#american (awards) or korean or other

[applejongho]

like if fandoms could all hold hands and sing kumbaya...

[cloveroctobers]

JAMES EARL JONES

James Earl Jones was an American actor known for his iconic voice acting roles and for his work in theater. Over his career, he received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi in 1931, he had a stutter since childhood. Jones said that poetry and acting helped him overcome the challenges of his disability. A pre-med major in college, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Claudine (1974). Jones gained international fame for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the original 1977 film. Jones' other notable roles include in Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1993), and The Lion King (1994). Jones reprised his roles in Star Wars media, The Lion King (2019), and Coming 2 America (2021).

He was described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen, and "one of the greatest actors in American history.”

( January 17th, 1931 — September 9th, 2024)

Rest well.

[thanosscross]

Choi Seung Hyun/T.O.P x english speaking reader who try to learn korean for him but fails at first cause learning knew language is hard ?

Yess! I love this idea!! I just hope you don't mind a little twist added! This was just too cute and I just had to make it into a series!!<333 So with Reader also being a performer, just think along the lines of Brittney Spears vibes, just younger :0

All for show 1/? - Choi Seung Hyun/T.O.P x Amercian! Pop-Star! Reader

Summary: After meeting at an award show, Seung Hyun notices international pop-star, Y/n L/n was mainly all for show in the spotlight.

Warnings: Your manager is 100% a dick in this, him trying to sexualize the reader before Seung Hyun fixes it for you <3

Whenever you were invited to guest perform at a music awards show, you were excited to accept the offer, you were in your off year from tours, and shows, so you were itching to get back on stage. You always loved being on stage, it wasn't that you loved attention, or were fame hungry, quite the opposite, actually. You just loved doing what you found fun, and that was dancing and singing, while also having fun with fans during your shows, your agency, just liked to make it look like you were hungry for the attention and male gaze.

Flying to America for one of their award shows, was odd for the boys, not knowing they had actually been nominated for one of the 'highest streaming' awards, The four were excited, practically bouncing around in their seats as they went over show plans and the line-up for the award show. "Holy shit, They're going to have the one girl there, uh!..Shit! Seung Hyun's favorite person to dance to while drunk!" Tae-Yang shouted, trying his best to think of your name "Y/n L/n!" Ji-Yong smiled, having multiple of your songs in his playlist, he didn't care if your choreography and songs didn't fit into the usual K-pop female music, yours diving way more into sexual topics and themes, but you weren't in K-pop, you were an American singer, meaning you could get away with a lot more. "I bet she's awesome in person! Have you seen her on stage!?" Dae-Sung gasped, leaning over the first class seat, looking at the line-up that Tae-Yang had pulled up.

As you walked into the giant room, you'd be performing and rehearsing in, you smiled brightly "I'm so excited! I just hope management approved the outfits I submitted" You said excitedly, holding your best friend's hand tightly, she was actually your assistant, but who cared? You were around each other enough to be considered best friends. "I'm sorry, Y/n..." She whispered, motioning to your dressing room, you sighed walking back to see the clothing rack sitting proudly in the center of the room, of course they wouldn't approve it, why would you ever be allowed to wear pants? You pouted walking over to the rack, your face twisting with disgust as you saw the extremely short spandex shorts, rhinestones and colored jewels covering the cheap fabric underneath, paired with nothing but basically a bra covered in the same rhinestones and jewels. Moving it to the side, you felt a little better, seeing somewhat of a bodysuit, the only difference being, the pant legs of it being cut off into the same shortness as the shorts from before, at least this time you would have more coverage up top.

Making your way to your rehearsals, you waved to the sound workers, making sure your microphone was taped down on your cheek securely, before making your way onto the stage, nodding your head to the intro of your song "Are we doing full effort? Or just running through?" You asked softly, looking towards the stage manager and your manager "Let's just do full effort, You haven't performed in over six months? You're rusty" He replied, you just shot him a glare, rolling your eyes before starting your choreography, singing softly with your backtrack that played through the speakers at the side of the stage.

The boys tried their best to calmly walk inside, jumping up and down for a moment in excitement as they heard music echoing from down the hall, as they made their way closer, following the stage tech to the giant room, Seung Hyun's eyes immediately landing on you as you made your way down to the edge of the stage. You were more breathtaking in person, even in a loose hoodie and sweatpants, you still danced and dropped to the ground like it was absolutely nothing for you. As the music played in the background, allowing you a moment to catch your breath, you just continued to jump along to it, throwing your arms up as the beat faded out. The four boys quickly clapped loudly, bowing towards you as you turned your attention to them "Oh my god! I didn't know other people were here! I'm so sorry! I knew we should've just ran through it like usual" You apologized before turning to scold your manager, the boys just chuckled and protested "No! No! You're okay! That was amazing!" Seung Hyun argued, Dae-Sung smiling and nodding in agreement "Yea, we just got here! We're big fans!" He smiled, causing Seung Hyun to lightly smack his arm, not wanting to blow his cover of acting cool around you. "Awe! Thank you! I've heard your guys' music too, I have it in all of my workout playlists" You giggled, stepping down off of the stage, ignoring your managers protests that you still had one more song to run before you could run off. "BigBang right? Ji-Yong...Dae-Sung, Tae-Yang, and....Do you prefer Top or Seung Hyun?" You giggled, recalling their names the best you could, watching as each boy blushed brightly as your name fell from their lips. Each boy had their own crush on you for different reasons, but all of them fell almost under the same category, your confidence, especially whenever it came to your music videos and performances.

"U-Um..You can call me Seung Hyun" He smiled softly, watching as you smiled brightly, covering your cheeks slightly as you blushed slightly, his smile was even cuter in person. "Nice to meet you boys, I'm Y/n..as you know.." You giggled awkwardly, groaning as you heard the beginning of your song start to play, turning to flip your manager off before walking back to the stage. You two had a love-hate relationship, mainly hate, but with you being the biggest pop-star under your manager's contracts, he couldn't afford to lose you, and you were too big of a people pleaser to leave. Strutting around the stage to the music, you nodded your head lazily, it was your biggest song, so you had done the song and choreography a million times before. "Y/n." Your manager warned, you just rolled your eyes towards him before moving your arms, dragging your hands across your chest before flicking your hands with the beat of the music. As you kneeled down, you shot a glare to your manager, knowing damn well your ass would be on full view during this part if you wore either outfit you had, you rolled onto your hands and knees, crawling towards the edge of the stage for a few counts of the song, before rolling onto your back, bending on knee up as you rested a hand in your hair, panting loudly "I'm not doing that, and you can't force me, Christopher" You demanded, popping up to your feet "You will, or you can be on hiatus for another year" He threatened, narrowing your eyes as you marched towards him, you felt your blood boiling, how dare he threaten that? Whenever you've given the last eight years of your life to him, signing on with him at sixteen, and still staying at 24, even if you were tired of his shit. "You have me half naked on stage and on national television!" You shouted, jabbing his chest quickly, he was quick to catch your finger, holding it as he glared you down.

Seung Hyun clenched his fists, not liking the way your interaction seemed to be going, but Ji-Yong just stopped him from moving forward any "We have our arguments with YG, she has hers" He whispered, watching from afar as you yanked your hand away from your managers huffing loudly "It always responds better with audiences if you're dressed more revealing" You manager smirked, trying to keep his voice low as more of the artists started showing up, you just felt yourself become more angry, of course he was going to make it like you were the problem now. "I'm not wearing it, or I'm not doing the choreography." You snapped before storming towards your dressing room, feeling like you needed to leave before you ended up punching his stupid face. As you sat on your sofa, you glared harshly at the two outfits hanging on the rack, and then the one you had in your bag as a spare, the one you originally wanted. It was nothing special, just a pair of jeans and a crop-top that had come from your merch line that you had customized to be one of a kind by adding rips and adding pieces of your own Jewlery to it, along with a loose oversized flannel to go over.

You never noticed the knocking on your door, or your assistant letting in the tall K-pop star "If you keep glaring that hard, you might be lucky enough to cause them to catch fire" Seung Hyun noted, causing you to jump, turning your attention towards him as you caught your breath from the slight scare "Sorry! I'm so sorry, Aein!" He apologized quickly, he didn't mean to frighten you, he just wanted to make sure you were alright, and didn't need a teammate to kick your managers ass. "A..en?" You questioned, tilting your head as you continued to try and repeat the word, you weren't sure if he had just forgotten your name, or if it was some type of insult or compliment in Korean "Aein, It's um..Sweetheart" He replied, suddenly becoming flustered by his own flirty nickname for you "Oh...Ain" You tried, letting your head fall as you giggled "That's still not right is it?" You asked giggling, watching as Seung Hyun shook his head smiling "Aein.." He said slower this time, sounding out each syllable, watching as you nodded closely, excited to learn a new way to speak to others, and your fans from Korea. "Aein..You're an Aein too?" You questioned, he just laughed softly as your attempt, nodding as you finally somewhat pronounced it right "Very close, so, what's going on with grandpa out there?" He asked playfully, sitting on the chair across from you, you sighed looking at him "I'm sure you don't want to hear about all of that" You sighed, glancing at your watch, four hours until show time, Seung Hyun just shook his head sighing "Maybe I do?" He questioned, smiling a bit as you tilted your head "You know..I don't..sleep with other artists right?..That was a rumor-" Seung Hyun was quick to cut your nervous tone off "No! Aein, I just want to make sure you're alright!" He smiled, watching as you tilted your head even more before slowly sitting back on the couch "That's my manager, Chris, he's a good guy, just a man" You huffed before turning to look at the K-pop Idol that sat in front of you "No offense, I just mean, he fits that stereotypical, womanizer, asshole" You explained watching as he giggled and nodded at your cautiousness, whatever training agency you went through must've trained you for PR well especially if you were cautious around other celebrities in private. "He's got me in those outfits, dancing like I was, and everybody will see everything and It's going on tv so it will always be out there" You huffed, resting your head in your hands as you tried your best not to cry, you weren't really ever this emotional, but you felt trapped, like you had no options.

"Hey, hey, it's okay" Seung Hyun replied, moving quickly to sit next to you, rubbing your back gently as you tried your best to not cry. "I don't know what to do, and I'm crying to a man I just met" You huffed, laughing at yourself softly, glancing up to your vanity mirror huffing loudly "I look so fucking stupid" You whispered, trying to wipe the tears and makeup off of your face, that's whenever Seung Hyun first noticed that whenever you were on stage, it was all for show, while you might've been confident, you didn't seem as confident as you were. "You don't, I think you're just, stressed right now" He whispered, growing frustrated as he tried to think of the words to explain that you were alright and all idols get like that, but his mind was blanking, only thinking of them in his own language. You took a deep breath, giving Seung Hyun a soft smile "That's sweet, but there's nothing shaking my opinion, anyways, what're you doing in here?" You asked, realizing as your emotions started to calm, Seung Hyun never really stated why he was there "Well, at first I was just checking on you, but now, after hearing your outfit situation, I think I have an idea" He smirked playfully, standing up as he grabbed your drink off of your vanity walking over to your outfits before raising his eyebrows “ready?” He asked, trying to hide his smile as you giggled evilly, knowing this was going to piss your manager off “do ittt!” You shouted watching as he pretended to trip in order to spill your drink on your performing outfits “oh nooo! You can’t wear them anymore!” He said sarcastically, laughing, watching as you giggled loudly standing up “I guess I’ll just have to wear my spare then" You laughed playfully, getting your spare outfit, laying it over the back of the couch, smiling as Seung Hyun set the cup back down turning to face you.

"That was really sweet" You smiled softly, nudging his arm gently as you nodded towards the speaker that sat installed in the ceiling as it chimed in to let you know they were calling someone on stage for rehearsals "BigBang members, please make your way to the stage" The speaker said, before repeating the phrase one more time, Seung Hyun smiling sadly at you "See you later?" He asked softly, you giggled a bit, acting like you were thinking hard "I don't know...I don't normally let fans in my dressing rooms" You giggled softly, Seung Hyun gasped looking at you in shock "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Yes, You'll see me later" You giggled softly, holding onto the door as you watched Seung Hyun take a slight step out before looking at you "Got it..and Y/n?...No matter what you wear?..I think you're yeppeo" He whispered softly, smiling softly as you gave him the same confused expression as before "I'm..awesome?" You giggled playfully, watching as he chuckled softly, a blush rising to his cheeks "It means...pretty or beautiful" He replied, doing his best to translate for you, giggling softly you covered your face "See you later, Seung Hyun" You whispered, watching as he waved goodbye, before walking towards stage with his friends.

