Bathed in sarcasm

wearysighs:

we got the confession and now im malfunctioning

yooshhiahh:

There’s a scandal going around about Irene that is gaining a lot of traction and I have a LOT of thoughts about it that I want to share. This is all just my opinion, none of it is facts and I hope it gets others just thinking about things as well. I feel like there are so many sides to this and the issue is a lot more complex than ‘oh, she’s just rude’ and it speaks on the industry as a whole, the Korean entertainment industry in particular. 

I want to preface this by saying I am a fan of Red Velvet and have been since debut. Irene has always been one of my favorite members, but I’ll try to be as unbiased as I can here. 

I also spent a year living in Korea recently so I have a better understanding of Korean culture than I used to. The biggest thing I learned while living there is that it’s all about appearances. This is a key theme for what I’m about to discuss. 

So a bunch of industry staff members are coming out and sharing stories and experiences about Irene’s rude behavior towards staff members. It all started with that vet editor’s post, which a lot of people have been critical of. I want to address this part first. 

This editor is incredibly smart and is exacting revenge on Irene perfectly. This is a person who was proven to work with Irene in the past, so I can only imagine that after having positive experiences with her before, being attacked like that was even more shocking than we’re imagining already. This editor probably had some trust established with Irene already because of past experiences of working with her positively. I understand where the editor is coming from when they say Irene abused her power, because as someone who is rich, successful, and beautiful, she does wield a lot of power in Korean society. If another staff member tried to pull the same behavior, they would lose their job or be heavily scolded by their boss. They wouldn’t dream of doing something like that. Scoldings and personal attacks are just part of the job in Korea (I know because I’ve received them before from bosses who were condescending towards me and when I asked them to not speak to me that way, their reasoning was ‘but I’m upset’. It’s common). Irene ranting, or scolding, this editor is not so uncommon in Korean work cultures, and the descriptions of other staff members being ‘used’ to her behavior and treatment of them doesn’t surprise me or shock me. I’m more shocked that someone actually spoke up about it, because that can come back on them hard. Who wants to hire an editor with a loose tongue? Who else will they expose? It’s ‘bad business’ in their eyes, not justice. It’s all about appearances. 

The only reason this editor is speaking up is because they have seniority, which is about the only thing that trumps appearances in Korea. If you’re a sunbae, then you have the authority, and rarely will people go against you whether you’re right or completely wrong (I experienced this with an old manager who refused to go against the director even if what she was doing to us was completely wrong). This is the only reason I can reason out that this editor would speak up about it, which answers the question of “why now?” that a lot of netizens are asking. It’s now because this editor has enough seniority to still book jobs. 

The reason I say this editor is incredibly smart is because they have assumed the power in this situation. Irene ranted at this editor because she knew at the time that she could get away with it because of her status. She didn’t anticipate that this editor would share this publicly because usually that means the editor wouldn’t have a job afterwards. However, this editor is a vet, and would probably still get jobs regardless if others hadn’t spoken out against Irene as well. 

Now this is where it gets interesting, because this editor has ‘recordings’ of the actual rant that they have yet to release. Whether they actually do have it recorded or not, I have no idea, but it was the perfect way to get Irene to confess to it herself. It’s better to jump the gun, expose yourself and be ‘remorseful’ than to wait to be exposed and have the apology seem forced. This *looks* better for Irene, but it also ensures that she exposes herself. Editor’s skin is saved. If the editor doesn’t actually have any recordings of the rant, well played. If they do, however, then they’re waiting to release it to keep the issue relevant and give a platform for others to come out about Irene on. This editor has all the power, since Irene is now reacting to whatever this editor does. They have Irene’s (now fragile) image in the palm of their hand, and it’s kind of amazing to witness a staff member take control of a situation like that. Good for them. 

Anonymous accounts are coming out now, and whether they’re true or not, I don’t really care. Idols go through a lot so explosions like this are bound to happen. There’s a lot of stress and pressure on idols who get scrutinized for everything and have their lives controlled by the public essentially, so am I surprised or appalled that she took it out on someone? Absolutely not. It happens, we’re human. That’s the kicker though: idol appearances. It’s all about appearances again, and idols are portrayed as completely perfect beings who can do no wrong. So, when they do something that just about everyone has done at least once or twice in their lifetimes, it’s blown out of proportion because we put these celebrities on a pedestal, or at least Korea does. A toe out of line and it’s the end of the world. 

