#Remember Fondly november of 2020

[atiny-for-life]

Creative Spotlight #1: Kim Hongjoong

Masterlist

Intro: With so many new Atinys coming in, I figured now would be a good time to shed some light on all the boys' creative solo projects over the years, big and small.

Photography

Hongjoong's love for photography goes way back to his predebut days. In one of the first videos ever uploaded to their channel, you can already see him holding a camera on the set of Pirate King.

2 years ago, in 2022, he got to announce his first photo exhibition, FROM NOVEMBER 7, 1998, as a birthday present to himself, which took place from November 1st to 7th at gallery99 and was used to collect money for charity.

There was no entrance fee but spots had to be reserved online to ensure there'd be no dangerous crowding. During the exhibition, there was a little event planned for all attendees in which fans could collect points which were then converted to money that was later donated under Hongjoong and Atiny's name. The total donated amount was 10 million won!

In Logbook Episode 101, we got to see Hongjoong visit the exhibition himself and take a stroll through memory lane.

Due to the success of the 2022 exhibition, Hongjoong held another one last year which took place between November 3rd and 9th, 2023, and was titled A Walker - the event was accompanied by the release of an original song and led to the donation of 50 million won under Hongjoong's and Atiny's name to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation.

BY. HONGJOONG

Back in 2018, Hongjoong shared during their stay in LA as KQ Fellaz, that he barely went to school since he already started producing music during his high school days. And yes, this is during the same tear jerking monologue where he calls Ateez his family for the first time and says he needs to hurry so he can see their sleeping faces before he goes to bed.

The first time we get to see Hongjoong fully in action as a producer is during his first 1-Day-Vlog in 2020 in which he's working on his Prince cover (more on that in a second).

But now to the main event: Hongjoong has an entire series going where he covers some of his all time favorite songs. Whenever he does, he likes to make the songs his own by recording his own instrumental track and typically adding an additional Korean rap verse with self-written lyrics highlighting his interpretation of the song's message.

Kicking things off with Space Oddity by David Bowie, a classic.

Side Note: As a lover of unisex clothing/androgyny, Hongjoong is likely not just inspired musically by Bowie, but also fashion wise. You can learn more about Bowie's influence on the climate surrounding gender and sexuality here.

Dressed in white, matching both his hair and the background, Hongjoong turned himself into a clean canvas on which he projected first footage of Bowie and later some floating orbs - it's very aesthetic.

Between the original verses and chorus, he placed a Korean rap verse in which he writes from Major Tom's perspective and laments his mental state while stuck alone in outer space, asking ground control to tell his mom he loves her while stating he still appreciates the beauty of space but feels lost and lonely all by himself.

Next up, we've got Purple Rain by Prince, another classic.

Side Note: Like Bowie, Prince too was famous for being androgynous in how he presented himself and toying with what society deemed masculine and feminine. He's famous to this day among the queer community for how persistently he defied gender norms and labels. Learn more about him here.

Instead of filming himself, we get a lyric video this time, fully kept in pastel lavender. Once again, Hongjoong added a rap verse of his own in which he speaks to a lost friend, talking about how he hopes that, even though they're apart now, his friend will still recall him as being sincere and that they can still think of each other fondly and remember the good times.

In a far more elaborate production, we've got Black or White by Michael Jackson up next.

Using green screen and multiple outfits, we get a fun spectacle of a little passion project featuring multiple versions of Hongjoong, background collages, emojis, and more:

Despite being shorter than the other covers, we still get the signature rap verse preceded by his famous giggle and, this time, he's got quite a bit to say.

Diving into the lyrics, he talks about how we're all different colors. Colors which are meant to be mixed. Our roots don't define us. Throughout life, we'll all get mixed up with each other, as we should. He doesn't want to see us divided. To quote: "What's wrong with you, babe? Stop it. You've already experienced the 20th century. Blah blah by dividing groups."

The song ends with the rap verse before the video dives into the making of in which Hongjoong specifically addresses his intent to talk about social issues like Michael Jackson famously used to while he was alive (think: They Don't Really Care About Us).

So long time by Yoon Jong Shin comes next with a sepia-toned video featuring Hongjoong at a grand piano. It's a pretty ballad highlighting his vocals and the use of multiple camera angles allows us to watch him play.

Shortly before we hit the 2 minute mark, Hongjoong gets up and we transition from the shot of the piano to a cassette player while the audio shifts to the original for a moment before Hongjoong returns.

We've reached the rap verse where he mourns a lost love, speaking of memories he can't let go of, even as he pretends everything is okay. He's cold and lonely now, a little mad at himself for continuously getting lost in the memories, and calls himself a fool before we return to the cover-part of the song.

At 3:58, the song wraps up and we've reached the making of section of the video where he talks about how his cover stems from the idea of a time machine taking you through the song, with the first verse (playing the piano) being the past, the rap verse symbolizing the present, and the memories then taking back over as he gets lost in them, leading to the piano's return.

Next up, we've got Last Christmas by Wham! which opens to a short clip of Hongjoong's acting on a pretty Christmas film set before we transition to a simple white back drop.

This time, the signature rap verse comes in early at 50 seconds with a little giggle before he talks about leaving the past in the past and moving on, letting the snow settle over painful memories.

However, this time, we also get a second rap verse at 1:45, where it becomes clear he hasn't moved on at all, plus a Korean vocal section at 2:43 which carries through to the end. Here, he highlights even further that he hopes they'll reconnect next winter so they can leave the painful past behind and live out a shared future.

Hongjoong in his emo era. This is the first Ateez-related video I've ever seen because I was born in '96 and my emo phase never ended so of course this was recommended to me when it was first released.

Numb by Linkin Park got the full Hongjoong treatment and was even reported on by Rolling Stone, quote:

The cover began trending on social media and YouTube within hours of its release, but the true prize came a day later when it caught the attention of Linkin Park themselves. The rock band’s official Twitter account ‘liked’ the post on ATEEZ’s page, with co-founder and vocalist Mike Shinoda confirming on a livestream that he’d seen and enjoyed the cover. As of this writing, Hongjoong’s version of “Numb” has over half a million views on YouTube and has garnered tremendous praise from Linkin Park’s fans.

We get the black eye makeup and nail polish, the plaid half skirt, the dramatic music video with fake fog and red lighting. The rap verse comes in hard, talking about getting mentally weighed down by an abuser and finally breaking free, cutting the ties.

As a long time Linkin Park fan, I love how unique this cover is and Chester would've loved it too I'm sure. I wish he could've seen it.

Fools Garden's Lemon Tree is another classic and I come back to it on the regular because the video has such a unique vibe and the song is famous for getting stuck in your head.

The video features Hongjoong alone in a house surrounded by colorful toys and games, bored out of his mind and visibly seeking a distraction from life but failing to find something, no matter how out of pocket his thinking gets.

Shoutout to the license plate - it's the release date of the song, November 3rd, 1995.

At 1:33, Hongjoong sprints off to the basement which is doused in red and we get a warped version of his signature giggle before the rap verse kicks in. The camera work in this section reminds me a bit of his rap verse in Not Okay.

While down there, he gets more and more deranged, talking about being locked up day by day, imprisoned, losing track of time, but being unable to break out. Instead of trying to escape, he just attempts to distract himself, listening to sad songs on a loop until his pain disappears and his world switches back to yellow.

Busking Event

In 2021, Hongjoong decided to put together a busking event featuring live performances of some covers, plus acoustic versions of some of their songs. Accompanying him were both Ateez and Maddox. You can find the full playlist here:

Collaboration

3 months ago, Chungha made a return to the music scene after escaping her former label and chose Hongjoong as a collaboration partner for her new debut. Beyond his rap verse, she also incorporated a move from Crazy Form in the choreography (she's lovely):

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

By Ben Johnson

Published 30 October 2020

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

Fireworks can be seen all over France every July 14 as the nation celebrates Bastille Day.

Across the USA some ten days earlier on the 4th of July, Americans celebrate their Independence Day.

In Britain, the words of a children’s nursery rhyme “Remember, Remember the 5th of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot” are chanted as fireworks fly and bonfires gradually consume a human effigy known as the ‘Guy.’

So who was this Guy? And why is he remembered so fondly 400 years after his death?

It could be said that the story started when the Catholic Pope of the day failed to recognise England’s King Henry VIII‘s novel ideas on separation and divorce.

