#drjxng

[astral-athame]

"Plastered" ( @drjxng )

@drjxng Send in "Plastered" for a thread where your muse finds mine drunk.

When Cass was younger, a little more shy (if you could believe that) she avoided singing at karaoke like her life depended on it. It's not that she thought she didn't have the voice for it, it was that the idea of getting up in front of people, even if those people were your friends, and risking fucking up? That was terrifying. But now? Well, now she sang for a living. She was up on stage in front of people all the time. It had been nerve wracking going from just guitarist to having to be front and center, but the adjustment was easier than she'd thought it would be. So karaoke? Yeah. This was nothing.

But getting a private booth for a couple hours also usually meant getting drinks. And getting drinks sometimes meant getting drunk. Cass didn't usually drink, really, but Jiyeon had to be up early tomorrow for a meeting so she'd cemented herself as the designated driver for the night. While Cass, at first, was still reluctant to have more than just a single drink, she'd kind of been gently nudged into a second. And a third. That was enough alcohol to push her just past tipsy. It was also enough for her to text Mikoto, about an hour in, to see if he was still planning to join them when he was done. She wasn't trying to pushy (and she hoped he didn't take it that way) she was just curious because he hadn't mentioned it at all since yesterday when she'd first invited him. She'd told him to bring Miharu along, too, if she was free. Why not? It was going to be a fun, probably fairly short, night out and a chance to just... let loose a little.

He didn't answer and Cass wasn't sure whether to take that as a bad sign or not. If he couldn't make it, that was fine. Hell, even if he didn't want to come, that was fine. They were only fake dating, anyway. Right? Sure there'd been that incident in the pool. And that time after, just a couple weeks ago, when she'd offered herself to him. But there'd never been any exchange suggesting this was something more. So it was okay if he didn't want to come, right?

The mic was firmly in Jiyeon's hands right now (and this was the first time Cass had actually heard the girl sing- it was a shame that her k-pop career had ended as harshly as it had because Jiyeon definitely had the voice for it) and Cass was caught between listening to her friend sing and checking her phone for a reply. But, as fate would have it, it was only a couple more minutes before there was a knock on the door (it wasn't enough to disrupt Jiyeon from singing, mind you) and Cass was scurrying to answer it. She knew that it was most likely that it was another round of drinks (Cass was still nursing the start of her 4th), but if she was lucky, maybe, just maybe...

Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw him. Hell, if this was a cartoon, her pupils would have turned to little hearts, she was sure of it. "You're soooo handsome... wow..." She wasn't far enough gone to be slurring her words much yet, but there was that hint of a drunken cant to the way she spoke. Probably also in the way she was kind of getting lost in just the sight of him. Then, she snapped out of it (Mika was sitting to the side chuckling at her as Jiyeon's song finished up). "Sorry-" In hindsight, her greeting hadn't been the best. Time to restart. "Hi!" She wrapped her arms around him, leaned up to steal a quick kiss (though, really, she would have kissed him much longer than that if it wouldn't have made things awkward). "I'm so glad you made it! I just texted you, I wanted to be sure you remembered-" She wanted to be sure he'd remembered her.

"Do you want a drink? Something to eat?" She offered after introductions and "hellos" were finished. "You'll sing with us, right? We should do a song together!" She didn't know what song, she'd let Mikoto look through the options while James was taking his turn (James wasn't a bad singer, but he certainly didn't have the best vocal control- but he also didn't mind not being great at it, he was still having fun). She curled up beside Mikoto on one of the couches while James did his take on "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi (a rather funny change up to the k-pop song Jiyeon had just performed) and rested her head against his shoulder as Nick passed them the touchscreen that would show them the list of songs. "I really am glad you made it. I was hoping you'd remember," She said softly, turning her head just enough to press a small kiss against his shoulder.

[dethenryquinn]

"i heard you asked my sister to prom. did she agree?" so maybe the brother was also rooting for him. but he'd been sick that day, so mikoto missed it. but he'd heard it from friends. [ @drjxng ]

"Whatever happened to 'hello?'" Henry asked with a small smile as he closed his locker. "Yeah, I did, and yeah, she said yes. It was like she knew I was going to ask. I made a bit of a fool out of myself in front of her friends though." He shrugged, "I'm Henry, it's nice to meet you." // @drjxng

[astral-athame]

( Let's pretend this was sent on the actual day for valentines - @drjxng ) There's a knock for delivery - a small bouquet of flowers, random but never missing a rose, since he wasn't sure still of her preference. There's also an envelope with a gift certificate to an all-inclusive spa place that was not limited to that, but also included a session for a manicure, pedicure and a massage. With the gift certificate was a separate note from Mikoto, written in a neat script: Happy valentine's day. Take a break and get ready by 7. Wear your best dress. - M

@drjxng

Was it bad that she had been so caught up in writing (not even a song, at that, just writing) that it had skipped her mind entirely that it was Valentine's day?

