I'm Stankris from Ao3. You can call me Stan or Kris for short. I fell down the BTS rabbit hole a while back and haven't been able to get back up. But it's kind of cozy down here.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/8
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Park Jimin (BTS), Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Seokjin | Jin
Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Historical Inaccuracy, sope side ship, Rich Jeon Jungkook, Gardener Park Jimin (BTS), Park Jimin is Trying His Best (BTS), But he doesn't quite fit in, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Omega Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Scenting, dub-con scenting, Panic Attack, or what could be interpreted as one, Period-Typical Homophobia
Summary:
Past thirty, unmarried and unmated, and with no prospects, Jimin would be considered an old maid even if he weren't a male omega on top of it all. But he is all those things, and he's content as long as he has his parents, his best friend, and his garden on Goldenrod estate. This quiet life of obscurity has granted him far more freedom to discover himself away from the expectations of society, but his peace is threatened when the estate gains a new proprietor.
A young, handsome, industrious, and wealthy alpha of the landed gentry, Jungkook is much sought after in the marriage market by mothers and their omega and beta daughters alike, but he has no interest in marrying. He has more than enough to occupy himself with managing his estate and business. When he inherits an additional estate, he is made significantly more wealthy. But with twice the responsibilities, he has to rely on the steward he inherited along with the estate. Getting along with the steward's family, in particular his son, is a challenge he isn't prepared for.
When these two meet among the goldenrods, it is a shock to both their sensibilities, but they learn to understand each other as their paths continue to intersect.
Chapters: 6/?
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Park Jimin (BTS)/Everyone, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Taehyung | V
Characters: Bangtan Boys | BTS Ensemble
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega King Jimin, Alpha Harem, Concubines, Mpreg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamorous Bangtan Boys | BTS, Polyamory, txt cameos, Dubious Consent, Panic Attack, Violence, Orgy, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Voyeurism, Smut
Summary:
To maintain his fragile hold on his rule as the first omega king of Calene, Jimin must find an alpha noble to sire him an heir.
The second son of a minor rural noble, Jungkook volunteers for the role to help his family, but can he navigate court politics and find his place among the King's harem?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 4/?
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Park Jimin (BTS)/Everyone, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Taehyung | V
Characters: Bangtan Boys | BTS Ensemble
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega King Jimin, Alpha Harem, Concubines, Mpreg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamorous Bangtan Boys | BTS, Polyamory
Summary:
To maintain his fragile hold on his rule as the first omega king of Calene, Jimin must find an alpha noble to sire him an heir.
The second son of a minor rural noble, Jungkook volunteers for the role to help his family, but can he navigate court politics and find his place among the King's harem?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 5/8
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Park Jimin (BTS), Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Seokjin | Jin
Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Historical Inaccuracy, sope side ship, Rich Jeon Jungkook, Gardener Park Jimin (BTS), Park Jimin is Trying His Best (BTS), But he doesn't quite fit in, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Omega Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Scenting, dub-con scenting, Panic Attack, or what could be interpreted as one
Summary:
Past thirty, unmarried and unmated, and with no prospects, Jimin would be considered an old maid even if he weren't a male omega on top of it all. But he is all those things, and he's content as long as he has his parents, his best friend, and his garden on Goldenrod estate. This quiet life of obscurity has granted him far more freedom to discover himself away from the expectations of society, but his peace is threatened when the estate gains a new proprietor.
A young, handsome, industrious, and wealthy alpha of the landed gentry, Jungkook is much sought after in the marriage market by mothers and their omega and beta daughters alike, but he has no interest in marrying. He has more than enough to occupy himself with managing his estate and business. When he inherits an additional estate, he is made significantly more wealthy. But with twice the responsibilities, he has to rely on the steward he inherited along with the estate. Getting along with the steward's family, in particular his son, is a challenge he isn't prepared for.
When these two meet among the goldenrods, it is a shock to both their sensibilities, but they learn to understand each other as their paths continue to intersect.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 4/8
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Park Jimin (BTS), Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Seokjin | Jin
Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Historical Inaccuracy, sope side ship, Rich Jeon Jungkook, Gardener Park Jimin (BTS), Park Jimin is Trying His Best (BTS), But he doesn't quite fit in, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Omega Park Jimin (BTS), Alpha Jeon Jungkook, Scenting, dub-con scenting, Panic Attack, or what could be interpreted as one
Summary:
Past thirty, unmarried and unmated, and with no prospects, Jimin would be considered an old maid even if he weren't a male omega on top of it all. But he is all those things, and he's content as long as he has his parents, his best friend, and his garden on Goldenrod estate. This quiet life of obscurity has granted him far more freedom to discover himself away from the expectations of society, but his peace is threatened when the estate gains a new proprietor.
