#I’m glad teams r releasing their own videos too

[nick-cassidy]

peugeot drivers on french arrogance

[13uswntimagines]

I’m in Love With You Dumbass (Christen x reader)

Request: R are in love with Chris and she’s close with Chris and Tobin so she really think that she wont stand a chance. R is USWNTs videographer/content creator.

Authors Note: Special thanks to @literaryhedgehog​ cause without her this would probably still be trapped in my drafts. Also this turned into something a little silly and a little fluffy, and i really hope you enjoy it!

You blinked at your laptop, squinting as you processed the ten thousand pictures that you had taken during national team practice trying to decide which ones you wanted to put out for the fans. 

It was always a balancing act, giving them little glimpses at training and not giving your major secrets away, but you had mastered it over the years. 

You bit your lip as you swiped past several pictures of your best friend (who you totally didn’t have a crush on). The shot was perfect, well almost. Her green eyes were shining, and her dimples were showing. The only problem you had was that the smile was directed at one Tobin Heath instead of you. 

You were so focused on picking out a picture of Christen that you didn’t notice you were no longer alone in the dining hall. Hell, you didn’t notice anything until two hands landed on your shoulders. 

“Hey,” Emily yelled directly in your ear, you jolted in your seat, nearly falling as Emily and Lindsey cackled. 

You held your hand over your chest, fighting a smile of your own. You might not like being scared, but at least they were having a good time. 

“What are you two up to down here?” 

“Trying to fight the boredom of a lazy day. What are you up to?” Lindsey laughed, settling down into the seat beside you, and leaning over to look at the photos displayed on your laptop. 

“Just editing stuff for tomorrow’s release,” You shrugged, clicking so the photos advanced forward. 

“that last video has the fans going crazy,” Emily mumbled, leaning over the back of the chair to get a better view of the screen, and smirking when she saw a string of pictures focused on a certain forward. 

“Hmm, I’m glad, but it’s you guys who did all the work, I just shot the camera,” You hummed shaking your head. The women were so charismatic and funny that most of it took almost no artistry on your part. You just had to aim and capture. They were the ones giving you golden content. 

“Don’t sell yourself short, you edited like 15 hours of footage into 8 minutes,” Lindsey snorted, and you blushed just a little. Most people didn’t realize how much time a single clip took to put together, so it was kinda nice to have the acknowledgment. 

“But I have a question,” Emily said, her head popping over your shoulder as you began to edit one of the clips from today. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just Tobin threading a ball through for Christen. 

“Yeah Sonnett?” You asked, tilting your head, your tongue trapped between your teeth as you decided where to cut the clip into the one before it. 

“Why does Christen always get more screen time when she’s in those leggings?” 

You froze, the flush moving up your cheeks all the way to your ears. You weren’t that obvious, were you? She just looked so good in those pants, you really couldn’t help yourself. It was for the fans after all… 

“She doesn’t. I just pick the cool shots and stuff,” You grumbled, crossing your arms and slumping in your seat. 

Lindsey’s eyes softened. “If you ever wanna talk about it, you know where to find us,”. 

“There’s nothing to talk about. She’s my best friend and probably dating someone else anyway. I don’t stand a chance,” You mumbled, staring adamantly down at your twiddling fingers in your lap. 

You had known Christen since college, and you had had a crush on her for almost as long. Years ago you had been poised to make your move when one Tobin Heath entered the picture. She had all but swept Christen off her feet, and you knew you didn’t have a chance with the girl. Why would she want the shy camera girl when she could have one of the best players in the league. 

“Yeah, cause she totally doesn’t stare at you as much as you stare at her,” Emily snorted, patting your back. 

“I don’t stare…” You grumbled, pouting. 

“Whatever you say,” Lindsey cackled, a plan beginning to form. 

*****

Christen was not brooding. So she happened to be sitting in a corner, sipping on her beer watching you laugh with someone near the counter across the room from under her eyelashes. But that was not glowering, or even remotely stalkerish. Okay, but who WAS that that you were talking to, and why were they making you laugh so hard you almost choked on your drink?

“Hey Chris, nice view?” Tobin said, sliding into the seat next to Christen. 

“Peachy,” Christen said sarcastically, not looking away from where you were standing. Apparently, that girl you were talking to was interested in cameras, as you were currently showing her yours. Bitch.

“Hm, then why are you glaring at the nice rookie who is buying Y/n drinks?” 

“She’s a lightweight. If Sophia Smith buys her another one of those Long Island Iceteas then Y/n won’t be able to drive home,” Christen grumbled, sipping her beer. If Kelley could get you drunk with three margaritas, they were definitely in for it with the 3 long islands you had consumed. If only the rookie knew what a stupid move it was. 

“So she’ll order an uber.” Tobin shrugged with a smirk. Christen balked at the notion. You were a handful when drunk, and she wasn’t going to leave you alone in the hands of some poor college students. 

“Uber has unethical business practices.” She dismissed Tobin’s suggestion easily. 

“Maybe one of the Riveters will offer to take her then. Are you really going to sit here and pretend this has nothing to do with the fact that you’re head over heels for our favorite photographer?”

Christen rolled her eyes. There was no way in hell she was going to let you get in the car with one of your fans. No matter how supportive they were. 

“Maybe.” She pouted, crossing her arms. 

Tobin rolled her eyes at the reaction. God the two of you moved slower than Sloths. If you kept going at this rate you would be 70 by the time you finally got together. “So are you going to sit here and pout, or are you going to go get your girl?” 

“What if she doesn’t want me?”

“Trust me, she does,” Tobin snorted. Your crush was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes, as was Christen’s on you. The team had bets about how long it would take the two of you to grow the balls to ask each other out (and who would do the asking). 

Christen held Tobin’s eyes for a second. Then she set her drink down on the table and walked over to where you were standing with Smith. You turned to look at her, your eyes taking a second to refocus before you recognized her. 

“PRESSIE!” You screeched, then ducked down and whispered “sorry, too loud.”

“How many of these have you had?” Christen said, casually taking the glass from your hand. 

“Just two- you know that two-drink Y/n has problems with volume control!” You said, laughing at your Brooklyn 99 reference as you stole your drink back and took a big swig. “Don’t worry, I’ll switch to water next.”

“Right. So are you having fun talking to Sophie?” Christen said, not sure how to start the conversation. 

“Oh, sophies nice! Like she’s so funny. She pretended to be interested in photography so I could talk about it since I didn’t know any of the television shows she was talking about. Apparently, I need to watch she-ra or something, but I just don’t have time. And I already promised to watch that thing with you. You know that period drama thing. And you’re nicer. And really pretty. And you give really good cuddles. Even if you always like the villain characters in movies best, like a weirdo.”

“Just because I said Tom Hiddleston was hot one time-”

“It’s Okay, Pressie. I acknowledge that you have a terrible taste in men, you bi disaster you, and that’s okay. I love you anyway. Boop” and with that, you tapped her on the nose. 

Christen rolled her eyes, “Okay, let’s get you home before you profess the rest of your love for the team,” 

“Hmm, don’t love the rest of the team. Just love you, even if you love Tobin more,” You sighed, leaning your head on her shoulder. 

Christen tensed. “What?” She asked. Her and Tobin were strictly friends, and anyone with eyes knew she was hung up on you. 

“I wanna date you, but you’re dating tobito. That makes me sad. She scooped you up before i could profess my undying love, ” You pouted, scrunching your eyebrows together. You meant to tell her after Standford beat North Carolina so many years ago, but they had lost and she had gone to congratulate Tobin. 

Christen shook her head. “I’m in love with you dumbass, not Tobin,” 

You sat up and blinked owlishly at her, suddenly more sober than you had been 20 seconds ago. “You are?”

She rolled her eyes at you, kissing your nose lightly. She wasn’t about to argue with you about who she was in love with while you were drunk off your ass. She would investigate more later, profess her love when you were both sober, and make up for all your lost time “Alright, i think you’ve had enough. Let’s get you home hot stuff,”

[yibuo]

UMMM I would love to know what exactly happened with xnine too if you know??

i didn’t know how to answer this without hating on long danni but... that’s not possible when you’re talking about xnine

CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG IN ANY WAY @ DIMPLES AND CFANS

tldr ceo addicted to producing survival shows realizes boy group is incapable of feeding her fat rabbit because of her OWN mismanagement and throws them away (literally? probably not, maybe, idk)

HOLY SHIT THIS BECAME RLY LONG IM BEGGING KEEP READING TO WORK LO LOL LOL

long danni= wjjw company ceo

wjjw=company that xnine, xz, r1se, etc are under

huo mala: fat company rabbit that WILL give u nightmares goodness gracious thinking about him sends chills down my spine

alright so long danni (ldn i will refer to her) & ee media along w/ tencent and sm made the survival show x-fire... the premise of xfire was that 16 contestants split into two different teams (white and red) and then at the end it would boil down to each team having 4 members and the winning team would debut as a group called xfire...but wait...the group’s name is xnine? so out of red team (peng chuyue, baishu, xiao zhan, xia zhiguang) and white team(wu jiacheng, gu jiacheng, zhao lei, and guo zifan) white team won...and they unofficially debuted as xfire..went abroad to train yadda yadda yadda and then a few months later, TELL ME WHY LONG DANNI DECIDES TO RELEASE POLLS TO LET FANS VOTE IN 5 MEMBERS INTO XFIRE TO CREATE XNINE! ldn PLEASE if u wanted to rig the show you should’ve decided in the beginning what was the point of making the teams and the fans fight against each other...

so yeah xz and crew weren’t actually supposed to debut according to show rules...i mean i’m glad they debuted obviously bc x9 is x9 but ee media and frickin ldn couldve handled this better...like every member except chen molerat is amazing and great but....WHY DIDNT MaNAGEMENT NOT BLATANTLY RIG THEM INTO THE GROUP

but also thank u ldn for also letting us get to know the 4 guys who were added n not chen molerat <3 but like DO UR JOB PROPERLY

anyway the polls were RIGGED obviously thanks ldn what did u expect out of making POLLS, and xiao zhan, peng chuyue, xia zhiguang, yan xujia, and chen z*** were added to the group to create xnine...talk about rigged when chen z*** the molerat lookin turdface misogynist was added... anyway at the time he wasnt known to be problematic but ya the whole rigging thing caused a whole rift esp when x9 debuted bc there were fanwars and death threats initially but xfire did well because it was one of the (if not only) survival shows at that time and x9 debuted w/ a good response etc

then they got moved to wjjw (still owned by ldn thanks ldn) and wjjw is known for hoarding artists and not promoting them (THEY HAVE LIKE 45 ARTISTS BUT WERE FORMED 3 YEARS AGO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE) and not being promoted properly was EXACTLY what happened to xnine. as idols what they needed was music promotions, variety shows, etc stuff to get them as people out there but this genius ldn decided to promote them through stupid zodiac dramas like super star academy (to promote xfire finalists) and oh my emperor (which was an xnine drama). now i haven’t watched OME, but SSA gave me enough brain rot and gunk for me to not watch OME. (the only person who could act was baishu), and the story was SO BAD. nevermind the acting, because the boys weren’t initially slated to be actors, but the story was horrible, girl without superpowers suddenly becomes white cult goddess at the end??? WHAT???????? why didn’t ldn just promote them normally !!!!!! are they an actor group or an idol group???? I LOVE XNINE, THEY ARE TALENTED ARTISTS !!!! and eventually some went into acting (xz, guo zifan, gu jiacheng) BUT WAS THAT THE TIME DLFNJNF and then they just kept getting sent into random dramas and movies as random side characters instead of being able to make music and promote????? i’m sorry i’ve been stuck on using dramas to promote x9 for a while because that’s such a SILLY IDEA *vigorously shakes head* 

ldn knows how to do survival shows but she doesn’t know how to promote her artists thanks ldn. xnine has so much talented, we know xiao zhan is a great singer, but other main vocalists like wu jiacheng, zhao lei, and peng chuyue are amazing as welll, here’s me plugging this video of zl and pcy performing their self-written song on produce camp because it’s the most beautiful thing ever

-oh yeah somewhere in here insert chen molerat getting outed as a pedo misogynist cheater by his gf who still has the audacity to have xnine in his weibo name because xnine starting to get popular gtfo rat lookin ass i WILL barf, when we say ot8 xnine we mean xnine w/o chen toadratass but sometimes ppl think it’s xnine minus xz which is untrue-

they also have talented rappers (gu jiacheng yan xujia) and dancers (xia zhiguang guo zifan) like xia zhiguang can end me with his spinning flying kick thing and i WILL let him 

so YEAH !! TALENT that went to waste because wjjw gave them weird random hiatuses and kept pushing them as actors??? seriously what is with this actor stuff...so that’s why they debuted in 2016 and have very little discography to their name because wjjw just gave up...trying to promote them GOD thank u so much ldn for ur incomptency <3333 xnine had members in diff stages of life (ranging from xz who was born in 91, to yan xujia born in 2001, they were all close tho soo cute) and wjjw really was like nope we’re not gonna try to promote yall’s dreams of becoming singers on the stage because they couldn’t add 34783473 pounds to fat huo mala’s weight

so ya a lot of people are like omg wjjw hates xiao zhan!!! ya no they hate all of xnine but now xz is bringing enough money to make huo mala even fatter so good for huo mala i guess /s

also rumors and any bad media? lol wjjw doesn’t care they do a shit job at handling bad things too WHAT A WELLROUNDED COMPANY

OH ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW THYE HAD 3 DAYS TO PREPARE FOR A CONCERT???????????? WHAT????????? wjjw u mfs

anyway to summarize my rants above wjjw did  a SHIT job of promoting xnine as idols when the boys worked so hard and wjjw kept tryna push them to acting bye (some of them can’t act and literally don’t WANT TO ACT HHHSFLNF), wjjw is also horrible at letting all of the xnine members shine when as i mentioned before, they’re ALL TALENTED!!!! and then they just gave up on xnine somewhere in 2017-2018... ok anyway so is xnine disbanded? no although some may say their last concert in dec 2018 was their last concert ever they’re not disbanded

xiao zhan , gu jiacheng, and guo zifan went into acting

wu jiachang is focusing on his music etc (he was actually the first member of xnine i came across when i watched the collaboration/cyzj in 2018...yes carats this is That wu jiacheng!!!) MAN CAN SING

peng chuyue, zhao lei, xia zhiguang, yan xujia all went on produce camp 2019 (aNOTHER SURVIVAL SHOW BC THEY WANTED TO BE ON THE MF STAGE BC THATS WHY THEYRE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE WJJW) along w/ fellow labelmates zhou zhennan and zhai xiao wen ... and everyone but peng chuyue made it to the final 11 spots and got to debut in the group r1se...UNFORTUNATELY ALSO UNDER WJJW HELP SEND HELP

if they’re in r1se does that mean they quit xnine? no! they’re in both that’s just how survival shows work it’s kind of weird

peng chuyue recently released a song and it’s really good and you can’t not tell me that it’s gay here it is

anyway xnine hasn’t disbanded!! the X玖少年团 (xnine) in the non-r1se members’ weibo names say that loud n clear!!! and when the r1se members from xnine won produce camp 2019, they all made xnine signs SO XNINE IS ALIVE and they do keep in contact!!

why haven’t we seen blatant public interactions btwen xiao zhan and the xnine members? because some frickin annoying xz solo stans/xfx claim that the other members use xz for popularity (HELLO??????? IN WHAT WORLD DOES THAT MAKE SENSE HALF OF THEM R LITERALLY HIS KIDS BUT OK) 

anyway in conclusion wjjw doesn’t know how to promote any of their artists, thus screwing over xnine members and making them go on a group hiatus where they focus on acting/singing/r1se for r1se members but they are very much xnine as of now !!!

here’s some REALLY GOOD RESOURCES to follow xnine bc as an ifan it’s mf hard

-xnine slideshow

-xnine faq

-xnine eng sub channel by yuer

-all of that content i listed above was made/subbed by one person and she is the queen of uhh...xnine international fandom outreach (????) how do i word it but she’s been subbing and spreading xnine long before xiao zhan’s popularity skyrocketed so go follow her for updates and memes here

-xnine intl fanbase twt and tumblr

-and here’s this twt account with dumb pics of xnine because why not

also i’m pretty sure there’s a wip video explaining x9′s history being created (by yuer because queen) so when that’s posted i’ll rb this and post it here

also here’s this video dragging wjjw

[shahidiwrites]

CONFETTI RANKING NO ONE ASKED FOR <3 But firstly can I just say their team literally said so what girl group era are yall taking inspo from? And little mix literally just said yes <3 UISDJOKOISADJ THE I N F L U E N C E S ON THIS ALBUM AHHHHHHHH i think it also sucks that c**** definitely took a toll on the album and i honestly think it was supposed to be released sooner BUT nevertheless it’s here now and i was sO PLEASED AND IM SO PROUD OF THESE GIRLS living their past life having all the fun with this album so let us go!!

1. Confetti. A powerful feel good song. Like this is THE Bad bitch anthem, like I can’t wait to be driving at night with my girlies blasting this. IT’S SO FUCKING GOOD. I love when the instrumental strips away on jade’s verse and it’s just the snaps BEAUTIFUL. Some of the melodies in here were definitely a shout out to girl groups like cherish and destiny’s child and holy fuck it WORKED. T H A T BRIDGE. LIKE. UGH. Vocally it’s a lot more stripped back than the rest of the album, and yet it’s still my favorite?? I think that speaks so much to Little Mix’s musicality. They don’t need insane vocals (even though they DEFINITELY HAVE THEM) to make a good song, like they know what works and they prove it every single time.

2. Sweet Melody. This song is so fucking clever. I know everyone has already talked about the way the instrumental literally follows the words, but IT’S SO CLEVER I’M MENTIONING IT AGAIN. Jade’s verse will forever be my favorite. She really set up the story with her verse. I love how the first part of the chorus is literally a sweet melody before it goes into the edgier chorus UGH SO GOOD. Not to mention this video gave us the first choreo heavy music video since fucking Salute ad that is a blessing in and of itself.

3. Happiness. “Remember I, I was mine. Before I was yours.” Honestly what else do you need? That line was so fucking iconic. The melody is so fucking beautiful, the nod to past girl groups was very strong in this one. It’s a different sound for them but at the same time extremely them??? I love the lyrical content SO MUCH. it’s such a feel good powerful song. The bridge of perrie belting and then the beautiful quick breakdown before they go back into the chorus ugh so fucking good. 

4. If You Want My Love. This song punched me in the face the second it started with Jade and didn’t stop until the fucking end. This was SUCH a spot on nod to past girl groups and they fucking nailed it. The chorus gives me CHILLS every time. It literally DEMANDS your attention in the same way the lyrical content is demanding to be treated right. The bridge had me meltING. PERRIES BUILD UP BELT?? Reminded me of About the boy which iconic we love growth. The melody is so fucking good AND THE ACAPELLA AT THE END??? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING??? so damn good. Everyone say thank you little mix.

5. Rendezvous. Honestly this top five is literally nothing but non-skippable B O P S. The fucking sway sample is ICONIC. It’s giving such motivate vibes and we all know how much of a banger that one is. Trying to imagine the choreo to this song is physically paining me and i’m so fucking pumped to see IT. I love how they have been consistently taking ownership of their bodies and flipping the gender expectations around. “i ain’t trying to fall in love with you” JUST ICONIC. Also reminds me of bloodline by ariana grande and also FUCKING ICONIC.

6. My Love Won’t Let You Down. This song needs to be longer. It’s so fucking beautiful. The lyrical content had me crying by the first line. It reminded me a lot of don’t worry by the 1975 but a lot more personal, it’s a very pointed song so it hits so differently than the 1975 one does for me. But holy shit it’s so beautiful, they have all grown vocally so much. “We can sit at the edge of your bed, tell me all of the fears in your head, and i’ll sing you your favorite song” This REALLY got to me bc idk it just felt like they were speaking to their fans i that moment and I know that alone can mean so much to so many people. It really did for me.

