#My money’s on December for a release date

[squipedmew]

Sometimes my dashboard lines up perfectly

[mountainsandmayhem]

Pairing: Millionaire Joel Miller x Female Reader

Rating: 18+ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Updated Word Count: 69.9k

Series Summary: After recently graduating from university, your best friend offers you a job cleaning luxury homes for clients you’ll never know. It’s only temporary and a good way to save money for when you go back to get your law degree. That’s what you’re promised at least. Easy. Simple. Mundane. That is, until one of your clients is home and everything that you felt was missing in your life starts to fall into place. This goes against the NDA you signed and you could get fired. Or worse, you could fall in love.

Content Warning: In order to avoid spoilers I will not be warning you of everything. This story will contain sexually explicit material around the world of BDSM. Please remember that even with the age gap betweeen Joel and Reader, they are both legal and consenting adults. Although my intentions are never to trigger anyone, you are solely responsible for the content you consume. That being said, as a survivor of sexual assault none of this story will contain dubcon or consensual non consent. At the heart of it all, this is a love story.

AN: I figured that @mermaidgirl30, @littlevenicebitch69, @burntheedges and @joelmillerisapunk are all sick of me yelling at them about this story so I should start sharing! Thank you to the 4 of you for all your kind words and encouragement. To the 800+ of you that follow me, thank you for being such beautiful souls and encouraging me to work on my craft. I hope you love this series as much as I love each and every one of you. Dividers by @saradika-graphics

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5 - Part One

Chapter 5 - Part Two

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 - Coming December

Chapter 8 - Coming January

*Chapter count and release dates could change*

Follow @mountainsandmayhem-updates and turn on notifications for updates.

[jjungkookislife]

Home for the Holidays: Teaser

pairing: Jungkook x f. Reader

genre: fake dating au, college au, smut [18+]

summary: Jungkook is in desperate need to find a girlfriend for Christmas. His mom has nagged and nagged about him bringing someone home for the holidays. Determined, Jungkook recruits his friends in hopes of finding the right girl to take home. In need of a place to stay, and no plans for Christmas, you answer his friend’s ad.

You have 25 days to convince not only his parents but his grandmother that you’re in a real relationship, solid enough to get through Christmas with the Jeons.

wc: tba

warnings: tba

date of teaser: December 27, 2023

date of release: December 31, 2023 (hopefully)

“Your grandmother just gave your brother a brand new house for getting engaged,” Jungkook’s mom states during their weekly phone call.

“What?” Jungkook is astounded at the news, not about his brother, Seojun, being engaged, but getting a home for it.

“Your grandmother is in a giving mood this year, son. Something about not being able to take money with her when she passes,” Jungkook’s mom shrugs on the other end of the line. “I’m sure she’d get you something if you brought someone home for the holidays. Maybe a check for a few grand or an apartment. You never know with her.”

“An apartment? Or money? And all I’d have to do is bring someone home?” Jungkook asks, looking for confirmation.

“Well, not any rando off the street, Jungkook. A girlfriend, boyfriend, partner? Just someone, Jungkook. Someone you’re semi-serious about. Don’t go bringing a Tinder match to our home.”

“Moooom,” Jungkook wipes his face with his hand, embarrassed.

“I’m just saying, I know how much you kids like to hook up. Not in my home though,” Jungkook wonders if he can die from listening to this conversation.

“Anyway, your father is trying to wrap Christmas gifts and cut his hand with the tape dispenser for the third time, so I gotta go. Bring someone home! Use condoms, love you!” Jungkook grimaces, hanging up. He knows his mother meant well, but sometimes she was a bit too much to handle so early in the day.

“A girlfriend?” Jungkook bites his lip, pacing back and forth. He wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment, school taking up most of his time but with only a few short weeks until Christmas, he was hoping his grandmother would come through with some money or something. All he had to do was take someone home for Christmas. How hard could that be?

[innuendostudios]

by a wide margin the weirdest video essay I've ever release: List of Songs that Represent "Smart Music" Ranked from Most to Least Appropriate to Put in a Video Essay

this video is sponsored by Nebula, where you can watch ad-free and (sometimes, slightly) better edited versions of my videos for 40% off an annual subscription. just follow this link.

as a quick note: YouTube has already demonetized this video, as two different corporations are claiming copyright on recordings they do not own the copyright to - both are Creative Commons recordings of public domain music, that, in one case, YouTube has misidentified as a different recording, and, in the other, YouTube has the music in its database as under copyright despite it being having been released under CC BY-SA 3.0. I am disputing these false claims and will (hopefully) get whatever money I am owed, but, for now, YouTube is not paying me a dime for this.

so it would be a bigger help than usual if you would either watch the video on Nebula or back me on Patreon.

thanks. transcript below the cut!

List of Songs That Represent “Smart Music” Ranked From Most To Least Appropriate To Put In A Video Essay (And Presented In Drill Bit Order).

1. Clair de Lune, Debussy

This has been top dog ever since the teaser for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and cemented its position against challengers with a showcase in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Said film could have been the shark-jumping moment where the song was irretrievably lost to irony, given directors Kwan and Scheinert (Daniels)’s style mercilessly marries the aesthetics of prestige and shitpost. Yes, despite its silliness, EEAAO is achingly sincere, but could the general public be trusted to recognize that? But then it won Best Picture, so apparently yes! Beautiful, delicate, to score a film or video with Clair de Lune signals a desire to be seen not only as an intellectual, but as an aesthete. The song could lose potency if the Clair de Lune sequence were parodied enough, but how does one parody EEAAO???

9. Gymnopedie No. 1, Satie

I fear we must, as a society, and as a community of video essayists, move on from Gymnopedie No. 1. It held the title longer than, I think, any champion previous, and for that it deserves merit. But its time is over. It is, like the phrase “mad dated,” mad dated. It is saying “lmao” out loud. Did you know the original screenplay for 2005 film The Island specifically stated that, in the weird culty enclave in which the film opens, Gymnopedie No. 1 must be playing over the loudspeaker? I don’t think Michael Bay followed that directive (I’m not rewatching the movie to find out), but that is how long this was the “Smart Music” song - since 5 months after YouTube launched. If you must - absolutely must - put Satie in a video essay, use Gnossienne No. 1, though it too is on its way to passe. At this point I’m prepared to say Vexations or GTFO.

2. Ave Maria, Schubert/Liszt

Nothing was certain after Satie vacated the throne, and for a while it seemed we might have a Starks vs. Baratheons situation between Schubert and Debussy. Following several appearances in pretentious YouTube videos, the Ave Maria made its strongest showing yet by scoring the opening scene of the grimdarkest Batman film so far, an entire twenty days before getting fully Lannister’d by Everything Everywhere All at Once. Unbowed, unbent, and unbroken, still she nips at the heels of the king, and may yet take his place. No one else poses a comparable threat. Hers is a curious strategy, being a religious, Christmas, and even classic Disney standard now repurposed as “Smart Music;” she gets a big boost every December, but can she take the top spot before this cyclical exposure nudges her back into a prior niche?

8. Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven

If you were in a film program in the mid-2000s, you are sick to death of Moonlight Sonata. Also if you were in a music class where you were asked to determine a song’s time signature by ear - how am I supposed to tell the difference between waltz time and 4/4 with all triplets without the sheet music in front of me? To say scoring a video with Moonlight Sonata is a hack move - you’d have to be a hack to not already know! This was the soundtrack to the blind cave salamander level of Earthworm Jim 2, there’s no coming back from that! I mean, the association with Tallarico Studios alone… It’s done. Roll over, Beethoven.

3. Cello Suite No. 1 (Prelude), Bach

This one is firmly-rooted. It is not going anywhere, both in the sense that nothing could soon push it off the list but it’s hard to imagine rising any higher. It is just slightly too beautiful, too expressive, too legato to fall into the stiffness of Habanera or the pomposity of a De Beers ad, but just close enough to them in tone to always read as a hipper alternative. So you’ll never be overexposed, but never go that long without hearing the Yo-Yo Ma version. And so here it stays, third on the podium, solid bronze, the waterbender, the Plup; with you as always is Prelude to Cello Suite No. 1. (Frankly surprised it took us this long to get to Johann, but don’t worry - he’ll be Bach.)