Henry, annoyed at this, severed ties with Rome and appointed himself head of the Protestant Church of England.

Protestant rule in England was maintained and strengthened through the long and glorious reign of his daughter Queen Elizabeth I.

When Elizabeth died without children in 1603, her cousin James VI of Scotland became King James I of England.

James had not been long on the throne before he started to upset the Catholics within his kingdom.

They appear to have been unimpressed with his failure to implement religious tolerance measures, getting a little more annoyed when he ordered all Catholic priests to leave the country.

A group of Roman Catholic nobles and gentlemen led by Robert Catesby conspired to essentially end Protestant rule with perhaps the biggest ‘bang’ in history.

Their plan was to blow up the King, Queen, church leaders, assorted nobles, and both Houses of Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder strategically placed in the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster.

The plot was apparently revealed when the Catholic Lord Monteagle was sent a message warning him to stay away from Parliament as he would be in danger, the letter being presented to Robert Cecil, James I’s Chief Minister.

Some historians believe that Cecil had known about the plot for some time and had allowed the plot to ‘thicken’ to both ensure that all the conspirators were caught and to promote Catholic hatred throughout the country.

And the Guy? Guy Fawkes was born in Yorkshire on 13 April 1570.

A convert to the Catholic faith, Fawkes had been a soldier who had spent several years fighting in Italy.

It was during this period that he adopted the name Guido (Italian for Guy), perhaps to impress the ladies.

What we do know is that Guido was arrested in the early hours of the morning of November 5th 1605, in a cellar under the House of Lords, next to the 36 kegs of gunpowder, with a box of matches in his pocket and a very guilty expression on his face.

Under torture, Guy Fawkes identified the names of his co-conspirators. Many of these were the relations of a Catholic gentleman, Thomas Percy.

Catesby and three others were killed by soldiers while attempting to escape.

The remaining eight were imprisoned in the Tower of London before being tried and executed for High Treason.

They experienced that quaint English method of execution, first experienced almost 300 years earlier by William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace.

They too were hanged, drawn, and quartered.

*Hanged, drawn and quartered:

Victims were dragged on a wooden hurdle behind a horse to the place of execution where they were first of all hanged, then their genitals were removed.

They were disembowelled and beheaded.

Their bodies were finally quartered, the severed pieces often displayed in public.

—

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was an unsuccessful attempted regicide against King James I by a group of English Catholics led by Robert Catesby, who considered their actions attempted tyrannicide and who sought regime change in England after decades of religious persecution.

The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605, as the prelude to a popular revolt in the Midlands during which King James's nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was to be installed as the new head of state.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christian Pax at Vox:

Is Donald Trump on track to win a historic share of voters of color in November’s presidential election? On the surface, it’s one of the most confounding questions of the Trump years in American politics. Trump — and the Republican Party in his thrall — has embraced anti-immigrant policies and proposals, peddled racist stereotypes, and demonized immigrants. So why does it look like he might win over and hold the support of greater numbers of nonwhite voters than the Republican Party of years past? In poll after poll, he’s hitting or exceeding the levels of support he received in 2020 from Latino and Hispanic voters. He’s primed to make inroads among Asian American voters, whose Democratic loyalty has gradually been declining over the last few election cycles. And the numbers he’s posting with Black voters suggest the largest racial realignment in an election since the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

There are a plethora of explanations for this shift, but first, some points of clarification. The pro-Trump shift is concentrated among Hispanic and Latino voters, though it has appeared to be spreading to parts of the Black and Asian American electorate. Second, things have changed since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the Democratic ticket in late July. Polling confirms that Harris has posted significant improvements among nonwhite voters, young voters, Democrats, and suburban voters. In other words, Harris has managed to revive the party’s standing with its base, suggesting that a part of Trump’s gains were due to unique problems that Biden had with these groups of voters. Thus, it’s not entirely clear to what extent this great racial realignment, as some have described the Trump-era phenomenon, will manifest itself in November.

[...]

Why? Putting aside environmental factors and shifts in the American electorate that are happening independent of the candidates, there are a few theories to explain how Trump has uniquely weakened political polarization along the lines of race and ethnicity. 1) Trump has successfully associated himself with a message of economic nostalgia, heightening nonwhite Americans’ memories of the pre-Covid economy in contrast to the period of inflation we’re now exiting. 2) Trump and his campaign have also zeroed in specifically on outreach and messaging to nonwhite men as part of their larger focus on appealing to male voters. 3) Trump and his party have taken advantage of a confluence of social factors, including messaging on immigration and cultural issues, to shore up support from conservative voters of color who have traditionally voted for Democrats or not voted at all.

[...]

Theory 1: Effective campaigning on the economy

Trump’s loudest message — the one that gets the most headlines — is his bombastic attacks on immigrants and his pledge to conduct mass deportations. His most successful appeal to voters, though, which he has held on to despite an improving economy under Biden, is economic. Trump claims to have presided over a time of broad and magnificent prosperity, arguing that there was a Trump economic renaissance before Biden bungled it. That pitch doesn’t comport with reality, but it may be resonating with voters who disproportionately prioritize economic concerns in casting their votes, particularly Latino and Asian American voters. Polling suggests that voters at large remember the Trump-era economy fondly and view Trump’s policies more favorably than Biden’s. Black and Latino voters in particular may have more negative memories about Biden and Democrats’ economic stewardship because they experienced worse rates of inflation than white Americans and Asian Americans did during 2021 and 2022.

[...]

Theory 2: Direct appeals to nonwhite men

The political realignment of women voters has been one of the major stories of 2024; the gender gap in American politics exploded in 2016, took a break in 2020, and seems like it’s about to be historic in 2024, with a huge pro-Democrat shift among women. At the same time, though, the rightward drift of men, including men of color, is a quiet undercurrent that may end up explaining what happened if Trump wins in November. Plenty of theories have been raised in the past about what kind of appeal Trump might have specifically to men and to men of color: Does his businessman persona resonate with upwardly mobile, financially aspirational men? Is there a “macho” appeal there for Hispanic men? Could his gritty, outsider, everyman posturing and brash rhetoric resonate with Black and Latino men, particularly those living in traditionally Democratic cities?

[...]

Theory 3: Championing conservative social issues

Trump and the GOP may also have found the right social issues to emphasize and campaign on in order to exploit some of the cultural divides between conservative and moderate nonwhite voters, and liberal white voters who also make up part of the Democratic base (in addition to liberal nonwhite voters). In 2021 and 2022, that looked like fearmongering on gender identity and crime, playing up concerns over affirmative action, and campaigning on the overturning of Roe v Wade. In 2023 and 2024, the Trump focus has shifted strongly toward immigration, an issue that has divided the Democratic coalition as hostility toward immigration has grown. That’s true even for Latino and Hispanic voters — long seen as being the voting group most amenable to a pro-immigrant, Democratic message — and it’s being used as a wedge issue by Republicans among Black voters as well.

Though it was seen as a gaffe, Trump’s “black jobs” comment during the first presidential debate got to this tension — the idea of migrants taking jobs, resources, and opportunities from non-white citizens. Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, one of Trump’s go-to Black surrogates, explained the argument to me like this: “If you’re a Black man, Hispanic man, white man, you’re working hard every day, and the money you earn doesn’t go as far. That hurts your family, that hurts your kids. So they look at this situation, this immigration problem. People are saying, ‘Wait a minute. Why are illegal aliens getting food, getting shelter, getting an education, while my family and my child is struggling. It’s not right, and it’s not fair.’” And for Asian American voters, now the fastest growing ethnic segment of the electorate, immigration is also becoming a wedge issue, Zarsadiaz told me. “This feeling, ‘I’ve waited my turn, I waited my time’ — there’s long been Latino and Asian American immigrants who have felt this way. The assumption has long been that if you’re an immigrant, you must be very liberal on immigration, and that’s definitely not the case,” Zarsadiaz said. “Some of the staunchest critics of immigration, especially on amnesty or Dreamers, are immigrants themselves, and with Asian Americans that’s an issue that has been drawing more voters to Trump and Trumpism — those immigrant voters who feel like they’re being wronged.” Democrats are now moderating on immigration, but only after years of moving left. And that shift left has been true on a range of issues, contributing to another part of this theory of Trump’s gains: that Democrats have pushed conservative or moderate nonwhite Americans away as they embraced beliefs more popular with white, college-educated, and suburban voters. The political scientist Ruy Teixeira and Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini have been theorizing for a while now that a disjuncture over social issues in general — and Trump’s seizure of these issues — has complicated the idea that Democrats would benefit from greater numbers and rates of participation from nonwhite America. It may explain why conservative and moderate voters of color, who may have voted for Democrats in the past, are now realigning with the Republican Party.