My conclusion is that Irene is simply a diva, and so what if she is? Divas are celebrated in the west for their attitudes and fortitude. Why not in the east too? Why does Irene being a human with both positive *and negative* traits have to be enough for Red Velvet to pull out of an ambassador role for an upcoming festival and cancel their fan event? It’s ridiculous if you ask me. To think Irene, or any idol for that matter, is a perfect little angel is unreasonable. This shouldn’t even be a scandal. Korea has a different mentality towards their celebrities though, and I doubt that’s changing anytime soon. This editor was able to manipulate that mentality to their benefit though, and I applaud them for it. If anything, this editor will get what they want out of it, which is Irene watching who she treats rudely in the future. She’s got a reputation now, which means she has to watch herself from now on. Like I’ve said many times already, it’s all about appearances. 

Will I stop supporting Irene and Red Velvet? Of course not, I’ll continue supporting them. Irene having human flaws doesn’t bother me, and the accounts defending tell me she isn’t just some raging biatch that runs around and yells at every person who crosses her path. 

Just some thought foods for ya :)

writemekpop:

Bae Joohyun (Irene) x Kang Seulgi x Reader

Summary: Irene likes you… Seulgi likes you… But this isn’t the love triangle you were expecting. Rather than fighting, the three of you come to a much more… pleasurable solution. 

Genre: Suggestive

Word count: 0.5k

Gif: @idolady​

You take a deep breath and step into Seulgi’s bedroom. Seulgi is leaning on the doorframe, and Irene is lying seductively on the bed. Both girls are dressed in glittery blouses, hugging their chests in a way that sets your heart racing.

“Thank you for coming, Y/n.” Seulgi purrs. “We have a proposition for you.” Seulgi looks over at Irene, gesturing for her to continue.

“So, you know that I like you,” Irene starts, kicking the blanket off her silky legs, “and you know that Seulgi likes you too…”

You gulp and nod at her, your heart pounding.

“Well…” Irene’s silvery voice sends you spiralling. “We were thinking… what if we didn’t have to fight over you? What if we just… shared?”

Your heart leaps into your throat. “S-shared? You mean like… the three of us? But how-”

Seulgi presses a cool finger to your lips. “Let me show you.”

Seulgi prowls over to the bed. Winking at you, she places her hand on the back of Irene’s head. Seulgi leans in and captures Irene’s lips in a kiss.

You’re frozen by the door, heart thumping against your ribcage as you watch the two girls kissing.

Seulgi raises two fingers to beckon you towards the bed. You slowly sit between Irene and Seulgi, your breath shaking.

Irene places her slender fingers on your bare arm, and you jolt at her touch.

You snap your head in Irene’s direction, and then back to look at Seulgi. You feel like deer trapped between two wolves, and it’s sending delightful shivers down your spine.

Irene cradles your cheek with one hand. Bending your head back, she presses her hot lips against yours. The kiss is short, and when she pulls away, your body is on fire. Wild sparks shoot through your nerves, like nothing you’ve ever felt before.

You lean towards Irene again, your lips throbbing with anticipation. But before your mouth can touch hers, a hand grasps your shoulder.

Seulgi places her slender fingers on your jaw, turning your head away from Irene to face her instead. Seulgi licks her plump lips, her dark eyes fixed on your mouth. She leans forwards and kisses you.

Her persistent mouth parts your trembling lips, the kiss growing more intense with each second. Your head is swimming, dream and reality spinning into a blur. All you can feel is Seulgi’s soft lips, all you can taste is her strawberry lip gloss.

Soon – far too soon - Seulgi breaks the kiss.

“So… what do you say, Y/n?” she asks. “Think you can handle both of us?”

The fire burning in your core grows, flames licking at your belly. You take Seulgi’s hand in your left hand, and Irene’s in your right. You pull their hands into your lap and stare down at them. They look so beautiful, with their diamond-dusted nails and glinting rings.

