If you're familiar with PBC at all, you're probably well aware of our love for community events. Projects like AuFiCon are incredibly fun for our team (and hopefully for everyone else!), but take a lot of planning to pull off. Thus, we occasionally ask for the community to pitch in and provide additional support.
Volunteers for the upcoming 2026 event can expect to have a hand in work like panel/event hosting, planning audience engagement, Twitch logistics, and a program booklet with convention info.
We spoke with a few of the wonderful volunteers from last year's convention to get their perspective on being involved with the event. Comments below the cut:
I mean... I signed up again this year. isn't that enough? no? okay, well, it made me spend time with my favourite creators and made me voice how much I love their work! everyone was so nice; I was told exactly what I was supposed to do so I wasn't confused (I get confused easily), i also took part on the planning and what else could be done (some of my ideas were implemented and some were used to adjust it) and I hang out with buncha nerds! idk what else to tell y'all, join the team, so we all can have fun together while doing something very cool and awesome! - Gem Aydın @gemaydin, 400 Words A Horror
I had a great time last year and thought the topics presented were fabulous, along with the creators on the panels! it was also fun seeing what sort of questions the audience might have! i think it’s super valuable to have these kind of panels so people not only know what the creators are up to, but also to get advice if they’re looking on becoming an AD creator in their own right! - Rowan Odom, Twin Strangers Productions
Hosting the podcast trailer event for the 2025 Audio Fiction Convention was a nerve-wracking but incredibly rewarding experience. As someone with performance anxiety it was admittedly a bit terrifying! But I cannot stress enough how uplifting it was for me to host the event in spite of my fears, and I can't thank the AuFiCon team enough for that opportunity! If you're considering volunteering for the convention this year but haven't signed up yet, I can't recommend enough that you take the leap. It might seem scary at first, but you'll find yourself stronger for facing that fear head on. Just remember to drink water, rest, and have fun! <3 - Joeleen, @beyondrepairpod Beyond Repair
If you'd like to have a hand in the chaos and help make 2026 AuFiCon happen, please submit the Volunteer Application. Questions about AuFiCon or volunteering at the event can be directed to our Tumblr, server tickets, or [email protected].
summary: you have a big project coming up, and to make things even worse, you're forced to work with the most stupid, handsome moron on campus.
genre: comedy, enemies-to-lovers trope.
n/a: not me pretending i'm the best friend haha. also, good reading!
“It will be fine!” She said. “It could be worse, trust me. And it will end soon!”
You wish you could stop believing in your best friend.
College is already a nerve-wracking place to deal with it, increasing even more in junior year. You need to work on your assignments, do presentations, fight yourself everyday to not procrastinate 24/7 or call off sick ‘cause your bed is too appealing; and in the end, you always freak out with your final exams, coffee becoming your best friend and clock your worst enemy.
What you don’t understand though, is why, in such a chaotic atmosphere, you still need to do group work?
And why, of all the people on this big campus, you got paired up with Suna Rintarou?
The struggle is real.
It’s not that you hate him. No, that’s not the case at all. It’s just that spotting his face alone is enough to make you want to change sidewalks even if the traffic signal is green and Formula 1 is happening on the street.
It all started with a single bump on the cafeteria entrance. His unnecessary hard body bumped against you and your hot chocolate cup, making all of your precious drink spill and fall into your previous white All Stars sneakers, staining the fabric and burning your skin to the soul.
And that boy had the nerve to mumble a “Watch where you’re going” before giving you a cold shoulder and leaving in a hurry.
Tables turned and you had your redemption one day later, refusing to lend him your notes of an important assignment, useful for the upcoming exams. It’s not your fault that his bicycle tire got pierced on the way to class, he should have been prepared and woken up early like every poor student in this college.
This “not so pleasant but still fulfilling” war has been going on between you guys for weeks. But unfortunately, his presence became more than a nuisance to you, and you absolutely detest now the way your heart flutters when you see that punk walking on the hall with that stupid, pretty face.
Annoying, handsome, punk.
And since your “so called” best friend knows about your hidden feelings, she decided to come up with a stupid solution for it.
You, her, Suna and Bokuto Koutaro, her adorable but very much ingenuous boyfriend, were supposed to do the group project together at a cozy cafeteria a few blocks from the campus main building, known for their delicious milkshakes and pretzels.
Nowhere to escape, you accept the invite, hoping your friend could take your mind away from Suna’s intruding. That, until Bokuto shouts:
“Shoot, I forgot there was practice today!” So exaggerated, he totally has no vocation to be an actor.
And your bestie had the audacity to join the act, forcing out a grimace. “Sorry guys, but we need to go.” She announces, not sorry at all, Bokuto taking her backpack with him like the doting boyfriend he is. “Please enjoy our milkshakes, we’ll text you later to see what you guys decided!”
“Good dat— I mean…. Bye!” Bokuto takes her hand and storms away from the cafeteria.
You can only sigh, disappointed at yourself for not predicting this might happen.
“Did they really leave us?” Suna asks incredulously, noticing the filled notebooks the couple left on the table. “They even made their parts already!”
You turn your gaze to him, feeling the beginning of a migraine.“Look, I’m not thrilled to work with you either. But the faster we start, the faster we’ll get rid of each other.” You proposed with little patience, taking a sip of your friend’s untouched strawberry milkshake. “Now, take that milkshake and let’s finish this quick.”
