#I might edit the actual clip if I have energy tomorrow

[ashs-nerd-den]

Studyblr prompt Week 1 - My Study space

I usually study either my desk or by bed, but nobody is seeing my bed on here, and I did up my desk at the start of the summer to make it ADHD friendly, which I have been dying to show off, so this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

The peg board is not only aesthetically pleasing, it is an ADHD saviour. The clear storage means that I can actually see stuff so that way I dont forget that they exist. The pretty notebooks add the aesthetic which draws me in to study and makes it seem more appealing to my brain.

The temporary dumping box is where I throw things when I don't have the energy to put them away because it prevents mess and when I do have the energy, I don't have to pick everything up around the room because they're all in 1 spot.

A lot of people put up pictures of their goals, like their dream university, or the exam results that they want. I put up pictures of my grandparents (that's what's behind the hearts). If I turn out even 1% as amazing as any of them, I will die happy, because they are the most incredible people ever. I'm considering shuffling things around a bit so I can put up a picture of one of my aunties because she is beyond amazing and she is currently doing her masters in psychology (the field I want to go into) while raising her kids and being a carer. I don't use Pinterest for inspiration, my family is more than inspirational enough for me. I could go on for hours about how extraordinary each of them are, but I'll save yous the time.

The water bottle hole was probably for a pen holder, but neither of my pen mugs fit and it gives me a designated place to put my drink so that I don't forget about it, which is good because last time I checked humans need water and not just lucozade and coffee.

There are even more highlighters in the drawer because they are one of my special interests and I love them (I have more in my school pencil case and a full pencil case of highlighters)

Everything is visible with no covering or lids because I will forget that they exist. Adhd object impermance is a BIG thing in my house, and when I say big, I mean it.

The tumb tacs and paper clips are once again part of a stationary special interest that I have had since I was around 8

The different shaped sticky strips and sticky speech bubbles are for annotating things in a way that gets my brain to actually want to look at it. You might be recognising a recurring theme here. If it isn't right infront of me and looks fun, my brain doesn't cooperate.

The day planner is because I want to try to work out a way to do bullet journaling that works for ADHD. Like the way that it was originally created for. But all of the resources are aimed at neurotypicals and nobody can find resources on how to us it for ADHD anymore, even though that was the whole purpose of them (this is not hate towards any neurotypicals that use them, this is hatred of the fact that so many of our resources get shared to neurotypicals and then we lose access to them)

This was longer and more rambly than intended, but I'm both mentally and physically exhausted so I'll probably edit this tomorrow because once it goes into the drafts, it never comes out.

[morroodle]

Legoland day 1!

It was supposed to rain today but it was fine in the morning, a lil misty but nothing too bad. Started pouting after lunch though and we ended up leaving early but it was still decently fun. The theme park was smaller than I expected but that's ok, less strain on my legs (fuck you chronic pain). Theres a special ninjago weekend event going on so theres more ninjago than normal and at each activity you get a sticker and once you get 5 you get a prize but I am determined to get them all

Here's what we did:

Went on the lego factory ride. It was alright but I lost my water bottle and we had to stop and turn off halfway through cause of some baby so that probably made things worse (dw I got my water bottle back at the end of the day)

Went on the ninjago rides which were kinda underwhelming but still fun

My family abandoned me in the ninjago gift shop but it was like candyland in there

Got THOROUGHLY distracted by the ninjago playground thing they had. It was like 2 cubes at an angle and the inside was a maze also at the same 45° angle and it was a ton of fun I will be going back in there tomorrow

Split up from my sister and dad cause the show going on outside the ninjago ride was too loud for her (kinda too loud for me too but I needed the sticker)

Helped build a giant serpentine so I could get a sticker

There were these lil scavenger hunt type things, one about which weapon each ninja uses and one about a secret phrase ninja must live by (never put off until tomorrow...) but I already knew the answers so they just gave me the sticker

Took a picture with Lloyd! There was like no line and he was so goofy looking and I high fived him

(Exiting the ninjago area) went on my first real roller coaster (don't make fun of me I know I'm a pussy) and had a ton of fun. It wasn't too intense and it was pretty short but it was a blast and I'm gonna do it again tomorrow

Met back up with the rest of my family for lunch. I had the saddest school-quality sliders and stole some of my mom's actually good french fries. Sister got a MEAT STICK (giant turkey leg) which appearantly had a sauce that was made with coca cola

Went into lego city where my sister played one of their Carnival games and got a lil axolotl plushie as a prize then made me carry it because I'm the only one who thought to bring a decent sized bag

Went to go see the 4d ninjago show but they had absolutely no information about what time it was at so we ended up seeing lego mythica instead which I did not care for

Went to the pirate area and looked around but it was raining heavily so we couldn't really do mucu

Went back to the theater and ACTUALLY saw the 4d ninjago thing. It had similar energy to the wu's teas clips, especially the ones where they drink the teas they shouldnt. The main gimmick of the 4d thing was spraying water in my face which got old really fast

Headed back to the ninjago area to see a show that was canceled due to the rain and learned that another show and the dance party were also canceled. Did still get the stickers for the other 2 though :D

I wanted to play the ninjago carnival games cause there was a prize I really wanted (NINJA ORB) only to discover that it was not what I thought it was. I thought it was a giant fluffy plush sphere with a lil ninja face on it but turns out it was actually a rubber ball with a fluffy skin. I was heartbroken. Tried to win it anyways but it's harder than it looks. I might get it tomorrow then take it home, pop the ball, skin it and stuff it to be what I wanted but idk.

Got a super cool sexy limited edition collectors item ninjago legoland ny cup for way too much money

Headed back to the entrance to meet up with the other part of my family in The Big Store and then proceeded to loose them in The Big Store. My dad and sister both got giant really expensive lego sets and my mom got the lego Orchid set. I got a croissant.

Overall the day was ok but could have gone much better. I'm glad I'm headed back tomorrow cause there's alot of stuff I couldn't do due to the rain and also I still need to buy stuff. There's a few thing that really stood out to me but I'm not sure exactly what I'm gonna get. My dad really wanted the giant lego flowers they have around the park but alas they do not sell them. Now we're just chilling in the hotel room letting our clothes dry until dinner. I'll let yall know how tomorrow goes. Gonna put all the pictures from both days in a different post because this one is plenty big enough already.

[theinactivefaniguess]

My last contribution to the Team Rancher reunion today

[anonquack]

| 3am Calls |

Alex Quackity x Reader, Oneshot!

Word Count: 1700

Warnings: None! Just some fluff.

Summary: Unable to fall asleep, you reach out to a friend in order to help ease you into peaceful slumber.

The seconds are passing quickly, 1am turns to 2am, and it doesn't take long for 3am to hit. Stirring around in bed doesn't make the restlessness stop, the little sheeps jumping around your head fall and get back up, attempting once again to lure you to sleep, but it doesn't work. You find yourself staring up at your ceiling, hands resting on your stomach. There is a stinging in your eyes that lets you know you are indeed tired, yet when your eyes finally close, they can't seem to stay that way. These restless nights had been going on for a while, yet you didn't want to be a bother and reach out to any of your friends. Who knew if they were either sleeping or had better things to do. You wouldn't be finding out any time soon. But.. perhaps tonight it wouldn't hurt to reach out. You felt lonely just staring up at your ceiling, and your own thoughts were eating up at you, making the restlessness feel even worse.