You lock eyes with each girl in turn, your confidence growing as you take in their parted lips and flushed cheeks.

“I can definitely handle it.”

etherealino:

chan, pre-debut vs now

superbionic:

Paper Thin

***

Those eyes. Seulgi could recognise them anywhere. Bright and alive and piercing.

They held her gaze from across the room silently as if speaking a lost language only known to them. They had an odd ability that transported her into a different paradigm, dulling the voices around her to a muted buzz, like the volume dial turned down on the radio.

The world around her dissolved into oblivion. She stood a dissociated apparition, the world glittering and whizzing and dancing around her. The lights in the room were too bright, sparkling from the chandelier to the expensive jewelries adorning the guests. She stood out like a sore thumb in her leather jacket and casual jeans. A hip and fashionable get-up really. But in this glitzy world, she had no place. She did not belong. That much was apparent.

Seulgi watched the subject of her attention return a small indiscernible smile before the gaze was broken and she was left to her own device. A lopsided smile of her own drew across her face as she thought to herself —Joohyun.

The center of everyone’s attention, the axis to which the energy in the room revolved around— her presence all poised and full of grace and beautiful. So beautiful that takes people’s breath away. Unattainable. But whose curves and smiles and quiet words belonged to her, in stealthy nights and the occasional escape from the madness of reality. The thought filled her chest with inexplicable pride.

She would have to wait tonight, but what is time for a taste of heaven?

*

Stepping out of the hotel lobby and into the cold frigid grip of the night air, the discordance of overlapping conversations from the crowded street overwhelmed her senses. She pressed a hand over her tired eyes and stood in the middle of the walkway and sunk into quiet introspection. She thought about the cruel lies that fiction sold to the masses, how two worlds can collide and fuse like paints mixing seamlessly into an exuberant hue. Oh how far from the truth that was. Her standing out in the cold separated from the high society behind her and skies a sorry pale shade of gray dictated so.

Lighting a cigarette with her shaky hands and putting it to her lips, she took a long drag. Her eyes closed as smoke filled her lungs, choking her, soothing her. She stood pensive and forlorn. No. They did not know the truth behind Joohyun’s practiced façade. But she did. She was the real winner. But was she really? She could not fathom the converse. Another drag distracted her from the conflict and the irreconcilable within her mind—her confidence wavering in the face of overwhelming doubt.

The taste in her mouth was stale and sour. Perhaps it was the smoke. Perhaps it was her self-pity. She kept a small smile, more a grimace than anything else and melted back into the crowd.

*

‘I thought you’d never come’

 There she was. Smiling, poised and calm. Sheets pooled around her slender waist, the thin night dress did nothing to hide her pale porcelain skin.

An unexplainable warmth and affection for this quiet voice arrested Seulgi’s heart. This was Joohyun. Her Joohyun. This was how she knew her—soft and glowing and ethereal. She paused in her footsteps as if to savour the moment so delicate and precious. Mental snapshots saved in the recesses of her mind.

The sight of Joohyun kept her fevered thoughts at bay. This was the power Joohyun had on her, so silent yet immense. It should scare her, but it had only made her sink deeper into the powerful spell casted by Joohyun. She was a willing prisoner. There was no escape.

‘Don’t stand there now. Come here you— I’ve been waiting all night’

Seulgi thought to herself that she was the one waiting, pacing the streets aimlessly, waiting for a call or a text from Joohyun— to be summoned. But she did not voice her thoughts.

Padding across the room, she wordlessly peeled her jacket off and draped it over the back of the dresser’s chair. She knew this place like the back of her hand, been here countless times in the depths of the night, Joohyun unclothed in her embrace as they chatted about everything under the sun, smiles crinkling their eyes.

Joohyun pulled her close once she was within reach. Cold hands demanding and confident slipped under her shirt, fingers fanning out across her ribs, drawing a quiet gasp from her. She kneeled astride Joohyun and stared at the way her hair tumbled upon thin shoulders, a smirk decorating her exquisite features. What a sight. A sight that was hers and hers alone for the night. She sunk down and buried her face in Joohyun’s hair before mumbling a tired—

‘I miss you’

Cold hands and arms wrapped themselves around her frame, but all she felt was the reposeful heat radiating beneath her.