He huffs, but your surprise doesn't fight with you on this, and you both start a two-hours circle of working in silence, bickering at each other and working in silence again, making small progress with your parts on the project. You even start to agree with each other, Suna finding your suggestions “smarter than expected”, and you finding his ideas “not so bad for a moron”.
It’s strange, the feeling of being in agreement with Hajime on something, and it's noticeable his efforts of making the process as peaceful as it can be. This friendlier side looks actually cute on him (not that you were checking him out for the past thirty minutes), so you decide to be nice too, for the sake of good grades.
It only lasts a few minutes, and soon you’re arguing again.
“The information needs to be in Z. No one will pay attention if you fill the poster with notes all over it!” He argues one more time, trying to prove his point about the best position to the notes.
“But we need to put all the information we gathered! If we do it your way, we’ll need three more posters , and that's a waste of paper!” You defend your point as well, not wanting to back down from your proposition to the project’s presentation.
“Well, if you want to really save paper, then you should stop wanting to put everything we wrote down inside a poster, when we don’t have to!”
“We do, if we want good grades in this class. Oh wait, I forgot, you don’t really know what it's like.!”
You’re both staring at each other dangerously, breath heavy and quick, like two bulls ready to strike each other. Thank goodness you’re in a distant booth, or you guys would probably be kicked out by now for the shouting.
Suna runs his hand over his black locks, tired of this unfinished argument. “You’re too annoying , you know that?” He hisses.
“And you’re so stubborn, argh, I can’t stand you in my head anymore!” You almost shout out your frustration, letting slip the last words by accident, but lucky for you Suna’s too angry to catch what did you mean.
“Well, I wish you could leave mine too, but you’re still there every day!”
You’re shocked. Your heart’s pace fastens and your body suddenly feels numb, completely bewildered by his confession. Suna avoids eye-contact for a few seconds, staring at the table with a terrified look, his face reddening as the seconds go by. Why did he say that to you?
“I—” He clears his throat, trying to come up with a quick excuse to cover his mistake.“ I didn't—”
“What?” But you don’t leave room for excuses. “You didn’t mean you like me?”
His eyes widens. “No! I…. I….” He sighs. “ I didn’t mean to say it like that! But if you really want to know… yes. I like you. " He moves his eyes in your direction, taking your features for a moment. "Even if you get on my nerves every single day, I can’t get you out of my head. And I know we’re not on the best terms, but I can’t just pretend anymore…” He doesn’t need to finish his line. You’re just so overwhelmed with his confession, that staying a few moments in silence makes Rintarou take that as a rejection.
“I should go.” He begins to rise from his chair, but his movements are interrupted as you quickly hold one of his wrists, preventing him from moving away. He looks at you surprised.
“Would you find it strange if I said that I can’t pretend anymore either?” You can’t say the right words aloud yet, timid of what he might do with your confession, but the growing, pretty and genuine smirk on his face tells you made a good decision by opening yourself to him.
Concept: Reader is a long-time trainee at JYP Entertainment, on the verge of being dropped completely due to her age. In her first stroke of luck in ages, she's presented with an opportunity: JYPE is producing a brand new type of audition show - 9 lucky trainees will be 'interning' with 6 of JYPE's active groups for a year in hopes of forming the first ever mixed gender AND mixed subgender group in k-pop. The catch? The trainees are only interning with their exact opposite groups, in an effort to appease ongoing protests.
Or - Babble gives in and writes Omegaverse. But this time, there's ~lore~
-
Word Count: 1,893
Notes: I started this instead of working on SG I'm so sorry ^^;; My brain just doesn't wanna take anything serious rn I've been having a Time lmao
I have, perhaps, thought about an inordinate amount of lore for this ^^;; It's ok I just tried to apply logic to Omegaverse nbd. I never liked the 'inner wolf' rhetoric so this is my attempt to fix that while keeping the instinct drivel i adore lol. While also keeping a more human level of 'intinct'. Also this isn't very edited, so keep that in mind. Also also this is super slow-burn and focused on pack-bonds first, so while we may get to romance and maybe smut eventually, it won't be for a really very long time
Heavily inspired by To The 9th Degree by azaluvx7 on Ao3.
Warnings: Mention of house-fire, discussion of medical misinformation that leads to protests (also mentioned)
-
Masterlist | Next Part
Sitting across from the director is always a nerve wracking experience, no matter how many times I’ve experienced it.
Kim Jae-Hwa was a severe omegan woman with dark hair and a fair complexion. As the director of Training and Development at JYPE she held the future of all of JYPE’s unrealized talent in her hands.
That did, of course, include my own.
Having been picked up and dropped from several line-ups over the years, none of those groups having come to fruition at all, she was someone I’d seen probably more than I’d have liked to. Seeing her face always filled me with a potent mixture of hope and dread, something she was uniquely positioned to tip the scales of.
Today we were, oddly enough, sat in the company’s cafeteria instead of the director’s office or the conference room she favored. Seeing as how the last time I'd been in one of those rooms it’d been to have a very honest and pragmatic conversation with several of the older trainees about our future within the company and our options outside of it, I couldn’t be mad at the change of scenery.
Several of my classes had become one-on-one tutoring sessions after that conversation.
So yeah, sitting in front of her was always more than enough to make you break out into a cold sweat and send my scent spiking along with my thundering heartbeat beneath carefully-applied scent blockers, no matter how nice she was.
