MT. ZANSKI

sunglasses? on. thumbs? up. airpods? in.

[vldlucas]

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘 // 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢;

unsigned and signed may 2020 photocards.

[offpistes]

where: convenience store

when: april 29th, 8pm

closed starter for @vldlucas

⧾ ⊹ * ft . lucas

once, she saw the man who was supposed to be santa smoking behind the church building after christmas service, and it gave her a similar emotion to how she’s feeling now, watching lucas lazanski pick out a toothbrush dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. particle was one of the reasons nery is in kpop now, and lucas was her favorite in the group by far, with how much he used to make her laugh and his cool american charm. when she lived in boseong, seeing lucas’s smile on-screen used to quite literally brighten her day after being bullied and ridiculed for hours by her peers.

now, however, it’s clear that lucas is exhausted. in her years as a trainee, she’s heard rumors of how grueling particle’s schedules can be, and since becoming minho’s friend, she’s learned that the truth confirms those rumors, if not even worse than them. nery decides to go back to lark’s dorm, plans to tell her members what she saw and make them feel jealous, and possibly return later to buy snacks instead. pleased at herself for being so mature, she takes a step back. only — she can’t step back any further; her back is pressed against a display rack of dishwashing soap, and she knocks the whole thing over with a loud clatter.

“ i’m so sorry ! ” she exclaims to the store clerk, who starts grumbling about kids and begins to make his way over to the aisle she’s in. then, she looks over at lucas — only to see that he’s staring right back at her. her entire face turns bright red.

[vldlucas]

ADMITTEDLY, HE SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO HIS SISTER— that’s what his sister Mia will never hear, because when she insisted that he needs to go take better care of himself, he rolled his eyes fondly and gave her a dopish grin and said, quote: “Chill. We’re good— shit!” and dropped his toothbrush into the toilet. 

“Do you have another toothbrush?” Mia asked, and at that point Lucas literally just hung up because it was too embarrassing to admit that no, he didn’t have a spare, and yes, he probably should’ve listened to her a month ago when she said to go buy himself the bare necessities. Like food. And moisturizer. And toothbrushes.

It’s how he ends up in the middle of the night at some dingy convenience store near the dorms, hunting down a toothbrush. He’ll go find a better one later, he swears up and down, but as far as hygiene goes, Lucas is vigilant. No way in hell is he gonna go to bed without brushing his teeth. He had seafood today. He’s focused on finding one, absentmindedly scratching at the five o’clock shadow on his jawline and running the thumb of his other hand over the little bouncy ball he got from one of those cheap vending machines, when he hears a clatter.

His first thought is to be a gentleman, and so he snaps himself out of his rather rude staring and hustles over to help right the display.

“Are you okay?” He asks, trying to help pick up the soap. “Hey...” He squints at the girl. “You look familiar... “ But the bouncy ball drops out of his grip and rolls under a display and his attentions are elsewhere momentarily as he chases it. “Don’t go anywhere! I still want to talk to you!”

[vldlucas]

vldseungyong‌:

If Seungyong were to spend time thinking about it, turn it over in his head until he can make sense of it – until he can clearly see an alternate path for him – he’d only get depressed. To the others, he’s dependable, someone who knows what he wants in life; but that wasn’t how it used to be, back when he was sixteen years old, or twenty and about to debut. He’d had no direction, nowhere to turn, and his closest friends had been spread across the country or in the middle of their own service.

And there’s no way to turn back time and relive the past, make different decisions. For Seungyong, there is only the present and future to consider; dwelling on what has been isn’t overly useful.

“I think I’d be dead,” he returns, tone dry. It might sound like a joke, but it truly isn’t. “If not that, I’d have tried to climb the ranks in the military machine. Not the most rosy of outlooks.”

Lucas as a dad – well, he can see that. But Seungyong cannot imagine that for himself, messing up in the same way his mother did; he’s sure that he’d somehow harm his children without meaning to. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to deal with a toddler.

But he’s curious now, because Lucas is mentioning someone he’s never heard of. “Who’s Zoey?”

It makes Lucas’ heart hurt to think about Seungyong dead, and it makes him flinch when Seungyong says so so blatantly. Lucas likes to think he’s known Seungyong long enough to tell that, despite the straightforwardness of it, Seungyong absolutely isn’t joking.

He shudders and turns his thoughts to his ex. That always cheers him up.