[...]

There are signs that some of this shift may be happening independently of Trump. It could be a product of the growing diversification of America, upward mobility and changing understandings of class, and growing educational divides. For example, as rates of immigration change and the share of US-born Latino and Asian Americans grows, their partisan loyalties may continue to change. Those born closer to the immigrant experience may have had more of a willingness to back the party seen as more welcoming of immigrants, but as generations get further away from that experience, racial and ethnic identity may become less of a factor in the development of political thinking.

Concepts of racial identity and memory are also changing — younger Black Americans, for example, have less of a tie to the Civil Rights era — potentially contributing to less strong political polarization among Black and Latino people in the US independently of any given candidate — and creating more persuadable voters in future elections. At the same time, younger generations are increasingly identifying as independents or outside of the two-party paradigm — a change in loyalty that stands to hurt Democrats first, since Democrats tend to do better with younger voters.

Vox explores how Donald Trump made inroads with a portion of the POC vote this election: young men of color.

[daecheonsa]

[ SONG SASUNG ] has seen his face on many lineup speculation threads. Having trained under six previous record labels, Sasung's put his entire youth into trying to make it in the industry, but seems to have been cut without fanfare each time. While a couple of fans have clung onto Sasung, eager to support him from the very beginning of his journey, it's difficult to remain interested with little more than a few selfies, most of which from years ago, to go off of. His inclusion in the WARRIOR performance was met with something akin to humour - he's not seriously still trying, is he?

NAME : Song Sasung. BIRTHDAY : October 13th, 1998. ZODIAC : Libra. HEIGHT : 187cm. NATIONALITY : South Korean. HOMETOWN : Changwon, South Korea. POSITION : Assumed Leader, TBA. (Vocal Line) FC : Nam Yoonsu.

[ OMORI SHOGO ] seems to be a fresh trainee under Ohjang Entertainment - who knew anyone was still stupid enough to sign there? Despite the fact there's not much to dig up on him beyond some old selfies and clips of him singing in choir, Shogo's drummed up the most support of anyone so far; primarily in thanks to hard-carrying the vocal side of the WARRIOR performance. The only member with absolutely no existing preconception, Shogo best represents the potential of the group. In a strange sense, he's the easiest member for fans to invest in, based on all they know. A pretty face and a blank slate, perfect to project boundless expectations upon.

NAME : Omori Shogo. BIRTHDAY : March 30th, 1999. ZODIAC : Aries. HEIGHT : 167cm. NATIONALITY : Japanese. HOMETOWN : Fuefuki, Yamanashi, Japan. POSITION : TBA. (Vocal Line) FC : Kohatsu Kokoro.

[ SHIN HWIHUN ] had his first viral moment at the age of two, smiling wide and waving down the lense of a paparazzi from the hip of his mother, legendary vocalist Na Younghwa, as she hurried past with a baseball cap pulled over her eyes. Inheriting his mother's face and her star quality, the cameras' love for Shin Hwihun could only be rivalled by the people's. There was a quiet expectation for Hwihun to be a star one day; a demand for it, really - until two years ago, when Na Younghwa was found guilty of possessing narcotics. Hwihun found himself viral again when he cropped up in WARRIOR. This time, the tone was different, but the expectation the same; he'd be just like his mother.

NAME : Shin Hwihun. BIRTHDAY : August 8th, 1999. ZODIAC : Leo. HEIGHT : 183cm. NATIONALITY : South Korean. HOMETOWN : Seoul, South Korea. POSITION : TBA. (Vocal Line) FC : Kim Younghoon.

[ GU YONGHYUNG ] has proven the most recently familiar face to be revealed in WARRIOR. in 2019, Yonghyung was revealed to the public as a contestant on the show nextUP, where he served as Ohjang Entertainment's only representative. Yonghyung performed well on the show, staying within the top ten throughout the competition until the final round, where he ranked in 12th, missing out on the opportunity to debut by one place. Still remembered fondly by the shows most avid watchers for his boyish charm, serious approach to music and playful temperament, Yonghyung's taken a handful of small gigs since his stint on the show, including modelling and radio show hosting. Most notably, in 2023, Yonghyung appeared in a BL webseries, giving him one thing none of the other boys can boast: a record of previous employment in the entertainment industry.

NAME : Gu Yonghyung. BIRTHDAY : November 4th, 1999. ZODIAC : Scorpio. HEIGHT : 175cm. NATIONALITY : South Korean. HOMETOWN : Ilsan, South Korea. POSITION : TBA. (Rap Line)  FC : Mark Lee.

[ JUNG KIJUNG ] first appeared online in 2016, only fourteen years old at the time. Kijung grinded away at an underground rap 'career' for four years before he signed to Ohjang Entertainment in 2020. Then, his three mixtapes, countless freestyles and half-finished songs uploaded to Soundcloud, and all video footage of the endless club performances he'd given were silently scrubbed from the internet, the only evidence of his hard work now traded underhandedly via google drive links and discord servers. A small section of Kijung's fanbase survives, but it had been so small to begin with that, until netizens began digging after the WARRIOR video, most people didn't know all of that wasted hard work existed until it was gone.

NAME : Jung Kijung. BIRTHDAY : January 9th, 2002. ZODIAC : Capricorn. HEIGHT : 171cm. NATIONALITY : South Korean. HOMETOWN : Seoul, South Korean.  POSITION : TBA. (Rap Line)  FC : Kwak Jiseok. 

[ledenews]

Santorine: Who Really Is the Threat to Democracy?

The real existential threat to democracy is the fact that 15 million Democrats voted in the primary and now their party nominee is being decided by the party elite. You know, the very same Democrats who claim that anyone who is not with them is a “threat to democracy”. Remember, the Nazis did exactly this in the 1930’s when they forcibly took control of Germany. A putsch - a quick and dirty overthrow of a government that tends to be used most often for places that don’t experience a lot of these. The Democrat Party ByLaws and Standing Rules are designed to provide structure and instructions on what to do, but do you think they would be consulted? Not in this case - a relative handful of moneyed donors have decided who the nominee will be, your vote be damned. Remember, 15 million people believed their vote would count. It didn’t. Now a marginally legal putsch has installed a failed socialist as their party’s standard bearer. History will not remember this moment fondly. The Democrats who scream the loudest about Trump being an existential threat to democracy demonstrated that THEY are the true threat, and have deprived millions of their vote, and are in the process of allowing millions of illegals and refugees to sway our elections. Before we consider why the Democrats are propping up a hugely unpopular racist candidate, I think we ought to consider the facts: As a presidential candidate in 2020, she finished dead last, with a handful of delegates, but only if that hand had no fingers (thank you, Bill Maher) She lied openly and regularly about Biden’s cognitive competency, and pushed forth the Left’s propaganda about Biden’s abilities until he demonstrated on national television that not only was he clueless (little change in half a century), but was failing. But you know you just have to believe her now. Kamala Harris, the “Border Czar” that didn’t go to the border for months, and actually encouraged fentanyl and human trafficking across our southern border. Now she’s trying to claim that it “wasn’t her title.” In sports parlance, “Let’s go to the replay.” In her brief stint as an extreme socialist senator, she was involved with 164 pieces of legislation - NONE OF WHICH PASSED - including: A cease-fire plan in Gaza that would do nothing but help the Hamas terrorists. Providing Non-Citizens with free health care, and the “right” to vote. Six months of paid leave after childbirth for both parents, including illegals and refugees, paid for by none other than you and me, a.k.a, the taxpayers. A Medicare for All scheme that was rich by even Bernie Sanders standards. Free college education, paid for by hard-working men and women who had already paid for their formal or trade education. Guaranteed income of $6,000 cash on top of welfare, housing assistance, and food stamps, paid for by taking it from our seniors. These appear to me to be socialist policies, but they have been embraced by Harris and her Democrats. The upcoming Democrat Convention will attempt to redefine her many failures and the failures of the Biden administration. I’ve written in the past about the weaponization of the “abbreviations” - DOJ, CIA, FBI, and courts all over this great land of ours – and questioned how much of a banana republic we have become. I can’t believe this is the best the Democrats can do. Unless there is an ulterior motive. There has been a lot of polling quietly occurring over the past few weeks, and maybe – just maybe – the “Democrat Elite” know something we don’t. Like she has no chance of winning? That an election where the choices are Socialism, or Freedom and the American way will decidedly move forward to protect our liberty? Just remember, those who accuse the other side of being an “Existential threat to our Democracy” are likely guilty of the “crimes” they allege on others. The choice this November cannot be more stark since there are two completely separate and incompatible ideologies. You can vote for the things that made this nation great, or you can vote against them. I know my children and grandchildren can’t afford another four years of the debacle that has brought us record inflation and high prices, and they should not have to endure the diminishing freedoms the Democrats have yoked them with through this administration. You, therefore, have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For the passing of judgment on another, you condemn yourself because you, the judge, practice the very same things. – Romans 2:1 Read the full article