And she was nice, pushing a steaming coffee across the table to me, warm smile gentling her features. She cared about the trainees here, truly. It’s why she organized meeting like the one that chased away a majority of your remaining friends in the first place. Always looking out for us, whether we liked it or not.
“I heard you’ve been skipping a few classes lately, that’s not like you.” She says after a moment, allowing me to sip the warm comfort of the familiar beverage before her interrogation.
“Ah,” I flinch a bit, curling into myself, “I had to get another job. My apartment burned down recently, so it’s just been a bit hard to make everything work out.”
She knows this already, of course. All of my trainers were aware, as well as the manager who oversaw the older trainees. Well, older trainee, now, really. Reports about the trainees crossed her desk regularly, and since I was the only one in my class right now there weren’t many for my details to get lost between.
As expected, she just nods along, tilting her head at me, not surprised in the least.
“Where are you staying now, may I ask?”
I shrink further into myself at her query, embarrassment flooding me. “Just a hotel right now, director.” I admit, head low, “The building wasn’t really salvageable, and I haven’t been able to find anything I can afford near enough to the company yet.”
Jae-Hwa just nods her elegant head, not rendering judgment. In fact, as I glance up at the older woman, there’s something almost calculating in her eyes.
“Why didn’t you apply for the trainee dorms? It sounds like you qualify for them.”
Squirming uncomfortably in my seat, I cast around for a reasonable answer. It wasn’t like I could tell her that I was intimidated by a bunch of teenagers. I mean, in turn they were also intimidated by my seniority and sway with the more sympathetic trainers, but, well. A few bad apples could spoil a bunch, and I’d always been an easy target for bullies.
Even if they couldn’t hurt me physically or professionally, words often had a way of getting under skin. Especially from people I’d rather be able to mentor and pamper.
“The kids get a bit uncomfortable with me already,” I settle on, letting my shoulders shrug sheepishly, body pulled along by the half-truth, “I don’t want to make it worse by intruding on their space.”
Jae-Hwa simply hums, considering me. She probably knew this too, honestly. The truth of it, even. There wasn’t much that went on in the practice rooms that she didn’t know about.
There also wasn’t much she could do if I didn’t stand up for myself, so I just offer her a strained smile, silently begging for this conversation to move forward.
Stars above, if this was a new way of gently encouraging me to pursue other career paths it might have been the most effective one yet. Fleeing the building sounded great right about now.
“Alright, I won’t push it, you know very well what resources we offer by now. Better than some of my staff even, I’d bet.” She says it in a lighthearted tone, clearly only meant to tease, but hot shame rips through me again anyways.
Seven years was a long time to train, and while it did come with some perks (like knowing the training program than some of the managers), it still meant that I hadn’t been good enough to debut. That despite the extra experience and training, I still wasn’t good enough.
“I actually had something of a proposal for you,” the director continues, unbothered by my bowed head, “You may not have heard since you’ve been out lately, but the board has proposed a project in hopes of appeasing those protests that have been happening.”
I grimace at the mention of the ongoing protests, the loud chanting of the crowd in front of the building ringing in my ears at just the mention of them.
“The ones about co-ed groups?” I clarify, as if there are any others.
She shares a tight-lipped commiserating smile with me and nods, “Yes, those protests,” she sighs.
Honestly, the whole movement was stupid, in your opinion. On the surface it was progressive, inclusive even. After all, encouraging more co-ed groups could lead to a great many positive changes for idols. Less scrutiny on interactions between male and female idols, or alphas and omegas. More leeway with the very intense media attention, a chance to be more care-free when hanging out with their friends.
Hell, it could even be good for society at large, showing progressive ideals in a very visible way. That is, if the goal of the movement had been so pure or noble.
No, the current rhetoric was an archaic bunch of bologna ripped from an out of context statistic from a very old and very biased study about Pack dynamics and their impact on one’s health.
To brush past the bullshit and flowery words of concern, they believed that a pack needed at least one person of every sub-gender present to keep a balance of hormones and instincts and remain healthy.
Never mind that the same study claimed that omegas needed to be locked up in their dens and nests like birds in a cage or that betas were only really good for filling in negative space despite their very intensively studied and very important roles in a pack.
Unfortunately, despite making about as much sense as a flat-earther, one viral post had made it into k-pop circles and triggered a cascade of hysterically ‘worried’ fans, who really just wanted a chance to join the packs of their favorite celebrities.
It was common knowledge that many idol groups ended up as pack, especially those that enjoyed success. JYPE as a company very specifically encouraged this, boasting an incredible matchmaking record with 10 out of 11 of groups they’d tried this with becoming pack, a further 3 of those packs even being romantic.
The issue was that, in direct contrast with this nonsensical ideal, most idol groups comprised themselves of only one primary and two sub genders, due to the marketability and fanservice of it all. An alpha group would only have alphas and betas, and vice versa for omega groups.
Hence the very loud protests outside the building, mostly comprised of delusional fans baying for a chance to meet their idols for said idol’s ‘health’.
Normally the company wouldn’t cave to something like this, simply issuing statements of good health or waiting for it to blow over, but even I had heard of the large-scale boycotts and blackouts among various fandoms. Loss of profit or image was something the company could not, unfortunately, ignore.
Still, I frown at the director.
“Is it really a good idea to give into them?” I ask, worried, “Won’t they just get bolder, then?”