7. Air on the G String, Bach/Wilhelmj

Told ya. It’s not that she isn’t a beautiful piece of music, and it’s not that she already had her time. In truth, she never got her flowers. Inasmuch as she had a run, it was squished between the omnipresences of Beethoven and Satie. You’ll still hear from her now and then; she crops up, like a lucky penny. And you’ll smile, every time, but you know the stars in your eyes are not present joy, but nostalgia. A fondness for what was and what could’ve been - what should have been. Why - why couldn’t this have had the legs of Gymnopedie? I mean, even the Fucking Champs version - could that have made a run? Could TikTok pick up on it? But comes the day you have to accept - if it was gonna happen, it would’ve happened by now. Air on the G String grows weary; let her rest.

4. Duo des Fleurs, Delibes

Bit of a dark horse, this one. Didn’t exactly come out of nowhere - it’s been here the whole time - but you didn’t see it coming! It’s like that time I went snorkeling, and I wondered, “Where are the fish?” I was told there would be tropical fish, but all I saw was blue. Then I caught one flitting by my head and, as soon my eyes registered the shape, I realized they were everywhere! I just hadn’t taken them in. This is the one that makes you ask, where did I hear that before? Was this the one at the end of Margaret? No! How did it go? How do I hum dyads? But then it shows up and, oh yeah, that’s the one! The really pretty one. I knew it’d come around again. Has staying power, could make a run for the top if it sees an opening, but seemingly content, for now, to dance around the periphery, appreciated when heard if only half-remembered the next day.

6. Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4, Chopin

The bottom end of acceptability. Anything lower, you must avoid. But you can use Prelude in E. It is a risk, and it takes skill. But you can use Prelude in E. It is not for the faint of heart. This is the ending of Fez we’re talking about here. This is that one TED Talk about how everyone loves classical music they just don’t know it yet. This was all over Anatomy of a Fall. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer something lighter? Nocturne in E-flat [Op. 9 No. 2] is very nice. Prelude has just enough penetration that some people are going to recognize it, and enough clout that those who do are going to expect things of the person who puts it in a video essay. You can’t just throw this under a rant about The Snyder Cut. But you can - with care, with effort, and with grace - use Prelude in E.

5. Spiegel im Spiegel, Part

We are not ready for Spiegel im Spiegel. The rare “Smart Music” that is, rather than classical, contemporary minimalist. This is - I have been led to believe - all over the film festival circuit. It is the go-to for aspiring arthouse directors. So I assume it is only a matter of time until it reaches general cultural awareness. But we - the YouTube video essay community - are not, at this point in time, pretentious enough to pull off Spiegel im Spiegel. This is not a statement on the song: it is a lovely, sparse, and unpretentious piece of music, which is why pretentious people are drawn to it. And we are not there yet. But I believe in us.

POSTSCRIPTUM

The List of Songs that Represent “Smart Music” is not ranked by quality; they are all, as a baseline, masterpieces. They are ordered, instead, by their possession of antipodal qualities. Beethoven’s Fifth may be a beautiful piece but it’s too well-known - to the casual listener, it reads only as “classical music.” Vltava is a beautiful piece, but it’s not recognizable enough - to most, it will read only as “music.” Pachelbel’s Canon works in too many contexts. Mozart’s Lacrimosa no longer works in any context but “Shit’s About To Go Off.” The Song that Represents “Smart Music” must balance these humors: suggestive, but not too specific; recognizable, but not overfamiliar. The kind of thing one imagines cultured people listen to, and fancies oneself cultured for having noticed it. Just popular enough to signify obscurity to a large number of people.

This impossibility of being both popular and obscure is what keeps the list in motion. Many songs drift back into obscurity before reaching the top, but, once in the primary position, a song begins its slow procession to overexposure. And when, at last, it is too popular to be niche, it does not slip to number 2; it plummets to the bottom, as did Icarus.

Due to this slow but constant movement, new songs will, at intervals, join the ranks, taking the place of those that became gauche. And if, dear listener, you were aiming to trendset, to score your next whatever-it-is-you-do with the newest Song to Represent “Smart Music,” and were I a gambling man… Bach’s Prelude in C. And I’ll tell you why: it appears in the Netflix series Bodies alongside Chopin (#6), mirroring Satie’s dual appearance in The Queen’s Gambit (#9); its arpeggiated structure makes it usable in scenarios similar to the Cello Suite (#3) (Johann did love him some broken chords); and it forms the basis of the Gounod version of Ave Maria, if you would like a Cool Person’s Alternative to Schubert (#2). You may feel I’m playing too safe, but I tell you truly: this song is due. But if I can impart one piece of wisdom let it be this: whatever you do, whoever you are, you cannot use Fur Elise. You cannot. You can’t do it. It can’t be allowed. Don’t fu-

[blazehedgehog]

What do you think of the idea that YouTubers in the 2010s are the reason Sonic had/has a bad reputation?

It's really stupid. Completely unfounded.

You know why Youtubers in 2010's felt that way? Because a lot of people outside of the Sonic fandom felt that way.

I was in high school when Sonic Adventure 1 came out. I got my Dreamcast for Christmas in 1999. Purely by surprise, my brother sent me $200 for Christmas that year after not hearing from him for a decade. I was living in Colorado, and we'd had a white Christmas, meaning the roads were too slick to drive anywhere on December 26th. But I knew I wanted that Dreamcast.

The local Wal-mart was a little over a mile away. So, I bundled up and hiked it. With other money I got for Christmas that year, I had just enough for the Dreamcast, Sonic Adventure, an off-brand VMU, an issue of Official Dreamcast Magazine with a demo disc, and a lightgun -- I'd wanted House of the Dead 2 and I was desperate for a home port of The Lost World.

I played Sonic Adventure all day, every day, for like a week. Some of that was the fault of the cheap VMU I got -- it wasn't even a VMU, it was just a memory card, and it was half the price of the official thing. For whatever reason, Sonic Adventure (and ONLY Sonic Adventure) had trouble saving to that thing. My saves would frequently corrupt and disappear. I didn't mind as much as you'd think. I willingly and happily replayed Sonic Adventure over, and over, and over, and over.

When I got back to school in January of 2000, a lot of other kids had gotten Dreamcasts and Sonic Adventure. And it turned out I was the Sonic Adventure evangelist.

I wouldn't say everyone hated Sonic Adventure, but they were pretty frustrated with it. The main talking point was that there were too many characters in the game and most of them weren't very good. Everyone had their ranking list for who they'd rather be playing as, and universally, everyone just wanted to keep playing as Sonic. Knuckles, Amy, and Big brought up the rear for the most-hated gameplay styles. A lot of kids were saying they weren't even going to bother finishing the game if it meant having to play as Amy and Big.

My point of view was that it was normal. Sonic 2 introduced Tails, Sonic 3 introduced Knuckles, so it makes sense that Sonic Adventure would introduce new playable characters as well. It did little to address their complaints that most of the non-Sonic characters were annoying.

This sentiment never went away. A year later, in 2001, Penny-Arcade, basically the biggest webcomic in the world at that point, awarded Sonic Adventure 2 "the best Sonic game where you do not play as Sonic" award, which was less of an actual award and more of a jab at how Sonic wasn't actually in 75% of that game.

Then the Gamecube ports started coming in, which, if you've watched my Definitive Way to Play series, you'd know that SA1 and SA2 were quick and dirty ports that introduced a lot of problems in visuals, control, and sound. Reviews for those versions deservedly slammed them, citing poor music that drowned out the dialog, rapidly dated visuals, and a generally buggy presentation, on top of all the problems people had with the original Dreamcast releases.

After that, the decline really hit its stride. Sonic Heroes, then Shadow the Hedgehog, then Sonic 06. A real triple whammy of things just getting worse, and worse, and worse. Sonic 06 in particular was so much worse that it hit the fabled point where it wrapped around to being kind of funny for some people.

All of this was YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS before "2010's Youtubers" ever stepped in front of a microphone. Those people were just recounting the lives they had lived.

Anyone who thinks 2010's Youtubers did anything are just revealing how young they were back then, and how ignorant they were about the general temperature of things beyond "after my nappy time and my juice box I'm going to play the colorful animals game, yay!!!"

Before that gets me into too much trouble, I'd also like to say that obviously, times change. Opinions are a fluid thing. There will always be a "younger generation" that thinks about things in a different way than the older generation. Anyone, no matter what era they grew up in, can go back and find some beloved nostalgic classic getting blasted by critics. (For example: recently I rewatched Howard the Duck, a legendary bomb for Lucasfilm, and I loved that movie as a kid)

Loving something that you realize everybody hated when it originally came out is kind of just part of the human experience. A rite of passage, almost. But it helps to embrace that perspective, understand it, and realize you can still keep liking that thing regardless.