7. A Mess (Happy 4 U). I was not expecting them to start so deep, i literally felt like i was being let in on a secret it was so cute. And then the slip into that head voice, it was so airy and so pretty. And the drums in the background were very reminiscent of nothing feels like you which was a GREAT trip down memory lane for me. I also just love the message behind the song and the lyrical content is cute. AND THE FUCKING D R O P. U G H. THE FACT THAT THIS SONG ISNT HIGHER SHOULD SPEAK VOLUMES AS TO HOW GOOD I THINK THE OTHER SONGS ARE.

8. Holiday. WHY DOES THE FANDOM HATE THIS SONG SO MUCH??? IT’S SO GOOD. THE PRE-CHORUS ALONE !!!! EYE!!! It’s really upsetting to me and my homegirls why Holiday gets so much slander. The music video..... anyway the S O N G. It’s so good. So fun. A tune.

9. Nothing But My Feelings. Idk what this trend is of singing complete FILTH to the cutest little melodies but i’m here for it. This song took me by surprise tbh but i loved every second of it??? ESPECIALLY, the cute little adverbs in the background holy shit. They’re so much fun. And little mix + trap influenced is probably my new favorite thing so i need them to continue doing trap influence for my own sanity.

10. Not A Pop Song. I’m glad the girlies get to sing their truth at LAST. I also love the melody in this song and the “not a pop song” harmonies in the background near the end. I do think the verses are too short but i love leigh’s prechorus so much i’ll let the verses be shorter so i can get to her sooner. Also perrie kILLED that bridge are we surprised? no not at all.

11. Break Up Song. idc man this songs still slaps lmao. IT’S CUTE. But i’ve heard it enough it can’t compete with the new bbies on the album, but that intro gets me hype every time. And I still have fun dancing to it months later, but i’ve had it so long it’s been celebrated enough.

12. Breathe. I just feel like the verses were so much prettier than the chorus, like the lyrical content is so beautiful. Maybe it’s the instrumental??? But i think it would have been so much prettier had the chorus not been so intentionally choppy. The verses alone tho almost saved this song for me and made me put it higher but there’s just so many better songs on the album so it is here.

13. Gloves up.... is this controversial? There’s just a real disconnect between??? everything??? it sounds like three different songs tbh?? I love the lyrical content and the breakdown in the pre-chrous and jesy’s pause before perrie’s power vocals come in, but the instrumental is just kind of all over the place to me. idk maybe subconsciously i was comparing it to salute because that’s the writer they wrote it with but idk just not for meeee

[msbowser]

My Top Games of the Last Decade

The year 2020 is here, ushering in a new decade to live in. Instead of looking at the bad events that occurred over the years, I instead want to look at my favorite games over the last 10 years. It’s crazy that back in 2010, I was only in my second half of the fifth grade. Oh how young and naïve I was and an even worse gamer. Now in 2020, I am in the second semester of my second year of university, studying in the psychology field. I feel how I was raised over the last years shaped of how I am as a person and I am still learning, no one is perfect. Those developments shaped even the gamer I am now. Back when I was younger, I just liked games that were fun to play. But now I am a person who puts Character Development and Story before Gameplay. You will see this shift as the years go by.

Well let’s start with 2010. And I will try to limit how much I write each game to about a paragraph each. Don’t want to make this post too long. I can give a more detailed explanation at a future date if someone is interested. 

PS. All the games are Nintendo Games. I’m only a Nintendo gamer so sorry if you don’t see like Persona 5 or Last of Us.

2010: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Gosh this game is too freaking cute for words. I remember the stories about how much I wanted this game when I was younger, even the embarrassing ones. While this game is easy even for Kirby standards, this game is so fun to play. The levels are enjoyable to play, you can get lost hours doing minigames and playing music (Frosty Wheel is still the best), and is just cute. This game is cute incarnate. And if you don't want to play the original version, you can play a port of it on the 3DS with even more goodies on it.

2011: Pokémon Black and White

My favorite Pokémon games and generation even if I started with Pearl. Gen 5 of Pokémon is super special to me as I know it is for many others, being the first game I bought the day of release. I was also pretty blind in my playthrough, finding new discoveries as they came along and finding new Pokémon that I might have not liked at first but became my favorites. Pokémon like the Krookodile line, Emolga, the Leavanny line and so much more. The game also first brought to my attention to how characters can be written well and still is my favorite story in a mainline Pokémon game. 

2012: Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure

So I’m kinda cheating with this one since I didn’t play it until 2013 but damn it, I don’t care! This game is awesome. I am super terrible with rhythm games but this game is one that is very enjoyable with an excellent story and characters. Phantom R is such a cool guy that you just want to hang out with and go dancing with and not the fact he’s a gentleman. The rhythm minigames are mostly enjoyable and have a wide variety to play so you can't bored very easily (the gyroscope one can go die in a fire though). All I want to know is where is the damn sequel already Sega?! It’s been 8 freaking years with that teaser you showed at the ending of the game and no I don't count that bad IOS game you made a year later. We fans need our fix and answers now. 

2013: Mario and Luigi Dream Team

Bowser’s Inside Story will always be my favorite Mario and Luigi game but this game comes to a close second. As part of Year of Luigi, this game did not disappoint. Luigi is front and center and he is the best of the part of game, with his dream abilities and overall character. The story is also very good with the adventures the bro’s have on Pi’illo Island and the soundtrack of the game is my video game soundtrack of all time. There is also the fact that giant battles return and if anyone knows me, knows I love me those giants <3

I also have two honorable mentions for 2013 that I will give a brief note while I like them

Fire Emblem Awakening 

First Fire Emblem game, got me in the series. Characters are great and story left me generally shocked at points. Make a yearly tradition to one playthrough each year

Super Mario 3D World

Favorite Mario platformer, Peach being playable and being a cat. Yes please

2014: Kirby Triple Deluxe 

I freaking love Kirby games :D Triple Deluxe was the first Kirby game on the 3DS, using an engine that looks beautiful on the 3DS that was used for the next game they did. The game is super colorful with its vibrate worlds and use of pastel colors. The new abilities is super fun to play with as well, Archer being my favorite. Supernova is also a neat gimmick for the game and glad it was present in many of the levels and used in new ways to solve puzzles. 

2015: Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle

Surprise! I said favorite games of the decade and mobile games count. This game means so much to me, being the one of the mobile games I keep track of everyday, even looking at what the JP version gets. I am proud of my account and how far it has come over these past years. Though I was not there right when it released, it has felt like that long as I have had my account for over 4 years now and don’t plan to quit now. One day I will have my full husband team, just you watch <3

2016: Dragon Ball Fusions

This game was my answer to a playable Dragon Ball RPG to play on Nintendo consoles (before Xenoverse 2 got ported over on the Switch). The chibi artstyle gave this game its own identify from other games like it. The gameplay was fun as you can make your own character and fly all across the world fighting characters from the Dragon Ball timeline. The game is all about the fusion mechanic, but with an expanded roster of characters to fuse and the ability to fuse your favorites is a blast. 

Brief Honorable Mention to Pokémon Sun and Moon for a fun region to explore, new pokemon to love and pretty good story.

(Lillie is so precious for this world I swear. And Snowy as well :D))

2017: Miitopia

A lot of people would write off this game as a simple Mii game, but it is so much more than that. This game has much more personality than one might think, with its class system, characters even when you chose who is what role and the story as well. The story and characters allows many possibilities of ideas for stories and art for creators to make and enjoy, as this game and Tomodachi Life was used as a template for a rp that me and my bf do. And this game can get hard, like wanting to rage quit hard, so be prepared for grinding. The OST is also a charm of the game, being one of my favorite OSTs ever. 

Like with 2013, I have two honorable mentions that I will give a short comment on.

Splatoon 2

Love it more than the original, Aerospray is still the master race and Off The Hook is better than Squid Sisters, don’ t @ me XD

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 

Amazing story, characters and unique experience from other games I have played. Berkut x Rinea OTP

2018: Dragon Ball FighterZ

As much as I like the Super Smash Bros games, I was more excited for this game to come out. I was glad it did come to Switch so I can play it. FighterZ was my first proper fighting game with button inputs and it threw me for a loop, but eventually I got the hang of it and is still learning. The story is a fun experience if you don’t think too much about it, me loving Android 21. And of course I main my husband that is in the gif above <3

2019: Pokémon Sword/Shield and Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission (That’s right, a tie)

I was excited for SwSh since day 1 and was not disappointed even with the dex cuts. The Wild Area has been a blast exploring, finding all the new raid Pokémon to catch and train. The new Pokémon are super fun to use, some of my favorites being Ponyta, Scorebunny and Dreepy. My baby Eevee also got a GMax form and she is super freaking fluffy, big and I want to hug her <3 I’m excited for the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLC when they come out.

This game was huge to us USA fans of the series as this was the first time we ever got anything DB Heroes related here. The cards were fun to make teams with and make even custom cards. It was a full experience without to play the irl game, which would still be fun. Though the game is slow to add updates, I will be waiting for what will be coming. I am glad the game came out so we can finally enjoy all of what the game has to offer. (Though I played the previous game in the series being Ultimate Mission X through Citra, so I got a headstart XD)

This is it for this post. Even though I am late at posting it, better late than never. If anyone is interested, I’m glad to give more detailed descriptions. I realize I have to do better at explain my opinions in a more detailed matter.

Thank you so much for reading :D

[heauxplesslydevoted]

All I Have Is Memories (M!Raleigh x MC)

Summary: Raleigh isn’t handling the breakup well.

Word Count: 3.4K+ Honestly two thousand words longer than I originally anticipated. I have no self control.

A/N: My crybaby ass was in shambles writing it, so I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor. All italicized parts are flashbacks, and my MC’s name is Cassandra Paige

Tag List: @x-kyne-x @paulfwesley @ramseyandrys @choicesobsessedd @a-i-n-a-a-s-h @furiouscloddonutpeanut @livedinawomansworld

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So tell me again what I’m doing tonight,” Raleigh orders, putting on his sunglasses.

“Just a simple club appearance,” Raleigh’s manager Mason answers. “Luxe in Midtown is hosting a launch party for some model’s Ciroc collab. I think it’s one of the Hadids or some other nepotism model or another.”

“Ciroc?” Raleigh grimaces. “I don’t even like vodka, especially that cheap shit.”

“I don’t care what you do with the Ciroc. Drink it, pour it down the drain, use it to start a fire for all I care. It’s 75 thousand dollars for a few hours of your time and as much vodka your liver can handle, and you don’t even have to perform.”

Raleigh doesn’t give a reply. The rest of the car ride is filled with silence, for which Raleigh is grateful. He doesn’t want to talk, especially about work. He really wants to close his eyes and take a little cat nap.

He’s been on a run, doing pop up shows and club appearances almost every night for the past month and a half. Mason was loving it. Raleigh’s popularity had somehow skyrocketed even more after his “breakup” with Cassandra, and Mason Bentley was always one to strike while the iron was hot. And in the beginning, Raleigh didn’t mind either. He needed the distraction, he needed his mind to be on anything other than Cassandra freaking Paige.

He had been in multiple fake relationships. He knew they had a shelf life of 6 months at maximum before TPTB stepped in and put an end to everything, but he didn’t think it would happen with her. He thought she was different, he thought they were different.

What started out as something fake had quickly turned into something real. It was less paparazzi runs, and more kisses when the fans and cameras weren’t around, late night sleepovers, hookups in bathrooms and coat closets at big industry events, and tiny moments of intimacy such as hand holding, her tracing nonsensical patterns into his chest after sex, and staying up late at night, swapping childhood stories.

It’s been two months since their split, and it’s still as fresh as ever in his mind.

They’re sitting at an outside cafe not too far from Central Park, He’s eating a bagel and people watching when Cassandra finally speaks up.

“So we’ve been at this for a few months now.” she starts.  “And I think we’ve reached the end of the road with the fake relationship thing.”

Raleigh doesn’t say anything immediately. He honestly forgot the reason they were put together in the first place. He needed image rehab, and she needed publicity. “I think you and I stopped with the whole fake relationship thing a few months ago, Andy.”

“Yeah,” she agrees with a subtle nod.

She doesn’t speak again and Raleigh feels the hair on the back of his neck stand to attention. He sits up straighter and looks at Cassandra. He notes that she can’t look him in the eyes, opting to focus on her lap instead. “Cassandra, look at me. Just what are you trying to say?”

After a long while, she finally looks up at him. Her eyes are large and glossy, as if she’s on the verge of tears. “I think the real part of our relationship needs to come to an end too.”

In that moment it feels like all of the air has been pulled out of his lungs. Is he...being dumped?

“What?”

“If we’re ending things publicly, I think it’ll work out better if we severed everything,” Cassandra continues. “Things will be less messy.”

Raleigh’s jaw clenches. “Wow, did you just repeat verbatim some bullshit Fiona force fed you?”

“Raleigh-”

“What, I’m right, right? She’s putting you up to this?”

“Yes, but-”

“So don’t do it!”

“I’m not you, I can’t afford to blatantly disregard my manager and piss off the label. We can still be friends, but our arrangement snowballed into something different than what we intended.”

“But I don’t want to end this. I want you, I l-” He’s able to catch himself before he makes a bigger fool of himself, but it’s too late. They both know what he was about to say.

I love you.

Raleigh doesn’t have time to pivot and steer the conversation in a different direction because before he can open his mouth again, he spots a paparazzo taking pictures of them, barely hiding behind a bush. That’s when he gets angry. “Is that why we’re here? Why we’ve been in Central Park all fucking day, so these vultures can get a piece of the pie?”

He knows that this is how these types of things work. Things have to end with a bang, not a fizzle, but he doesn’t give a fuck. That was before. Before he actually gave a damn about the other person, before he actually felt something.

He composes himself though, closing his eyes. He isn’t going to give the tabloids the satisfaction of getting raw footage of Raleigh Carrera having a complete meltdown in public. “I thought you were different, you know. I thought you weren’t like the rest of these fake industry people.”

“I’m not!” Cassandra argues.

“I thought we had something real.”

“We do, we did. But I can’t just-”

“Whatever,” Raleigh interjects. He stands abruptly. “And for the record, no we can absolutely not still be friends after this.”

Raleigh is thankfully pulled out of his thoughts before he has to relive any more of that tragic day. He hates thinking about it, he hates being that vulnerable.

The limo he’s riding in comes to a screeching halt in front of Luxe, and he hops out, Mason not too far behind. They’ve gone all out for this party. Red carpet, tons of celebrities (though he’s clearly the biggest name there), and lots of press. Paparazzi is yelling, calling out his name, reporters are practically shoving each other in order to get closer to him, hoping to be the lucky SOB that gets to interview him.

Mason points Raleigh in the direction of a reporter from Charttopper. Raleigh plasters on his best industry smile and heads over.

“Raleigh, hi. Janet Carmichael from Charttopper News, thank you stopping to chat!”

“Oh, thank you for having me, Janet.”

“Can I just say that you are killing it right now!”

“Thank you.”

“Seriously, I mean. The start of your victory lap was your latest single, a sultry collab with fellow R&B crooner Bryson Tiller called Wrong. It’s been out for three weeks and it’s already gone platinum. How does it feel?”

“It feels great,” Raleigh says. “I’ve been in this industry since I was a kid, I’m just glad the people still enjoy my work.”

“That’s a complete understatement, we more than love it.”

“I’m glad.”

“Now tell me, the song is about a man expressing some angst and guilt over a relationship gone wrong.” Raleigh tenses. He already knows where this lady is going to go with her line of questioning. “You recently went through a breakup, with up and coming pop sensation, Cassandra Paige.”

“Yeah.”

“Was she the inspiration behind the ballad?”

“No,” Raleigh replies. “I had been working on that song long before Andy and I broke up.”

And that’s the truth. The song had been in the making for months. In fact, Cassandra sat in on a few of his sessions.

“You want to have a fake snowball fight with all of these pieces of paper,” Raleigh suggests, tossing a crumpled piece at Cassandra. She quickly bats it away before it can hit her forehead.

“You’re supposed to be writing, mister,” Cassandra teases with an eye roll.

“But I have writer's block.” The two of them have been locked up in the studio for hours, crumpled pieces of paper strewn about, Raleigh’s guitar haphazardly dangling from the back of a chair. He had sent the rest of his team—sound engineer, mixers, and producer—away a long time ago. “Nothing sounds right, and the label is being annoying, pressuring me. Raleigh Carrera doesn’t do well under pressure. Raleigh Carrera needs time and space.”

“You are such a dork.”

“Just don’t tell anyone,” Raleigh shoots back with a smirk.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Cassandra sits back on the comfortable sleeper sectional that takes up a lot of the studio space. “Come here, come sit with me.”

“Andy”

“I’m not taking no for an answer. Come sit.”

Raleigh obliges and sits next to Cassandra. She pulls him back further so his back is on her chest and she nuzzles her face into his neck, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

“What are we doing?” Raleigh asks.

“I’m hugging you,” Cassandra says simply. “Hugging is good for you, it lowers anxiety and stress levels. You were on the verge of spiraling.”

“You know how it is, releasing a buzz single to get hype for an album. They want something deep, something sad. Something that’ll make Toni Braxton’s music look cheery.”

“Yikes. Why so glum?”

“It’s a niche market that’s currently untapped. People miss the heartbreak of 90s R&B. The crying, the begging, the dramatic music videos. They need me to fill that void. They’re all but demanding it. I don’t work well with demands.”

“I know it’s easier said than done, but you need to relax.” Raleigh snorts at the suggestion. “I’m serious. Music can not be forced, it has to be felt. It has to flow.”

“Sometimes I wish I didn’t write my own music. It’d be easier to have someone else do it and then head straight to the booth.”

“Let’s see if I can help you. Tell me what comes to mind when I say these words. Heartbreak?”

“Crush.”

“Loss?”

“Gain.”

“Pain?”

“Hurt.” 

“Okay, so give me some bars,” Cassandra demands.

“What?”

“You heard me. Don’t think about it, just go. Start singing.”

“I can’t just—” Cassandra cuts Raleigh off by flicking his ear. “Hey! What was that for?”

Cassandra flicks his ear again. “You better get to singin’!”

Raleigh ponders the words. “I gave you my heart, all you did was give me pain. You played me like a fool, look at this mess you’ve made. I’m stuck with all of the memories, heartbreak’s my only gain. Caught in your web of love, I feel so ashamed.”

Cassandra smiles. “Look at you!”

“It still needs some fine tuning.”

“Yeah, but it sounds like you’re on your way to a bridge. It’s more than you had 10 minutes ago.”

“How are you so optimistic all the time?”

“I just am.”

Raleigh bends down to kiss Cassandra’s arm. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

He turns around and lifts himself up so he’s hovering over Cassandra. “I feel like I should repay you in some way.”

“Mmmm, I’m pretty sure you can think of something,” Cassandra runs her hands through Raleigh’s hair. “I accept payment in the form of kisses.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Paige, but I think I can manage.” Cassandra tilts her head up and presses her lips against his in a soft kiss that he instantly heats up. 

Raleigh manages to flip them around so Cassandra is straddling him without breaking the kiss. If he wasn’t so wrapped up in what he was doing, he’d boast about it, but he’s too focused on the task at hand. His hands dig into the soft flesh of her thighs and he’s sure there will be marks there come morning time. Good. He wants her marked as his

He sits up, his back against the arm of the couch, pulling Cassandra in closer to him. His lips travel, planting kisses on her neck and collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake. His hands find the hem on the shirt she’s wearing and he tugs it up, yanking it off of her body. His hands roam her skin appreciatively. She’s soft, so soft it should be illegal. It was unfair for one person to be so perfect.

“Sh-shouldn’t we be working on your song?”

Raleigh quickly finds the class of her bra and he unhooks it expertly. “The song can wait, I have better things to do.”

“Aw, you have a nickname for her,” Janet coos. 

“Huh?”

“Cassandra. You call her Andy.”

Raleigh mentally curses himself for letting it slip out. Everyone else refers to the singer as Cassandra or Cassie, but not him. She was his Andy. She’d joke that if she was Andy, he was her Woody. He’s mad at himself for exposing their private, intimate thing to the world. He just shrugs it off. “Oh. Yeah.”