As you sat on the couch, in your dressing room, you wondered why you were so suddenly drawn to the K-pop star, he was tall, and very attractive, but there was just something else about him. Maybe it was the fact, that everybody in the world was sure that you were full of yourself and had an ego bigger than the universe, but Seung Hyun seemed to see straight through that, seeing you for who you really were. A stuck, insecure, sweet, shy 24 year old, that just wanted to do best for your fans, not worrying about anything other than that. As you tilted your head slightly, you decided to try your best to learn some common lines in Korean, wanting to be able to communicate better with the boys while you're here, especially Seung Hyun. As Seung Hyun finally entered your dressing room again, he laughed, noticing your state, that was the exact same as last time, except your glare was set on your laptop. "Aein? I can't pour a drink on that" He joked playfully, you just let yourself fall back "Well, I'm trying to learn this, but I can't seem to fucking pronounce that" You huffed loudly, handing your laptop over to the taller man, Seung Hyun couldn't contain his blush as he noticed the phrase you had typed out in English, Korean, and the pronunciations for each word. 'You guys did amazing, best rapper I've ever met'

You both ended up sitting there for the rest of the three hours you had before the show started, Seung Hyun helping you learn different phrases in Korean, even some of their songs, so you could follow along with them as they performed. You would all be rushed from the red carpet, straight to performing, you knew you were the last to perform, before you and the boys announced the winners, you both being the biggest names there. As you watched the boys perform, your eyes were trained on Seung Hyun, watching in awe as he moved around the stage, his deep voice echoing through the microphone as he rapped quickly, his eyes catching yours for a moment as he passed. He could feel his heart flutter whenever he caught your gaze, seeing how amazed you looked, while only looking at him. As you swapped places, and did your set, you smiled at Seung Hyun, looking at him, any chance you got as your manager was silently raging from the side of the stage at your outfit change. As your performance ended, and you all wrapped up the awards show, you smiled at Seung Hyun "Going back home, Aein?" You smiled, proud of yourself for properly pronouncing the nickname, Seung Hyun gave you a similar proud smile "That was perfect! And yea...we are" He whispered softly, grabbing your hands gently, moving to bid you a farewell before you were quick to wrap your arms around him in a hug. "Thank you for helping me tonight, Seung Hyun, You're a good person, and I hope I get the chance to see you again" You whispered, squeezing him slightly as he hugged you back "Anytime, Aein, Seriously, I'm sure I can spill a lot more drinks, especially if it means more of the Y/n, I saw tonight. You seemed so happy, about everything" He smiled playfully, rubbing your back before pulling away, you smiled a bit rocking on your feet, never had you ever had someone read you so well, so quickly, yet here Seung Hyun was, reading you like every secret and insecurity was exposed for him to see, without you ever saying a word.

"I'm always happy to perform.. I just, Don't want to show off my body in order to feel loved and accepted" You shrugged softly before sighing "But, that's show-biz, is it not?" You joked, watching as Seung Hyun sighed softly "There are people who love and accept you for exactly who you are, Y/n, you've just got to hold out and wait" He whispered, cupping your cheek gently before giving you a soft smile "I had my manager contact your manager, so you should be getting my number soon" He smiled softly, bidding you one last goodbye before his manager pulled him away so they could make their flight back home. Seung Hyun could feel his heart drop, and his chest feel heavier as he walked away, he wanted to stay with you longer, just a few hours, wasn't enough for him, he wanted to hear you talk forever, learn everything about you. As he went to get into the car they had to take them to the airport, you stopped him for one last hug "Be safe.. Okay?" You whispered, giving him one last squeeze before pulling away "I will, Aein, just for you" He whispered, smiling as he watched you covered your blush quickly with your hands, giggling softly, you swatted at his arm gently "Are you flirting with me?" You giggled as he climbed into the car "Only if you want me too" Seung Hyun joked playfully, you just giggled loudly, shaking your head playfully as you sighed "You're too cute, Seung Hyun, message me whenever you land, please?" You whispered, standing back so the other boys could file into the car "I will, Aein, get inside before you freeze" He replied sweetly, his tone slightly demanding as you shivered from the chilly fall breeze. Nodding as you laughed softly, moving back towards the doors, waving the boys goodbye as the car pulled away.

"You like him!~" Your assistant sang out, approaching from behind, you just blushed brightly as you turned around "He's so charming! It's like he knows me without knowing me! He even invited me to an art show in a few months!" You squealed excitedly, your assistant squealing with you, happy to see you this excited again, especially since your off year started. "Ooo~ Y/n L/n and K-Pop Idol, T.O.P, I like it" Your manager cheered as he approached "Noo! Keep your grimy little PR fingers away from him! Private life things!" You groaned, watching as he laughed as your actions "Honey nothing is a private life in the Music industry" He replied, causing your assistant and you both to roll your eyes, your assistant quick to step forward "Christopher, So help me, if you interfere with this, or ruin it for our girl, I will kill you, sound good?" She threatened lowly, you nodded your head as he glanced at you, sighing as he sent over a forwarded message of Seung Hyun's number "There, if anything I helped her" He sassed, you just giggled excitedly, pulling your phone out, knowing exactly what he meant as you immediately started to message your new friend, and growing crush.

'Hey! <3 It's Y/n, It's going to be about 10k for those outfits :)'

'10K!? What were they made out of?'

'I'm kidding! <33 Miss you already, bestie, hanging out isn't fun whenever you're not here'

'Aww Aein, you're too kind <3'

You giggled reading his message, carrying your phone close to your chest as you made your way out to the car, your driver taking you back home as you patiently waited for a message from Seung Hyun saying he landed. Excited to hear from again, even if it was just through text messages, he still managed to make you feel more seen than everybody ever has.

--

What do you think lovelies? <333 I'm definitely doing a part two because this is just too cute! <3 Excited to hear from you!!

--

Taglist!!!

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@c1delight

[redrose10]

I’m going to be working on chapter 3 of Cold Brewed Love. I was really sick last week and then my toddler got really sick and we’ve just been a mess. But hopefully that should be out sometime soon.

…Last night I had a horrible panic attack. It came out of nowhere and was one of the worst ones I’ve had in a long time. I thought I was getting passed this but I guess not. So to get my mind off of it I wrote this. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but just never wrote out. It’s just fluffy and funny and cute. I hope everyone likes it and maybe it’ll help someone else feel better.

I don’t have a title so if anyone has any good ideas let me know!!

*******************************************************

Yoongi x Female Reader

Warnings: Swearing, kind of suggestive, anxiety, depression, jealous Yoongi, little angst, maybe bad judgements against foreigners but not in a hateful way (when writing this I did it from the view of an American who speaks English because that’s me so I apologize to others who read that may not fit that role), also fluffy dorky Yoongi

Word count: 3,702

(I included one of my all time favorite Yoongi photos because why not)

When Yoongi first got his military assignment he was less than thrilled about it to say the least. How do you go from writing hit songs while traveling the world performing for thousands of people and collecting records and awards like no one else to sitting behind a desk entering numbers into a computer for eight hours a day? But he understands the why behind the reasons he has to do this, along with knowing that it is his duty so he is committed to completing his service to the best of his ability. He gets up early in the morning pouring himself a cup of coffee before he puts on his uniform and makes the short drive to the office location.

Whether it was pure luck or a carefully calculated choice by someone in charge he was thankful to be working in a quiet building just outside of Seoul. His department was on the top floor. His desk in a back corner, by himself, somewhat hidden away from view. He could show up, do his job, and leave like nothing happened. He was content with keeping to himself, minding his own business, and not going out of his way to make friends. Of course he was polite and friendly if approached, but he was never the approacher.

And then he met you…

When his senior manager told him that he would be getting a desk partner he nodded and politely accepted the change but internally he was irritated. That irritation only grew when he found out that his new partner was a foreigner who barely spoke Korean. His mind immediately conjured up this idea that you were probably some kpop obsessed fan who moved here on a whim. The only saving grace he thought would be that due to the lack of mutual language you both would probably not be speaking much.

He got to work a few minutes earlier than usual on the day you were arriving to work with him. For some reason he wanted to beat you there feeling like he had to lay claim to his portion of the rather large desk. Your computer was already set up next to him. He sighed as he unpacked his bag and began logging in for the day.

Then you arrived. Your work uniform similar to his. You smiled and introduced yourself and then sat down and got right to work. You didn’t freak out and tell him how big of a fan you were. You didn’t even make small talk. You put in your ear buds and turned on some music and got right to work. You brought in a heavenly smell with you of vanilla and sugar. He’s sure it would be called something like Fluffy Cloud Sweet Sugar Oasis and Grandma’s Cookies or something like that if they sold it at Bath & Body works. And he was ready to buy every bottle.

When work was over for the day you told him to have a good night and packed your stuff and left. Yoongi realized this new seating arrangement wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

The days went by much similar to that first day. You introduced him to your best friend Joon-Sung who worked in a different department on the second floor. The first time he met him Yoongi felt what he told himself was just some indigestion from his lunch because there was no way he was jealous of the handsome man that you so freely talked to and joked with until he heard you mention something about Joon-Sung and his new boyfriend and the indigestion somehow magically went away.

Then Yoongi noticed that he found himself feeling a little more excited each day for you to walk through that door. He also started changing his routine bit by bit. He styled his hair a little more, at least the little bit of hair that was slowly growing back after having to get it shaved. He started wearing cologne again, even buying the one he heard you mention you liked after someone walked by wearing it. His nights were spent brushing up on his English so he could better converse with you and in the mornings he started bringing you cups of hot chocolate or herbal tea after he heard you tell Joon-Sung that you were trying to lower your caffeine intake because your anxiety was getting worse.

Then his world came spiraling out of control at the realization that he might like you…like a lot. The last thing he needs right now is any kind of relationship especially with a foreigner. Like sure you were really pretty and very nice and you both communicated well even with the language barrier and you were taking Korean lessons so you were getting better. You had acclimated to living in Korea just fine. Joon-Sung often joked that you acted more Korean than most Koreans and that you were a Korean Ajumma in a young woman’s body.

Your best friend other than Joon-Sung was your 80 year old neighbor Mr.Park and his cat Mittens which lead Yoongi into remembering a story about how you and Mr. Park spent all day hand making cat toys to take to the animal shelter which made Yoongi’s heart swell with affection before he quickly shook that feeling away.

The more he thought about it the more Yoongi realized how much of your life he had grown to know and how much he looked forward to seeing you and talking to you.

And how much he talked about you outside of work.

“I don’t know man, sounds like you like her.”, Hoseok said while having a couple drinks at Yoongi’s on his day off from the military.

“I do not. She’s just nice. We have to work together. That’s all.”

“Mmmhmm sure, that’s why you haven’t stopped talking about her all night. Jimin mentioned that you even told him about her over the phone. And your ears are doing that thing.”

“What thing?,” Yoongi questioned already knowing the answer.

“You know…that thing where you ears get all red when you’re lying or embarrassed. And by how red they are I’m thinking it’s a little of both.”, Hoseok chuckled before taking a sip of beer.

Yoongi couldn’t like you. He’s only known you for a few months. He doesn’t fall that easily for anyone. He knew his last partner for three years before asking them out. He hasn’t even hung out with you outside of work yet. He had your number, but that was because you asked him for it to send over a work file you were going to complete at home. He’s never texted you outside of a thanks once he’s received it. Sure he’s opened up a blank message and attempted to text you something almost every night. That’s normal though. Right? He’s just awkward and you’re just a friend.

Then he saw you walk in for the day. You were carrying two bags of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. One bag had Joon-Sungs name on it and the other had Yoongi’s. You made him cookies. He thought his heart was going to explode.

When Joon-Sung walked in to collect his package from you he started complaining about how he was going on a date with some guy who loved basketball so now he was trying to cram full of info to try and impress him. He showed you his phone,

“Who is this?”

“That’s Lebron James.”

“Is he any good?”

“Well he’s the highest scoring player in NBA history, he’s top 10 in steals and assists, and has four championships so yeah you could say he’s pretty good.”

“Okay and what team does he play for?”

You sighed, “He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 then he went to the Miami Heat for a while and then back to Cleveland and now he’s with the Lakers.”

Yoongi listened as you rattled off basketball facts like nothing with his eyes wide.

Fuck I think I love her, he thought to himself.

Yoongi tried his best to push any thoughts he was having about you far out of his mind. But you were all he thought about. How good you smelled next to him. How sweet your voice sounded saying his name. How you would feel underneath him with his body pressed against yours…

Realizing he was about to really embarrass himself at work he quickly started thinking about that time he accidentally saw his mom in her underwear instead hoping to change the direction of his thoughts but because his brain seemed to hate him his thoughts wandered back to what you would look like in this black lace number he saw was being released by some high end lingerie brand. Maybe he could buy it for you as a gift. Or would that be weird? Quickly he excused himself needing to get up and get a distraction.

When he returned to his desk Joon-Sung was gone and you were typing away at your computer.

“Hey can I ask you a question?”, you said, “I hope I’m not going to make things weird between us.”

Yoongi froze. Did you notice? Could you read minds? Oh my God Yoongi that’s so stupid, people can’t read minds. He was so in his thoughts he forgot that you had asked him a question until he saw you staring back at him.