‘Me too’

*

Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a warm hushed gleam across the kitchen. She watched Joohyun from across the dining table, watched how her brows furrowed and muscles worked her face. As if the human anatomy was unique to her alone. She never looked more beautiful, hair tousled, night dress askew, exposing a lone bare shoulder. It drew her thoughts involuntarily towards wanting to nose at the skin there, inhale Joohyun’s skin, follow the dip in her collarbone, and lay kisses down her sternum. The thoughts came to her like a lazy day dream, warm and soft and slow. An unconscious smile found its way across her face.

Joohyun’s lips quirked upwards in a quizzical smile, her rosy lips bruised red. ‘I can see you staring you know’

Seulgi only smiled wider and rounded the table to plaster herself against Joohyun’s back, chin on her shoulder. Her heart never felt fuller. She inhaled Joohyun’s faint scent of sagewood and the aroma of hot black coffee nursed in her hands. It was almost criminal how domestic the moment felt, as if finally having an elusive dream within her grasp. So mundane, yet so right.  In such moments, she felt like she had the strength to stop the world mid-spin. She’d freeze reality to capture that sliver of time and archive it in the depths of her memory, adding to her collection.

Seulgi reached around and brought Joohyun’s cup of coffee to her lips, savouring the bitter drug, thinking this may be how she wanted her days to be. Her only vices— Joohyun and coffee and the odd stick or two once in a blue moon. This was the life she wanted.

She knew in that moment that she was in love, but she was afraid—afraid that speaking it aloud and changing the equation would upset what little they had.

So she did the next best thing she knew to assuage the burning in her chest, littering kisses down Joohyun’s bare shoulder, hands finding their way to stroke and massage bare thighs, moving upwards, purposeful in their quest.

Joohyun let out a shaky exhale. ‘Seul—‘

‘Hm?’ her voice a lazy drawl.

‘Seulgi please—‘ Her voice was needy, a bare whisper, a concealed plea.

‘What’s the matter?’ Seulgi pressed her frame into Joohyun, trapping her against the table, hands holding unclothed thighs apart, drifting in languish motions.

‘Seul, don’t tease me—‘ A breathless moan escaped her when a hand found its way to the apex of her thigh. Seulgi smiled against her skin, other hand finding its way to cup her breast, caressing, kneading.

‘You drive me crazy’ Seulgi mumbled against the crook of her neck.

‘Then do something’ Joohyun sighed and pulled her hand closer to the heat between her legs. Seulgi’s eyes darkened like brewing storm clouds, fire dancing in her veins.

A loud vibration pierced through the sacred silence, halting her progress. Joohyun stilled immediately, her hold on Seulgi became lax with a look at the lit screen. She heaved a quiet sigh and peeled Seulgi’s hands from her. Seulgi did not need to look at the offensive device to know who was on the other side of the line. She drew apart to put a respectful distance between them as Joohyun brought the phone to her ear, a muffled voice spilling out for what felt like an eternity before the call ended.

A deafening silence descended upon the space between them.

‘Im sorry Seulgi. You’ll have to—‘

‘Go. I know’

‘I’m sor—‘

‘Don’t be’ Seulgi sniped, but there was no bite in her voice, only resignation. The fire in her veins now chilled her to the bone. How desperately she wished for the moment to not end brought shame that washed over her entire being. She need not hear apologies or justifications. They only served to remind her of their reality, a slap to her face.

She could do without it.

*

‘Hello? Hello? Joohyun?’ Seulgi sat up from her bed and rubbed sleep from her eyes. ‘Joohyun is that you?’

‘Seulgi, I need you now’

A mere statement—and it was all it took to set Seulgi in motion, throwing clothes and a jacket over herself in haste and tumbling out the door.

*

Seulgi arrived and let herself into Joohyun’s apartment with the spare key.

‘Had trouble sleeping?’

