#I suggest shows and books and music to my family members all the time

[losttheoldone-hereweareagain]

THEY ALREADY KNOW

I will take that money now, please and thank you

If you got enough money to live happily and comfortably for the rest of your life, but everyone who saw you immediately knew what fandom you are in and understood what that means, would you take it?

[yansimstorythatiwillnotworkon]

Revamped Conversational Topics?

By no means is this a well thought-out concept, but this has been on my mind for a long time. We all know that "Gosh, (name), I just love (subject)! What about you?" is NOT a very human or enjoyable conversation to have. Of course, I expected this to be edited in the future, so I can't say the dialogue is really my problem.

More underneath the cut. As well as a picture to show an example.

I think my problem arises more in the topics of conversation themselves. I personally think they're too vague. For instance, if I were to ask someone if they liked "Drama", it's probably not likely that they'd think the drama club, even in the Akademi atmosphere. They could think of films or news.

The same goes for cooking. If a student dislikes "Cooking" does that mean that they dislike cooking themselves? Do they dislike being cooked for? Do they not like the food they have at home? The club or club members?

Of course, I don't think that we should be scrolling through an irritatingly long list of options to talk about, but if that were some form of an option, I think that doing so in a "Sims" manner would help with that. If YanDev were to add tons of options, it should be organized with genres and sub-genres.

To continue on that subject, I'll put down idea I had for a full list of "conversation topics".

The subjects of:

The Cooking Club, Cooking, The Drama Club, Acting, The Occult Club, The Supernatural, The Art Club, Arts and Crafts, The Light Music Club, Music, The Martial Arts Club, Combat, The Gaming Club, Video Games, The Photography Club, Photography, The Science Club, Science, The Gardening Club, Gardening, The Sports Club and Sports

Could all be in a "Club" Category. Even in that there could be options like "thoughts on a new club" or "specific members" or something of the sort. Personas and reputation could also play into what sort of response you get from your peers.

Furthermore, the subjects of:

Biology, Chemistry, Literature, Physical Education, Psychology, Computer Science and History

Could be in a "School" or "Studying" category. I think that this could help with extra favors or easy ways to get reputation points. Imagine learning that a student dislikes Biology because of how difficult it is for them to understand. If you have a high grade in Biology, you could 100% tutor them for a time and earn their favor. (This could also be an easier kidnapping method, I think. Although some students might reveal to the police that the missing student was last seen with YOU.)

Additionally, the subjects of:

Anime, Animals, Gossiping, Memes, Reading, Cleanliness and Social Media

Could all be in a "Hobbies" category of some sort. I specifically like the Cleanliness subject because it could contrast cleaning being seen as suspicious. Imagine walking past a student who likes Cleanliness and getting praised for being so tidy! Anyway, this is also another way that you could get close to certain students. You could send memes to some students, suggest books, maybe even by a student a small pet (although that seems like more of a stretch).

Finally, the subjects of:

Family, Justice, Money, Nature, School, Socializing, Solitude, Gifts and Dating

Could be in a "Personal" category, maybe. I imagine learning a bit about each student's family situation could help activate special tasks, and learning a student's thoughts on dating could help to unlock matchmaking options. (I personally think that matchmaking other random students could be very important for a "matchmaking ending", so that it seems less suspicious that you ONLY matchmade your rivals.)

[wordtowords]

The Politics and Such of "Wicked"

political - adj. - relating to the government of a country

For as long as I can remember, children's fare–whether it be televised cartoons like the Peanuts series or live-action films like The Parent Trap–has catered more to the parents rather than to their young offspring. Of course, when I was seven watching network TV's It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the first time along with my sister, mom, and dad, I had no idea what Sally meant when she angrily vocalized, "I want restitution!" to a stunned Linus, but it didn't much matter as the character's body language spoke volumes. Still, the word haunted me until I was old enough to look it up in Webster's. The point I am trying to make in a roundabout way is that production companies that produce family movies have adults in mind because after all, the money is coming from their pockets; and they want to be entertained as well as their kids.

This holiday season's blockbuster Wicked is no exception. While visiting family in Utah over the Thanksgiving weekend, my cousin and I made sure to cue up at 11:30 a.m. for the first showing of the film at the local cineplex, thinking there would actually be a cue. There wasn't. In fact, only about six of us adults wound up in the theater. Oddly enough, there wasn't a single person under fifty in the house. Hmm. Perhaps the green of the Wicked Witch of the West or her prior reputation in the original version of Gregory Maguire's classic The Wizard of Oz kept the sensitive LDS families away, or perhaps they read enough about it to feel as though it was more of a PG-13 offering rather than a PG. They were right to veer on the side of caution. Although much of the suggestive content flies as high out of the range of juvenile comprehension as Wicked Witch Elphaba herself does on her broom at the close of the film, Wicked may not be designed for kids due to its political innuendoes. 

My daughter, a highly educated Millennial, was lucky enough to see the original Broadway show about seven times. The upbeat musical numbers and romantic subplot hooked her and multitudes of other fans. Throughout the years, though, due to her obsession, she managed to read the book on which the stage musical and film were based and began to understand the primary theme, which she recently texted to me as "the vilification of marginalized groups to maintain corrupt power structures." I kept thinking that by releasing the film just before the onset of Trump's presidency, Universal Pictures might be issuing a subtle forewarning to our mature society members who voted for him. During his first term, wasn't he the one responsible for locking immigrant children in cages at the Mexican border? Likewise in Wicked, the replacement professor for Doctor Dillamond, a literal old goat who is forced out of his position teaching history at fictitious Shiz University, displays a caged leopard cub, signifying to the class what the Wizard wants to do to the animals that have the ability to express themselves via language. Yikes. Albeit not exact, this is a clear parallel. Like it or not, Hollywood is expressing an opinion here, an opinion that isn't meant for youngsters to contemplate.  

Some of you are probably wondering whether or not I liked the movie. I did, but not for political reasons as I really deplore politics. Although I am in my late sixties, young matinee idols like Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey who gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the romantic leading man Fiyero in the film, can still melt me sans any splash of water to the face. Despite being gay (and aren't the truly gorgeous guys always gay?) in real life, Jon is welcome to play the leading man in my dreams any time. 

Which brings me to something significant: the reason why we go to the movies. Most of us go to escape the drabness of reality that has grown sepia with familiarity. The emerald green of Wicked's Emerald City and Elphaba's visageshine vibrantly mainly because of talent. And green is the color of spring, of eternal youth, something we all would like to hold on to indefinitely. So grab a grandchild, daughter, son, or neighbor's teen and see Wicked if only to defy gravity for two hours and forty minutes. Mourn or don't mourn the wicked, your choice. (As a postscript: Another slightly less controversial theme that the movie implies is that there is no such concept as evil since the wicked are merely misunderstood. Politically speaking, we'll see about that :). )

#word-to-words, #slice-of-life,  #blog, #blogging, #editorial, #reading, #vocabulary, #ReadersMagnet, #spilled thoughts, #personal-essay, #writing community, #writing, #truth, #society, #good advice, #Wicked #film-review #gwyn-english-nielsen

[urrockstar-xe]

family scrapbooks - s.h x platonic!gn!reader

posted dec, 1st 2023 8:00 am

i hope you guys enjoy, thanks for bein here :)

summary: Steve has a family, even if he doesn't realize it. Reader does. use of Y/n and mention of loads of family members, i also totally played into "the steve's neglected" headcanon.

masterlist

wordcount: 1k

“You ready to face the music?” You asked, smiling in the direction of one of your close friends from the passenger seat in his car. “Oh god,” Steve groaned, putting his hands over his face while he threw his head back against his headrest, you couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatic actions.

“Y/n/n are you really laughing right now? I’m meeting your family, and it's Thanksgiving and you’re laughing???” Though as Steve spoke he couldn’t help it when a smile hit his face, a few chuckles escaping as you both sat in his car. 

A few more rounds of giggles rang through the vehicle before you both took a few breaths and looked back at each other, fighting off another fit of laughs before you spoke up. “Okay, I can practically hear my grandmother complaining about how her turkey is coming out, we should go in” 

Steve’s smile matched yours as he nodded, opening his door, his action mirrored by you as you got out of the car, leading him up to the front door of your uncle’s house and letting yourselves in.

Now of course it wasn’t much, not big and fancy like Steve’s was but all he could focus on was the laughter and talking coming from your extended family and the soft music playing from the radio.

Steve had never experienced something so cozy before and he could tell you noticed the way he tensed up, but before you could ask anything about it your mother distracted your thoughts. “Y/n, honey! Don’t you look darling! Steve, dear, always a pleasure” She smiled at Steve, her hand resting on your shoulder in greeting. Steve smiled back, “The pleasure’s all mine, Mrs. Y/l/n” 

And it was then that the meeting parade began, you set your hand on Steve’s shoulder in an attempt to keep him grounded. The day went on and as it did you noticed Steve loosen up, get more comfortable around your family, how his hands weren’t nervously in his jean pockets when he’d talk to your aunts and how he’d laugh with your uncles while passing food around the table, even playing a few boardgames with you and your little cousins to keep them distracted while your grandma set up dessert with your mom and aunts.

But as the sun disappeared, replaced by the moon and your family started to disperse into cars, leaving just a few of you around, you had lost your holiday buddy. 

After looking around the house you found him on the back porch with your grandmother, seated on your aunt Sue’s beloved old bench as she showed off one of your numerous family photo books. Steve almost didn’t notice when you sat down next to him, “Grandma sucked you into the scrapbooks huh?” You joked, earning a laugh from the older woman and a quiet scoff mixed with a laugh from Steve. 

“This is so cool, I don’t have any of these.” Steve was too sucked into the pictures of little you to see the shocked look you and your grandmother exchanged at his confession. “Not even a baby book?” You asked, Steve looked a little confused by the question though, shrugging as if he hadn’t even known what that was.

And then you got it

the best christmas present idea ever.

While your mind raced with thoughts you decided to join in on the conversations about the pictures, and the stories behind them. Neither of you really shocked at how your grandfather suggested Steve come to spend Christmas at your grandparents' house, which he happily agreed to.

So finally, after the last few ”he’s so sweet” and ”can’t wait to see you this Christmas, Steve” from your remaining family, you both headed off, going back to Steve’s to spend the rest of your night eating ice cream and watching whatever Christmas cartoon was on.

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was spent mostly with Dustin and Robin, both having been dragged into operation; scrapbook. 

By the time you were done, it was the morning of Christmas Eve. The past 3 years' worth of pictures with the kids and Steve, corny messages about the memories, and cute stickers alongside mindless doodles from Robin whenever she got bored, satisfied the three of you.

And so you wrapped it with your best paper, and under the tree it went, actually, it sat on your desk, until Steve came around on Christmas morning to pick you up.

All the presents you had gathered for your family were sitting in Steve’s backseat, he tried not to notice how you carefully held one box in particular in your lap.

Steve finally pulled up by your Grandparents’ house, immediately greeted by you turning your entire body to face him, impatient and giddy about the present. Steve laughed, mirroring your actions and finally asking, “So, what's with the box?” 

You had to fight the urge to laugh at how the bells on his ugly Christmas sweater jingled. “It’s Christmas” You responded, earning a head shake in response. “Yes, Merry Christmas, Y/n/n” He smiled. 

“Merry Christmas, Steve” You smiled back, pushing the box from your lap to his, Steve hesitated before carefully unwrapping the box and pulling the top off.

As the cover of the scrapbook came into his field of vision he stopped, holding the lid in his hands as he stared down at the carefully written ”Steve’s family Scrapbook” 

“Y/n-” “Open it up!” You laughed, eagerly, clapping soft and fast as he scoffed in lighthearted disbelief, taking it out of the box and not having much of a say in how you quickly took the box back, giving him more room for the book. 

He took a breath as he opened it, greeted immediately by pictures of him and Dustin, one of him Max and Lucas, and another of you and Robin that he had taken himself on your Polaroid camera. 

You watched as he flipped through the book, smiling at how in awh he was. 

“This is… this is really great, Y/n, wow” You shrugged in response, laughing when he pulled you into an awkward car hug. 

“Robin and Dustin helped,” “I know, I can tell by the handwriting and the drawings,” he laughed.

“Merry Christmas Steve” You repeated your words from a few moments earlier, happily catching how he flipped through the pages numerous times. 

Steve looked back at you, a more calm and genuine smile on his face. 

“Merry Christmas”

[twice-inamillion]

A Moment With Family

Fluff and smut

(TIS 84 - 89 )

Chapter 84:

As you walk in with Jisoo on your chest (she is in a baby carrier), you see Twice laughing and enjoying themselves like in the old days. You pull out your phone and take a video and a couple of shots of them for the memories. You stop and realize that after all these changes in their lives, they are still together like sisters. You see Jihyo in the middle of the group being competitive like always, with Nayeon, Sana bothering Dahyun and trying to kiss her, and Chaeyoung clinging to mina like always. You try to walk in without disturbing them, but Jisoo sees her mommy and wants to get picked up by her. Jihyo stands up, rushes to Jisoo, and asks how the little date with Jisoo went. You all walk to the living room where the group is and tell them what you did.

You share the video from your phone to the large tv and show them the video of the teen dancers having fun dancing to Twice songs. They complement them in their dancing and wish they could all be on stage once again. Momo jokes and says, "maybe we should do a v live and introduce them to the 10th member of Twice (Jisoo)," and all of them laugh. Mina then says, "or maybe we can tell them that we are going to have two new members coming soon," while mina shows her gummy smile. Dahyun tries to say something while trying to get their attention but decides on to say anything. You then remember that you forgot to bring in a late-night treat for them when you were in the city. Momo's ears perk, and she asks you what you brought; you say chicken, and she asks you for the keys to your car. She runs to your car and brings the two large bags of fried chicken in while Chaeyoung brings out the soju and beers from the fridge. Jihyo tries to grab a beer for herself, but Jeongyeon smacks her hand and says, "you want Jisoo to get drunk too?" You see a disappointed face on Jihyo since she is known to best the best drinker out of twice. Mina stands up and walks to the fridge to get some juice instead; she asks who would like some, and both Jihyo and Dahyun raise their hand. Mina brings a pack of juices from the fridge and sets them on the table.

“I'll chuckle at Jeongyeon slapping away Jihyo’s hand from the beer. I'll try to sit next to Dahyun, and whisper "I haven't forgotten" into her ear. I'll relax and enjoy the time I can spend with them all. It'll be the last time for a while so I should make the most of it.”