“Of course, go ahead.”, he managed to squeak out.

“So Joon—Sung is having a party this weekend. He wanted me to ask you to come. It’s nothing big. He does them every few weeks. He’s just social like that.”

Yoongi’s not sure if he’s relieved that you’re not some mind reader or if he’s hurt that you’re only asking him to come because someone else told you to and not that you actually want him there.

But he agrees to go regardless because he wants to spend time with you.

Yoongi doesn’t like to judge people but he’s a little shocked to find out that Joon-Sung lives in one of the fanciest most elite apartment complexes in Seoul. Something about having family money so he works mostly to give himself something to do. Yoongi admits he’s a little impressed and also a little jealous.

He came prepared with topics to talk about. He researched the bands he always sees you listening to even though most really weren’t his style. He looked into your home city so he could ask you questions. And if all else fails he can rely on basketball as a speaking point. He can’t remember the last time he put this much effort into getting to know someone.

He takes off his shoes and walks into the main living area and immediately starts scanning the room for you. He spots you right away.

He takes a moment to look you over. The dress you’re wearing is much shorter and tighter than your normal work outfit. It accentuates every one of your curves perfectly. He sees what he thinks is a thigh tattoo poking out the bottom. He wants to see more of it. You look so good and he can feel his temperature rising. Fuck Yoongi get it together. You’ve been acting like some deprived horny teenager he thinks while making a mental note to call his doctor. Maybe his hormones are out of whack or something. This isn’t normal for him to feel like this around someone.

He watches as you’re happily talking to some guy. Some guy who’s like ten feet tall and made of pure muscle and looks like he was ripped out of beauty magazine. Maybe that is your type. Maybe he should introduce you to Jungkook. At least then he’d still get to see you after his service is up because you’d clearly not be interested in someone like him.

You’re laughing at something the guy said while placing your hand on his bicep.

Well this is something Yoongi never thought about. He was so consumed in his feelings for you that he never stopped to think about whether or not you liked him too or if you were even available. What if you’re already seeing someone? What if you’re happily married with two kids? He never asked you about your relationships since it felt too personal at the time. He feels like the room is spinning as he is trying to find another route when he hears you calling his name.

You walk over and wrap your arms around him in a hug, “I’m so glad you decided to come.”

He smiles feeling some relief as you lead him to the kitchen to get a drink and something to eat.

You’re both eating a piece of pizza when you ask him a question.

“This is random but do you have a nickname? I mean besides Suga or Agust D of course.”

He shakes his head.

“You look like a Yoongles. Has anyone ever called you that?”

“A few fans have online but that’s it.”, he chuckles.

“Well I think it suits you. Or maybe Yoongily Boongily Bear.”

“Okay” he snorts trying to fake indifference but in that moment he realized that he’d let you call him Captain Dumbass if you wanted to just so he could see your smile and hear your giggle again.

Yoongi had gone to talk to one of your other co workers for a while to give you a break from him since you’d been attached at the hip. He was coming back from the bathroom when he noticed you were nowhere to be found.

Did you leave already? And without even saying goodbye. That hurt a little more than he wanted it to. He didn’t get the chance to ask you about your hometown. Now he’s stuck with all these useless facts about some city he’s never even been to.

Just as he was about to give up and head home someone moved the large curtain hanging against the window and he recognized your figure leaning against the balcony outside. Slowly he made his way there.

“I thought you left.”, he said when you turned to look at him after hearing the door open.

“No it was just getting to people-ish in there, I needed a break.”

Yoongi felt bad for intruding on your space.

“Oh I’m sorry. I’ll go back inside.”

He felt electricity shoot through his body after you grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the railing, “No stay. I like spending time with you.”

He felt his heart skip.

The two of you stood in silence for a few moments while staring down at the vast city below.

“I like to look out at the city when I’m overwhelmed or when my anxiety gets too much.”, you suddenly spoke, “I like watching the lights, seeing all the people move around. Some going to work, some coming home. Couples going on dates. Some people are down there having the best day of their life while others are having the worst. It’s comforting in a weird way.”, you chuckled, “To know you’re not alone out here in the world.”

Yoongi looked you over quietly. He didn’t know you struggled so much with anxiety and feelings like that. He knew you had anxiety which is why he never got you anything with a lot of caffeine, but he thought it would just make your heart race or something. He didn’t know you suffered so harshly from it. You always seemed to calm and put together. He felt a strong urge to just wrap you in a big fluffy blanket and give you a kitten to hold as he cuddled you close while telling you it’ll all be okay.

“It’s funny actually. I never really listened to your music before I met you.”

Yoongi gasped dramatically acting extremely hurt.

You giggled, “I know. I mean I knew of you guys and such but it wasn’t really my thing. But when I found out I was going to be working with you I wanted to know about your music and having something to talk about with you. Honestly I went into it not having high expectations.”

Now Yoongi was genuinely a little hurt but he knew everyone was entitled to their own opinions and feelings and that’s why music was so great.

You continued, “I was taken back by how real your music was. How full of emotion and the raw feelings you conveyed. Your song The Last, man I cried after hearing that. To see someone struggle as much as you did with mental health issues and still come out on top even though you had to fight for it. It gave me hope. Maybe one day I’ll be okay too.”

Yoongi thought about every funny scenario he could. That time Jin shoved an entire donut in his mouth and then accidentally coughed it all over Namjoon’s face or that time his brother slipped on some ice and conveniently landed right in a giant puddle of dirty water like he was in a cartoon. Anything to stop himself from crying in front of you.

“Then I listened to Snooze. And that song has become like my anthem. Any time I feel the walls closing in on me or I think I can’t do it any more I play that one and I can feel the gray clouds being pulled away and the sun shining down.”, you chuckled, “You have got to introduce me to WooSung by the way.”

Yoongi laughed with you but deep down he knew he was NEVER introducing you to WooSung unless it was at your wedding after you’d already exchanged vows and kissed and you were officially Mrs. Min Yoongi. Then MAYBE he might let you meet him…from across the room…over video chat.

“I’m glad my music could help you so much. Any time I hear something like that it gives me the motivation to keep going too.”, he said not really sure how to comfort you in that moment.

“How did you do it?”

He look at you confused.

“How did you heal yourself?”

Yoongi found himself chuckling. Not because he thought it was a funny question or anything but he never thought he’d be answering questions like that.

“I mean I don’t know if I’ll every be fully healed. At first I used alcohol. I’d drink until I wasn’t coherent enough to feel. Then I switched to working myself until I was so exhausted I didn’t have the energy to worry. But now I go to therapy and take medicine when it gets really bad. I use music as an escape without overworking myself. I also surround myself with people who I know are good for me. I think that’s really important.”

You nodded in understanding.

“Thank you Yoongi. For helping not only myself but also yourself and the millions of fans around the world.”

Fuck he wanted to kiss you so bad and and hold you and make sure you never felt another ounce of sadness ever again.

This conversation kind of killed the mood admittedly though. You just opened up to him about something that must’ve been difficult and he can’t just be like oh hey by the way I want to date you and hopefully do unspeakable things to you one day so do you want to go out with me? That would be really insensitive.

Instead he was going to simply invite you to hang out as friends, offer to be your support and see where it goes from there.

“Hey Y/N…”

Just then the door swung open and a very drunk Joon-Sung came stumbling out.

“There you are. I looked everywhere for you guys. I figured you were blowing him in the bathroom already.”

Yoongi choked on his spit and felt his entire body heat up at that statement.

“Did you tell him how you love him and you think he has the prettiest eyes and the nicest smile and the cutest little butt?”

“Go.to.bed.Joon-Sung.”, you hissed.

“Alright alright, but if you two are gonna fuck use the spare bedroom. I paid too much for my couch for there to be naked ass cheeks on it.”, he slurred before stumbling back inside.

You turned back around and continued to stare out at the city below. Yoongi thought you were handling this well. If it was him he would’ve already jumped over the railing from embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”, you whispered when he came up next to you, “I didn’t want you to find out like that. It’s gonna be weird between us now. Monday morning I’ll ask for them to reassign me to a new department.”

“Y/N”

“Hell I’ll even move out of the city.”

“Y/N”

“I’ve heard Busan is nice.”

“Y/N”

“Just please don’t write a song about me. I don’t think I can recover knowing my most embarrassing moment is being retold on stage as seven guys do some extreme choreography while wearing coordinating outfits.”

Y/N!”

Finally he got your attention. He couldn’t help but smile at how flushed you were.

“Can I kiss you?”

“What?”

He used the new boost in confidence from knowing that you liked him too to take a step closer to you. So close he could feel the warmth of his breath bouncing back off of your skin.

“Y/N…Can…I…Kiss…You?”

You didn’t say anything but nodded which was all he needed to lean in placing his lips on yours. It’s cheesy but he felt like fireworks were going off. His senses were overloaded with you. That familiar sweet vanilla perfume you always wear. The softness of your lips. The taste of the pizza and hard cider you had earlier. It made him feel like he could fly.

“So you think I have a cute butt huh?”, he smirked against your lips.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re going to remember?”

He stepped back putting his hands up in defense, “Hey listen, you don’t even want to know the things I’ve thought about your butt over the last couple months.”

“Yeah well maybe you can show me instead then huh.”, you smiled pulling him in for another kiss.

“I would be happy to”

[thenightling]

So for those unaware of what just went down, a whistleblower has exposed that last year the American / Canadian / and UK comity of the Hugo Awards deliberately removed some nominations specifically because those nominations might offend the Chinese government.

The Hugo Awards (until now) were a very respected scifi / fantasy award. In years past Neil Gaiman had won Hugo awards for such things as The Sandman: Overture and other works.

However the nominations removed last year to avoid offending China included episode 6 of the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, likely because it showed Death taking souls to the afterlife. The Chinese government does not like Western depictions of the afterlife.

This has blown up into a very big and interesting scandal and now Neil Gaiman and The Sandman Netflix series are part of it.

I grew tired of Hollywood pandering to China years ago when I found out that's why so many horror reboots removed supernatural elements (i.e. the Child's Play remake turning Chucky into an evil AI robot doll instead of a possessed talking doll).

The Chinese market does not like western depictions of ghosts or the afterlife and this has lead to a steep decrease in high budget supernatural horror and why most horror is now made by smaller, low-budget divisions like Blumhouse.

Disney couldn't even put a Haunted Mansion in Hong Kong Disney. Instead it's "Mystic Manor" which isn't haunted at all but just "enchanted" with "living furniture." The popular excuse they give is that the Chinese culture has different views on ghosts than us. Bull. I've read plenty of scary Chinese ghost stories. And they don't mind western depictions of ghosts if they happen to be in Korean or Japanese animation.

[atiny-for-life]

Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - BONUS

Masterlist

WORK

Based on the GOLDEN HOUR Intro which was released prior to the first teasers and is all about Atiny and Ateez's journey thus far, plus the lack of storyline queues in the music video itself, I believe this is one of those instances where the MV simply falls outside the storyline, much like Turbulence and The Real

I believe this time, it's because they were invited to Coachella and simply didn't have as much time to prepare for the album and get access to the sets they'd need to tell the story visually the way they wanted to which is something I talked about more here

However, let's still dive in and dig up some easter eggs and other fun little moments strewn throughout the video so we can appreciate it better!