“Speaking of Cassandra, have you spoken to her since the breakup?”

“No, I haven’t seen her, I haven’t spoken to her. But she’s killing it out here, and I’ll always be supportive of her and her career. Always.”

Raleigh can tell it wasn’t the soundbite she was expecting, and he has to hold back his smirk. He’d never trash her publicly, despite the messy media outlets and overzealous fans stoking the flames.

“Well thank you so much for stopping to talk to me. Enjoy the party!”

Raleigh doesn’t even respond. He just shuffles through the throngs of people until he’s inside the club. It’s packed and he can barely hear himself think. Before he can register what’s going on, someone is ushering him into a secluded VIP area, and handing him a drink, which he happily accepts.

A few hours go by, and Raleigh has never been more grateful for the passage of time. He’s no longer contractually obligated to be there and he can finally leave. All night long people are coming up to him left and right, posing for pictures, offering to get him food and drinks.

And the women are relentless with their flirting. Everyone wants a piece of him, and they make no qualms about it. Between the half naked bottle girls constantly circling the section and the fellow VIP party goers clinging onto him in hopes that they’ll be the lucky girl that he takes home, it’s overwhelming. 

He never thought the day would come where he’s actually tired of clubbing, but it’s here. He’d rather be anywhere else. The only bright spot was the alcohol.

He stumbles into his Tribeca apartment a little after 1AM. He doesn’t even bother changing his clothes, he just collapses face first into his comforter.

His phone starts buzzing in his pocket and he groans. After pulling it out, he sees it’s just a Google Alert for an article about him. 

‘Exclusive: Raleigh Carrera Opens Up About Singer Ex-Girlfriend for First Time Since Split!’

Underneath the title of the article is a picture of him and Cassandra together. She’s sitting on his lap and he’s whispering in her ear. Her head is thrown back and she’s laughing hysterically at whatever he’s saying. He can’t remember. The important thing is that he made her laugh.

Seeing that picture of them makes his heart thud wildly in his chest. He’d done a good job of blocking her out, for the most part. Skipping her songs on playlists because he wasn’t ready to hear her voice again, muting all of her social media account but never unfollowing or blocking her. He’s caught in a weird limbo of not wanting to see her and not wanting to let her go.

Before his heart or brain can object, his fingers are dialing her number. He knows the 10 digit sequence by heart.

After a few rings, the line in picked up. “Hello?”

“Cassandra?”

“Raleigh?” Her voice is deep, and Raleigh can surmise that she was asleep when he called.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up? I didn’t even trip off of the time.”

“I was just up. I was catching up on all of the recorded shows taking up space on my DVR and I must’ve dozed.”

“If you were sleeping, don’t let me hold you up.”

“Is everything okay?”

What a loaded question.

“I don’t know, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“What was streaming my songs not good enough?” He can tell that she’s teasing, her tone light.

“Nothing is better than the real deal, baby.”

“Well, since I’m on the phone, we might as well talk. How have you been? I heard your new single. It’s the one—”

“The one you forced me to start?” Raleigh finishes with a smirk. “Yeah.”

“I think I deserve a writing credit. I played a pivotal role in that song’s conception.”

“I’ll have my people call your people.”

“But seriously, you’ve been working like crazy. Good for you.”

“I hate it,” Raleigh confesses quietly. “I’m exhausted, completely burnt out. It feels like I’m running a race, but the finish line keeps getting pushed back. Or like I’m a hamster on a wheel.”

“Why don’t you stop?”

“Because I’m running from you.”

“Me?”

“I needed to stay busy. I needed to have always have something to look towards, because if I’d stop, I’d think of you. And I’d break.”

The line goes silent for a long time and Raleigh gets nervous. Did he say too much?

“So, what made you decide to call?”

“Because you’re all I can think about. You’ve consumed my thoughts all day, good, bad and in between. I was at the hottest event of the week and all I wanted to do was be with you. I wanted to be at your apartment, curled up in your blankets, binge watching It’s Always Sunny reruns.” Raleigh feels a lump form in his throat and he awkwardly coughs. “And how I wanted to smell the perfume of yours that I’m so obsessed with. And run my fingers through your pink hair. And you’d correct me and say it’s not pink, it’s rose gold, and I’d call it pink again just to annoy you.”

“It’s kinda sad. My latest single has received critical acclaim, it’s already certified, I’m getting early Grammy buzz. I just bought my parents the house of their dreams in San Juan, I made $75 thousand dollars tonight for a stupid appearance. Hell, I’m calling you from my multi-million dollar Tribeca condo, and I should be ecstatic. Raleigh Carrera is on top of the fucking world right now, and I hate to sound ungrateful, but I can’t bring myself to feel joy about any of it. I feel like my insides aren’t connected to my outsides, and my insides are just hollow. This celebrity shit is draining me. The appearances, the interviews, the fake relationships and feuds, all of it. Like I said before, I’m tired. And I just...really fucking miss you, Andy. You were the only real thing I had in this crowd of bullshit, the only person I cared about out here. I’m sorry for rambling, I’m kind of tipsy right now.”

“Oh god, are you going to wake up tomorrow and regret this entire conversation?”

“Of course not,” he says earnestly. “A drunk mind speaks sober thoughts, and all that jazz.”

“This hasn’t been the easiest for me either,” Cassandra admits, her voice shaking slightly. Raleigh frowns at the thought of her crying on the other end of the phone. “I really miss you too.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one struggling.” And he means it. Knowing she felt even slightly similar to him made all the difference.

“Not in the slightest.”

“So what do we do? Are we going to be slaves to our shitty contracts for the rest of our lives?” Raleigh asks rhetorically.

“I don’t know.”

“Yeah, I don’t know either.”

They sit in silence for a long time, not knowing what to say, but not wanting to the conversation to end either. They just listen to the sound of each other’s deep breathing.

“Hey, Cassandra?”

“Yes?”

“I’m really sleepy.”

Raleigh hears her giggle on the other line and his stomach flips. God, he’s missed that sound. “Go to sleep, superstar. It’s really late.”

“No,” he says stubbornly. “I want to keep hearing your voice. Stay on until I fall asleep.”

“And talk about what?”

“I don’t care. Whatever you want to talk about.”

Cassandra humors his request and launches into a mini rant about a fitting for some award show she’s scheduled to present at. She and Zadie aren’t seeing eye to eye on what she should wear at all, and they were in a stalemate.

He tries to keep up with her, interjecting with commentary and now and again, but after a few minutes, he stops responding all together.

“Raleigh?” She prods. “Raleigh are you sleeping?” He doesn’t say anything but she hears him breathing softly on the other line. He’s out like a light. “I love you too, Raleigh.”

And with that, she hangs up.

[liam-93-productions]

It has been six uninterrupted years of producing albums, clips, interviews, TV shows, magazine covers, traveling the world with four other companions. Liam Payne has gained fame and can finally achieve his dream of living of music, but he has had to make individual concessions and find a compromise with One Direction teammates to make the boyband one of the biggest musical attractions of the last decade.

When the time came to go your own way, a new challenge: finding your own voice, your own sound. For some, it all flowed naturally - as for Harry Styles and Niall Horan who go on to their second solo album. However, for Liam, the years of making his decisions only intensified this search. But the good news is: the search is finally over!

Days before "Stack It Up" was announced, POPline was contacted to talk to Liam. The curious thing is, we had no idea what we were specifically going to talk about. My first thought was “there should be some news out there”, but in an immediate world where the single or album does not always have an ad itself, the subject of the interview could be anything. Until the song was released for my hearing a matter of hours before the chat.

The mystery was my introduction and I was surprised at what had arrived in my email. “Glad you heard it. So, did you like it?” He asked, laughing, grateful for the positive response. “I know fans are looking forward to an album release again, but we had a tight schedule, releases of other artists and it was hard to organize the perfect time for this release, but it finally worked out!”, told me. Throughout the call, the singer was very confident with what he's putting on the market and most of all… happy!

Stack It Up is a sure thing for the radios. Like a more mature, full-bodied cousin of “Strip That Down,” Liam's most successful solo song, it brings back the partnership with Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac. Don't mess with the winning team? ”I asked. “[Laughs] I feel so lucky to be able to work with artists and producers I really like, very talented people. Strip That Down was a big hit and I'm very proud of this new song. Really, ”he reassures me with confidence. “The song is very Ed Sheeran and please don't say my ear betrayed me because I hear it in the background,” I commented. “Um… [think about how to answer me] Ed has a habit of putting his voice here and there in the songs so I guess you can tell that he's somehow there too.”

The "urban" vein common between "Strip That Down" and "Stack It Up" is not random or intended to go well on the world charts again. It means that Liam hit the hand and found his identity as an artist. “I think you can say yes, that I found my sound. It's no secret to anyone that I really like the mix of pop with R&B, urban sound, and 'Strip that Down', 'Stack it Up' set the mood, the intent of what I really enjoy doing and my first album reflects this reference I have very much”.

“So it's 100% official: we have a solo album ready,” I went forward. “We have (laughs)! Finally! ”, Follows Liam, understanding the urgency of such a question. Since “Strip That Down” came out, it's been two and a half years of testing. In addition to partnering with Quavo, later in 2017 Liam threw himself into the mix with "Get Low" electronic and pop music and returned to pop / R & B with "Bedroom Floor." The following year, "For You" with Rita Ora, "Familiar" with J Balvin, the EP "First Time" and finally "Polaroid" with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella. Stack it Up is its first release in 2019 and we are approaching the end of September.

“Wow, I recorded a lot! A lot of things. There were so many that I can't say for sure now how many songs exactly were recorded for this album, but in the end we got 14 tracks, ”he told us. I asked if songs already released will be on the album, Liam confirmed, but didn't say which and how many. Ballads? We will have too. “I think you can tell there is at least one ballad on the album. It is really what I wanted it to be. Maybe that's why it took a while to happen, ”he confesses. The exact date he did not say and this time the answer was short: "in a few months."

When he came to Brazil the penultimate time, Liam sat with us for a video chat and showed interest in permeating the first album as a playlist. The idea stuck, he said, revealing that Post Malone's latest album has tracks that are soundly similar to the album tracks we don't know yet. “It was supposed to be a tip, but it made me more curious,” I said. He laughed keeping the mystery. Asked about producers and partnerships on the album Liam said that at the moment can not give more details. For an artist who has been charged for more than two years for a solo album, the timing is one of caution and to stick to a planning made for months. So it is more than understandable a certain silence. Liam has not refused to answer any questions, but with incredible sympathy cannot reveal to us nuances of the project.

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

After the Fall Ch.21 Catharsis

LoganLight, AO3

Adrien stared silently at Ladybug. He'd been crying again and judging by her puffy, red eyes she had too. Nooroo floated at a distance after introducing himself; the Gorilla hovering by the doorway.

" ‘Thank you,’ " Adrien signed at him, speaking aloud for Ladybug's benefit. " ‘Why don't you check on the others?’ "

The Gorilla grunted and signed a question at him: 'Are you sure?'

Adrien offered his bodyguard a small, grateful smile. " ‘This conversation is long overdue.' “

The Gorilla studied Adrien with his usual stoic demeanor. His eyes softened in understanding as he signed: I'll leave you to it then. Giving Ladybug a last warning glance he left, closing the door behind him.

". . . So," Ladybug began awkwardly. "I . . . didn't realize he was mute."

Adrien had rarely seen her so nervous, so unsure . . . While she wore the mask, that is. "Gabriel . . . discouraged him from using sign language."

The disgust on Ladybug's face vividly expressed her thoughts on denying a man his voice. Then the uncertainty was back. "I don't think he likes me much."

"He's just being protective . . ." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how to go about this.

Nooroo glanced between them. His empathetic abilities meant he could feel everything they did.

Adrien looked at the deactivated Miraculous laying on a nearby table. It could help him in this instance, but that would be cheating. And he wasn't in any state to use it, so he focused on the hero before him. "Do you-"

"I'm sorry!" Ladybug exclaimed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you! I'm sorry you had to go through this alone! I- I should have helped you! I should have insisted! I . . . I'm sorry, Chat."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

". . . Adrien?"

". . . Marinette . . ."

"Are you alright?"

". . . No, but that can wait."

"Adrien, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

". . . I-I-I know who Papillon is."

"What!? How do know that!? Are you sure? I mean . . . Who is he?"

". . . Gabriel Agreste."

"What? But . . . He was akumatized!"

"A r-ruse. To throw off suspicion."

"It could be something else! It could be-"

"Marinette. I've seen him de-transform. He should have erased the video."

"Adrien . . . You're father . . ."

". . . Ladybug sh-should get everyone ready."

"What?"

"The reserve heroes. Sh-she needs to get them. All of them. He's planning something b-big and . . . and . . ."

". . . Why did you call me Adrien?"

"I . . . I trust you. Always have. I need you to trust me. Like you used to."

"I don't understand."

"Ladybug's team will deal with the akumatized villain. Let me deal with Gabriel."

"Wouldn't it be better to attack before Papillon makes his move? Catch him by surprise?"

"The manor's a fortress. The security system could easily keep a handful of heroes preoccupied while he escapes. Even with reduced staff that's still a dozen people that could get caught in the crossfire . . . Th-then there's Nathalie . . ."

"Nathalie . . . is Mayura?"

"Y-yes . . ."

". . ."

". . . He won't suspect me. Nine months he's known who I was and done nothing . . . It has to be me. And it has to be when he can't . . . Use me . . . Please."

"I . . . I trust you, Adrien."

"Tha- Thank you. Marinette . . . Now. I know who he's going to target . . ."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Marinette . . ." Adrien breathed. He had expected this, had thought about it constantly. Despite months of anticipation he still felt unprepared. Anxiety and guilt squeezed his heart.

But Ladybug was far less prepared. Marinette's eyes watered as her emotions overwhelmed her. She couldn't look him in the eye.

Marinette understands. The feeling of failure that comes when you can't protect someone you love. She feels it, too.

It would be so easy to blame her the way she blamed herself. To blame everyone else, too. If she hadn't lied about her feelings. If Tom Dupain hadn't overreacted. If Sabin Cheng had toned down her husband's antics. If Wang Fu hadn't lost the Butterfly.

If, if, IF!

And where would it end?

". . . I don't blame you." Adrien told her honestly. "I've never blamed you. And you shouldn't either. You were there for me. You tried every day to help me, even when you didn't understand, even when I pushed you away."

Ladybug shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. " I was there for Adrien, I wasn't there for Chat Noir! And I should have been! I should have been better!"

It broke Adrien to hear her thoughts mirror his own. After she had given everything, after he had given everything, they still felt the need to give more . . . That would not stand. Adrien strode forward and pulled her hands into his. Ladybug flinched at his touch but didn't pull away.

"You," his voice broke. "Where the best. You did the best you knew how." Ladybug's grip shifted and Adrien's watery eyes rose to meet her's. "Whatever debt you think you owe me or Paris or the Fates themselves, you've paid! You've paid in full! They asked the impossible. And you gave it to them! You gave them the impossible, Marinette! . . . They have no right, to ask perfection of you, too!"

Ladybug stared intently into his eyes, her own shining with the overflow of her emotions. ". . . Thank you." At his puzzled look she elaborated. "For believing in me. Even when I didn't."

"I . . . It's easier to see someone else's strengths than your own . . ." He looked away.

"Hey," Marinette said gently. "Look at me." Her gaze held such compassion that his breath caught. "You weren't just talking about me, were you?"

Adrien couldn't answer, his throat wouldn't respond, but she seemed to read the affirmation in his eyes anyway. Ladybug hesitated for a moment then wrapped her arms around him, holding Adrien close, her head against his chest. He started at the contact, face burning and heartbeat pounding.

"Thank you," she repeated. "Sometimes we need someone else to tell us what we should already know . . . To tell us that we are good for something. To tell us we did well. You did so well, Adrien! Bien joue, Chat Noir."

Adrien trembled as he slumped against her and felt Ladybug do the same. The knot in his chest finally loosening even as his tears flowed freely. He was so exhausted, so . . . relieved?

"Detransformez-moi."

Pink light flowed across Marinette, releasing her kwami. "Nooroo!" The red being tackled her younger brother, sending them spinning. Small tears glistened in their trail, as the Ladybug kwami questioned Nooroo.

They turned their heads to witness the exchange without separating. Adrien smiled at the reunion, nearly two centuries overdue. Marinette smiled too, her tears now ones of joy. He gazed at the shine of triumph in her eyes as they shared in the kwamis' rejoicing.

Marinette caught him staring out of the corner of her eye and blushed, stepping out of his arms. "I wasn't supposed to say all of that. The first part I mean. You're going through a lot without having to deal with my mess. I'm supposed to be supporting you and-"

Adrien placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's our mess, Marinette. We support each other. I'm glad you told me . . . Thank you, for being honest with me. I- I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"That . . . That wasn't you. That was the Guardians' rules. You were just following them."

"I told Kagami and Nino," Adrien admitted.

". . . Well, that explains so much! I'm glad you told them. I'm glad they were there for you."

"I should have been honest with you . . ."

"You weren't the only one who decided it was better for me not to know. Besides, Master Fu found out anyway."

Adrien's eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm not sure which kwami spilled, but about a month ago Master Fu told me Chat Noir knew I was Ladybug. In case you were . . . were . . ."

"Akumatized," he finished.

Marinette nodded. "By then I'd stopped trying to convince them to let me see you."

You wanted to see me?

Adrien dismissed the thought as quickly as it formed; Alya had said as much when she told him Marinette missed Chat Noir.

"If I'd been more determined . . . Maybe, we'd have found each other sooner . . ."

". . . I wasn't ready. I didn't want you to see me. Not yet." Adrien had thought about this constantly. It wasn't romantic the way he used to hope. It wasn't dramatic the way he'd thought it'd be. Knowing who was behind the mask was messy, awkward. But . . . "I don't mind this." This whole thing was imperfect and weird but it was their's. "And I doubt you lack determination in anything, Marinette."

Ladybug's eyes shone with the inner light that he'd always seen in her. She rewarded his verbal stumbling with a smile and he gave her one in return.

They stood beside each other, neither speaking. There was so much left unsaid, yet for the moment they could set that aside and simply be.

". . . Hello," said a small voice, startling Adrien out of his thoughts. "I'm Tikki."

". . . Oh . . . Hello." Adrien greeted.

"I wanted to thank you for bringing our brother back to us. You were very brave," Tikki stated earnestly.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "You're welcome."

Nooroo floated in front of him and Marinette. "You have a complicated history. Both of you have much work to do. But you also have a strong bond. After everything you've gone through it still holds." He smiled at them. "I think-"

"Nooroo!" A black blur shot into Nooroo and wrapped his short arms around the other kwami.

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded. "We were in the middle of something! And where's your holder?"

"I don't get why we have to go through this circus anymore," Plagg the troublemaker replied. "It's not like Adrien doesn't know Luka is Panthera alread-"

"Plagg!" Tikki repeated.

"Wh-what!? Luka is Panthera!?" Marinette exclaimed.

"Oops," Plagg said in a decidedly unrepentant manner.

Nooroo smiled at his older brother's antics. "I missed you, too."

"Oh, my goodness! That makes so much sense!" Marinette went on to list all the similarities between her boyfriend and . . . her boyfriend. Tikki attempted to calm her charge.

"Plagg," Adrien greeted warmly.

"Adrien!" Plagg released Nooroo and hugged Adrien's chest. He smiled at the kwami.

"Wait. How did you know who Panthera was?" Marinette directed her question at Adrien.

"Oh! Well . . ."

"It's 'cause Luka is super obvious!" Plagg stated matter-of-factly.

Marinette raised a finger in protest, paused, then lowered it slowly. "Yeah, okay. The hair should've been a dead giveaway."

Adrien nodded. "It took me a bit longer to figure out Carapace and Rena Rouge."

"What!? You know them to!?"

". . . I thought you knew that already?"

"No! Do you know who everyone is?"