[procrastinatingfeminist]

And to think, the midterms are only a couple weeks away. This is going to be the Destiel won the presidential elections and Obama is secretly a heller level of online insanity, all over again, i tell ya.

double prime minister event is in the cards, i have done the maths

[asimovsideburns]

the glory days are dead

[image ID: the “stop trying to make fetch happen. it’s not going to happen.” meme, edited to say “stop trying to recapture 11/5/2020. it’s not going to happen.” End ID.]

[theminecraftbee]

random rundown of fic ideas I have on the docket for at some point in the future, if anyone is curious (or wants to take from these concepts to use themselves because these are Long Bois so I’m probably saving them for november):

in a timeline where ren’s kingship immediately goes horrible dictatorship, joe hills accidentally discovers he has the superpower of Time Loop, and sets out to figure out what went wrong, fix it, and save his friends. the trick with this fic, however, is that it would be a single king oneshot taking place entirely over one of the loops, at least a dozen attempts in, and ending with the end of another failed loop. it’s all about the middle bits here.

pearl wakes up as a horrible monster in an unknown laboratory with no idea how she’s gotten there, what she is, how to talk, or what to do from here. fic is about her escaping, piecing together what happened to get her into the situation she wakes up in, and getting back home again, somehow.

xisuma tries to deal with his emotions about season eight. bluntly this one would be about abuse, and reconciling that is the word that describes what happened to you. I’ve wanted to write this for months. we’ll see.

double life cast is mysteriously swapped with their hermitcraft selves, as told from cleo’s perspective as she’s suddenly in a world with a person who claims to be her best friend that she doesn’t remember, on this massive ocean base that she doesn’t understand, trying to just… deal with that. this would be a very focused on “joe and cleo as friends” fic, but with the angle of “cleo wakes up suddenly not knowing who joe is and joe is faced with a cleo who doesn’t have a decade of history with him”. really want to write this in some ways.

vague “something about helsknight because I have ideas about what helsknight is but I have since ditched the fic concept I originally had for the helsknight interpretation I wanted to use so I need to figure out where else I can get it to work and also NOT have him be too much like the man in the striped suit in my recent fic”

rare new techno/sort of sbi fic from me, recycling aspects of a VERY old bedrock bros concept I never wrote. set in a world where people have various minor magical gifts/superpowers, old war god/demon technoblade is retired, thank you very much, and largely haunts a farmer’s market where he’s in a totally normal competition with the other local potato salesman and is maybe friends with the farmer’s market gang (featuring niki and sophie and probably connor along with obviously squid, amongst others). one day however one of his regular customers, out of desperation, summons techno to make a pact, a thing techno hasn’t done in decades. this person is tommy. wilbur is missing. he wants techno to help save him. cue adventure. at some point in my head this was supposed to be a superhero sbi fic send-up so there MAY be superheroes in the background but this has turned way more into the magical realism wheelhouse I reside in over time so you know. maybe not. anyway this is a BIG maybe since I largely sit in hermitcraft these days but I am still fondly attached to “old god techno and tommy, desperate regular human, end up bonding” because I came up with the basics back in november 2020 and have just never have successfully written it and also it’s morphed actual plots and basically every beat but that part like twelve times so we’ll see.

false ends up back in her homeworld, but fwhip and I think maybe shelby also end up there accidentally with her and also it turns out that false’s old world kind of sucks so they have to try to get fwhip and shelby home while false faces internal conflict over whether she stays in her homeworld or goes back to empires. this one relies on knowing a BIT more about false before I’m comfortable writing it though.

anyway I think those are all the main docket ideas for “next big thing second tries to write” but this guarantees none of them because, like, you never know if a new idea will take over my brain between now and november or anything else,

[starspeckler]

The Dawn of the 16th, 2020

(as seen by me after pulling an all nighter for no apparent reason on November 15th)

the sunrise was gorgeous but those low clouds in the first photo were so ominous. it was like the world knew shit was gonna go down.

but fr like i remember this all so vividly. i watched techno’s pov and when he spawned all the withers. when he went off at tommy. the theseus speech. "you want to be a hero tommy? then DIE like one." wilbur being the traitor, his eventual death via phil. the Adrenaline at phil's join message. i will never forgot all the emotions i felt. 2020/21 dsmp was just a different time and you truly had to be there in the moment to appreciate it. that’s what makes livestream such a unique storytelling medium i think. anyways i look back on this so fondly. happy 2 years everyone

[hafanforever]

Hello, Goodbye Dolly

In Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, audiences were briefly introduced to Sir JorgenBjorgen, a stuffed knitted puffin doll that was a toy Elsa owned in her childhood and kept as her companion during the years she and Anna were kept apart. Then when Elsa grew up, Sir JorgenBjorgen was stored away in her trunk, which was later placed in the attic.

When the prequel novel Dangerous Secrets was released in November 2020, it was revealed that Sir JorgenBjorgen had been around a lot longer than fans had thought. Over 40 years earlier, the doll was created by Queen Rita as a toy for her baby son, Prince Agnarr. Sir JorgenBjorgen was Agnarr’s favorite toy and always brought a smile to his face. When Rita fled the kingdom after having her memories wiped by Pabbie, Runeard locked up all of her belongings and anything that reminded him of her. However, he did not know about Sir JorgenBjorgen, and Gerda secretly saved it and hid it from him, waiting for the chance to return it to Agnarr one day.

Ever since I read Dangerous Secrets and learned that this doll originally came from Rita and belonged to Agnarr, I got to thinking about what Runeard would have done with it had he known about it. Firstly, if he discovered Sir JorgenBjorgen when Agnarr played with it as a child, and with this, I mean before Rita left, I have a strong hunch would have disapproved of the doll, and enough so that he would have taken it away from Agnarr.

Why? Because I get the impression that Runeard would have thought that dolls, regardless of dolls being depicted as male or female, were only for girls, not boys. Therefore, I think he would have been outraged by the idea of his own son playing with a doll. Heck, Runeard probably also would have thought that boys who do or once did play with dolls are weak and inept, and thus are not or never would be real men. If he had truly hoped to mold Agnarr into the same cold, ruthless man/king he was, then I have no doubt Runeard would have seen Agnarr as weak for owning and playing with a doll, and taken Sir JorgenBjorgen away from him.

But there’s more to it than just that; as mentioned by a line in the prologue of the Frozen II novelization and an almost verbatim line quote by Agnarr in Dangerous Secrets, during the gathering in the Enchanted Forest, Agnarr knows that his father wanted him to act like a royal figure instead of a boy. In other words, even though Agnarr was 14 and still legally a child, Runeard only saw his son as a prince rather than as a person, and always wanted him to act royally only. He did not want him to act or behave like a normal person, meaning he never wanted Agnarr to act like a non-monarch, and thus, like a child, ever.

Therefore, Runeard additionally wouldn’t have wanted Agnarr to have Sir JorgenBjorgen because he would think that owning a doll is childish and Agnarr was not supposed to behave like a child even when he was one.

However, if Runeard discovered Sir JorgenBjorgen after Rita left, I don't think he would have simply hid it away with everything else; I think he would have burned it or permanently disposed of it through some other means.

Now why do I think Runeard would go such an extreme measure, you may ask? Because it would have been a guaranteed way for him to completely deny Agnarr any memories of Rita and sever anything that tied him to her. Agnarr had said that after his mother disappeared, his father constantly scolded and shouted at him for crying and being sad about her absence. This shows that Runeard had a total lack of sympathy for his son’s sadness (just as he did for Rita when she became so depressed over missing her home) and a ruthless determination, if not obsession, to get Agnarr to completely forget about Rita.