Kicking things off is "maknae on top" Jongho buried in the dirt, playing the flute (which sounds like a clarinet) while the others stand around him, four out of seven holding spades and shovels

And it's not just that they felt justified in burying him with extra holes for his hands so he could play the flute, they also felt the need to do it right outside a motel in the middle of the desert

Giving the meaning of this album, this starting from a dirt-hole in the dessert setting could be a reference to Pirate King and Treasure which were both shot in the dessert way back when

If that's the case, it'd also make the red car more meaningful since Yunho also had one during Wave

From here, we move on to a roadside diner/shack situation where our boys are working the counter, preparing counterfeit money burgers

Inside, we can see a bunch of Ateez's awards (bragging rights), including a MAMA award, the Billboard #1 plaque and more, with TYUdeongi and Mito (the two little plushs) front and center

Next up, we've got Seonghwa rolling into town on an ostrich, carrying the flags of some of the countries they visited during last year's world tour while Yunho, San, and Yeosang are counting their money and drinking around a table outside the motel

The next clips show us Yunho reading a burning newspaper with the headline proclaiming something along the lines of "Anonymous Philanthropists Change [...]", likely referencing all the money they've been handing out at their diner

The scene is accompanied by the lyrics "Breaking News popping up no matter where I go" which is very reminiscent of 'Matz'

Wooyoung's vibing outside with a Mariachi band and Flamenco dancers (don't ask me why... I guess they're having a Latin American phase right now - let's see if they end up fluent in Spanish or Portuguese some time soon)

Up in the mountains, we've got them mining for gold far away from any visible mining shafts, and singing about geese laying golden eggs in Spanish (giving Aesop's Fable), followed by a line about building towers 24/7 in Korean (giving Billionaires' Row in Manhattan) before San eats the gold nugget he'd been holding (the effects of eating gold are not well studied, please do not attempt at home)

Next, we've got Yeosang cutting out counterfeit money with a large pair of scissors (we're already struggling with inflation, put those scissors down) while singing about being an introvert

He's in the same office Yunho was in earlier when he was reading the burning newspaper (I'm glad the place didn't burn down)

Moving on, we've got Mingi in the parking lot dressed very Willy Wonka-esque (Gene Wilder version)

He's sporting two pins on his coat - one which looks like a painter's palette and the other looking like a cross, somewhat reminiscent of the Maltese Cross (shoutout to Malta, I feel like no one ever talks about you) or the Iron Cross (popular in early 20th century Prussia)

Everyone's partying, it's raining counterfeit money, we've got car hydraulics in the back (it's been 70 years, I didn't think these were still popular) and our Flamenco dancers are back before we cut to Jongho in his hole, and back to Seonghwa on his ostrich which is now joined by some very talented, head bobbing, CGI chickens

Moving on, we find Hongjoong dancing in another parking lot, surrounded by his members and some strangers on golden bikes, all wearing sunglasses

In the lyrics, he's referencing The Real which strongly matches the vibe they're going for in this sequence, both in terms of costumes and with the general setting

Within the same rap verse, we also see Hongjoong in first parking lot where Wonka-Mingi was kicking off the party earlier

Here, he's dancing with two kids in costume (a chicken and a wrestler), while looking super delighted, just all around happy to be here, much like the guy on the bike we can see in the back (it's very wholesome)

We briefly cut away to a shot of a lone massive golden egg stranded on a deserted hill surrounded by some dry shrubs. Keep it in mind. We'll come back to it later.

Back in the office, Yeosang's happy with his robot chicken (Brian) which seems to be capable of laying golden eggs, going by the tall stack of them presented on his desk

While Yeosang's hogging the office, Yunho's off in some basement, taking the term "money laundering" far too literally as he pulls a stack of bills from a washing machine

Seonghwa, once again on his ostrich, now enters a gas station where Wooyoung fills up the bird by inputting a fuel pump in its side. We can now definitively confirm that this alternate universe is weird as hell.

Moving on to a miniature city, we've got our two main rappers attacking a money-monster with some ray guns ( because, on this ship, we're anti-capitalism)

They're wearing fur coats to match the lyrics, which may also be a throwback to Say My Name

Returning to the diner, we've got Jongho building a money burger abomination with some added CDs because, clearly, that's his favorite breakfast

And over in the kitchen, we've got head chef Hongjoong cooking up some hellfire concoction which is literally on fire but he doesn't care - he's still just making a noot-noot face and giving us a straightforward reference to Bouncy by cutting in some more green chili peppers

Honorable mention to Mingi's GTA reference

From there, we get some shots of Ateez gathered around the camera (Don't Stop End Credits style), a short scene of Seonghwa in the hydraulic car, many people's favorite clip of half-topless San twisting a valve or something near some desert oil rigs, and more, before we finally move on to Jongho in front of a food truck

The truck seems to go hand-in-hand with Ateez's roadside dinner since it also offers their famed money burgers

Next, we've got Yunho and Yeosang carefully watching an extra large golden egg in their office

After a few more super quick scenes flash by, it begins to crack before we return to the lone massive golden egg in the desert we saw earlier which now busts open and out pops Seonghwa

There are some Korean folktales about men being born from eggs, all of them rulers which were used to keep the myth alive that kings were picked by a higher power, not born the conventional way - I assume that's what's being referenced here

[hearts-4-vicky]

𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐍𝐖𝐎𝐎 ( LE SSERAFIM )

Profile and Facts! ˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

Cheong Hyunwoo ( 청현우 ) is a member of the South Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM under Source Music

Birth Name : Cheong Hyunwoo ( 청현우 / チョン・ヒョンウ/ 郑贤宇 )

English Name : Hayden Callum Cheong ( 헤이든 칼럼 우 )

Birthday : June 1, 1999

Zodiac Sign : Gemini ♊️

Chinese Zodiac Sign : Rabbit🐇

Height : 5'11 (181 cm)

Weight : N/A

Blood Type : A+

MBTI : ENFP (previous result was INFP)

Nationality : Korean American

Face Claim : @/k0ng_j on insta

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ Cheong Hyunwoo Facts ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

- She was born in Yeongdo District, Busan, Korea

- She moved to San Diego, California and moved back to Korea at the age of 15

- Hyunwoo attended Hanlim Arts School with IZ*ONE'S Kang Hyewon

- She started training because she thought the recruiter was hitting on her

- She is a former SM Entertainment trainee

- She trained with NCT 127 but was cut from the lineup due to controversy about a girl being in a boy group

- She likes rnb, her favorite singers of the genre are USHER, Rihanna, and Ne-yo

- Hyunwoo is friends with BLACKPINK's Jennie, Soloist Jeon Somi, Twice's Kim Dahyun, NCT 127's Mark Lee and Johnny Suh, and Actor Lee Chaemin

- Fans like to ship Hyunwoo and Somi due to them always having matching items

- She is fluent in English

- Hyunwoo is learning Mandarin

- A word that describes her most is ' Stupid '

- Her charm is her smile

- Nicknames : Woohyun, Hyun, Haydenator, Hyunamoyed

- FEARNOTS call her and Kazuha the 'Samoyed Sisters ' because they both resemble the dog breed, Samoyed

- Her favorite fruit is strawberries

- Her favorite animal is sharks

- Hyunwoo loves pokemon, her favorite is Sharpedo but her favorite eeveelution is Espeon

- She can play the ukulele, guitar, and kazoo

- She is the only extrovert in LE SSERAFIM

- Favorite sports : Wrestling and volleyball

- Hyunwoo used to participate in wrestling matches when she was in the States

- She likes to run

- Her favorite seasons are Spring and Winter

- Once, Hyunwoo's face started to hurt after smiling so much at an award show

- She has admitted to liking aespa, her favorite member being GISELLE

- Hyunwoo had a crush on Red Velvet's Irene

- FEARNOTS call her a 'Girltwink'

- Hyunwoo has released 4 solo songs since debuting in LE SSERAFIM, Loose [og. Daniel Caesar] (2022), Is It a Crime? [og. No Guidnce] (2023), Love [og. Musiq Soulchild] (2024), Just Friends (Sunny) [og. Musiq Soulchild] (2024)

NOTE: Please do not copy-paste our profiles to other places on the web. If you’d like to use our information, please provide a link back to this post. Thanks! –KProfiles.com

back to main!

[d-criss-news]

See an exclusive first look at Darren Criss’ return to Broadway in Maybe Happy Ending

The "Glee" actor stars as a Helperbot named Oliver, opposite Helen J. Shen making their Broadway debut as Claire.

There’s nothing new about an awkward meet-cute turning into a love story… But what if that love story is between two robots?

That’s the question posed by Maybe Happy Ending, a new musical coming to Broadway this fall, starring Emmy-winning Glee and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story actor Darren Criss. The show also marks the Broadway debut of Helen J. Shen (The Lonely Few) and Dez Duron (The Voice). Featuring a book by Will Aronson and Hue Park, with music by Aronson and lyrics by Park, Maybe Happy Ending is helmed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden (Parade, Once on This Island), with scenic design by Dane Laffrey (A Christmas Carol).

Ahead of its debut, Entertainment Weekly has your exclusive first listen to the show, with a music video of Criss and Chen’s emotional duet, "When You’re in Love.”

Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen in "Maybe Happy Ending". MAYBE HAPPY ENDING THE MUSICAL/YOUTUBE

The musical — a big hit in its native South Korea, winning six 2016 Korean Musical Awards and the Richard Rodgers Production Award for the English-language version — made its American debut at Atlanta’s Alliance theater in 2019. Now the show is coming to the Great White Way with Criss and Shen as Oliver and Claire, two outcast HelperBots whose initial awkward encounter evolves into an unexpected relationship.

“There's a real pathos that kind of snuck up on me with these two,” Criss told EW of the HelperBot romance. “You think, 'Oh, cute, like androids falling in love, that sounds sweet.' But there's a lot more to that when you start to examine what it is to not only love something or someone, but the inexorable, unavoidable back end of love, which is loss.” Oliver is living the simple life of an outdated HelperBot when the story begins, tending to plants and listening to jazz in his one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Seoul. Then Claire comes by to borrow a charger, and changes everything. The video finds the HelperBots united by emotion, yet far apart as they process the swirling feelings of being in love for the first time. “When you’re in love, you’re never satisfied,” they lament. “The thing you want is always out of reach.”

By the end, they’re piecing together both the joys and painful realities of their newfound feelings. They sing, “Now I’m hoping that you feel all the things I feel / Wishing that you want me to sit beside you /Wanting now to learn all the things you are / Waiting for a chance to invite you in my heart.” If the prospect of seeing two bots find love isn’t enticing enough, Criss jokes that empathizing with the characters will at least give audiences a leg up in the AI apocalypse. “If there's any incentive to come see the show — other than a wonderful theatrical experience with a lot of beautiful universal themes and all that great stuff and fantastic music, and hopefully good performances — if not that, it's at least to soften the punishment and wrath of the AI takeover,” he laughed. Maybe Happy Ending begins previews at the Belasco Theatre on Wednesday, September 18. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning on Thursday, June 6 at 10AM.

Watch the "When You're In Love" music video above and read more of Criss' thoughts on the HelperBot romance below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Can you start by telling me a little bit about Oliver and what's at the core of this character for you? Well, I'll tell you what, this is the first time I'm ever really doing any kind of talking about a show that I haven't had much familiarity with yet. And I'm not saying that to avoid talking about it so much as to highlight the unique nature of my involvement in this show because, at least if we're talking about the theater, specifically Broadway Theater, every show that I've ever done came with something of a legacy and was a show that I would have been very familiar with, and I think audiences at large, for the most part would've had a history with it.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was my Broadway debut, massively popular, classic Broadway show, people knew it. Second one was, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, I grew up as a teenager loving that show. And then the revival of American Buffalo, that's now a standard contemporary American classic and studied that in drama school and yada yada yada. So when talking about the show, I had a really good handle because the show had lived with me for most of my life. [Maybe Happy Ending] is a brand new show, which is wildly exciting. But I have yet to figure out that answer. I can tell you what his core is on paper, which is that Oliver is a Helperbot, something like a hundred years in the future where our technology helpers — in the way that we have our Alexas, and our Siris, and our digital systems, and our smart assistants — have evolved into more humanoid representations. He is a Model 3 in the world of Model 5's and is very much outdated, and kind of running the last of his powered up life in the world that we're watching him and coming to grips with the things that left him behind.

We got a little taste of it in the music video, but what do you think it is about the Oliver and Claire relationship that people will respond to? Or what did you respond to? There's nothing like being able to look at ourselves by looking through the eyes of things that aren't us. I find the most I'm ever moved about the human experience comes from animated films where you have non-human characters trying to figure out human emotions. It's a really great way for audiences to subconsciously look at their own experience objectively. It's funny that it takes inhuman characters to examine humanity in a way that feels somehow accessible. If you see yourself up there, it maybe hits too close to home. But you might think about it a little differently if you're suddenly looking at things through the objective lens of a true outsider — be it a cartoon fox or a mermaid wanting to be human.

So having said that, this is a story about two HelperBots, two robots “falling in love." Of course, they're not human, so they can't physically, literally intimately actually fall in love, but they have to sort of figure out what that means by way of how they've experienced human beings themselves, by cues they've gotten from their own owners and from the world around them. And when you start examining things like love, things like loss through the eyes of non-humanoid things that are trying to computationally analyze and synthesize those things, you sort of start to look at them in a different way. There are many things about the show — the premise was very interesting, and I think the design is exquisite, it's a wonderful theatrical experience. Getting to work with a longtime friend, Michael Arden is such a joy, and there's so many things about that that make this appealing to me. And of course the music is fun, and it's cute, and funny, and charming. But there's a real pathos that kind of snuck up on me with these two. You think, 'Oh, cute, like androids falling in love, that sounds sweet.' But there's a lot more to that when you start to examine what it is to not only love something or someone, but the inexorable, unavoidable back end of love, which is loss. And how do we deal with that? How and why do human beings willingly enter this contract if we know that on the other side of it, there is something that will hurt and that can hurt because love does come with loss, whether it's loss of self, loss of wholeness.

And this show really shows a really beautiful balance of these beings trying to suss out thousands of years of human meditation — of all the hundred thousand songs and poems and stories that have tried to help us understand this balance of love and loss, and the highs and the lows of it are pretty profound. er. In “When You’re In Love” there's the sentiment that being in love is the loneliest you can be. Is that something that you immediately connected with, or was that surprising?