A young, handsome, industrious, and wealthy alpha of the landed gentry, Jungkook is much sought after in the marriage market by mothers and their omega and beta daughters alike, but he has no interest in marrying. He has more than enough to occupy himself with managing his estate and business. When he inherits an additional estate, he is made significantly more wealthy. But with twice the responsibilities, he has to rely on the steward he inherited along with the estate. Getting along with the steward's family, in particular his son, is a challenge he isn't prepared for.
When these two meet among the goldenrods, it is a shock to both their sensibilities, but they learn to understand each other as their paths continue to intersect.
Before I get to talking about ‘Haegeum,’ we need to look at the birth of Agust D from Yoongi’s first mixtape by the same name in 2016.
When we first meet Agust D, he’s presented as a scrappy underdog bound in a moving motorhome, but he slowly breaks free over the course of the ‘Agust D’ MV.
This first version of Agust D is characterized by his anger at those who have wronged or looked down on him, his ambition, and his greed. His ambition and greed are apparent just in the title of his follow up track ‘give it to me’.
The MV for ‘give it to me’ is also a continuation of ‘Agust D’ where he’s fully succeeded in breaking free from his bonds and captivity.
Yoongi has also stated (in a live after the release of D-2) that another name for blond Agust D is anger.
But equally important to note is how this first, blond version of Agust D, who I’ll call Agust D-1 from here on, is in the process of rising up from the bottom to overcome, or overthrow, those that tried to keep him down just because he’s an idol rapper.
Using military metaphors he so fond of, he’s a “new recruit” enacting “insubordination” or a “mutiny” against the older rappers in the underground scene.
‘Daechwita’, released with Yoongi’s second mixtape D-2, follows a similar narrative. He’s still calling out his detractors in the lyrics, except now he’s risen “from origins of a slave to become a king” and no longer the underdog he was.
Even the title and sample of traditional Daechwita military music is announcing the arrival of this king with familiar blond hair and a fresh scar over his eye.
Except, despite the lyrics, the MV still tells the story of an underdog rising up to overthrow the corrupted power at the top.
The original blond Agust D-1 has become the villain, mad with his own power, demanding total submission of those under him, and rapidly collecting the heads of anyone who opposes him.
And this is when we meet Agust D-2 with black hair and a scar to match the King’s.
He becomes our new underdog and the revolutionary narrative becomes one of a struggle within Yoongi’s own self, to overcome the tyranny of ‘Anger.’ Just like Agust D-1 from the ‘Agust D’ MV, he has his own bonds to break free from.
One interesting thing I observed, before we move on from ‘Daechwita,’ is that Agust D-2 is associated with newer technology than Agust D-1. It signals that Agust D-2 is the natural successor, the next generation.
The setting of the MV and Agust D-1′s palace appears to be the Joseon dynasty, but there are a few exceptions to this brought in by Agust D-2, like the Jade key-ring and the car.
Even their weapons of choice are telling. Agust D-1′s weapon is a sword:
But as a newer iteration of himself, Agust D-2 is more technologically advanced and his weapon of choice is a gun.
Agust D-2 uses the gun to shoot the mad king and presumably succeeds in overthrowing him in this succession of power.
Phew, ok. Are you still with me? On to ‘Haegeum’.
‘Haegeum’ is even more explicitly about breaking free from what binds us. The title itself, while it can mean the traditional Korean instrument, also means the lifting of a ban or what has been forbidden. Yoongi references this in lyrics like, “liberation from all that’s forbidden” and when he explicitly states, “this song's simply about freeing what's forbidden.”
The visual and thematic parallels between ‘Daechwita’ and ‘Haegeum’ also make clear that this overthrowing of a corrupted power at the top is a repeating cycle. We even get Jungkook’s chicken in both market scenes!
Okay, the chicken probably isn’t that thematically important, but it’s fun. And Jungkook was really cute with that chicken behind the scenes.
We also see the return of Agust D-2, marked by his fading scar, but instead of the underdog revolutionary he was in ‘Daechwita,’ he has now risen to the top of the police force and been corrupted. The money our new underdog Agust D-3 steals at the beginning is clearly his with how invested Agust D-2 is in its retrieval. Several of his shots mirror those of the mad king from ‘Daechwita,’ making his corruption and this association clear.