I feel it's one thing for Runeard to have locked away all the things that belonged to or reminded him of Rita so he could forget about her himself, and another for him to immediately banish anyone who spoke her name so that his people would attempt to forget her, too. But if he discovered anything that linked her to their son? Again, based on how he coldly chastised Agnarr for wallowing in sadness over Rita when she was gone, it is crystal clear to me that Runeard wanted Agnarr to forget her, too. Therefore, he would have had Sir JorgenBjorgen destroyed just so that Agnarr would have absolutely nothing left of her.

But luckily, Runeard never knew about Sir JorgenBjorgen, and Gerda successfully hid it from him before returning it to Agnarr when he was an adult.

And then years later, Agnarr gave the doll to Elsa to keep her company during her separation from Anna.

While we have yet to know what Rita was like, what she looked like, or what became of her when she fled the kingdom, at least we know there is still a keepsake and reminder of her in Arendelle Castle. And even though Elsa is no longer the queen of Arendelle, I am hoping that Sir JorgenBjorgen will become a childhood toy for one or more Anna’s children and any other future descendants of the former queen of Arendelle.

While Runeard won’t be fondly remembered by his family due to the revelation of his betrayal to the Northuldra, what little they know about Rita will be forever cherished through Sir JorgenBjorgen. 😄😉

[justinunlocd]

STORY TIME!!!

When I was in the sixth grade, I started playing in band. We had two days to look at the band and orchestra instruments, and for some reason percussion chose me; probably because of the few years before playing in Mr. Kevin Downie’s Orff Ensemble. If my memory serves me correct, Mrs. Carolyn Valiquette, my band director at the time, assigned us the task of writing a short piece for our band with a classmate; I was partnered with John Case. We wrote this piece called “Immortal,” and she liked it so much, we were able to play it at the last sixth grade band concert. I remember my older brother and grandmother being there to watch me play...

Later in middle school, eight grade year actually, I played a little solo at contest and got a “I” rating on it. It was a Handel violin sonata in F and Mrs. Celeste Smith gave me the opportunity to play it during the last band concert. I remember distinctly saying, right before I was about to play, “you ain’t gon say something?” She chuckled and obliged me a short introduction about me working on that piece and how proud she was of me. I was elated...

Ninth grade was the start of high school, which meant marching band, and I was playing snare drum with Amy, Drew, Pauline and Collin. That was the same year I started working on four-mallet technique and went to play in the front ensemble the next year. Sophomore year was also the same year the Derby High School Wind Ensemble was severed to play at KMEA. That year, I made it into the top band and was one of the four percussionists featured on our performance of David R. Gillingham’s “Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble.” That was such a fun piece! I got to play this chromatic xylophone part in unison with Jason Lord. Glenn Woolard and Pauline Kennedy were the other feature soloists. That was probably the highlight of my high school music experience honestly, at least on the concert percussion side...

Then we get to Twelve Grade, I audition for the solo competition with the Wichita Youth Symphony. Unfortunately I only get a runner-up spot because [redacted] although I had the better performance of the excerpt I chose, Ney Rosauro’s “Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra No. 2.” However, it would only be a few years later I would be able to play the piece’s first movement, and cutting in the cadenza from the third, with the WSU Symphony Orchestra as a soloist for their Concerto-Aria Competition. That was Junior Year, and don’t we love a good vindication story?...

But I’m getting ahead of myself, sophomore year of college was the year I had a realignment of my purpose, and for the first time, chose to purposefully and intentionally move in that direction. It was November 22, 2010. We had a percussion ensemble concert that night, with guest artist, the one and only, and Wichita State University School of Music Alum, Kevin Bobo! We played his piece “Boboland,” where I got to play on the same marimba as him for a moment, it was hilarious and I still remember that moment fondly...

Funny enough, I was still an engineering major Sophomore year. At the same time, I was leaving my Physics class early to go to steel band rehearsal, and skipping Statics altogether to hang out with Patrick, Da’Kneisha and Sparkle LOL. It wasn’t until the end of that concert, where my mom sent me a text message that said something to the effect of, “if you change your major to music, we support you,” and so I decided to change my major to music, and also choose to put my pursuit of happiness above everything else...

Oh yeah, and then the percussion ensemble I was in, Impulse Percussion Group, won second place in the Konrad Wolff-Ilse Bing Chamber Music Competition to a bit of controversy à la “is percussion a chamber group/instrument...” yup, even in 2013, that was a scandal that we even participated, let alone placed...

Then for my second senior year, I finally played my senior recital and graduated college with my music degree. I already had a job setup at my church that I went into full-time one week after I graduated. (I do NOT recommend jumping from college immediately into job, it was a horrible mistake, but life happens fast.) I worked as the music director for the church for only three years before I realized my mental health was taking a toll. I became less of myself when I was at the office, I despised having to appear busy when I already completed my daily tasks (especially when I asked my supervisor for work to do, because according to him, “no one here has down time,” and he had nothing for me to do...) anyway, while on Facebook, I saw a post for an emergency percussion GTA position at WSU and I immediately contacted my old percussion professor, Jerry Scholl, on what I needed to submit to apply. Within a few weeks, I worked up the excerpts, recorded them all, and was accepted to begin my masters degree at WSU. And yes, I was fleeing a toxic work environment...

Cut to August 13, 2020. I’ve graduated with my Masters in Music. I’m a year and some change out of school and still only working gigs as to not get into a 9-5/M-F job. I’ve started modeling seriously and got signed to not one, but two agencies. But my focus wasn’t honed in with music, what do I seriously do with this degree and the accomplishments I’ve earned and worked for after college? And then I reconnected with my old best friend Da’Kneisha Nikoyle Blount. We had a conversation the day before and also on the day of our friend’s wedding. We talked about how we should do music again, we just talked about it, almost in jest, but also in a reminiscence. Who knew what we got ourselves into...

Our first music video.

Then a few articles here and there.

An inauguration.

Then a billboard.

An MLK event.

Contacted for a premiere piece.

Then our first concert.

A benefit concert.

A church service.

Recording in the studio.

A fundraising event.

A video shoot...

And now, as of May 5, 2021, I’ve performed and premiered my first wind symphony piece as a member of @tupacmeetsbach with @dnikoyle. The piece is called, “Stained with Beauty - for Solo Soprano, Solo Marimba, Wind Ensemble and Choir” and is an elaboration and development of the original song written by Da’Kneisha. The piece comprises of four movements, and is roughly 25 minutes in length. This piece is our baby and as Renee would say, “one of the most honest and innovative music projects.” I’m so thankful to all the musicians who rehearsed for months to make this performance happen!

Thank you to Dr. Timothy Shade for reaching out to us and providing us an ensemble to realize this piece. Thank you to the choir who became a nice supportive background for Da’Kneisha. Thank you to the stage techs and sound engineers for filming and recording this premiere. Thank you to my parents for financially supporting me during the pandemic to allow me to sustain while working fervently on this piece. And a special thank you to my best friend and partner in rhyme, Da’Kneisha, for your heart, your mind, and your friendship!❤️❤️❤️

Y’all have really made my dreams come true and I can’t wait to start working on the next piece already!!!

[dayswithoutdes]

December TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE

Three years.

Three years since my last post.

They say a lot can happen in a year, but even more so when it's 3x that.

Des from December 2018. I remember you. Fondly? Not quite.

2018 was the year of Firsts. All of those damn firsts after losing my son Silas. All the what-ifs burned into my memory.

To top off the cake, when I was already feeling so low - my beloved Beagle Daisy passed away the same month she turned 11 years old. And after that I said fuck it. Fuck everything.

I quit my well paying bio-tech job (I was a buyer so nothing too fancy) and I bought an $800 annual pass to Disneyland and just grieved.

Grieved the life I thought I should have been living. Grieved the fact that I was a mom yet no kid to physically prove that to the world. Grieved the fact that my fur baby and biggest companion had just said goodbye.

Too many fucking goodbyes.

I was in agony.

BUT I was also trying towards becoming me again. I knew then that I couldn't be the me before all this loss swallowed me up and spat me out. Sticky and a mess on the floor. But I knew I needed to pick myself up. Gather what was left of who I was and find another version of me. Even if just for prosperity.

Each day I was not living. But merely surviving. But I can tell you that surviving and living begin to look and feel the same and the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years they all go by the same.