You reach out for your phone, turning it on and immediately being blinded by the bright light. Once your eyes became accustomed to the light, you opened messages and took a glance at all the people you had sent some to. A certain someone definitely caught your eye, but you really weren't sure if he'd be up, considering some days he'd wake up super early. He was a busy man, and fitting into his schedule could be a bit difficult. After some thought and the skin of your bottom lip slowly being bitten off, there was a single message sent.

y/n

hi

It was too late to consider his possible sleeping state or the embarrassment that might overtake you in the morning when you get a text with something along the lines of "i was asleep. sorry". You run a hand down your face, deciding to accept your fate and that your luck ran out. Perhaps you'd go back to counting sheep.

alex ((:

hi

The notification casted a bright light on your face, but this time it was welcome. Your finger quickly clicked on it, taking you to the message app.

y/n

did i wake you up by any chance?

alex ((:

i was editing a video, dw

why are you up?

"i don't know." you said out loud as you read the message. "i really don't know.." a small frown appeared on your lips as you texted back:

y/n

can't sleep

alex ((: ahh, is that where i come in?

y/n perhaps.. if you don't mind ofc

alex ((: call me

The message caught you by surprise. Of course you had talked to him on the phone before, but never this late. Never without it being planned beforehand. Never this sudden. Not because you couldn't sleep. Millions of thoughts rushed through your head as you stared at the message. call me. How could one possibly say no to that?

You cleared your throat before pressing on his contact and clicking on the call button. Soon enough, the sound of ringing could be heard, and you held your breath. Of course, he would answer, but you couldn't help the nervous feeling of talking to him this late, and just.. randomly.

"hello?"

Your breath hitched slightly at the sudden halt of the ringing, and the smooth sound of his voice. It didn't sound like it usually did. His voice wasn't full of energy, like it is when he's screaming at his screen or joking around with friends. It was calm, and sounded like he was a bit tired. Who could blame him? He was up editing at 3 in the morning. And here you were, making him talk on the phone rather than encouraging he get some sleep.

"Hi.." you said as a small smile formed on your lips at the thought of how hardworking this man was. "How's the editing going?"

"Mm.. it's going pretty well. I'll probably upload it by tomorrow. I'm planning on just working on it for a bit more before heading to bed." He stated, to which you let out a small hum, "That's good. It's important that you get your rest."

Now it was his turn to let out a small hum of approval. "What's keeping you up?" He asked. You closed your eyes, letting his voice ring and echo inside your head, letting the calmness his voice carried take over you, making you feel calm as well. "To be honest, I don't know. Whenever I close my eyes I just can't seem to doze off."

"Well, do you wanna keep me company while I finish editing? We can talk about random stuff until I bore you enough for you to knock out."

His words made you let out a small chuckle, shaking your head before realizing he couldn't see you. "You could never bore me." You admitted, thinking about his previous words for a few seconds. "That sounds good, actually. If you don't mind.."

"I offered it, didn't I?"

You hum in response. "True.. its settled then."

He let out a small chuckle in response, and the sound alone made you smile. You took a moment to really think about what was happening. You'd keep each other company until either he finished or his soft voice lulled you to sleep, and you'd talk about random stuff. It was a sweet deal.

As you lay in bed, you could hear the clicking sounds his keyboard made when he typed or when he'd move his mouse around while editing the clips. During small moments of peaceful silence, you could hear his steady breathing or light humming.

You'd asked how his day was and listened as he talked about how busy he'd been lately, some of the stuff he had planned for the upcoming month, and how his hard work would let him relax for a few days.. soon. Just hearing how hard he was working and how genuinely excited he sounded about everything he talked about made a warm feeling appear on your chest.

You gave small comments here and there, asking if he could expand on certain projects that caught your attention, as well as asking how he was keeping up with school work. He gladly answered all your questions, but always made sure to ask, "What about you?"

You hadn't noticed that it was mostly him talking, besides your occasional comment. You were just happy to listen to him speak so passionately about everything he did, and to be completely honest, the calm tone in his voice was also making you feel sleepy.

But you'd never deny that it made you feel so.. included. Yes, this was a 1 on 1 call but he always managed to make you feel like your inputs mattered just as much as everyone else's. It was one of his qualities that you adored wholeheartedly.

It could be during a stream, a group call, or even group chat. He always made sure that everybody felt included. He was just that sweet.

So even if you were now half asleep, you always made sure to respond and also tell him how your day went and what you had been up to. It was nice just being able to talk about simple things like that with him so late.

"I think I'm gonna stop editing for tonight. Just have a few things left but fuck, my eyes are killing me." He finally stated after a questionable discussion.

"As you should. You work too hard.. give your eyes a well deserved rest." You said, slightly rubbing at your eyes. The faint sound of shuffling and a few clicks could be heard, presumably him turning off his PC and heading to his bed.

A few more shuffling sounds could be heard before he spoke again. "I know. Thank you, Y/N. You always remind me how important it is that I take care of myself." The smile was evident in his voice, and he sounded way closer than before.

"Of course.. that's what I'm here for."

"I'll remind you too. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Alex." Small pause. "Are you gonna head to bed now?" You looked at how long the call had been going for and realized it had been well over an hour, making your eyes widen slightly.

"I could. Orrrr I could keep talking to you."

"You could.. but you should also head to bed and-"

"I'm already in bed. Got my blankets covering me and everything. Tucked in."

"Did you tuck yourself in? I should do it for you next time." You joked, before realizing you might have overstepped some boundaries. You froze as the call remained silent for a bit.

"Maybe you should– But you're not really down."

Your body relaxed as you realized his response had the same joking tone as yours did, and that it was okay to joke around about this stuff. You let out a small scoff.

"I'm not down? I will gladly go tuck you in. Just send your location and I'll be there in 5 minutes."

His voice had gotten raspy, quieter, and even more soothing if even possible. Each of his responses seemed to calm you more and more with each passing second.

"Well I'm already tucked in so you missed out on that opportunity." He boldly stated.

"We could tuck each other in next time." You said with a smile on your lips, and that earned a small chuckle from him. "Maybe." He hummed in response.

You felt so elated at that moment. You'd had a wonderful conversation with Alex, and he'd managed to make you feel more relaxed. At that moment, you found your eyelids fluttering shut, and at last they didn't force themselves open again.

Alex had been trying to get comfy himself while you were falling asleep. When he realized the silence had gone on for too long, he listened closely for any sound coming from you, and was only met with steady breaths.

"Y/N..?" He asked, quietly this time. Nothing. He let out a small hum, a small smile on his lips at the realization that you had fallen asleep. "Goodnight, Y/N."

[captainsspnanon]

C2E31 - Commerce & Chaos - rewatch/liveblog

Two week downtime!  AKA �� the only downtime the Mighty Nein ever get.  Ever.

I love how Matt gets completely and utterly derailed by Sam having the Dr. Mercer pic on his flask.

Props to Sam for getting the gun and going “imma use this to make explosive arrows”

LOLLING at Liam dying when Nott and Jester write the letter to Astrid, first in the ‘oh fuck’ and then in the ‘gonna die from laughter’ aspects

Helloooo Star Razor part 1!

One – I love that Travis gets laser focused when the sword is discussed and keeps whispering ‘buy it! Buy it!  Coo buy it!’, and Two – hello Dust of Deliciousness!  This cupcake scene was one I was not only heavily spoiled for but also SAW the clip of it a few times before the episode.  I kinda wish I’d waited, it didn’t have as much impact because of seeing it ahead of time.

