#Deep Cut has ended every fest being friendly with each other. doing nice things for each other.

[shiverhohojiro]

I do maintain that Deep Cut sees Splatfests as silly little fun games and none of them ultimately cares who wins, and they all have fun with it. However I do also think that Shiver at the very least does tend to think of themself as the ringleader of this circus

[moonbeamsung]

hey! this has been getting popular recently, so pair your moots with an nct fic trope or/and ship them with nct?? i love your works too!! can't wait for the next one :)) heh

(anon, i’m so sorry this took so long! thanks for your patience! this also kinda turned into association instead of ships but i also base ships on similarities? so it works out hehe)

🎄dear moots: think of these ships/mini fics as a small christmas/holiday/end of the year gift from me to you! i sincerely hope you like them, it’s not much but it’s the least i can do to express my gratitude for all the love and happiness you’ve made me feel this year, even if we’ve just recently met! i’m so thankful for all of you and i love you very much!🎄

hi lovely anon!! <3 omg you love my works? that means so much to me, i hope you’re having a wonderful day!! thank you so much for sending me this, i had been hoping to do something like it for a while🥺

for my closer moots, i’m gonna combine these, so i’ll outline a fic trope/idea and the pairing will be who i ship you with! hopefully this won’t become an essay lol. warning: it does

i don’t want to leave anyone out, so for those of you that i’m not quite as close with or have met more recently, i’ll just give you a ship! i hope that’s okay🥺and if i’m still forgetting someone then i’m really really sorry, please let me know and i’ll make sure to add you next time!

read more cut because this is a looooot. open at your own risk and prepare for many many MANY blocks of text... also these are in alphabetical order by url!!

——ships + fics——

@astroboy-lele: a best friends to lovers au with chenle, no doubt about it. furou is one of my closest friends on here and our conversations are almost always chaotic, but when they aren’t, they’re full of love and appreciation for each other because she deserves it! major chenle vibes, they’re both so adorable too. her humor is great, all the jokes we have together make me absolutely wheeze oml. i really don’t know what i would do without her kindness sometimes, when i want to give up at something she’s so quick to reassure me. furou, thanks for encouraging me and for always being such a strong source of happiness🥺also, i hope you never doubt your amazing talents because they are a gift to this world!! but enough with the super deep stuff because this is way too long, so the plot would go something like this: you met one day when you heard him practicing piano in the band room by himself. you’re both shy at first so it’s a blush fest when he notices you’ve been listening to him play the whole time, but one not-so-awkward introduction later, you realize you have some things in common and that you share a class or two. you come over for study sessions & work together on partner projects, conversations lighthearted and full of endless laughter. in addition, you also show your support for each other’s talents and dreams, with him attending your dance performances and clapping louder than anyone else in the audience, and you attending his recitals, heart swelling with more pride and appreciation than you thought was possible. any time that you spend together usually ends with you asleep on his chest while he taps away at a piano app on his phone because he knows it calms you down, humming softly by your ear. as the sunlight streams in from his window and illuminates your face, he takes one look at you and decides that you’ve become so much more than just a best friend to him after everything you’ve been through together in such a short time. but will he ever find the courage to tell you how he feels?

@danishmiilk: i can’t really explain it, but i just picture late nights walking through city streets in a strangers to lovers au with doyoung by your side. xing-yi has a lot of love to give to others and so much to offer the writing community, and also she’s somewhat of a social butterfly, at least i think so! it makes me so happy seeing her interact with her moots and she always looks out for others! i also imagine that she has a cute bunny smile but also maybe not HAHA anyway i just love xing-yi a lot. here’s the fic: doyoung, the one who always seems to know everything, is forced to ask for directions in a foreign city. shamefully standing on the sidewalk, he stops you mid-step with a small hand gesture, because even though he doesn’t know you at all, you look like you probably won’t walk away or dismiss his questions with a shrug. being as friendly and willing to help as you are, you oblige. with an embarrassed scratch to the back of his neck, he admits that he might forget the sequence of lefts and rights you had given him, but you’re unfazed and simply offer to walk him there yourself, since it isn’t terribly far anyway. doyoung, lightly flustered since he’s not quite sure how to thank you for your trouble and feeling bad for taking the time out of your day, fumbles with asking for your number. he’s cute, you think, and before you part you insist on showing him around the city some more before he leaves, glancing at the sheepish but smitten man over your shoulder with a smile as you turn to walk back home, leaving him eager to see you again.

@daybreakx: my first thought was a hogwarts au with kun! ale’s talent in writing is a beautiful hidden gem on this site, and she truly deserves so much more recognition for it. i’m so grateful for how kind she is and i want the best for her and her work always! also, the love letter network that she created to help more writers receive love, feedback, and appreciation from readers is such a generous and selfless thing to do, it shows that she has such a caring heart! all of these qualities make me think of kun, and i chose a hogwarts au because i think she just writes those especially well and hers are some of my favorites! so for the fic: the fates are definitely not on your side today, because all the friends you made on the train ride to the castle have been sorted into different houses than you, not to mention you have almost no classes with any of them. at the same time, you seem to have every class with this one boy, kun. he’s in hufflepuff, the same house as you, and because you’re always paired up as seatmates, you find yourself warming up to him throughout the year. conversations become easier during projects, you start to have study sessions in the common room when exams come around, and as first-year students, you both love experiencing all the new and exciting things that the school and the magical world has to offer together. now, you couldn’t be happier that you were sorted into hufflepuff, because otherwise you might not have become friends (and maybe more..) with him!

@donkey-hyuck: vy is way more hilarious and talented than others give her credit for, and not to mention the way everyone adores her for always being so loving and showering them with her affection and support😭i’m thinking of a sci-fi au with jeno! she’s just so hardworking with her writing and on her collabs, & i think she’s strong-willed because she always pursues her goals no matter what! she has such a bright personality and also, like jeno’s her smile is just the CUTEST thing ever!!!! i will never be over it istg🥺fic: in a world full of new technology and controlled by a government unwilling to remember the past and all its traditions, a band of rebels come together and take it upon themselves to go back in time and discover what their reality used to look like long ago. one fateful day on their quest to uncover the mystery of the past, they stumble upon you, unaware of their cause but eager to join them. you take after one of the boys particularly well, lee jeno. though he’s assigned the role of warrior, he’s well-rounded and could easily succeed at any task the group may need him to complete. extremely passionate about the group’s goal, the two of you share a dedication that only brings you closer with time, working together and just being complete badasses. when you aren’t navigating through streets full of neon signs and angular buildings, you fall into the rhythm of a relationship. though you may not know much about each other’s pasts yet, one thing’s for sure: you can definitely see a future with one another.

@fairvtale: a soulmate au with jisung! i mean, keia is just the peak of cuteness, love, positivity, and everything sweet and nice!! how could i not ship her with the adorable park jisung himself😭she’s so full of compassion for everyone she meets and is so loved and appreciated for not only her great personality but also her talents! now, in this soulmate universe, you and your soulmate share the same preferences! so when you hear someone standing in line ahead of you at the ice cream shop order your favorite flavor, your heart skips a beat. of course, it’s not the first time it’s happened, but something feels different today. when you see who the voice belongs to, you just know that the tall but also shy boy is meant for you, and being brave, you approach the small two-person table he sits down at, making small talk until you both realize that you have a little too much in common for it to be a coincidence... :D <3

@ferie-anon: i’m picturing a bookstore au with shopkeeper!taeil, you just give off really insightful but also curious vibes!! both you and taeil make me think of wisdom(especially with your astrology knowledge! it amazes me so much omg), and also, you both have hearts of gold🥺💝fic: a new book shop opens up in your town, and eager to find a new story to dive into, you enter one day to find taeil behind the counter with a smile on his face that’s so bright you don’t even notice his smaller but adorable stature. he guides you, his first customer, through the rows of books to find one that interests you. since the store has multiple copies, he finds himself reading the same ones that you buy not only to enjoy them for himself, but also because it allows him to discuss them with you when you come in the next time, eager to hear each other’s thoughts and knowledge. your equal love for learning and discovery makes you a perfect match!