The director grimaces in agreement, but shrugs her shoulders, “Your guess is as good as mine, kid. In the end, it’s up to the investors.”
I give my own grimace at this. Despite actively wanting and trying to participate in the industry, I was old enough for the rose-tinted glasses to have come off. I could be disgusted by how the industry operated while still wanting to be a part of it. I’m talented that way.
“Just hear me out about it before we start picking it apart,” Jae-Hwa gently pleads, “This could be a good opportunity for you.” something heavy and sorrowful clouds her eyes, her voice lowering as she admits, “This could be the last opportunity I can get for you.”
My heart lodges in my throat at her words, nausea swirling in my gut.
Jae-Hwa really did care for her trainees. A bit too much, even. Enough to be blunt with us about our chances to debut. It had been a few years since she’d looked at me with bright eyes and a cheerful, “This could be it! You’ve got the talent, kid, we’ve just gotta show it to the world!”
She might take the older trainees aside to gently break their hearts, but she never forced them out. I was just the last one stupid enough to stay.
“You’re 23 this year, y/n.” She says gently, grimly, softly taking my hands into hers across the table, “I can’t protect you forever. There’s no telling when we’ll get to put together another girl group. You’ve got the talent, kid, but this might be your last chance to show it.”
She’s right, of course. 23 is old for a trainee. Hell, younger idols should be hitting the peak of their careers at 23. Even if I left JYPE, there’s only a very infinitesimal chance I’d be picked up by another agency. There’s an even smaller chance that theoretical company could debut me.
I swallow uneasily and tighten my grip on the director’s hands. I give her a tiny nod to continue, fighting off the urge to cry.
“They’re putting together a reality show,” Jae-Hwa begins to explain, holding my gaze, “Where they’re going to have our top trainees ‘intern’” she releases one hand to air-quote the word, her eyes rolling despite herself. It makes me giggle, and by her small smile, that was her goal, “with one of our active groups for the duration of a comeback.”
I tilt my head questioningly at her, “What does that have to do with the protests?” I ask. So far it seemed like just an innovative audition show to me.
the director’s eyes reveal her unease, even as her face stays resolute. “The trainees will be put in a pool for the groups to choose from.” She continues to explain, seemingly ignoring my question, “But,” She hesitates, “They’re only going to allow the groups to choose completely opposite- gender trainees.
Once the Galactic Coalition had (without other realistic options) given Humanity an equal position among the governing bodies, despite the fact they were a single planet race, the initial dread of what they would do eased. A little. When they showed how they powered their impossibly massive vessels, the fears of our ancestors who deemed the Responsibility Barrier a necessity reemerged a thousandfold.
The Humans, with a slight grin, said "Solar power, of course."
They took a delegation within the bowels of one of their smaller, civilian research craft, which was still bulkier, better armored, and more worryingly - better armed than most flagships of the other predator-races. Were we not able to see with our own eyes their actual, what they aptly call, Dreadnoughts, from distances you would normally need a telescope, we would have assumed this was their mightiest warship. Yet it was just one of hundreds.
As we passed through the ludicrously thick and seemingly excessive number of bulkheads and shielded and compartmentalized hallways, the ever present hum of raw power beneath our feet gradually became nerve-wracking. What is that? It reminded us of stories told by those who traveled near Black Holes - of the sheer vastness and infinite apathy they felt from the all consuming entities.
A dozen or so biometric gates later, we were greeted by a gigantic sphere, easily a hundred and fifty meters in diameter, an abomination of reinforced panels, wiring, heat pumps, and countless tubes, hanging from numerous power conduits in the middle of an even more massive chamber from behind our observation platform. A true, pure fusion reactor. And there were Humans, in full protective suits at least, working directly next to it within the ominous chamber.
"We wanted to give you a demonstration of our advances in the past millennia, so please observe as we turn on this one."
This one? As in... the power we were feeling was not from this monstrosity? We had to ask.
"Oh, of course not, this ship has three such reactors, we recently performed a full maintenance on this and decided to delay reactivating it for you to see."
The delegates' mouths (or equivalents) were agape. Sure, nuclear fusion is known far and wide, but due to it's high potential for cataclysmic failure, or worse, deliberate destruction, the vast majority of such reactors were mostly found in deep space stations where solar radiation was scarce. Background radiation converters, while efficient at what they do, were nowhere sufficient enough for anything more than as passive emergency battery chargers. And no civilization kept fusion reactors anywhere near populated or colonizeable planets.
Yet here they were, looking at one nearly five times larger than any other known or attempted. And there were three on this ship alone. They counted hundreds of similar size, a few dozen of their Dreadnoughts, thousands of smaller vessels ferrying between the stations, the surface, and other larger ships. Countless world ending bombs-in-waiting right around the Humans' only home.
"Yeah, us science ships get the biggest ones, kinda need the extra oomph for our projects. The military kids like their redundancies, so theirs are smaller."
A slight relief.
"I think their newest capital ship, the UGSF Caliban of York, has fifteen, each about half ours."
A few delegates passed out. Their attendants rushed to salvage some dignity, but Captain Knoslark of this vessel, The Radiant Dusk at Everest, didn't seem surprised or offended and simply waited for the delegation to regain composure before continuing.
"This is my favorite part."
He said quietly with a glint in his eyes, then his tone changed to a more formal and authoritative one.
"Chief Engineer Ira Tameki, status of Reactor 2."