"Uh, if I say 'yes' will you keep freaking out?"

Marinette covered her face with her hands and groaned, muttering through them. "Three years keeping everyone's identities safe and I was completely unaware of a walking security breach! No offense."

Adrien waved this away as a smile crept it's way upwards. A laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it.

Marinette peeked past her fingers."What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" he denied, fighting off a smirk. "It's just . . . you're acting like yourself again."

"Gee, how flattering!" Marinette replied sarcastically.

This time Adrien didn't try to stop the laughter. "See?"

Marinette rolled her eyes but she returned his grin. "Looks like I'm not the only one."

Adrien's smile softened. She was right, he did feel more like himself.

" 'Bout time, too!" Plagg remarked, earning another reprimand from Tikki. "Aw, lighten up, Sugarcube!"

Marinette giggled at the nickname.

"Don't call me that!" Tikki demanded.

Kagami and Nino were miracle workers the past week. They had a lot of experience in . . . Well, in Adrien. But even they didn't know what to do all the time.

"Sugarcube?" Marinette asked in amusement.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you will not repeat that to anyone outside of this room!"

The Gorilla had always protected him and Adrien had never been more grateful. Now that it was less physical and more legal . . . As his guardian. Adrien wasn't sure how he felt about that. There was gratitude, yes, but it came with a confusing mix centered around the word 'father'. And he'd had almost no time to sort through it all.

"Are they always like this?" Marinette asked Nooroo.

"More or less. I'm just glad they're not sinking cities again," the Butterfly replied, to Plagg's cackling and Tikki's indignation.

The whole class had come in small groups but he hadn't been able to see most of them. Adrien had to be careful about who he met and when, his emotions in flux as they were. But just knowing that they hadn't abandoned him despite his parentage was a soothing balm to his soul.

Marinette turned away from the kwamis, who were not acting their age, to look at him. Her brow furrowed in concern at his expression. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Adrien? Are you okay?"

Adrien smiled bittersweetly at the question. Both inadequate and common in these situations. He took in the care she had for him, written plainly on her face. Echoed in the features of the three kwamis. He was struck suddenly with the realization that these immortals cared for them, for him. No more than a blip in their eternal history and yet he mattered to them! He wiped at the tears that fell even as his smile widened.

Am I okay?

"No," Adrien admitted. "But I will be."

Ch.1  Ch.2  Ch.3  Ch.4 Ch.5  Ch.6  Ch.7  Ch.8  Ch.9  Ch.10  Ch.11  Ch.12  Ch.13  Ch.14  Ch.15  Ch.16  Ch.17  Ch.18  Ch.19  Ch.20    Ch.22

[zoom-2theforgottenspeedster]

Zoom-2 Chapter Two

Hello, we’re back with another chapter of Zoom-2. YAY!! I’m posting this at like 12:20 in the morning so SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK moment and I seriously just had to deal with killing a cockroach just before posting, so yay!! Hope you enjoy, please share, and see you in the next chapter!

 Chapter Two- Answers

 Word count- 1834

Warning(s)- Death

In a white room of Central City hospital, Keys sat in the chair next to her mother's hospital bed. Her injuries weren't too severe, however, one to the paramedics said she may have a small concussion from when her desk fell on her. The silent of the room weighted too much on Keys and the steady beeping of the heart monitor, that was connected to her mother as a precaution, hadn't steadied the frantic beating of her heart. As a form on distraction, she turned on the small T.V. using the remote on the table; the video displayed was clips of the raging flames consuming S. T. A. R Labs and fire department attempts to kill the fire along with paramedics treating the injured. A Newscaster came on screen.

"Central City hospital was soon flooded with injured from the S. T. A. R Labs' fire. There were no critical injuries, but many got burns that would need medical attention. Some said they were grabbed by a blue blur and then found themselves outside in an instant as they tried to escape. They're calling it the Sapphire streak. Thanks to the Sapphire streak many lives were saved," A picture in the top right corner showed a blue streak. Keys face drained with color as inched to the edge of her seat. The new report continued, "On a note from the invention, police have questioned the scientists on what may have caused the fire, or to why the anti-fire protocol had not been working. Some of their working theories are a meta started the fire to steal new developing tech from the lab, or  S. T. A. R Labs may be a target by a new meta villain that wants to control the city and attacked the lab as a show of power. A common thread between any theories the police have thought of included metahumans. Some officers believed the Sapphire streak they saw early was the cause of the S. T. A. R Labs' fire. Other called the Sapphire streak a hero."

The T.V. clicked off leaving the room silent again. Keys turned around. Sitting up in her bed Keys' mother had the remote in her hand. "You shouldn't be watching that."

Keys leaped out of her seat. She should have been glad her mother was safe, but somehow angry clouded her judgment. She needed answers and she was going to get them. "And why not?" She had enough of being told what she shouldn't do. "Because it shows exactly what I'm not supposed to do. To show my powers. Show my speed!"

"I told you to hide your speed for your own good to keep you safe-"

"You called me! I'm 27 years old! I deserve some answers. Starting with why I have to hide who I am." Keys sped to the foot of her bed. Her breathing became heavy and her heartbeat raced.

"Keys H.Z. Copper!" Reinette took a deep breath in, before facing her daughter. "I called you so you wouldn't come. I knew that if you saw S. T. A. R Labs on fire you'd come racing down, as you did, and try to save me and anyone else who needed it." She could not stand to look at her amber eyes any long as they reminded her of ones she once knew long ago, so she tore her eye to the window and out to the city. "Your father would have just let them burn."

"My father?" Keys released the breath she didn't know she held. Her mother continued.

"Yes, your father. He is the reason you have your speed. The reason I wanted to take it away. Why I forced you to hide it." Her eyes held shame and regret, but they also held a glimmer of happiness. "I was young when I met him. It was in the same evergreen woods you love to run through."

Keys tensed up, she thought she didn't know about her daily runs through them., and her face paled a bit.

All her mother did was let out a small laugh, "Of course I knew about your little run, besides the point. I was hiking through them to meet some of my friends on the beaches on the other side. That's when I saw him. More like I saw a blur of blue rush pass me, then I heard a thump. I rushed over to see what happened when a see a man laying down, blood on the side of his head, in front of a tree. I panicked thinking he was dead, but then he moved his hand to his head and groaned in pain. I dropped down next to him to check on him and I recognized him as Hunter Zolomon, a dangerous serial killer. As a doctor in training, I couldn't just leave him there so I took him back to my place, and patched him up. When he woke he put his hand around my neck and almost choked me to death. If he left his hand there a second longer I would have blacked out, but he let go and sped out. After that, he stalked me for a week before I went up and talked to him. I asked why he was stalking me and he said he was working up to a way of asking me why I saved him. I told him as a doctor it was my job to help others and he sped off again. He came and visited me a few times and then we fell in love. It was tough at time because of his speed. It corrupted him. One night we got into a big argument and some hurtful things were said. After that, I didn't see him again, unless it was on the news and that's also when I found out I was pregnant with you."

She finally faced Keys with tears in her eyes and a soft small on her face. "I didn't want to tell you out of fear you may end up like your father. I didn't want your speed take you away from me as it did him." Tears filled in Keys' eyes as she processed the story she was told and she fell back into the chair she sat in earlier. Reinette laid back down with a scene of peace as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Silents fell back upon the small hospital room with the exception of the beeps from the heart monitor. Keys didn't know how much time had passed from finally getting the answers she needed. Minutes or hours could have gone by and Keys wouldn't know. Then the beeping on the heart monitor started to beep like crazy. She was up and back at her mother's side in a blink of an eye.

"Mom! Mom!" She sped outside the room yelling before she sped back in, " Doctor! Nurse! Someone help!"

A team of nurses and doctors flooded the room. "Ma'am we are going to need you to leave the room-"

"No please she's my mother. Mom!," Keys was pushed out so they could work by one of the nurses.

An hour went by before they let Keys see her mother. According to her doctor, she suffered some internal bleeding and it was life-threatening. Her mother was wake but looked so pale and week. It killed Keys a bit inside to see a strong woman look defeated.  

"Keys come here." Her voice sounded hoarse. Keys listened. Reinette took her hands into her own. "There was a reason I trained you, even though I want you to hide your speed-" She was interrupted by a fit of coughs. "I wanted you to be fast enough to go back in time, so you can meet your father. Open a wormhole. Go back and don't come back here-"

"But mom-" "Let me finish." Keys nodded "You don't deserve to be here, and you're more than fast enough, so go. You're looking for Hunter Zolomon. In case you forget that's what the H.Z. in your name stands for, after your father. Keys Huntress Zolomon Copper. Now go. Run Keys run." With that Reinette took her last breath and closed her eyes.

Keys could feel her eyes string. Her heart beat as fast as she could run and that's what she did. She ran

Keys ran to the only place that could even have a flash of a chance to calm her. The evergreen forest. A streak of blue zipped in between the trees all the way to the water's edge. She stopped just before her ran-worn converse could touch the water and broke down. The water raised another foot with all the tears that Keys shed. The truth suffocated her more than she ever realized and with her mother's death, she just drowned. The weight became too much handle. Some had friends and family to help them go through a loss, but Keys had no one.

No that was not true. Her father. Hunter Zolomon. That's who she needed to find. All she needed to do was run and open a gateway to the past. If her mother believed she could do it than she could. She'd go back and meet her dad. She'd go find him.

Without any though Keys ran in a circle slowing building her speed. The sand was thrown around her as if a tornado was forming and a line in the sand started to form as well. In the center of it, a small blue portal built from Keys' running. It grew larger enough for her to jump through and with one leap she entered.

She focused on the name, her name, Hunter Zolomon. And as she ran she saw everything as she ran. Her past, present, and future. It didn't make any sense to her but she didn't care. She kept running. She saw to she thought was him. A man in a black suit with a trail of blue light racing somebody else in a red suit with a trail of red-yellow lighting. Key was going to keep on running pass that when she could describe as a dementor from Harry Potter flew at her. She jumped out of the wormhole and rolled on, as far ass she could tell, a neighborhood street. The dementor monster thing was gone, but she rolled into something else. Actually three somebodies.  Keys couldn't focus hard enough to tell if they were friend or foe, so she tried to run off just to be followed. Another speedster? The other speedster had a  lighting trail of red an' yellow, like the one she saw racing who she believes is her father. Taken back by this, Keys lost sight of the road in front of her and clashed. She laid on the ground her vision blur to the other speedster standing over her. Before she fell into an inky darkness one word left her lips.

"Hunter?"

[onestowatch]

Indie Songstress Noé Channels Sleepless Nights & Clouded Thoughts in ‘ibynoé’ Debut [PREMIERE + Q&A]

Photo Credit: Claire Cali

Born and raised in France, Los Angeles-based Noé is the sweet girl next door who also happens to have a lot to say. Although Noé is incredibly humble when discussing her musical journey, her soaring talent is truly undeniable and uncontainable. Channeling sleepless nights and clouded thoughts, Noé is finally unveiling her highly-anticipated debut EP, ibynoé.

The six-track collection opens with “Color,” which is an intense telling of Noé’s powerful vocals in its purest form. “Rabbit Hole” captivates listeners with just one listen as Noé experiments with an eclectic array of instrumentals. The astonishing “i cheated on u” features a sultry soundscape that sounds like it was organically crafted with just Noé’s gorgeous voice and a trusty acoustic guitar.

Picking up the pace is “Puzzles,” an upbeat track that sees Noé reflecting on her pattern of falling for guys who are hard to get and turning away the ones who show her any interest. With an otherworldly piano opening alongside Noé’s French pronunciation,“La Fève” is sung entirely in Noé’s native tongue. And finally, ibynoé closes with “Pity Party,” a lighthearted tune that takes a jab at Noé’s evident tendency to be overdramatic.

Photo Credit: Andrea Czarnota

On ibynoé, Noé exclusively shared with us,

“Putting out these songs makes me feel so proud, but also a little bittersweet. I’ve worked so much on this EP. It took so many thoughts, overthoughts, sleepless nights, crying, love, anxiety, and more. This EP was basically my baby and now it feels like it’s off to college. I spent such a long time with these songs at the forefront of my brain, that it’s a little weird having them out into the real world, and having to start focusing on new songs - although I am also really excited for that new chapter!”

Ones To Watch has your first listen of ibynoé below:

To celebrate Noé’s stunning debut EP, we recently chatted with the lovely songstress about her musical roots, her appreciation for DIY works, and of course, ibynoé.

OTW: What first sparked your interest in music as a child?

Noé: I used to watch The Wiggles a lot, so they might have sparked something in me! But on a serious note, I started playing guitar at nine after going through some health issues. They thought music might help with recovery and give me a means of escape, and it did! Wrote my first song soon after and now I’m here. So crazy.

OTW: Your fusion of alternative R&B and pop is so refreshing. How did you decide this is what you wanted your sound to be?

Noé: I don’t think I decided that that would be my sound. My sound definitely came once I stopped trying to decide what it should be. Once I just started doing music I liked without wondering which box I would be put in. I’m so glad I ended up with something you find refreshing!

Photo Credit: Susanne Berry

OTW: How has your French heritage shaped your music?

Noé: French being my first language, I think I approach English in a different way. It leads to different melodies and weird lyrics because I’ll find myself translating from French sometimes. Also the “classics” of French music are basically poets. Words are the driving force, which isn’t necessarily the case in English. So when I write for myself, I usually let the words guide the melody and the song itself.

OTW: If you could describe your new EP in five words, what would they be?

Noé: A whole lot of me.

OTW: How is “Rabbit Hole” a Frankenstein of a song?

Noé: Haha, I said that because of the vocals. All the vox are first takes of me improvising in the mic in the studio. If you heard them one by one, they would probably sound really off. But somehow together it worked well. I was supposed to re-record everything, but I got demo fever and fell in love with the original so we never changed it. If you listen to the chorus, I was actually recording and improvising reading some words I wrote. I landed on a melody I liked so I tried to re-sing it right away but couldn’t remember it perfectly. That whole take is now the chorus!

Photo Credit: Claire Cali

OTW: “Puzzles” is such a playful tune with lively instrumentals, but what exactly is this song about?

Noé: It’s definitely about someone specific who is (I think?) super oblivious to the fact that this song is about him. He wanted to be more than friends and was very open about his feelings, and I got overwhelmed. I tend to want those who don’t want me back, and I lose interest as soon as they do. Really bad habit that I’m slowly breaking!

OTW: You made your own visualizer for “La Fève” with the Eiffel Tower in the background. What inspired this webcam approach?

Noé: I love DIY stuff. I feel like it shows a lot about someone’s personality. Even on my Instagram, it makes me uncomfortable when I post too many “photographer” photos. It’s a little too perfect. I don’t want people to lose sight of the act that I’m just a girl making music I love. There isn’t a crazy team behind me telling me who to be. I didn’t have any music video planned for “La Fève,” and literally two days before the release I decided to Amazon Prime some crowns and act silly in front of Photo Booth. And I love that Eiffel Tower backdrop; it’s so stereotypical, I just had to use it!

OTW: If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

Noé: I’ve been feeling a little homesick lately, so I’m gonna pick Cassis in the South of France. It’s a little town super close to my heart. Might even be my favorite place on Earth. It’s 20 minutes away from my hometown, Aix en Provence, so we’d go there most weekends during summer. Sometimes they put on shows by the lighthouse, and I’ve always wanted to perform there! It’s truly beautiful; Google “les Calanques de Cassis!”

OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch?

Noé: Mafalda - one of my closest friends, but I’d be a fan of her music even if she wasn’t. Her EP is coming out so so soon and I truly can’t wait! Matt Rose - played the Troubadour with him once and he blew me away. Such an amazing songwriter/performer. Chappell Roan - saw her perform a few songs at Winston House and I’ve been hooked ever since. Her voice is crazy.

Photo Credit: Andrea Czarnota

[luciahunter6]

Favourite moments of 2018

Just before the year closes out, I thought I’ll run through my best moments of 2018. Here they are in chronological order:

End January: Extensive 4-day Numazu pilgrimage. This wasn’t my first trip down here, but it was my first one after they introduced the stamp rally. Also, it was the longest I ever stayed down there. Freezing my ass off on the cold Senbonhama beach, visiting Mission Bay for their fluffy pancakes, a whole lot of cycling until my butt hurt. It was a genuinely relaxing experience after a stressful event I helped organize, the town’s vibe is really just soothing when you’re into LL. 

Early Feb: Taiwan for Aqours Fan Meeting. I never thought I would fly to one of the East Asian countries just for a Fan Meeting level of event, but I absolutely did not regret this one at all. Excellent production value, superb selection of fan-letters, questions and mini-games, as well as a really great team of translators that TLed and retained nuances of their sentences and jokes without delay. My seats were plenty decent so it was a good view, and I also distinctly remember all the fan projects they set up. I was awed by the love of the local fan community, they’re good people. Also I’ve never been to Taiwan before so it was a good experience seeing new things. There was also a post-apocalyptic vibe in the night cityscape after the rain which I have fond memories of.

Mid May: Running into Wendy online over Discord again after 4-5 years apart? This seems like a weird thing to include here but basically back in the day when we were into Love Live!, we were both authors who would talk about our fics. And then subsequently she invited me into a LisaYuki server where I’ve met some really great people- people I’m not close to by any means, but they still show me more support than I deserve. All in all, I’m really grateful for this chance encounter for all the wonderful people I’m thankful to have met. Mid May: BanG Dream! 5th Live. This isn’t a good moment, but a painful one. I’ve talked a lot about how my planning for 5L DV started since last year, but this was one of the first moments that actually cemented my personal, emotional commitment to it. I cried a lot during this period after watching the videos, even if I hadn’t been following them beforehand. I’m still not sure why. I guess this was when I truly became fully devoted. This might also be the first time I acknowledged and put into words just what I had been doing up to that point: my personal mission to show other people the dreams that I was once shown.

Early-Mid June: Aqours 3rd Live trip. This was a hurricane trip starting with 3L Saitama, /r/LL offkai, a Numazu pilgrimage and then 3L Osaka. I really loved staying at Awashima Hotel- with a suite split between four people, it’s honestly not that bad price-wise. Having cars for us to do our pilgrimage was also pretty cool, I got to hit up spots I never would’ve been able to do otherwise, such as that mountain-top parking lot. 3L Osaka was also decently good, definitely better than Saitama. I mean overall 3L was pretty bad setlist-wise, but at least the experience was improved. But my favourite memory of 3L Osaka was our two Airbnbs: I was staying at ONIBE Airbnb on one end, and Whales Airbnb was a 5-minute walk away. On the last night, most of us just crammed around the Whales’ dining table and talked for a couple of hours. I was distinctly struck by the feeling of this Sado concept, 一期一会 (lit. One chance, one meeting). Every single meetup is precious, every moment is once in a lifetime. I love these people, and times like this is when I realise how insanely cool it is that such a connection can happen between people from such diverse walks of life around the world. That’s the power of our hobby.

Early August: BanG Dream! 5L DV in SG, Japan Park. The moment of catharsis here was real, watching everything come to fruition after a lengthy struggle. This was definitely my most impressionable moment and my achievement of the year. Finally being able to set that burden down was such an impossible relief. And the gifts and fan messages I received- irreplaceable. There were many things that could’ve gone wrong along the way, but were fine thanks to support and guidance from the people around me. Given the chance, I would like to challenge myself in similar ways in the future to see where I can further improve.

Mid September: Roselia Fan Meeting. I had committed to this one shortly after hearing about Akesan’s graduation. After being unable to attend 5L, I knew I didn’t want to sit by idly and be unable to witness this happening all over again. And thankfully, I made it into the night session with my own code from my own CD (my 3 donated ones failed heh). Night also kindly provided me with a ticket for the day session, so I was able to attend both. This was actually my first time witnessing a Roselia performance live. I still remember the excellent pacing of the sessions, and the fun questions and fanmail. And the live segments- watching Yukki’s performance was the first time I was truly able to accept her as Lisa in my eyes. Seeing them perform was amazing. Of course, those hand-written messages during the end of the night session, which caused literally everyone to break down aside from Akesan. And their final appearance back on stage as a band of four, asking for permission to turn their next event into a live performance. It was one of Roselia’s most powerful moments that I was grateful to have witnessed first-hand.