@flirtyhyuck: kitty is a literal ray of sunshine into my life, so who else would i ship him with than haechan? (i know i once said jaemin but shh) he is so encouraging, always makes me smile and my heart burst, i’m really thankful for all the times he checks in on me and i just feel very loved talking to him. he deserves all the love in the world, really and truly. for the au, maybe a strangers to lovers with barista!haechan! your favorite cafe has a new worker that’s attracting all the attention lately. haechan makes the funniest jokes and comments at the register, and everyone asks for him to ring them up just so they can laugh at his sarcasm. but he’s also so attentive to each and every customer, making sure the order is nothing short of perfect and exactly what they wanted. you always sit at one of the bar-style seats as you enjoy your favorite drink, legs dangling from the elevated chair as you watch him bustle about behind the cashier station and among the machines & supplies. one day it’s closing time, he’s cleaning up for the night but he lets you stay a few more minutes, something he wouldn’t do for anyone else. leaning over the marble countertop that your cup rests on, he swipes a fingertip through the whipped cream on top of your drink and lightly taps your nose with it, making you giggle endearingly at the ticklish sensation and giving him the courage to ask you out. with a smile, you agree. ‘sure, but let’s go somewhere other than a coffee shop, please.’

@fruityutas: emily (pt 1 HAHA) seriously cracks me up SO MUCH, not to mention she has one the best laughs i’ve heard and it’s super lovable haha. i don’t know what else to call it but i’d give her a wedding date(?) au with hendery! even when i didn’t know her very well and we had just recently met she was super friendly and inviting. for some reason i feel like hendery would also play the sims lol, anyway! onto the fic: when given the opportunity to bring a ‘plus one’ to a friend’s special day, your other friend hendery swoops in with an arm around your shoulder as you reread the invitation out loud, wondering who to ask. not so subtly, he offers to accompany you, and not wanting to be the only one without a guest, you agree to his proposal (no pun intended). dressed in your best formalwear and with stiffly linked arms, you navigate through the ceremony, only loosening up a bit at the reception. hendery is determined to make you smile with his exaggerated dancing, twirling you and making you more than glad you brought him along. you do get a few comments from other guests on what a ‘cute couple’ you are, leading you both to exchange glances before bursting into laughter. it starts to become less and less implausible, though. you catch hendery’s eye right after you find the bride’s flower bouquet in your grasp, suddenly realizing there could be more between you than you realized...

@jenojam: i was totally not influenced by your preschool series at all haha, but a preschool au with teacher!kun comes to mind! vina is always there for me, she’s so caring and attentive to everything i tell her!! i get mom friend vibes i guess, she’s just so sweet and i feel super loved and cared for whenever we interact, i’m really grateful for her endless support🥺for the fic, kun is a coworker of yours at the preschool you teach at. you both have such a strong passion for teaching and it helps you bond, leading to many days spent side-by-side, fondly watching your students play with their friends at recess or do activities and play games in class. even the small children in your class can see how much wider you smile when you’re in the same room. with the sweetest and most innocent of intentions, shenanigans ensue of your well-meaning but slightly mischievous students trying to get kun to confess to you, whether it be by writing a message in sidewalk chalk or making a bracelet out of craft beads for him to give you.

@jisungsmochi: hm, i’m thinking...a high school/college au with theatre kid!xiaojun🥺i ship nat with xiaojun because she’s just the sweetest, she has a hidden chaotic side (imo lol) and just a great sense of humor as well! she’s so fun to talk to and you can’t help but love her🥺picture this: you’re both in english class together, and one day there’s a mix-up. he accidentally grabs your essay and you end up with his script for the school musical. you have no choice but to go to one of his rehearsals to swap them back, but as you’re standing in the doorway, you’re captivated by his performance! little do you know, he’s absolutely in awe of your writing, even in a simple literature paper. your admiration for each other’s talents leads to you sitting in the back of the theater doing your homework every day after school, listening to his voice ring out across the large room, and he gets a confidence boost knowing you’re there watching him act, dance, and sing. he always winks at you from onstage and you’re beyond starstruck every time, your english paper quickly becoming forgotten as soon as he meets your eyes with a charming smile.

@lebrookestore: well, a royal au with prince!/childhood friend!taeyong comes to mind. brooke is a lot like taeyong because she’s so considerate and generous but also can be very professional and calm when she needs to be! (i think i told you already but you have this ~duality~ in a way, like ty haha.) so..you both grow up in the castle, scampering away from the staff in the large hallways and just enjoying the excitement of life. one day when you’re a bit older, you come across a stranger in the forest as you’re exploring. they turn out to be from the next kingdom over, but something about them is familiar: you’re sure you’ve seen a ‘wanted’ poster with their face plastered on it. you manage to warn taeyong in his ear before you hear the stranger’s footsteps speed up, and you both start sprinting as fast as possible. quickly working together since you know each other so well, you devise a plan to get them caught in a tangle of vines you remember seeing on your way into the forest, so you can bring back reinforcements to arrest the dangerous criminal. it works, but instead of turning to give taeyong a high five in celebration, he’s already in front of you and thanking you for your quick thinking with a hug, suddenly realizing that how much he loves you after seeing your brave and clever side emerge, just two of the many traits that made you win his heart.

@navyhyuck: vee’s name has basically become synonymous with happiness at this point, hearing from her in my inbox/messages or seeing a post/work of hers on my dash is so comforting and makes me smile more than she knows. since she’s the epitome of sweetness, i’ll say a bakery au with jaemin! i really appreciate knowing someone like her, and the encouragement she gives me is so heartwarming🥺the way she sends asks in the mornings makes me feel so ridiculously loved and at ease, her presence in itself is a gift to this site. tumblr really doesn’t deserve her!! i’m so happy that we’ve grown close and i don’t know what i would do without her and her kindness in my life. fic: you sign up for a baking class at a quaint, local pastry shop to learn how to make desserts and treats, since baking was a hobby you had enjoyed as a child with your family and now you hoped to learn how to do it on your own. little did you know that your instructor would be even more saccharine than the sugary treats you were making. his flirtatious nature leads to many mishaps in the kitchen as you get distracted while trying to follow along with the simple directions, instead making a mess of the icing and sprinkles and nearly confusing the measurements of ingredients. he finds it adorable, though, and towards the end of the session he sneaks a bite of one of the french macarons you put together, a bright smile lighting up his features as he compliments you on it. he teases you by reminding you to pay more attention next time, and with a comeback so quick that even you’re surprised, you take him up on that offer, implying that you’d be back for another class soon. “good. we’re making crème brûlée next week,” he informs with a wink as you both part ways. boy, was he sweeter than sugar.

@orange-nimon-cross: yunha deserves someone who knows the true her and has always been by her side, so i’d say a neighbor/boy next door au with winwin/sicheng. her personality is unique and complex like sicheng’s, and like him i also admire her for lots of reasons, such as her honesty and the pride she takes in writing as well as her passion for it in general. she’s very sweet, so supportive whenever i need it, and deserves so much more recognition for her beautiful work!!💕fic: your neighborhood holds a classic and oh-so-cliche summer block party every year, the smell of smoke and sounds of laughter moving through the air and into your open window. when a bad day gets you down and you hesitate to join in the festivities, sicheng is the only one who can get through to you, not forcing you to talk about anything and just sitting beside you on your bed in silence, which seems to be the most comforting thing anyone can do at the moment. when you tell him you’re ready(which he asks you to confirm many times, because that’s just how much he cares about you and wants you to be fully comfortable and okay), he takes your hand and leads you outside and onto the burning asphalt of the street with other friends and families, the blissful feeling of summer putting you at ease and the gentle evening breeze carrying away your cares with it. and like a springtime flower, although one season late, your relationship begins to blossom into one full of even more love and consideration for each other than it was before.