2010's Youtubers did nothing except exist.

[artwithoutblood]

Finding a Dream to Die In is an upcoming visual novel. You wake up in an unfamiliar room, hooked up to a galactic tank and a book containing every word of your forgotten fantasies. You have been kidnapped by Silas, the Demon of Dreams, who has a single goal: to find a way to escape his immortality through the dreams and thoughts of human beings.

When his magic cannot put you back to sleep, how will you fare with his other methods?

Release date is December 24th, 2023. This game will be $1 (I need money, girls) and will have a NSFW side quest available on my $5 Patreon tier if you so desire to view it (this will not be available until December 24th. Details on my Patreon will be revealed when it launches in December).

This release will include at least 4 endings, plus music from @zackvalence

[putschki1969]

KEIKO Planetarium Live〜Starry Night〜 & Chocolate meating#3〜Starry Night edition〜 Live Report

I experienced so many amazing things during my recent Japan trip but for some reason, this special planetarium event left the most lasting impression so that's why I wanted it to be the topic of my first live report. Below you'll find an abundance of fangirling and mindless blabbering so please brace yourselves! The post will be divided into the following sections to make it easier for you to get through.

General Info

Preface

Merchandise

Venue

Performance

Fan Club Exclusive Part

General Info

Instagram post by Keiko | Tweet by Keiko | Tweet by Yuriko

『KEIKO Planetarium Live ~Starry Night~』 [Date] Sunday, December 17, 2023 [Time] Open 14:30 / Start 15:00 [Ticket fee] 8,000 yen (tax included) [Venue] Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO DOME1

FC Exclusive 『Chocolate meating #3 ～Starry Night edition～』 [Date] Sunday, December 17, 2023 [Time] Open 17:00 / Start 17:30 [Ticket fee] 8,500 yen (tax included) ※FC exclusive benefit included [Venue] Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO DOME1

Preface

When this was first announced I was devastated because at that time, my trip to Japan was scheduled to end on Dec 14th. But with both Wakana and Keiko announcing solo performances after that day, I was determined to find a way to extend my stay. Initially, I was hesitant because I knew there was no way to change my return flight. I would ultimately lose a significant amount of money and on top of that, I would have to book a new one-way return ticket for a later date which would cost me a fortune as well. After considering all my pros and cons, I ultimately decided to go through with the whole thing because I knew I would probably hate myself forever if I didn't use that opportunity. Of course it also hinged upon whether or not I would manage to get a ticket for the fan club performance in the evening. I knew my chances were super slim due to the tiny venue (~100 people) but luckily, I won a ticket. At that point I knew that I had no excuses not to go XD This is by far one of he craziest and most irrational things I've ever done so for some time I was afraid that I would end up with horrible regrets but I am happy to report that it was worth every penny for me. Not only was Wakana's concert amazing, these two Keiko performances absolutely blew me away with their intimate nature and unique atmosphere. Can you believe that this was actually the first time for me to attend a Keiko solo event? I had purchased streaming tickets for all of her online lives of course but I had never been to an on-site event. And for a while now, I have been asking myself if I would even enjoy a one-man live like that since - as we all know - I am not particularly fond of a lot of her solo releases but, lo and behold, my love for Keiko and her music was 100% reaffirmed. I am so glad that I took the plunge, I couldn't be more grateful to have been able to be there for this amazing experience. On this note, I wanna give a big shout-out to my friend Pae who encouraged me from the get-go to come to the event and who got our tickets for the day performance. It was a general sale on a first come-first serve basis and she really knocked it out of the park with her professional ticket purchasing skills. I definitely could never have done it that quickly so kudos to her. Here's a picture of little old me, Pae and her friend from Thailand.

Merchandise

I wanna take a few moments to talk about the live goods because I am utterly smitten with everything. The acrylic stands and the block are particularly pretty but I am also obsessed with the polaroids. I almost couldn't contain myself and since they didn't have any limits as to how many pieces one person could buy, I naturally went all out. Don't worry, I didn't buy that much since I was still reeling from how expensive it was to extend my trip. Also, I was one of the first few people in line so it would have been rude to buy an excessive amount, there were a ton of other fans around after all, they obviously also wanted to buy a lot of merch. While they prepared plenty of the random polaroid magnets, they unfortunately didn't really bring enough of the acrylic stuff. By the end of the day performance, the acrylic stands were already completely sold out and after the evening performance, the acrylic block was gone too. I guess that means that even if we get an online sale at one point, they will only sell the tote bag and the magnets...or maybe they'll produce another batch of all the acrylic items...We'll have to wait and see...I could see myself buying some more polaroids if they become available online. I only got two pieces with a handwritten message by Keiko so it would be nice to have more. But they are not exactly cheap so I'll have to think about it.

Venue

The venue was...not what I had expected XD. The pictures online of Konica Minolta Planetaria are a bit misleading but I guess that's because they only ever feature Dome 2 and not Dome 1 which is significantly smaller and doesn't have any of the fancy seats. Our seats were little more than reclining beach chairs with a little table but oh well, I didn't come there to be seated comfortably so it didn't bother me too much. At the end of the day, it was a good thing that the dome was so tiny because it made everything feel so much more intimate. And let me tell you, when I say intimate, I mean intimate. I've never ever been this close to Keiko (and I've had my fair share of close encounters with her). There were no assigned seats for the performances, everyone just had a number on their ticket and we were allowed to enter the dome in order of that number. As mentioned earlier, Pae was super fast getting our tickets so we ended up with the numbers 5 to 7, meaning that for the day performance I got a seat right at the front with a clear view of Keiko. There was no stage or anything, just a bit of basic equipment, some microphones and two stools. This meant that there was barely any space between the front row and the artist area (1 metre maybe). Needless to say, I spent the entire time looking at Keiko XD. I almost felt a bit bad because I was missing out on the lovely projections but to be fair, it was actually quite hard to get a good view of them this close to the front so the best option for me was to just stare at Keiko. During the break I bought myself a yummy galaxy donut which was almost too pretty to eat but at that point I was starving so I literally devoured it. For the FC exclusive evening performance I wasn't nearly as lucky when it came to my number. I got #71 so I ended up in one of the last rows unfortunately. From the first performance I knew that Keiko would be entering from the back door on the left side and walk through the audience so I at least made sure to take a seat close to the door so she would walk right past me (which she did so YAY but more on that later). On another positive note, the seat in the back made it possible for me to get fully immersed in the projections without being too distracted by Keiko. It was truly breathtaking to see all these space-themed vivid images across the ceiling.

Performance

It feels like I have already talked so much about the whole thing but I haven't mentioned a single thing about the actual performances so let me rectify that. I've already alluded to it in the beginning of this post, Keiko was absolutely stunning and I am obviously not just talking about her looks. Her vocals were out of this world, every single song of the setlist flattered her so much, there was not a single misplaced note as far as I could tell. Due to the nature of the event, it was of course a very understated performance, there was no wild movement or crazy choreography, it was just Keiko standing/sitting there being illuminated by the tiniest of lights, just enough to still see her but never enough to distract from the visuals. After all, the main focus were supposed to be the projected images and for the most part, that was the case. Only occasionally they would shine some more light on Keiko (mostly during MCs). As you can see below, the setlist was full of ballads and OMG, I couldn't have been happier about that. She sang almost all my faves so I was pretty much in heaven for the first half of the live. Almost started crying during 通り雨 because it was painstakingly beautiful. キミガネムルカラ and 夕顔 were also true gems to experience live, so haunting and mystic. She brought out her brand new guitar for songs #4 to #6 and while I have never been the biggest fan of acoustic guitars, Keiko really managed to make me fall in love with the sound. Both her and her guitarist did a fantastic job arranging and performing these tracks. Also, I was quite surprised to hear Yas Nakajima provide backup vocals for Keiko during Burn In The Wind, their voices match perfectly.