Early November: Writing my first fanfic in years. This is a minor one but something else I’m proud of. Writing a new piece was one of my goals for 2017 that I hadn’t been able to complete. I was glad I could do this again in 2018 with the help of Bandori.

Early November: Roselia Live Vier. Specifically, the reveal of Shizaki Kanon for the encore. Even though I knew what was coming beforehand, I was caught up in the hype: there was a seriously epic moment when the audience realised what they were in for as her back appeared in the pre-encore video. The noise went off the charts, and it only went even crazier as the staff came out onto stage to wheel the drums to one side. Absolutely lovely production.

Mid November: CharaExpo USA. Another insane rush with the costume project. This was honestly one of the most stressful things I had to do, almost as difficult as Japan Park & 5L DVs. But we pulled through together in the end, as a team, as a community. Of course, finally being able to meet a whole bunch of people I’ve been waiting to meet was amazing as well. And the fan messages I got, which I was really thankful for- they give me the courage to keep pushing on, to do what’s best for everyone. And oh, that moment when Nonchan made her surprise appearance on stage as well. I made sure I was there to witness the crowd’s reaction from the back and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Was even crazier than Vier’s audience, honestly.

Early December: BanG Dream! 6L Day 1: Brave New World by RAISE A SUILEN. Sneaking in just at the end of the year, RAS's live was a surprising contender for memorable moments of the year. I’ve always liked Electronic and House music, but damn, that was a show alright. A DECLARATION OF XXX was impossibly hyped on site. I can’t wait for them to release it.

Overall, a lot of things might have changed in my life, but I feel like the most visible changes were in the last few months.

It might have been the release from a lot of stress, having been working towards JPSG and BD 5L DVs. Or maybe it was having those exact things under my belt, having actual experience that gave me a little bit more confidence. Having been through all these things gives me not only precious memories in the past, but also more certainty in knowing what I am doing.

Honestly, 2018 has been a really good year to me, a pleasant change from the shitfest that was the year before. I’m thankful for all the opportunities that were given to me, all the awesome people I met along the way, and all the challenges that I was able to conquer.

I hope 2019 will be a good year for us all, too.

[chancellormatt]

Voltron Rewrite Episode Four - The Plights of Paladins

Episode Four

A video of Voltron’s battle with the Robeast plays on a display inside the altean colony dome. Zarkon watches intently, seated in a control chair with Sendak at his side. As the video ends Zarkon presses a button on his chair, and the video rewinds it back to the beginning and the fight starts anew. After a few moments of this, he clicks another button on the chair, and the video pauses.

    “Tell me what you think of theses other ‘Paladins,’ Sendak.”

    Sendak considers for a moment. “...undisciplined. Juvenile. I’d be shocked if they’ve been piloting Voltron for more than a year or two.”

“But?” Zarkon says, a question in his tone.

Sendak hesitates. “...but that being considered, they have unlocked a number of Voltron’s abilities already, and do seem to be able to use them effectively, if crudely. Obviously their skills do not even come close to approaching our own.” He adds the last quickly, as if fearing offense.

“I find myself agreeing with your assessment.” Zarkon says, staring at the image of Voltron. “They are indeed undisciplined and juvenile. However it is still Voltron they pilot, and if given enough time, may become a thorn in our side.”

“I do not think they could really-” Sendak starts to say.

Zarkon holds up a hand silencing him.

“They will never be able to defeat our Voltron, not while I still command it. But threats, even small ones must be dealt with. Besides...a second Voltron would have innumerable uses.”

    “Are you saying that it is time to-”

    “Do not presume to know my plans, Sendak.” Zarkon cuts him off again. “Tell Prince Lotor to prepare two more of the Robeasts...” He hesitates. “...and the Lions as well.”

    “Sire?”

    Zarkon only smiles. It is a horrifying menacing expression, that shows the teeth of a predator about to feast.

“Do as you are told Sendak. This promises to be an interesting day…”

***

    Hunk sits in front of a giant stack of pancakes, which he is currently in the process of devouring.

    “Glad to see that going on space adventures hasn’t affected your appetite!” His mother says, beaming.

Hunk, his mother and all the members of the Garrett family sit inside their Garrison apartment, devouring a table full of breakfast foods.

    “Neh-ver!” Hunk says with his mouth full. He swallows. “-It’ll take a lot more than the Galra or evil robots to affect my appetite!”

    “Was it scary?” His nephew asks.

    “No way.” Hunk swallows another bite of pancake. “...maybe a little bit...okay a lot.” He says after a moment of consideration. “Yeah, now that I think about it, it was all pretty terrifying...”

    “You must be glad to be back, then.” His uncle says.   

    “Sure am!” Hunk munches on some bacon, before returning to his pancakes.

    “We were a little worried after you had to fly off yesterday.” Hunk’s mother admits. “Especially after you only just got back.”

    “Oh that? Nah that was just...well a little scary too, I guess. But nothing to worry about, really. At this point I’ve gotten used to having to rush off to battle without any warning or notice.”

    The other adults at the table share a look. Hunk notices.

    “What?” He asks.

    “Well it's just…” his mother starts to say, but hesitates.

    “We kinda thought we’d have you back for good once you got back kiddo.” His father finishes.

    His mother nods. “Just how long are you going to have to keep running out to space to fight in dangerous battles?”

    “Well just until…” it is Hunk’s turn to hesitate. He looks down at his food. “...I’m not really sure. I thought we just had to finish off the rest of the Galra forces. But now I hear Lotor might be back, and suddenly there’s these scary new Robeasts. I guess...I don’t really know.” Hunk blinks, as if struck by the realization.

    The table goes dead silent for a moment. His aunt clears her throat. “...I don’t see any reason to have all this negative talk so early in the morning. My pie should be ready, why don’t we all have some dessert?”

    There is a clamor of agreement. Hunk smiles slightly, but his troubled look never quite goes away.

***

    Keith and Shiro stand outside the Garrison base, as a ship descends to the surface. The ship touches down, and a moment later, the hatch hisses open. A number of the members of the Blade of Marmora pour out. The last out are Kolivan, followed shortly by Krolia.

    “Kolivan.” Shiro offering his hand to the leader of the Blades.

    “Shiro.” The galra shaking the hand in return.

    Keith meets his mother’s eyes and they share a mutual nod and slight smile.

    “How did the surveillance missions go?” Shiro asks.

    “We have both good and bad news.” Kolivan says. “The good news, is that the Galra have still not established a clear leader. They continue to fight amongst themselves, gaining little ground on each other. Sendak has the most in terms of numbers, but the others have dug in, and secured their own advantages. It will take some time to hunt them all down.”

    Keith’s expression goes dark at this.

    “Guess that’s about what we expected…” Shiro sighs.

    “How have things fared here?” Kolivan asks.   

    Shiro and Keith share a look.

    “...Kolivan, you haven’t heard anything about Lotor have you?” Shiro asks.   

     Kolivan shakes his head. “No, I would have mentioned that from the start. As far as I am aware he is still trapped, or dead, inside the quintessence field.” He seems to notice the uneasy look in their faces. “...is there evidence to suggest otherwise?”   

    “There was a fight with a new Robeast.” Keith says. “It had an altean pilot. He said he was operating under orders from Lotor.”

    “This is...troubling to say the least.” Kolivan says.

    “You don’t say.” Keith scoffs.

    “We still don’t have confirmation.” Shiro points out. “For all we know this could be some illusion or trick by Haggar. For now-”

    Shiro’s communicator beeps. He checks it.

    “Duty calls.” He says apologetically. “Seems like there’s an argument between Garrison and Coalition personnel. Again. Keith can you finish debriefing the Blades?”

    “Yeah.”   

    Shiro nods thankfully, and heads back into the base. Keith turns back to Kolivan and Krollia. He hesitates a moment before speaking.

    “...if Lotor is back, what would that mean for the Galra?” Keith finally asks.   

    “They would likely rally behind him. Even if there were some holdouts, it would be a simple thing for him to crush the dissenters, and unite what was left under his own banner.” Kolivan says simply. “In short, it would be very bad for us.”

    “Yeah…” Keith looks distant.

    “...Keith?” Krollia says carefully. “Is something wrong?”

    “It's...nothing.”

    Krollia grunts. “Don’t lie if you aren’t good at it, Keith.”

    He kicks a tuft of grass, not meeting her eyes. “...Acxa said something that’s been bothering me.”

    Krollia motions for him to continue.

    “She said...this is dumb, I don’t why I listened to her.” Keith shakes his head.   

    “Keith, what did she say?” Krollia asks sternly.

    “She said…” Keith sighs. “...she said that if we really want to stop the Galra, we need to give them a strong leader. A new Emperor. She said...it should be me.”

    Krollia shoots a look at Kolivan.

    “What?” Keith asks, noting the exchange.

    “That idea has… been suggested before.” Kolivan admits.

    “...you...you mean-”

    “It makes sense Keith.” Krollia goes on. “You’re a strong fighter, and the leader of Voltron. It would put an end to the fighting. Taking the throne is not such an outrageous an idea.”

    “But...I’m only half Galra!” Keith points out, as if not sure what else to say.

    “So was Lotor.” She points out.

    Keith stares at them, in horror. “...you guys are serious about this.”

    “We’re saying it's an option, Keith.” Krollia. “There are other options too…”

    “But this is the best one, right?” He says coldly.

    Krollia and Kolivan share another look.

    “It seems that way.” Kolivan says.

    Keith doesn’t say anything for a while.

    “...I can barely lead Voltron. I don’t want to try ruling a whole empire.”

    “We’re not trying to force you into anything, Keith. We’re just asking you to think about it.” Krollia says.

    “Fine.” Keith says curtly. “Is that everything?”

    Krollia gives him a concerned look, but after a moment nods her head. “For now.”

    Keith turns back and heads back to the Garrison base alone.

***

        “Wait, I’m confused. I thought we beat the game.” Lance says.

    “We did. But there’s still the expansions.” Pidge replies. The two walk down a pristine hallway within the Garrison base.

    “Expansions?”

    “Yeah, it's like more of the game they released after the game came out.”

    “And how many of these are there?”

    “Eight.” Pidge shrugs.

“Eight!? Man, we didn’t even get close to beating the game.”

Pidge shakes her head. “No wait, actually there’s nine. I almost forgot about ‘The Lost Gauntlet.’ Technically it was supposed to be removed for being too buggy, but luckily we have a copy from before the update.” She adjusts her glasses triumphantly, as if this is a great victory for them.

“Huh. guess we got a lot more game to get through after all.” Lance says thoughtfully.

“If you think you’re up to the challenge.” Pidge says nuding him with her elbow.

“Hey I never back down from a challenge!” Lance says determinedly.

This seems to satisfy Pidge. They round a corner, and come face to face with Hunk.

“Hey Hunk.” Pidge says.

“Hey guys.” Hunk replies without much enthusiasm.

“Whatcha up to man?” Lance asks.

“Dunno, figured I’d get an early start on some engineering work. Why? Where you guys headed?”

“I’m about to go take a look at what's left of that Robeast. I'm hoping it's tech might give us some answers. Think Lance is just tagging along. Taking up space seems to be the only thing he’s good for around here.”

“Hey I resent that! I’m the team sharpshooter, remember?”   

“So go shoot something.” She says with a coy smile.

“Well obviously there’s nothing to shoot right now!”

“I rest my case.” Pidge says folding her arms. “Anyway, Hunk you wanna help out?”

“Might as well.” Hunk sighs.

Lance and Pidge both give him a sidelong look.

“You doing alright buddy?” Lance asks.

“Yeah you’ve only been talking about how good it is to be home since you got here.” Pidge says.

“Hm? Oh..yeah. Must just be that battle. Really takes it out of you, you know?” Hunk explains.

“Well don’t go all mopey on us.” Pidge slaps him on the arm. “Allura’s already down in the dumps, we can’t have two Paladins off their game.”

“She’s not doing well, then?” Hunk asks.

“No.” Lance frowns. “If she was being a little off before, she’s definitely in a bad place now. Coran says she’s barely eating, especially after she talked to that altean kid. I just wish I could help her somehow...”

“She probably just needs space.” Pidge says.

Lance sighs exaggeratedly. “You’re probably right. It's just so annoying. I was already having a hard time approaching her before, then she gets hit with this thing? I’m starting to think I’ll never get a good chance to ask her out...”

Hunk looks thoughtful. “Maybe you just should.”

The other two just stare at him oddly. Hunk shrugs.

“What? Might be nice for her to get her mind off things. A date could be just the thing. If nothing else, she’ll at least know how you feel.”

Lance rubs the back of his neck. “I dunno man, just not sure if it's the right time. She’s got all this stuff going on…”

“Yeah it's probably just a bad idea.” Pidge pipes in.

“You’re just waiting for the perfect moment.” Hunk says shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s ever going to come Lance. Who knows when we’re going to be thrown back out into space next, where we’ll have to fight the newest bad guy in the line. It never seems to end...” Hunk looks distant for a moment, but he shakes it off. “...Nothing here is certain, and you may never get another chance.”

All three are silent for a moment. However, Lance starts nodding his head slowly. “Yeah...yeah you’re right Hunk! I can’t just keep waiting around! I’m gonna do it! Thanks man!”

Lance runs off and Hunk gives a small smile. He turns back to Pidge. She stares after Lance even long after he’s gone.

“Hello? Earth to Pidge?” Hunk says waving a hand in front of her eyes.

“Huh? Oh.” She shakes her head. “I was just...thinking about something. Let’s go.” She hurries off, with Hunk in tow.

***

    Allura sits alone on the rooftop of the Garrison building, with her legs hanging over the edge. She looks out into the empty field that surrounds the base, with a downcast expression on her face.

    Coran steps up to stand next to her. “Please Princess, you must rest. You haven’t gotten any sleep since the battle. And that's not even bringing up how little you’ve been eating.”

    “I’m not tired, and I’m not hungry.” She says stubbornly.

    Coran sighs. “You won't be able to do any good if you don’t take care of yourself first. Even your father knew that-”

    “-My father,” Allura cuts in. “would know how to help his people.”

    Coran gets a pained look. “King Alfor was a great leader and a good man. But he wasn’t infallible. He didn’t always have the right answer, and knew that it took time to get results.”

    “Lately it feels like I never know the right answer.” Allura replies.

    “You’re too hard on yourself Princess. That’s one thing you have in common with him. He also thought the whole universe rests on his shoulders.”

    “I think we have one other thing in common.”

    “Yes?”   

    “We both ended up trusting the wrong person only to be betrayed, and lose our people.” She says coldly.

    “Lotor.” Coran says quietly.

    “The funniest part is he was Zarkon’s son.” She laughs without merth. “You’d think I’d have known better.”

    “...we don’t know that he’s really back. Really it seems far more likely that it's some sort of trick by that witch Haggar.”

    “Maybe. But would it really make a difference? Even if he isn’t really back the altean people still believe in him. Still believe in a monster that used them.”

    “Then show them you’re better.” Coran says encouragingly. “Prove to them that you’re better than Lotor.”

    “That is profoundly easier said than done.” Allura sighs.

    “I’m sure you’ll find a way Princess.”

    There is a ping on Coran’s communicator. He checks it and sighs.

    “Go. Go rebuild the castle. I’ll be fine.” Allura says, waving a hand dismissively.

    “All right. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

    “Thank you Coran.”

    Coran turns around and leaves the rooftop through a stairwell. Allura is left alone. She pulls her knees up to her chest as she continues to stare out at the field. One of the mice peeks out from under her hair. She smiles at the creature, and provides a hand for it to crawl on.

    “What about you, do you have any ideas, little guy?”

    The mice chatters unintelligibly.

    “That’s what I thought...” She sighs.

***

    Hunk and Pidge sit in front of a massive fragment of robeast armor.    Hunk is examining a broken off piece of metal, while Pidge has her computer plugged directly into the armor.

    “Huh, seems like this metal is nothing special. It was only so hard during our fight from being soaked with quintessence.” Hunk observes.

    “Hm.” Pidge says, not looking up from her computer monitor.     “I don’t think these things would even work without an altean pilot.” He goes on.

    Pidge doesn’t even reply to that, absorbed in her typing.

    “You alright?” Hunk asks. “You’ve been really quiet since Lance left.”

    Pidge quirks an eyebrow as she looks up from her computer. “I should be asking you that. You were talking really weird back there. ‘You may never get another chance?’ What’s that all about?”

    Hunk frowns, toying with the piece of metal in his hand. It is a while before he says anything.

    “...when this all started, we had a goal. Defeat Zarkon. Always sorta figured that would be the end of it. We could all go home after we did that one thing. Sure sometimes, it was scary, and seemed impossible, but at least we knew what the goal was. But then, after we beat him, Lotor showed up. Just one more guy to take care of. And then we thought he was our friend for a while, and it seemed like everything with the Galra was wrapped up. But…” He sighs. “...turned out that just opened the door for more troubles. We beat Lotor too, but that just created a power vacuum. Now nobody knows who’s in charge, galra are still all over the place and on top of all of that there’s a new kind of robeast we have to fight! I guess I’m just wondering...when does it finally end?”

    “I…” Pidge hesitates. “...I don’t know Hunk. But we’re paladins. We do what we have to right?”   

    “Right...paladins…” Hunk says more to himself than Pidge.

    Pidge refocuses back on her laptop. She begins to type more quickly. Then furiously.

    “Quiznak!” She swears.

    “What is it?” Hunk asks.

    “This thing’s security is next level. Every time I think I’ve found a way into its deeper systems I just get kicked back out again!”

    She continues to type frantically, gritting her teeth. “Dang it!” she cries as she is kicked out again.

    “Did you try a manifold bypass algorithm?” Hunk asks, walkinging over to look over her shoulder.

    “Of course!” She says immediately.

    “What about a multiphase breach-”

    “I know what I’m doing Hunk!” She snaps.

    Hunk holds up his hands defensively. “Woah, I’m just trying to help, no need to get snappy.”

    “I’m not being-” Pidge hesitates. “Okay, maybe I am. Sorry. I’m just...a little off today, I guess.” She sighs and rubs her eyes under her glasses.

    “It’s alright.” Hunk shrugs. “Something happen?”

    “No.” Pidge says shaking her head. “Not really…” She looks down at her laptop for a moment, before pushing it aside. “I think I need to take a walk. Clear my mind.”

    “Alright…”

    “I’ll be back...eventually.”

    With that Pidge gets up and walks out of the warhouse. Hunk is left along to stare down at the piece of metal in his hand, turning it over in his fingers, looking lost.   

    ***

    Pidge walks outside the hangar, and starts to move down the corridor. She stops suddenly and just stands still for a moment. Then she leads against the wall and lets out a long sigh. She smashes her palms against her forehead with tired frustration.

“...what the hell is going on with me?”

***

    On the Garrison rooftop, where Allura still sits, the door to the stairwell suddenly pops open. Lance stands there, looking out tentatively. When he sees Allura he smiles sheepishly.

    “Hey, heard you were up here...you mind if I join you?”

    Allura shakes her head. “Not at all.” She motions to the space beside her.

    He strolls over and sits down next to her. For a moment the both stare out at the field. A gust of wind kicks up, sweeping through the tall grass below.

    “You picked a great spot.” Lance says. “Used to come up here to hang out sometimes, back in training.”

    “Really?”

    “Oh yeah. It's real pretty. You should see it at sunset.”

    Allura nods, absentmindedly. Lance’s gaze flickers from Allura to the field and back again.

    “Hey Allura…”

    “Hm?” She asks, distractedly.

    “This is uh...kind of important…”

    She looks directly at him, with a quizzical look. Lance sighs.

    “I know you’ve got a lot going on right now, and I don’t want to spring more on you...but I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to say this...”

    She is staring intently now, holding onto each word.

    “Allura...I like you.”

    “Lance I kno-” She starts to say.

