wallacepolsom
DEAR READER
Product Placement
sheepfilms
Kaledo Art
izzy's playlists!
we're not kids anymore.
No title available
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
★
Cosimo Galluzzi
@theartofmadeline
Andulka
Cosmic Funnies
Claire Keane
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
NASA
Three Goblin Art
Show & Tell
Origami Around
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from India
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Kenya
seen from Netherlands
seen from Türkiye
seen from Bulgaria
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
@toptiertragedy
Welcome to toptiertragedy, it's a semi-selective independent multi-muse blog penned by Sage (33 // she/her // GMT+1). I have a mix of canon and original characters. Feel free to DM me if you want to write, or just to chat! This blog is still under construction, so please, bear with me while I sort everything out!
Message ⏾ Guidelines ⏾
Mobile friendly muse list ↓
"I get home-cooked meals because I cook them. And cooking for one is a little depressing, so you're welcome to come over and enjoy one with me some time. I haven't really had anyone to cook for since my husband and I separated." Tae's ears turned lightly pink at his misstep. He couldn't remember if he'd already mentioned a recent divorce to Jin or not. It was always a delicate conversation. It scared some people off, or worse, made them feel sorry for him. Tae had been the downfall of his own marriage. He didn't need anyone to feel bad about it. He told himself it was for the best, that he hadn't been present, too engrossed in work and hiding from his past. His therapist had made him analyze it to death. All he could do was try to learn from it, now.
"I haven't been back to Korea since my enlistment," he explained. The enlistment that he knew was a major part of why his marriage had failed, why Tae had been so intent on closing himself off from people, including his husband, after he'd returned home. "I should have filed a deferral and said I was living overseas, but my dad's voice hammering on about respect and duty got in my head. I suppose I'm still trying to put the pieces back together after it all, and I haven't had it in me to go back." Even when he had hidden his sexuality, never mentioned his husband or life back home, it was almost as if everyone around Tae knew that he was different. He'd been unhappy, his husband had been unhappy, his family had been unhappy. Nobody came out as a victor in that situation.
"It's only been a few months. The band just relocated from Texas to LA, and I only started in this role relatively recently. They're my first real client. Maybe that's why I'm determined to do a good job. They deserve this chance." Despite the difficulties life had brought upon Tae, even if a good number of them were at least partially his own doing, he did his best to focus on the good in life. His new job, being promoted from an assistant to being a real artist manager, working with people who shared his passions and goals, hopeful that he would pass the bar exam sometime in the next couple of years, and now, a person he thought he had lost forever walking back into his life. Things could absolutely be worse. "I'm really glad they hired you to work with the band. Not just because I'm happy for them and what it means for their music and the album, but because I get to see you again."
“Home-cooked meals sounds really nice, actually,” Jin said, and he meant it. “I’d like that. Though, I’m an awful cook so I can neither reciprocate, nor help you out. But I can show up to eat your food, and appreciate the effort you put into it. That’s basically my love language at this point.”
Jin listened, letting Tae share without interrupting. The pink ears, the whole explanation about the divorce, the weight of the enlistment, it all painted a picture of someone who’s been through a lot and was trying to move forward. Jin understood that. He understood the self-blame, and the sense that somewhere, somehow you’d fucked everything up. “Do you think you’ll ever want to go back? Or do you think you’ll stay in the US?” Jin had thought about moving back to South Korea himself. Part of him wanted to rebuild the connection with his family, and see his nephew grow up - including any possible future nieces or nephews, too. However, the fear of ruining it all was a lot, and always had him reconsider in the end when he thought he’d reached a conclusion.
“I’m glad to see you again too.” Jin smiled at Tae, looking up at him from across the table. He hadn’t thought he’d ever see him again after he had so suddenly been sent away. It felt unfair that they never really got to explore more, figure out what all of those feelings meant back then. “Home-cooked dinners, and more of this would be nice, though.” He said, gesturing vaguely between them and the bar.
𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿: 𝙊𝘿𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀 + 𝙅𝙄𝙉
➜ location: jin's place ➜ @toptiertragedy
"Before you say a word," she said as soon as Jin opened the door, holding her hands up while she clearly had more shopping bags on either arm than any other person might've shown up with, "I didn't actually pay for any of this. So you don't get to say no, because I'm technically just re-gifting it all, and it's all much more tailored to your frame than my brother's." She slipped inside the doorway, giving Jin an innocent-looking smile as she did. "Besides, he has contracts that limit who he can wear, and you don't." She furrowed her brow, tilting her head to one side as she looked back at Jin. "You don't, do you? This would be a horrible time to find out that you do, after I just lugged all of this over here. I suppose I could've called, but where's the fun in that?"
Jin had opened his mouth to say something. Opening the door he saw the bags before he saw Odette. When she stopped him he raised an eyebrow instead and stepped aside to let her in. He probably should be by now, but he never managed to get used to her enthusiasm for putting him in outfits. Jin let the door fall shut behind her, and followed her further into the house, helping her with some of the bags. “Actually, I’m under strict contract to only wear Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen.” He said, it was obviously a lie, though he did wear them sometimes. He looked down at his current outfit - sweatpants with paint stains, a hoodie, also with paint stains, warm socks and crocs. “Can’t you tell?”
Jin looked at the bags, hands on his hips, and lips pursed thoughtfully. “So, regifting, huh? Whose gifts are they?”
Tae wasn't entirely sure if this was a date or not. It had been a while since he'd been on one. He'd downloaded Raya and Hinge, he'd even tried Grindr, but very quickly deleted it, amazed at how many people ended up either insisting he was perfect and gorgeous because he looked exactly like their favorite K-Pop idol (he didn't), or who would say things like 'I'm not really into Asian dudes'. Maybe part of the problem was Tae himself. He'd really only been with his husband in terms of serious relationships, and everything afterwards felt as if it came with too much pressure. Casual turned into ghosting all too quickly. With Jin, maybe he should just focus on the friendship part, like they had when they were kids, he thought. Then he remembered their 'friendship' had resulted in two hormonal sixteen year olds making out in Tae's family pool.
"Fruit for a fruit, if it works, it works, right?" He said with a small smile. Tae stepped up to the bar, making the order for both of them. His cheeks flushed slightly in a way that hopefully wasn't too visible in the bar's lighting. "What? Oh, I go lots of places with clients, but that doesn't make you not special. You're special because I don't have to woo you to get you to work with me and I asked you to hang out anyway. Anyone who can tear me away from an early night and a law journal is already leagues above a regular client. You saved me from my slippers and a home-cooked dinner for one." He smiled at Jin across the table they'd picked out, hoping they hadn't grown too far apart over all these years to not be able to tease one another anymore. The teasing was different now, somehow laced with gentle ease, and the potetial of expectation, the hesitation that came with trying to get to know someone again after a long time. "It's really special that we both ended up in the same place after all these years. Do you still go back to Seoul often?"
Jin smiled at Tae’s explanation about him being special. He didn’t believe he was, but he wasn’t about to sit here and tell Tae he was wrong. That was a discussion for another night. “You get home-cooked meals?” He asked jokingly. He didn’t see many of those anymore. The article, though, that part was less relatable. Jin took a sip of his cocktail. It was good. Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. The pineapple balanced out the rum that made it a worthy replacement for Jin’s usual wine order for the evening. “So you were right about this.” He said and gestured to the drink.
When Tae asked about Seoul, Jin’s expression shifted slightly. He looked down at his drink as he tried to decide how much was too much to share on a first proper catch up after all these years. “No, not really. I haven’t been back in Seoul in a few years now. I went for an award show like, a year or two ago? But only for a weekend so it doesn’t really count.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I hear from my sister and parents now and then, but that’s about it.” He left out the part where he tended to cut the conversation short when they wanted to connect more. It all got too complicated.