@radiorenjun: a doctor au with renjun! angie is slightly (okay, very) chaotic but also very lovable!! i don’t know if she’s an aries but she gives off serious aries energy. she’s confident and optimistic and really approachable! i’m so happy she reached out to me one day and we became friends from there🥺in the fic, renjun is a resident at your hospital studying under you and learning the ropes of being a doctor. when you first met each other, you actually mistook him for a coworker with how professional he seemed, but the confusion made a small, adorable blush rise to his cheeks. shy and timid at first, he takes notes and helps you do your job without complaint. when you offer part of your routine to him, he gratefully accepts and does the task perfectly, growing more comfortable in his position and relationship with you as he receives more opportunities to show his skill. sharing stories and experiences from medical school on your lunch breaks and smiling when you finish each other’s sentences about patients and their prescribed care, you realize that you’ve fallen for the soon-to-be doctor, and that no stethoscope could possibly measure the beating of your heart around him.

@rouiyan: so you know how you said you were excited for my wip that’s a strangers to lovers au with animal shelter worker!jeno? that’s what this is(loosely anyway)!!🥺ree reminds me of jeno in the fact that she’s such a sweetheart in every interaction with anyone, it feels like you’ve been her friend for ages! and then you look at her writing that’s just so damn good and sophisticated and i’m always so amazed with everything she puts out, just like how jeno’s talents amaze me as well! now for the fic: your beloved dog runs off in the park, but luckily a boy walking nearby lunges for the leash as it drags behind the animal. you thank him repeatedly, and he explains that the little puppy might have tried to leave your grasp only because she wants to make a new friend. the park is full of other dogs, after all. he mentions that he works at the shelter nearby and suggests that maybe you should adopt a second one to keep her company. not seeing any reason why you shouldn’t, you meet him the next day and spend time together picking out a new puppy. many more days are spent giving the fluffy little animals lots of pets and scratches behind the ears, and playing with them. you’re not sure what’s cuter: the dogs, or jeno’s eye smile.

@ru-lin: (the fic was kinda inspired by what you told me about your job in our messages the other day hehe) i’d say a christmas au with mark! ruth is so considerate and a pleasure to talk to, we actually have a lot in common! she’s very warm and caring and always looking out for others. i can tell she really values her friends and they’re so lucky to have her, she’s just so sweet all around! talking to her makes my day a lot brighter whenever we interact🥺fic: during the holidays you always work at a christmas market, helping customers pick out pretty much anything they could ever want that’s associated with the chilly month and all its festivities. when a shy boy that’s adorably awkward and clumsy stumbles into the shopping area, you bite back a small laugh at his endearing hesitation to ask for assistance. speaking up first, you ask if there’s anything he needs and he explains that he’s looking for the perfect tree. with a knowing smile, you lead him down the rows of tall pines and firs and any kind of christmas tree you could possibly imagine. when his eyes land on one that he likes, his eyes light up with excitement, and you help him load it into his car. as mark is halfway home he curses, realizing he forgot to pick up a wreath as well. he knows it’ll earn him a playful scolding from his group of friends, but if it means another chance to return to the market and see you, it’s worth it.

@rvse-hvvck: i feel like i ship so many people with jaemin but it’s just because they’re so especially full of kindness and love for others, and ana is no exception! i’d give her a matchmaker au with jaemin! ana is so incredibly selfless and her heart is so compassionate, it’s crazy. i really look up to her in a lot of ways! the first impression she made on me was already a great one because i saw so many writers receiving her beautiful love letters, and from that moment alone i could already tell how much she strives to be kind and generous in everything she says and does. i hope she knows how much everyone truly adores her and is grateful for her, because she really makes the world a better and brighter place. (if you’ve seen the movie clueless i guess this fic is sorta similar!) so, you’re the resident expert on relationships among your school community, always trying to pair up people with similar interests or that have a lot of chemistry together. it brings you joy because you love seeing your friends laughing and smiling with their partners, but you feel a twinge of sadness at the same time. when jaemin, the boy you’ve liked for a while, comes to you for advice, you push down your feelings for him and send him on dates with anyone you can think of. the whole time though, he’s only had his eyes on you. he has always admired your altruism and your dedication to making others happy. it hurts him to see that you’re not even giving yourself a chance, so with a simple but heartfelt confession in the school parking lot at sunset, he helps you realize that you deserve a love like you’ve helped so many others find.

@sly-merlin: talking to simmi is always something very healing (like yuta’s smile hehe) so i’d definitely give her a secret agent/spy au with partner!yuta! she is so friendly to anyone and everyone, she gives off this warm and loving vibe like that of an old friend🥺she’s also extremely dedicated to her studies and works so hard. everyone adores her, and seeing her talk about things that make her happy is just the cutest thing ever! simmi, you truly have everyone’s heart!! now for the fic: you and yuta are both spies, partnered up for a very important and serious mission. only problem is, he’s never been the serious type. he teases you for being so uptight, but you genuinely don’t know any other way to approach a mission. along the way though, he manages to teach you how to have a little fun with your job, even if it means lots of close calls and sticky situations that force you both to begrudgingly (well, you more so than him) pretend you’re an oblivious couple in order to escape suspicious eyes. eventually, you find yourself becoming less and less unwilling to throw a casual arm around his shoulder, even when you aren’t at risk of being caught on your mission. maybe he isn’t so bad after all... :)

@suhpressed: a strangers to lovers au with theatre usher!johnny. so you know how johnny’s like an older brother to mark? i get major comforting and warm big sis vibes from elaida!! i would ship her with johnny because they’re both such selfless and caring people! she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and she always looks out for others with kindness and encouragement! as for the fic: you’re finally attending a broadway show you’ve been dying to see since, well, forever. this really cute usher helps you find your seat, but in a rare stroke of clumsiness, he bumps someone with a glass of wine in their hand that ends up staining your blouse a dark red. like the gentleman johnny (you can see it on his nametag) is, he promises to buy you a new one, and writes his phone number on the show’s program. you enjoy the musical, but the digits scribbled down next to the performers’ names prove to be more distracting than you anticipated. throughout the show you’re really jittery, excited to get back home so you can text him. in addition to replacing your ruined shirt, he also invites you out for coffee over the phone, you agree, and you both hit it off. the rest is history! the way that you met becomes a favorite story among your friends and families, & they never miss a chance to tease you two about spilling drinks.

@tyongxnct: elida, where do i begin🥺right away, i think of an idol au with taeyong. she is just so caring and supportive, she likes or comments on my posts and can make me smile with just a few words!! i remember one time that she said she was lucky to have me as a moot and it really warmed my heart, i’m so so lucky to have her too! i can tell she’s passionate about writing and that it brings her so much joy! i wish her only the best in life always <3 in the fic: during a tour, nct 127 stops in your country for a few nights of concerts, and in the midst of the excitement on the way back from the venue, taeyong gets separated from the rest. in an unfamiliar environment, he begins to panic as he remembers that he left his phone on the tour bus and has no way to contact his manager or fellow members. you, while familiar with and respectful of the group but not an avid follower of their music, catch sight of the lost and more than frazzled man as he frantically paces along the sidewalk, trying to recall his surroundings when he exited the bus hours ago. had it not been for your observant gaze, you may have missed the small group logo on his white shirt, letting you know who he was. determined to ease his obvious nerves by helping him find his way back, you lend a hand by approaching him and asking what he remembers. despite only being given a few details, you know the area he describes, quickly leading him there and reuniting him with the rest of the group. more than grateful, he offers you a ticket to the last show there, and hopes that it won’t be the last time he sees you.