    “No, just...wait.” He cuts her off quickly. “Please hear me out.”

    “...alright.” She nods slowly.

Lance takes a breath. “I know you just think this is a schoolboy crush. But it's a lot more than that. You aren’t like other girls I’ve gone after before. Heck you aren’t like any other girl I’ve ever met. You’re beautiful, strong, brave and...and…” His voice trails off as he looks down to collect his thought for his next line.

Allura only stares. She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it again, uncertain.

Lance, finally seems to have gathered his thoughts. “I originally just came up here to ask if you wanted to go out, on a date or something, but...well now that I’m talking I think I’ve gotta get this out ...Allura…”

Her eyes begin to widen.

I think I love-”

An image of Lotor flashes across Allura’s vision.

“No!” She stands bolt upright.

Lance looks up in shock.

“I-I…” Allura says. “...no I can’t do this. I’m...sorry.”

Wit that she dashes off the roof, to disappear down the stairwell. Lance is left staring after her, with despair in his eyes. After she is gone, he looks down, and strikes his fist against the concrete of the rooftop.

“Idiot!” He yells.

His shoulders slump, and he is left staring out at the field.

***

        A convoy of Voltron Coalition ship drop out of a hyperjump. The ships lurch and shudder, as if stopped suddenly, and without warning. Inside the bridge of the lead ship, the crew  are picking themselves up after the shock of the sudden stop

    “What the quiznak was that!?” Captain Arodul, a large creature with bulbous eyes,  demands.

    “Unclear sir!” The small officer to his left replies. “It seems that something pulled us out of our last jump!”

    “The Galra?” He asks.

    “No Galra forces detected so far, just space junk.” Another officer, to his right reports.

    “Hm.” The Captain says, unsatisfied. “Well whatever it was, I don’t want to stick around long enough to find out. We need to get this payload to Coalition Command! Start another jump as soon as possible!”

    “Right away sir-” One officer starts to say.

    “Captain!” Another officer interrupts. “Unknown craft detected! It's emerging from behind a nearby asteroid...wait make that two! Two unknown crafts moving towards our position!”

    “Get me a visual!” The captain orders.

    A pair of images appear on the bridge’s display. Each image shows a silver armored robeast racing towards the convoy, with weapons out.

    The captain stares wide-eyed for only a moment. He turns to his communication officer.

    “Get me Coalition Command. We need Voltron.”

    ***

    Across the Garrison base, the Paladins each are alone. Keith sits by himself, staring down at the black bayard in his hand. Allura lies in a dark room, hugging herself. A downcast Lance sits on an empty roof. A lonesome Hunk busies himself with the work of an engineer. Pidge walks down and empty corridor trouble written across her face. At the same moment, they all receive the same message:

    “All Paladins and Coalition forces, we’re needed! Report out front!” Shiro’s voice says from their communicators.

    The paladins, each gather themselves together, and start moving.

***

    “... A convoy carrying valuable Coalition materials was attacked on it's way here. Once again their communications were cut off shortly after the distress call, and we are the closest allies to provide help. Judging by the similarities we should be prepared for another Robeast, or maybe even something worse.” Shiro explains.

    Hunk looks down at that.

“We’re out of time, so that’s all. Good hunting out there.” With the last of Shiro’s words, the Coalition forces all head into their respective ships.

    The Paladins each run to their lions with speed, if not enthusiasm. None of them look very happy to be there. Shiro stops them before they can get any further.

    “Hang on guys. You all look a little worse for wear? You gonna be alright out there?”   

    Keith shoots a look back at his teammates. Lance and Allura are deliberately avoiding each other’s gazes. Pidge is staring at her own feet, with occasional glances towards Lance. Hunk is simply staring at his lion with a deeply troubled expression. As soon as they notice Keith looking they all stand up straighter, but the front never quite reaches their faces.

    “Well...be fine.” Keith says, without much certainty.

    “Alright.” Shiro sighs. “See you all when you get back.”

    “Yeah.”

    One by one, the Paladins all go to their Lions, and take off.

***

    The Convoy of Coalition ship frantically fly away from a pursing Robeast, harrying them with energy blasts. Every time they gain any distance, the other Robeast flies around to cut them off, and they are forced to change direction again.

    “Quiznak! Where in the stars is Voltron!?” The captain demands. “If this keeps up we may have to use the-”

    As if on cue, Voltron and the Coalition, blast into the battlefield.

    “Took em long enough.” The captain says with relief.

    “This is Keith of the Paladins of Voltron here to provide assistance! Enemy Robeast, I will give you one and only one chance to lay down your arms.”

Allura chimes in too, “I know you’re alteans under there, I am too. This doesn’t -”

    She is cut off, when the Robeast turn from the convoy to begin firing on Voltron. Voltron throws up the shield just in time to block the violet energy blasts.

    “Guess diplomacy’s out of the window.” Keith says, sounding unsurprised. “Alright guys, we know about their weak point now, so even if there’s two of them, taking them down should be easier this time. Let’s go Paladins!”

    Voltron burst into motion, racing towards the Robeasts, tearing out the sword as it does. Both Robeast fly towards it in turn. One holds it's weapons in the pair of scythes, while the other has it's weapon as the single double ended spear.

    Keith slams his bayard into it's port, and Voltron’s booster wings pop out, rocketing it forward. Voltron slams shield first into the first robeast, sending it flying backwards. Voltron then continues it's momentum to swing it's sword at the other robeast, which only barely manages to block with the half of it's spear, but is still pushed backwards.

    “Hunk, Pidge cannons, now!”

    “Right!” The both say.

    At once, Voltron’s shoulder and arm cannons appear and fire at the robeasts. Both are blasted backwards further.

    “Coalition, fire!” Keith orders.

    As one the Coalition ships fire their cannons and blast the robeasts with a hail of energy-fire. The robeasts are peppered with shots from the coalition ships, and begin to fly evasively. The one with the spear spins it's weapon in one hand, deflecting the blasts, and begins to move back towards Voltron. The other flies directly for the Coalition ships.

    “We can’t let them get to those ships!” Keith declares.

    Voltron’s right arm raises and Lance begins to line up a shot, but is knocked off course when a blast from the arm of the other robeast knocks it off course. The robeast moves in, trying to jab it's spear into Voltron’s gut. The strike is blocked by Voltron’s shield. Lance resummons the sword and swings for the robeast’s head. The robeast pulls backwards, narrowly missing the blade.

    At the same time, the other robeast slams into a Coalition cruiser, digging both scythes into the ship’s armor. Energy begins to surge from the ship into the robeast.

    “We’re losing power!” The cruiser’s captain cries out. “Draining fast! We’re-” The line cuts off as all lights coming from the ship go dark.

    “No!” Keith shouts.

    “They aren’t gone yet.” PIdge says. “They’re backup power should kick in in a second, they’ll just be dead in the water.

    Keith sighs in relief.

“...I’d be more worried about that robeast…”

    The robeast turns and open’s it's chest panel. Violet energy begins to gather in a ball.

    “That’s our cue!” Keith says. “Coalition ships, keep the other one off us for a second!”

    In response the other ship blast the robeast engaging Voltron, forcing it on the defensive. Voltron uses the opportunity to rocket for the robeast that is charging up it's blast.

“Let’s take it down.” Lance says narrowing his eyes, and summoning the sword.

The robeast pulls back, but Voltron doubles its speed.

“Now!” Keith orders, as they come within striking distance.

The sword thrusts right for the robeasts, but at the last moment, it twists to the side. The sword glances off the robeast’s armor, doing little damage. The robeast fires point blank. Voltron is hit by the blast full force, and is blown backwards, with all paladins shouting in distress.

The robeast moves towards the stunned Voltron, about to swing both scythes. Right before the blades hit, it's jerked back suddenly. A swarm of Coalition fighter’s are dragging it back with energy tethers. The robeast turns to fire on them, but the fighters have already disconnected and scattered. A moment later the robeast is hit with a pinpoint blast from a cruiser, sending it spinning.

“How do you like those new tacitic I had everyone work on after that last battle?” Matt chimes in over the speaker.

“Thanks for the save, Matt!” Pidge says.

“Fights not over yet.” Keith says.

    “No kidding!” Matt replies. “Guys, that other one is heading towards another of our cruisers!”

    Sure enough, the robeast with the spear is dancing around energy blasts, heading right towards a cruiser, spear outstretched for the strike. At the same time the robeast with the scythes has already recovered and is moving to attack.

“No you don’t!” Allura shouts, slamming her bayard into it's port.

    The harpoon gun appears on Voltron’s shoulder and fires. The harpoon shoots the robeast moving for the Coalition ships, embedding itself in the mecha’s arm. Voltron then jerks on the line, dragging the speared robeast back towards the robeast that is moving for voltron. The two robeasts smash together, rolling through space.

    The robeasts quickly right themselves, but pause before launching into their next attack.   

    “What’s going on?” Hunk asks. “Why aren’t they attacking.”   

    “Maybe they’re scared?” Lance says, hopeful.

    The robeasts start to move, racing towards Voltron, side by side.

    “Whatever it was, it’s worn off! Heads up Paladins!” Keith says.

    The robest with the spear moves in first, pulling ahead to lunge at Voltron. Voltron spins out of the way, but in doing so puts itself in the path of the other robeast. Pidge throws up the shield, only barely deflecting the scythes. By then robeast with the spear has already twisted around to lunge at Voltron from another angle. Voltron pulls back, as both robeast move forward, keeping up the flow of attacks.

“They’re keeping us on the defensive.” Keith growls.

“They’re moving too erratically, we can’t hit them without risking striking you Voltron.” Ryner says from one of the cruisers.

“We aren’t doing that again!” Lance says, before Keith can even reply.

Keith sighs. “They aren’t gonna expose themselves like this, not if they can whittle us down bit by bit. We need a new plan.”

“Pidge you’re smart, how do we beat them?” Lane asks.

“It's not that simple Lance!” Pidge snaps. “I can't just pull information out of nowhere!”

“Well I just-”

“Guys!” Keith says, pulling Voltron back, narrowly dodging. “I don’t need arguing I need answers!”

    “...Can we even hurt them outside of their weak spot? That armor seems so tough.” Allura says, as Voltron’s sword glances off the shoulder of one of the robeasts.

    “Yeah...I think we actually can. ” Hunk replies. “The armor really durable from all that quintessence, but they aren’t invulnerable. A good hit from the sword where the armor is weaker, like the joints, neck or waist, should do it.”

    “But there are alteans in there,  we need stop them without hurting the pilot?” Allura objects.

    “Where was the pilot’s capsule held on the one we have back home?” Keith asks.

    “Upper chest, just below the neck.” Hunk reports.

    Keith nods. “Let’s do it.”

    “Assuming we can even get a chance to!” hunk says, as Voltron narrowly dodges a scythe swing.

    Voltron throws up the shield to block another shield strike, but the blow lands too soundly, and the shield is knocked out of it's grip. Lance tries to use the sword to block the following strike, but the blade is pulled aside by a scythe.

The robeasts move in, ready to swing down on Voltron’s exposed head. But suddenly, both have their arms jerked back by tethers from the fighters.

    “Now! While we got them!” Matt yells.

    The Paladins yells as they throw their throttles forward, and Voltron jets between the two, swinging the sword in two wide arcs.

    For a moment all three machines are still. Then, the head of one robeast is cleaved off, and the other robeast is cut in two at the waist. Both pilot capsules fly out as the robeasts explode.

    Keith lets out a breath. “...we did it.”

    “The pilots…” Allura says, indicating the capsules.

    “We’ve got ‘em.” Matt says as his and one other fighter pull the capsules in to lock onto the bottom of the ships.

    “Thank you.” She says slumping back in her seat.

Hunk breathes a sigh of relief as he looks out at the destroyed robeasts. “Alright, guys, I don’t know about you but I’m ready to get back to earth right-”

    “That was quite the entertaining display.” A voice new voice booms over the comm. “Far better than any gladiator match, even if the amount of skill displayed was childish at best…”

    The paladin’s eyes all widen.

    “...To think that you’ve gotten even this far…” The voice goes on. “I suppose there’s no accounting for luck. But, that luck of yours has finally run out...”

    “That voice…” Keith says.

    “It can’t be…” Pidge says disbelieving.

    “It...it sounds like…” Lance says, unable to finish.

    “No…please no...” Hunk says with a desperate tone.

    “It has to be a trick! A recording! A-” Allura starts to say.

    She is cut off when the dark space around them is lit up by a bright violet light. They all shield their eyes as the energy begins to take form. It crackles along what appears to be an invisible humanoid form. The energy crackles along the surface of the from, tearing away the veil of invisibility. The last of the energy crackles away, revealing a sight that horrifies and shocks the Paladins.

Another Voltron.

    “...though I am told you have met me once before, allow me to reintroduce myself: I am Emperor Zarkon, Leader of Voltron. And I am here to take what is mine.”

[blackkudos]

Deniece Williams

Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1950) is an American singer–songwriter and record producer. Williams is known for hits such as "Free" (1976), "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" (1978), "Silly" (1981), "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (1982), "Let's Hear It for the Boy" (1984), and for her duets with Johnny Mathis.

Biography

1950–1975: Early life and career

Born in Gary, Indiana, Williams attended Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, in the hopes of becoming a registered nurse and an anesthetist, but dropped out after a year and a half. ("You have to be a good student to be in college, and I wasn't.") She also performed on the side during that time. ("I got a part-time job singing at a club, Casino Royal, and I liked it. It was a lot of fun.") During those years Williams also worked in a telephone company and as a ward clerk at the Chicago Mercy Hospital. As Deniece Chandler, she recorded for The Toddlin' Town group of labels and one of those early records, "I'm Walking Away", released on Toddlin' Town's Lock Records subsidiary in the late 1960s, is a favorite on England's Northern Soul scene. In the 1970s she became a backup vocalist for Stevie Wonder as part of "Wonderlove".

1975–1988

She left Wonder in 1975 and after signing to Columbia Records, she teamed up with two famed producers: Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, and his frequent collaborator, Charles Stepney. Her 1976 debut album entitled This Is Niecy was released. The single "Free" reached No. 2 on the Black Singles chart, No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the British Singles chart. The album also featured "Cause You Love Me Baby" (which charted separately on the R&B chart as the flip side of "Free") and "That's What Friends Are For". She also shared a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with pop singer Johnny Mathis in 1978 with the duet "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". The duet also topped the Black Singles and Adult Contemporary charts. Williams also topped the dance charts with her disco single "I've Got the Next Dance". Mathis and Williams also recorded the popular theme to the 1980s sitcom Family Ties, "Without Us". Williams moved on to the American Recording Company (ARC) in the early 1980s where she scored the top twenty R&B smash hit "Silly" in 1981. The following year, yet another famed producer, Thom Bell, helped Williams score another number-one R&B chart-topper with her remake of The Royalettes' "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", which became a Top 10 pop hit as well, reaching No. 10. Williams released the album Let's Hear It for the Boy in 1984. The title track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was featured on the soundtrack to Footloose. The song would prove to be the biggest pop hit of her career - and the last. She also contributed vocals, along with Maurice White, to the song "And Then" from Weather Report's album Mr. Gone released in 1978. Williams continued releasing albums during the 1980s such as Hot On The Trail (1986), Water Under The Bridge (1987), and As Good As It Gets (1988), which featured her last Top Ten hit to date, "I Can't Wait", written by Skylark. However, in part due to a lack of promotion from her record label, her mainstream popularity faded. During this time, she hit a low point in her career and decided to reinvent herself.

Gospel Music

Although Williams had recorded one inspirational song on almost each of her secular albums, it was in 1980 that her musical career path began to change favoring Gospel music. Williams joined with friends Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire fame), Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo to present a gospel show at a popular Los Angeles club named The Roxy. The show was called "Jesus At the Roxy". Williams later reported that "God did something miraculous. Over three hundred people were saved." After that, both Bailey and Williams decided to pursue careers in Christian music. In 1983, Williams and Bailey recorded "They Say", an atmospheric, slow praise song that builds towards the end with rousing words of praise. The song was written by songwriters Skip Scarborough and Terri McFaddin and received airplay on both Urban and Gospel Black radio. Williams later recorded the song with Christian artist Sandi Patti and won a Grammy for it.

In 1985, Williams sang a Gospel song at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards instead of singing her number-one hit song "Let's Hear It For The Boy" much to her record company's disdain, as reported in the liner notes from the 1996 release From The Beginning. She sang an a cappella version of her 1977 composition "God Is Amazing". In 1986, she released her first full-length gospel album, So Glad I Know (Sparrow 1121; #8-gospel) which won her two Grammy awards. Williams would continue to write, record and release Gospel music for the next several years. From 1996 to 2004, she presented her own BBC radio show in the United Kingdom, showcasing new gospel and inspirational music. During that time (1999) she recorded the Gospel album This Is My Song which brought her another Grammy award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

2000–present

In 2003 Williams appeared in the holiday movie Christmas Child. In December 2005 she appeared on the reality-dating show Elimidate as part of their "Celebrity Week". Other participants included fellow 1970s icons Leif Garrett and Jimmie Walker. After more than a decade Williams' new R&B album, entitled Love, Niecy Style, was released on April 24, 2007, on Shanachie Records. The disc was produced by veteran "Sound of Philly" man Bobby Eli. It has received positive review from Starpulse, soultracks.com, The disc charted at No. 41 on Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Williams returned to her hometown of Gary, Indiana for a performance to mark the re-opening of the historic Glen Theater on October 13, 2007. After the performance, Williams was recognized by Indiana State Representative Vernon G. Smith as an Outstanding Hoosier.

Williams returned to Gospel music, charting again in October 2007. The song, "Grateful-The Rededication", recorded with Wanda Vaughn of The Emotions and Sherree Brown debuted at No. 40 debut on the Billboard Adult R&B Singles chart. This was Williams' first entry on the singles chart since 1989. On April 29, 2008, Williams announced that she was preparing a proposal to establish a program called KOP—Kids of Promise—in her hometown of Gary, Indiana. Williams said the program would include a center with classes and programs dedicated to education and the performing arts. On August 27, 2008, a new song/video entitled "One Kiss" was posted on YouTube. The song is produced by the Haven Media Group and the video directed by director Dabling Harward (Idlewild, When We Were Kings). Also posted on the same date was an inspirational anthem entitled "A Change We Can Believe In". The song was written by Williams, percussionist Jerry Peters, and songwriter Harvey Mason. On June 27, 2010, Williams performed her song "Silly" at the BET Awards featuring Monica. In January 2011, she performed "Free" on Way Black When: Looking Back at the 1970s on TVOne. On June 6, 2011, Williams was featured on Unsung, TV One's signature music biography series about forgotten R&B, soul and gospel artists from the last 30 years.

Vocal profile

Deniece Williams has a four octave range and distinctive soprano voice. Her vocal range was also pointed out by The New York Times, "Miss Williams mounted a spectacular vocal display in which her penetrating, feline soprano soared effortlessly to E flat above high C, and she worked various vowel sounds into prolonged feats of vocal gymnastics." In pointing to Williams's similar vocal ability as her former musical icon and colleague (Minnie Riperton), Mark Anthony Neal, in referencing Jill Scott's agility in displaying vocal acrobatics, states, "Scott draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late Minnie Riperton and "songbird" Deniece Williams." According to Monica Haynes of Post-Gazette.com, Williams "has the kind of range that would make Mariah Carey quiver".