The cover section was admittedly a bit of a let-down for me since the chosen songs are not exactly among my favourites. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy myself or that Keiko didn't deliver the songs flawlessly, it's just that I don't really care all that much for the songs themselves. There were some really gorgeous high notes though so I really can't complain. Speaking of covers, I was super hyped when Keiko announced that she would be singing 風の街へ, a self-cover of her first FictionJunction KEIKO work. I had a feeling she would maybe sing it (since it's obviously a perfect fit for this sort of atmosphere) but Pae kept telling me that it probably wouldn't be happening. Glad I was right about that. During the MC, Keiko was talking about her upcoming single 夕闇のうた so for a while I was sure she would just sing that but she ultimately did not perform it. We got to hear the full version a few days earlier at Kaji Fes. so I wasn't too disappointed that it didn't make it onto the setlist of the planetarium live (also, if I am being honest, the song hasn't really grown on me yet so it's not like I'm dying to hear it again and again). Instead, she chose the song that marked the very beginning of Keiko's journey together with Yuki Kajiura and really, I can never get enough of it. It's one of my very favourite YK x Keiko collaborations and it's always such a pleasure to hear it live. It was only my second time so I couldn't have been more grateful. The final three songs were a nice change of pace with more involvement from the audience and more focus on Keiko rather than the projections. I certainly didn't expect ラテ to make an appearance but with the pretty lights, it worked surprisingly well. The whole thing had a very futuristic feel to it if you know what I mean. ユア has slowly been growing on me and it's just such a feel-good song that I cannot stop vibing with it (similar to Wakana's Happy Hello Day actually). The ending was beyond epic, エンドロール is such a cool song. I just wish I had known the lyrics so I would have been able to sing along properly (I have zero skills when it comes to memorising lyrics) . Keiko tried to prepare us with a few test-runs but I kept mixing up some lines T_T Oh well, I had a blast so that's all that counts! The one thing I felt kinda sad about was the fact that we didn't get an encore but I guess they had to keep the performance short...?

M-1キミガネムルカラ M-2夕顔 M-3通り雨 M-4夜の嘘と M-5Lost M-6Burn In The Wind M-7駅 by 竹内まりや (Cover) M-8ルビ��の指環 by 寺尾聰 (Cover) M-9秋桜 by 山口百恵 (Cover) M-10風の街へ (Self-Cover) M-11ラテ M-12ユア M-13エンドロール

Fan Club Exclusive Part

When I entered the dome for the fan club exclusive evening performance, I was given a large envelope by a staff member containing a message card by Keiko. The scan above features the picture which makes up one half of the card. So pretty! (Please keep in mind that this is fan club exclusive!) As mentioned earlier, I had a seat pretty far in the back during this performance, I was still close enough to have a good view of Keiko but I decided to focus on the projections this time around since Keiko jokingly mentioned a couple of times that she felt so many eyes on her and that we should try to enjoy the gorgeous view above as well. With the way she said it, I could tell that she wasn't annoyed or angry about it but she genuinely just wanted us the get the most out of the experience. And yeah, I have to admit, it was amazing to just lean back and watch the gorgeous space visuals while being gently wrapped by Keiko's vocals. Also, for some weird reason, the seats in the back were much more comfortable than the ones in the front row so that made it a lot easier to just relax. The setlist was the exact same and Keiko's performance was just as good. There were some technical issues with the projections at one point so the staff asked Keiko to take a little break and entertain the audience for a while so they could fix the problem. Keiko was really cute during this section because she struggled to come up with something to talk about. All her other MCs had been rather short and straight-to-the-point so there wasn't really anything to talk about. She even admitted that it was quite hard for her to just talk to an audience without having anyone on stage with her to create a sort of a back and forth. Unfortunately, her guitarist was pretty useless in that regard since he didn't feel comfortable at all talking XD Keiko ended up blabbering on and on about the most random stuff and eventually talked a bit about the guitar arrangement for 秋桜 which she found quite impressive. After they had fixed the issue, we went back to the regular program for a couple of songs until Keiko announced that it was time for some special games since this was a fan club event after all. First, we played a few rounds of a Maru-Batsu-Quiz (True-or-False-Quiz). They had prepared some Keiko-trivia questions. Everyone was asked to stand up and with every question people either answered with "true" (fist) or "false" (open hand). Those who answered incorrectly had to sit down so fewer and fewer people remained standing as time went by. Some of the questions were a bit tricky so all you could do was guess. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the lucky winners at the end. Although I will say that these games are mostly based on trust since you can always pretend to have made the correct gesture or change your gesture in the right moment (it's hard to verify stuff like that). There were a handful of guys who won the first two rounds, they got to walk towards the front and Keiko gave them a little present (some snack souvenirs from the most recent Asia tour-leg, nothing too exciting). Then we were all surprised because for one round the last person standing happened to be none other than Yuriko Kaida. Turns out she had been sitting right behind me all this time (her seat was the closest one to the back door in the very last row). I did not expect her to actually collect her prize (especially since Keiko mentioned that Yuriko had gotten the exact same souvenir in Taiwan) but she did. It was a treat seeing them interact like that. They are so funny together and it was during those moments that you could immediately tell that Keiko became so much more relaxed and talkative once she had someone on-stage with her who she felt comfortable with. As a final game, we did one round of rock-paper-scissors which once again, I wasn't lucky enough to win but I guess it just wasn't meant to be T_T

When the show was over, Keiko walked through the audience towards the door in the back and that's when my seat choice really paid off. She got super close to the people who had an aisle seat, she made eye contact, waved at us and even did little high fives with the one or the other female fan who dared to initiate a gesture like that (of course I didn't because I am too chicken-shit for that). Once Keiko was gone, Yuriko was also ushered outside. Some of us were still hopeful that we would get an encore, especially since they had closed the exit again but alas we didn't get one. However, we were all in for a special treat when it was time to finally get up and leave. When they started playing the usual after-live announcement it was obvious that there wouldn't be an encore so I took my stuff and headed towards the back door which a staff member was just about to open. That's when I realised that Keiko was standing right outside the door, waiting for the audience members to give each one of us a private send-off. This is a common occurrence with fan club events in Japan but I've never had it happen with Keiko before so this was super special. Also, during and even long after the pandemic, situations with close encounters like that were strictly avoided so I didn't really expect them to do a send-off. Seems like we have finally moved past those restrictions! BANZAI! Anyway, I literally froze in place when I saw Keiko standing there because I was scared to be the first one to be greeted by her. I waited a few seconds so a handful of people could walk out before me. This way I was able to observe what other fans were saying to her and how much time the staff allowed each person with Keiko. I know, it probably sounds ridiculous to you but this sort of stuff stresses me out immensely, I prefer to be at least a tiny bit prepared. I was probably the fifth person to walk outside and most people inside the dome were still putting on their clothes or picking up their stuff so there was not really a line behind me or any type of rush. When I got in front of Keiko, we both did the crazy waving thing again while I thanked her for everything. Then I told her that I am always supporting her from Vienna and she was like, "wow, Vienna, so cool!" At that point it would have probably been my turn to step away since I could tell that the staff member next to Keiko was getting antsy and already preparing to ask me to continue walking. But I wanted to use the opportunity to briefly mention my undying love for the beret I had won during a previous fan club event. As you probably all know, this is my most-prized possession. It's a hat previously owned and frequently worn by Keiko herself, she signed it and even wrote my name on it before shipping it out to me. Being as obsessed with Kalafina fashion as I am, I really couldn't have asked for a better gift. Squeezing all those emotions into a single sentence or two was very hard but I tried my best. I had forgotten how to breathe at that point and my voice was getting super weird. I pointed at my hat and hoped that she would even remember that she had given it away. Then I all but squeaked out how grateful I was to win it and that I would treasure it all my life. She also pointed at it with clear recognition on her face (thank God or it would have been embarrassing XD) and told me with the brightest of smiles, "ah yes, yes, I know, that's amazing, I am so happy for you!" Needless to say, that almost killed me 💀I definitely ascended to another plane of existence that day. I didn't wanna push my luck any further so with a final wave I kept walking towards the reception area and thus ended my Keiko Planetarium experience. Even hours after the event, I was still reeling from everything that had happened.

My plane was supposed to leave bright and early the following morning so I did not stick around longer than necessary. I said my goodbyes to a couple of fellow fans and then took off. Some of them wanted to invite me to a small after-dinner-party but I just wouldn't have been able to deal with the stress on the eve of my departure.

All right, that's it, hopefully I didn't forget anything and I didn't bore you to death. Kudos to anyone who managed to make it to the end.