Taking another sip of his drink, Jin looked up at Tae finally. “What about you? Do you ever go back?” He asked gently. He figured it had ended on a difficult note between Tae and his father, so he didn’t want to pry too much. “It is kind of wild that we ended up in the same place, and working together no less.” Jin smiled some, his tone a little lighter. “How long did you say you’d been working with Corey and them?”
reblog this if you're fine with your mutuals sending you asks unprompted
JUNG HOYEON LOUIS VUITTON
Miserable together
they survived the games and lived happily after (canon)
DESPERADO | T.O.P 2026
𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿: 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙄 + 𝙅𝙄𝙉
➜ location: recording studio, studio garcia hq ➜ @toptiertragedy
Marti didn't usually go barging into studios if she wasn't expected, but Jin was an exception to the rule. They'd worked together and crossed paths so many times over the years that she felt like he was family at this point, some sort of long-lost cousin who traveled the world and brought back all sorts of exciting new stories to share with her. Marti traveled, but not like Jin. Jin's skills in the soundbooth and as a DJ were unmatched, and Marti knew he was in high demand.
"Knock knock," she said a beat after opening the door, realizing that she probably should at least announce herself. "I heard a little rumor flying around that you were in here today. I come bearing gifts in the form of—" she paused, checking the labels in her hand before lifting them up. "Canned Casamigo Margs!" It wasn't the best selling point, but it would do. The good liquor was all stashed upstairs thanks to more than one artist getting too drunk to record, and she wasn't wasting any time going to hunt it down. "How are you, my darling Jin?"
Jin looked up from his monitor at the sound of the door opening, and pulled his headphones off his head from where they had been half covering his ears, half messing up his hair. A smile immediately spread across his face when he saw her. “Marti? Hey!” He spun his chair to face her properly, eyebrows raising at the canned margaritas. “I love the vibe. I also have a bottle of Soju hidden in my bag we can share if you’re feeling brave.” He half-joked as he stood up to give her a hug.
As he pulled back Jin turned to clear the small table and couch for her to have a seat. “I’ve been good, you know, just hanging out doing my thing.” He said, not really sure what he had even been up to since last time he saw her. A lot, probably. “What about you? I haven’t seen you in ages? Where have you been hiding?” He sat down on the couch, away from the monitor to give her his full attention, and motioned for her to join him.
Tae couldn't help but notice that Jin had changed his clothes. Jin had mentioned going home first to drop off his car and his things, but Tae had assumed it would be a quick drop off and go. Jin had actually made an effort, and here Tae was in his same suit from earlier, because that was just what you did when you went out right after work, wasn't it? This was what all the clients did, hit the bars or the restaurants in their from-the-office outfits. At least he'd had breath mints and cologne with him. At least his suit was nice.
"Gentleman is a good thing, I hope," he teased with a grin he still seemed unable to fight around Jin, even all these years later. The way chance and circumstance had brought them together again was the kind of thing that might make him actually believe in fate. "I've been here a few times. It's close to where a lot of our artists record. We use that studio regularly," he explained. "Admittedly, I'm a bit of a cocktail enjoyer. Does that make me fruity? Or is it the kissing boys that makes me fruity?" He was getting better at making fun of himself. His father would definitely have looked down on his taste in drinks, but what did it matter? He was allowed to simply enjoy things. "They have one called Dune Bug that's really good. It's their own spin on a June Bug, I think theirs doesn't have any banana, and it's made with Havana Spiced Rum instead of Coconut Rum. Do you like pineapple?"
Jin smiled at Tae’s joke and shook his head. “I think it’s mainly the kissing boys that makes you fruity, but the cocktails don’t hurt,” he said, falling easily into the teasing. It felt natural to talk like this. It felt a little like the old times, though he would probably never have teased Tae for liking boys back then. It wouldn’t have felt as lighthearted then as it did now. “Cocktails are super underrated, by the way. The people who say you have to drink beer or whiskey neat to be taken seriously are full of shit and doesn’t like fun.” He said as he skimmed through the drinks menu once he had one in his hand.
“Dune bug,” Jin repeated, and nodded. “That’s clever.” He smiled some to himself. Normally he was more of a wine guy, but he also loved a good cocktail every now and then. Today felt like a cocktail kind of day, anyway. “I do like pineapple.” He answered. It was the rum he was unsure of, but he was absolutely willing to be converted. “I’ll start off with a dune bug, I think. It sounds interesting.” He looked up at Tae and put the menu down. “So,” he cleared his throat, and looked at the other with a playful smile. “Do you come here often, then? With clients? Here I was thinking I was special.” he placed a hand over his heart.