The knock had initially been met with confusion, and when she opened the door to a delivery of roses, she felt, for a second, perplexed. That was, until it dawned on her as she took the bouquet into her arms- Valentine's Day. Of course. Even so, she hadn't actually expected to receive anything. The relationship with Mikoto wasn't a real one and he was under no obligation to treat the day as anything special. But she felt her heart flutter a bit just the same. She'd never been sent flowers on Valentine's Day, she'd always been single for the holiday. The gesture was sweet, romantic, and when she caught herself grinning like a school girl with a crush, she had to remind herself that none of it meant anything, really. It was all pretend. That was okay, though. She kind of liked pretending.

She'd have to use the gift certificate for the spa, take some time to herself to relax. She had the bad habit of pushing herself too far, not taking the time she needed to unwind, and she supposed this was as good a reason as any to finally offer herself the bit of pampering she maybe deserved. (Was it fair of her to think she was maybe deserving of it?)

By the time 7 came around, she felt rejuvenated. She felt good. But there was a bit of nervousness starting to bubble up, as well. She had done as instructed and put on her best dress- usually she preferred to wear black, but she'd recently bought a nice, red, dress that complimented her complexion and dark hair better than the same old black clothes did. It toed the line between sultry and classy- not overly revealing, but offering just enough skin to be eye catching. She'd carefully done up her makeup and her hair, as well, hoping to look presentable. But maybe he'd think it was too much. Or not enough. She didn't dress up like this often and she was starting to second guess herself a bit over it all. Why did she so badly want to impress him? Why did it matter so much to her that he would look at her and find her beautiful? For the hundredth time, she had to remind herself it was all an act. And yet...

She hadn't the time to reconsider her appearance, though. Mikoto was pretty precisely on time, as she could have expected, and when she answered the door she tried to do so with more confidence than she actually felt. She was a bit taller in her heels, but remained a decent bit shorter than him even so, having to look up a bit to meet his eyes. "Hi," She said simply, a slightly hesitant smile in place as she brushed her hair back behind her ear with her fingers. This shouldn't feel as much like a scene from some sappy romance movie as it did. She could feel her face flush just a bit, trying not to focus on just how handsome he looked. "Thank you for the flowers and the gift certificate. It was sweet of you," In fact, the flowers were in a vase behind her, just within his view. It hadn't been entirely intentional that they were in his line of sight, but she felt acutely aware of it now for some reason.

She wanted to reach out to touch him, to brush her fingers against his cheek, maybe even to lean up and kiss him, but she was wary of crossing lines, of acting too forward when there were no cameras, no need to play at romance. Maybe she just wanted to play at it for her own sake, to selfishly feel that kind of affection. She toyed with the idea, then let it slip. It would do her no good to get too heavily invested in a fantasy, no matter how pretty that fantasy seemed.

[astral-athame]

@drjxng // starter based on this plot!

Cass wasn't sure about all this. In fact, she was feeling antsy, arms crossed low, the index finger of her left hand tapping rapidly against her right forearm. The anxiety she felt about all this was festering some. Then again, it'd been festering for almost 3 months already- ever since Eric announced that he wanted to leave the band and focus on life out of the spotlight. Sure, he said he'd still be happy to show up on a few tracks if the band kept going without him, and someday he might come back... But, for now, the band was kind of left floundering. They'd keep getting royalties from their old stuff, sure, but they didn't have a lot of old stuff to fall back on yet- two albums and an EP. A few music videos. Some band t-shirts and such selling online. Cass knew she would be fine- she lived pretty simply, anyway, and if, on the off chance, she ran into financial issues, her dad was well off enough to help her out. But the boys weren't so lucky. James, especially. He'd taken to the high life of his new found fame quickly and, if they stopped making music or lost too much of their popularity without Eric, Cass was pretty sure that it would only be a couple years at most before James was struggling.