It would be ridiculous for someone, especially someone with as wild-hearted as Lucas Lazanski, to be hung up on someone he dated for only eight months over ten years ago. But really . . . he hasn’t dated since then. Life swept him up and threw him out into the waves and he hasn’t really had time to fall in love again. It’s not hung up on Zoey, he supposes, but the feeling of freedom that came with being hopelessly enamored with someone.

A dopey grin crosses his face as, like a vintage film, he fondly recalls the memories. A cherry-red convertible with the prettiest girl in the passenger seat, his hand on her thigh as he wonders if she might let him kiss her tonight. Her taking her long hair out of those space buns and letting it flutter as she laughed through glossy lips. Sneaking out after finishing their homework to go light illegal fireworks on the beach. The thrill of young love. He wonders what she’s up to.

“The girl who introduced me to K-pop,” he says, before realizing she was a lot more than that. “She’s the girl I used to be in love with. I miss her sometimes. I think about her a lot. I’m not really hung up on her, but I just . . . I don’t know. I guess I miss the feeling she gave me.” It feels wrong to call her an ex, or a nobody, when really she was his best friend for so long and left such an impact. It speaks deeper; it’s not only Zoey who could’ve made him feel that way, if only the idol industry would’ve given him the chance to live properly.

[vldlucas]

vldseungyong‌:

Sometimes, when Lucas asks him things like this, they talk past each other. Seungyong is well aware of this; the way the subtleties of language fail them, how things can’t be directly translated, especially not with the same undertones. So after the question is posed, he takes a moment to think through it, try to guess what exactly the other means. He can never quite be sure, but…

Seungyong sets his own weight down, suddenly aware that they’re about to have a conversation that may verge on serious, and utterly unprepared.

“Sometimes,” he admits, lets out a little hum as he thinks it over. The life he lives now – it had been a saving grace, really, as much as he wants to get out of it now. Had he not re-joined KMG, he might be dead now, mostly likely a soldier in an environment even more restrictive. Or, perhaps, had his experience in school changed, an architect.

But then, what is the point of this? “Here is where we are now, though. And honestly, we could have it so much worse.” Lucas will know that Seungyong crumbles under the pressure sometimes – he is, after all, the only one within the group Seungyong allows himself to be vulnerable around – but in the end, they’re successful. They’re what rookies aspire to be, if interviews are to be believed. “I don’t see the point in thinking about the what ifs, really.”

Lucas can’t help but chuckle to himself once he realizes that Seungyong might be bracing himself for the conversation. It might be true that there are certain barriers and limitations to questions like the one Lucas asked, but it’s . . . different, to ask someone else.

All the negativity, the bitterness— there’s hardly a soul aside from Seungyong who’s seen that side of Lucas, the nights where he’s got a disgusted scowl twisting his face because an overzealous fan violated him with a touch, or the rare sneers to the overwork they’re forced to endure. 

“Why not?” Lucas asks, eyes blazing with curiosity. “You really don’t think about it?”

He takes a moment to reflect; at this point, it’s hard not to wonder if it’s really Seungyong he’s talking to. After a moment, he nods resolutely.

“I would’ve married a girl like Zoey,” he affirms, forgetting that he hasn’t told Seungyong of his long-forgotten ex. “I think... I think I would’ve wanted to be a dad. My friends back home would’ve teased me for it, but by now... I would’ve wanted to have kids.”

He tilts his head, curious. “You really never had any passions or goals like that?”

[vldlucas]

@vldareum​, at her sister’s housewarming party

‘ZANSKI DOES THIS THING where he makes dumb bets that he knows he can’t win. “Betcha can’t eat that whole cheesecake, ‘Zanski!” He’s throwing up in the toilet an hour later. “Hey, ‘Zanski, think you can make this shot from the top of this cliff to that basketball hoop all the way down there?” Thank God that park ranger ended up stopping him or he would’ve killed someone. “’Zanski, bet you won’t be able to skinny dip in the Seomjin River without getting caught.” NO, HE CANNOT, AND HE SHOULD NOT TRY AGAIN.

This time, the conversation went like this:

“My girlfriend Mia rode me for five hours straight,” said Biceps Miles, his best friend back home, from over the phone.

“Like, a piggyback ride?” asked ‘Zanski.

“What? Dude, I meant—”

“Bet’s on, Biceps Miles. If I can get someone to let me give them a piggyback ride for six hours straight without putting them down, not even for the bathroom, you owe me a thousand bucks.”