"All green, Captain. She's ready to purr to life at your command."
"Good. Then," his tone shifted once again, to a far more theatrical one as he took a pose, half turning his body and extending his right hand towards the reactor, index finger pointing dramatically. As he pronounced every syllable of the next word, there was a silent resigned sigh from his crew:
"ignition!"
Outwardly, nothing of significance changed. The engineers clicked at their consoles, bars slowly rose and everyone was deliberately doing their best to make it clear they were ignoring the fact that the captain was still in the same pose.
There was a muffled thump from the chamber, then the hum beneath their feet became a rumble for a few moments before steadying back to a now slightly more intense almost-buzz. Physically, nothing all that noteworthy. Mentally, everyone in the delegation was in true shock as they fully understood what they had just witnessed done all too casually:
Another fake screenshot from Hollow Mind, since y'all liked the first ones a lot!
Empress Reina's presence in Hollow Mind in a fanfic-like style:
– I can hear you...
As a familiar eerie voice echoed through the air, a flicker of surprise flashed across the faces of Luz and Hunter, who had just entered another one of Belos' memories. For a moment, they thought he was speaking to Reina, who was also in the room. But something felt... off. The empress, who had previously been idly tinkering with a set of instruments, suddenly froze. Her eyes scanned the room from top to bottom, as if expecting a jumpscare at any moment.
Belos walked toward the portal, just a few meters away from the two children, but then stopped and turned his head, as if looking at someone. But who? It didn't take long for the two to find out, thanks to a maniacal laugh that echoed from behind their backs. They spun around just in time to see a pair of brightly glowing eyes emerge from the darkness.
Not even a moment later, a shadowy figure slipped from the darkness like a snake, with the empress's tense gaze following its every move.
– You caught me! To you, who stray so far from home. To me, who's trapped beneath these bones. The draining spell will end it all. For her who wants to watch it fall. We'll play forever, me and you, when you'll paint the land in nine bright hues!
The shadow then conjured up a few nightmarish images, depicting a screaming Titan and people being reduced to dust. The overall image was... horrifying.
A sigh escaped Reina's lips as she began walking up the steps, following in her husband's footsteps.
– Here we go with the rhymes again... Can't you be slightly more original, Collector? Why don't you try singing next time?
– But that's booooring! I've already tried that. – replied the entity referred to as "the Collector", laying down in the arms of a nearby statue. – Is the Draining Spell ready yet? I wanna play and see everything go all aaaaaaahhh!!
– You'll have your fun on the Day of Unity. – Belos reassured calmly, turning around.
– Patience is a virtue. – added the empress while raising a finger, as if lecturing a little child. – Belos nodded in agreement.
– Yes, it is. Besides, you could use some too, Reina.
Reina's expression noticeably darkened. She furrowed her brows and placed a hand over her chest, as if personally offended.
– Excuse me? I most certainly don't!
After hearing the empress raise her voice, Luz couldn't help but notice Hunter's fists tightly clenching. It clearly put him on edge when Reina yelled. It was kinda nerve-wracking. And to think the lady had seemed so nice at first, back when she and Luz had just met. Turns out she was a liar, just like Belos.
The Collector, ignoring the usual bickering that often ensued between the spouses, carried on with his silly poems.
– Betrayed, beguiled, alone, deceived! We'll have our revenge on... Ugh, "unity" is so hard to rhyme.
– Hm... Have you tried "mutiny, dignity, opportunity, community, ingenuity"? – the empress threw in a few suggestions.
– Geez, thanks!
Watching the memory unfold before their eyes, Luz and Hunter stood there, shocked at everything they'd witnessed. Luz glanced at Hunter, wondering if he has any idea of what was going on, but he could only shrug in response. The situation was just as confusing to him as it was to her. Suddenly, much to the duo's surprise, a projection of Hunter from the past ran straight through present Hunter, piercing him through the heart. It definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling. The boy clenched his chest in shock, gasping at the sudden event. Meanwhile, past Hunter hurriedly went up the stairs, toward the place where the emperor and empress stood. Belos looked rather unhappy, while Reina watched her nephew with a mix of appallment and horror. Her face morphed into a grimace.
– Oh my. Hunter! For Titan's sake, what are you wearing?! – the woman tugged at Hunter's abomination-stained cloak, only to immediately recoil as purple sludge smeared her fingers. Her face twisted with disgust. She couldn't stand abominations. – And what is this?! You should be asleep by now.
– I’m sorry, Aunt! I-I know you didn't want me going to Eclipse Lake. But if I hadn't, I wouldn't have found this! – Hunter stammered, taking out a leaking portal key and showing it to the rulers.
As soon as the object came into view, the empress's eyes widened in amusement. She resembled a magpie that had just seen a shiny brooch.
– Is that the portal key?? B-but where did you-
Just as Reina was about to take hold of the key, Belos abruptly snatched it from the Golden Guard's hands. Reina turned to protest but was met with Belos' cold gaze. His glowing eyes bore into her, silencing her before a she could form a sentence. This caused Reina to change her demeanor and take a step back. Even the empress knew how dangerous it was to mess with Belos when he was in a foul mood.
– Don't. Even. Try. – he warned, turning his attention to the key and noticing a crack in it.
Seeing this, the past version of Hunter took a step back to hide behind Reina. It was safer that way.