But this... this proposed situation might just help them out. Yes, they'd lost their lead vocalist, and yes, that left Cass fronting the band (something she'd never wanted and now felt stuck with), but that didn't have to mean they were doomed. Some old fans would leave because they'd stuck around for Eric's vocals or his image, that couldn't be helped. But maybe they could hold onto some of their longtime fan base with new music. In which case, it would then just be about getting new fans to make up for the ones that were already trickling out. They just needed a way to get eyes back on them.... and this might just be a way to do it. Cass had never been seen in a relationship, after all. Her focus had always been on the music. That didn't mean that she hadn't had a lover or two in the past, but she tended to keep that aspect of her personal life well under wraps. So "dating" someone as popular as Mikoto... well, it was bound to get people talking. And if people were talking, that would put attention on her and, by extension, the band. Which meant keeping, at least, a steady popularity long enough for a new album to be produced (they already had plenty of songs written up, after all some would just need to be changed to suit her voice better). God, she hoped this would work...

"Six months..." She repeated. That's what had been suggested. Half a year of their lives dedicated to a fake relationship. It sounded like a lot... and yet, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't really that much to ask. It's not like she was in an actual relationship or anything, anyway. Nor did she intend to be. And all they had to do was fake it. No strings attached. Just... showing up in public together sometimes, attending events together, acting like a couple of lovebirds. Right? It wouldn't be that difficult, and it would serve her well to actually be out in the public eye a bit more. She paused in her pacing and her fingers stilled against her arm for the first time since this conversation had started. "You really think this could work?" She had her doubts, but they were few and far between. She could help with his image and he could help with her career. It seemed like a win-win situation.

[astral-athame]

👙 (from mikoto // @drjxng)

@drjxng Our muses are going to the beach together. Send 👙 for your muse to see my muse wearing a swimsuit

It was a sweet irony how much she loved the beach. Warm sand. The salty breeze. Soaking in the sun. She wasn't the best swimmer, but at least she'd mostly gotten over her fear of the water- in part thanks to her ex, and in part thanks to Mikoto. He'd been so patient with her when she'd first told him she barely knew how to swim, that the water gave her some anxiety even still. He'd held her hands in the pool the first time they got in the water together. And when she had clung to him when they got deep enough that her feet didn't touch the bottom any longer, he'd let her. The second time, when she felt a bit more sure of herself, he'd pressed her back against the poolside near the end of their swim, kissed her breathless, left her wanting. They still had yet to talk about that, though. No words yet exchanged to bridge this gap between "just friends" and something more. The third time, he'd been more careful, more reserved, like he was worried about a repeat of that kiss from before. The swimming, then, had not lasted nearly as long, and Cassia had felt her heart sink with the realization that maybe Mikoto had felt like he'd made a mistake kissing her the last time.

But she'd recovered some from it by now. It had been just over a month since that kiss, and she'd tried to let it fade from her mind some. They were back to friendship, nothing more. Right? And this little trip down to the seaside (which had been her idea) was not a date... even if she kind of really wanted it to be.

The walk down to the more secluded section of the beach was a fairly long one, but it had been entirely worth it to get away from prying eyes and the loud chatter and chaos of others. There were, of course, a few people sharing this section of the beach front with them- it wasn't entirely private, unfortunately. But it was much quieter down here, and though Cass, as a teacher, liked kids, it was nice to not have to be surrounded by them playing and shouting all day. She wanted to relax. Hang out with Mikoto.

Only once they were down by the water, beach blanket spread out, did she slip out of her shorts and tank top. Her sunglasses were soon to follow and, when she let her down from the bun atop her head, she used her fingers to comb through it, fluff it back out some. Sure, it'd be getting wet soon enough and then the wavy locks would flatten, but that was no reason for them not to look nice for now, right?

She smiled over at Mikoto, adjusting the thin fabric holding her bottoms at her hips so it settled more comfortably again. "How cold do you think the water is?" She asked, knowing that even in this heatwave the sea water was likely still at least a little chilly. That was okay, though, that's what they wanted. To cool off. To let the sun warm them back up when they finally came out of the water. Maybe she'd lay down on her beach towel for a while later, soak in the sunshine after she'd reapplied her sunscreen (a tan was one thing- that she could deal with. But she didn't fuck around with sunburns!). "Guess there's really only one way to know, huh?" They'd have to get in the water to know how cold it was going to be. And though she liked being in the water once she was in it, she always had trouble with those first few steps in if it was too cold!

[astral-athame]

“ You've been quiet today. Everything okay? ” ( @drjxng )

@drjxng

"Hmm?" Had she been quiet? She hadn't even noticed. If she had, she would have made more of an effort to talk. Come across as normal. She hadn't meant to concern him.