Wikipedia

[defdaily]

[TRANSLATION] 10ASIA+Star Magazine August 2014 issue x GOT7

It’s a minor thing but the first question is something I’ve been curious about. When you introduce the team, you say “Come and get it, GOT7”. How was this decided? Yugyeom We wondered together, ‘What should we do? What do we do?’ before coming up with it. Jr. There were a lot of ideas and this one just happened to be the one we chose. Youngjae What was it at the very beginning? BamBam 'Get ready, GOT7’. But then it was similar to YG WIN Team B’s so we changed ours. Yugyeom We were asking the foreigner hyungs (Mark, Jackson) what stuff meant and they happened to say 'Come and get it’. Jr. It was kind of like, I don’t know, let’s just use this one. (Laughs)

What charms do you want people to come and get from GOT7? Youngjae The seven of us each have our own personal charms… Jr. (Looking at Youngjae) And what is your charm? Youngjae My charm is… my awkwardness? (Laughs)

We haven’t been talking for very long but it seems that the members aren’t much different than they are in broadcasts. Right now you are all starring in SBS MTV 'I GOT7’, are your real personalities 100% in sync with your personalities on the show? Jr. It’s the same. Although it’s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, (Laughs) our team’s biggest charm is our honesty. There may be people who feel from time to time that we don’t have manners, but that’s not what we’re aiming for. We want to show the real us without any filters, so we’d like people to not view us badly.

Because it feels like a good time to bring it up, the 'A’ teasers… Youngjae Oh my god. BamBam Please don’t watch stuff like that… (Laughs)

Each member had their own teaser. Because the videos were with a virtual girlfriend, the members say that they’re 'crigeworthy’. Still, is there another member’s version that you thought was better than your own? Yugyeom All the members probably thought that their own was better than JB hyung’s. Jr. I think mine was better than Mark’s. Jackson That version was the simplest. Jr. But Mark hyung’s “A, let’s go” was still cool. The worst part of Mark hyung’s version was JB. Mark (Laughs)

Mark’s and Jackson’s seemed like the least cringeworthy. Jackson Me? Thank you. Youngjae BamBam’s wasn’t bad either. BamBam Mine? But I didn’t even finish tying the shoelaces but the actress just left. (All (Laughs)) To be honest no one does that. If your shoelaces come untied I’d probably say “Tie them yourself”. But it was still fun. Even though filming took a while.

Were you allowed to each pick your own concept? Youngjae: No, no, no. BamBam If we could pick we definitely would not have picked something like that. (Laughs) Jr. I think we were each given something that would suit us the best. So we could act convincingly like boyfriends.

Like it was evident from the teasers that GOT7 would be coming back with different colors, 'A’ and 'Girls Girls Girls’ have different atmospheres. What did you first thing when you heard the song? Jr. The song was really good from the beginning. The current version has been rearranged a lot. The original version was pop. (Mark: American! American style!) In addition, the song was very bright but JYP PD’s thick voice was recorded on it so we didn’t know how we were going to save the song. I personally thing that we were brighter and cuter so the song was saved. (Mark: (Laughs)) Our PD was sticky but we were cute! Sorry, PD-nim, (Laughs).

What you just compared, it’s going to be published just like that! Mark Ahah what do we do. (Laughs)

'A’ doesn’t showcase as much martial arts tricking as the debut song did. It must have been physically easier. Jr. In this album we focused more on our acting on stage. In 'A’ we have to make cute expressions… Like the 'So cute’ part. There wasn’t a lot of martial arts tricking, but we still worked hard on our expressions. Mark I wanted to rest a little this time (Laughs)

Just recently the 'A’ stage changed so that it starts at a table. Is there a reason for this? Yugyeom Our PD told us “In our company, artists change something in the choreography every two weeks”. Jr. Let’s say that we perform a song for a month. Rather than performing the same thing over and over again, our PD must have thought that changing the choreography would hold the interest of the viewers. I heard that our new choreography was positively received.

You’re right. The table scene from the music video was eye catching so personally I liked it more. BamBam It’s less tiring so I like it. Jr. If the new choreography had been for our first album it would’ve been hard but we kept working together and that improved our communication with each other. Mark And we had already done it once in the music video.

Because the music video came up, Youngjae especially looked good in it. Partly because he had more parts and was in the center, but mostly because he’s gotten more talented. BamBam If you watch the music video Youngjae hyung is the only one in it. (Opens eyes wide) With his eyes like this! Youngjae No~ It’s not true~~ BamBam (Making fun of him) It’s not even our song. It’s Youngjae hyung’s song. (Laughs) Youngjae Don’t say that~ don’t say that~ don’t say it like that~~~ (Mark laughing in the background)

Right around the time of debut when your dorm was revealed through a live broadcast, Youngjae said at the end “Right now people call me the 'rookie-like Youngjae’ but I’ll show a cooler appearance in the next album”. It seems like you did what you said you would. Youngae Haha, I remember that. I was so nervous because it was a live broadcast. I worked hard up until now. But I think I’m going to have to work harder. After the first broadcast of 'A’ I read the reactions and people said I looked too awkward and I opened my eyes too wide. (Laughs) So I changed little details and after the next broadcast, people said 'Oh, he looks less awkward today’ and I was glad. Also I thought to myself how I should make hearts more creatively, in different directions.

You’re even concentrating on which directions to make hearts! Then is there a part that another member has that he definitely doesn’t want the audience to miss? Jr. For me, because it’s not a solo stage, I want people to look at us as a whole. (BamBam: He’s right.) Although it’s important to look at each person for his charm, I think it’s more important that it’s a seven person stage. Of course during a solo stage it’s good to focus on one person but right now I’d like everyone to look at how we interact on stage.

Now that we’ve been talking for a while, Jr. is good at calmly speaking. He seems like the spokesperson of the team. Jr. There are some days that the words come naturally to me, today seems like one of those days. (Laughs)

In the album, Jackson wrote the rap for 'U Got Me’ and JB wrote the lyrics to 'Bad Things’. Are there more members who are interested in helping create the album? Jackson All (the members) have interest. We’re all working on it. Youngjae I have a song that I’m almost done with. It’s kind of an R&B ballad, the subject is, what should I say, 'the woman that comes to mind on a rainy day’? (Jackson: Ahhhh!) The title is… No I can’t say it (Laughs) I’ve walked around often on rainy days, so I thought about the sound of rain on those days while writing the song. (Q: It wasn’t written for a specific person?) My imagination is the best, haha. Music is very inspiring for me. Not necessarily that content of the song, but the background sound. BamBam (Youngjae hyung) always writes songs on rainy days. Youngjae I really like rainy days. Oh, there’s something else, I made a track that I haven’t yet written the melody to. I was never taught how to compose, but I get help from composer hyungs along the way. In the future I really want to produce an album.

What about the other members? Yugyeom Jackson hyung’s songs are complete hip hop. Jackson GOT7 is JYP’s hip hop group so I’m composing hip hop tracks. Yugyeom (Youngjae hyung, Jackson hyung) Both are very good. Their styles are different. Jackson My style is 'the man who comes to mind on a snowy day’. All (Laughs) Youngjae The man! Jackson Playing is playing. Hip hop is hip hop! These days when I compose, the rappers Mark, BamBam, and I do it together. Mark I’m trying, but I’m not very good. BamBam We’re trying hard to compose, but we’ve gotten busier so we stopped for a while. Even though we don’t get it to do it often, Jackson hyung makes the beat and the two of us write lyrics. It’s hard, Korean lyrics.

How about writing them in English first? Youngjae I’ll translate them for you! Jackson If we write them in English, Jr. or JB changes it to Korean. BamBam Then… I’ll write it in Thai! All (Laughs)

JB said 'For GOT7 to win a rookie award this year, we’ll have to release another album’. What’ something you want to accomplish with the next album? Jr. We’d like to release another album this year, but because the company has policies, we don’t know how it’s going to work out. For now, we’d like to release another one. Jackson Hip hop, hip hop, strong hip hop! Mark Something cool! Jr. We each have our own musical tastes.

What are your personal musical styles? Jackson I’m always hip hop. All hip hop. BamBam I think new school hip hop is good. There’s also pop hip hop. I like that. (Jackson: Not something cute. The cute should stop here. Haha.) There should be something cute only for a couple places, hehe. Yugyeom I like hip hop and R&B. Youngjae I like R&B ballads. I like sad songs. The overall atmosphere is hip hop but if we wrote our own songs… This is what I want but I’d like each of the members to write a song in their own style and include it in an album. Jr. There’s a lot of things that come to mind. In terms of a singer, Paul Williams. I like it if it’s not too bright, but simple, a beat with not a lot of sauce that has our voices honestly recorded on it. I’d like for us to practice a little more and come out with a song that has our voices on it under a simplistic beat, a song that has feeling. Or something like Justin Timberlake’s 2006 album, 'FutureSex/LoveSounds’ that is still good after a couple years. It’s been 8 years since that album was released but I still like that album more than anything in the world. (Q: Do you still listen to it these days?) I like that artist the best so I always listen to it. I think it would be nice to plan and produce an album like that. Mark I like hip hop, but hip hop that’s slightly R&B, slower, with feeling. I like Drake. JB I like PBR&B, R&B with a little bit of an electronic sound. I’d like to make a song like that our title song. If that was our title song the other songs could be medium tempo R&B or folk. I also like R&B Soul and artists like James Morrison and Damien Rice so I’d like to make songs similar to theirs.

Even though your musical tastes differ, there still seems to be a connection between the members. It may be helped by the fact that the members all share a dorm and gain strength from each other. Either way, on TV it was shown that Yugyeom and BamBam’s room is bigger than the others. BamBam We picked our room last. After everyone chose, only the big room was left. It was nice. There are beds only in our room! Jr. The youngest need to sleep comfortably. The hyungs can sleep even if it’s uncomfortable. Jackson (Looking at Jr.) You’re the most comfortable! Jr. That’s not true. When I’m trying to sleep (Yugyeom and BamBam) always go back and forth through my room to use the bathroom so I can’t sleep. (Q: Ah, so inside Yugyeom and BamBam’s room there’s Jr’s room! Is the bathroom in that direction?) The bathroom in my room has a big bathtub. BamBam Hyung… we definitely told you. If you used the room by yourself then we would use that bathroom and go through your room a lot. And you said it was okay… Jr. They look really sorry when they come in. “Hyung… can I use the bathroom?” BamBam Once I went in very quietly. But then suddenly hyung grabbed my leg. Hahaha. I was really surprised.

Hahaha, so it wasn’t so the youngest could be comfortable that they were given the big room? Jr. We talked amongst ourselves and decided to give the youngest two the big room. Jackson, BamBam N~~o~ Jr, Youngjae We really thought of it that way! Mark (Playful baby voice) If the youngest two have the comfortable room and we’re comfortable in the car… hahaha. Jr. We wanted to give something to the youngest two! Mark No that’s not it hahaha. JB Truthfully the hyungs can’t beat the younger members. They’re too strong. (Laughs)

Mark and Jackson, Jaebum and Youngjae, Yugyeom and BamBam share a room and Jr. rooms by himself. How were the roommates decided? All We just chose who we wanted to room with. Jr. Oh, there was this. At first the members said that they wanted to room with me, but then when we got to our dorm the members that said they wanted to room with me asked other members to room together. Originally Jackson and I were supposed to room together but when we got to the dorm we forgot. Jackson Jr. and I were going to room together, but then something happened and I asked JB if he wanted to room with me. But then we got to the dorm and I ended up rooming with Mark. All (Laughs) Jr. We don’t have any rules, it’s all in the moment! (Laughs)

Are you satisfied with your current roommate? All Yes! JB But Youngjae’s and my room doesn’t have air conditioner. Jr. I don’t have air conditioning either… JB But if you open the door to Jr’s room then the the air conditioning from the maknae room comes in. Our room doesn’t have any. Even if we turn it on in the living room, it doesn’t reach our room. (Youngjae: It’s too far.) So these days we don’t room together. Youngae We look for cooler places… Yugyeom He’s like a lost lamb! (Laughs) Yesterday Jaebum hyung slept in the living room and Youngjae hyung slept in our manager hyung’s room. Youngjae Every once in a while I sleep with Jaebum hyung. Yugyeom When he’s lonely. All (Laughs) JB The two of us share a mat but it’s not too crowded. If the air conditioner just worked our room would be cooler but it doesn’t… We need to put a vent in the wall but there are structural limits so we can’t. So the two of us are living separately right now. But in the winter our room is the warmest. You don’t even need blankets at night.

So that’s Youngjae and JB’s room. (Laughs) It seems like Mark is someone who is actually playful. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does it’s extraordinary. On yesterday’s 'I GOT7’ broadcast his yells of “It’s mine!” while catching fish left a lasting impression. Jr. He’s very possessive. (Laughs) Mark Hm… (Smiles)

Is Mark the only one who hasn’t received a punishment? All He’s been punished! Jr. He got it on the last episode of 'I GOT7’. We all did everything so Mark would get punished… Hahaha BamBam Are you tired of me being punished with the laundry clips? I get punished again on the next episode… ehehe.

Does the laundry clip punishment really hurt as much as it looks? Mark It hurt less than I thought it would! BamBam Hyung, the clips weren’t where it really hurts. Mark They were on my lips. Jackson We were scared that hyung would get angry so we were careful. Youngjae For it to really hurt they need to all be on the lips. JB Now that I think about it I’ve never gotten the laundry clip punishment. Youngjae (Mimes pulling the elastic on the hat) You got this. Mark 2nd episode, 2nd episode! JB So I only got that, I didn’t get the laundry clips. But I didn’t even realize that until now. The elastic hat hurt so much… Wow… All Hahahahaha Jr. When we do the laundry clip punishment, no one has any compassion for the one who’s being punished. Yugyeom (Gestures toward Mark) He’s quiet until there’s a punishment, then he’s the most excited. Because he’s so playful. (Laughs)

Has there been a time where you were mad at each other because of the punishment? Jackson (Glares pointedly at Mark) Of course not. Mark (Laughs)

Oh and another question for Mark! Have you seen the Mark version fancam of 'I Like You’ from the first showcase? The triple combo of shoulder shaking, finger heart, and smile was great. Mark I did see it. The original choreography is (Points forward with finger), but there were fans so I suddenly decided to make a heart. Jr. It’s the feel!

Are you usually like that? Talented on stage, I mean. Mark I try to sprinkle talent… (JB That’s something you share.) showcase talent. Ehehe.

If Mark is a surprising gag, anyone can tell that Jackson is playful. It’s so much that there are compilations of his comical appearances in broadcasts, where is he getting all of this entertainment skills? Jr. Jackson is just funny. So very funny. Jackson I don’t try to maintain my image during broadcasts. I’m trying to that a little these days, but we have a cute concept so I just act naturally… Yugyeom He’s opposite. (Laughs) When we have a cute concept he pretends to be cool. Jackson Because I’m not that good looking, I don’t think it’s really necessary for me to try to maintain my image.

Jackson isn’t handsome? Yugyeom He is! Jr. He has high standards.

But when he’s serious, he’s very serious. The fact that he considers '852’ (Hong Kong country code) to be precious is impressive. Jackson It is precious. Yugyeom I think he’s cool. He has a lot of pride in his country. Then I need to be '031’ (Yugyeom with the Kyunggi-do area code and whose family currently resides in Namyangju)? Jackson No, '82’ (South Korea country code)! Jr. I’m '055’ (Jr. with the Kyungnam area code and from Jinhae)! Youngjae I’m '061’ (Youngjae with the Jeonnam area code and from Mokpo)! (Q: Then we’ll have to go into Hong Kong area codes?) Oh, then we’re all '82’! All (Laughs)

Jackson’s pride in Hong Kong is unlike any other. Jackson I’m very proud. I’m proud. Because it’s my home country… I like it. (Right as he finishes speaking his necklace falls off) Jr. This is right here is gag helped by nature! All (Laughs)

BamBam is from a different country too. Even though he’s from Thailand his Korean seems as good as a native speaker’s. BamBam (In a cute voice) I’m not that good.

Even the aegyo is overwhelming. On GOT7’s official twitter you replied “I’m already in jail” to “I’m filing a complaint about Bam oppa. Because he stole my heart” and “I like you” to “Rice cake vs. bread which one do you like”. BamBam Ahahahahaha. Yugyeom BamBam is the king of fan service! BamBam I also said that I was already in the fan’s house, waiting under the sofa, hehehe. Yugyeom That’s why he has the nickname BamTalker (BamBam + Stalker). BamBam I also get called BamStalker. Ehehe. In my teaser, there’s a scene where I tie shoelaces. When fans say ‘BamBam oppa tie my shoelaces please’ because of that, I reply ‘Turn around, I’m right behind you’. (Laughs) If they say ‘BamBam oppa buy me food’ then I say ‘Open your door, I’m right outside your house’. It’s usually scary to hear something like that but the fans like it so I just naturally say it. Jr. It’s a relief that BamBam is on our team. Because the rest of us tend to avoid stuff like that…

Who’s the hyung who treats BamBam the best? BamBam Ah, can I say this secretly? (Takes the recording device and says in a very small voice) Jack.Son.Hyung. Ehehe.

Along with BamBam, Yugyeom is part of the 1997 maknae line. In person, he feels like a 18 year old high school student, but he has the nickname 'Kim Yugyeom Oppa’. Yugyeom Sometimes I look older (Laughs). There aren’t a lot of opportunities for me to be called oppa so I like it when fans call me oppa. It doesn’t matter if the fan is older than me. Noona fans always ask me, “Can I call you oppa? Is it okay?” And I reply “Yes it’s okay, of course!” It makes me feel better.

When you first debuted, you introduced yourself as “Pure crystal Yugyeom”. Has the size of that crystal stayed the same or has it shrunk? Yugyeom I can’t introduce myself like that anymore. I think the crystal shrunk. (Youngjae: Did it crack?) I think it’s gotten smaller by about half, so I changed my introduction to “The youngest who doesn’t seem like the youngest”. (Laughs)

Hahaha, Youngjae who’s 19 this year, in the past you said that you wanted to attend a music therapy school. What do you think now? Youngjae I have a book pertaining to that subject, but I haven’t had time to look at it properly. Right now I think I need to like music more and practice music more so I want to try to attend the school Jinyoung hyung is attending now, Howon University. I still lack so much so I feel like I need to work harder and learn more. I’m definitely going to university.

You’ll definitely get in! Youngjae (Clenches fist) Hwaiting! (Laughs)

Like Youngjae said, Jr. is currently attending Howon University. Jr. I’m studying theater. Right now it’s okay because I’m on break, but I’m debating whether or not to take a gap year. There are a lot of promotions planned during the next semester… There’s so much I want to learn at school that I think I’m going to have to discuss it with the company.

Is there something you especially like in the curriculum? Jr. At school? I liked the one-on-one lessons. I started off not knowing anything so learning was really fun. And even though I couldn’t participate often, I watched the other students prepare for theater festivals and… Wow… For theater you need to learn the lighting, sound cues, the stage, acting, movement, everything. Theater is something that brings together all of this so the community feel of the production was interesting. It would be hard not to become close while preparing for a show, I was jealous. Theater is about interactions between those on stage so you can’t do it by yourself. While seeing that, I thought to myself that if I ever had the chance, I wanted to give theater a try.

There’s another university student in the group. JB studies film production at Konkuk University. On Mnet’s '4 Things Show’ a short film 'Dream’ was broadcasted. Jr. Jaebum hyung’s feet were quite cute in that. (Laughs) JB That film was similar to a 3 minute university film so there wasn’t anything special about it. I was a bit embarrassed. The visual was satisfactory but the subject matter among other things… It was started in the morning and finished very quickly.

Still, many people didn’t know of JB’s directing capabilites as a student so it still seemed to be meaningful. If JB made a film with GOT7 as the subject, what kind of film could be produced? Jackson Comedy, comedy! JB I think black comedy would match well. Or, a comedy like 'Marrying the Mafia’ with the seven of us as a family. Yugyeom (With a bright smile) Comedy and violence! (Laughs)

There was something JB said on '4 Things Show’ that left a lasting impression. “I feel like the future of GOT7 depends on how I act.” JB If I act rudely then I feel like that’s how people will view the entire team. I’m not saying that I’m a pillar for the team out of conceit. It’s because it’s my responsibility to lead the team. If I throw away that responsibility and play around or don’t focus, then the members might think that because the leader is doing that, it’s okay for them to do the same. (Q: Because of that, is there pressure being the leader?) Every once in a while if we make a mistake then I can feel embarrassed but I never feel pressured. Because we’re people, it’s normal to make mistakes.