Chapter 85:

Everyone is laughing at Jihyo after Jeongyeon smacks her hand for trying to get beer even though she is breastfeeding Jisoo. Jihyo says how much she misses drinking with Twice. You grab some items from the kitchen and sit next to Dahyun. You pass her some chocolate milk and whisper to her, "I haven't forgotten," and she blushes. The night goes by some of the twice members get drunk. Jeongyeon helps Jihyo carry baby Jisoo to their room after she notices thatJjisoo is getting irritated because she is sleepy. Dahyun also leaves with Sana, and you help Mina back. The rest of the girls clean up and set their sleeping areas in the living room. As you assist Mina, she asks if you could spend the night with her cuddling. You agree and get ready to spend the night.

“While cuddling Mina I start talking about our babies. Imagining what they'll be like, and saying how happy I am to be with her. I also say we should start thinking about some baby names and ask her is she has any in mind.”

Chapter 86:

As you enter Mina's room, you see that she has rearranged her room. She placed a shelf dedicated to the babies. She looks at her latest ultrasound. She has bought some gender-neutral clothes, baby books, and even headphones to put on her belly so they can listen to music. She then asks you some names for the twin girls. She gives you names like Hana, Hina, and Haru but has yet to be entirely sure of them. She asks you for your opinion.

“I tell her that those are wonderful names, I'll give her my own suggestions so we can talk about it before bed. I'd also start telling her that she's going to be a great mother.”

Chapter 87:

You compliment the names she gave you. You gave her some suggestions, and she likes some of the names you gave her. She says that she is just started looking through the name book, and she will take the two months you are gone to make her list. She goes to the closet and gets ready for bed. She comes out in a semi-transparent gown that makes her look beautiful. Due to her pregnancy, her boobs and butt have gotten bigger; her belly makes her look cute and petite. You compliment her beauty, and she gets embarrassed. She confesses that she would like to have sex with you but is too afraid that anything would hurt the babies. She looks at the ultrasound, thinking about her third child who couldn't make it. You hug her and tell her that everything will be okay and that she will be a great mother. You both go to bed, and she asks you to hold her until she falls asleep.

“I'll stroke her hair until she falls asleep. I'll look around the room at all the changes Mina made. She's put a lot of effort into redecorating, and I know that she'll put tons more effort into raising the children. Drifting off to sleep I'm glad I'll be around for their births.”

Chapter 88:

You stroke her hair until she falls asleep. See the room for all the changes Mina made. She's put a lot of effort into redecorating, and you know that she'll put tons more effort into raising the children. You think to yourself how lucky you were to have a girl like Mina in your life. The next day, you wake up to see Mina doing her daily stretches and give her a good morning kiss. As you go in through the hall you hear someone singing. You stop at jihyo's room, open the door, and see her singing a lullaby to Jisoo as she holds her in her arms and looks out the window. At that moment, you are amazed at jihyo's singing power and forget that she is a singer. You sneak up to her and give her a good morning kiss. She is surprised and tells you not to scare her like that. You agree and apologize. She asks how you feel that this is your last day before you leave tomorrow morning. You tell her that you are conflicted and want to stay, but she tells you that your job is also your responsibility and to do your best. You then head to the kitchen to see Momo, Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon trying to get breakfast ready. Then say that Chaeyoung wanted to help, but she always ends up making some weird stuff, so they sent her to set up the table instead. You laugh and Chaeyoung hears what you all said about her and does her little roar. All the members eat and bid you farewell before your trip aboard.

“As I leave I ask to hold onto Jisoo one final time. Holding her tight I tell her to be a good girl for Jihyo while I'm gone, and that I'll miss her. I kiss her forehead before giving her back to Jihyo.”

Chapter 89:

You spend the afternoon moving items from your room and office to the storage outside the house. Jeongyeon asked if they could use the office as a room when you are gone, and you agreed. After moving so many items and prices of furniture, you are tired. You package the things you are going to take aboard and drive them to the office. You are driving late and call Jihyo that you are not going to make it for dinner, you stop at a nearby shop for some ramen. When you get home, it's already 1 am, and your flight it's at 8 am, and you can barely keep your eyes open. You shower and head to sleep.

In the middle of the night, you feel a heavy presence on top of you. You try to open your eyes but feel too heavy. You have the sensation that someone is riding you but don't know if it's a dream or real. You try to figure it out by feeling them. You are 90 percent sure that it's Jihyo. The way she rides you up and down feels just like her. You leave yourself be ridden and go with the flow. At some point, you hear the moaning, and you feel that you are about to cum. Just before cumming, you feel the warmth of her pussy leaving you, and you try to bring her back. Suddenly, her pussy slams back to your groin, and you release your cum. Satisfied, you pass out and go back to sleep.

You wake up and get ready to leave. You place your luggage in the back, and just before you leave Mina, Dahyun, and Jihyo, holding Jisoo come out. You carry Jisoo for one last time and tell her to behave for mommy. You kiss Mina and kiss her belly. You hug Dahyun and whisper in her ear, "I'll miss you," and go to Jihyo. Jihyo hugs, kiss you, and hug you. You whisper in her ear, "I enjoyed last night," walk away, get in your car, and head off. As you drive off, Jihyo asks, "what did he mean last night."

“The mystery woman strikes again. Though unaware that it wasn't Jihyo I left the house to get that 2 month trip started. I would be away from the women I considered family for far too long, I needed to get time to pass quicker so I could return to them.”

[sonsofbal]

VI. The Mist Festival pt.3

As night falls over the Mist Festival, tensions run high. Alicent, caught between loyalty and new emotions, finds herself drawn to Seth, a mysterious outsider who carries dark memories and secrets. The village’s wary eyes are fixed on them, yet Seth’s presence stirs something daring in Alicent. As they navigate glances, whispers, and shadows, a spark kindles—a delicate blend of fear and fascination. Dive into this chapter for a story of burgeoning connection, ancient legends, and a dance with destiny beneath the watchful mist.

BOOK INDEX

The atmosphere was tense even after dinner, when Jarl Idgrod stood up and promised to strengthen the defenses during the mist season. When the music began, only a handful of people were on the dance floor and Joric was the only one of the eleven who could not make his offer.

The rocks and the sides of the houses protected the tent from the cold wind, which, although diminished, still blew. After dinner, the guards moved the tables and benches aside. They improvised a small dance floor. It was traditional for the Jarl's family to open the dance, and Joric, accompanied by Idgrod, tried to make his best moves.

"Does he ever tire of drawing attention to himself?" Seth asked softly.

Alicent let out a little laugh. She was still very angry with Joric for all the things that had happened. She had the feeling that if Joric hadn't been such a child, they would have been able to make their sacrifices. Besides, it seemed very unfair to her that Seth should have to bear the mistrust of the people after all that had happened to him.

"Joric was always this way. He is a bit of a show-off. But he's not that bad, is he?”

Alicent wanted to defend him, despite her discomfort. She held out the hope that Joric would be able to overcome his jealousy in time and accept Seth as a member of the group. Seth gave a discreet smile.

"It's so good that I don't even have a word to say," he commented in a mocking tone.

Once the song ended, Joric had no time to approach their position.

"How was it, Ali? I practiced it just for tonight."

"It was amazing, Joric," Alicent replied, trying to sound honest.

Not so kind was Seth's comment.

"You could really feel the effort, couldn't you?"

Turning to face Seth, Joric turned red with anger.

"Still here, Athan? Don't you realize no one wants you here?"

Alicent was in disbelief that Joric could be so mean. She had never seen him act like that with anyone. She half opened her lips to retort, to tell Seth that this was a lie. But when she looked at him, she found his eyes on her. He smiled.

"She wants me to be here. Don't you, Ali?" he asked without a glance at Joric.

Hearing Seth call her by her nickname, Alicent's heart melted. She smiled and nodded as if automatized.

"Actually, between you and me, I'm not the one who doesn't realize that I'm not welcome here." Seth continued, sounding sharper than he used to sound.

Joric pursed his lips. Now it was he who looked at her, searching for her complicity.

"That's a lie. Tell him, Ali!"

But Alicent put a hand on the back of her neck and looked away from his gaze, not willing to answer him. Joric growled in frustration as the gesture hit him like a bucket of cold water.

"Agh! All right, if that's the way you want it, I'll be on my way."

But he did not gesture to leave until after an awkward silence, during which Alicent continued to look at Joric without doing or saying anything to stop him from doing so.

Once they were alone, Seth sighed after a look around the room.

"Perhaps Joric is right. Neighbors look at me like I'm killing their chickens or worse..." Seth protested and let his eyes drop to the ground.

Alicent pouted and took hold of his hand.

"Then let's go somewhere where they can't look at us," she suggested, determined to keep him from feeling that way.

Hearing this, Seth's eyes lit up and he squeezed her hand.

Before long, they were sitting on a log on the ground, a wise distance from the rest of the humans. The wind swayed their clothes in the starlight, enveloping them in an atmosphere that seemed impossible to escape.

"So tell me," Seth asked after he had taken a bite out of his sweet roll. "Have you always lived in Morthal?"

"Since I was born." Alicent nodded. "I've always wanted to get out of here, though, at least to travel. But I can't leave Mom alone with the Hut."

"I know what you mean. If it weren't for my siblings, the same thing would happen to me with my mother."

"You got siblings?" Alicent asked in surprise.

"Three, two elders and a little sister," he replied, lowering his eyes to the remaining sweet roll. Seth played with it between his fingers and gave it a full turn. "You can't imagine what it's like living with so many people."

Alicent thought about what he had said. Having a big family, what it must be like. Idgrod having Joric had always made her jealous. She wondered why Seth would have left his family behind.

"Seth..." she hesitated. He looked at her with curiosity, "Why are you so far away from them?"

Seth's eyes darkened. Alice's stomach tightened at the realization.

"My mother started a new business in Solitude after what happened in Markarth. And it's doing quite well, but my family's mines have been unattended for years, and it's rumored that other clan heirs want to take them over. So my decision was to come here and learn the trade. It was hard for me to leave my family, but I had to do it. Somebody had to do it," he said.

"Whoa..." Alicent whispered, looking at him awed. "That's amazing... You're amazing. But..." She trailed off, sounding confused. Seth's gaze intensified, prompting her to continue: "May I ask what happened in Markarth?"

Seth's expression was one of surprise and also a little regret, as if that detail had slipped out unintentionally. Alicent felt guilty for asking, imagining that it must have been difficult for him.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she whispered in haste.

"No, it's fine. Well..." Seth started, hesitating. "There was an altercation in which my father died along with other nobles. They were killed in retaliation." He explained. Alice was horrified. "After that, the ones who did it threatened to kill the rest of us as well. My mother, my brothers, and myself. My mother was still stained with the blood of my father when we sneaked out of the city in the middle of the night. I was only a child, but I have vivid memories, as if it were only a short time ago.”

Still in shock from what she had just heard, Alicent straddled the log so that she was facing him. Seth, dejected, had his eyes on his hand.

"Why would anyone want to do such a terrible thing?" she asked.

Seth shrugged.

"Political. Since that damned day, Markarth has become an increasingly dangerous place."  

Alicent hurried to put her hand on his lap.

"So sorry, Seth. I also lost my father, and... I know it's not comparable." She quickly cut herself off and looked at him apologetically. "But... I mean... I understand how you feel.

Seth stared at her for a couple of seconds before he smiled just a little bit, just lifting one corner of his lips.

"You know what?" Seth looked down at the floor, his tone barely a whisper. "Sometimes all I want to do is live a life that he could be proud of."

Alicent looked at him and was moved. She was able to put herself in his place, to feel his sadness as if it were her own. She had to swallow her spittle to keep her voice from tearing up. She sat down again, closer to him this time, like a decent person, as her mother would say.

"I hope you can, Seth. Here, among us."

The two shared a look like no other they had exchanged all night. They lost themselves in each other with the music playing in the background and their hands still clasped together. The silence lingered, not awkward, but natural. Somehow their bodies communicated with each other. Alicent didn't know how long she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt his comforting warmth and Seth's pleasant nuzzling of her hand.

Suddenly, she was jolted out of her daze by her mother's voice.

"Alicent, darling, it's time to go home," she announced. Alicent opened her mouth to protest, but Lami did not allow her to speak at all. "It's too late," Lami said, lovingly but firmly.

Alicent sighed, glanced at Seth before turning back to her mother with a pout in her eyes.

"Do you mind if I say goodbye to Seth?" she asked.

Lami looked up at Seth, who released her hand to stand. He spoke respectfully to Lami.

"Mrs. Baskerville, if I may, would you allow me to escort your daughter home?" Lami's face darkened, but Seth anticipated the refusal. "My horse is near the hut, and as you said, it is late. I think I should get back to Stonehills."

For Alicent, Seth's proposal was a chance for an extension of that magical night. During the time she had been in his company, she had managed to escape the worry that she had not made the offer.

"Please, Mother," she pleaded, keeping her pout on and lowering her voice, "so that you can enjoy the last dance," she suggested, glancing in the direction of the tent from where Thonir was watching them.

Lami followed her gaze with hesitation. Seth smiled with an expression on his face that left no doubt as to his good intentions.

"I promise you. I will not leave her until she is safely home."

Lami sighed in resignation and looked back toward the tent. Alicent knew she was persuaded.

"All right. I'm going to let you go. But don't delay too long. And Seth," she began hesitantly. "You haven't made your offerings, and the road to Stonehills is dangerous at this hour. Maybe you're not used to our customs, but you should stay at the inn for tonight".

"It was on my mind, but Sorli and Parctur are already on their way and promised to wait for my return. But I appreciate the concern, Ma’am. It comforts me to know that someone cares about me in a good way after what happened tonight.

"Call me Lami, boy. And give them time, they'll get over it eventually."

They both smiled. Lami said goodbye to Alicent by hugging her, which she returned.

"Thanks, Mom," she whispered.

A few minutes later, the two of them left the tent behind. As they made their way toward Alicent's house, Seth's gaze was suddenly worried.

"Alicent, what happened to your father?" he asked carefully.

Alicent paused for a second, which brought Seth to a halt as well. She looked down at her hands and clasped them nervously before she looked back at Seth and smiled sadly at him.

"My mother doesn't talk about him very much. She told me he had to leave when I was little."

"May I ask why?"

She didn't know what to say to that, but then Seth's hand wrapped around her and their fingers intertwined. It was freezing, but a warm ripple shook Alicent's body, swirling in her cheeks.