And he hung up the phone. Bless his heart, really, but now he’s definitely invested in this bet. No way in hell is he letting Biceps Miles get the one-up on him.

It’s how he finds himself sneaking up on Areum through all the people at Aera’s housewarming party. “Wellllllll, hi!” He exclaims, tossing her up and catching her in a bridal carry. “Like being carried, Areum? Well, there’s more where that came from . . . for the next six hours! Whaddaya say?”

[vldlucas]

@vldseungyong​, at the gym

SURROUNDED BY THE SOUNDS OF THE GYM, LUCAS CAN’T HELP BUT THINK. He cares about them. Really, he does. It’s not . . . it’s not the end of the world that this is where his path led him. That everything, from waving his sisters off to college to Zoey breaking up with him to taking that first step onto a plane.

“Hey, Seungyong,” he implores, tilting his head. “You ever think about the fact that we’re here?”

He’s praying that Seungyong knows what he means by “here.” English is, and always will be, his first language, no matter how many years he’s in the industry. He lets down the barbell he’d been using for bicep curls and turns to his leader, gaze urgent and intent.

He doesn’t know how to articulate it. To him, this was little more than a way to pass the time. The only reason he stayed in the trainee world as long as he did was his competitive nature. What if he’d gone back? What if he’d landed in L.A. after a month of the trainee life and gone to college, gotten a job, a wife, had kids?

He can hardly imagine it. Seungyong always seems to have the answers.

[vldnaeun]

stubbornness was one of naeun’s best traits, if her opinion was to be taken into account anyways. she was nothing if not determined. spending time with particle members was a conscious act of rebellion against her own feelings, against what she probably should have been doing - recovering from a broken heart in peace. she didn’t enjoy making her every move about seungyong, but it was useful for her to meet with his members, if only to bolster her point that she was fine. her platonic coffee date with @vldlucas was calculated in that sense. she didn’t know him very well at all, in fact, she hardly did. he always seemed a little too … loud for her tastes. she couldn’t stand most loud and out there people. her fellow members of iota were an exception. 

“lucas, are you well? i saw minho recently too,” the coffee on naeun’s tongue is bitter, just the way she liked it. “and seungyong. he bought me this dress, actually.” a smile. “how fun, right? isn’t it rare that anyone gets the chance to catch up with one particle member? never mind three.”

[vldlucas]

LIKE HIS FEELINGS TOWARD PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE, Lucas hasn’t got any ill will toward Naeun. He actually kinda likes how goddamn hilarious she is. He was silently invested in the train-wreck that was her little crush. Now, he just feels bad for her. It’s kinda why he agreed to make time to grab coffee.

He ignores the part of him that’s just dying to know what happened to make her contact him out of the blue, instead giving her his usual, casual grin that hardly reveals he’s thinking about something else. It’s pretty easy to brush off the curiosity and just lay back and relax.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m well. And yourself? Seems like I never get to talk to you. You seem to be doing fine, at least.”

He takes a long sip from his latte— if one can even call 70% whipped cream, 30% chocolate sprinkles, and a half shot of espresso a “latte.”

“And hey— that dress looks real pretty on you! Designer?”

[kmgentertainment]

Particle - Spring Day (봄날) M/V

KMG Entertainment Published on April 7, 2020

[vldlucas]

yohanvld‌:

really, yohan could have sat there all day watching lucas continuously try and fail at weaving the small flowers together. it had honestly been the most entertaining part of his entire weekend so far, forget the festival, forget the drama, the shows, this was it. lucas lazanski simply attempting to make a flower crown. maybe it was just because lucas was easily the one who could get yohan to laugh the most, or maybe it was genuinely funny, but either way the corners of his mouth had stuck into a permanently amused smile, silent as he observed.

when the other male finally cracked, so did he, face splitting into a grin as the mess of poor, manhandled blossoms met his cheek, which he hadn’t even managed to protect. the laughter that bubbled out of him, shoulders moving, was a rare sound, loud and bright in contrast to the rapper’s usual demeanor. needless to say, he found this entire situation rather hilarious, even if it was at the expense of one of his closest friends.

once he’d calmed down, one hand gripping his ribs, yohan reached out to grab the failed project that sat in a heap in front of him. almost all the stems had been completely destroyed, but despite it’s messiness, he was careful in the way he gently returned it to the ground, making a neat circle with the remains. yohan’s laughter threatened to make it’s way back up as he carefully adjusted a flower that was beyond saving, though he did his best to stifle it, “ get some more, i’ll make one instead. i’m no quitter. ”

‘Zanski’s immediately suspicious, ‘cause if there’s one thing Yohan is, it’s talented. Y’know, in pretty much anything, as far as ‘Zanski’s concerned. It would seriously be no big surprise to any of them if Yohan goes and makes the, whatever, next Mona Lisa out of stupid cherry blossoms and their stupid twigs.