Gong Yoo (1979), full gallery available through the source link
He'd never really kept track of the amount of people he'd kissed in his life, but if he had? The number would probably make Siwan choke on the very whiskey Benny had brought him. It started as a teenager, really, fooling around with anyone who'd give him half a chance to explore the feelings his hormonal teenager body was going through. As an adult, Benny had always been an advocate for a good time. It didn't matter who was watching or what people thought, not really.
Somehow, kissing Siwan was different from all of those other kisses. It felt special in a way Benny wouldn't ever quite understand, like he'd solved a riddle and unlocked a treasure chest filled with gold. Benny enjoyed the back and forth, the cat and mouse game that came before hooking up with someone new, but this wasn't quite the same feeling. This felt bigger in a way, but better in so many more ways. As soon as it was over, Benny was ready to dive right back in, but Siwan's voice stopped him.
He took the other man in, lips curving upward at the wide-eyed look Siwan was giving him. The roughness of his voice would be Benny's undoing, he knew instantly, and the playful line Siwan fed him was music to Benny's ears. He was leaning in to kiss him again when he heard a bottle land in the glass trash bin, jerking him back to the present moment. "Hold that thought," he said just before sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. Benny stood quickly, barely leaving any room for Siwan to stand without their bodies colliding a little—subconscious on Benny's part but entirely welcomed and appreciated when it was all said and done. Benny moved quickly: grabbing both glasses in one hand while the other reached for Siwan's. With nothing more than a bend at his waist and a gentle "c'mon," Benny brushed his lips against Siwan's ear.
He led the way in silence, fully aware that he was still holding Siwan's hand with each passing step. He'd led plenty of people down the short hallway to his office, but the amount of hand-holding he'd done during that walk was far more limited. Thankfully the office was unlocked, so Benny simply used his elbow to tap the door handle open and kicked the door shut with his foot as soon as they were both through. Once inside, he sat the glasses down on top of the smooth, dark wood of his desk before turning his focus back to Siwan. He glanced at their hands, still woven together, before giving Siwan's a gentle squeeze. Benny moved them with gentle but determined steps as he slipped his hands onto Siwan's waist, backing him to the desk before he lowered his lips to the other man's jaw, kissing down his neck as he spoke clearly and confidently. "I want to take my time with you, no interruptions," he finally said. "You okay with that?"
Siwan never did this. Of course, he had some experience, but it was very limited to people he had briefly dated before his studies or work consumed his life. In the later years he had decided that it probably wasn’t in the cards for him. When he first started visiting Benny’s bar and had gotten to know him, he hadn’t actually thought about this as a possible outcome. Yet here he was, being led down the hallway to what he assumed was Benny’s office while hyper aware of the feeling of the other mans hand in his own. He was very glad he was guiding him, because he was definitely still in a bit of a daze and should not be trusted with directions. Part of him was sure this was a dream, and that soon he’d wake up in his very lonely apartment and curse himself out for drinking too much, or in his sterile office and have a nurse tell him he works too much.
When Benny backed him against the desk, Siwan’s breath caught. He tilted his head back as Benny’s lips moved down his jaw to his neck. He moved his hand up his back and rested it on the back of Benny’s shoulder. He shivered at his words, suddenly unable to think again. This was different from anyone he had ever been with. Siwan’s free hand moved to rest on Benny’s waist as he nodded. “Definitely okay with that.” He hummed and pulled him closer towards him until he felt his chest pressed against his own.
And he was definitely okay with having Benny all to himself without any interruptions. Maybe it was selfish of him to think that, but he had been promised his full attention, after all. He tilted his head forward and pressed soft kisses to Benny’s neck, and shoulder.