And NOW Beau is all bracered up.  It’s interesting how a lot of the art is updated to include weapon and armor upgrades, EXCEPT for Nott/Veth art.  She gets the cloak of stealthy, isn’t added to her art.  She gets the armor that changes appearance, isn’t added to her art (well, this one is debatable, I guess, due to appearance changing).   But Beau’s bracers are added to her art, as well has her darkvision goggles. Caleb’s Elven Chain eventually gets added to his winter art. Caduceus’s shield upgrades get added, Fjord’s weapon changes get added.  Just an interesting thing.  (also seriously fuck me how many times do I say ‘interesting’ in these damn things!   Don’t take a shot each time, you’ll be hospitalized.  The trouble is that I write these like I’d be saying them aloud, and speaking aloud the word ‘interesting’ can have so many different inflections and interpretations, and in writing it doesn’t work, but because this is all free form thoughts I don’t go back and edit to get better wording.  So “interesting” it is, no matter how much even *I* start to get sick of it)

You know, Travis is always ‘oh man I hate the shopping episodes’, but a lot of time he’s actually enjoying himself?  Like, he LOVES the wacky NPCs that Matt makes, and he gets into the cool shit too.  It seems like he tends to really lose focus during scenes that are 1) haggling, 2) debating a purchase, or 3) describing something like a detailed outfit.

I feel really bad for Travis, that Fjord got screwed with his journey to try and get information because of poor rolls, and then the group was heading there anyway, so he could have spent his two weeks doing something else.

I ADORE Beau going in for training, and then the first day is reading.  Just the flat ‘what’ is SO GOOD

I love Liam roleplaying inventing new spells and learning new spells for automatic level ups, but I ALSO love Marisha roleplaying being trained and taught to learn her new monk techniques that she gets during level ups.  SO GOOD

Uh oh, library moment, hopefully Matt summarizes and sends the detailed information over.  Time count starts now: about six minutes exactly.  Not bad! Holy shit, Dunamis is brought up here!!

Cree definitely does not feel as loose cannon here as she does once Lucien is back.  He’s a bad influence! :P  Though I wonder how much the Somnovem might be impacting her now versus when they’re actively working towards it.

Getting into the Jester madness now.  I’m not sure I have the energy for this tonight, and unfortunately real life is going to be CRAZY, so I’m not sure when I’ll get to this next.  HOPEFULLY tomorrow evening, but I might just be too damn tired.  We’ll see!  *checks time stamps* oh yeah, this is over half an hour of ridiculousness, definitely do not have the energy for it tonight.

Does anyone else feel like Nott’s voice is off this episode?  I don’t know, for some reason it feels like Sam’s almost going too high in the falsetto?  I felt it at the beginning too, but then I thought it smoothed out, but now it feels off again.

OH MAN, no WONDER Laura says “well that’s just fitting” when Matt suggests the Dawnfather.  Another C1 reference that totally went over my head when I watched for the first time!

Huh, I forgot that Jester stole Cad’s straw hat for this.  ...not actually a fan of Laura’s choice for that.  Bit of a dick move, especially since Taliesin just had his bit getting it.  I do feel better because she buys one for him later the same episode (which I had to look up because I wasn’t sure!), but it’s still not a choice that I’m a fan of.

Travelercon took almost 80 episodes to get there!  Whoof, didn’t realize it’d been running so long!

Fjord Backstory, Fjord Plot, FJORD TIME

I feel like this is almost the best representation of Jester’s messages.  But also, throughout the campaign, you really do see her improve her messaging, even when she still messes it up.  They may be full of sillies, but they are nowhere near as rambly as they are in the beginning where it’s at least three messages to even get to the point.

Oh wowww...missed this the first time around, it’s definitely a hindsight think, but now that Nott’s willing to head back to Felderwin, she’s also pushing that Caleb is a lot stronger now, right? right?? and oooof. I love their relationship, and they both do ‘use’ each other, but this is a clear ‘using’ that just twists a knife a tiny bit.  I also really like that Caleb noticed it right away and was asking if she’s okay.

I wonder, is this the only time that Caduceus makes healing potions?  This was a thing with Keyleth too.  I think they both learned how to make them, and then only ever did it once.  (looking it up in the transcripts with the word “potion” said by Tal, it looks like this is the only time!)

LOL Marisha even talks about how she never used it!  It don’t matter, Taliesin didn’t either!! XD

@suicidallyreckless

[ellewords]

(not me reading this back and thinking you could make a drinking game out of this ask because of how many times i say “because” lmaooooo)

i’ve never actually seen wgm but i really love the idea of hinata being on the show, because i feel like he would be so starry-eyed the entire time. literal ✨👄✨ at everything because he’s never thought about what being married would be like and now suddenly he gets to experience it??!!?! he fumbles through all of it, and the fans love him for it because a lot of the other participants seem so smooth and suave, but not with hinata! he blurts his thoughts out as they come, he’s clumsy in situations that would normally require him to be put-together, he makes a huge deal out of every little thing. the first time his partner brought him a bouquet of flowers, hinata literally turns bright red and starts rambling so fast the audio just barely picks it up—

“you didn’t have to but that was really nice of you, i’ll get you something next time, hey, the flowers smell sweet, oh no, that’s actually you, you smell so nice, have you always smelt that way, you should definitely tell me what body spray you use because i might just have to get some of that—“

and the fans eat it up. and so does their partner who absolutely adores him even if hinata doesn’t quite get/see it.

i feel like it would also be hilarious if the partner was someone who isn’t necessarily the biggest (by choice, they don’t want to be in the spotlight all that much) but because of a really big project they have out soon, their team thinks they should get some of that pr. maybe a painter or a sculpture? one that has gotten a lot of attention as of late because their art is a little controversial/suggestive but has somehow managed to keep most of the media on the actual art and not on themself. they come off as really shy and recluse, but the second they get on the show, hinata brings them out of their shell, and that makes the fans like them even more. they love getting to see the artist behind everything and they especially love seeing how their artist brain translates into the real world. and just the idea of hinata being the kind of person who would be able to make even the most introverted person go a little crazy is something i think would be hilarious on reality tv.

anyway, hinata gets a lot smoother as they continue on, and it absolutely floors the fans because he’s so different from when he started. he holds his partner’s hand like it’s nothing, he says super sweet things without missing a beat, he holds eye contact without looking like he’s trying to win some unproclaimed competition. but he doesn’t realize he’s doing it, and the partner is too nervous that he’ll get weird about it to say anything.

by the end of their time on the show, fans can see how deflated the partner is even though they’re really good at hiding it still, and hinata is off too, but he can’t tell why. he is still chipper and all over the place, and the partner is still more open and engaging, but their energy is off. hinata chalks it up to them going to miss the time they shared together, but even that doesn’t feel quite right.

after they leave the show, hinata is super excited to see that the partner has started doing more community stuff (charities where they show up in person, giving art classes to people that donate certain amounts to organizations and projects that they support, going out in public and doing sketches/paintings of people on the street for reference later and recording tiny interviews with them as they do it to make a new documentary of the process or something). he gushes about it all over his social medias and anywhere else he can get someone to listen because they don’t have the time to actually ever meet up with the way their schedules are. he even starts posting behind-the-scenes clips that he had taken (with the permission of the partner) to engage with both parts of their fan bases.

and the partner does the same for hinata. they do a bunch of pieces of the jackals and sells them to get both of their communities involved and supporting them even if they can’t go to the actual games. their instagram is flooded with designs of new projects for them and even more of them of just hinata, all of which have captions that target just hinata (“wow, my ex-husband is so fine 🥵” “that’s your man? mhm! look at him! yeah, that’s mine” and other stupid, cheesy ones that make the fans feral because damn, they really have come out of their shell, huh?!)

the internet loves it, and they love even more that hinata seems to become the person at the beginning of the show all over again, flustered and a mess and tripping over his feet. a new hashtag starts because of it about the two of them being in love still (as a joke) and people upload some of their favorite moments of the pair together. when hinata sees it, he tries to play it off (horribly) but when he finally gets to talk to their partner about it, there’s a calmness in their voice that eases him just a little bit, and suddenly he’s aware of why exactly leaving felt so wrong.

this got a little sidetracked, but i don’t even mind, lololol. also, i definitely need to check out the show after this because i love the fake dating/marriage idea. thanks for putting me on to it! make sure to drink water, have a snack if you haven’t eaten in a bit, and take deep breaths! -🌙

— from elle ! okay but hinata and a painter/artist!partner is literally such an amazing idea to dive into, this now lives in my head and i will continue thinking about it for days on end. i absolutely love everything that you’ve sent aaa i’m actually screaming, i had a difficult time picking which part of your hc to focus on bec so many things popped into my head. but i ended up choosing to kind of pick up where you left off for my little addition (under the cut as usual) tysm for this 🌙 anon ! take care <3

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

hinata’s blush grows redder every second he spent staring at his phone, his twitter mentions filled with photos, edits, and even fanmade animations of the two of you. your shipname was trending again, all after you posted a rare photo of yourself in msby merch. you looked cute, that much was evident to hinata. then again, he always thought of you as cute — from the second you walked into set, all shy and nervous, from the minute you left it, your arms wrapped wrapped around his neck. why was he acting like this? filming had ended months ago; he’d grown more confident around you, hadn’t he?

your name flashed across his phone screen, interrupting his train of thought — you were calling him. his heart beat sped up, fingertips immediately moving towards the ‘answer’ button.