@yo-ddream: a childhood best friends to lovers au with jungwoo! emily (pt 2/granny okay sorry i’m done) also feels like somewhat of an older sister to me, she gives great advice and always seems to have a story to tell from her working adventures lol. she’s very witty and extremely kind!! i guess i get jungwoo vibes because at first she seems quiet, but once you get to know her and she opens up a bit you see her fun personality and humor shine through when you talk to her :) she’s also honest about what she thinks and doesn’t sugarcoat it, something that’s very much needed in a person! okay, onto the fic: you and jungwoo grew up in the same neighborhood, going to the same school, getting your first part-time jobs at same store a few blocks down from your street. your lives have been intertwined from the start, but when a family matter pops up, it threatens his place by your side in almost everything you do and puts your friendship and undisclosed feelings for each other at risk. both working up the courage to confess as time ticks down and it gets closer to the day he’s meant to move away, you spend every moment with each other enjoying life’s little moments, the simple things like watching the sunset on a park bench or taking a walk down the sidewalk of the town shopping center. in an extremely convenient stroke of luck, he gets word that things have been sorted out, and the move is off. in both of your delight at the news, you feel like nothing can stop you. you blurt out the same three words at the same time before launching your arms around one another. if it’s you and jungwoo against the world, so be it, because not even the universe had the heart to separate the bond between you.

@zzzzzcakes: zel🥺she’s always been super supportive of me and my work, i’m happy she left feedback on a fic of mine because i might not have reached out to express my gratitude for her words and gotten to know her otherwise! she’s very kind and positive, and seeing her posts and reblogs make me laugh all the time :D i’d say a grocery store au with sungchan. (hear me out i know you must be going ‘huh?’ but trust me on this one! in that recent post you made you said something about shopping carts, and it made me think...see where this is going? haha ANYWAY!) so sungchan is the newest employee at the supermarket where you work. he’s the go-to person to call when someone can’t reach an item on one of the highest shelves, earning bewildered stares from customers and coworkers alike. he always has a joke up his sleeve or a clever remark to make about the many challenges of working in retail. you take a liking to him for how down-to-earth he is and despite all the occasional sarcasm coming from him when you’re both in the break room, he’s very helpful whenever he’s needed. he also admires how focused you are on the job, ringing up endless items and bagging groceries until your hands hurt. whenever he strides down an aisle near the register you’re working at that day, he doesn’t hesitate to send a wave and an endearing grin your way. it’s the moments like that with him that get you through your shift and keep you going. it’s no surprise when you reveal to the rest of the staff that you’re dating. of course, the perks of being employees mean that you can spend many late nights racing each other in shopping carts at the back of the store near closing time and other mischievous activities of the sort, laughing when your manager scolds you over the loudspeaker system without a care in the world.

——ships——

@badwithten: zoe is someone full of both humor and heart, a combination that immediately reminds me of lucas, so i’d 100% ship her with him! she’s given me really good advice and encouragement to stay true to myself, something i can also see lucas doing, and i’m very grateful for her wise words :) and like i said, her heart is full of love and she’s so kind to everyone!

@bucchinct: i’m not sure if we’ve ever interacted, but i always see your posts on my dash and you reblog so many artistic and pretty things/pictures, which makes me think of jaemin and his hobby of photography! so i would ship you with him ^_^

@du0tine: i’d ship solange with ten, for a number of reasons! one, the fact that she mountain climbs for a living and is so dedicated to/passionate about it is something extremely admirable and amazing, so she comes across as very brave and adventurous! also, she’s not afraid to tell others her opinions and that honesty is really refreshing to see! and her blog themes are super artistic which reminds me of ten as well. she just seems like a great person in general and i hope to get to know her more!

@ethaeriyeol: i haven’t really talked to bea much, but i know she is good friends with a few of my other moots so i think that says something about the kind of person she is! i would ship her with jaehyun, she seems really professional (and lowkey intimidating but you didn’t hear it from me) but also very sweet and welcoming and i imagine they both have the cutest smiles, with or without dimples, hehe.

@euphoricdreamies: i’d ship maddy with chenle! she has such a great sense of humor and it’s so much fun to read about her oc’s, i love keeping up with the plots! i’ve followed her for a while but we just recently started talking, she’s very friendly🥺maddy’s just been nothing but nice to me, and i feel like she has a sarcastic and witty side. also, she deserves so much more recognition for her talent and i think everyone deserves to read her amazing work!

@felixn-recs: it’s been a while since i talked to you, but i’m really thankful that you left some of the first feedback i ever received on my writing! i know for a fact that authors really appreciate you and the kind feedback/support that you show their works. this eagerness to show writers your encouragement and praise makes me think of mark for sure, so i would ship you with him!

@fullsuhnny: angelina seems like the type to be somewhat reserved, but still very generous and selfless towards others, reminding me of kun! when she interacts with people she’s humble and sweet, and i enjoy seeing her reblogs pop up on my dash. i think she’s a wonderful friend to everyone and i hope to become closer with her in the future! also, her blog theme is so cool and aesthetic hehe :D

@gowonhatesyou: renjun all the way, krystal always makes me and others laugh so much with her humor and her entertaining personality. but at the same time, while she can be chaotic and sarcastic, she’s also extremely loving and sociable. i can tell she cares a lot about those around her and wants only the best for them! i really value her friendship🥺

@heartyyjeno: i’d ship alesha with jaemin, she’s so much like him to me. first of all, because she would do anything to make her friends smile or brighten their day! she has a warm personality that makes others feel very loved. she’s also very determined and perseverant, because when things get tough she doesn’t give up and continues to pursue her dreams and do what she loves, even when it may be difficult. i’m positive that everyone she knows appreciates having her and her endless kindness in their life! <3

@injunified: nathalie is really sweet and generous, and i’m really happy that she’s started posting more of her works recently, they definitely deserve all the recognition that they’re getting and more!! i don’t know her super well but she’s a great friend to have, so I’d ship her with winwin/sicheng! i hope she can continue writing because she definitely has a lot of talent for it🥺

@jaeminscoffee: lyra is very warm, friendly, and she was eager to get to know me when we first met, so i would ship her with johnny! i really enjoy talking to her, and she’s also very down-to-earth! she never hesitates to show her appreciation for her friends and followers, and i really look up to her for it🥺

@lovelygalaxy333: lilly is so so lovable and sweet, i would definitely ship her with shotaro! my heart literally threatens to explode whenever i talk to her, and she reblogs the cutest, kindest things! like shotaro, i just wanna protect her because she’s such a special soul and also very positive! even if she just sends a simple ‘hello’ in my inbox from time to time, it puts the biggest smile on my face and i’m so grateful for her!

@meraki-mark: li is very humble and friendly, so i would ship her with xiaojun! she also seems somewhat quiet and calm to me, i was almost intimidated when we first interacted haha. something i admire about her is that i believe she’s the kind of person to truly be dedicated to writing what she wants and not just for the sake of notes! that kind of commitment is really nice to see :)

@minyusa: whenever i see miku on my dash, she always seems to be showing her support for a work or conversing with a friend. she’s there to lend some encouragement and sweet words to those that need it! her good-nature and pure thoughtfulness reminds me of jeno. she’s so nice to talk to and deserves love, no questions asked! you’re a very genuine and warm-hearted person, so i’d ship you with him~ （＾ν＾）

@moonlightjeno: we don’t know each other very well but just from looking at luna’s writing, i think the types of fics and aus she writes are very diverse and unique! her well-rounded work makes me think of haechan, so i’ll ship her with him! i believe we have some of the same moots so she seems very kind and social as well!

@neonun-au: okay, maybe it’s because ‘multitudes’ has been on my mind ever since i read it but my first thought was to ship mads with taeil! her writing is so elegant and beautiful, i’m so glad her work gets all the recognition that it does! as silly as it sounds for me to say, even her sh*tposts seem sophisticated for some reason hahaha. she’s just so sweet, talented and always so gracious!