Agust D-3 is our new protagonist and he has his own share of parallels with Agust D-2 from ‘Daechwita’ as well. He doesn’t overthrow the corrupt authority at the top alone. In both instances, he gets help from the other people under the corrupt authority: the butcher/executioner in ‘Daechwita’ and one of the gang members in ‘Haegeum.’
They both make eye contact with our revolutionary early on in the MVs and by the end are revealed to have been working with him all along when instead of following orders and killing our protagonist they sneak him the gun that kills the corrupt authority at the end.
But I have hope that Agust D-3 will be able to break free from this cycle of rising to power and then becoming corrupted. The reason for this hope is ‘Haegeum’s’ lyrics.
We’re told explicitly to “differentiate between freedom and self-indulgence” because there are limits to freedom and it becomes an issue when one person’s self-indulgence infringes on another person’s freedom. That’s the real issue with these corrupted authority figures doing whatever they want: they’re hurting the people under them and impeding their freedoms.
So what makes Agust D-3 different?
Well, at first not much. He is in fact very self-indulgent as he murders, steals, smokes, and generally does whatever he wants. This is how he comes into conflict with Agust D-2 as both of their greed starts to restrict the other, “putting shackles on each other.”
But there’s a turning point when they come face to face. Agust D-3 takes the cigarette (a symbol of self-indulgence) from Agust D-2′s lips and looks like he’s considering smoking it himself.
But instead of smoking it, he does the unexpected and throws it into the stacks of stolen money, which are symbolic of the greed and capitalism that shackled him, and burns it all, freeing himself from the hold it had on him.
Agust D-2 is not free from this greed, however, so when he sees the money he’s trying to retrieve go up in flames, he takes out his anger on Agust D-3 (making him even more like the violent and angry Agust D-1).
But because Agust D-2 is still blinded by greed and anger, Agust D-3 is able to shoot and overthrow him in the end (in another parallel scene with ‘Daechwita’).
We see the full arc of Agust D-3′s growth when he returns to the restaurant where this chain of events all began, and he orders a single bowl of noodles.
He uses the chopsticks, which were previously his murder weapon, to eat the noodles as they were intended to be used. He’s still participating in the system in place, because we all need to eat at the end of the day, but it’s different. It’s not the exploitation of the system for self-gain that Agust D-2 was engaged in as a corrupt police official, and it’s not the unfettered destructive self-indulgence Agust D-3 displayed at the beginning of the MV either.
To be free it might be necessary to participate in the system to a certain extent, but what’s really important is to continue questioning it. That’s the challenge Agust D-3 seems to be giving the audience with his look at the end.
But with the hair falling over his eye in this shot, resembling the scar that marked the past two Agust Ds, perhaps it’s more ambiguous than that. Maybe he too will eventually fall to corruption. Maybe we all have that corruption in us and we have to continually struggle against it.
Either way, ‘Haegeum’ is a thought-provoking, cinematic masterpiece, and I hope you enjoyed this post where I tried to put all my thoughts together.
Note: I haven’t mentioned ‘Amygdala’ in this overview of the Agust D trilogy, because I think the story of that song is slightly separate (it’s much more tied to personal events in Yoongi’s life). The one thing I do think is relevant from ‘Amygdala,’ though, is that the scar is self-inflicted. From what I’ve seen Yoongi say about it, the scar seems to signify the self-inflicted wounds following trauma that lead to our corruption, but I’m not entirely sure.
(credit to https://muish.wordpress.com and https://doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com for translations as well as all official MV translations)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 14/15
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Namjoon | RM, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V
Additional Tags: mermaid au, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Tae is a whale, yes Jimin is bffs with a whale but not in a cartoony way, Park Jimin (BTS) is a Sweetheart, fictional sign language, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Seokjin | Jin are Siblings, Fluff and Angst, Merman Jimin, Violence, nothing too graphic, Sexual Content, Language Barrier
Summary:
All his life, Jimin has kept to the depths of the ocean, away from the monsters that roam the surface. But after years of wandering a lonely ocean, he decides to face his longstanding fears and discover just what lies beyond the world he knows.
He doesn't know what to expect, but it certainly isn't Jungkook.