He was right to be suspicious, ‘cause it’s just not fair! how Yohan essentially whips out a dumb old flower crown in two seconds flat. ‘Zanski huffs. For such a big guy, he can be such a big baby.

“Don’t bother,” he dismisses with a scowl. “Who knows why Matter wants specifically me making a flower crown. If they wanna see me in a crown I’ll just go buy one from that art store I saw down the road.”

He slings a friendly arm around Yohan’s shoulders, beginning to lead them away. But one backward glance has him shuffling from foot to foot as he stares at the circle of flowers with uncharacteristic somberness.

“Then on the other hand . . . I guess it wouldn’t kill me to try again.”

[vldlucas]

Can we please take a second to talk about how ‘Zanski that gif is ANYWHO it’s ya girl Beck! I just finished my plots page, so take a look-see and let me know if you wanted to plot anything! Click here to be redirected to the page <3

[vldlucas]

After their performance, which trainee group are you most excited to see debut?

“Dude, Sweetbitter damn near KILLED me with that cover of Be Natural the other day!” An approving nod and a “hang-loose” hand as he drops his sunglasses from his head to rest on his nose. He plucks the candied pickle off the top of his Bloody Mary and downs it in one bite, taking a sip out of the cocktail before deciding it needs more Tabasco. Unscrewing the condiment lid, he really, truly does overdo it as he vigorously shakes hot sauce into his drink.

“I’m so excited for them to debut, man.” He’s just a couple drinks away from kicking his feet up onto the table. But, like the seasoned idol he is, he doesn’t do that. It’s all about image, baby!

“Sweetbitter debut when? They’ve already got a fan outta me. What’s their fanclub name gonna be? Bittersweet? Spicy? Hot sauce? Tabasco? Goddamn, this drink needs more Tabasco … guess no one can do a rich suburban soccer mom drink like a rich suburban soccer mom can do.”

[veilkrp]

A special Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival ask meme suddenly appears !

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Keep reading

[vldlucas]

OPEN!

LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ??? [L.G.L. wants to play 8-ball!] LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ???[L.G.L. wants to play 8-ball!] LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ???[L.G.L. wants to play 8-ball!] LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ??? Ryan, stop ignoring me dude. I wanna play 8 ball LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI  ✆ ⇢ ??? [L.G.L. is calling . . .]  LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✆ ⇢ ??? [L.G.L. is calling . . .] LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ??? pick up your phone you dick lol LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ??? It has come to my attention that this is the wrong number I am so sorry. I promise I’m not a creep D: I just got a new phone &my contacts imported weird LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ??? [L.G.L. is typing . . .] LUCAS GRANT LAZANSKI ✉ ⇢ ???[L.G.L. wants to play 8-ball!]

[vldlucas]

@yohanvld​

WHEN ZANSKI’S SERIOUS . . . damn, is he serious. It’s like that one guy from The Godfather, the guy who was pretty chill ‘till his family got threatened. Then he turned into basically a raging lunatic. That guy? That guy is Lucas “Can’t Make a Blossom Chain” Lazanski.

‘Zanski who? They only called him by his shameful middle moniker back when he was in America. A real untalented douchebag, that guy.

Alright, maybe that’s just a little mean. Really, it’s more that Zanski’s hands are— what’s a polite way to say it— too beefy? Built for dribbling a basketball? The winners of the 2011 All-You-Can-Eat Double-Fisting Coney Island Chili Dog Slamburger Fest Supreme? The very hands that put on— every night— as pajamas— that t-shirt he won for all those burger-dogs?

Whatever it is, the point is that these hands of his were not meant to weave together cherry blossoms oh-so-delicately. Hell, he feels like a cartoon doe just thinkin’ about it, with the long lashes batting up at Yohan, sparkling and fluttering and all.

Sparkling with rage, that is. He snaps another stem and, in his frustration to fix it, snaps three more. A growl escapes from him.

“Those fans,” he mutters, not really meaning the animosity that tinges his voice. “They were out to get me— I just know it. They sent me some dumb request asking me to wear a flower crown out of cherry blossoms when I got here. Look at me now.”