2019 brought new change. Not only was I back in school to finish my Business Administration degree (still not quite there), I was actually getting A's in Math which is a first for me. I was working out my junior college at the same time and slowly acclimating myself with people and finding my new normal. But alas new normals don't always stick and I had to stop going to school for what feels like the bajillion time, so that I could finally get an apartment with my husband.

I quit school and my part-time job and got a job at Google. Before you think, damn that's fancy - I worked at the medical facility contracted with Google by boy was it fun. But before starting there, I went one last time to Disneyland in March of 2019 (who knew that it would be my last before a stupid virus took over the world).

April 2019 I started my new job.

May 2019 We move into our 1st apartment.

May 2019 I went on my very first business trip to another state (Arizona) for the same job.

May 2019 A week later, I too my surprise, find out that after 14 months of infertility (second infertility and grieving is a bitch) that I am PREGNANT.

June 2019 This is my birthday month but also the month that three days before my birthday I lost Silas. My biggest thing was I couldn't wait to be pregnant and celebrate my birthday and in 2017 I was robbed of that. So silently without anyone knowing the news yet, we had a small celebration to celebrate Silas and my birthday and praying, every day praying that the baby inside of me would be able to celebrate with us for many years to come.

July 2019 we go to visit our best friend in San Diego and surprise him with our news, we're going to have another baby. Were we terrified to share the news outloud after what happened with Silas, yes, but also we wanted to remain hopeful and not rob our baby of celebrating them. Regardless of what the outcome would be.

October 2019 I'm put on bedrest and I have a rescue cerclage placed to keep my cervix from opening to soon again.

November 23 2019 I go into active labor, cervix is still sewn shut and cerclage doing it's job but little baby girl wants out.

November 24 2019 Our daughter Marley is born - 9 weeks early but she's perfect. I don't get time with her after birth because she's rushed to the NICU immediately.

39 days in the NICU. No big complications at all. Our daughter is the definition of resilience and strength.

January 2 2020 we get to take her home.

March 2020 The world shuts down because of the pandemic. We're scared because we have a newborn but also grateful to have Dad home with us for the first few months of Marley at home.

We all know how this pandemic is going so no need to recap.

But in between, there was a lot of learning, a lot of growing, a lot of NOT sleeping but also a lot of love.

My grief is still with me. I can be elated for the baby I have in my arms and grieve the baby I wish was with us still.

Marley is the sweetest little girl. She was recently diagnosed as globally delayed. We definitely account the pandemic for her lack of interaction with people and lack of awareness of the world.

But also having her diagnosed on the spectrum is more a blessing than a curse. We now know what we need to do to help her be able to communicate in this terrifying world.

A lot of time has passed. I'm sure I didn't capture a lot of things but to me those are the biggest highlights since my last post.

All is well and all is not. That's a life of a griever. I am blessed either way. Hope you all are surviving each day and still holding love in your hearts for better days ahead.

[airmanisr]

North American Harvard IIb ‘992-ER’ (G-BDAM) by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: c/n 14-726 Built in 1943 by Noorduyn in Canada. Officially she was an AT-16-ND with the allocated US military serial 42-12479, but was actually delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Harvard IIb with the British military serial FE992. She served in Canada from April 1943 to November 1946 and was then transported to Sweden for the Royal Swedish Air Force. In Sweden she was given the serial Fv16047 and the type designation Sk.16A. She was in Swedish service until 1972 when she was sold off and became LN-MAA in Norway. She came to the UK in 1975 and went on the British civil register as G-BDAM. Painted in a WW2 style RAF camouflage, she then became a regular airshow performer, including as part of the fondly remembered ‘Harvard Formation Team’. She was sold to Canada in 2003, repainted in an RCAF colour scheme and put on the Canadian civil register as C-GFLR. She returned to the UK in 2016 and is now operated as part of the ‘Classic Wings’ pleasure flying fleet, still wearing her Canadian colours. Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, UK. 17th October 2020

[moonprincessdiviniation]

NCT 127 Past/Future Love Lives (1 of 2)

Date read and posted: November 10th, 2020

DISCLAIMER: readings concerning kpop/celebrities/YouTubers are just for fun and hold no fact.

I had to split this up into two posts because of the amount of members in this subunit. I've also omitted their current love lives because that goes against my guidelines. I hope that's okay!💜

Taeil

Past: His past relationships were very hurtful, they didn't end respectfully. Harsh words were spoken and they ended swiftly. Ties were cut and no reconciliation was offered. But it's what changed him into who he is, so we should be thankful they taught him how to grow into a better person.

Future: His future love life will show him how to appreciate the little things and take things slowly. They'll show him how to enjoy their time together and how to make a long lasting connection.

Taeyong

Past: Taeyong's past relationships are non existent! I wasn't picking up that energy, he was more focused on being financially stable and hardworking. He was career driven, not love focused.

Future: His future relationship is full of passion and love for one another. He's going to be focusing on the physical connection with his partner. But that doesn't mean it'll be his only focus. I'm seeing a lot of intimacy in small touches, hugs and cuddling. The softer side.

Johnny

Past: He had so much intense energy and change in his past relationships. It was a really troubling and growing experience for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was deeply hurt in the past by an ex and that's why he now looks at love differently. What he looks for is different than before.

Future: I really believe that Johnny has a twin flame union awaiting him. Which would explain why he's been through so much heartbreak and change in love. His future relationship will remind him of those little things that connect you with your person. A very soft and strong connection with openness for both involved.

Yuta

Past: I really think Yuta had a childhood crush or relationship with a close friend. It was a very soft connection, the kind you have in middle school with stolen cheek kisses and dandelion flowers. It didn't last long, but it's something he remembers fondly and wants to recreate with his future relationships.

Future: Yuta's future relationships will show him how to be grateful for everyone and everything inside the connection. He'll be more mindful of the days spent together instead of the days missed.

Doyoung

Past: His card really threw me off, the only thing I can think of is that he had options as a kid. But it never felt genuine to him, he could never really fully trust someone. So he chose to walk alone instead of fighting for something that didn't feel right initially.

Future: I love his card, because it shows that energy he's held onto from the past will go away in the future connections. He'll learn to accept help and support from those that care about him. He'll learn to embrace the best from both sides and connect, really trust unlike the past.

[thelargefrye]

E3 SHOWCASE EVENT HOSTED BY JOY.

hello and welcome to largefrye’s conference here at e3. i’m park sooyoung and i’ll be your host for this event.

today, you will be shown a great lineup of games that our team has been working on recently. we have many new one-shots and collections for everyone to enjoy.

sequel to “senses” available on daybreak collection. here’s the trailer to dangerous.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── all he brings is sorrow in his wake.

hongjoong stumbles threw the apartment door in a slight daze. all the lights but the living room lamp were off and he wonders if you had already went to bed. how weird, he thinks, you usually wait for him to come home, but he shoves that thought away in favor of getting a drink from the kitchen.

he smells another scent lingering apart from yours and his wolf immediately catches on to it. he didn’t want another wolf around you, leaving their scent in what was his home, but hongjoong could care less. he knew that you wouldn’t leave him, not after the heartache you suffered after your first meeting. 

hongjoong makes his way to your shared bedroom, attempting to be quiet in case you were asleep. but when he opens the bedroom door, he is met with nothing but an empty bed. 

“y/n?” he is answered with silence and he feels something in the pit of his stomach turn as he starts to look all over the apartment for you. he does find that some of your things are missing. then that lingering scent came crashing on his senses and he felt a sudden rage course through him. 

you left with wooyoung. he took you from him. you’re his mate, not wooyoung’s. his jaw is clenched, hard, and he feels ten times more sober than when he walked into the apartment. wooyoung had no right of taking you from him. 

turning, hongjoong immediately makes his way towards the front door before slamming it behind him as he makes his way towards wooyoung’s place.

coming november 2020.

introduced originally as “project psycho” back in march. a new installment in the polyteez franchise, desire.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── after meeting the eight men in the club, you soon become entangled in their world. whether you like it or not. 

“what happened?” you gasped in shock as you saw yeosang enter the house basically carrying san on his back. the latter of the two all beaten and bloodied.

yeosang carried san over and dropped him onto the nearest couch. san let out a groan as he opened his eyes to see you leaning over him. 

“i must be in heaven because there’s no way hell would allow me to see my beautiful y/n,” san groans as he reaches to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear.