They resumed their march, Seth tugging gently on her hand.

"She never told me about it. I told you, she doesn't like to talk about it," Alicent replied whispering, not quite believing that she was really walking around with a boy holding her hand. And even less that this boy was Seth Athan, no matter how depressing the subject of their conversation might have been.

"And do you know anything at all other than what your mother has told you?"

"The people... The village people," she repeated, trying to sound confident. They say it was because he didn't make his offerings," Seth realized that there was fear in her voice, so he squeezed her hand gently. “From what I've heard, father and mother had a fight at the festival, and father left while Falion was still blessing the fire. A couple of days later, he was gone."

"And that's all?" Seth asked in disbelief, "Did you check it out with Falion? I couldn't live with doubting that..."

Alicent paused. She took a breath and tried to reassure herself before answering.

"You heard it at the ceremony." As they walked on, she looked ahead. They walked more slowly the closer they got to the Thaumaturgist's Hut. "We make the offering for something, and my father didn't make it. That's why he went missing. Or... worse."

Seth grimaced. Alicent swallowed, struggling to keep her composure. Silence, broken only by the distant bustle of the village, fell between them. Alicent looked at Seth, her eyes filled with tears.

"I...didn't make my offerings today," she sobbed. "What if I...?" Her voice trailed off in the middle of the question. She sniffed before another attempt, "What if I end up like him, Seth?"

Seth stopped and let go of her. He looked at her silently and Alicent hugged herself in embarrassment. Then, looking directly into her eyes, he reached up and cupped her face. Ali felt his thumbs caressing her cheeks, wiping away the tears she cried.

"Now you listen to me, Ali. I will not allow anything bad to happen to you as long as you are with me. And I am here, with you, and I am going to protect you from whatever it takes. Believe me."

They both stood a moment. Seth did not relax until Alicent gave him a shy nod. He mimicked her, agreeing, and kept walking. Alicent didn't take too long to follow him, hurrying along. Seth was tall, and one step from him was like two from her.

"Tell me, Ali, what do you know about Molag Bal?" Seth said when they had walked for a while.

"Why are you asking me that?" she asked, confused.

"It's just that... It struck me as odd that it was mentioned in the local legends. Hearing Daedric myths outside the Reach is strange.

"Ah," she hesitated, reluctant to admit that she had little knowledge of the subject. There was a slight slump in her shoulders at the thought of Idgrod, who would surely have something of interest to say if she were there. "I only know what the legends say," she confessed, "that he's a terrible demon."

"Terrible demon?" Seth asked in disbelief. They exchanged a look, Seth looking offended; Alice didn't understand why. "He's more than a frightening demon, Alicent. He's a Daedra. One of the Daedric Princes," he clarified. A shiver ran through her body. "But," Seth added, changing his tone to a more friendly one, "I was more interested in whether you had heard of anything connecting him to this place.

Alicent wrung her hands, nervous and uncomfortable, sure Seth thought she was a bit of a fool.

"I only know what you have heard. That vampires and necromancy were born here, and that's why there are always attempts to conquer Hjaalmarch for him," she admitted. "I had no idea it was so dangerous..."

Seth looked at her for a long time. Then he sighed and looked forward again. They had stopped walking once more.

"Molag Bal is the Daedra of domination and enslavement...and other things," Seth explained, the last words mysterious in his voice. His speech on the subject was passionate. His apparent interest in mythology intrigued Alicent. "He has a taste for the taking of slaves and the consumption of their souls. You didn't know that either. Did you?"

There was a twinkle in his eyes. He seemed to be holding back a laugh, but it made no sense.

"No..." Alicent whispered. "But... what does he want them for? What does he want it for?"

"According to legend, Molag Bal is trying to build his own empire in Coldharbour, his realm in Oblivion. You also have no idea what Oblivion is, do you?”

Alicent denied.

"It is the dimension where the Daedric lords have their realms. It is where the souls taken from this world go. Where the souls taken in the name of Molag Bal go. There, they are exposed to him and forced to work tirelessly. But if he likes a soul, something worse than eternal toil awaits," Seth said with an emotion that sent another shiver down Alicent's spine.

Idgrod crossed her mind again. Would she talk to Seth as enthusiastically as he sounded if she were there? Alicent could tell that he was waiting for her to say something.

"What does it do to them?" she had the nerve to ask. She would rather not know, but she didn't want Seth to have the impression that she wasn't interested in what she had to say.

"Things that would scare you," Seth replied, looking direct and speaking soft but firm. "Things that would make you wish that you had never been born at all. The cruelty of Molag Bal knows no bounds."

Filled with fear, Alicent involuntarily hugged herself again. She was terrified by the implications of Seth's words. Fearing not only for her own soul but also for her father's soul and what he might have suffered, she burst into tears.

Seth had a frown on his face, as if he did not understand why she had such a reaction. He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Too scared to be ashamed of filling her chest with tears, Alicent clung to him, sobbing.

He bent his head over hers and whispered in her ear without letting go.

"Shh...I've already told you I'll protect you. Nothing will happen to you as long as you're with me. Or don't you trust me?"

The rest of the way back to the Thaumaturgist's Hut was much quieter. The waters of the Hjaal River reflected the northern lights, and the cool night air made the memory of Seth's revelations seem even more distant.

The conversation became lighter. They talked briefly about Skyrim and the cities that Seth had visited and that Alicent wanted to see one day. At this point, Seth opened up a bit more. He even share some of his little sister Eve's anecdotes and antics, which seemed to drive all of his brothers and even his mother crazy.

Finally they stopped in front of the Hut. The two teenagers stood facing the entrance, feeling the charged atmosphere.

"Did you have... Did you have fun?" Alicent asked, a hint of fear reflected in her bright eyes.

She knew the answer without needing to be told. There was no way he could be having fun when she spent most of her time afraid, or worse, crying. But as usual, Seth took her by surprise.

"I really like you, Alicent," he confessed. There was a pause before he spoke again, his tone darker. "Just the thought of someone else being with you like I was tonight...makes my stomach churn."

After a brief pause, during which Alicent had no idea what to do but look at him, Seth let out a sigh of acceptance, as if that was the reaction he was expecting. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Then, in an unexpected move, he left a second kiss, this time on the corner of her mouth.

"See you, Ali. I wish you a good night."

When Seth turned and started walking away, Alicent was still dazed. It felt like everything around her had vanished. Her heart continued to beat at a rapid pace for quite some time, even after she was no longer able to see him. A whirlwind of emotions anchored her to the landing and prevented any movement from her there. It was a certainty, a conviction that filled her completely: If she never saw Seth again, her heart would break into a thousand pieces.

[autumnalwalker]

Find the word tag

Thank you for the tag, @oh-no-another-idea.

My words to find are much, music, make, &most

Passing the tag to @druidx, @the-real-lyra-vale, @toribookworm22, @writernopal, and the usual open tag for anyone else reading this.

Your words shall be duck, connection, recommendation, & wake.

Much: A Dream About Ducks

I don’t actually even like ducks all that much.  But she did, so I kept buying them.  It was worth it just to see the look on her face every time and to hear her voice as she gushed over them. 

So now I live in a house filled with ducks.  Figurines, paintings, photos, plushes, lamps.  One of the bathrooms is even wallpapered with a duck pattern.  In retrospect, I suppose it’s odd that I kept them all for myself instead of giving them as gifts to her.  Maybe I just wanted an excuse to keep inviting her back over.  Not that she ever needed an excuse to get me to visit her. 

I’m not sure why we just kept living as next door neighbors instead of ever moving in together. Heaven knows that we spent enough time and nights in one another’s homes that we might as well have.  Maybe it’s for the same reason we never got married?  By the time it was legal for us to, we were so old and set in our ways that it didn’t seem worth the trouble.  We knew who we were and what we meant to each other long before we had the state’s approval, so what did we need it for now?

I wish we had.

Too late now.

Did she even like ducks?

Or did she just like me trying to show off for her?

Did she think I was the duck-obsessed weirdo in the relationship and found that cute?

I should have asked her.

Music: A Dream About Connection

I’m at a club/bar with dim green lighting.  

The music is chill and smooth.  Somewhere between lo-fi and jazz.  

There’s a section roped off for fight tournaments.  All the contestants have cyborg prosthetics of some manner.  It’s a requirement for entry.  Everyone’s chill about it all, even while fighting.  

I’m sitting in a chair waiting for my bout to come up.  I’m a woman with a white shirt and black hair pulled back in a ponytail.  

My legs walk off without me while I’m not paying attention.  That happens sometimes.  It’s annoying.  

Right after I realize my legs are missing I’m called for my bout.  No time to go looking for them.  Screw it, I’ll fight without them.  

Make: A Dream About Book Recommendations

I am walking through a sprawling mansion in the early 1800s.  I’m an old friend of the family that lives here and a welcome guest, albeit one with a penchant for going unnoticed.  Well “old friend” is perhaps not entirely accurate given my physical age, but time travel makes things complicated. 

It’s a large extended family that lives here. Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins.  There’s some gossip going on about one particular branch of the family being unfit to handle the family business and finances anymore. Some of the family members are time travelers like myself; able to spontaneously will themselves into different eras, although the particular date, or even year is not exact. Those that are keep it a secret from the family members who are not. Or at least they all keep up the pretense. 

I wander into the mansion’s library and find a young woman going through different books, trying to decide what to read next.  I fancy her somewhat and am about to make small talk with her by way of suggesting Frankenstein - a contemporary work that seems to be something she’d be interested in - but stop myself because I realize I might be a year or two early for that. 

Most: A Dream About Waking And Sleeping

I awake in a stone coffin.  Or would “sarcophagus” be more accurate?

I slide the lid aside and find myself in a crypt with other such vessels of entombment.  None of them stir. 

I do not recognize this place. 

In a daze, I explore, soon finding stairs going up. The crypt is beneath a church, or at least something resembling one. The roof has fallen in in most places, allowing snow to cover the floor.  

It’s beautiful. 

[a1asta1r]

I GET TO TALK ABOUT HIM LETS GO!

I pretty much had to make a Soc OC for the production I’m in cuz I’m part of the Soc ensemble lol. I can’t draw so there’s no art of him so </33

Ps: if I talk about character dynamics, like Daniel with Paul or Dally, it’s entirely based off how the actors in my play interpret the characters & how we interact in the play! Not entirely based off the book or musical at anything

My boy Daniel <33, some people call him Danny but he really only lets Chuck (who’s also part of the Soc ensemble in my show, played by my best friend) call him that without putting up a fight.

Born & raised as a Soc in Tulsa, he is 17 years old & a senior at school. Both of his older brothers went to Ivy League schools. One is currently at Harvard for law, the other graduated from Cornell for engineering. He’s expected to also go to an Ivy League school, but he doesn’t really want too. Although he’s good at school, he doesn’t like at and doesn’t want to continue.

Because of his extreme anger issues, he was sent to the school counselor who suggested he get a journal to vent in. That journal is abandoned on his desk, the only thing written in it is how dumb the idea was.

He honestly doesn’t like Bob or Randy, he just hangs out with them because of Chuck, who’s his best friend, and Paul, who he’s not as close with but is still one of his closest friends. The three of them kind of have their own group within the bigger group. Daniel is indifferent on the others in the group.

Daniel is borderline jealous of the greasers and their relationships with each other, though he’d rather die than admit that to anyone (except for the one time he drunkenly admitted it to Chuck, but they haven’t mentioned it since) he doesn’t have the best relationship with his family and he only has two real friends, so seeing all the greasers have this found familt and everything, he can only wish to have something like that.

He fights because of insecurities. Part of it is the jealousy he feels talked about above, but also he feels the need to prove he can be just as intimidating as people like Bob or Paul. He is the shortest of the group, & with the fact he has a very androgynous look, he feels like he needs to prove he’s just as much of a man as the rest. (This is what happens when a trans guy plays a rich 60s dude </33)

Absolutely hates cutting his hair, he thinks he looks better with long hair but once every few months he cuts it because of both his insecurities and comments from other socs. While it’s long he usually puts it up anyways.

He’s gay and knows it, he just refuses to acknowledge it and hates himself for it. Paul was actually his gay awakening in his freshman year, but that went away quickly.

Actively has a crush on Dallas, but is trying to avoid it as much as he can. He works at the nightly double at the concession stand and one night Dally started bugging him. He was trying to get Daniel to sell him the snacks for free, and part of his plan to convince him was flirting. While he was annoyed at it, Daniel couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Dally after that.

Jealous of all the relationships Chuck has been in and gets annoyed when he brags about it, saying he’s been single his entire life b/c of the gay thing

Was one of the Socs that went to Dally in the hospital and taunted him about missing the rumble

Actually fought Dally a little during the rumble. He got Dally to run from him by Biting his ear. Daniel still doesn’t know entirely why he chose to do that, but Dally was choking him and he needed a way to get him off.

(Off topic but my productions rumble is SO COOL I’m gonna miss it when it’s over)

There’s probably more about Daniel I could talk about but I think I’ve tapped enough. I’m thinking of actually writing a little smth about him finding our Dally died but idk yet.

I could post a photo of my costume during the show and give you an idea of what Daniel should look like, but since all my photos have other cast members in it take a picrew instead lol

(His shirt is blue but that wasn’t an option on the picrew lol)

Starting a reblog game: RB w/ your own outsiders OC!

if enough folks do, I’ll draw them together or something lol, it’ll be fun!

So these are blatant self inserts for my sister and me

(Info & backstories under the cut because I’ve put waaaay too much thought into this)

and again, pls do reblog/tag me w/ your own Outsiders original/self insert characters! (Drawings and/or written descriptions!) Making OCs was one of my favorite things to do as a kid, so I figured it’d be fun to bring it back here lol

(And to reiterate- if enough of ya’ll do this I’ll draw ‘em all together like a greaser-sona gang! So don’t be shy ok??)

-got sent to Tulsa from Seattle in 1961 at ages 13 and 11 to live with their mildly neglectful uncle, due to their mother getting cancer and being unable to properly care for them. Their father was lost at sea when they were little, so they had no one else to go to.

-in Tulsa they go by their mother’s surname, Biondi, instead of their father’s, because interracial marriage isn’t legalized in Oklahoma until ‘67. They try to pass as just Italian. This works better for Naomi, who takes more after their mother than their father in looks.