@peachjaem00: lou comes across as very laidback and charming, two things that remind me of yangyang! she’s a pleasure to interact with, and i feel like she has a lot of friends, i mean, who wouldn’t want someone like her in their life? she’s such a supportive and inviting person by nature, and i can tell she works hard and puts so much effort into her writing because it’s so good!!

@prettyjaems: i believe i said it once before so pardon the repetition, but whenever i interact with mona i feel loved and cared for like nobody’s business😭which immediately makes jaemin come to mind. she doesn’t hesitate to show kindness to anyone and everyone, but also has a quiet and focused side at times, and i think as a person, she has so many great qualities that balance out and make up her considerate personality! she’s also really motivated and organized with her writing, i hope to learn a thing or two from those work habits of hers :)

@rueyins: one fateful day when i was craving some good old interaction, rue reached out to me just to say hello and ask how i was doing, something that makes me think of taeyong! i really love how caring she is towards everyone she knows, and also her music taste is great, which also makes me think of taeyong, haha🥺the way she looks out for others is such a special quality to have, i’m so glad we’ve become friends!!

@vitamarkie: i would ship kay with mark! i see her interact with her moots a lot, and she just seems very loved all around by everyone that knows her! also, she writes the softest, prettiest, fluffiest stories, and for some reason i think of the fact that mark once said he wanted be an author when he grew up. her skills are seriously amazing and, just like i admire mark for his talent, i admire kay a lot for hers!

@whathamelon: hmm you have a good sense of humor and also seem very friendly because we have some of the same moots! you’re also not shy about showing appreciation to your favorite fics and authors, so i would ship you with johnny!

@yunwoo: i feel like anna is on the soft-spoken, quieter side but still very very sweet, so i would ship her with jisung! she’s really lovable and so comforting to talk to, even though we don’t know each other too well yet. just from her blog she seems so adorable and i want to hug her and talk to her more🥺also her aesthetic is the softest thing EVER i love it so much!!😭

[bathunterofdevon]

Update

So I might as well give some commentary on my cryptic last post. Basically, I have had to fly back to the UK immediately due to the coronavirus - cutting my Canada trip short. I have had a wonderful time living and working in Collingwood, Ontario, and I made plenty of good friends. But after getting laid off, due to the place closing down, and being unable to pay the rent, I was actually pretty lucky to get back here when I did. I have heard stories of family friends being stranded in many far away places unable to get back, due to airport closures.  I am a little upset that I had to leave Canada - there was so much I wanted to do there. But in all honesty, working the minimum wage job I had, much though I enjoyed it, I never would have been in any position to do anything else beyond that point. It sure is expensive being an immigrant. When I came over to Canada, I have over £3,000 in life savings that I had stashed away. But in the very first month, I lost all of it; just by looking for a place to live. (This was when I was in Toronto). Toronto is a pretty expensive place to live. It's so expensive - I swear there is a tax on the oxygen you breathe over there. I worked a shitty job over there for the first three months, as a server... except, not quite. What I did was basically like serving food, except I only did menial tasks that that were beneath the main service staff, like cleaning tables, and the floor. I didn't even get to collect tip money. And three months later, I was suddenly fired for some minor indiscretion. I won't talk about it here, because I'm a little worried that if I tell you, you might not take my side.  But basically, if you have a job in Canada (and I found this out the hard way) for the first three months, you are on a kind of probationary period. You can be terminated immediately during that time with no notice whatsoever. That devastated me more than a little, because I had never been fired before. It ate into my psyche and made me wonder if I would ever really amount to anything, and whether I would have to give up and fly back early.  Fortunately, after that, it turned out that I had a contact, who was a friend of a friend of my mother, who worked further up north, in this little resort by the Blue Mountain Ski Range, in Collingwood, Ontario, who managed to get me a referral for working at the front desk over there. I did a FaceTime interview, and accepted the position.  Working at the resort was wonderful. Not only did I get given accommodation, but I had staff lunches, and basically all of my immediate needs were seen to. Best of all, my staff accommodation was ten times better than the last place, where I lived. I had a room all to myself, with a desk and everything. I had the resources and time schedule I needed to work on my Youtube videos all the while I was having off time from working at the front desk. After 11 whole months, I finally finished Dirty Danganronpa, while out there and breathed a sigh of relief. That sure took a lot of energy out of me.  I had some troublesome flatmates though. I say troublesome, because they were difficult and unreasonable at times. They could be really unreasonable when it came to cleaning the dishes... and I later discovered that they were not equally unreasonable when it was THEIR turn to clean up after themselves. While I was initially friendly towards them, in the months gone by, I was avoid them as much as possible, because it was tricky talking to them. It was for the best that we became isolated from each other. They were nice to me at times, and I was grateful for their company at times - but their moods were often unpredictable and transient, which made me feel unsafe and unsure as to whether I could trust them.  The whole time, I reflected on my status as a foreigner, and how much more useful it would be if I had a skill of some kind, and if only I had finished my driving test before I came there. Thinking about my real life situation was enough to drive me into a deep despair and self-pitying fest that would leave me feeling too exhausted and miserable to produce anything. But it wasn't all bad. I still have some positive memories of that place. I did leave a good lasting impression with my employer. And while I did eventually lose my job, unlike last time this one was not my own fault. Everybody was getting laid off, left, right and centre. And the resort itself, incidentally has closed down indefinitely. It is astonishing how far-reaching the effects of the virus have proved. I never would have predicted this level of hysteria before - I'm old enough to remember the Bird Flu, the Swine Flu, the Zika Virus, and Ebola... all I remember of those, was nothing more than there being a huge media craze; even some Youtube stars talking about them, besides a couple hundred thousands of deaths too far away for any of us to know or care.  But... this was different. To be honest, though it may sound heartless of me to say this, part of me is actually excited at all the chaos that's happening. The world is in full-blown panic mode. And now government and health ministers are advising everyone to self-isolate. I just want to let these government officials and everybody else know, that I had been self-isolating long before it was fashionable. Else I would not have found the time to make these.  Anyway, the day finally came when we all heard the announcement - the owner of the resort was laying off virtually everyone in the housekeeping/maintenance/front desk department, and we were being faced with a choice - either I would have to work in a different (less glamorous) department, like maintenance, or cleaning, or I would choose voluntary redundancy, and claim unemployment benefits. For me, it was a no brainer. I don't have the brain, nor the mentality to do menial, repetitive tasks like painting, and cleaning. In spite of the fact that I have worked for years in MacDonalds, and in restaurants doing tasks like that. But considering everything that was going on, I had a chat with my Mum and Dad, and they insisted that I fly back home as quickly as possible. I was reluctant to do so at first. I didn't want to throw away everything for which I'd worked so hard to achieve. It was meaningful that I was living entirely by my own means, and providing for myself. I basically wasn't a kid anymore. And I didn't want to put an abrupt end to that. But then, everything changed. Dominic Raab (The UK Government's Foreign Secretary) basically told all Brits abroad to return home as soon as possible. By then, I figured I ought to get back as soon as possible, so that I didn't end up stranded with nowhere to live.  Officially, the UK is under lockdown due to the virus. But honestly, based on what I've seen, it does not feel like we are under a lockdown at all. Most of the local shops down my road are still open. Even some of the restaurants are still open - except they only do takeouts instead. I have not seen any police roadblocks, nor checkpoints of any kind.  In fact, I've seen quite a few people out cycling, walking their dogs, basically just life as normal. I have to wonder how they are going to enforce this lockdown, seeing as so many people are ignoring it? Not like I care either way. If we are officially under lockdown, then I have a better reason to stay indoors, and work more on my computer. :D  Now, it is estimated that we will remain under lockdown for approximately 3 months - although I don't know the actual figure. Everybody fails at predicting the future. What am I going to do in that three months time? Well, the only thing I can do at this point. If there are things that my Canada trip have taught me, it's that I have a Creative disease. I have to find ways to satisfy my urges and channel my creative instincts effectively. One of those channels is through this - my Youtube Channel. But there are three others.  Another one for me is voice acting. I've mentioned earlier that I have another account where I take part in voice acting, except I'm not sure if I'm ready to introduce you to my real voice and real self yet. The third one is music. Not a lot of you may know this, but I actually have a background in music. My grandmother on my mother's side was a concert pianist (Just like another girl we all know, hmmm?) I am also an alumnus of the Academy of Contemporary Music, in Guildford, Surrey, UK. There are three videos dated about 5-7 years ago on this channel which I had to make private, because they all feature me, singing and playing guitar in them. One of them is me playing a guitar cover of the Hollyoaks Theme Tune (God - what a loser I was. So desperate for validation I would actually cover the Hollyoaks Theme tune) I don't even like Hollyoaks. I hate it with a burning passion - like every other Godawful soap opera on British Television. In fact, TV in general is just so depression and despair inducing that I refuse to watch it. Anime/Video games and Music is my escape from all that. I despise pretty much anything that depicts the real world in a realistic life setting.    But to give you an idea of what else I sometimes do in my time, there is an old video - 6 years old - of a remix I did of the Allegro Cross Examination theme tune for Ace Attorney, which I made on Garageband. I make quite a lot of music using Garageband. Music is actually an even bigger part of me, than Danganronpa is - well in any case, it goes back way further than my interest in Danganronpa, that's for certain. At some point, maybe when I reach a certain point in terms of how many subscribers I have, I would love to introduce you all to my real self. It would be a rewarding experience to have all of you get to know me, and all of my facets. ...Oh, and before we all forget: 