OR
Can a merman let himself be lured by the voice of a human? Can he drown?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kim Namjoon | RM/Park Jimin
Characters: Kim Namjoon | RM, Min Yoongi | Suga, Park Jimin (BTS), Original Characters
Additional Tags: Religion, toxic religion verging on a cult, themes from the garden of Eden, Gods, Goddesses, Monks, Gothic, Sexual Content, Seduction, Aromantic Asexual Min Yoongi | Suga
Summary:
Namjoon was raised by the Order of the Earth Mother with discipline and austerity, content with his lot and in his devotion. At least he was until beautiful and alluring omega Jimin arrives at the monastery one night with a storm and unveils an entirely new realm of possibility and temptation.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Park Jimin (BTS)/Original Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Park Jimin, Kim Seokjin | Jin/Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung | V/Park Jimin, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Park Jimin (BTS)/Everyone
Characters: Park Jimin (BTS), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Namjoon | RM, Jeon Jungkook, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Explicit Sexual Content, Sex Intervention, Oaths & Vows, BTS as Greek gods and goddesses, Polyamory, Arranged Marriage
Summary:
Since the disappointing loss of the Trojan war, Jimin's sexual appetite has admittedly been a little more voracious than usual. Still, there's nothing wrong with getting some good dick in. It shouldn't be an issue.
His husband and best friends apparently disagree. They take it upon themselves to trap him to his marriage bed mid-affair and bind him just as tightly to a no-sex vow for three months. But even beaten, Jimin doesn't go down so easily. Will his tenacity win out or will his friends finally succeed in getting through to him?
OR
A retelling of Greek mythology inspired by the tale of Hephaestus trapping Aphrodite and Ares during sex and having the other gods and goddesses come in to laugh at them, except it's a well-intentioned intervention instead and the only one laughing is Jin at his own jokes. The story follows Jimin as Aphrodite as he struggles with a sex addiction and navigating his relationships old and new.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 10/?
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Namjoon | RM, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V
Additional Tags: mermaid au, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Tae is a whale, yes Jimin is bffs with a whale but not in a cartoony way, Park Jimin (BTS) is a Sweetheart, fictional sign language, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Seokjin | Jin are Siblings, Fluff and Angst, Merman Jimin, Violence, nothing too graphic, Sexual Content, Language Barrier
Summary:
All his life, Jimin has kept to the depths of the ocean, away from the monsters that roam the surface. But after years of wandering a lonely ocean, he decides to face his longstanding fears and discover just what lies beyond the world he knows.
He doesn't know what to expect, but it certainly isn't Jungkook.
OR
Can a merman let himself be lured by the voice of a human? Can he drown?
“Jungkook scolded me… He was very upset.”
“I didn’t lash out at you, though.”
↳ BTS Live : 그렇게 믿었건만… | 2019.05.19. 00:29
HAPPY BIRTHDAY @stankris! My peep, I hope you have tons of fun today and you ate all you wanted at the resto. I hope you enjoy this gifset; your favorite VLive - Alex
+ bonus;
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 9/?
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Namjoon | RM, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V
Additional Tags: mermaid au, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Tae is a whale, yes Jimin is bffs with a whale but not in a cartoony way, Park Jimin (BTS) is a Sweetheart, fictional sign language, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Seokjin | Jin are Siblings, Fluff and Angst, Merman Jimin, Violence, nothing too graphic, Sexual Content, Language Barrier
Summary:
All his life, Jimin has kept to the depths of the ocean, away from the monsters that roam the surface. But after years of wandering a lonely ocean, he decides to face his longstanding fears and discover just what lies beyond the world he knows.
He doesn't know what to expect, but it certainly isn't Jungkook.
OR
Can a merman let himself be lured by the voice of a human? Can he drown?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 6/?
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin
Characters: Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin (BTS), Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Namjoon | RM, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V
Additional Tags: mermaid au, Kim Taehyung | V & Park Jimin are Best Friends, Tae is a whale, yes Jimin is bffs with a whale but not in a cartoony way, Park Jimin (BTS) is a Sweetheart, fictional sign language, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Seokjin | Jin are Siblings, Fluff and Angst, Merman Jimin, Violence, nothing too graphic, Sexual Content, Language Barrier
Summary:
All his life, Jimin has kept to the depths of the ocean, away from the monsters that roam the surface. But after years of wandering a lonely ocean, he decides to face his longstanding fears and discover just what lies beyond the world he knows.
He doesn't know what to expect, but it certainly isn't Jungkook.
OR
Can a merman let himself be lured by the voice of a human? Can he drown?
A third moodboard for my on-going fic on Ao3 “Map of the Soul” as I’m posting its 10th chapter!
I never expected this story to be that epic (and that big!) but I love writing it so much! 💖I’ve become quickly attached to the characters and the places. And we’ll be travelling some more! 🛫