-Naomi is good friends w/ Ponyboy- she relates to him a lot, from the dislike of fighting to the love for sunsets (legit Ponyboy reminds me of my sister so much irl) (She’s also low-key got a crush on him and Sodapop which is pretty funny)

-Jesse is closer to Two-Bit, Dally, Steve, and Soda. And he really likes fights. They’re exciting and make him feel tough. When he stops to think about it it does make him a little uneasy how much he’s grown to like them, but usually he just ignores that

-Naomi disapproves of crime. Jesse used to oppose it too, but the more time he spends without good role models and parental figures, the more his morels loosen. Tries hard to be a good example for Naomi though

-Jesse met the gang through Sodapop originally- they were thirteen and some Socs were jumping Soda, and Jesse jumped in and helped him out. Soda explained to him what the deal with Socs and greasers is, because there’s no greasers up North

-Naomi met the gang separately through being classmates with Ponyboy. They were working together on a school project, one with him writing and her drawing

-So Jess and Naomi spent a solid few months hanging out with different members of the same gang, completely unaware they had the same group. They eventually end up running into each other at the Curtis house, and both are totally shocked. Two-Bit, who knew the whole time, nearly died laughing

-Naomi is friends with both Socs and greasers, because she isn’t really either- she’s financially a greaser, but she has a crazy high GPA for someone who has ADHD and dyslexia in the 60s, and besides that, she just doesn’t like what she sees as pointless rivalry

-Jess loves pointless rivalry. At least until people start getting hurt. Then he starts to get angry.

[colindotpdx]

William Andrews Clark - Father and Son

William Andrews Clark made his fortune in the Gilded Age mining copper in Montana and died with a fortune equivalent to $5 Billion today. Not Elon Musk money but enough to do mischief and in the same league as the other Robber Barons of the day like JP Morgan, Vanderbilt, or Carnegie.

His reputation was exactly what you would expect and I’ll leave it to Mark Twain to describe the man:

“He is as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag; he is a shame to the American nation, and no one has helped to send him to the Senate who did not know that his proper place was the penitentiary, …To my mind he is the most disgusting creature that the republic has produced since Tweed's time.”  

We’ve since elected many others that could easily compete for this title … but I digress.

His son, William Andrews Clark Junior, inherited a chunk of this money, never went anywhere near Montana, but dedicated his life to art and philanthropy. He was married and widowed twice but his ultimate focus was his gay lover Harrison Post. 

He built a large compound in Los Angeles and surrounded it with a high wall to to keep prying eyes away from the bacchanalia that happened at his parties and built a house across the street for Post, that is now a Zen retreat.

Clark Jr. reveled in the echoes between his life and that of Oscar Wilde and acquired probably the world’s largest collection of Wilde material - manuscripts, letters, and the only life size portrait of Wilde. The library that houses his collection was donated to the local college that became UCLA; it is still owned by them but managed by a board that still includes various Clark family members. He also endowed the creation of the LA Symphony.

The library is an astonishing love letter to Harrison Post. The foyer ceiling has allegorical depictions of wisdom, art, music, and science separated by fourteen nude men ALL with Harrison Post’s face.

...

I came across this whole story when learning about Los Angles history and reading “The Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire” by Liz Brown. Here’s a blurb for that book by someone we know

 …“Twilight Man is a peek through the keyhole of history into a scintillating, secretive demimonde filled with gilded mansions, bibliophilic lovers, hush-hush dealings, and tragic twists of fate. Liz Brown probes the previously-invisible dark matter of California mythology with a painterly eye for detail and an uncanny ability to read between the lines. This is the queer noir you didn’t know you needed.” – Claire L. Evans, author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet

We wanted to visit the library but their website seems to suggest it’s only open for academics. Undeterred, we just drove into the library grounds and wandered around with no idea of how to visit the place until I accidentally woke up the security guard asleep in her car. We started chatting and, as we appeared to know something about the place, she called a curator who agreed to show us around. 

We ended up there for almost an hour getting into every nook and cranny and fact about the place. From the nature of the collection that now includes original Shakespeare folios and papers of Newton to the bronze bookshelves built from Clark copper. The young post-doctoral curator who volunteered to show us around was filled with infectious excitement and reverence for the importance of the place. The collection has grown from 20,000 to 110,000 books since Clark’s death and built from his endowment.

I can highly recommend The Twilight Man about the intertwined lives of these two men, the social consequences of their relationship, their time, and the history of early explosion of Los Angeles importance. A fascinating story. 

I love the understatements on the plaque for the book in the library … “..Post appears to have been more than assistant librarian” and “the ceiling paintings can be interpreted as a veiled homage to Post”.  

Nothing even remotely veiled I would say.

[bubblesuga]

Mahina || Part 1

Summary: Jungkook couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something drawing him to you. Like the moon tugs at the tides, he needed to be beside you. genre: smut, fluff, angst word count: 4,626 tags: idol!au, fantasy!au

When Jungkook awoke this morning, something was... different.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the air in his room seemed to have shifted slightly. He felt lighter on his feet, a sudden bounce to his step while he pulled himself off of the bed and towards the bathroom.

He brushes his teeth as usual, carefully scrubbing his tongue and admiring his reflection in the mirror. The eyebrow piercing was a good edition, he thinks. It accentuates his high brow and sparkles underneath even the dimmest light. Spritzing himself with cologne, he opens the bathroom door just in time.

"Jungkook, I made breakfast! Hurry up!"

Smiling to himself, he trots down the stairs of the far too large penthouse he and his band mates bought a couple years ago. He doesn't mind sharing with 6 other people, though. Having grown up with no siblings, he enjoys the dynamics at play when he speaks to the members. They're all his brothers, co-workers, family... He couldn't have asked for a better turn out when it came to finding a career path.

Yoongi is standing in the kitchen when Jungkook walks in, the smell of pork and kimchi filling his nose. Thanking his hyung, he grabs a bowl and starts filling up.

"You seem happy this morning," Yoongi raises an eyebrow, "what's going on?"

"I don't know," Jungkook shrugs, "I just woke up in a really good mood. I feel like--" he takes a bit of his food, then speaks with his mouth full, "--something amazing is going to happen today."

"We just have rehearsals?" Yoongi's statement comes off as more of a question.

"Exactly." Jungkook says, continuing to munch on his food. Yoongi looks at the younger man and shakes his head, continuing to fry meat for the rest of the members.

"Hey, did Namjoon come home last night?" Seokjin asks as he walks into the kitchen. He takes a spot beside Jungkook on the counter, reaching into his bowl and grabbing a piece of pork belly. Jungkook attempts to push his hand away but Seokjin smacks it and grabs the meat anyway.

Yoongi shakes his head again, "Nah. He stayed at the studio last night, said something about a last minute inspiration."

Jungkook has noticed Namjoon's lack of attentiveness recently. It seems as though his head is always filled with potential themes and lyrics and beats, much more so than even in the early days of the band. He's curious about his inspiration as of late but Namjoon doesn't seem to want to give away his methods any time soon.

"He's been doing that a lot lately." Jungkook thinks outloud.

"More power to him," Seokjin says, "man works his ass off and it benefits all of us."

Yeah, it definitely does.

~*~*~

"5, 6, 7-"

Hoseok's counting is cut off by the music blasting again. It's the third run through of the new choreography, Jungkook is center and carefully watches the rest of his hyungs in the mirror. He moves to the left, following Hoseok's lead and smiling as he notices a mis-step on Jimin's part. Jimin throws his head back and yells, lifting his shirt up and wiping some of the sweat that's accumulated on his brow.

"It's okay, Jiminie," Hoseok sings, "this shit is hard."

Seokjin nods in agreement, "Yeah, what the hell happened to a laid back choreography for this come back?"

"It's the last one of the year. We gotta go out with a bang." Jungkook turns back to look at Namjoon, who chugs water in the corner of the room. "Speaking of big come backs, are you working on your mixtape?"

Namjoon laughs, "Nah, definitely not. I'm trying to get a couple more songs for the album."

"Don't we have like 14 tracks?" Taehyung speaks for the first time since rehearsal started.

"16 is better than 14." Namjoon smiles, listening to Hoseok as he calls everyone over again.

"One more time. 5, 6-"

It's then that the doors burst open and Hyun enters in. "And this is the rehearsal room containing the 7 men you will be photographing."

Jungkook's eyes travel to the person his manager is talking to, and he has to hold back a gasp. He feels the way his jaw drops, but he's unable to close his mouth while he looks at you. God, you're gorgeous. Your hair cascades down your back and your clothes cling to your body in all the right ways. Jungkook struggles to tear his eyes away, but once he sees your smile he realizes there's no way he can turn away. You're literally glowing, with god-like shining eyes. Who are you?

"Boys, this is _____. She's in charge of photography and will be around to film Bangtan Bombs, behind the scenes, or anything you all want filmed and made into content."

Jungkook repeats your name in his head five times. He whispers it to himself once while everyone else heads to you to shake your hand. Jungkook stands back, finally blinking his eyes.

You step forward after having shook the hands of everyone else, "And you're Jungkook," you smile again, "I like your tattoos. Glad you're finally willing to show them."

"T- tattoos..." Jungkook mutters pathetically as he takes your outstretched hand. You giggle, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

"Well, anyway. It was nice to meet you all. I'm excited to work closely with every one of you." your words are met with a chorus of 'same!' from everyone except for Jungkook.

Hyun puts a hand on your shoulder and leads you out of the room, continuing on the tour of the HYBE building. Jungkook stares after you, the doorway now long empty but he couldn't look away. You were, by far, the most beautiful woman he has ever come across. With your simple torn jeans and black t-shirt, he feels you could pull off anything you put on your body.

It's not until Yoongi speaks does Jungkook finally tear his eyes away, "Could you have been any creepier?"

"What?"

Jimin bursts into laughter, his frustration with the choreography long gone, "You were-" he takes a deep breath in between laughter, "you were staring at her like she was the last woman on the planet!"

"W- what?" Jungkook stammers.

Jimin doesn't respond, only laughing louder as he falls to the ground. Jungkook can see the hidden smirks of the rest of the members, turning his to look at everyone, "What the fuck just happened?"

"Love at first sight?" Taehyung suggests.

"More like love at first drool." Seokjin begins laughing before he even finishes his sentence, causing the rest of the members to groan at his joke.

Jungkook doesn't react to Seokjin though, as he turns to look back at the empty doorway. If love at first sight is a real thing, Jungkook just experienced it to the fullest extent.

~*~*~

Jungkook manages to continue the rest of rehearsal without a problem, except for the way his mind kept traveling back to you. Saying your name in his head again, he washes up in the gym showers. He thinks back to the way your skin seemed to be literally glowing to him, and your bright white teeth hypnotizing him.

Never in his life has he had such a short conversation with someone that had such an impact. He wants to learn everything about you, your passions, the music you like, the books you read. He hopes that you enjoy some of the same things he does, so he has an excuse to talk to you.

Though his interest in you is certainly piqued, he has to keep in mind that you are, essentially, his employee, and fantasizing about your employee is more than inappropriate.

Fantasizing might not be the right word, but he can't help and imagine conversations between the two of you. Your voice is so pretty, it's light but carries through the room. You make sure your presence is known, though with the way you shine you didn't have to try hard. He smiles to himself, closing his eyes and rinsing off the conditioner from hair. Then, he wonders what your hair looks like when it's wet.

Okay, Jungkook. That's enough.

He shakes the water off his head and wraps a towel around his body. Exiting the shower, he realizes he forgot his bag in the dance room and sighs. Checking the time on his phone, he realizes that it's after 9 pm. The odds of anyone other than the members being here is pretty slim so he can just walk his way to the rehearsal room and change in there, right?

Right.

Tightening the towel around his waist, he walks out of the gym bathroom and strolls down the hall. He scrolls through his phone while he walks, rounding the corner and hearing your voice.

"Thank you, Mr. Lee. I'm very excited to properly start tomorrow."

"We're excited to have you," Jungkook peeks his head around the corner and watches Hyun bow to you, "your work is incredible and I know Taehyung in particular loves your shooting style."

What? Taehyung knows her? Jungkook must have missed that earlier when he couldn't stop staring at you.

"Yeah! It still blows my mind that one of the bangtan boys followed my work," you let out a small, somewhat embarrassed giggle, "thank god for Instagram."

You and Hyun share a laugh, followed by a goodbye. Jungkook gasps as he sees you turn in his direction, rushing to a small doorway and pushing himself up against the wall. You can't see him like this, not already. He's nearly naked and he knows this towel isn't big enough to cover himself as well as he should in front of a stranger, so he holds his breath as your foot steps become closer... and closer... and-

"Hey Jungkook."

Fuck.

Jungkook exhales a breath and moves to tighten the towel around his waist even more. You're eyes are not scanning his body like he thought you would be. Of course, Jungkook knows that sounds cocky of him to say but he can't help but assume that that would be the outcome of this situation. Either way, his face still burns when your eyes meet his. Those gorgeous, glowing eyes.

"Were ya hiding?" you laugh, tilting your head to the side, and Jungkook realizes that he's still pressed up against the wall.

"I- I, uh-" come on Jungkook, get it together, "Sorry. I didn't want you to see me naked."

"Oh please. When humans are naked, they're at their purest forms. It's natural, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." you smile brightly, moving a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

Jungkook raises an eyebrow. Your phrasing is odd, but he doesn't question it. Instead, he swallows, "You're right, but I'm sure you wouldn't have been okay with my dick just hangin' out. Neither would the security watching the cameras."

You laugh, a proper laugh that doesn't seem to be masked by something else, and Jungkook realizes it's melodic. A fine tune singing into his ears as one of the most beautiful songs he has ever heard. It's soft, breathy, and makes him want to make you laugh for the rest of eternity.

"Either way," you say after a moment, the hint of humor still in your voice, "nothing to be ashamed of. I'll see you tomorrow, Jungkook."

Jungkook tilts his head, watching you wave and waving back as you carry your feet towards the elevators.

~*~*~

The air was even lighter this morning, and Jungkook can't help but think you play a part in his bright mood.

Following the conversation yesterday, Jungkook walked with a grin on his face to grab his clothes. You're incredibly charismatic, an stark difference to Jungkook's usual shy and laid back personality. Despite your conversations together being minimal, Jungkook feels you and him are going to be close.