Happy Kayay-day, everybody! Let's all give a show of appreciation to Best Girl, and wish her love and happiness in Heaven. Happy Birthday, Kaede Akamatsu. - Bat Hunter

[heilewelt]

2019 is over. Here are a few things I loved.

This year went by way too fast and occasionally I feel like I haven’t done anything, haven’t experienced anything. Busy with a full-time job time flies by and it’s been way too quiet on here. However, in the last couple of days I reflected on the musical side of the year, wondering if I experienced as little as I think and remembered some very fine moments, concerts, album I fell utterly in love with and new discoveries.

Orville Peck is the combination of all. I did an interview with him earlier this year and he has been such a great conversation partner and seeing him live just made be fall in love forever and always. I’m fascinated by the way he creates his character on stage and his performance – somewhere between a Country star and the theatrical elements of an musical and musically influenced by all kind of genres, even punk and grunge. I kept returning to his debut album “Pony” all year long. This love won’t be over anytime soon.

Most loved concerts in 2019 in no particular order:

Patti Smith.

Archive. Favorite all-time band. 25. Anniversary concert in Paris. Do I need to say more? This band keeps being incredible.

Reignwolf returned to Berlin with a new album “Hear Me Out” and it was one hell of a show. Purest Rock’n’Roll. Sweat was involved.

The Raconteurs. 10 years. It was about time. I went to see them in London, Cologne and Berlin and it was such a joy!

KISS. The best. The last concert in Berlin. Perfect.

Caspian are an absolute must live. They always made me feel all the feeling – joy and sadness were lying so close when I saw them live in Dresden. They didn’t play in Berlin this year, so I had to travel to the nearest town.

Ida Mae are such a wonderful, heartfelt band. I saw them a few times this year and every time they got better and better. Glad they are stubborn and wouldn’t want to be a country pop duo but a very fine Blues influenced Folk music.  

Low Cut Connie was a complete surprise. I remember winning the tickets and thinking I’d see a nice quite Folk band as I haven’t checked their out beforehand. Boy, was I wrong! Jerry Lee Lewis meets Elvis meets Elton John. What a live band – within a  minute they had me dancing.  

Faces On TV got me dancing.

North Mississippi Allstars reminded me what (live) music is for when I almost forgot it: to make you forget about daily life and enjoy the moment. What amazing talents and what a joy of playing live.

The Picturebooks are another band to save Rock’n’Roll. Always fun to watch.

Matt Andersen doesn’t need much. He just sits there with his guitar and it’s all you need. He makes you dance, feel, laugh. His energy and laughter always blows me away.

My favorite festivals couldn’t be more different from each other: Watt En Schlick on the beaches of Dangast, Germany, this August and the UK version of AmericanaFest which takes place in a couple of small clubs in Hackney, London, UK. Both are not very big and feel just intimate in a way. Friendly people who organize the festivals, great audience and the selection of the artists is very diverse. I loved both festivals.

Albums, EPs or songs that have been played a whole lot this year in no particular order: The Raconteurs “Help Us Stranger” – I’ve been waiting for this album 10 years and I’m so glad these four found their way back into the studio.

Reuben And The Dark “UnLove” – I love Reuben voice for so many years but with “UnLove” it felt like a renewed love. Especially the song “Breath” gets me every single time.

Poor Nameless Boy “Wake Up Call” – for reasons I don’t understand his music always feels like home, very comfortable, even when the topics are not that comfortable. 

deFrance “Second Wind” – I should’ve written a review about it. I met Drew DeFrance earlier this year at Americana Fest UK when he played guitar for Arkansas Dave. “Second Wind” is a bit of old school Rock’n’Roll, some Friday night music but for me it just doesn’t get boring. I enjoy it so much and feel terrible for not writing the deserved review about it. Listen to them. Just do it. 

Arkansas Dave “Live at Music in the Park at Montreux Festival” – Dave’s live energy is fantastic. I travelled to AmericanaFest London in January 2019 mainly to see him live and he’s so good. The live recordings from the Montreux Festival capture his energy on stage perfectly. Rock, blues and fabulous guitar play. Great dude as well. Hopefully I get to see him again in 2020.

Great Defeat – “A supergroup of bands you’ve never heard of” is written in their twitter bio but I know the bands and I love them and therefore I love this band.

Sunset Sons “Blood Rush Déjà vu” – “Alien” on repeat.

The Glorious Sons “A War on Everything” – Actually my album of the year, with “Panik Attack” being my hymn for the year.

Blown Away Soundtrack – It’s a movie by two guys travelling the world, meeting musicians in every country and compiling this wonderful record. My favorite song is “Radiate” with Jack Mantis. I saw it live after the movie was shown in Berlin and couldn’t forget it.

Sam Isaac “This Year” – This EP is the reason you shouldn’t start your End of the Year list beginning of December. It was released on the 27th of December. He could have joined Great Defeat as my love for his music come from the same time and because of the same record label Alcopop. I stumbled over his new EP on the 27th when it was released. I didn’t knew it was coming. That evening I listened to it until I fell asleep.

My favorite new discoveries:

Rival Karma are so much fun. Gotta love this bearded, guitar/drum, rock’n’roll duo.

Rosborough has a sweet Irish accent and makes heartfelt music.

I found Ian Noe through an instagram post of Jason Momoa. What a beautiful deep voice!

Beranger are super fun. Their concerts are fun. They have classical piano and Pop and Beranger is an entertainer par excellence. Whether it’s on a small floating stage or a sold out venue in Berlin. He plays Mauerpark, Berlin, and there you just can’t sit quietly on your piano to have the people stop at your place. Certainly one’s to watch.

Willie Jones combines Rap with Country. Sounds like it doesn’t fit? When Willie Jones takes care of it, it’s a perfect match but to experience his music to the fullest you got to see him live!

And now let’s get 2020 started with a bit more live music and a few more words written!