“hey shoyo!” you greeted, enthusiasm very much evident in your voice, “did you see the picture i just posted?”

“i did! um...you look great.” he mumbled, unsure if you had heard him, heat continuing to rush towards the apples of his cheeks.

“thanks!” he hears your chuckling from the other end of the line, and a small part of his mind convinces himself that you were somehow teasing him. “you’re coming tomorrow, right?”

“what’s tomorrow?”

“my photo exhibit, silly.”

ah, that. hinata could imagine you shaking your head, biting your lip as you attempt not to burst out into laughter at his cluelessness. the beating of his heart is more rapid now, thinking of how you anticipated his answer, how you wanted him to be there. “i was only kidding, of course i’ll be there.”

“sure,” you replied like you didn’t really believe him, “i’ll see you then.”

—

hinata was the one who convinced you to get into photography. truthfully, you wanted to try and exploring other mediums beside your usual set of paint and pencils.

“maybe i should try taking photos.” you joked, gently nudging his shoulders as the two of you browsed various film cameras. the crew had taken a brief break from filming, but you and hinata still wanted to continue exploring the various antique shops that lined the street.

“go for it!” he replied without missing a single beat, quickly rattling off a list of potential subjects, “you can take photos of plants, or maybe animals, really pretty scenery...it’s not even going to matter because i know you’ll end up taking really amazing photos.”

and when hinata insisted that he pay for the camera you chose, you decide on a subject.

__

the gallery is empty. well, at least the reception area is.

hinata’s dressed in his finest button-down and slacks, black dress shoes clicking against the white granite tiles. the receptionist directs him to the floor where your exhibition is meant to be held — right at the very top.

his brows furrow, there should be more people here. photographers, critics, fans even. he should’ve been greeted by reporters, by the surely hundreds of people all excited to see your work. you had only grown in popularity since your appearance on wgm, the number of people going to your exhibits only ever increasing. he should know, hinata’s been to every single one over the course of the show’s run. he knew what to expect. and it was certainly not this.

the elevator dings, indicating that he had reached the top floor. still, not a single person there. the frown on his face only deepens. hinata catches a glimpse of the exhibition’s title, “beyond the cameras: a retrospective”

the glass door is unlocked, hinata pushes through them only to be greeted with pictures of the last subject he expected: himself.

framed on the white walls of what possibly was tokyo’s most famous gallery were photos of him, glossy and bright, colors vivid and alluring. and they weren’t just any photos too, they were photos taken on the rare occasions wherein cameras weren’t following your every move. there were photos of him from nights he snuck you in the gym to teach you how to play volleyball, ones of him covered in paint taken in your studio, ones of him attempting to make you breakfast. all of which had him looking away from the camera.

that is until he reaches the final photo, the only one that had you in it as well, taken the night before the final day of filming. he was looking at the camera, but you were looking right at him — your gaze soft, the corners of your lips forming the smallest of smiles.

“so maybe i lied,” hinata heard a voice speak from beside him, recognizing it as yours almost immediately, “the exhibition is actually tomorrow. i just wanted you to see it first.”

“but why me?” he asked, biting the inside of his cheek.

“just because.” you shrugged, not even turning to look at him, gazing at your final photo — just like he was.

but hinata feels it, the tightening in his chest, the tension that enveloped your bodies as the two of you continued to stare straight ahead. he hears it, the ringing in his hears, the hammering of his heart, the unevenness of his breath.

you stand next to him, just a few inches separating you. hinata’s hand is drawn like a magnet to yours. at first your knuckles graze, and hinata holds his breath. then his fingertips push in between yours, you bite your lip. finally he he grasps your hand, a quiet exhale escapes you both.

you tear your eyes away from the photograph at the same time he does; your gazes meet. and just like that, you finally reach the same understanding as him, of just why leaving felt so wrong.

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

a question: how would the hq boys (specifically timeskip) act on a variety show like we got married?  |  written on the margins masterlist

taglist : @haikyuutothetop @crystal-lilac @tobioespresso @sushijimawakatoshi @itsmeaudrieee @pantherhappy @jesssobs @mysticstrawberryballoon @cloudedsky_29

join my hq taglist here. <3

[ace-oreos]

Way of the Hunter Ch. 1

After MANY days of writer’s block, getting distracted by our favorite dorks, and listening to Watch What Happens from Newsies on repeat, @deltaturtle26 and I are super excited to share the first chapter of a fanfic that’s been a long time in the making! 

Side note: I should not be allowed to write drama yee anywhere in the document when I don’t know what to write, nor am I permitted to write jokes or phrases that are actually foreshadowing. I am also forbidden from writing “we’ll just beat him up and see where it goes” in our outline. 

We hope you enjoy! Fair warning, it is rather long but hey, plot reasons. I only wish you could see all our ridiculous side notes and comments. I apologize in advance for the formatting; I’ll play around with it for later chapters. 

Edit: I added the prologue here like I was supposed to several weeks ago. 

The past leaves scars on all of us.

Sometimes you can’t see them. Other times they’re right there in front of your face.

But they are there regardless.

Some are meant to be seen; they tell the galaxy that you lived and you were hurt, but you survived.

Others…

Well, there are others that should stay hidden.

“Why are you so stubborn, Sarge?” Tech asked, looking puzzled and mildly amused by Hunter’s continued struggles. Even Crosshair hid a smile at the sight. 

“‘M not stubborn,” Hunter insisted, gritting his teeth and trying vainly to wrench his arm out of Wrecker’s grip. “Just - trying - to win.”

“No chance,” Wrecker taunted.

Hunter was convinced that he was going to be minus one arm by the end of this, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Really. He hadn’t spent the last six years telling his squad that he was entirely capable of beating Wrecker just to give up now. 

Still, after five minutes with no progress, he was reconsidering his decision to challenge Wrecker in the first place. He strained to keep his brother from forcing his arm down; Wrecker, on the other hand, didn’t look inconvenienced in the slightest. Tech and Crosshair seemed to be losing interest, but Hunter was too far in. He would have bragging rights, at least.

“Y’know, I need this arm,” he grunted a moment later. “I know Wookies pull their enemies’ arms off, but can you leave mine where it’s supposed to be?”

Wrecker just grinned and raised his own arm. Hunter yelped, trying to find purchase in the grass, but he was still lifted bodily, legs working helplessly in the air. “Put me down!” 

“Do you give up?” 

“No!”

“Then no can do, Sarge,” Wrecker said, plainly enjoying himself. 

“How old are you?” Crosshair muttered, rolling his eyes. He clearly had no patience for his brothers’ antics. “We’re on a mission, for fierfek’s sake.” 