– Some... of the Titan blood did spill. But-but if you let me explain-
– Leave. Now. – the blonde boy was cut off by his uncle's stern command, leaving no room for debate.
Feeling hopeless, past Hunter looked up at his aunt, seeking support. But the redhead only averted her gaze. Without another word, she lightly grasped Hunter's shoulder and shoved him away. Then, she gestured toward the exit.
– Come on. Shoo!
Left with no other options, the Golden Guard was forced to retreat. Reina coldly watched as her nephew walked to the door, his footsteps echoing through the room until he vanished from her sight. Once they were alone, an irritated sigh escaped her lips.
– God, don't let this one come out defective too. Now let me see it!
Not willing to wait any longer, Reina swiftly ran up to Belos and practically tore the key from his hands, marveling at it like a precious jewel. Her eyes sparkled. To this, Belos let out an annoyed groan.
– Like I said. You have no patience whatsoever. – he commented with disdain.
– Oh, do me a kindness and shut up. The key is ours! I can't believe it. – the lady's voice almost turned into a squeal. – Who knew these creations of yours could be so useful? You know, I’m even thinking to-
– BOO!!
– GAH!!
Without warning, the Collector sprang out from behind the portal door, morphing into the form of a terrifying beast. Startled, Reina instinctively leapt into Belos' arms. Only for him to immediately let her drop, expression unamused, and allowing her to hit the floor with a hard thud.
– Ahaha! Now I got you!
Despite being in a poorly lit area, both Luz and Hunter could clearly see Reina's face turn red from outrage, as she got back onto her feet and dusted off her dress.
– C-Collector! Would you kindly stop that?! You're going to give me a heart attack!!
Seeing her as red as a beet, Belos let out a dry smirk. – Hm. That's a nice thought.
– Oh, get lost.
– You know... for a moment I thought you were gonna go all... BUGAHHHH... on that kid.
The Collector then turned into a grotesque image of Belos with multiple freakish tentacles before returning to his usual form and resting atop the portal.
– Not as long as he stays on the right path. – Belos, once again, took the leaking key from his wife's hands and held it up with a hint of pride. – I say, "The Titan has big plans for you", and he does what he's told. And if that part fails, you can always teach him a lesson, can't you? – Belos' eyes were fixed on Reina. – Unlike with the previous attempts.
A smirk crept onto the redheaded lady's lips. Truth be told, she was somewhat proud of the work she'd done on the boy. At least now he was far more obedient than the rest.
– But of course I can. You know me. The lad is smart, but not nearly enough.
– I'm starting to think you two make those things just to destroy them. You have fun with it. Admit it! Ahahaha!
But Belos denied it all. Though by this point, Luz and Hunter questioned everything that came out of his mouth. Who knew if it was yet another lie?
– Of course we don't, Collector. It hurts every time he chooses to betray us.
– Ugh... Speak for yourself. I never got why the two of you are still doting over these creatures. What's the point of making them if they all come out defective?
Concerned by everything they've just witnessed, Luz turned to glance at Hunter. His face was vividly painted with discomfort and disappointment. He wouldn't admit it, but Luz could see that his world was slowly crumbling apart, as reality dawned on the golden guard. Then, without a word, Hunter turned and walked away from the memory, unwilling to hear another second of that conversation.
(Btw, this is my first attempt at writing fanfic in English, so don't be too hard on me! Also, English isn't my first language.)
the economy in los angeles rn is kinda um.... unprecedented levels of what da hell...
i initially wanted to be a filmmaker, playwright, actor, writer. i was just fascinated by film and theatre and knew that people made a living doing art -- i mean, my dad's a musician, so i personally knew people making a living doing art. but i was particularly drawn to storytelling and performance mediums.
so, i'm going to focus on film here: it's always been difficult to find work in hollywood, but there was still kind of a method of getting work. there are tons of studios and production companies. let's say out of 100 hopefuls, like 60-70 of them could find consistent work in one way or another. a lot of people end up in post production, smaller crew work, whatever, but they're grateful to be working in film in any way that they can while they (usually) nurse their secret dreams of funding and screening their own projects. and let's say like, 10 out of 100 of these people end up making short films for festivals (that are usually bids to make larger features), and 1 out of 100 could make a whole feature (i'm just pulling out random vibe-based statistics, i'm just typing up something quick here and don't want to look up / don't know if it's possible to see stats based on "dreams")
well the thing is, that hollywood is imploding. i know a lot of people who work in production and post-production. you live gig-to-gig. usually it's like, several weeks or maybe months of intense work on a project, then you're done, and floating free in a kind of nerve-wracking way, and then you get another gig, and then you're booked again. very feast or famine.
but lately it's just.... famine??? i keep seeing EXPERIENCED film industry people posting that they're looking for a job, any kind of job, and they have so much skills, but there's nothing.
like what i'm trying to say is... nothing is being greenlit. there are very very few new projects being made, in film or tv. it's going all the way back. some people say it's because of covid and production halting, other people say it's because of strikes, other people say it's all AI, other people say it's because of tiktok and how "anyone can make a video." and it's all of the above, combined with increasing costs of living -- it's not enough to just make a few thousand from a film gig and coast on that for the rest of the year, because your entire MONTHLY RENT is a few thousand dollars.