Starting this August, you will be participating with the artists in your company in '2014 JYP Nation - ONE MIC’, and your Japan solo concert tour will start on October 7th. Last April, you performed your showcase in Japan, how was it? Jr. The stage and audience were close together so we could see the individual faces of the fans. There are only good memories of it. Yugyeom Compared to Korea, the scale was bigger so I was nervous. I was more nervous for the showcase than when we opened for 2PM in their Japan concert. But after the concert started and we performed more, it was fun.

Scan by Winter Boy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | Translated by got7-trans © TAKE OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

[imagines-never-die]

Support!reader who has a crush on cuties of your choice that are of a different class, but they're nervous about making a move because "oh I'm just a medic. I'm not nearly as impressive as they are"

(Let’s go withhh…Hanzo, D.Va, and Junkrat!)

Hanzo

Genji quietly watched as you watched Hanzo, waiting for the moment when you’d get up and actually say something to him.

“It has been a long time since someone has expressed romantic interest in my brother,” he pointed out.

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” you sighed wistfully.

“And he often looks lonely after missions,” he continued.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” you mumbled, eyes still glued to the archer.

“…So!” Genji finally groaned.

“So what?” you snapped, finally turning to him.

“Go talk to him!”

“T-Talk to him?” you stuttered nervously, “No way, th-there’s no way he’d want to talk to me. Especially since he’s busy with those targets…”

“He’s always busy with targets,” Genji rolled his eyes from behind his visor, “He doesn’t need the extra practice, he just does it when he’s lonely or troubled,”

“It’s nice to watch…” you smirked a little, watching as his muscular arms drew back the bow.

“[Name!]” Genji brought you back to reality, “Why don’t you go talk to him. You’ve had this crush on him since you came to Overwatch, but you never make a move!”

“Well that’s because–I mean–he’s a sharpshooter, a sniper, a strong warrior of Overwatch! And I’m just a support unit…I hop in and out of fights to help people, relying on my teammates to protect my sorry butt…”

Genji sighed, “So you’re intimidated? Is that it?”

“…Yeah…” you admitted.

“[Name], I’m an offense unit,” he said bluntly, “You weren’t afraid to approach me,”

“Th-this is different,” you stammered, “I didn’t have a crush on you,”

“[Name], none of us think you’re a useless addition to the team. We all value our support units, especially you,” Genji explained softly, “Nobody would ever belittle you for your support status, especially Hanzo. I think he admires those who can save lives so easily,”

You shifted uncomfortably as you thought it over. It was just that grim, dead-set face Hanzo always had. He seemed like he never had time for anyone much less little support units.

“We are defined by who we are, not what we are,” Genji concluded, sounding just as zen as his master.

Taking a deep breathe, you nodded, “Ok, you’re right! I need to stop telling myself I’m not good enough! I-I just…need to go over to him…a-and say something,”

“That’s the spirit!” Genji cheered.

…

“Well go on,” he urged.

“I can’t. My feet feel like they’re stuck!” you whimpered nervously.

“Just get out there already!” Genji laughed, giving you a nudge towards his brother.

Stumbling forward, you watched the archer hit another bull’s-eye, pulling another arrow to his bow. Cautiously, you came up next to him, watching him release the arrow and hit another target in the center.

“Hello, [Name],” he said gruffly, still totally concentrated on his work, “Is there something you need?”

He looked so scary and powerful! Why were you trying to waste his time?! Aaagh! Nervously, you glanced back towards Genji for some kind of help. The cyborg just gave a little “go on” gesture.

“A-Actually…” you mumbled anxiously, “I–uh–came to watch your target practice a-and um take notes! Yeah, my…my aim really i-isn’t very good so um I mean yours is! So I thought I-I could learn a thing or–uh–two from you…I mean as long as that doesn’t bother you, you know…”

Hanzo suddenly stopped midway from grabbing another arrow. Then his eyes slowly turned toward you, looking more surprised than usual.

“You…want me to teach you?” he asked with a hopeful look in his eye.

“Ummm…” you glanced back to Genji who was nodding furiously and giving you a thumbs-up, “Y-Yes! If it’s not too much trouble!”

“Of course not,” Hanzo shook his head, picking up a practice bow and handing it to you, “I’ve noticed your aim in battle. I was hoping you would try to fix it,”

You cringed. Were you really that bad at hitting your targets?

“But I am glad you sought me out to help you,” he gave a slight smile, “I was afraid you had been avoiding me,”

“Avoiding? Heh, nah o-of course not!” you giggled.

“Support units seem to be so nervous around me,” he said in a ponderous tone, “I was beginning to worry that I had been frightening you away…”

“No, no, it’s not th-that!” you tried to tell him, “I’m shy by nature, I promise!”

He tapped his finger to his chin a few moments before saying, “Very well, let us begin with your stance,”

Your whole face grew hot as Hanzo suddenly stepped behind you, wrapping his arms around yours and guiding your hands into the right positions. Then he nudged your foot with his and instructed you to tighten your grip. You glanced back at Genji again, who looked like he was laughing from behind his visor.

D.Va

You always admired D.Va so much. She fearlessly flew into every fight with her meka, disrupting the enemy’s ranks and wreaking havoc. Then just when they thought they had taken down her meka, she’d shout “nerf this!” and blow them all to smithereens! You thought she was simply amazing and almost made you wish that you were a tank unit. But you were just a support unit, sticking back with the offense units and keeping them supplied with shields and heals.

But one day, during a really rough battle, D.Va started calling on her comm link for extra backup: things like more firepower, defense, and a support unit to keep her going. No other supports responded, so you were the one to answer her call and move to the front lines. It was scary as all hell up there, explosions and bullets flying, yet Hana kept her cool like it was another day at the arcade!

“Thanks for coming to help guys! Their snipers are really annoying but their offense won’t let me get close to them! Could you guys keep their offense busy?” she explained, then turned to you, “And [Name], could you pocket heal me? My meka’s gonna fall apart without your heals!”

“U-Uh–yes! Yes ma’am!” you piped almost like a robot.

“Hee hee!!” Hana snorted, “Who’s ma’am? I’m D.Va, silly!”

You felt a little blush form on your face as she laughed her bubbly laugh.

“R-Right, D.Va…” you muttered.

“Let’s mooove out!” she cheered excitedly, taking off with her boosters.

Somehow you were able to keep up, steadily healing her as she disrupted the snipers, disarming them and booping them out of their nests. It was really hard at times; sometimes her meka’s health would go dangerously low even as you healed her all you could. But luckily, her meka never got wrecked…well until she wrecked it herself.

“Snipers eliminated!” she reported happily into her comm link, then looked back to you, “Watch this, [Name]!”

With that, she boosted her meka into the air, ejecting at the last second and sending it into self-destruct mode. It turned into a big ball of light, soaring through the air and eventually landing in the enemy base with a KABOOM! You watched awe-struck as the whole sky lit up and the base flew into a thousand pieces.

“Woohoo! Bonus points!” Hana cheered.

“That was amazing…” you breathed.

“Yeah, I guess it was,” she shrugged, “But I couldn’t have done it without you, [Name]. Your healing was what really kept me going!”

You blushed again, staring down at your shoes bashfully, “I mean, I wasn’t that great. Nothing different from what I usually do…”

“Hey!” she grinned, taking you by the hand and leading you back to your own base, “Do you wanna hang out sometime?”

“H…Hang out?” you couldn’t believe someone as famous and strong as D.Va was asking you to “hang out!”

“Uh-huh, you know that thing that people do when they wanna spend more time with each other?” she chuckled at you.

Your expression slowly dropped, remembering your place.

“But…you’re a tank unit, and I’m a support unit…” you mumbled.

“Yeah? Why is that important?” she shrugged.

“Because I’m just a support unit,” you admitted, “Don’t you want to hang out with someone cooler like another tank or attack unit?”

“Nope!” she smiled, “I wanna hang out with you, [Name]! Units don’t matter! They’re just dumb, stuffy titles,”

With that she slung an arm over your shoulder and pulled you close, making you stiffen up. You were so close to her! She smelled like bubblegum and new car…

“So what do you want to do? We could play video games or go to the arcade or go shopping–ooh! Do you like ice cream? I know this great place that gives me free…”

She’d be talking all the way back to base.

Junkrat

“Oi! I need healin’!” “Where’s my heals?” “Oi! Healer, over here!”

Why did you have to fall for a guy who treated supports like servants? Why did he only ever call you “Healer” or “Doc?” He was so tall and lanky, yet muscle-y at the same time, with a cute laugh and an outgoing attitude. Junkrat was everything you looked for in a guy, despite your friends saying you were crazy for it.

But you never once made a move. It always seemed like an arsonist would never have any time for a support unit, especially when he seemed to think they were so unimportant to the team. A lot of the other support units would get bad at him for his rude tone around him. They’d punish him with a smack on the head or a “no heal” policy for at least one battle. Some supports had given up on healing him altogether–he was the one who’d accidentally drop grenades on himself, after all.

But you just couldn’t keep yourself from healing him. It meant you got to admire him up close…even if you never said anything to him. Sometimes he’d even give you a little “Thanks, mate!” But as far as you were concerned, Jamison would never like a support unit. It wasn’t until the end of one of your missions that you were proven wrong.

“Hooly dooly, that was some fight!” Junkrat marveled at the wreckage as his hair smoked.

“No kidding,” you huffed as you tried to catch your breath, “I thought for sure we were gonna lose the point,”

“Same! We were the only ones on it!” he laughed, “I kept waitin’ for them to punt me off, but you kept me goin’!”

“Oh, yeah whatever,” you shrugged as you flopped down on the ground exhausted, “Well you did all the hard work,”

“Me? You were the one dodgin’ all those bullets and givin’ me all them buffs!” he pointed out as he sat down next to you, “I wouldn’t’ve been able to hold the point if it weren’t for you!”

A small blush crept its way onto your face, but you quickly shook your head and waved your hand dismissively.

“No, I wouldn’t have survived it if it weren’t for you blowing up anyone who came close to me.”

Seriously. Any flanker who’d try to sneak up on you would get a “Not my healer, you bitch!” from Junkrat.

“Well at least we can admit we work well together, eh?” he chuckled.

“Sure…” you mumbled bashfully, “Why not?”

“Eh c’mon, why ya hidin’ yer face now?” he smirked as he took your chin and gently guided it toward him.

“I-I’m not!” you squeaked in shock.

You hadn’t expected him to do that! His fingers felt all sooty and calloused…

“Yeah you are!” he sang.

“Sh-shut up…” you pouted, pulling away.

“Oi, why can’t ya just accept the complement?” he whined.

You crossed your arms, “Because I know you don’t mean it. You don’t care about support units in the slightest, Jamison,”

“The hell I do!” he retorted, “Well, only the good ones, that is,”

You gave him a glare and he put up his hands in defense, “I get it, I get it, you support-y types don’t like me. But you’re one of the only good ones on the team! You actually heal me and stick by me unlike all the other pricks who up and leave me for being ‘rude.’”

“But you, [Name], you’re a healer I can lean on!” he grinned, “ya’ve never let me down! That’s what I like about you!”

That’s what he…liked about you? Your face went red as you processed his words, looking like you had seen a giant spider.

“So…you don’t hate support units?” you asked.

“Hate ‘em? Nah!” he cackled, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you close to him, “Just drongos who don’t give me the time of day!”

Slowly, a smile appeared on your lips as you melted into him, letting him hold you closer. Jamison was a prickly guy and hard to get close to, and you always thought you’d never get very far with him, but all that time you had spent around him had been one big step towards knowing the real him.

–Mod Sirana

[newandbrave]

Yeo ft. Asta – Never Wanted That

Talented Melbourne artist Yeo started 2017 off by supporting HAELOS at their Falls sideshow, Harts for his national tour and Emma Louise in festival showcases (as her musical director and band member). Amongst the performer’s busyness on the road, Yeo has made time for his love of production and song writing, releasing his first single for the year “Never Wanted That.” Yeo cannot receive all the credit for this single, as the track wouldn’t have been the same without the flair of Tasmanian singer Asta, who has recently produced her EP Shine. This is the first collaboration in the lead up to Yeo’s LP Desire Path (its rumoured there are more alliances to come).

“Never Wanted That” hit the sweet spot of contemporary music, it has all the charm of a commercial song, but the substance and sincerity of a truly gifted artist. This track provides the simplicity of a pop song, with a minimal dance beat that is completed with the rhythm of a clean guitar riff, nailing what the majority of listeners want to please their ears with, something that is catchy, not too intense and still gets them grooving without that doof feeling. The singing relationship between Asta and Yeo paints the picture of an Australian Drake and Rihanna, as the duo sing together and to each other as opposed to a simple feature. This prevents listeners from questioning whether the artists have actually met and worked together as well as allowing fans to feel the real depth and emotion of the song. What removes the cheese from this track and enables the sweet spot to be hit (opposed to other pop songs) is the naturalism of the lyrics, Yeo’s wit and common, everyday language pulls down the superficiality of the single and creates a certain relatability with the audience (a trait of all great artists). This conveying of language makes the message of the song so much more true to listeners, as the track portrays the false confidence and excuses men and women put up in a relationship, due to the harsh challenges of this world.

As for the video, the sentiment continues with the setting of the visual being a presumable 1960’s or 70’s, a period that embodies freedom, love and a simplicity that has gained fascination by 21st century hippies known as hipsters. Both artists suit their characters as blonde beauty, Asta, fits every part of a revolutionary love child, whilst Yeo’s more refined, straight laced outfit provides a good contrast for a song about the challenges between two lovers on the same page but with different opinions. The charm of this video is in the props and creative orchestration of the visual, as the screen is split into two, with both artists on the same couch completing activities that involve each other (blowing bubbles, Asta puts her feet on Yeo, Yeo snatches the magazine from Asta, etc). Except these events are reversed (e.g. Asta blows bubbles at Yeo toward the end of the video, yet Yeo feels them hit his face at the start), the video ending with a removal of the split screen and revealing how both artists are sitting on the same couch.

Yeo, who has been a favoured artist of New and Brave, was kind enough to take the time out of his schedule to have a chat and provide answers to the questions we all wanted to ask.  

1. What has it been like to support Harts and Haelos and work with Emma Louise? Were they influences before your collaboration?

I knew of their work a long time before actually meeting them. I saw them perform a few times to huge crowds. They were both strong inspirations as examples of what is achievable with strong releases and a good team behind you.

2. You have said that in hindsight, you are unimpressed with your early music. What did you change to improve your song writing abilities? Or was it just your perspective on your own music?

If you're talking about the raw song writing side of things, I actually spent a while exploring folk and country music. In that genre it's all about simplicity. It's about a message or a feeling. My lyrics were very simple to start out with, and though they're still quite literal these days I hope I have learned to imply more depth. For example, instead of just singing "I went to the shop and bought a sausage roll," I'd now re-word 'shop' to 'milk-bar', say something about flaky pastry and combine it with suitable harmony and melody to convey my reasons for the excursion and how it makes me feel. In tandem, I've constantly been working on my production technique and trying to minimalize the squeeze (that is, including everything I possibly can, all the time) to leave more space for the music to breathe. I think over the years I've grown more patient with myself, as well as appreciative of what collaboration with other artists can offer.

3. You have been noted as a particularly hard working artist, tell us about your typical work habits.

I can easily spend entire days working on my songs with minimal interruptions. Sometimes I forget to eat, or find eating a nuisance. Don't get me wrong, I love eating, but when I'm on a roll doing what I love most, I forget about everything else. During the warmer months, if I have nothing planned the following day, I typically work on music in my shed until 3 or 4am in the morning, sometimes until sunrise. I've been known to start and finish a song within a weekend. Andy (my drummer) and I are pretty steadfast when it comes to rehearsing. We might arrive at the rehearsal room at 6pm, and finish around midnight, breaking once for a meal. I've been in lots of bands that take breaks often, like after setting up their instruments or after rehearsing one song. I don't look down those habits since it's important to appreciate the social aspect of music, but Andy and I know if we do the hard work now, we can relax and have fun when we're on tour because we know our shit. Vivian (my manager) and I often try and hang out as friends and we just end up planning our careers. I guess we love what we do.

4. Your multi–instrumentation is respectable, especially in today’s industry. What did you learn first and how did you go about mastering multiple instruments? What instrument is the basis for your writing?

I started with piano. I soon got bored with piano so I picked up guitar in high-school. Then at university, I realised almost everybody can play the guitar so I picked up the bass. And I fell in love with the bass. It's not as simple as that, as there are varying degrees of proficiency, but that was my literal thought process. I have written songs starting with any of the three, and every now and then a song begins with a vocal hook or a lyric. It changes almost every time.

5. Your sound has stood out in the genre of electronic music. What is your opinion on this facet of the music industry and what is your advice for progression in the Australian market?

I love electronic music because of the technical side of it. I nerd out about synthesis and breaking rules. I'll always be a songwriter at heart, rather than a "producer" that is skilled at making "beats" and "huge drops", which seems to be all the rage. The Australian market has allowed me to progress at nothing faster than a snail's pace, so I'm not sure if I'd be the right person to give advice. I'm also from a different decade (i.e. old) so there are new aspects of business I don't understand no matter how hard I try. If I had any advice, it would be to try learn as much as you can and never stop. Knowledge is power.

6. You have a diverse taste in music, who are you listening to right now and who are some local or unknown artists you really appreciate?

There's an artist from New York called Amber Mark. Her latest two singles are "Can You Hear Me?" and "Lose My Cool". They're honest songs about loss, with effective production that isn't fussy. The latter I've had on repeat, and it is perfect. It really showcases her sense of melody and expertise in structure. Lonelyspeck is a world-class writer from Adelaide. Their EP "Lave" is a display of unique production, and has a cool R&B edge which I generally look for when hunting for music.

7. You have a certain wit and humour in your writing, is that Ben Folds influenced?

Ha! I was a huge fan of Ben growing up, but I haven't listened to a song of his since my uni days. You could definitely compare our humour though. To be honest, I'm dissatisfied with the way things are on Earth. It's a great planet, and I wouldn't call anywhere else home (yet), but it's messed up in so many ways. Humour is the only way I know how to deal with things when they're messed up. Be it a shitty gig, or a clear display of unfair prejudice, or simply attempting to walk through a set of automatic doors and not being tall enough to trip the sensor, I'd rather laugh than get angry. I do get angry and spit vitriol from time to time. The processes are complex and deeply internal. They manifest in sarcastic lyrics and an eye-roll. That's me.

8. You must like working with Asta as you have reunited for “Never Wanted That.” Describe your working relationship further.

She's an incredible improviser. A solid proportion of her part in "Never Wanted That" was made up on the fly. I'm really drawn to Asta's energy, and there are layers of it, like an onion - though her talent clearly runs to the core. She's a lot calmer and sensitive on the inside than a lot of people immediately see. On the outside there's this amazing raw power. When she gets excited, everyone around her gets excited. I'm not really sure why she hangs out with me or wants to work with me, but I'm glad it's happening.

9. Your sound is so diverse that I did not know what to expect for “Never Wanted That.” What was the inspiration for this song and please outline the song writing process?

Full disclosure: I am a huge Rihanna fan, and one of the biggest songs she had last year was "Too Good", her duet with Drake. From that song I found Popcaan, and then the associated artist rabbit-hole turned into a yawning cavern. Anyhow, that influenced the production side of things. I started with the guitar, and tried to keep it simple. Then came the bass-line, and eventually drums. I structurally, I tried to do a lot with a little, creating new sections without too many changes. Lyrically, it's the same as usual. Someone was extremely rude to me. Someone was extremely rude to Asta. We got together and decided that these people are assholes and we're going to drag them. All. Day. Long.

10. What has been your greatest achievement so far and what has Yeo got in store for us in the future?

My greatest achievement would be gaining the mutual trust and respect of the people in my team. They all work hard, understand the pitfalls, keep my head above water/from expanding, motivate me when I need it most, and remind me to enjoy the fruits of labour. We're in the midst of releasing a billion singles and eventually an album in August, followed by a national tour in September. After that, I'll be keen for another album.

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By Josh