be nice; after ten years of marriage, she was sure haneul would be even more uncomfortable if she showed affection — because it would most likely mean that something was very, very wrong ). but her expression softened when he stood up, whatever snide remark quickly forgotten when he asked his next question. have you eaten? she remembered the first time she had heard it — the way she froze in place, unable to mask the confusion that marred her features. it was a simple question; could even be considered an expected one. she'd heard all sorts of insults throughout the years, both veiled and overt — but questions like these? she'd been independent ever since she'd been a child. if she was hungry, she'd eat. reminders were taken as insult — were framed as incompetence. yet every time he asked, there was no belittlement; no reproach. a kitchen table was just a kitchen table. a place to eat; a place to talk. food wasn't only a means of nourishment to keep up her fight. it was a simple question — but somehow, it had clawed its way into her chest, creating a place where she could put her guard down — if only for a moment. she met him in the middle of the room, closing the distance between them and ignoring the question altogether. some would think that evasion meant she didn't care — that his concern didn't matter. but perhaps the silence meant that it did. she usually always had a remark on the tip of her tongue. but this time, words were arbitrary. perhaps the silence meant that it mattered too much. inhye's expression shuttered as she took his left hand in both of hers, studying the ring upon his finger with a sort of mild curiosity. 〝 how many times have you thought about filing for divorce? 〞

and if it had taken him by surprised? if after years and all these weeks, he didn't expect for such a compliment? he didn’t think that should be a surprised. and still, he felt guilty for missing it. she would not offer one again after such a slight.

in turn, haneul always found her confusion in the face of casual tenderness a surprise. why shouldn’t he care for her? but he had often found enjoyment in slowly teaching her gentleness. the power of being the one she showed hints of vulnerability to, simply because he had worked so hard to earn her trust.

she closed the space between them and haneul looked down at her. he wanted to cup her face and kiss her nose. things she could never tolerate. she had yet to answer his question and that made him smile just a bit. he usually marked silence as a win for him. another tally mark on their decade old score board.

haneul watched her take his hand, keeping quiet and still to see what exactly she wanted. what she needed.

anger flashed in his eyes for just a second. all these years and all these weeks and this is questions she has for him? it was almost an insult. but then… inhye would want the data and she would want the fight. haneul couldn’t decide if he felt like giving it to her. he just wanted to know if she’d eaten.

“you will have to be more specific. how many times has it crossed my mind or how many times have i almost called my lawyer?” it came out more cutting than he meant it. if the answer to either was not zero, it would be her fault for making them both aware of it.

#( inhye 001. )

cryforlxve

"I don't know how's more relentless. You or your wife. If you can guess correctly, I'll consider your next offer with a little more grace. "

#( haneul | musings )#he's not not a little inspired by howl

"you misunderstand, i'm not here with an offer. i'm just asking. as someone who's been through this before."

#( si eun 001. )

ghiblin

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE ハウルの動く城 2004, dir. Hayao Miyazaki

elincra

If you were to see Elinor out and about on the street, you'd think she was just another basic London millennial traipsing through the city from errand to errand without a care in the world. And you'd be right... to an extent. Elinor was basic: she got up at the same time every day, had the same breakfast, went to the same workout classes, all in time to make it to work before most of the company had arrived.

However, today she'd decided she needed a switch. Which led her to an afternoon cycling class in a part of town she rarely frequented. Once class had ended, she pulled out her phone and furiously typed a few last minute emails. If she'd been paying attention, she'd might've realized she was about to walk straight into someone. "Oh... shit. I'm so sorry."

haneul was trying to back to the office for a meeting after an appoint across the river and there wasn't a cab in sight. a dangerous thing when he lived in london where the threat of rain was never far. he was looking at the oncoming traffic, looking for a black cab with a yellow light when someone walked right into him. or he walked right into someone. it was hard to tell sometimes.

"i'm sorry," he said at the same time, glancing down at whoever he had collided with. he reached out a hand to steady her. "are you alright? is your phone alright?" because really that was the concern seeing as everyone was still upright. he checked to make sure there wasn't a device on the pavement.

#( elinor 001. )

❝ it wouldn't, you're right. ❞ but soren wasn't thinking of time off just yet. holidays were fun but it took the focus out of the job and he almost felt like he lost a bit of his grasp on his creativity when he relaxed too much. ❝ but maybe i should reserve my time off for a closer date to my wife's birthday. she'd probably enjoy that more than an overly crowded summer destination. ❞

"a very good idea. perhaps make it a surprise. i think about doing that for in-hye sometimes. if she was the type it like surprises." he just went along with whatever in-hye wanted for vacations, it was easier. "i'll make sure the vacation time is approved. you've more than earned it." and if soren didn't take it, haneul was going to make him take it.

"so, what's your best offer so far? app-h or comoedia?" @hwangsieun

#( si-eun 001. )

❝ i hope i do, it's my dream job. ❞ not even before uni did he say such a sentence. ❝ i am. they continue to bring the visions to reality in the best way possible. i hope that's translating into a big influx of new users. ❞

he chuckled softly. "and we're all glad for it." part of him hoped it wouldn't. there was something perversely satisfying about early adopters calling his product by it's original name. a good marketing campaign would change that. "now that you've achieved your dream job, what are you going to do? it is summer. a vacation wouldn't be out of line."