“We’re not completing an objective right now, though,” Tech reasoned as Hunter let out every curse he knew and some he invented on the spot. “Besides, it’s not hurting anything.”

“It’s hurting my arm --” 

“You brought this on yourself,” Crosshair informed him, unamused.

“Hey, pulling someone off the ground is cheating!” 

“Who cheats at arm wrestling?” 

“Wrecker does, apparently,” Tech observed.

“You never said there were rules,” Wrecker argued.

“Okay, so it’s an unspoken rule.”

“Common sense,” Tech put in helpfully. 

“Hunter, you’re the only one who actually invests any energy whatsoever into these things,” Crosshair said in exasperation. 

Hunter didn’t bother to respond. His arm was likely halfway out of its socket by now, and he was seriously thinking of a dislocated shoulder. Resigned to the merciless teasing he’d no doubt have to endure, he grumbled, “Fine. I give up.”

Wrecker crowed triumphantly and dumped him to the ground unceremoniously. Hunter spat out a mouthful of grass and glared at his squad. Crosshair, for all he’d feigned indifference, was smirking at the sergeant. Tech stifled a laugh. 

“If you say one word --” Hunter started warningly. 

“Don’t need to,” Crosshair said drily. “The evidence is right in front of us.” 

“Fifth time in a row, Sarge!” Wrecker declared, giving Hunter a friendly nudge that nearly knocked him off his feet again. “You’ve got a good streak going.”

Hunter made a face at him and turned to Tech, trying to salvage what was left of his dignity. “Have you taken a look at that city yet?” 

Tech managed to keep a straight face when he responded, “Just getting a sense of the layout now, Sarge. Looks like there’s a number of ways to get in with a small team without the Techno Union noticing. We won’t be able to get in too close with the Marauder, though.”

Hunter shrugged. “Shouldn’t be a problem. It’ll be easier without the ship anyways.”

“As long as we don’t blow our cover again,” Crosshair said pointedly. 

Wrecker scowled at the sniper. “That wasn’t my fault.”

“I never said which incident I was talking about…”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “On that note, I’m going to stretch my legs for a bit.” He fixed Tech with a stern look. “If they kill each other, you’ll catch it later.” 

Tech just grinned. “You got it, Sarge.” 

***

Tech decided to check on his brothers, and found Crosshair fiddling with some ammunition. Of course, he was curious, and stepped closer to get a better look.

“Whatcha got there, Crosshair?”

The sniper smiled and showed him an ammo clip. “Just something I picked up on our last shopping run.”

Tech stared at it for a bit, puzzled as to why his older brother seemed to make such a deal over extra ammo. Granted, he was the team’s sniper, so it really wasn’t any surprise that he enjoyed sniping or took good care of his weapon—one that had helped them survive and accomplish missions and other tasks on various occasions—but this particular thing was odd.

“You restocked your ammo supply?”

“These are no ordinary rounds, Tech. I believe these will help us tremendously in the future.”

Tech leaned forward, curiosity piqued and eager to learn more. “Really? How so? How are they different?”

Crosshair turned the clip around in his hand then tossed it to him. “They pack far more of a punch than most other ones. The next time we deal with tougher opponents, like supers or small vehicles, dealing with them will be a breeze.”

“Fascinating!” Tech exclaimed, examining the clip in his hand. “How much were they?”

The sniper looked away and remained silent.

“Crosshair,” Tech said slowly, “if I check our balance and find you’ve spent most of our credits -”

“I didn’t!”

Wrecker chuckled awkwardly. “Actually, I think I did.”

The short clone let out a squeak then hastily replaced his helmet in absolute irritation before handing the clip back to the sniper and walking away.

Hunter still hadn’t returned, but Tech wasn’t worried. It wouldn’t be the first time his brother needed space before the real madness broke loose. 

True to his word, Tech continued to keep an eye on Crosshair and Wrecker. There was no way of knowing what might happen when they were left to their own devices. The Techno Union was completely unaware of their presence, and Tech preferred to keep it that way. 

He sat down beside Wrecker, keen to look at the Techno Union’s latest movements. They still claimed neutrality, but the latest intel indicated a worrying streak of Separatist leanings. 

Wrecker took one look at Tech’s datapad and yawned pointedly. Without bothering to glance up, Tech said, “If you’re not interested, go check the perimeter.”

“Droids aren’t stealthy,” Wrecker grumbled, but he pushed himself to his feet. Before he took more than a few steps, however, Hunter reappeared from the trees. 

“Don’t bother,” he called. “It’s all quiet.” He gave Crosshair a friendly nudge with his elbow as he strode past and winked at Tech. “You can save those rounds for later, Cross.” 

Crosshair merely rolled his eyes with a huff. Tech hid a smile and returned his attention to Hunter. “We’re all set to infiltrate the city, Sarge.”

“Good,” the sergeant replied. He settled next to Wrecker. “Get some sleep. I want to take the city tomorrow.”

“I’ll take first watch,” Tech offered. 

After a few minutes, he recognized Crosshair’s light steps approaching. His brother sat beside him without a word. Wrecker joined them soon after.

Tech shook his head. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” 

Wrecker smiled sheepishly. Crosshair just shrugged and said, “Yeah, well - ”

He broke off at the insistent beeping of Tech’s comm. Puzzled - Hunter was dozing just a few feet away - Tech exchanged a look with Crosshair and activated it. 

 “Execute Order 66.”

Upon hearing those words, he suddenly felt… different. But a good different.

He blinked, then turned to face their sergeant, eyes narrowing. He knew what he had to do.

 “It will be done, my lord.”

 Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Someone’s comlink was chirping. 

Order 66. 

Hunter was clueless as to what that was. Why would they be given an order they didn’t know? Tech acknowledged it, though; perhaps he knew.

Shaking his head to clear it, Hunter approached his brother. “Hey, Tech, do you know what this order means?”

“Good soldiers follow orders.”

[insomniac-soup]

TXT: Thoughts on Bighit’s new group, the future of BTS (and Bighit)

March 4 was the day Bighit Entertainment, the entertainment company that manages the worldwide famous Kpop group BTS, released the MV for their new group. I watched the teasers, curious what this new group would bring to the table; after watching the MV, I think it’s worth reviewing what the future may hold, since there’s a lot going on. This post is quite niche in its content so feel free to keep scrolling if this ain’t your cup of coffee. This is a fairly opinionated and extensive take on the topic of the groups mentioned (and Kpop as a whole), so read at your discretion.

[I do not own any of the images, gifs, or videos used in my posts; these visuals are used only for entertainment.]

[Rant #1: Group Comparisons]

PREFACE: to those unfamiliar with Kpop, it’s a genre of music originating in South Korea, placing great focus on the aesthetics of group members, music videos, music shows, and dancing. It originated in the 90′s, drew inspiration from North American music, and evolved to becomes its own genre. Groups or soloists are managed by entertainment companies (as opposed to record labels), so many (but not all) lack autonomy and/or control over their music, general say in the group’s plans, wardrobe, etc. Some groups are more experimental than others, but the industry and genre is quite eye-catching and unique.

So I’ve been keeping up with BTS almost from the moment they debuted, and it’s been great seeing them grow as a group, produce great music (solo mixtapes from the rappers; absolute fire), and get the recognition they deserve. They’re all talented, unique, and have great personalities; that isn’t to say other groups don’t share these traits, but it’s no question that BTS is the most notable for such traits at moment (internationally speaking). The fans supporting them have sparked more debates as the fans increase in numbers, and it can really go either way depending on the fan you meet. Either way, I like BTS, and understand those who don’t. The reason I bring up BTS is because I can’t talk about TXT without mentioning BTS, as BTS is now TXT’s senior group. Now, onto TXT.