Jin + Marcus @frcnniebridgertons At The Whiskey Barrel
Between a strange session with an equally strange indie musician, and the consistent string of texts from his sister since his birthday a few weeks ago, Jin was in a really strange headspace. He had honestly promised himself he was just going to go straight home and fire up his trusty kettle to make instant ramen to eat while watching a Studio Ghibli movie. You know, responsibly rot in front of the TV like a normal person having a normal night. The studio session and said texts, however, were not something he was equipped to handle with a sober mind (or at all), so there he was, sliding onto a barstool at the Whiskey Barrel instead of going home to his empty, probably haunted flat.
Jin had half expected Benny to be working the bar tonight, but instead was met with Marcus. He had seen him around the bar whenever he popped in, and vaguely remembered seeing him during the Halloween event he had DJed at the bar. “Hey,” He greeted the bartender with a nod and polite smile towards the other man.
“I’m feeling lucky, can you get me some of the red wine on the top shelf?” Jin always drank red wine at this bar, but he often went for the cheaper stuff. “Actually, make it one of those, and one whiskey from the same shelf area.” He added. “And peanuts.” He added after remembering he hadn’t eaten much that night.
"It's a good start," Benny said softly, his eyes falling to Siwan's lips as the other man smiled softly. The bumping of Siwan's leg against his felt like a green light, not that Benny had been too desperate to wait for one. He was going to make a move sooner rather than later either way, but a little bit of encouragement could go a long way. The fingertips on Siwan's jaw moved gingerly down to his neck before sliding to the back. He leaned in a little closer, pressing his forehead to Siwan's for just a beat. "The feeling is very mutual," he said, voice low and raw with authenticity as he finally let Siwan know his intentions, leaning in to kiss the man like he'd been thinking of doing since he walked through the door.
Maybe he should have seen this coming, but he hadn’t. For a split second, Siwan’s brain tried to catalogue everything that was happening. The feeling of Benny’s fingers sliding to the back of his neck, the closeness of their foreheads, and the honesty in Benny’s voice. But then Benny was kissing him, and all that analytical thinking Siwan had had going on shut down completely. Siwan kissed him back, leaning into it more as his hand came up to rest on Benny’s cheek. This was nothing like the careful and controlled interactions he was used to. This was, maybe, perhaps, the exact thing he had been thinking about since their last conversation, and why he needed to collect himself before daring to go back to The Whiskey Barrel in the first place.
When they broke apart Siwan looked up at Benny wide-eyed. “Well,” he said, his voice, slightly rougher than he wanted it to be. Damn it. “I’m not sure I got just what you were saying, you might have to show me your intentions one more time.” He said, a playful smile on his lips.
Kit didn't usually frequent coffee shops, but he'd gotten a gift card for his birthday (an odd gift, really, but he wasn't one to turn down free money) so he stopped in one afternoon when he'd gotten back into town only to find himself with time to kill and money to spend. His random visit seemed to be fated when Jin approached, a smile on his face. "Yeah? What'd I do now?" The man's lopsided grin was paired with the familiar sparkle in his eye, which only shone brighter as Jin talked about unicorn hunting.
"No shit?" Kit's eyes widened as he reached up and rubbed his chin with one hand, nodding when Jin mentioned not wanting to hurt them. "Yeah, of course I am. I'm always up for an adventure. I bet we can find out, maybe make a few calls. There's this guy at the feed store I swear knows everythin' there is to know 'bout the wildlife around here, he's probably seen a couple himself."
Jin’s face lit up at Kit’s enthusiasm. This is exactly why Kit was the right person to ask about this; there were no questions about why, or any skepticism, and he loved that. “I knew you’d get it.” Jin smiled at Kit. He had tried to do some research on the topic, but the internet had been extremely unhelpful. But honestly, if he knew where the unicorns lived, he wouldn’t want to tell anyone either. He could only imagine there was a very competitive, and dangerous for the unicorns, market for them.
At Kit’s mention of the feed store guy Jin smiled. “Really? We should definitely talk to him.” He nodded in agreement. “Do you think he’d be willing to share that kind of intel with us? I’ll understand if he’s protective of the unicorn population, though. Who wouldn’t be, you know?”
Jin thought for a moment. “What do you think they eat? Like, sugar cubes? Or do they eat carrots? And when do you think is the best way to go? Dusk feels like prime unicorn time, but also like prime monster time.”