Jungkook hops out of bed and styles his hair carefully. Checking his phone as he brushes his teeth, he's received a text from Taehyung apologizing because he had already left. The house sounds still, he remembers Yoongi and Seokjin opted at staying at their respective apartments tonight, wanting to be a little closer to home. Namjoon probably stayed at the studio again and Jimin and Hoseok more than likely left with Taehyung. He shrugs, making a quick protein shake and grabbing a banana before heading out of the door.

As he drives to work, he makes note at how much more productive the members have been these days. Not that they never were, but the usual slump of exhaustion that follows months of continuous promotions, rehearsals, and recording doesn't seem to be hitting anyone this time around. Surely, the explanation is the high everyone is riding from the success of Butter and Permission To dance in the west. It's motivated everyone, including Jungkook himself.

He pulls into the parking garage, rides the elevator up to the 13th floor, and steps off only to be stopped by Hoseok.

"Jungkookie!" Hoseok wraps his arms around Jungkook's neck and squeezes him tight.

"Hoseokie!" Jungkook mocks, giving a pat to the older one's back. Hoseok pulls away with a chuckle, "I guess _____ is doing behind the scene shoots today. Something about wanting to catch us in our element."

"Oh? Like individual shoots?"

"Yeah," he smiles, "she's with Yoongi in his studio right now. She told me to tell everyone to choose a thing they do on a daily basis that might be interesting to see for ARMY."

"Should I work out?" Jungkook smirks. Hoseok rolls his eyes, patting Jungkook's pecs,

"You work out enough." Smiling, he begin walking towards the commons area,

"I'm almost to where I want to be." "Whatever Jungkook, you bully us enough already." Hoseok pats Jungkook's head and walks away, leaving Jungkook to sit on the couches for a moment.

He picks up his phone and scrolls through Weverse and Twitter for a moment. Despite not being as active as people wish he could be, he does keep up with what everyone is talking about. Currently he sees excitement about their online concert from last year coming to DVD, and "JUNGKOOK'S ABS" is trending.

Yeah, he's definitely going to work out for his behind the scenes.

Holding his phone up, he snaps a quick selfie and posts it to Twitter. Once a month seems to be a good formula.

"Jungkook?" Yoongi's voice enters the room, "She's gonna shoot with Namjoon then you."

"Ah," Jungkook stands, "time to get nice and sweaty for ARMY."

"You're such a freak." Yoongi laughs, watching Jungkook leave the room.

Jungkook begins on the treadmill, listening to music and trying not to think about the fact that you're going to be photographing him while he's working out. He feels somewhat dumb, being so incredibly invested in your opinions of him already, but like yesterday proved, there was something about you that drew him in.

He speeds up the treadmill, his calves burning and his breathing quickening while he runs. It's incredible, the feeling of absolute bliss he feels after a run. When his muscles ache and his chest feels clear, he feels most at peace. Though, peace isn't difficult to come across these days. Even with the sadness of not being able to perform live like he wants to, it's not as looming as it was before. It's incredibly exhilarating to wake up not feeling like the end is near. It happened so suddenly, he's not sure what changed.

At the beginning, when they had to cancel the tour and stay in Korea, Jungkook felt as though life was never going to be the same. It was dark for everyone. He remembers Jimin crying in the bathroom after the cancellation, which caused Jungkook to start crying as well. He scrolled through social media for hours, reading the anger and frustration at those who had to return their tickets. It pained him, to see such a bleak view of the fans he adored.

Now that it's been close to 2 years, Jungkook has learned to-- for lack of a better term-- live with it. He wakes up every day and tries his hardest to live, and that's all you can do when your passion in life is ripped away from you due to an ongoing worldwide pandemic.

The gym doors slide open and Jungkook looks in the mirror to see you.

You have a camera around your neck, Jungkook recognizes it as a Canon. You close the door behind you and stop him as Jungkook starts to slow down the treadmill.

"Pretend like I'm not even here." you nearly whisper, and Jungkook has to stop himself from choking on his spit. Your voice sounded almost sultry. He can't tell if that was his imagination or if it was intentional on your part.

Jungkook shakes his head, turning up the speed just a little bit more.

He hears the shutter on your camera clicking, the action setting in full effect as he runs. You move around him, being sure not to get yourself in the mirror of the shots. The only noises in the room are his breathing and the sounds of his feet hitting the runway. It's rough, his chest heaving the more he pushes himself, but he's more interested in the way you seem to float around the room, or the fact that your hands seem dwarfed by the large camera.

It makes him wonder what your hands would look like on him.

A necklace dangles from your neck, it's gold and shines under the lights of the gym. It falls gently into the crevice of your chest, what looks like a golden moon on the end of the chain.

Again, he wonders what your skin would feel like against his.

"You gotta stop looking at the camera." you giggle.

He didn't even realize his eyes were following you. Suddenly, it's like a wave of confidence washes over him. Confidence that he was not ready for.

He swallows, taking a deep breath, "I'm not looking at the camera." Why is he saying this?

"Yes you are," you grin, "I have like 7 pictures in a row of you looking directly at the camera."

"No," he shakes his head, "I'm looking at the person holding the camera." Shut up, Jungkook. Stop talking!

"Oh?" you laugh, "what's catching your eye?"

"The necklace." what the fuck? He basically admitted to staring at your tits!

"The necklace that's right in between my tits?"

He laughs, you snap a picture.

"I guess so, I'm sorry." The usual nervousness that he would feel at an admission like that is non-existent. He feels comfortable enough to talk to you like this, and judging by the way you smile, you're comfortable with it too.

"No need to be sorry," you snap another picture, "I know they draw attention."

Jungkook nods, "They certainly do."

"What do you like about them?"

The question throws Jungkook for a loop but he doesn't let that show.

"They're perky," he explains, stopping the treadmill, "and your shirts show off the perfect amount to leave some to the imagination."

"Ah, so you're imagining my tits?"

"Yes."

You smirk, walking away. For a moment, Jungkook is scared he said too much, but it's very quickly washed away by the sound of the lock turning. "So," you begin, "you're saying that if I took off my shirt, you wouldn't be opposed to looking at me?"

Jungkook shakes his head, "I also wouldn't be opposed to touching you."

"Well," you slip off your shirt, "I'm ready."

Jungkook feels his cock twitch in his gym shorts at the sight of your bra. Of your fucking bra.

Despite the blood rushing to his cock, he shakes his head, "Oh come on, darling. You know that's not enough for me."

"Your shirt first, buddy." your eyes follow Jungkook as he grips the hem of his shirt and pulls it off. Now that there's verbal consent, your eyes roam all over his torso. He's ripped, Jungkook knows this, but under your gaze he feels like a meal. Like he's about to get devoured by you, and he can't say he's not enjoying the idea.

You reach behind you, unhooking your bra and allowing it to fall to the ground.

Jungkook's eyes widen at sight, stepping closer to you and falling to his knees. He places his nose against your torso, inhaling your scent. The sensuality of the small gasp that left your mouth fueled Jungkook. He grabs your hands and pulls you down to his level, leaning down and pressing a kiss to your lips.

It's rough and heated, all teeth and tongue. He's not used to being this way, to feeling almost primal in his movements. He gnaws at your bottom lip, eliciting another moan from you. It's high pitched and nearly whiny, proving that you're suddenly filled with as much need as he is.

"I'm gonna fuck you," Jungkook states, "right here. Right now."

"Please." you toss your head back, falling onto the padded floors of the gym. Jungkook follows suit, kissing his way down your body until he reaches your navel. Again, he presses his nose into you and inhales, you smell so damn good.

He keeps smelling, inhaling your scent as he undoes the buttons of your jeans. The less clothing there, the stronger your scent becomes. He feels insatiable, nearly ripping off your panties to get to your center.

"Fuck, you're so wet already," Jungkook groans, his voice deep with want, with need. Taking a single finger up your slit, he draws it back and sucks your juices clean, "and you taste as good as you smell."

You stare up at him with hooded eyes, holding yourself up on your elbows and spreading your legs as wide as you can. "Now that you've had a taste you might as well finish it."

Jungkook doesn't need to be told twice, diving into your soaked folds with his tongue. He moves fast but also meticulously, being sure to take note of all the places that make you moan a little louder, sink a little deeper into him. Your hand reaches down and snakes its way through his hair, tugging at the roots.

At that point, Jungkook begins to kick off his shorts without pulling away.

"Fuck, I've always wanted to fuck you," you moan in between words, "you always look so good everywhere you go."

"Yeah?" Jungkook chuckles, "did you imagine fucking me before you got hired here?"

You nod, "I couldn't help it, I knew you'd be good."

As Jungkook manages to get his shorts off, he grips ahold of his aching member. Pulling up to his knees, his thumb doesn't stop rubbing harsh circles against your clit.

"That's hot," Jungkook breathes, "I've been wanting to take you since I first saw you."

"Then do it." you demand, and a flip switches in Jungkook's brain.

He pulls his fingers away from you and leans forward, "Taste yourself."

You don't hesitate to take his fingers into your mouth, Jungkook feeling your tongue dance across the pads of his fingers. Feeling himself twitch, he strokes himself for a little bit of relief while you suck.

"Taste good?" He questions.

"Delicious."

"Good girl." He murmurs, leaning down and connecting your lips with his again. As he does so, he runs the head of his cock against your slit, enjoying the gasp you let out every time he brushes against your clit. You feel so warm, so inviting. He can taste you so well, he wants nothing more than to dive in.

So he does.

Pressing into you slowly, he feels your warmth envelope him. Your legs wrap around his hips and guide him in all the way. When he slips all the way in, you both pull away for a moan.

"So fucking good. So tight." He moves his hips achingly slow, enjoying the noises of content leaving your lips. Your moans spur him on as your tightness engulfs him yet again. He leans down and presses a kiss to your neck, your hot skin nearly burning his lips, "I don't want to hurt you."

You shake your head, "You can't hurt me. I promise."

Jungkook isn't sure what takes over him at this point, but he feels his lips begin to thrust harshly into you. He doesn't process the rest of the world, the only thing that's certain is you. You're everything that he needs to focus on now, your whines, your moans, the feeling of your legs guiding him in and out of you. He wants to take you here over and over again until the end of time, and he's never felt that about anyone before in his life.

Your lips are beginning to bruise from the rough kisses he's been laying on you, so he takes a gentle approach and sucks on your jawline. Every few thrusts, he rests his forehead against yours. Then he moves again. Then rests.

"Tell me how good I feel." you whisper against his lips, breathy.

"Baby," Jungkook's brows knit together in pleasure, "you feel so good around me. So warm. I want to cum in you and fill you up so bad. Do-n't stop squeezing- fuck."

Jungkook abandons the pace he tried to keep and slams into you, pulling you on top of him and lifting you up and down on his cock. You let out a scream as he reaches a point he hasn't touched before, your cunt tightening exponentially around him.

He latches his mouth onto your nipples, the sensitive peaks hardening against his tongue. Your nails rake down his chest while you grind against him, your ass smacking against his thighs while he begins thrusting upward.

His hands grip your hips harshly, sure enough to leave bruises by his fingertips. He feels his orgasm approaching quickly, but he needs you to cum first. He need to feel you cum around him. "Fuck," he growls through clenched teeth, "cum. I need you to cum. Cum around me, please please please!"

"I'm gonna- I'm-" your sentence is cut off by your orgasm taking over, clenching deliciously around Jungkook and pushing him over the edge. His hips stutter and he releases into you, your warmth mixing with his as he collapses onto the ground. You're both silent for a while, your chests heaving as you try to calm down. Jungkook leans up, keeping you in a hug as your knees move to either side of his hips. Neither of you make a move to pull apart, Jungkook softening inside of you but the sensitivity feels so good.

He rests his chin on your shoulder, glancing behind you and towards the mirrors. On the inner edge of each of your shoulder blades, lay two large scars. They're old, pink in color now. Jungkook reaches a finger up to trace the scars but is stopped by a knock on the door.

"Hey, I'm ready when you are _____!" Jimin's voice sounds through the gym, muffled by the door.

"Shit." You whisper, "shit, shit, shit!"

You quickly pull off of him, beginning to slip your panties and bra back on.

Jungkook flinches at the sudden loss of warmth around him, looking down at his cock and seeing a mixture of his and your cum coating his thighs. "Don't you need to clean up?" he whispers.

"I'll stop by the bathroom on the way." you murmur, now fully dressed, "thank you for that, by the way." you wink, grabbing the back of his neck and pressing a hard kiss against him. Then, you're out the door.

Jungkook is left naked on the floor, confused, and wanting to ask why exactly you have asymmetrical scars on your back.

[bts-weverse-trans]

201127 Weverse Magazine ‘BE’ Comeback Interview - Jungkook

Jung Kook: “I hope this feeling never fades” BTS BE comeback interview 2020.11.27

I had a chance to interview BTS before, when they debuted. During that interview, Jung Kook had one small habit; when I met him again a while later, he had corrected it. He makes a conscious effort to change himself. And after seven years, I met Jung Kook again.

You directed the music video for “Life Goes On,” BE’s title song. Jung Kook: I was really eager to direct the music video from the outset. My plan was to organize the synopsis, discuss it with the  music video director I was working with, shoot and edit them, but we were short on time. So I worked on it while sharing ideas with the director. Originally there were a lot of scenes with lip synching in them, but we took some of them out and put in more scenes that conveyed the members’ emotions better. It wasn’t easy to combine scenes, but I think now I know more about how much of everything is needed when shooting a music video.

You had shot the Golden Closet Films and uploaded them to the BTS YouTube channel, and now you shot a music video. Jung Kook: Once we were on location, we had directions for everything we needed to shoot prepared in advance, so I took candid shots of the members here and there with a camera during the shoot. We were filming in a beautiful place so when they asked me to take pictures of them as they wanted to be presented, I did.

What kind of pictures did you take of yourself? Jung Kook: I was just, in them. (laughs) I’m not in the shot for the Golden Closet Films either. I kind of take a back seat. The director had to shoot my parts for the music video, since I couldn’t film myself, so I relaxed a bit. I tried to make the other members look really good when I recorded them. Since this was a BTS music video and not my own, I wanted to show what was happening with every member and the team, not just one individual’s thoughts. Each person who watches the video might feel different, but I wanted to show that we feel what other people feel, that we’re in the same situation.

You get your picture taken a lot, but you don’t pay much attention to the ones you’re in. Jung Kook: I never really liked having my picture taken. (laughs) And I’m usually with the others when we’re working, obviously, but it’s hard to take a camera and take selfies. So I take pictures and videos of the other members every chance I get.