I think that song's very interesting because it's them putting the pieces together. Many lines in the song that talk about how being loved does just constantly leave you with a sense of longing. Which I think goes back into the main thesis, which is love in many ways is loss. They kind of coexist in this yin-yang. It's just one's much more fun and more accessible to talk about, but they kind of come hand in hand. Again, the systematic exploration of all of the ones and zeros of what love is — it's a lot of ones, but it is also a lot of zeros, and one of those things is being lonely and the feeling of not being whole without a certain thing. Which I think is a really good connector to what this show talks about, which is the function of the things in our life that we lose. It is funny that we are getting closer and closer to the realities of what this show presents and suggests. The idea that Siri could be a person in a hundred years isn't absurd, it's not a crazy idea. Even talking about things like robots or artificial intelligence, it's an immediate thing that is part of the cultural fabric and a continual discussion about how and where and why it's going to be part of our life.

But even without talking about those sort of more sci-fi leaning things, technology is in many ways, like people in our life. I mean, people treat their phones like babies. We have attachments to our phones and the way that we need them in our lives and the way we care for them and the reliance we have on them. And the idea of shelf life and things being outdated, we're pretty comfortable with. It's more comprehensible with tech and objects. But it's funny that we have this cognitive dissonance between that and the idea of things being outdated and out of its prime is harder to grasp and a harder pill to swallow with people, and it's a harder journey to go on with people. But what happens when our objects become closer in likeness and experience to people? How are we going to wrap our brains around that and how will they wrap their brains or their programming around that? And how will they feel? Will they feel at all? How will they feel about their impermanence as it relates to ours and vice versa? So there's a lot of really, really nice questions being asked in this show.

Are you finding that it's changing your relationship to Siri and Alexa and your technology? As of now, absolutely not. Well, maybe in the future. Maybe. I'll bite my tongue… In a few years, who knows? She's listening. I'll be nice to you Siri, I promise. As long as you're nice to me when you decide to take over the planet. Well, after you've played a Helperbot, you've got an in. Hopefully that'll soften the AI takeover, they'll let us loose. If there's any incentive to come see the show — other than a wonderful theatrical experience with a lot of beautiful universal themes and all that great stuff and fantastic music, and hopefully good performances — if not that, it's at least to soften the punishment and wrath of the AI takeover. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

[katnisspeetaprim]

I'll Sort It out

Word Count: 1323 M.list

Warnings: Getting hate, crying, swear word. (P.S This is a bit of a mess and the ending isn't great!)

You and Jungkook had been together since early 2019 after meeting at the BBMA’s. It was both your first times at an American awards show, so you naturally felt a little out of place. Since you spoke a little Korean (having since improved greatly) you took a chance and introduced yourself to the group.

You and Jungkook stayed in contact after finding you had a natural connection and finally began dating in 2019, after a lot of pushing from each of your friend groups.

Whilst BTS only got bigger as the days went by, your audience mainly stayed the same. Not that you minded. You enjoyed playing smaller and more intimate venues. It allowed you to be closer to the fans and interact with them more easily, plus you could do meet and greats without all the pressure of disappointing people who couldn’t get in.

Jungkook always made it his mission to go to as many of your shows as possible, and cheer you on from the side or somewhere in the back of the crowd.

Ultimately, that’s how the two of you got found out. Him being spotted at one too many of your shows when he had no other reason to be in the city.

Neither of you had wanted to stay secret anymore, so with the go ahead from BigHit, you made the relationship public.

It felt good to be able to make posts with and about your boyfriend on social media after having to hide it for so long, you felt proud and wanted to show him off because you loved him... But then the hate started. On every picture you posted, even ones that had nothing to do with Jungkook, there would be hate. Even on posts promoting your albums, they would be accusing you of using him to stay relevant, since you needed all the help you could get, according to them anyway.

God forbid Jungkook dared to talk about you or your music on one of his live streams... That would only add more fuel to the fire. He would be blissfully unaware of the hate geared towards you, th chat moving too fast for him to notice.

But you knew.

They’d recently gone from just nasty comments on your posts, to messaging you actual death threats.

When that first happened, you stopped posting pictures with Jungkook and made private all the ones already up on your page. Jungkook was confused as to why you suddenly did that but he didn’t bring it up after all, he had stopped using Instagram so maybe you were going to do the same thing?

Recently, Jungkook had been in talks to collaborate with other artists from America in preparation for the release of his first solo album, and when he bought up the idea of the two of you also doing a song together, it caused you to hit your breaking point.

‘What do you mean, no?’ He’d cornered you in his dance studio during a break. All the backing dancers had gone out so it was just the two of you left in the room.

‘It means no, Kook. It’s not a good idea.’ He stared at you like he suddenly couldn’t understand Korean, and he couldn’t stop the hurt flashing across his face. It hurt your heart to turn him down like that, but you had no other choice.

‘You can’t just say no without giving me a reason!’ he started to argue, now getting more angry than upset.

‘We can talk later.’ You mumbled, gathering your things to leave, hoping to escape this conversation until later.

‘No! You can’t just leave like that- hey!’ As soon as he reached out to grab your arm to stop you, you span round and unleashed your emotions onto him for the first time since this all started.

‘You don’t know what it’s like!’ You practically screamed in his face. Your cheeks had become red with rage and fat tears stained your face. Jungkook flinched at your sudden emotional state and went quiet, his anger drifting away into confusion as you continued.

‘-To constantly have people telling me I’m not good enough, and I’m just using you to stay relevant! It’s going to be ten times worse if we do a song together! Don’t you see!?’ You span round and cried into your hands, embarrassed that he was seeing you like this.

‘Baby... I-I had no idea...’ How could he not have known something was wrong. He felt so stupid that he’d apparently been blind to this whole situation. Just then, a thought struck him.

‘Is this why you made all those pictures of us private a while ago?’ You nodded without turning round and sniffled. You heard him curse under his breath and suddenly his arms were round you, cradling you from behind.

‘Why didn’t you say something sooner?’ He spoke against the skin of your neck.

‘I didn’t want to put you in that position.’ You shook your head and tried to calm your sobs.

‘Hey, don’t talk like that.’ He circled round to stand in front of you, gently sliding his hands up your neck to cup your face.

‘You will always be my top priority, ok?’ You nodded sadly and subconsciously reached up to grasp onto his forearms, more to comfort yourself than anything.

‘please don’t cry. I’ll sort it all out.’ He wiped your tears with the pads of his thumbs and pulled you into a hug, flush against his chest.

‘We’re also definitely doing that song together, by the way.’ You pulled back sharply, almost in disbelief.

‘Have you not been listening to anything I said!?’

‘And I told you I’d sort it! Please... Just trust me on this.’ He pleaded, almost begging you to trust him with his eyes. You sighed deeply and rubbed at your sore eyes.

‘Ok... I trust you.’

What Jungkook meant by sort it, was to basically threaten legal action to everyone who sent you death threats or tried to defame you, in the form of a very stern letter released through BigHit.

Hello, this is BigHit.

Please find below a statement directly from Jungkook.

Hello.

First of all I want to say that this letter isn’t targeted towards the fans who have shown nothing but support for me and Y/N. Please know we both appreciate you all and are grateful for everything you do for us.

This letter is in direct response to the people who think it’s appropriate to send Y/N death threats and try to defame her, by claiming she’s using me for fame. Unbeknownst to me, this has been going on for a long time, which has caused Y/N  a great deal of mental stress.

Death threats aren’t something we take lightly.

Np, Y/N isn’t using me for fame.

No, we aren’t breaking up.

Yes we are going to continue making public appearances together, and YES, we will be taking legal action.

We already have a large number of names and accounts which have been handed over to our lawyers. If the threats and accusations don’t stop immediately, then we have no problem taking whatever legal action is necessary.

In future, please understand that we don’t have to share out lives with you. We share what we are comfortable with being public, but when you act like this? It only makes us want to close off completely.

I hope my words have made you realise that actions and words can have consequences.

-JJK.

The statement Jungkook released caused a real storm online. Most real ARMY immediately rallied around you to create a support network and the threats mainly stopped. You guessed that most of them were probably just teenagers, scared of being caught out.

The song you and Jungkook released together was a massive hit too. It was basically a big fuck you to all the haters and you couldn’t wait to perform it live.

[hrtbrkrz]

It's late 2017. BigHit hasn't had a girl group since Glam crashed and burned in 2014. Their biggest group, BTS, has just exploded in popularity, and TXT isn't even a concept yet. With BTS' meteoric rise and the fact that their label hasn't accepted female trainees in nearly half a decade, it's unlikely that BigHit would pour their time and resources into something they haven't done in years. However, just a year prior, they were subtly communicating a different story.

Two female trainees were sent onto Produce 101 in 2015 and took the show by storm for multiple reasons. For one, said trainees were under BigHit. Aside from their stellar talents and the fact that one of them was related to a Girls' Generation member, it was clear that something was going on behind the scenes.

A year goes by. BigHit is pretty much radio silent. Then, October 2017 rolls around, and KRUSH makes their (unexpected) debut. Surprise, surprise. They're a girl group.

And they're a damn good one.

KRUSH would make their explosive debut with the iconic "CLASSY," off the EP that started it all, CRUSHIN' IT. Their debut was huge, which was nothing short of impressive due to the fact that they had pretty much zero teasers, aside from the launch of their official website and social media. The album sold a staggering 420,000 copies within its first week—a feat that other girl groups have yet to achieve themselves. A couple days later, all 7,500 seats at their debut showcase (held at the Hanyang University Gymnasium) were completely sold out.

CRUSHIN' IT shot to #2 on every major Korean music chart, and since KRUSH debuted at just the right time, they broke into the Billboard 200 with a placement of sixty-six, proving how much international appeal they had already. The girls secured their first win within a week of their debut, and by the end of their promotional cycle a month later, they had won a total of four trophies. To commemorate their (more than) successful debut, the girls posted a picture of them all posing with their wins, with each girl holding her own individual trophy. Probably because of Kaleina, GGBs immediately took to comparing the picture to SNSD's ever-iconic "trophy photo" for "Gee," lauding how they managed to get their "SoShi moment" immediately after their debut. The fandom still talks about it, by the way.

"CLASSY" itself remains a staple part of KRUSH's discography and their overall identity. During its release, it was lauded as one of the best debuts of 2017, and it has gone down as one of the strongest the industry's ever seen. Iconic, indeed.

Some of the stage outfits seen during the CRUSHIN' IT era. When publications talk about KRUSH's impact and international appeal, they always talk about their fashion. The outfits were already so good, and they only had one EP under their belt. By November 2017, Vogue was already talking about them. Oh, they were gonna be so big.

Like mentioned earlier, promotions for CRUSHIN' IT lasted a month. During that time, the girls had critically acclaimed and instantly iconic performances at the American Music Awards and at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. Both of their appearances were a surprise considering they were only a month-old group, but their appearance at the AMAs was definitely a surprise. Their new legion of fans were delighted to see them getting Western promotion so early on, using that as proof of their destined stardom, but... others decided to use that as an opportunity to become KRUSH's first antis. Ranging from nepotism baby allegations, to the whole "Glam clone" and BLACKPINK comparison thing, to netizens calling their concept "unoriginal," to a certain subset of ARMYs claiming that the girls were leeching off of BTS' success... the whole thing was quite the mess. But at least it didn't get any bigger than that. For now.

And then, just two months later, KRUSH released their second EP, Illusion. They were already on their first comeback, and it had barely been eight weeks. Here's the start of KRUSH's lore, and as a result, this comeback became one of their most iconic ones—and it was only their first one. The album itself sold over 500,000 copies within its first week, upping the girls' first week sales by 80,000 copies. Its lead single, "PLAY MY GAME," topped Korean charts and won five music show awards.

The Illusion era was defined by its cheeky, sinister playfulness and almost horror-esque vibe, with the girls playing different nightmares (or spirits), all haunting the boy who broke their hearts. Critics and fans alike ate this concept up, with GGBs in particular aching to see the girls take the horror route again. Illusion topped charts in Korea yet again, but it also broke into the Billboard 200, securing an impressive fifty on the chart.

By the end of 2017, KRUSH saw award after award at end of the year award shows. Winning Best New Artist — Female at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Best New Artist at the Melon Music Awards, and Rookie of the Year at the Golden Disc Awards, it was clear that this group of four girls wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. KRUSH's rise was definitely slow and steady, but they were still rising. And it would only get better from here.

Just a week following the New Year, KRUSH returned with their first and (so far) only repackage album, Re:Illusion. It's... largely been considered a "filler comeback," even by the girls themselves, only meant to act as a link between Illusion and their following comeback. Despite that, the music is good. With "Bewitched," KRUSH's concept became even more rooted in horror, becoming grittier and borderline haunting, which is exactly what GGBs wanted. The album did well commercially, selling over 400,000 copies and debuting at #4 on the charts. Regardless, Re:Illusion is still mostly forgotten by the general public and even by KRUSH themselves. No one thinks much of it nowadays (unfortunately).