PS: I just wanna say that Keiko is the prettiest human being ever. Every time I see her up-close I'm reminded of her other-worldly beauty. Standing right next to her, it doesn't even feel like she is a real person because everything about her looks so smooth and polished, like someone put a filter on top of her XD

[midnightemy35]

T’is the Season for Giving

What I would give the Eleceed cast for Christmas 

Since it’s December 1st, I think its officially Christmas time

Jiwoo - another cat (you can never have too many cats)

Subin - that thing that looks like a pack of gum but if you touch the strip it shocks you (to use on jisuk )

Jisuk - a chance to beat up his “friends” (the ones who used him to extort money from other students)

Wooin - a bowl of jajangmyeon ofc

Kayden - new clothes (why does the mf wear the same shit every time we see his human form)

Kartein/ Curtin - balls (y’know for his cat form) + a break from Kayden and Jiwoo’s bs

Dr Delein - some bonding time with Wooin (he probs doesn’t get much time to spend with Wooin outside of Wooin’s visits)

Gangseok - his spar with Jiwoo

Iseul - a date with Jiwoo/ a break from Jisuk and Subin’s teasing

Sucheon - therapy + a good sleep schedule (have you seen how big his eye bags are)

Suman - a good night’s sleep

Vatore - shopping spree with Kartein

Jiyoung- a break from work (girl is so busy as the chairwoman of shinhwa and the top ranker of Korea let her have a break)

Inhyuk - a basket full of cat related stuff + a break from Jisuk’s bs

Seongha - a break from the gang’s bs

Arthur/ Asher - a prosthetic arm + a hug (his family are assholes)

Cain/ Gahin - a hug (my poor bby got stabbed twice by his “friend” he needs the hug)

Duke - a slap + clown makeup & nose

Amyeong/ Dark - therapy + a hug from mama Jiwoo 

Mama Jiwoo - bonding time with Jiwoo, Amyeong, Kayden and Kartein 

Veramonte Patrick - a hug (got some fun grandpa vibes from him)

Julian/ Jurion Patrick - a consoling pat on the back (for losing the chance to date Jiyoung to Jiwoo, he didn’t even have a chance to win her over from the very start)

Ian Patrick - an outing with the gang!! (I want him to join the group and add on to the sillies)

Spoilers under cut (Based on the chapters webtoon has released as of Dec 1 2023)

Schnauder/ Schneider - shoes (why does mf wear slippers out when it is literally snowing in Frame territory )

Supri - old woman perfume (idk much about her)

Andrei - a kick to the crotch (I really really REALLY don’t like him)

Earthquake - a kick to the crotch (don’t like him either, the two of them were beefing with a teen despite being fucking adults)

Roist/ Royst - a hug ( i love the clown boy)

Muse - a hug ( i love him he is beautiful and perfect)

Astra - a kick to the crotch (you’d think he’d have some dignity being a top ten but you’d be wrong)

Muras - a new eye

[celticcrossanon]

Sigh. Not 2 hours go by after that delightful, heartwarming health update of the Princess of Wales and BAM! Harry has Netflix announce his polo documentary release date this December. Can't there be just ONE lovely announcement or update from the Prince/Princess of Wales w/out some jealous, petty adult toddlers in Moanacito trying to overshadow the future King/Queen of the UK? It's just getting more and more childish of these two California ex-Royals.

Hi Nonny,

I'm afraid that won't happen as long as people continue to pay attention to Harry and his wife and as long as they have money for PR. I did not know about their announcement as it did not make my news, while Catherine's message was on the front page of my news website. I find that noting and ignoring their desperate PR antics makes life a lot easier.

I know they are desperate because I believe we had three PR announcements that all tried to overshadow The Princess of Wales, and all failed dismally - the Polo documentary whatever it was (very rushed and unprofessional), their next infliction of themselves on some poor country under the guise of a visit, and something else that was so insignificant that I can't even remember it. All this does is show how little response they get to their articles and how desperate they are for attention. Tantruming toddlers is about right, but at least toddlers cna be inadvertently entertaining, unlike these two.

[andydrysdalerogers]

Troublemaker ~ 1 ~ The Exact Moment

He is one of the best goaltenders in the league. He's also hated by his teammates. He didn't mean to be a troublemaker but why not lean into it? There wasn't anyone to stop him.

Until he met her...

A Jeremy Swayman AU x OFC Stella Williams

Story Warnings: excessive drinking, SMUT!, an asshole Jeremy, angst

A/N: Hello and welcome to a spin-off "Cross-Checked" so plenty of characters from that story are crossing over here! If you want a more detailed story of how we ended up here, read the first store HERE Also! The taglist is open. If you want to be added or removed, please let me know!

Please note that I do not give permission for my work to be translated, reposted, or published anywhere other than my Tumblr. Reblogs are most welcome though!

Banners by me! Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Everyone always knows when their life took a turn.  Whether it was for better or for worse, people can tell you when that happened.  

Me? 

It was a couple of points. But maybe I should explain some things first.  

My name is Jeremy Swayman.  I am one of the best goalies in the National Hockey League. My goalie partner and I are considered the best goalie duo in the last decade. With that comes a lot of things. Endorsements, contracts, money and of course, puck bunnies. There is no shortage of bunnies. Every single woman and some not so single ones, are always hopping around, wanting a piece of me, whether it would be street cred or to tie me down.  

I am all for the street cred but I’m not a relationship guy.  

Or at least, I didn’t think I was.  

I guess this would be the first point that changed my life.  

Flashback, December 

“Care to explain?”  

She handed me the article and I sighed. “That was just a friend.” I threw back the rest of my drink and signals for another. She glare at me. Fuck did I not what to do this here.  

“A friend.” She looks at the photos again and I can see what she sees.  She’s blonde, model like. We’re both smiling big smiles as we are wrapped up in each other. “What’s her name?”  

I choked for a moment on my new drink. “Her name is Charlie. The photo... the photo is just after we hugged.  Nothing is going on.”  I’m lying threw my teeth.  Hooking up with Charlie had been the release I needed.  

Dating Leighton Andrews, the sister of my assistant captain Luke Andrews, best friend of my captain, Andy Barber, and our social media director, had been a dream of mine for years. She was smoking hot, long, dark hair and green eyes. Fuck, I had wanted her for such a long time.  And at the beginning of the season, she had broken up with her long time boyfriend.  I swooped in and asked her out.  

What I wasn’t expecting was to find out she was pregnant from the ex. And it threw me for a loop. That led to Charlie.  

“Right,” she scoffs. Shit, I think she might cry.   

“Right,” I repeat. But then my temper took over. She was sitting there, accusing me of stuff without proof. Ok, so she might have had cause but still, it's not like I didn’t notice how close she is to my captain. Alcohol is making me brave, reckless and a little mean. “Like you’re not screwing around with Barber. I know you want him, Leighton.” I sneered the words at her.   

“Andy is just a friend.  A friend that I’m not even speaking to.” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me.    

“A friend? Really? That guy has wanted you since the day I joined the team. I’ve seen how you were before with him.  All the hugging and kisses to your forehead or cheek. Just a friend right? Bet he’s the father of your baby too.”   

See that? Right there, I just screwed myself.  I just didn’t know it yet.  

“How dare you! I told you the truth about the baby. You said you would be there. I thought we were in a relationship!” She was pissed and honestly, I couldn’t blame her. I had said those things to her. The waiter comes by and drops off our plates.  

I push the food around.  I was just looking for a good time when it came to Leia. But my mouth got the best of me. “Look, i know we’ve been seeing each other but we never defined what we are.” I shrugged. “I thought it was casual. I mean, you never slept with me so were we really that serious?”  

I saw it that time. The flash of pain, regret in her eyes.  “I guess then maybe, we should just be friends. I mean, why would you want to be with a pregnant chick when you could have all the uncomplicated stuff.” A watched that tear fall. I don’t think she meant for me to ssee it but I did. I needed to save this.   

“Look, Leia, I just don’t think I want to be a father right now. I mean, you’re cool and everything but we were never going to the next level. I don’t know if I could sleep with someone who’s having another man’s baby.  And now I’m going to be taking a hit because you weren’t honest from the beginning.”   

“Oh, so what were you going to just sleep with me and throw me away? Your teammates sister?”  

Oops. Fuck it. I shrugged. “I like you but I don’t do relationships.”   

That was the death blow. And if I knew what I knew now, I wouldn’t have said what I said. I would have just been honest. That I wasn’t ready to be a father and left it at that. But no, big man needed to make sure she knew how much of a jackass I was.   

“I’m sorry for ruining your life. I guess I’ll see you at work.”   

I was shocked. She looked so calm. She stood up from the table, threw some money down.  “Leia...” I tried to call after her. She turned and had a look of utter defeat.  