Snap! Snap! Snap! Three more cherry blossom twigs fall to the ground, and with them, the crown falls apart. (And with that, so does a piece of ‘Zanski’s soul, let’s be real.) He scowls and chucks the crown at Yohan. “Take the stupid thing.”

[vldlucas]

cassandravld‌:

      cassandra  did  not  expect  him  to  be  this  determined.  she  was  a  little  worried  he  might  end  up  spending  over  200  dollars  on  tokens  trying  to  win  her  this  cat.  the  point  of  this  challenge  was  to  make  a  prophet  from  the  game.  the  animals  kept  lining  up  and  cassie  fought  the  urge  to  arrange  them  in  color  order.  eventually  ,  she  gave  in  and  stood  on  her  tip  toes  to  place  the  fish  in  its  rightful  place  in  front  of  the  chicken.  when  lucas  asked  her  to  cover  for  him  ,  she  immediately  turned  to  keep  an  eye  out.  the  events  of  the  next  moments  happened  in  slow  motion  as  cassandra  turned  around  to  watch  her  tall  friend  get  stuck  inside  the  machine.

      “LUCAS  ,  OH  MY  GOD!”  her  hands  clapped  over  her  mouth  as  she  choked  back  a  loud  laugh  in  order  to  appear  concerned  and  not  about  to  pee  her  pants  laughing.  “if  you  get  us  banned  from  here  ,  i’ll  kick  your  ass.  i’m  not  joking  ,”  her  eyes  darted  to  the  machines  around  the  game.  luckily  ,  there  was  an  air  hockey  table  not  to  far  to  the  left.  she  rushed  to  push  the  table  up  against  the  side  of  the  machine.  she  checked  over  her  shoulder  at  the  worker  who  had  seemingly  no  intention  of  helping  them  or  dealing  with  the  situation  whatsoever.  “can  you  push  yourself  back  out?  there’s  a  table  right  under  your  feet  ,  so  you  won’t  fall.”  cassandra  paused.  “i  mean  it  might  break  but  we’ll  cross  that  bridge  when  we  get  to  it.”

‘Zanski takes a moment to, like all things in his life, laugh at himself. Admittedly it makes him a little lightheaded though.

See, it’s not that he’d have trouble getting out. It’s more that his arm is hella stuck in the dispenser, twisted at a really weird angle in a way that he knows is gonna leave a bruise later. And also, is everything spinning?

He stops laughing— not ‘cause he suddenly finds the situation unfunny, not at all— as a matter of fact, he finds it hilarious— but ‘cause he’s gotta think his way outta this one, and he’s already got, like, half a brain cell. And that brain cell feels like it’s drowning from all the blood rushing to his head. Warmly, he thinks that he’s glad he’s got Cassie. Otherwise life would be a party and ‘Zanski, the man himself, wouldn’t be having a good time. He’d be chillin’ upstairs with the host’s little sister.

(Yeah, that’s happened once before. But she was sick and sad ‘cause her boyfriend had just broken up with her! What was he supposed to do?!)

“I hate to say it, Cass, but I think you’re my only hope here,” he says solemnly. “You think you can wrestle my arm out of the prize box thingy? Carefully, though. It’s really wedged in there.”

[vldlucas]

cassandra

      “what  did  i  tell  you?”  she  said  ,  trying  to  hold  back  her  ‘i  told  you  so’  smile. “this  machine  is  impossible.  except  for  your  green  pig  ,  of  course.  he  was  probably  chilling  in  there  for  years  with  the  blue  cat.  we  should  give  them  names  ,  i  think  it’s  only  proper.  especially  if  we’re  doing  two  out  of  three.”  cassandra  paused  ,  deep  in  thought.  “you  should  name  your  piggie  ,  but  if  you’re  looking  for ideas  i  would  suggest  disappointment.”  the  younger  female  snickered  at  her  own  joke.

      with  a  wide  grin  ,  cassandra  did  another  lap  around  the  machine.  as  much  as  she  wanted  him  to  get  the  cat  for  her  ,  she  also  enjoyed  being  right  and  winning  two  hundred  krw  just  as  much.  “you  definitely  need  a  cool  training  montage  like  in  rocky  because  it  looks  like  the  cat  is  really  stuck  in  there.”  she  turned  to  face  the  glass,  bending  her  knees  to  match  the  height  of  the  cat.  “zanski  will  get  you  out  eventually  ,  i  promise.”  she  whispered.  “there’s  also  no  harm  in  just  shoving  your  hand  in  the  box  and  waving  it  around  in  hopes  you  might  grab  something.  if  you  get  the  cat  that  way  i’ll  buy  you  dinner.”