Now, this is where things get good! In May, four months after the release of Re:Illusion, we got the album that changed everything, Through the Looking Glass. The girls' first full album, this era quickly cemented itself as one of the most iconic the industry has ever seen. With biblical references and references to films such as Black Swan (2010) sprinkled all throughout the MV for the lead single, this era was chocked full of lore, fully immersing GGBs into what was known from here on out as the "KRUSH-verse." To the surprise of everyone, this era was seemingly connected to the BTS Universe, and it gave KRUSH's fans a whole lot to speculate over.

One interesting thing about the album is that if you managed to pry throughout the physical copy enough, you could peek underneath the back end spot the numbers "18/20" written against a black background... although that would require you to basically force the back open. GGBs took to Twitter in droves once they found this out, with many guessing that it was a date or "2018" backwards. It was neither of those, of course, but they were hints to the girls' next two albums.

The TTLG era saw the highest commercial success of KRUSH's career at the time, garnering them the much needed international appeal that they had gotten a taste of the year prior. A massive jump from their previous album, TTLG peaked at a staggering #19 on the Billboard 200, their highest chart placement to date. What's more surprising, though, is that the album sold over a million copies within its first month. KRUSH were officially million sellers.

That wasn't all, though. The lead single, "Venus," was the girls' first entrance into the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at eighty-eight. It won a total of ten music show wins, garnering KRUSH their first ever triple crown, while its B-side, "Mirror Mirror," won a total of six wins. Not only were they million sellers, but they were no longer rookies, either. A truly iconic era.

Some of the stage outfits seen during the TTLG era. The styling was marked by the girls primarily being seen in matching costumes, which was different in comparison to their first three eras, sans Illusion. The only time they didn't match was during their performance on Good Morning America. Said performance also started the "Kaleina gets special treatment" rumors.

By the way, the butterflies seen throughout the era (such as on the album cover), despite the fact that the title of the album itself is a reference to Alice in Wonderland? Those are meant to represent "rebirth" and "new beginnings," and they were entirely intentional. They'll make a lot more sense later.

Finally, we get to the closing act of 2018. KRUSH's second full album and their most theatrical album to date, Festival. This comeback started KRUSH's trend of iconic fall comebacks and became an integral part of the girls' lore. The concept of Festival was more rooted in thriller rather than straight up horror, offering hauntingly charming music videos, music videos shot like movies, and the narrative-driven thriller concept that GGBs had been begging for. Of course, this comeback was a resounding success, albeit less than TTLG. Selling 970,000 copies within its first week and a staggering 1.4 million within its first month, Festival became KRUSH's fourth number one album. The girls saw an even higher placement on the BB200, securing a #14 upon debut.

The album's lead single, "Psycho," was yet another smash hit for the girls, topping every major Korean music chart (as always) and scoring a placement of seventy-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Winning eleven music show wins, it was the highest-awarded KRUSH single at that point. Its B-side, "Four Strikes to Midnight," won three.

Picking up where TTLG left off, the physical copies of Festival also had something hidden. On the back of a select photocard (which could be of any member) would be a QR code which, when scanned, would lead to a website. Said website would be nothing but a black screen though, with text reading "10/31/20." Now this was definitely a date. One two years into the future, though. GGBs had to take to social media again, constantly speculating on what it could mean. However, since the "QR code photocards" were so rare, only a handful of people caught it, and they now sell for extremely high prices online.

Some of the stage outfits seen during the Festival era. A lot of black and white was utilized in the girls' styling, which was meant to serve as some sort of symbolism. The rumors that Kaleina was getting better outfits than the rest of the girls were still going, but clearly, none of them were actually true. Compilation videos with so-called "evidence" got millions of views, though.

At the end of the year, KRUSH was even more popular than they were during their debut. They nearly swept awards by the end of 2018, winning Best Female Artist, Song of the Year for "Venus," and Best Dance Performance (also for "Venus") at that year's MAMAs. They also won the Digital Song Bonsang for "Psycho" and the Album Bonsang for TTLG at the Golden Disc Awards, the Best Dance Award (Female) at the Melon Music Awards, and were even nominated for Album of the Year at the GDAs. Like with "CLASSY," Billboard listed both "Venus" and "Psycho" as one of their best K-pop songs of 2018, and they were even mentioned by the Recording Academy. But, like always, it was only up from here.

[venusvity]

Yoo Mirae (Korean: 유미래, born January 6, 1997), known professionally as Bliss (Korean: 블리스; Japanese: 至福), is a Korean singer, dancer, and actress based in South Korea. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group Venus, formed by Angelico Entertainment in 2018. She is portrayed by Lee Yoomi & Wendy Son.

Mirae was born on January 6, 1997, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Her mother is the esteemed musical theatre actress Yoo Misun. Mirae attended high school at the School of Performing Arts in Seoul. Throughout her school years, she starred in multiple school musicals. She joined a school drama club and earned more experience in the entertainment industry by attending auditions.

In 2014, Mirae joined Angelico Entertainment as a trainee after passing its auditions. 

In October 2014, she appeared in Emphasis' music video for "Du Du Du!" as a lifeguard. The same year, she starred in Priority's "Say You Love Me" music video as Reid's love interest. In 2015, she would be featured in W Korea alongside Kang Juwon of Priority. Mirae would do a lot of modeling pre-debut, working with brands such as Laneige, Nature Republic, Amuse, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, and Etude House.

𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖: 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒

On March 17, 2018, Mirae would officially debut in VENUS with the release of their first extended play (EP), SHE DEVIL, and its lead single, "SHE DEVIL." She would take on the stage name "Bliss."

She was the group's co-leader, main rapper, and main vocalist.

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 - 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏: 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭

In January 2020, Bliss made her acting debut as the female lead in the web drama Please Try Again, which achieved record-breaking viewership.

On March 24, 2021, Bliss was announced as a cast member for the musical Midnight Sun as Seo Haena, with DAY6's Wonpil, Baekho, DeepDive's Kiwoo, GOT7's Youngjae, Shinee's Onew, Kang Hye-in, Kei, and Lee Ah-jin. To promote the musical, she collaborated with stage member Onew to release "A Melody Called You (너라는 멜로디)"

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒

On June 10, 2024, during the Venus contract transfer, Bliss, unlike the other four members of Venus, would not sign with Mydol Entertainment. A letter announcing Bliss's departure from the group would be posted to Venus' social media accounts.

It is still under heavy debate if Bliss left the group or was removed by Mydol CEOs.

On August 7th, 2024, Bliss renewed her contract with Angelico Entertainment.

Before her debut with Venus, Yoonah featured in advertisements for Samsonite, Smart Uniform, LG Electronics, and Nikon. 

In September 2018, Bliss and band-mate Baebi became endorsement models for Japanese cosmetics brand Kiss Me. 

In September 2021, Bliss was announced as the new host of the program Music Bank with L.O.L's Jesse. For their performance on the program, they were awarded with the Best Couple Award at the 2021 KBS Entertainment Awards.

In February 2021, Korean clothing brand It Michaa selected Bliss as its muse for its Spring 2021 collection. She was also appointed for the summer 2021 campaign on It Michaa's line, For a Day Michaa. 

In 2022, Coca-Cola Korea selected Bliss as an endorsement model for Dr Pepper.

In January 2023, Bliss stepped down as Music Bank host after sixteen months in the role.

In February 2023, Bliss became the new muse for the South Korean casual fashion brand SJSJ.

In December 2023, Dyson selected Bliss as its official Brand Ambassador, representing the new Dyson hair care products. Then, in January 2024, the American athletic apparel retailer Alo Yoga announced Bliss as the new face for its spring 2024 campaign. 

[deathlygristly]

It was weird yesterday to come home from the Korean festival and read the internet.

The internet: Humans are full of hate and everyone hates everyone else and violence and hate and bigotry!!!!

The festival: A very large and diverse group of humans all having fun eating each other's food and cheering on and supporting each other.

A group of kids did a taekwondo celebration and their uniforms had both American and Korean flags on them and everyone cheered for them, even when they made a mistake or didn't break the little piece of wood.

The kpop dance contestants were all very diverse and I will admit that I teared up when the large crowd cheered so hard for the first contestant, a chubby little 10 year old girl.

The internet: body image fatphobia health fascism

The festival: a crowd cheering their hearts out for a chubby 10 year old girl dancing by herself in front of them.

They gave her a rising star award at the end and I almost cried again.

Then there was the karaoke competition, and a woman who must have been at least in her 60s if not older won second place. My mother was very happy to see older woman representation when I sent her the picture and told her. A hijabi woman also sang. :)

Also I sometimes see people on the internet talking about Koreans and kpop fandom being racist, and while I don't doubt that's true especially online and I have seen some awkward things occasionally in kdramas and kpop videos, every kpop event we've been to offline here in the city has plenty of black people enjoying the music and dancing. In the dancing contest a young black man danced to a female group's song, and he did it perfectly and everyone cheered.

It was also an interesting display of gender differences in the choreography. Some women did male group dances too, and it was a look into how the dance moves are quite gendered.

The festival was fun and it was a good time and it was worth going just to see everyone being so supportive of that 10 year old girl if nothing else.

Also yeah, if the negativity on the internet is getting to you, I really do advocate touching grass. Although the grass in the little area at the festival was fake. But it still counted as touching grass! :)

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

The way k-dramas have this opposite side showing to people than what goes on k-side is really something. Not saying like that's not how the world goes but the way i see everyone on other sns have this mindset towards Koreans as how it goes in k-dramas. My own country fans think that's what korea is about.....U know how men in there are, just a few months ago we saw them getting exposed with those telegram groups, them bullying their Olympics female participants over short hair n all. Saw 2 days ago the men victimizing themselves because a korean female writer won an award. She's actually the first female from Asia but here those men being "You can imagine what men in Korea have to go through daily".

Then you have this 21 year old idol having to leave his group because korean fans are mad he had gf and smoked before debut like??? Saw a video of him seeing all those funeral wraths with his own eyes because he walked passed through all of them like nothing is more fked than that shit. And I for a fact know that most of those fans are female fans. There's one picture of the "fans" sitting with those protests all seemed female (if I'm not mistaking what that picture and those banners mean). So these fans and more especially here these female fans (i know male fans for gg would be the same) acting like they own these idols is crazy. Put every single one of them in jail or in a mental hospital cause that mentality is harmful. Him going through this shit at the age of 21 is fked. This is gonna leave a big scar on his life forever but hopefully he'll heal.

I think a lot of damage is being done on the international community side, especially in fandom spaces, due to lack of education. It boils down to that. But of course, the issue is more nuanced. The average age has to be taken into account, but it's the lack of knowledge, critical thinking, mixed in with xenophobia that leads not only to a distorted image of a country and its cultural/social/political aspects, but not knowing how to properly differentiate between real life and advertisement.

Should we expect that anyone who is now interested in Korean entertainment to pick up some articles and read a few things here and there? What lead to the investment in culture and entertainment and how the state was involved? What is the purpose? To what end and for whom is it being promoted and how? No, although it would be ideal. But at the same time, you would think that anyone can understand the difference between an idealized and promoted image to be consumed and the real life. Unfortunately, it is not the case.

It is also not fundamentally wrong that the majority of people rely on k-dramas and kpop to get a glimpse or immerse themselves into another culture. A K-drama or any other type of media product is a narrative fiction that contributes to the creation of imagined, national communities. The mainstream Korean imaginary is created through the help of these mediated audio-visual fictions (this is applicable to other countries, as I myself took the terms from an analysis of American culture and its effects on Europe. Don't take my interpretation as a rule of thumb though, I haven't done any research into my response).

Popular Korean entertainment is meant to create a very specific image of national identities and values, but it clashes with other realities (which are also represented through fiction, but that's more marginalized). It is on us to be able to navigate between all these aspects, but my god, there's a lot of stupid people out there.

(It's interesting how my introduction to SK as an adult was through Kim Ki-Duk's films. I was hit with extreme levels of representation of violence and mysogyny, but also an incredible beauty in a controversial filmography. Nothing near the fantasy of the "CEO falls in love with the poor young girl in an environment that screams advertisement").

As to the idol who was pressured to leave the group, unfortunately SM set a very dangerous precedent with their decision and it has been pointed out a lot in the past 24h. The company is telling so-called fans that their strategies work and that they have power over idols.

For them, idols are a commodity, hence why they become enraged and talk about their time and money which they have invested in them. It's a really dark way to think of these entertainers through this capitalist lense. Which is not particular to k-pop, it happens in any entertainment industry. But it slowly leads more and more to the dehumanization of idols. And that's a consequence of companies and fans. They are at fault for creating and perpetuating such a system.

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 21: One Step At A Time

Chapter Word Count: 4,316

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language.

Master List | Prev | Next

After months, the tour was finally over. New Years passed just over a week ago, getting you past the Golden Disc Awards. 