TXT, the short-form for Tomorrow X Together, is the new group consisting of 5 members (Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai), who just debuted with their EDM-esque EP The Dream Chapter: Star , with the title track ‘Crown’. My thoughts?

1: On the debut title track, I think it’s nice; I don’t think it’s revolutionary or an instant bop, but I do enjoy it. It’s perfect to walk to, the minimalist aesthetic is nice, and they all seem to have personalities. By that, I mean there’s energy from them. That seems pretty typical to expect from any Kpop group, and I’m sure other Kpop fans know that’s given. But there are many groups I’ve listened to whose tracks or debut tracks lacked a kind of ‘punch’. The simple and somewhat cute aesthetic of the MV may not have the actual punch, but I get the feeling the idols themselves are engaging. I appreciated that it was simple, because to be honest, if a debut track is too good, all succeeding tracks can seem underwhelming. With this track, as well as the other songs (Cat&Dog is really catchy not gonna lie), they can work their way up to more complex tracks. This is a quick edit, but after listening to the track a couple more times, it’s kinda catchy. Plus, the lyrics are actually nice, in that it’s not all that different from other songs describing someone’s love changing them for the better, but different because of the word choice.

2: about the group name, I think Bighit favours the acronym-style name, which I do like. This is just a random observation and less so a serious point. Everyone knows BTS are generally referred to just that name, but their other names, Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and their more recent meaning Beyond the Scene, have meaning. I think this can actually make TXT more memorable, because it’s more than just a name. BTS still refers to themselves in the abbreviated form of ‘Bangtan’ (recalling the group’s name in Korean) through songs like ‘Anpanman’, so it helps create an identity. Of course, they aren’t the only group to use acronyms (take AOA, or Ace of Angels), but I make a point of this because they’re not a group from the Big 3 (JYP, YG, SM). EXO and SNSD (although they do go by Girls Generation) are SM groups that both use acronyms (EXO more lucidly), but their name partly has that impact because they come from a notable entertainment company. In the same way that BTS made their name iconic, I can see this working as well for TXT (it also seems really wholesome). My personal interpretation is a theme of unification and obviously togetherness. For each new day, for the future that holds ‘tomorrow’, we can be together, and united in both senses. That might be a bit of a dive, but considering BTS’ naming had similar significance, it would be a nice, wholesome, message to project.

3: They have a really interesting motif with their Introduction Films and group concept, and the members are versatile (in a general sense of the word). Each member has a representative animal and flower associated with them, somewhat reminding me of the different songs sung by the vocalists of BTS (Euphoria, Serendipity, Singularity, and Epiphany). It also kind of reminded me of VIXX, another group that developed their niche as a concept group (meaning each album or EP has a particular theme and songs that match that theme; their latest album EAU DU VIXX has the perfume motif, which implies alluring and scent-related themes and lyrics). This motif, however, is really unique and engaging in its own right, aside from BTS or VIXX. The Introduction Films each dedicate short clips that showcase each member, and the general Intro Film shows them just having fun. Keep in mind that they’re all fairly young, the youngest member being born in 2002. The cute aesthetic may fool you into thinking they’re just another generic boy group (I was kind of tricked into that mentality at first), but like their senior group, this group is building a story with their representative animals and flower. The short story illustrating the boy with horns in their debut showcase was compelling and really interesting; many were quick to point out the wings motif tracing back to BTS’ 2016 album Wings. I see that as well, and I do hope that leads to a good relationship between the Bighit labelmates (I’ll go into detail on that). One of the members, Hueningkai, is the first mixed idol employed in the company (half-Korean, half-American with European and Brazilian ancestry). 2 other members are also good at English, which is really helpful in the market today; what’s helped Kpop groups connect with international audiences is bridging the language gap, so this also means TXT is a group people could understand more (and I wouldn’t say that everyone should speak English and their success is defined by that, but that is the reality in this market). As a brief side note, their dancing seems to be pretty good, which is clear in their dance practice video.

4: as a group on their own, they seem to have potential, but I worry about how they might be compared to BTS. I admit, I compared them at first, but having seen the MV with discarded preconceived notions, I can now say I appreciate TXT in their own right. I am excited to listen to more of their music and give them a chance like I would any other group, and like I mentioned before, they do seem interesting as personalities. I think the problem now is that because they are the brother group to BTS, they will likely seem underwhelming and lacking the ‘it’ quality. I think there are some comparisons worth making that aren’t inherently bad, as well as ones that can be problematic;

Take BTS’ debut MV ‘No More Dream’ compared to ‘Crown’. They are two very different collectives of personalities, and BTS is a lot more aggressive with their darker, b-boy aesthetic. TXT is bubbly and super cheery in comparison, but that’s not a bad thing. That means the groundwork is ultimately different.

As a continuation, TXT is at a different stage as a boy group than BTS when BTS debuted. Bighit was on the verge of bankruptcy, had some scandals (those do exist), and weren’t very rich. BTS’ success decided the survival of the company, but TXT isn’t a group that’s in jeopardy. The company isn’t make-or-break anymore, so considering the circumstances, it’s okay to compare them but not to a large extent. I think it’s okay to compare debut MVs, since that’s fairly harmless, as long as that’s being perceived without the idea that TXT needed to meet the standards of BTS’ debut (and let’s be honest, BTS didn’t have the most revolutionary, amazing tracks to start; some were okay, some are pretty notable for misheard lyrics, others potentially problematic, but they didn’t win awards with their debut songs).

TXT have less members than BTS, so that might have been a marketing strategy; 7 is fairly standard for the number of group members to have, but 5 allows audiences to know everyone faster ‘cause it’s still two less members.

If people can give BTS the benefit of the doubt, then TXT deserves the same courtesy if we are comparing the two. Like I said, BTS gradually progressed as a famous, best-selling group, so TXT should be compared only in the sense that they’re a new boy group under the same entertainment company.

Once I listened to the debut track ‘Crown’, the rapping style greatly differed from BTS’ rap line. They’re more in-tune with melodic rapping over RM, J-Hope, and Suga’s fast-paced, hard-hitting rapping style. Even in ‘No More Dream’ (Jungkook when he still rapped), they’re much more intense compared to TXT’s rappers. You can compare them, but it’s not fair to say anything along the lines of TXT’s rappers being less than compared to BTS’ rap line, since the styles are almost polar opposites.

What it also boils down to is the fact that TXT is debuting in 2019 and not 2013. 2019 can be marked as a new era for Kpop, especially with all that happened in 2018, and doesn’t border on 2nd generation like BTS did. You could say 2010’s onward is 2nd generation Kpop, while 2013/4 (give or take? I’m a little rough with my years when it comes to Kpop generations and haven’t found a concrete chronology so my interpretation here is mostly speculative) is 3rd generation. This is an unpopular opinion of sorts, but 2nd generation Kpop groups innovated in dance/music styles, and deserve credit for such, helping to usher in popular styles and concepts that comprised 3rd generation groups. BTS is no exception in pioneering and creating unique music styles (they aren’t the standard or exception, but definitely stood out when it counted with notable hype tracks like Dope or Fire and impressive choreographies), but I digress. The point is TXT has a lot to live up to, and not just in comparison to their brother group, but also debuted in an era where Kpop is becoming more widespread, more intriguing to newer audiences, and will be very public (considering the advent of social media).

I will discuss TXT more generally now, as I would like to mention what I think this means for the company and BTS.