‘You can say that’ Joohyun responded from where she was seated on the sofa. Seulgi sat herself down on the opposite end wordlessly. She did not question why Joohyun had called at 2 in the morning. It did not matter to her. What mattered was Joohyun needed her, so here she was.

It was a starlit night outside. She could see from floor to ceiling windows that stretched across the luxurious expanse of Joohyun’s living room. Seulgi knew that Joohyun loves watching the skies. They had traced the stars together many a sleepless nights. She wondered if Joohyun remembers these moments the way she did, etched it like permanent wood carvings in her mind.

Shuffling towards her, Joohyun laid her head down in Seulgi’s lap breaking her reverie. The quiet in the space remained tranquil, interrupted only by the faint sound of their breaths in rhythmic cadence and the sound of Seulgi’s hand combing through the elder’s hair.

‘Were you upset Seul?’

‘No, who am I to be?’

A beat passed. The words unspoken danced like shadows in candlelight.

‘Then why wouldn’t you look at me?’

Joohyun brought a hand up to Seulgi’s face, softly caressing her skin. Her nerve endings lighted up her entire being, sensitive to Joohyun’s every touch. She relented, glancing down. There was no resisting Joohyun. Who was she trying to kid?

Joohyun’s eyes, dark and tender and inscrutable stared back at her. Like herself, Joohyun’s eyes were enigmatic, inviting but always reserved. There was no deciphering of her thoughts. But it is in these dark pools that Seulgi swam in, like a sailor responding to a siren’s beguiling call.

‘I am looking at you now, aren’t I?’

A modest smile lighted up Joohyun’s face, her face silvered by the pale moonlight basking them in its cool reflection. ‘Now, that you are’ she whispered as she slotted her supple lips against Seulgi’s and sunk her weight into her.

Joohyun had made quick work of their clothes, her face flushed with desire and eyes blown wide. Seulgi’s heartbeat deepened and breaths came labored as kisses littered her clavicle. There was an impatience in Joohyun’s ministrations.

Teeth nipped at the crest of her breasts, bruising the tender flesh, her frame arching upwards involuntarily, a murmuring of expletive spilling out from under her breath. She was sure her skin would bloom with splotches of livid purple the next morning. But with lithe hands dancing across her body and tongues of flame lapping at her skin, the thought was quickly engulfed by the need for release, like a lightning in a bottle threatening to explode any minute.

Joohyun seemed to have sensed it from her taut muscles and descended between her legs, head bodding, tongue puncturing and lapping at her waiting heat. It did not take long for the tautness to snap. She dug her nails into Joohyun hair, drawing a smothered moan against her sex that only amplified the crescendo of high flooding her senses. Her hips rolled against her will, canting against the hot cavern of Joohyun’s mouth until she was shaking from the intensity of her release.

Joohyun slowed to a stop as her body became slack and her breaths returned to her with regularity. Small hands seized her face, bringing Joohyun’s face looming over hers back into focus. Her eyes were soft searching her features like a child struggling to piece a puzzle together.

The fluttering in her stomach returned to her. Sometimes she thought about how Joohyun may be bad for her health. The way her presence made her feel lightheaded and giddy, on the fringe of delirium. She thought nonetheless that she have done the right thing being with her. She would not regret it. She was too far gone.

In the silence of the dark, she brought Joohyun atop her lap, traced the contours of her bones, fingers ghosting across her skin, memorizing every curve and dip, a sacred temple she wished was only hers to embrace; but she could she fully own this? For she was surely undeserving, an imposter in Joohyun’s world. Joohyun was an heir to an empire. Her life already mapped out for her. Seulgi was just—herself, plain ol’ Seulgi. There was no place in the roadmap for her existence. But in this quiet space, her lover vulnerable and pliant in her arms, she thinks perhaps this was enough—to have her like this than to have nothing at all.

‘I am sorry Seul’

‘I know you are’

‘Are we good?’

‘Never better’

*  

Seulgi would like to think that she had a steady heart before she met Joohyun. But now, the pace of her heartbeat was erratic, confusing to herself and entirely out of her control. She could not help the hollow ringing in her head when Joohyun broke the news to her.