--
back in february 2020, i made a joke to a group of film production people, gesturing at posters for movies that looked terrible to me -- "god, they just keep making movies, and they all suck. i think what hollywood needs is a sabbatical. like, everyone should just stop making movies. there are already so many movies. we don't need anymore!" and there was a laugh then a sort of awkward silence, and i could sense a monkey paw curling just out of sight. and i quickly added "oh right, but like, there should still be movies of course, ha ha. like, you guys should still have work."
--
i think about this a lot.
like, film as a medium, film as a place in our culture, hollywood as the nexus of storytelling with a budget and many skilled hands.
it feels so present and eternal to me. but it's so new as a medium, and also predicated on so many factors. and a lot of those factors are like a crumbling cliff!
was it ever sustainable?
--
i sometimes envision my life with all these possible paths, and how i somehow picked this one random path (freelance photography), thinking that the other paths would still be open to me. "of course, anyone can do anything at any point in their life! :)" <- ever the sunny optimist.
but as i get older, and the economy gets worse, and the industry continues to implode -- and boy, if you think film is suffering, let's not even get into theatre or publishing -- i'm like wow. actually, all those other paths have gnarled dead trees and tumbleweeds. no matter how much i "dream" about XYZ, we're at a point in history where those things might not be viable anymore.
and then, outside of film as a medium, there's also the empire that we live in, the basis of all this material wealth that has been able to fund big-budget movies. and i love the things that can be done with hundreds of people and expensive cameras. but is that kind of storytelling going to continue to be feasible...?
and i get kinda freaked out because there's THOUSANDS of people here in california working in the film industry. and if they all lose their jobs....?
and if everyone i know loses their jobs...?
ummmmmmmm
like i said every day i wake up and see another "please for the love of god i need a job i have 4000 skills and no one is hiring" post and i just start sweating and going .... "what is happening..."
[ description ] く in which you get to make a documentary on enhypen and end up falling for the puppy-like boy who was crushing on you. ₊☆
[ genre ] く written, sm!au ₊☆
[ word count ] く 395 words ₊☆
as the woman pushed open the door, y/n and jihan followed her into the small meeting room. “you can take a seat on either side. the directors will be here in a short moment. good luck.” the girls nodded out of respect and took a seat.
y/n took notice of jihan’s bouncing leg and placed her hand on jihan’s. “don’t worry. i know this can be really nerve-wracking at first, but we have luck on our side. every company wants a documentary of their artists. they want attention and we want money.”
“we definitely do,” jihan giggled. “if they don’t take the deal, i’ll smear their names on social media.”
y/n knew the girl was joking, but she tsked anyway. “we can’t get blacklisted, ji.” y/n pulled out her laptop and notebook, laying them out in front of her. she scanned over her notes, reciting some points to mention before looking away and thinking.
as soon as she did, the project directors stepped into the room with a strict look on their face. y/n nudged jihan before they stood up and bowed. the two reciprocated, a smile appearing on their lips. the woman reached out to shake their hands and they did so.
y/n waited for them to sit down so jihan could hand them a pamphlet with their plan on it. “hello, i’m y/n and this is jihan. we’re with ‘quiet on set’ productions and we’d like to discuss our plan to create a documentary about one of your artists.”
around an hour later, her presentation concluded, and she bowed. “that’s the end, thank you.” jihan and the directors clapped.
the man gathered his things and spoke up, “we would like to see more of your plan. could you email it to us?” y/n eagerly nodded. “great! we will contact you once we’ve decided.”
jihan stood up and positioned herself next to y/n. “thank you for your time, directors.” the girls bowed in unison before waving to them. when they left the room, jihan’s jaw dropped. “y/n, that was so good!! do you think they’ll agree to it?”
y/n continued packing her things into her bag before confidently replying, “why wouldn’t they? solid presentation and we had pamphlets. they’ll love us.” turning off the tv, the girls left, giddy smiles on their faces.
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[ author’s note ] く ayyeeee first chapter finally!!! pls ignore the timestamps for the twt part 😭 i just now realized they don’t match up very well ₊☆
[ taglist ] く @equalheart @geombyu @aernx @i2lain @ddazed-lhs @astrid-potato | open (you can send an ask, comment on this post, pm or anything else to join!) ₊☆
this is for day 11 for mushy may, i've combied Papa Time w/ First Kiss and thus we get Dew and Copia's first kiss vaguely based in my You Share Not universe (though a technical AU since this has yet to happen).
Mountain is also mentioned but not present, heavily implied Moutain/Copia, Mountain/Dew and Rain/Dew and Mountain/Dew/Copia :)
you don't have to have read you share not to know anything other than it's a slowish burn au of Copia taking over the mantle as the leader of the ghost project and the ghouls eventually fall in love with him.
-
Copia's nervous energy manifests itself into a sour sort of scent, cloying Dewdrop's senses as he watches the man pace along the aisle of the tour bus.
They're due soon, at their first stop of the tour and for the most part, Copia had seemed excited to leave the heavy and imposing walls of the church, ignoring the way one of the Clergy suits had tittered at them before they'd boarded, wishing Copia a good tour.
We'll be watching, of course. Do us proud.
There was a thinly veiled threat there that made Dew's hair stand on end, the urge to slink up to Copia's back and intimidate the man had been there for a moment, before Dew had bitten it back, knowing it was no use to pull the ire of the Clergy with so little time left.
"Hey, why don't you come sit down or something," Dew says, right as Copia's about to turn sharply and make another circuit around the small aisle, he pats the couch beside him and relaxes his stance when Copia stops pacing and looks up at him.