“Goodbye Jeremy.”   

I drowned my sorrow that night.  She had been the only girl I ever wanted more with. But that didn’t stop me I guess.  

Previously, I said I was one of the best goalies in the league, that my partner Linus Ullmark and I were the best anyone had seen in a decade.  

What I didn’t mention was the fact that I was probably the most hated guy in the locker room. 

If you take a life lesson from this, it should be this: never mess around with your captain’s best friend or your teammate’s sister. Especially when they are both. 

Flashback: the next day 

“yeah, she was banging.” I had decided to call Charlie for another round. I don’t usually double dip but she had been fantasic in bed, sucking me off like it was her job. And I couldn’t help but brag to the boys.  

 “Who was banging?” 

I look up to see my captain staring at me, a particularly hard look in his eyes. He had heard me and looked like he was about to commit murder.  I swallowed then smiled.  “This chick I hooked up with. She was wild in the sack last night.”  

“Oh,” his face blanked but his eyes were still flaming with rage. I’ve known Andy Barber for a few years.  He is not one to lose his temper. He isn’t one to start fights.  He’s a talker and one of the best chirpers in the league. He can get anyone into trouble.  I should have seen this as a sign. “This is after you dumped Leia and after you cheated on her, right? Nice.”  

I swear every single skate stopped to stare at the standoff between me and him. He just blew up my world and didn’t even know it yet. I tried to defend myself. 

“Leia and I weren't a couple. We dated but we weren’t exclusive.”  

“Oh, so telling her that you would be there for her, be with her for the baby, acting like her boyfriend but really what was your motive? Screw her and then dump her? She is one of us!”  

Boom! There went my life.  

“Jeremy, tell me that isn’t true?” Linus says.  

Linus Ullmark is one of the nicest humans in the world. He loves his family, he loves his team. He is my best friend.  

I’ve never heard him more disappointed. 

I don’t have a chance to respond when Andy continues. “It's not only true but I had Leia sobbing all night because of this asshat,” pointing at me. 

One more thing I should mention is that I have a temper. I once got ran over by the opposing team that I couldn’t let it go and punched my way out of the pile.  There is a gif of me smiling like the devil as I stood up. When I get challenged I don’t back down. Linus calls it my “troublemaker setting” And Andy Barber just set it off.  

“Why the fuck do you care, Barber? I had bigger balls than you to ask her out and date her. She was asking to be fucked, acting like a slut.  She was ready to give me everything and then she dropped the truth bomb that she’s pregnant! She is a whore, wanting to sleep with someone else when she has a baby daddy. At least I didn’t fuck her, you should be thankful for that. You won’t have to deal with my sloppy seconds. Or thirds, I guess,” I smirked at him. 

For the record, I understand that I may have crossed the line.  

Barber lunges at me, but a couple of the guys stopped him.  

But then I still got punched from out of nowhere.  

I had forgotten about Lukas Andrews, assistant captain, enforcer of our team. He knows how to throw a punch. He put everything he had in it, I felt my nose crunch, along with the sound and i was flat on my back.  

“You fucking asshole! That is my baby sister you are messing with!” Luke screams. He’s thrashing in the arms of our defensemen while Linus is helping me up. I feel the blood running down my nose and my lip is on fire. Guess when the other party doesn’t have a warning, Andrews can punch like its nobody’s business. But the rage is still simmering in my blood.  

“Fuck you, Andrews.  You told me I could go for it. Blame your-fucking-self!” I try to lunge at him but Linus and Brad, my other assistant captain, hold me back. 

In all fairness, I had that coming. Linus told me to be careful with Leia. He told me that it was a bad idea to try to sleep with her a dump her.  When I explained that I really did like her, he sighed and told me to do what I wanted to be happy.  So I had asked her out, got the truth bomb and now I was paying the price for being a troublemaker. 

As long as I lived up to the nick name, I didn’t want to care then.  

I was out for one game with a broken nose. Since I wear a cage as goalie on my helmet, I just had to wait for the swelling to go down to get back into the game.  So I threw myself into it.  

But losing her to Andy was too much 

Flashback – New Years Eve 

“Oh god, sorry.”  I felt a body hit me from behind. I knew it wasn’t one of my teammates, it was too soft.  So I turned to apologize.  

“My mis... Leia.”  Fuck me. I had seen her come in with Andy and they went right to the table with Andrews, his girlfriend Miranda and Stella, one of our trainers and Leia’s best friend.  

I hadn’t seen Leia in a while. Management had banned her from the ice, so her assistants were with us when they were taking photos.  I had heard that she was also banned from flying.  I wasn’t sure why, I assume that her doctor made that decision. But I try not to care. I can’t care. 

“Hi Jeremy.” She’s uncomfortable and she’s flushed. She looks beautiful, her belly now more pronounced. I can see why they call it a pregnancy glow. “Happy New Year.”  She started to walk away. 

She’s trying but I still can’t let it go. “You move fast.”  

She turned back to me.  Her face is neutral but I can see the fury in her eyes. “Excuse me?” 

I snorted. “Don’t play stupid, Leia. You’re with Andy, aren’t you?” A few of the players heads turn and I see Linus take a couple of steps forward.  To protect me or protect Leia, I wasn’t sure.  

Leia Andrews is not someone who will sugar coat anything. Her jaw tightened. “Why do you care?” she said loudly, her voice creeping up with each sentence. “You didn’t want me, remember?  You slept with someone else, remember? You told me you couldn’t handle my situation and I walked away. Whether or not I’m with someone else is none of your business. You made that painfully clear.”  

“Leia,” Linus said softly, touching her arm. “Please, be calm. For the baby.”   

The baby? What’s wrong with the baby. I move to ask but she doesn’t give me a chance. She shakes off Linus and stares me down. I fear that she will hit me or eviscerate me where I stand.  

 “Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going back to dinner with my family.  The ones who accepted me for who I am and what I am going through and have my back.”  

I watch as she walks straight into Andy's arms. He looks at me with anger. Fuck, I don’t need this. My captain was going to be pissed because I couldn’t be nice to the girl he stole from me.  

“Really, dickwad, you couldn’t just be nice to her.”  Linus hit the back of my head.  

“Fuck, really?” I rub the back of my head.  

“She is a high risk pregnancy, jackass. Stress can be really bad for her.  I get it, you are pissed but she chose the man she loves. Grow up Jeremy.” Linus shoved my shoulder and walked back to his wife.  I looked around and saw my teammates glaring at me.  They all knew about her condition.  And I made it worse. 

I lost the rest of my team that day.  

Its been a week and I’ve had a different girl in my bed every night. But they aren’t her.  

No one could be her.  

So I go back to what I know.  

Being a troublemaker. 

NEXT

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[roaringwish]

Houston, we got a problem 😥

I tried using CSP's color profiles to predict what my upcoming stickers would look like printed with ink. Unfortunately I chose the wrong color profile and the end product looks... well, inadequate if I want to be generous (end result: left, intended colors: right).

The complete sticker pack includes all three of the beast matriarchs (Saki, Yachie, Yuuma), all three of their champions (Enoko, Chiyari, Biten) and the beast spirits (eagle, otter, wolf).

Out of these, Saki, Yachie and the eagle spirit are greatly affected by the colors being very off.

I promised the stickers to be out this Wednesday (december 13th), but if I were to edit and reprint these, they would only be done by Friday.

I want the stickers to be released when I initially promised and at the same time I'd like y'all to get quality products for your money. Selling these now and correcting them later is an option, but I feel like that wouldn't be fair to the people who bought the first (inferior) batch.

That said, my question is...

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Frozen 3 and 4 in the works!! (This is not a drill!)

Cover created by me

That's right Frozen IV (4) is happening people! Jennifer Lee and Bob Iger visited the new World of Frozen in Hong Kong's Disneyland and Iger made this announcement:

“Well, I'll give you a little surprise there, Michael. 'Frozen 3' is in the works and there might be a 'Frozen 4' in the works too... But I don't have much to say about those films right now. But Jenn Lee, who created 'Frozen,' the original 'Frozen' and 'Frozen II,' is hard at work with her team at Disney Animation on not one but actually two stories.”

Songwriters:

Kristen Anderson-Lopez also shared a tweet (or an X) indirectly confirming the husband - wife duo as the songwriters for the fourth installment too - more hit songs to come!!