Do you still find it difficult to have your picture taken? Jung Kook: I put my best face forward when it’s for something I have to do, like  for photo books, but it’s still not easy. Videos are okay, though. And even though I’m not nervous at all when I sing in front of tens of thousands of people, if I have to sing or talk in front of a small group, I get super nervous. I never feel that way on stage, but maybe I have a hard time doing things that are a little bit awkward for me.

It seems like you draw a distinction between work you enjoy and work you find difficult. Jung Kook: Work related to music, like recording, composing, writing lyrics, filming music videos and things like that, are all fine. But anything outside of that is probably a challenge for me.

On BE, you each explained your feelings about work in the song “Dis-ease.” You must have experienced a cycle of enjoyable and difficult work over seven years, so how did you get through the hard times? Jung Kook: I actually understand my own problems well, so most of the time it’s okay. I can figure things out one at a time through experience instead of just looking for answers. I’m always growing and my personality changes, depending on my environment. I think I’ve learned to do things I used to find difficult by experiencing it little by little.

Speaking of growth, “Skit” was very memorable. You recorded it the day after “Dynamite” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and you, who talked about what you did before you became trainees in “Skit” in your debut album,talked about being first place on the Billboard Hot 100 this time around. Jung Kook: When I was a trainee, I saw the older members rapping and thought, “Wow, they’re so cool!” But now, after having spent everyday together, I’ve forgotten about all that. (laughs) Sometimes I see the lyrics they wrote, see them dancing and hearing the things they say on stage, and think, “Oh, right. That is the kind of person they are. They’re a lot different now.” You know how you don’t feel it when you live with your family, but if you can’t see them for a long time, you miss them. You might even cry. We’re a real family. Like, legit! (laughs)

Your “legit family” (laughs) each put their own songs on BE and came up with units spontaneously. What was it like making the album that way? Jung Kook: We talked with the company over the outline of the album and organized our ideas together. That was our process for making songs. Then we’d listen to them together, and if we thought they weren’t great, we’d go back and work on them some more. The members would get together and say, “Hey, how about so and so do a unit song this time?” or, “What should it be about?” and share a lot of ideas that way.

How did the others respond to your song, “Stay”? Jung Kook: That song was originally meant to be on my mixtape. We planned to put a different song on the album, but after V heard it, he said, “This song that Jung Kook wrote is really good,” and then the other members all listened, said it was better than the other one, and somehow (laughs) “Stay” made it into the album. The message for the other song was also, “Even though we’re far apart, stay just where you are.” I wrote my song with the same theme so I loved that it was included in BE. At first, I wanted to talk about how we’re always together, using the English word “wherever.” I wanted to express how we’re always together no matter where we are, but Namjoon heard that and said “Stay” might be better. I liked his suggestion, so I changed it. He really helped me to organize my thoughts, since I’m not always good at writing everything I want to express.

One might go as far as to say the lyrics sound heartbreaking, but it’s arranged in EDM. Jung Kook: We imagined we were performing for the fans while we made it, jumping up and down with them.

It sounds like you really miss your fans. Jung Kook: This album really hit us in a different way, with this situation being what it is. Because the world is struggling with COVID-19, we have to keep our heads up and convey our messages to our fans.

What can your fans expect from you when you finally meet again? Jung Kook: There’s nothing specific, but when I watched our old performances, my facial expressions were awkward and my dance moves weren’t always perfect. I keep working to improve myself, so I hope   when the fans see me, they think my performance is amazing and that my aura fills the stage.

Are you happy with how you look in your latest work? Jung Kook: I’m not 100% satisfied, no. When we did performances for “Dynamite” recently I kept seeing my imperfections.

Your acting in the intro to your “Dynamite” performance was really impressive. Even in COVID-19 times, you captured a feeling of liveliness and being cool, as though to explain what the song is all about. Jung Kook: Actually, on the first day of filming the music video, I was supposed to film my parts first, but I was so bad that it had to be pushed to the end of the shoot. So,I was a bit more relaxed when the camera rolled.

So that’s what you get when you’re relaxed! (laughs) Jung Kook: Yes, I relaxed, and something went “pop!” and “boom!” inside me, and then I did it however I wanted. (laughs)

It’s fascinating how someone who performs the way you do during stadium tours can feel nervous while filming and yet still do so well in it. Jung Kook: I can be a shy person. When people used to ask me to sing, I couldn’t always do it—like in front of adults or teachers. And I’m still a bit like that. If I start thinking, “Oh, I can’t do this,” then I really end up not being able to do it. Even when I could have done well.

Why do you think that is? Jung Kook: I feel the same way about my dancing and my singing, and I can’t compose a really amazing melody either. I feel like I’m always somewhere in the middle. But then I also think I have my own colors, so I like to quietly, slowly open up to people, and let them know what kind of person I am. Yeah, something like that. (laughs)

But, when you review your songs and performances objectively, you see all of your changes, don’t you? Jung Kook: There’s a lot of change. My voice has changed a lot; I grew taller and my frame and facial structure have changed, too. I could tell how awkward I looked at the beginning, but after a while, I think, “My gestures look better now, but I feel like my dance is too rigid.” And again after a while, “Now my dance is fine and my gestures are good, but I’m making awkward facial expressions.” And later, I say, “Now I got the facial expressions down, but, hmm, there’s no killer move.” (laughs) That’s how I slowly changed. And then my actions, thoughts, dreams, goals, what I value, what I want to do—all these things will change depending on the situation.

You had some changes in BE, too. Throughout “Life Goes On,” you lightly carry your voice and tone throughout the whole song, like they’re flowing. Jung Kook: Right. I think that’s very important. My general feeling was my voice should be woven into the song, rather than bringing out my individual voice. The lyrics say the world stopped, but I can’t keep on being sad, and life continues and flows on. I wanted to mix a little bit of my own colors into that complex, subtle sadness. I listened to how the other members recorded their parts for the song, and I sang while thinking about how I could do it in a way that it would all blend together well. I kept changing my voice exploring how to make it sound better, cleaner. I kept trying new things while I was recording, performing, and practicing.

When you look back after all that change, don’t you feel like you accomplished a lot? Jung Kook: I don’t really pay attention to things that have already happened. I think more about what it is I need right now, so I rarely think, “I got a lot better from how I used to be,” or, “I did a good job.”

You sound insatiable, in a good way. Jung Kook: Yes. This is how I want to keep living, and I hope this feeling never fades.

You’ve found immense success with BTS. What makes you want to keep doing more and keep improving yourself? Jung Kook: I want to show people who I am: how I talk, how I act, how I sing, and so on. And after that, I want to be acknowledged for doing what I like to do, and for people to see what an amazing guy I am. I want to do these things step by step. I want to be appreciated as Jung Kook, as the real me.

What do you think is the source of that energy—the energy to keep proving yourself, even though you’ve already achieved so much with BTS? Jung Kook: I think my heart’s telling me to. BTS was able to climb this high thanks to the group members, the company and our fans. But there’s always the question of whether I could receive that kind of recognition by myself, so I have this feeling of wanting to throw myself at some challenge alone. There’s a lot I want to do, and a lot I want to achieve.

By gradually improving yourself, what kind of person would you ideally want to become? Jung Kook: A person who’s crazy awesome in their field. (laughs) Those kinds of people look cool even when they do something different. I still have a long way to go. I feel like I could be more captivating and draw more out of people by improving any number of things, by trying hard to be confident about my singing, or the way I dance and perform. BTS is way more important and meaningful to me than I am to myself, so I’m not saying I want to do anything alone. But I hope I get to the point where I can perform alone for three or four hours in a venue full of people.

It’s clear that your job, music, is very important to you. Jung Kook: I must never let it go. That’s what I always think. I have to keep it close to me, even if I get bored, or I don’t want to hear it, or it feels like a hassle. I want to keep on making music. It may be a long ways down the road, but I want to prove myself with my music.

You said before that your MBTI is ISFP, so I looked it up. Obviously, MBTI can’t sum up a person perfectly, but it says ISFPs tend to be ���curious artists.” Your answer reminds me of that. Jung Kook: That sounds about right. I looked up the personality traits for ISFP too, and it was interesting. (laughs)

Maybe that’s the reason you set your goals so high. You seem like you have high standards and want to keep growing. Jung Kook: It’s like a foggy mountain top. (laughs) I can’t even see it yet.

You’ve been climbing for seven years, staying curious. Is there anything you want to say to the people who have been watching you all this time? Jung Kook: Umm … Well, there are seven of us, and the seven of us keep running ahead. So it’s possible we could get tired, one by one, and drop out, right? But if more people join us, one by one, and run with us, we can support each other and pull each other up if someone falls down. That’s kind of how I feel. There are people who supported us from the beginning who have been watching us the whole time since, and because of them our follower count keeps going up, and they all keep us on track. So the only thing I can say is—thank you. We were nothing special, really (laughs) but they keep on liking us and supporting us, and the best way we can repay them is to give them our all through our music and our performances. They push me to work hard, even on things I find difficult. (laughs) I’m eternally grateful.

Just like in the last line of “Stay.” Jung Kook: “We are together.”

Trans © Weverse

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Dream SMP Recap (March 9/2021) - Roses and Blood Vines

One day remains before Ponk’s attack. Ponk gives Foolish another warning, another chance to join the Egg. Foolish still says no.

Hannah returns from a five-day journey feeling sickened by something. The Blood Vines have crept onto her house... 

Something has to be done.

---

VOD LINKS:

Ponk

Tubbo

Foolish

Ranboo

Hannah

Karl

Eret

Captain Puffy

---

- Ponk makes his way through the Nether to the Temple of Undying. He surveys the place, wondering what to blow up first.

- He scouts through the chests, taking some diamonds here and there.

- Ponk places a few pieces of TNT in Foolish’s snake statue as a warning and heads back.

- Foolish joins the call, Ponk now at the Oogway Shrine.

Ponk: “Foolish...you know that time is ticking, right?”

Ponk: “Are you familiar with the hourglass parable?”

Foolish: “No, I am not.”

Ponk: “Me neither, but an hourglass has lots of sand in it, right?”

- Ponk starts talking through the Egg

“Hello, Foolish...the time is ticking...blood, fire and explosions will happen. You’re going to die, Foolish, if you don’t join me. DEATH.”

Foolish: “You speak of my summer home?”

“Your summer home will be no more.”

Foolish: “We’ll see about that.”

“Tick-tock goes the clock.”

- Ponk abruptly switches back to his normal voice and starts talking to Foolish about that scene in Kung Fu Panda where Oogway paralyzes the leopard guy  by poking him, and the leopard guy broke out of prison to defeat the five people

- Foolish asks if there’s a meaning to this. Ponk tells him he stole all of his music discs and put TNT in their place.

- Ponk says to be careful about the tripwires he put. Foolish says that with his emerald eyes, he will see through them.

- They go back and forth about preparations and Ponk’s plan. Ponk tries to convince Foolish that actually, he already blew it up (he didn’t)

Ponk: “Look, Foolish...I’m here to offer you another chance, okay? You can join the Egg, be a happy family, y’know? You can be a god, but you have to serve the Egg...”

Foolish: “You see, Ponk, I think the Egg will lead to heartbreak. Misery. Regret. And then death.”

Ponk: “Remember, Foolish, remember...you can never save a life. You can always prolong it.”

Foolish: “I might disagree with that...but that’s for another time.”

- They get distracted by Skeppy’s prank on the mansion

- Ponk goes to an Ender Chest and shows Foolish its contents. Foolish is outraged that Ponk actually took all his discs -- even Pigstep!

- Ponk shows Foolish the Wall of Pog Women

- The subject goes back to the Egg. Ponk asks again if he wants to join the Egg. Foolish says no.

Foolish: “I don’t think the Egg is good for anyone, and you know? The Egg may not even need you guys! The moment the Egg has enough power, it’ll toss you all aside like the little ants you are.”

- They start talking about cats

- Ponk meets Foolish down at the spider spawner and attempts his Technoblade-killing tactic on him.

- Ponk continues to prepare

- Foolish is still working on Tubbo and Ranboo’s mansion

- He goes to see Michelle in Snowchester. He ponders how strange their family is. A sheep pirate, a totem-part-shark and his totem son, an undead zombie piglin baby, the other brother -- a green blob?

“Nice meeting you, Michelle...um, yeah. Hopefully you never meet Dream.”

“...Just your average Minecraft family...”

(More “Schrödinger’s canon” family dynamics for now, but this is the moment the Wiki is referencing if you were wondering)

- Foolish continues work on the mansion

- Hannah heads back to the main Dream SMP area

- She’s been trying to make the server more beautiful, adding trees, flowers, natural things. But she was off picking flowers for the main pathway when she woke up with extreme nausea. She could barely walk.

- It’s finally time. Something is pulling her back.

Hannah: “It’s definitely time to bring spring to the server. This server is so, so messed up. There’s not enough trees, there’s not enough flowers, there’s not enough anything, especially in the main area."

- The only thing keeping her strong -- alive -- are the rose flowers. It took her two days to find the strength to walk back.

- Hannah starts planting flowers everywhere. The pathway is deteriorated, there are no trees, no flowers, not enough natural fauna that weren’t planted by the people. Her flowers have been picked and turned to dye by people. She needs more flowers to stay strong.

- She sees her house has been covered in Blood Vines. She suspects the Blood Vines have been eating up some of her rose flowers. All of it has to go. She doesn’t know who or what this is, but she believes it’s trying to kill her.

- Sam (and Tubbo disguised as Ranboo) arrive, and Hannah speaks with Sam about her house. Sam was coming to clean up the bank site.

- Sam helps Hannah start to clear off the Vines.

- A cow gets in the way. Hannah says it must be contaminated and kills it.

- All of a sudden, Sam shouts to not break anymore. Hannah looks and Bad and Antfrost have arrived.

- Bad says he thought Hannah was a supporter of plants. They don’t see why Hannah needs to clear the Vines away. Hannah and Sam insist they’re just trimming, doing some landscaping because Hannah is allergic.

- Bad and Ant suggest testing? They can take Hannah to a place with a large concentration of Vines and see if they have any effect. 

- Hannah says she’s willing to try. Sam tells Hannah he can’t go down there again. They tell Bad and Ant -- Hannah will try it while Sam takes a trip to the Nether. Sam whispers to Hannah that while they’re gone, Sam is going to clear the rest of the Vines in secret.