1: Hopefully, Bighit will finally let BTS take breaks. We know BTS have toured many times and released music often, and it’s also obvious (with proof) that they’re overworked. They’re so professional, even when they are tired and exhausted (notably Jungkook), which shows how much they care about their fans. Granted, when the company needed revenue, that would be a little easier to judge, but Bighit is no longer in dire straits. Every member of the group is just as human as the next person, and they need to relax; RM himself has stated that they enjoy doing what they do, but still get exhausted. That’s just normal human behaviour. In ‘Burn the Stage’, you see more raw moments that normally happen off-camera, including arguments between members and moments of physical exhaustion. If we are to take these developments as they are and believe every word of it, then it’s fair to say they’re really tired. With that said, I hope TXT is managed well, promoted well, treated well, and given attention as the new group. It means TXT can be maintained and have presence in the industry’s foreground, while also allowing BTS to take time off. I say that without knowing all the technicalities about idol management, but my hope is TXT didn’t debut for no reason and BTS is overworked all the same. I know BTS is releasing a new album in April, which I am excited for, but do worry they just aren’t getting the rest they deserve.

2: BTS will remain popular as TXT breaks in, so I’m not concerned whether BTS will lose relevancy or not. With the hope that Bighit will let BTS get some rest from promotions and touring, I think BTS is comfortable where they stand. There is no doubt about their fame as I mentioned before, and maybe their name might help boost interest for people considering TXT’s music (having a company name that people know is fairly effective, and how I learned about groups like (g)-idle, who are labelmates of CLC, who were labelmates to the former group 4Minute and successor girl group). I mentioned how I was worried TXT would be compared too much to BTS, but I think there are still positives in that relationship. What I would love to see is whether BTS members mentor the new group, like RM or Suga helping with music producing and such (hearing RM’s demos shows how talented he is). A closeness between the two groups would be ideal, which brings me to my next point specifically on the company.

3: Bighit entertainment has a problem, and could potentially become a part of a greater one if it becomes a big entertainment company like the Big 3. This is where I diverge from solely talking about TXT and BTS to run down what this means for Bighit. As I’ve grown up with Kpop, I’ve learned about the good, the bad, the sad, and the ugly. I personally think having that kind of journey is both unique and the kind you need to experience organically; it’s okay to start off as a casual listener in the process of becoming a fan, but it’s still important to recognize at a certain point that the industry isn’t exactly perfect, or that groups can be good without validation or comparison. Some of my favourite groups are managed mostly by the Big 3, all three companies that have their own controversies and problematic programs. JYP overworks his best selling girl group (and best selling group for that matter) TWICE in the same way Bighit does to BTS, but that’s just one of the layers on this problem cake. I won’t go into the details of the scandal, but once upon a time Bighit had a girl group. After such scandals (one member a saesang, another an actual felon) happened, it became a thing of the past and something most people don’t know about. Bighit doesn’t take female trainees, and even in the time BTS trained, they couldn’t interact with the female trainees that were once there. The reason I point this out is because there is no female group in the company, Bighit cannot enter the league of the Big 3. All three have (or had) groups like SNSD, Red Velvet, f(x), Blackpink, 2NE1, Twice, Wonder Girls, the list goes on. The way these groups have and are being treated have its pros and cons, but nonetheless are being managed. This lack of female idols in Bighit is a huge gap in revenue; sure, they might have more money than c. 2012 Bighit, but one group cannot help a company become as influential as SM or JYP. To summarize, the first problem Bighit has is the fact that there are no female idols or groups, which chops down any potential influence in the industry and diversity in music (since girl groups are endorsed differently and allow for concepts that boy groups can’t necessarily try). TXT isn’t bad for being a boy group, but the reason I hope for a good relationship between BTS and TXT is because they will be allowed to interact (that sounds so dumb, why isn’t this a given). Not having a girl group lacks diversity in the sounds, and that could be to Bighit’s detriment.

Next, I wanted to go over what could happen to Bighit now that they have another group to manage. I’ll save a lot of these topics for future posts, but as I said, the Big 3 have had controversies over the years, and even smaller companies have had their problems. Considering the weight loss programs many companies enforce on their groups and general abuse of power (lawsuits from EXO’s former members Tao, Luhan, Kris related to overworking), as well as dating scandals (former CUBE artists Hyuna and E’dawn), being a big entertainment company also generally has connections to problematic incidents. What the concern here is is whether Bighit is inclined to do what other companies tend to do to their artists when they have multiple artists to juggle. Take PLEDIS entertainment as an example; they’re not among the Big 3, but they manage groups like SEVENTEEN, Pristin, the subunit Pristin V, and SF9. Pristin debuted in 2016, and haven’t had any comebacks since ‘We Like’ in 2017. They were given lots of dance practice teasers like Blackpink before they officially debuted as Pristin (some members came from Produce 101 and the one-year group I.O.I), but they’ve basically disappeared as a collective. SEVENTEEN, on the other hand, just had a comeback in January, garnering lots of sales, and continue to promote and write their own music. Granted, SEVENTEEN is slightly senior to Pristin, but it’s easy to see they’re being managed a lot better than their sister group. That’s the sad part, because SEVENTEEN members would even do dance practices with them, and the members of Pristin are quite talented. Problems like this are much easier to find in smaller entertainment companies, and Bighit, with the debut of TXT, are finally entering that ring. That means that they might continue to let their artists have autonomy (ex. RM and Suga), or end up potentially mistreating their idols. I am not saying they will, but only that the concern is now more warranted.

4: The success of TXT will ultimately determine what kind of company Bighit truly is. Here’s the thing. The quality of many entertainment companies are determined by the way they manage, promote, and support their idols. JYP is considered the best among the Big 3 because the idols seem to be close with their labelmates, they micromanage to almost program success, groups are unique in concepts and member diversity (DAY6 compared to GOT7, where both groups have strong English speakers, TWICE compared to older group Wonder Girls and newer group ITZY), etc., but that’s also up for debate. BTS has had a couple problems in terms of lyrics, outfits, comments made in interviews, but have addressed many if not all of these issues. What’s good is that both Bighit and RM will issue apology statements, which means we get both sides of the story and that there is at least a level of respect between the group and CEO. That alone doesn’t reveal enough about the CEO or company though. I’m not saying this to be hypercritical, nor believe everyone should think about this kind of thing when listening to music by a Kpop group; the point is, at least for me, knowing the state the idols are in, because often idols don’t get much control over what they do and could be overworked behind the scenes. They have to pay back the companies for the training and other privileges granted, and even those conditions may not be the best; well-known companies are more transparent nowadays because we see how everyone else is managed, but that’s not the case for BTS or Bighit.

If TXT succeeds in a similar fashion that BTS did, that may open up the playing field for Bighit. Maybe they’ll bring back female trainees, and possibly expand the number of groups they manage if revenue begins to come in steadily. The reason Bighit hasn’t been able to enter the stratum where the Big 3 sit is because they only had one avenue for revenue (BTS), until now. Bighit borders on young as an entertainment company (established in early 2000s), so the company not only lacks the number of years the other ones had to experiment (like SM), alongside the problem of no diversity as a company. To conclude, TXT’s promotions and journey as Bighit’s new group will determine whether Bighit is a problematic company or not, because we will now have another group to see being managed and promoted. We have the precedent of BTS, and I personally hope TXT isn’t mistreated.

Conclusion? This took way too long to write, but I think when I’m considering the prospect of TXT, I’ve considered what it means on grander scales too. The reason it’s worth noting TXT’s debut is for all reasons mentioned; what it means for Bighit, BTS, and TXT themselves. All in all, I’m going to listen to more of TXT’s music and see what the future holds for them, since I see potential in the group’s success and potential for them to be engaging as idols.

[musicagency-stuff-blog]

How to Prevent Music Marketing Info Overload!

I intend to give you a little rule you can make use of in your music marketing that goes like this. " I will certainly spend 80% of my time creating impressive music, 15% music marketing and after that 5% understanding music marketing material." it is kind of like removing my nose to spite my face since I create a great deal of music marketing material myself, yet if you spend your whole time eating up all the info, it's extremely difficult ever before to get around to generating any type music of well worth.