---

---

Returning cast/ characters:

Kristen Bell re-posted an article and video of the Frozen 4 announcement and Idina's indirect confirmation on her Instagram story, indirectly confirming her voice of Anna again.

Idina Menzel did the same but as a post, confirming her return as Elsa:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Idina Menzel (@idinamenzel)

Josh Gad re-posted Idina's post on his story with “👀” which means he's back as the lovable Olaf.

Jonathan Groff's confirmation isn't out yet as far as I know or have seen but I'm assuming he's on board too.

As for Santino Fontana aka Hans, I think now he has a very high chance of returning. There's no way they are expanding the franchise without him, ignoring some of the Hans fandom's plea and that with redemption too. But while we wait for confirmation on the entire cast (which might be a while away), we'll just keep hoping for Santino to give us hints. I know he's staying quiet on purpose.

Santino Fontana we got our eyes on you 👀

Release date:

No confirmed release dates are announced for 3 or 4 yet but in some files there are two release date slots for the middle of 2024 and one on 26 November 2025. I don't think Frozen 3 will be out next year because I'm sure we would have gotten some more Info on it by now and most importantly I think Zootopia 2 is coming out in November 2024. Som that leaves Frozen to have its regular date on 26 November in 2025.

As for leaks of the first looks, the earliest leak we got for frozen 2 was in December 2018 so my eyes are peeled in a year's time.

What this all means:

Frozen 4 may seem frustrating for some for the reason that Disney's just calling for more money and they might not take care of the story and cheering us fans but though it looks like that, it may not be entirely true. Jen Lee has said earlier that she's very excited about the idea for Frozen 3 that she was given to by Marc Smith, an animator in WDAS, though the director is unknown as of yet. She's expressed a lot of excitement about it which I have quoted in this post linked. And what's different about it is that we all know how production for Frozen and Frozen 2 went. Frozen had a last minute plot and character change and Frozen 2 had songs and plot changes too as we can see in the documentary on Disney plus. But this time it seems that everything is going smoothly and really really well. That's what gives me hope about the future of Frozen. And yeah I know some of you aren't too fond of Jennifer Lee and though she's managing the projects that doesn't mean she's going to be directing it. She's like the producer. Some one else will be directing it which is yet to be announced. After all Jennifer will be there in the team as she's the one who made Frozen in the first place. She knows the characters well so it's given she'd be looking over the movies' production.

I'm sure some of you are familiar with the news of the fourth installment and saw it coming when a few weeks back Jennifer also shared in an interview that she had found a new strategy upon making more Frozen films. Her strategy was that if they feel there's more to tell for the story or maybe if we the fans feel it then they'll work on making another movie. But none of us were expecting it to be announced so soon.

Based on this announcement I believe that Frozen 4 is a second part to Frozen 3 in the same way we had Avengers 3 and 4 and Fast and Furious X and 11 and into and across the spider-verse and other movies doing the same. If it's in parts it means the story, the events going down are big making Frozen 3 end in a cliffhanger. They are probably in the process of writing it or early production and they realised that this story needs two parts because the story is of a big event. This new film strategy really works in some of these movies so I'm hoping for the same for Disney. Either way, I'm glad they're expanding the well deserved franchise and realising its true potential. Frozen is the first animated trilogy to be produced by WDAS and then the first to become a quadrilogy to be a Disney Animation movie. Movies like Avengers and Toy Story are from Marvel and Pixar despite Disney owning them or some of their movies but Frozen will be a full on Disney franchise to become a quadrilogy. Frozen just making history 😌

Conclusion:

I'm scared and excited, as we all are but all we can and should do is stay positive and hope for the best. I personally believe Frozen 3 and 4 will be great given the positivity coming from Jen Lee and Bob Iger. I believe in Frozen's potential and in sure Disney does too hence the two new movies announced. But if I can't convince you to believe this is a very good thing for the franchise then maybe Isaac Carlson, who explains Disney theories and opinions on YouTube can. He explains it well and highly recommend you go watch and listen to his video. He originally didn't like the way Frozen 2 went as I did but upon seeing and hearing different perspectives of it he and I too gained a new way to see Frozen 2. Isaac also wanted more films after Frozen 2 time the ending and I think now that Disney is doing just that I think we could be feeling a whole lot better than where Frozen 2 left off at. Trust me Frozen 2 ending haters need to see his video. I'll explain more about the way I see it all in an upcoming Frozen 1, 2 and the shorts breakdown which I'll pin as soon as I post it.

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio’s 50 Years Of Hip-Hop. When the ‘Brentwood Era’ started, I had the dial on WBLS, one of New York City’s hip-hop / rap stations. It not only signified the first-ever genre I’d pay close attention to, but also signified the beginning of personal cassette dubbing.

For a few years, I’d record as much as possible off to the right of the dial, then later on Hot 97 and Kiss FM. I’d capture Kid Capri, Kool DJ Red Alert, Funkmaster Flex, and Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, and T-Money of Yo! MTV Raps. Running concurrently was In Living Color, a rap-centric die-laughing comedy show that introduced us to the Wayans Brothers, Homey The Clown, Fire Marshall Bill, The Homeboy Shopping Network, and more. My formative years listening to hip-hop / rap lasted as long from middle school to graduating senior year. There’s no shortage of mostly positive memories in Brentwood, in thanks to all of my cassette dubs from that era.

I returned to hip-hop / rap when I discovered WUSB a few years later and stumbled upon one of their shows, Ghetto Radio, who showed me a more underground side of things. Street FM, Eminent Audio, and The Basement practically changed my life because they introduced me to sampling culture, forever opening up a new world in getting to know more about myself. As soon as I became a Stony Brook student, I inquired about joining the station. Now, I became a dee-jay and gave back to our listeners the same way WUSB gave to me. It wasn’t until my second run at the station (Winter 2013) when I started Omega Radio and took my show more seriously.

For 11 years, we’ve taken every chance we get to play hip-hop / rap. Our shows started when we did a five-hour bonus broadcast to usher in a new year: classic Seventies’ vinyl classics on New Year’s Eve, then three hours of the rough stuff on New Year’s. Since then, we paid it forward by delivering all-time legends (The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac), more golden-era cuts (EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Monie Love), the Eighties (Kool Moe D, MC Shan, Eric B & Rakim, classic old-school moments (Whodini, Sugar Hill Records, Afrika Bambaata), and even white-label underground releases (Lo-Down Click, Erule, Brother Arthur). Let’s not forget the ladies of the game, either (Queen Latifah, Monie Love, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo to name a few).

Later on, we introduced deluxe editions of our shows consisting of golden-era legends still doing their thing (KRS-One, Onyx, Dres of Black Sheep), backpack artists (Jedi Mind Tricks, R.A. The Rugged Man, the Griselda camp), beat tapes (Fuzzoscope, All These Fingers), and newer artists (clipping., Danny Brown, Obnox, Dabrye). We also made some legend specific tributes for Public Enemy, N.W.A. (edited for FCC quality-control), and The Wu-Tang Clan, which happened to be Omega’s most popular show to date. As long as it isn’t Kanye West or TekashiSixNine, we’re good.

The good news? There’s no sign of up stopping. We’ll continuously re-visit our golden-era finds until they’re depleted, and may even consider re-introducing our white-label bonus shows. And we’ll still play our new, current, and relevant hip-hop, rap, and backpacker finds on our deluxe shows.

Found below is each and every hip-hop / rap broadcast Omega WUSB has broadcast up until this point. We urge you to check them all out. Want to re-visit an era with the most creative freedom? Any artists you missed out on? Trying to find a one-hit wonder you want to make a legend out of? No worries. We have you covered.

Here’s to fifty more years of hip-hop - and you can all thank DJ Kool Herc for that.

December 31, 2012-January 1, 2013; #5. (Double bonus.)

February 25, 2013; #10.

June 30, 2014; #55.

July 19, 2014-July 20, 2014; #56.

August 17, 2014; #59.

November 22, 2014; #68.

July 13, 2015; #87.

August 24, 2015; #91.

June 27, 2016; #114.

August 15, 2016; #120.

February 11, 2017; #132.

July 29, 2017; #142. (Partial.)

July 28, 2018; #168.

September 3, 2018; #173.

October 15, 2018; #177.

December 10, 2018; #183. (Wu-Tang Clan.)

May 4, 2019; #194.

June 29, 2019; #199.

July 20, 2019; #201. (Public Enemy.)

August 19, 2019; #205. (N.W.A.)

August 24, 2019; #206. (Partial.)