Thank you for reading,

Dörte 

[oltnews]

Let's declare some winners. Photo-Illustration: Vulture, Maschine Masters / YouTube and Crooklyn Reactions / YouTube In just one month, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s Verzuz The Beat Battle series has gone from a new event that connects the past and present of hip-hop to an exhilarating excitement in our inner spring, joining DJ sessions from D-Nice, Questlove and others, as well as the unpredictable Ontario artist Tory Lanez. Quarantine radio like remote viewing but essential live for rap and R&B fans while live shows and festivals are shelved by COVID-19. Verzuz reinvents the DJ battles of the beginnings of hip-hop for the set "one gotta go". The premise is simple: two eminent producers (or singers or songwriters) join live on Instagram and compete to decide who has the best catalog. The rules met on the fly by trial and error. As it stands, each battle is fought over 20 rounds, each competitor making a move and hearing a rebuttal. Verzuz is fun, simple and wide open - maybe a little too wide open. The public is mainly in charge of the rating, and there is rarely a consensus on the points. Regional biases and generational schisms are increasing. Playing a deep cut makes you lose the point almost flatly, even if it's one of the greatest songs of all time. There's nothing wrong with a slugfest, but it's exhausting to hear people throw out timeless classics. You can be a legend with decades of success and lose the crowd too far from the radio. You can be a veteran who changed the game forever and get smoked in the public eye because someone else's music is fresher in everyone's shared memory. You can score points with records made primarily by someone else. If you have cultivated a relationship with a leading artist, you are almost guaranteed to win. Despite these minor problems, Verzuz makes dull weekends more enjoyable and gives the game a spirit of friendly competition. It also teaches fans how many heads it takes to make a record. You could hear the same song in three different battles: once from a producer, again from a co-producer, then again from a songwriter who helped refine the melodies or flesh out the lyrics. That said, the repetition of the hits also highlights the need for more variety in the casting of candidates, a concern that Swizz and Timbaland seem to address in programming in the future, as the boom bap giants RZA and DJ Premier recently teamed up for one for ages and revenge between the 80s and 90s. R&B veterans Teddy Riley and Babyface are in the works after a failed first try. Verzuz needs talent from different regions and times, and desperately needs women. Until we know what will happen next, let's review what we have seen so far, ranked from best to worst to absolutely doomed. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcM3MKN92O0[/embed] -> What is the summary? When Babyface first postponed its battle with Teddy Riley this month (while R&B born Kenneth Edmonds took the time to recover after being tested positive for coronavirus) asked who would fill these shoes on Easter weekend. Wu-Tang RZA's brain and Gang Starr's DJ Premier intensified. The native of New York built his legend on grainy tones and samples of funk and kung fu, shoveling a pile of metro soil on the threshold of traditional hip-hop in the early 90s with classics like Enter the 36 rooms, Liquid swords, and Only built 4 Cuban Linx. Premier, a renowned New York hip-hop venue via Houston and Boston, is a platinum assistant capable of creating new melodic lines from pre-existing records. While RZA made a splash on Staten Island, Preemo made magic with Nas, Biggie, Jay-Z, Mobb Deep and more. Their competition was a clash of rap titans that will go down in history. The duo played cat and mouse through 20 legendary street rap spins, then blessed us with a long, successful bonus round in which they forgot to participate in the main battle. Who won? Preemo was the favorite in the days leading up to the battle, but RZA was armed with good records by Method Man, GZA, Ol ’Dirty Bastard and Raekwon. He was too close to hang on to the score. The winner is anyone connected to hear the story of New York hip-hop song by iconic song. (That said, I'm on the side of RZA.) Strong points: Decades of hip hop royalty have camped in the comments, RZA arriving in a sleeveless vest and gloves with Afro Samurai playing in the background, the Prime Minister calls Wu-Tang's ugly hit "Gravel Pit" a pop song and follows with "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera, RZA chasing the hot song by Biggie diss "Kick In the Door ", off 1996. Life after death, with "The Long Kiss Goodnight", another diss track from the same album. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H_l_Mzh3EI[/embed] -> What is the summary? Swizz was a 17-year-old boy from the Bronx when he started making beats for DMX and the Ruff Ryder clique in the late 90s. Virginia Timbaland's innovator was the other benchmark of the time. If you didn't have Swizz or Tim or the Neptunes involved in your major label album, you were spoiled. It was the case of Jay-Z Flight. 2: Hard Knock Life at Drake Thank me later and beyond. The depth of the catalog made this battle a war of attrition; these are guys who can go song for song, artist for artist. The two clashed on records from Jay, Drake, Missy Elliott, Kanye West, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake and dozens of others. The first Verzuz the battle is the longest and most difficult to call. Timbaland is the most convincing musician; there are wilder things that happen to a Timbo beat than a Swizz seven times out of ten. But Swizz is a joker ready to take on roles that no one would dare better. Run away from Jay-Z's “Jigga My Nigga”. The melody is meaningless. It's hard like nails! Who won? I give Timbo the advantage for having encouraged Swizz to play R&B and to stay strong when his opponent's (killer) reserve of the 2006 Beyoncé classics has run out, revealing his opponent's shortcomings while highlighting its own strengths. Strong points: The Jay-Z War at six songs where we could hear classic cuts from the In my life albums, every time Swizz played DMX and Timbo joked, "You play your artist." Trash conversation is the key. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i18yHuizwc[/embed] -> What is the summary? Lil Jon and Teddy Paindergrass are the yin and yang of mid-2000s hip-hop radio. (Peace to the Ying Yang Twins, however.) T-Pain has made Auto-Tune the rap wave almost alone based on records like "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin ')" and "Can't Believe It" "and produced most of it himself. (Another time, let's talk about the imposing synths of "Drank" and "Chopped N Skrewed" which are just as instrumental for the massive sound of hip-hop from 2005 to 2008 as DJ Toomp jams like "What You" by TI Know " and "I Luv It" by Jeezy or "What Up, What's Haapnin" by Drumma Boy on Tip and "Put On" by Jeezy and Kanye.) Jon brought turbulent and crunk music from Atlanta to the masses and produced for everyone from Usher and Ciara to Pitbull and, yes, T-Pain. Who won? The back-to-back bangers and lively jokes of these two made this battle less of a war and more of a club night. It was too close to call. This time, the winner was us. Strong points: Lil Jon reminding T-Pain that "Buy U a Drank" borrowed its hook from "Snap Yo Fingers", T-Pain dancing and singing with live performances of his hits until Swizz said, "What do you think, Essence Fest? ", Jon scary the crowd with anti-vax conspiracy theories, all hell was unleashed when T-Pain played the remix of "I'm a flirt" by R. Kelly. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9xRjR8iz9c[/embed] -> What is the summary? Babyface writes majestic and masterful love songs for a long list of clients, including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men and Ariana Grande. His solo albums Tender lover, For the freshness in you, and The day rank among the best R&B of all time. Teddy Riley, with producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, brought a new swing to the masses in the 80s and 90s, mixing hip-hop drums and R&B melodism for famous collaborators like Bobby, Whitney, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson. Riley's groups of singers Guy and Blackstreet have scored classics in "Piece of My Love", "Groove Me" and "No Diggity". The main event on Saturday evening drew the pre-game excitement of a Tyson fight for the adult and sexy crowd. Unfortunately, the battle lasted as long as an Iron Mike match, sinking into chaos early on when technical problems emerged at the end of Teddy and sabotaged the first hour. He was trying to perform for his website while broadcasting the battle on IG Live, with a room full of staff, while Babyface directed his end of the feed alone in headphones. We heard about six songs in the first quarter hour, after which Riley asked for 20 more minutes to work on the sound, and Babyface quietly escaped and promised to reschedule the already rescheduled battle. Saving this lower ranking battle is Monday night's rematch, which went off without much technical difficulty or really no glare by Teddy Riley. After a few hilarious minutes trying to figure out how to pin a comment on IG Live, the duo settled in, played a bunch of classic records, talked about trash, cast shadow and reminded everyone why we considered them to be R&B greats. Who won? You could say that Babyface won the first night after entering the scene with two Bobby Brown classics and remained a good sport while Teddy's entire group, hype, staff and film crew fumbled with microphones and speakers, trying to stream live on two separate platforms and drown a deadly echo that Riley swore at one point came from the other guy. The rematch went to Babyface, and it wasn't close, although Teddy got some good rebuttals, reminding us that the new classic of the Keith Sweat "I Want Her" jack swing is (almost) as good as "Every Little Step" by Bobby Brown. " Strong points: Toni Braxton on the way to war Twitter, Mariah Carey and Adele make jokes, Babyface playing "Change the World" on acoustic guitar while Teddy understood the sound on Monday, Raekwon in the comments talk about stealing people from Babyface songs, Riley's team trying to fix the microphone problems by bringing in even more microphones, Babyface leaning a bit on social distancing while Riley sank in a room with what appeared to be ten heads present but no masks in view the SAME. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJPMKL_qTV0[/embed] -> What is the summary? The third Verzuz the battle re-established order when the successful R&B songwriters Ne-Yo and Johnta Austin matched the goods. The two artists are masters of tasteful love songs with hot sequences that last from the middle to the end. Ne-Yo's successes like "So Sick", "Because of you", "Miss Independent", "Irreplaceable" by Bey, "Take a Bow" by Rihanna are fluid R&B classics. Johntá's catalog - see: Bow Wow and "Like Mine" by Ciara, "Run It!" By Chris Brown "Can't Help But Wait" by Trey Songz and "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off" by Mariah - fill the picture of a bygone era of health 106 & Park countdown and contemporary radio rate paced without worries. Who won? The two songwriters selected their best material, for the most part, although Johntá could have applied pressure with a few Mariah joints in platinum. Ne-Yo finally won, although it is better appreciated as a two-and-a-half hour nostalgia playlist from the 2000s than a formal beat battle. Strong points: Johntá sipping wine in a suit and looking quietly disturbed, Ne-Yo offering a gentleman's trash speech, The-Dream appearing in comments wondering why he couldn't have such a civilized battle. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EznbRsGAhw4[/embed] -> What is the summary? The second Verzuz event associated two hitmakers who have had an impact over the past ten years. Mostly known for drums exploding like bombs, the West Coast rapper and producer Hit-Boy composed songs by Jay, Kanye West, Bey, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj. The Toronto Boi-1da has worked with Drake since its first mixtape in 2007, Room for improvement. "Miss Me", "Headlines", "0-100 / The Catch-Up" and "Over" - all him. The catalog also includes the Eminem Hot 100 “Not Afraid” topper and scorchers with everyone from Rick Ross to Rihanna. It seemed to be an equal match until everyone realized how infinite the Drake Boi-1da classic pool is. Hit-Boy put pressure on big radio records like "Feeling Myself" by Bey and Nicki and "Backseat Freestyle" by Kendrick, but Boi-1da had an answer for almost all of them. Who won? Trying to push Boi-1da out of his comfort zone was a solid strategy that ultimately backfired on Hit-Boy. He pulled out too much of his biggest hits too soon, and it cost him in the back half of the battle, when Boi-1da locked himself in, playing ten years of Drake successes. It was a little bit like the people who fire fireballs in street fighter: It's rude, but if you can't beat him, you can't beat him. Strong points: Hit by drawing his Rihanna card with the Anti banger "Woo" but then catching "Work", Boi-1da presenting with a drop of Drake saying: "I should continue to sign with Hit-Boy because I had all the success, my boy", on " 0-100, "the two producers preview the unreleased music by Nipsey Hussle, Nas, Drake and Roddy Ricch. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1dGTHR-wo[/embed] -> What is the summary? Mannie Fresh is a southern rap hero best known as the architect of his Cash Money. In the 90s, he produced the first albums of Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Big Tymers, B.G. and Hot Boys, creating beats essentially from scratch. The streak continued over the next decade with TI's "Front Back" and "Big Things Poppin" Scott Storch started out as a member of the Roots and became one of the must-have beatmakers and session players of the artists , working with everyone from 50 Cent and Chris Brown at Paris Hilton and Brooke Hogan. Storch's story is complicated in a way that Mannie Fresh is not - by 2010, Storch's career had become a cautionary tale about addiction and over-spending - but regular customers like Brown and more recent stars as 6ix9ine and Russ have been looking for in recent years, as Fresh's relationship with Lil Wayne has led to good investments on Tha Carter V and this year Funeral. In battle, the two producers played classics alongside a few more recent songs, but the age gap in the crowd was palpable. Verzuz largely satisfies nostalgia; the successes of 99 and 2000 are not always as good. Who won? People swear it was a rash in favor of Storch, accusing Mannie Fresh of having a sound too specific to its time and region. It's a riot, because Storch's taste for eccentric synth sounds, hand claps and Americanized ragas screams as much as "Back That Azz Up" in 1999. But Storch finally took this one. Strong points: Storch smoking fat dulls all the time and lights them with a portable torch, Jadakiss laughs in the comments when his collaboration with Mariah Carey "U Make Me Wanna" took effect, Storch slipping "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake in the mix on the technicality that he is credited as the song's key player in the Justified album cover notes. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K0-O0YFYB4[/embed] -> What is the summary? New York rym French Montana is a trap artist whose real gift is the hooks; the catalog of tubes on which it is presented is surprisingly deep. According to the song, Tory Lanez is either an R&B singer using rap rates, or a rapper with an attentive ear for the melody. (The nose Quarantine radio combines the steamy humor of a radio jock with a steady stream of famous guests like Megan Thee Stallion and Drake and a long line of fans ready to twerk in front of the camera. It's the spring hit, attracting an average of a quarter of a million heads each time.) It sounds like a quirky match until you play a lot of their songs back to back and see the common threads. Who won? Tory Lanez has chops, but French has relationships. In a field where the biggest success always takes precedence, songs like "Stay Schemin" and "Pop That" will always demolish "Ferris Wheel" and "K Lo K", even if these are all good songs that share aesthetics . The French have won a mile. Strong points: Lanez playing "Kika" by Tekashi 6ix9ine Day69 but refusing to recognize who it was, the French nonchalantly smoking hookah, Lanez being a good sport to lose. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpGZ86i310I[/embed] -> What is the summary? The scandalous confrontation between Atlanta-based hitmakers The-Dream and Sean Garrett is the reason Verzuz now has basic rules. Dream - who contributed to the creation of many successes, including “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by Beyoncés and “Touch My Body” by Mariah Carey, and created his own memorable songs in “Falsetto” and “Rockin 'That Shit' - was cordial and timely in his Sunday evening scrap. Garrett is best known by people who do not read the lining notes as a guest in Nicki Minaj's "Massive Attack", but known to those who know him as the co-author and / or co-producer of singles like "Yeah !, "by Usher Ciara's" goodies "and Yonce's firecrackers like" Ring the Alarm ". That said, he showed up late, shaking the camera lasciviously and letting the recordings topple over for too long. (That's why contestants are only allowed to play a song until the first chorus now.) Antics ate most of the first hour, where Dream released a steady stream of solid songs, and Garrett played random songs, digging Blueprint 3- Will be songs by Jay-Z and unpublished first solo. But the scales were rocked, and the fight became good when Garrett pulled it together and started matching Dream song to song. Who won? The crowd swore that Garrett was smoking Dream, but what really happened was that he shot a Rocky. He ate shots through the opening laps and swayed towards the end when his opponent withdrew. But it's not boxing. There is no KO. It is important that Sean blew up the first hour. It is also important that Dream lets slip a comfortable lead, giving up too many points while leaving too much heat on the table. Sean won ... but it was close. Strong points: The-Dream playing mini-golf in front of the camera as Garrett appears slammed and makes impromptu opening remarks, Dream showing the demo version of Jay-Z's "Holy Grail" with himself instead of Justin Timberlake, Garrett scary the crowd with faces of love, famous spectators like Big joe, Kelly Rowland, and Rick Ross get tired and act in the comments. https://oltnews.com/all-verzuz-instagram-battles-live-ranked-vautour?_unique_id=5e9f3fce8833d