And marketing crap music has a name. SPAM! You need to consider all the online training courses, overviews as well as publications like shiny items that are drawing you in all various directions as well as stick with one method till you make it a success. The truth remains that if you don't make any music of worth, you are not truly an artist. Have you ever before remained in music marketing info overload? Today I approached my computer system with exhilaration after a long weekend away with the suggestion that I would pump out some articles and also begin to service my new digital book. However, the strategy appears to have gone all rickety. I opened my Twitter customer to see that my buddy sent me a link to a great short article about exactly how to "sing like a superstar," which led to one more and then an additional. So now I recognize the theory of awesome vocal delivery however I'm no additionally on with my mission to give you men the very best music marketing details I can muster.:--LRB-. Keep in mind to self, never open Twitter in the early morning; it's a total bloody time suck!

There are a couple of points that I have discovered throughout the years (yet that I occasionally ignore) which have assisted me in being more productive in my music marketing and also in music in general. - There are only a really small number of things that need your time. These consist of making music and also advertising music, forget whatever else or do it bursts of 25 minutes every day. - Reviewing music marketing training does not count as a job; you have to set a timer and also start obtaining something also done. - Work in 50-minute bursts of the focused task with a short break in between.it will certainly help you use your body's all-natural rhythm. - Don't read your email until 4 O'clock and set a thirty minutes timer for this job. Set your band e-mail account to allow individuals to know that you are doing this to be much more efficient and also will return to them as quickly as you can. - Give yourself monthly dedications.it can be anything from composing article to calling a minimum of 5 music calls every day. What does an ineffective early morning resemble for an artist? 1. Review 20 write-ups on music marketing and music industry news. 2. Checked Twitter And Facebook for 45 mins and complied with links at random. 3. Worked on the style of the music blog on an aspect that only the perfectionists would certainly see. 4. Spent thirty minutes in the music online forums. Currently, things are that none of that stuff misbehaves and you can for believing that you had obtained your hands extremely dirty in the music organization and also made a payment. However, sadly that is not the instance because there was no emphasis and no planning. Now let's check out early morning to be happy with. 1. Spent a solid 50-minute duration working with two brand-new articles. 2. 10-minute recharge. 3. Invest another 50 minutes editing post from the previous day and also posting to the blog site. 4. 30-minute recharge. 5. 50 minutes songwriting/ tape-recording a video for YouTube to bring traffic to the blog site. 6. 10-minute recharge. 7. Added some emails to the newsletter sequence that automatically goes out to the followers. 8. Half an hour recharge. 9. Called ten place managers and reserved two jobs. 10. 10-minute recharge. 11. Spent 50 minutes answering e-mail and discovering brand-new music marketing tactics in my emphasis area. If you make a dedication like that day-to-day, you will find that your job enhances tenfold and then you can invest the rest of the day reading your email or discovering brand-new music marketing things if you like. The troubles can come when you use that very early ruptured of energy in the early morning to consume material, and afterward when you come down to do some actual work you neglect what you were doing and have no focus. It's really hard to begin generating great work half means via the day since your body has lacked perseverance and power. it's all about emphasis, and also you actually can achieve extra in 4 hrs than most people get performed in a whole day if you just shut down all that crap pulling you away from the task available. However, this article is so essential. A lot of times you may even locate that you read something that appears like it's most likely to transform your life, as well as you will tell on your own that you are making progress with your music occupation if you just master the info. Well. I will let you into a little key. You understand enough now to come to be a professional musician if you utilize what you recognize as well as make progression daily. All of us recognize what to do since it's not rocket science. So when should you feed your mind? Now if you have actually read to this factor, you might be believing that I'm recommending that you never make an effort to learn or intend which you are always blindly just mashing away at your keyboard.it could not be better from the fact because the mind is kind of like a vehicle  if you are going to run miles and also miles you need the right amount of fuel at the right time. As artists as well as music marketeers we require to know what others are saying so that we can form a point of view and include new ideas to our songs as well as an advertising strategy. Below is what I would certainly suggest if you have a full-time task: Discover 4 hrs a day to work on your music marketing then think of it such as this: - Hr 1 - produce web content be it music, blogs or video clips. - Hr 2 - use auto-posting sites like Sound FM, Onlywire, Social Oomph as well as Tube Magnate to push out your material quickly. - Hr 3 - Modify your new music and post and get it ready for publishing tomorrow. - Hour 4 - Refuel, utilize this moment to inspect your email, read blog posts and also make notes. Have a rest. Another integral part of this is that you require to have time daily when you entirely switch off from whatever and also do something that does not take any mind power in all. In some cases, TV or computer game can function. You will certainly not feel guilty currently since you will certainly recognize that you have done great work that day! I kept in mind when I was making my very first album I encouraged myself that if I actually wanted to make it function I need to concentrate 22 hrs a day through of the recording and also placed whatever right into making it the most effective thing we ever before did. I would certainly spend hrs as well as hours a day just paying attention to the recordings like some sort freaky Howard Hughes guy. NOT GOOD! But what I did not realize at the time was that a break could make points function far better as well as provide you an extra point of view. While on your break you are most likely to think about an incredible new guitar hook or a lyric that is most likely to resonate deeply with your fans. If I had actually simply taken a little go back, I think I would certainly have made a lot more progress and appreciated things a whole lot much more. I now take normal breaks throughout the day as well as this maintains me focused on the task at hand and my energy degrees remain high throughout the day, which is wonderful.

The music grey zone (A massive issue!). If you take anything from this article just let it be the reality that you want to avoid spending your whole life eating up all the music marketing benefits without ever making the cake. (Wow I'm churning out the allegories today like a cow makes milk!). People assume that there is some large secret to this stuff as well as if they can discover it every little thing will certainly be OK as well as the record labels will look after them ... IT  IS A MYTH! I angle' inform you the number of times I have talked with artists who groan concerning the complying with issues: - I've obtained a job, so I have no time at all to service my music career yet lots of time to play upset birds four hrs a day. - Music marketing complication if you attempt as well as do everything you will obtain nowhere, concentrate on what you understand. - I spend 3 hours a day reading every item of info and then I really feel too puzzled to do anything simply quit it, this is the bad grey area. You require to burst out of these traps now otherwise you will certainly get to completion of one more year as well as your music ambition will certainly seem even further away because you will certainly tell yourself that you are a failure. it is just one of the main factors that most individuals never make it since they never ever make a dedication to operate at it everyday doing important tasks that will have a genuine effect. Use what you learn. The primary step back for the music marketing junkie is a little of focus. If you are dealing with YouTube to bring hits to your blog site right now invest your understanding time trying to find larger and far better means to come to be the next YouTube superhero. Then when you struck the computer system next early morning use what you learn. If you follow this easy guideline, you will unexpectedly end up being far more efficient since that time you invest reviewing now has an objective. If you consume all the information like a money grubbing pig you will certainly obtain fatter and fatter as well as slower and slower until you end up being a beached whale and also will need to go for a crappy task that will certainly melt your brain. Allow me conserve your mind men. Find out once a day in a focused location and also come to be the master of it ... EASY! Last Ideas. To finish off this post I want to share my commitments for this month so you could get influenced to make a few on your own. As I said before the worst sensation on the planet is getting to the end of the year and also thinking that instead of making day-to-day progress and also accomplishing something cool you just played Call of Obligation for during and are still benefiting an employer that you would privately like to kill. - Create content that issues and also makes a difference. - Help as many individuals as feasible utilize their music talent to locate a better funner life. - Add to the Twitter and Facebook chatter as opposed to just snooping on that dude I went to senior high school with. - Blog everyday. - Post a podcast everyday. - Blog post a YouTube video everyday. - Include important comment to the music marketing neighborhood.