March 16, 2020; #223.

August 3, 2020; #236.

August 15, 2020; #237.

October 26, 2020; #245.

January 30, 2021; #254.

April 21, 2021; #260.

May 19, 2021; #264.

June 16, 2021; #268.

July 3, 2021; #271. (Double deluxe.)

August 11, 2021; #278. (Hip-Hop’s 48th.)

January 3, 2022; #294.

January 12, 2022; #295.

April 25, 2022; #305.

May 21, 2022; #307.

June 20, 2022; #312.

August 22, 2022; #325. (Delayed.)

August 27, 2022; #326.

October 24, 2022; #333.

(Originally published on August 11, 2023.)

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Virtua Racing Sega Saturn (Time Warner Interactive's V.R. Virtua Racing)

Title: Virtua Racing Sega Saturn / バーチャレーシング セガサターン

Developer/Publisher: Sega / Time Warner Interactive

Release date: 22 December 1995

Catalogue No.: T-4803G

Genre: Racing

I bought this Japanese version hoping that it would be different from the God-awful US and PAL versions (which I stupidly bought with my own school pocket money back in 2014). Guess what. It's the same bloody game with everything in English and that annoying woman's voice is still there when you watch the movies for each track. Oh well, at least they changed the title to Virtua Racing Sega Saturn (^v^).  The following text is pasted from my PAL review script I had in hand, but never published. Note: I have since sold my NTSC-US and PAL versions just so I could buy myself some basketball shoes at one point.

If you've already read my Race Drivin' post, you'll know just what I think of Time Warner Interactive. My classmate from high school told me that his father was lucky enough to see an early beta of Virtua Racing many months before the official Japanese launch of the Saturn. What I saw then based on the footage he sent me during computer class was a diabolical mess. Try to imagine a very poorly built course moving along at something like 15fps, a bit like an Atari Jaguar 3D racer really (^v^). Anyway, Time Warner Interactive promised that the final release of Sega's Virtua Racing would be every bit as impressive as the arcade plus many new tracks and cars. Well, they sort of kept their word.

The Saturn version did indeed have many more tracks and cars but my arse it was as impressive as the arcade. The game still moves at a very poor 20fps if that. The controls are very unresponsive, and the pop-up is pretty bad too. After seeing Time Warner's Race Drivin' which was released before Virtua Racing, I sort of suspected that Virtua Racing on the Saturn would turn out to be a massive pile of steaming poo. The thing that gets me is why did Sega hand over such a great license to such a shitty company? 

I urge everyone to play the far superior Sega-made 32X version or even the Mega Drive version, heck even the Sega Ages Playstation 2 or Sega Ages Nintendo Switch version over this crap. Oh, one more thing, one of my older copies was the PAL European release, but it works perfectly in a Japanese Saturn. In other words, it's region-free. Very odd indeed.

[euphoricfilter]

Devil That I Know (Part 9) [teaser]

~ Oddly Human

Pairing: Demon! Jungkook x Human! Reader

Genre: (Inaccurate) Historical AU || Strangers to lovers AU || Supernatural AU || Smut || Fluff || Angst

Summary: A step back into time— and how Jungkook ended up at the palace.

Word count: estimated 9k

Tags/ warnings: the tiniest hint of fluff at the end, angst, murder, blood, mild violence in comparison to other events of this chapter (a slap to the cheek), jungkook feeling human emotions, kidnapping, i think that is all?

Notes: we're back babyyy.

~ devil that i know masterlist

+ + +

“I know you’ve been hopping from inn to inn with the money you’ve stolen. Stay here for a while until your friend wakes up and then we can sort out that favour you need”

“You’ve been following me?” Jungkook laughs, a hearty one that shakes his shoulders. And he thinks he must be getting old, suddenly becoming unaware of the boy—no, man—that had been lurking in the shadows. Jungkook feels a sense of pride, his hard work stood before him. A brutal king that didn’t think twice before he murdered his family, a man hungry for power that nothing could have gotten in his way.

“You have too many secrets, Jungkook. And I hate it”

“Shame” the demon drawls, “You don’t need to know about me, all you needed to do was rise to power.”

“That’s it? So what?” Yoongi scoffs, “So I could fulfil your little wish? I’m not stupid, Jungkook, I know you want me to set you free. I know what your kind are like, I know how those people beyond this gate see you.”

“And how do they see me?”

“A monster”

Jungkook leans forwards, elbows resting on his knees as he tilts his head at the human, “But you let this monster raise you, control you so you could help him. You knew and still kept me around, you knew and yet you still killed your father. For what, Yoongi? Because I told you to?”

The boy’s mouth falls open, only to close.

“You could have told someone. Could have told that little friend of yours—what’s his name? Seokjin? He had the favour of the staff; I could have been dead years ago, but you kept me around.”

“No one would have believed me” he scoffs and Jungkook laughs.

“Bullshit, Yoongi. Just admit it, if I’m a monster what does that make you?”

“You piece of shit. I’m not the monster”

“Neither am I” Jungkook shrugs, “I’m a demon. People are scared of monsters Yoongi. Look at the palace staff, they’re terrified of you.”

Yoongi turns towards where his father’s serving staff all stand, hands all shaking by their sides—perhaps waiting for a similar fate to their master.

“People aren’t scared of my kind anymore, kid. They despise my people—don’t look at me like that, use this power to your advantage.” Jungkook waves him off, “I didn’t raise you to be soft, this is your time”

Yoongi watches as Jungkook pushes himself to stand.

“My offer still stands, about you staying in the palace”

“I’ll pack my stuff up then. Make sure the room faces the east, my Y/n likes it when the sun rises outside the window of a morning”

Release date: wednesday 14th december @ 10pm CST (china standard time)

read here

[starsinkpop]

ATEEZ Kim Hongjoong Tarot Reading - December 2023

Disclaimer: I do tarot readings for fun, so please read them with a grain of salt. Don’t take my words too seriously and just keep an open mind. Tarot is a divination tool that can’t predict the future, as every single individual has their own will and makes their own decisions. Tarot should be seen as a guidance and a good friend that just has your best interest and gives you advice when needed. I’m not putting anyone in my readings on a pedestal nor am I trying to harm anyone. One last side note, I’m not a native speaker, so please excuse any wrong spellings or poor grammar.

Date of Reading: December 3rd 2023

Decks: Tarot of the Divine, Romance Angel Oracle Cards, Island Time Wellness Love Oracle Card

Hongjoong’s overall feelings and energy this month - IX The Hermit & Page of a Cups (R)

In December Hongjoong could deal with some jealousy, immaturity or potentially receive some unpleasant news (probably emotional news) which causes him to withdraw from everyone and isolate himself a little. This isolation is helping him balancing himself and think of ways to deal with whatever is troubling him. His creativity seems to be a bit blocked and he lacks motivation. He also needs to heal his inner child, which is why again, he needs some time alone whenever his schedule allows him to. I definitely see him being quite sensitive and emotional this month. His emotions seem to control him in a way. But I also see him using alternative ways to get the control back, like meditation or journaling.

Career - Ten of Swords (R)

Hongjoong is recovering from stress and releasing any pressure he put on himself over the past weeks. I see him letting go of anything or anyone that stands in his way to achieve his goals. He will rise above any haters. There’s also money and success coming in this month. This feels like a big middlefinger to everyone who underestimates him and his talent. Luck is on his side. Hongjoong can finally breathe again, the path in front of him looks promising. But he should always remember to take good care of himself and his mental health and take breaks whenever he needs them.

Love - Ace of Wands

In his love life, I see some excitement and sparks rising. I don’t necessarily see this as something deeply emotional tho. The Ace of Wands is most times seen as a more sexual card and the Oracle cards as well speak about anything but a deep emotional connection. I’m thinking he’s just going to enjoy himself a little, if you know what I mean. This fun could be with someone who lives further away, maybe a foreigner. And I’m also seeing this someone having quite a few red flags that Hongjoong is successfully ignoring, as he really doesn’t seem to be interested in them emotionally. However, he still has to learn to love and accept himself to find the actual love he’s deeply desiring. But a little fun never hurt nobody.

Advice - Ten of Wands (R)

It’s okay to take a break. You’ve already done so much for everyone, now it’s time to think of yourself and allow your body and mind to rest. You’ve worked hard, allow yourself to take time just for yourself.

•••

If you want a more in depth reading on certain areas, feel free to ask me!

Love,

~Nicky

Masterlist