"Yeah. Sorry. Everything's fine," She finally assured him, once his words had settled in enough for her to understand them. The truth was, though, that she wasn't fine. Not entirely. But she would be soon enough.

Though she had been with Mikoto long enough now it felt a disservice to keep it from him entirely. "My abuela died 12 years ago today. I've now officially lived half my life without her," And half of her life wondering if she was supposed to have died with her. But that was a deeper, darker, thought. Something for another day if ever. "It just feels... weird," And sad, of course. But mostly strange. She rubbed her thumb over the tattooed bracelet of amaryllises, as if they could surge forth memories of her grandmother. "I guess I'm kind of lost in thought, that's all. Nothing to worry about," As if to be reassuring, she gently placed a hand against Mikoto's cheek and leaned in to kiss him. A thought bubbled up, then, and she didn't bother to hold it back. "She would have adored you."

[astral-athame]

⋆‧°𓏲ּ𝄢 "you called at 3am. i'm on my way. no questions asked." ( @drjxng - here have the pilot or the doctor your pick )

@drjxng

She hadn't meant to bother him. Really, she should have thought it through first, not bothered calling him at all. She was a witch- she could take care of herself.

But a dream she couldn't recall had stirred her awake and her power was out. Which... wasn't totally upsetting in and of itself. What bothered her more was that even the battery operated fairy lights she kept hung up around her house so she was never entirely in the dark were out. Every last one of them.

The realization had caused a cold sense of dread to wash over her- what were the odds of that happening? Low, she assumed. Especially considering she'd only recently changed the batteries in the ones above her bed...

Without thinking, she'd called him. The first person she wanted to speak to. The first person she thought of when she felt fear start to slink through her veins.

And when he had answered, she'd stumbled over her words, apologized, tried to take it back because it had dawned on her how late it was now and that she'd probably woken him up. Did he have to be up early? Was she denying him of much needed sleep? She felt awful about it.

Yet Mikoto seemed not to be deterred. He wasn't cross with her. Didn't hang up. He didn't even tell her that she needed to explain herself.

"You called at 3am. I'm on my way. No questions asked."

Cass drew a small, shaky, breath, the overwhelming feeling that something was wrong was bone deep. Aching.

She had made her way down the stairs while she was on the phone with him, but only now, as she walked into the kitchen, did she notice the backdoor was wide open. She never left it unlocked, much less open.

"Don't rush but... get here quick if you can... please?"

[nihiliszm]

(Mikoto) 💔

src: the meme for people who hate happiness - orig.　dst: @drjxng

date of this ask: 15 May 2017

66. Your muse comforting mine after a nightmare.

» 「 光の後継者 」 «

Seikin was still in the midst of regaining his composure after waking up with ragged breathing from that nightmare. The blond is very used to nightmares, most of those tend to be just him being bound onto a chair with no freedom of movement with some bitch, sometimes several having their way with him. This time though, this particular nightmare turned out to be quite nasty despite starting off as yet another nightmare.

This time they left him alone when they were done but Seikin did not wake up, there was no relief. The air reeking of perfume and alcohol assaulted the blond's nostrils. What's worse, one of them lit a cigarette before nonchalantly tossing it onto a broken bottle of perfume, lighting it ablaze. All while the blond was still tied to the chair. There was no help, nobody noticed him. All alone, as flames begins to engulf the dark room.

It was only when the embers were about to reach Seikin that he woke up.

“ Seikin? ”

A groggy voice called out to him. Mikoto's. Right, Seikin was not alone tonight. Or was it dawn already? The blond could not tell since he woke up seeing white and he has his eyes shut tight waking up to sheer panic. With his eyes still closed, the blond lunged at the source of the voice that called out to him. It was only then he opened his eyes as he hugged Mikoto. Never was the blond this glad to be asked if he is alright because he is.

It was all a dream, one Seikin would not like to revisit, that's for sure.

“ Seikin-ah, it's alright, I'm here. ”

It did not take much to comfort Seikin from a nightmare, albeit this one is much more... of a nightmare than the other nightmares he has seen as of late. The blond almost cried as rays of sunshine flooded the room they are in as dawn begins with sunrise. Yet there are no tears from the blond, only sniffles and silence as the blond recovers from the shock of almost being burned alive in his dreams.

Did Mikoto pick up the subtle nod? Seikin isn't in the mood to hear his own voice yet.

» 「 敬具　―　晴 」 «