“you’re not dead, you overdramatic asshole. at least not yet,” yeosang spits out with a glare and tries his best to fix his now slightly dirty suit.

“what happened, sanggie?” you ask turning to the slightly older male with a concerned look, however yeosang doesn’t appear to be all that worried about what happened to him and san.

“the meeting was a trap,” yeosang says before he leaves and comes back with a first aid kit. 

you help san sit up as you take off his blazer and unbuttoned his shirt and move it to the side to look at his wounds.

“a trap? like a set up?” you ask and both males nod. san lets out a hiss when your hand gently touches one of his wounds. 

“ah, baby, be carefully. i’m fragile.” yeosang lets out a snort from behind you. you feel the couch dip just slightly from behind as yeosang sits down and starts to watch as you treat san’s wounds.

“i’m sorry that happened, loves. is there anything i can do to help?”

“not unless you know where bangtan’s base is,” yeosang says.

“bangtan?” you mumble, the name sounds familiar but you can’t quite remember from where. “why does that sound familiar?”

“maybe you heard us talking about them in the past,” san suggest, but you know that’s not it. you shake your head before putting a hand to your head in a thinking pose as you try to remember.

“oh i know!” you quickly get up and run up to your room digging through your draw before pulling out the small business card and running back downstairs where you had left the two males. “here,” you say handing the business card to yeosang who takes it and starts to look at it as you go back to treating san. 

“w-what? how did you get this?”

“you remember when i went out with my friends a few weeks ago to that fancy restaurant?” both males nod, “well this guy came up to me and started talking to me, and before i left he gave me this. apparently he owned the restaurant.”

“oh, my sweet angel!” san says bringing you down to crash his lips on his making you laugh and smile into the kiss. 

“does this mean i get to help you guys?” you ask, hopefully.

“maybe,” yeosang says as he looks down at the card his hand. they might actually have a chance to win against bangtan for once.

coming november 2020.

our next game is our first installment into a new series called “love montage.” the first game “blue ocean” is set around three main characters, hongjoong, y/n, and seonghwa. you take the role as each of those characters and decide whether they end up together or apart.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── seonghwa is happy with his life. he just moved into his own apartment, he’s going strong in his two year relationship with his girlfriend, and he’s passing all his classes. nothing could be better for him. well, that is until he catches a glimpse of what actual happiness and love is in the form of his two neighbors.

or a story about seonghwa questioning if he is truly happy with his life, and you and hongjoong are there to help answer those questions.

seonghwa rest his head in your lap, looking up at you lazily as you run a hand through his newly dyed hair. hongjoong is spread out beside you both with a smile on his as he looks at you both fondly. his brightly and newly dyed blue hair a stark contrast to the cream bedsheets. 

“thanks for helping me dye my hair,” seonghwa says making you smile down at him. hongjoong reaches over for his hand and brings it up to his lips to kiss the older male’s knuckles before he holds his hand against his chest.

“no need to thank us, love. y/n has helped me dye my hair so many times that it must be nice to do someone else’s for a change,” hongjoong teases making you laugh at your boyfriend.

“your black hair will be missed, but this new color is so nice and pretty! it really fits you, hwa!” you say with a smile. 

“why don’t you play with my hair like that?” hongjoong pouts as he playfully smacks your leg.

“oh hush, you big baby. i play with your hair all the time,” you reply as you return the playfully smack, but to his chest as that was closet thing you could reach.

seonghwa can’t help but smile and laugh at you and hongjoong and goes to sit up. you watch him with curious eyes as he leans in to kiss you. you hum into the kiss and before you can depend it, seonghwa pulls away. you pout before watching as seonghwa leans over hongjoong and kisses the male as well. 

"i love you both so much,” he says after he pulled away from hongjoong, who sat up beside you.

“we love you, too, hwa,” hongjoong says as he runs a hand through the older’s hair. the both of them smiling at each other before turning to you, who was happily watching the both of them.

“i can tell.”

coming november 2020.

“project satire” is still in the early stages of development. anything seen is subject to change and does not fully represent the final project.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

"alright, guys, we have to come up with an idea for this trailer,” smalls says standing at the end of the makeshift conference table.

“what trailer?” mingi ask, completely caught off guard by what smalls had just said.

“our trailer. for our new game we’re working on,” she explains further.

“which one? you have like thirty?” san says causing smalls to just stare at him.

“san, go stand in the corner.”

“but i don’t want to stand in the corner.”

“go stand in the corner!” san only grumbled as he stood up from his chair and walked over to one of the few corners in the room. clapping her hands together, smalls gathers everyone’s attention once more. “alright, so let’s get back on track. ideas, anyone got anything?”

“what game is this for?” yeosang asked.

“project satire.”

“why is it called project satire?” yunho asked confused as to why it was still being called the project name.

“because i don’t have an actual name for it yet, so its project satire until further notice,” smalls explains.

“wait... so project satire isn’t the final name?”

“no, mingi, project satire is not the final name. can we please forget the name and focus on the trailer!?”

“wait a minute,” you say causing everyone to look over at you. “does this mean i have to wear a sundress?”

“correction, sundresses,” smalls says putting emphasis on the ‘es’ of the word. 

“hey smalls,” seonghwa begins looking directly into the camera before turning to look at the young woman, “why is there a camera in here?”

“what?” she says, before looking over at the camera that had been filming them the entire time, “oh right. i forgot that this meeting was suppose to be the trailer.”

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── your sister and two best friends fake a bunch of love letters and send them to all the guys you had past crushes on in an attempt to help you finally gain a love life and to let you experience what little time of high school you have left.

“y/n...” jiah’s voice trails off as she and gahyeon watched you sit at your desk from your bed. chaeyoung was standing in the doorway as they all waited for you to say – or do – anything. 

“y/n look, we didn’t mean for this all to happen. we just... you had been looking so depressed lately and we thought that maybe if you got out and talked to more people... that maybe it would cheer you up.”

“i know,” is all you said still refusing to look at any of them. you know they were just trying to help you get out there more, but with everything that happened with san... you just wanted to be left alone. 

you just wanted to be left alone for the rest of eternity. you feel so embarrassed knowing that san is probably with some of the other guys, laughing at how stupid you must have looked and how much of a loser you are for actually thinking he might have liked you. 

“i’m a fucking clown,” you say out loud, tears welling up as you took a deep breath.

“you’re a clown! san is an asshole for playing you along like that!” gahyeon said, standing up from your bed. fist clenched as she waved in the air, probably to an imaginary san. 

“sis...” chaeyoung finally speaks up after staying silent since coming home and finding you like this. “i’m sorry for causing all of this. i just tho–

“it’s okay, chae. i know you guys didn’t mean any harm,” you cut her off, finally turning to look at your two friends and sister. your eyes were slightly glassy, but you quickly blinked and wiped them away.

suddenly you all hear the doorbell ring and chaeyoung is quick to dash out of your room and run down the hall where she quietly watches her father go and open the door.

“hi, can i help you?”

“hi, um, i was wondering if y/n lived her?” your sister’s eyes widened when she catches a glimpse of the guy at the door and quickly dashes back to your room to tell you who’s at the door.

“guys, guys! you’ll never believe who’s at the door!!”

“who?” jiah and gahyeon ask in unison, now the both of them are standing up and looking at your sister curiously.

“hongjoong,” the name left your own lips before your sister who get it out and she looks at you in curiosity before realizing you are now standing up from your chair. chaeyoung turns around to see the older male standing behind her. she then notices the light pink envelope in his hand.

“hey, art buddy.” 

coming november 2020.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── after running away from your old pack with your mate, seonghwa. the two of you find a new home with a new pack... and your seven remaining fated mates.

“what are you doing, yunho?” you ask with a laugh as the tall male rubs his nose against your neck. you were currently walking down the hallway to the bathroom, having just gotten up when the beta had appeared behind you and trapped you in his arms.

“you smell so good. i can’t help it,” he says before kissing your neck making you let out another laugh at how it tickled slightly.

“well you need to let me go, so i can go pee,” you said trying to nudge him away from you, but his grip only tightened.

“i don’t mind watching,” he says and you make disgusted face.

“no, ew, don’t be gross. the bathroom is for my privacy and alone time.”

“we have alone time in there together.”

“yunho i’m being serious,” you say and finally he lets go with an exaggerated sigh. “don’t sigh at me you big baby. i think wooyoung is in the kitchen so go cuddle him.”