He’s already hard at work by the time Cassie’s ribbing him, fishing around in his pocket for another four tokens. There’s that ‘Zanski fire: for a guy who’s so laid-back with pretty much anything else, he’s awfully pissed off at this claw machine. One part of him reminds him that it’s all in good fun, that Cassie probably won’t actually make him pay up two-hundred, but it’s way past the money at this point.

This is war.

By the time she’s suggesting to name his pig disappointment, he’s got a line of sitting, smiling animals at the top of the claw machine: a purple dog, a red fish, a yellow chicken. Not a blue cat, though, ‘cause the world hates him or something.

His eyes spark mischievously when she suggests he just reaches in and grabs something. Chancing a peek over his shoulder, he’s pleased to discover it’s empty save for a teenager who looks like he really, really wouldn’t care if a 6′3″ superidol got stuck in the claw vending machine.

Which is good, because a 6′3″ superidol might very soon be stuck in the claw vending machine.

“Cover for me, will you?” He whispers conspiratorially to Cassie before scooting the machine away from the wall, muscles straining with effort, and looking for a lock. “Oh, the hatch is up here!” He says before clambering atop the machine, diving headfirst, making quick work of the recalcitrant cat through the prize dispensing box, ignoring the young man’s “Hey!” (as predicted, he goes back to his magazine immediately afterward) . . .

. . . and tipping forward headlong, wedging the thick of his elbow through the prize dispensing hatch. Seriously?! He was joking about getting stuck, world . . .

“Agh!” He yelps between fits of laughter, legs kicking in the air. “Help me out!”

[cassandravld]

      the  array  of  different  colored  stuffed  animals  overwhelmed  cassie  as  she  pressed  her  forehead  against  the  glass  of  the  claw  machine.  her  eyes  flicked  from  the  stuffed  animals  to  the  person  controlling  the  machine.  a  small  smirk  formed  on  her  face  as  she  let  out  a  small  laugh.  “i  told  you  ,  this  claw  machine  is  the  only  machine  that’s  rigged  so  good  no  one  can  win.”  the  female  stood  on  her  tip-toes  ,  eyeing  the  array  of  cats  ,  ducks  ,  and  dogs  the  machine  had  to  offer.  she  huffed  and  leaned  back  on  her  heels.

      “those  precious  babies  aren’t  going  anywhere  any  time  soon  and  not  only  because  this  place  is  dead  ninety-five  percent  of  the  time.”  the  desolate  arcade  had  plenty  of  good  prizes  waiting  to  be  won  ,  but  every  machine  was  difficult  to  win  which  cassie  suspected  to  be  the  reason  of  its  emptiness.  brushing  her  hair  over  her  shoulder  ,  cassandra  did  a  lap  around  the  machine  before  her.  “okay  ,  here’s  the  deal.  if  you  can  win  me  that  neon  blue  cat  i  will  give  you  two  hundred  bucks.  you  up  for  the  challenge?”

[vldlucas]

A ROGUEISH SMILE flits across ‘Zanski’s face. He’s nothing if not competitive. This claw machine is absolutely no exception. He’s well aware of how annoying these things can be; he remembers many, many years ago when he tried winning a duck for his girlfriend at the time and got so obsessed he ended up ignoring her for the better part of their date trying to win her said duck. Fortunately, she seemed to forgive him when he eventually did.

“Oh, yeah. I always win these things.” He cracks the joints in his knuckles and stretches his neck side to side. “Two hundred bucks is on, Cass. Money’s on the table.” He pulls up his bank and types in the KRW equivalent, flashing her the screen. “I win this, you put your name on the sender tab. I lose— which I won’t, by the way— I’ll be putting my name down and you’ll be two-hundo richer. Bet.”

So, with agile fingers, he leans down to the slot of the machine and deposits the tokens— clink! clink! clink! clink!— and begins moving the claw, hulking form hunched over the glass.

The claw hovers, and picks up a stuffed toy. It releases, and ‘Zanski, with great disbelief, pulls a green pig out of the prize box. “....oooookay. So that’s not a blue cat. How’s two out of three?”