- Bad and Antfrost admire the Vines in Hannah’s house. Even the dogs seem to like it. Hannah promptly kills the dogs to put them out of their misery.

- Bad and Antfrost take Hannah down to the Egg Room. Hannah puts down a rose to help, but they destroy it. They tell her that the Egg likes her.

- They make her a “seat” (box) of black concrete and say she should stay there for “exposure therapy.”  They convince her to put her items in an Ender Chest even as she’s having doubts, and leave her alone there. 

- Hannah thought she had no enemies on this server, but she may have made a mistake.

- Karl wakes up in his library. He hangs up the poster for “The Haunted Mansion” and writes the Tale down.

- He writes his next diary entry. He feels confused. He doesn’t know who to trust anymore. At least the Inbetween seems like a genuinely peaceful place, but there were those books warning him about it.

- He decides he needs to get into that portal the next time he visits the Inbetween.

- His memory is getting worse. He needs to tell his friends the stories, but worries he won’t have any at this rate.

- Bad and Sapnap arrive to Kinoko. Karl wants to get new members.

- Sapnap kills Bad, sending him back.

Bad: “What have I told you about playing with fire there, son?”

- Karl plans to spread out advertisements about Kinoko.

- Foolish and HBomb arrive.

- They go to the Holy Land to put up posters.

- George arrives and they all decide to put up a massive poster in front of the prison, where the mining fatigue will make the blocks harder to get rid of. Bad protests this as a prison guard.

- They do it anyway

---

Upcoming events remain the same.

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

Ok I have a question. Isn't it possible for Tae to be so supportive of gay artists because he has really close gay friends? Plus, you mentioned Yoongi is bi and has indirectly said so, Hobi literally put the bi flag on the screen at Lollapalooza (also equal sign, helloo..)... and bts are extremely close. So Tae's exposed to those artists because of his friends and because he's in the industry too. Considering how conservative Korea is, how toxic the fanbase can be, and how they all have to live in a closet regardless of their sexualities, they pretty much have only each other for support. Maybe some family too but idk man. In their position I'd be using my platform to show that it's ok and normal to be gay and slowly change people's minds about it regardless of what my sexuality is. Being supportive of openly gay artists it's the way to do it without being labelled as activist and black listed.

Of course, it's a possibility that Tae could be a supportive straight idol, but in my experience, straight people don't act the way Tae does in relation to queer content.

Firstly, apologies in advance if I'm coming off as a little presumptive, it's not my intention, but I'm going to assume that you might straight. A queer person would understand, that straight allies don't consume queer content in the same way queer people do.

It's peripheral, and on the edges for them. That fact that Tae purposely watched two high profile queer films, buys homoerotic photography, has a profile pic of a naked man from queer artist, purchased art from well known queer artists and is always highlighting very queer music and musicians. It speaks volumes.

Straight artists who are allies, may promote a queer singer/song-writers, may hold the pride flag at their concert or act in a BL drama. Straight will likely only see a queer film or song because their girlfriend suggested and may make an offhand comment. Same with art, books and all queer culture, queer people consume it and then share with each other. Straight people may come across it and find an affinity, but it's not exactly the same.

Also, HYBE is not like other K-Pop companies though, IMHO. I think most people, forget the Bang PD gave Jo Kwon a pair of heels and basically said live your truth to them, he also posted on Pride Month rainbow colours, the company allowed RM to write a Korean queer anthem GLAM, as well as the members to include queer lyrics in their songs. BTS for a lot of their early career were affectively blacklisted anyway, BigHit had nothing to lose and therefore allow them more freedom, creatively.

Of course that changed over time as they became more popular, they still give the guys a lot of leeway. Also, Gen 4 K-Pop artists are a lot more openly queer-friendly both in content and presentation than previous ones and are leading the way in that regard.

[dragonkeeper19600]

Jaws: The Musical (Concept)

So, out of curiosity, I looked online to see if anyone had ever adapted a musical from Jaws. There is a musical called Bruce that’s scheduled to debut in Seattle next year about the production of Jaws (and I would be interested in seeing that), but as for a musical of the Jaws story itself, I found one that’s for kids and about 48 minutes long.

Now, I’ve never seen this musical, so I cannot attest as to its quality, but, in my opinion, both of those choices are wrong. This musical should be the full two acts, and it should be aimed at adults. 

I’ve been brainstorming, and I think I’ve got a hypothetical musical all mapped out. You might think a musical based on Jaws is silly, but a lot of successful musicals have been adapted from really strange things (such as a comic book artist’s coming-out memoir, a crappy Roger Corman movie, and a collection of goofy cat poems), and I feel like a Jaws musical could be really epic. The story easily lends itself into a two-act structure. The first act is the shark attacks on Amity Island, and the second act is the hunt for the shark in the Orca. 

However, the musical wouldn’t make the mistake of putting lyrics to John Williams’s iconic Jaws theme. The theme would obviously be used as a leitmotif throughout the show, but it’s not the type of song that lends itself to lyrics, and I think that would be corny,

So, the musical would play out like this:

ACT ONE:

The movie opened with Chrissie’s death, so the stage show will do the same. The scene will be short and all dialogue, no singing. The shark will also not be seen, but its presence will be implied by the music, lighting, and Chrissy’s acting.

First song: “Welcome to Amity Island.” Functions as an intro to the setting of Act One. The tone is joyous and celebratory as the islanders welcome the flood of tourists that always come in the summer. A big portion of the song is sung by Mayor Vaughn as he sings about what a wonderful vacation spot Amity Island is. We also meet Brody, and a dark undercurrent is introduced to the song as he finds Chrissy’s mangled body.

Brody, of course, takes steps to close the beach right away, but he’s stopped by the Mayor, who sings the second song, “Summer Dollars,” where the Mayor insists that closing the beaches is bad for the town and that Brody shouldn’t be causing an unnecessary panic and causing hysteria that could drive tourists away. Brody tries to argue back but in the end, Vaughn has his way.

Brody returns to the station, apprehensive about keeping the beaches open. Here, we’re introduced to Brody’s wife, Ellen, who saw no problem with visiting him at work since nothing ever happens on Amity Island. Brody expresses his uneasiness, but Ellen assures him that his fear of the water is making him overestimate the danger. This gets Brody’s coworkers curious, so, with a little prompting from Ellen, Brody sings his first solo, “Drowning,” about his fear of the water. In the song, Brody sings about a childhood incident where a bully held him underwater at a public swimming pool. Not only did this give him a fear of water, but the bullying he received as a child is what set him on the path to become a cop, since he wanted to be able to protect people from suffering the same mistreatment he did. However, he moved from New York City because the working environment there was unfriendly to cops who wish to protect and serve instead of, well, being typical American cops.

Next song: “Blue Sky” Just as the Mayor wished, the beaches are open, and summer is in full swing. Brody is there with his family, anxiously keeping an eye on the water. The rest of the ensemble doesn’t share his anxiety, however, as they frolic and play in the sun. Brody is jolted to his feet several times by the sound of screaming, but it’s always a false alarm. However, the mood turns scary as we segue into the next song:

“Shark!” - While out swimming on his raft, young Alex Kintner is attacked and eaten. Brody sees it and screams the title of the song. It’s pandemonium as people rush out of the water, and the song is fast-paced and chaotic. However, it ends on a mournfully quiet note as Mrs. Kintner calls for her son. (”Alex? Alex!?”)

Quick scene transition, and we move immediately into he next song, called “Something Must Be Done.” Here, at a town council meeting, the townspeople argue back and forth about what to do about their shark problem. I imagine the music here sounding like the “Mayor’s Meeting” theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Brody argues strongly in favor of closing the beaches (in song, of course), but he is shut down not only by the Mayor but by the rest of the townspeople, who still rely on the income brought in by the tourists. People throw around various suggestions, with one woman finally declaring that she’ll reward whoever catches the shark with three thousand dollars. The song descends into a cacophony as people argue over each other.

The noise is interrupted by the screech of nails on a chalkboard. It’s Quint who sings the titular song, “Jaws,” as he sings about his job as a shark hunter and how dangerous sharks can be. (”Those jaws will swallow you whole. / A little shakin’, tenderizing’, down you go.”) He offers to kill the shark for ten grand, not three. The woman who made the offer balks at the high price, and the Mayor explains that kind of money isn’t in the budget “right now.” Quint takes it in stride and tells everyone they’ll know where to find him if they change their minds. He’s supposedly addressing the room, but he looks right at Brody as he says it. He can tell Brody is the only one who will actually listen.

Many sailors of various aptitudes come to Amity Island, hoping to catch the shark and cash in on that three thousand dollars. Among the new arrivals is Hooper, who introduces himself to Brody as a marine biologist from the Oceanographic Institute. Hooper sings his intro song, “Beautiful,” referring to his views on sharks. Hooper recounts how he was bitten by a shark as a child, but instead of coming to fear them, Hooper walked away fascinated by them and now views sharks to be beautiful creatures. However, the song takes a somber note as Hooper is brought in to examine Chrissie’s remains, and the word “Beautiful” is shifted from referring to sharks to referring to Chrissie when she was alive. (“She was just a kid. / So much of life to live. / Now, bits and scraps are all that’s left. / Of a girl who was once so beautiful.”)

“Hell of a Fish” - The fishermen succeed in catching a large tiger shark, presumed to be the shark that killed Alex and Chrissie. Brody joins in the celebratory atmosphere, but Hooper examines the dead shark’s teeth and is convinced they’ve got the wrong fish. The Mayor and the fisherman who caught the tiger shark argue that this is the shark that’s been causing the trouble, while Hooper argues back that it’s definitely not. Hooper angrily demands that he be allowed to dissect the shark to confirm whether there are human remains inside, but Mayor Vaughn rejects his request. He doesn't care if they’ve got the right shark. He doesn’t believe a third attack will happen either way. (”We’ve got a hell of a fish to show. / And shark attacks are pretty rare, you know?”) 

This song is interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Kintner, in funeral attire, who goes up to Brody and slaps him. She then sings “My Boy Is Dead,” a slow, tragic lament about her son, Alex. (“He was just a boy. His whole life still ahead. / Now, I’ll never know what he would’ve been. / Because my boy is dead.”) Mrs. Kintner blames Brody for not warning the town after Chrissie’s death, and Brody takes the blame to heart. The song ends with a callback to “Hell of a Fish,” as Hooper bitterly remarks that he hopes Mayor Vaughn is right about the tiger shark being the culprit, otherwise there’s a “hell of a fish” still out there somewhere.

“Cloud on the Horizon” - Song is kicked off by a TV reporter, who delivers a brief story to the audience about the recent shark attacks on Amity Island. The holiday-making resumes on Amity’s beaches, but people are more nervous than before, The ensemble sings amongst themselves about whether they should go in the water. They finally do so with a little encouragement from the Mayor. Meanwhile, Brody encourages his son Michael to stay in the shallow pond.

“Shark! (Reprise)” - A shark fin is spotted in the water, and the ensemble takes up the alarm, scrambling while frantically singing a reprise of “Shark!” However, the alarm dies down when the fin is revealed to be a fake worn by a swimmer. However, a lone woman takes up the cry again as the shark is spotted swimming toward the pond where Michael is. The music ramps up as the shark takes down a boater mere feet away from Michael, and the audience gets their first clear view of the shark.

“Red Sea” - The song functions as a reprise of “Blue Sky,” but also contains musical elements from “My Boy is Dead.” Brody pulls his son Michael out of the water, unsure of whether he’s still alive. Luckily, Michael is only in shock. Ellen runs to call for an ambulance. As he waits by Michael’s body, Brody sings his second solo, loudly berating everyone in town, including himself, for allowing this to happen three times. All of the beachgoers, including the Mayor, are cowed by his song.

“(Can’t Find) a Good Man” - This is the first song between all three crew members of the Orca. Brody goes to hire Quint to kill the shark, agreeing to pay whatever he wants. Quint knows he has Brody by the balls and keeps upping the price, demanding additional payments like various kinds of booze and a color TV in addition to the ten thousand dollars. Brody agrees to all of it, but Quint’s one crew member refuses to go out after the shark, so Quint fires him. Hooper and Brody volunteer to go along, but Quint is reluctant to bring them aboard. He contemplates whether he should go alone, since Hooper and Brody will be useless on deck. Hooper loudly argues that he's qualified and “doesn’t need this working class hero crap,” but Brody is more gentle and persuasive. He reminds Quint that his own son was nearly killed by this shark and feels he owes it to both his family and the town to help in whatever way he can. Quint is won over by Brody’s humility and agrees to take them both on.

“Farewell, Amity Island” - Reprise of “Welcome to Amity Island” and the Act One Finale. Like “Welcome to Amity Island,” this is a huge ensemble number, this time centering around the Orca’s upcoming departure. Several characters come to see the ship off as Quint yells at Hooper and Brody, including the Mayor and Ellen. The Mayor apologizes to Brody (“I know you’re angry. You have every right to be. / My own children were there in that same red sea.”), where Ellen bids a tearful farewell, knowing she might never see Brody again. Brody’s sung farewells are intercut with a spoken back and forth between Quint and Hooper, as Quint snarks at everything Hooper does. The song also contains instrumental traces of “Spanish Ladies.” Brody and Ellen’s embrace is broken up by Quint as the Orca shoves off.

ACT TWO:

After the act two opener (which is an instrumental of “Jaws,” the song Quint sang earlier), we return to the Orca where Quint fishes off the stern, loudly singing “Spanish Ladies” a cappella. It sounds pretty good, but he’s interrupted by Hooper, who yells that he’s been listening to Quint sing for three hours and can’t take it any more. Brody has no choice but to listen to the ensuing back and forth as he chums the water. 

The childish behavior is interrupted when Quint gets a bite. He's convinced it’s the shark, but Hooper, still annoyed with Quint, believes it’s some kind of sport fish. Hooper begrudgingly goes to help Quint pull in the line, but a moment of inattention causes the line to snap.

“City Hands” - Quint berates Hooper for losing the shark and trying to tell a professional shark hunter how to hunt sharks. Their animosity finally erupts into an angry duet as they hurl very personal insults at each other, with Hooper calling Quint a drunken, senile sea dog, while Quint berates Hooper for being a coddled, privileged city boy. Their musical fight looks like it’ll get physical when Hooper snatches the beer Quint was drinking out of his hand and chucks it into the ocean. Luckily, Brody breaks it up, pointedly reminding them why they’re here and that they don’t need to be at each other’s throats when the shark will gladly do that for them. Quint sheepishly apologizes to Brody and only Brody. Hooper likewise backs down.