“don’t think this is over between me and you,” he says before turning away and running down the hall and to where you presume wooyoung is in the kitchen.

walking the rest of the way to the bathroom you open the door and you’re surprised to see jongho already inside.

“oh, i’m sorry jongho i didn’t know you where in here,” you say, feeling a little flustered at walking in on him.

“it’s fine. i’m done anyway,” he says and you step aside in order to let him out. when you walk into the bathroom, you’re about to close the door when jongho stops you and steps back into the bathroom.

“what’s wrong?” jongho doesn’t answer but instead pulls you to him as he shoves his face into your neck. “j-jongho! what are you doing?”

“you smell really good.”

“oh, not you too. what is wrong with you guys?” you let out a sigh before pushing jongho away. the youngest pouts before pulling you to him one last time to kiss before running away leaving you confused.

you roll your eyes before closing the door and you manage to get halfway through your morning routine before a knock sounds on the door. you open it, toothbrush hanging out of your, to be greeted by the sight of seonghwa.

“morning, love,” he says stepping inside the bathroom and closing the door behind him. you turn on the water in the sink as a way to drown out the awkward sound of him peeing.

“why couldn’t you use the other bathroom? you know the bathroom is my alone time,” you whine, hitting his arm as you step aside to let him use the sink.

seonghwa only laughs at you before leaning down and kissing your cheek. his face lingers close to yours before he moves down to bury his face in your neck like yunho and jongho had did previously.

“why do you smell so good?” he asks, pressing his body up against yours as a way to feel closer to you.

“i don’t know, but yunho and jongho did the exact same thing,” you say and you watch seonghwa lift his head up thanks to the mirror in front of you. 

“they did?” you nod and you can tell he’s thinking due to the expression on his face. “hm, is your heat starting soon?”

“i don’t think so.”

“well i guess we should just be carefully for the next few days,” he says and you nod your head before finishing brushing your teeth and kissing seonghwa on his the cheek before leaving the bathroom and heading down stairs.

coming november 2020.

“the love that kills you inside” is a new game in an upcoming three part series, star hero.

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

── you and yeosang were nothing more than a business relationship. he was your group’s manager, and you were one of his idols he had to manage, but now after a scandal the two of you are brought closer together.

“are you dating yeosang-oppa?” luna’s voice is full of concern as her and the other two girls look at you. you had just gotten back from spending time with the older man when you saw the three of them sitting on the couch, waiting for you.

“um... maybe,” you answer, your stomach starts to sink at the thought of what could happen to you both if they told the ceo. 

“y/n... do you realize what could happen if this kind of news got out?” luna asked and you slowly nodded, head dropping to look at your feet.

“i... i’m sorry, guys. my feelings... i couldn’t stop them. he really helped me after everything that happened with soojin,” you explained, you felt your palms start to sweat and your heart was racing even faster than when you confessed to yeosang. “me and him, we know the risk and we’re being careful.”

“guys, i haven’t seen y/n this happy in a long time. maybe her and yeosang-oppa should date,” dia spoke up and you looked up at her in surprise. you are meet with her kind gaze and you feel yourself tear up.

“do you love him?” taehee asks and you nod your head without a second thought. “i thought so. i’ve been noticing the lingering gazes you give each other.

“how long have you guys been going out?” luna asks with a tilt of her head.

“four months,” you say with a shy smile thinking about all the times you’ve spent with yeosang.

“well i guess you have four months of catching us up on what your relationship has been like,” she replies with her big sister smile that she always gives you. you nod your head as you rush over to join them on the couch as you begin to tell them everything about your relationship.

coming november 2020.

“project gxxd boy” is still in the early stages of development. anything seen is subject to change and does not fully represent the final project

── the following you are about to see is a game still in the early stages of development. everything is subject to change.

"do you miss them?” yeosang’s voice is quiet as the two of you lay next to each other on his bed. the random movie flashing on the tv being forgotten and now only acting as a source of light for you both. 

“i don’t know. at the time when i was with them, i was so in love with both of them, but i was so lonely. yewon got both mingi and mine’s attention and she would always get upset if either of us acknowledged the other. i thought it was normal because i had never been in a poly relationship before and i figured that since she was the reason for our relationship, then she got the most attention.”

“but that isn’t how a relationship works. you and mingi ended up connecting only when she wasn’t there, right?”

“yeah... i thought maybe he was actually interested in me and loved me like i loved him, but that wasn’t it. he just wanted someone to occupy him while yewon was gone. i think walking in on them after being stood up by him made me finally realize how unhealthy the relationship was for me, no matter how much i loved them.”

yeosang turns on his side in order to look at you. you turned your head to look at him, curious as to why he changed positions.

“i’m glad you left them. they don’t deserve you, wooyoung would always tell me how he hated the relationship you were and how unfair it was for you,” he says making you smile gratefully at him.

“thanks yeosang.”

and that has been largefrye at e3, i would like to thank everyone for watching and please look forward to all these amazing games coming in the future!

[maos2013]

AO3 stats

I was tagged by several you guys! @aleksandrachaev @justanalto and @loved-the-stars-too-fondly

I joined AO3 in July 2017, but only started posting work in November of that year for a Philinda Big Bang I was participating in. I took a few big breaks between then and now though.

What are your five most popular works of all time? (starting with the most kudos)

Everything’s Changing (WIP) - canon divergent after s4. Philinda and Philindaisy. Coming in first with 243 kudos.

We’ve Come a Long Way from Where We Began - My first work on AO3, coming in a close second with 242 kudos. (written for the aforementioned Philinda Big Bang)

Lean On Me - Cowritten with @sapphicsgaia.233 kudos. alternate take on 7x08 with MayDaisy instead of Mayo. Idek if we finished this one or not. Whoops?

A Bad *Axe* Birthday - A sweet lil MayDaisy bday fic written for @agentmmayy for an exchange in 2019. :) 153 kudos.

The Agents of Shield have an Internet Family Plan - co-written with a bunch of folks as an RP on a group chat. lots of fun to do and even more fun to read!! 130 kudos.

What are your five least popular works? (starting with the least kudos)

The Unimaginable - Post Bahrain May angst. 15 Kudos

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime - post s7 Christmas fluff. 21 kudos.

Pillowforts - Not really pillowforts, but all my brain  could  make from a Philinda pillowfort prompt for @immhungry. 21 kudos.

Stay Alive, That Would Be Enough - written for the angst war. An alternate take on swayed Daisy. 29 kudos.

The Red Bikini- Philinda on Tahiti. Should I say more? 32 kudos.

Are you surprised about any of these lists?

Well, yeah and no. Some of the ones I’m most proud of (The Unimaginable and Stay Alive were two of my absolute favorites I’ve ever written, but were in the bottom 5. They’re also much newer, so it kind of makes sense.) 

Optional, if you want to calculate it (remember that ao3 will count all the words in a multichap towards the year it is completed, regardless of how much was actually posted that year): How many words did you publish in 2020?

Added it up,and it’s nearly 64k. Which is a lot for me, especially considering I didn’t write all that much for the first half of the year..

What’s a favorite fic you published this year?

Why would you ask me this? How do I pick? There are several that I stepped out of my comfort zone to do, several that just were written with the help of a muse, and several that were just fun. 

I guess I’d say The Unimaginable because it was good angst, even if I do say so myself.

How do you feel like you’ve improved as a writer this year?

As I said, I’ve stepped out of my usual comfort zone. Especially by writing smut. I mean. Never thought I’d do that if, I’m honest. 

What is something new you did writing-wise in the past year? (new fandom, pairing, setting, genre, collab, etc)

I. Wrote. A. Smut. Fic. What?!?!?!  When I’m Bad I’m Better was the only smut I’ve written so far, but...I’m impressed by myself for even attempting to write it lol 

What is something writing-related you would like to try in the future? (check back at the end of the year and see if you did it!)

I want to try to branch out with my fandoms. I’ve been watching a lot of T100 (thanks, El.) so I might want to try something from that? Although, my fave ship and character are both dead now, so... we will see. 

Today’s date, so you can see how your results might change if you do this again in a year.

January 1, 2021

No idea who’s done this other than the people who tagged me, but I’m just gonna pick a few of my usual people to tag lol

@sapphicsgaia @herosofmarvelanddc @browneyedgenius and anyone else who posts on AO3 that wants to do this!