‘I do not want you to hear the news of my engagement from anyone else. But I want you to know that nothing will change between us’

Seulgi knew this was inevitable. She was fully aware of said fiancé since the early days of her rendezvous with Joohyun. The elder had kept it no secret. But hearing it being set into motion brought a kind of finality to it. It was a moment she had prepared for, but it still knocked the wind out of her.

Joohyun kissed the crown of her head repeatedly, as if to ward off the demons clawing away and hammering inside her fevered mind. Subjugated by a sudden sense of insecurity, Seulgi asked— ‘What are we?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know what I mean, Hyun’

‘I have responsibilities. You know that. It wouldn’t change me, nor should it change us’

Seulgi wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out against her frenzied thoughts—as if trapped in a maze, doors leading to nowhere, stairs with no logical end point. She ran laps in her head in a schizophrenic hysteria. A love that hurts so much must be real.

Were they a dirty illicit secret? No—she would not degrade herself like that.

Were they both lacking in courage?

Hadn’t they any other options?

Couldn’t they have the best of both worlds?

She did not have the answers.

She wanted to beg and grovel for the current reality to be different. Be a blubbering mess, be defiant, thrash around like a wild animal. She wanted to be angry at her, at the world at large, anything to expiate the furious dangerous bubbling lava she felt rising from her blood, shaking her very being. Tight fists quaked at her sides, wishing to connect with something solid, to draw blood, to release this pent-up ball of emotions she felt.

But no, Joohyun would not have liked that. Even in her frustration she could not find it in herself to hurt Joohyun in any way. She could not deny that her yearning for Joohyun had chipped at her sanity. She did not recognize the woman she was now. All she knew was that deconstructured, Joohyun was the blood in her veins, the oxygen to her lungs, the colour to her vision.

She could not let go. What would she be left with without her?

‘I want you to be mine’

‘I am not going anywhere’

Joohyun locked eyes with her, eyes meaning to be reassuring but only served to agitate her further. She pinned Joohyun down and hunkered in the bed with a vengeance. She kissed and nipped and groped blindly whilst holding hot tears welling up at bay. Her grip left marks on the elder’s wrists and her rough trailing kisses left bruises on the insides of her thighs. She was bent on leaving her mark, hear Joohyun cry out only her name—for this was all that she had, all that she could ever have.

‘It hurts me too, you know?’ Joohyun said, her voice came out almost a sob.

The steam left her at Joohyun’s question. She could not finish the deed she started. This was not who she was. Joohyun deserved better.

‘I know. I am sorry’

‘No, you have nothing to be sorry about. Perhaps I am selfish’

‘I can’t say I am any different’

Joohyun pulled her to her bosom and held her tightly. She thought what they had was love, in its wretched twisted way. It was the only kind of love they knew. She could not bear to leave and she knew Joohyun could not either. Joohyun was crying by now. She could feel it in the shuddering heaves her chest made.

They were both cheats, obstinate errant children wanting their ways. This was as far as they could go. They would perpetually be stuck in this cycle.

She thought perhaps they did not have to torment each other so, and separating was a choice they had to make. Perhaps there was no choice at all. Perhaps it was their fate. And who was she to fight it?

Seulgi lifted her head and brought a hand to wipe the tears from Joohyun’s face, albeit a clumsy attempt. Joohyun giggled, an odd gurgle mixed with choked tears and brought her wet hand to press a tender kiss to her open palm. She could only gaze back in fondness. The sight of Joohyun pale and beautiful even with tears streaming down her face nailed her in her spot, grounded her in the moment.

Only in darkness were fireworks most splendid— and Joohyun was the brightest of them all. There was no running or escaping from her orbit. Bounded to each other by her gravity.

In that Seulgi found some solace.

***

Perhaps sometimes,

giving our all does not bring us the love we yearn for.

This is a very self-indulgent piece—as with all that I write.

(via superbionic-deactivated20200610)

neotan-astrology:

Just so everyone knows I am going to be playing this on loop for the rest of my life

seulgily:

i could watch this clip for hours

nct127post:

MARK - SuperM - Beyond LIVE 💚