The Be The Sun era had come to an end and most award shows were done, each member now had the chance to go home, take a vacation, or just rest at their dorm. Within the next couple of weeks, all of the members would be moving to their own accommodations with the dorm contract ending and Jihoon would be moving into your apartment sooner rather than later. Throughout the last few weeks between tour stops and award shows, Jihoon and you had sat down multiple times and came up with a plan of how things would go. 

First step would be going through all your items that were shipped from America with him and figuring out which items you wanted to keep, what needed to be tossed, and make a list of what would need to be bought. Second step was setting up the apartment to fully accommodate two people rather than one, which overall wouldn’t be too difficult. One thing already decided on was the sleeping situation, or well, it wasn’t a question of needing a proper bed rather than a mattress pad. Another thing was Jihoon learning how to cook more recipes so all the cooking wasn’t falling on you, however you would gladly be by his side to help if he needed. 

Sitting on the couch, both you and Jihoon were reviewing the inventory list that was sent over from the moving company. Jihoon had taken it upon himself to grab your very large, king sized fluffy blanket you fell in love with and bundled the two of you up in it. 

“ We can put my old bed in the second room as a guest bed after getting a new mattress?”

Jihoon snickered. “ Why are you making it sound like a question? And we also have the option of my old bed frame.” 

“Will it be big enough if two people visit? Jamie and Kazu? Or my grandparents in the future? I know they are staying in a hotel this time but a guest room would be nice.” 

“You said you wanted the second room as an office.” 

“Well, it can be both. Office-guest room.” You huffed, leaning away from him, only for him to continue to lean into your side. “ Stop stealing my body heat.” 

He only shook his head, eyes never leaving the screen. He pulled his arm from the blanket and motioned around in the air. “ Why not say fuck it and get a new bed and dresser and be done with it?” 

“Well- I don’t want the stuff going to waste. I’m already bringing in my two bookshelves and my big desk so I’m thinking of spending as little money as possible if we have so much. Plus, we are already bringing your wardrobe from the dorm into the bedroom since it’s more spacious than mine.” 

Jihoon dug around between the two of you to find his phone but came up with yours, holding it to your face to unlock it. You snickered at that and watched him pull up the note you’ve been compiling of what you’d be bringing each and what you were still debating on. “ So your bed frame is an American queen size, it would fit in the bedroom and the wardrobe would be against the wall so that isn’t an issue. Your desk is pretty big so we can slide it in a corner of the second room by the window and my double bed can fit in there without a problem on the other wall. Since there is no dresser in there, we can get a smaller wardrobe and that room would be complete.”

“What about your desk?” 

He blinked, pursing his lips in thought. “ The second bedroom here is big enough to fit everything, it’s way bigger than my room in general. I can place my desk beside yours. Two desks, a wardrobe and the double bed will work. I don’t have a lot outside of my room since I shared the dorm with Jeonghanie-hyung, Seungkwanie, and Soonyoungie.” 

“Then we can use my TV stand and purchase a new TV, something decent sized maybe?” He nodded, typing it down under the things to buy category. “ I have a small table for the kitchen, four chairs with it. We need a coffee table since I gave mine to Jamie.” Another item added to the list. “ Then we can figure out what else we need as time goes on?” 

“ Yeah, I think we will be okay. Tomorrow we can both call the movers and hopefully have things set for the end of the week.” 

Shutting your laptop, you shimmied down further into the blanket and sighed. “Then next week my grandparents come into town.” 

“Nothing to worry about, nothing will ever be as bad as my mom.” 

“ God- Don’t remind me.” You tossed your head back against the couch cushion. “ Has she ever reached out?” 

“Once, right before New years. Wasn’t an apology though. My dad has been wanting to come into town but he would only be able to stay the day because of the bond withdrawal.” 

Your face contorted into a cringe. “ That’s dumb. Why can’t she just suck up her BS and apologies?” 

“I’ve asked myself that a few times since you met her.” 

Organized chaos was a good word for what was happening. Much like you hoped, both moving companies for your things from storage and Jihoon’s stuff from the dorm were free on the same day (and you didn’t know why one company could just do both, it was stupid). And much to your delight, you’d get movers for your items in the morning and the other company would show up later in the day. However, what you didn’t expect was half of Seventeen showing up, saying they could help when in reality they were just getting in the way. 

“ Can you guys go sit in the kitchen or something, move!” You complained, pushing Seungcheol into the kitchen, followed by Vernon, Seungkwan, Mingyu, and Seokmin. “ Let them do their jobs and you can help later!” 

 “ So rude, Ruby-ah~” Seungcheol hummed, hopping on the counter near your sink which had you rolling your eyes. 

“ You all show up after we said not to and are getting in the way.” Sticking your tongue out at him, you turned quickly and profusely apologized to the first set of movers, watching the team bring pieces of your bed frame in. 

The mattress pad was currently rolled up on the couch for the time being, something you’d be using until the new mattress came in within the next few days, then stored in the closet just in case. Jihoon was down the hall packing some of his personal things with the (un)helpful help of Soonyoung from what his last text message said, leaving you to deal with the movers and those idiots currently in your kitchen. 

Everything was running smoothly, the movers were absolutely fantastic at placing each furniture piece exactly where you wanted them, even giving suggestions on how everything would fit with the other items you’d be bringing it. From what your landlord said when you asked about good moving etiquette, he said that on top of paying for their services, you could ‘tip’ them with money for food after completing their service. You took cash out from your account – enough for each worker to get a nice meal – and gave them a deep bow, thanking them for their service once they were on the way out. 

“ So what are we having for lunch?” Mingyu asked once the door to your apartment was closed, already rummaging through your refrigerator for something to eat or cook. 

“Oh nah, get your grubby little hands out of my fridge.” You hurried into the kitchen, nearly running smack into the kitchen table that was brought in. “ Order yourself food, heathens.” 

“ But we came to help!” 

“And you haven’t done shit! I should have kicked you all out!” You stomped, crossing your arms over your chest. 

“ I invited everyone over for dinner later.” Seungcheol just had to speak up, smirking wide. 

“I’m gonna commit.” You grabbed a dish rag and threw it at him. “ Starve for all I care.” 

Electricity buzzed down your spine and you spun on your toes, hustling to the door, opening it before Jihoon could punch your code in. “ Kick them out.” 

“Kick- I told them not to show up.” 

Giving him a pout, you moved aside to let him and Soonyoung through the door, both carrying a few bags and dragging suitcases behind them. “ Guys- Can’t you leave Ruby-ah and I alone for a day?” 

“No,” Mingyu huffed, closing the fridge. “ You both are my friends.” 

“Seungcheol-ah invited everyone over for take out.”

“Huh?!” Jihoon dropped all the items he carried into the living room around your boxes the movers brought, grumbling in disbelief. “ We aren't paying for food.” 

“Never said you were!” Seungcheol defended and you facepalmed. 

“I’m dealing with children. I will never know any peace. I’m going to commit.” You muttered to yourself but Vernon and Mingyu laughed to themselves. 

“ Rock, paper, scissors for who pays!” Seungkwan called out and gathered around Seungcheol. Soonyoung, Seokmin, and Mingyu followed in with Vernon being pulled alongside the five of them.

Two rounds later, Seokmin was crumbling to the floor, whining out loudly that he lost. Jihoon and you had started to separate out his things for which bags would go into which room while they messed around, knowing not to involve yourselves in their antics. Majority of the bags were stuffed with clothes since the wardrobe would be taken apart to fit through the doorway. Anything else he was bringing could be brought before Seungkwan, Jeonghan, and Soonyoung moved out since they were only down the hall.

It wasn’t long before the second movers arrived and Seungkwan and Soonyoung hurried down the hall with Jihoon to make sure everything was out of the living room so as to not interfere with the movers’ job. Jeonghan and Joshua had strolled in just as they were leaving, the former over exaggerating a compliment of the newly added kitchen table as he took a seat. 

“Stay in the kitchen!” You called out, pushing some boxes towards the shelves on either side of the TV stand, knowing you’d have to sort through each box and place things up while leaving room for anything Jihoon wished to add. 

Thankfully, the guys did stay in the kitchen, however Vernon and Seokmin did raid your snack cabinet, passing different chips and treats around to each. You greeted the movers when Jihoon returned with the first item, his desk and chair, with him holding the blankets and pillows to his bed in both arms. With the destination only being down the hall, it didn’t take long for the apartment to be bustling with workers rebuilding the wardrobe and bed frame in each room. Jihoon had left for the dorm to collect anymore of his personal belongings, leaving you to supervise and organize.

Everything around you was falling into the proper place. There was a hint of excitement bubbling within for the newest chapter of your life you were entering. Typical things wouldn’t change much, however you’d be back to living with someone after living alone since leaving college, but this person, Jihoon , was your soulmate, your partner. While there was only months between bumping into one another and settling the bond, it already felt like a lifetime. 

“ Ruby-ah~” Mingyu motioned you over from where you sat on the living room floor, peeking inside boxes to see what was where. 

Reluctantly you stood and shuffled over, frowning at your snacks being downed by the members. “ Hm?” 

Mingyu tugged you close to his side, rubbing your upper arm. “Seokminie is going to get fried chicken for dinner.” 

With a tiny gasp, you pushed Mingyu away and shuffled towards Seokmin who sat on the counter on the other side of the sink from Seungcheol. He was popping some of the chocolate pieces into his mouth that you had in the front of your cabinet to get as a treat once in a while. You hugged him tightly, catching him by surprise, but he was happily able to hug you back, swaying you to and fro.

“ You’re the best!” 

A laugh bubbled out of his chest and he continued to sway. “ We’ll get beer too! Make it a housewarming party!” 

“Most of us will have to eat on the floor.” Jeonghan snickered and you shot a glare over your shoulder at him. 

“ Shut up!” 

Both you and him stuck your tongue out at each other before Seokmin released you from his hold and you went back to your place in the living room. Joshua came to sit beside you, helping you go through the boxes one by one. You pulled out a medium sized picture frame wrapped up in bubble wrap, unpacking it to find it as one of your favorites. It was you as a child sitting in your mother’s lap with Mimi and Papa on either side, all dressed in silly little matching sweaters. You were only two years old in the picture but it was the only picture you had with the four of you before your parents passed. Staring at it for a moment, you let your fingers trace over your mothers features and the smiles that were spread on each of your faces. 

Joshua craned his neck to peek at the picture and smiled softly. “You were so little.” 

“Uh- Yeah. I was about two. It was a Christmas picture. It’s the last picture I have of my mom.” You stood and placed the picture on a middle shelf on the bookshelf to the left TV stand. “There should be two more frames in there, one from my highschool graduation and one from my master’s graduation.” 

Both you and Joshua easily found the other two pictures. You unwrapped and held them close to your chest as you looked over them, reminiscing on the days from each picture. 

At your highschool graduation, Papa had bought two big bouquets of flowers, one of pink tulips (conveying congratulations) and the other white roses (conveying new beginnings). He was so proud of you and it was the first time you had seen him cry of joy. He asked one of your classmate’s parents to take a picture of the three of you. Mimi was smiling so wide and Papa was holding you close to his side, while you stood in the middle, tears going down your cheeks but a smile spread on your face with both bouquets in hand. 

For your graduation from the Masters program, you didn’t get the chance to walk the stage due to the pandemic, however your grandmother insisted you at least get pictures done as a commemoration. You got dressed up in a cap and gown and took pictures in a sunflower field upstate when you went to visit them. Papa had done research once more and got a mixed bouquet of Baby’s Breath, another flower that could mean new beginnings, and pink Hydrangeas, that mean heartfelt emotions (because he loved you greatly). It was the last picture of the day and you held the bouquet before you with your degree frame in hand, again standing between them with wide smiles. 

You placed both pictures on either side of your family portrait, even getting your degree out and placing it on the very top shelf (with the help of Joshua). It was a start, but you’d make this apartment a proper home like your old studio back in the states. A home to grow in and a home to cherish every loving moment that came. 

With Joshua’s help, you were able to organize and sort the items in the box. It was an amalgamation of books, knick knacks, and trinkets you’ve collected over the years. You were quick to get them on the shelf, happy that there would be one less box littering the living room. 

He laughed when he opened the second box mysteriously labeled Prized Possessions with a heart at the end. Leaning over to see the inside, you laughed as well, reaching in and pulling out the box for your Seventeen Lightstick and one of the bubble wrapped albums.

“I’m going to kill Jamie and Kazu.” 

“Nah, this is great.” Joshua waved you off, only to laugh more as he started to take the albums out of the box. “You have so many!” 

“Listen! I started collecting during Covid, I didn’t have a lot to do!” 

“You have almost two versions of each of the newest albums!” 

“This was before I knew Jihoon was my soulmate, stop bullying me!” 

“Guys-” Joshua was standing, grabbing a handful of the albums and scurrying away from your reach before you could stop him. “ Look look! Ruby-ah has so many albums!” 

“Hong Jisoo! Stop!” You grabbed onto the back of his shirt but the albums were already in Jeonghan’s hands. 