Copia glances at Dew and then at the space beside him on the couch; it is, for the most part, a comfortable couch.
He sighs, spins on his heel and drops onto the couch beside Dew; leaning his head back against it. "First time jitters," he says, half a joke but mostly serious, turning his head to look over at Dew. "You'll forgive me if I'm not an old hat like you."
Dew snorts softly, nudges his shoulder against Copia's, "It'll be fine. First few shows are always nerve wracking but once we've gotten a few under our belts, things will fall into place."
"So you say," Copia says with a healthy amount of trepidation, "I feel like one wrong move from me and they'll somehow orchestrate pulling me off stage." He presses his lips together, dark circles more prominent under his eyes now that he's not wearing his paint.
He looks less of the proud Cardinal and more along the lines of a weary man with too much responsibility; things that Dew had seen in small bits and pieces during their time at the church, in preparation, keeping a strong facade up.
"Over our dead bodies," Dew says, he's mostly joking, but there's a fire in his heart as he says it, beating loud in his ears, zinging through their bond, "No one's going to pull you off stage for messing up some lyrics."
He tries to play it off as a joke, to quell the strong emotions he's feeling, but Copia smiles a small sort of thing, his eyes crinkling fondly as he does.
He looks younger, happier, with a smile on his face, less like the world has settled on his shoulders.
It's a good look on him.
"I won't mess the lyrics up," he says, though there is some doubt in his voice. "It's not my fault that some of the older songs are written the way they are."
Dew hums and knocks his shoulder against Copia's again, "Do you want to talk about it though? Your fears and stuff? The thing that's got you all," he waves a hand im Copia'd face, "stressed."
Copia reaches out and grabs Dew's hand, pulling it further into his space, "Not really," he says, pausing for a moment, "I think, the stress is coming from the expectations, the careful way we've planned these shows. I'm worried something will go off kilter and it will throw everything off. They want bigger and better and well. I want to give everyone that, but there's a voice in the back of my mind that's saying what if this isn't big enough, even though the Clergy have signed off on it."
He pauses, squeezes his fingers around Dew's; his own skin is slightly cool to the touch, a stark contrast to Dew's warmer skin; the difference calms him a bit, "Apparently I do want to talk about it." he says with a little laugh. "But, I'm done, I'm done." He squeezes Dew's fingers again and Dew shifts closer, pressing their thighs together.
"I'm just glad to be away for a bit."
Dew finally tips his head to the side and rests it against Copia's, "Yeah, me too," he says quietly, basking in their closeness. "Gonna be in close quarters with a bunch of hellbeasts for the next however many days, though. Might start missing the silence of your own room."
"When do I get silence in my own room?" Copia asks, amused, "There's this pack of ghouls who keep welcoming themselves into my room most nights." He says, incredibly fond.
"All you've gotta do is shoo us away," Dew says, the words catching a bit, wondering for a moment if they're all coming on too strong--
Copia hums softly, brings Dew's hand up to his mouth and brushes a kiss to his knuckles, "I didn't say it was a bad thing." he murmurs, lips still pressed against bare skin.
Dew can feel the roughness of Copia's lower lip against his skin and his mind short circuits for a moment, his words catching in his throat, and then Copia's pulling away, letting his hand fall back to his lap and turning a bit so he can look at Dew.
He's so close now.
"Dewdrop?" he says, there's a warble in his voice, hesitance and Dew shakes his head before turning just enough to press his mouth against Copia's.
It's chaste, the angle is a bit off and Copia's hand squeezes at his while his other hand sort of uselessly hovers by his hip, but when Dew pulls away, there's a bit of a flush on Copia's cheeks, a soft look on his face.
"Mountain did say you'd get there eventually," Copia says after several long moments, breaking the silence. "But, I'm always happy to wait."
That pulls a scoff from Dew and he butts his forehead against Copia's, "Mountain needs to mind his business," he grumbles, remembering the night they'd spent together, and how Mountain had whispered things in his ear about Copia, riling him up. "He was getting a little too comfortable, being the only one that gets to kiss you."
He sounds petulant, something about the amused look on Copia's face making him want to hide his face from the other man, "There's plenty of me to go around," he says with a little laugh.
Dew goes quiet then, hides his face against Copia's shoulder, basking in his scent, mellow and happy now, instead of acidic and thick, "I do understand your hesitance though," Copia murmurs after a long moment, "If I had gone through even an ounce of what you'd gone through after Terzo's death, I would have kept my heart guarded as close as I could too."
Copia presses a kiss to the side of Dew's head; he'd sort of shaved the hair there, given himself an undercut to keep cool under the helmet during shows, so he's able to feel the warmth of Copia's lips against almost bare skin.
"Thank you for opening yourself up to me," he continues, sliding his free arm around Dew's shoulders, keeping him close. "I won't take advantage of that."
Dew wants to snort, to make a joke and cut the tension that had built up, but he doesn't, he just buries closer to Copia, allows himself to relax.
"Mountain's going to be so annoying about this," Dew says with a sigh a bit later, pulling back so he can look Copia in the eye, "He's so annoying about things like this. He was the same way when me and Rain got together."
Copia grins, a teasing sort of thing, leans in close to Dew, "Don't worry, I know the best way to shut him up. Something you can help me with now that we've figured ourselves out."
The grin works its way onto Dew's face after a moment, his eyes flashing, "He'll never know what hit him."