Brody returns to chumming the water only to toss a shovelful of chum directly into the shark’s face. The shark is right beside the Orca, and it’s huge. There is an instrumental score but no singing as all three men work together to try and bring in the shark. The shark seems unfazed by all the bullets and harpoons they shoot into it, but they manage to attach one barrel to the shark. Quint is satisfied that the shark will tire itself out with the barrel attached and that all they have to do is wait it out. Brody is all for returning to shore and calling the Coast Guard, but Quint ignores him.

Scene transition, and we’re in the ship’s cabin that night. All three men are staying up to wait for the shark, and they’ve had a bit to drink. Quint catches Brody examining the rope burn he got on his hand earlier in the day and reassures him that it won't leave a permanent scar. This segues into the duet “Something Permanent,” as Hooper and Quint compare scars. The tone isn’t angry and harsh as before but jovial and upbeat. Clearly, the earlier animosity is forgiven. 

“Those Eyes” - This is Quint’s solo about the sinking of the Indianapolis. Brody asks Quint about a scar on his arm that he hasn’t mentioned. Quint offhandedly mentions it’s a tattoo he had removed. When Hooper makes a joke about it being a “Mother” tattoo, Quint informs him it’s actually for the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Hooper clearly knows the story, but Brody doesn't, so Quint tells it. The song is slow and eerie. The words “those eyes” are used to refer to both the sharks’ eyes and the eyes of his crew mates as they were devoured or lay dead in the water. Quint sings that he still sees those eyes looming up at him in the dark of the night. He then catches the looks on Brody and Hooper’s faces and chuckles darkly, telling them not to look at him with “those eyes.” After all, they delivered the bomb. No one comments on this, but all three men have now sung their backstories at some point in the show.

Hooper quietly starts to sing “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” The other two join in. Their singing is interrupted by the shark ramming into the ship.

The crew scramble back on deck. Quint, his mind still swimming in the memory of the Indianapolis, wildly fires a rifle at the shark, but he only succeeds in driving it away, Hooper goes belowdeck  to assess the damage. The ship can still run, but it’s struggling. Brody loudly advocates returning to shore, but Quint refuses.

The shark returns, leading to the next song, “Barrels.” The song has a lot of dialogue and instrumental but also functions as a reprise of “Something Permanent,” as Quint gleefully proclaims his intent to leave “something permanent” on the shark. The crew manages to attach three barrels to the shark, but they lose track of it again. 

Quint decides that since barrels and weapons don’t seem to be working, and the ship is only becoming more damaged, that the thing to do is lure the shark back to shore and drown it in the shallow water. Hooper warns Quint that he’s overtaxing the engine, but Quint only leans harder on the throttle. The engine gives out. 

Brody goes to the radio to call the Coast Guard for help but is shocked when Quint smashes the radio with a baseball bat before the message can get out. This leads to an even angrier reprise of “City Hands,” now with Brody insulting Quint instead of Hooper, calling him “certifiable.” Quint shouts more than sings that he can handle it and he doesn’t need rescuing “this time.” The song shifts to the slower, gentler melody that was used when Brody calmed Hooper and Quint before as Quint tells Brody he vowed that would never be helpless in the water again. Both Brody and Hooper, who was heard the entire outburst, are struck silent.

“Beautiful (Reprise)” - Hooper somberly volunteers to be lowered into the anti-shark cage. Brody argues against it, but, for once, Quint is willing to hear Hooper out. Hooper sings about how putting himself in harm’s way is his only chance to the tune of his intro song, “Beautiful.” Hooper then admits that Quint is right, he hasn’t been through what Quint has, but he’s willing to try and prove his worth. Quint and Brody realize they don't have much choice and agree.

Hooper goes into the cage. Brody takes Hooper’s glasses, and Hooper gives them both one last look before he puts on his mask and goes under. 

“In the Cage” - Instrumental. While below the water (which is just another part of the stage covered in blue spotlights), Hooper tries to attack the shark with the syringe on the end of a spear, but he drops it. The shark begins to break its way into the cage, but Hooper manages to escape and hides behind some rocks, apologizing to the men above for failing.

Quint and Brody, of course, can’t hear him, nor can they see what’s happening below. Quint and Brody pull up the cage to find it mangled and empty. Brody is devastated, thinking that Hooper is dead, but Quint seems to be truly unraveling. He sings a shaky reprise of “Those Eyes,” this time obsessing over the look Hooper gave them before he went under. He frantically recalls that he saw the same look on the faces of his crew mates after the sinking of the Indianapolis. Tragically, the song also functions as a callback to “My Boy Is Dead.” (”It’s far too late for me now to take back the things I’ve said. / They’ll haunt me ‘til my dying day. / Because that boy is dead.”)

“Quint’s End” - Instrumental, spoken dialogue. Quint can’t get the last image of Hooper out of his mind and begs him to stop looking at him like that. Brody is alarmed as Quint’s pleas to Hooper change to pleas to his dead crew mate, Herbie Robinson. Quint has slid into a full-blown PTSD flashback. In his mind, he’s back in the waters of the Pacific thirty years ago, surrounded by sharks and dead crew mates. Brody tries to calm Quint down by reminding him where he is, but at that moment, the shark leaps onto the stern, and the Orca lists backwards. (In my head, the Orca set is on some kind of platform that can be raised at an incline.) Both men begin to slide toward the waiting jaws of the shark. Brody manages to grab onto the door frame leading into the cabin. He tries to hold onto Quint, but Quint slips out of his hand. Quint tries to fight back against the shark, but with a sickening crunch, Quint falls silent. The shark retreats with Quint’s lifeless body.

“Smile!” - Payback time. The Orca is sinking fast, and Brody knows that if he ends up in the water, it’s game over. Brody manages to ward the shark off with one of Hooper’s scuba tanks. The shark takes the scuba tank into its mouth, giving Brody the chance to climb onto the mast with Quint’s rifle. The music ramps up in speed and intensity as the shark closes in. Brody’s singing ramps up to match as he fires at the shark again and again, reminding himself of his promise to protect others and vowing that this shark will never kill anyone again. Then, with a final, bombastic, “So, smile you son of a bitch!” he gets a hit on the tank, and the shark explodes. He whoops and hollers as the music swells.

The finale instrumental is both sad and sweet. The sinking mast deposits Brody in the water. Hooper surfaces besides him. They laugh together, relieved that it’s over. Hooper asks about Quint, but Brody only responds with the single word, “No.” Hooper and Brody are close enough to paddle back to shore, so they do just that. As they set off, Brody begins to sing, “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” Hooper joins in. The curtain falls.

[blu-joons]

Perfect Notes ~ Min Yoongi

The sound of piano greeted him as he walked up the flight of stairs to your apartment, wondering which of the houses the sweet melody could be coming from. A smile graced him as he followed the sound all the way up, surprised when he followed it all the way to your front door.

Using the spare key you’d given him, Yoongi let himself into your apartment, where the sounds quickly grew louder. He continued to follow the sounds until he found you sat at your piano in the back room of your apartment, a place that Yoongi had never been before.

He didn’t dare disturb you as you played, opting to lean against the doorframe and pay all his attention to you instead. His eyes watched you in disbelief at how talented you were, taking note of how effortlessly your fingers danced along the keys.

Once you were done, the sound of applause behind you made you jump. Your eyes darted around only to smile in relief when you noticed that it was Yoongi behind you. He took a few steps further into the room so he was stood behind you with his hands on your shoulders.

“That was beautiful,” he whispered, kissing the top of your head.

Your smile grew appreciatively, tilting your head back to look up at him. His eyes were staring around the room, exploring all of the items that belonged to you that he’d never had the chance to see or learn from before.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” you responded, as his eyes finally looked down to meet yours with a warming grin.

He watched closely as you reached forwards and pulled the lid down to your piano to keep the keys safe before folding the page of the music book that you were following from. His breath was taken in awe at how pristine everything was.

Never, could Yoongi imagine that he’d find you playing the piano. Yet, just when he thought he knew everything about you, you came along once again and took him by surprise and showed him another side to you.

“Since when have you played?” He asked, continuing to keep his hands on your shoulders. “I can’t believe you’ve never shown me how talented you are, it’s sounds to me like you belong in an orchestra or something with how good you are.”

Your eyes rolled at his kindness, dismissing him quickly. You were always too scared to tell Yoongi about your hobby, telling an artist who could sell out arenas to thousands about you being able to play piano always felt like quite the anti-climax.

But that was anything but how it felt to Yoongi, to find something that the two of you could share in common was huge to him. And best of all, to be able to be the one to say that talent was the better half of him was something that excited him greatly.

“I guess I’ve played for as long as I can remember,” you finally spoke up in response to him.

His head nodded, listening intently to everything that you had to say. “Maybe you could teach me a thing or two, I’ve actually been looking for some piano on my new song.”

You weren’t quite sure if Yoongi was just being nice or if he really meant it, but still, your head nodded back at him. You’d always played down your talents on the piano, but Yoongi was more than happy to be the one to hype you up.

He knew better than most how difficult it was for someone to dedicate their time to an instrument, especially to the breath-taking ability that you managed to play yours.

“I could just imagine you on piano and Tae on sax,” Yoongi began to daydream.

You nudged his hip gently to bring him back into reality, “there are thousands of more talented piano players than me, I just do it whenever I have the time.”

His head shook, struggling to believe how blind you were to how talented you were. He’d heard enough pieces of music in his lifetime to know when sheer talent stared him in the face, and you were most definitely talent sat before him.

There was no way he could stand back and ignore the sweet melody that he’d walked into, especially when it came from you.

“Why don’t you come down to the studio and play?” He suggested.

“Yoongi,” you whispered, “you don’t need to be nice to me because I’m your girlfriend.”

His head shook, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you up from your seat, replacing you with himself as he pulled you down into his lap.

The tight grip that he had on your waist refused to loosen as he studied your piano closely. He could recognise quickly that it was one of the older models of the company, but somehow, you’d managed to keep it in tiptop condition.

The money for a piano was something that you could never afford, you were only thankful for the one you had in front of you as a present many years ago that every member of your family chipped in for. The technology at Yoongi’s studio was something that you were never used to, it was far too fancy and modern for what you were used to playing on.

“I want you to feature on something,” he reiterated, “I want to show you off.”

You smiled down at him, pressing your hand to his cheek. “You’re adorable,” you mused, “but this is just a hobby for me, it’s not like I’m a professional or anything.”

His shoulders shrugged back at you, “what if you could be a professional though, you have the talent to easily compare with some of the pianists I’ve worked with over the years with the band. I bet half of them couldn’t do what you can.”

“Do you really think I’m that good?” You asked, struggling to believe how hard he was working to give your ego a boost.

“I think you’re more than good, you’re amazing.”

“Well, I wouldn’t quite go that far,” you sniggered.

His eyes rolled as his hands moved up to rest against your waist, tickling gently until you finally started to believe in the things that he was saying to you.

“I’m disappointed that you’ve never shown me how talented you are before though,” he teased, “I walked up the stairs desperate to find out who was playing such amazing music, but I never imagined that it would actually be from you.”

You smiled down at him once again, “I guess it’s just never come up in conversation before.”

He couldn’t hide the proud smile on his face as you began to trust in him a little more and believe the kindness that he sent your way.

“I wish you’d have told me sooner, but I’m glad I’ve found out now. You don’t deserve to just be playing in your bedroom, you should be on a stage or something for the world to see just how amazing you are.”

“Maybe one day,” you chuckled, kissing his forehead gently. “For now, I’m quite happy just playing in here. And besides, you’re the most important audience member to me, if you’re here, then I’m already selling out the world.”

A light giggle came from him, “that might just be the cheesiest thing that I’ve ever heard you say to me.”

“Don’t worry, I’m regretting it now too.”

---

Masterlist

[growup-gloup]

Hi I really need help getting over this guy. I’ve liked him for years and I don’t think he feels the same. It’s been distracting my studies and it’s hard to stop liking him when he’s so smart, reliable and kind. Pls help me. He is my first crush I don’t know what to do and I’m tired of feeling this way.

The key to getting over someone, whether it's a crush or a breakup, is acknowledging how you feel. Give yourself some time to come to terms with what you feel for that person, and to truly accept that you might not be able to have that person the way you want to. Shed a few tears if you must, but then wipe them away and get up.

It's human to have feelings for someone, but you don't exist for that person. No one deserves to occupy that much space in your mind rent-free.

You get over a person using healthy distractions like the following:

Delete all Evidence of Them. Obviously, this is easier said than done but delete to the best extent you can. It's hard to block someone who is in your circle of friends, especially if they've done nothing wrong, but you CAN get rid of any photos or other endearing things you've saved that remind you of them. You can also restrict their account on social media. That means that you will still be following them if unfollowing them is not an option, but you won't see their posts in your feed unless you look them up. This reduces the chance of you thinking about them, especially if they're not around.

Spend Time with Other People. If you spent a lot of time with that person, you are going to feel a type of loneliness that none of the following tips will help in the beginning. So, while the next tip will talk about how to be alone, you should still spend some time with other friends, and even family members, going places and doing things that make new memories. Note: this does not apply to rebounds, which is an unhealthy way of handling your feelings after a heartbreak.

Learn to Enjoy Solitude. Fall in love with yourself. Spend time being alone and doing things you enjoy. And if you're not sure what you enjoy, this is a great time to find out by trying new things until something makes you happy. Hobbies can take up a lot of spare time and mind space while also giving you a productive outlet and possibly new connections.

Focus on Your Education. Now that the distraction is gone, you can spend more time on your studies. Join a study group, and set a schedule that is just for reviewing and testing yourself. You can also reach out to other classmates or your teacher if you have questions, or you can try your hand at ye ol' reliable Google and Khan Academy.

Consume Intellectual Media. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rom-com, but that's not the best thing to be watching when you're trying to get over someone. Instead, opt for movies or TV shows that make you think, or are in a genre you haven't explored yet. Bonus points if it's in another language because you get to explore a whole new culture as well! You can also watch documentaries and listen to new types of music and podcasts, and even books. Again, this might not be the best time to pick up the latest YA romance, but it is a good time to try a different genre or pick up a great non-fiction book. Let me know if you'd like suggestions for some non-fiction books to start with.

Even as you do all of these things, getting over someone doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, and it gets a little bit easier every day. You just have to take it one day at a time and focus on the things that matter.

💋