“ Wahh~!” Jeonghan grinned wide. “ Where are your photo cards, who did you pull??” 

“I’m not telling you-” 

“I’ll check the box for an organizer-” Joshua cut you off, hurrying back. 

“Stop exposing me!” 

The front door clicked open and Jihoon returned back with Seungkwan and Soonyoung, carrying miscellaneous belongings that were dropped in the living room. 

“ Are those our albums?” Seungkwan asked and you leaned over one of the kitchen chairs and whined out. 

“ I found it!” Joshua called out which made you sink to the floor and lay there in a pile of your own embarrassment. 

“ It can’t be that bad.” Jeonghan started, looking down at you in pity. “ Unless you have a secret…” 

“I’m already being exposed. I will not win this battle. I will only be shamed.” 

Joshua opened it as he walked over but stopped, flipping through page after page of the photocards and stared down at you with a smirk. “He isn’t going to like this~” He said in a sing-song tune. 

“ Why? Why??” Mingyu ran over to Joshua and you swore there was an invisible tail wagging behind him. “ Oh noooo!” 

“Jihoonie, I’d like to formally apologize for the person I once was.” You didn’t even bother to look away from the ceiling, wishing to become one with the floor. 

“ What’s the big deal-” Seungcheol moved to peer over Joshua’s shoulder and the most shit eating grin spread on his features. “ Wow, Ruby-ah, that’s a lot of photocards of me.” 

“ I’m sorry Jihoonie, but I’d like to respectfully pass away.” 

“ At this point I’m not even surprised.” Jihoon said, curious enough to join the huddle and see for himself the extent of your collection. 

Page after page, they flipped through the organizer before Mingyu let out a squeak in excitement and grabbed Jihoon. “ Hyung! There are a lot of you!” 

“Wah.” Jihoon let out the small sound of surprise, watching the pages flip. 

“ I am no longer a being of this planet, I am just one with the floor.” 

“Well, now we know who Ruby-ah’s wrecker is.” Joshua snickers before handing the binder to Jeonghan who was giving grabby hands. 

Jihoon crouched down to your pity party on the floor. “ Get off the floor, Ruby-ah.” 

“ I don’t know who Ruby-ah is, I am the floor.” 

Jihoon reached out and grabbed both of your wrists, standing up, planting his feet on either side of your legs, and pulling you until you were sitting up. With a pout, you stared at him with the saddest eyes you could muster, letting your hands lay limp in his hold. He brushed some hair back from your face then pulled you up to stand relatively easy. 

“ I’m going to order the food.” Seokmin called out, pulling his phone from his pocket. 

You stumbled back to the living room after taking your photocard binder and albums from Jeonghan and Seungkwan (both whining as if you took a toy away from them), muttering about how they were mean to you. The movers finished up the installation of the furniture and Jihoon sent them off, but you didn’t really pay attention as you organized your albums in release order and placed them on the lower shelf of the left bookcase. 

“ Yah, stop sulking on the floor.” Mingyu stood behind you and leaned over into your space, looking over your face. “ A few of the guys are going to their dorms to get beer from their fridge and Shua-hyung is going to the store to get more.” 

With a pout, you spun around and took the hand he offered when he stood straight, standing up and stretching out your legs and arms. The members that were already in your home were helpful enough in getting dishware and cups, but Soonyoung jogged down the hall to get more cups, chopsticks, and two folding lap tables they had back in their dorm. 

Not an hour later, your kitchen counters were packed, the table was toppling with containers, and many bodies were sitting on the living room floor, using some of the boxes, laptables, and a suitcase or two as makeshift tables. Beers were being downed, chicken was being eaten, and you were laughing at something Chan was saying about one of the members of Ateez, Wooyoung if you remembered, who he became fast friends with. Vernon and Joshua sat on either side of you on the floor, takeout containers on your hardshell suitcase, separating Chan, Minghao, and Mingyu from you. 

Speaking of Mingyu, there has been a joke from a movie swimming through your head. It’s been on your mind for a while. Back during tour when Mingyu’s stage office consisted of the sheer, sparkly shirt, you thought of it and had a laughing fit that you couldn’t explain without dying . You had asked Joshua and Vernon if they had seen the movie and much to your delight they had and you promised to give them a reference and placed a bet that Mingyu would fall gloriously into your trap. Now seemed like the perfect time. 

“ Mingyu-ah.” You downed the rest of your nearly empty can of beer, pointing to him. “ Why are your boobs so big?” 

You heard Joshua choke on his piece of chicken beside you. Mingyu quickly covered his chest with his arms crossed over one another, curling in on himself. Vernon leaned his head back and to the side, curling his lips in to bite them so as to not burst out laughing. Chan was already toppled over on the floor which caught the attention of a few other guys. Minghao looked amused but only sipped his beer with a smile he was trying to hide. 

“ They aren’t boobs! They are pecks!” Mingyu looked blown away, mouth open slightly in astonishment. “ I worked hard on them!”

“Do you have to wear a bra?” 

“Bra- I don’t need a bra!” 

“ Lotte World Mall has a Victoria Secret, maybe they have your size there, but you won’t get any cute colors since you are a bigger size.”

“Spare me-” Vernon had joined Chan on the floor, heaving in breaths that only came back out in boisterous laughter. 

Minghao and Joshua were both trying to keep in their laughter but giggles from Minghao seeped out and Joshua was leaning on your side, painfully trying to hold everything in by the expression on his face. Mingyu’s expression shifted to something even more blown away. He was at a loss for words and his cheeks were bright red, more than from drinking at this point.

“I’m just saying,” Grabbing a piece of chicken, you giggled to yourself. “ We can get you fitted, look all cute.” 

“He looks so-” Joshua started but his words trailed off in pained laughter and he too was on the floor. “I can’t breathe-” 

“ I think Ruby-ah needs to stop drinking-” Chan pointed and laughed at Mingyu, his child-like laugh filling the entire apartment. 

“Huh?! No! I barely had two cans!” You bit into the piece of chicken in your hand, snickering to yourself.  “ I am hilarious!” 

Jihoon had forced everyone to clean up and kicked them out for the night once midnight passed. Mingyu, despite the playful bullying you subjected him to, helped with dishes and resorted the living room to a less cluttered mess. With a tight squeeze of a hug, Mingyu was off, leaving the two of you to figure out the rest.

You and Jihoon decided you were both too lazy to put sheets on his bed in the spare room so you’d sleep on the mattress pad in the living room. Soon the floor was littered with blankets and pillows, a small little nest for you both to bed down in until the laziness wore off or the new mattress came in for the bedroom. 

Curling up beside one another, Jihoon held your waist, letting his tired eyes flutter shut but open to meet yours. “ You look happy.” 

The small, tired smile you had on your face spread and you nodded, pulling the blankets up to your chin. “ I feel happy. This is a new chapter for both of us. Who knows what the future will hold for us?” 

He moved closer, resting his forehead against yours, fully closing his eyes. “ I don’t know, but I’m lucky to have you by my side on this journey.”

[eyesofcuriosity]

What Mythical Rabbit Are You?

Moon Rabbit

The Moon Rabbit is a white creature stemming from various mythologies such as Asian and Native American tales, often depicted with a pestle and mortar, creating many elixirs of life in Chinese versions and rice cakes in Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese versions. 

∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗  You are a Moon Rabbit. You're kind-hearted, generous and considerate. You always think of people's feelings and put others before yourself. While you may feel unappreciated in life, currently, one day you will receive the recognition you deserve  ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗

In Chinese mythology, the Moon Rabbit is also known as the the Jade Rabbit, called 'yù tù' (玉兔), and is a companion of the moon Goddess Chang'e. It's also known as Moon Rabbit, Grandpa Rabbit, Gentleman Rabbit, Lord Rabbit and Gold Rabbit in various different versions and translations. However, there are also many different Moon Rabbit stories, stemming from Japanese, Korean and Native American stories. 

Chinese mythology: One Chinese story originates from Beijing and describes a deadly plague that came to the city. Chang'e, the moon Goddess, asked the Moon Rabbit to visit each family and cure them off this plague, who did so often receiving clothing out of gratitude for its service. Afterwards, it returned to the moon where people can see it, still creating the cure with its pestle and mortar. 

Another story of Chinese mythology Chang'e steals an elixir of immortality from her husband, Hou Yi (后羿) and escaped, becoming Goddess of the moon. Hou Yi acquired this elixir when he shot nine out of ten suns in the sky, freeing the world of the never-ending daylight and scorching weather. He was then awarded this potion by the Goddess Xiwangmu (西王母) but he never drank it as he didn't want to be immortal without Chang'e. However, there are many variations of the story. Some stories say Chang'e is forced to drink it when a thief tries to steal it, others depict Chang'e as a greedy woman who stole it out of selfishness. However in all stories, Chang'e drinks the potion, becomes immortal and flees to the moon or is punished and sent to the moon. A white rabbit takes pity on Chang'e and flies to the moon with her, to keep her company. 

Native American mythology: A Native American story of a moon rabbit have been heard from First Nations of Canada, Mexico and the US. The Aztecs believed that the God Quetzalcoatl once lived on earth as a man. One day while travelling, he was very dehydrated and hungry, and thought he would die. A passing white rabbit offered herself as food to him, saving his life. Quetzalcoatl was incredibly grateful by her sacrifice, so he took the rabbit to the moon and brought her back to Earth, telling her "You are just a rabbit, but you will be remembered by everyone. Your image is in the light of the moon for all people of all times."

The Cree (a Native American tribe) also have a story of a moon rabbit. The rabbit wanted to fly to the moon but only the crane would take him. The rabbit held onto the crane's legs and as a result, its legs were stretched during the course of the trip which is why their legs are now elongated. When they reached the moon, rabbit touched the crane's head with a bloody paw, rewarding him with the red marks on his head that the crane has to this very day. Up to this very day the rabbit still rides to the moon

tagged by @skarletchains thanks hun!!

tagging @mayhemmaybe @mannequinentity @steel-and-fire @xxlordalexanderxx ( for Cromwell!) and anyone else who wanna try!

[monasteryicons]

Father Emil Kapaun: The Saint in the Foxhole

Born of Czech immigrants in the small farming town of Pilsen, Kansas, in 1916, Emil Joseph Kapaun was ordained a priest in 1940 and served as an Army chaplain in Burma in World War II. During the Korean War, Captain Emil Kapaun was the Catholic chaplain assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry. On All Souls Day, November 2, 1950, this battalion of 3,000 soldiers was unexpectedly attacked by a force of more than 20,000 Chinese troops. The Americans, taken by surprise and fighting valiantly, never had a chance.

Father Kapaun ran from foxhole to foxhole, dragging out the wounded and giving last rites to the dying. Over the sound of gunfire and explosions he heard confessions. Feverishly working beyond the American lines in no-man’s-land, he actually stopped an execution and negotiated with the enemy for the safety of wounded Americans. No one knows how many young soldiers he carried to safety on his back. Going back again and again, he was finally taken prisoner as he tried to rescue another wounded soldier.

By daybreak the battle was over and hundreds of newly captured American POWs, including Father Kapaun, began a brutal forced 87-mile death march to a POW camp. Those wounded and unable to continue were shot dead. Father Kapaun picked up a wounded POW and began carrying him on his back, imploring others who were still in fair condition to do the same. Some followed his example and many managed to make it alive to the prison camp. Against the orders of his Chinese guards, Father Kapaun cared for the sick and wounded, built fires for warmth and cooking, searched for scraps of food, and even set up a makeshift system to purify drinking water.

To the great anger of his guards, Father Kapaun managed to gather the men together, officers and enlisted men, black men and white men, even atheists, agnostics and others, to join together in saying the Rosary.

Father Kapaun became an inspiration to the other POWs. The priest would preach openly to the men even though his captors ordered him not to do so. He would pray one-on-one with POWs, and some even embraced the faith and were baptized. Praying was banned, and when Father Kapaun ignored it and prayed with his men, his captors would strip him naked and make him stand on a block of ice for hours on end.

On Easter Sunday 1951, the bedraggled starving prisoners saw a silhouetted figure standing alone, illuminated by the morning sun. As the men approached, they realized it was Father Kapaun, wearing his priest’s stole and holding a missal. Somehow he had received permission to hold an Easter service. He could not celebrate Mass, but he read some Psalms and everyone recited out loud the prayers from Good Friday, including the Stations of the Cross. Survivors say that some men openly wept.

Worn down from the horrendous conditions and suffering from his own wounds and poor treatment, Father Kapaun died on May 23, 1951. He was credited with saving hundreds of lives through the loving care, compassion and spirituality he demonstrated to all his men.

In 1993, Captain Chaplain Emil Joseph Kapaun was declared a Servant of God by Pope John Paul II. The canonization process of this selfless priest is underway and there are two miracles under investigation at the present time. In 2013, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama, becoming one of only five chaplains to receive our nation’s highest award.